Chapter 19
April 20th 2001-
Two months after finding out she is pregnant, Lorelai Victoria Danes is getting ready for an upcoming appointment to the doctor, to find out the sex of the baby. She decided to set the appointment on the twenty-sixth, the same day as her thirty-third birthday.
As she walks through the town square to Luke's, she hears the town troubadour playing her favorite song, "Lilly- A- Passion." Lorelai smiles and hums quitely along with the music as she opens the door to the diner.
Luke hears the bell on the door ring and he smiles and looks up, to see his beautiful glowing wife walking towards him. She is already starting to show, so she has been shopping in the maternity section lately. She dislikes having to dress differently, but to him she's still sexy as hell.
Lorelai leans over the counter and kisses his lips fiercely, catching him off guard. She pulls away with a huge smile, "Hi husband of mine. I missed you." Luke grins, "I've missed you too Mrs. Backwards Baseball Cap." He sets a cup in front of her and pours coffee into it, "There you go. I am not going to complain about your coffee drinking habits today. If I do, the baby will kick me in my sleep." Lorelai pats her bulging stomach, "Our baby would never do that. Daddy is jealous because you're on my side."
Luke chuckles, "Hey. Don't you have to be at the inn? I can drive you over." Lorelai nods and grabs her purse, "Sure hon. Let's go" Luke takes her hand and turns around and yells to Caesar, "I'll be back Caesar. Taking Lorelai to work!" Caesar yells back, "Okay boss! I'll see you later! Bye Lorelai!" Lorelai opens the front door and yells back to him, "Bye Caesar!"
As soon as they get to the truck, Luke opens her door for her and helps her in. As soon as he shuts the door to her side, he walks over and gets on the drivers side and starts the truck.
When Luke pulls up the inn, Lorelai turns to him, takes his hand in hers and plays with his wedding ring, "Luke, be honest. Do you want a boy or another girl?" Luke looks at her and smiles, "I don't care. Another girl probably would be easier." Lorelai groans, "Lucas, don't you want a boy? You can play baseball and watch sports center. I really want to buy little flannels and a baseball cap." Luke smiles again at her determination, "I said I don't care, honey." Lorelai rubs her forehead and sighs, "You just wait, I bet we'll have a son come next Thursday."
She gives him a quick kiss and heads into the inn. Luke smiles as he watches her walk up the stairs, her perfect hips swaying back and forth and her beautiful long brown curls blowing in the wind. He takes a deep breath as the scent of her still lingers around him. He breathes in her scent and suddenly feels weak at the knees. Once she's in the inn, Luke drives back to the diner with thoughts of her taking over his mind.
April 26th- Lorelais 33rd birthday-
Lorelai wakes up to find Luke's naked body spooning hers, and his hands wrapped around her growing stomach. She turns over and looks at his sleeping face. At thirty-four, Luke still looked so young. She runs her fingers through his hair, the absence of grey striking her thoughts. He smiles at her fingers in his hair, and she smiles back, pulling herself closer to his scruffy face. And she seductively whispers, "I thought you promised to grow old with me." His eyes follow her lips, confusion coming to his face, and she continued, her lips now by his earlobe, "You have to start looking older, or people are going to think I robbed the cradle." His laugh and touch on her bare skin made her add, "A cradle with backwards baseball caps, but a cradle nonetheless." Luke smiles, "You have a way with words."
The feeling of her soft fingers in his hair, the tickle of her breath on his earlobe, the softness of her pale bare skin against his own - all was enough to send him over the edge of falling even more in love with his beautiful wife. He gently removed her hands from his hair, bringing one hand to his lips. Touching his lips to her soft skin, he breathed, "I wake up each morning unable to believe that I am married to a queen." Her giddy smile appeared when he brought her other hand to his lips, and he could feel goosebumps going up her arm as he said, "A queen who married a pauper."
She opened her mouth to argue, but he put his finger to her lips, and leaned up to her head, and said, "I love my queen." Planting a kiss on her forehead, he lowered his voice and said, "she changed my life." Then he kissed the tip of her nose, and said, "and she brings joy to me every morning as I get to feel her with me in my bed." Then he moved to her lips, deepening the kiss until Lorelai's lips begged for more. Then he pulled away and breathlessly said, "but the best things she gives me?" And he slipped down, so his lips were above her growing stomach, and he breathed onto her stomach, "My queen will give me my little prince or princess." And with that, he planted kisses on her stomach, smiling from her giggles and laughter as they were enveloped in sheets, each other, love, and ultimate bliss, wishing to never be separated from each other's embrace.
