A/N: Hi so sorry this one's a little late! It's a big chapter and I edited a little obsessively.

TW: Discussion of medical/developmental complications and depiction of a panic attack. (But I swear everything works out okay!)

There will be a summary at the end of the chapter should you chose to skip it.

Fourteen

Since Rory's birthday, Rory and Jess had kind of… settled. Life was crazy busy, but good. They focused on work and school and starting the apartment hunting process, and each day began and ended without any complications. There was a comfort in the monotony of everything. A peace that they'd been searching for.

Rory arrived at week twenty of her pregnancy – the big halfway point – still annoyed that pregnancy was forty weeks long, making it more like ten months than nine. Part of her was thankful for the concept of extra time, but her skin was starting to stretch and baby was kicking her organs and she was suddenly very aware that she had very little room for the baby to occupy as it continued to grow. Forty weeks was suddenly a terrifying concept.

But, she couldn't focus on the future. She had to focus on the present.

With twenty weeks, came the biggest, most important ultrasound they would have. The daunting anatomy scan. The scan that would determine whether there were any problems with baby's growth and development. The scan that would tell them if they would be having a son or daughter.

It was a big scan.

Both Rory and Jess were both full of excitement at the prospect of finding out what they were having. But also so, so nervous about the possible presence of any problems with their baby. They'd been reassured that everything would be fine, that the baby was progressing fine. But that didn't quell their worries in the least.

They sat in the waiting room, their fingers interlaced, both requiring each other's touch to keep their nerves at bay. Rory's name was called, they made their way back to the room, and Rory went through the regular checks and measurements with the nurse. They were then left alone as they waited for Dr. Gunderson.

Rory anxiously fiddled with the sleeves of her sweater until Jess reached out and grasped her hands, gently rubbing his thumb back and forth across her knuckles.

"Hey. Everything's going to be fine."

Rory nodded and took a shaky breath. "Any last guesses on what we're having?"

Jess smirked. "I'm still happy either way," he said quietly, eliciting a warm smile from Rory. "You?"

Rory had been flipflopping for weeks on what she thought the baby was, jumping back and forth between boy and girl. She'd even tried the tricks of old wives tales and gotten an even split down the middle. In the end, all the guessing had just made her more impatient.

"Honestly, I have no idea," she said, chuckling a little. "Like you said, I'll be happy either way."

Jess smiled and squeezed Rory's hand.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door and Dr. Gunderson walked in.

"Hello, hello, hello!" she called happily as she entered. "How are we doing?"

"Nervous," Rory answered immediately.

"Ah, the twenty-week scan jitters."

"Yep," Rory said, a smile on her face but a tremble in her voice.

"Why don't we jump right in then?" Sofia offered.

Rory nodded eagerly and laid down on the table, going through the routine of lowering her pants and raising her shirt. Jess joined her at the head of the table, grasping her hand and placing a kiss on her forehead.

"You two are so cute," Dr. Gunderson mumbled as she prepared the ultrasound.

Jess's face and ears went hot, Rory's face broke out in a shy smile, and Sofia turned to them with wide eyes.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry, that just slipped out. I did not mean to embarrass you guys."

Rory laughed. "Dr. Gunderson, it's fine. I appreciate you lightening the mood a little."

Dr. Gunderson laughed sheepishly as she returned to the machine.

"Okay, like I said last time, this one's going to be a little longer since we're checking and measuring so many things. Me pausing and stopping and taking my time does not mean something is wrong, got it?"

Rory smiled. "Got it."

"And do we want to find out the sex?"

Rory grinned at Jess who smiled back down at her. "Yes, definitely."

"Sounds good," Dr. Gunderson smiled. "K guys, ready?"

Rory took a sharp breath and nodded.

The next twenty minutes were almost agony, just waiting as Sofia moved the wand around Rory's round stomach, the permanent soft smile never leaving her face as she focused. The only saving grace was the image of their baby moving around, kicking and punching and dancing.

