"It's Still There – part 11"

. . . . .

Lorelai and Luke walked into the house and found Rory studying on the couch. "Hey hon." Lorelai held up a plastic container. "Sookie sent some dinner home for you."

"Oh, thanks," Rory replied, taking it from her. "Uh, listen, Grandma called while you were out."

"For what?"

"To cancel Friday night dinner this week."

Lorelai let out a surprised gasp. "Ooh, really?"

"Yeah. She was invited to a dinner party, and she went into this really long complaint about how it was so last minute and how that's incredibly rude and how she shouldn't even attend just out of spite, but how that would – "

Lorelai held up her hand. "If I wanna hear the rant, I'll call her and ask her to repeat it for me."

"Sorry. But then she invited us to Thanksgiving dinner at her house," Rory said.

"Did you tell her we have plans already?" Lorelai asked. "I mean, Luke's cooking at the diner like he usually does, plus we're stopping by Lane's and Sookie's."

"I know, I tried to tell her, but then she started talking about how they wouldn't be here for Christmas because they're going away, and how this is the last holiday we could spend together this year and how she wouldn't take no for answer."

Lorelai gasped. "Wait, so there's no Christmas party this year? No apple tarts?"

Rory shrugged. "I guess not."

Lorelai frowned. "Aw, man. That's not a good way to end the year." She took off her coat, then sat on the couch next to Rory. "So what do we do about Thanksgiving?"

"I guess you'll have to work them in," Luke said. He sat down on the armchair across from them.

"How do you suppose we do that?"

"Well, Grandma and Grandpa aren't eating until dinner time," Rory pointed out. "And the Kim's always eat early, so that'll be our lunch, and then we can stop at Sookie's and the diner in between."

"Four Thanksgiving meals?" Lorelai clenched her stomach. "The baby is getting scared. I hear it yelling for help. 'Mommy, please don't eat that much food all in one day! There won't be any room for me in here!'"

"Well, you don't have to eat at the diner," Luke said.

"But we eat at the diner every year for Thanksgiving," Lorelai said.

"It's tradition," Rory said.

"A yummy tradition," Lorelai added.

"You don't have to eat there just to fulfill tradition," Luke pointed out. "I cook the meal there every year so that people who have nowhere to go will have a place to go. And you two already have plenty of places to go."

"I guess," Lorelai muttered.

"So, here's what we'll do," Luke said. "I'll go into the diner in the morning and take care of things there. You guys go to Lane's and Sookie's, then come home for a while, and then all three of us can go to your parents' house for dinner."

"Sounds okay to me," Rory said.

"Yeah, that sounds okay," Lorelai agreed.

"Is that when you're gonna tell Grandma and Grandpa about the baby?" Rory asked them.

Lorelai shrugged. "I guess so. If we wait too long to tell them they'll throw some sort of fit about how we should've told them sooner and the baby will hear them and get scared and never wanna come out."

"So, Thanksgiving, then," Luke said.

Lorelai nodded. "Thanksgiving."

"Okay." Luke stood up and rubbed his left arm. "I gotta go do my arm exercises. I'll be upstairs."

"Okay."

As Luke walked up the steps, Rory pointed to the gift bag he had set down next to the chair. "What's that?"

Lorelai retrieved it and brought it back to the couch. "Some books Sookie picked up for us." She pulled them out of the bag, and she and Rory began looking through them.

. . . . .

That night, Lorelai lay in bed reading when Luke walked in from just having taken a shower. She looked up at him and smiled. "Hey."

"Hey." He walked across the room to his dresser.

"Look what I'm reading, " Lorelai said. He turned to look, and she held up the book for expectant fathers.

Luke narrowed his eyes. "Why are you reading mine?"

Lorelai smiled. "I read some of the mysterious chapter three."

"Oh yeah?" Luke turned back to his dresser and started rustling through a drawer.

"Yup. So tell me. . .what you and Jackson were referring to earlier, would it perhaps be the section entitled 'sex during pregnancy'?" Luke pulled a pair of boxer shorts out of his dresser, then turned around with a smirk. Lorelai smiled and wagged a finger at him. "Ha, I thought so."

"Yeah, well. . ." Luke's voice trailed off and he shrugged. He dropped the towel that was wrapped around his waist and stepped into his boxer shorts, then walked over and sat down next to her on the bed. "Yes, okay, fine. Call me a typical guy, but yes, the thought has crossed my mind."

"Typical guy." Lorelai smiled and slapped him playfully on his thigh. "What, were you worried that you'd suddenly have to be celibate for the next nine months?"

"I just. . .I wasn't sure how all that worked," he admitted "I mean, if women. . . I mean, when they're. . ." He gestured to her stomach. "You know. . ."

