"Diamonds and Emeralds"
Author: Bella
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Season Two
Summary: Rory celebrates thirty years.
7:15 AM
She yawned and stretched, reaching her hands over her head so that her fingertips brushed the smooth wooden slats of the headboard. As she snuggled back into the covers, she felt him stir beside her. "Morning, birthday girl," his husky morning voice murmured, and she grinned giddily into her pillow.
The sheets shifted as he scooted closer to her, burrowing against her neck and draping an arm lightly over her stomach. "Feeling okay?"
"So far," she whispered, threading a hand into his thick hair and pressing a light kiss against his cheek.
"Good," he said, kissing her neck. "So, do you feel old yet?"
She slapped him lightly on the arm. "Old like you?"
"Old like me," he confirmed, laughing. She watched a grin spread across his face, and a familiar warm feeling spread through her.
"I don't feel a day over twenty-nine," she decided, and he laughed again. "I can't believe I'm thirty years old."
"Believe it, kiddo," he joked. "Pretty soon we're going to have to register you for AARP."
"I sent your application in yesterday," she returned, kissing his nose. "Your card arrives in six to eight weeks."
"I'm going to have to leave work early every day to wait by the mail slot," he said, his voice still scratchy with sleep, and she giggled. "I doubt Jim will be happy about that."
"Your editor is cranky," she agreed. "My editor is nice, at least."
He lightly stroked her side, smiling at her slight shudder. "Your editor is mean to me."
"You ask for it," she protested, and he made a face. "Well, you do."
"I don't think so," he drawled, leaning on his elbows to kiss her on the mouth. "Present now or later?"
She looked at him in disbelief as he sat up, and he laughed. "Okay, okay, now."
"You know me too well," she crooned, pulling the covers up to her chin and luxuriating in the comfort of the bed. "I don't think I'm going to move at all today."
"Well, I'm not going to tell you that's necessarily a bad idea," he replied while rummaging through his dresser drawers, "though you might want to put some clothes on before your parents and your grandparents get here tonight."
"If I stay under the covers they'll never know," she argued, and he shook his head, finally unearthing a small wrapped box and jumping back onto the bed.
She bounced slightly, giving him a warning look. "Don't make me queasy, seriously."
He cringed, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry." He offered her the small square box, which she took carefully from his fingers, her eyes widening.
"Jewelry...?" she began, and he shrugged.
"Open it."
She frowned. "It's too much. I know already that it's too much."
"There's no way you could possibly know what's in that box. I could have given you my old baby teeth in a box for all you know."
She made a face. "Okay, I hope you're lying."
"Just open the box, Rory," he urged, and she smiled widely as she began to open the paper.
"I love my birthday," she whispered, and he laughed out loud at her little-girl voice. "What? I do."
"You're just..." he smiled. "Nothing."
She glared at him a second time, a smile teasing the corners of her lips. "Whatever..."
Taking the paper off the box, she glanced over at him again, and he just raised his eyebrows and jerked his head toward the present. He lay down beside her, propping his head on a hand to watch her expression. She opened the lid of the box with a slight creak, and her eyes grew as wide as saucers.
"Jess..." she whispered, covering her open mouth with one hand. "Oh, Jess..." She lifted her eyes to his, sinking slowly back down into the pillows, and tears were brimming at her lashes.
He smiled slowly. "Don't tell me they're too much. They weren't. You're worth it."
"It isn't fair to give diamonds to an emotionally unstable woman," she joked, and she wrapped her arms around him, resting her head against his shoulder. "They're beautiful."
"Happy birthday," he whispered against her hair, wrapping his arms around her tightly.
"Thank you for my present," she said, sighing against him.
He smiled. "Thank you for being born."
"You say that every year," she replied, smiling.
"I mean it every year." He kissed her hair, her cheek, her mouth. "Thank you for ... everything."
She grinned, smoothing a hand across his cheek. "My pleasure."
9:30 AM
"Somebody loves you," Jenny commented, tugging on her own earlobe as she breezed past Rory's desk. "You're all sparkly today."
