sorry it took me so long to update. things have been crazy at mi casa. we have five house guests. FIVE! sooooo not fun. this is the first chance i've had to update. i hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: GG still isn't mine

Chapter Fourteen: Champagne Anyone?

"So what was with all the yelling?" Lorelai asked once Rory and Tristan had filled her in on all the details of Rory's pregnancy and their joint custody agreement.

"Tristan found out that Dean is the father," Rory answered.

"He didn't know?" Lorelai asked.

"We always referred to him as 'Bob,'" Tristan explained. "I was never too fond of Bag Boy. But that doesn't change the fact that I want to be here for Rory and her child. It makes me even more determined."

"Tristan, I hate to make you go, but I think Rory and I need a little mother-daughter time to play catch-up."

Tristan nodded and stood. "I'll call you in the morning," he said to Rory, kissing her forehead. He said goodbye to Lorelai and left.

"Thank you for being so understanding," Rory said. "Especially after all that has happened over the past months."

"Ror, I may not agree with the choices you have made recently, but that doesn't change the fact that when I was pregnant, all I wanted was to have my mother stop yelling. Time can't be turned back, and decisions can't be un-made, but I can be here for you because I know better than anyone else what you're going through."

"I'm so sorry for everything this summer," Rory said, tears in her eyes.

"I am too. But there's a way you can make it up to me," Lorelai said.

"How?"

"Luke's and then a movie?"

"Done."

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Rory laughed at her mother who was holding up party hats and those little party tooters that extend when you blow into them. Having her mother back again lifted a thousand weights off her shoulder.

"Ready to tell Luke?"

"With horns and hats? He'll have a heart attack!"

"Exactly the point. Oooh! Look, streamers! We could decorate our table!"

Rory laughed and grabbed one pink pack and one blue. She looked around, almost expecting to see Dean stocking the shelves behind her. She thought of their first kiss. She was standing just a few feet away from the spot. It was so hard not sharing this with him.

"Earth to Rory," Lorelai was saying.

"Yah," Rory said, snapping out of her thoughts.

"I was wondering if we should go all Sherry and buy green ones. 'Green is the new pink. Look at me! I schedule baby births and freak out when the baby comes early and I miss a meeting…'" she mimicked.

"I think we'll stick with traditional colors. No reason to give Stars Hollow any confusion. I don't think Kirk could handle it. And Taylor would have a heart attack."

They proceeded to the check out line and crossed the street to Luke's.

They dropped their numerous bags on the floor next to their favorite table. Lorelai began to dance around it, wrapping the table in streamers. Rory blew up balloons and scattered them over the table and around their seats.

"Ah. Lorelai, Rory, what the hell are you doing?" Luke asked, emerging from the kitchen. "Ah shit. Don't tell me I forgot one of your birthdays again. Happy Birthday Rory. I would have gotten you something but…"

"It's not her birthday," Lorelai said.

"It's yours? Lor, I'm so sorry."

Lorelai shook her head again.

"Then why the hell are you making my diner look like a freakin party supply store?"

Lorelai pulled party hats from one of the bags and walked over to the counter. She leaned over and put it on his head.

"Congratulations Luke," she yelled. "You're going to be a Grandpa!" She grabbed him and gave him a big kiss, laughing triumphantly at his stunned expression when she pulled away.

"Wait, Grandpa? Kiss? Mom, what the hell is going on here?" Rory asked, looking equally as stunned as Luke did.

"We're dating," Luke said automatically. "Wait, Rory, are you p-pre-pregnant?" he stuttered.

"Dating? You didn't tell me!" Rory cried. "How long?"

"Two months."

"TWO MONTHS!" Rory yelled. "Where have I been?"

"Doing that," Lorelai answered, pointing to Rory's stomach.

Rory ignored her. "I can't believe you guys finally figured it out," she said.

"Umm hmm. I just opened my eyes one day and saw the sexy, grizzly man who served me coffee in a new light. Didn't I Snuggle Muffin?"

"Eew. Gross!" Rory and Luke said simultaneously.

"Please, no pet names Lorelai."

"I'll just reserve those for bedtime," she said, coming around the counter and slapping his butt.

"Mom, STOP!" Rory cried. "This is getting really, REALLY gross."

"So you're pregnant?" Luke repeated. "Who the hell is the father?"

"I have a feeling telling you would endanger some lives."

"Lives plural? Crap."

"I meant yours and his."

Luke scratched his unshaved chin. "Rory, if it's Jess', I'll kill him."

"It's not Jess'," Rory insisted.

"You're not just saying that?" Luke asked.

