A/N: I know this is not a light and casual story. But please keep reading and reviewing. I'm sorry it takes so long for me to update. I've been swamped at work lately. This is my first fan fic so bear with me :)
Once again, I do not claim any rights to the characters in my story. They are the sole creations of the WB, Amy Sherman-Palladino and Co. But I do express my utmost gratitude to them for providing us with such amazing characters to relate and believe in.
Chapter 4: A Much Needed Distraction"Paris, I swear it wasn't my idea," Rory started to say as Paris exited Charlie's office.
"Save it Gilmore, it doesn't matter now," was all Paris replied walking by her friend. Paris wasn't angry that Gilmore had been given the Delaney story. In fact, in the back of her mind, she couldn't help but think that it could play out to be very interesting; after all Tristan was expecting "good ol' Paris" to show up this afternoon, and was he in for a surprise when his Mary showed up instead.
"So are you gonna stop and really introduce yourself, or am I expected to just follow you around until you decide to throw something my way?" Dylan asked as the two wound their way through the newsroom. Paris's co-workers were used to her whirlwind pace and hardly looked up as she stormed back to her desk.
"What's the deal with you and the boss? Did you get his daughter pregnant and then ditch her? Why does he hate you, and if you're the station manager for CNN what are you doing here? Couldn't you have just sent some underling to deal with this?" Paris fired off coming to a sudden stop and causing Dylan to almost run into her. She sneered at him and gave him her best drop-dead glare. He reminded her so much of Jamie, and the fact that for a brief moment she felt second of regret and wistfulness caused her temper to flare into overdrive.
"Whoa girl," which earned him a dangerous snarl, "I'll answer your questions- all in good time, now let's do this proper. I'm Dylan Brash, and yes I am the station manager for CNN, but I am also one of the head news correspondents for the show, now your turn," Dylan replied thinking that working with Paris was going to be a challenge and also a great deal of fun. What he didn't know was that frustration, irritation, and utter bewilderment would also be a part of his feelings for the intrepid reporter.
"Rory Gilmore-Danes, how can I help you?" Rory said answering her desk phone. It still gave her a pleasant rush to think about how she had had her last name changed when Luke and her mother had been married.
"Daughter of mine, do you know how much I love hearing you answer the phone? Luke does too; he gets all puffed up with pride," Lorelei replied sighing into the phone. It had been three years since she had married her diner man, and every day she still couldn't believe her luck. Luke had nearly cried, and for him that was astounding, when Rory had asked him if he would be all right with her adding his last name to hers. He subscribed to the Washington Tribune just to scour the paper for Rory's articles. He'd never tell her, but he had an entire collection of her columns with every single one having her name highlighted. It brought a smile to her face just thinking about it.
"Hi mom, how are you?" Rory asked enjoying the much-needed distraction. She missed her mother, Luke, Stars Hollow, even her grandparents. D.C. was everything she had hoped it would be, but she still missed home quite a lot.
"Oh just about as dandy as I was since the last time we talked- since it's now 10:15 A.M. it's been a whole 14 hours since we've last chatted. We can't be letting this happen again, young lady,"
"Yes mom, I promise, but since yesterday you were so cryptic in your, Ror I'll call you tomorrow I gotta go… umm do something comments, I figured your life had just gotten rather hectic," Rory replied taking a minute to relax from this morning's drama. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Paris and the guy who had gotten Charlie all upset arguing away at her desk. She'd have to ask Paris more about him later.
"So how are things at that little paper going?" Lorelei asked thinking her daughter had no idea how hectic her life had been in the past twenty-four hours. She walked into the kitchen of her Inn andmotioned to Sookie what was obvious the international sign for "I need coffee stat!" All she was met with was a bland glance and a shake of her head. She ran her hand over her stomach and then smiled at her best friend. Ah yes, the reason for calling Rory.
"Mom, I work for one of the biggest papers in the country, ok, not as big as the New York Times or the Los Angeles Herald, but still this paper is important, and I like what I do!" Rory started to exclaim but heard her mother laughing in the background.
"Rory, I know how great that paper is, listen I have some important news to tell you, are you busy?" Lorelei asked grabbing a muffin from the counter and heading out onto the back porch. She needed some privacy and a minute off of her feet.
"What's going on? Is it Luke? Are you ok?" Rory asked suddenly realizing that the typical witty banter exchanged between mother and daughter was unusually short this morning.
"I'm fine Rory, but I have something big, I mean Kirstie Alley big, to tell you," Lorelei kidded curling up on the swing she had installed back here just for this express purpose. This little nook was her place to escape; only a handful of people knew that this part of the porch existed and at this time in the morning most people weren't even up yet. It was going to a hellish time not being able to have coffee first thing in the morning.
"Did Kirk try and break in to the house and sleep in my bedroom again?" Rory asked trying not to think of the time she came home from Yale to find the Kirk naked in her bed. It was a traumatizing event for all involved. Kirk still avoided her every time she went home, and well, that was probably a good thing.
"No, let's see, how to do this? What do Madonna, Geena Davis, and Susan Sarandon all have in common?" Lorelei asked just wanting to blurt out her news to her daughter. The only other person who knew was Sookie, and she desperately wanted someone else to talk to about this. As soon as she had told Rory she had big plans to clue in her husband Luke, as well.
"Their careers have faded out and they've all been on VH1's Whatever Happened To…" Rory answered not sure where this conversation was going. But then again, this was Lorlei.
"Wait, have you had your morning coffee, yet?" Rory asked knowing that when Lorelei called before her coffee had been able to get through her system the conversation tended to be confusing and hard to understand.
"Nope, and I won't be for nine more months!" Lorelei finally squealed- something she never did. Gilmore's never squealed; they may yell and giggle, shout and sneer, but squealing had never been something that Lorelei or Rory ever did.