Rory grinned. "How was your date last night?"
Jenny collapsed in one of the chairs in front of the desk. "You don't know how lucky you are that you found yours in high school."
"That bad?"
"You don't know the half of it." She reached forward and glanced at the office birthday basket that took up the majority of one side of the desk. "Happy birthday, by the way."
"Thank you. Thirty feels much better than I thought it would," she said, leaning back in her chair.
"You get used to it," Jenny said, smiling lightly. "Coming to lunch with us? We might splurge for a cupcake if you're on your best behavior."
Rory laughed. "I can't. I've got a doctor's appointment, and then Jess is taking me to lunch. I'm only going to be here this morning."
"Birthday party tonight?"
"Just family, so it's not going to be much of a party," she replied. "Hey, have you talked to Carter about the commentary column?"
Jenny shook her head. "He's in Tahiti. Apparently he's as pissed as the New York weather as we are."
"But he can afford a vacation," Rory finished with a roll of her eyes. "I just ... I hope my name is still in the hat. I can't go on assignment anymore..."
"I'm sure they'll take that into account," Jenny answered. "You know you're number one on the list anyway."
Rory shrugged. "I hope so."
The phone on Rory's desk bleated to life, and Jenny stood and left with a quick wave as Rory picked up the receiver. "Lorelai Gilmore."
"Hello, Lorelai Gilmore. This is Lorelai Gilmore."
Rory smiled. "Hey, Mom."
"You know, you're going to give people a complex, using two different names. One of which is mine."
"Hey, you gave it to me. I think it's a nice professional name."
"Yeah, well, I thought it would be serviceable."
"And Rory Mariano, though it is my favorite of the two, sounds a little un-career-ish."
"Un-career-ish?"
"How is my having two different names going to give anyone a complex?"
"Did I say anyone? Oh, I meant just me," Lorelai replied. "The operator sounds cute. And young."
"He's guilty of both," Rory answered with a laugh. She sighed. "So, I'm thirty years old. I feel old, Mommy."
"You feel old? I'm the one who gave birth to you," Lorelai laughed. "Nah, thirty's a breeze. It's forty-five that sneaks up and kicks you in the ass."
"Duly noted."
"Feeling okay today?"
"Much better than last week," Rory confirmed. "I wasn't even sick this morning."
"Good," Lorelai replied. "I thought Jess was going crazy Tuesday when he called over here."
"He was a little agitated."
"Well, when your spouse wakes up and throws up all over the bathroom for almost an hour, one does tend to get a little nervous."
"Hey, it's his fault I'm puking in the first place," Rory countered, and Lorelai laughed.
"I guess that's true." She paused. "Thinking about telling people tonight?"
Rory cringed. "I just ... I don't even know how to bring it up in conversation."
"Do what I did..." Lorelai advised. "No, wait ... you're married and legal. Perhaps a different approach would work better."
"Ha," Rory replied. "So true."
"Well, I've got to go help Luke with something or other. The man's crazy, Rory. He tries to feed me vegetables and lets me near tools."
"Hey, you married him. Don't look at me."
"Says the woman with the hooligan husband and hooligan baby on the way."
"I like my little hooligan family, thank you," Rory replied with a smile. "Speaking of which, I've got to get to Dr. Estevez's office, anyway."
"I just wanted to call to say happy birthday," Lorelai added. "I love you, sweetie."
Rory felt a lump forming in her throat. "Love you too, Mom. See you tonight."
"We'll be there with bells on!"
Rory hung up the phone with a bemused smile.
10:45 AM
"I'm heading out, Judy," she called over the intercom, picking up her bag and her coat and pressing the voice mail director on her phone. She wrapped a scarf around her neck as she walked through the office, smiling at the birthday wishes that she was offered by fellow writers. The elevator delivered her to the ground floor, and she grinned at the Times insignia on the floor as she walked past the doorman.
