I smiled the whole time I was writing this chapter. the last chapter of the week. I'm so excited to share it with you guys.Please note that views expressed in this story by characters are not necessarily the views of the author. For example I quite enjoy Sean Paul, unlike Jess.
Chapter 27
"Sounds like some party going on at your house sugar!" Babette said after the town meeting. Lorelai had been working all day barely making it to the town meeting after Sookie's mishap with the soup. Thankfully Paul, the guy who chopped the veg, would be fine.
"Party, what party?" Lorelai asked confused.
"At your house! What you didn't know? Oh gosh, sorry sugar. I'm sure it's nothing. Looked good though! I might swing by later!" Babette laughed and walked off.
"Oh Rory." Lorelai sighed. She didn't know whether to be proud, annoyed or worried about her monkey lamp. She thought Rory would at the very least have the courtesy to ring her if she was planning a hootenanny. She stopped a moment to decide what to do before she spotted someone.
"Josh!" Lorelai called; she hadn't realised the Australian who'd not long ago moved into the old Twickenham house had been at the meeting.
"Hey Lor." Josh drawled.
"Do you know anything about a party at mine tonight?" She asked.
"Yeah nah, I hadn't heard anything." Josh frowned. "Ya want some help getting rid of the rabble?"
"No, you get back to Sophia I'll be fine." Lorelai smiled, the five-year-old was adorable. She played in the mud, climbed trees, ran wild through town but she had the best manners of any preschool kid Lorelai had ever met. The blonde-haired cutie almost made Lorelai broody again almost.
"You sure? I've got the sitter for a while yet." Josh said with an easy smile.
"No, go on, I'll be fine."
"If you're sure. Give me a call if it's too rowdy though." Josh shrugged.
"Yeah sure. See you later." Lorelai smiled. She loved the Morgan's, Jan, Josh, Phineas. They were her kind of people. She never felt less than with them, or like she had to tone things down. Luke got on with them too which was nice, the men folk were all in to outdoorsy things and being at one with nature and all that frankly boring crap.
When she arrived home, Lorelai frowned. It did indeed sound like there was a wild party going on. Music was blaring, lights were on and she could hear the shout of people trying to be heard over the music. She couldn't believe her kid had done this. Rory who, when Lorelai had gone out of town had ordered Indian and had wanted to spend the night folding clothes. That Rory was throwing a wild party. She wanted her daughter back, not this twilight zone, replaced by a weird doppelganger Rory, who thought it was fine to throw parties without telling her, or better yet inviting her.
The last two weeks Rory had been back for the summer had been good, there was always some stray round the house though, Finn, Mia, Colin, Robert, Lane, Dave, Paris. A whole host of kids. Rory had tried to make sure they had time alone but it had been few times that had been a reality. Mostly Lorelai didn't mind, she was glad Rory had a group of friends and was coming out of her shell a bit. Sometimes though it would have been nice to lounge on the couch with her mini me painting nails and mocking something on the TV.
Bracing herself Lorelai opened the door and let out a sigh.
Rory and Mia were dancing round the living room and Lane was sat on the sofa drumming with imaginary drum sticks. No mad party. No hootenanny. Rory hadn't been taken over by a weird pod person after all.
"It's a bit loud!" Lorelai shouted to the gathered girls.
"Sorry!" Rory shouted back rushing over to turn down the music to a less ear bleeding volume.
"Babette told me you were throwing a wild party. I can't begin to imagine where she got that idea." Lorelai smiled, breathing easier.
"Sorry. We were dancing it out." Rory smiled sitting next to Lane.
"What are we dancing out?" Lorelai asked heading to the kitchen to put on some coffee.
"I'm not having sex till I'm married." Lane said.
"Uh... wow... and Dave?" Lorelai asked. She wished her kid felt the same, but then Lane had been raised a hell of a lot differently than her best friend from childhood.
"Dave is probably still sat in shock." Lane said sadly.
"Oh hon, if he loves you, he'll wait." Lorelai said patting Lane's shoulder in what she hoped was a soothing manner after coming back in with the coffee.
"Why did this have to stick? Why not no eating gluten? I could live with that." Lane moaned.
"It'll be fine. Dave will wait." Rory said comfortingly.
"Would Finn have waited?" Lane asked Rory with an eyebrow raise.
