Title: Southern Hospitality

Chapter 7: Under Pressure

A/N: The song used is "Under Pressure" by Queen and David Bowie. Enjoy!

~*~*~*

Jess

"So," I say, drumming my fingers on the arm of my chair.

"So," Rory responds.

I sigh. "What does this mean?" I ask, leaning forward and resting my arms on my knees.

Rory shrugs. "We just...had sex."

"That we did." I nod and lean back.

"And...it was good." Rory grins.

"Yes, it was," I grin more.

"We're going to Connecticut tomorrow."

I shake my head. "I have to clear it with Alice first."

She smiles sheepishly. "I already did. She practically forced me out the door right then."

"She did not."

"Yep," Rory nods. "Actually, she pretty much predicted last night."

I groan. "What'd she say?"

Rory smiles. "She said that we l--that we were into each other."

I shake my head. "I can't see Alice saying that."

"That's what she said." Rory nods.

"Okay."

Silence. We need to fix the stupid silence. We've got way too much of it.

"Are we still going to Connecticut? All three of us?" Rory asks suddenly.

"I guess so."

"What are we going to tell them?"

I shrug. "Whatever we want to. I'll deal with Luke and you deal with Lorelai."

Rory nods. "Okay. I can handle that."

"Good."

More silence. I stand up and walk over to the bed. As I lift the covers to slide under, Rory suddenly stands up.

"What are you doing?" she asks.

"I'm gonna sleep. Is that okay with you?"

"I--D--N--Sure," she says finally. She sits tenderly on the edge of the bed, and I can tell she's on edge.

"Rory? Are you gonna lay down?"

"I--D--Do you want me to?"

"I don't think you should go home right now, and it's hard to sleep sitting up."

"But...do you want me to?"

I sigh silently. Women. "Yes," I say, "lay down."

A smile slowly spreads across her face, and she lays down, spreading the comforter wrapped around her across both of us. After a second of maneuvering, she slides under the sheets.

"Comfortable?" I ask. She nods. I wrap my arms around her and pull her towards me. "How 'bout now?" I whisper. She nods. "Good," I say, closing my eyes.

After a minute, we both drift off to sleep.


~*~
Lorelai

A wail wafts into my room, disturbing my sleep. I turn over and poke Luke in the stomach.

"Your turn," I mumble.

"I went last time," he says.

"No, I did."

"No, I--" he stops, and sighs. "Ah, who cares, I'm up now." He gets out of bed. I smile, and pull his pillow towards me.

"Bye, Luke."

He waves his hand at me and walks out of the room. After a minute, Susie's wailing stops, and I can hear him singing.

He's so sweet.

I roll over and go back to sleep, dreaming of my sweet little family.

Six hours later I'm woken by the ringing of the phone.

"Luke!" I call automatically. There's no answer, and the stupid phone keeps ringing, so I pick it up.

"Hello?" I ask sleepily.

"Hey, Mom, it's me."

"Hey, babe," I greet Rory and sit up, feeling a little more awake.

"I'm gonna be there in a couple hours, so I thought I'd wake you up."

"Good idea. I think Luke was supposed to get me up, though--I don't know where he is."

"He's at the diner with Suze. He said he tried to wake you up."

"He called you?"

"Yeah."

"Oh. Okay." I wonder why Luke couldn't wake me up...it might have something to do with my being woken four times in a matter of thirty minutes. "Well, if you're gonna be here soon, I should straighten the house."

"Mom, I've met both you and Suze; I know what the house can look like."

"Yeah, but I bet Luke didn't clean this morning."

"You're right, he probably didn't. I'll let you get on with it."

Rory

"Thank you sweetie," Mom says.

"Bye," I say. She responds with the same, and I hang up my cell phone.

"You didn't tell her about us," Jess says from the driver seat of his SUV.

"Is there an 'us'?"

"I meant Brett and me."

"Oh," I blush.

"But..." he starts slowly, "I'm pretty sure there's a 'you-and-me' us."

"I think so, too," I give a slight smile.

"Especially after last night in the hotel."

After driving ten hours yesterday we spent the night in a hotel in D.C. There was some kind of misunderstanding, so we ended up getting a room with only one bed, forcing all three of us to sleep together. It was nice...but it didn't seem like it was couple forming.

"We were like a family," Jess finishes, causing me to panic.

Ohhhhh. "Family". Oh, no. That's not a good name for me right now! I just started my new job less than a year ago. I just saw Jess again three days ago! I mean, sure, we're really comfortable with each other...Brett already adores me, and I adore her...we live within a few blocks of each other....

Oh, my good God, we're practically a family.

"Rory? You okay?"

"Uh! Oh, sure, yeah, I'm fine." My voice is unnaturally high to me, and my smile feels like some deranged clown has taken over my face. Jess gives me a strange look, but ignores it and continues driving.

Family.

Family.

Family.

Family.

To run, or not to run...that is the question.

Family.

Pressure.

Pushing down on me, pushing on you.

Under pressure.

I lean down and turn off the radio, silencing Bowie's and Queen's song. Jess looks at me strangely again, but I just point to the sleeping Brett, and he nods.

Under Pressure: That's me.

Lorelai

Luke drops Q back off at the house around noon, along with lunch. She and I eat and then play for a while, but by one we're both half-asleep in front of the TV.

Continuing my daughter's impeccable timing, the second my eyes close, she bursts in the front door.

"Mom!" she calls frantically. I spring to my feet and run to her.

"What? What's wrong?"

"He said we're like a family," she whispers urgently. "Oh, what do I do, what do I do, what do I do?" She paces in the foyer.

"Okay, calm down, back up, and use names."

"Jess!"

"Jess...what? Jest believe in yourself?"

"No! Jess! He said we're like family!"

"Oh, my God...and why would he say that?"

"Because last night we all slept in the same bed? I don't know!"

"What? I thought you started driving yesterday--oh."

"Yeah! What do I do, Mom? I'm not ready to be part of a family!"

"Then why did you bring him with you?"

She stops pacing...stops wringing her hands. She glances at the front door, where I can now make out a figure: Jess's. She walks slowly to the door and pulls it open. Jess walks in, carrying a toddler in his arms.

"Mom, this is Brett, Jess's daughter," Rory says, waving to the toddler.

"She's sleeping right now," Jess says apologetically.

"Oh, that's okay, mine is too."

"Is there anywhere I can lay her down?"

"Well, Susie's on the couch."

"Okay," Jess walks past us into the living room. We automatically both turn around and watch as he tenderly lays his daughter down.

"Still apprehensive?" I ask softly.

"Maybe not," Rory shakes her head. I glance at her face: she's smiling softly at Jess and Brett.

She's in love.