Disclaimer: I don't own anything associated with GG.
Summary: Future-Fic, PDLD. Rory and Finn have been together for several years; Rory has an announcement.
A/N: This story will be part of a multi-part arc of stories that will highlight important moments in the lives of Rory and Finn as a couple. Assume that everything up to 'Partings' happened. Details of their relationship will be explained in other parts; they will not be written (or posted) in sequential order.
February 5
Rory smiled at her reflection, adjusting the sparkly band that held her hair back from her face. She'd let it grow long again; at first it'd been because he'd mentioned that he would like to see her hair long, and later because she'd ended up liking it herself. It flowed down nearly to the middle of her back, full and curling. She'd spent the entire morning readying herself for tonight, and she was none too disappointed with the results.
She was wearing a deep blue dress with a soft sweater to ward off the February chill; her feet were still bare. Around her wrist she'd clasped the beautiful white gold bangle that Finn had brought her back from Paris their first summer together.
She was smoothing on her lipstick, getting ready to head out, when Finn stepped into their bedroom. He was dressed and in his hand was a glass of neat whiskey. Laughing to herself lightly, she crossed to him and rose on her toes, planting a soft kiss onto his freshly shaven chin.
"You look very dapper, Mr. Morgan," she murmured as she slid her arms around his waist.
"As do you, Miss Gilmore. Ready enough to come out and join the party," he said, raising an eyebrow. "We were getting worried about you."
She laughed softly and returned to her vanity, picking up the dainty chain that she'd picked out to wear that evening. Sighing, he followed closely behind her and placed his drink on the smooth wood surface of the table.
"Let me help you," he whispered against her ear, and it warmed her heart when she felt those same excited shivers travel through her at the action. Three years together and he still gave her butterflies, still surprised her, still turned her on.
"Thank you, kind sir."
She lifted her hair and let him slide the chain around her neck, taking a few moments to work the tiny clasp.
"Do you remember when I gave you this?"
"Of course. Our first Valentine's Day."
She grinned when she remembered that night, a little more than a week after they'd decided to date exclusively. Finn had surprised her with flowers, a beautiful dinner, and the necklace at desert.
"I knew I loved you then, but I was too bloody terrified to even think about saying it out loud."
Her shoulders shook with laughter as she leaned back against him, reveling in the familiar warmth of his body.
"I remember you stayed perpetually drunk for a few weeks around that time. I should've caught on."
"Darling, I was perpetually drunk those days. I think you might've actually saved me from a life of alcoholism."
Turning around to smile at him, she shook her head.
"You were too smart for anything like that. We both know that most of it was an act."
"Do I know you?" he asked, his face blank, his voice a perfect imitation of the many times she'd heard him use the line in their college days.
She bubbled over with laughter and gave him another quick kiss.
"And you thought you had me fooled. Nobody ever forgets a Gilmore girl."
"That, love, is the God's honest truth. Now, may I have the pleasure of escorting you to your own gathering? Your friends are waiting with baited breath for your arrival."
"I thought I would arrive fashionably late."
"I don't think you can do that when you're in your own home, darling, but I'll give you a 9 for effort."
She smiled but looked down at her feet, absently wondering where her shoes had gotten off to.
"Everything okay?" he asked lightly. She met his eyes again and saw the concern in them.
"I'm fine. Wonderful, actually. Just reminiscing."
"You're a closet romantic," he teased, and picked up his drink again, offering her his other hand.
Spotting her shoes peeking out from under the bed, she hurriedly slipped them on and took Finn's hand. She let him lead her down the hallway and into the dining room, biting her lip when she wondered once again how he was going to handle her news.
As Finn had said, everyone was waiting for them when they arrived in the kitchen. Colin, Logan, Stephanie, Paris, Doyle, Luke, Lorelai. They looked like a pretty odd mix but, as Rory had discovered, the few years since graduation had mellowed them all and they managed to get along pretty well. Paris, of course, would probably never truly 'get along' with anyone, but she was trying. She and Doyle were engaged and she was happier than Rory had ever seen her.
