Author's Note: This fic is part of the Television Without Pity ficathon. I've posted it here in case there are people not reading the TWoP stories, which by the way, are really great and everyone should go read them. This story was written for a theme challenge which was write a story based on a long distance phone call. Enjoy!

The Family Plan

"Please enter the country code you wish to call followed by the pound sign," said the irritatingly computerized voice on the other end of the phone.

He knew he had the country code somewhere. Luke craned his neck to keep the phone between shoulder and ear while he searched his pockets for the tiny piece of paper with the magic number that would finally connect his call.

Fishing the crumpled paper out of his pocket he fumbled with the buttons. It had been a very long, very eventful day, but this phone call was probably one of the most important things he still needed to accomplish.

Finally after punching in a seemingly endless barrage of numerals Luke heard the phone ringing. He waited until finally someone picked up.

"Hello Windsor here," the disembodied voice with a thick English accent.

"Hi, I'm looking for Rory Gilmore," Luke said.

"Hold on mate," the voice replied.

So Luke waited. It seemed that the last 24 hours consisted of a lot of waiting. By this point he was getting pretty good at it.

"Hello," Rory's voice finally came through the phone.

"Rory, hi, it's Luke," he said pleasantly.

"Luke?" Rory was surprised. "It's got to be about 4 in the morning there. Is everything okay? How's Mom?"

"Well actually that's why I'm calling," Luke began.

"Oh my God she's not in labor is she?" Rory asked alarmed.

"Well, no she's actually out of labor and in recovery right now," Luke replied. "And you've got two very loud, very small siblings who can't wait to meet you."

"Oh my gosh," was all Rory could reply. "She wasn't supposed to have them for two weeks. Are they okay?"

"Yeah they're fine," Luke said. "Ten fingers and ten toes each, despite the obscene amount of coffee your mother insisted on drinking every day," Luke chuckled.

"Congratulations Luke," Rory said. "Oh, so tell me do I have more sisters? Brothers? What?" Rory asked excitedly.

"You've got one of each," Luke replied.

"What time were they born? Is Mom okay? Do Grandma and Grandpa know?" Rory bombarded Luke with her questioning. A quick mind was one of the perks of being a reporter.

"Your brother was born at 3:12 a.m. and your sister was born at 3:18 a.m. Your mom is doing great. She's taking a well deserved nap right now and cursing the babies for taking after me and being born so early in the morning," Luke had to grin.

"And your Grandparents are both here at the hospital. Your mom actually went into labor early last night. I'm still in shock," Luke confided in her.

"So how long did you stare at your shoes today?" Rory teased him.

"At least an hour," Luke replied.

"I wish I could have been there," Rory said. "Well not actually in the room because that's a little too much mother/daughter bonding, but at least at the hospital. I can't believe I missed it."

"Hey that peace treaty is a big deal. You needed to be there to cover the story," Luke told her. "Besides there will be plenty of time for you to meet your brother and sister when you get back."

Luke tried to make her feel better. Rory had been traveling a lot for her job at CNN, but she had been lucky to get a job there so soon after graduation. Not many 23-year-olds could say they traveled the world working for CNN.

"Sir, your wife is asking for you," Rory heard a woman tell Luke through the phone.

"Oh, okay thanks," Luke replied. "Rory, your mom's up so I'm gonna go. I'll have her call you as soon as she's more awake."

"Okay, thanks Luke," Rory replied. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks," Luke said. "We can't wait to see you so come home soon."

"I will," Rory replied and then almost as an after-thought she added, "Hey Luke what names did you finally decide on?"

But she was too late. Luke had already hung up the phone. The nurse was ushering him down the hallway where he passed Richard and Emily by the nursery. Emily was fumbling with her cell phone.

"I swear, you'd think I was trying to break into Fort Knox instead of trying to make an overseas phone call," Emily told Richard exasperated.

"It's ridiculous that an endless series of numbers are required to place a simple call," she muttered as Richard made uncharacteristically goofy faces at his new grandchildren.

"And you, you're not even listening to me," Emily continued to grumble as she pressed more buttons on her cell phone.

"I am listening Emily," Richard finally pried his attention away from the glass and looked at his wife. "I'm simply enjoying the moment. I've made hundreds of overseas calls and although it's no picnic it's the way of the world. Now wave at your grandchildren with me," he said.

Despite herself Emily turned to the glass and, along side Richard, made goofy faces at the tiny babies in plastic bassinets.

Emily was finally aware of the sound of the phone ringing. "Hello, Windsor here," said the Englishman.

"Hello, I'm looking for Rory Gilmore please," Emily responded politely.

"Hold on a tic," Windsor sighed.

Emily and Richard continued to make faces at the children behind the glass. It didn't seem to matter that they weren't usually funny-face people or that the babies couldn't actually see them. They were enjoying the moment as Richard had commanded.

