Rory makes an extremely happy face leaning over the pram to look at the baby.
"Hi Jack!" she coos and worms a hand in to pull the thin blanket up so it covers his chest again.
"Rory" Kate calls from another isle.
"Where's Mommy?" She exaggerates a confused face to Jack who smiles at her.
Turning the corner she sees Kate readily holding up a pink summer dress for a new born.
"You can't put your son in that" she says concerned.
"No, no. I want to get it for you." She points to Rory's belly.
"We don't even know if it's a girl yet."
"I have a feeling; I'm telling you, you are going to have a daughter."
"Okay" she rolls her eyes. "Can we get something to eat now; my feet hurt and I need to sit." Kate nods. Rory takes that dress from Kate's hands when she passes her and puts it back on the rack. "You aren't a psychic."
...
Kate runs a hand along Rory's stomach, which is being used as a seat by Jack.
"I can't believe how big your bump is."
"If your next sentence contains either of the words pop or burst I will be forced to hit you."
"I think you're about to though."
"My baby's going to be huge." She pouts.
"Have fun getting it out wont you." She smiles.
"Doesn't hurt that much does it?" her face is hopeful. Kate takes a drink and looks at her, "Lie to me."
"Not at all, you will be fine." She puts the drink back down. Rory sighs and plays with Jack, who is still seated on her stomach. "How long you spend in labour is going to be nothing compared to the life time you are going to have with your child." She smiles.
"Easy for you to say, yours is already out."
Kate reaches over and takes Jack who is starting to get fussy; she puts him back in his pram to sleep.
"As will yours soon, very soon. You're what, three days away from your due date?"
"Don't remind me."
...
"Are you home?" She calls out carrying some bags in to the house with her.
"Finally, where have you been?" he comes over to help her put the things down easier.
"Just had to get a few more things for the baby." She leans onto the table breathless.
"You shouldn't be out all day like this when you are so close. I don't want you going into labour in the street. And look at you; you clearly can't take it." He tries to guide her into the living room.
"I'll rest in a minute; there are a few more bags in the car."
"I will get them." He pushes her harder.
She takes a seat and kicks her shoes off. "I finally got a car seat, you're going to have to put that in as soon as." She shouts at the back of his head while he walks away.
"Will do."
"The guy said it was the best one we could buy; for simplicity, comfort and safety."
He comes back in with the rest of the bags, placing them down.
"Since you are already up would you get me a drink" She smiles.
He hands her a cup of juice and sits beside her.
"No coffee? I didn't have my cup this morning; I think that entitles me to one now."
"So you didn't have any while you were out today?" he raises his eyebrows.
She sips to avoid answering. Awkwardly, she swivels round to get her feet up onto his lap. They have an agreement; for everyday she carries their baby, he will give her a foot rub. She sighs once he starts and rests her head back, her fatigue starting to hit her. Eventually, when he is certain she is asleep he lightly slides himself from beneath her and heads into the kitchen to start to make something for her to eat when she wakes.
Just over an hour later he puts a kiss on her head and runs his hand through her hair so she stirs.
"You hungry?"
"Always"
He stands straight and lets her use him to get off the sofa. She waddles into the kitchen and sits with a grunt.
"You have gotten quite good at cooking" she compliments taking her first bite of his freshly made stir fry.
"I've have a lot of practice these last months; I don't want you eating crap. Did you take your vitamins this morning?"
"Yes." She rolls her eyes.
"I'm just making sure"
"You ask every day."
"Because you need reminding"
"You watched me take them, you were right there."
"I just want a healthy baby."
"Babies were coming out fine millennia before we had pills to pop."
"Will you just let me worry please." He laughs.
"I don't mind really; it's better than you not caring at all. It's cute, you're cute." she smiles at him.
Later, when they are getting into bed she watches him cross out the box representing that days date on the calendar.
"We are getting closer" he refers to the box with a big blue circle around in – her due date.
"My Mom thinks it's going to be late. In fact the words she used were 'fashionably late'."
"I hope not." He climbs onto the bed and stretches out on his stomach so he is perpendicular to her, his head near her stomach. He puts his hand on either side of her bump and places a kiss on it. "I want to meet you, don't keep me waiting."
He always makes her smile at this point of the day; when he talks to the baby.
...
"Are you breathing? Breathe." He wipes her sweaty forehead with one hand; she grips the other tightly and lets out a held breath. She relaxes back into their sofa and catches her breath again. "You okay?"
"Okay as a woman can be in labour."
"Ooo, that was the door; I'll get it." He jumps up and hops over her leg.
