Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Author's Note: This chapter is two months after New Year's Day.
Disclaimer: The author of this story (me) does not own the respective characters. She intends no copyright infringement.
Stop and stare
I think I'm moving but I go nowhere
Yeah I know that everyone gets scared
But I've become what I can't be, oh
Stop and stare
-One Republic "Stop and Stare"
Lorelai wakes with Luke, which is normal now that she is pregnant. She follows her husband into the bathroom, "Don't forget the doctor's appointment this morning. It's the first ultrasound."
Luke nods, "I know. And then, I have to bid on the basket I made for you."
"Very good," she gives him a kiss as she hops into the shower. At roughly three months, the pregnancy is just becoming obvious. She runs her hand over the slight bump. It's going to be a good day.
She meets Rory at Luke's for breakfast as planned. Jess is seated beside her daughter talking. She hears him say, "Yes, a good two months," as she joins them.
"Hey, Mom," greets her first-born. Lorelai nods her own greeting.
As Jess wanders off to fill the coffee and put in their breakfast order, Lorelai asks, "What's been two months?"
Rory shakes her head, a small smile on her face, "It's been two months since Jess reopened the bookstore. I was offering congratulations."
"Ahh, yes." Lorelai then realizes where the diner boy is, "Why isn't he over there?"
"The store doesn't open until eight?" Rory reminds her mother, "It's only seven, Mom. So, your appointment is at nine, right? That gives us just enough time to make it back here for the bid-a-basket."
"Hey, who's Jess fighting with this year to win your basket?"
Rory shudders, "I don't know how you made that dirty, but you managed it."
"It's a gift."
"Yeah," the daughter scoffs, "a bad gift."
At nine, Lorelai sits between her husband and her daughter at the doctor's. Rory sits reading her book and Luke fidgets next to her. Lorelai lays a hand on his arm, "The jiggling is getting to me, Luke."
"Sorry," he says. He doesn't stop wiggling until their name is called.
The nurse greets them at the door. "Hey, Lorelai. Let's start with your vitals. Hop up on the scale, for me, okay?" Lorelai does as she is told and stands on the scale. The nurse moves the things around until she seems satisfied. She scribbles a number down.
"Okay, now over here to get your height. Feet flat against the wall," she reminds Lorelai. She scribbles another number down before pointing to the chair. Lorelai takes a seat. The nurse sticks a blood-pressure cuff around her arm, something else on her opposite finger and a thermometer in her mouth. She then writes down those numbers.
With that over, she leads the group to a room. The ultrasound machine is set in one corner. Lorelai climbs on the bed and Rory gets the only chair. Luke fidgets near Lorelai's head.
After half an hour of waiting, the ultrasound technician arrives with the doctor. "Good morning, Lorelai," greets the doctor. "How have you been feeling?"
Lorelai shrugs, "Okay, I guess. The morning sickness is mostly gone."
"Good. …I'm a little concerned about your weight gain. It's higher than normal." The doctor explains, "I have an idea of the probable cause. Is there a family history of multiple births?"
"I don't think so," Lorelai replies.
"Hmm…" The physician consults her notes. "Why don't we go ahead with the ultrasound?"
Lorelai nods and the tech explains how the procedure will work. She applies the gel to Lorelai's tummy and runs the stick-thing across it. "Okay, Kelly," she addresses the doctor, "We're ready for you to read the scan."
Kelly leans nearer to the screen, "It's what I thought. You'll be having twins, Mrs. Danes."
"What?" Lorelai turns to her surprised husband. He looks at her and she looks at him. She turns back to the doctor, "Are you sure?"
"Yes. See," she points and explains the image, "this is one head here and the body. And over here is the other baby. Twins.
"Oh my God," Rory breaths out.
When the still stunned family arrives at the diner, April runs to greet them. "Well, how'd it go?"
Luke answers for her, "It's twins."
Jess and Lily join April in exclamations of surprise. "Are you guys okay?" Jess is the first to ask.
Lorelai nods, "We will be. It's not like we can return one of them."
Rory finally makes a suggestion, "Why don't we go to the basket auction?"
Lorelai nods so they hurry over to stand in groups ready to bid on the baskets. Sookie's basket is the first up and easily goes to Jackson. Morey wins Babette's basket and Jess wins Rory's, prearranged with Luke so someone would bid on the basket he made Rory. Luke buys Lorelai's. Other people bid, most who Lorelai does not know that well.
The last basket up is April's. Luke helped her put it together last night. Lorelai wonders, and she knows Luke is wondering, if her mystery girlfriend will bid on the basket. Taylor holds it up. The first bid is a young man. Lily raises the dollar amount.
"See here, young lady," yells Taylor, "bidding is for men."
"That is not only sexist but perpetrates a myth that men make more money than women." She holds her ground, "I would like to buy my girlfriend's basket now."
Gasps emanate from the crowd. Lorelai turns to Luke ready to demand reasons for his leaving his important piece of information out. He is just as surprised. It's Babette who stands up for the girl, "Let her buy her girlfriends basket, Taylor."
"Yeah," other voices cry, Lorelai's included, "Let her buy the basket."
Taylor sighs, knowing he has lost this, and commences bidding. Lily walks out the winner. She and April approach Luke warily. "Dad?" Seeing no response from him she continues on, "I'm dating Lily."
"Why didn't you say something sooner?" that famous Danes temper is about to rear it's ugly head.
Lorelai grabs her husband's arm. "He means, that's great, girls."
"I mean," he doesn't wrench his arm away, but he tries, "why the Hell did you not tell me earlier."
April backs into a terrified Lily and Lorelai remembers Jess saying that Lily can't stand fights. "Luke," she coaxes her idiot of a man away, "Let's go somewhere we can talk about this in private."
Luke grabs hold of April and propels the girl in front of him. Lorelai wraps her own arm around a shaking Lily. Luke marches her toward the lake; Lorelai hopes he will only shove her in.
Whatever his plans are they are thwarted. Jess and Rory sit kissing on the bridge. Luke stops dead in his tracks, but the two hear the group's footsteps.
They look up.
A/N: Twins! Is Rory pregnant? How will Luke and Lorelai react?
ladybug1115
