A/N: Hey, peops! Hope y'all are still here and wanting to read this. I would apologise for the late update and the short-ish chapter, but I've not been very well the last few days and it's thrown me all off course on the fic side of things, as well as a whole bunch of other stuff. Please forgive me and leave me a nice review? Thanks all :) Oh, and I do love hearing your opinions on the girl or boy issue - I already made up my mind on that, but feel free to share your thoughts in those reviews! :)
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)
Chapter 21
Phone calls could be expensive, but a single stamp for a letter wasn't too bad. This was why when they left New York, Rory had agreed to keep in touch with Mrs Rossini mostly via the mail. Writing was something she loved to do and she could put so much down on paper that would take way too long to say in a long distance phone call that neither party could afford.
Rory had just finished up her latest epistle to Mrs R when Jess got in from work. She was eager for him to read it and sat at her desk watching, with coffee in hand, as he laid back on her bed with his arm behind his head smiling at each passage. The letter contained all the things that had been happening in their lives, the scan for the baby, Rory's job at the book store, and how Mrs R had been so right to think that everyone who cared for Rory and Jess would be supportive of their situation given half the chance. She had conveniently glossed over Emily, Jess noticed, but he wasn't going to mention it when he was done reading. Instead he just found another smile for the closing statement, that bore warm wishes for Mrs Rossini and was signed off 'from Rory, Jess, and the bump'.
"If that were any cuter I'd throw up on principle," he rolled his eyes as he handed the letter back to Rory.
"If it's baby-related it's supposed to be cute," she stuck out her tongue at him whist shoving her letter into its envelope.
"Or ironically has something to do with puke," said Jess with some consideration. "Think about it, morning sickness when you're pregnant, and then the baby comes and they can be pretty projectile, vomit-wise."
"This is not a nice conversation," Rory shook her head. "New topic, how was your day at the diner?"
"Same old, same old," Jess shrugged as he resumed his position relaxing on the bed. "Lane is still unbearably crazy over Zach. I mean, I know it's rough for her, telling him how she feels and having him just blank her like nothing happened, but she really needs to stop thinking of me as one of her girl-friends," he sighed, putting a hand to his forehead that ached just thinking about the conversations his fellow server had tried to influct upon him.
"Aaaw, poor Jess," Rory mocked lightly as she came over, perching on the edge of the bed beside him. "It's a good thing I know that you're all man."
That caused a smirk that she had expected as he peered at her through his fingers. His other hand grabbed hers and pulled her gently forward until she was lying across his chest, face almost equal with his own.
"You sure you know that?" he asked her, quirking an eyebrow. "'Cause I'm willing to provide all the evidence you need," he said, fingers trailing down from her shoulder to her hip.
"Well, maybe I could use a little further proof," she considered with a grin, already working on unfastening his shirt. "I wouldn't want to be mistaken about something so important."
Jess' head came up off the pillow so his lips met hers, and he started to kiss Rory quite thoroughly. He was a little surprised when she pulled back very suddenly, a frown on her delicate features. Something was wrong.
"Rory?" he said, sitting up fast as she shifted away, one hand dropping to her abdomen. "Rory, what's wrong?"
"I... Nothing," she suddenly laughed, realising exactly what was happening.
"Here," she said, grabbing his hand and putting it where her own had been. "I'm not sure if you'll be able to..."
"I can, a little," he said, a wide smile taking over his face. "That's amazing."
"That's our baby," she giggled. "I mean, I thought I felt something before but the book said it was unlikely this early. I talked to Mom about it and she did say she felt me move as early as sixteen weeks, but from the outside there was nothing for a while longer..."
As awful as it may sound, Jess wasn't listening. He couldn't, not for as long as he could feel the movement against his hand. True enough it was very slight and if he hadn't known for sure there was something there he may not have noticed it. This was their kid, and trust it to be the less-common case when it came to development. Of course, the very fact any child of his and Rory's was being active and excitable as early as possible was kind of bizarre, given both of their preferences for sitting still just reading or something. Mostly Jess was just bowled over once again by how incredible it was that he and Rory had done this, created a life, a child that would be born in just five months time.
"Jess?" she prompted when he was quiet too long.
"Sorry, what?" he checked.
Rory couldn't help but smile at his expression. She loved that he was this into the whole baby thing. Most girls would panic about getting pregnant the way she had, all unplanned and when their relationship had just started anew. Even Rory had worried what Jess would say when they found out she was having his baby, but he had been the best so far, and she couldn't see that changing. He was as amazed as she was by every new thing that happened, and happy to take this journey with her to the end. This time Jess wasn't going anywhere, he promised her that and Rory believed him implicitly. It was wonderful to know they were in this for the long haul this time, even if the circumstances had come as a surprise and were not exactly ideal.
"I wasn't saying anything important," she assured him with a smile. "You wanna head over to the diner, tell Luke what just happened?"
"Don't you wanna tell your mom first?" asked Jess, sure that Lorelai would always be the first to know when it came to just about anything that happened with this kid, after him and Rory obviously.
"She'll be there soon anyway," Rory considered. "She usually swings by on her way home from the inn..."
She stopped talking when the phone rang in the hall. Rory was just saying what a strange coincidence it would be if it was her mom calling right when they mentioned her and was still smiling about that when she picked up the phone and accepted the call. The expression fell clean off her face when she realised who was really on the end of the line.
"Hello, Rory."
Jess watched his girlfriend from the hallway and frowned a little when he heard her speak again.
"Hello, Grandma," she said coolly.
