Max proposed. Lorelai had never been so excited before. In that moment, everything felt completely perfect, almost like she could explode with happiness. Well, almost. She couldn't find Rory, which meant the moment was annoyingly lacking in perfect-ness. Running through the town square trying to hunt her down hadn't worked. Lorelai wondered if maybe she should look at home.

"Damn it, Rory, where are you?" Lorelai sighed, frustrated.

Then she spotted her, just outside the flower shop. A wide smile spread across her face and Lorelai began to run like a mad thing across the town. She hadn't run like this since she was a kid. But, Rory wasn't running. Rory wasn't smiling. Lorelai slowed to a halt and her face fell.

"Hey kid. What's wrong?" she asked.

She was standing a few metres away from Rory, who was chewing on her fingernails like she did when she was little. "Hey..." said Lorelai, again, as she took a tentative step towards Rory. Rory stepped backwards sharply. "What's going on?"

"Mom?" Rory whimpered.

"Yeah?"

"I'm pregnant."

Lorelai froze, everything falling away. The town, the noises, the proposal. All she could see was her daughter. Her sixteen year old, utterly terrified, daughter. As much as she hated herself for it, the first feeling that washed over her was anger. White hot anger.

As if she'd read her mind, Rory pleaded, "Please don't be angry."

"I... don't know what to say right now."

"I'm sorry, mom. I'm so sorry."

Lorelai started to pace up and down, over and over again. Rory watched anxiously.

"You're making me dizzy." she said, eventually.

"Dean?"

"Yeah." Rory croaked. It had just sort of, happened. He didn't know yet, either. She felt like a grenade right now. Like if she got close to someone she'd blow up their life. It was one thing to up-end your own life but there was collateral damage here.

"Oh god. God! The eyes. Just like Christopher." Lorelai muttered.

"What?"

"You're sixteen." Lorelai yelled.

"I know."

"I was sixteen."

"I know." said Rory, after a beat.

"Rory, you were so much better than me? Why this, now?"

"I didn't plan this! It wasn't like I sat down and thought 'Hey, what would really brighten up my mother's Saturday?'" Rory yelled. She wasn't angry with her mom, more with herself.

"I failed you."

"No!"

"No, no I have. I did everything different to my mother. Everything. I figured that way you wouldn't end up like me but I must've done something wrong somewhere along the way, made some mistake. I should've put you on the pill. I should've locked you in the house if that's what it took."

"It's not your fault."

"It is! It is, Rory, you're perfect. I screwed you up!"

"I'm not screwed up, Mom! I'm scared!" Rory cried. Tears fell from her cheeks and all of a sudden Lorelai didn't see Rory there anymore, she saw herself. Rory and Lorelai always were too similar. Too similar for either of their liking.

"Honey..." Lorelai walked towards Rory.

"Don't come near me!"

"Pregnancy isn't contagious." Lorelai raised an eyebrow, almost joking. She pulled Rory into a hug and stroked her hair softly.

"How did you do it?" Rory whispered.

Lorelai chuckled. "I have no idea." she said. "But you'll figure it out. You always were brighter than me."

"You'll help?"

"Always."