Go Bulldogs!

Rory has been standing in front of the mirror for more than one hour. The night of the Yale alumni reunion had finally arrived and she was having trouble getting ready, but not because of some fashion dilema often portrayed as a cheesy montage sequence overused on too many chick flicks. Oh, no! She definitely didn't spend one hour trying on different outfits to the sound of a lame upbeat pop song.

In reality, the clothes and what to do with her hair were the easy part of the night. It took only 15 minutes to dress up after she got out of the shower. The girl slipped into a loose navy-blue dress with long sleeves that ticked the boxes comfortable and professional. Rory's only problem was having no strong presentation speech to match her outstanding look.

All the young Gilmore wanted was to avoid another fiasco like the meeting with headmaster Charleston at Chilton. In the attempt to ignore the mess of her life and career last year, she failed to come up with something impressive to say after ten years since graduating from one of the most prestigious colleges in the United States. The girl didn't want to make a fool of herself again.

So, basically, Rory has spent almost one hour obsessing over a perfect response for the burning question about her past achievements and great future projects - a subject that certainly would be addressed by her fellow yalies tonight. Unfortunately, there was no success in the mission so far. By the umpteenth trial and error run, the girl had lost all her hopes of finding an impactful opening line.

"Rory Gilmore, class of 2007. I started well in Journalism, but I completely screwed up my career and now I'm pregnant, writing a book I have no idea if it's gonna sell and with no job perspective whatsoever," she blurted at the mirror with a sarcastic tone and a frustrated half-smile, second guessing the decision to attend the reunion.

The crabby words were witnessed by a silent Lorelai, who entered the kitchen at the precise moment.

"I'd drop everything after journalism, if I were you," she said, standing at the bedroom doorframe.

"Well, I tried a bunch of other lines before. Nothing worked. So I decided to go with the truth. They say the truth will set us free, right?!" Rory replied in a bad mood.

"As much as I dig the 'Go big or go home' philosophy, I think you may be a little harsh on yourself. Funking in self-pity won't take you anywhere. You've learned from your mistakes. Now close this chapter and start a new one. It's time to move on, for Bennie. Mark my words: Your life is not over. It just needs adjustments," Lorelai walked in the room and touched her daughter's shoulders.

"I know," Rory sighed. "The pressure is just getting the best of me. If I thought Chilton was difficult, Yale is harder. All those pompous and expensive buildings will be looking down on me, judging and rubbing their historical Ivy League bricks on my face."

"Whoa! Suddenly my parents' Rory Gilmore Astronomy building project makes sense. A building with your name on it would talk you up to the rest of Yale judgemental architecture," Lorelai smiled at her daughter with empathy.

"At least, I dodged that bullet... Can you imagine how embarrassing it would be now?" The girl chuckled sheepishly, taking some time to think before speaking again. "Guess I could focus my message on an adjustment phase for new career paths, huh?"

"There you go," Lorelai patted her arm. "Anyways... Looking good, mommy."

"Just good or 'can I touch your belly' good?" Rory gave another glance at the mirror. "I'm not ashamed or anything... I just think that if I share the pregnancy news with my Yale colleagues, the baby is all I'm going to talk about tonight. And then what's the point? I'll probably get a lot of unsolicited advice about kids and do zero networking. Ugh! I don't know what on earth I was thinking when I decided to go to this thing. It's too much stress."

"Hey, relax. You're not showing yet. Your female peers may be curious about your skincare routine, but that's it. You can say the glowing skin is a gift from your mother's blessed genes," Lorelai winked at the girl. "Besides, trust me: get out of the house while you can. Enjoy these opportunities now to make connections. You are not going to be able to do it as easily in a few months, " she tilted her head to reinforce the message. "So, do you need to borrow the car?"

"No, Paris is going to pick me up and we are going to grab a bite to eat first. All worked out because I'm always hungry and I do need a moment to talk to her."

"Logan is coming for this Yale reunion too?"

"No. It's not something that'd drag him from overseas. He couldn't squeeze it on his schedule. And I'm actually thankful for that," Rory paused and guiltily bit her bottom lip. "I was kind of a bitch to him the other day... He was going on and on about the appointment for the next ultrasound... It was driving me insane because I had already told him I didn't know the date yet and I'd let him know as soon as possible... But he texted again about it and I don't know what came over me... I called and snapped at him. I think he was in a meeting because all he kept saying was 'uhum' and 'do you wanna add something else?'. It was not one of my best moments, " the girl winced at the embarrassing situation.

