A/N- OK, to clarify some of the questions that I've gotten in my reviews (which I love, by the way). In this chapter, at least, Kirsten's probably about 23, Sandy's about 25, Luke is about 21, and Lorelai is about 18 or 19. Ryan and Jess will bond over some anti-Dean themes (I used to love him- I just don't like him any more...). And the story will be one chapter a year until the Cohens move to Connecticut (Which is soonish). Let me know if you have any other questions!

A/N 2- In case I haven't mentioned it, I really love the reviews! Please continue R&Ring, because it inspires me to write more!

Disclaimer- As I've said, I own nothing...

Age Two

Lorelai found herself and Luke spending more and more time together as time wore on. They had official dates anywhere from twice to five times a week, and the rest of the time they had sleepovers at her house- she needed to stay with Rory, of course. Every day, Rory and Lorelai would go for breakfast and lunch at Luke's and would have nice family dinners where Luke would cook for them either in his apartment or in their potting shed at the inn.

Slowly but surely, they began to meld together, becoming a solid family. Luke and Lorelai fell madly in love- they were sure no one had ever been this in love before. They loved everything about one another.

Lorelai loved every facet of him. She loved his looks. She loved his eyes, his build, the way his hair messily peeked out from under the baseball cap he wore backwards on his head every day. She loved his personality. She loved his dry wit, his sense of humor, and the affection he showed for her and Rory. Mostly, she loved how everyone said what a changed man he was. How he used to be withdrawn and grumpy, and now was happy, sweet, and obliging. She loved that she did that to him.

Luke loved every bit of Lorelai. He loved her beauty, but that one was obvious (He had a habit of getting jealous if he saw another guy looking at her.). He loved her warmth. He loved the way she was around Rory- how she treated her like a person, not a baby or a child. They had some bizarre connection that he couldn't get between, but he was alright with that. He had another connection with the little girl- she adored him and the feeling was mutual. He loved Lorelai for the fact that she didn't care what anyone else thought, but she was still so open and welcoming into her life.

The two, though they were so madly in love, had trouble expressing it for the first time. It just never seemed as though timing was right. Strangely enough, timing was right at the most unexpected of moments.

Luke had always expected he'd tell her during a romantic dinner. Or at a picnic in the park. Or in the heat of the moment. Or, actually, in the middle of a fight. But none of these things were happening when he finally admitted the truth out loud.

It was a cold night in the middle of December- close to Christmas, he'd later recall, when he'd come to spend the night with Rory and Lorelai. He showed up without bags as a lot of his stuff had wound up there over the past few months and he knocked on the door, not needing to wait long before it opened.

"Hi!" Lorelai greeted, perky as ever.

"Hey." He leaned in and gave her a quick peck hello, which she returned eagerly. He walked in to find Rory sitting on the floor in front of the tiny television that the girls had, The Little Mermaid playing on it.

"She's watching it again?" He asked his girlfriend, incredulous that the little girl could stand to watch the same movie every day.

"Yeah," Suddenly they were interrupted by Rory, who was singing at the top of her lungs,

"The seaweed is always greener... in somebody else's lake. You dream about going up there, but that is a big mistake!" She knew every word. So did Luke and Lorelai, for that matter. While Rory was distracted, Lorelai pulled Luke outside for a moment. She kissed him deeply, stealing the precious moment that Rory allowed them.

"What was that for?" He asked breathlessly.

"You're the perfect man. Just thought I'd let you know I appreciate you." He smiled and leaned in for another kiss,

"I'm glad to be of service." They headed back inside, mostly because the cold was beginning to get to them. Rory's eyes didn't move from the TV as Luke walked over to greet her hello,

"Hey, kiddo." He gave her a kiss on the top of her forehead, "Little Mermaid?" The only response was a nod, "Are you hungry?" Another nod, "Do you want to wait until the movie's over?" One last nod, "Ok, I'll get the food started." She didn't even acknowledge him this time. He walked to Lorelai and kissed her cheek, "She gets more like you every day."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Possibly..." he mused and laughed at her fake pout. He pulled out the assorted odds and ends of food that he had left at their house and began to cook.

An hour later, after Lorelai dropped a bowl of egg whites, stepped on Luke's toe, and let out a bad word (which Rory was quickly warned not to emulate), the food was ready and the table was set. Luke began to place the food in the middle of the table and Lorelai went to go get Rory.

"Rory, sweets, it's dinnertime." Rory only smiled in response, and quickly got up, turned on her heel, and landed in front of her space at the dinner table, raising her arms in the air.