She walked down the street purposefully, watching steam rising from street grates and people hurrying to cross intersections. Two men walked precariously on a scaffold above her, changing a broken plate glass window. The October air had a sudden bite to it, and she shuddered, pulling her coat tighter around herself and reaching into her pocket for a pair of gloves. Halfway to the doctor's office she felt someone fall into step beside her.
"Want a bite?"
She looked over to see Jess strolling beside her. He held out a candy bar, and she bent her head to take a bite. "Yum." She hooked her arm through one of his and pulled him closer.
"Alonzo says happy birthday," he offered, pointing back toward the little convenience store close to their apartment. "He also says enjoy the candy bar."
She raised an eyebrow. "You're eating my birthday candy bar?"
"I got two," he replied defensively, leaning over to kiss her temple. "So, how was the newsroom this morning? Anything from Carter?"
"He's in Tahiti," she answered, sighing. "I told Jenny to call me the second she hears something."
"You're going to get the job. They'd be crazy not to reassign you there."
"If only you got to decide," she pointed out.
He shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets as they trudged on. "Feels like it's going to snow or something," he commented.
She nodded. "I wish it accumulated here."
"Streets are too warm."
"Yeah," she agreed. "We get to see it today."
"First baby pictures, huh?"
She felt herself smile unconsciously. "Yeah. First refrigerator pictures."
"Excited?"
"Uh-huh. You?"
"Yeah," he replied, smiling. "Hey, listen ... I'm not trying to pressure you here or anything, because this is still completely your call, but maybe tonight...?"
"We could tell people?" she finished, and he nodded. "My mom said the same thing on the phone. I mean ... it probably is the best opportunity, and I want to tell them. I just don't know how to bring it up in conversation."
He nodded again. "Pictures on the fridge might give it away."
She laughed. "Yeah, that's true."
11:10 AM
"This is going to be a little cold..." Dr. Estevez warned as Rory unbuttoned the bottom three buttons of her shirt and pulled it up to reveal her abdomen. The doctor squeezed a dollop of gel onto Rory's stomach, and she shuddered with a smile, looking over at Jess, who was watching intently as he stroked the back of her hand absently.
The doctor began to methodically slide a plastic device over Rory's still-flat stomach, and suddenly the distinct swishing sound of a muted heartbeat filled the room. Rory smiled and grabbed for Jess's hand, twining her fingers together with his. "Sounds nice and strong," the doctor decided. "I'm not sure if you want to know the sex, but we can't tell yet anyway." She switched on the monitor and a fuzzy black-and-white image was illuminated on the screen.
Quietly she began to describe what they were seeing on the screen, and Rory couldn't help but sneak glances at Jess. His eyes grew wider and wider as they watched; he finally caught her staring at him and grinned at her, running his thumb over her palm, then tapping on her hand along with the rhythm of the heartbeat. She sighed happily and turned her attention back to the doctor.
"Everything looks fine," Dr. Estevez said, turning away from the monitor and handing Rory a towel.
Rory watched Jess's expression as she wiped the gel off her abdomen. "We get pictures, right?"
The doctor smiled. "Yeah, we've got pictures for you."
"I promised him pictures," Rory replied, smirking at him. He threw her a look, then smiled back.
1:25 PM
She sat at their round, well-worn kitchen table and watched as he opened the microwave. The pleasant smell of take-out Chinese food filled the room, and she sighed in delight.
"You're completely sure you don't want to go get something?" he asked skeptically, taking the container out and setting it on the counter. "We've still got time to go to a restaurant."
She shook her head back and forth. "This is what I want."
"Okay," he agreed, spooning the sesame chicken onto two plates and setting one in front of her. "What else do we need to do before tonight?"
Pausing with her fork halfway to her lips, she crinkled her nose in thought. "Um ... sheets on the bed in the extra room for Mom and Luke ... and ice. We need ice."
"Cake?"
"Luke's taking care of it." She smiled, savoring a bite. "This is exactly what I was hungry for."
He smiled. "Goal met, then."
She thought for a moment. "And we need to decide how we're going to tell them."
"Any ideas?" he asked, spearing a piece of chicken with his fork.
