Chapter 36

Lucas was born 6 pounds 2 ounces. That was pretty decent for a baby born two weeks early. His irregular heartbeat while Lorelai had been in labor had just been a side effect of Lorelai's panic (that is what the doctor assumed). His heart was fine. He had 10 fingers and toes. His Apgar score was good. Basically, he'd put them through the ringer for nothing. He was a perfect baby. Luke joked that his son took after Lorelai, because she enjoyed scaring people.

While Lorelai and baby Lucas were being taken back to her room, Luke went out to the waiting room to talk to the family. Luckily, Christopher was on a coffee run, so Luke didn't know he was there.

"Luke!" Rory called out. She ran to him and slid to a halt in front of him. Luke was keeping silent and serious, lulling the family with suspense. Until he was sure he had their full attention, he finally spoke.

"He's perfect," Luke said seriously. But then he smiled, and the family cheered. Rory gave him a big hug, and he received a handshake from Richard and Logan. Emily stood to the side; she didn't feel comfortable standing so close to Luke.

"Can we see them now?" Emily asked.

"Yeah," Luke said, smiling at everyone. "I think they're ready for us."

Logan once again stood outside the room while the family went in. He knew this was their moment. The family walked in to see Lorelai in bed, holding the baby. Rory got teary eyed and started to gush over her baby brother. Emily and Richard stood on the other side of Lorelai's bed. Both had their eyes on their grandson, they held each other's hands.

"Oh my god!" Rory cooed. "He's so adorable! So little!"

"You were this size once you know," Lorelai told her. "You were pretty darn cute too."

"Did you guys choose his name?" Rory asked.

"It's the same one we chose before," Lorelai said. "Lucas."

"What?" Luke said. He'd been staring at his son in a trance.

"Luke, we decided his name in the delivery room," Lorelai said, she thought she was reminding him. Why she had to she wasn't sure.

"Oh, whoops," Luke said. "When you said Lucas I thought you were talking to me."

"Oh, ha ha," Lorelai laughed. "I guess that might be confusing. He'll need a nickname."

"Like what, Junior?" Emily asked.

"No," Luke said. "That nickname would get demeaning, my dad hated being called Junior."

"Then what?" Richard asked.

"How about L.J?" Lorelai suggested.

"That sounds like T.J" Luke said.

"I know," Lorelai said. "But it's either that, or you get used to going only by Luke, and he only goes by Lucas."

"We'll you've got time to decide," Richard reminded them.

"You probably need to refer to him by his full name in the early years," Emily said. "He needs to learn what his real name is, so he has no confusion in school."

"That's true," Lorelai said. "I remember we started calling Rory by her nickname in early months. And when I signed her up for preschool under her real name, and the teacher called her that, she got confused."

"I learned it soon enough," Rory said.

They all looked at the baby, in awe. He was finally here.

"Do I get to hold him?" Rory asked.

"Sure," Lorelai said. But as Rory started to reach for him Lorelai added, "In a minute." Lorelai wasn't done holding him yet. She had to wait a while in the delivery room to hold him, she needed to make up for that.

"Ok, I'll wait," Rory conceded. "Can Logan come in while I wait?"

"Logan's here?" Lorelai asked.

"He drove us," Rory said.

"Where'd you leave your dad?" Lorelai asked.

"We, oh…" Rory said, looking guilty.

"You didn't leave him stranded some where did you?" Lorelai scolded.

"No…" Rory said. She looked up at Luke, feeling even guiltier, and then back at her mom. "He's here."

"What?" Luke said. What was that idiot doing at the hospital?

"We didn't have time to drop him off at his car," Rory said.

"Oh," Lorelai said. "Well, that's fine."

She got a look from Luke saying he didn't agree.

"He was on a coffee run last time we saw him," Emily said, as Logan walked in.

"I can go look for him if you want," Logan offered.

"I'm right outside!" Christopher called from the hallway. He peered his head in the doorway. "Is it okay if the 7th wheel comes in?"

No one answered, but Christopher decided to take it as a yes, to get past the awkwardness.

"I won't stay long," he said. "I was going to drop off this coffee and then call a cab."

"Oh Logan can take you back," Rory said. Logan looked at her with a, "say what?" look. "I'm going to stay with Mom over night," Rory told them.

"You sure you don't want me to stay?" Logan asked.

"This is family time," Rory said. Logan nodded, and then he and Christopher headed out the door. Rory followed them to say goodbye.

"Are you going to tell your Mom about your new living situation soon?" Christopher asked her while they hugged goodbye.

"I think I'll wait until she's well rested," Rory told him.

"Don't wait too long though," Christopher told her. "You know what happens when you wait too long,"

"I know, believe me," Rory said. She kissed Logan goodbye. And as the two men were leaving Christopher called out,

"I didn't get a good look at the kid, send me a photo!"

"Okay," Rory said, and then she headed back towards the room.

Luke snorted; he'd heard what Christopher had called out. No way was that guy getting a photo of the baby. Lorelai grabbed Luke's hand and squeezed it. She didn't want Luke in a bad mood, not today of all days.

"I'm going to leave a message on April's machine," Luke said. He wasn't looking at Lorelai.

"Is everything okay, Luke?" Richard asked.

Luke snapped out of the bad mood Christopher had put him in. This wasn't the day for him to be mad about Lorelai's ex.

"Yeah," Luke said. He gave them all a smile. He wasn't going to let Christopher ruin this day. This day was meant for his top 10 list of favorite days. 3 days were already on that list: The day he and Lorelai had their first kiss, the day he became Lorelai's boyfriend, and the day he became Lorelai's fiancé. And now that his son's birthday was on the list, there was one more day he hoped would be on the list soon: His wedding to Lorelai.

* No one so far has said if they want me to put my story into youtube video format. I already have the first 9 chapters' videos made. The first 7 are a little shaky because I was still working on my diction and voice octaves, but 8 and 9 are okay. The later recordings I've done are better. Anyway, either put your youtube names into a review/comment or ask me for my youtube page link in a comment (and once you've found my page, send me a YT email saying you want to be on the list to be sent the videos). Thanks for reading! –DD * P.S- Actually, do any of you know if I'm allowed to make videos for my story? I know other people have for theirs.