Her mom was sitting in Luke's lap, her arm slung over the back of the couch. They'd been married for two years now and had a beautiful one-year-old baby boy, Richard, Rory's stepbrother. Rory smiled to herself when she thought about him, and smiled even wider when she remembered the tears she'd seen in her grandfather's eyes when Lorelai had told him her son's name.
She went over to hug her friends, teasing them about still 'living the single life', to which Logan responded that he was determined to remain a bachelor until at least 28. She watched Colin and Stephanie's stolen glance and understood that something had finally happened between the two of them, probably something they weren't ready to air yet. She felt content knowing that their friends were startling to settle down as well.
She went to her mom and Luke next, lingering with her mom, holding her a little tighter than usual. When she pulled away she saw the knowing expression on her mom's face and Rory brought her finger to her lips, her eyes twinkling mischievously.
Finn had poured everyone a glass of wine and the friends were now all talking and laughing. When he drummed a spoon gently against his glass everyone quieted down instantly, eyes riveted to the tall Aussie. Finn was well-known for his entertaining toasts at these gatherings.
"I'd like to thank everyone for coming to celebrate our 3 year anniversary with us tonight. I'm not going to bore you to tears just yet, but I want you to know that I have a very important announcement to make after dinner; so please, people, eat quickly."
The friends laughed at Finn, whose eyes were trained on Rory. She smiled at him reassuringly but felt quite confused. Tonight she'd been planning on making an announcement at dinner. What did Finn have to tell her in front of everyone?
She wracked her brain, searching for the answer, when she remembered the house. They'd been house shopping for about 6 months now, and just last week they'd found a perfect home, an hour out of New York, a beautiful 5-bedroom estate with a sprawling 6 acres. There were stables and tennis courts and a sparkling pool. Rory had never pictured herself in a home like this, but now it only seemed natural. When she imagined her and Finn's future together she saw them happy together, in that home, with at least 3 kids and an interesting assortment of pets.
Their sleek New York City loft was beautiful, and had been a wonderful home for the past 2 years, but was growing too small. The home they'd found was just the right size—not too large to make her feel lost but big enough for a family (and to satisfy both of their families).
They'd made an offer on the home the first day they'd seen it. The real estate agent had warned them that the market was very competitive in that part of the state and that they might have to make one or several counteroffers. Finn had blown off his concern; she knew that, with his deep pockets and their families' combined influence, getting the home would be no problem.
Still, she hadn't heard a peep about the deal in a week and she was beginning to suspect that this was the subject of Finn's big announcement. They'd gotten their house.
Smiling giddily, she busied herself getting the table ready, adjusting flowers, trying to control her nervousness. Tonight was turning out to be a big night for them.
She wandered over to the kitchen and poked her head through the doorway, spotting Maria, their part-time housekeeper and cook.
"Maria, we're just about ready for dinner? How's it coming?"
Maria looked up from what she was doing and smiled at Rory. "It's just finished up, ma'am. I'll have it out as soon as you and your guests are seated."
"Thank you, Maria," Rory said sincerely, smiling warmly at the young woman.
Returning to her friends, she began ushering them towards the table.
"Time for dinner everyone. And yes," she called out, looking pointedly at her mom, "there will be booze at dinner."
"Hey! I didn't say a word!" Lorelai whined, her hands held up in defense.
"Ah, but we were all waiting for it, mum," Finn intoned, throwing an arm around Lorelai's shoulder as they walked to the table.
Maria appeared in the dining room the moment they were all seated, serving them steaming soup into their bowls.
"Smells wonderful!" Rory said, closing her eyes and deeply inhaling the scent. "I'm starving!"
"What else is new?" Logan asked, snickering. "At least you're smelling food this time and not books."
"You're never letting me live that down, are you?"
"Not until the image stops disturbing me. So…no, probably never."
"Taunted for my love of books! Why do I invite you people into my house?" Rory asked, feigning anger.
