A/N- Ok, up front I will say that this chapter is insanely long. But I honestly think that it's my best one yet. Please enjoy. And please review because I LOVE reviews:-D
A/N 2- Questions! There is some definite Seth/Lane in this chapter. Last chapter, I just really had a storyline that I wanted to go with, and they didn't really fit into it. The Cohens owning the ice cream parlor was actually a combination of Taylor's (I hate Taylor's and I think that the Cohens will be much cooler... not as dorky) and the ice cream store that my parents opened exactly one year ago today. Happy Anniversary!The review idea is not a bad idea, but I feel like I get enough reviews as is, and I generally have a schedule for when I'll update. I'll take it into consideration, but I think maybe the way I'm doing it now is ok. Thanks anyway, though!
Dedicated: To snowboardbaby526, NIk, and Chelsea because they were the ones who knew the movie at the beginning of last chapter. It was "From Justin To Kelly." I will not say how many times I've seen that movie. And I will not mention the fact that I own it. Oops.
New Challenge: When Rory is in the car later in the chapter, she is listening to a CD. If you can name the band that she's listening to, I'll dedicate the next chapter to you. I love challenges!
Disclaimer: Own nothing. See nothing... Do nothing...
The Next Phase in Life
Ryan and Rory sat on the bench in the park across from the diner and the construction zone that was soon to be the Kandy's Ice Cream Parlor. Construction and preparation had begun soon after Sandy had made a deal with Luke to rent the space next to the diner. They watched on in amusement as Taylor spoke to Sandy animatedly, his voice echoing across the square,
"Sandy, what you really need is an awning out front. A nice big red-and-white awning, to remind people of candy canes and to invite them inside."
"Um... we're not a candy store, Taylor. We just sell ice cream."
"Yes, but it's a dessert store. And, speaking of which, you're friends with Luke, right?"
"Yes."
"Right. I mean, your families are always around town together, and I know your son is dating Luke's daughter. Which reminds me, could you speak to those children about their behavior around town?" He motioned to Rory and Ryan on the bench, her head resting on his shoulder, and his arm wrapped carefully around her smaller shoulders, hugging her closely to him in the chilly October air.
"How did we get dragged into this?" She asked. Ryan only shrugged in response, kissing the top of her head.
"Their behavior?" Sandy said incredulously.
"Yes. Their affection should be prohibited completely at their age, much less out here in public. It's immoral and indecent."
"They're kids. They aren't doing anything they shouldn't be. Trust me, we have eyes all over the town."
"But, Sandy..." Sandy cut him off,
"Do you have something to actually tell me, or are you just going to criticize the way that Luke and I raise our children?" Taylor shook his head,
"No, I just wanted to say that I thought that it would be a nice idea to have a connecting window between the diner and the ice cream store. You know, let people watch each other eat. See what everybody else is having."
"Well, Taylor, that sounds like the exact amount of stalker that we're going for with our ice cream parlor. We'll take that into consideration."
Ryan and Rory turned their attention away from the adults' conversation and began discussing their weekend,
"So, you're not gonna be home at all on Saturday?" Rory shook her head,
"It's my yearly visit with Christopher."
"So, what are you gonna do with him?" She shrugged,
"Um... go to his apartment around 10, he'll make me breakfast, make awkward small talk about mom, make me a really bad lunch, I'll go to the bathroom to eat the lunch that my dad gives me, he'll give me an extravagant present that I really don't want, we'll have dinner, and then my dad will come pick me up around 10 at night."
"No going out?"
"Maybe to meet his new girlfriend who'll fuss over 'how cute I am'." Ryan scoffed,
"You're fifteen. Sixteen in a month."
"Doesn't matter to them. Apparently, I must be adorable because Chris's chromosomes made me," she said morbidly. Ryan kissed her head in consolation,
"You really hate going there, don't you?" She sighed,
"I don't hate him. He's perfectly nice to me. And he tries to be to mom. But, it's just, there's so much history there. He tried to break up my parents' wedding. He once tried to beat up my dad. He... I don't know..."
Ryan lifted her chin and kissed her softly, reassuringly on the lips,
"Hey... it'll be ok." She nodded and smiled softly at him,
"How do you know how to do that?"
"Do what?"
"Kiss me and make everything better."
"Just natural talent, I guess." Rory shook her head,
"My boyfriend, the king of modesty, ladies and gentlemen."
He laughed and wrapped his arms around her tightly before leaning in to kiss her again.
They began to kiss sweetly, but were soon interrupted by the clearing of a throat nearby. They looked up to find Lorelai staring down at them, her hands on her widened hips, her face visible over her protruding stomach.
"Hi, mom," Rory coughed, wiping off her mouth.
"Lorelai," Ryan greeted, pulling away slightly from Rory.
"See, now, I know you two kiss," Lorelai had lost her patience to tiptoe around difficult subjects around the end of her seventh month, and was growing far more sarcastic now in her thirty-sixth week of pregnancy, "and it doesn't bother me. But, as you very well know, you're in the middle of the town square. Now, look around. There's Kirk, who's taking notes. Miss Patty is trying to figure out which style wedding dress you would look best in. Taylor is watching you and taking pictures as evidence for the next town meeting. And the best one of all is the one that should be most obvious," she pointed across the road, "Rory, what's that over there?"
"Dad's diner."
"Do you know who's in Dad's diner?" She tried to think logically, immediately reaching the conclusion,
"Oh, crap."
"Yes. Oh, crap is right. He was fine until you started going at it. Now, I don't know if you know, but a pregnant woman's husband is very annoying to said pregnant woman when he's pacing in front of her, whining about their teenage daughter."
"Sorry, mom."
"Yeah, yeah. Just keep it away from where your father can see it. For my sanity, at least."
"You need caffeine."
"Noted. But, please. Remember that you love Mommy." Rory nodded,
"Do you need help getting back to the diner?"
