Disclaimer: I am in no way associated with Warner Brothers or Dorothy Parker Drank Here or anyone else attached in any way with Gilmore Girls.

Chapter 19 – Closer Yet

It's Thursday morning and Luke once again finds himself in the OB/GYN waiting room surrounded by estrogen. He figures that Tuesdays must be reserved for pregnancy examinations since none of the ladies he has seen so far today exhibit any signs of expecting. Of course, neither does Lorelai, no matter what she thinks.

This morning he had found her performing some sort of aerobic dance in an attempt to zip up her jeans. She was grousing because apparently she had grown fat overnight and now couldn't fit into her clothes.

He tried to diplomatically point out that first of all she is trying to get into her tightest jeans (his personal favorite). Secondly it is just possible that she had not gotten fat but the problem stemmed from the six glasses of water that she had consumed for the Ultrasound test this morning. He had suggested that she try a different pair of jeans since she only has about thirty pairs to choose from.

His remarks were not well received.

Lorelai told him that she is going to wear these jeans and if he cared anything about her at all, he would be helping to zip them up instead of making inane fashion comments.

He tries to explain that he is happy to help but that doesn't really solve her problem since he isn't going to be following her around all day. There is just the slightest possibility that she will have to use the bathroom sometime. Who is going to zip up her jeans then?

Her reply came in the form of a growl.

He should have known better than to try logic with her. Lorelai under normal conditions is not a morning person and this morning she is especially cranky.

With no other option, he had her lay on the bed while he pulls at the zipper. It is then he sees the real obstacle, a stray thread is trapped in the zipper teeth. Using brut force he is finally able to dislodge the thread and zips her up.

Lorelai sits up and groans. The jeans are causing pressure on her already full bladder. In an attempt to stretch the fabric, she begins to perform some weird callisthenic movements. Luke finds it all pretty funny but refrains from actually laughing since he is enjoying the show.

Finally, the fabric has stretched sufficiently and she is now observing her stomach profile in the mirror. She declares that it is definitely beginning to protrude. To Luke her stomach looks just as flat as always but he is not going to dispute her opinion.

Actually, the only physical change he had been able to detect is with her boobs. They are slightly fuller and definitely more sensitive. Her belly is still flat and her waist is still slim. He knows all this because he initiated a new nightly ritual.

Ever since last Tuesday at their last doctor's appointment when Sarah talked about sex, he had been doing a lot of thinking. This is tricky territory. If he backs off and doesn't initiate any intimacy then Lorelai might begin to believe he isn't attracted to her anymore but if he is too passionate in his attentions, she might feel obligated to have sex even if she's isn't in the mood. Sure he could talk to her about it but verbal communication is not his forte. No, he's better with actions.

After pondering the situation for a while he thinks he's hit on the perfect solution. He tried it Tuesday night when she finally got home. It was close to ten o'clock and he was about to head out to the Inn and drag her home when her Jeep pulls into the driveway.

He was planning to yell at her for working so late until he actually saw her. She looked exhausted. Her eyes were red and he could see dark circles forming. He knew her eyes must really be bothering her since she had already taken out her contacts and is wearing her glasses.

Normally, when she came home this tired and stressed, he would run a bath for her and sometimes even join her in it. Luke had always thought of baths as kind of creepy. The idea of sitting in your own dirt in a tub of water never appealed to him. He's a shower guy, but Lorelai had introduced him to the sensual pleasures of a warm bath and he had changed his opinion.

But now Lorelai can't take any baths. Pregnant women can't sit in hot water. Something about it raising their body temperature and possibly harming the fetus. Just to be on the safe side there can be no calming baths for Lorelai for a while.

Instead he offers to give her a massage. First, using her favorite body lotion, he spreads the cream over the front of her body, being especially gentle over her breast but making sure to liberally apply the moisturizer to her abdomen. At one point he kisses her belly and says, "Hopefully, this will help prevent stretch marks."

Then he turns her over and moisturizes her back. When he finishes he gives her a relaxing massage and encouraged her to close her eyes. She falls asleep before he's done, looking much more peaceful and relax.

He's decided to do this every night before bed. He figures either way he wins. He loves touching her even when it doesn't lead to sex but if the massage puts her in the mood, even better.