Lorelai was failing to hold a laugh. "Oh... "

"Later, I obviously calmed down. So I called again to apologize and explain the crazy hormones and mood swings. But I suspect he can't wait to tease me about the episode. There was a hint of mockery in his voice."

"If Logan is a smart guy, I don't think he's going to put his life at risk. Especially after he was introduced to She-Hulk Rory. But I'm glad he's 100% aware that you are an angry pregnant. It's important for him to be in the loop for the whole co-parenting thing."

"I am not an angry pregnant!" Rory protested.

"Honey, you scared Luke, of all people. Now every time he senses you are getting mad at something, he finds excuses to leave the house and stay away the entire day. I'm afraid eventually the guy's going to hit the pavement like Forrest Gump and only stop running once he reaches Monument Valley," Lorelai quipped. "Jokes apart, I kind of get his reaction. Luke only knows the angelical side of Rory Gilmore. I think he still believes you belong year-round on top of a Christmas tree."

"Oh, God! Poor man," Rory jokingly wrinkled her nose.

"I swear someday I'll let slip something really dirty about you and it's going to be like telling a kid that Santa doesn't exist. It was a traumatic experience for the 5 year old me. I don't know how to burst his innocence bubble without scarring him for life."

Rory opened her mouth to answer, but the doorbell rang twice in a row and brought her thoughts back to the image in the mirror. Paris had arrived and was probably impatient outside. Still, a last outfit check was necessary before leaving the house.

"I need to change these shoes," the girl turned to her mother. "Can you get the door and stall Paris for a minute? These heels won't go with my pregnant swollen feet, especially if I'm going to be walking around and mingling most of the night."

"Uh! I have a better idea. Let's give Paris some alone time to enjoy this pleasantful evening," Lorelai pleaded, facing Rory's disapproval expression. "You know I love her, but she is soooo exhausting. It's like being trapped in a conversation with my evil twin from Transilvania."

"Well, Lorelai The First lived in Europe. Maybe you have lost relatives in some castle in Romania and Paris is a distant cousin. Then it is a great opportunity to bond with her and save your unborn grandchild and me from a dreadful fate. That woman hates waiting. So, please, don't force us to spend the rest of the night with a more hostile version of Paris," Rory gently touched the belly and presented her best Bambi face.

The trick was enough to convince Lorelai. "Unbelievable... This child is not even born and I'm already spoiling her," she said, on her way to the front door. "But it's the last time. From now on, I say we let Bennie have a taste of the ugly real world."

Lorelai gave a profound sigh and reached the knob. As soon as the door was opened, a sharp determined voice hit her.

"Who's Bennie?" Paris inquired, making her way into the house.

"Hi, Paris... Good evening to you too!" Lorelai attempted to dodge the subject, surprised by the girl's super hearing powers.

"It's always a pleasure," Paris extended her hand for a firm handshake, quickly going back to the interrogation. "So who is Bennie? Is he the reason why I never heard back from you and Luke about the surrogacy? Did you go behind my back and close the deal with the competition? What did they offer you? An in-house nanny for the first year? A discount coupon at Babies R Us? Tell me and I may come up with a counter-offer."

"Paris, slow down. No one is doing anything behind your back," Lorelai urged nervously, intimidated by Paris' intense stare. "Luke and I just decided not to go through with it. I swear."

"The old guy was not up to the challenge of raising a kid, huh?!" She clicked her tongue and continued with her usual sneering tone. "You can always replace him with a younger model. You're a cougar and statistical data shows many men below 40 years old now prefer mature women for long-term relationships. It seems they want to avoid the millennial drama queens."

"I'll keep that in mind." Lorelai breathed easily once Paris' attention was diverted, but she knew it was necessary to keep the girl busy to stay clear from delicate topics. So she proceeded with the chit chat. "But what about you? How is the new life?"

"Why? What did you hear?" Suddenly, now Paris was the one all jumpy and secretive.

"Err... I mean... The divorce... How is the single life in the city?"

"I have a business to run and two kids, Lorelai. I definitely don't have spare time for pointless brunches or sipping cosmos night away like Carrie and her gal gang in Sex and the City. I wake up early, put some not fashionable but comfortable shoes on, take the kids to school, go to work and do the whole process backwards at the end of the day. That's single life in New York for us, mere mortals."

"Stop gloating, sister. You're making me jealous," Lorelai joshed with a sarcastic grin.

Before Paris could fire some snarky comment back , Rory finally entered the living room wearing a pair of slouch boots that had the perfect medium chunky heels to endure hours standing up. "I'm all set," she announced and seconds later was completely suffocated by her mom in an over dramatic hug.

