My notes: Glad you like the previous chapter. :) I know that you hate the cliffhangers, but I love it! So, cliffhanger on the way... ;) In this chapter - Rory and Jess centric. Enjoy reading!:)

Story: Four years after Philadelphia, Rory and Jess meet again. (In my story that night ended different. Keep that in mind.)This time in Stars Hollow for Luke and Lorelai's wedding. Each of them keep a secret. Secret, that can change a life.

Chapter 36 The First Heartbeat

The next few weeks passed slowly. Jess made rehabilitation and everything about him went good. He recovered well and Rory was happy about it. She smile at him every time when he looked at her, tried to convince him that she is all right too. But Jess worried. He tried to hide that, but Rory knew that he's worry about her.

Luke, Lorelai and Annie came to visit everyday and Rory told her mother to made arrangements for the Stars Hollow Hospital. Lorelai nodded with relief and Rory understood that her mother is worried too.

She and Jess had another little fight about her condition.

'Why didn't you tell me?'

'What?' Rory was lying on his bed with his hand above her waist. She felt tired as usual.

'About Annie and how difficult for you was that pregnancy and how dangerous would be the next one? We should've been more careful!'

Rory lifted on her elbow and looked at him frowned.

'I didn't tell you about difficulties, because I knew how scared you might be!'

Jess frowned. She was pale and thinner. He really was scared about her health.

'You are right! I am scared!' he said. 'I am terrified! I see how this pregnancy reflects at you and I began to wander is it worth it?'

'What?' Rory sat on the bed. 'What are you talking about?'

Jess sat too. He regretted already, but continued.

'We already have Annie! If this pregnancy threatening your life I'm not sure I'm into it! If you were told me, I would've been more careful and that thing wouldn't happen!'

'Jess! You are talking nonsense!' Rory could not believe what she's hearing. 'You felt sorry about the baby?'

Jess avoided her eyes. He tried to gain his temper, but Rory knows him well.

'I only said that for some women, pregnancy is easy job, for you - not! Maybe it's better if I make sure that this it won't happen again!'

'Jess, no! Did you hear me what I said? NO! If I only heard one more word about that procedure, I swear I'll make you pay!' her blue eyes glowed and she breathed faster.

He looked at her small beautiful face. She was ready for fight. Suddenly, Jess smiled. He never thought that one human being could influence on his decisions. He never thought that one human being could have such a power over him. Until... he met Rory. Jess never will admit, but she held him on a palm of her tiny hand.

'I know that you're concerned about me, but can you be happy?' she continued. 'I am so happy, Jess! I never thought that I would have another child! This is such bless for me! Can't you see?'

A minute before that she was ready to fight with him and now she was ready to cry? These hormones, Jess thought and reached one hand to hug her. She started to sob.

'Sh-hh, calm down!' he said rubbing her arm. 'It was just a suggestion! If you don't agree, I won't do it!'

'Promise?' she looked at him through her tears.

'I promise!' Jess smiled and he was sincere.

'And you won't do it?' she sobbed again.

'I don't!'

'For me?'

'Always for you!' Jess smiled again and wiped her tears.

Rory sobbed for the last time and suddenly smiled.

'We're going to love that baby!'

Jess winked at her.

'Of course we will love him! We already love him!' he tried to calm her down.

'And… and you not hate him?'

Jess frowned.

'Rory! You cannot be serious! How could I not love my own baby?'

She cuddled into him already calmed.

'I'm sorry!'

'I know…' Jess whispered. 'I know… and you could count on me now, okay?' Jess kissed her forehead. 'I would be here for you, like you were for me!'

'I just want for you to love that baby…'

'I do love him…'

'That is all it matters for me!' she whispered.

'That doesn't mean that I'm not concerned about you… You know that I love you!' Jess held her tight.

'I know… I love you too!' Rory rubbed her nose in his chest.

That was the last conversation about the existing of that baby. Jess held his concerns about himself and tried to calm Rory as long as he can. He really loved that baby. He knew that Rory was more than happy about it, but he could not close his eyes how exhausted she looked like. Until his recovery goes well, she looked more and more tired every day. She slept more than he was and did not have appetite.