Besides, he likes pampering her. So much so that he went out yesterday and bought some super supreme shea-butter, deep conditioning, body butter that's suppose to have a super dose of antioxidant complex for the skin.

He doesn't know what the hell most of that is but it sounds good and Kirk had recommended it. Normally Luke would never accept Kirk's recommendation for anything but this time he really sounded like he knew what he was talking about. Plus Kirk had been working in that store for several years so he had to have learned something and since Luke knows nothing what did he have to loose?

The body butter had been a hit last night. Lorelai had made every indication that she wanted to take things future than just a massage. Unfortunately, since they had the doctor's appointment this morning, some activities were off limits but not everything. They know many ways to satisfy each other and they may have discovered a few more last night. In fact Luke found the restriction to be sort exciting, kind of a test of their creativity. Based on Lorelai reactions, he felt confident that he had met the challenge and he knew that she had.

The previous night's love making seem to have stimulated Lorelai's libido and she woke up frisky again this morning. Luke had unfortunately let her sleep late thinking that she needed the rest. This decision had left no time for play thus resulting in Lorelai's bad mood. Luke knew from past experience that a sexually frustrated Lorelai is cranky.

As they waited in the doctor's office, it is apparent to Luke that Lorelai is uncomfortable. The pre-Ultrasound instructions that they were given said that Lorelai needed to consume 4 to 6 glasses of water so she would have a full bladder. Evidently, a full bladder is necessary to get a good picture.

"Gads, how long can they keep us waiting?" exclaimed Lorelai in frustration.

"Relax it is only 10:01."

"You try to relax when your bladder's about to burst. You know, maybe if I just go pea a little bit, just to relieve the pressure?"

"No, if you go you won't be able to stop then your bladder will be empty. We'll have to reschedule and do this all over again. Just cross your legs and relax."

Just then, the nurse called for Lorelai. She gets up and drags Luke with her. He protests, saying, "Shouldn't I wait?"

"No! No time, we've got to get this show on the road."

Luke looks at the nurse, who smiles and tells him that it's alright.

Luke lets Lorelai lead him down the hall. He is keeping his eyes on the floor. This time he has no intention of seeing any other women running around with open examination gowns.

When they get into the examination room, Luke looks around at what he assumes is the Ultrasound machine. It looks like a regular PC setting on a cart which surprises him. He is not exactly sure what he expected but this isn't it.

Lorelai starts stripping off her clothes as soon as they got in the room. Removing her jeans offers some relief but she still really needs to pea. Unfortunately, while she is standing in her bra and panties, the air conditioner kicks on and a cold draft of air hits her. That really seems to make matters worse. Suddenly she is shifting around and sort of doing a jig trying not to pea in her pants.

Luke watches her with amusement. She reminds him of the little kids he has seen do what he calls the "pea pea" dance.

Lorelai finishes changing and gets up on the examination table. She shifts around trying to get comfortable but nothing works until she tries setting Indian style. It's not the most modest pose but it seems to help.

There's a knock at the door and the technician comes in to set up the machine. Lorelai is rocking back and forth impatiently until she finally asks, "How much longer because I really need to pea."

The technician turns to her surprised and says, "Doctor ordered a Transvaginal Scan. That doesn't require a full bladder. They must have given you the wrong instructions."

"Are you sure?" asks Lorelai.

"Positive."

Lorelai utters, "Excuse me" as she bolts out the door.

Luke smirks as he watches Lorelai sprint out the door.

The technician smiles and tells him, "That happens all the time."

A few minutes later, Lorelai reappears looking relieved. She gets back on the table and says, "Are we about ready?"

"Just waiting for the doctor. Do you want me to explain how this works?"

"Please." replies Lorelai.

The technician holds up a probe and says, "This is the transducer which will be inserted gently into your vagina, and then it will be moved and rotated to adjust the view displayed on the monitor. A transvaginal ultrasound takes about 15 to 30 minutes. There is normally no discomfort involved though you may feel a light pressure when the transducer is moved."

Luke grimaces at the explanation. This is really more information than he wanted to know.

Lorelai asks, "Why am I having this instead of the regular test?"