"Pregnant," Lorelai supplied.

"Yeah, I didn't know if they feel like. . .you know. . ." His voice trailed off as he gestured circles in the air.

Lorelai let out a laugh. "Why do you sound nervous talking about this?"

Luke sighed. "I don't know. . .because I know it probably sounds insensitive. Because I know I'm supposed to be so happy about the kid that the idea of sleeping with my wife should be the last thing on my mind."

Lorelai waved him off. "No, don't worry about it." She glanced down at the book in her lap. "Anyway, according to this, you probably won't have to wait nine months to get lucky." She put the book aside. "And according to me. . .you definitely won't have to wait that long."

"No?"

"No. I mean, yeah, there will be days where I'll feel sick and gross and even the thought of you touching me will make me wanna throw up," she warned him. "But the rest of the time. . ." She smiled and kissed him. "You'll have to beat me off with a stick. Or something that rhymes with it."

"Nice mouth."

"Thank you." Luke leaned in for another kiss, but Lorelai pushed him back. "Go away, I'm not done reading about the intricacies of pregnancy from a male perspective." She picked up the book, flipped open to a page, and leaned back against the pillow. Luke took the book and tossed it on the floor, and she gasped. "Is that any way to treat literature? Rory's gonna have you hunted down and killed." She paused to glance down at his hand, which was running up and down her thigh. "And then I'd have no one to do that."

He kissed her. "Well, then I suggest we don't tell her."

She smiled as he began kissing down to her neck. "Good plan."

. . . . .

On Friday night, Luke, Lorelai, and Rory sat in the back row of the crowded town meeting. After a particularly boring discussion about weatherproofing the gazebo, Lorelai leaned toward Rory and whispered, "Okay, this is our first grandparents-free Friday night in a long time, is it not?"

"Yes, it is."

"So remind me again why we're spending it at a town meeting."

"Because they're interesting. They keep us up to date on town issues and let us interact with our fellow townspeople," Rory replied. "Plus, we didn't have anything better to do."

"But it's Friday night," Lorelai reminded her. "A town meeting is okay to go to on a weeknight, but going to one on a Friday night is just sad. And the fact that it's a packed house makes the whole town kinda sad." Rory nodded her head in agreement, and they both turned to face Taylor at the podium.

"Okay, then, let's move on to the next order of business," Taylor announced. He held up a piece of paper. "This is the sign-up sheet for the annual reenactment ceremony. It has been posted in the market for the past week, however, we are still in need of some re-enactors, so I'm going to circulate it right now. I hope that any of you who do not have plans for this coming Monday night will choose to participate in this special ceremony." He passed the paper to Miss Patty, who passed it on to the first row of people.

Lorelai gasped and whispered, "The reenactment ceremony!" She turned to Luke and patted him excitedly on the arm. "You hate that. Come on, why aren't you throwing a fit? We need some entertainment at this meeting."

"I got it all out of my system the other day when I saw the sign-up sheet in Doose's," Luke reminded her.

Lorelai frowned. "Oh, yeah. But can't you just get up and yell 'This is so damn stupid!' or start a fist fight or something?"

"Forget it."

"But – "

"Shh." Luke patted her thigh. "Be good and I'll get you some hot chocolate on the way home." Lorelai sighed and slumped back against her chair.

. . . . .

Fifteen minutes later, the meeting ended and the three of them stood up. "Hot chocolate time," Lorelai announced.

"Just wait a minute, I wanna go talk to Andrew and see how Jess is doing at work," Luke said. "I'll be right back."

Luke walked across the room over to Andrew, and Lorelai and Rory sat back down in their chairs. Most of the townspeople filed out past them, and after a few minutes, Miss Patty and Babette walked by, whispering quietly to each other.

"Hey guys," Lorelai said. They abruptly stopped whispering and looked guiltily at one another, and Lorelai narrowed her eyes. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Babette replied quickly.

"Nothing at all," Patty added. "How are you two?"

Rory shook a finger at them. "You two are gossiping again, aren't you?"

They both shook their heads, and Lorelai gasped. "You are! Come on, spill it. We're in the mood for gossip. Please?"

Rory pouted. "Pretty please?"

Babette waved them off. "You probably already know about it since you and Sookie are so close."

Lorelai stood up and narrowed her eyes. "It's about Sookie?"

"What about her?" Rory asked, standing up.

Miss Patty smiled and leaned toward them. "You know, about her being pregnant."

Lorelai gasped. "What?"

"You didn't know?" Babette asked.

"Uh, no, we didn't know," Lorelai said. "How do you know? Did she tell you?"

"No, but someone saw her and Jackson buying a couple books about pregnancy the other day," Babette said. She rubbed her hands together excitedly. "Looks like someone's got a bun in the oven."