"I need help," She proclaimed.

"Magic word?" Asked Luke, before Lorelai got the chance- she loved that he acted like a father with her.

"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease," She elongated the word, twisting her mouth into a long straight line.

"Good girl." He came behind her, picked her up, threw her in the air, and finally allowed her to land in her booster chair.

"Thank you very much," She stated.

"She's very precocious lately, Lorelai."

"I know. I need to stop letting her watch Annie." They laughed and enjoyed their time together, and by the time dinner was over, it was 6:45- time for Rory's bath. Luke and Lorelailoved bathing Rory together, one of them holding her and the other pouring water over her head to wash out any excess shampoo. Rory, unlike most kids her age, really loved baths, especially on nights that she was tired. Tonight, Rory was overjoyed with her bath, allowing the water to warm her and playing quietly with her rubber duck, singing to herself,

"Rubber ducky, you're the one..." They soon dried her off and sent her into her room to get pajamas. It was a tradition they'd started when she was younger- that she could pick out her own pajamas and bring them to Lorelai and Luke, and they'd help her put them on. Soon, Lorelai picked up a yawning Rory and brought her to her miniature bed, lying her down and looking into her half-asleep eyes.

"Night, Rory. Love you."

"Night, mommy. Love you." She kissed Rory's forehead and moved out of the way to let Luke have a turn.

"Goodnight, Rory. I love you," He kissed her cheek as she responded,

"I love you, daddy. Night." Luke's eyes grew wide, as did Lorelai's behind him, and he turned around and shut the light, moving towards the kitchen to finish cleaning up. Lorelai chased after him,

"I'm so sorry. I'll wake her up. I'll wake her up and tell her not to call you daddy anymore. You don't need that responsibility. I'm so sorry. She's still a little kid. I guess she just saw all the little kids around the inn and their dads and saw the way you act with her and... sometimes she's too smart for her own good. You know what, I'll go wake her right now..."

"Lorelai, don't," Luke interrupted her.

"No, no. I'm going to." He bent down and kissed her to quiet her. As he pulled away, he began to speak,

"Don't wake her up. It's not necessary. I wasn't mad that she said it... I was just surprised."

"But you shouldn't be surprised. You shouldn't have to be."

"I want to be. I'm glad that she called me... 'daddy'," it was awkward for him to say, but he smiled broadly as he said it- it was a big relief, "I think I am her dad... if you'll let me be."

"If you want to be, of course you are."

"Good... because I love that little girl as much as I love you. Very different ways, of course."

"OK. Then I'm glad that you're happy that she..." what he'd just said dawned on her slowly, "Did you just say you... Are you in... You..."

"I love you, Lorelai." There was a few minutes timewhere the expectant silence was filled only with Lorelai's gasps for air that seemed to be grasping for words. Slowly, they found them. They were simple, they were ordinary, but they were perfect.

"I love you, too, Luke." And with that, they began the first perfect night of their relationship, not knowing that there would be thousands more to come.
-
"Sandy?" Kirsten called from the kitchen. Sandy wandered in to find that cake mix, eggs, and oil had congealed to make a thick paste that was now sitting blandly on top of the kitchen counter.

"Woah! Did Betty Crocker get into a fight with Duncan Hines?" he asked incredulously, grabbing a towel and beginning to wipe.

"It's the boys," she said with a sigh, "I tried to bake a cake with them." Sandy nodded, understanding immediately. At two and a half years old, they were exhibiting classic signs of the terrible twos. Seth had become increasingly argumentative, refusing bedtime, food, and discipline. Ryan had learned to hit and knock things over. Unlike Seth, however, he listened, while unlike Ryan, Seth was basically calm.

Kirsten, though, still encouraged the boys, allowing them to flourish. While their behavior seemed bad at home to Kirsten and Sandy, to the other mothers in the park, the boys seemed remarkably well-behaved.

Kirsten remembered one conversation she'd had with a mother of a four-year-old named Michael,

"How old did you say your boys were?"

"They're two years and six months," Kirsten had replied proudly.

"Really? Well, I must say," Kirsten braced for the barrage of comments on the boys' misbehavior, "they're remarkably good."

"Excuse me?"

"Your boys. Seth whined a little bit, but he listened after three warnings. It used to take Michael 6 warnings and a threat to take away TV before he stopped. Ryan's hitting things, but not people."

"Oh, no, never people. He just likes to hit his toys. It's difficult to make him stop, but we're trying."

