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Chapter 40
Rory was in a rare bad mood. It was the first month of her last year of Yale. Paris had board's up around the apartment, plans of action for the year not just for herself but for Mia and Rory too. Things they needed to apply for, activities they had to do, party's they needed to attend.
On top of that Rory had barely seen Finn all month. He went to work early and came back late; he'd worked two weekends out of four and he wasn't happy by the shift either. As well as all of that they were on their second nanny in three weeks for Lee as the first kept flirting with all the males in the apartment and all the women were going to murder her if she didn't go.
So, it was with a frown on her face that she made her way to the coffee cart for her jolt after her last class on Friday before hitting the library and then Friday night dinner.
Rory ordered a Mocha Latte with extra syrup and extra whipped cream; she needed the sugar. She went to hand over the money but the barista waved her money away. "It's been paid for." He insisted.
"By who?" Rory asked.
"Him." The guy nodded behind her.
Rory whipped her head around and almost dropped the coffee.
"Finn!" She smiled for the first time that day rushing to her boyfriend who she'd missed more than she'd realised she could while sleeping next to him every night.
"Hey love." He smiled slowly.
"Why aren't you at work?" Rory asked happily leaning up to give him a long kiss.
"That requires a very long answer love, but the short version is that I missed you." Finn wrapped his arms around her.
"I missed you too." Rory said softly.
"I have got this whole weekend off, what do you say to spending the next two days in bed with me?" Finn asked.
"Yes please." Rory sighed happily.
"How was your class?" Finn asked as they started making their way home, still twined round each other.
"Good. Grandpa is a really good lecturer actually." Rory told Finn. "How was work?"
"Hard. I'm going to have to fly out to Portugal next week. I don't suppose you could blow off classes and bring your teeny tiny bikini with you, could you love?" Finn asked with a smirk.
"How long will you be gone for?" Rory asked her heart sinking a little.
"Probably a couple of weeks, hopefully not more. We're trying to work out whether to remodel and re-staff that hotel we didn't stay in or if we should sell it." Finn sighed looking very tired.
"Oh." Rory said.
"Hey, we've gone longer than two weeks before without seeing each other and if you won't skip a few classes, you can come see me at the weekend or I can fly home." Finn said his hand stroking the back of her neck.
"Even you didn't skip classes your senior year." Rory smiled at him.
"I skipped some." Finn defended. "If anyone asks I skipped plenty. Don't forget I've still got a reputation to maintain love."
"Of course." Rory chuckled. "So that weekend in bed is looking better by the moment."
/\\\/\\\
Finn was in a meeting with several important people but his phone had rung three times now. Rory wouldn't call this many times if something wasn't wrong, she knew he had meetings today.
He excused himself and listened to the voicemail she had just left.
"Excuse me gentlemen, I'm very sorry to do this but an emergency has come up and I'm going to have to reschedule." Finn said walking back into the board room and packing up his things.
"Finn?" His dad asked, of course this was the meeting with his dad and Josh in, the first meeting he was actually heading.
"Richard Gilmore is in the hospital in New Haven." Finn said. "They think it was a heart attack."
"Grab Janice, take the helicopter, we'll wrap up here and meet you there." His dad said seriously.
"Thanks." Finn said rushing from the room, he hoped his hasty exit didn't cause problems, but Rory needed him.
The helicopter made quick work of the commute that normally took him about an hour every morning and every night. Janice had come along without any hesitation as soon as he'd told her why they were leaving.
When they reached the hospital they were directed to a waiting room where the three Gilmore Girls were waiting with a feast of snacks in front of them that none of them were touching.
Rory glanced at the doorway first, she smiled a relieved smile when she saw him and stood slowly to come to him before throwing herself into his arms, he caught her gladly. He hugged her as tightly as he could.
"I'm sorry for ringing you in your meeting. I only remembered after ringing you the third time so I left the message." Rory said.