The technician responds, "I wouldn't know. You have to ask the doctor. I just do what I'm told."

Just then, Sarah knocks and comes in. "Hi Lorelai. How are you doing?"

"Good."

Sarah acknowledges Luke, "Hi Luke. How's daddy?"

"Fine."

She turns to the technician and asks, "Deanna, have you explained the procedure to Lorelai yet?"

"Yes."

She turns back to Lorelai. "Okay, any questions?"

"Yeah, why am I getting this instead of the regular ultrasound?"

"The normal ultrasound isn't very accurate in the early stages of pregnancy. Because of that, we don't normally perform an ultrasound until around the 10th to 12th week. But when we suspect multiples, we like to have an earlier picture. This method is much more accurate."

Luke thinks, "And probably a hell of a lot more expensive." but he doesn't say anything.

As though Sarah could read his mind, she adds, "Don't worry, it's cover by your medical plan."

Lorelai lies down and Deanna, the technician, inserts the probe. Luke gets up and stands next to Lorelai's head and looks with her at the monitor. He can't see anything.

Sarah tells Luke, "Luke, you might as well sit down. It will take about 15 minutes or more before the computer can put together a full picture."

Then she turns to Lorelai. "I'm going to leave you with Deanna. I'll be back in 15 or 20 minutes; then we'll look at what you've got inside there. Just try to relax."

Rory woke at little after 10:30 with a post-it on her forehead. She had meant to get up earlier and go with her mom and Luke to the doctor, but according to the note they left without her. She had worked a double yesterday, sixteen hours straight. Her workday had stared at 8:00 AM and didn't end until after midnight. She should feel exhausted but she doesn't.

It's not like she loves what she doing at the paper because she doesn't. She is the low man on the totem pole and is expected to perform all the most medial and mundane tasks. What she loves is the atmosphere at the paper and the hint of possibilities that await her.

No one has ever accused Rory of being dumb. She understands that she has to pay her dues just like everyone else if she expects to earn their respect. She refuses to use her connections to Logan and the Huntzbergers. She wants to be respected as Rory Gilmore not Logan Huntzberger's girlfriend.

As Rory makes coffee, she reflects on her life. Being an adult sucks. If she could, she would clone herself in to three so that she could do everything that she wants. The first Rory would still be working her butt off at the SEG and Yale to become the next Christiane Amanpour, the second would stay here in Stars Hollow and hang with her mom and the third would catch the next flight to London to be with Logon. But that's not an option.

It has just been one week since she and her mom returned to Stars Hollow. That month they had spent in the mountains had been like old times. They were together constantly. As much as she loved it, that time had made Rory realize that things will never be like that again. She wants a different life for herself.

She wants more than just being the daughter of Lorelai Gilmore from Stars Hollow. She wants more than just being Logan Huntzberger's girlfriend. She wants to be Rory Gilmore, accomplished and respected on her own.

Sarah had come back into the examination room. The scan is now complete and she is analyzing the results on a screen with both Lorelai and Luke looking over her shoulder.

"Well," Sarah explains as she points to a form on the screen, "we have Baby A."

Luke tries to focus on the object she is pointing to but it looks kind of like a peanut with a tail to him.

"And, here's Baby B right over there. I don't see anymore so I believe we just have two."

Both Luke's and Lorelai's faces blanched at the hint that Sarah had been looking for more than two.

"Sarah, you thought there might be more?" asks Lorelai astonished.

"Well, your HCG levels are at the top of the range and you're borderline anemic. Those indicators along with the possible second heart beat told me that we probably had at least two but a chance there are more. Don't worry, it looks it we just have two. Relax you two twins are pretty common especially at your age. The chance of multiple births for a woman over 35 is 30 greater. Maybe it is Mother Nature's way of catching up for delaying pregnancy? "

Sarah asked Deanna the technician, "Did you get the CRL?"

"Yes, both of them are 10.7 cm."

"Okay, so based on the crown-to-rump length, I estimate that your babies are 7 weeks and 2 days old."

Shocked Luke responds, "Wow, you can calculate it that precisely?"

"Well, I may be off by 3 or 4 days but yeah we've gotten pretty good at that now. After the next Ultrasound which will be around the 20th week, we can be more accurate."
Turning to Lorelai, "So that means your 9 weeks pregnant, almost through your first trimester."

