Arielle

By: Alyson Tierney

Disclaimer: I do not own Lorelai or Rory Gilmore, or any other character associated with Gilmore Girls the way it is seen on television. Those characters and other related things and ideas belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino and the WB Network. However, I do own Alicia and Arielle, since I made them up.

Author's Note: This story idea is taken from the book "Baby" by Patricia MacLachlan, so I'd like to thank her for the terrific story idea, and I hope I did it justice in this story. It takes place this Christmas—I hope you like this, and have a very good holiday season. The next chapter will be available soon, but if you guys want to check out my story "Gunshots and Secrets" you can access it on my profile.

I wanted to clarify an issue that seems to be confusing to some people. It has often been thought that babies are just helpless little things that can't do anything, but in truth, babies are little human beings, and are always learning new things. The average five-month-old can grasp larger toys, roll over, sit with support, eat solid baby foods, and has been able to recognize their mother for several months. Babies start memorizing their mothers' faces, voices, and scents at birth, and are very good at immediately recognizing them by about 3 or 4 months of age.

I continue to be very impressed with the number of you who took the time to review parts of the story and say what you liked and what could be changed. It's those reviewers that help a writer improve her work so it can be the best it can be. I thank you very much, each and every one of you. You rock! Keep reviewing!

CHAPTER NINE

"So what exactly did Grandma call this then?" Rory asked, as she and her mom walked towards the front door of the Gilmore mansion the next night. Lorelai, Rory, and Arielle were all dressed in their Christmas best; Rory carrying presents for her grandparents, and Lorelai clutching the infant carrier with Arielle sleeping peacefully inside.

"Apparently, it's Christmas Eve Eve dinner." Lorelai said, quoting her mother's words.

Rory chuckled as she rang the doorbell, "They're going out of town on a little get-away tomorrow, right?" she asked, as she shifted the presents back into both arms.

"Yeah. Some romantic-y Christmas thing, I'm sure." Lorelai grinned as the door swung open.

"Merry Christmas!" Emily Gilmore sang out, as she greeted her daughter and grand-daughter.

"Merry Christmas, Mom." Lorelai said, smiling, stepping inside the house with her bundle.

"Merry Christmas, Grandma." Rory echoed, following her mom inside.

Emily leaned over to peer into the infant seat, "She is adorable! How old is she?" Emily asked, with a huge smile on her face.

"Almost 5 months." Lorelai answered. Rory looked a little shocked that her grandma was smiling and enthusiastic with Arielle.

"Come! Come into the living room! We're about to hear Darren's story about how he acquired a paint shop last spring." Emily said, taking Arielle's carrier from Lorelai and walking quickly into the living room.

"Hey, she took the baby!" Lorelai whined, as they took their coats off, and followed Emily, "Mom's always loved babies. It's just when they get older that she doesn't quite know what to do." Lorelai explained to Rory, as they entered the living room. Lorelai and Rory recognized everyone from last year; Caroline, Darren, and their new son, and Judy and Sherman. Richard, instead of offering Lorelai and Rory drinks, was in deep conversation with Sherman and Darren, and Judy, Caroline, and Emily were cooing over the babies.

"Lorelai! Arielle is adorable!" Judy looked up, and smiled at the girls as they took a seat. Rory noticed that Arielle was still asleep, but she'd probably wake up soon if the women didn't stop talking so loudly.

"Isn't she? She's asleep, though, and we'd like to keep her that way. She's so crabby if you wake her up." Lorelai said, hoping the women would get the hint.

"I know. Junior is exactly the same way." Caroline supplied, as she offered her son a fuzzy blue elephant. Junior smiled and waved it around, before flinging it directly in Judy's face. Lorelai and Rory choked back laughter as Judy let out a shriek, and Caroline started apologizing profusely for her son's behavior.

"Dinner is served." Everyone looked up to see yet another new maid announcing it was time for the Christmas feast. Everyone smiled and voiced their approval, as they all headed into the dining room. Dinner was an animated event, with Richard, Sherman, and Darren only talking about business, Emily, Judy, Caroline, and Lorelai only talking about babies, and Junior babbling at the top of his lungs through most of the meal. Arielle's seat was in between Rory and Lorelai, and towards the end of the meal, Rory looked down and noticed the baby was awake and looking up at Rory, confused.

