A/N: Hello, wonderful readers! So we liked the proposal, huh? Yay! I am so. very. happy! :) Thanks to each and everyone of you who wrote me a review - you're all wonderful! Now, on we go...

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 28

Rory Gilmore could not stop smiling. It wasn't so strange, after all, she was newly engaged, carrying her fiancé's child, and living with both him and her mother/best friend. In spite of money worries and a future that was yet to be planned in any way at all, Rory had an awful lot to be thankful for, even though Thanksgiving was technically over now. The whole holiday weekend had been spent together as a foursome, Rory and Jess, Luke and Lorelai. They celebrated the engagement, albeit a long-term one, and just savoured the time to relax and enjoy each other's company. That was over now, and everybody was back to work, but Rory was still smiling.

"You kinda look like you slept with a hanger in your mouth," said Lorelai thoughtfully from across the kitchen table.

"I'm just happy," her daughter grinned. "It's not a crime you know. Besides, you're not exactly pouting yourself."

"What's to pout about?" she shrugged easily. "My daughter is happy, her fiancé is opening up the diner, so my guy, who has a very fine ass," she added in a whisper when she turned to see her current view of Luke at the stove was mostly his demin-clad butt, "is making me breakfast."

"Can this not turn into a conversation about me or any part of my anatomy, please?" he urged the Gilmore girls, hoping that they would actually listen, even though it was likely they wouldn't.

"Yeah, not so sure I'm comfortable with talk of Luke's butt," said Rory, making a face.

"You don't think my boyfriend has a nice ass?" asked Lorelai, apparently affronted. "I like Jess' ass."

"Mom!"

"Lorelai!"

Both her daughter and boyfriend were simultaneously scandalised by her confession. Lorelai either didn't understand why or thought it as funny to pretend she didn't at least.

"What? I can't notice that the guy has a fine set of glutes?" she asked, as if it were perfectly fine. "What am I? Blind?"

"Lorelai, he's my nephew, that's... weird," said Luke with a shudder, as he served breakfast.

"And he's my fiancé," Rory over pronounced the word with a happy giggle of laughter. "Besides, as much as it's weird for you to be noticing the finer pints of my boyfriend's anatomy..."

"Dirty!"

"...it would be way weirder for me to notice those things about Luke," she said definitely. "He's... fatherly," she said awkwardly, not noticing the way Luke's spatula stilled in the pan when he heard her descriptor, or the odd smile that came to his lips as he processed it.

It was nice to be thought of that way by the little girl he had kinda helped out in raising. Not that Lorelai ever really needed help in bringing up her kid, she coped just fine on her own, but Luke had still tried to be there. Now he realised all over again it had definitely been worth the effort.

"Okay, you girls enjoy," he said as he put bacon, eggs, and pancakes onto the table for both Lorelai and Rory. "I'm going to head over to the diner, help out your fiancé," he told Rory with a wink.

She giggled all over again, as she had every time that word came up so far. Her happy expression didn't really waver until a while after Luke kissed Lorelai goodbye and left. Rory had a forkful of eggs in her mouth when suddenly she frowned.

"What's up, sweets?" her mother asked, even as Rory grabbed up a piece of kitchen paper and spat into it.

"I don't like eggs," she said, frowning harder. "Why don't I like eggs? I loved eggs before!"

"Yeah, that's pregnancy for ya," said Lorelai knowingly. "I was saying to Sookie the other day when she... Huh."

Rory was confused when Lorelai stopped talking so suddenly. That wasn't like her at all. Neither was the literal face-palming she was now doing.

"She's gonna kill me," she muttered.

"Who? Sookie?" Rory checked, feeling confused.

"Yes, Sookie. Y'know she was so sure it would be like stealing your thunder or something and I said it really wasn't and you would want to know big news like that, but you know how much she worries about upsetting people..."

"Oh my God!" gasped Rory suddenly as she put the pieces together. "Sookie's pregnant again?"

