"I don't think she's fully grasped what's happening." Joan replied as she handed Daisy a cup of coffee. "She thinks it's going to be so easy and that her life is going to be so much better."

"If she's happy about it, maybe it will make her life better." Daisy replied. "After all, if she's old enough to be having sex, she's old enough to follow through with the responsibilities of what could happen."

"She's not old enough to have sex." Joan sighed. "I wasn't old enough to have sex. I just wanted so much more for Lorelai. I never expected her to…" Joan paused. "She's not a little girl any longer, Daisy." It became obvious Joan was still upset over the situation. "She's not going to need her mother any longer, she's going to be one."

"Oh now, Joan, you know that's not true." Daisy sympathized. "Lorelai will always need her mother. She'll need you more now, than ever. You're right, she's not a little girl any longer, but she is a young woman. She's going to be scared, nervous, anxious, and all sorts of other feelings she doesn't even know exist yet."

"The doctor said she's doing really well." Joan smiled. "In a few more weeks we can find out if the baby is a boy or girl."

Daisy's face brightened with delight. "And which one would you like to see come along?"

Joan laughed lightly, "It wouldn't matter…" She paused. "I suppose, it would be nice to have a boy in the family. Just to spice things up a little."

"Then finally, there would be a man in Connecticut worth having one day." Daisy replied.

Joan's mind wandered to Chris. "He should have stepped up to all of this."

"Christopher?" Daisy asked. "He's a sixteen year old boy. He can barely step up to the toilet and aim straight."

"We admit that Lorelai is a young woman, and must take responsibility for what she's done, but it should be the same for him. He could make such a difference in both of their lives."

Daisy slowly nodded her head. "Sweetie, in my opinion, Lorelai is better off without him."

Joan sighed. "Perhaps you're right. If there's one thing Lorelai has, it's ambition."

"What about Richard?" Daisy asked.

Joan's eyes bulged. "I never thought about that. Should I tell him?"

"I don't know." Daisy replied. "Do you think he should know?"

"He and Lorelai haven't talked for months. He's not even seen her in over a year."

"Well, it'd be better if he finds out from you, than from someone else."

"Oh, Daisy, what if he tries to take Lorelai away?" Joan asked in fear. "Legally, she's not mine. I've been keeping her all this time only because he allowed her to move here."

"Hey, if he's not seen her in over a year or talked to her in months, then I don't think he's too concerned about her. Chances are, he'll just refuse to have anything to do with her or supporting the baby."

"Well, that's not a surprise nor a threat. I don't expect Richard to support either of them."

Later that day, Lorelai returned home from school. She slammed the main apartment door, then slammed the door to her bedroom. Joan, who was resting peacefully in her room, making the most of her day off from work, suddenly jumped from the bed.

"Lorelai!" Joan called. "I'd like to keep our doors on the hinges!"

"I hate him!" Lorelai shrieked.

"Him who?"

"Christopher!"

"That him."Joan sighed and climbed out of her bed. She opened Lorelai's door and walked in. "What happened?"

"He told everyone at school that I'm pregnant…" Lorelai pouted.

Joan thought for a moment. "Well, it's not such a bad thing… they would have found out sooner or later anyway. You know how it is here in Stars Hollow. Just remember that you're proud of your baby and not ashamed of becoming a mother. If you hold your head up high, and show everyone that you're …."

"He's told everyone he's not the father!" Lorelai interjected. "He's made me look like some slut!"

Joan's calm attitude remained. "Well, he can ignore, deny, and protest all he wants…. But it doesn't change anything. He is the father, and he will have to take responsibility for what's happened sooner or later."

"I don't want him around my baby." Lorelai replied. "I don't want anything to do with him, ever again…"

"Sweetheart, one day that might change. What if your child wants to meet his or her daddy?"

"I've never met my real father." Lorelai countered. "And I'm okay with that."

"Lorelai, you have to stop comparing your situation with mine. This is completely different."

"How?" Lorelai asked. "Looks the same to me."

"I'm not forcing you to give up your baby." Joan seriously replied. "I'm going to help you. I'm going to make sure that you stay healthy and the baby stays healthy. And after you've given birth, you'll go back to school and graduate. You're going to do all the things that I didn't."

Lorelai sighed. "I just want to be as good of a mother as you are."

"You will be." Joan smiled. "Even better, I'm sure."

Lorelai pulled herself back together and took a deep breath. "You're right… We can handle this." She smiled. "If Chris wants to be immature about all of this, then that's his problem."

"Exactly." Joan replied.

"I'm going to go over to Sookie's for a while. I'm sure she has lots of questions about the rumors she's heard today."

"Be home before dark." Joan replied.

"I will." Lorelai promised.

(Sookie's House)

"Wow… Wow…."

"Sookie, you've said wow six times now." Lorelai sighed. "Please, say something else."

"Oh my God."

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "It's not as big of a deal as it seems. I mean, people get pregnant all the time."

"I just thought it was a horrible rumor." Sookie shook hear head. "I honestly didn't know it was the truth."

"Well, part of it is the truth. The part about Chris not being the father is a lie. He's the only boy I've ever been with."

"That creep! How dare he do this to you!" Sookie replied in anger. "First he gets you pregnant, then he denies he's the father! That… That…. Eww!"

Lorelai smiled. "I appreciate that you care so much, Sook."

"Of course I care… You're my best friend!"

"Hey, I've had a strange craving for chocolate all day. How about we go down to Taylor's market and buy out his candy isle?" Lorelai suggested.

"Should you eat a lot of chocolate… I mean… with your condition?" Sookie asked, truly concerned.

"It's not a condition." Lorelai laughed. "And from what mom has told me so far, I'll be eating all kinds of things for the next 8 months."

"Well, okay… chocolate does make me feel better when I'm upset."

Lorelai and Sookie walked down the street to Taylor's. They stood in the candy isle counting up their money to see how much candy they could actually get away with.

"I have 2.30" Sookie replied.

"3.25, here." Lorelai added.

"Okay, that will get us…" Sookie paused. "Six candy bars, and two sodas. And 4 cents left over in change."

"You math geek." Lorelai teased.

Sookie gasped as she glanced up behind Lorelai.

"What?" Lorelai asked. "Add up something wrong?"

"It's Luke." Sookie replied in a high whisper. She pointed to the cash register. "He's a bag boy!"

Lorelai quickly turned around. "Oh, my God. So this is where he's been for the last year and a half."

"Impossible, I come into Taylor's all the time. I've never seen him here before." Sookie concluded. "It must be his first day."

"What do we do?" Lorelai asked.

"We drop the candy and run." Sookie suggested.