A/N - I apologize for the delay, life has been...busy! I promise to be better this week! Anyway, as per usual, I do not own Gilmore Girls, unfortunately. And here, we will move forward, but continue to fall backwards with flashbacks so that we see what we've missed, but soon we will have an adorable bundle of joy!
Chapter 7
"So...how's being knocked up?" Paris nodded at her friend, "I mean, your ankles don't look swollen, you aren't too fat yet, but I can see that you've gained some weight. Your morning sickness should be over"
"Gee, thanks Paris" Rory rolled her eyes, "It's fine, I'm fine"
"Well, my new roommate sucks. Thanks for asking"
"Paris, Doyle moved in" Rory laughed a little bit as she sat down.
"I know, and let me tell you...I was spoiled by living with you for all of those years, Doyle is no cake walk, it is no walk in the park living with a man" Paris insisted, "So, what are you and Huntzberger doing? Doyle says he overheard you've been spending a lot of time together"
"Paris" Rory looked at her, "We're having a child together, I think spending time together is pretty much inevitable"
"Well...is it, romantic time?" Paris prodded.
"No Paris, it isn't romantic time. He helps with stuff around the house, we're trying to get to know each other. We are stuck in each others lives for the rest of ours, so we may as well try to like each other" Rory explained, "And he's not a bad guy"
"Not a bad guy" Paris wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
"Come on Paris" Rory looked down at her slightly protruding stomach, "You really think any guy would be interested in this?"
"God no" Paris shook her head with disgust, "But the man who inseminated you probably looks at it differently. I mean, I'm sure it is some macho display of tribal superiority...or something"
Rory shook her head, taking a sip of her water as she thought about how she and Paris had ever even managed to become friends.
"I should go though" Paris looked at her watch, interrupting Rory's thoughts, "Are you doing anything tonight with the publishing mogul?"
"No" Rory told her, "I mean, I can call if I need anything"
"Be smart Gilmore" Paris stood up, "But in good news, you can't get knocked up while you're knocked up"
xxxx
"Feels weird to be back" Logan looked at the door as he and Rory stood outside of the Gilmore residence, "And how affectionate am I supposed to be? Just so I don't over...or under do it"
"Just be normal" Rory shrugged, "How would you normally act around a girlfriend?" she asked, avoiding ringing the doorbell.
"I've never had a girlfriend, I have girls, and sex, no girlfriends"
"Let's just do this" Rory pushed the doorbell, she hoped her mother would be there soon, but she had gotten an ominous voicemail earlier in the day suggesting that Lorelai might only be making it for dessert because of some emergency at the inn.
"Hello" the new maid opened the door with an uncomfortable smile.
"We're here for Richard and Emily" Rory smiled as she stepped inside, handing her coat to the woman.
"Rory" Emily smiled when she saw Logan in front of her, "Logan, how good to see you"
"Thank you Emily" Logan kissed her cheek and then took Rory's hand as they followed Emily into the living room, "It smells great in here"
"Oh thank you" Emily nodded, "What can I get you to drink?" she asked as Logan and Rory both took a seat, "Richard is just in his study, just about done with his work for the day"
"I'll have a water please" Rory managed to squeak, she couldn't help but be worried about when the shoe was going to drop, her grandmother was not happy about the situation she was in.
"Sparkling or tap?"
"Uh...it doesn't matter" Rory shrugged, "The flowers look great"
"Thank you" Emily smiled as she handed Rory a glass of sparkling water, "And what about for you, Logan?"
"I'll take a water as well please" Logan smiled as she pouted the water and handed it to him.
"Well, it is good to have you two here" Emily told them as she sat down, "And I want to apologize for my behaviour last week. I should have been more supportive, and what Richard said rings true for both of us, we will support you in whatever way we can"
"Wow" Rory exhaled with relief, "Grandma, thank you, that means so much to us"
"I didn't behave appropriately" Emily continued, "And I understand that things were different when your mother was pregnant. Anyway, enough of that, lets just enjoy ourselves. How are you doing Rory?"