"Michael used to hit everyone. He's hit his brother, his nanny, his dog, that little girl, Olivia, over there, even me." Kirsten was shocked. Ryan liked to hit and kick things, but he wouldn't dream of hitting a person- especially not her, Seth, or Sandy. He was too sweet; he had a habit of kissing everyone's "boo-boo's" if they were ever hurt or crying. Seth didn't always listen, but she'd never had to threaten to take anything away before. He always listened soon after Kirsten began to lecture him, and he'd often use his argumentativeness to protect his brother. Kirsten fondly remembered a day when an over-sized 5-year-old (who looked like he was 13) told Ryan to give him the cookie in his pudgy hand. Seth had stood as tall as he could and confidently told the boy,

"No! That's my brother's cookie!" The boy seemed taken aback, but had said,

"Now it's my cookie!"

"My mommy gave it to my brother. That's Ryan's cookie and you can't have it!" The boy soon left, realizing that he'd get nothing from the spunky Seth and Ryan, who'd stood up to join his brother in his cookie crusade. The boys' "terrible" traits came in handy on one fateful day later that month.

Kirsten had been around the house, cleaning up after the boys as they took their nap peacefully up in their bedroom. She had spent the morning out with the boys, shopping for food and clothes for the boys. They seemed to need new clothes every week; they were growing so fast. She winced as she stepped on an Elmo figurine and bent down to pick up the offending toy. If I didn't love them so much, this would count as pain. It was then that she noticed the blinking light on the answering machine. She pressed play and listened as she moved about the room.

"Hey, Kirsten. Hey, Sandy. It's Jimmy. Listen, Julie and Marissa and I are in town this week, we were wondering if you guys wanted to get together and do something. We're staying at the Plaza- Julie's choice, not mine. This is one very expensive city that you and your family live in. OK, well, I'll try back later. I'll talk to you soon. Bye." Kirsten smiled at the familiar voice on the phone. She remembered when she had become pregnant with Seth the same time Julie was pregnant with Marissa- they sent each other pictures when the babies was born, and she loved the shock in Jimmy's voice when he'd just found out about Ryan. She laughed to herself as the second message began to play,

"Hello, Mrs. Cohen. This is Dr. Philipson's office calling about your son, Ryan. We have his prescription available for his ear drops, you can come by whenever and pick it up. If you have any questions, please call us back at 555-2132." She quickly grabbed a pen and pencil and messily scribbled the phone number. The next message began to play,

"Hi, Sandy. It's your office calling, reminding you to bring in that portfolio tomorrow! Don't forget or there's no way we can win the case! See you tomorrow, bye." The pleasant old woman's voice disappeared and soon a new one filled the space,

"Hello, Kirsten, honey. It's me," Kirsten sat at the sound of her mother's voice- she sounded sad from the start, "Listen, sweetheart, I need to talk to you about something. I need to speak to you... please call me back when you get this message. I love you. Send my love to Sandy and the boys. Bye, darling." Kirsten allowed herself to collapse backwards on the couch. Her mother didn't sound alright. In fact, she sounded far from it. Her voice was tired and worn, and she sounded as though she had been crying. Why has my mother been crying? She thought helplessly. Only one way to find out.

She picked up the phone and noiselessly, effortlessly dialed the number. It rang a few times until on the third ring, Kirsten heard the unmistakable click of the phone being answered.

"Nichol residence."

"Hi, may I speak to Alice Nichol, please?"

"Who may I say is calling?"

"Her daughter. Kirsten." She heard the rustle of the phone passing hands and her mother's voice,

"Hello?"

"Mom, hi!"

"Kirsten, dear! It's wonderful to hear your voice." Her mother's voice didn't sound right and she knew it. She let it slide, knowing that her mother would tell her when the time was right. "So, how are the boys?"

"Good. The definition of terrible two, but good."

"Oh, really?"

"Well, Seth is... Seth. He's very argumentative. He just doesn't want to listen to Sandy or me at all. And Ryan's taken to hitting things."

"People?"

"No."

"Then, it sounds like you have two exceptionally well-behaved two-year-olds on your hands."

"That's what the other moms keep telling me. But it still stresses me out."

"Oh, please. When you were two, you had a habit of throwing yourself on the floor if I wouldn't let you have a cookie before dinner. And if we were in the supermarket or the mall and you wanted something- please, you refused to move from the spot you were unless i bought you something. And your sister? Hailey used to hit me if I wouldn't let her watch television for five hours minimum. Then, if you had a toy that she wanted, she'd hit you until you gave it to her."

