Chapter Nine

"You know, it's been about a month now."

"I know."

"So . . . ."

"So . . . What?"

"Nothing. It's just that you and Luke have never gone this long without talking before."

"You're wrong, Sookie. There was a whole summer when we didn't talk."

"Oh, that's right! After that argument about Jess when he wrecked Rory's car."

"It wasn't about him wrecking her car, it was about him breaking her arm!"

"Well, it WAS an accident."

"He was driving the car, he crashed it, and he broke her arm! Why do you keep leaving out that part?"

"Okay. I'm sorry. It was his fault. I just didn't think you were still angry about it."

"I'm not. And I didn't mean to snap at you. I just haven't been feeling very well lately. I think I'm coming down with something, maybe a stomach virus. I've been a little nauseous lately, and I've been throwing up. "

"Do you think it was something you ate?"

"No, it's been happening for a few days now. But I'll get over it."

"Well, if you want to go home, Michel and I can cover for you."

"No. I'll stick it out. It's not so bad in the afternoons."

x--------------------x

"Mom! I'm home!"

"Kitchen!"

"Hey."

"Hey, yourself. . . . So, did you talk to Logan?"

"Yes I did."

"And?"

"And he says he should have things pretty much in hand in another week, and then – I'll . . . ."

"You'll . . . what?"

"Huh? Oh, he says he'll . . . . "

"Rory! He'll . . . pay for your way to London?"

"What? Oh, yes. First class . . . Mom, what is that?"

"What is what?"

"THAT! In the middle of the table."

"It's just a bowl."

"I can see that. But what is IN the bowl?"

"Just some fruit."

"Just some fruit? It's a bowl of apples! Mom, WHY do you suddenly have a bowl of apples in our kitchen?"

"Well, I was in Doose's this morning, and he had this display of Golden Delicious and Red Delicious apples, and I thought they looked rather festive together, and since the kitchen is kind of drab, I just thought I'd add some color. Why?"

"Well, it seems to me the last time you were craving apples, you thought you were pregnant."

"Rory, I'm not craving them, I just think they look nice."

"So you haven't been eating them?"

"Well, I tried one of each, just to see what the difference in taste was."

"You do know that eventually they'll start to rot."

"Of course I do. But when they start to look not-so-fresh, I'll take them to Sookie and she can make apple sauce or something out of them."

"Okay."

x-------------x

"Good morning, Lorelai. You're in kind of early."

"I know. Uh, Sookie, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure you can."

"Um, can you stop mixing for a minute?"

"Okay. This sounds serious."

"It is. I'm pregnant."

"Pregnant! Oh! Lorelai! That's great! Right? It IS good news, isn't it? Oh my god! Does Luke know?"

"I just took the tests this morning. Four of them. And they all said the same thing. You're the first to know."

"You ARE going to tell him, aren't you? I mean, he'll find out soon enough – the whole town will."

"Well, it's not that simple."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, there's a chance, a small, itsy bitsy, miniscule chance it might not be Luke's."

"WHAT? WHO?"

"Christopher."

"Chris—? Your Christopher? But how? When?"

"You remember I told you I asked Luke to elope and we didn't?"

"Yeah."

"Well, what I didn't tell you was after I left Luke, I ended up at Christopher's. And we talked, and we talked some more, and we drank a LOT of tequila. And it happened. I spent the night there. With Chris."

"Oh, Lorelai. What are you going to do?"

"I don't know."

"There are tests, you know, to make sure."

"I know. April, remember?"

"That's right. So . . . ?"

"So, I guess I'll rummage around the house. I know I can find some of Luke's hair somewhere, and then I'll – go get tested. And Sookie?"

"Yeah?"

"This is just our little secret, okay? For now?"

"My lips are sealed."

x-------------------x

"All packed?"

"Packed and almost ready to go."

"I'm going to miss you, kid."

"Me, too. But it's only a few weeks. I'll be back before you know it."

"Yeah. So, what would you like to do on you last night in the Hollow?"

"Well, I don't have to be at JFK until noon, so whatever we do, it can be a late night."

"What about the Black, White and Read Theater? Kirk's showing the original 'Fantasia.' "

"I love that movie! So, do we pop our own corn, or buy Kirk's recycled corn?"

"I think maybe we should bring our own. He'll get mad, but it's Kirk, so who cares?"

"Well, I guess I'll get started popping."

"Uh, before you do, there's something I should tell you."

"What?"

"The rabbit died."

"The rabbit? Is Babette raising rabbits again?"

"No, honey. I'm pregnant."

"Oh, Mom! That's – amazing! Wow! Of course, I always thought you and Luke would get married first, but who cares? Oh, I can't believe it! I'm going to have a little half brother or sister."

"Actually – not so much half."

"What does that mean?"

"It means it's not Luke's. It's you dad's. That brother or sister of yours is going to be full, one hundred percent brother or sister."

"You're – you're sure?"

"Had the test. The baby's DNA, Luke's DNA – not the same."

"So, that night you spent with dad . . . ."

"That night I spent with your dad . . . ."

"Have you told him?"

"You're the first to know."

"You're going to. Right?"

"I was thinking about not."

"But what about Luke? It's going to be pretty obvious in a few months."

"I haven't . . . I probably won't. He'll figure it out. And Rory?"

"Yeah?"

"This is just our little secret, okay? For now?"

"My lips are sealed."

T B C