Lorelai's eyes widened and she stammered, "Oh. . .uh. . .well.. .that's. . .it doesn't. . .I mean, just because they. . ."

"That doesn't mean anything," Rory said for her.

Lorelai cleared her throat, then nodded in agreement. "Right, it means nothing. It's just some books."

"Well, why else would she buy them?" Babette asked. "It makes sense."

"What makes sense?" Luke asked as he walked up to them. He put his arm around Lorelai. "What are you talking about?"

"Sookie's pregnant," Babette told him.

Luke's eyes widened. "She is?"

"She's not pregnant!" Lorelai declared loudly. "Everyone needs to stop assuming things."

"Well, we only go by what we hear," Miss Patty said.

"Wait, what's going on?" Luke asked.

"Uh, they heard that Sookie was buying some pregnancy-related books," Rory told Luke. "So that's why they think she's pregnant."

"Pregnancy-related books? Like. . ." Luke glanced at Lorelai and she gave him a look. "Oh."

Lorelai nodded. "Yeah. So I'm trying to explain to them that that doesn't mean anything."

Luke swallowed and gestured aimlessly toward Babette and Patty. "Yeah, that's right. Books. . .uh. . .they don't mean anything. I mean, it could just be . . well, maybe it's something they're. . .uh, you know, just thinking about."

"Right, maybe they're just thinking about it," Rory agreed. "It doesn't mean she's pregnant now. She would've told us if she was."

"Yeah, she would've told us," Lorelai repeated. "And, um, anyway, maybe they weren't even for her." Luke glanced at her curiously, and she nodded slightly as she laced her fingers through his. "Maybe they were a gift for someone else."

"A gift, huh?" Babette considered the idea.

"Well, I guess that's possible," Miss Patty mused.

"Yeah, maybe she picked them up with the intention of giving them to someone she knows is expecting," Lorelai continued.

"Uh, like a friend," Rory said, catching on to the idea that Lorelai was ready to divulge the truth. "Or a co-worker."

"Or. . . someone who's both," Lorelai finished with a casual shrug. "Mm, who could that be? Someone who's Sookie's friend, who also works with her? Let's think about this one."

Miss Patty and Babette stared at her for a moment, then turned to each other with their mouths agape. They turned back to Lorelai with wide eyes. "You, honey?" Patty asked.

Lorelai smiled and nodded, and they both gasped. "No! You're kidding!" Patty exclaimed.

"Here we are gossiping about someone being knocked-up when it was you the whole time?" Babette asked.

"You two are losing your knack," Luke commented.

"Oh my goodness, congratulations," Patty gushed, pulling both Luke and Lorelai into a tight hug. "This is so incredible."

Luke tried to pull back, but Patty didn't loosen her grip. "Uh, Patty, can you just. . .with the squeezing. . ." He cleared his throat.

"Yeah, let go and let me have at 'em," Babette said, urging Patty out of the way. Patty stepped back, and Babette took her place, hugging them both tightly.

"Oh, geez," Luke muttered.

"I warned you there would be hugging," Rory reminded him.

"Oh, goodness, do you have any idea how gorgeous it's gonna be?" Babette asked. "You could sell it on the black market and make a fortune."

Lorelai and Luke both pulled back from the hug and shared an amused look. "Uh, maybe, but I think we're gonna keep it," Lorelai said. "You know, do that whole 'raising a kid' thing that people sometimes do."

"Aw, our gruff diner man's gonna be a daddy." Patty cocked her head to the side and pinched Luke's cheek. "That is so adorable!"

He rolled his eyes and swatted her hand away. "Okay, enough." He took a step back and shoved his hands into his pockets.

Babette rubbed her hands together excitedly. "Oh, this is so exciting! How long have you known?"

"When are you due?" Patty asked.

"And what's the big sister have to say about all this?" Babette asked, nudging Rory's arm.

Lorelai held up her hands. "Whoa, let's take one question at a time, shall we? Uh, we just found out on Saturday, I'm due July 24th. . ." She gestured for Rory to finish up.

"And the big sister is thrilled to death," Rory finished, smiling proudly.

"And Luke's ready to go, so. . ." Luke gestured toward the door.

"Oh, yeah, we're gonna go get hot chocolate and head home," Lorelai said.

"Okay, sweetie," Patty said. She pulled Lorelai into another hug. "We're so happy for you."

Babette joined in on the hug. "Yeah, doll, this is big news. And you let us know if you need anything."

Lorelai pulled back and smiled. "I will, thanks. And I'm guessing your phones are gonna be working overtime tonight, huh?"

Patty and Babette glanced at each other and shrugged. "Whatever do you mean?" Patty asked.

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Just make sure you get it right – it's me, not Sookie."