"Do you feel all that?" Jess whispered, absolutely in awe of the baby on the screen.

"Not all of it, but quite a bit. He or she is getting strong, too."

"Yeah, Jess, you should be able to start feeling these movements any day now," Dr. Gunderson said.

Jess grinned, the excitement starting in his chest and radiating out, warming him from the core.

Then, as if a cloud had formed above her head, darkening the room, Sofia frowned.

Rory had never seen a frown on her doctor's face.

"What? What is it?" Rory asked frantically.

Jess stiffened, his eyes jumping back and forth between the doctor and the screen, that excited glow immediately dissipating.

Sofia remained focused on the screen.

"Dr. Gunderson?" Rory asked, her voice small.

Sofia turned to Rory and Jess, both of whom were white as a sheet, with a grim expression on her face. "This could be nothing, but… I noticed a small abnormality with baby's heart. It's hard to tell because baby's moving quite a bit, but it looks like one of the chambers of the heart isn't as developed as we'd like it to be at this stage." She paused, taking in the looks of absolute fear and distress on their faces. "Now, I know this sounds scary, but I want you to try your hardest not to worry. It's entirely possible that this is just a misreading, or if it is something, that it will resolve itself as baby continues to grow. What I'll have you do is come back in a week and do a repeat scan do get some answers. Alright?"

Rory had only partially heard everything that followed the words "abnormality with baby's heart".

There was a ringing in her ears. She'd been told there was nothing wrong. For months, she'd been promised that her baby was fine.

And now there was a chance it was not.

"Rory?" Dr. Gunderson asked quietly.

"Huh?"

"I'm going to have you come in for another scan next Friday, okay? We'll know more then."

"O-okay," she whispered. Her throat was dry and scratchy, her voice barely audible.

She swallowed thickly. Her breathing was quick and shallow and her head was spinning. How was this possible? How could there be something wrong with her baby? She'd worked so hard to do everything right.

Rory had never felt so distraught. So worried. So angry. She wanted to yell and scream and kick. Wanted someone to blame, someone to point a finger at and punish for making this happen.

But there wasn't anything she could do but sit there while her world fell apart, moving in slow motion and feeling like this awful moment would last forever.

She took notice of the dark expression on Jess's face. The trembling in his hands and the tension in his jaw, and it just made her that much angrier. She hated that this beautiful man that loved her and loved their baby so much had to fear for their child's life.

She barely managed to hold it together until they were out at the car, where Jess reached over and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, bracing her and holding her and giving her a place to do the yelling and the crying she'd felt like doing since they finished the scan. But all that came out was a stream of tears. Silent sobs that shook her shoulders.

This wasn't fair.

As Rory cried, Jess's face remained stony. Solid and expressionless and pale.

He felt sick.

He'd never, ever felt fear like this. A fear that isn't your own but is a fear for someone whose life is entirely more important than your own.

He was angry. Angry that his kid was potentially hurt, angry that Rory had to fear for their child, angry that he felt like they'd been lied to for five months. Angry that something could potentially take away one the things he loved most.

A lump grew in his throat as he held Rory, as his body sheltered her from the invisible source of her pain. But he refused to fall apart. Rory needed to fall apart, and she needed someone to gather her pieces afterwards. And Jess knew he needed to be that person. So, he swallowed thickly, held Rory until her cries slowed, and then silently drove them back to the apartment.

The only words Rory spoke on the way back were that she wanted to be with her mom. So, Jess parked the car, ran inside, and packed their bags for an emergency weekend in Stars Hollow. Before making it back out the door, however, he was intercepted by Paris.

"So? What is it?" Paris asked eagerly. "Not that it really matters in the end what genitalia the baby has, but it's still exciting, I guess."

Jess froze.

They hadn't even found out if it was a boy or a girl.

Paris's face fell. "Oh no. The doctor found something, didn't she?"

Jess looked down at the clothes in his hand and nodded. "Um, the baby's heart might have something wrong with it. Like, it hasn't developed right, o-or part of it is underdeveloped or something. We're going back in a week to check again," he said hoarsely.