"No. Just company who's not clinically insane. Want to come with?" Rory smiled; she was used to her mother's mood swings by now.
"Sure, mom."
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"Thankful? Kelly Clarkson? Really?" Seth sat on the floor in his girlfriend's bedroom, sifting through her CD collection under her floorboard. Lane hastily snatched it away,
"What part of 'every CD ever made' are you not getting?" Seth laughed,
"You like it, don't you?"
"Maybe a little... she has some good ballads." Seth laughed,
"Aww, Laney" he began to serenade her quite badly with the song "A Moment Like This".
"Seth, shh!" She nearly tackled him to the ground, "What if my mom hears?"
"Your mom's not home!"
"My mom is in town somewhere. And she can sense non-Christian music. She'll come home to shield me from it and then a two-year-long relationship will be down the drain." Seth took advantage of the close distance between them and kissed her soundly. He was surprised when she reacted by laughing nervously,
"Oh, I wish you wouldn't do that when I have to tell you what I have to tell you." She pulled back and sat behind a stack of Beach Boys albums. Seth, perplexed, crawled on all fours over to her,
"Wanna tell me what the hell that was all about?"
"Oh, Seth... we've been dating each other for two years now..."
"That has been established, yes."
"But, you know that my Mom... is very into the idea of me dating..." Seth interrupted her,
"She is? We should tell her, then! Get this all out into the open! I hate this secrecy..."
"Seth! She's very into the idea of me dating future Korean doctors... I have a date set for this Saturday."
"A... date?"
"Yeah..." There was a pregnant pause, "Seth, say something."
"Um... cool... Saturday... y'know, Rory's going to Christopher's house this weekend, so Ryan will be alone anyway..."
"Seth..."
"I'll hang out with him..."
"Seth..."
"We can... um... play video games... yeah..."
"Seth!" Seth seemed to return to reality, "He knows."
"Who knows?"
"Sam."
"Sam? Who's Sam?"
"My date for Saturday. He knows that I have a boyfriend, ok? I told him. I've known him for a while. So he knows there's nothing that's gonna happen between us."
"Oh, cool. Sam. Sam... knows you have a boyfriend. Cuz that's gonna make him stop trying to kiss you at the romantic... umm... you didn't say where you were going, but I'm sure it's gonna be romantic..."
"Seth, we're going to the teen hayride."
"Ok, well, the teen hayride. Well, have fun, enjoy your date, and don't get too many pieces of hay shoved up your butt. I have to go. I'll see you later," he leaned in and kissed her quickly, badly masking his frustration, "Bye," he turned to open the window to climb back down Esther. He wanted to just get away for a little while. Maybe go talk to his brother. Somehow get all of the insecurities away from him.
"Seth," Lane pleaded as he lifted the window quickly, "Seth, c'mon."
"No, no. I'm ok. I'll, um... I'll talk to you later," he kissed her one more time before shimmying down the tree.
Dejected, she flopped down onto her bed, muttering a frustrated,
"Crap," before moving to clean up her CDs... except her Kelly Clarkson. That would be on repeat the rest of the day.
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"So, he just got up and left?" Rory asked, the phone held to her ear by her shoulder as she painted her toenails a soft pink.
"Not without some angry, upset muttering," Lane responded as she put in her CD of choice. Rory listened as the CD started,
"Death Cab? This really must have you upset."
"It matches my mood."
"Poor thing. Why don't you try and talk to him about it? Call him?"
"I have. I called him a few times. It was all nice small talk, even though he sounded different than usual, and then whenever I tried to turn the subject, all I got were grunts and 'yeah, okay's."
"That's not Seth."
"No, it's not. Usually, Seth would be joking around, possibly throwing in some Young Frankenstein jokes."
"Hay, hay, roll in the hay?"
"Three times in the past two weeks. I don't even know what to do anymore. I know he doesn't like that we have to hide the relationship, and then this just set him off."
"Maybe you should just tell your mom."
"Tell her what?"
"That you're dating Seth. That way, there's no more hiding, no more future Korean doctor dates, no more my mom saying that you went out with us when you're actually at a movie with Seth."
"Oh, yeah. That conversation would go over well. I could picture it now. 'Mama, I have something to tell you.' 'Eat some soy first. Very fresh, but only lasts two more hours.' 'Mama, I have a boyfriend.' 'Is it Inhwan, the boy who you attended the church banquet with?' 'No, mama. It's Seth Cohen.' 'Cohen? That doesn't sound Korean.' 'It's not, mama. He's Jewish. And we've been dating for two years' 'Oh, Lane. You love to kid me. You would never date a non-Korean unless you wanted to be locked in your room for the rest of your life.' 'I am dating a non-Korean, mama. Seth Cohen. His brother's dating Rory.' 'Well, then, up to your room right now, and don't touch the blinds for light. I want you to sit and read the bible through seven times.'"
"You're over-dramatizing."
"Am I? Do you not remember the Hell Dogs incident?"
"Ok, maybe you aren't." Lane sighed,
"Can I have your parents? For just a day or two?"
"You don't want my parents. At least, not right now. My mom is currently mayor of mood swing city and my dad is still doing that thing where he watches over me and Ryan like a motion-sensitive camera. It's gotten worse lately."
"Well, your mom was around your age when she got pregnant."
"I know. And I understand. It's just, it scares Ryan sometimes. Maybe once there are babies in the house, he'll relax a little."
"Maybe... Hey, you're gonna call me when your mom goes into labor?"
"Of course. Hey, did you ever use my suggestion?"
"Asking my mom where babies come from? Yeah. I got a twenty minute lecture on the miracles that an angel's wings perform. Thanks for that, by the way." Rory laughed,
"Sorry."
"That's alright. Just make sure I don't do anything stupid like let my mom find out about Seth."
"Can do."
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"I just... I don't know what to do, man," Seth told Ryan as they walked over the threshold of Doose's Market, glancing around to make sure that Mrs. Kim wasn't in sight.