Confused, Luke exclaims, "Huh?"

Sarah explains, "Most of the time when people talk about a pregnancy they talk in terms that we refer to as the gestational age. That's based on the LMP or last menstrual period. Conception usually takes place about two week after the LMP so the fetal age or the actual age of the growing babies is two week later. Since your twins are 7.2 weeks old, Lorelai is 9 weeks pregnant."

Luke wishes he had remembered to bring his pen again. He really wants to write all of this down.

As Lorelai is redressing, Luke can't help but try to remember what was happening 7 weeks and 2 days ago. That was the day he had returned from his trip with April. That night Lorelai and he had shared a memorable welcome home celebration.

Apparently it was more memorable than either of them knew.

Rory is reading the paper as she drinks her coffee. There's a knock at the back door and Sookie walks in.

"Hey sweetie, how ya doin'?"

"Morning Sookie. Mom and Luke aren't back yet if that's who you're looking for."

"No, I'm not looking for them. I mean I want to see them if they're here but since they're not then, no, I don't. See, I was kind of hoping that they wouldn't be back yet because I'm looking for you."

"Sure Sookie, you found me. What can I do for you?"

Sookie sits down and notices the Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake that Luke left for Rory and cuts a piece. She takes a bite and says, "Does he put buttermilk in this? Because I think I taste buttermilk. I use sour cream but buttermilk would be good too."

Rory shakes her head, "I don't know Sookie. All I know is it's good. I'm sure you can ask him and he'll tell you."

Sookie sighs as she responds, "No, he refuses to give me any of his recipes. He still won't tell me what he puts in his lamb chops."

"Sookie, you wanted to talk to me?" Rory asks, trying to bring Sookie back to focus.

"Well, yeah, I kind of want to talk about your mom and Luke."

"Uh-huh."

Sookie takes another bite of the cake and continues, "It's like this. I think they need to go ahead and just get married. This whole thing with the engagement not an engagement but a promise is just weird. Let's face it, they need to just suck it up and take the plunge."

"Sookie look, I want Mom and Luke together just as much as anyone but they need time."

"That's just it. They don't have time."

"Sookie, I know with the baby or babies coming, it would be nice if they got married first, but a lot a people wait until the baby is born before they have their ceremony. Look at Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes."

"We all know that Mom and Luke belong together and I think they will be. Luke has moved in and they seem to be doing really good. Mom has spent a lot of time with April and that's working out, so yeah, I think everything is going to be fine. It's just going to take some time."

Sookie looks at Rory and states, "That's just the problem, sweetie, I don't think they have much more time."

Confused, Rory asks, "What? Why?"

"Well, it's the town. They are kind of setting a time limit."

"Our town, Stars Hollow? What do you mean a time limit?"

"See the town had a meeting about your mom and Luke. They were all upset about this last breakup. It's just that they really care about them and they feel sort of invested in their romance. The town just wants them to be happy so they're going to throw them a wedding."

Astonished by Sookie's last statement, Rory doesn't know what to say. She just sits there for a moment before collecting her thoughts to ask, "Did you say they are throwing them a wedding? You mean a wedding shower right, because throwing a wedding would be crazy"

"Yep, it is but they want to throw them a wedding not a wedding shower."

"A wedding. How? When? Why?"

Sookie explains, "See originally they had this plan to get your mom and Luke drunk at the town's Independence Day celebration and then have the wedding, but I talked them out of that. I mean with your mom being pregnant she can't drink alcohol but of course I didn't tell them that. Plus Luke's not a big drinker. I know he got a little tipsy when they went to that party in New York and of course, after your mom left him he was plastered for a couple of days but I don't think they could get him to drink that much normally."

Still trying to take it all in, Rory responds, "The town was planning to get Mom and Luke drunk at the Independence Day festival and then have them get married?"

"Yep."

"That's insane!"

"Maybe not."

"Sookie, Mom and Luke wouldn't get that drunk."

"Yeah, I know that part was a crazy idea, but..."

"Sookie?"

