A/N: Loving all the reviews I'm still receiving for this fic - thanks to all the people who are so kind. Now, I know nobody likes Christopher much, I don't either, so his appearance in this chapter will be very brief, and not even really an appearance at all ;)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see prologue)

Chapter 30

"Hey, Dad. Yeah, I know, it's been a while," said Rory into the phone, pacing a little, whilst Jess looked on from the couch.

He knew for a fact that Rory and her father hadn't talked since she got back to Stars Hollow. He had wondered if Lorelai ever even told Christopher their daughter had run away, but she insisted she had. She also said he did care and wanted news as soon as there was any. To Jess' mind he should've done more, but since that was none of his business he didn't say anything about it. When he and Rory got back home, Lorelai rang Chris and let him know all was well, but she quite deliberately said nothing about the baby. She agreed with Rory that it was her news to tell, but from that day up until late last night, the younger Gilmore girl had been lacking either the nerve or just the inclination to share the news that Christopher Hayden was soon going to be a grandpa.

Given how things had gone with Liz, Jess figured Chris couldn't react any worse, though he never met the guy and hadn't a clue what he was like, except for a few tales Rory and Lorelai had told over the time. He'd be kind of a hypocrite if he judged his daughter too harshly, but hey, he wouldn't be the first to act that way.

"I know, I just... Things have been kind of crazy here. I'm guessing with you too, what with Gigi and everything. How's she doing?" asked Rory, smiling as her father presumably waxed lyrical about the wonder of his younger daughter. "That's great. Er, I don't suppose you'd be free to come visit this weekend or something? No, no, I understand, I do, it's... well, I had news, and face to face would've been better," she explained a hand going absently to her bump. "Yeah, it's kinda big, but not bad, at least I don't think so."

Jess watched her get more and more flustered and reached out to grab her hand as she passed by the next time.

"You okay?" he whispered, and Rory nodded, deciding there was going to be no better moment than this.

With her fingers clasped in Jess' hand she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and just said it.

"Dad, the truth is... I'm pregnant."

She visibly winced the moment the words were spoken, obviously expecting a wholly negative reaction. Instead there must have been shocked silence, because a moment later Jess watched her frown and then repeat 'Hello? Dad?' at least three times before she got a response.

Once the shock subsided, Christopher seemed to take it all pretty well. Rory explained what had happened, the running to Jess, getting pregnant, coming home, and some of the plans for how they moved forward, including her still going back to Yale next year. She sat down next to Jess as she told her father all of her plans, and her fiancé happily pulled her close to him while she talked, glad for Rory that this truth-telling session hadn't been a complete disaster.

Ten minutes or so later, Rory hung up the phone and breathed a real big sigh of relief.

"I take it he didn't completely disown you?" Jess smirked.

"He actually took it really well, after the initial shock," she admitted. "When your name came up, I swear I heard him growl, but the fact you stuck around and asked me to marry you seems to have gotten you enough bonus points to make up for any reason he might find to hate you."

Jess smiled at her jokey tone and kissed her on the nose.

"Your whole family is cracked, you know that, right?"

"Hey, my family is your family," she reminded him. "Once we're married, and assuming Luke and Mom stick together, we're going to have one seriously screwed up family tree, mister, but one thing is for certain, we're all connected."

"I guess I can live with that," he sighed as if it were a huge inconvenience, and then he kissed her.

Rory felt happy right now. Sure, plans for the future were still a little shaky, that was just how things were in their situation, but she felt somewhat more confident since she and Jess got started on making more solid decisions. Her dad knew about Jess and about the baby, and he hadn't flipped out. Things seemed to be on the up and up.

"Greetings, fellow programs!" Lorelai called as she let herself in the front door, interrupting the young couple's kissing.

"I told you things only end badly when you let her watch Tron," said Rory, lightly slapping Jess across the chest.

He only rolled his eyes and looked up the same time as Rory did when Lorelai came over to the couch.

