AATT 21
"Okay, we have the menu picked out, and so help me god if your pregnant taste buds change the menu again, I will take you out and Sookie and Logan will help me hide the body. We have the flowers picked out and paid for, you've found your dress, invitations are sent out. RSVPs should be in within the week, now I know we discussed something about the wedding party?" Lorelai spouted off as she was preparing the bed at the Dragonfly Inn. Rory was still staying there even though Logan had left earlier in the day, and they decided to have a girl's night at the Dragonfly. As her mom set the final box of malomars down onto the comforter Rory settled in on the bed too.
"Yeah, Steph isn't going to be in the bridal party." Rory gossiped as she dug into the Ben and Jerry's sitting in front of her.
"Woah. What happened there?"
"I don't know, Colin told Logan not to plan on her being in, he hasn't been sleeping at their house in almost the whole time since I've been seeing Logan. It's all weird. But now it's just all a mess." Rory shrugged her shoulders. Quite frankly, she didn't understand that dynamic and she knew that Logan didn't want to pry, even if most of Rory did want answers.
"So, who is it going to be up at the altar? Still Logan?" Lorelai asked with a smile on her face as she opened up the cookies that were next to her.
"Nah, I figured I'd swap him out for Finn, really throw off the whole wedding."
"Well, at least you know how to keep everyone on their toes." As she looked around the bed she looked back up at Rory. "Hey babe, why does it feel like we're wallowing?"
Rory looked around ashamed, admittedly she had been the one that had provided the food spread for the evening and it was excessive, even by their standards. "I just… I miss him mom." Rory almost pouted as she said it. "I know he didn't ship off to 'Nam. I know he's just on another business trip, it's something we've been through before but nothing since we found out about the baby. Maybe I'm just being selfish, but I'm just used to having him around and it was weird finalizing some of the wedding things without him. I know he doesn't care about any of it, but it still would've been nice to have him around."
"Can I say something you may not want to hear, but hopefully the ending will redeem itself?"
"Well, I'm pregnant, so tread carefully." Rory warned, holding the ice cream pint close to her chest almost as a shield.
"I will try my best. When you guys started, I told you that you didn't have to rush things, and honestly, for a while I think you were rushing things. Now, I never said anything because you're an adult and you were and are happy, but I was worried kid. I mean one minute you're happily married, the next you're getting divorced, a few months later you're dating some guy who also happens to be your boss and then before I know it you guys are exchanging keys and getting engaged and then babies and houses and I was so scared for you. But I'm sitting here and I'm remembering back during your marriage to Jameson and you would spend whole weekends here without a second thought. Checking your phone for work emails, not for flirty text messages, and it's just a whole new Rory. I was really scared for you, but I am happy for you, I was then, and I am even more now. I'm just… I'm glad you guys found each other and I'm sorry for any doubts I may have had." Lorelai finished quietly, she was looking at the cookies as she grabbed one out before she heard Rory start to sniffle. "Rory? You okay hon?"
"Damn it, mom, you made the pregnant woman cry."
RLRLRLRL
To: Logan
"How is the London skyline?"
To: Rory
"Gray, drab, rainy."
To: Logan
"Aw, come on. You're in London. You loved it there!"
To: Rory
"Loved being the key word. It's just… it's not the same anymore. I miss you guys. How was the wedding planning?"
To: Logan
"If I change the menu again, I'm sleeping with the fishes and according to Sal Tessio, you'll be the one providing the cement for my feet."
Logan was sitting at the airstrip waiting to take off for home when he read that, and he couldn't help but laugh. He missed so much about her, it's why he was heading home early to surprise her. He had been working around the clock with this advertiser. It turned out she had been right, they just liked working with Logan and wanted to make sure he was still going to be handling their account. It wasn't really worth the flight over and the time away but his dad was happy and he did get to reconnect with a few old friends that weren't connected to Cassandra's group.
To: Rory
"Maybe not that drastic, but I do like the menu as we have it now."
To: Logan
"The amount of people who are trying to tell me not to pick food for my own wedding is becoming dangerous. You all do realize I'm not only the bride, I'm also carrying a whole, living being. You all should be nicer to me. Not only a whole baby, but also a potential heir to your lineage. Why are you so mean Logan, why? Why?"