"Thank God you're ready," Lorelai theatrically whispered to her. "You two better get going. Can't let the Yale Bulldogs waiting, right?" She continued, now addressing both girls and leading them to the door.

Paris opened her mouth to say goodbye and didn't get the chance to enunciate the words because Lorelai kept rambling all kinds of useless pleasantries until the door was closed behind the two ex-nemesis who turned into old friends.

"Great! One more rejection to talk about with my shrink in the next session," Paris looked at Rory and shrugged, already moving towards the car.

-o-

The drive to New Haven was frantic and a little odd. Paris was indeed known for her ability to talk non-stop for minutes straight without breathing, but something about her intense monologue on work and the election results sounded off tonight.

Although she paused from time to time, even the short breaks in her speech seemed carefully premeditated to give the person on the passenger's seat no opening to make questions about real personal matters. So Rory barely had a chance to speak during the ride. Her interaction was limited to a lot of nodding and monosyllabic remarks. Therefore the young Gilmore was truly caught by surprise when a question was directed at her.

"I thought we could stop by that steakhouse near Yale. Are you up for it?" Paris checked as they drove by a quiet street near the campus.

"Sounds nice. Or we could try that organic place you always talk about... The one with the fresh crispy salads," Rory suggested, feeling for the first time in her existence a strange desire for a mix of vegetables sprinkled with some lemon and a pinch of salt and pepper. That explains why I'm an angry pregnant. I have cravings for healthy food, she silently scolded herself.

"You, Miss junk food, want to eat baby carrots and kale now?" Paris looked at her with amusement. "The 30's have finally got to you, huh? Who would have thought one day Rory Gilmore would be worried about what's on her plate. Maybe there is a God and some justice in the world after all... You are finally facing real problems like the rest of humankind."

"Forget about it, Paris. The steakhouse is fine."

"No, tell me. Are you on some kind of cleansing diet? I usually say it's all a bunch of bullshit created by sexually frustrated misogynistic men hiding behind girly magazines to control the female body. But I have to admit your skin actually looks flawless."

"Can we drop this?"

"What's next? Are you going to register to a yoga class and take baths with essential oils?"

"Oh, My God, Paris! Give me a break. I'm only pregnant," a exasperated Rory confessed.

In shock for the sudden revelation, the driver hit the brakes to process the information and the car stopped abruptly in the middle of the street, making both girls jerk forward in a harsh way.

"Are you insane?" Rory shouted, protectively holding her bump. "You could have hurt Bennie." She reprehended, noticing the mother instincts kicking in at once.

"Bennie!?"

"The baby. It's a nickname. We don't know the sex yet."

"Oh. Now I see... You did an insemination for Lorelai, didn't you? How did I miss this? She wanted to keep it in the family, instead of using a surrogate. That's why she backed out and was acting all strange earlier."

"That's just the effect you have on her," Rory replied with irritation, taking a deep breath to proceed. "The baby's Logan's."

"Huntzberger?"

"The one and only."

"You never mention you two were together again."

"Because we weren't, well, not exactly. We were casual. No strings attached."

"Talk about a long distance booty call," Paris raised her eyebrows. "With all that flying back and forth to Europe, your air mile balance must be through the roof."

"Can we go back to the point..."

Paris asked straightforwardly. "So do you want to give the baby up for adoption? Your eyes, his teeth, it is a done deal. I have a few couples who would be perfect. I can help finding a good family match."

"I'm going to keep the baby, Paris."

"Really?"

"Yes and I need some legal advice."

"Good for you, Gilmore." She slightly punched Rory's shoulder. "You can get a hell of child support, tiger. If you play it right, maybe one or two of his properties."

"No, no, no, no. This is not about money. I don't want anything from the Huntzberger fortune, okay? I just need your orientation for a solid custody arrangement. I've never done this before, neither did Logan. We need a guideline to establish a healthy co-parenting situation. And I need guarantees that he'll commit to be a true father and not..."

"A father just in title," Paris finished the sentence.

"Exactly! Because if that turns out to be the case, I rather do this alone. He is already informed of my terms. Three strikes, he is out. However, I have no idea if it's possible to literally apply the sport metaphor in the situation. So I could use your help to put it all on paper..."

"Don't worry. I'll start digging into it ASAP," the doctor/lawyer nodded.

"I'll pay you the second I get a job, okay?" Rory claimed.

"Hey, I'm doing it pro bono, or not doing it at all," Paris shook her head. "I need to improve my karma and charity is the most effective way."