"I don't remember that."

"Well, she hit you in the head..."

"Mom!" Kirsten laughed, still distracted by the thoughts lurking in the back of her mind. She couldn't take this idle small talk anymore, "So, what did you want to talk about?"

"Well, honey..." Her mother seemed to be mustering her strength, "Are you sitting?"

"No, should I?"

"It may be best," Kirsten took a break from the worried path she'd been following while pacing and told her mother to continue, "Well... I went to the doctor earlier this week," She paused, breathing in slowly, "for my yearly checkup," Kirsten knew that this wasn't leading anywhere good, "I haven't been feeling well lately and... Kirsten... "

"Mom?" Kirsten was panicked.

"Kirsten, honey. This is very difficult for me to say..." She paused and allowed herself to regain her composure, "I have ovarian cancer. Now, it's not in its earliest stages, but it's not too far along yet. They say I still have a chance for survival. And just remember, people live through cancer all the time. There's survivors of all kinds of cancer everywhere you turn." The words had just begun to spill out- she had no control over herself or what she was saying, a habit that Kirsten had inherited. They spoke for another twenty minutes, Kirsten spewing her fears and crying, her mother attempting, in vain, to comfort her. Alice eventually, slowly said,

"Alright, darling. I have to go."

"Ok, mom."

"I love you."

"You, too."

"My love to the boys. And Sandy."

"Of course..." A pause, and a sigh, "Mom?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"I'll see you... soon. Bye." And she hung up the phone, leaving Alice perplexed, collapsing onto the couch, moving only to call Sandy and tell him to get home quickly. Her world was crumbling beneath her.
-
Luke sat, flipping through the pile of receipts from the previous night, and he realized that he was smiling; he did it subconsciously lately, and found it slightly silly- that is, until he realized why he was smiling. He had a family. He had a girlfriend who he loved immensely and a daughter who he adored. And both of the feelings were mutual. They were sweet, loving, and they all took care of each other. Sometimes he laughed at the idea that Rory was more adult than her mother and father. He glanced at the pictures of Lorelai and Rory sitting on his desk and then at his watch. Oh! I'm late!

Grabbing the receipts, he got up and sprinted down the stairs

"Caesar!" Caesar was the first one he'd hired when he changed the diner from a hardware store, "I'm going."

"Oh, that's right. You're babysitting Rory today."

"I am not babysitting her. I am spending the day with her while Lorelai has to go out."

"Ok."

"You've got it covered?"

"Yeah, boss."

"And you know the number if you need me?"

"Yeah, boss."

"I'll be back later with Rory for lunch."

"Ok, boss."

"Just remember..."

"Boss, time!"

"Right, thanks. I'll see you later." He ran halfway to the inn, which was a mere five-minute walk on a regular day. Within three minutes he was at her front door which he promptly threw open- there was no need to knock anymore. He called out as he walked quickly through the house,

"I'm sorry, I'm late, hi!" He rushed into the kitchen to find Rory sitting, looking at a Berenstein Bears book.

"Hi, daddy." She was too engrossed in her book to look up, so he walked over to her and kissed the crown of her head.

"Hey, kiddo. Where's mommy?"

"Her room. Getting ready." He laughed,

"I rush, and of course, she's still getting ready. I should've known." He turned and went into her area of the small potting shed, shutting the door silently behind him; she didn't turn around as he snuck up behind her and snaked his arms around her. Startled, she jumped and scolded him,

"Luke! Don't do that, you scared me!"

"Oh, well maybe I should make it up to you," He said as she turned to face him; he leaned in and kissed her deeply, which she returned only too happily. When they finally pulled apart, he said, "So, I was running late and I was nervous that I was making you late. But then I realized, it's Lorelai Gilmore. She's probably running later than I am."

"Hey, no fair. I've been on time before."

"Once. For our first date."

"I wanted to make a good impression. I wanted it to seem like I'm the perfect woman. I'm a good liar."

"I knew you weren't the perfect woman. It's your imperfections that make me love you so much." Lorelai laughed,

"Cheesy!" Luke was surprised that it replaced her usual Dirty! but he let it slide as he sat on the bed and watched her put the finishing touches on her makeup. She had meetings today about buying a house, getting a better job at the inn, and getting Rory into the Stars Hollow Preschool.

"You look nice today. Very... weather-appropriate." She shot him the look that he knew meant Shut up or I'll stay weather appropriate.