"Why? Because she's going out on a date with some other guy that she doesn't like and who knows that you exist? I think you're getting yourself worked up over nothing," Ryan grabbed the largest bag of Sour Patch Kids off of the shelf; he knew that they were Rory's favorites (as well as his), and that they would help her feel better about her Saturday excursion.
"No, I'm not. I mean, how would you feel if Luke and Lorelai set Rory up with a date that they wanted her to wind up with?" Ryan shook his head, tossing a bag of M&Ms in to join the rest of the massive quantities of junk food that he had bought for his and Rory's movie date; she had decided that she'd rather stay in on Friday night and just relax with Ryan before her day with Christopher.
"I think that wouldn't be good, but if she doesn't like the guy, I trust her, and the guy knows that she has a boyfriend? I can't say I'd be ok with it, but I'd be coping with it."
"We have to do something about it," Seth said decisively, throwing marshmallows into the rapidly-growing pile of differently-shaped sugar.
"Like what, Seth?" Seth was quiet for a moment, apparently thinking deeply about the situation at hand. Suddenly, a look of realization washed over his face,
"Ryyyyyyan." Oh no. This can't be anything good.
"What, Seth?" he asked, expecting the worst.
"You're my brother, right?"
"If the realization just hit you now, then you deserve to lose Lane to the Korean Doogie Howser."
"Ryan, Ryan, my favorite brother... my favorite relative, to be honest..."
"What do you want, Seth?"
"Well, Ry, since you offered... I want to do a spy thing... a covert operation..." Ryan cut him off,
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because you, my dear brother, are the biggest klutz that ever lived."
"Hey, I can be stealth!"
"Seth," Ryan said warningly, stepping into the checkout line.
"Please, Ry? Just hold a walkie-talkie while I follow her around and keep an eye on what's going on."
"Seth, this is ridiculous."
"Please?"
"Seth..."
"Please... help your only brother out..."
"Seth..."
"Fine, you play hardball, but... I'll clean your room for a week." Ryan smiled,
"I was gonna say yes anyway, but hey, if you're offering..." He handed the cashier the money and was off before Seth could protest.
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"Rory, he's here!" Lorelai's voice echoed into the kitchen as they heard her waddle towards the front door. Rory grabbed the lunch that her father had made her and stuffed it into her oversized purse, already filled with snacks, books, a small collection of CDs, and her CD player.
"You have everything?" She grabbed her cell phone off of the kitchen counter,
"Now I do."
"Ok. I'll be here or at the diner if you need me. Mom will be here all day. Jess is out with Ally, but I don't know why you would need to get in touch with him. If, for some unknown reason you can't reach us, call Kirsten and Sandy. You have your lunch. Be polite, be good, don't make any faces if he tries to feed you squid like last time, don't freak out and throw the squid if he does feed it to you, that was a disaster last time, and I'll be there to get you at ten," Rory nodded, "Ok. I love you. Have fun."
"Love you, too, daddy." She hugged him and he kissed her hair; they paused for a moment before he told her,
"Ok, you should go."
"Alright. Bye, dad."
"Bye, honey."
Rory moved through the house to find Lorelai standing at the front door, Christopher on the other side.
"Hey, kiddo. You ready to go?" She nodded wordlessly, "Ok, let's go," he turned to Lorelai, "Nice seeing you again, Lor," he turned and jogged back to the small rental car; Luke and Lorelai never allowed Rory on his motorcycle.
"Hey," Lorelai said to Rory, "You ok?" Rory nodded unconvincingly, "Listen, sweets, I know you don't like going."
"That's the understatement of the century," Rory muttered as Lorelai forged on,
"But it means a lot to daddy that you go. It's from when you were little. He didn't want you to resent him."
"But I'm older now. I'm almost sixteen. I won't resent daddy. I love daddy. I don't want to go."
"Rory, please. Mommy is very pregnant and very cranky. Just go? For me and dad?" Rory nodded,
"I'm sorry."
"It's ok. I'm not cutting you out as my best friend quite yet." Rory giggled,
"Bye, mom. I'll see you later. Love you." She kissed Lorelai's cheek.
"Love you, too. Have fun."
"A barrel of monkeys."
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Ryan felt as though he was going through a tunnel.
A sliver of light kept flashing repeatedly in front of him in quick succession. Light slivers. Dark. Light. Dark. Light. Dark.
He had the distinct impression that there was a train barreling towards him... then away from him... then towards him... then away from him.
He could've sworn that he heard the distinctive cry of the red Robin in the distance.
Wait.
The red Robin?
That's not something that could kill me.
He blinked to adjust to bright (then nonexistent, then bright, then nonexistent) light in his room and struggled to make out the character in front of him.
There he was, in all of his excited/anxious/eager-for-today glory, his unruly brown curls protruding messily from his scalp, his brown eyes tinged with anticipation, his lips pursed, producing an obnoxious whistle.
"Seth," Ryan groaned as he rolled over to look at his alarm clock. 9:02.
"Oh, good. You're up," Seth said, finally opening the blinds (The flashing lights), turning off the vacuum (There's my train) , and ending the whistle (Seth Cohen, red Robin himself).
"Seth, would you care to explain why in the name of all that is holy you woke me up at nine on a Saturday morning?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I wake you up? I was doing my promised room cleaning and I just... ok, I woke you up."
"Why?"
"You know why."
"Because the store opens next week and Mom and Dad want me to come help set up?"
"No, I need your services to myself today."
"Seth, the hayride isn't until five." Seth nodded,
"But the pre-hayride picnic and brunch is at eleven. And I need you to come and help me."
"Because?" Ryan closed his eyes again and allowed his head to sink into his favorite pillow.
"Because Lane will be picnicking and brunching with Sam the doctor man during said day of wholesome teen fun. And I need to prevent anything from happening." Ryan groaned,
"I'll be out in five minutes." Seth stood up, thanking his brother repeatedly as he walked towards the oak door. Before closing it, he mentioned,
"Wear black."