"Erm... maybe?" Rory replied unconvincingly.
"He would have done, he loves you." Mia added still dancing.
"I was going to ask you about Colin, but that's a bit weird and he never complained when we were together." Lane shrugged.
"Yup very weird. Pretty sure he would wait for a while. Probably not till marriage though." Mia shrugged.
Lorelai watched the girls interact for a few minutes with a smile. Even though Mia was dating Lanes ex, and Rory was with Mia's brother they were all so close. It was nice to see. She'd have killed for friends like that when she was younger. It was only now she was in her late thirties that she could sincerely say she had friends who would stick by her no matter what. And the majority of those few friends had come from Rory rooming with Amelia Morgan.
/\\\/\\\
Mia and Rory were shopping for ball gowns. It was almost that time again, time for the annual Morgan Gala. This year it would coincide with the opening of the new Morgan Hotel, in Hong Kong.
Mia had been looking for another green dress, seeing as how Colin liked her in that colour. Rory though was looking for anything that didn't make her look too sickly.
Rory had been ill for the last week, a stomach bug that she'd caught off Mia. It was only today that she started feeling herself again.
Finn had been fantastic, bringing her soup, holding her hair, rubbing her back. She fell further in love with him after that week.
"What about this one?" Rory asked pulling out a red strapless gown that dipped low at the back.
"Too Jessica Rabbit." Mia frowned at the dress. "Try that blue one over there, it's not too slutty."
Rory obliged going to pick out the dark blue almost navy dress with beading round the bust. It was stiff at the top, meaning it would fit like a second skin and flared slightly at the bottom. It was elegant but sexy. Rory added it to the two other dresses she'd picked out to try on.
Rory carried on looking for a green dress for Mia. Finding two which she thought would suit her friend she picked them up and carried them over.
"Here, try these." Rory said handing Mia the dresses.
"Thanks. So, dads only booked one room for you and Finn, but two rooms for me and Colin." Mia moaned as they headed for the changing rooms.
"Oh. Well I guess he thinks seeing as you and Colin have only been together a couple of months?" Rory suggested.
"Yeah, I guess." Mia said. "Did Finn tell you? About him walking in on us?"
"Yes, multiple times both sober and drunk. He was pretty angry." Rory laughed. Three days ago, Finn had walked in on Mia and Colin butt naked and going at it.
"Then he should knock." Mia said and Rory could hear the smile in her voice. "This one doesn't fit."
Rory heard the rustle of the dress falling to the floor from the changing room next to hers. She was trying on the blue dress. It fit perfectly and didn't make her look too washed out. She'd have to wear a push up bra with it but she thought it looked pretty good.
"Hey what do you think?" Rory asked Mia stepping out of the changing rooms to show her friend.
"I think Finn's going to die. You need it." Mia smiled, her head peeking over the door.
"Thanks." Rory smiled happily. The shopping expedition had been fairly painless thankfully.
"Urgh! This one doesn't fit either! Maybe I've put on weight?" Mia said through the door.
"Want me to get you a size up?" Rory asked getting changed back into her clothes without trying on the other dresses.
"I guess? Well that's annoying." Mia said.
Rory went and got more dresses in a larger size. Mia didn't look like she'd put on any weight to her but if the dresses didn't fit, they didn't fit. Maybe it was screwy sizes.
"That's better I can breathe in this one." Mia said stepping out of the dressing room in a beautiful green dress.
"Wow, you look amazing in that one. Your boobs look awesome." Rory said nodding to the cleavage that was showing.
"Colin will like it then." Mia grinned.
"I'll say." Rory agreed.
/\\\/\\\
"This is so exciting, hey, we might meet Jackie Chan, or Andy Lau." Lorelai said excitedly from her seat next to Luke's on the private jet.
"Yeah, maybe." Rory said looking out the window in her seat opposite her mom's.
"You okay hon?" Lorelai asked.
"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Just tired." Rory said her eyes not moving from the clouds floating past her window. She wasn't okay actually she was freaking out. And she couldn't freak out right then.
She was late. And she'd had a stomach bug. And she couldn't just buy a pregnancy test because everyone knew her. And she'd only put the pieces together that morning. So instead of being excited about going to Hong Kong for the first time with her mom and Finn and Mia, instead she was trying not to have a panic attack thousands of feet up in the air.