"That she is," Lorelai smiled. "She realised a couple of weeks ago now, but like I say, she was so determined that I not tell you because you'd think she was playing copycat or something, I don't know, she was being crazy hormone lady, I just didn't wanna argue."

"Aaaw, poor Sookie!" Rory sympathised. "But she shouldn't worry about me knowing. I think it's great that we're pregnant together. Oh, our babies can grow up together and be friends, that'd be so cool!"

Lorelai laughed a little at Rory's enthusiasm which quickly turned to disgust when she put another forkful of eggs into her mouth without thinking. She was spitting them into another piece of kitchen paper within a second, looking a little green. Lorelai smiled fondly at her poor baby.

"Y'know most people talk about the weird cravings, but the not liking stuff you always did before is way weirder. Y'know the whole time I was carrying you, I could not look at a can of orange soda without wanting to puke," she explained. "And bacon!" she said suddenly, holding up her fork with a piece of that very meat on it. "The smell of bacon was repulsive. I would walk past a deli and just... ugh, it was terrible!" she explained. "But then you were born, my body eventually went back to normal and here we are, back on the pig slices," she grinned big, shoving the forkful of bacon into her mouth.

Rory smiled at the story and her mother's enthusiasm for telling it, but the moment her eyes went back to her plate, she looked less happy. The eggs were not good. Pushing them all aside, she concentrated on her bacon and pancakes, at least they tasted good, apart from the parts that already touched the eggs.

"Pregnancy is complicated," she muttered.

"Amen, sister friend," Lorelai agreed. "But hey, it's worth it," she smiled then, as Rory met her eyes. "Trust me, it really is worth it," she repeated, her hand at her daughter's cheek as she smiled.

Rory smiled too. She was so lucky and she knew it. Both her own mom and Liz had babies when they were young and had to raise them alone. Whilst Rory was always wanted and cherished, Jess had been little more than an inconvenience to his mother. It broke Rory's heart every time she thought about the mess that was Jess and Liz's relationship, how much he had been hurt by his own mother who should have done nothing but love him. It was amazing how he had turned out so well after all he had been through, and it only made Rory love him more to think about that.

"Thanks, Mom," she smiled across at Lorelai. "For believing I was worth it, and for accepting what's happened with me and Jess. I should've known you'd understand but for a while, I just, I was scared that you'd be disappointed and mad at me."

Rory recalled those weeks in New York, freaking out about what Lorelai would say if and when she discovered she was pregnant. It seemed silly now when both her mother and Luke had been so accepting, so understanding. Sure, this baby wasn't planned, and the future was kind of a blur right now, but it was all going to be okay, because they all had each other.

"Babe, things don't always turn out how we plan them, I know that better than anyone," said Lorelai definitely. "But it is so obvious to anybody with eyeballs that you and Jess were made for each other. I didn't want to see it before, he was so... well, he wasn't there greatest kid when he first came to town, that's for sure," she said eventually, sure that even Rory would have to agree with that statement. "But he cares so much for you, and you for him. The kid has grown up into a man and that's... it's just great, but whether you were with him or not, I am always here, Rory," she promised her. "You and that little baby boy in there, you're priority one with me, no matter what."

Rory felt so dumb for crying over her mom's sweet sentiments, but she was fast getting used to the fact that a lot of things made her emotional in one way or another. If she wasn't getting mad over nothing, she was bawling like a baby, or something just vaguely amusing was wildly hilarious. It would be funny if it was happening to anyone else, it was less fun for Rory herself, but that much easier because she had so much support.

"I don't know what I did to deserve everyone being so nice to me," she sniffled.

"Hey, you're Rory Gilmore," Lorelai shrugged easily as she went back to her breakfast. "That's what makes you worthy."