"I'm good" Rory told her, "I...well, we went to an appointment today"
"Oh?" Emily smiled.
"Well we found out the sex of the baby"
"No" Logan corrected her with a smile, "You found out the sex of the baby, I didn't want to know yet"
"Sorry, that is true, Logan wanted it to be a surprise. So I found out the sex" Rory smiled at him, his arm draped protectively around her shoulder.
"Oh! Well, you must tell me! Once Richard comes" Emily smiled, "If you would like, I mean" she corrected herself quickly, "And I should probably tell you" Emily began and as if on queue, her doorbell rang once more, "Your father is joining us for dinner Rory"
"Oh" Rory smiled, "That's great, that was really nice of you, Grandma" Rory nodded as Emily stood up and headed towards the door, she could easily be heard greeting Christopher as he entered the house, "I'm so glad you could come"
"Anything for you, Emily" Chris laughed.
"Should I be worried about your Dad?" Logan asked quietly, whispering in her ear, to an observer it would just look like a boyfriend whispering into her ear.
"I don't think so" Rory smiled back, aware that both her Grandmother, and Father would walk back into the room at any moment.
"Hey kiddo" Chris boomed as he walked into the living room, followed by Richard and Emily.
"Dad" Rory stood up and hugged him, "I'm glad you're here"
"You look good" Chris kissed her forehead, "How are you feeling?"
"Better" Rory smiled as she looked at him, "Dad, this is Logan, uh...my...boyfriend"
"Father of my unborn grandchild" Chris smiled as he extended an arm to him, "Good to meet you. You treating my girl well? She's the best"
"I hope so" Logan stood up, "It's nice to meet you sir"
"Call me Chris, Chris Hayden" Chris told him with a smile, "So Ror, you had an appointment today?"
"I did" Rory nodded with a smile.
"And she found out the gender!" Emily grinned with excitement.
"Well you'll have to tell us, Rory" Richard chimed in as he poured himself and Chris a scotch.
"I will, once Mom gets here" Rory placated them all, "But Logan will have to hide upstairs because he doesn't want to know"
"Well I'm sure Logan has spent his fair share of time hiding at this kind of event" Chris laughed, "If he's anything like I was"
"Your father, he was a Supreme Court Justice, right? I'm sorry to hear that he passed" Logan looked to Chris.
"He was" Chris nodded, "And thank you, that's nice of you to say. So, you go to Yale too? At least that's what Rory's Mom tells me?"
"Yeah, I will be finished in the spring" Logan explained, "I'm majoring in...everything and nothing, all at once. But I think they call it business admin, I'll probably end up working for my Dad when this is over, especially given the situation"
"What does your Dad do?"
"Seriously Dad?" Rory looked at him with a laugh, "Huntzberger, as in the Huntzberger Publishing Group"
"Oh, yeah, right. Sorry I just...I know Mitchum, I just...I forgot. I guess I'm getting old" Chris laughed, "Well, at least you know you'll have job security?"
"Oh, I think dinner is ready?" Rory smiled as she saw the maid appear in the corner of the room.
"I don't think it's fair that we have to wait for your mother to hear the gender. I just can't wait"
"You'll be fine Emily" Richard laughed as he stood up, "Lorelai will want to hear this"
xxxx
Dinner had been relatively uneventful when Lorelai arrived, everyone had retired to the living room by the time the doorbell rang again.
"What did I miss?" Lorelai laughed as she walked into the room, after enjoying a quick embrace with Chris.
"Well, now that you're here, Logan can go upstairs!" Emily practically jumped out of her seat.
"Wow Mom, he's pissed you off that much already?" Lorelai laughed as her father handed her a martini.
"No" Emily rolled her eyes, "Don't be ridiculous Lorelai, but Rory knows the sex of the baby"
"So why are we throwing Logan up in the ivory tower?" Lorelai looked at them as she took a sip of her drink.