She shrugged. "I don't even know how to go about it." She sighed, pushing her plate away and resting her arms on the table. "I wish we didn't have to tell anyone else."
"Really?"
"Yeah." She watched his expression, then immediately added, "Not because I'm upset about it or ashamed or anything ... I just..." She paused. "It's like our own little secret. And all the people I really, really love know about it. You, and Mom, and Luke; you're my whole little universe, you know?"
He reached across the table and grabbed one of her hands, uncurling her fingers and twining them with his. "I know. I didn't think you were upset or ashamed. It's a scary thing."
"It's like ... I don't know. Like we're finally, really grown-ups, you know?"
"That's a frightening thought. The two of us as the grown-ups."
"Well, get ready, because in less than a year we're going to be permanent grown-ups."
He frowned for a moment, then relaxed his expression. "You know what? Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it."
She wrinkled her brow. "Seriously?"
"Seriously." He rubbed her palm reassuringly. "So, you're thirty years old, and you still don't feel like an adult?"
"Not really."
"Because we do some pretty adult stuff, you know..." he joked, and she rolled her eyes.
"Go get the ice, Mr. Mariano," she ordered, laughing along with him.
3:40 PM
"I have brought the cook!" Lorelai crowed as Rory opened the apartment door. "Never fear, the cook is here!"
Luke stood behind her, rolling his eyes. "Four espressos and a frap on the way here," he explained, and Rory laughed.
"That's quite the caffeine accomplishment there, Mom," Rory noted, stepping into her mother's arms for a hug.
Lorelai embraced her daughter tightly, kissing her on the forehead. "Thirty looks good on you."
Rory smiled. "Thanks, Mom." She pulled away, taking one of Luke's bags from him and walking toward the kitchen. "How was the drive?"
"Cold," Lorelai interjected. "And he made me listen to sports coverage."
"You had headphones and a Discman," Luke argued, and Lorelai shrugged.
"I could still hear the play-by-play," she replied.
"Where should I put this, kiddo?" he asked, glancing around at the table and counters.
"Wherever's fine," Rory replied, pulling the sleeves of Jess's battered CCNY sweatshirt down over her hands. "I'm just so giddy that you're cooking my birthday dinner."
Luke smiled. "Happy to oblige."
"No salads, remember," Jess offered as he walked into the room, carrying two bags of ice. "They don't eat vegetables."
Luke frowned at Rory, who was studying Jess. "You really ought to eat some mildly healthy things now," Luke said. "I mean ... shouldn't you?"
"Yeah," she replied absently, still looking at Jess. "What took so long with the ice?"
"I had to go all over to find the right kind," he said, setting them in a cooler on the floor.
Rory opened her mouth to say something else, and then closed it, nodding slowly. "Okay."
Lorelai gasped suddenly, and all eyes in the room flew to hers. She was fixated on the counter. "Are these?"
Rory picked up the small black-and-white photos and grinned. "Yeah, that's it."
All four crowded around the pictures. "I'm not seeing it," Luke said finally, and Lorelai laughed.
"Here," Jess said, taking one of the pictures. "It's right here."
"That's ... incredibly small," Luke commented.
Rory nodded. "Nine weeks."
"Ooh, so next week will be nine and a half weeks," Lorelai mused, and Rory jabbed her.
"No Mickey Rourke references, please."
"Are we telling people tonight?"
Rory looked over at Jess uncertainly. "I think so."
Lorelai nodded. "I think that's a good thing."
"Yeah," Rory replied weakly, leaning against Jess. "Listen, I think I'm going to take a nap before I have to get ready."
"Sure, sure, go," Lorelai said, whisking her out of the room. "Crash for a while, we'll take care of things."
"You sure?" she asked.
"We're sure," Luke confirmed. "Go get some rest."
7:00 PM
"Hey, Grandma," Rory greeted as she walked into the living room. "Hey, Grandpa."
"Happy birthday, Rory!" Emily said enthusiastically, hugging her granddaughter and grinning widely. "Hello, Jess."