"Oh, we got it straight now," Babette assured her.

Luke, Lorelai, and Rory walked out onto the sidewalk, and Babette and Patty went to spread the news to the few townspeople lingering near the podium.

. . . . .

The next morning, Lorelai was walking toward the diner, stopping occasionally to accept congratulatory hugs from townspeople, when Lane ran up behind her. "Lorelai!"

Lorelai stopped and turned around. "Hey."

Lane hugged her. "I just heard, congratulations!"

Lorelai smiled. "Thanks, sweetie."

"So how are you feeling?"

Lorelai made a face. "Ugh, I spent like forty minutes this morning hunched over the toilet waiting to throw up. And then I finally did, and it was not as satisfying as you would expect it would be after a forty minute nauseous waiting period."

Lane frowned sympathetically. "Aw, that sucks."

"Yeah, and now I'm gonna go do that thing that pregnant women do where they yell at the guy who got them pregnant for making them go through this."

Lane smiled. "Well, good luck with that. And congratulations again."

"Thank you."

Lane turned to head back home and Lorelai continued walking toward the diner. She approached the soon-to-be soda shop, where Taylor was standing out front with a carpenter, and they both offered their congratulations as she passed by.

She walked into the diner and over to Luke at the counter. "Hey," she said as she sat on a stool.

"Hey." He glanced down at his watch. "I've been here 2 hours and I've gotten 9 congratulations', a few 'good luck's', one 'I hope you know what you're getting into' and this. . ." He tossed a napkin toward her.

Lorelai picked it up and read the words scribbled on it. "'Way to go, man. Your wife is hot.'" She laughed. "Who's that from?"

Luke shrugged. "I'm not sure. I found it on the counter." He took the napkin from her and read it over with an amused look. "I still don't know if the 'way to go, man' part is for the baby or for having a hot wife."

Lorelai smiled. "I think it could be interpreted for both." She took the napkin back. "I wanna keep that, thanks." She shoved it into her purse. "Patty and Babette sure did work fast, huh?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "Yeah. I can't believe how quickly it got around."

"Oh, and before I forget, I hate you."

"For the same reason you hated me yesterday morning?"

"Yes."

"Okay, got it." He gestured toward the kitchen. "You want something to eat, or do you feel sick?"

Lorelai wrinkled her nose. "I feel a little sick, but I'm hungry at the same time. I need something small, like toast or something."

Luke nodded. "Okay, be right back." He leaned across the counter and kissed her, then walked into the kitchen.

. . . . .

On Tuesday morning, Lorelai rushed into the inn and over to the front desk. "You're twenty minutes late," Michel greeted her sourly.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry." Lorelai took off her coat, then tossed it and her purse on the chair behind her.

Michel handed her a stack of papers. "These need to be signed and faxed as soon as possible."

"Signed and faxed, got it." She opened a drawer and started rummaging through it. "God, where the hell are all the pens?" She slammed the drawer closed and roughly opened another one.

Michel held a pen out to her. "Take this before you break all the drawers."

Lorelai sighed as she took it from him. "Thank you." She started reading the papers he'd given her.

A few moments later, as Michel walked toward the computer, he said, "Oh, and you might like to know that Mr. Ridgement is here."

Lorelai looked up from the papers. "Who?"

"The man who is thinking of having his retirement party here," Michel replied. "He's been waiting in your office for ten minutes."

Lorelai's eyes widened. "Oh my God. Why didn't you tell me that as soon as I got here?"

Michel shrugged nonchalantly. "Must've slipped my mind."

Lorelai scowled at him and rushed toward her office.

. . . . .

Twenty-five minutes later, Lorelai entered the kitchen and slumped over to Sookie. "Oh my God, Sookie." She sat down on a nearby stool and clutched her stomach as she let out a groan. "I feel so crappy. First I was late this morning because I was throwing up, and then I get here and stupid Mr. Ridgemont is waiting in my office for me to give him a personal tour of the inn. And I had to do so while being extra happy and friendly to make up for the fact that I kept him waiting for ten minutes, all while trying to not accidentally vomit on him."

Sookie made a face. "Boy, I really hope you were successful with the not-vomiting part."

"Yes, I was." She sighed and rocked back and forth on the stool. "Ugh, I hate this feeling."

Sookie frowned sympathetically. "Aw, honey, I know it sucks, but it'll go away soon." She paused, then added, "At least, I think, but I'm not really sure, so don't take my word for it."

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Very reassuring, Sookie, thank you. And just who the hell came up with the idea to call it 'morning sickness' because that is such false advertising. It doesn't just happen in the morning. Sometimes it happens in the afternoon. Yesterday it happened at dinner time. It happens at all different times of day, thus it should be called 'all-day sickness' so pregnant women really know what they're in for."

