Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the story idea.
A/N: Once again, many thanks to Jade-Tessier for catching all those little things I didn't and making this a better chapter. You rock! And thanks to the readers who are still reviewing. I dropped out for a little bit because of school stuff and I'm glad to know that not everybody gave up on me. Thanks.
~~
Sookie lay on her back with her knees bent, feet in stirrups, hands gripping the metal handles of her bed, her teeth gritted. Jackson stood beside her in full scrubs trying to motivate her to breathe.
"Come on, Sook," he was saying to her softly as he stroked her forehead. "I know you can do this. We're almost there. All you have to do is keep breathing."
"Listen you sonofabitch!" Sookie shrieked back. "Don't you tell me what to do! This was all your freakin' idea in the first place! Four in four you said! Well piss on that! This is it! No more! Ever! Ever!"
Sookie's tirade ended as the next contraction began and she was forced to concentrate on what the doctor was telling her.
Meanwhile, out in the waiting room, Lorelai sat next to Luke and looked around. It had been a long labor and while most of the partygoers had followed them to the hospital, after twelve hours of waiting, most had decided to leave. It was just the two of them left.
Lorelai squirmed as she tried to get comfortable in her chair. She was still wearing the jeans and plaid and she was beginning to feel ridiculous. After all, a Halloween party was one thing. But to be dressed exactly the same as your boyfriend and be out in public was something different altogether. Growing impatient, she stood up and paced the room. Luke was watching her quietly.
"You okay?" he asked.
"I wish I were in there with her. I can't believe this 'hospital policy'." She held up her index and middle fingers of each hand and curled them to put hospital policy in air quotes.
As she said this, Jackson strode through the doors leading to the labor and delivery rooms with a big smile on his face. Luke stood up and went to Lorelai as Jackson came toward them.
"We have a boy!" he shouted happily. "I can't believe it, but we do. Sookie is doing just fine," he said, reading Lorelai's question on her face. "She's asking for you, too, so you better go in."
Lorelai made her way to Sookie's room as Jackson handed Luke a cigar.
"Knock, knock," she said as she pushed the door open. Sookie lay on the bed looking exhausted but radiant.
"Hey," she said softly.
Lorelai went to her and sat down in the chair near the bed. "Hey back," Lorelai quipped.
A bassinet stood near Sookie with a sleeping little bundle inside. "I want you to be the first to meet David Jackson."
Lorelai peered over the edge of the crib and felt her eyes water at the sight of all that perfect, pink skin. She marveled at his eyelashes and fingers and then turned back to Sookie.
"I'm so proud of you," she said. "He's perfect." Lorelai hugged her friend and when she pulled back, noticed how tired Sookie looked. "I'm going to go get Jackson for you, okay? You should get some sleep."
Sookie nodded. "Thanks for being here," she said.
"Anytime," replied Lorelai.
She left Sookie and made her way back to Luke and Jackson who was telling Luke in detail about the birth. "And then, her vagina just opened up! It was amazing. His head was just…there!" Luke looked like he wanted to either throttle Jackson or throw up, and when he saw Lorelai coming toward them yelled, "Look, there's Lorelai, guess you can finish filling me in later."
Jackson turned and Lorelai gave him a hug. "Congratulations," she said. "He is perfect."
"Thank you," replied Jackson happily. "I better get back and you two should go home and get some sleep. I can't believe you stayed the whole night."
Jackson left them and Luke and Lorelai made their way out to the parking lot. The drive home was a silent one as they were both lost in their own thoughts.
Toward the end of the trip, Lorelai said from the passenger's seat. "I'm so happy for them. I can't believe that they're parents now. It's just so exciting."
"Yep," replied Luke.
"I love kids. I can't wait until he's big enough to really play with. It's going to be so much fun learning about raising boys, don't you think?"
"Yep," repeated Luke.
She glanced over at him. They were pulling into her driveway now. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing," he said as they got out.
"It doesn't sound like nothing," she retorted as they made their way to the house and went in.
They were greeted to a house that was only partially cleaned up and Lulu wailing pitifully in the entryway. "Where have you been," she seemed to be saying. "I've been here all alone all night long and it's just not acceptable."
Lorelai picked Lulu up and cradled her, evoking a loud purr from the kitten.
Luke didn't respond to her comment, just began to clean up.
"Rory and Charlie said they would come back to clean up a little before going back to school, but I guess they didn't do as much as they thought."
Luke again remained silent.
Lorelai put Lulu down and walked where Luke was gathering up all the leftover paper plates and napkins.
"Hey," she said. "What's the matter?"
"Look," he said after a moment of silence, "I don't want to start a fight about this, but I…you seem to be pretty up on the idea of kids and I just don't want you to…I don't know…expect anything."
Lorelai stared at him in shock. "Expect anything?" she responded angrily. "What, do you think I'm out to steal your seed? Are you worried I'll get pregnant on the sly? Is that what you think of me?"
"Of course that's not what I think of you," he sighed, shaking his head and turning away. "I knew this was going to start something."
"Well, yeah. When you tell the woman you're dating not to expect anything in terms of kids, it's just a little presumptuous. What makes you think I even want to have more kids at all, much less with you?" Her arms were crossed over her chest in defiance.
"Nothing," he sighed. "You've just been so on about the kids lately, especially with Sookie having one, I guess I just wanted you to know that I'm very…hesitant…about ever having kids of my own. I'm not assuming anything about you; it's just something that I thought most women would want to know about their boyfriends. The way it came out could have been better, I guess."
Lorelai regarded him in silence for a moment and then acknowledged, "Yes, the way you said it could have been better." She walked to him and put her arms around his waist and said, "But it's okay for you to feel that way. I mean, enjoying someone else's kid isn't the same as having one of your own. I don't know if having another child is something I would want anyway."
He looked at her. "Honestly?"
"Yes. Honestly. If it changes, though," she paused and smiled saucily at him, "and you're still an interested party, I'll let you know."
He kissed her and held her tight. "I would definitely appreciate the head's up," he smiled into her hair.