"Alright love? I got you a club soda." Finn said sitting down next to her again.
"Hmm...? Oh thanks." Rory smiled at her boyfriend while trying not to be sick.
"Everything alright kitten?" Finn asked with concern.
No. "Yes of course." She smiled at him. "Just tired."
"Have a nap if you want love. It'll be a while till we land and we want you having plenty of energy when we get there." Finn grinned.
"Finn..." Luke growled.
"For sightseeing of course!" Finn said holding his hands up, they all knew what Finn had meant though. Rory thought they'd done enough of that considering what she was worried about.
"Mommy's choosing to believe you Aus." Lorelai said with a chuckle.
Rory laid her head on Finn's shoulder hoping she could get that nap before they landed. She didn't know who to talk about this with and until she did her mind wouldn't be able to stop wandering.
"Kitten, we're landing." Finn's voice gently whispered in her ear woke Rory with a smile on her face. She'd had a great sleep, she missed sleeping next to Finn and was happy about the fact for the next two days at least that she could do it once more.
"You slept well." Luke remarked with a small smile as he stretched and buckled his seat belt.
"Mmm... yeah I must have needed it." Rory smiled back before remembering the reason she may have needed it.
What was she going to do? She wasn't ready to have a baby, she hadn't even finished college yet, she hadn't got a job, she hadn't lived. She could not do this. And Finn? He hadn't finished college; he wasn't likely to want this either.
The landing was easy and in a very short space of time they were travelling through the streets of Hong Kong. It was amazing. So colourful and vibrant, loud and busy and the people driving were absolutely insane. Rory instantly loved it.
"This is amazing." She gasped from next to Finn. Finn, Lorelai, Luke and her were travelling in one car together. Phineas, Janice, Colin and Mia were in the car they were following.
"It is, isn't it love." Finn agreed. "The hotel should be just round this corner."
"Should be? I hope they haven't moved it?" Lorelai joked.
The hotel was huge and very modern. Glistening glass was everywhere and stainless steel. Silver and chrome made up the front desk which was currently checking in Phineas, Janice, Mia and Colin.
"This place is huge!" Luke said.
"It's not quite our biggest but one of." Finn nodded.
"Well, it looks fantastic." Her mom agreed.
They checked in and followed Phineas up to the penthouse suite, Finn and Rory though would be staying in a room just a floor below. A fact that Luke wasn't happy about.
The penthouse suite had amazing views, Rory thought she could see everything from here and had a desire to not stop looking.
"Shall we get into our room and changed before dinner love?" Finn asked coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Yeah sure." Rory agreed following Finn as they saw themselves out.
Their room while not as opulent as the penthouse was certainly beautiful. It carried on the silver theme with plush carpets, thick silver-coloured comforters and stylish silver furniture. Rory almost felt like she was in a black and white movie.
"Love, you've been in a daze since we stepped on the plane. Something wrong?" Finn asked putting their bags on the table next to the bed.
"I... maybe I'm not sure." Rory said. She wanted to lie. But she couldn't not to Finn.
"Come here, tell Uncle Finn all about it." Finn patted the bed next to him.
Rory sat and sighed.
"I'm late..." Rory said looking at Finn's face.
"For what love?" Finn asked.
"My period. It's not come." Rory said.
"Ah. Yes. I can see why that might have you a bit out of sorts." Finn said his eyes wide, Rory was sure he had a little sweat on his forehead. "Erm... so... do you know if you are...?"
"No. I just realised this morning while I was packing and then I had the stomach flu, remember? It might not have been the stomach flu after all. And I didn't have time to go get a test and I'm sort of freaking out a bit." Rory babbled.
"You are not the only one love." Finn said standing up and pacing. "You might not be though, yeah?"
"I might not be." Rory agreed.
"And if you are... all this without a drink in my hand." Finn said still pacing.
"If I am... I don't know." Rory moaned. She had thought Finn might make her feel better. He wasn't.
"Hey." Rory looked up at Finn to see him looking at her intently. "If you are then we deal. We get our own place and a nanny so we can both finish Yale. I'll work for my dad. There might be less travelling and less parties and much less drinking. And definitely no drugs. And things will be hard. But if you are. We deal. We get through it love."
