Disclaimer: Don't own Gilmore Girls, never have, never will…
So Skylar was pregnant. It wasn't something that was planned, but yet it wasn't a mistake either. Jess was more excited then ever and Skylar was scared. Yes they were engaged but they weren't married, and they were young.
Since Skylar was scared the only person she seemed to be able to turn to was Rory. They had been friends in high school, and for some odd reason it seemed that Rory was her only friend aside from Jess.
Rory became a very active part of Skylar's pregnancy. She was constantly at her side, helping with whatever she needed help with. It was Jess's baby which made it almost like her own. She couldn't wait, a little jess, or "jess"ica would soon enough be running around and Rory wanted to be there for every part of it.
"Rory, I don't know if I can do this." Skylar said scared waiting for the doctor to call her in.
"What do you mean? You're doing fine so far." She comforted her.
"No I mean this, all of it, I'm scared, I mean I'm only 20 years old, I have my whole life ahead of me, a baby is a huge responsibility, I'm not sure I can handle it."
"Skylar you can do this, my mom was only 16 when she had me, and look at her life, it couldn't be better, and look at me, I'm well… me, plus she was alone in all of this, you have Jess, and you have me."
"I know that Jess can handle it but I don't know if I can. I've never seen Jess more excited about anything in his life. He cant wait to become a dad, and for us to finally get married, but I don't think he understands how hard it is going to be, He thinks its like a puppy, its not a puppy, it's a CHILD"
"Jess never really was a dog person" Rory laughed, she looked over at Skylar, who had a very worried look on her face, "Sorry, listen its going to be fine, I will help out as much as possible, and this is just the beginning of the wonderful life you have ahead of you. Just think… once this baby is born Jess and you are finally going to get married, a true husband and wife, and you'll have a beautiful baby, your life is perfect, you have an amazing husband to be who actually cares about you, wants to marry you, and more importantly wants that baby, I wish I was only as lucky as you."
Rory thought about her life, she wished she was Skylar, that way it would be her and Jess having a baby, her and Jess engaged to be married. But she wasn't Skylar and she never would be.
"Maybe your right" Skylar tried reassuring herself, "If Jess can do this, I can do this, at least I have a Jess right?" she looked over at Rory nervously.
"Right" Rory nodded her head. Just then the Doctor called Skylar in, "You want me to come with you?"
"No, I can do this" she smiled as she walked through the door leaving Rory sitting alone in the waiting room.
When the appointment was done they shopped around in Hartford for awhile picking out cute baby items that would look adorable in the nursery. Skylar was thankful that she had Rory; otherwise she would be doing this all alone.
When they finally made it back to Stars Hallow they went straight to the diner. Jess was behind the counter waiting for them, he set a coffee cup on the counter for Rory and she smiled at him. Skylar came walking through with tons of bags; Jess took them from her and set them down near the stairs.
"So how was the Doctor's appointment?" he asked.
"It was fine," Skylar replied, "Everything is going great, I'm healthy, the babies healthy, we're moving right along in the right direction."
"Good to know" he kissed her a soft kiss before heading back behind the counter.
"I'm going to take these bags upstairs and rest my feet on that nice comfy couch calling my name, if you need me, you'll know where to find me." She stood up slowly and made her way upstairs into the apartment.
"So it's all okay?" Jess asked Rory for reassurance.
"Its all okay" she smiled, she went to open her mouth to say something but she shut it quickly.
"What?" Jess asked with a very concerned look on his face.
"What, what?" Rory looked around.
"You were going to say something but stopped."
"Oh well I was just going to ask if you and Skylar have really talked about this whole baby situation seriously, but it's really none of my business."
"No it's your business, you are like a second mother to this child, but what makes you ask?"
"Well she just told me today that she was really scared, that she's having her doubts, not about you, but about herself, you do realize this is child right Jess?"
"Yes I realize it's a child Rory, what did you think I thought it was just like a puppy or something?"
She smiled, "I didn't, but Skylar might have thought that."
"I'll talk to her later," he was wiping the counter, "I'm sure it's much harder on her then it is on me."
Rory smiled and nodded her head, "you got that right".
"Thanks for helping out Rory, I really don't know what Skylar or I would do without you, you've made everything 10 times easier for the both of us."
"Yeah well what are friends for right?"
"You're not a friend…" he looked her straight in the eyes, "your family."
"Right family…I still can't believe your about to be a father. It is such a scary thought" she laughed.
Jess looked at her with a hurt expression on his face before he started laughing, "It is scary huh?"
"Why are you laughing? You're not supposed to agree with me goob! You're supposed to say, it's not scary, I'm going to be a great father."
Jess looked at her very seriously, but in a jokingly way, "Well I am going to be a great father, but that doesn't mean its not scary, I'm young, I can barely take care of me, let alone Skylar, I figure if the kid gets too hard I'll just throw it to the wolves, maybe give it to Luke for Christmas or his birthday, which ever comes first." he shrugged.
"And you say your going to be a great father, I just don't see it." She started looking him up and down
"Its in my toe, I can feel it."
"Right, your toe, that's always where everything has been; your fear of heights, your love of water, and now your parenting skills, just think what would ever happen if you lost that toe."
"I would be a cat afraid to jump that found my only pleasure in scratching up poor defenseless children."
"What a sad and pathetic life, you better watch that toe like it's made out of gold." She smiled.
"Oh I already do, trust me." He laughed. "It feels good to laugh again with you Rory. To talk about stupid non-important things and enjoy it."
"It does feel good." She agreed, "Really who else could you talk to about that sort of thing with."
"No one. Because no one gets me like you do."
"Ditto" she nodded, "And I don't think anyone ever will."
"Well don't think like that or you'll be alone for the rest of your life."
"Well even if I do find someone, they'll never know me like you know me."
"I guess, but that's just because we have a past, they will know certain things that I don't because they'll know your future."
"Kind of like Skylar?"
"Nah." He shook his head, "Me and Skylar have no secrets."
"Huh. But there are some things she knows that I don't."
Jess looked at her, "Like what?"
"She knows what its like to kiss you, and sleep with you, and to have you."
"But you know all that too, we've kissed, we've slept, you've had."
"But not the way she has, she knows what its like to be with you." Rory took a sip of her coffee.
Jess looked at her, "But you know everything that matters, and just so you know, you still have me Rory, I'm not going anywhere."
Rory smiled, she didn't know everything that mattered, kissing and sleeping did matter to her. She thought about it, why does it matter? He's her best friend; it shouldn't matter, not unless there were feelings there. She started to panic at the thought and then looked at him "I have to get going, movie night tonight, and you know how my mom gets if I'm late."
"Boy do I know, witnessed it first hand myself, not a pretty sight"
"You're telling me?" Rory laughed, "Night Jess."
"Night Rory", he watched her as she left the diner. He turned back to her cup of coffee and picked it up off the counter cleaning where she had just sat. Movie night, he missed those; it used to be mandatory that he came, and now they held them without him. When did he stop going, and why he thought? He should never have let things change; he missed it all too much.