"Hey Mom," her daughter smiled up at her. "You have a nice night?"

"I did," she nodded happily. "I hope yours was both enjoyable and productive?"

"It was," Jess assured her. "Any mail for us?" he checked, noting the envelopes in Lorelai's hand.

"Yes, actually," she noted, pulling out a couple of pieces of mail and duly handing them over.

Rory squealed happily at the sight of a letter from Mrs Rossini and quickly tore into the envelope. She read in silence, tilting the paper some so that Jess could see too. He absently kissed her temple as his eyes skimmed down the page, smiling at Mrs R's usual stories of life in the city, and thanks for the copy of the latest sonogram picture. They sat close just reading together for almost ten minutes. It was only when they were done that Jess realised there were wet patches towards the bottom of the last page.

"Rory?" he checked as she sniffled beneath his arm.

"I'm sorry," she said, looking up at him. "I just miss her."

"Me too," Jess agreed.

It was silly really, they had both known Mrs Rossini quite a short time really, and yet she had come to mean so much to each of them. When Jess first got the apartment on the level up from Mrs R, he had been glad of the old lady's friendship and kindness. Rory found she felt just the same when she came to join Jess in his latest home, and God only knew what would have happened if she hadn't been there with good advice and friendly counsel when the pregnancy thing happened.

"Oh, babe, it's not bad news, is it? Is Mrs Rossini okay?" asked Lorelai worriedly as she returnd to the room and saw Rory's tears.

"She's fine," Jess assured her, though Lorelai wasn't quite sure which woman he was referring to. "It's nice to hear from Mrs R, but it's tough thinking of her in New York all by herself."

"I'd love to visit, but the money and the long bus ride right now..." said Rory sadly shaking her head. "Maybe after the baby is born, but that's a long way off yet."

Jess bit his lip and didn't answer. Honestly, as much as he'd love to take their kid to meet Mrs Rossini, he wasn't sure it was a good idea. The neighbourhood they lived in then, it was no place for a baby, that was one of the any reasons for coming home to Stars Hollow the way they did. Jess wished there was some way to get Mrs R to move out of that place, but he figured she never would. NYC was home to her now, and nothing was going to scare her away, that was what she always insisted. He doubted her opinions had changed at all in the last few months.

"You'll see her soon, honey," Lorelai told Rory, rubbing her knee in a comforting gesture. "Somehow, you will."

Thinking fast, she changed the subject quickly to avoid more awkward talk and tears.

"Hey, so I had the most disturbing call from your grandmother last night," she said with a properly freaked out look on her face. "Get this, she was asking me for dating advice!"

"Eeew!" Rory exclaimed, and though Jess thought that was a little childish, he couldn't really help the fact he quite agreed with her.

Emily Gilmore going out on the prowl to snag a man. That was a picture he really didn't need in his head, not ever.

"But people her age don't really date, do they?" said Rory then. "And even if they did, she's still married to Grandpa."

She looked almost more pained than grossed out as she spoke of her grandparents marriage. Lorelai immediately wished she picked a better topic. This one could well end in tears too, especially given Rory's pregnancy hormones.

"I know, hon, and I'm not sure how serious Emily is about all this," she told her then. "I'm pretty sure she's only trying to date because she thinks Richard is doing it already. Not doing it!" she insisted on realising her bad phrasing. "Oh God, I feel sick!" she exclaimed, flapping her hands wildly as if that would help remove the utterly disturbing mental images.

"Really not alone in that," Jess shuddered.

That at least made Lorelai smirk and forget some of her own disgust. Rory seemed thoughtful still.

"I guess everybody gets lonely," she sighed. "Y'know last I spoke to Paris she was going speed-dating."

Lorelai let out a burst of laugher.

"Paris?" she checked. "Speed-dating?"

"Paris and any kind of dating," Jess considered.

