An 2019: Added a lot of detail to this chapter, almost an extra 1000 words! Hope you enjoy and feel this chapter a little more. Thanks for reading. Now on to the really crap author's note I used to write.
An: I'm SOOOOOOOOOOO SORRY! This chapter has been written and ready to be typed and loaded on to the sight for over a month. I have been so busy. I know more excuses.
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Chapter 12- I'll Always Be Around
-Friday Night Dinner, Few Weeks Later-
"You know it's weird when mention something a lot and then you stop all of a sudden," Emily casually said, bringing up the fact that Rory hadn't mention Dean for about 6 weeks.
"Then I guess I should tell you I am seeing someone else too," Rory admitted.
"Who?" Emily asked.
"Um, Jess."
"Jess?" Emily questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"Luke's nephew."
"The boy who crashed your car? Lorelai how can you let this happen?" Emily turned to Lorelai and said, disapprovingly. Lorelai frowned and shrugged her shoulders.
"Well, I want to meet him. Just bring Jess over for dinner one night. How about next Friday?" Emily proposed.
"Oh, I don't know," Rory unconvincingly said, not wanting Jess to go through what Dean had to last year. She shot her mom a worried look.
"Oh yeah Mom, that might be hard to arrange on short notice," Lorelai added to help her daughter.
"It's perfect timing. Richard will still be out of town, so it'll just be us girls," Emily explained.
"He works Fridays, doesn't he?" Lorelai pointed out, trying to help Rory.
"Yeah, that his usual night. Friday night. It's a bad night," Rory went along.
"Oh, ok. Perhaps I'll meet him some day. Perhaps at Rory's graduation. That's good. That way we'll all meet him at once. Myself, Richard, Gran and maybe even some of my D.A.R. friends and the reverend" Emily countered.
"You know what Grandma, now that I think about it, I think Jess does have next Friday night off," Rory caved.
-X-
"You know you should bring Luke next week too and tell them about the baby," Rory suggested while the two were on their way back to from Friday night dinner.
"No, Rory I can't tell them," Lorelai told her.
"You have to tell them before you tell the town," Rory pointed out.
"I can't do that. Luke and I, we haven't even discussed anything yet. I haven't been to the doctor's and I know he doesn't want a baby. But, then sometimes, he's so sweet and protective. I don't know! I need to figure out how I feel about having to raise another baby."
"It'll be ok," she reassured her.
"Well, at least I didn't get pregnant out of wedlock this time," Lorelai pointed out.
"Oh, you have to tell them about that too," Rory reminded.
"You mean my sham marriage to Luke?" Lorelai animatedly raised her eyebrows. "That is totally a decision obviously made because we were both drunk. Yeah, that'll make Emily and Richard proud of their daughter."
"Ok, leave that part out. You two are divorcing anyway."
"How am I supposed to explain that? I mean they will surely find out somehow, they always do."
"Um, tell them you have been married for a year and it wasn't working out," Rory suggested.
"One question?"
"What?"
"Why didn't I tell them?"
"We'll come up with something less complicated," Rory assured, unconvincingly.
-X-
-Luke's the Next Day-
"We need to talk," Lorelai stormed in the diner, pointed to Luke and headed in the direction of the curtain leading upstairs.
"Can it wait, I'm working?" Luke asked as he threw his infamous rag on the counter and walked in the same direction.
"No, it can't wait. Upstairs now!" she demanded.
"Jeez," Luke mumbled under his breath and disappeared behind the curtain.
"Get used to it," she grabbed him by his arm and pulled him upstairs. She pushed the door open quietly and Rory and Jess who were horizontal on the couch broke apart, startled.
"Oh, I'm- I'm sorry," Lorelai barely got out as she stopped dead in her tracks
"I'll just get going," Jess said and walked passed them. "Talk to you later," he called out to Rory before he left.
"Hold up," she got up and followed him downstairs.
"Did you know they were up here?" Lorelai questioned Luke.
"Yes, they eventually come up for some air. I come up every ten minutes with some excuse to get something. 'Oops, I forgot this. Oh, I need this'," he explained.
"Every ten minutes?" Lorelai clarified.
"Like clock-work," he reassured her.
She cocked her head to the side as if she was thinking and said, "Ten minutes, yup that's exactly how long it took to create Rory and that includes freshening my lipstick."
"Why did you pull me up here?" He ignored her bait to rile him up.
"We need to talk. We need to talk about the whole us getting married, the divorce, and this baby," she pointed to her stomach.
"Ok," he said and put his hands on his hips.
"So, are we going to through with the divorce?" she asked, bluntly.
"Nicole called and said the papers will be mailed to me in the next few weeks," Luke shared.
"Ok, well how much is this costing us? I know divorces are expensive. I want to help out," she offered.
"Don't worry about it. I have it covered," he told her.
"Luke," she grabbed his hand.
"I said don't worry," he remained stern on his answer and put his free hand on top of her hand.
"Ok, subject dropped."
"Good, look I'm sorry if I came off bad on this whole thing. I know I say I don't like kids," Luke said, dropping her hand and walked over to his bedroom area. He went over to his dresser and pulled out a small thin box.