"Honey, just listen to me because I've been thinking about this a lot. Luke wants to get married and I think your mother does too. She's just not thinking clearly." Sookie gets up and starts to pace. She is clearly struggling to find the right words. "See, your mom is really sentimental. I kind of think if we got her to look back at everything, both the good and bad times, so she could remember just how important Luke is to her and all the stuff he did do right, then maybe she can forgive him for that one misstep"

"You know nobody's prefect but for a long time, Luke seemed perfect to Lorelai. I think that's what made Luke's treatment of her after he found out about April so hard for her. Suddenly he wasn't perfect and she didn't know how to handle it."

Rory shook her head, "No Sookie, I think it's more that. Mom feels that Luke doesn't really trust her. He hid April from her and I think that's still the stumbling block."

Sookie stared at Rory and said, "But that's stupid. She's got to know that's not true. I mean she's spent a lot of time with April now. He's proved that he trusts her."

"I know it and you know it but Mom doesn't. It's just going to take Mom longer that a week to get over everything that's happened in the last few months. Luke's doing everything he can but his actions hurt Mom bad. That kind of hurt takes a while to heal."

"Well, the town and especially Taylor are not going to wait for long. We have to find a way to get Lorelai and Luke to at least set a wedding date or I'm afraid that something ugly will happen. I can just see Taylor forming a mob to storm the house and dragging Lorelai and Luke to the altar."

"What are we going to do, Sookie? We can't let the town interfere. It'll make everything worse. Luke will get mad and Mom will freak."

"I'll stall the town as long as I can and you work on your Mom. Let's just hope for the best."

Lorelai knows that she is simply delaying the inevitable but she just can't make herself finish dressing. Rory and Luke had ganged up on her this morning and she finally agreed to let Luke accompany her to Friday night dinner tonight. Well, it wasn't so much that she agreed it was more that she couldn't fight both of them anymore.

That means there will be no chance to dodge the bullet tonight. She will have to tell Emily and Richard that's she pregnant. If she doesn't, either Luke or Rory or both will share the news.

Every time she thinks about it, she flashes back twenty-two years and she's sixteen again. How many times had she vowed to herself that she would never let that happen again? Twenty-two years later and she is exactly in the same place. Way to go Gilmore!

Lorelai flinches as she suddenly feels Luke's arms wrap around her. He whispers in he ear, "Do you really want to see your parents dressed only in your slip?"

She realizes that she has been standing in the middle of the bedroom just staring at the wall for the last five minutes. She needs to suck it up and just get dressed.

Suddenly her stomach starts sending her messages again. She scrambles for the bathroom and begins throwing up. This is the second time tonight that she has gotten sick. Tomato juice isn't helping that much right now. That's probably because her sickness tonight has more to do with terror than the pregnancy.

Luke is feeling just about every negative emotion possible. He's running the gambit from guilt through remorse to anguish and finally fear. Lorelai is a mess and it's his fault. If he hadn't been so wrapped up in his own little pity party about April, he and Lorelai would have been married on June 3rd and tonight would just be another evening at the in-laws. But it isn't.

Tonight is the night that Emily and Richard will pull out their arsenal of cutting barbs. Many will be directed at him and he's ready for them. He feels that he is prepared for any cutting remarks they may direct at him but he's worried how he'll react if they really attack Lorelai. Yelling at Emily or belting Richard will not help the situation.

He keeps telling himself that if things really turn ugly, that he will just drag Lorelai out of there and they will have to deal with the elder Gilmore's later. Hopefully he can get her away from them before their words can damage her already fragile sense of worth.

Rory is really not looking forward to tonight. She knows her grandma and grandpa well enough to anticipate their reactions to the news of the babies. Tonight is going to be ugly. She had given serious consideration to going to her grandparents and talking with them earlier today. Maybe if they understood what her mom is going through they would be supportive.

But the more she thought about it the less appealing the idea became. Forewarning the Gilmores might just give them a chance to prepare to pounce on her mother even more. No a surprise attack is the best plan.

They took two vehicles because Rory told them that she might get called to work at the paper tonight but that's not the real reason. If her grandparents' reaction ends up forcing Luke and her mom to leave early, Rory wants to be able to stay and have a serious discussion with her grandparents.