3 pm- Hartford Memorial- The Ultra Sound-
Luke and Lorelai are sitting in their room and Luke is pacing back and forth. Lorelai groans, "Honey please calm down. You are making me want to pace around the room now." Luke shakes his head, "I don't know if can stop." He walks past Lorelai again and she puts an arm out to stop him, "Lucas… stop right now." He stops in his tracks as she pats the seat next to her, "Sorry." She rubs his arm, "It's okay baby."
The doctor walks in, "Mrs. Danes! I haven't seen you since 1989! You are glowing! Mr. Danes! Welcome back. I see you are already three months along?" Lorelai nods, "Yes. I am three months into the pregnancy." The doctor smiles, and motions to the bed, "Please lay down and let's get a look at the future little Danes." Lorelai lays down and reaches out for Luke's hand. He takes her hand gently as the doctor smiles, "So Luke, what do you want? A boy or girl?" Luke watches the doctor rub the gel over Lorelais stomach, and he sighs with a smile, "Well… It'd be easier with a girl because we've raised two girls. So I'm leaning towards a girl." The doctor nods and rubs the wand over her stomach, and points at the baby on the screen, "Well… I think you may want to change your mind Luke." Luke looks at the doctor and says with a shocked look on his face, "What are you talking about?" The doctor smiles, "You're having a boy!" Luke's eyes grow wide and after a few quiet moments, Luke starts sobbing and jumping around with glee, "Lorelai! We are having a boy!" Lorelai chuckles and is sobbing, "Time to go buy some tiny flannels and a baseball crown for our little prince."
On the way home, Luke and Lorelai are talking about what April and Rory will think of having a baby brother.
Lorelai scoots closer to Luke, making their shoulders touch. She feels an electric shock run through her body and she smiles, "I don't know if they'll be happy or disappointed. They wanted another sister." Luke pats her leg as he keeps his eyes on the road, "I think they'll be okay with it." He pulls up to the Crap Shack and Lorelai gasps when she sees blue balloons and happy birthday banners around the house, "What is going on here? Is this a surprise party for me?!" Luke chuckles and turns to face her, "Happy birthday, angel face." Lorelai leans in and gives him a sweet kiss. Luke kisses her back and runs his hands through her hair, "I also decided to throw a baby shower for Junior too." Lorelai smiles her signature dazzling smile at him, "You are a mighty fine man Luke Danes."
Once in they are in the house, everybody cheers and hugs Lorelai and Luke. Lorelai sees both of her daughters and waves at them. April grabs Rorys arm and runs to their mother and envelope their mother in a tight but gentle hug. April grins and touches her mothers growing stomach, "Hi baby brother. I'm April. I can't wait for you to be here." At eleven years old, April was wise beyond her years. Rory puts her hand beside Aprils, and gently gives her mothers stomach a pat, "Hi baby brother. I bet you will be just adorable." At sixteen, Rory was a spiting image of Lorelai. Lorelai sees herself in both of her children, she wasn't sure if it was a joy or a curse.
Luke comes over to Lorelai and pulls her gently over to a big gift in the middle of the living room, "I have something for you." Lorelai unwraps the wrapping paper to reveal a handmade crib with her and Luke's initials engraved into it. Lorelais eyes go wide and she starts to cry, "Luke. Oh my god. It's beautiful." He smiles, " I thought you'd love this. I spent days on this." Lorelai leans her head on his chest, and he leans down and pecks her lips. Lorelai quietly thinks to herself, 'I'm definitely happy. I am absolutely right where I need to be.'
8 Months Later- November-
Luke, Lorelai, Rory and April go shopping together at Babies 'R' Us.
Before getting out of the jeep, Lorelai calls Richard, "Hi daddy. I have amazing news." She takes a deep breath, "You're going to have a grandson!"
In Babies 'R' Us-
While Luke picks out the car seat, Rory and April run over to the tiny little work boots that look just like their fathers. Lorelai comes across a tiny blue blanket and she starts sniffing when the tears fill her eyes. Luke looks up from a seat that he picked out, and runs over to Lorelai, "Sweetheart what's wrong?!" Lorelai cringes as she remembers April not coming back with Luke after her birth, "I'm scared." Luke raps his arms around her waist, "Why?" Lorelai leans her head against the soft flannel and cries harder, "Luke, I still have nightmares of April being taken away from me. My perfect baby girl. We missed seven years of her life." Luke kisses her forehead and rubs her back, "Look at me." Lorelai looks up at him, "What?" Luke puts a gentle hand under her chin and looks deep into her eyes, "I promise you. That's not gonna happen. Do you hear me? I am not going to be that stupid again." Lorelai nods as her whole body shakes and the sobs get louder. Luke picks her up into his arms and kisses every part of her perfect face as he tries to calm her. Lorelai whimpers, "Promise me something." Luke nods while looking concerned, "Anything for you." Lorelai tugs at the collar of his flannel, "Please don't let the doctors take the baby away from me. From us." Luke nods his head, "I'll do everything in my power to make sure that won't happen to us again."