"Hey, no need to apologise." Finn said gently. "How's your Grandpa love, any news yet?"
"He's going into surgery. His blockage is worse than they'd hoped..." She trailed off and buried her face in his chest. He hated that he couldn't do more than hold her, he wanted to fix it for her, make it better. Janice moved past them placing a hand on Rory's shoulder as she did.
"Come on love. Let's go back in." Finn said taking her hand and bringing her back to her mom and grandmother.
"Lorelai, Emily. I'm really sorry to hear about Richard. Is there anything I can do?" Finn asked, meaning it. He'd do anything he could to help.
"There's nothing to do at the moment." Lorelai smiled at him her hand holding Janice's.
"It was good of you both to come." Emily said with a strained smile. Finn and Rory took seats and waited.
"I'm sorry I rang in your big important meeting, if you have to get back-" Rory said a few minutes later.
"I don't need to be anywhere but with you right now love. Don't worry." Finn said wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
"It's true. Don't worry Rory, that's the beauty of owning your own company, you can leave whenever you need to go. Notice I said need and not want there Finn." Janice said with a small smile.
"Yes, I did pick up on that." Finn smiled at his stepmom who sent him a tiny wink.
"Still, it is good of you, both." Emily nodded.
"Phineas and Josh are on their way too." Janice said.
"Luke should be here soon; he's coming back from Philadelphia." Lorelai told Rory.
"I need a pen and paper." Emily said abruptly.
"Here grandma." Rory passed her a notebook and pen out of her bag.
"Thank you, Rory. Now I need to retrieve Richard's car, I need to order fish, cancel our reservation tonight, I need to contact Charlie. Richards going to need clothes and things." Emily muttered aloud as she wrote.
"I can get Richard's car for you Emily." Finn offered wanting to help somehow.
"Would you Finnegan? That would be a fantastic help." Emily smiled.
"Of course." Finn said.
"I'll drive you and follow you to the house, I can pick up Grandpa's things then Grandma." Rory said.
"Hang on, if you came in the ambulance and I flew here then we don't have a car between us." Finn said. "I'll call a cab. While I get your Grandpa's car from Yale you can pick up one of ours from the apartment. Lorelai do you need anything picking up? Anything to make you more comfortable?" Finn added, the very pregnant woman was wincing and shifting in her seat every few moments.
"A cushion or a pillow would be great thanks Aus." Lorelai said shifting again. "But to be truly comfortable I need Jekyll and Hyde here out."
"That I can't help with, that's really more Rory's area of expertise." Finn joked.
"Why would it be Rory's area of expertise? Have you changed your mind, are you going to be applying for med school?" Emily asked sounding politely interested.
"No Grandma." Rory chuckled.
"Well then, why did Finnegan say it was your area of expertise?" Emily asked.
"That would be because Rory, delivered Lee." Janice said.
"You did? I didn't know that." Emily frowned.
"That's why Colin and Mia called him Lee. He was going to be Phineas junior. But Rory got him here safe and sound, they chose Lee for Rory's middle name." Finn explained proudly. It had been one of the scariest moments of his life but he didn't think he could have been prouder of either his sister or his angel, watching over them again.
"I never knew that, it's certainly an honour." Emily said inclining her head.
"It is, but seeing as how I'm never doing that ever again... then mom, legs crossed for another two months." Rory said with a small laugh. Finn hated the sadness that clung to everyone, even as they smiled and laughed.
"Come on love, let's go get your Grandpa's things." Finn said standing up and holding out a hand to his girlfriend.
/\\\/\\\
"He really is good to her, isn't he?" Emily said as Finn and Rory left, her eyes on the now empty doorway, a small smile on her worried face.
"They're good to each other." Janice supplied still holding Lorelai's hand.
"Yeah, they are." Lorelai agreed.
"She's going to marry that boy, isn't she?" Emily asked.