Things were fine for as long as the diner was busy. Jess had a feeling that somewhere between the breakfast rush and his cutting out to his afternoon shift at Walmart, Luke had something he wanted to say. All over the weekend, ever since he and Rory announced their engagement, Jess noticed that Luke kept getting this look on his face, a familiar look that he didn't care for. It meant there was something on his uncle's mind, something he wanted to say but he wasn't going to in front of Lorelai and Rory. It had occurred before, and usually resulted in some awkward uncle-nephew chat about the treatment of women, physical intimacy in relationships, or feelings in general. Jess was not looking forward to what came next as business in the diner got down to a dull roar and Luke told Caesar to hold the fort for a while.

"Here we go," Jess muttered as he took himself off up to the apartment without even being asked.

Luke frowned at that but followed him anyway.

"Okay, what did that mean?" he asked as he came through the door right behind his nephew. "'Here we go', what is that?"

"It is what it is," shrugged Jess. "You've got something to say to me, something you didn't want to say at the Gilmore house, so it had to wait and then the diner was busy so it had to wait some more," he explained what he knew to be true. "Now we're not busy, we're alone, so let's have it. Whether it's about Liz or Rory or my attitude..."

"It's not about any of those things," Luke waved his hand, dismissing all the options as he paced a little in front of his nephew.

There was no point denying that he did in fact have a serious topic to discuss with his nephew. Jess was whip-smart, always had been, and clearly Luke was more expressive than he thought, since Jess had noticed there was something on his mind. The fact was, what he had to say was important, but he didn't like having to do it. Facing Jess with the serious facts didn't always end well when he was a teen, and even though he had grown a lot this past year or more, Luke still wasn't sure his nephew wanted him meddling in his life. That said, he had a duty, both as Jess' uncle and as Rory's almost-step-father figure too, to make sure everything was okay, to ensure they were ready to cope with what the world might throw at them.

"Luke, is this gonna take long?" asked Jess when his uncle continued to pace, adjust his hat, and not speak for fully five minutes. "I mean, I don't wanna hurry you, but Rory's due to give birth in like eighteen weeks, so..."

"Don't be a wise ass!" Luke snapped then. "Y'know you're gonna be a husband and a father, you need to learn not to be a wise ass."

He came off pretty harsh and Jess would have loved to snap right back at him for being that way. At the same time, he kind of knew where he was coming from. What Luke said was true, he was going to be a father, and since he and Rory were engaged now, he was technically in line to be a husband someday too. Not yet, but someday. Maybe it was time to rein in the attitude a little bit, and Jess managed it pretty well a lot of the time. It was probably just being here in this apartment, feeling so much like his seventeen year old self, about to be yelled at by Uncle Luke for stealing a gnome, smoking in the apartment, or cutting class.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, looking to the floor.

Luke sighed and shook his head.

"No, I'm sorry," he admitted then. "It's just... you gotta think, Jess. Now, I know you're serious about Rory, you were pretty serious about her before, but you guys were young and, well, everything's a big deal when you're seventeen," he rolled his eyes. "Nobody is denying that you and Rory are obviously in love or that you're going to do your best by this baby you made," he explained definitely, as Jess met his eyes. "But have you really thought about the future?"

"Of course," his nephew nodded. "I'm working two jobs for the future, Rory is working too. We're saving money, we're gonna figure out a way for her to go to Yale still...

"See, I keep hearing this, how Rory is going to Yale and it's all gonna be fine," said Luke awkwardly. "I'm not saying you can't make it work, and I will help you, Lorelai too, you know we're here for you. The grandfather is still paying for Yale, that's a burden you don't have to bear, and I'm sure it'll all work out, but Jess, you gotta have a plan, and a back-up plan, and a contingency plan for the back-up plan," he explained, one hand counting off each plan on the fingers of the other as he went on. "A little over three months from now, maybe less, and there's going to be a kid here, a little boy that's going to take all the time and energy you and Rory have to spare, and probably more besides. I was there when you were born, buddy, it was not a walk in the park," he shook his head. "By the time he comes along, all your planning time is gone, you're in the middle and the best thinking on your feet in the world isn't going to help either of you."