"Maybe you could rename it," Sookie suggested.

"Maybe. What I'd really like to do is find the man who came up with the title and then call him up and yell at him."

"Or her. It could be a woman."

Lorelai shook a finger at her. "Oh, no, I'm sure it was a him because a woman wouldn't lie to millions of other women by naming it something it's not. Only a man would do something like that."

"Good point."

"Yes, so you work on getting his number. I wanna give him a piece of my mind."

"I'll look into it." Sookie thought for a moment. "Wait, he's probably dead. The term 'morning sickness' has been around for a long time."

"Well, find out the names of his heirs then."

"Okay, got it."

Lorelai stood up with a loud sigh. "Okay, off to the bathroom yet again. God, between this stupid need to pee every five minutes and the throwing up, I'm spending like three-fourths of every day in the bathroom."

Sookie walked with her to the door. "Has Michel said anything about the baby? He does know, right?"

"Yes, and all he said was that he can't wait for my maternity leave to start so that I won't be here to annoy him." Lorelai smiled and added, "But then I lied and told him that while I'm gone, Tobin'll be here to take over for me, and that sent Michel into one of the funniest hissy fits I've ever seen."

Sookie giggled. "Aw, man, I wanna see that."

"Don't worry, I'm sure I'll use that threat again to tease him. I'll come get you next time."

"Thank you."

. . . . .

Early on Thanksgiving morning, Luke was in the shower when he heard the bathroom door open, followed by Lorelai groggily announcing, "It's just me."

After a minute, Luke pulled the shower curtain aside and saw her crouched in front of the toilet. "You okay?"

Still staring at the toilet bowl, she clutched her stomach and muttered, "Peachy." Her face twitched as her current wave of nausea increased in intensity, and she groaned. She clenched her eyes shut and mumbled, "Ugh, I hate this. I hate this. I hate this. I hate this. I hate this."

He smiled to himself. "So. . .do you hate this? 'Cause you didn't really make it clear."

Lorelai scoffed with disgust, then turned to him, her lips pursed tightly. "Do I really look like I'm in the freaking mood for remarks like that? Seriously, tell me if I do, because if there's anything about this situation that screams 'Lorelai looks like she wants to engage in witty banter', then let me know so I can change it."

Luke's eyes widened and he muttered, "Uh, sorry." He quickly pulled the curtain shut, and a few moments later, the sounds that echoed through the bathroom made him very thankful he did. Watching her throw up wasn't how he wanted to start his day. The toilet flushed, and he continued showering while Lorelai washed her hands and brushed her teeth.

Then Lorelai walked over to the shower and pulled open the curtain with a sigh. "Hi, sorry for the freak out."

Luke shrugged as he turned off the water. "No big deal."

She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "Happy Thanksgiving."

"You, too." He ran his hand over her stomach. "You, too, kid. I'll try to make sure your mother doesn't eat too much."

Lorelai grimaced. "Ugh, please stop. I'd rather sit through a 24-hour marathon of Just Shoot Me than think about food right now."

"Sorry." He stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel from the rack. "It's early. You going back to bed?"

Lorelai nodded. "I'm gonna try." He followed her to the bedroom. She climbed into bed and snuggled under the covers as Luke walked over to his dresser.

She watched him get dressed, and when he was finished, he walked over and sat on the edge of the bed next to her. She reached for his hand and stroked his palm. "Rory and I'll stop by the diner sometime today."

"I thought you weren't gonna eat there."

"Not to eat, just to say hi. I don't wanna go all day without seeing you."

"Okay." He kissed her. "Have a good day. I'll see you later."

"You, too. Bye."

. . . . .

Later that day, Lorelai and Rory were walking toward the market. "So now her life plan is to become a drummer?" Lorelai asked.

Rory shrugged. "Apparently she's found her calling."

"And Mrs. Kim is letting her answer the call?"

"No, she doesn't know about it, so make sure you don't say anything when we're there."

Lorelai gasped. "But my opening line was gonna be, 'Hey Mrs. Kim, heard that Lane wants to be in a rock and roll band. Here's some cranberry sauce.' But now you're telling me that won't work?"

Rory shook her head. "Sorry. Gotta think of a new opening line."

"Hm." Lorelai pondered for a moment. "Has she heard about the baby yet? Because 'Hey, I'm pregnant' has always been a smooth conversation starter."

Rory smiled. "Yeah, that's always nice, but I think she knows already."

"Aw. I'll keep thinking."

They reached the market and went inside to pick up some items. They came out a few minutes later, and after buying two bouquets at the flower stand, they headed toward the Kim residence.

"Okay, came up with a good line," Lorelai said. "'Hey Mrs. Kim, how are ya? Mind if I use your bathroom?'"

