"Rory? Rory!" Logan blurted out, as he woke up, drenched in sweat and tangled in sheets. He could still feel her silky strands in his fingers, still smell the soft clean scent of her shampoo. He bolted upright, finding his bed cold and lonely, his heart still racing from his nightmare. It had been weeks since his parents party, and he hadn't even so much as received a text from Rory. He sighed, raking his fingers through his hair. Heavy bags drooped under his eyes, his face long and tired. He hadn't had a good night's sleep since their fight. He tried, even taking a sleeping pill Finn had given him, but it was no use. As soon as his eyes closed all he saw was her big, blue, bambi eyes looking up at him, full of regret and sorrow. Her words echoed in his mind. "We're just two people that shared DNA and are now stuck together." He sighed heavily, placing his feet on the cold hard floor. He glanced over at the alarm clock, glowing bright on his night stand. If he got ready now, he could be at the gym when they opened. He grabbed some sweats and a tee and fumbled down the hall to the bathroom. He paused at the nursery door, still shut from the night he had shown Rory and told her his plans. He hadn't been able to step inside since. Would his baby ever sleep in there? Was Rory sitting in a plush rocking chair, reading to a blonde haired baby with big blue eyes nothing more than a fever dream now? He punched the door hard with his fist, screaming loudly. He sank to the floor, his anger giving way to sadness. Tears that he had been trying so hard to hold in finally erupted, flowing freely down his face. His parents had ruined a lot of things in his life, but causing him to lose the only thing that had truly made him happy had crossed a line. Logan stood up, drying his eyes as he headed back into the bedroom. Forget a shower, he needed to get out of this apartment, and fast. He turned on his phone and that's when he saw it. A missed call from Rory from a few hours ago, and a voicemail.

Rory had never liked hospitals. She didn't like them when Sookie and Sheri had their babies, even though both times resulted in adorable, tiny humans. She really didn't like them when she was in a car wreck with Jess and broke her arm, her mom spiraling into the emergency room in a tizzy. She absolutely loathed them when her grandpa had been rushed to one, two times, with heart issues. And now, here she sat on a cold hospital bed, gripping her mothers hand, silently holding her breath while the doctor tried to find the baby's heartbeat with her doppler.

"We should have heard something by now right? Are you sure the batteries are working in that thing?" Lorelai gestured to the doctor's doppler.

"Babies are squirmy. Sometimes they hide, or turn, or move too quickly for the doppler to pick it up. If we don't. . ." Suddenly the doctor was interrupted by the steady thump, thump, thump of the baby's heartbeat. A smile spread across her face, "and there they are!"

Lorelai and Rory collapsed into a heap of sobs, relief flooding them.

Lorelai wiped her eyes, sniffling slightly. "They. . . they. . .the baby is ok?"

The doctor smiled, "That heart beat sounds really strong and healthy to me. I've ordered an ultrasound just to double check, but that little baby sounds perfect to me. I'm going to hook you up to a monitor for a bit, and the sonographer should be in shortly."

The doctor left and Lorelai leaned down hugging Rory. "Aw baby, your baby is ok. I'm going to call Luke and let him know everything is ok. Are you ok if I go out into the hall for a minute?"

Rory nodded. "Could you check for Logan while you're out there? I called him hours ago, but he hasn't called me back. I know he's probably upset at me, but I told him something was wrong with the baby. . . I screwed up with him big time. . . I . . ."

Lorelai kissed the top of Rory's head softly. "It's late hun, he's probably asleep. I'll try to call him after I call Luke ok?"

Rory nodded, laying back on the bed. "I'm going to try to get some sleep."

"That's a great idea." Lorelai motioned to the fetal monitor that the doctor had hooked her up to before leaving the room, the baby's heartbeat melodically filling the quiet room. "You just try to relax and listen to that beautiful sound!"

The door flew open, waking Rory who had just dozed off. Logan rushed into the hospital room, whiping back the curtain at breakneck speed.