To his surprise, Paris wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly. Even more to his surprise, he returned her hug, although hesitantly and briefly, before Paris released him.

"Everything's going to be okay, Jess," she said quietly, her voice taking on the sincerest tone Jess had ever heard come out of her mouth.

Jess nodded and cleared his throat.

"Yeah."

"How's Rory?"

"Not good," Jess sighed.

"And you?"

Jess's breath caught.

"I'm fine."

Paris rolled her eyes. "Enough with the machismo, Mariano. Toxic masculinity is not the point of pride you think it is."

Ah, that's the Paris he was used to.

"If you think I'm about to pour my heart out to you right now, you're even crazier than I thought," Jess grumbled, trying to turn and make his way out the door before Paris blocked his exit, looking at him expectantly. With an eyeroll, he met Paris's stern gaze.

"Paris, I'm fine," he said, keeping his voice even. "Rory's my focus because she is not fine. She's the opposite of fine. Hence, why we're going to Stars Hollow for the weekend so she can be with Lorelai."

"Like hell you're fine."

Jess threw his head back in annoyance, a perturbed groan escaping his lips.

"Jeez, I'll be fine. Does that suffice?"

After a moment of thought, Paris nodded, seemingly accepting Jess's answer.

"Is Rory in the car?"

"Yeah. Go see her, I think she'd appreciate that." He moved to finish packing, but threw a "And don't scare her with any medical facts!" over his shoulder as Paris exited the apartment.

He finished getting their things together, grabbing as many comfort items for Rory that he could, and left, trying to ignore the tightness in his chest and the shaking in his hands.

He definitely wasn't fine.

They made it to Stars Hollow and found Lorelai waiting for them on the porch stairs, a line of worry between her eyebrows. Rory had called and explained everything in broken sentences and thankfully, Lorelai had understood enough to know that her little girl needed her. She ran to meet them, and Rory fell into her arms, silent tears pouring down her cheeks as Lorelai stroked her hair and whispered comforting words to her.

Jess silently stalked into the house, carrying their things into Rory's room and getting their beds set up.

He knew he'd started to shut out the world, started to form an invisible wall around him to block anyone and everyone out. He didn't need anyone in his head, and he didn't feel like obliging people's saccharine concerns about his wellbeing. He just needed to be productive.

So, he made the beds, unpacked Rory's things enough to make it as comfortable as possible, cleaned up the room a bit, even organized the things on her old desk. If he was moving, he was able to keep his mind clear.

Soon, he ran out of things to do, so he decided to check on Rory. Stepping into the living room, he found her asleep with her head on Lorelai's lap, tear stains on her cheeks and her arm wrapped protectively around her middle. His heart broke at the sight. All he wanted to do was to make everything okay, and that desire drew him forward the smallest bit. When the floorboards creaked beneath him, Lorelai looked up at him and he halted.

"Hey, Jess," she said mournfully.

Jess nodded his greeting.

"How are you doing?" Lorelai asked, looking at Jess inquisitively.

"Fine."

Lorelai dropped her shoulders and rolled her eyes. "Jess…"

"I'm gonna put Rory to bed," Jess said before Lorelai could continue.

He moved to pick Rory up and carried her to her room, laying her down on the bedspread and covering her with a throw blanket. He sat beside her, watching her breathe evenly in her slumber and stroking her hair.

He'd do anything to take away her fear and pain at that moment. Anything to just make everything okay. Anything to keep their baby safe and healthy.

He hated that there wasn't anything he could do.

His eyes began to sting and his breathing started to become shallow, that tightness returning to his chest.

He heard Lorelai's approaching footsteps and quickly turned his head and wiped his eyes, hoping and praying that she hadn't seen him start to fall apart. When he turned to look at her, however, the look on her face showed that she had noticed, and he steeled himself against her pity.

Lorelai leaned on the doorframe and crossed her arms.