Rory snickered. "You have to go again?"

Lorelai frowned. "I can't help it. The kid's bouncing around on my bladder."

"The kid is like the size of a grain of rice. How can that affect your bladder so much?"

"I don't know. Maybe there's something else in there poking my bladder. Maybe it's Dennis Quaid."

"Huh?" Rory thought for a moment. "Oh, Innerspace."

"Yeah."

"Got it."

They walked up the front steps of the Kim residence and knocked on the door, and after a moment, Mrs. Kim answered.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Mrs. Kim," Lorelai said. "Mind if I use your – "

"Happy Thanksgiving," Rory interrupted, nudging Lorelai, who frowned.

"Hello, Happy Thanksgiving," Mrs. Kim greeted them.

"Uh, we brought cranberry sauce," Lorelai said, holding up the bag from the market.

"And flowers," Rory added, handing her a bouquet.

"Ah, very nice, thank you," Mrs. Kim replied, accepting the gifts. She nodded toward Lorelai. "Congratulations, Lorelai. Nice of you to have a baby in wedlock this time."

"Oh, uh, thanks, I guess."

Mrs. Kim nodded and walked away.

Lorelai turned to Rory. "Well, now my life's complete. Mrs. Kim has approved of something I've done."

"Congratulations."

They took off their coats and hung them up, then Lorelai gestured toward the stairs. "I'm gonna go up and use the bathroom."

"I'm gonna go find Lane. I'll meet you by the food table."

. . . . .

A few hours later, Lorelai entered the diner, where several townspeople were enjoying a home cooked Thanksgiving meal. Lorelai walked to the counter and sat down next to Kirk. "Hey Kirk. Happy Thanksgiving."

Kirk nodded toward her. "You, too. Congratulations again on the baby."

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Thanks, Kirk, but seriously, you don't have to say it every time you see me for the next 8 months. Remember, we had this same conversation yesterday."

"Yeah, sorry, it just slipped out." Kirk pulled a folded-up packet of papers out of his pocket and handed it to her. "I wanted to give you this."

"Ooh, what is it?" Lorelai unfolded it and read it over, then narrowed her eyes at him. "Your resume?" She flipped to the next page. "Wow, it's very long."

"Yes. I wanted to be the first one to apply as a caregiver for your unborn child," Kirk explained. "I think you'll find that I have a very upstanding reputation, and I have a ton of references."

Lorelai nodded. "Uh, yeah, I see that."

"So you can just look that over and let me know what you think."

"I will do that, Kirk," she assured him.

Luke walked out from the kitchen and smiled when he saw Lorelai. "Hey."

Lorelai looked up as he leaned across the counter to kiss her. "Hi."

He slid a plate of food in front of Kirk. "There you go, Kirk."

"Thanks." Kirk picked up the plate and walked over to an empty table.

"What's that?" Luke asked, gesturing to the papers Lorelai was holding.

Lorelai smirked. "Kirk is applying to be our nanny."

"What?" He took the papers and looked them over. "Oh my God, he gave you his resume?"

Lorelai giggled. "Yup."

Luke rolled his eyes and shook his head. "He's nuts if he thinks I'll leave him alone with my kid." He tossed the papers aside. "Where's Rory?"

"Oh, she's at the market bringing Dean some deep-fried turkey."

Luke narrowed his eyes. "Deep-fried turkey?"

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "Remember I told you that Sookie was gonna let Jackson cook the turkey this year?" Luke nodded. "Well, his plan was to deep fry it in a vat of boiling oil."

Luke smiled. "Oh, geez. Was Sookie freaking out?"

"Oh, yeah. You could see her watching the turkey go into the pot, just wishing she could run up and save it and rub some herbs on it or something."

"How'd you calm her down?"

"Lots of alcohol."

"Ah. How was the Kim's?"

Lorelai shrugged. "Healthy food and church hymns, same as every year. How's it been here?"

"Pretty busy, actually. I'm glad we went with three turkeys this year. And Jess came down a little while ago, all dressed up. He's eating with Jill's family."

"Ooh, nice. Has he said anything about the baby? He knows, right?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah. The other day, he came up to me, gave me a hug and told me I'd be a great dad because I'm just like one to him."

Lorelai gasped. "No, he didn't! Aw, that's so cute. Really?"

Luke scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Please."

Lorelai wrinkled her nose. "I knew it. What did he really say?"

"He said congratulations and asked when it was coming, so I told him in the summer." Luke shrugged. "That's it."

"Hm, sounds like a nice long in-depth conversation." She stood up. "I'm gonna go home and take a nap. You're coming home around six, right?"

"Yup."

"Okay." She kissed him. "Bye."

"Bye."