"Ha-Ha. Very funny..." Rory said playfully and stopped for a minute to emphasize her next words. "I can't thank you enough, Paris. Seriously!"

The girls hold each other's gaze for a bit, embraced by a silent mutual understanding. Then Paris ruined the moment being Paris.

"Gosh! You're so sentimental. How far are you?" She turned to face the road, putting the car back in movement

"17 weeks."

"Ah! Second trimester... It explains the mushyness and crazy cravings."

"Ironic, huh? The perfect excuse to eat anything I want, but here I am with my mouth watering for rabbit food."

"One of my surrogates had an urge to eat soap once. Who knows? It is unexpected," Paris chuckled.

"Well, the word certainly suits the whole experience so far."

"And how are you dealing with it?"

"At first, a lot of self loathing. Then I slowed down and reassessed to change the course."

"You sound like one of those uncertified phoney YouTube life gurus. Cut the bullshit!"

Rory sighed, letting her guard down. "I have been running around like a headless chicken lately. All this forced me to stop and recognize I was a mess. Now, at least, I have all my boxes in the same zip code. I can't say much more, still living it..." She shrugged. "Any piece of wisdom from a fellow yalie mother?"

"Sometimes kids can be little shitheads when you say NO. Remember the most shameful moment of your life? That's not even close to what you are going to feel during the explosive tantrums in very public places. And don't get me started on the terrible twos phase. In fact, if you want to skip the headache altogether, we can arrange a temporary house-exchange in the custody deal to ship the kid to London right after the second birthday party," Paris answered, not giving much thought about the question.

"Silly me, expecting some helpful advice..."

"I'm just trying to explain..." Her friend weighed a little and spoke again. "...That it's going to be challenging, overwhelming and exhausting at times. Don't be afraid to ask for help. I know you won't have your kid raised by a nanny, like me. But just understand it is okay if you can't do everything alone, as your mother did. Reach out. It doesn't make you weak. We have these high standards about being independent 24/7, but this is bullshit. There will be days, you will need a moment for yourself. There's nothing wrong with that. And don't feel guilty to let Logan handle the child alone during his visits, if necessary."

"Noted."

"Now let's get a plate of fresh green lettuce for you to savor." Paris settled. "Because if this baby turns out to be an annoying vegan who lectures everybody about the benefits of chorophila at the dinner table, Lorelai and you can't blame it on me."

- o -

After an incredible healthy meal, Rory and Paris arrived at the Yale reunion and the room was already filled with people. There were not many familiar faces around and Rory was happy to catch sight of Doyle. The girl wondered if he was feeling down about the divorce. From a distance, she smiled at him and he waved back. Paris, on the other hand, remained impassive and ignored his presence.

Trying to be supportive because of the situation, Rory asked: "How are things between you two?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Paris crossed her arms, in defense.

"You know, after everything last year?"

Paris squinted her eyes for a minute and suddenly blurted in a hushed voice. "How did you find out Doyle and I are sleeping together? Are you spying on us? He told you in one of those emails you two exchange, didn't he? Of course, the man wouldn't miss the opportunity to brag about it. What did he say?" She pointed her finger accusingly at Rory's face.

"Paris, I was only talking about the divorce... He didn't say a word. You just did."

"Oh, well..." She cocked her head dismissively. "I guess the secret is out. Perhaps now the excitement of hiding from everyone fades and we can go on with our lives."

"Since when is it happening?"

"Right after we signed the divorce papers. In fact, right on top of the said papers. The kids were at school. We had some free time... So we opened a bottle of wine... One thing led to the other and we just did it, like the Nike commercial instructs. It was passionate and steamy and..."

"That's graphic enough." Rory interrupted her. "I don't need any more details."

"I'm sorry, milady. But you're way more messed up than me. Don't act like such a prude."

"I'm not a prude. I just don't need a reminder of everything I've heard during the time I lived with you two lovebirds. It took me years to get over it."

"You should be glad Fifty Shades of Gray wasn't released yet..."

"Oh, dear God." Rory complained, realizing it was time to take the lead of the conversation to stop Paris' dirty blabing. "So what are you two going to do? The divorce is off?"

"The papers were definitely in no condition to be filed after... you know... So we tossed them out... I still don't know exactly where this is going. But Doyle decided to move back to New York. He even got a job in some kind of journalism platform. And, by the super enthusiastic look on his face, he is probably sucking up to his boss right now."

"How is that?" Rory turned to take a look at Doyle again.

"The big fish of the company is here tonight." Paris tilted her head in their direction. "He is also a Yale alumni."

