"My list. I didn't get to make my list!" Rory said, leaning heavily on the couch as Lorelai, Luke and Logan rushed around her, grabbing things to take to the hospital and bringing them out to the car. "I was going to make a full list of things I needed to pack for the hospital. I was going to pack for the hospital."

"Well, babe, sometimes things don't go as planned," Lorelai said, giving her daughter a reassuring squeeze on her shoulder. "But, everything is going to be okay."

Luke came into the house, drenched in sweat despite the cool early morning, and said, "The truck won't start."

"What do you mean the truck won't start?" Lorelai said with a note of panic. "This is not a time for the truck to not start. We need the truck to start!"

"I know we need the truck to start. But someone keeps leaving the lights on!"

"I can call an Uber," Logan said quickly, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

"Oh my god, I'm going to give birth in the back of an Uber," Rory said in a low voice. "I bet you they charge extra for that."

"No, an Uber will take too long," Lorelai said. "Hold on. And, keep your knees together!"

Rory dutifully glued her knees together, thinking about how it was too early for her to be going into labor, and she was going to have a list and everything perfectly packed. She was a planner, and now their little shrimp had to go and announce itself unplanned. And what if it wasn't fully formed yet? It looked pretty good at the last sonogram, it had a nose and everything, but she didn't know how the rest of it developed.

Lorelai had rushed out the front door, and a few minutes later, she came back in and said, "Babette and Maury said we can take their car."

"Okay, let's go then," Luke said. He went to help Rory, but Logan said, "I've got her."

Logan stepped next to her and put his arm around her waist, but she wouldn't budge from the couch.

"It's too early," Rory said. "This can't happen yet. This can't be happening."

"But, it is happening."

"No, it's not," she said stubbornly. "I'm not having a baby today. I'm not!"

Lorelai came into the house and said, "The car's ready." When she noticed that neither of them budged, she said, "What's happening? Why aren't we moving?"

"She won't move," Logan said.

Lorelai's look of concern deepened, and she quickly walked toward them and said, "Rory, what's wrong?"

"Everything. This isn't supposed to be happening now."

"Rory, I know you're scared, but this is happening whether you want it to or not," Lorelai said slowly. "And the best thing we can do is get you to a hospital."

A look of understanding passed between Rory and her mother, and she leaned heavily against Lorelai as she stood and headed out of the house. But she stopped at the doorway, looking back at Logan and he immediately came to her side, slipping his arm around her waist.

"Your red eye is only in a few hours," she said.

"Screw the red eye," he said. "I'm where I need to be."

They headed to the car, Babette calling out "Good luck, sugar!" from her porch and Logan helped Rory into the front seat next to Luke and then sat in the back with Lorelai. Luke started the engine, and Yanni began playing loudly from the speaker.

Luke quickly turned it off and said, "How the hell can someone listen to that that loud?"

"Well, I think we all understand why Babette talks at the decibel she does," Lorelai said. "Rory, hun, how are you doing?"

"My knees are together."

"Good girl."

Some time later, Rory was in her hospital room working through contractions by chewing ice. She had hoped that they would be able to keep the baby up there for a while longer, but after an examination, her doctor told her that her baby was coming in no uncertain terms.

"At twenty-five weeks, there are some risks," Dr. Reynolds explained slowly. "Your baby's organs are still developing. But, this hospital has a phenomenal NICU and they'll be with us every step of the way, okay?"

Rory nodded, wanting to ask the obvious question, but deciding against it. She did the research, so she knew what he would have to say. Another set of contractions started and she winced, shifting uncomfortably in her bed.

"There's still time for an epidural," Dr. Reynolds said.

Rory shook her head. "I've seen how big that needle is, and no thank you."

Dr. Reynolds smiled slightly. "I'll be back soon to check on you. If you need anything, just press the call button."

As Dr. Reynolds left, Lorelai came in with a cup of coffee, the smell nearly hypnotic to Rory since she wasn't able to have any. She was currently only allowed water in case she had to go into surgery, and she glumly said, "I'm understanding now why you pelted people with ice chips."

"I'm sorry, babe. I can take the coffee outside?"

"No, it's fine," Rory said, gritting her teeth as she rode through another contraction.