"I flew across the country and your still at home, tell me you see what's wrong here." Her voice echoes off the still bare walls as she comes into the living room.
"Hey Mom."
"We went to the hospital and they sent us home; she wasn't very far along."
"Well how long ago was that?" she sits beside her daughter to put an arm around her and lightly runs her other hand over her stomach.
"Feels like forever" she whines.
Logan smiles sympathetically "It was this morning."
She brushes to the side her wet fringe that is sticking to her forehead out of annoyance and sighs. Lorelai hauls closer her duffle bag and from one of the side pockets she pulls out an elasticised fabric headband that she then slides over her daughters head. Rory's face slowly turns into a grimace and she clasps onto the sofa cushions.
"Right that's it, as soon as this contraction is over you are getting up and we are going to the hospital. Logan go get the car ready." He immediately obeys her, to which Rory tries to object. "No" She stops her interruptions right away. "I know you are a grown woman now, but you are still my daughter and these are going to be the last few moments before you have this baby and become a mother yourself, and when you are you can officially be relinquished from following my orders; because then you will finally understand my perspective and realise that everything I have ever said to you has been right."
"You just ranted right the way through that contraction."
"Well don't just sit there, get your ass up before the next one hits."
Rory hangs onto her for dear life all the way to the car. She sits Rory in the back and buckles her seatbelt for her.
"Oh look; you did put the seat in."
"Said I would" he watches her through the rear view mirror.
"You've got the bag right?" She gets in the other side, sitting with Rory in the back. "Buckle up; it's going to be a long eighteen years."
...
There is a gentle knock on the door; a midwife enters wearing a kind smile. She comes to the foot of the bed and leans on it. "You're doing well." She rubs Rory's ankle to try and provide some comfort.
"I've had enough" she whispers exhaustedly.
"Can you check her? She might be ready to push by now." Lorelai stands at the end of the room pacing.
"You want me to examine you again, sweetie?"
She nods completely shattered, but eager nonetheless.
"Hmmm, you're at ten centimetres. Tell me when you want to push; I'll be back in a minute." She gets from the bed, snaps the gloves from her hands then leaves.
Logan pulls the big chair closer to her and leans forward to rest his elbows on the bed then takes her hand when she starts to show signs of another contraction approaching.
"I'd be doing this for you if I could." He wipes a rouge bead of sweat on her forehead.
"Oh, Logan." She pants. "You would not be able to handle this." She pats his arm appreciatively "Thanks anyway though."
Lorelai laughs from the corner even when Logan glances over to her.
"That's it; this thing is coming out, now." she shifts her weight so she is on her back properly.
"What about the midwife?" Logan stands.
Lorelai throws the bag of sweets she is munching through onto the counter and runs to the door. From the other side of the door she can be heard shouting "Midwife, she's pushing!" ever so slightly panicked.
...
An hour later, after thirty minutes of pushing Rory is taking a well deserved sleep. Logan sits back in the huge chair rocking slightly, their new daughter in his arms. His eyes are still red from his tears of joy and he looks into her eyes when she briefly opens them; they're blue of course.
A soft knock on the door and Lorelai peers around it to look into the room. She makes her way around the bed treading carefully and looks over into Logan's arms.
"Hey precious." She whispers and runs the back of her hand over the baby's cheek. "I called everyone, they send their congrats."
"Remind us to thank them all will you." He sounds tired. "You wanna hold her?"
"Hold on." She goes over to the bag and pulls out the camera. "Okay, now how do you get the flash off this thing?" She fights with it for a moment.
Logan tiredly smiles at her efforts and she quickly catches is. Then another with him looking at the baby. She than takes the baby for herself to have a proper cuddle with her.
"You're a grandmother now; you're old." They look over to see a woken Rory.
Logan goes over to her and kisses her head. "Good evening."
She sighs "It's been a long day."
"I don't think I have any right to complain; you did all the hard work."
"And don't you ever forget it."
Lorelai comes to the side of the bed places the baby into Rory's arms. "I'm gonna go get something to eat, you guys want anything?"
They shake their heads.
Finally it being just the three of them he takes the moment to look at her sincerely "Thank you; you did really well."
She smiles and kisses him "You don't have to thank me."
"Can I take a photo of you?"
She frowns a little.
"No one is going to care what you look like...come one, Ace. You look beautiful anyway, I promise." She smiles and lets him take the picture.
"I love you." She says as he gets close to them again.
"I love you too." He kisses her. "I love you too, Regan." He leans over and places a kiss on the top of his daughters head.