"Agreed. So she told you she was going but you haven't heard from her after the event?" Lorelai asked Rory.

"Nope," she shook her head. "I was thinking of maybe going over to visit sometime soon. I'm sure she wouldn't be feeling so lonely and desperate if I was there..."

"Hey, you are not feeling guilty about this," said her fiancé firmly, hugging her close. "It's not your fault."

"No, I know, I just... well, I can't help it."

"Sweetie, you'll be back at Yale next September and then Paris will have a friend and everything will be fine," her mother insisted. "In the meantime, she can terrorise a few guys in speed-dating, it won't do them any harm," she smiled too widely. "Even Paris can't cause too much emotional distress in only five minute intervals, right?"

Jess shot her a dubious look

"Well, probably not anyway."

"You sure you don't want me to come with you?" asked Jess as he and Rory sat at the bus stop waiting for the next one that would take her to Yale.

"Jess, you have to work," she reminded him. "Besides, the bus ride isn't so long, and Paris will probably be able to drive me back after. I'm okay," she promised, even as she smiled at his concern.

"Okay," he nodded once, leaning in to kiss her lips. "But if you need me, you call. You are more important to me than work, both of you," he swore, his hand on her bump as he kissed her one more time.

"Go to work, sentimental man," she smiled, giggling as he dropped one final kiss on her nose before hurrying away to the diner.

The bus arrived within a minute and Rory struggled a little getting on. With almost three months still to go, Rory was already wondering how much bigger she could possibly get! A friendly fellow passenger helped her to a seat and once she was there, Rory felt just fine. The journey to Yale wasn't all that long, and yet it started to feel that way when just over half way she really felt the need to pee. By the time they arrived at the college, she had to make a dash for the nearest rest room before she could go find Paris' room, but since her friend didn't even know she was coming, at least she couldn't bawl Rory out for being late.

Rory took the next left in the hallway, sure she would find Paris' room right there, she was startled when she ran right into a guy coming the other way.

"Hey!" she yelled, one arm going protectively around her bump.

"I'm sorry, I... I'm sorry," the blond repeated on noticing her condition. "Um, you need help with anything?" he checked.

"I'm fine," said Rory, consulting the paper in her hand again.

She was sure she was in the right place, and yet the number by the next door along was not the one she had written down as where Paris was living.

"I think you made a right when you should've made a left," said the mystery man, apparently not willing to let her be. "I could show you..."

"I can find it," she forced a polite smile, turning herself around with one hand on her aching back as she continued walking. "But thank you..."

"Logan. Logan Huntzberger," he told her, seemingly amused by the fact she didn't already know. "And you are?"

"Rory Gilmore," she told him. "Thanks for the help, Logan," she said as she headed off to see Paris.

This time she found the right room and knocked firmly on the door. There was no answer and so she tried again, hating the idea that maybe she had been wrong about her friends schedule and would actually find her not at home.

"Paris?" she called, hoping to get an answer.

There was a random scrabbling sound on the other side of the door and then finally it opened to reveal a wholly dishevelled Paris Geller.

"Rory!" she gasped at the sight of her. "My God, you're enormous!"

"Nice to see you too, Paris," Rory laughed. "Um, can I come in?" she checked when her friend seemed unwilling to open the door more than a crack.

"Sure, yeah, of course," she said, suddenly moving to let her in.

Rory went straight to the comfy looking couch and lowered herself into the cushions. She opened her mouth to speak, but never got the chance as another voice was heard and a short guy wearing nothing but a sheet stepped out into the common room.

"Hey, Paris are you coming back to... bed?" he asked, awkwardly realising they were no longer alone.

"Rory Gilmore, Doyle McMaster," Paris introduced them, as if the situation wasn't half so mortifying as the reality.

"Uh-huh," Rory nodded, trying not to wear a smirk that Jess would be proud of. "So speed-dating went well, huh?"