November 25th- 3 weeks before her due date-
Lorelai is fast asleep until she feels Junior kick at her bladder, forcing her to get up for the twentieth time in a hour. Lorelai gets up quietly without waking Luke and heads to the bathroom. After peeing, Lorelai heads downstairs and sits on the couch and rubs her eyes. April hears her mother plop on the couch, and she decides to go sit with her.
Lorelai has her head down and when she feels someone else sit next her, she raises up her head and sees April smiling at her, "Hey Apricot. What are you doing up?" April smiles bigger at her mother, "I heard you come into the living room. I figured I better come keep you company." Lorelai sits back and allows April to lean against her, "You are so sweet. You know that?" April giggles, "Oh I know. So what's got you down here?" Lorelai smiles and kisses Aprils forehead, "You're little brother couldn't stop kicking me and I've peed twenty times in the last hour. No fun for sure."
April puts a hand over Lorelais huge stomach and looks up at her mother, "Hey mom. What was I like when you were pregnant with me?" Lorelai smiles and starts remembering the joy of being pregnant with her second daughter, "When I was pregnant with you, I used to read "Love you forever" to you while you were in my stomach. That made you kick happily at mommy while daddy was a nervous wreck, because he thought you'd injure me." April giggles, "I bet that was a sight." Lorelai laughs, "You bet it was…," She pauses to remember the words that were engrained in her mind forever, the last words that she had ever uttered to her newborn daughter before she was taken away from her, "… I used to love to say these words to you before I went to sleep, "I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
as long as I'm living
my baby you'll be."
April smiles and yawns, "Were they in the book?" Lorelai nods, "Yeah sweetie. They were." Suddenly, she hears April start to snore. Lorelai takes April, carries her to her bed and smiles as she walks out of the room and whispers, "I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
as long as I'm living
my baby you'll be."
After leaving Aprils room, Lorelai heads back upstairs, lays next to Luke and raps her arms around him as she falls back to sleep, not knowing the hell she was going to go through, was about to happen.
XXXXXXXXX Lorelais POV
She had never felt an ache so deep. Such an incision that seemed to reach her very soul. Her very being seemed stripped of herself – like the little bundle that had been ripped out of her arms had taken her heart with it.
She looked down at her arms. Empty. Bare. And utterly alone.
Where her little baby had laid, Lorelai just saw – nothing. She could feel the softness of the blanket against her skin, but her eyes found no such thing. Her lips still felt the soft skin of her baby from the first time she kissed her little girl. And now, her empty arms seemed to make her lips sting with the feeling that she would never get to hold her baby girl.
Suddenly she felt a strong, horrible grip across her abdomen. Hands. Searing hands. They were trying to take her baby away from her. Nails sent pain all around her back and abdomen. Clawing her baby out of her own stomach. Her back arched in pain. But nothing like the pan she thought of as her eyes again found her empty arms. They were going to take away her little baby boy. The sound of screaming in the background sent shivers up her spin, accompanying the grotesque pain. She reached down to ward off the hands and knives that were against her stomach – knowing she had to do everything in her power to keep them away from her baby.
And it was only when she brought her hands up, when she could see the blood all over her pale skin, it was only then that she realized the screams were coming from her mouth. The warm blood on her fingers, sticky and marring, terrified her. And she screamed. Screamed for them to leave her alone. Screamed for them to leave her baby. Screamed from the pain that encircled her stomach and wrapped around her very soul.
"Lorelai."
Someone was calling her name. Calling her from somewhere outside of this treachery.
"Lorelai. Wake up."
Her entire body shuddered awake. But nothing changed. Blood everywhere. Searing pain in her stomach. Terror in her heart.
XXXXXXXXX Luke's POV
She thrashed around, screaming. He didn't know if it was from pain. Or terror. Or both. But he tried to push her awake, trying to shake her awake. And when her eyes opened, he let out a sign of relief.