"I always dress weather-appropriate. Except when I dress for you. So, shush, or I'll be in turtlenecks around you for a very long time."

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry because you insulted me or sorry because you're never going to see any part of my body ever again?"

"Sorry because I love you and I got myself into this mess." Surprising him, she turned around and pounced on him, and they began to kiss hungrily. They jumped apart when they heard the door open and turned to find Rory standing in the doorway, her hand on the doorknob and her foot tapping impatiently.

"Hey... Rory..." Luke didn't know what to say- what do you say when you've been caught in the act by a two-year-old?

"Hey, babe. What's the matter? Do you need something?" Lorelai sure seemed to know what to say.

"Mommy, I'm hungry."

"I think you're telling the wrong person." Rory smiled angelically and walked around her mother, stopping in front of Luke.

"Daddy, I'm hungry," She announced, climbing up onto his lap. Picking her up, he walked towards the door,

"Let's give Mommy some time to finish getting ready. What do you want to eat?"

"Ice cream."

"Pick again."

"Pancakes?"

"Much better." He took Rory into the kitchen and cooked her breakfast and ten minutes later, Lorelai appeared by the refrigerator.

"OK. I'm going. I'm going to be everywhere today, so I'll call you to check in. You both know where everything is. Rory doesn't have to nap, but can if she wants to. Make sure you behave," She warned, looking at her travel cup of coffee and filling it quickly.

"She always does," defended Luke.

"I was talking to you," She eyed Luke and he smiled, leaning down to Rory,

"Your mother is cruel," he paused, "You know you don't need to tell me this. I'm her father. I know what to do."

"I know... I just don't leave her with people so often." She was suddenly serious, looking at Rory with glassy eyes. Noticing her reaction, Luke pulled her into his arms,

"She'll be fine." Understanding that he meant in the larger sense- in life- she nodded and kissed him.

"Ok, I love you both. Bye, honey," She kissed him again, "Bye, sweets. I love you."

"Bye, mommy," She gave her mother a kiss and added, "Mommy, daddy and I are gonna have fun today. Don't be scared. Just be home before bedtime."

"I promise. Bye." She turned and left, and once he heard her footsteps fade, he turned to Rory,

"So, what to do today?" Luke let Rory pick out her own outfit and get herself dressed, approving when she finally decided on gray sweatpants with the word "princess" written on the leg in pink and a pink and gray t-shirt that she had to match, and he pulled her hair into pigtails. They soon departed from the inn and ran errands throughout the day, going to the diner, the bank, food shopping, and finally to the bookstore. By the time they got back, it was 5 o'clock and time to start dinner; Luke brought Rory into her bedroom to play for a bit, stopped at Rory's pajama drawer, placing something in there, and went to the kitchen to start cooking. Forty-five minutes later, Luke heard the door open and close and heard Lorelai's voice echo through the house,

"Hello? Anybody here?"

"I'm in the kitchen!" She turned the corner and strode towards him, a huge smile on her face as she stood on tip-toes and kissed him on the lips.

"Good day?" He asked knowingly, turning back to the food he was preparing.

"Very productive," She answered, "I will elaborate at dinner. But first, where's Rory?"

"In her room, playing."

"Ok, I'm going to go say hi to her," She turned on her heel and wandered to Rory's room, "Sunshine of my life, you in here?"

"Mommy!" Rory called happily before Lorelai gave her a hug, a kiss, and a quick once-over. Her mouth hitting the floor, Lorelai realized what her daughter was wearing. Rory sat cross-legged on her bed, wearing a denim skirt and a tutu over a pair of sweatpants, with a bathing suit top worn over a tank top which covered a t-shirt. Her hair was half up on one side in a pigtail that was falling out, the other half resting messily, seemingly unbrushed, on her shoulder. Unable to express herself, Lorelai stuttered for a moment, then burst out laughing,

"Daddy let you dress yourself today, didn't he?" Rory nodded, picking up a stray toy wand sitting next to her,

"Look, mommy! I'm a princess!"

"Yes, you are!" Lorelai said between giggles, "Go back to playing. I'm gonna go talk to daddy," She kissed Rory's forehead and led herself to the kitchen, "You let her dress herself?"

"Yes, I did," He proudly stated, "She's asserting her individuality."

"So, did you two stay in all day?"

"Nope. We went to the diner, and into the inn, and to the grocery store."

"You took her out of the house? Like that?"

"What's wrong with her outfit, Mr. Blackwell?"