'You have to eat!' he said one day until they walked from the bathroom. Rory had awful morning sickness and he helped her.

'How can I eat after that?' she said as he helped her to lean on her bed. 'Give me one biscuit, please!'

Jess handed her two and frowned.

'You have to eat!' he repeated. 'Tomorrow we would be home and I'll make sure that you eat!'

'I can't!' Rory bit one piece of the biscuit and gulped painfully. 'I barely kept something!'

'Maybe we should talk with gynecologist. Did you have those problems last time?'

Rory shook her head.

'No… This is new... With Annie, I had an enormous appetite! You should saw me then, I was huge!' Rory tried to joke and gulped the last piece from the second biscuit.

Jess sat on the chair next to the bed and caressed her hair.

'I don't know what to think!' he said with confusing in his voice.

'I don't know either…' Rory answered and smiled at him. 'If this will make you feel better, I will go to see with gynecologist today.'

'I will go with you.' He said.

'You don't need to…' she said polite.

'But I want!' he answered and Rory stopped arguing. There was no point to argue with Jess, he always wins. At least for now, Rory was too weak to continue, so she just nodded with agreement.

Later that day, they asked Doctor Smith for good gynecologist and he recommended one of his colleagues, Doctor Melody Straus. She worked that day and he took them to her.

'Hi, Mel!' he said as he opened the door of her consulting room. She was nice woman in her middle ages with warm smile and good brown eyes.

'Hi, what brings you here?' she hugged Doctor Smith. 'Didn't you lose?'

Doctor Smith smiled at her and after they broke the hug, he nodded at Rory and Jess.

'That lovely couple here wants to see you.'

'Really?' she smiled at them and waved to the chairs. Everybody sat.

'Meet Jess and Rory Mariano!' Doctor Smith said and smiled again. 'He is my patient miracle!'

Doctor Straus raised her eyebrows.

'Oh, so that's him? The entire hospital talked about it! Congratulations Jess! You are very lucky!'

'Thanks!' Jess shifted uncomfortable in his chair. He hated when he was object of attention.

'Wait!' suddenly Doctor Straus laughed. 'You are the couple who broke the hospital rules, am I right?' she looked at Doctor Smith, who laughed too.

'When you know the chief of the hospital… John took very personal this case…'

'John? As it John Waldorf? Paris' husband? He owns that hospital?' Jess looked surprised. Rory had the same look on her face.

'He owns 51 percent of that hospital, so…' Doctor Smith shrugged.

'I see…' Rory leaned back at her chair, suddenly felt dizziness.

'So, what is the problem?' Doctor Straus turned serious. 'You are pregnant, aren't you?'

She nodded and Jess explained about the previous pregnancy and her problems then. Rory just sat, leaned back and struggled with dizziness.

'And now you don't have appetite?' Doctor Straus looked at her.

'No, I can barely keep something…'

'She felt tired and exhausted in almost all the time.' Jess said and took her hand.

'I see…' Doctor Straus looked at Rory's blood picture in her hands. 'I take it from here!' she said to Doctor Smith and waited until he leaved.

'Now, I understand that you are in thirteenth week… Come with me!' she stood up and walked with them to the next room. 'Lie down here…' she pointed one bed next to the ultrasound machine.

Jess helped her to climb there.

'Now I'm going to ask you to pull over your shirt. We have to make an ultrasound to see how the baby is and to hear his heartbeat.'

Rory nodded and pulled over her shirt. She flinched a little from the coldness of the gel on her stomach. When Doctor Straus put the affix of the ultrasound machine on her, she grabbed Jess' hand and squeezed his fingers.

'Hm-mm… ' Doctor Straus moved the affix on her stomach. Rory felt little pressure. 'Everything is good so far… Now we're going to here the baby's heartbeat.' She leaned and pushed one button. Rory shivered on the next sound. 'Heartbeat is good and is normal…'

Rory released her breath and heard how Jess did the same.

'Something concerns me though…' Doctor Straus said and looked back at the monitor.