"Hello," Rory came to the phone again.

"Rory," Emily said brightly. "How are you?"

"Hi Grandma," Rory said happily.

"How is the summit?" Emily asked cordially.

"It's interesting," Rory said. "I'm actually in the newsroom now putting some finishing touches on the story."

"Well I've got a rather breaking news story for you myself," Emily informed her.

"I know," Rory replied excitedly. "Luke just called and told me the good news."

"He did?" Emily asked surprised.

"Yeah, I actually just hung up with him," Rory replied.

"Oh," Emily responded, slightly disheartened that she didn't get to deliver the news herself. "Well you should see your brother and sister. They are just the most precious things. Your Grandfather and I are so pleased."

"That's great Grandma," Rory said. "I wish I would have been home so I could be there. Did Mom call you to come to the hospital?" Rory asked. She wondered how Richard and Emily knew Lorelai was in the hospital. Considering Lorelai hadn't bothered to tell her parents when she was labor with her Rory was a little confused.

"No, of course not," Emily replied as if the thought of Lorelai calling was just a ridiculous as Rory thought it sounded. "They were over for Friday night dinner and we were sitting in the living room talking and all of a sudden she went into labor. You mother swears I put some sort of labor-inducing drug into her rack of lamb, but she admitted she was having pains all day," Emily told her.

Rory chuckled at the thought of Emily slipping Lorelai something to accelerate her labor. Rory always felt bad that Emily had missed out on her birth, but Lorelai didn't want her mother near her at the time. Rory was silently glad that her Grandparents were able to take part in this birth. Emily sounded extremely happy. Rory wasn't certain, but she had a pretty good idea it was because Lorelai and Luke had been married for a year when they found out she was pregnant. Instead of being pregnant and alone Lorelai had managed to settle down with a family. Emily and Richard had always wanted their daughter to have a "real" family and although they weren't sure about Luke they couldn't say they weren't delighted that he had provided Lorelai with the life they always wanted her to have.

"How's Luke?" Rory asked. She knew that even if Luke was a wreak he wouldn't have confided it to her. He wouldn't want her to worry or spoil the moment. Rory figured that her Grandmother wasn't exactly the soul of discretion and she would tell her the honest truth.

"Luke is fine," Emily replied. "He was very supportive the whole way to hospital and aside from a particularly odd moment when he stared at his shoes for five minutes he was very helpful."

Rory smirked. 'So he wasn't kidding when he said he stared at his shoes,' she thought.

"Oh Rory, your Grandfather wants to speak to you," Emily said handing the phone to Rory.

Richard tore his gaze away from the nursery and Emily handed him the phone.

"Rory," he said pleasantly.

"Hi Grandpa," Rory replied. "How is everything?"

"Couldn't be better young lady, couldn't be better," he responded. "You've got a nice looking pair of siblings over here Rory."

"That's what I've heard," Rory replied.

"But between you and I, I rather like being able to speak to you. One can only make so many faces to a child without acknowledgment," he told her.

"I understand," Rory suppressed a giggle.

"Well I don't understand why he can't be moved closer to the window," Rory heard Emily's voice through the phone and she could tell her Grandmother wasn't at all in a pleasant mood.

"Oh, Rory, I have go your Grandmother is having an issue with the hospital staff," Richard said in a hushed tone.

"My husband's name is on a wing in this hospital and now you're telling me my grandson can't be moved closer to the window? He needs natural light," Rory heard Emily screech.

"Okay, bye Grandpa," Rory replied. "Oh wait, Grandpa what are their names?" she hastily added. Alas, once again it was too late because Richard had hung up the phone.

An hour later Lorelai was restless. She should have been tired after giving birth to twins, but she couldn't sleep. She thought it must have had to do with the overwhelming urge she had to talk to her first born child.

Lorelai sighed and sat up in bed. She glanced to her right and saw Luke fast asleep in the uncomfortable visitor chair by her bed. His body was scrunched up and he looked terribly uncomfortable, but he didn't seem to notice. She smiled over at him. He had been so supportive and comforting throughout the whole pregnancy, but most especially during the labor. Given that he hated hospitals she was surprised he dealt with everything so well. He'd only passed out once and Lorelai promised not to tell anyone. Luckily he didn't miss a moment of his children's birth.

Lorelai reached for the phone and dialed an endless stream of numbers until her call was finally connected.

"Hello, Windsor here," said the voice.

"Hi, I'm looking for Rory Gilmore," she said.

"Bloody hell," Windsor replied in his thick English accent. "What am I her social secretary? Hang on."

'Hmm, looks like Rory has her very own Michel,' Lorelai thought.

"Hello, "Rory said.

"Hi sweetie," Lorelai replied.

"Mom!" Rory replied excitedly.