Until the screaming didn't stop. And he turned on the light beside the bed to find something that sent his heart into overdrive.
There was blood all over the sheets. All over her bare legs. All over his flannel shirt she wore as a nightgown. All over her hands.
And she was still screaming. Pain. "Help me!" She screamed, her bloody hands wrapping around his arm.
The door to the bedroom burst open. Rory and April stood there. He knew he couldn't let them see their mother in such a state. He was having a hard enough time. So he sent them away.
"Rory, go start the car. April. Run over to Sookie's and tell her that we're taking your mother to the hospital." Then Sookie would come over to the house, and be there for the girls, so he could leave right away.
Both girls opened their mouths to argue – but Luke just shut them up with a stern voice. "Now."
They scurried away, and Luke turned to his suffering wife. And the blood. So much blood.
He knew they had to get to the doctor as soon as possible. He lifted her little body into his arms, holding her close and secure. His last glance into the room was of the bloodstained sheets, and he knew that blood would seep through into the mattress. There was so much of it.
Lorelai was shaking in pain. Her whole body seizing up with each scream. Her hands gripped her stomach as tears ran down her face. Luke ran down the stairs with her. When she laid her head on his bare neck, he couldn't believe how hot she was to the touch – her whole body was on fire. And bleeding. And in pain.
He set her in the passenger seat, told the girls to wait for Sookie to come, and then he got into the truck, driving away as fast as he could – hoping and praying that she would still be alive when he got her there.
On the way to the hospital-
Luke struggles to hold onto the steering wheel, his arms aching to hold his wife, to make her understand. Her face, stripped of all color, is drawn into tight line filled with pain. It had been a few minutes since Lorelai had stopped screaming. Now she just had her head against the window, her hands stretched across her abdomen. Luke looked on with horror at the bloody handprints on the flannel shirt, and the blood that dripped from the seat onto the ground. Instead of her blood curdling screams, "DON'T LET THEM TAKE MY BABY!" She now just barely moves her mouth as she cries, "Help my baby. Don't take him away." Luke can barely hold back the tears as he watches his wife start to gasp for breath, her chest heaving with lack of oxygen.
Hartford Memorial-
Once the truck is parked, Luke notices that Lorelai is slumped over in her seat and isn't breathing. Luke's brain goes into overdrive as he takes Lorelai out of the truck. A doctor comes running out after seeing Luke stepping out of the truck with Lorelai in his arms, "Sir! What's going on?! Is she okay?!" Luke can barely speak, his eyes only focus on his bloody wife laying in his arms, but he is able to get a couple words out of his mouth, "The baby." The nurses motion him to come inside, he follows them inside slowly, barely moving his legs. A stretcher is wheeled out to him and he lays her down gently, afraid her porcelain body would break. The nurses wheel her down the hallway quickly and suddenly, Luke finds himself alone. He looks around at the bloody trail behind him, on his hands, his clothes. The smell is too much for him to bare. The bright white walls are blinding him, and he can't take being strong anymore, so he finally falls to his knees and sobs.
In the delivery room-
She could hear things going on around her. Something was wrapped around her face. Suddenly she could breathe a bit better. Taking the tension out of her chest. She opened her eyes, blurry people surrounding her. She just wanted Luke. She couldn't see him. Her heart pounded as she tried to move. But her body wouldn't obey her.
Another pain stabbed through her body from her stomach.
And she heard doctors talking all around her.
"39 weeks pregnant, running a fever, hemorrhaging."
"Blood transfusing as fast as possible." Pause. Then. "She seems to be coming to."
"Must be a uterine tear."
She felt completely exposed as her flannel shirt was cut off, leaving her open. Cold gel hit her stomach, and she felt something on her skin until she heard another doctor shout, "There's no fetal heartbeat." Suddenly the ultrasound was removed from her stomach. "Let's get her to the OR."
She was coming to, and she could feel her body tense at another contraction. Her head went up as the bed ran down the hallway, nurses injecting things into her IV, gloves being pulled onto hands, through huge doors.
She said her first words. "Is my baby okay?" Her heart was pounding, her stomach contracting, she struggled for breath. But she asked again, "Please, what's wrong with my baby?"
So many people. Running here and there. Tarps coming up over her, so she couldn't see her stomach. All of the bodies hurrying here and there – around her. Trying to make sure she was going to be okay. But she started to panic. She needed someone to tell her what was going on. She needed someone to speak to her. She needed someone.
"Emergency C section." The nurse standing above her said, while adjusting some machine behind her. "Your baby is having trouble breathing. They need to get the baby out as soon as possible."