"'Drop another sucker-'," Lorelai started, reminding him of what he started to say before.
"Stop, I know what I said. Here." He handed her the box.
She opened it to reveal a light-yellow onesie that said, "My daddy loves me." She pulled it out of the box and held it out to examine.
"Luke," she softly said, her voice barely audible as tears brimmed in her eyes. She brought the little piece of fabric to her chest and held it there.
"Lorelai, I can't wait to be a dad. Holding a little baby that made from a bit of me and a bit of you, that depends on me and you. I want that. I want to be a part of that and I'm not going to have you do it alone. If you want us to stay married, fine. If you don't, fine. It doesn't matter because I'll always be around."
Teary eyed, she asked, "But what about bodily fluids, diapers, midnight feedings?"
He chuckled, "Lord help me, I want it all," he told her.
"You're incredible," she said and leaned in to hug him. After she pulled away, she paused for a second to take a deep breath and gather herself together. "I have to tell my parents," she told him.
"Give me the day and the time and I'll be there," he told her and smiled.
"Thank you," she whispered as he gathered her in his arms again and held her close to him.
-X-
-Next Friday-
Two Gilmore Girls, a Mariano and a Danes stood outside the very intimidating Gilmore Mansion.
"Are we going to go in or wait for Casper to open the door?" Jess asked.
"Ok, before we go in," Lorelai began, "I must warn you two. My mother is scary. My father can be intimidating. Luckily for you, you only have to deal with one of them tonight."
Rory interrupted her mother by ringing the doorbell.
"Rory!" Lorelai whined.
"Chill, Mom. It'll be fine," the girl told her.
"Not when I have to refuse alcohol for the second time, my mother will know-" she was interrupted the second time with Emily opening the door. "Hi Mom," she greeted.
"Lorelai, Rory come in. I assume you are Jess. Nice to see you again Luke. Please come in," Emily politely invited.
"Hello, Mrs. Gilmore," Jess said to be polite.
"Nice to see you too," Luke said.
"Well anyway, come in, come in," Lorelai totally knew her mother had her fake hosting face on.
"Richard they are here," Emily yelled as the four walked into the foyer.
"I thought Dad was away," Lorelai stated.
"He canceled," Emily said, shortly.
"Oh."
Richard appeared and greeted, "Hello girls, Luke and I guess you are Jess," he shook the older man's hand first then the young man's.
"Hey Dad."
"Hi Grandpa."
"Nice to see you again Mr. Gilmore," Luke said when the two shook hands.
"Hello," Jess greeted when it was his turn to shake hands.
The group moved to the family room. Rory took a seat on the love seat and Jess occupied seat next to her. Luke and Lorelai took up residence on the larger sofa. Emily sat in the chair while Richard made his way to the drink cart.
"So, Jess, what are your hobbies?" Richard asked fixed his drink first.
"Um, nothing much," he modestly answered.
"He likes to read, Grandpa," Rory interjected.
"Really? I didn't know a boy in this day and age fancies reading. Tell me, what genre or authors interests you?" Richard quickly abandoned making his drink and made his way over to the younger couple. Emily got up and went over to the drink cart in his place while Richard took her seat.
"So…" Lorelai stretched, trying to do something about the silence between the other three.
"Drinks," Emily interrupted. "Lorelai, I assume you want a martini and Luke, what would you like?"
"Actually mom, I'm not in a martini kind of mood. How about a club soda?"
Emily paused for a second and looked at Lorelai and cautiously responded, "Ok and Luke?" She turned back to the cart.
"I'll have the same thing," Luke replied.
Emily made a displeased face and then announced, "Ok, four club sodas coming up."
"Emily this boy is a genius. Rory, I approve," Richard said after discussing something both Jess and he had read.
"That great, Richard. Here's your drink," she handed him his scotch.
"Thank you, Emily." He a sip and quickly went back to his conversation with Rory and Jess.
"So, Lorelai, how long have you and Luke been dating?" Emily asked taking a seat next to on the sofa.
"Actually, that's what we came here for. Dad, can you and Jess take a break for like two minutes."
"Yes, what is it Lorelai?" Richard asked.
"I- I, um, I- I'm pr-," she took a deep breath to help gather herself. She felt Luke's hand grab hers.
"Spit it out already," Emily grew impatient.
Lorelai let out a breath, "I'm pregnant."
"Oh," Richard said.
"I believe you know where the door is? Since that's what you do," Emily said getting up from her seat.
"What?" Lorelai was confused.
"Why did you even bother to tell us anyway? You are just going to run away, because you know how I feel about this. Don't you learn from your mistakes?" Emily angrily told and answered her.
Lorelai remained quiet.
"Grandma," Rory said and followed her.
"Rosetta, put dinner away. We are not eating tonight," Emily told the maid.
"Emily, let the girl stay," Richard pleaded after seeing the defeated look on Lorelai's face.
"I suppose you are not going to get married again. I mean you and the diner man are having a baby," Emily continued.
"His name is Luke and he is sitting right here," Lorelai answered back, finally finding her fight.
