A/N: No real note this time, just a lobby for you to please comment and tell me what you think. Took a little longer because I'm now the proud auntie of a 6lb 9oz little boy who's named after me.

With the dust seeming to settle, the next three months went fairly swiftly. Odette moved into her flat that she'd worked with a designer to have pre-furnished and decorated before her move. Her parents feeling guilty for the predicament they landed her in, were more than willing to throw money to her for any expenses, though most of that was unnecessary because Logan himself felt even more guilt. Still, they had their lawyers on standby and were working connections to see if they could get her citizenship fast-tracked even further. Odette did not protest that because though they'd come to a truce, she still felt hurt any time she had to see him. It was like a fresh wound each time, wondering if he'd just seen her, what he was buying for his other family.

He'd come to her gender reveal ultrasound because she thought she was more okay than she was. But when they told her it was a boy, feelings came up again. He looked at his phone buzzing right as they were about to hear the news and she could tell he really wanted to answer it. Whether it was Rory or business, she just felt so unimportant.

Setting aside the dynastic expectations for any children born with a penis, she had continuous worry that her child would not matter enough to him. He'd be born into a world where he had a half- brother or sister who already arrived and had his father's attention. Practically twins in age, but it felt like a Jacob and Esau battle. She didn't react then but she went home, sat in her soon-to-be-nursery and cried. She hadn't pitied herself, her tears were for the unborn love of her life.

She did her best not to focus on it. She delved into classes, using special paints to make sure not to inhale toxic chemicals. She paid a needy college kid to properly clean her brushes each day. Her name was Sarah and she probably would have done it for free, but Odette insisted. Even with the arrangement, she and Sarah were becoming fast friends.

But she had more than the means to pay and she didn't want to feel like she owed anyone. Owing her parents for being born was pretty much how she'd landed with Logan and she was not impressed with how that turned out. She'd even resolved that once she was done with school, she'd find a way to support herself without any of her parents' money… well other than her trust fund.

Marcus was supportive through everything and now that she was in her 5th month, she had more energy to gallivant through this new terrain with him. He showed her the touristy and local attractions of the city and their group still met up on weekends to hang out. He'd asked her on official dates, but they were taking it slow. She told him she wasn't ready because she needed to find out who she wanted to be and he respected that.

oOo

Rory was now in her third trimester, due in just a couple of months. She wasn't going to find out the gender of her baby but the nurse slipped and told her at her last appointment. She called Logan and was sent to voicemail that day. It'd been a week since then and though he'd called her back, she started internalizing her emotions the moment he didn't answer. Logan always used to answer and now, she felt like she didn't have him. Not that she should have him completely- she didn't think she deserved that. She just felt like she couldn't burden him more or he'd retreat into himself again. The first months after he found out were rough but they'd gotten into a groove and he was present at all of her appointments. She felt like that should be enough, but it wasn't.

One day, she was writing a chapter of her book and she couldn't focus on anything else. Her mind, her heart, was elsewhere. She groaned and threw her pen at the diner wall. She'd tried her usual spots but they didn't work and Luke's was a last resort. She thought the nostalgia of all the times she'd gone there to study as people whooshed around her would give her calm and focus. But the cursor on her laptop mocked her as the only thing on the page she was writing.

Luke approached her with a fruit salad in hand. "I was out of trout," he explained. She smiled for a moment recalling the time she'd thrown her pencil because she'd gotten her first D. Luke brought her pie because he'd said violent pencil tossing called for pie. When she asked what he would've given her if it were a pen, he replied in the same dry tone as he had now 'I would have brought you trout' and then shrugged and explained, 'I don't make the rules, I just follow them.'

"You old softie," she beamed, making a mental note to catalog that story.

"You know, there's someone you could talk to about what you're going through. I'm sure she understands."

"Mom doesn't want to hear about my book."

"Please, Rory, we both know your frustration right now has nothing to do with that book. I've watched you grow up, I know when you're upset. You get that Rory face."

"Rory face?" she questioned.

"Yes. You make this face, and then those eyes do the same thing as your mother's. Neither of you can quite hide what's wrong when you look at the eyes."

"Wow," she knew Luke knew her, but his level of knowledge of her was surprising.

"Well, anyway, I know it's not the book and there's only one other major thing going on in your life right now," he said giving her a stern, fatherly look filled with compassion. He paused a second and added "You should talk to her."

Rory sighed. "You're right. Thanks. I'm not gonna get anything done except allow you to ply me with fruits and vegetables so I'll just gather my stuff and visit her at the Annex."

"Good," he replied nodding, then walked away.

oOo

At the Annex, Lorelai was dealing with Tom on some mold found upstairs as Rory walked in. She spied her daughter waddling towards her and cut the conversation short as the rotund contractor walked away grumbling under his breath but with a smile on his face.

"Is that man ever going to retire?"

"Tom? No, of course not. He doesn't do much of the physical stuff, but his nephew is shadowing him learning the business. But enough about Tom, I'm sure that's not why you're here. Let's go to the garden in the back to talk. I don't want my grandbaby to get hurt in here with the toxic mold upstairs." She shouted the last part so that Tom would hear.

In the garden, there was a stone bench that Lorelai guided her daughter to. They sat for a moment before Rory got the courage to ask.

"Do you think I should cut Logan out of the picture?"

"What?"

"I know you don't like him and you did it on your own. I mean, sometimes he's so great. But other times… well I'm just scared he'll run in and out just like dad did and I don't want that for this baby."

"Rory," Lorelai gave her best comforting mom tone and rubbed circles on her back. "Logan and Christopher are not the same. For one, you're not 16. And also, he's been there for the appointments. Your dad saw one video in health class and avoided all things related to you coming out of my lady parts like the plague."

"Mom," Rory said embarrassed.

"You'll see. In just a couple months, this is going to happen to you too. It's time you get used to the idea that your body is about to do something completely disgusting but that at the end of it is a soft, pink baby."

"I guess," she conceded not wanting to discuss it further. "It's just this whole thing is hard. I called him the other day with some news and he didn't answer. He always answers and maybe it's petty of me, but I expect him to answer. What if something's wrong with the baby? What if I go into labor early? What if…?"

"What if he's not there for you when you want to talk to him?" Lorelai completed the unasked question.

"It's silly. We're not together, and he has other… obligations. I don't have any right to feel like this. Not after what I did."

"Rory, no. Stop that right now," Lorelai scorned. This jilted Rory who'd rarely had her mother take such a serious tone with her. "You are only one-half of this equation. While yes, you screwed up, so did Logan. You both made terrible choices and that gave you a human being inside of you. You can't continue shouldering the whole burden of guilt on yourself. Logan's a grown man and his actions were his choice too. That means that it's up to him to deal with whatever mess that is that he created. Your job is just to make a healthy baby and fix what you've done. And you've already atoned as much as you can, which makes me so proud of you, kid. Yes, I did the single mom thing, but that doesn't mean you should. And you especially shouldn't be considering it because you feel you don't deserve happiness. I may not be team Logan, but I'm always team Rory. What it sounds like to me is that you still have feelings for him, you might even love him. It's normal. I loved your dad when I had you. Don't keep yourself from being honest about your feelings because you don't think you deserve it. Don't just accept the love or the life you think you deserve, baby. Fight for what you want. Don't just keep punishing yourself."

Rory had tears in her eyes, she didn't say anything, just leaned on her mother's shoulder and breathed. Finally, she composed herself. "You're right. Thanks, mom."

"I love you, Rory."

"Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"We're having a girl."

Lorelai's mouth opened wide as she processed that information.