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Rory sat stoically, staring straight ahead of her. She was angry.
She was angry at her mother for using pregnant woman guilt.
She was angry at her father for wanting her not to resent him.
She was angry at Christopher for making her go in the first place.
She sighed. Unlike other teenagers, she never said that she hated them. In fact, she knew that this was a fleeting moment of bad feelings in a sea of general happiness.
She didn't hate Chris. She knew that. She hated what he had done.
Fighting with her father? A negative in any case. Fighting with her father on his wedding day to her mother? An extremely low negative. Fighting with her father on his wedding day in front of his daughter? Rock bottom.
Chris was always civil around Luke, as was Luke around Chris. He was always nice to Rory. He was always nice to Lorelai.
But still. Rory didn't like the fact that once a year, he tore her away from her parents without her consultation to show her off to his friends and colleagues. That he never called during the year, and only sent a birthday card filled with a hundred dollars as a gift each year, yet still managed to make himself seem like Superdad to his girlfriends.
"So, Rory... your mom... she's really pregnant, isn't she?"
"What gave it away?" she responded dryly, reaching into her purse for her CD player.
"Well, um... when's she due?"
"One month."
"She's thirty-two weeks?"
"Thirty-six. A pregnancy is actually ten months long. Forty weeks."
"Oh... I didn't know that."
"Well, learn something new every day." There was an awkward silence as Rory turned on her Discman.
"Do you... know if it's a boy or a girl?"
"Yes." Christopher left a pause, expecting Rory to elaborate. When she didn't, he prompted,
"And?"
"I promised not to tell." Another awkward pause.
"So... your cousin still lives with you?"
"Yes." Christopher sighed, realizing he wasn't getting anywhere, and turned on the radio. Relieved, Rory put on her headphones, switched to song number four, and let lyrics play through her ears,
"I'm a terrible person. Cuz I've made up my mind. I'm a terrible person. Cuz I've led her on..."
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Ryan, dressed in a black t-shirt, a gray hoodie, and cargo pants, walked into his parents' nearly-finished ice cream store.
"Mom? Dad? I'm here!" Ryan said, grabbing a cone and moving to the newly-installed soft ice cream store.
"Ry, hey, sweetie" his mother said, leaning over to give him a kiss as she breezed out of the store, "Bye, sweetie." Ryan whipped his head around to watch her go.
"Ryan? Is that you?" His father's voice echoed from the back office.
"Yeah, pops. It's me."
"Pops?" Sandy asked, emerging to greet his son. Ryan shrugged,
"Just trying something new." Sandy laughed,
"Seth let you on parole?"
"I have ten minutes. I have strict instructions- get ice cream, get a soda, go back and meet him." The boys hadn't told their parents exactly what had happened, but they had given them the gist.
"Uh-huh. And you've been gone for how long now?"
"Twenty. So if I go back now, it's sooner than expected," Sandy laughed, "Hey, I'm doing him a favor."
"It's always good to know that you boys have each other's backs."
"You know it." Sandy grabbed a cup for Ryan to flip Seth's vanilla cone into,
"Ry, as long as you're here, could you help me out?"
"Sure, dad. What do you need?"
"Could you just tape the toppings selection on top of the counter, please?"
"Random pieces of candy taped to the counter?" Sandy threw him a look,
"The jars of candy, Pauly Shore."
"Hey! That was cruel and unusual!" Sandy sighed,
"Ryan, please. It would help your mother and me a lot."
"Sure thing, dad."
"And Seth isn't here? He sent you by yourself?"
"Girlfriend problems. Matters of the heart cannot be rushed due to topping needs." Sandy laughed,
"Smart-alecs. The both of you... I raised you right."
"Yeah, dad," suddenly, a crackling noise interrupted the conversation, Seth's voice yelling,
"Ryan?... Ryan, come in... Ryan, are you there?... over..."
"Sorry, dad. My pants need guidance." Ryan waved goodbye and set out towards the town square.
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"Rory, would you like some more mac and cheese?" Rory rolled her eyes without letting Christopher see her,
"Sure," the orange goo slopped onto her plate, "Thanks." She had reduced herself to monosyllabic answers.
"So... school's good?"
"Yes."
"What's your GPA?"
"4.3."
"Wow... that's umm... straight A-pluses, isn't it?"
"Give or take."
There was another awkward pause,
"So... your birthday is coming up," she nodded, unconcerned, "Umm... is there anything particular that you want?"
"A healthy sibling. And a night of relaxation with my parents, friends, and Ryan," Rory covered her mouth quickly; she hadn't yet told Christopher about that aspect of her life.
"Ryan? Who's Ryan?"
She was saved the embarrassment of answering by the ringing of her cellphone.
"Excuse me," she stood up and ducked into the kitchen; when she had glanced at the phone and saw he was calling, she felt a mix of dread at Chris seeing and relief that she had a break for a conversation with someone that she wanted to talk to.
"Hey," she breathed into the phone.
"Hey," Ryan's voice breezed back, "How are you?" she shrugged,
"Medium. I want to show him that I don't approve of what he's done. I feel like I'm being such a bitch, though... and don't you dare say a word."
"I wasn't planning on it. I'd like to keep this relationship going."
"Good plan. So... what are you doing today if I'm not there?" she asked, slight nerves evident in her voice. She heard him laugh cynically on the other end,
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Try me." Ryan sighed,
"Well... you know Lane's whole doctor-date thing?"
"Yeah."
"Seth is making me pull a 007."
"He's what?"
"We're spending the day following her and Sam around town." Rory laughed audibly for the first time all day,
"Does she suspect?"
"No, but Taylor's suspicious. Three times, I heard him mutter about 'Those darn Cohen boys' and something about 'Getting someone to trail them.'"
"You're kidding."
"Could I make this up?"
"Wish I could say you could."
"Alright. I'm here. I should go meet Seth."