"Hi, Ari." Rory said, softly, as she leaned down and let Arielle grab her finger. Arielle let out a few babbles, before she gave a whine that only meant one thing. She was hungry. Rory loosened the straps on Arielle's seat, and lifted the baby up. Rory looked at Lorelai, who was talking spiritedly to Judy, so she got up and headed for the foyer, where Arielle's bag was.

Rory rifled through it, trying to find an already-prepared bottle, but since Rory and Lorelai had put their hats and mittens and Arielle's snowsuit in the bag, she had to dig deep. Arielle was beginning to get frustrated, her hunger going unchecked, and began to cry. Lorelai came into the foyer then, "Babe?" she asked.

"Hey. She's hungry, but I can't find her bottle." Rory said, frantically.

"I put it in the side pocket." Lorelai informed her daughter, reaching in and producing the bottle, "Want me to take over?" she asked.

Rory shook her head, "Can I feed her?" she asked, hopefully.

Lorelai smiled, "Sure. Bring her into the living room, and I'll be right back with her bottle."

Rory smiled back, "Okay!" She carried the fussy baby into the living room, taking a few toys with her from the diaper bag. She tried to get Arielle interested in the toys, and at first it worked, but by the time Lorelai came into the room with the bottle, she was working up to a good shrill cry. Lorelai quickly handed Rory the bottle, and Rory shook it gently, laying Arielle back into her arm, and offering the bottle. Arielle accepted it happily and began to nurse hungrily. Her eyes closed slowly as she drank with enthusiasm.

"Wow, such a hungry girl." Lorelai remarked, as she brushed her hand over the infant's hair. Arielle let out a satisfied gurgle, as the warm milk filled her tummy. She reached one hand out and put it on Rory's, almost helping hold her own bottle. "You're good at that." Lorelai remarked, tucking Rory's hair behind her ears.

Rory smiled, "Well, I watched you." Rory and Lorelai locked eyes for a moment, each trying to read the other. They smiled, and then Rory looked back down at the baby, voices from the dining room wafting in.

"Hey, babe?" Lorelai said a few seconds later, and Rory looked up, her eyes questioning, "What's on your mind about Arielle being here over Christmas break?"

"I don't know." Rory said, looking down as she gathered her thoughts. She sighed, and looked up at her mom, "I love Alicia, and I love Arielle. I love having her with us, because she's so sweet and adorable and happy, but…"

"But…" Lorelai prompted.

"I just…I miss alone time with my mom. I miss being your only baby; the only one you sing to at night, the only one you cuddle…I miss doing stuff; we haven't really done anything together. This whole break was supposed to be about us. I'm not mad at Alicia or Arielle about it, I just…I miss it being only you and me." Rory's voice broke, and she tried to choke back tears.

Lorelai reached out and cupped her daughter's face in both her hands, "It is only you and me. In the end, it always is only you and me. Arielle won't be with us forever. She might be for awhile more, but it won't be forever. You are my one and only baby girl, and I love you so much. I love the bright, energetic, caring, and gorgeous young woman you are—especially when you have my necklace and shoes on."

Rory smiled and chuckled softly, "I know. I know all that. It's just…"

"It's different. You and I are so used to it being only us, the Two-Bright-and-Chatty-but-Very-Stubborn-Gilmore-Girls, that any difference is going to confuse and disappoint us momentarily, but any change will eventually turn out to be better for both of us." Lorelai said, nodding confidently.

Rory smiled, "Yeah, it will. I know it will. I just…can I help you with her?"

Lorelai smiled, "Of course you can." She kissed her daughter's cheek, holding her face for a few moments before letting go, and focusing on Arielle, "You want me to get you a burp rag?" she asked, noting that Arielle was nearly finished.

"Yes, please." Rory smiled. Lorelai got up, looking towards the doorway to see Emily heading towards them from the dining room. Both women stopped in the doorway, and Lorelai turned around. They watched the youngest generation Gilmore as she fed Arielle, smiling down at the baby and talking to her quietly.

"She's a natural." Emily remarked, softly.

"Well she has known how to eat for five months." Lorelai chuckled as she watched.

"Not the baby." Emily said, "Rory."

Rory began to hum to the baby, as Lorelai headed into the foyer to get a rag for her shoulder so she could shield her pretty dress while burping Arielle. Rory smiled, she was more relaxed now that her mom was letting her participate in taking care of Arielle. She didn't feel completely abandoned this way.