"I know you're at work and I hate to bug you, but I thought you'd like to know you're a big sister again," Lorelai said.

"I know," Rory responded. "Luke called and then Grandma called and then I talked to Grandpa. They're all really excited. This is great," Rory said.

"I'm glad you're happy," Lorelai said. "So am I."

"You were supposed to wait until I got home to have them though," Rory chided her mother.

"Hun, I tried to cross my legs but they weren't having it," Lorelai protested. After a short pause she added, "I miss you. When are you coming home?"

"Day after tomorrow," Rory replied. "Are you doing alright?"

"Yeah I'm good," Lorelai replied. "I'm sore and exhausted, but I wanted to talk to you. I hate that you're not here."

"Me too," Rory admitted. It was odd that Lorelai's life had gone on and changed so drastically without her. Rory was there for every life-changing event in Lorelai's life. In fact, for 21 years she was the biggest life-changing event in her life. Then Luke proposed and Lorelai had to adapt to being married and then pregnant and now a mother once again.

"Mom, before you hang up, what did you name them? I keep asking but everyone keeps hanging up," Rory added before she forgot.

"Oh, Luke and Lorelai of course," Lorelai replied.

"You didn't," Rory replied aghast.

"Yeah, we're gonna call him Little Luke and we're gonna call Lorelai Lori," Lorelai deadpanned.

"You cannot be serious," Rory said.

"Thank you John McEnroe," Lorelai replied wryly. "No, I'm not serious. Even if Luke would have let me the name Lorelai is yours, do with it what you will."

"Thanks," Rory breathed a sigh of relief. "So names? Tell me they have them," Rory said.

"Right, well you know we were throwing around Sid and Nancy and Luke really liked Mark and Sammy and I told him 'what if it's a boy and a girl?' You can't name a girl after Sammy Sosa so then I really liked Ginger and Gene and Luke said he wouldn't have a daughter named after a cooking spice or a Spice Girl. But I gotta tell ya the fact that Luke knew Ginger Spice was a little scary," Lorelai babbled on.

"Mom, I'm not getting any younger," Rory interrupted.

"Right," Lorelai agreed. "So as much as we fought about it we decided on William Joseph and Emily Elise."

"Aw, you named him after Luke's dad and you named her after Grandma," Rory said. "I can't believe it."

"Well she did move in with me when she and Grandpa were separated," Lorelai explained.

"It was a nice thing to do," Rory said.

"Yeah it was nice and I had to keep up the tradition of recycling a family name, which my mother completely loathes," Lorelai added.

Although in actuality Lorelai had gotten fairly close with Emily while she stayed with her. The two had found a mutual respect for one another and the lives they had chosen. Lorelai and Emily would never be as close as Rory and Lorelai, but they had taken positive steps in the right direction.

"She sounded really happy," Rory told her mother.

"Well she should," Lorelai replied. "She's high on shopping. Who knew you could overnight the entire Baby Gap line to a hospital?"

"She didn't," Rory gasped.

"Oh she did," Lorelai informed her. "I thought the nurse in the delivery was going to need medical attention after her confrontation with my mother."

"Well just to let you know she was wrangling to get Will a bassinet by the window because he needs natural light," Rory chuckled.

"She wasn't," Lorelai gasped.

"She was," Rory replied.

"Ah jeez, my poor boy is gonna have residual memories of being wheeled back and forth around the nursery looking for natural light," Lorelai yawned.

"Well you sound tired and I don't want to keep you," Rory said. "You should get some sleep. I heard something about babies needing to be fed every two to four hours."

"Ah, don't remind me," Lorelai whined. "I can't wait until you come home and meet them," she added.

"Me too," Rory replied.

"I love you Rory," Lorelai said.

"I love you too Mom," she replied. "Bye."

"Bye," Lorelai said.

She hung up the phone and was startled by Luke leaning over her pillow.

"You called Rory?" he asked knowingly.

"Yeah, I had this itch to talk to her," Lorelai replied. "She said you called her and my mother called her and then my father talked to her so she's a regular spokesperson for the AT &T Family Plan."

"Well good," Luke smiled. "How are you feeling?"

"Exhausted," she said scooting over and patting the bed next to her. "Sit," she commanded. "It'll be like before you got rid of that horrible twin bed."

Luke smiled at her. "How about you?" Lorelai asked. "How are you holding up?"

"I think I'm still in shock," he replied.

"Well it was a busy day," she said patting his arm.

"You know if you would have told me five years ago that today I'd be married and the father of three, I would have said you were lying," Luke admitted.

"Same here," Lorelai agreed.

"But you know what?" he asked.

"What?" Lorelai asked resting her on his shoulder.

"I would have been just as happy then as I am right now," Luke replied with a smile.

Meanwhile thousands of miles away Rory picked up the phone.

"Hi, Lane," she said. "It's me. Guess what?"

The End.