"Let me point it all out for you." She took his hand and guided him to Rory's partially-opened door; his eyes filled with surprise and his jaw followed a similar path to the one hers had followed earlier,

"She was NOT wearing that before." Lorelai burst into another fit of giggles and answered,

"You know what, I'll bet when she got home, she decided to play dress-up."

"Ohhh... you're probably right." They turned around, laughing, and Luke went to finish cooking while Lorelai got changed. Soon, they all sat and ate, Lorelai now wearing sweats and a tank-top, and had a pleasant dinner of chicken, rice, and broccoli. Lorelai, however, noticed something different.

As time wore on, Luke seemed to get more and more nervous. His eyes repeatedly shot to Rory's room and he consistently refused to make eye contact with Lorelai.

"Honey, are you ok?" Lorelai asked, concerned.

"What? Oh... yeah... yeah, I'm fine. Rory, eat your broccoli." Knowing that he was changing the subject, Lorelai watched as he gave Rory a warning look when she stuck her tongue out at him. She decided to let it drop for the moment, but watched as he continued to pick at his dinner and tap his foot nervously. What on earth could he be worried about?

After dinner, it was time for Rory's bath, and she only too happily played with her rubber duck while Lorelai poured water over her head to wash out the shampoo. She splashed happily in the water until it was time to get out, which was only achieved once Luke and Lorelai let out all the water, making it too cold for her to sit and stay in the tub. She got out and was sent to get pajamas from her bedroom, the ones with the puppies on them that she had told Luke she wanted to wear that night. Luke and Lorelai sat on the couch, flipping through the channels, before Rory entered the room.

"Mommy, daddy, I found this on top of my pajamas," she announced as she plopped down next to her parents. Confused, Lorelai picked up the small box that sat on top of the neatly folded pajama top. She opened the small black box engraved with the name Lorelai on it, the one that Lorelai recognized as Luke's most recent Christmas gift to her. Upon opening it, she found a small ring box, which she hesitated before opening. He wouldn't. Would he? No way... That's not what this is. Inside the ring box, she found the most exquisite ring she'd ever seen. A single gold band with a diamond in the middle and a diamond cluster on either side, it took her breath away as she turned to Luke, who was no longer where she'd left him.

She found him on one knee in front of her, resting comfortably between the couch and the coffee table.

"Lorelai, I love you. I love you more than anything in this world. You and Rory are my family, and I could never lose you. I want you to be a part of my life officially. We make a great team and I want you to be my partner in everything- in life, in work, through the good times and bad. I love you. Will you be my wife?"

"Uh... Uhh... Yes!" She finally managed to blurt out, her words overcoming the emotion crawling up her throat, tears spilling over onto her cheeks. Luke slid the ring onto her left ring finger and wiped at his eyes before standing up and pulling Lorelai into his arms, engrossing her in a passionate kiss. Rory cleared her throat,

"Mommy, daddy, are you ok?" They pulled apart, both getting on their knees to talk to the little girl.

"Yeah, baby," Lorelai answered, kissing Rory's cheek.

"Then why are you crying?"

"Happy tears, kiddo. Happy tears," Luke rubbed Lorelai's back, not attempting to stop himself from beaming.

"Mommy, did daddy give you a new present?"

"Yeah, sweetheart. Isn't it pretty?" She showed Rory the ring and Rory ran her finger over the diamond.

"When I grow up, I want one just like it." Luke and Lorelai laughed as Lorelai answered her,

"That's not for a little while, baby-doll." Luke began to fidget for something in his pocket,

"Well, Rory, I thought that maybe you should get a little present today, too," he pulled out a miniature gold chain, a golden heart dangling from its center, "This," he explained, hooking the clasp around her neck, "is a symbol of how much mommy and daddy love you. Look, if you open it, there's a picture of mommy, daddy, and you." She pulled gently at the necklace and stared at the upside-down picture. Suddenly, she let go of the charm and threw out her arms, hugging Luke,

"Thank you, daddy! I love it. It's so pretty!"

"I'm glad you like it, sweetheart." They hugged for about five seconds before Luke pulled Lorelai into his arms, and the three of them spent a little while like that, each occasionally murmuring how much they loved the others. Soon, however, Lorelai broke the embrace.

"Alright, now, as much as I love this bonding thing we have going on, it's time for our favorite little girl to go to sleep." She helped Rory, who was still wrapped in a towel, put on her pajamas and she and Luke tucked her into bed while she fingered her necklace thoughtfully.