"Really?" Rory asked scared.
"You doubted me?" Finn asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I don't think so. I was too busy freaking out to think of it to be honest." Rory said.
"Okay. Well first things first love, let's find out if you are alright? I mean we're always careful. You're taking that lovely little pill and I usually wear a condom. Mostly. Sometimes. Yeah, maybe we do need to be a bit more careful. Or buy in bulk." Finn rambled making Rory laugh.
"Do you know where we can get a test here?" Rory asked.
"I'll ring down and get someone to bring us one." Finn shrugged.
"No, I don't want our parents finding out." Rory said.
"Don't worry love, tip enough and you can get someone to hold the thing for you while you pee on it. We can buy silence." Finn said picking up the room phone.
"This is why normal people hate rich people, you know that right?" Rory laughed.
"You know you are a rich person too, right?" Finn shot back.
"I keep forgetting that." Rory said listening as Finn asked for someone to fetch a pregnancy test for them.
"Look, we need to wait for this thing, right? So, I'll call my dad and say you're not feeling well and we'll order room service. Is that okay love?" Finn asked.
"Yes. That's better than trying to get through dinner without puking." Rory laughed nervously.
"Puking? You're still feeling sick?" Finn asked looking a little green.
"Yes... but it could be the fact I'm really nervous and scared." Rory said hopefully.
"That's got to be it. I mean I'm feeling sick too. And I'm definitely not... you know." Finn said.
"Pregnant?" Rory asked and watched as Finn flinched.
"Don't go flinging that word about love. If we say it enough times it might catch."
"I think if it has caught it's not because we spoke about it. I think it might have been other activities we've been doing." Rory laughed. "How do you feel about being celibate till after college. Maybe until we get married?"
"Is that a proposal love?" Finn laughed. "Because if you're going to hold out on me till we're out of college that had better have been one."
"No, I'll propose in a much more romantic way, there will be all your friends there and lots of alcohol..." Rory giggled.
"Really? I always thought you'd want it to be just us two?" Finn finally sat on the bed next to her.
"I would, or maybe my mom and Mia too. But that wouldn't be the proposal you wanted, so if I was proposing that's how I'd do it." Rory smiled.
"Don't go beating me to my moment love." Finn joked. "Right, I'm ringing dad."
"Calm down, I haven't got a farm yet." Rory said and was rewarded with Finn's deep rich chuckle.
"I don't think dad buys that you're sick." Finn said putting down the phone.
"They're all going to think we're doing it aren't they." Rory groaned.
"Yes, but I'd rather them think that then what we are doing." Finn mumbled.
"Oh god. What if I am? How are we going to tell them? My mom will flip her lid. Seriously she'll go Norman Bates. And Luke? He would kill you, probably my dad too. And Grandpa and Grandma. Oh god they'd make us get married right away." Rory worried.
"My dad would kill me and there would definitely be a shotgun wedding involved. I think Janice would be cool though." Finn said holding her hand. "We need to calm down and stop borrowing trouble."
"Yeah, you're right. There's nothing we can do about it either way right now." Rory said cuddling up to him and half lying down.
"You wouldn't... get rid of it then?" Finn asked stroking her hair.
"No. My mom could of got rid of me and she was five years younger when she found out, with no money, my flaky dad and parents who pretty much disowned her. I'm pro-choice all the way but that isn't an option for me. Would you want me to? Get rid of it?" Rory asked hesitantly.
"No." Finn said instantly. "I'd regret it if you did. I love you; I want a life and children with you one day. So, it'd just start a few years before we wanted. If you are, it'd be loved. Just not planned."
A knock came from the door and Finn stood up. Rory nestled down on the bed feeling sicker. This was it; they were going to find out either way. If she was, they'd deal. They'd have a good life. If she wasn't. Well party time.
"Rory hon?" Lorelai's voice came from the door making Rory's eyes flutter open, she hadn't even realised they'd been closed. "Wow, you are sick. We thought you two were..."
"Told you love." Finn laughed.
"How are you feeling babe?" Her mom sat on the bed next to her and gently felt her forehead.
"Sick." Rory answered honestly.
"Did you need anything?" Her mom asked with concern.
"No. I'll be okay." Rory said. "We're going to get some food and drink sent up."