"I hope so." Janice said, smiling. Rory brought out the best in Finn, as he brought out the best in her. She had watched them go from strength to strength, she had watched them start to fall in love before they had even met each other.
"I do too." Lorelai said squeezing Janice's.
Janice knew that for her friend that was a big admission. Lorelai had once confided in her that her biggest fear had been that Rory would be taken away from her, by some guy who would come between them. It was the reason it had taken Lorelai so long to get with anyone, she hadn't wanted to break up their mother, daughter duo thing. So, for Lorelai to hope that one day Finn would be Rory's husband was a commendation indeed.
"How long do you think it'll be?" Emily asked.
"They said it'd be a few hours, the surgeon said he'd come and get us when it's over." Lorelai said.
"That wasn't what I was asking about." Emily said with a far-off look.
"Ah, I think that's up to them, but Rory seems very focused on finishing Yale before anything else." Janice said, she'd already lost that bet with Phineas, she suspected sabotage but hadn't been able to prove anything.
"Yes, I suppose." Emily sighed. "I hope... I hope Richard... can see it..."
/\\\/\\\
"Finn, wake up." Rory whispered into her boyfriend's ear.
"Hmm?" He frowned still mostly asleep.
"Wake up." Rory said again.
"What is it?" Finn asked, his eyes still closed.
"Come on." Rory said tugging his hand.
"What, where? Has something happened?" Finn opened his eyes now.
"No, just get up, come on." Rory insisted.
"Love, it's three in the morning." Finn yawned.
"I know. Now come on." She said again.
Finn eyed her then shrugged and got out of bed tiredly. She passed him some clothes she had ready for him and he sleepily pulled them on.
"This had better be good." Finn groaned. He'd been back working stupid hours once her Grandpa had got out of the hospital and she knew he was tired, but she wanted to share this with him just once. They were normally apart when it happened. Or she hadn't woken up in time.
Rory took him from the room to the door that lead to the balcony. She opened it and stepped outside loving the feel of it. The smell.
"What? Is there a meteor shower or something?" Finn grumbled.
"No, can you smell it?" Rory breathed deeply.
"Smell What? If Pepper did a shit when I let him out earlier, I'm sorry and I'll clear it up when it's light." Finn said hugging his arms around himself. "It's bloody freezing kitten."
"No. Smell." Rory smiled.
"I can't smell anything." Finn said.
"It's snow. I smell snow." Rory said.
"It's not due to snow for another week at least." Finn said looking at her like she had lost the plot.
"Just wait a few minutes." Rory said.
The stood in silence for a few minutes looking out from the balcony.
"It's cold and it's not snowing and I'm really tired, can we please go back to bed?" Finn asked.
It started snowing. Huge lumps of the beautiful white stuff falling from the sky. Flurries of it swirling round them and lightening Rory's heart.
"I'm sorry I ever doubted you." Finn laughed.
"Something good is going to happen today. Something good always happens in the snow." Rory said softly, mesmerised as the snow starting coating everything in a beautiful white.
"I'm sure it will love. But until then, I'm going back to bed." Finn yawned. "And so are you before you get hyperthermia."
"Five more minutes." Rory grinned.
"Fine, five minutes but that's it and you have to warm me back up." Finn sighed wrapping his arms around her and resting his chin on her head. "What do you think is going to happen today then?"
"I can't tell you; it'd jinx it. But I'll write it down and you can put it in your wallet and if I'm right I'll tell you to open it." Rory said, she didn't want to say it out loud, just in case, but she thought she knew.
"You're so cute when you're odd." Finn chuckled. "Now inside before we start looking like snowmen."
They headed back to bed, but not before Rory wrote her prediction down for the day and gave him it to put in his wallet. It was going to be a magical day.
/\\\/\\\
Rory woke up when Finn got out of bed for his day. He woke up ridiculously early and normally climbed into bed when she was asleep. He had promised her though, that as soon as this hotel business in Portugal was over then he would have more normal hours again.