Immediately Jess went over to Rory's side and leaned in a little to hear what was being said to her. On any normal occasion that might be considered an invasion of privacy, even for a couple as close as they were, but this was important, this involved him too.
"Rory, I... How are you?" said Emily awkwardly.
"Fine, thank you," her granddaughter replied politely but not exactly kindly.
It was a couple of weeks now since the Friday Night Dinner in which Lorelai had gone alone to see her mother and had Emily break down all over her. She had advised that an apology needed to be made, and that Rory wouldn't be coming around until it happened. The next Friday, Rory had called Grandpa and apologised saying she wouldn't be coming over for drinks. Still, no word came from Grandma and Rory just tried not to think about it. Now, apparently the great Emily Gilmore had gotten over herself at least enough to call. That was a miracle in and of itself, at least Jess thought so as he listened in to see what came next.
"You know you have to look after yourself now that there's more than just your own health to think about," she said practically. "I know when I was pregnant with your mother..."
"Grandma," Rory cut her off fast. "I appreciate the call, and the asking after my health and everything, but nothing's changed. If you can't accept that..."
"I'm sorry, Rory," said Emily very suddenly.
Jess wondered if he looked as stunned as he felt. Rory certainly looked startled by the apology, but she was soon smiling too.
"Are you?" she checked. "Because as much as I love you, Grandma, I can't... I can't let you be a part of my life if you're always going to be thinking badly of me, or Jess, or this innocent baby that we're having. Nobody deserves that."
"I know," said Emily, something that made Jess' eyes go wide from shock. "I won't lie to you, Rory, I'm not thrilled to know that Yale is on hold, that your career may never amount to anything, that you and that... that hoodlum are together," she said with no lack of disgust. "But you are my granddaughter and... and I don't want to be absent from your life. I, I can't stand the thought of losing anybody else."
There were tears in her voice she was trying her damnedest to dispel, but Rory could still hear them. She knew how upset her grandma was, it was perhaps just about equal to how she was feeling herself. As much as she was still somewhat mad at Emily for all the awful things she said, for the way she judged everybody and everything without even allowing the chance for explanation, she did understand that her grandmother probably felt bad now. Besides, she just wanted what was best for Rory. She couldn't seem to see that a part of that best of everything was Jess.
"You're not losing me," said Rory softly. "I don't want that either, Grandma, but... but you just have to accept that I'm an adult now. Okay, so I haven't been out there in the world as much as some people, and I'm still young yet, but this whole pregnancy thing is making me grow up pretty fast, it's having that effect on the both of us," she explained, her free hand gripping Jess' own where it sat at her waist. "It's not an ideal situation, we know that, but we're making it work, and it would be so much easier if you could just try to understand and be supportive."
Emily was quiet a long time. Rory wasn't sure if it was because she was thinking seriously about what she had said or just because she was trying not to be emotional. Either way, she let the silence continue until her grandma was able to speak again.
"You can't expect me to be ecstatically happy, Rory," she said eventually. "I won't pretend to be, so please, don't ask me to."
"I'm not asking for cartwheels," she assured her, not even noticing the way Jess smirked at the imagery of Emily performing that particular move. "Just a little acceptance and understanding. I want you to be part of my baby's life, you and Grandpa. You're going to be great-grandparents. That should be a big deal."
"It is," Emily agreed. "And thank you, Rory, for being so grown up about all of this. It's more than I managed when you were here last."
"Well, that's very big of you to admit, Grandma, thank you," said Rory definitely. "Um, I should really go now, but I'm glad you called."
It was clear Emily was smiling when she spoke next.
"So, I'll see you on Friday?"
Rory felt Jess' arm tense around her at that remark. Honestly, she wasn't that keen herself, even after the apology. Just because Grandma was sorry, it didn't make up for the way she judged and yelled without a thought for anybody else's feelings. Rory wasn't sure she could deal with going right on back to Friday Night Dinners as if everything was fine. There was no way Emily would manage to be one hundred percent civil to Jess that fast and easily. She could still be so mean to Lorelai sometimes, and they were mother and daughter. Rory sighed.
"Um, maybe not this Friday, Grandma," she said. "I mean, we will come at some point, some Fridays, but Jess and I both work shifts and with the pregnancy stuff and everything... We'll arrange something soon," she promised, the best she could do right now.
"Very well," said Emily coolly. "You just let me know when you have a window and can fit me in."
She hung up shortly afterwards and Rory didn't even care that she might've slammed her own phone down a little harder than was necessary. There were tears welling in her eyes that she despised for being there, and a lump in her throat the size of New Brunswick. Jess didn't say a word, he didn't need to. Pulling Rory into his arms, he just held her until she got her bearings. He wasn't sure if she would actually cry or just get mad or what. Sometimes Rory had a habit of snapping back to happy as if nothing happened, and then the real emotion would come out later, when a person was least expecting it. Jess was learning to cope with that better now than he ever had before. He figured if he could handle the mood swings inherit in both a Gilmore and a pregnancy, he could handle anything.
"So, we were going to the diner," said Rory a few moments later, pulling back to see his face, her hands on his shoulders as she smiled widely. "What?" she checked when Jess only frowned at her.
"Nothing," he said a moment later, shaking his head.
He knew better than to make a big deal if she didn't want to. Later there would be an outburst, over something and nothing no doubt, and then they would figure it out. In the meantime, Rory had decided she wanted to go on with her day in the happy news of kicking babies and sweet kisses. That was fine by Jess, for now anyway.
To Be Continued...