"You don't think I know this?" asked Jess, a little affronted that Luke might truly believe he was so very naive.

"I'm sure you do know it," his uncle assured him. "But Jess, you're not doing anything about it. Yes, you're working hard, you're taking care of Rory, that's all great, but where's the plan? Do you have one? I'm talking about figures, cash flow, budgets. I'm talking about timetables, real plans for where you're gonna be and when. I mean, Rory's gonna have to give up her job pretty soon, and you can't possibly take on anymore work," he pointed out. "You need to start getting things for the baby, a crib, a stroller, clothing, formula, all kinds of things, and Rory's room isn't the biggest. Will it even work if you live there and she's going to Yale?"

"I don't know!"

When Jess suddenly yelled it seemed to startle him as much as it did Luke. He had been screaming the same answer inside of his head every time Luke added a question to the list, but not once had he meant for the words to come flying out of his mouth that way. He was all too aware of the plans that hadn't been made yet. Everything was so vague and undefined. He and Rory were staying together for the long haul and would raise their baby together, that was all a given. Her going back to Yale was pretty certain too, but they hadn't decided where they would live, how they would schedule looking after their new-born son with Rory's education and Jess' work. It needed to be dealt with, he knew it did, and yet it never was.

"I don't know how it's going to work," he admitted in a more reasonable tone. "I keep planning on sitting down with Rory and figuring it out but... but it scares the crap outta me, okay?"

Luke was amazed by the admission. Jess had always been the guy that wasn't afraid of anything. Even as a kid, he was always a tough cookie, but now he was talking about being scared and he genuinely looked terrified. Luke hadn't meant to cause that but perhaps it was a good thing in a way.

"Jess, I don't... I don't want you to be scared of all this," he told him gently. "I just want you to think about it, make the plans that need making before it's too late. It's only going to get scarier if you don't," he advised.

"I know," his nephew sighed, running a hand back through his hair. "It's just, every time I think about talking it through with Rory, I realise I have no idea how this is going to work. Her going to Yale, me working, a baby to raise... I want it to work, it has to work," he said determinedly. "But that doesn't mean I know how to make it happen. Luke, how can I talk to Rory about plans when every time I crunch the numbers it just doesn't work? Not the money or the timing, it doesn't... it doesn't work," he shrugged helplessly.

Luke didn't know what to say to him. He could give them money, they could find a really good babysitter but that still might not work. Living arrangements, figuring out Rory's classes, taking care of the baby, it was a lot, a very lot in fact. Even with help it wasn't going to be easy, and Luke didn't want two people he loved so much to have to struggle with hard decisions, sleepless nights, and a hundred other awkward complicated things. Unfortunately, there wasn't an awful lot he could do about it now. Rory and Jess literally made their bed and now they had to lie in it.

"Oh Jess," he sighed, stepping in and pulling the guy into a hug.

For once his nephew didn't argue, in fact he even hugged his uncle back, glad of somebody to support him right now, in any way at all. This was not easy, trying to be a responsible adult. The idea was fine, but the reality was tough. Things could be that much worse, Jess knew that, but he was so tired and drained already, and this was months before the baby even came along. This past weekend, the anger and pain after fighting with Liz, then the joy of celebrating the love he and Rory had committed to, it had just taken the last of his energy.

"You can do this, y'know?" said Luke, slapping Jess on the back before he released him. "I know it's hard. I know you and Rory having to talk about the possibility of Yale going on hold, or moving into a low rent place of your own is tough, but you gotta do it, Jess, and because you two love each other, and you have mine and Lorelai's support, I promise you, it will all work out in the end," he swore.

Jess nodded and found a half a smile.

"Thanks, Uncle Luke," he said, perhaps the first time he had called him that in all seriousness since he was a little kid.

Luke smiled too at what seemed to be some affirmation of their family connection, a bond that meant more to either of them than such manly men would usually admit.

"You're welcome, kid," he replied, ruffling his hair. "Now, let's get back to work."

To Be Continued...