Chapter Eight

"Rory… oh Rory… Wake up, honey."

"Mom? What time is it?"

"7am. You're going to be late."

"What for?"

"Chiltern, dummy. It's your first day."

"What? No! Did I really dream it all?"

Lorelai couldn't help herself, she started laughing at Rory's confusion. "Oh, honey. No. You didn't. Mommy is just really mean and likes to play pranks on her beautiful daughter. It's two in the afternoon. Why are you still in bed and not waiting on the porch to welcome home the newly-weds?"

Rory tried to lift an arm to swat her mother with but flopped it back down rapidly. "Sick. Very, very bad sick."

Lorelai placed her hand on Rory's forehead. "Oh, hun. Morning type or sick sick type?"

"Morning, I think. I'm growing a demon. It has to be. Why am I so sick?"

"I'm sure its normal. Come into the kitchen, I'll get Luke to make eggs. They help, I think. Did you schedule an appointment though? For your first bunch of pre-natal checks and stuff?"

Dragging herself from her bed, Rory shuffled into the kitchen behind her mother. "No! I didn't. Because I didn't know I needed to. Because I'm not ready for this, clearly. I don't even know it needs checking up on! Mommy, help me." Rory begged her mother, holding her arms out for a hug.

Lorelai obliged, and pulled her daughter close. "I will call the doctor and make the appointment. Go and eat a saltine or something. LUKE! Rory needs eggs!" Lorelai shouted over Rory's head.

"I missed you, mom."

"I missed you too, kid. Oh, shoot. How was London? Quick, before Luke gets in here."

"Bad. The worst. You haven't told Luke?"

"Your news to tell, kid. Not mine. Logan not on board huh?"

"Maybe. I don't know. London was bad, then he showed up here and now I don't really know."

Luke waltzed into the kitchen, a happy smile on his face. "Hey, wife. Hi, Rory."

"Hey to you too, husband." Lorelai replied, then turned to Rory. "We are still in the happy, blissful married state, hence the husband-wife nicknames."

Rory felt her stomach lurch again. "Hi, Luke. Excuse me, I have to throw up again. By the way, I'm pregnant, this baby hates me and you're going to be Grandpa, not Pops. Sorry."

Half an hour later, Rory emerged from the bathroom sheepishly. Lorelai and Luke were sitting at the kitchen table, clearly deep in discussion. They stopped talking as Rory walked back into the room.

"How you doing there, kiddo?"

"Mom, I'm thirty-two and about to become a parent. When are you going to stop calling me kiddo?"

"Never. I'll pay the church to engrave it on your tombstone."

Rory rolled her eyes. "I'm ok, I think. It comes in waves." She turned to Luke. "I am so sorry. That was not how I should have told you. There should have been balloons. I feel like I ruined this for you."

Luke pulled an odd face. "It's ok, Rory. You didn't ruin anything."

"What is that face you're pulling?" Lorelai chimed in. "Oh my god, are you… Are you crying?"

"What? No! I don't cry. I'm just really happy for you, Rory."

"Ror, you made Luke- stone-cold-I-hate-the-world-Danes cry!" Lorelai's mouth hung open in shock. Rory smiled hesitantly, a ghost of her former self returning as she joined in the mocking of Luke.

"Ah, can I get you a tissue, Grandpa? Maybe some Feminax?"

Rory and her mother doubled over in laughter as Luke turned away from them both, ranting in a hissed whisper so the girls couldn't make out what he was saying. A few minutes passed, and he turned back to them. "Why Grandpa and not Pops?"

Rory managed to stifle her laughter. "Hmm?"

"Why am I going to be called Grandpa and not Pops?"

"Oh, Jess requested that you don't get a cool name."

"Jess is home? Is it… his?"

"Mom! You didn't tell him it's Logan's?"

"Well, I did. But he didn't believe me. And then when I mentioned the Stormtrooper he thought I'd actually lost my mind. I tried to tell him that it's because he hasn't fed me yet."

"Wookie, mom. Not Stormtrooper."

"The stormie was real?" Luke asked, confusion written all over his face.

Rory exhaled heavily. "None of that matters. The father is Logan. We have stuff to work out. I don't know the score yet. Are you disappointed in me?" The question was aimed at Luke, but her eyes slid to Lorelai as she spoke. Relief coursed through her body when her mother shook her head gently, a small, loving smile on her face.

Luke exploded. "Absolutely not! Why would you even think that? I'm going to be a Grandpa. This is… this calls for a celebration. I'm cooking tonight."

"You cook every night." Lorelai retorted. Rory felt tears well in her eyes, and she ran to give Luke a huge hug.

Reaching up, she kissed his cheek softly. "Thank-you, Luke."