Jess nodded and smiled from his seat on the couch. "How was the drive?"
"Oh, fine, fine," Richard replied, hugging Rory and kissing her quickly on the cheek. "Happy birthday, Rory. It was a little cold."
"This October weather is absolutely crazy," Emily supplied. "I don't remember an October that was ever this cold."
"Oh, I remember back when I was mining in the Yukon in aught-nine, we had Octobers that would knock you over faster than an ... angry miner," Lorelai added as she swept into the room.
"Lorelai," Emily said coldly, and Jess turned to Rory with raised eyebrows. She shrugged, sitting down beside him.
"Mother," Lorelai returned in a similar tone, sitting down in a chair and sipping from an oversized coffee mug.
"I trust you're doing well?" Emily said lightly, smoothing an imaginary wrinkle on her skirt.
"Well," Lorelai said calmly, "I seem to be fully intact, thank you."
Rory shifted in her seat so that she could glance questioningly over her shoulder at Luke, who sighed and rolled his eyes. "Something about a piano. They're both crazy," he intoned, and Lorelai gasped.
"You're a traitor," she accused, pouting at Luke. "Traitors are not allowed in the mines; they do awful things with pick-axes."
"How did we not end up insane?" Jess murmured in Rory's ear, and she giggled, earning her stares from everyone in the room.
"Sorry," she said as the intercom buzzed. "That's probably Dad." She hurried over to the door and pressed a button. "Dad?"
"Hey, birthday girl, it's us," her father's voice confirmed.
"Okay," she replied, buzzing him in. She stepped away from the door and turned back to the others, catching Jess's eyes and watching him as she returned to her seat.
"The food smells wonderful," Richard commented, breaking his wife's silence.
"Thank you," Luke said absently, leaning against the back of Lorelai's chair. "Burgers and fries for the birthday girl."
"And she appreciates it more than you'll know," Rory piped up, grinning. "I miss the diner food like crazy."
A short knock resounded through the room, and Jess stood to get the door. "Anyone home?" Chris asked, grinning as he stepped inside. "Hey, Jess."
"Hey," Jess replied, shaking Chris's outstretched hand, then grinned as Rory's brother, Parker, stepped into the apartment. "Hey, kid, how's it going?"
Parker shrugged. "It's cold."
"Sure is," Jess agreed, and Rory watched them with a smile. It had been twelve years since she'd been shocked by the news that she was going to have a younger sibling, and Jess had been there for her through it all. They'd finally discussed the kiss months into the school year, and had started dating not long after. And things had just progressed from there...
"Sherry apologizes," Chris said, ruffling Rory's hair as he passed. "She sends her love. Presentation at work."
"Happens," Rory agreed. "Hey, we're all here, and I'm starved, so let's eat..."
8:45 PM
"I hope you like it," Emily said, beaming as Rory pulled a cashmere sweater out of a tissue-filled box.
"It's beautiful," Rory said with a genuine smile. "It'll be great for work."
"I thought you could take it next time you have to go report from some freezing cold place," Emily said, smiling.
Rory's grin faltered for a moment, but she recovered quickly. "Maybe so." She looked over at Jess, who nodded toward the remaining presents on the coffee table. "I need to take a break," she said, sighing. "Those birthday pancakes were too much..."
"Here, break's over," Chris said, pushing a gift across the table. "Parker picked it out."
The phone rang suddenly, and Jess vaulted over the back of the couch to retrieve it from the kitchen, earning a disapproving glance from Emily. Rory cleared her throat and smiled at her brother. "A special Boston present, huh? Not a lobster, is it?"
Parker wrinkled his nose. "Lobster is highly overrated."
"You see? I knew we were related," Rory said, grinning as she opened the paper. Inside the box was a brand-new camera.
"I want pictures next time you're anywhere near Beirut," Chris said. "Not that I know anything about Beirut, but the name is darned cool."