Paris ducked her head and almost looked genuinely embarrassed, something that rarely if ever happened to her, as Doyle made a dive back into the bedroom muttering something about finding his clothes.

"I hope you were safe," said Rory, only half joking as she patted her own pregnant belly.

"Obviously," Paris rolled her eyes. "Let me throw on some real clothes and toss the guy out," she said then, matter of factly as Paris ever said anything. "Then we can talk."

"Sounds good," Rory agreed, still trying not to laugh as her friend disappeared back into her bedroom.

So far this had been a pretty eventful trip, and though they probably wouldn't talk about anything profound or massively interesting, Rory was not about to be sorry that she came to visit with Paris today. Sure, it felt strange to be in Yale when she wasn't actually attending right now, but it was nice too. She would be back here next September, Rory told herself, even as the baby kicked inside her, reminding her how much everything would change in less than three months from now.

"Please tell me we don't have to stick solely to the topics of pregnancy hormones, food cravings, and swollen ankles," said Paris as she returned to the room.

Doyle was heard to mutter a 'nice meeting you' or similar and then he was gone faster than The Flash. Rory tried not to smile too much as her friend joined her on the couch.

"I think I can keep my pregnancy symptoms to a minimum for you," she promised. "Maybe we could start with the guy?"

Paris almost looked fit to blush as she explaiend that Doyle was actually her editor on the Yale Daily News, and how they just kind of hit it off when they found each other at the speed dating event.

"I'm not saying he's the love of my life or anything," she confirmed, rolling her eyes. "We're not all you and Jess, but I like him and... and so far it's just fun. The physical side is pretty good, and we can actually have a conversation too, so yeah, it's... it's good," she smiled.

Rory couldn't be more happy for her friend, and actually felt a little relieved knowing that Paris wasn't totally alone now.

"I wish I had exciting news for you but things have been pretty quiet since Thanksgiving, which is probably a good thing," she considered.

"That Liz Mariano is a piece of work from what you told me," said Paris crossly. "What is it with parents failing to understand that it is their influence that has such a devastating effect on how their children grow and develop? Both nature and nurture play a role, people!"

"Family can be complicated," Rory said diplomatically. "I finally told my dad about everything yesterday. He was actually pretty supportive."

"Well, I should think so," Paris snorted. "Given the example your parents set for you, he's lucky you turned out half as well as you did."

Rory thought about trying to defend her Mom and Dad but decided against. Paris kind of had a point, actually. Though she loved her parents dearly, she knew they never intended to make a baby at the age of sixteen, and that such a thing was pretty irresponsible. As well as Lorelai had coped, Rory knew her mom hadn't wanted a similar fate for her daughter. Either way, Paris didn't mean any harm or even to be insulting at all, after so many years Rory knew she just liked to speak her mind, that was all.

"So, you still determined to come back here next Fall?" asked Paris then, alerting Rory to the fact she had kind of zoned out a while. "I can't imagine it would be easy."

"No, I don't think it will be, but we're going to give it a try," Rory smiled bravely. "I'm going to have to take on a smaller class load but it could work. Grandpa says he's still willing to pay the fees so I'll be here," she explained. "First, me and Jess have to find a place to live. Somewhere between Stars Hollow and here would be great, but we're going to start viewing some possible places this weekend. It's weird, I'm really excited about it."

Paris just smiled at her friend a moment, staring in such a way as to make Rory ask why.

"I don't know, I mean, they say that pregnant women almost glow and I always thought it was a stupid turn of phrase, but you actually do," she told her friend.

Rory almost blushed at the odd compliment, but it was nice to hear all the same.

"I don't know what to tell you," she shrugged then. "For all the stress and drama that comes with my life right now, I am very happy," she said with a smile, and she meant every word.

To Be Continued...

A/N2: This fic is now going on hold til 2015. I do this every year as I have a lot of other stuff to do in December, including a lot of fics to write for exchanges and as gifts for friends. Please rest assured, I will be back in the new year! :)