"Oh!" Rory pursed her lips to think for a moment and begged. "I hate to ask another favor, Paris... but I can't waste more opportunities at this point. Could you introduce me?"

"Guess I always knew I'd have to pay you back for that skirt I borrowed and never returned..."

"What goes around, comes around, Geller."

"All for a date with Tristan that led nowhere... We didn't even get to second base," Paris anxiously gulped down the entire content of her glass of champagne. "Let's go! I can get you in the inner circle, but then it's up to you to make an impression. You better have a speech prepared. Put your game face on, Gilmore!"

"Okay! I'm ready."

Both girls moved past the crowd, on a mission to join Doyle and his party. After dodging a lot of people holding drinks, they reached the group on the other side of the room.

"Hello, gentlemen. Doyle" Paris greeted, focusing on her former ex-husband. "Look who I've found," she stepped aside to give Rory some space in the small gathering.

Doyle welcomed the fellow journalist with a warm hug and he promptly jumped in to make the introductions.

"Ladies, Charles Hale, my boss and the man behind Patch . com . And Charlie, this is my... Ahem..." he hesitated. "This is Paris Geller. And our friend Rory Gilmore. The three of us worked together in The Yale Dale News. Paris decided to go for a Medicine degree, but Rory - like myself - pursued a journalism career. After college, she started to set the world on fire. She covered Obama's campaign in 2007 and you probably read her last piece in The New Yorker about Naomi Shropshire."

"Oh! I'm impressed." The man offered his palm for a handshake. "What part of the world are you arsening these days, Miss Gilmore?"

"Connecticut."

"And what brings you to The Nutmeg State?"

"Actually, I'm from the area. Born, bred and graduated. I was in need of some fresh air to reorganize my priorities. As they say, there's no place like home."

"Dorothy would back you up on this, even though I think she prefers Kansas," he chuckled.

"That's true. Frank Baum wrote so tenderly about childhood in Kansas, it's hard to believe he actually grew up here on the East Coast."

"And how was your experience growing up here in Connecticut?"

"Apart from Harford with the regular big city vibe, it is a state full of small towns where people live integrated with friendly communities. It is an interesting environment, for sure"

"You really know the territory... Do you have projects in sight, Miss Gilmore?"

"I'm currently writing a book, so I'm searching for jobs that offer some flexibility at the moment."

"Then I believe I may have an opportunity for you. Our website, Patch, is a hyperlocal news platform. Doyle works at our office in New York, but - I don't know if he mentioned it - we are looking for on-site reporters in the Connecticut area. You are definitely familiar with the surroundings and have local connections. If you're interested, we may still have a position available," the man offered.

"Of course. It'd be great."

"Take my business card. My email is in there. Send your resumeé and some of your recent work. Our editor in chief needs to give it a look, but, if you are as good as Doyle says, we'll call you back to discuss the details."

"Thank you. I sure will."

"Now, if you all excuse me, I have a meeting with the dean. Enjoy the rest of your evening, Yale bulldogs!" The man gave the group a pleasant smile and walked away, disappearing among the crowd.

The young Gilmore gave Doyle and Paris a grateful look. She was trying to find the words to thank them, but it was impossible to think straight at the moment. Her mind was spinning because of the perspective of a new job, especially after so many mistakes in the past.

Rory was still processing the unexpected turn of events, when her phone chimed and brought one more surprise. She received a message from the freelance website she applied to previously. The girl was picked for two gigs and there was finally money coming in. It was not much. Yet it was definitely a nudge in the direction of a fresh start.

"So who is not qualified now, Kirk?" Rory whispered, looking at the bright screen with a proud smile on her face.

A/N: First, I've gotta say that I understand now why most fics are just about a romantic pairing. It is really challenging to write the other characters of the show. Paris took me longer than I expected. That's the reason it took me so long to update.

* I dedicate this chapter to everyone who, like me, is #teamrorygetadamnjob and #teamrorygetyourshittogetherforgodsakes

** The Patch website actually exists and it was created by a former yalie. Google has been sending all kinds of news about Connecticut since I started to write this story (I guess Lorelai's conspiracy theory is true LOL)

*** I was wondering what kind of pregnant Rory was going to be. In my opinion, she'll be far from those perfect Instagram pregnants because it was a completely unplanned situation. That's why I got some inspiration from many real angry pregnants who shared their experiences online and tried to explain how the hormones made them snap at people for now reason. It's not just Logan, everyone can take the heat.

Please, review and let me know what you think about the new perspectives for Rory's life. Did she learn from past mistakes? Or will she repeat the snob behavior that cost the position at Sandee Says? What about Paris and Doyle?