Rory offered a weak smile again, saying a quick thank you and turning to watch Jess emerge from the kitchen. "Grazie, Nonie. Desiderate dirle voi stessi?" he said quickly, not seeing Richard's and Emily's surprised expressions. "No, non penso che si occupi di. Ama ascoltare di voi tanto come." He turned to Rory. "She wants to say happy birthday."
He handed the phone over to Rory and sat beside her on the couch again as she began to speak slow, careful Italian into the telephone. Jess grabbed a cashew from a dish on the table and popped it in his mouth, finally registering the strange looks from several in the room. "Oh," he said, "it's my father's mother. Nonie doesn't speak much English."
"We didn't know you spoke Italian," Emily said, smiling slightly.
Jess shrugged. "My dad wasn't around a whole lot when I was growing up, so I spent a lot of time with my grandmother," he explained. "I sort of picked it up. I think I speak it with a Bronx accent, though."
"Ti amo. Arrivederci, Nonie," Rory said softly, pressing the talk button on the phone. "He's been teaching me a little," she said, jumping into the conversation. "I'm still not very good, but I'm getting there."
"Hey, I think you still have a present," Jess commented, taking the phone from her hands and heading back into the kitchen.
Rory frowned at his back and then the present, picking up the small box and unwrapping it quickly. A small, white cardboard jewelry box was inside. "Who's this from?" she asked, and when she was answered with silence, something clicked in her mind. She opened the box swiftly and turned back to the kitchen with a strange expression.
"What is it?" Lorelai asked quickly, watching Rory's face.
"It's..." Rory began, pulling a tiny emerald ring out of the box and slipping it on the left finger of her right hand. "It's a ring."
Emily frowned at the ring. "Your birthstone isn't emerald."
Rory looked over her shoulder again to see Jess leaning against the kitchen doorframe. "No, mine isn't."
"And your birthday's in September, not May," Emily continued, addressing Jess.
"It is," Jess confirmed, his voice low and soft.
Tears welled up in Lorelai's eyes as Rory sighed and smiled. "It's ... the baby's birthday is supposed to be in May."
"What?" Emily asked, her mouth dropping open.
"I'm going to have a baby," Rory said, laughing as tears brimmed at her lashes. "Jess and I are going to have a baby."
"Oh!" Emily exclaimed, hurrying to her feet and reaching her arms out. Rory stood and stepped into her grandmother's embrace. Everyone stood and hurried to congratulate, Lorelai jumping up and down and clapping.
"You knew already," Rory admonished as her mother gave her a hug.
"I know, but I'm still excited," Lorelai replied, jumping up and down in the embrace. "I'm going to be the best damned grandma in the entire world!"
Christopher laughed and kissed the top of Rory's head. "So I guess no Beirut any time soon?"
"Ah, no," Rory replied. "I've applied for a commentary position at the paper instead of foreign reporting." She looked over to see Richard shaking Jess's hand. "Thank you," she mouthed, and he winked in response.
11:55 PM
She reached for him in the dark, and he rolled toward her, his warm skin soft to her touch. "You still awake?" he mumbled, and she made a soft noise in response.
"Wanted to stay awake until my birthday is over," she replied, burying her face in his shoulder.
"Savor the last moments?" he asked, and she nodded. He picked up her right hand and studied the ring. "It's fake, you know."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"I didn't think it was real."
"I guess you could get a real one eventually to replace it."
She looked up and furrowed her brow. "Are you kidding me? I'd never replace this." She kissed his cheek softly. "You saved the day."
"Just doing my part," he replied, kissing her on the mouth, one hand roaming down to lightly graze her stomach. "They were all so excited."
She laughed. "I know."
"Even Parker."
"Yeah." She snuggled against him. "It feels real now."
He smiled at her. "We've got the pictures to prove it now."
"Exactly. No one can say we're making this up."
She kissed his neck. "Love you."
"Love you, too."
"Next year on my birthday there'll be a screaming kid at the party."
"Oh, you're going to invite my mother?" he joked, and she shook her head.
"Crazy boy."
"But you love me anyway," he whispered, moving to kiss her as the clock rolled to midnight.
THE END