"I don't want to know the sex" Logan explained as he stood up, "Come get me when it's over"
"So in front of you we will call my future grandchild a he-she?" Lorelai grinned up at him.
"I suppose so" Logan nodded, "I'll show myself up, Ace, come get me when everyone has calmed down"
"Will do" Rory smiled as she saw him walk off, noticing how she immediately felt cold after his strong arm was no longer wrapped around her.
"So" Lorelai turned to Rory, pulling her out of her thoughts, "You know? Do you even want to tell us?" Lorelai raised her eyebrow.
"Of course she wants to tell us, how else are we going to plan things. Don't be ridiculous Lorelai" Emily butted in, "Now come on Rory"
"Well, if you must know" Rory smiled coyly, she couldn't help but think about how right Steph had been, she needed to have some fun with this, "I will be having a baby boy"
"A boy" Emily repeated, a smile creeping over her lips, "Baby boys are adorable, everyone loves baby boys"
"I think everyone loves babies" Chris corrected her.
"Are you happy?" Lorelai asked as Richard beamed at his granddaughter.
"I am" Rory nodded.
"Have you thought of names?" Emily interrupted.
"Well, I have, but Logan doesn't know much about them, so I think we'll have to look at the name situation"
"Well you must tell us the name ideas!" Emily pushed.
"Grandma we'll deal with names later" Rory told her, "We have to leave something for the next few months"
"Ror you go upstairs and find Logan" Lorelai told her, "I need to talk to Mom"
"Alright?" Rory looked at her mother skeptically, "How long should I be?"
"Give us 10 minutes"
"Lorelai what on earth do we need to discuss for 10 minutes?"
"Just go" Lorelai smiled as Rory exited the room, before turning to her mother, "I wanted to discuss the baby shower with you" Lorelai told her with a smile.
"Oh" Emily was clearly shocked as the men immersed themselves in conversation about business, "Well, I didn't think you would ask for my opinion"
"Well" Lorelai smiled at her mother, in a rare moment of peace, "Sookie and I were discussing it today, and well, who throws a party better than Emily Gilmore? The answer to that my friend, is no one. And this way the Huntzberger's can come, and it can be classy, but still...Rory, you know?"
"Oh, Lorelai I am thrilled that you've asked me" Emily stood up, "Let me grab my date book"
xxxxx
"Thought I'd find you here" Rory smirked as she opened the door to her bedroom.
"Figured I would come back to the scene of the crime"
"Well, the crime scene it is" Rory laughed, walking further in, taking a look at all of the things in the room, so many things that were just not her, and that was an understatement, "My Grandma decorated it for me when I was in high school, trying to be hip or something" she explained as she traced her finger down a photo frame, it housed a photo of some of the kids from Chilton with Rory at her 16th birthday, none of them were her friends, "I guess I never thought it would be the location of such a monumental moment in my life"
"No kidding" Logan agreed as he bounced off of the bed and approached her, staring intently at the pictures, "Why do I have a feeling that none of those people were your friends?"
"Well, probably because you would be correct" Rory laughed, "My Grandma threw it for me...wanted me to get to know the people I went to school with. I guess she had the best intentions, she normally does, but she more or less goes about it the wrong way"
"Do you always stick up for her?"
"No" Rory shook her head, "But it's the truth. She thinks she's doing what is best for me, and you can't really fault her for that, can you?"
"I guess you're right" Logan agreed, picking up a photo of Lorelai holding Rory as a baby, "She didn't want this for you" he stated simply.
"No" Rory shook her head, letting tears well in her eyes for a moment, "But here we are"
"I'm sorry" Logan whispered, placing his hand on the small of her back, "I won't let you down"
"I hope not" Rory sniffled a little bit as she tried to compose herself, turning to face Logan as she did, "We're stuck with each other, so we're going to have to find a way to make it work. Otherwise there is a strong chance you're going to end up with a baby who thinks coffee is a food group, and marshmallows are fruit"
"Hey" Logan took their brief moment together, in the room where everything had started and put his hands on her cheeks, "We can do this. I'm not going anywhere"
"What if we can't?" Rory asked quietly.