"Hey, Ry?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for last night. It really helped."
"Enough sugar in your system?"
"Yeah. I brought the leftovers today. You're a lifesaver."
"You needed it."
"I did. Thanks."
"Any time... I'll see you tomorrow?"
"I should be back by ten-thirty. Maybe I could stop over for an hour."
"We'll see. Maybe. I'll call you later?"
"Please. Bye."
"Bye."
Ryan flipped the phone shut and proceeded stealthily towards the bush where his brother was hidden.
"Ah, ice cream, great. Thanks," Seth said, grabbing the ice cream from Ryan with his left hand. With his right, he lifted the binoculars back up to his eyes,
"Look, look! There they are!" Ryan brushed a branch away from his eyes,
"Seth, is there a reason that we have to wait in a bush?" Seth pulled down his binoculars.
"Because otherwise she'll see us watching her and I'll look stupid."
"Yeah, because brilliance is radiating from this bush right now."
"Ryan, mock if you want, but I have to do this."
"C'mon, Seth," Ryan said, shifting a little, "Oh, crap!"
"What happened? Did he kiss her? Did he go near her?"
"No, king of the one-track minds. I just stepped in a huge puddle. Mom's gonna kill me. These are my new fifty-dollar pants that she got me to wear to the opening. I have to go home and get changed." Seth grabbed his brother's arm,
"No, Ryan."
"What?" His brother was insane, his girlfriend was miserable, and to top it all off, his foot was wet. He had no patience left.
"You can't go."
"Oh, Seth. I know you love me, but, see, the problem is, I have a girlfriend. Plus, I'm your brother. It would make family gatherings awkward."
"Shut up."
"Why can't I go?"
"Lane will see you if you keep moving around back and forth like that. She'll know something's up."
"You're insane. I'm going."
"No!"
"Mom's gonna kill me, and if I die, you're going with me," He crouched down for a second before announcing before Seth could protest, "I'll be back in twenty minutes," and took off as quickly as he could.
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"Well, Rory, it's nice to meet you," the tall blonde said as she shook Rory's hand.
"You, too, Jennifer," Rory smiled a fake half-smile- the one that her mother had taught her was appropriate for just such an occasion.
"Bye, Jen."
"Bye, Chris," she leaned forward and kissed Christopher lightly on the lips. Christopher shut the door behind the woman and sighed before looking Rory in the eye,
"So, that was fun."
"Yeah, whatever."
"What?" She exhaled exasperatedly,
"I'm not cute." Christopher was confused,
"Huh?"
"I'm almost sixteen. I'm not cute. I'm past the age of cute," she wasn't trying to hide her annoyance.
"You're still my little girl."
"No, I'm not," she pulled away as he tried to put his arm around her.
"Yes, you are. You always will be."
"No, I'm not. I never was. Especially not now. Next month, I'm going for my permit. It's almost my birthday. Not that you care." Christopher was fed up,
"Hey, this attitude is wearing thin!"
"Yeah, well, silk is the finest material."
"Rory, I'm your father! I don't appreciate this attitude of yours."
"You're not my father! I have a father. Just because your chromosomes made me, doesn't make me your kid."
A million thoughts ran through Christopher's head.
How dare she? I gave her life, I am her father, the emotional side thought. But then, the rational side interrupted, But, a father is someone who's with her all the time. Who raised her. That's not me. But I don't like this attitude she's giving me. She should be respectful. If it wasn't for me, she wouldn't exist at all! But what have I done for her lately? A birthday card and some money? Luke is the one who takes care of her. Luke's the one that she calls Daddy. Luke's a punk. He stole my family. They were never really my family. They were when we were sixteen. But I'm an adult now.
He was wrestled away from his thoughts by the ringing of a cell phone. He looked up to see Rory pull her small silver phone out of her pocket. Without so much as glancing at him, she walked away and flipped open the phone,
"Hi, daddy. What's up?... No, I'm ok. How are you?... What's wrong?... Mom's WHAT?... Dad, how am I supposed to get there!... No, no. I didn't mean to yell at you. It was more of a reaction type thing and... yeah, yeah... We'll find some way... Kirsten and Sandy?... Two hours? That's the earliest they can come? I don't want to miss anything... Yeah, dad. I know... Ok... I love you, too... Tell mom to hold on for me, ok?... Bye, daddy." Rory sank into a chair.
"Rory, what's the matter?"
"Um... it's... mom."
"What about your mom?"
"She's in labor, Chris," tears quickly began to flow, "She's in labor and it's a month early and Sandy and Kirsten are coming to pick me up in two hours at the earliest and... I don't know what to do or think..." C'mon, man. Do at least one fatherly thing for her in her whole life.
"Get your coat." She looked up at him with bloodshot eyes and tearstained cheeks,
"What?"
"Get your coat. Let's go."
"Go where?"
"To Disney Land. We just won the Superbowl... Where the hell do you think we're going! Do you know what hospital she's at?" Rory looked flustered and got up, grabbing her coat,
"Hartford Memorial."
"Call your dad," he said without hesitation, "Tell him we're on our way."
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"Seth," Ryan whined, "This is ridiculous."
"Just another few hours, bro. Then it'll be all over and I'll owe you big time." Ryan glanced down at his outfit. He was dressed in an argyle sweater-vest over a dress shirt, a pair of olive-green khakis, dress shoes, and a baseball cap which was pulled down over his eyes (which were hidden beneath lensless, thickly-rimmed black glasses).
"Big time," Ryan repeated. He looked at Seth, who was dressed in an oversized gray hoodie, oversized jeans, black sunglasses, and a Yankees cap pulled down over his shaded eyes, his dark curls spilling out from underneath. Ryan moved to speak again, but Seth cut him off,
"Shh! Shh! Here they come!" He turned his head, keeping his body sat in the same position at the wooden picnic table.
