Title: Delicate
Author: Karleen
Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Warner Brothers, Amy Sherman-Palladino, Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions and Hofflund/Polone. This was just written for fun.
A/N(s):
(1) italicized texts are part of a flashback.
(2) Please leave me your thoughts, comments or questions... reviews are always welcomed.
(3) Author Response for:

friendlyneighborhoodlorelai- About the old ring: It's more symbolic in a way, because they're not really starting from scratch, they're rebuilding a relationship. i like your s/n. Thanks for your comment :)

Iam1kwlchick- My reason for that is, I didn't want a particular storyline to go on and on forever. If I had written about a specific scenario throughout several chapters, in my head the story gets real stale. Thanks for your comment and for continually reading this fic. :)

also, a big thanks to all those who reviewed the previous chapters, they bring a smile to my face.

anyway on with the new update...

Chapter Ten: The Baby Chronicles

"They're here!" Zach said excitedly.

"How.." Before Rory could even ask how Lane was doing, he ran out of the waiting room. "I'm guessing she's fine." She told her mother.

"I can't believe Lane and Zach are parents." Brian said.

"Of two kids." Gil Added.

"Two boys!" Zach ran back in and paused for a second before he left abruptly.

"He'd better catch a breath or he'll pass out if he keeps doing that." Lorelai said.

Five Hours Earlier.

Lorelai was eating her breakfast at the diner counter along with the rest of the morning customers.

"Slow down." Luke said as she gulped down a mug of coffee.

"Can't." She said as she took her last sip. "Lot's to do, too little time."

"At least come up for air once in a while." He said as he handed a plate to the customer beside her. "Why the rush anyway?"

"I have to make sure things are good for the antiques convention, god listen to me, I sound like my mother."

"You don't." He paused. "I think this is good for the inn, you know with the publicity, more tourists."

"I guess..."

"It is." He reassured. "Are we still on for tonight?" He leaned into the counter, closer to her.

"You bet." She stood up and kissed him before she dashed off.

- - - -

"Are you sure you still want to practice?" Brian asked Lane as they set up in their living room.

"What are you insinuating Brian??" She said as she glared at him and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water.

"Dude, you might not want to do that." Zach leaned in and whispered on Brian's ear. "The hormones, man. Don't initialize the anger."

"Right." He agreed.

"I heard that!" She said as she went back to the living room. "Ugh.."

"What's the matter, babe?"

"What do you think, Zach??" She shifted as she sat behind her drums uncomfortably. "I'm a week passed my due date. I can't take this anymore."

"But.. But Dr. James said that you just have to be a little more patient..." He stuttered. "And eventually..."

"Well eventually isn't now, is it?."

"Why don't you just sit on the couch for a while, you know so you'll be a little bit more comfortable?" He suggested.

"But I want to play, Zach." She whined. "Where the heck is Gil anyway?"

"He's on his way. His shipment of salami got lost and he had to track it down." Brian said quickly before he looked away.

"Why did he just do that?" She asked her husband. "Is he scared of me?"

"Uhh..." Silence ensued, Lane was about to say something but Gil entered the door.

"I found the salami!" he said as he entered with his guitar on his right hand and hugged a 15 pound salami on with his left arm.. "Woah, wasn't your due date like a week ago?" He asked Lane and she gave him a deadly glare.

"Don't remind her." Zach said through his teeth.

- - - -

"Mrs. Kim?" Lorelai said as she entered the antique store.

"Who's there?"

"It's Lorelai." She said as she walked passed the furniture neatly strewn around Kim's antique store. "I think there was a mistake with the chairs that you delivered at the inn."

"There's no mistakes. Maybe one of employees you pay broke it." She said as she appeared in front of her.

"Oh no, nothing was broken."

"Then why are you here if they're in perfect condition?"

"It's just that... the chairs that were delivered were not the ones I ordered two days ago." She pointed at the ones she ordered. "See you still have the slip that says 'deliver to Dragonfly Inn by 6/15'"

Mrs. Kim looked intently at the slip then looked at Lorelai. "Sorry for mishap. It also happened to two other customers. Lane is slipping."

"That's okay." She paused. "I didn't know she still does the deliveries. I thought her due date was last week."

"She insist on it, aggressive just like I was when I had her." Lorelai raised her eyebrows.

"What?"

"Nothing." The phone at the store rang.

"I'll be right back.."

"But what about the.." Mrs. Kim went to pick up the phone. "Chairs?" She sighed. A couple of minutes later, she came back with a big grin on her face.

"It's time." She said.

"...To deliver the chairs?" Lorelai asked hopeful.

"Lane.. Water break."

"Oh my god!"

- - - -

"Lorelai, you're going to have to push a little harder than that." The doctor told her.

"I'm pushing as hard as I can. Any more doc, I think my stomach's gonna pop out along with the kid." She said as she went through one of the most painful events a woman could experience. "And what is with these ice chips? To numb my tongue so I can't scream out in pain??" She reached for the cup filled with ice chips and pelted one of the nurses.