To: Rory
"I'm happy to see your flair for the dramatic is still alive and well, I miss it."
To: Logan
"Suck up."
To: Rory
"Always so eloquent. I'm serious Ace. I miss you."
To: Logan
"I miss you too, handsome. Still heading home on Saturday?"
Logan cringed at the fact that he was lying, but it was a good lie, like chaotic good, right?
To: Rory
"Yeah, if I'm going to get up for tomorrow's meeting I should probably head to bed. I miss you, I love you. Be safe."
To: Logan
"Say hi to William and Harry for me."
RLRLRLRLRL
Rory was laying in her bed at their house, it had been 4 days since she had dropped Logan off at the airport and she couldn't get comfortable no matter what she tried, the fact that it was in the middle of the night wasn't helping matters either. She couldn't get comfortable, if you asked the romantic in her why she couldn't sleep, it was because the room suddenly felt so much larger now that Logan was gone, even though their house was obviously much bigger, it was still their home, so it didn't feel quite as empty as this room did without Logan. However, if you asked the logical part of her, the realist in her, then it the reason for her current insomnia would be because of the sharp pain in her abdomen.
She wanted to get up, walk to the mini fridge and get a bottle of water out, but as it stood, she couldn't move. Instead, she was for all intents and purposes, immobile. It was at this moment that she realized how much Logan did for her, she knew that if he were here, she wouldn't have lifted a finger. Hell, it was because of his constant taking care of her that she had a mini fridge in their master bedroom in the first place. But now, he was an ocean away, and sleeping, or getting ready to wake up and face another day, while she stayed holed up in their house, unable to get comfortable. It didn't help that she had already had to work from home 2 days so far this week because of the morning sickness and she was sure that if the pain didn't lessen, she would be working from home tomorrow too, she was suddenly very thankful for telecommuting now.
Just as thought occurred to her the pain worsened and she was now doubled over in pain, it took the wind out of her and she couldn't help the scream that escaped her lips. Without thinking she reached over to the nightstand and called Logan, when the call went straight to voicemail, she groaned out again, quickly dialing her mother's number in place of Logan's. She wasn't thinking about the time or waking up Paul Anka who would probably wake up Luke way to early, or late, right now she just needed her mom and she didn't care who knew it. After 4 rings she was about to give up when her mother's voice came through the speaker. "Die." Without the ability to form many words Rory just screamed out in pain at her mother's greeting. "Oh my god! Rory?! I didn't mean that literally. What is going on? Rory? Rory, answer me!"
"Pain, mom it hurts so bad." She barely breathed out before screaming again.
"Okay, it will be okay. Hang up with me and call 911. Logan is still gone, right?"
"Yeah, I tried calling, AHHHH, it went straight to voicemail."
"I'm coming up, I'll meet you at the hospital. Just let me know when you get checked in."
"Thank you, mom." Rory breathed out as a new pain hit her before she hung up the phone and made her way downstairs, forgoing the 911 call and making her way to the New York streets below where she hailed a cab and asked them to take her Mount Sinai.
RLRL
Logan had left London at midnight, which put him back in New York at 2:30 in the morning. His whole body ached, his mind was exhausted and as he dozed off in the back of the town car that was taking him back to Rory and their house it never even clicked for him to turn on his cell phone which had been powered down for the flight. As he trudged came into the house quietly, he didn't even bother trying to lug his suitcase up the stairs, he would deal with those in the morning. He made his way up the stairs and to their master bedroom but before he climbed into bed, he noticed the lack of Rory in the bed or in the master bathroom. Quickly turning on his phone he saw an influx of voicemails and text messages come pouring in.
The last time his phone had lit up this much after turning it off for quite a bit he was pressured to go to London, he felt like this time, however, it was something much worse than that. As he listened to the first voicemail, he heard Rory's voice, but it didn't sound like the voice he was used to. "Logan, owwww, Logan, I don't want to scare you but I'm heading to the hospital. Ahhhh. I've been having really bad pains in my stomach, I can't sleep, I know you have a busy day but please check in if you can."