They watched as Lane and Sam walked together quietly, without smiling. They looked miserable; Seth was ecstatic. They watched as the people they walked with discussed Psalms, Christianity, and redemption, Lane rolling her eyes and muttering under her breath. At one point, Seth noted that she began to go over her entire CD collection, and then began to sing to herself "A Moment Like This."
Seth smiled.
The hidden meaning wasn't lost on him.
He was about to tell Ryan that he was ok with leaving when Ryan's cell phone rang. Ryan reached into his pocket and pulled out the small phone. He glanced at the screen before showing it to Seth. Mom Cell. Seth nodded and Ryan answered in a hushed voice,
"Hello?... Hey, mom. What's up?... Lorelai's having... Lorelai's in... Holy shit... Sorry, mom... Ok... Ok, we'll meet you at home... Yeah, see you in a bit... Bye," He snapped the phone shut, "Lorelai's in labor," he said without pause.
"She's in..." Seth couldn't get the words out. Before he knew it, he stood up and ran over to Lane, "Lane!" Lane didn't attempt to hide the surprise on her face or in her voice,
"Seth! What are you doing here? Why aren't you at the store with your parents? And why are you dressed like that?"
"Lorelai... the baby is... the babies are... giving birth to Lorelai..."
"Wait... what's going on?"
"Babies... Lorelai... Hospital... Birth..." Ryan came running up behind and Lane couldn't help but laugh; he looked ridiculous,
"Can I help you, Minkus?" Ryan shook his head; he was in no mood to joke,
"Lorelai's in labor. Our parents are waiting for us at our house to go to the hospital. C'mon." Lane looked torn; her best friend's mother was in labor. She had promised to come support Rory. She had to go be there for Rory- especially since the labor was a month early.
"Sam, I have to go," she said definitely, running off towards the Cohens' with Seth and Ryan.
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"Luke! Where is she?" The Cohens skidded into the hospital waiting room. Luke spun around to greet his friends,
"Hey, she's checked in already. Rory's..." he took in Seth and Ryan's appearance and changed his course of conversation, "Hey, Marky Mark and Urkel are here!" Ryan shook off the comment,
"Where's Rory? She's not here yet, is she?"
"What, you don't want her to miss you dressed like this? We can take pictures. Get together with thug boy over there." Seth crossed his arms defiantly over his chest,
"Yo."
"C'mon. If your last name is Cohen and you're dressed like some kind of stereotype, get together for a picture."
Lane, still puzzled by her boyfriend and his brother's appearances, stepped aside.
Just as Luke was about to take the picture, Rory rounded the corner,
"Daddy! Dad!" Rory ran to her father and threw her arms around him.
"How is she?"
"She's all settled."
"Can I see her?" He nodded,
"I'm gonna go tell her that you're here," Luke looked up at Chris, who had wandered in behind Rory, and said sincerely, "Thanks for bringing her, man."
"No problem."
She turned her attention away from Christopher and her father,
"Lane! Oh my G-d! I forgot to call you! I'm so sorry!"
"Hey, don't worry about it. The boys got me." Rory nodded and turned to Ryan and Seth,
"Thanks." Ryan wrapped his arm around her small body, holding her in a tight hug as he kissed the top of her head.
Christopher watched on, So, that must be Ryan.
"Rory Danes?" Rory lifted her head from her boyfriend's chest and stared hopefully at a gray-haired female doctor.
"That's me."
"I'm Dr. Anderson. I'm your mother's OB-GYN. Your father asked me to come talk to you."
"How is she? How are the babies?" Babies? No one else seemed to notice anything strange besides Chris.
"She's alright. Your cousin is in there with her... Rory, what we're dealing with here is a premature delivery. Your siblings are going to have to be in incubators for a few days after the birth, but they should be fine. This is quite common in cases such as this." Siblings? They? Cases such as this? Are there...
"She'll be alright?"
"Yes."
"And the twins?"
"Will be fine," TWINS? No one told me anything about twins, "You can go in and see her if you'd like."
"Just a minute," The woman nodded and walked away as Rory turned to Kirsten and Sandy, "I'm judging by your reactions or... lack thereof that my parents can't keep a secret either?"
"Nope."
"When did mom tell you?" Rory asked Kirsten; there was no question about who told whom.
"About a week after you found out. Her exact words were, 'I have a secret that I'm not supposed to tell you, but I know that my kids can't keep a secret, so Rory and Jess probably have already told Ryan, Seth, and Lane. We're having twins.'" Rory nodded and turned to Sandy,
"Dad told you..."
"Believe it or not, the day before your mom spilled the beans. He thought you'd both already told. So, he told me six months ago that there were two babies." Seth's eyes widened,
"You guys knew way back then?"
"Yeah, why?" Rory laughed,
"Jess and I didn't break until last week. Made them promise to keep referring to the babies as singular."
"That's so unfair!" Ryan exclaimed. Rory leaned up and kissed his cheek, "Ok, it's a little less unfair." Rory giggled,
"I'm going in to see my mom."
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Rory knocked on the door to her mother's hospital room,
"Mom?"
"Hey, sweetheart. C'mon in," Rory opened the door slowly to find her mother sans makeup, her hair a mess, Jess holding her hand tightly.
"Hey, mommy. How you doing?"
"Been better," she answered, patting an arbitrary space next to her on the bed, "How you holding up?"
"I'm ok. You're a fighter. Odds are, so are the babies. I'm relying on that." Lorelai sighed,
"Try and get your cousin to understand that. He hasn't left my side since they brought me in."
"You're having my baby cousins. A month early, I might add. I cannot let any of you get hurt."
"Jess, honey, that's sweet, but you don't have to be the adult here. That's what I have Luke for. He got me into this mess, anyway."
"Ew, mom!"
"Lorelai! We tried so hard not to think about that! Geez!" Luke walked back in, a cup of ice chips in hand, and found that neither of his children could meet his eye,
"What'd I miss?"
"Just mom scarring us for life."
"Same old, same old."