Her baby was in danger. And all she could think was, "Please. My husband. Luke?"
Suddenly her hand was overtaken in a grip that was so recognizable to Lorelai's skin. She looked up into the eyes of someone that she trusted more than anyone else. His eyes were full of fear. He was not pretending that everything was ok. That everything was going to be ok. He was scared, his grip on her hand showed that. And she grasped his hand back with the same terror of what was going to happen with their little baby boy. Yet, somehow, through their terrified states, his hand in hers, her hand in his – there was something they knew. They were not alone.
Luke just held her hand, the hand that only a few weeks ago had run through his hair, that only that morning he had kissed her soft hands to wake her up from her peaceful slumber. The hands that he had watched her button up her favorite flannel shirt around her naked body and climbed into bed to fall asleep next to him.
Her head leaned against his other hand, that was on the bed beside her face. Her cheek was so white, so void of color. Only her blue eyes looking up into his gave him some sort of hope that she might be okay. Worry lined her sweet face, and he allowed his hand to gently wash away the tear that slid out of her exhausted face – still warm to the touch. The doctor had said the reason they couldn't put her under anesthetic was because of her high fever – it could pose a threat to her waking up. So they had just numbed where they were going to be working, so that she wouldn't feel pain but she wouldn't be under any threat.
Her sweet voice faltered as she said, "They're not going to take my baby away, are they?" His heart broke that she was still thinking about April's birth. His conscience ached because he knew he had caused this fear. So he did his duty as a husband, and he comforted, "This baby is going nowhere. He is going to be made to wear flannel and a ball cap and he will know how to wear it the right way."
Her little sarcastic voice warmed his soul. "More specifically, the wrong way."
He nodded, and said, "Of course."
Suddenly they were both drawn out of their distraction from the situation before them.
With a cry that sounded like music to the ears of both the parents on the other side of the procedure. Lorelai's face immediately calmed, a smile coming to her very pale lips. And a small tear leaked down her face, and she whispered, "Luke." He didn't know if she was saying his name, or their little boy's name. Or both.
He felt tears leaking down his face as he began to calm down. Their baby boy had a healthy set of lungs, something that he was sure he would be able to do without during the middle of the night feedings later on – but right now, that sound touched his very soul with happiness.
He heard a doctor call out to them. "Mr. and Mrs. Danes, you have a very healthy baby boy. They're going to clean him up and bring him to you right away."
Luke watched as the nurses wrapped his big boy in a blue blanket, and brought the baby over to him. They held out the bundle to him, and he looked up at the nurse with fear in his eyes. "I can't hold him. I'll break him."
The nurse didn't listen, and Luke found himself holding his baby boy for the first time. He looked at the wonderful bundle in front of him. And then he kneeled down, putting the baby right by Lorelai's head so she could take in the third great beauty that they had created together.
The only sound he heard from his wife was that of a happy sigh, and he watched as her special, sweet, and sensitive hands reached over and touched his son's soft baby face. "Luke, look at his hair!" It was dark, thick, and a little curly. "And his nose! It's yours!" Her voice began to grow in excitement. "His fingers – they're so small." He watched as her finger was enveloped in a clutching hand grip.
They stood there, drinking in the beauty that was their son.
Until Luke heard machines beeping. And he watched his wife's eyes flutter open and closed. And her hand fell from where she was holding her son's hand.
Doctors voices were tense as Luke held his little boy close while he waited. For what, he didn't know. But he waited nonetheless.
"I've got a bleeder."
"Clamp." Then a few seconds later. "Now. Clamp!"
The machines started to slow down.
"BP coming back up."
And Lorelai's eyes fluttered open, and she looked up at him, scared and fearful.
And then the words that shook the both of them to the core.
"We have another fetal heartbeat."
Luke had to remember to hold his son close because otherwise he would have passed out as his mind started to try and comprehend what the doctor had just said.
Another fetal heartbeat? But his baby was right there in his arms? His little baby boy was snuggled up against his chest? He could feel his tiny breathing.
The doctors continued to speak over his thoughts that swirled around his head.
"Page pediatrics. Now."
"A twisted cord."
"Did we know this was twins?"
Luke wanted to scream at the doctor to tell him what was going on, but he just stood there, unable to voice anything at the moment.
"No. Must be because of the twisted cord that only one was detected."
Now the first sound from Lorelai. And Luke found her eyes wide and confused but not scared. "We have another baby? Two?"