. . . . .

Just before seven that night, Luke, Lorelai, and Rory were standing on the front porch of Emily and Richard's house. Luke was adjusting his tie, complaining about the fact that he was actually wearing one.

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Will you hush, please. You look good. Ring the bell, sweets."

Rory obliged, and a moment later, the maid answered the door and invited them in. "Everyone's in the living room," she told them as she took their coats.

"Everyone?" Lorelai asked. "Are there other people here besides my parents?"

"Yes, ma'am," the maid replied.

Lorelai, Luke, and Rory shared a confused look and proceeded to the living room, where Richard and Emily were talking with another couple. "Uh, hey. Happy Thanksgiving," Lorelai announced.

"Ah, here they are," Richard announced.

"Happy Thanksgiving." Emily waved them over. "Come in, come in. I'd like you to meet the Swopes. Douglas and Natalie, this is Lorelai, Luke, and Rory." The five of them exchanged salutations, then everyone sat down.

"Oh, let me get our new arrivals a drink." Richard stood up and walked toward the drink cart. "What can I get you?"

"Uh, water's fine for me, Dad," Lorelai replied.

"Me, too," Luke replied.

"Coke, please," Rory replied.

"So, Luke, how's your arm?" Emily asked.

"Oh, it's okay, thanks," he replied. "I can use it a lot more now."

"Oh, what happened?" Natalie asked.

Emily explained about the car accident, then asked Luke, "Are you driving yet?"

"He's not supposed to," Lorelai answered for him. "But he does."

Luke shrugged. "Sometimes I take the Jeep to the diner when she's not using it."

"The doctor suggested that he wait another week or two for his arm to get stronger," Lorelai explained.

"It's only to the diner," Luke said. "It's a sixty second drive."

"Well, a lot can happen in sixty seconds," Richard said as he handed them their drinks.

"Yes, you should listen to the doctor," Natalie commented. "They know what's best for you."

"Yes, see, that's what I tell him," Lorelai said.

"So Rory, tell us about school," Emily said. "What's new there?"

They continued talking in the living room for a few minutes, and then moved to the dining room for dinner. The meal was served and they started to eat.

After a few minutes, Natalie said, "So, Lorelai, your mother tells us you two were just married."

Lorelai nodded and smiled across the table at Luke. "Yes, that's right. September first."

"How lovely," Natalie commented. "I remember my days of being a newlywed."

"So do I," Emily said. "Feels like just yesterday."

"Perhaps after dinner we could show them the wedding pictures," Richard suggested.

"Oh, yes, please, I would love to see them," Natalie said.

"They came out beautifully," Emily commented.

"Yes, I can imagine so. You two make an adorable couple," Natalie commented.

Lorelai smiled. "Oh, well, that's nice. Thank you."

"You would have beautiful children," Natalie continued. "Have you two talked about that yet?"

Surprised by the question, Lorelai, in the midst of sipping her water, coughed a little as she set the glass back on the table. She dabbed her mouth with her napkin, then set it in her lap. "Oh, uh, well – "

"Ignore her," Douglas piped up. "She's always butting in where she doesn't belong."

"Yes, Natalie, please, they're still newlyweds," Emily reminded her. "They need to get used to being married before they even think about children."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry," Natalie said sincerely.

"Oh, no, you're not, it's okay." Lorelai stared across the table at Luke for a moment. "Um, actually, I think Luke and I are pretty used to the marriage thing already, right, hon?"

Luke nodded. "Uh, yeah, I think we're. . .you know. . .pretty good at it."

"Yeah, so. . . you know, that children topic might come up pretty soon," Lorelai said.

Emily and Richard glanced at each other, intrigued.

"Really," Emily remarked. "Hm."

"How soon?" Richard asked.

Lorelai shrugged and started picking at her mashed potatoes with her fork. "I don't know. . .maybe around July 24th."

Richard chuckled. "July 24th – you have an exact date picked out to talk about having children? Well, that's certainly interesting."

"Uh, no, actually. . .that's the date that. . ." She paused. "Well, Luke and I are. . ." She let out a low sigh and tapped her fingers on the table. "God, why do I feel sixteen and incredibly nervous all of a sudden?"

Emily stared at her for a moment, then set her fork down. "What's going on?"

Lorelai gave Luke a look, and he shifted in his seat. "Uh, well, what she's trying to say is that. . .uh, we're. . .she's. . .you know. . ."

"Mom's pregnant," Rory announced.

"Thank you, honey," Lorelai said gratefully.

"Yeah, thanks," Luke said.

Emily gasped lightly. "No, you're not. Are you teasing us?"

Lorelai snickered. "Why would we be teasing you?"