"Hey, I know you're Mr. Tough Guy or whatever, but Jess, seriously… this is… big. And scary. And not something you need to handle all by yourself."

Jess bristled at her words.

He knew he shouldn't be so resistant to help or encouragement, and really, he and Lorelai were on way better terms than they were when he was seventeen and stealing beer out of her fridge. But there was just something in him that was set on edge when Lorelai was overly kind to him. Especially when he was fine. Supposed to be fine, at least. He didn't need anyone's help, especially not hers.

Jess nodded, just to acknowledge her words. and stood.

"I'm going for a walk. I have my cell on me, call me if she wakes up before I'm back."

He brushed by Lorelai and out the front door.

He walked blindly, not knowing or planning where he was going, just needing out. He wasn't surprised, however, when he ended up at that bridge. It provided a strange comfort to hear his footsteps thudding on the old planks, to hang his legs over the edge and have the toes of his shoes almost brushing the water.

He was suddenly thrown back five years. To one of the worst nights of his life.

A right turn. An animal in the road. A sickening crash and the thud of Rory's wrist on the dash. A blur of calling 911 and extracting Rory from the car, of ambulance lights and that knot of fear in his chest. A panicked walk that led him right where he was now.

I made sure she was okay.

He really had. He'd only gotten a little bump on the head, some minor bruising. Nothing compared to a fractured wrist and a totaled car. He'd waited with her for the paramedics and made sure she could call her mom when she got to the hospital. He'd done his best to distract her from the searing pain of a broken bone.

He'd made sure she was okay.

And this time, he couldn't.

All at once, the fear and anger and worry became too much, the tightness in his chest overwhelming him, constricting his lungs. His hands shook and his throat closed and his eyes burned, and the only thing he could do was let it happen. Let the tears spill over, cascading hot down his cheeks and leaving little dark spots on his jeans as he hung his head. Let himself feel everything, as terrifying as that was. He was just thankful he was alone so no one could see his nose run and his chin quiver and just see him completely fall apart.

He felt so, so helpless. All he wanted was to do something. To snap his fingers and make it okay. To assure that his baby was healthy and safe and to take away Rory's worry and to find a cure for the ache in his chest.

But there wasn't anything he could do.

All he could do was sit there on the bridge and let the panic take over, just for a while.

Eventually, the ache dulled the slightest bit. The stream of emotions slowed to the point where he was only occasionally sniffing and just feeling exhausted. He had no sense of how long he'd been there when he heard the footsteps slowly thudding on the bridge, the planks creaking as Luke sat down next to him with a groan and a mumbled complaint about feeling old. Jess hastily wiped his eyes and nose on his sleeve in some attempt to maintain the slightest bit of dignity, but Luke's presence, just offering company and comfort, only made Jess's eyes burn again. After a few minutes of quiet, he sniffed, inadvertently breaking the silence.

"Everything's gonna be okay," Luke muttered quietly, staring at his hands in his lap.

Jess laughed humorlessly. "You don't know that."

Luke sighed. "True."

"I hate this…" Jess whispered hoarsely, words forming in his throat and begging for release.

"I know."

"I hate that Rory's hurting and scared, I hate that the baby could be in danger, and I hate that there isn't a damn thing I can do about any of it!"

"I know."

"Do you?" Jess snapped, turning to Luke. "Because this-this feeling, watching the woman you love worry about your kid and not being able to help at all is pretty shitty. And not knowing if your kid is okay? Not being able to just fix everything? Also, pretty shitty!"

Luke nodded. "I do know."

Jess blinked in surprise. "How?"

Luke sighed. "I watched Lorelai when Rory was living with her grandparents. She blamed herself, she missed her kid, and there wasn't anything I could do to help."

"Oh."

"And it's not exactly the same – not the same at all, really – but April had appendicitis a month or so ago, so…"

"What? Why didn't you say anything?"

Luke waved dismissively. "You were busy trying to figure out life with Rory and working yourself to death. April's fine, she had a simple operation and recovered fast."