"Where's Logan?"

"Outside on a call. He had to tell his office in London that he wouldn't be back today."

Lorelai just nodded, looking over at the door as he came in. Him and Lorelai exchanged a quick greeting and he went directly to the chair that he had previously pulled up next to Rory's bed.

"Sorry about that. Did I miss anything?" he asked.

"Dr. Reynolds came in," Rory told him.

His nerves were palpable as he asked, "What did he say?"

"What you would expect. He said at 25 weeks there were risks, but that there's a good NICU team here and they'll be with us."

"That's good," Logan said, nodding more for his own benefit than anything else. He noticed Rory's eyes become glassy, and he said, "Hey, it's going to be okay. Whatever happens, we'll face it together, okay?"

"I'm really scared."

"I know. I am, too. But, all we can do is hope for the best." He took her hand in his and held it tightly. "And I'll be with you. Every step of the way."

Behind them, Lorelai slipped out of the room to give them some privacy and Rory nodded, exhaling intently through pursed lips to try to calm herself. She pulled their intertwined hands onto her lap and said with effort, "Logan, what I was saying before at the house…"

"I know," he said, leaning in and kissing her forehead. "I will stay here with you as long as you need me."

"I don't want to do this without you," she said. "Any of it."

"You won't have to."

Rory tensed with another contraction, and she said, "You do know what I'm saying, right?"

He smiled slightly and said, "Yeah, I think I do."

"Okay good," she said, leaning her head back against the pillow. "I could really go for a taco right now."

"I'll get you a taco after," he said affectionately.

She looked over at him, finding a moment of relief from her contraction, and murmured, "I really love you."

Logan's shoulders slackened for what felt like the first time since her water broke on the couch, and he said, "I really love you, too, Ace."

Despite all the nerves and uncertainties, Logan felt the happiest that he had in years. After all this time, they were going to be a family. But, there was something he had to do first.

"Ace, are you okay if I step out for a second?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay."

He leaned in and kissed her. "I'll be back soon."

Just as he was leaving, she said, "Logan." He turned back and she said, "Tell her I'm sorry."

He nodded stiffly and walked out, spotting Lorelai and Luke sitting on a bench a little ways down the hallway. They didn't notice him, and he figured that was for the best. This wasn't exactly going to be an easy phone call and he didn't need an audience. He made his way to the front of the hospital and stepped out into the sunlight. It was a bright early morning and he wished he brought his sunglasses. Odette answered after a few rings.

"Let me guess, you forgot to bring a suit again?" she said.

"No. I'm actually still in Stars Hollow. Well, technically Hartford. Rory went into labor."

"Already?" she asked immediately. Odette had never been one for tact, but at least with her, he knew it was harmless. "How is she? How are you?"

"We're doing okay. A little nervous, obviously, but there's nothing we can really do."

"I'm so sorry. Well, stay out there for as long as you need."

Logan took a deep breath and said, "That's actually something I wanted to talk to you about. I'm not coming back."

There was silence on the other end of the line, and he could just imagine her digging her nails into her palm, a favored nervous tick.

"Odette-"

"I'm guessing I can't change your mind?"

"No, you can't. I'll break the news to our families and tell them that it was solely my idea to break off the engagement. That should get any heat off of you."

"You know your father is going to come after you."

She was probably right, and Logan said, "I'll cross that bridge when it comes. One problem at a time, right?"

"Right." Another pause and she asked, "So, are you going to marry her?"

"We haven't talked about it yet, but that's probably the plan."

"Good. Because I planned a beautiful wedding and someone should get to enjoy it."

Logan laughed, thinking to himself that Rory probably wouldn't want a wedding planned for another woman, and said, "What about you and Helen?"

"Oh, Helen would hate it. She's more of a justice of the peace type."

"So, you're saying she wouldn't be a fan of white doves released when you're pronounced wife and wife?"

"No mocking. Those doves would have been beautiful, and you know it."

"Yeah, they would have been." They fell into a companionable silence, and he said, "I should go back in and check on Rory."

"Yes, of course." There was a pause. "I am happy for you, Logan. Truly."

"I appreciate that. We both do. Take care of yourself, Odette."

"You too, Logan."