"What! Mom! Are you seriously saying what I think you're saying?" Rory gasped. Her mother had just celebrated her 40th birthday. She couldn't be. And yet, what other reasons would she be giving up coffee for? Or mentioning three past their prime celebrities, ok Madonna was a classic, but when was the last time she really had put out a number one hit?
"I'm preggers!" Lorelei finally exclaimed. She waited for a reaction from her daughter. She was actually nervous. What if Rory hated the idea? She needed her baby to be supportive of her mom having, well, another baby.
"Forgetting for a moment that you actually just used the word preggers, OH MY GOD!" Rory finally shouted causing everyone to look up from their desks. Rory Gilmore was known for being quiet and calm. It was a rare occasion that the young reporter showed such candid excitement.
"So you're ok with this?" Lorelei asked tentatively. She could feel the weight beginning to lift off of her shoulders. She knew Luke would be ecstatic, but it would have killed her if Rory hadn't been excited. As Rory got older, the two somehow managed to get closer and closer. It mattered what her daughter thought.
"Are you kidding? I'm so excited! I'm going to be a big sister! How's Luke doing? Is he hovering over you? How's the withdrawal from coffee going? Oh my god, have you had morning sickness? How far along are you? Have you been to a doctor?" Rory fired off barely able to contain her excitement.
"Whoa there Nelly, I'll answer all questions, but I need you to take a deep breath cause I'm not done with my news yet," Lorelei said grinning from ear to ear.
"What! Tell me now woman or I swear I'll show my little brother or sister the tape of you karaoking with Miss Patty and pinching Taylor's behind," Rory threatened.
"You wouldn't! Ok, ok, so to answer one of your questions I'm about three months along, and no I haven't started getting fat, although I am having a little trouble fitting into my jeans, and I'm telling Luke tonight. I've been getting sick every morning but chalked it up to the vicious spring fever that's been going through Stars Hollow. I went to the doctor's yesterday because I had been fighting what I had thought was the flu for a month, and lo and behold, old Doc Winters tells me I'm pregnant," Lorelei exclaimed caught up in the excitement of the moment. The doctor had been as surprised as she had. He had been her doctor since she came to town twenty odd years ago, pregnant with Rory. He had brought Rory into the world and it would seem he would be bringing Lorelei's next child into the world.
"Before you say anything, I need to tell you the other bit of news – Rory I went yesterday to have a sonogram and I'm having twins!" Lorelei squealed again getting used to this vocal trick. Squealing had its merits. She knew that over the next few months she'd be doing a lot of it. After all, she was having two little babies, had a husband who would actually be around, and life just glowed right now.
"TWINS! Mom, I'm coming home as soon as I can," Rory said nearly falling out of her chair. Give it to her mother to never do things conventionally. Having her at sixteen and now twins at forty, Lorelei was an amazing woman.
"Wait, why haven't you told Luke yet? Didn't you at least suspect when you stopped getting your monthly visitor?" Rory asked suddenly worried that things weren't on an even keel between her parents. It was nice to refer to Luke as her dad. Sure, things between Christopher, her biological dad, and her were great, but Luke had always been there for her. And when he had married her mother it just seemed natural to start thinking of him as her dad.
"Don't worry, mini-me, the only reason I haven't told Luke yet is because he's been gone for the past two weeks. Liz asked him to fly out to California and help her with the National Renaissance Exhibition fair. Apparently T.J. had gotten into a bar fight with one of the other Renaissance knights and had been barred from the fairgrounds. I thought I was just going through the big change of life a little early. After all I'd been all over the place emotionally and well, with Luke gone, I just chalked it up to my body missing my hubby," Lorelei said giggling at the mental image of Luke snarling at the ridiculous Renaissance crowd. It seemed the more he growled at people the more people responded. Apparently he played the role of rough and cruel Middle Ages proprietor extremely well. He called home every day, but this was news she wanted to tell him in person. His flight got in at 4 that afternoon, and Lorelei had a whole evening planned out.
"Two weeks at the Renaissance Fair, poor Luke. I believe that this news will most definitely make up for the torture of having to deal with all the crazies," Rory kidded imagining Luke describe the insanity that was the Renaissance crowd.
"I have the whole evening planned out. Rory, I am so excited," Lorelei sighed finishing off her muffin and standing up. The business of running the Dragonfly Inn beckoned, and she knew that it wouldn't be long before she let Luke bully her into taking some time off to have the baby. She understood the increased risk of having a baby at 40, but she was feeling great, and she trusted Doc Winters. He had recommended an obstetrician who dealt with older soon to be moms, and expected regular updates. She had made the man, much to his chagrin, pinky swear that once the baby was born he would be the child's godfather. After all, who better to have watching out for you than the first person that knew of your existence?
"Listen mom, I have got to run, but as soon as I have a moment free, I'm going online and booking a flight home. Call me tomorrow and let me know how Luke reacts. Ooh wait till Taylor finds out. I'm betting he starts some sort of campaign for baby names," Rory laughed as she gathered her notes for the staff meeting coming up. She looked at her watch and grimaced; she had planned on getting research done for her article on the new federal tax break that unwed single mothers were receiving. Oh well, this distraction had been well worth it.
"Ok hon, sorry I didn't get to ask how things were going for you. I'm assuming that all is well in Rory land?" Lorelei asked heading back into the Inn.
"Yes, all is well, take it easy Mom, and I'll talk to you tomorrow, love ya," Rory said as she noticed people shuffling towards the conference area.
"Yes dear, love you too," Lorelei replied before hanging up the phone. She took a moment to wrap her arms around her self and give a little squeeze. These two little babies were being born into a real family that would treasure them always. But Rory would forever be her first born. She was blessed, truly blessed.