"Logan! You're here!" Rory cried, her eyes swollen and red.

The sheer sadness on her face broke his heart. "Is the. . .are you. . ."

"The baby is fine!" she said softly, stifling back tears. " I couldn't feel them move, no matter how I laid, or what I drank, I couldn't get them to move! I was supposed to get ten kicks in two hours, and I've barely felt anything all day."

Logan's heart leapt into his throat. "But they're fine now right?"

She nodded. " They've found the heartbeat and the baby has had good readings on the monitor. The doctor said the baby must be having a lazy day. She ordered an ultrasound, just for peace of mind."

Logan ran his hands through his hair, sighing loudly. "Rory, I am so sorry."

"It wasn't your fault. I. . ."

"No please, just listen. As I was driving, all these scenarios kept running through my head. If I ever lost you or the baby. . . Rory. . . it would kill me. I should have never put so much stress on you, especially in your condition. I should have told you that I started working for my dad again. Just at the time, things were going so well, there never was really a right time and. . "

Rory placed her hand on his. "It's not your fault. I overreacted. I did exactly what your mother wanted me to do."

" I'll do anything to make it up to you."

Rory slowly let go of his hand. "Logan, we can't be in a relationship right now, I don't want anything coming between us, I just want to focus on the baby. Growing up, my dad ran every which way but mine, only coming back when he wanted to get back with my mom, and then leaving the moment it didn't work out."

Logan frowned. "Rory, I'm not Christopher. . ."

Rory nodded. "I know, but our relationship is just too unsettled and messy to drag an innocent baby into. When I thought we had lost the baby, I just kept thinking how I had kept you away from feeling the last few kicks, hearing the last heart beat. All because MY feelings were hurt. I don't want to take anything else away from you, not another minute. But that means we need to be just friends, co-parents, nothing more. We can't let our feelings get in the way anymore."

"Ace. . .no. Don't you see that's exactly what my mother wants! What happened to nothing makes her more mad than seeing us happy, so let's just be happy." Tears flooded his eyes, pain creasing his forehead.

"I can't." Rory wiped a tear as it slid slowly down her cheek. "I want you in the baby's life, I want you in my life, but right now that can only be as friends. I don't have the mental capacity to deal with anything else right now. I just. . . can't."

On cue, a technician in bright pink scrubs opened the curtain. "Knock! Knock! I'm here to do your ultrasound." she wheeled in a portable sonography machine behind her.

She prepped Rory's stomach and turned on the machine. She moved the wand around, the room so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Rory's face was as white as a sheet, fear reflecting in her eyes. Even though the doctor had said everything was ok, she was still having trouble relaxing. Logan was scared out of his mind, but he put on a stoic exterior for Rory. He tenderly pushed a stray strand of hair out of her eye. "It's ok Ace. The baby's ok."

The ultrasound tech turned the screen toward Logan and Rory. "He's right. See that flashing on the screen? That's the baby's heart beat. Fast and strong, just like we like to see." She pointed to a large shape next to the baby. "This is the placenta. Has anyone ever told you that you have anterior placenta?"

Rory's eyebrows knitted together in concern. "Anterior placenta?"

"The placenta usually grows on the back or top of your uterus, but in the case of an anterior placenta, the placenta grows at the front of your uterus. An anterior placenta is like a cushion between your belly and your baby. It's pretty common, it just makes it harder for you to feel your baby's kicks or for your doctor to find your baby's heartbeat sometimes. Don't worry though, she's perfectly healthy and moving, you just can't feel it."

Logan and Rory exchanged glances. "Did you say she?" they blurted out in unison.

The ultrasound clamped her hand over her mouth. "I am so sorry. Were you waiting to find out? I just thought you knew being 22 weeks along."

Instantly all the animosity left the room. A smile spread across Rory's face. "We're going to have a daughter?" She turned to Logan. "We're going to have a daughter!"