"Go back to sleep love." Finn whispered as she sat up.
"Hmm... miss you." Rory muttered feeling sleep pull at her.
"I miss you too kitten." Finn said kissing her forehead as sleep claimed her.
It felt like moments later when Rory felt someone climbing into bed with her. She turned to find out what was wrong with Mia only to come face to face with Finn.
"Finn? I haven't slept through the day, have I?" Rory asked.
"No love." He chuckled. "Car wouldn't start, dad told me not to worry about coming in today, I can work from home, in bed with my gorgeous girlfriend. Is that what's on the paper?"
"Nope." Rory grinned cuddling back up next to him.
"Is that after four gruelling days that I can finally have sex again?" Finn asked leaning down to kiss her softly.
"Not what's on the paper, but how I can I go against the magic of snow?" Rory grinned wrapping her arms around his neck.
They were laid sated and panting in each other's arms when both of their phones rang almost simultaneously.
Rory grinned, she hoped it was what she thought it was.
Rory answered her call and tried not to squeal, hanging up and waiting for Finn.
"The sales gone through!" Finn said happily rolling back onto the bed.
"That's great honey. I'm really happy for you." Rory said sincerely, he'd been working really hard to make the sale work. "It's time to open the paper."
"Alright then." Finn said with a little grin, pulling his pants from the floor and getting his wallet out of them.
Finn opened the paper and then looked at Rory.
"Really?"
"Really, that was the call." Rory said excitedly.
"You're a snow witch and I'm sorry I ever doubted your powers. Now shouldn't we be getting dressed?" Finn asked.
"Yes. Let's hope my car works." Rory giggled.
"Just work your freaky snow witch powers and I'm sure it will. I'm going to call dad and let him know why I'm actually not working like I said I would." Finn said pulling his phone out and pressing speed dial. "Because I was making love to my beautiful, sexy, girlfriend...Ah, hi dad." Finn blushed. "Yes, but that's not why I won't be working today..."
Rory buried her head in the covers and started laughing, she was enjoying Finn's embarrassment while also being mortified herself. Then again, it wasn't like everyone hadn't walked in one them doing something inappropriate at some point or other.
Once she'd got herself under control Rory started to get dressed.
"Come on then love, let's go." Finn said standing up and holding out his hand to her.
They left the room with Rory teasing Finn about telling his dad their private business. The note forgotten in the crumpled sheets.
I think mom will have the twins.
/\\\/\\\
"Mom they're beautiful," Rory cooed happily at the two bundles of cuteness in the hospital cots.
"They are aren't they." Her mom said tiredly from the bed.
"Have you decided names yet?" Finn asked looking over Rory's shoulder.
"Yes, we have. I'd like to introduce you to William Richard Danes and Victoria Emily Danes." Her mom said.
"You named her after yourself?" Rory laughed.
"Hey, I wanted Lorelai again, but Luke put his foot down. You're going to have to carry on the tradition kid." Her mom chuckled and William stirred slightly.
"I'm very uncomfortable having this conversation over two babies. It's much too close to cows." Finn said placing a hand on Rory's lower back.
"No, Aus. I mean after she's retired and given up the nunnery, I'm sending her off to next week." Her mom said.
"That's okay then." Finn said.
"They're just so perfect. Has anyone else been yet?" Rory asked not taking her eyes off her brother and sister. And wow, wasn't that an odd thought.
"No, April is coming soon and after that everyone else can pile in. But we wanted these guys to meet their siblings first." Her mom said with a yawn. "Is Mia with you, she's got to meet her brother and sister too."
"She's in the waiting room with Colin and Lee." Finn said.
"Go get her so I can go to sleep." Lorelai chuckled.
"This is very weird." Rory said.
"What is?" Her mom asked as Finn left.
"I have a brother and sister." Rory said sitting next to her mom on the hospital bed.