"It's Tristan's," Rory answered, testing out her response.

"Tristan? You mean that blonde guy you've been hanging out with lately?"

Rory nodded.

"Ror, I think we should tell Luke. After all, I don't feel right misleading him."

Rory looked at her mom and nodded.

"You should sit down."

"Sit?"

"Yah, you know that action where your butt is resting on a chair," Lorelai said, responding to his confused face. He came out from behind the counter and sat at their decorated table.

"Luke, before I tell you, you have to promise me to never, ever lay a finger on this person. You cannot talk to him, yell at him, punch him, threaten him, or pull out a weapon. Weapons include guns, knives, hammers, chains, crowbars, frying pans-"

"Frying pans?" Luke asked.

"Come on, don't you watch HBO?"

"I don't watch TV."

"Well just know that frying pans are off the list. No screwdrivers, electrical appliances near water, poison…"

"Rory."

"…chainsaws, bombs, messed up car wiring…"

"Rory! Just tell me who it is!"

"Do you promise to the aforementioned things?"

"I promise. Now will you just tell me? It can't be all that bad," he persuaded, standing up.

Rory took a deep breath. "It's Dean."

"Or it can be," he said, sinking back into his seat.

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"We're simply going to tell Emily that the kid is yours," Lorelai said to Tristan as the three stood outside the Gilmore house for Friday night dinner.

"Yah. It took us an hour to convince Luke not to kill Dean, and another hour to explain to him where you fit into all this," Rory said. "Let's keep it simple."

"Why is no one ringing the doorbell?" Emily asked, opening the front door.

"We heard there were terrorists running around planting bombs in doorbells. We didn't want to blow everyone up," Lorelai answered.

"Umm hmm. Try coming up with a more plausible story next time Lorelai. Even the truth that you don't want to come in is more bearable than your ridiculous 'jokes.'"

They got seated in the living room. "What would everyone like to drink?" Emily asked.

"Coke," both Rory and Tristan answered at the same time. They smiled at each other.

"Lorelai?"

"Margarita please."

She made the drinks and passed them around.

"You're not having anything Mom?" Lorelai asked, noticing her mother's empty hand.

"No. I don't feel like anything."

"Grandma I have an announcement I would like to make," Rory said.

"Wonderful! What is it? Oh my gosh! You made the honor role at Yale!"

"Not quite. I'm pregnant."

"Maybe I'll have that drink after all."

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"Grandma! We're not going to get married!" Rory cried, her head in her hands in frustration. Tristan was beside her on the couch, massaging her shoulders. Lorelai was pacing around the room, reliving the night 20 years ago when she and Chris had told Emily the same exact thing. Emily was fixing herself her fifth gin, demanding for the hundredth time that Rory and Tristan get married immediately.

"Look at your mother!" Emily said, pointing wildly at Lorelai. "She refused to get married to Christopher. And look at her! It's twenty years later and she has gotten nowhere. She's not a wife. She has no other children. And just two years ago she fell back in love with Christopher just to find he had moved on with a wife and child of his own!"

"That's not fair Mom!" Lorelai cried, stamping her foot like a child. "When did this become an attack on me? We're not here to discuss my personal life!"

"I'm not 'attacking' you Lorelai. I'm simply pointing out what happnes to a person when they refuse to marry someone that they have created a child with. Do you want Rory to be alone and unhappy for the rest of her life?"

"I'm neither alone nor unhappy," Lorelai insisted. "I love my life."

"Rory's going somewhere. She's in Yale. She has the potential to do anything she wants in life. I-I just don't think I can sit here and watch yet another Gilmore woman throw her life away." Emily sank into a chair, sobbing. "I don't think I can bare it."

Rory crossed the room to where her grandmother was sitting. She kneeled beside her. "I'm not throwing my life away Grandma," she said. "I can still go to Yale. I can finish first semester. Maybe second semester I'll only take one or two classes. Tristan and I are getting an apartment together. He'll help out, and so will mom. I'm not throwing anything away. Its just going to take me a little bit longer is all."

"I'm going upstairs," Emily said. "Feel free to let yourselves out." She went upstairs.

Lorelai smiled. "That went well, don't you think?"

a/n: sorry if this chapter got really repetitive. I got kinda bored writing everybody's reactions. I hope you guys didn't get bored too. Please review; I'd love to hear your input.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

beyoncekelisholmes: you said you wanted dean and lindsay to die in a car crash. well they won't.

BUT SOMEONE ELSE WILL

muah ha ha ha

oh, and let me just tell everyone right now, i've had this whole story planned out from the beginning, this was always going to happen....

review please!