. . .Two weeks later. . . .

"No weeeeeee can't dance together. . . no weeeeee can't talk at all. . . . ." Luke sang, as he wiped down the stove.

Rory snickered as she took a bite of her bagel. "Steely Dan? This early in the morning?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "About time we start teaching my grandchild what good music is." He picked up the spatula that was resting on the counter. He held it near his mouth like a microphone, further embarrassing Rory. "Hey nineteen. . . That's 'Retha Franklin! She don't remember the She don't remember the Queen of Soul. . ."

Rory's eyes grew wide and she grabbed her stomach, a look of panic washing over her face. "MOM! MOM!"

Luke threw the spatula down, rushing over to Rory. "WHAT?! WHAT'S WRONG?"

"RORY?!" Lorelai ran into the kitchen, out of breath, half of her face slathered in an avocado face mask. "RORY WHAT'S WRONG."

Rory looked up at Rory, her doe eyes concerned. "Mom. . . the baby. . .she started kicking when she heard Luke singing ``Hey Nineteen."

Lorelai's eyes widened, mirroring Rory's. "Does this mean. . ."

Rory nodded. She lowered her voice to a low whisper. "The baby . . . likes Steely Dan."

Lorelai dropped to her knees in a dramatic fashion, raising her hands to the sky. "NOOOOOOOO!"

Luke threw a dishrag at the now giggling girls, his face twisted and green. "I've had about enough of both of you."

Lorelai laid back on the tile of the kitchen floor, overtaken by laughter. "Luke, I wish you could have seen your face."

"The baby really did kick a bunch when you were singing. She must really like Steely Dan."" Rory said, trying to stifle her laughter.

"If you tell anyone about this, or me singing into the spatula, I'll make brussel sprouts and steamed fish for a week."

Lorelai poked her head up, peering over the edge of the table. She picked up Rory's bagel, taking a bite. "She has to get her musical taste from Logan. . . that's the only reasonable explanation for my grandchild liking Steely Dan."

"There is nothing wrong with her liking Steely Dan." Luke said, plating a pile of eggs onto the plate.

Lorelai chortled. "Only if she comes out a middle aged man named Biff with a bald spot, acid reflux, and a hankering to give you 'a really good deal on a just slightly used car.'"

This made Rory squeak out a peel of laughter.

Luke grimaced. "Watch it Gilmore, I control your caffeine. I could switch your precious morning cup to decaf in a heartbeat."

"YOU MONSTER." Rory gasped.

Lorelai kissed Rory lightly on the head. She leaned down, and whispered into her ear. "II'll slip you some of mine as long as you don't let my grandbaby listen to Steely Dan."

"I heard that." Luke quipped.

"Heard what?" Lorelai asked, acting clueless.

Luke turned back to the stove. "So Abbott and Costello are you two going to just be yupping it up here all day?

Rory took a sip of her coffee. "Logan is coming over today, so we can go register for my baby shower. Grandma won't leave me alone about it now that she knows it's a girl."

Luke and Lorelai exchanged glances. "Logan's coming over?"

Rory took a small sip of her coffee, savoring the caffeine. "We agreed to only be together for baby things. Registering for baby gifts is a baby thing."

"I don't know about this only together for baby things thing." Lorelai said, knowing she was tiptoeing on a very delicate subject. "This is just like being no strings attached, you don't do no attachment."

"Logan agreed it was for the best." Rory fibbed, knowing that Logan hadn't agreed to it at all.

Just then,there was a knock at the door. Rory jumped up as fast as she could. "Oh thank God."

Lorelai placed her hand on Rory's arm, "All I'm saying kid is don't let Shira get in your way. You and Logan have something special. I know that you're scared and want to protect your baby, but maybe, just maybe you and Logan together are what this baby needs."

Logan knocked again. Rory wiggled free of Lorelai's grasp. "I have to go."