Disclaimer: I STILL OWN NOTHING…DAMN IT.

Chapter 8: Celebrations and Reconciliations

The leaves had started to turn and the days had become shorter. There was the cool breeze letting all know that winter was on its way.

"So how long has that been out like that?"

"I shouldn't have shown you." Rory complained.

"No, no, I mean what does that mean it is done? Like that thing in a turkey? She is ready to be born now?" Lane mocked.

"See if I ever show you my stomach again."

"I am sorry, I just have never seen a belly button do that before."

"Lane!"

"Dropping it."

"So when is your last day at the paper?"

"My doctor says that I am fine to work right on up to a week before the due date, but Mr. Oliver is neurotic and fears me giving birth while at work so this is my last week."

"And he is keeping your position for you for when you get back?"

"Yeah, I will take the first month completely off, and Monica the crazy photographer is going to cover for me."

"Monica…running through the streets with her Nikon yelling at everyone to 'make news' Monica?"

"She really means well, I am sure that she will do fine."

"So you think when you go back they are going to give you that position in layout that you want?"

"No clue, they seem to be looking for someone, but don't seem to be in a hurry to find someone."

Lorelai came bounding up to the girls in glee.

"Hey guys guess what?"

"The fifth dentist caved and now they are all recommending Trident?" Lane said.

"Very funny, but no."

"Well the suspense is killing me"

"No honey those are your ankles."

"Ok you two enough Rory's seven and a half months pregnant and huge jokes."

"Oh honey…"

"Seriously mom…"

"Wow cranky."

"She has been that way all day."

"Hello, human inside me…you'd be cranky too." Rory said gesturing to her stomach.

"Okay, okay…Sookie is pregnant."

"Give her my condolences." Rory said monotone flopping onto the bench.

"Rory."

"I'm sorry, that is great." Rory said with tears in her eyes.

"Oh honey, these mood swings have taken control of you."

"I know." Rory said in a high pitched whine.

"Oh Rory, don't cry." Lorelai said hugging her daughter.

"I want it out!"

"I know honey."

"She is making me crazy…I want to have a conversation without getting emotional and taking everything so personally."

"You will honey, in about a month and a half. Hey, think about this your birthday is coming up…you want to do anything special? Huh? We can take a trip or something…maybe a weekend at a spa?"

"No, I think it would be fine if you and I just laid low."

"As you wish." Lorelai said.

"Come on, lets go to Lukes, between you looking pathetic and me looking cute, I think we can get not only our meal free, but get him to give us half the diner, we can change the name to Two Lorelais and a Luke Diner…"

"Mom…"

"I am just trying to help."

Later at the Dragonfly…

"All right so everyone is invited right?" Lorelai asked.

"I sent out the last of the invites today." Sookie said.

"And the rooms are blocked out that day?"

"Yep, no guests to disturb."

"Cake?"

"Birthday and baby done."

"I talked to her today, she said she doesn't want a party, I told her that was fine…I hope the surprise doesn't send her into labor."

"Now that would be one party mess, I wouldn't want to clean up."

Michel walked carrying the phone.

"For you." He said handing the phone to Lorelai.

"Hello."

"Lorelai, it's your mother."

"Mom?"

"Your father and I received the invitation to Rorys Birthday-baby shower, and I just wanted to RSVP, we will be there, both of us."

"Mom, I…" Lorelai said shooting a look at Sookie.

"Your father has come to terms with this whole thing, he was very disappointed when Rory wrote him to tell him she wasn't going back to Yale and why, but he accepted the gesture as a hand and he is taking it. He has missed her, we have missed her."

"Letter?"

"Yes, about a month or so ago a letter arrived from Rory explaining the new plan she had for her life. She told us how you both were doing and closed with how she missed us…"

"Mom, this is going to be a happy day for her, okay, she hasn't seen dad in almost five and a half months, you have been MIA since the sonogram…"

"I don't put my nose where I am not welcome."

"Mom, you are welcome with us, you just can't push your way, we are both grown, Rory too, she is going to do what she is going to do and not even I can change her mind."

"I am aware."

"She is having the baby and living with me. She has decided to wait on school; I will make sure she goes back. She is happy, she has a job at the local paper, she has her friends, she is doing fine, and she needs nothing from you. She is very fragile right now mom, I don't want you coming and trying to save her and fix all her problems, she doesn't want your money, she just wants to see you guys and not be shut out anymore. So if you can come, come, give her a huge and kiss, tell her you've missed her, eat some cake, and pretend that you never judged her, maybe even bring a small appropriate gift. Do not come in and lord your presence over her, don't make her feel like she doesn't want you there, or that she is sorry for inviting you. She can't take it right now and I won't allow it."

"We will be on our best behavior, I promise. She is our granddaughter Lorelai and despite what you may think we still love her, we never stopped, we were just very disappointed in her. I am sorry that we reacted the way that we did, but…" Lorelai could hear her mother sniff on the other end of the phone.

"Mom…"

"We don't want to lose her the way we lost you. We want to know our great granddaughter."

"See you in two weeks then."

"See you then."

"Hey mom."

"Yes."

"I'm sorry too."

With that they hung up the phone and Lorelai redirected her focus on Sookie.

"Now before you get mad at me…" Sookie said starting to defend herself.

"It's okay Sook…I almost did about 10 times…I just couldn't get the stamp on the envelope."