"Mrs. Gilmore, we have everything under con-" Luke began.
"We are already married," Lorelai cut Luke off.
"What?" Emily turned around to look at her daughter.
"Luke and I have been married for a month and that is about how far along I am." Lorelai revealed.
"You got married and you didn't care to invite us?"
"Geez I wonder why? Rory wasn't there either," she shared.
"This is completely irresponsible. Did you even tell Rory you were married?" Emily asked.
Once again that night, Lorelai found herself silent.
"Emily please leave the poor girl alone," Richard chimed in.
"How can you be so calm about it? Richard, she didn't even tell us. She didn't even invite us to her own wedding."
"I didn't tell you because I knew that this would be the way you act," Lorelai yelled back.
Rory, Jess and Luke watched uncomfortably.
"Excuse me, can I say something?" Luke calmly, but loudly asked, trying to keep his cool.
"Yes," Lorelai answered.
"Sure, why not? What more could you say? You sit there like a mute," Emily harshly said.
"Mom! You cannot say something like that. You don't even know him," Lorelai argued.
"Let's change the subject shall we," Richard suggested.
"So, Grandpa, what do you think about the world?" Rory tried to help Richard.
"I think the world is a beautiful place that should be taken care of. How about you Jess?" He replied.
"I don't know," Jess replied still interested in Emily and Lorelai's screaming match on the other side of the room.
"OK, STOP!" Luke's voice boomed throughout the room causing the two women to stop yelling. "Mrs. Gilmore you have absolutely nothing to worry about and all this screaming is for nothing and it is definitely not good for the baby!"
"So, you are just concerned about the baby?" Emily bluntly asked.
"Mom, it was not planned, and Luke is right, this is pointless, considering we are getting a divorce," Lorelai revealed causing Richard, Rory and Jess turned their heads.
"I can't believe she told them," Rory told Jess.
"Na, I saw it coming," Jess told her.
"Papers are being drawn up as we speak. We know that this was a mistake and I knew you would not approve," Lorelai explained.
"Lorelai you can't do that now!" Emily exclaimed.
"Why the hell not?" She asked, frustrated on her face.
"Because you are pregnant. Do you want this child to go through what Rory did?" Emily pointed out.
"It won't have to," Luke said standing up and walking over to Lorelai, "because unlike Christopher, I will always be around," he firmly told them.
"How do you know? Will you put your child first or your diner?" Emily bluntly asked, again.
"Yes, like with me you totally put me first. Take your own advice," Lorelai angrily spat back.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Emily yelled.
"Hey now, I don't think-" Luke tried to intervene, but failed when Lorelai cut him off.
"It means that I was never first! Keeping up your appearance and society were more important. I was taken care of by 68 different nannies. Do you know why I didn't get along with the nannies? Because I wanted my mother to take care of me. I know Luke will take care of the baby whether we are together or not," she explained, with tears threatening to spill out of her eyes.
"Grandma, mom is right," Rory spoke up. "Luke took care of me. He let me sit at his diner and take up two maybe three tables during the dinner rush so I could do my homework when mom was working so we could buy a house and couldn't leave me alone. He even came to my pet caterpillar's funeral."
"You let her keep a caterpillar?" Emily asked Lorelai.
"Arrggh!" Lorelai let out, frustrated and started walking towards the door.
"See, she's leaving. This is what she always does," Emily turned to Richard and said before she stomped upstairs.
Rory silently followed her mother. Luke looked at Richard glumly.
"Richard, it was really nice talking to you," Jess stated as he followed Rory.
"The feeling is mutual. Maybe the three of us could get together at sometimes," Richard told him.
"That would be great, Mr. Gilmore."
"Nice to see you again, Mr. Gilmore," Luke politely said as he passed by the older man to catch up to Lorelai who was mostly already in the car, Rory and Jess.
Richard stopped him, "I believe in you, don't let Emily scare you."
"Thank you."
"Here, take this," he handed Luke an envelope.
"I can't take this," Luke said as he held the envelope back to him.
"It's for the baby. I can't wait for another grandchild that I can spoil rotten," he admitted with excitement in his voice.
"Thank you, again," Luke thanked him and left.
-X-
Luke came out and got into the back seat when he noticed that Rory in the driver's seat and Jess was in the front seat next to her. Lorelai was sitting in the back, her head against the window staring outside with tears brimming in her eyes. He slid in next to her. He reached out for her hand. She hesitated before letting him have it. Slowly, she turned her head to let it rest on his shoulder. Luke brought his other hand to her head and gently stroked it, back and forth.
"Shhh, don't let her get to you." He felt the tears soak into his shirt.
"How can she be so horrible?" she rhetorically asked.
"At least you have a mom who can yell at you," he pointed out.
"Do you want mine?" she offered with a rueful chuckle.
Luke let out a small snicker, "I think I'll pass."
She flashed a small smile and he smiled back at her.
-X-
TBC!
Longest chapter! It wasn't supposed to be this long. I made you all wait, so I decided to lengthen it.
It was done just for! Don't you want to review to get even longer chapters? Please? (Insert pout)