"Lorelai, Focus." The doctor told her and the nurse brushed off the ice. "I see the head." The doctor assured her. "A little bit more."

"Do you even know what the definition of little is?" She cried as she pushed and gave it her all.

She didn't know if it was the sheer pain that she'd just experienced or the Demerol that she consumed affected her hearing; As soon as she heard the baby cry, She couldn't help but shed tears of her own.

"A beautiful baby girl." The doctor said as he handed the infant to one of the nurses to clean.

"A girl?" She asked, exasperated.

"A girl." The nurse affirmed as she handed the baby to her mother. Lorelai instinctively held her newborn as secure as she possibly could.

"Hi sweets." She cooed as kissed her on the forehead. She stopped crying as soon as Lorelai held her. "What time was she born?"

"Fifteen minutes ago... so that would make it 4:03 am." as the doctor looked at his watch.

"Thank you." She said and looked back at her baby. "I know we just met, but I love you more than anyone." She whispered.

- - - -

"Mom." she said as she approached Lorelai sitting in the waiting room with Gil and Brian. "How is she?"

"They just brought her to the delivery room." Rory sat next to her.

"Wow."

"Yeah, I can't believe she's having babies. I mean it feels just like yesterday you guys were playing with my radio instead of your dolls."

"I know, it's pretty exciting!" She looked over at Brian. "Are you all right? you look pale."

"He's in shock." Gil replied.

- - - -

7 hours later

Luke stopped by the hospital to pick Lorelai up. He saw the babies briefly and even brought balloons for them.

"They're so adorable." Lorelai said as she and Luke left the hospital.

"Very." He paused. "They decided on a name?"

"Took a while, but I think they went with The Clash and Joy Division."

"That's the name of the boys?" He asked as they got into his truck.

"Oh no, no." She laughed. "Those are the bands that they got the names from. You should've seen their list." She paused. "Keith and Ian are the boy's names."

"I can't believe she's now a mom."

"I know." They were silent for a moment.

"Oh, How did that auction at the inn go?"

"Michel and Sookie took care of it. Mrs. Kim asked Kirk to deliver the chairs, everything was settled."

"That's good."

"Yeah."

"You hungry?" He asked.

"Starving." She said and he drove off.

- - - -

In the middle of their dinner, his cell phone rang.

"Aren't you going to answer that?" She asked.

"It's probably a wrong number, I mean it's usually just you who calls me here. And you're right in front of me so.." He clicks it to stop the ringing without looking to see who it was. The phone rang again. "This is really getting annoying." He said then looked at the caller id. "It's Liz."

"Answer it."

"Okay." He did so. "Liz?" He paused and listened. "Uh huh... Oh.. What?"

"What happened?" Lorelai whispered.

"Doula's sick. She and TJ can't seem to calm her down." He said as he covered the phone.

"Poor baby." She said. "How high is her temperature?" He asked Liz as soon as she asked.

"Ok Liz... Liz just calm down..." He said and turned to Lorelai. "She's freaking out. She said she doesn't remember how she handled this when Jess was a baby."

"Tell her we're on our way."

"What?" A little surprised with her suggestion

"Come on, your sister needs you."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

- - - -

"I'm so sorry your dinner was ruined because of this." Liz said.

"Don't worry about it." Lorelai reassured her.

"I never thought I'd hear anything ever again." TJ claimed.

"You were such a pro with her." Liz told Lorelai.

"She's as quiet as a fly now." TJ said.

"Call us if you need anything." He said as they left his sister's house.

He intertwined his fingers around hers. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She said as he kissed her softly. "I am still kinda hungry though."

"Yeah.. Sorr.."

"Don't apologize." She said as she looked at him. "but you still have to feed me."

"Not a problem."

- - - -

They were at his apartment. He made her a plate of cheeseburger and fries.

"Man, today was crazy." She said as she chewed her food.

"Geez, would you please slow down. No one's chasing you. You're going to choke one of these days."

"Yes, but that just means that you'd have to resuscitate me." She winked at him and he gave her a serious look. "Okay, slowing down." She finished her food slower.

"What did Rory say when you spoke to her a couple of minutes ago?"

"Lane and the babies are going home in a couple of days. She said that the boys are healthy. They just have to run a couple of tests to see that everything checks out. So that gives us plenty of time to prepare for the party for them."

He sat across from her. "Seems just like yesterday, she was standing in front of my diner, passing out flyers for Mrs. Kim." He paused. "And now she's going to be a mother of two children."

"A wonderful one." He sat next to her.

"This town may be small, but it's definitely unpredictable." He said as he looked at her intently. He fiddled with the ring of promise that hung as a pendant around her silver chain.

"It sure is." She looked back and gave him a smile.

to be continued . . .