"Daddy..." She needed to get the image out of her mind and her father needed to leave the room in order for that to happen, "I haven't eaten anything since lunch and even then, it was orange slop. Could you get me dinner?"
"Sure," he walked back out.
"How was it? I meant to ask you before." Rory leaned against her mother,
"Well... I was a bitch. He was nice enough. I met Jennifer."
"Flowers?"
"No."
"Aniston?"
"No."
"Lopez?"
"No. She was off seeing why everyone hated Gigli so much."
"New girlfriend?"
"Jennifer Cleaver."
"You're kidding, right?"
"I was this close to asking her how Wally and the Beav were." All three laughed, but stopped as Lorelai had another contraction. She winced in pain and Jess clutched her hand tighter, Rory grabbing her other. Once it had passed, she mentioned,
"You guys know that I'm having a c-section, right?"
"What? Mom, aren't those dangerous?"
"Yeah, can't there be serious complications from that?" Lorelai shook her head,
"No, it's better for the babies. Just trust me on this one, ok?"
"Ok, Lorelai."
"But just because you're having my siblings."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Luke loaded up two trays- one with Rory's favorite foods, the other with Jess'. One was piled high with a turkey sandwich, chocolate chip cookies, potato chips, and a coke. The other was covered with a roast beef sandwich, a salad, a small bag of baked chips, and a water bottle.
He turned around to see Christopher standing by the fruit and decided to make his way over to say hello; he really was grateful that Christopher had brought Rory.
"Chris. Hey."
"Hey," Chris said awkwardly, "Big day, huh?"
"Yeah. Exciting. Like the day I..." he cut himself off. Like the day I adopted Rory.
"So... you got everything you need? For the babies, I mean."
"Yeah, umm... we made an addition onto the house. Added two new rooms upstairs. One of them's gonna be the nursery for a while," Luke quickly decided that he needed to get away from the small talk, "Look, man, I know we've had out problems in the past, but I really just..." he seemed to be reaching for the right words, "thanks so much for getting her here."
"Oh, no... it was nothing..."
"No, no, it was something. Lorelai needed her here and Jess needed her here and.. hell, I needed her here. I just needed the four of us together for this."
"Yeah... yeah, I get it. These for Rory?" He motioned to the trays. Luke laughed nervously,
"Yeah, it would be Rory to eat both. But, no. This one's for her. The other's for her cousin. I actually need to get them some fruit."
"Here, let me help you," he moved to put a nectarine on Rory's plate, but Luke stopped him,
"Oh, no, no. Rory's allergic to nectarines," She is? thought Chris I didn't know that. "She loves apples," She does? "We think it's because Lorelai craved apples when she was pregnant." She did?
Suddenly, a frantic-looking older couple rushed into the building.
"Emily, please! I am not dressed properly for this type of physical exertion!" Luke look sheepishly back to Chris,
"Excuse me. In-laws." His.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Rory and Jess paced nervously in the waiting room. Lorelai had been wheeled into surgery ten minutes earlier (exactly ten minutes, twenty-two... no, twenty-three seconds earlier, according to Rory.) Their family and friends sat and watched them, trying to soothe their nerves.
Finally, Emily tried,
"Rory, dear, sit down. You're giving me a headache." She shook her head,
"I can't sit down. Not until my baby siblings are born." Emily's eyes went wide,
"Sibling, Rory. Until your baby sibling is born." Rory scoffed,
"What, did you have one of them offed?"
"One of them?" Richard asked, suddenly pulled away from his New Yorker.
"Twins. Two babies. As in, more than one and less than three," Rory snapped; normally she wouldn't dream of snapping at her grandparents, but she was overly-stressed. Jess caught her mistake before she did.
"Rory," he breathed. Slowly, it dawned on her. Her parents hadn't told her grandparents yet. They had wanted it to be a surprise (from everyone except for the Cohens and Lane).
Just then, Luke emerged from the delivery area. Rory and Jess looked up at him hopefully.
"They're here. Small, but they're here," he said, throwing his arms around his daughter and nephew, kissing them each on the head.
"They'll be ok?"
"They'll be just fine."
"Luke?" Emily said, masking her rage.
"It's a boy, Emily."
"A boy?" Asked Richard. Luke nodded, producing a picture from behind his back.
"Four pounds, ten ounces." Richard beamed proudly at the picture.
"Is that all?" Emily chose to be blunt.
"Is that all?" Luke repeated. Suddenly, he realized and turned to his children, glaring. Jess pointed at Rory, mouthing Her. Luke turned to his daughter and shot her a look before turning back to his in-laws.
C'mon Jess mouthed.
Where? Rory asked slently.
To see Lorelai. They slipped out before anyone saw them go.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Rory and Jess knocked slightly before entering Lorelai's hospital room.
"Hey, you two."
"Hi, mommy."
"Hi, Aunt Lorelai."
"Come. Have sit." She patted two spaces on either side of her, instructing them to sit down, "You saw the pictures?"
"A baby girl for me to dress up."
"And a baby boy for me to play baseball with."
"We did it that way on purpose. One for each of you," Lorelai joked, "They're perfect. Just like you guys."
"I'm not perfect," Jess blushed.
"And I was a bit of a bitch today," Rory looked away.
"You're perfect to me... So are they. Twenty fingers. Twenty toes. Four perfect blue eyes. Two teeny noses."
"That's on both of the babies combined, right?" Jess ignored his cousin's comment as his uncle walked in, muttering,
"Your parents are insane. We're condemned to holiday dinners at their house for years to come. Until the twins are fifty." The rest laughed.
"Speaking of the twins, do my cousins have names yet?"
"Actually, they do," Luke sat down on the foot of the bed, putting Lorelai's feet in his lap.
"Ok, well, what is my baby brother's name?"
"Well, we wanted to name him after his two grandpas."
"William Richard?" Jess asked; it wasn't a terrible name, but it didn't seem like Lorelai's style.