"It is and I don't want any sibling rivalry now. You're still my first born and always will be." Her mom said stroking her hair.
Rory laughed. "I can share. I shared you with Mia and Lane and then April. It's tough but I'm a big girl now."
"A big girl you might be, but mommy is always here for you." Her mom smiled gently.
There was a light knock at the door before Colin, Mia, Lee and Finn piled in.
/\\\/\\\
Christmas had been a mass of noise, presents, happiness, cheer and crying, the babies mostly, Lee who was throwing tantrums and three-week-old twins who just cried constantly or at least that's how it seemed.
Last night Finn and Rory had taken the twins so that her mom and Luke could get a night of sleep. Her mom hadn't been exaggerating about how often they woke. So Rory was making a pot of coffee just for herself while feeding Tory. And why her mom had given her that nickname Rory didn't know, just to make things confusing on purpose she supposed.
"You're really good at that." Luke said from the doorway to the kitchen making Rory jump slightly.
"What, making coffee? I should be I have enough practice. I think I could make it in my sleep. Like REM sleep." Rory chuckled moving Tory slightly so she could get a cup without jostling the new-born too much, the bottle she was using to feed her under her chin.
"No, I meant with Tory." Luke smiled.
"I should hope so. I got enough practice in with Lee." Rory laughed. The four of them, Colin, Mia, Finn and Rory had basically raised that little boy together.
"I guess you did." Luke said coming and taking the cup off her. "Where's Finn and Will?"
"They're still sleeping, we let them get their rest in didn't we Tory? Hey? We were nice, weren't we?" Rory asked her sister in a baby voice. Tory was pretty much asleep on the bottle so Rory took the bottle and rested the baby carefully on her shoulder to burp.
"How were they?" Luke asked putting the coffee in front of her.
"Tory was the worst, weren't you huh? Which is typical because Finn volunteered to watch Will. She woke about seven times, Will about five." Rory said getting a satisfying burp from Tory and leaving her lying comfortably on her shoulder as she took her coffee.
"It's normally the other way round, Will is normally up more." Luke said.
"I know. That's why I didn't fight Finn." Rory chuckled.
"You want me to take her, go back to bed?" Luke asked.
"No, it's fine, we're having some sister bonding, aren't we? You know I'm coming home every weekend now by the way. I can't have these two growing up not knowing their sister." Rory told Luke.
"I don't think you have to worry about that. Or come home every weekend unless you really want to." Luke said sitting at the table with her. "It's your last year of college and your mom told me all about those crazy boards of Paris'."
A wail interrupted the conversation and Rory started rocking Tory who was stirring.
"Good morning Will, how are we this morning? Thank you for sleeping for me. You're pretty cool, aren't ya mate? Now let's see. Yup that's a stinky one, where's your sister hey? The big one. Guess this is down to me then... oh mate that is not nice. Come on then, let's sort this... there we go... I know almost done. We're going to get you some food now, right?" They could clearly hear every word from Rory's room.
Rory flushed realising that Finn and her had done more than just sleep in there and clearly, she needed thicker walls.
"He's not bad either." Luke said quietly.
"I know." Rory smiled happily if not tiredly.
/\\\/\\\
"Tell me again what you're doing?" Colin asked with raised eyebrows trying to grab hold of Lee before he pulled Finn's cup of coffee off the table.
"I'm driving an hour to Stars Hollow to bid on a picnic basket that Rory has packed for us before taking her on a date where I will enviably pay for lunch because her basket will be inedible." Finn said with a smile.
"But why?" Colin frowned.
"Because its tradition and because she asked me too. And because she went to that party with me last night even though she was shattered." Finn explained. They'd gone to a party that Lanny had thrown even though she was stressed and tired. So, he was going to her mad town festival for her.
"Yes, that I get Buttercup, but why doesn't mother just pack a picnic that you would actually eat?" Colin chuckled.
"Apparently that is also part of the tradition." Finn said finishing his drink.