Luke nodded. He was afraid. He had watched his wife pass out only seconds before. And her face, so pale. Even her lips held no color. He watched as her lips moved again as she asked, "How do we have another baby?" And then a smile formed on her lips.
The doctors voice kept him from having to answer her.
"Mr. and Mrs. Danes, you have a baby girl."
And Luke smiled down at Lorelai and said, "We have another little girl. A little baby girl!"
Lorelai's smile reached her eyes, sending goosebumps down Luke's back as he watched how absolutely enthralled Lorelai was with the idea of another baby. Looking down at his little boy in his arms, he whispered, "Little buddy, you are going to be a big brother." A quiet laugh from his wife made him add, "But you knew that already, didn't you?"
A small sound escaped his son's lips – a little grunt, moan – a baby noise. And he thought he had never heard something so sweet and innocent in his life.
Until it hit him.
And Lorelai must have realized the same thing. For her voice started increasing in intensity when she asked, "Why isn't she crying? I can't hear her?"
There's something wrong with the baby girl. Luke thought.
And then he saw someone holding what he assumed to be his little girl, he couldn't see any sign of a baby, set the bundle down on the table directly across from where Lorelai was laying. And Lorelai saw the same thing. And then he heard a new voice. One of the doctors over by the table with their baby girl.
"Heartrate of 60."
"Any lung sounds with bagging her?"
"No."
"Let's intubate." Then the same voice said, "Push 50 of epi. Current BP?"
"48 over 24."
Lorelai gasped. And whispered, "Normal BP is 120/80." Luke didn't know how she knew that but just the thought of how bad their little baby was – that low.
Machines started beeping, but from over where they were working on his baby girl.
"V-fib."
"Paddles please."
Lorelai was now freaking out. Her heartrate was high, and her doctor was now standing above her trying to tell her what was going on – trying to calm her down. Holding the baby with one hand, Luke grabbed his wife's hand with his other.
"Mrs. Danes, we are under the assumption that there was a complication in the formation of the umbilical cord for the second twin."
Luke could hear the doctor by his baby say, "Clear." And a shock.
"So your baby girl did not get all the nutrients and develop to the degree that her brother did."
"Charge paddles to 50." Alarms still screaming from his baby girl.
Lorelai frantically asked, "What is happening with my little girl? Why isn't she crying? Why can't I see her? What is wrong?" Her voice, full of terror, carried on with emotion that Luke was feeling.
"Clear." Shock. Alarms still screaming.
Lorelai's doctor said, "Because of how small she is, her lungs aren't developed."
Now it was Luke's turn to ask, "But she's going to be okay? Our baby?"
Lorelai looked over at where they were working on her baby and asked, "You mean that there's a chance that she could…"
Luke's heart begged her not to say the next word. He didn't think he could handle it.
"We have a heartbeat." Wonderful words.
Lorelai's voice, weak with worry and exhaustion, whispered, "Mel."
The doctor looked confused, "What is she saying"
Luke kisses his son's soft forehead while keeping his eyes locked with Lorelai's, "Melody." Lorelai nodded. Luke continued, "Before we knew that little Luke here was coming, we had talked about the baby name if it was a girl. And her favorite name for another daughter was Melody Victoria Rose, and call her Mel for short."
And then he heard, "We need to get her to the NICU."
And he watched Lorelai's eyes get wide. And her doctor started to try and calm her down. "Mrs. Danes, they're going to take the baby girl to the NICU, so they can take care of her."
And the hand in his began to tighten, terror overtaking his wife. And she started to whisper, "No, Luke, they're going to take my baby away."
Hating that he had to, but he set his little baby boy into the little bassinet that they had set by him. And he bent down so he was close to her face, and he touched her face and said, "Lorelai, they're just taking her to where they can help her…"
Lorelai started to shake her head, and said, "No, Luke. You promised. You promised me that you wouldn't let them take my baby." He opened his mouth to argue but her voice got louder. More desperate. As the group of doctors over by their baby started to wheel the baby out of the room, rushing around. "DON'T LET THEM TAKE MY BABY!" She screamed.
Lorelai's doctor tried to comfort her, "They're just taking her down the hall to where they can help her better."
As they wheeled her baby out of the room, Lorelai couldn't control herself. Tears. And anger. And her fists beat against Luke's hand. And said, "You bastard. You lied. You told me you wouldn't let them take her away. You did it again. You lied. You gave her away."
Luke's heart broke even more than he thought possible. And he knew there were no words that would convince her that her baby was safe. There was no way to ease her mind. There was no possibility that Lorelai would ever think that they were doing the right thing.