"No, not William Richard. Though we were this close."
"You guys know that Grandpa William's real first name wasn't William, right?" Rory's eyes widened,
"Oh, no... Daddy, you didn't!"
"Didn't what?" Jess suddenly realized what Rory was insinuating, "You named my cousin Jedediah!" Luke and Lorelai laughed,
"No!"
"We figured that first initials sufficed. So we named him Joshua Ryder."
"Ryder?"
"What? Kate Hudson did it. Be glad I'm not having them call Grandma Glam-ma." Rory laughed,
"Hey, the girl's name isn't Lorelai, is it?"
"I'm not Michael Jackson. We're not gonna call her 'Blanket'."
"Then what's her name?" asked Jess eagerly.
"Hey, I thought you were more excited about Joshua." Jess shook his head,
"I'm gonna need to protect the girl. Especially since I can't protect this one anymore," he motioned to Rory. Luke chose to ignore the comment and answered,
"Hannah Emma."
"After Grandma Helen and Grandma Emily?"
"Yeah." Rory and Jess glanced at each other, coming to an unspoken consensus,
"So... we're gonna go..."
"We'll give you two some alone time..." Luke laughed,
"You want to see the babies, don't you?" Rory stared at the floor,
"Maybe a little." Luke put his arms around each of the teenagers' shoulders,
"C'mon, I'll show you where it is. I'll be back in a few minutes, honey."
"Take your time," she said, staring at the pictures of her family, and the new pictures of her new children.
Life was perfect.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Seth?" Lane sat next to her boyfriend, waiting for the Danes family to reemerge. He glanced back at her,
"Yes, my love?"
"What... what were you doing in that disguise... hiding... at the picnic?" Seth sighed,
"Real answer? Or the one that you'll like better?"
"Real," she said without conviction. Seth stared intently at the floor,
"I was... spying on you. Ryan and I were. All day." Lane was perplexed,
"Reason being?"
"I was... jealous." Lane laughed,
"You were jealous?"
"Yeah. You were going out on a date with another guy. I love you, you know that. And I just... the whole idea creeped me out." It wasn't the first time that Seth had professed his love, but Lane realized it meant extra at that moment. She leaned in and kissed him full on the mouth in the middle of the waiting room, in front of his parents, his brother, and the newly-born babies.
"I love you, too. But... you have to learn to trust me, ok?"
"If you kiss me like that all the time? You can go on dates with other guys every night." Lane laughed and leaned against him.
Just then, the doors swung open.
"Names?" Kirsten asked persistently as Jess, Rory, and Luke reentered the waiting room.
"Hannah Emma," Said Jess, smiling.
"And Joshua Ryder," Rory finished. Luke only smiled. Kirsten nodded,
"You have the badge of approval."
"Can we see them?" asked Ryan eagerly, taking his girlfriend's hand in his own.
"I don't see why not," Luke answered, "After Rory and Jess, sure." He lead the five teenagers towards the NICU (the babies were in incubators and needed to be under constant surveillance for the first few days).
Rory and Jess were the first ones to go in; they found the twins almost immediately.
"They're so tiny," Rory whispered. Jess put his hand on the glass,
"Hey, Hannah. Hey, Joshy. I'm your big cousin. I'm Jess." Rory choked back tears,
"And I'm Rory. I'm your big sister."
"Hey... we just wanted to come in here and see you guys. And we wanted to tell you what you got yourselves into."
"You have entered into a crazy, crazy family. You have us."
"And the Cohens..."
"There's Kirsten and Sandy..."
"Crazy Seth..."
"And my boyfriend, Ryan. You should get used to them."
"And then there's Lane. Lane's Seth's girlfriend. We, um... we spend a lot of time together."
"The best of friends... And then there's your grandma and grandpa. They mean well, and they really do love you. Grandma's excited to meet you guys in a little while. She and Grandpa went downstairs to get coffee."
"Ahh, yes, Coffee. Get used to the smell. Get used to the concept. Coffee is life in the Danes house. Hannah, you will learn to love it whether you want to or not."
"And then... there's Mommy and Daddy. They're the best, you guys. They really, really... they love you guys a lot. Us too. There's... there's a lot of love in our house. We're always doing something together... They're the best parents. In my opinion, at least." Jess was quiet for a second before adding,
"Yeah... they are..."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Rory and Jess spent another five minutes getting to know the new babies before reemerging, Rory's tear-stained cheeks glistening.
"Seth, Ry... your turn. Two at a time." A passing nurse stopped them,
"Are these all your children?" Luke shook his head,
"Just these two," he motioned to Rory and Jess.
"I'm sorry, but it's family only." Luke shook his head,
"They're family."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Seth?"
"Yeah, Ry?"
"Do you suddenly feel... giant?" They stood next to Hannah and Joshua's matching incubators.
"Yes," they were both momentarily silent, "I guess we should... talk to them?"
"I guess... I'll start," Ryan leaned down to be eye-level with Hannah, "Hey, you guys. We're, umm... we're Ryan and Seth. Cohen. We're good friends of your family."
"I'm sure you've heard all about us from your big sister and cousin. We're memorable."
"Well, look. Umm... this world that you've gotten yourselves into? It's pretty cool. Especially the way you got in here."
"Yeah. You, uh... you got something that most people don't have. You have a twin."
"We're umm... we're twins... Not the same way you guys are. But everyone says we're twins. We know we are. Our mom... she was just too tiny to hold us both in her stomach."
"So someone else carried Ryan. And our mom carried me. And then, when he was born, he came back to his family." Seth and Ryan smiled at each other, reminiscing about the story they had been told when they had asked, at age three, why Ryan was adopted.
"So, umm... you guys... you have a lot of love. Especially from your mommy and daddy."
"Us. Lane. Jess."
"And Rory. Rory's... Rory's my girlfriend, you guys. And I love her a lot. She's really sweet. I know you'll love her as much as I do..." he paused and considered, "Just in a very different way."