"Jeez, Luke, I…" Jess said, faltering, at a loss for words as he shook his head.

"Stop, it's fine. Really."

"Tell me next time happens to one of my relatives, would you?" Jess asked.

Luke nodded his agreement. He paused and eyed Jess cautiously. "How are you?" he asked tentatively.

"I really wish people would stop asking me that," Jess griped.

Luke rolled his eyes. "Well, when people you care about are going through one of the worst things imaginable, you worry about them."

Jess sobered, realizing Luke was just worried about him. Worried for him.

"I'm fi—" he started before his voice broke, betraying his overall not-fine-ness. He cleared his throat. "I need to be fine," he whispered. "For Rory. She needs someone to be there for her."

"What about you?" Luke asked softly.

"What about me?"

"She's not the only one going through this, Jess. Don't you need someone to be there, too?"

Luke's words just made Jess's eyes well again, which, God, that was getting annoying. He could happily go another ten years without crying. When he didn't answer, though, only stayed staring down at his lap, Luke continued.

"Rory's strong. So are you. But you're both going through hell right now, Jess. I'm not exactly the wisest in this kind of situation, but I have a feeling she's going to need you to be open with her about what you're feeling."

Jess laughed tearfully. "Man. Being married to Lorelai is making you sappy."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Don't be a smartass."

"Ah, there's the Uncle Luke I know and love," Jess jibed, the corner of his mouth pulling up in a slight smirk.

Luke snorted, clapped a hand on Jess's shoulder. "Love you too, kid."

Later, once Jess felt composed enough to return to the house, he and Luke walked in silence. Jess received a call from Lorelai when Rory woke up, as per Jess's request, and the men picked up a few of Rory's comfort foods from Al's, Doose's, and the diner before going home.

Small talk was traded between Luke and Lorelai while they ate, Rory barely touching her food because the ball of fear inside her stole her appetite, and after the leftovers were stored away, they migrated to the living room to watch a movie. Rory fell asleep with her head on Jess's shoulder, and eventually Luke picked her up and carried her to bed. Once he made sure Rory was sleeping peacefully, he made his way up the stairs to his and Lorelai's bedroom, leaving Jess and Lorelai in the living room, half watching the movie and half dozing off.

Jess felt drained in every sense of the word. He was barely able to keep his eyes open, and his bones felt heavy and weighted. Once the credits rolled, he turned off the TV and started to make his way to Rory's room. He was halted, however, when Lorelai spoke.

"Hey," Lorelai said softly. "I know you're not really one for talking – you're like Luke that way. But just know that he and I are here for you, okay?"

And maybe it was because he was beyond exhausted, or because his talk with Luke had made him realize he needed to accept help sometimes, or just because this whole situation sucked… Lorelai's words softened something in him.

"Thanks, Lorelai," he said quietly.

Lorelai stood. "This might be awkward considering it's you and me, but…" She huffed out a breath, as if resolving herself for whatever words came next. "This sucks, and you're hurting and my kid is hurting and I just… I don't like it when my kid hurts or when people my kid cares about hurts. So… can I just… can I just give you a hug?" she asked hesitantly. "It'll help me feel better."

Though hugging Lorelai sounded like one of the most uncomfortable things he could do, he was too tired to argue.

"Um, sure. I guess."

Lorelai wrapped her arms around him, stiffly at first, kind of like she had never hugged another person before. But then she cradled the back of his head in her hand, embraced him like a mother would her son, and Jess just fell into it, choosing to just shove aside any potential awkwardness. He tightened his arms around her, holding onto the maternal comfort he was so rarely offered. Accepting the help and compassion that he'd been shrugging off all day and feeling the weight on his shoulders lighten slightly. He very purposefully looked down at the ground as Lorelai released her arms, refusing to let her see the mist that had collected in his eyes.

"Night, Jess," Lorelai said hoarsely as she walked up the stairs.