"Well I signed it, sealed it and it has been delivered."

"So the parents are coming to the party."

"That they are."

……………………….

"Rory! Rory are you home?" Lorelai said rushing into the house. It had been two weeks since the phone call with her mother, and everything was in place at the Inn for the surprise party to end all surprise parties.

"I am in here, what's wrong?"

"Oh hon, catastrophe at the Inn. I…and the thing with the spread sheet, and the checks, and the mad employees…"

"Are you saying you need me to come fix the spread sheet, so that you can finish payroll, and give your employees there checks?"

"Yes."

"Okay, but this is the last time, you need to pay attention this time…I am not going to be here to do this for you forever."

"Cross my heart, come on, come on."

"This is as fast as I waddle."

A few minutes later they pulled up to the Inn.

"Mom, why are all the lights in the Inn off?"

"Uh, the front light burned out, I need to have Julio replace it…we'll go in through the kitchen."

The pair walked through the kitchen and into the dining room. Sookie flipped on the light and everyone yelled.

"Surprise!"

"Oh my God…"Rory said.

"Happy Birthday, baby shower Rory." Lorelai said hugging her daughter.

"Wow, thank you…I…"

Just then Rory noticed her grandparents from across the room.

"Grandma, grandpa!" Rory said rushing over to her grandparents. "I can't believe you came."

"It is your birthday of course we came." Emily said hugging her daughter.

"I received your letter. When you are ready, I will do what I can to help you get back into Yale, if that is what you choose." Richard said.

"Thank you grandpa."

"You look well." He said.

"I will be much better once I get your great granddaughter off of my bladder and into the world."

"When is the big day?" Emily asked.

"Doc says in the next few weeks." Lorelai said walking up to the group.

"November 19th is the day." Rory added.

"November 19th wasn't that your mothers birthday Richard?"

"November 9th was Trixs birthday."

"That's right. I remember now."

"Well come, come, we have a lot of gifts and very little time." Lorelai said.

Rory followed her mother to the head table and took a seat. There were more gifts than Rory could have ever imagined. As she opened them one by one as everyone oooed and awed over them. She was down to the last present when Luke snuck into the room carrying a beautiful hand crafted crib.

Lorelai walked over to him and gave him a quick peck and shooed him over to Rory.

"I think that was the last one." Lane said.

"Wait, wait, there is one more." Luke said walking up behind them.

Rory turned and saw the crib that he was carrying in.

"Oh my God Luke." She said covering her mouth and looking at the crib. "Did you make this?"

"Yeah."

"It's beautiful."

"It wasn't that hard, I saw a picture I carved the wood."

"Luke it is beautiful, thank you so much."

"You're welcome, I mean…yeah you're welcome."

Rory gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you Luke, for always being there for me."

"I always will be." Luke said.

"Can I steal him for a moment Rory?" Lorelai said walking up to them.

"Yeah, sure."

Lorelai took Lukes hand and lead him over to her parents.

"Mom, dad you remember Luke, he owns Lukes diner?"

"Yes, good evening Luke, that is a beautiful crib you crafted."

"Mom, dad, I just wanted to tell you that Luke and I have been dating for about the last…five months or so…so uh yeah, you should know, and meet, and stuff." Lorelai said feeling suddenly uncomfortable.

"Well that is wonderful." Emily said.

"Your daughter is really a great person, and your granddaughter is really something."

"You better take good care of them son." Richard said. Taking everyone by surprise.

"I promise you that sir."

With the gifts opened and the cake eaten, the stories told and the good wishes given, the party started to die down.

Soon it was just the five of them sitting in the study. Richard and Rory were having their first talk in months, swapping stories about what book they just read and Rory was telling him all about her appointments and the names she was considering for her daughter.

Luke had dozed off in the arm chair and Emily and Lorelai were watching Rory and Richard closely as if they were waiting to jump in and referee at any moment.

"He seems better."

"He has missed her."

"I bet." Lorelai said sipping her coffee.

"He's missed you too."

Lorelai snickered.

"He has, it was hard for him at first, for both of us, just like it was with you. He came around with you, he came around with her."

"Yeah." Lorelai said avoiding that argument.

"You will call us when it is time won't you?"

"You will be our first call."

"I am sorry Lorelai. I am sorry that we acted in such a way. We were just shocked."

"No, mom, really, I understand. I actually, know where you were coming from all those years ago, when she told me…I…I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream and yell and tell her what to do, but, I realized, I couldn't. I couldn't be so hypocritical, I mean I had her so young and I have always been so proud of doing it on my own. I am sorry, I was so well, impossible."

"Me too. I mean, I am sorry for that too."

Lorelai smiled at her mother over the top of her mug.

"Well Lorelai, I think that it is time you get this girl home and to bed." Richard said standing up.

"I think so too." Lorelai said standing and putting her arm around her daughter.

"Sleepy." Rory said leaning on her mother.

"Whoa…hey mom, dad, quick, quick…put your hand on her belly, put your hand on her belly."

"What?" They said in unison.

"Your great, grandchild is kicking her little heart out…put your damn hands on your granddaughters belly."

Reluctantly they placed their hands on Rorys middle and felt as the newest edition to their family made her presence known.

"Well, I'll be." Richard said as a smile swept his face.

"New baby Gilmore, meet your great grandparents." Lorelai said and smiled.

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