"Already sorted kitten." Finn said putting away his phone.
"Okay. But if you need anything you let me know, okay? And ring me if she starts feeling worse Aus?" Her mom said.
"Of course. I'd much rather you held her hair back while the dinner comes back up." Finn joked shooting Rory a wink.
"Always so romantic." Rory smiled at him. She really did feel like she might be sick though. And she needed to pee but she was saving that.
"I'll let Luke and Phineas know that you're actually sick." Lorelai said standing up.
Another knock came from the door and Rory thought she might actually be sick.
"That's some fast room service." Lorelai said surprised. "Seriously do they have Speedy Gonzalis making the food and running it up?"
Finn opened the door.
"Mister Morgan. We have picked this up for you as requested. It is the most accurate test as you asked for." Rory heard clearly in good but heavily accented English.
"Most accurate test...?" Lorelai frowned. Looking from Finn to Rory.
"Thanks mate." Finn said and Rory was sure he was tipping the man more than a week's wages.
"What... Finn? What did that man just bring?" Lorelai asked her voice quivering.
"I... erm... love?" Finn said.
"Mom..." Rory started not knowing exactly what to say.
"That's... it's not... your not... you can't be, your careful and clever. And no. You're not." Her mom said.
"Mom." Rory started again.
"No, don't mom me right now. Tell me that isn't a pregnancy test Rory." Lorelai asked.
"It is." Rory said quietly.
"But... you're careful. The both of you are careful. You told me you're careful." Lorelai said her voice getting shriller.
"We are, always careful. I take my pill every morning and Finn normally uses condoms." Rory said blushing, she didn't normally talk about this with her mom.
"Normally? Not every single time. Because it should be every single time. Dammit! You can't be. You're on the pill." Lorelai said.
"It's apparently not a hundred percent effective." Rory mumbled. "I'm not sure. Hence the test."
"Oh god, you were sick. You are sick. Oh god. This is not happening." Lorelai started pacing much as Finn had earlier. "No, you need to finish college first."
"I will." Rory said confidently.
"How? Because if you think I'm taking care of a baby while you're at college five days a week you can forget it." Her mom said angrily.
"Mom, we don't even know yet." Rory said pleadingly.
"No, you said you will go to college, I want to know the plan, you have a plan, right? I mean you always have a plan for everything." Her mom was just short of shouting.
"We'll move into a house. We'll get a nanny and we'll both finish college." Finn said for Rory, his voice wavering slightly.
"You're going to let a nanny raise your kid?" Lorelai's eyes never left Rory. "That's the plan?"
"We haven't found anything out yet, we've only been talking about it for an hour." Rory said the feeling of sickness was getting worse.
"I really can't believe you've been this irresponsible."
Rory stood pushing past her mom and then Finn and running to the bathroom where she threw up everything she'd eaten that day. Finn was behind her instantly rubbing her back and pulling her hair out of the way.
When Rory was finally finished worshiping at the porcelain god Finn was sat by her side and her mom was in the doorway with tears in her eyes.
"Here. Take the test hon. Find out." Lorelai tried smiling but it looked painful.
Rory took the test from the floor where Finn had put it. It was such a small unassuming thing for something that could change her life forever.
"I'll be right outside the door kitten. Just pee and come out, we'll wait together." Finn said pushing her hair back gently from her forehead.
"I'm scared." Rory whispered.
"Me too kitten. But it'll be okay." Finn said placing a kiss on her forehead and getting up off the floor.
When the door closed Rory took out the test with shaking hands. Apparently, it was going to take ten minutes to find out. Ten minutes to find out if her life as she knew it was coming to an end.
Rory peed on the stick then laid it face down and started the timer on her phone. Taking a deep breath, she washed her hands and opened the door.
Her mom and Finn were stood near the bed facing each other both looking worried.
"How long do we have to wait for?" Her mom asked as Rory sat on the bed, her knees were shaking.
"Ten minutes." Rory said holding Finn's hand as he sat down next to her.
"I know this is scary hon, but it'll be okay. Trust me, whatever happens it'll be okay." Her mom said sitting the other side of her.
"It will be kitten." Finn agreed quietly.
The rest of the ten minutes ticked by in silence.
See you next week! *walks away whistling cheerfully*