"You guys are weird man." Colin said.
"Says the man who last week went out and brought a stuffed bear bigger than himself not for his son but his girlfriend." Finn sniggered.
"Little Red was missing me at nights when I was studying late." Colin shrugged unrepentant.
"Who would have thought we'd be the ones to settle down mate?" Finn asked happily. He loved his life, he was finally working nine to five again, he mostly enjoyed his work and he had the best girlfriend in the world. He lived with his best friend, his sister and his nephew who was amazing. Take away the two uptight lodgers who practiced Krav Magar at odd hours and his life was verging on perfect.
"I'm going to ask Mia to marry me." Colin said out of the blue. "After graduation. I want to marry her."
"About time mate." Finn said slapping his best friend on the back. "I'm happy for you both."
"She's got to say yes first. You're okay with that then?" Colin asked seriously.
"Well, you already knocked her up mate, might as well make an honest woman of her too." Finn dodged Colin's fist.
/\\\/\\\
"Next up we have this lovely little basket." Taylor held the basket up and Finn saw Rory gesturing wildly at it. This was it he got it, he had to buy that basket. "Let's start bidding at five dollars, shall we?"
"Ten dollars." Finn called making Rory smile which was what he had aimed to do.
"Fifteen dollars!" A voice shouted out at the back of the crowd. Finn spun to see who was trying to outbid him.
It was Jess the guy who used to date his girlfriend and had slept with his sister. Finn glanced at Rory. She was laughing and shaking her head at Jess at the same time. Finn wasn't sure if he was supposed to feel jealous or angry or something. He just felt amused.
"Twenty-five dollars!" Finn shouted.
"Forty-five!" Jess called back and Finn saw Rory pulling something out of her bag.
"Seventy!" Finn yelled.
"Have you two seen the size of this basket?" Taylor asked.
"Eighty!" Jess shouted.
Rory chucked a notepad at her ex. Her aim was terrible but her point was clear. Finn felt a bit sorry for Jackson who'd got hit in the head with the heavy pad instead of the intended party.
"One hundred dollars!" Finn called.
"One hundred dollars going once, one hundred dollars going twice, sold to the tall Australian fellow with more money than sense." Taylor shouted banging a gavel.
Finn went to fetch the basket that couldn't have cost more than ten dollars for Rory to make. Still, he'd pay a hundred dollars more times over than that to take his kitten on a date.
When Finn turned back it was to see Rory yelling at a very amused Jess. Finn shook his head before heading over.
"Alright man." Jess said sticking his hand out.
Finn raised his eyebrows but shook the hand anyway, he was hoping that an explanation would be forthcoming.
"Sorry about that, I was going for a funny in joke from old time's sake but I think I was the only one in on the joke." Jess said.
"Jess bid on my basket when I was with Dean my first boyfriend. He bought the basket with ninety dollars but the joke was on him, there was nothing edible in it at all." Rory said hooking her arm through Finn's.
"Is there anything edible in this?" Finn asked still confused about how he should feel.
"Actually yes, I put in a couple of twizzlers." Rory said.
"How about I buy us some pizza?" Finn asked.
"It's like you know me or something." Rory grinned. "I'll tell mom we'll see her back at the house."
"Look man, I really didn't mean anything by it. I was just trying to be funny. Funny haha." Jess said awkwardly. "I'm not into Rory anymore like that, but I would still call us friends and... yeah this is awkward."
"No worries mate." Finn said easily, glad when Rory bounded back.
"We're going to eat now, you're not funny and I'll see you soon." Rory said to Jess before dragging Finn off.
"That was..."
"Super awkward?" Finn suggested.
"Yes. He's trying to make sure we're still friends after he slept with Mia." Rory told him.
"Yeah, not sure we need to talk about this anymore kitten. How about we just get some pizza and then ice cream?" Finn laughed wrapping his arm around her shoulders.