Luke got the dresser set up. How does it look?

She had been texting Jess pictures of the apartment as it came together the entire week. He had helped drag every piece of furniture up the stairs after they had spent the entire day picking pieces out at what felt like hundreds of stores. It was weird carrying a queen-sized mattress and crib into an apartment of the girl that got away, that he was still so fond of, so fascinated by. How could somebody be so incredibly smart, beautiful, and funny all roped into such a petite package?

Looks great! Can't wait to see it in person.

She smiled thinking of her and Jess watching shitty movies on the couch or drinking coffee at the table while swapping notes on their most recent novels. It hadn't hit her that maybe he wouldn't want to do that, especially with a screaming infant hanging out right next to them in some weird chair contraption throwing dry cereal to the ground.

Speaking of the infant, her stomach had grown inches in days and she hoped that this pattern didn't continue. She already was down to three shirts and a couple pairs of leggings but her bank account cried at the thought of having to buy temporary clothes. In fact, it had done a lot of crying with all the new furniture- how could a mattress the size of her foot cost as much as a month of rent?

Can you come Thursday? I have an ultrasound appointment and my mom can't make it. Thought you could tag along and spend the night at my place…. I'll make dinner and by make I mean order take out!

She deleted the sentence a dozen times before hitting send and deciding that if he was offended by the suggestion she could play the pregnancy brain card. Her heart pounded thinking about the two of them in that cold room, her stretch marks exposed to the person that she first decided that she may be willing to have sex with. The first person she felt truly attracted to in that way.

She still felt that way about him. Attracted to the idea of him without a shirt, his hair perfectly slicked back to reveal the thick eyebrows of a well-groomed manly man, the sharp bad boy who challenged her on an intellectual level and frustrated her socially.

Screw you second trimester hormones.

Her fingers tapped against the empty dresser as she waited nervously for a response. What could be taking so long? It had never taken this long before. He was usually quick witted, eager to comply with her requests.

Let me clear my schedule and I'll be there.

Her body shivered with the excitement of showing him the place that he had helped build. Should she cook for him? Who was she kidding- she hadn't cooked for anyone in years and she certainly wasn't any good at in then! They'd get take out and watch a classic on her new couch. It would be perfect.

You can stay with me instead of at the diner. I'll be happy to have the company. Gotta get used to two I guess!

"What are you just leaving the door unlocked for strangers to waltz right in? What if I was a murderer? Or a kidnapper?" Lorelai appeared with gusto, bags in hand, looking flawless in a wrap dress and loose curls.

Rory raised an eyebrow, "You'd be the loudest kidnapper or murderer ever!" She grabbed the bags, "What did you bring me?"

Lorelai smirked, "Healthy things like calcium and protein and maybe some chocolate! Oh, and this throw pillow. You HAVE GOT TO SEE this throw pillow!" She pulled a large mesh of white from the bag revealing a picture of her face glued permanently to the front.

"What is this?" Rory gripped it with the force of life, confused why anyone would create such a monstrosity.

"It's cute, right?" She set it on the couch, fluffing and shaping it, "That way even when I'm not here I'm still kind of here! I don't want you or Baby LG to forget who I am!"

"How could we when I have this weird feeling you're going to be over every day?" Rory smiled, hoping that the statement was true.

"Listen I can move some things around on my schedule Thursday if you need me to be there! I hired that new girl and she seems really promising!" Lorelai picked at a few of the items that had been lazily placed on the shelves, turning chaos into control.

"It's okay actually! I found someone to come with!"

"I've been replaced?" Lorelai spun, hand on heart, pained at the idea of somebody else taking her spot, "With who?"

"Meddler!" Rory's eyes narrowed, "But if you must know it's Jess! He's coming back into town Wednesday night…."

"Because he was planning to or because you asked?" Lorelai plopped to the couch, nervous about this relationship that was forming between her daughter and the boy she had tried so hard to phase out.

"It just worked out that way!" She lied, flicking at the empty photo frames on the wall that would be filled with month by month shots of the future Gilmore.

"Are you two like… an item?"

"NO!" Rory exclaimed, offended that her mom would even think that, "I'm not trying to be an item with anybody right now! I don't need any more changes then are already happening!" She started to get emotional at the uncertainty caving into her world.

"You two have just been spending a lot of time together!" Lorelai ignored the tears welling in her daughter's eyes, well aware that they caused were by an overload of certain things that weren't just general emotion.

"We're friends! We've been friends!" Her defensiveness stems from a place of constantly fighting against everyone on the relationship they shared in their youth. Some things people just never grew out of.

"It looks great in here! Very modern but classy- kind of like a mix between your Grandma's house and a very sterile hospital…" Lorelai quickly changed the subject, "Hey are you going to find out the gender?"

"The gender?" Rory hadn't thought about it. Would it matter?

"Yeah like Boy? Girl? Alien?" She reached her hand to her daughter.

"I can't have a boy!" She exclaimed remembering when Lane had been in the same boat, "Oh my god but I can't have a girl!" She felt queasy.

"Alien it is!" Lorelai chuckled nervously, "You'll do great with either. I promise! Look at how far you've come! Your own pad, a dresser, KITCHEN PLATES!" She watched her daughters already pale skin turn a new shade of white, "Don't worry babe. You got this! And if you're nervous-,"

"I swear to god if you say call the father I will literally throw up right here. I might do it anyways!" Rory had hit a new level of loud, her voice in a high-pitched squeal that was only audible to dogs.

"Growing a human makes you moody!"

"You make me moody!"

"Are you fourteen?" Lorelai scrunched her nose, "Come on, let's go make Luke upset by drinking caffeinated coffee and eating sunny side up eggs!"

"You really know how to make a hard to resist deal Gilmore!" Rory grabbed her bag.

"It's a blessing and a curse!" Lorelai nudged her out, shutting the door on the future for just a moment.


quick note: thanks to everyone reading! just curious- who here is team Jess and who is team Logan? as i write more and more to this story i'm having a fun time with the Jess and Rory pairing! :)