The next morning, Lorelai woke up and rubbed at her eyes; the events of last night slowly came back to her as she rolled over and kissed Luke's bare shoulder. She smiled to herself, overjoyed that he was her present and her future- her life was finally perfect. She was finally truly happy.
-
Kirsten sat, overwhelmed, on the steps inside her new house in Newport. Sandy had taken the boys food-shopping and she was all alone inside this cavernous mansion, wondering how she could turn this into a home. She tried to focus on the positives- She and Sandy would no longer be suffocated by Seth and Ryan's toys. There was room for the boys to play outside. The boys could have their own bedrooms once they were older and ready for it. But nothing overtook the emotion she felt when she realized why she was living there in the first place.

She reminisced about the day not a month earlier, when Sandy had come home to find the boys seated in front of a movie, munching on Oreos, and Kirsten collapsed in her darkened bedroom, the baby monitor for the den laying next to her. Concerned, Sandy rubbed her back while she collapsed into his arms.

"Honey, what's the matter? What happened? I got your message to come home and I just left. Are you ok? Are the boys ok?"

"I'm... fine. The boys... are fine." She managed to sniffle out.

"So, then what is it?"

"My... mother..."

"What about your mother?"

"My... mother... has..."

"What, what does she have? Is she alright?" Kirsten shook her head vehemently. Sandy was concerned; his wife never let anything get in the way of her spending time with Seth and Ryan.

"No, Sandy. She... not alright... My mother... has... ovarian cancer." Speaking the words took its toll on her, and she suddenly broke down again, sobbing heavily into Sandy's chest.

"Oh, honey... Sweetheart... I don't know what to say..." They sat together for five minutes before either of them spoke again.

"Honey... I know... this is asking a lot... of you..."

"Anything, sweetheart."

"But you're... invaluable... at your job... and maybe... they can arrange something..."

"What, sweetheart? What do you need?"

"I need to move... to be near my mother... to California." She was taken aback by Sandy's quick reaction,

"Of course." The next day, Kirsten regained her composure and called her father, asking him if he had an available house for her, Sandy, Seth, and Ryan. He quickly found one and arranged for them to be flown out later that month. They hastily packed their things, pausing only for food, work, and to reminisce. It was difficult for Kirsten to leave this apartment- Sandy had carried her over this threshold. It was through this front door that a very pregnant Kirsten had stumbled out, expecting to bring home one baby and being unexpectedly blessed with two. It was in this apartment that Seth and Ryan had taken their first steps, spoken their first words, smiled their first smiles. She herself smiled sadly on the last day, when she'd followed her husband and the boys out the door and paused, her eyes resting on the wall she'd seen every day when she came home. She would miss this place.

She never wanted to relive the plane ride to California. The amount of luggage they'd brought was vast, and they required someone to help them push it all. Seth and Ryan, newly explorative, touched everything in sight, and attempted to run from their parents, wanting desperately to play. Once they'd reached the airplane, they buckled in the boys, who fought against the seatbelts, each using the other as their muse. When Ryan got tired of fidgeting, Seth took the reins, and his brother happily helped when he became bored of fighting.

"Mommy, I don't wanna go on the plane!" Ryan called.

"I wanna go home!" Seth added.

"I'm hungry!"

"I wanna watch tv!"

"I want my blankie!"

"I want my Elmo!"

"I want what Seth's playing with!"

"I want what Ryan's playing with!" Eventually, Sandy and Kirsten gave in, allowing the boys each a lollipop in exchange for quieting down. The rest of the flight remained difficult, as Seth slept while Ryan whined, and Ryan napped while Seth complained. Kirsten attempted to calm the boys, but the movie was inappropriate, they'd left certain toys that the boys wanted in boxes being sent to the new house, and she, herself, was tired and worn from her recent coming-to-terms with her mother's illness. Eventually, both boys passed out ("I guess all that whining wore them out... they're gearing up for later," Sandy had commented), giving Sandy and Kirsten quiet time to think.

Sandy thought about his life and what it had come to. He was happily married to a woman he cared more about than anything else (sans his children) in the world. He had two beautiful children, who brought new joy to his world every day. He loved to laugh with the boys, to play with the boys, to see the boys' eyes light up when he returned home after work. Seth and Ryan filled his life with new joy, and he had Kirsten to thank for that. This was part of why his mother-in-law's illness affected him so much. He hated to see this woman, who had given him so much, agonize. He hated to see her in any pain, but to see her feeling so devastated really tore at his heart. And to know that he couldn't do anything about it, that really made him feel helpless, useless, and like he didn't deserve his wife.