"Because it seems very convenient that this conversation would come up like this in time for you to announce you're pregnant," Emily said. "It just seems like another one of your sarcastic jokes."

"What, a joke that Luke, Rory, and I all just happened to plan and coordinate beforehand? Like we sat down and said, 'If the subject of children comes up at the dinner table, let's all pretend that I'm pregnant.'" Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Please, Mom."

"I wouldn't put it past you," Emily said.

"Well, it's not a joke, Mom," Lorelai assured her. "I am truly, absolutely, 100 percent with child."

"Why, I think that's wonderful," Natalie gushed. She rubbed Lorelai's arm. "Congratulations, dear."

"Yes, that's very nice," Douglas added.

Lorelai smiled. "Thank you. See, Mom, they believe me."

Emily stared at her for a moment, then brought her gaze to Richard. "Richard, I don't think she's joking."

"Nor do I, Emily."

They were silent for a moment, and Lorelai glanced back and forth between them. "Uh, guys, once again, just to make sure that we all get it, I'm not joking. I really am pregnant." She paused a moment. "Say something."

A smile slowly formed on Richard's face. "We're going to have another grandchild."

Emily smirked. "It appears so."

Richard stood up and rubbed his hands together excitedly. "I'll go get the champagne." He left the room.

Lorelai smiled and shrugged toward Luke. "I guess that means they're happy."

"Looks like it," he agreed.

"Of course we're happy," Emily said. "Why wouldn't we be?"

Lorelai shrugged. "I don't know, sometimes. . .uh, you guys. . .well, sometimes you react in unexpected ways to things."

Emily scoffed. "We do not."

"Mom, when I was six and I told you that a house painter looked like a fun job, you promptly took away all of my paints because you thought I'd want to make that my life's goal."

"It was to encourage you to strive for a more prestigious career," Emily contended.

"Yes, well, I'm just saying. . .I mean, if I thought that being a house painter would make Rory happy, I'd encourage her to go for it, not strip her of all items related to house painting so that she'd grow out of it. It was just a different reaction than one might expect a parent to have."

Emily sighed. "What would you like me to do, Lorelai? Would you like me to go out and buy you some paints to make it up to you?"

Lorelai smiled. "Yes, please."

A moment later, Richard returned to the room with the maid, who carried a tray of champagne-filled glasses. "Here we are." The maid circled the table and everyone took a glass but Lorelai. Richard raised his in the air. "To family, to friends. . ." He smiled at Rory. "To current grandchildren, as well as future ones who plan to arrive around. . .uh, what was the date again?"

"July 24th," Lorelai supplied.

"Yes, July 24th," Richard repeated. He glanced from Luke to Lorelai. "Congratulations to both of you, and cheers."

"Cheers," everyone replied, and sipped their drinks.

"This is such wonderful, exciting news," Natalie commented. "Tell us how you're feeling, dear."

Lorelai stood up. "Um, well, I will certainly do that, uh, right after I go to the bathroom for the fortieth time today."

"Ah, how I remember those days," Natalie said. "Don't worry, that'll go away soon."

"Thank God, 'cause with all the excess flushing and hand-washing, our water bill's gonna go through the roof soon," Lorelai said. "Excuse me." She left the room and headed toward the bathroom, and the others continued talking.

. . . . .

That night, as Lorelai and Luke were changing for bed, Lorelai said, "You would not believe the conversation Rory and I had with my mom and her friend after dinner. It was baby this and baby that. My God, there are 8 months to go. I'm going to be baby-talked out within a few weeks."

"They were just excited 'cause it was new news."

"Uh huh. So what did you and the guys talk about in the study while I was getting pounded with baby questions in the living room?"

"I was getting pounded, too."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

He rolled his eyes. "Am I going to invest in any savings bonds for the baby? And I setting up a college fund for the baby? Do I realize how much a baby costs to raise nowadays? Am I sure the baby's really mine?"

Lorelai gasped. "Oh my God, they did not say that."

Luke smirked. "No, I made that up. But don't expect me to feel sorry for you getting pounded when I was getting pounded myself."

Lorelai flopped onto the bed with a yawn. "I'm too tired to point out how dirty that sentence was."

"Good." Luke turned the light off and lay down next to her, then pulled the covers up over them.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Lorelai grabbed the clock and set the alarm.

"What are you doing?"

"Setting the alarm."

"Why?"

"Tomorrow's Black Friday – we gotta get up early and go Christmas shopping, catch all the good sales. Hopefully the pregnancy Gods will be nice and I won't feel too sick."

Luke snickered. "I seriously hope when you say 'we,' you're referring to you and Rory, not you and me."

"Duh, of course." She set the clock back on the nightstand, then snuggled up against him.

"Good." He pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head. "Night."

"Night."

. . . . .

To be continued . . .