"Not 'us people'; throw Logan out if you must, but I personally find your obsession very amusing and would never dare dream of mocking you for it," Stephanie said, and Rory laughed because Stephanie had always been at the forefront of the group when it came to teasing Rory about her many strange habits.
"Let's not even get started on the naming of the appliances," Finn muttered, and Rory and Lorelai both protested at this.
"Hey, mister! I got that one honestly!"
"Yeah! Why shouldn't we name our appliances? They put out for us every day, never complain…"
"Hey mom, remember when you went through the phase when you gave all of our appliances a Latin man's name?"
"Oooh, yeah, let's see…the fridge was Rico, the toaster was Hector, the vacuum was Juan and boy, could he suck…"
"Dirty," Rory interjected, grinning.
"Thank you," Lorelai said, grinning back at her.
"You two are utterly exhausting," Finn grumbled, already tiring of trying to follow their conversation.
Glancing around, he noticed that everyone had finished their soup and stood up.
"Ladies and gentleman, we have now commenced into our 'announcement' portion of the evening," Finn stated, jamming his hands into his pockets. Rory knew that he only did that when he was nervous; it made him look completely adorable.
"Finn, we've only finished soup. We're nowhere near being done with dinner."
"Well…I don't want to wait, and this is my house, so I'm going to make my announcement early."
"Wait!" she cried out, surprising everyone (herself included).
"What is it, love?"
"I…kind of had an announcement too. I want to be first."
He looked surprised and, she thought, a little annoyed.
"Can't it wait? What I've got to say is pretty important."
"Please, Finn. Mine's important too."
"If it's so important, why didn't you make your intentions to announce known?"
She rolled her eyes at his logic.
"I wanted it to be a surprise."
"Well, dear, surprise us after my announcement."
"I'm pregnant!" she blurted out, clapping her hand over her mouth as soon as she'd said it.
"Dammit, Rory, I told you that I wanted to go first…" Finn continued, and his friends all stared at him, waiting. They all knew Finn. Big news didn't seem to register with him for at least 30 seconds.
As if on cue, the color suddenly drained from his face. He sat down in his chair, hard, his hands clutching the edge of the table.
"Congratulations, Rory!" Stephanie said, breaking the silence. She stood up to give Rory a hug. "When are you due?"
"In October," she murmured, her eyes still watching Finn carefully. His eyes were glazed over and he hadn't moved since the words had escaped her mouth.
Everyone was rushing to her side, offering congratulations, hugging her enthusiastically. Lorelai was the last, kissing her daughter on the forehead and whispering in her ear, "I knew it the second I saw you tonight."
Smiling up at her mom, Rory whispered back, "I knew I couldn't hide it from you. I'm glad."
"I'm happy for you, babe."
She saw Rory watching Finn, her expression worried, and lowered herself closely to her daughter again.
"He's going to be ecstatic, Ror. Just give him a little time. It's a big step for them."
Rory remembered that Luke had been shocked when Lorelai had told him as well, and it gave Rory some hope. She saw Luke head back to the kitchen and return moments later, followed closely by Maria. Luke was helping her with the dinner plates and Rory sighed in relief, glad to have the attention off of her as everyone settled in to eat the meal.
The room was filled then with only the sound of silverware clicking against plates and Stephanie's voice, happily chatting about shopping for baby furniture and decorating a nursery.
When Maria brought out desert Finn stood up abruptly, a wide smile breaking across his face, which had finally returned to its normal color.
"Dear God. Rory, we're having a baby?"
His voice was loud in the suddenly quiet room and she could see her friends smiling knowingly.
She only nodded, feeling excitement well up inside of her at the look on his face.
And then he was at her side, kneeling down beside her, his arms wrapped so tightly around her that she could barely breathe. He kissed her once, very carefully, and then brought his head down to rest on her flat stomach. With his ear against her shirt he closed his eyes and seemed to be listening carefully for a sound.
Rory's eyes filled at the unexpected, very tender, act, and rested her hand gently on his hair.