When Rory pulls up to the house, Luke is attempting to extricate Lorelai from his truck. She is gripping the steering wheel and refuses to let go.

With Rory's help, Luke finally drags Lorelai out and up to the front door. He is keeping a strong arm around her so she can't bolt. Rory rings the bell. Emily opens the door.

"Rory!"

"Grandma."

Sweeping her eyes over her daughter, Emily greets Lorelei with a little less enthusiasm but still a warm greeting. Then she turns to Luke and greats him cordially but with a cool undertone.

As they all come in Emily gets a good look at the trio. She is taken back by Lorelai's appearance. Her face is drawn and tired looking and she appears to have lost weigh.

Emily is aware of the some of the problems that Lorelai and Luke had been experiencing. She knew about the breakup and she knew about Lorelai's and Rory's month in the mountains. She just didn't expect the physical toll all of this apparently took on Lorelai.

Though Rory had not been forthcoming with a lot of details about the situation between Lorelai and Luke, Emily could read between the lines. She had witnessed first hand Lorelai's pain caused by the deterioration of her relationship with Luke. She sympathized with Lorelai's misery.

Emily had grasped the true extent of her daughter's anguish that evening at the real estate office. The pure devastation and suffering that she saw in Lorelai that night had wounded Emily's heart. Her daughter was hurting and she could do nothing to comfort her.

All Emily ever wanted for Lorelai is happiness. From the time Lorelai was born, Emily had fantasized about a wonderful close relationship with her daughter but it had never materialized. No matter how hard Emily tried, she could never get Lorelai interested in participating in the life Emily lead. Lorelai was born independent.

Emily remembers the first time she saw Luke. Her keen mother's perception had picked up on the electricity between them. Over the years, Luke was the only constant man in Lorelai's life.

Emily was not surprised when she found out that Lorelai was in a relationship with Luke. She tried to break them up because she sincerely believed that Lorelai's life would be better with Christopher. Christopher would bring Lorelai back into the world that she was born into, Emily's world and finally maybe Emily's fantasies would come true. But that was not to be.

Emily had finally realized that Lorelai would never return to her world, that Luke was always going to be part of Lorelai's life, and if she didn't accept him, Emily would loose her daughter forever. So she finally accepted Luke.

Once Emily accepted Luke, she was able to acknowledge that he is a good man. Though he will never fit the dream she had for her daughter, he obviously makes Lorelai happy. And, after all, Emily really does want Lorelai happy.

This last break-up had caught Emily by surprise. Lorelai is so good at hiding her true feelings that she had convinced Emily that everything was fine that Friday night at dinner. Of course now Emily knows the truth.

Rory had shared enough of the story with her to understand that Lorelai had basically suffered a totally emotional collapse. Emily had longed to run to comfort her daughter but deferred to Rory's request to stay away. Even as a child, Emily had never really known how to assuage Lorelai's grief.

Over the month, Emily kept in touch with Rory but she did speak to directly with Lorelai twice. Both times their conversation had been stilted and awkward. When Rory informed her that they were returning to Stars Hollow, Emily had been elated. That could only mean that Lorelai was really better.

When Rory shared with her that Luke was back in Lorelai's life, Emily was surprised how happy the news made her. She still is not a fan of Luke Danes but he is the one that Lorelai wants. Emily can live with that.

Emily will never admit this but she knows that Richard's insistence that they return early because of work was a ruse. The dire problem that required his attention could have been handled through phone calls. He wanted to return to check on Lorelai and he knew that Emily wanted that also.

So now they are all here. Emily notes that Luke is keeping a protective arm around Lorelai and Rory has slipped her arm through hers. Lorelai herself is leaning up against Luke as though she needs support. Emily wonders again if she is physically ill.

Richard appears from his study and warmly greets everyone. He too, scans his eyes across Lorelai and he is concern.

Everyone moves to the living room. Luke, Lorelai, and Rory take their seats on the sofa. Emily sits across in her chair. Richard is poised at the bar when he asks, "What does everyone want to drink?"

Luke takes hold of Lorelai's right hand as Rory grabs her left. Hesitantly, Lorelai addresses her father, "Ohm, Dad could you please sit down for a moment. I, err, we need to talk with you."

(tbc)