Jess nodded his goodnight as he slipped away to Rory's room, where he quietly climbed into the trundle bed and under the covers.

Though he'd started to drift during the movie, he was suddenly wide awake now that he was alone with his thoughts, and he wasn't surprised when he heard Rory shifting in the bed above him.

"Are you awake?" Rory whispered.

"Yeah."

"Come up here."

Jess followed suit, sliding under the covers with Rory and pulling her into an embrace.

"We didn't even get to find out what it is," Rory whispered tearfully as she laid her head against Jess's chest.

The burning behind Jess's eyes returned, and he swallowed past the lump in his throat.

"I know," he said thickly.

Rory sniffed. "I just want the baby to be okay. I want to do something to make sure the baby's okay!" she cried. "I want… I wish…" She floundered, wishing she could somehow turn back time, to wave a wand and make everything okay, to jump forward to next week when they would get some answers instead of simply existing in a painful limbo.

"Me too." Jess whispered as he held her tighter.

Rory stifled the sob that tried to escape as her guilt and shame overwhelmed her.

"I must have done something wrong…"

Jess froze. "What?"

"If there's something wrong with the baby, I must have caused it," Rory said in a small, wobbly voice.

Jess sat them both up as quickly as possible, taking Rory's face in his hands and looking in her eyes.

"Rory, anything that's happening is not your fault!"

"I'm supposed to protect the baby!" Rory cried. "I'm supposed to keep anything bad from happening! This baby isn't even outside of me yet and I couldn't protect it!"

"Rory…" Jess breathed. "You did not do anything wrong. We don't even know for sure if something bad has happened yet, and if it did…" He paused, his stomach lurching at the thought. "If it did, it is not your fault."

"How do you know?" Rory asked, shaking her head.

"Because… shit happens, I guess. But you have done everything you can to protect this kid and given it everything it needs, Rory. You've done everything by the book. Literally, I've seen your notes."

Rory let out a weak chuckle despite herself and leaned forward to bury her face in Jess's chest – her safe space. One of the few places that made things almost feel like they might be okay, where she could listen to his heartbeat and borrow his warmth and just lean on him physically and emotionally.

"I wish I could just know," she whispered into his t-shirt.

Jess simply wrapped his arms around her shoulders and leaned his cheek to the crown of her head, wanting so desperately to protect her and the baby from any and all harm.

The next week was a nightmare.

They'd returned to New Haven after their weekend in Stars Hollow, hoping that work and school would be a welcome distraction from the waiting, but nothing could really make time pass any quicker, so matter how hard they tried.

Rory barely slept, her focus often failed, and she went through the days kind of numbly. Her professors would have to try multiple times to get her attention when asking her a question during class, she almost missed multiple deadlines at the paper, and she just… didn't do a homework assignment. Just completely spaced that anything was due. Her mind only focused on the baby, constantly wishing that if something was wrong, that it would be magically fixed. Or that the ultrasound was wrong, that her baby was okay. Just that everything would work out okay.

Jess was thankful, once again, to work for a small, private company. Matt and Chris were informed of the situation and had instructed Jess to take all the time he needed to take care of Rory and himself. He had originally been supposed to be in Philadelphia for meetings, but the guys had practically forced him to stay home, promising that they could handle it. Still, Jess had to work at the bar a few nights that week, unable to get someone to cover his shifts, and it was physically painful to have to leave Rory at home. He was immensely grateful for Paris who was at Rory's side whenever Jess couldn't be.

Eventually, finally, Friday arrived.

They both rose with the sun and went through the motions of their day, getting to the doctor's office much earlier than necessary, simply because they couldn't wait any longer. They sat in silence in the waiting room and practically leapt out of their seats when the nurse called Rory's name.

Dr. Gunderson came into the room minutes later looking somber and her expression fell even further when she saw Rory and Jess. They really looked like wrecks, with dark circles under their eyes and seemingly permanent worried frowns on their faces.

"I can imagine it's been a pretty hellish week for you two," she said as she prepared the sonogram.