"We can" Logan assured her, as if nothing else was even an option.
xxxx
"I want to tell you" Rory looked at him as they walked around the fourth car of the afternoon.
"Do not tell me" Logan told her as he opened the drivers door and sat inside, "This is nice"
"Whatever you want" Rory shrugged, "Your money, your car, your baby is going in it"
"When you say it like that" Logan looked at her, "It's like there is no pleasing you, no matter what car I get"
"Well what has the best safety rating" Rory asked, clearly annoying the salesman who had been following them around for 20 minutes. "And which one are you most likely to pick up girls in, despite the fact that there is a carseat in the back of it"
"The one before" Logan told her.
"Then get it" Rory groaned, "I cannot believe this is how I am spending my first day off"
"Ror, the baby is due in a month, I need to get a car"
"And I need to have the nursery painted, so I need to tell you what the sex is"
"Those two things are unrelated Rory" Logan told her as they walked out of the dealership, "I'll call and place the order tomorrow" he stated as he noticed how dark it had gotten since they had gone inside, "We need to get you home, what are you doing tonight?"
"I need to finish some laundry, get the baby clothes clean" she explained, "And I would ask for help, but someone doesn't want to know the sex"
"You're never going to give this up, are you?" Logan sighed as he opened the car door for her.
"Nope" Rory shook her head triumphantly, she had completed all of the classes that she could, and now she would take the semester off, have her baby and head back for the fall semester at the latest of the following year, this rigorous schedule, and the fact that she was over a semester and a half ahead, meant that she would be able to take a lightened course load when she did return, but still graduate on time.
"So, girl name? Victoria Lorelai Gilmore-Huntzberger" Logan stated as he got into the car as well, "And boy name, Mason Logan Gilmore-Huntzberger"
"Those are the winning names" Rory repeated, pulling her phone out and quickly responding to a text from her Dad. "But to be honest, I am not sure about Victoria...it seems dated, I mean, we can go for something modern, but traditional?"
"Sure" Logan agreed, "And you really want me to know if its a boy or a girl?" Logan looked at her as he pulled out of the dealership and began heading towards Rory's house.
"I don't know" Rory admitted, "I mean, tormenting you, obviously is fun, but...I kind of like the idea that you will be surprised"
"Want me to stay over again tonight?" Logan asked, deciding that if she really wanted to tell him, she likely would. He had been staying at her house periodically since there had been a string of break-ins in an area near her. Not immediately in her complex, but near enough that both the Gilmore's, and the Huntzberger's were worried.
"Yes please" Rory nodded, resting her head back against the seat.
"How does it feel to be done school?"
"Weird" Rory admitted, "I mean, even if its only temporary, it is bizarre. I never really saw my life going like this"
"I know" Logan looked at her as he pulled into her complex, "But we'll have this cool kid at the end of it. Equal parts me, equal parts you"
"Hopefully more parts me" Rory laughed, "Except without the young parent gene" she mused, purposefully not calling it a boy or girl.
"You have the shower on Saturday?"
"So I've been told" Rory nodded, "Its at my Grandma's house"
"Well thats probably for the best, that you're on...familiar territory"
"I should probably invite you to my parents house" Logan told her, she hadn't met his parents yet. She had spent a great deal of time with Honor, and had even met Logan's Grandfather, Elias Huntzberger, but she had yet to meet Mitchum or Shira.
"I guess we should do that before we see each other in the hospital once the baby comes" Rory agreed, she still worried, despite constant reassurances that the Huntzberger's would not view her as a social climber. She worried more so because she hated what she had heard about them. She wanted people in their lives who would support them, and not tear them down at every, and any opportunity.
"We could go there now. Just get it over with" Rory suggested.
"It's getting late" Logan told her, "I mean, on the plus side, it will just be over, and we can leave, but on the negative, it's getting late, and I'll probably need to have a few drinks to get over this"
"Logan, they are your parents, not pythons"
"I'm pretty much convinced that they might be one in the same..."