So he did the only other thing he could think of.
He just held her hands. And she screamed at him. But he held her hands. And then the anger and screaming turned to gut-wrenching sobs. And her muttering, "I can't live without my baby. I can't let someone else take her away, and hurt her…"
And then he laid his head on the bed by hers, and brushed the tears away from her face, and just laid there with his wife, holding her as much as possible with the doctors still stitching her up on the other side of the curtain. But he just held her.
A while later-
Lorelai is laying in her bed and staring at the wall. She is still so very angry at Luke, and he knows it. He knows how devastated she is. He doesn't have to look at her or listen to the angry sobs that escape her lips, he just knows her. After being together for thirty years, Luke knows how she deals with things. He knows that she'll give him the silent treatment like a five year old.
After waiting a while for her to finally speak, Luke decides that it's best for him to just go home. A nurse comes in and whispers to him that Junior is safe to go home with him. Lorelai looks over at Luke with tears in her eyes, but quickly turns back around, afraid that she'll make him think that she's already forgiven him.
Luke looks back at her fragile body before picking up their son, then says in a clipped tone, "Rory called. I'm thinking I should go home and be with the girls. And the nurse that was just in here, told me that I can take Junior home now." Lorelai snorts and crosses her arms, "Yeah right. You just don't want to be around me." Luke raises his voice slightly, "Lorelai. Do not start with me." Lorelai feels the anger rise up in her throat, "FINE! Go home. See if I care!" Luke says, "I didn't need your permission to go home, Lorelai. I just wanted you to know that I think Junior should come home with me." Hot words flashed across her mouth and she snapped, "Go ahead. Take the baby with you. It's not like this is the first time." Luke's face is full of anger and hurt, "I can't believe you Lorelai. You're the one who agreed to sign the damn papers! How was I to know that you wouldn't sign them?!" Lorelai feels hot tears streaming down her cheeks, "I wanted to help you, because I love you! That's why I had agreed! But after realizing how dumb it was, I changed my mind! I didn't want anyone else raising our daughter!" She hits her tiny fragile hands multiple times on the bed, "JUST GO HOME!"
Luke finally finds the will power to move, and walks out to door with Junior and no words said to Lorelai, except when her quivering voice managed to yell, "GO TO HELL!" He spat back, not realizing the lasting effect it would leave on the both of them, "RIGHT BACK AT YOU!" He then walked out the door, never looking back.
After Luke is gone, Lorelai sneaks out of her bed and heads over to see Mel. When she enters the NICU, she goes over to the desk and whispers, "Melody Victoria Rose Gilmore Danes? I'm her mother Lorelai Danes." The receptionist smiles, "Come on in. She's over in incubator five." Lorelai nods in thanks, and heads over to Mel's incubator. Lorelais eyes fill with tears as she sees her tiny one pound baby girl, helplessly laying in the incubator. She wants to hold her so desperately, but knows that Mel is too fragile and could die. Melody's eyes are wide open and they are looking straight into Lorelais eyes. Lorelai notices that her irises are a beautiful baby blue, reminding her so much of Luke's eyes. She instantly regrets her anger towards her husband, and starts sobbing quietly.
"Lor.", a voice says loudly, knocking her back into reality. She suddenly starts shaking as she turns around, and a scream escapes her lips when she sees Christopher behind her, "GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!"
Christopher takes a hold of Lorelais arm and yanks the IV out, causing her to yelp in pain and turn even paler. Christoper puts a gun to her head, covers her mouth and says with anger, "Shut the fuck up." Lorelai cringes as she feels the cold steel against her head and bites her lip, and she turns back to look at her baby girl and starts to cry for her. Christopher slaps her face with his rough hand causing her face to bruise easily. He looks enraged, "Shut up! That baby is better off without you. All four of your children are. So is that dumb ass, you call your husband." Lorelais eyes are burning making it hard for her to see, but she mangages to punch him with the little strength she had left in her, "DO NOT TALK ABOUT MY HUSBAND LIKE THAT!" He falls backward just a tad and puts a hand over his bloody and broken nose and curses under his breath and takes her hand and bends it until a sharp numbing pain takes over. Lorelai screams when she looks down at her broken hand, "Please stop! Please let me go back to my baby!" Christopher slaps her again and this time she hits icy cold floor hard. He kicks her in the ribs and she starts screaming again. Her breath becomes ragged and she raps her arms around her body to try and shield herself. Christopher picks her up by the tee shirt that she put on hours earlier, and puts the cold gun up to her head then points it at the incubator where Mel is, "You better come with me, or she never gets to go home to her daddy." He smirks at her as he touches the incubator, "I should have been the father of your children. But you wanted diner guys children instead. Big mistake Lor." He then takes her out the back door of the hospital and runs to the car. Christopher then opens the car door and pushes her in,"Shut the hell up and get in!" He slams the door hard and gets in the car. When he turns around to look at her, she is passed out from the severe blood loss from the night before. Christopher looks around to make sure it's safe to escape, then drives off.