Kirsten thought mostly about the situation with her mother, and what it did to her family's lives. She had never felt a truly strong connection with her father, and it struck her that she was glad she and Sandy had spent so much time bonding with the boys, for either she or Sandy could be gone at any moment. She tried to envision what it may be like- her boys could grow up without a grandmother. She wouldn't be there at their birthday parties, at their graduations, at their weddings. It made tears stream down her cheeks, and she was thankful that Sandy allowed her to be with her thoughts. She was amazed that he always knew when to help her and when to leave her be.

They both wondered what the boys thought about. They wondered if they knew why their mother seemed sad lately. They both knew that mommy was sad, and mommy needed hugs. They were protective, Seth telling people in the park who were rude to leave his mommy alone, and Ryan constantly hugging and kissing her for no apparent reason. But what could they be thinking about? Did they think about toys? Did they think about the future? Did they think about their family? They only hoped that they were thinking good things as the plane touched down in California. At the airport, the family was greeted by Hailey, Caleb, and Alice, whose arms Kirsten allowed herself to melt into, the first person she saw.

"Mom," She sobbed.

"Shh, sweetheart. It's alright. It's going to be alright. Shh." Sandy held a sleeping Seth and Ryan and spoke curtly to Caleb,

"So, how is she?"

"I won't lie, Sanford- it doesn't look good." Hailey had wandered away to join her sister and mother. Even Caleb showed a bit of emotion, affectionately watching his daughters and wife pour out their emotions to each other.

"How's the therapy going?"

"She's beginning to lose her hair. The chemo's taking its toll. But..." He paused and allowed himself to say the words that he didn't want to be true, "Even if we lose her, the treatment will keep her around a bit longer. Maybe I could get to know her a little better." His eyes seemed tired, worn, and full of worry. Sandy had to feel bad for him as he attempted to lighten the subject matter,

"Look at them. Look how big they've gotten since you last saw them." A sad smile spread over Caleb's face.

"Sandy," Sandy was taken aback that he'd used his nickname. Caleb was usually so formal towards him, "thank you."

"For?" He was genuinely confused.

"For taking care of Kirsten. I know we've never had the best relationship, but you make her happy. And you take care of my grandsons. And you love all three of them. That's the most I could ask from you." Sandy smiled shyly,

"It's not difficult to love them. Let Kirsten know you do." And with that, they set out to the new house, the women, attempting to divert their attention, fawning over the now-awake boys.

Kirsten slowly got up from the stairs and made her way up to her newly-furnished bedroom, falling onto the bed and falling asleep instantly. That afternoon, Kirsten had a dream that woke her, shaking, from her sleep.

She was inside of the new house, only it wasn't the house that she was in that moment. It was bigger, and it was painted wild colors. There were oversized toys- stuffed animals, balls, toy keys, everywhere. She quickly realized that these were all toys that her mother had bought the boys for various Christmases, birthdays, and just because. As she wandered through, she found a crying Seth heaped on the floor of the hallway.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Seth whimpered loudly, "Mommy's here, sweetheart. Mommy's here. You're ok. Don't worry," She lifted him and rubbed his back, dancing with him as she always did when he was upset, "Shh. Come, let's go find daddy," She set off to find Sandy. She maneuvered her way through the twists and turns, confused, until she finally found Sandy doing the same thing with Ryan as she was with Seth, "Sandy, what's the matter with Ryan?"

"I don't know. I just found him crying. What's the matter with Seth?"

"I just found him crying, too." They each looked at each other, wordlessly, confused, before they heard a door slam. Hearing the crash of boots coming nearer to them, but concerned about their sons, Sandy and Kirsten did not move. Instead, they stared helplessly, clinging to the boys, watching the empty door. Soon, it was full; dozens of muscular men entered the room- nameless, faceless men who Kirsten did not recognize. For that matter, she could not see any of their faces- they were all covered with masks and shields.

Suddenly, the men moved towards the couple and pulled Seth and Ryan out of their arms. Kirsten and Sandy attempted to retrieve their sons, pushing and fighting the men, but Kirsten was ignored and Sandy was pulled after the boys, leaving Kirsten alone, sobbing, in the unfamiliar room.

As she woke up and grabbed her picture of herself, Sandy, and the boys, knowing that while it would be a long road ahead, she would always have her family. And that was all she needed for comfort.