"I love you," she whispered down to him, and when he opened his eyes to look at her, there were tears in them.
"I love you too," he whispered, and then, turning back to her stomach, kissed it softly. "And I love you."
Rory looked up, overwhelmed, and caught her mother's eyes. She just nodded at her daughter, her own eyes full of unshed tears, and mouthed to her, "He's gonna be a good dad."
"I know," Rory mouthed back, before her gaze returned to Finn.
That night, after everyone had gone, when it was late and the loft was quiet, Rory and Finn lay awake in bed. She was on her back, propped up on several pillows, her hands resting lightly on Finn's shoulders. He was lying crossways on the bed, his head resting between her breasts and stomach, his eyes trained on her in the dark room.
She could still see the awe in them; she wondered now why she'd ever been nervous. This was Finn, the man she loved, the man she was spending the rest of her life with. Nothing had ever been more right than them making a baby together.
"I'm sorry I upstaged your announcement tonight," she said quietly, feeling a little guilty. "Want to tell me now?"
She felt the curve of his lips against her bare skin and watched him move from his place on the bed, searching on the floor for his discarded pants from that night. A moment later he returned, an object clutched in his hand, the corners of his mouth twitching.
"I wanted to give you this," he whispered, handing her a small blue box. Tiffany's.
"Oh, Finn," she breathed, her hands shaking as she opened the box. The ring was perfect, a simple square-cut diamond set in a platinum band. "It's beautiful."
"Marry me, Rory," he said simply, his voice never faltering.
"You didn't even have to ask," she said honestly, her voice faltering with tears for the second time that night.
"I take it that's a yes?" he asked, sliding up to lay next to her.
"It's definitely a yes, Mr. Morgan. I love you so much."
"I was really nervous about asking you tonight. I guess it's why I got so frustrated when you insisted on going first. And…well, dammit, I still wished I could've gone first. Now everyone's going to think I asked you just because you're pregnant!"
She laughed quietly and wrapped her arms around him, the box still clutched in her hand.
"When have we ever cared what anyone thought? And why, might I ask, were you nervous? You're never nervous."
"You're right there, love. You know, I can't for the life of me remember why I was nervous. Tonight…I've never been surer of anything in my life."
She smiled when he lowered himself to her and kissed her softly, brushing his lips over hers in his familiar yet breathtaking way.
When he pulled away he slipped the ring box from her hand and removed the ring, grabbing her left hand and sliding it on. It was a perfect fit.
"Oooh…sparkly," Rory said, sounding like a little girl as she wiggled her fingers around. The stone caught the faint light that filtered in through the shutters and glittered wonderfully.
"Rory?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think I'll be a good dad?"
Facing him in the darkness, her face serious, she reached out to touch his jaw.
"You are going to be perfect."
"Thanks, love."
He pulled her close against him, marveling as he thought about how different just the simple act of lying in bed together would be 6 months from now.
"Rory?"
"Yes, Finn," she asked teasingly.
"Does this mean I have to stop painting my fingernails?"
She laughed.
"That was random."
"First thought that came to my mind."
"Of course."
"So?"
"No, Finn. I want our baby to grow up knowing what an…individual…its father is."
He smirked at her choice of words.
"The way you say that, love, doesn't sound like you mean it in the very best sense."
"I mean it in only the very best way, sweetheart. You're perfect."
He fell into silence for another moment.
"Rory?"
"Yes, love of my life."
"We got the house."
Laughing, she tightened her arms around him and kissed his chest.
"I know."
Shaking his head, he felt himself beginning to drift off to sleep. He'd given up a long time ago trying to figure out how she and her mom figured things out. It was just another one of the many quirks one came to endure (enjoy) when living with a Gilmore Girl.
"Hey Rory?"
"Yeah?" Her voice was sleepy and he doubted she'd even be awake enough to contemplate his next question.
"When do you want to get married?"
"I was thinking winter…Stars Hollow…snow" she answered, half asleep already, her body relaxing against his.
Grinning, he let himself drift off as well. She never ceased to amaze him.