Hours later-
Luke had went home after his fight with Lorelai, and he felt ashamed with himself. He hurt her badly, and told her to go to hell. The love of his life. He failed her. He had never felt so angry, especially at her. She always brought so much joy to his life.
After saying goodbye to his daughters and Sookie, who came to take care of Junior while he was gone, Luke drives over to the hospital to apologize to his wife, and to feed her because, he knew that she'd be complaining of being very hungry and coffee deprived. Luke chuckles to himself, as he remembers that she hated the hospital food the last time they were there for Rorys broken leg. Luke heads to her room and opens the door looking down at the food in his arms, "Sweetheart, I am so sorry for the way I treated you earlier. I shouldn't be blaming you for anything. You were just trying to help me and it's not your fault…", He pauses and starts sitting stuff down on the table without looking up, "… I thought I'd bring you some coffee and some tatertots. I'm sorry that I wouldn't give any to you yesterday morning for breakfast. I also brought pizza and Chinese food and my world famous gumbo. I also brought coffee from the diner." Once he finishes laying out Lorelais food, he turns around to hand her some coffee and notices that she's gone.
He stands frozen and whispers, "Lorelai?" He suddenly remembers that she's probably visiting Mel in the NICU. Luke walks over to the desk and says in a panicked voice, "Hello, did my wife come in earlier to see our daughter?" The receptionist nods, "Yes Mr. Danes. I think she's still here. Melody is a incubator five." Luke nods, "Thank you."
He walks over to Mel's incubator to find his tiny little girl asleep and sound, but after a look around he notices that Lorelai isn't around. But suddenly, Luke spots two shiny things on the ground. He bends down to pick them up and realizes that they are Lorelais wedding and engagement rings. He starts panicking and tries to think of why they were on the floor in the first place. Luke suddenly remembers their fight from earlier, and the pain over takes him. He falls to his knees and holds the rings close to his heart. At the corner of his eye he sees the diamonds sparkling in the light, reminding him of her. He starts sobbing and his chest heaves up and down as he can barely breathe, "She left me. I never meant everything I did. I was just so angry." The coldness of the floor makes him shudder. Luke looks over at the little baby girl and sees Lorelai in her face, "You look just like your mommy Mel. So beautiful, strong and hardheaded. You fought hard to live. I'm so proud of you." Luke starts to think of a nickname for Mel and smiles, "I think I'll call you angel. Because you remind me of your mom and your mom is an angel. The greatest gift I had ever received was her coming into my life. But now I have four beautiful children…", he pauses to choke back a tearful sob, "… But I wish I still had your mother here."
2 months later-
The doorbell rings and Luke runs to answer it because he thinks it's Lorelai. When he opens it, he finds an envelope addressed to him in Lorelais perfect cursive handwriting.
He shuts the front door and heads over to the steps and sits down. Luke opens the envelope to find a small piece of paper and shaky hand writing. It reads,
Dear Luke,
I'm sorry to spring this on you now, but after everything you put us and the kids through, I think it's time for me to leave. I'm so sorry, but you brought this upon yourself.
Give the kids love from me.
-Lorelai
Luke's eyes fill with angry tears as he slams his fists on the porch, without saying a word. He silently curses at himself for the pain he'd caused her and finally let's out a loud sob. Rory and April hear him and they both open the front door, to find their father in tears. April looks at Luke with wide eyes and whispers, "Dad are you okay?" Luke looks up, his eyes blood shot, "Yes. I'm fine. Both of you go back inside and watch your brother and sister." Rory goes to protest and Luke gets even more angry, "DO AS I SAY! THE BOTH OF YA! RORY YOU ARE ACTING JUST LIKE YOUR MOTHER!" Rory and Aprils eyes fill with tears of pain at the thought of their mother who had been gone for two and a half months, and fear at the anger in their fathers voice and face. They both run inside slamming the door, and Luke goes back to crying,
"Why would she do this to us?"