Rory nodded silently and lay back on the table, Jess standing behind her with a hand on her shoulder.

"Do you have any questions before we start?"

"No, please, just…" Rory gestured. "We need to know."

Sofia nodded, offering an understanding smile, and started the scan. The minutes it took felt like hours and both Rory and Jess held their breath almost the entire time, trying desperately to comprehend the image on the screen.

Finally, finally, after a lot of moving the probe around Rory's stomach, taking a lot of pictures and measurements…

Dr. Gunderson smiled.

She let out a relieved sigh and Rory couldn't let herself believe it was true until the doctor said the words.

"Whether it was a scan malfunction or a problem that resolved itself… it's gone. Baby is healthy and developing perfectly. All four chambers of the heart look great, and the heartbeat is strong."

Rory burst into relieved tears and Sofia quickly retrieved a handful of tissues for her.

Jess felt like he could pass out from relief. Actually felt lightheaded and had to put his hands on the exam table to stay upright as the tightness in his chest finally eased.

"Really? Like, he or she is totally fine? Nothing wrong at all?" Rory asked tearfully.

"Totally fine. We'll keep a close eye on things as we proceed and we'll do some extra tests when the baby is born, but for now, I'm not worried. And what do you mean 'he or she'? Did I not tell you last time?"

"No," Rory said, shaking her head.

"Oh, guys, I'm so sorry! Still want to know?"

With a tearful, happy glance at Jess, Rory nodded enthusiastically at Sofia, excited to finally know whether they were having a boy or a girl.

Rory and Jess lay in bed that night, admiring the brand-new ultrasound picture of their perfectly healthy baby.

They'd called everyone immediately after the appointment to let them know that baby was okay, and their family and friends celebrated like it was their own child.

Rory didn't stop crying for hours. She didn't know if it was from relief or hormones or sheer exhaustion or a wild combination of the three, she just knew she'd never been happier. Never been so, so thankful for anything before. Never been so excited to meet another person.

Jess lay with his head on Rory's lap, his head tilted against the bump, holding his own copy of the ultrasound, staring at it with a big, dopey grin on his face. He couldn't remember the last time he'd smiled that much, just knew it was a much better alternative to all the tears he'd shed a week ago.

As he lay there, the exhaustion from the past week caught up with him, and his eyes drifted shut as he fell asleep, but was rudely awoken when he felt a small shove against his temple.

"Ow, what was that for?" he asked with annoyance.

"Wait. You felt that?" Rory asked, her voice hushed and excited.

"You poking me in the head? Yeah, I felt it."

He sat up, finding Rory grinning widely.

"What?"

"That wasn't me," Rory said quietly, her smile widening even further.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not the one that poked you."

Jess's eyes widened as he scrambled to a kneeling position beside her.

"You mean…?"

Rory nodded. "Here, put your hand here," she said, grabbing his wrist and placing his hand on the bottom of her belly.

Everything was still for what felt like forever.

Then, suddenly, there was a small shove against his palm.

It was magical. And… so weird. In the most amazing way possible.

Jess laughed in a mixture of amazement and joy at the touch, leaning down to place a kiss where the baby had kicked.

"That's your daughter," Rory said, hushed and joyfully.

Jess grinned even wider, his heart beating wildly in elation.

They were having a girl.

Summary: At the twenty week ultrasound, the doctor finds a possible abnormality with the baby's heart. After a really awful, stressful week, they return for a follow-up ultrasound, where the doctor finds there isn't anything wrong anymore, though explains they'll need to pay extra close attention to the baby's heart in the future, just to make sure everything's okay. Also... the baby is a girl!

A/N: How we doing? This chapter was heavy, and honestly I was really nervous about posting it. But it's something I felt was important. Also, AHH FINALLY WE KNOW IT'S A GIRL. I know some people wanted it to be a boy, and really I tried writing it as if they were having a boy, but it just felt... wrong. So yeah, it's a girl.

Thanks for reading!