The next voicemail came from Lorelai. "Hey kid, I'm on my way to meet Rory, it looks like she hailed a cab to Mt. Sinai, seriously are you New Yorkers too good for just an old-fashioned ambulance? I'll keep you updated." There were a few more from Lorelai, and a few text messages from Rory.
To: Logan
"Sorry to freak you out earlier, I'm sure all is fine here. Have a great meeting."
"HAVE A GREAT MEETING?! Are you serious?" He bellowed as he sprinted down the stairs with a new fire in his step as he barreled out the door and into a cab. For a minute, as he sat in the back, he laughed at Lorelai's comment about the fact that Rory had hailed a cab as well. He wasn't sure if he should check in, but as he was typing the message, he discovered they were pulling up to the hospital as it was, so he decided to just hop out and barge his way into the hospital as it was anyway.
When he finally found her room number he quickly weaved through the hospital, thankful for the quietness that 3:45 in the morning at a hospital provided, he had thrown his name around just to even be allowed in at this time and he wasn't about to let the slowness of the elevators stop him from getting to her. When he finally made his way into the room his whole body went cold as he saw her laying on the hospital bed with an IV on her arm. He saw Lorelai in the corner chair passed out with a trashy magazine in her lap. As he made his way over to her, he sat on her bed, careful not to touch the IV cord.
When she felt the bed move Rory opened her eyes, prepared for the nurse to take vitals again. Instead she saw the warm, brown eyes of her fiancé and she couldn't help but smile and launch herself into his arms. "Oh, you're here! You're actually here!? Wait, what about London, how did you get here so quickly?"
"Well, I had come to surprise you, I got to come home early and then I come home to find our bed empty and voicemails that you're in the hospital. Is everything okay? Is the baby okay?" Logan asked in one breath as he looked her over. She was smiling, she was happy to see him, that had to be a good thing, right?
"Did you know you look like a cheeseburger? Oh, or a steak." Rory asked with big eyes as she looked him over.
"I'm sorry, what? Ace, are you and the baby okay?" Logan asked again, somewhere between amused and annoyed at her sense of distractedness. Suddenly, he heard another voice from the corner.
"Logan? Logan, what are you doing here?"
"Mom, doesn't he look like a steak?" Rory asked again as she slightly ran her hand across Logan's face in a petting gesture.
"Please stop creepily flirting with him while I'm right here." Lorelai said with a laugh as she watched Rory.
"Will someone please tell me what is wrong with my fiancée and child?!" Logan's voice was raised, but he was trying to tame it, so he didn't wake anyone else up on the floor. "And why does she keep comparing me to a piece of meat?"
"Well, because handsome, you're my piece of—"
"Okay, no more talking from you." Lorelai quickly interrupted her which caused Rory to pout and cross her arms over her chest, Logan couldn't help but give her a confused look. "She called me in a ton of pain. She had been having tons of pain in her abdomen."
"Did you know I have abs? See, they're right here." Rory spoke again, poking at her stomach, causing Lorelai to roll her eyes and Logan to laugh out loud despite his confusion at the situation.
"Anyway, she gets here, and they check her in, they do an ultrasound, the baby is okay." Logan let out a huge breath as she said that.
"Finally, someone has some answers. So, what is with the loopiness, the still being here, and what was the pain?"
"Oh, this is a good one. Can I tell the story?" Rory asked as she bounced on the bed for a minute.
"No. Do you even know your name right now?" Lorelai pointedly asked. "Anyway, it turned out she just had really bad bloating, but the morning sickness was pretty bad, so she is getting fluids. The loopiness? That would be the Ambien to help her sleep."
"Ambien? This is the work of Ambien?" Logan asked, laughing, as Rory was now laying back down and sleeping.
"That it is, she is going to be hearing about this for a long time." Lorelai commented with a smirk. "I have videos from earlier, I'll send them to you. I'll refrain from sending you the ones where she tried to serenade the IV bag."
"I will be forever in your debt for that."
"I'm going to head home, since you're here. If that's okay?" Lorelai asked as she started to get her things ready to go, not wanting to make the trek back to Stars Hollow but knowing she could still make it in time to get Will on the bus.
"No, not at all, have a safe drive home and thank you for being with her tonight. It means a lot."
"It's what a parent does, you'll see soon." Lorelai added with a sincere smile before leaving.