"Logan" Rory laughed, they had grown close throughout the pregnancy, planning, staying up late, whenever Rory couldn't sleep, or if she didn't feel well, she knew that she could call Logan and that he would be there for her, no matter what else had had going on. They had been through all of this together, regardless of anything else. For the sake of Emily and Richard they were still pretending to be dating, it was easier for them to think that than it was for them to break Emily's heart more than she already had.
"Well come on Ace, they aren't exactly warm and fuzzy. I would think you would have realized that by now"
"Well, I'll be meeting your mother on the weekend anyway, so how much damage can Mitchum Huntzberger do?"
"Is that a challenge?" Logan smirked.
"Logan"
"Fine, we'll go" Logan turned left where they would normally turn right.
"Well you don't have to take me if you don't want to" Rory smirked, she knew how to push his buttons, that was a skill she had definitely mastered in the last few months.
"You're ridiculous" Logan rolled his eyes as he began to drive towards his parents home, "Just be prepared, it probably won't be fun"
"I'm sure it will be fine" Rory tentatively put her hand on his, "I mean it can't be worse than when we went back to Stars Hollow last month"
"Wow" Luke looked at her with amazement, sure Lorelai had told him that she was pregnant, but he still couldn't believe that she was really pregnant. "You're..."
"6 months" Rory nodded, she wasn't completely sure how she had managed to avoid the town, but she had tried to stay away for as long as possible. "Thanks for the milkshake" she told him as she grabbed the two drinks and passed one to Logan.
"This place is weird" Logan whispered as he noted the stares they were getting, two older women were whispering, loudly as they exited the diner and hit the street.
"They just never expected this for me" Rory told him as they walked towards her mothers house, until a head of blonde hair caught her eye. "You've got to be kidding me" she muttered as she noticed the taller, brown head of hair holding onto the blonde's hand.
"What?" Logan asked, not really understanding the intricacies of small town life.
"That is Dean" Rory shot back, "And if I am not mistaken, he is with his ex wife who must be his girlfriend again, which is a whole boat load of pathetic considering she knows he cheated on her, with me, and evidently took him back anyway."
"So you don't want him to see you?"
"He doesn't know" Rory looked down at her stomach, "He doesn't know, and I don't want him to look at me, and pity me, or even worse entertain the idea that this baby is his"
"Well then fine, we'll ignore them" Logan shrugged, but it only took about half a second for him to realize that it wouldn't be possible.
"RORY!" Sookie shouted as she bolted up behind them, "Rory, you forgot you cellphone at the inn!" she told her, stopping to catch her breath, and shoving the phone into Rory's hand, at the same time causing Dean and Lindsay to turn around and stare at her.
"Thanks" Rory nodded as Sookie quickly turned around and headed back to wherever she had come from. Rory assumed she had run out of the market or a store.
"Rory?" Dean looked at her, clearly shocked by her protruding stomach.
"Dean" Rory shifted awkwardly on the spot as he and Lindsay both approached them, Lindsay more begrudgingly than Rory ever thought possible.
"You're..."
"Pregnant" Logan locked his hand in Rory's, "Yeah, and engaged. I mean we didn't really expect it" Logan smiled, his eyes glittering as he kissed Rory softly, "And then the baby, I mean, obviously you would know exactly how quickly it happened, but hey, love is love"
"You're...engaged?"
"Engaged" Rory repeated, she could see the disappointment in Dean's eyes, and she could see the anger brewing in Lindsay, "How are you two?" she managed to choke out.
"Oh...we're..." Lindsay tried to gather a voice, "We're good"
"Good, I'm glad" Rory smiled.
"Well I have to admit" Logan squeezed Rory tightly against him, "I'm glad those two didn't work out" he nodded from Dean to Rory, "I mean, if they had, I wouldn't have managed to bag this one, and I am just the luckiest man in the world"
"You're right" Logan laughed, "Nothing could be much worse than that"
