A/N: Despite all the hate A Year In The Life gets I love how it shows Lorelai and Christopher don't have anything really to do with one another anymore. I actually don't mind them as friends the problem was they had problems ben just friends without crossing that line and as the time went on it became toxic and I think it was best for both of them to cut each other out. I love how Rory has gotten closer to Luke and they are much more like a family now, this is how the chapter happened. I plan to explain the reasons behind the nickname 'Abril' in another chapter :)
Their Blue-Eyed Children
Chapter Five
Luke rubbed her back and spoke softly as he did so knowing if there was a problem Rory might want certain people to know.
"Want me to call Logan or your dad?" he asked her even if he would hate having to call either as they weren't exactly friendly. Rory shook her head violently, not wanting them here.
"Lorelai Gilmore," a nurse said as she exited a room. Rory stood and followed her, Luke hung back, not sure if she wanted him there or not.
"Can my dad come in please?" Rory asked terrified of going in alone.
"Yes of course" she replied. Luke felt his chest hurt with happiness as she called him her dad. Not her stepdad or stepfather. He beamed at her and followed her in, then his smile dropped as he remembered why they are here. They sat down on some chairs and the nurse spoke.
"Is this the first bleeding you have had?" the woman asked her and Rory nodded
"And you are twelve weeks?" she asked for confirmation. Rory nodded again, clutching Luke's hand as she did so.
"Right well I am going to have you hop up on the bed so we can check the baby" she stated. Rory walked over to the bed and Luke helped her up. She lifted her top, revealing a very small bump before the woman put gel on her.
"It might be a little cold," she told her rubbing it on her stomach but Rory was too upset and worried to care about that. When the woman got the scanner, she squeezed Luke's hand so tightly anyone would think she was experiencing contractions with how tight she was gripping him. Luke didn't care and only rubbed her arm.
The woman rubbed the scanner over her searching for the baby. When there was silence Rory made a choking sound as if she was about to lose her composure and burst into tears but then the nurse smiled and looked at her.
"Baby is looking healthy, a good healthy heartbeat," she told her. Rory did burst into tears then but from relief. She had thought the absolute worst. When the woman turned the screen around to show her the small figure on the screen, Rory cried more and started Luke right off, causing him to blubber at the sight his grandchild was healthy.
"The bleeding in the first trimester can sometimes be as the body is just adjusting to the changes in pregnancy, although it is still not good for the body so I am going to prescribe you some medication to settle it, if you still bleed for the next few days don´t worry but come back if there bleeding increases or doesn't stop," she told the family wondering how much was been taken in as they both sobbed.
The door flew open and Lorelai ran in, out of breath and frazzled she took one look at the crying people in front of her and thought the worse.
"The baby's fine Lorelai!" Luke told her knowing what she was thinking. Lorelai let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, walked over to join her husband and daughter, saw the screen where her grandchild was and started sobbing herself.
"I am sorry you must think we are crazy," Lorelai said as the three cried and Lorelai kissed Luke and then Rory on the head.
"I am used to it, I am just so glad they are happy tears" the nurse replied and allowed them to look at the screen longer before speaking again "Will you like photos?" she asked them
"Of course!" Rory replied "We need like 50" she replied laughing through her tears.
"Yes we live in a tiny town and if there is not enough to hand out, the townsfolk with fight each other" Luke replied. The nurse laughed.
"Normally we limit it to five but since this is special circumstances I can do you 30," she told them knowing her boss would kill her if she did more.
"One per family," Lorelai said "That should work great thank you," she said as the nurse send them to print and let the family look at the screen as they waited.
Outside the room the family stared at the photos they were holding, beaming from ear to ear as they suddenly heard footsteps and saw April run in so fast she skidded.
"I only just got the text, is everything okay?" she asked them, The three beamed at her.
"Perfect, here you go," Lorelai told her handing her one of the photos. April beamed as she saw her niece/nephew.
"Aww I missed the scan" she replied sadly
"We got a DVD," Rory told her as the family greeted each other with hugs and kisses and April jumped up and down at the news of the video. At that moment Lorelai's phone rang.
"Sorry," she told them as she stood to go outside.
"Hey mum, it's fine the baby is fine," Lorelai told her knowing she had had trouble crossing the border because their boats weren't running.
"Oh thank god," Emily said, "Christopher said he can't come, he can't miss a day of work" Emily replied
"Of course he can't, money is more important to him than any of us, I will send you a photo when we get home," Lorelai told her as they cut off the conversation and she returned to her family.
"Your grandma rang your dad, he isn't coming as he doesn't want to miss work, sorry sweet, "Lorelai told her. There only contact with Christopher now was through Emily. Lorelai had not spoken to him since there marriage ended because she had realised how toxic their friendship/relationship was to her life. Rory hadn't spoken to him since their conversation at Emily's and Luke hadn't spoken to him in an even longer time, not that he ever did much.
"Why does she insist on keeping his number for emergencies? He never comes even when it is one" Rory replied rolling her eyes, more than used to her dad letting her down by now. The family stood and heard out to the car park.
"April will it be alright if you go home with mum, I want to talk to Luke about something," Rory asked wanting an opportunity to speak to him alone so wanting Lorelai and April to go together.
"Sounds good to me, we can have a singing party," April said. Lorelai gave Rory a pointed look and she just smiled at her saying she just wanting privacy without speaking.
"Come on Abril," Lorelai said using the nickname she loved to tease her with. April sighed the way Luke often did.
"You will never let me forget that will you?" she asked Lorelai who shook her head.
"Never" she replied "Should we meet at the diner, I am starving" Lorelai stated as April climbed into the car and Rory got into the truck with Luke. She waited until they were on the rood before speaking.
"I want to start by thanking you, you rushing so much ensured the baby was safe" Rory told him. Luke shrugged "Anyone would do the same" he replied as if it was no big deal.
"No Luke, it was way more than that...I realised today something and let me finish before replying okay?" she started he nodded.
"Dad didn't turn up, I could have lost my baby which would have been soul-destroying and he didn't turn up if I had been with him at the time of the bleeding he wouldn't of left work to take me to the hospital, I think he does love me in his own strange way but he has never been there for me, especially since mum cut him out of her life" Rory explained. Luke drove concentrating but listening intensely.
"What I am trying to say is something I should have told you years ago but that is...you are my real dad Luke, maybe we don't share blood but I love you like a father and you have never made me feel like you only care about me because you love my mother, I feel like I have known this a long time, I realised how much you cared and I loved you when I was eleven and I fell off my bike outisde the diner, I remember mum panicking and I was crying and I saw you through the diner window jump over the counter and you rushed out the door, I had cut my knee and mum was freaking because of the blood and you didn't say anything, you lifted me up and carried me in a fireman's lift and took me into the diner, letting me sit on the counter as you cleaned up the blood and put a hello kitty plaster on the cut, you hugged me and let me cry on your shoulder and then gave me an ice cream and chocolate brownies as a treat to make me feel better, do you remember?" Rory asked. Luke nodded remembering the moment well.
"I realised at that moment what it was like to have a dad, a real dad that patches up my cut knee and won't leave my side until I feel better, but I never said how I felt, you and mum were just friends it felt odd to say it, then you were dating but I was away at yale then you broke up so I couldn't say anything during the dark year and then well..when you got back together I went away again and I just never got the chance to tell you how much I love and appreciate you, Luke, you have been my real dad all these years and I hope you know that so I want to ask you if we can drop the step part in our relationship, I know you always say stepdaughter so as not to be intrusive on my dad but at the end of the day he was just a sperm donor, so will you take me on as your daughter properly?" Rory said. Luke suddenly pulled into a sideroad and Rory wondered why but saw he was crying.
"Rory you have always felt like you were mine but I never wanted to get in the way of what you had with Christopher, I love you the same way as I love April and I would be honoured to call you my daughter from now on, as long as you don't think it will cause problems" Luke went on.
"Well, I don't see dad now unless I have too and he has not earned the right to have a say anymore, he never learned from his mistakes and I think mum and April will be thrilled" Rory replied, "So what you say, I introduce you as my dad and you introduce me as your daughter?" Rory said. Luke cried more and hugged her one-armed nodding. Rory rubbed her stomach.
"Baby is lucky, they will have the best grandad in the world," Rory said.
"No, I am the lucky one because all the people I love most in the world found me" Luke replied. Rory smiled.
"And I am so glad we did," Rory said "Come on we best get going to the diner, once mum and April get a hold of the food there won't be anything left," Rory said. Luke set off driving again.
"No I am the lucky one, thanks for been the best dad," Rory said as he drove slowly still a bit teary but feeling so much pride and happiness that finally Rory was really his.