Notes:

Hey all, thanks again for all the reviews! I just want to again request that you don't mention spoilers in reviews because I'm spoiler free. I really really want to remain that way and just enjoy being surprised by each episode. And I don't want to have to stop reading reviews or stop updating so that I can't read the reviews until after the season is over, so please please please, don't mention spoilers. Talking about the last episode is fine, but not the next one until after Tuesday. Thanks again!

And if you haven't read it yet, please take time to peruse my new fic Truth or Consequences. It's done now so you won't have to wait!

Oooh and as one more side note. When I was running today, Shadow Dancing came on the radio and I totally pulled a Lorelai. I probably looked really crazy doing the Lorelai dance to the song and running, but who cares, it seems necessary anytime I hear that song.

An Outdoor Café in Brussels

Lorelai sits at a table, her elbow on the table and leaning her chin on her hand. The large backpacks are leaning against the wall behind her. She's staring off into space. Rory walks over carrying two coffee cups, setting one down in front of Lorelai. "Here we go," Rory says, sitting down in the chair next to Lorelai.

"Did you get me decaf?" Lorelai asks. Rory looks at her in surprise.

"I thought you were kidding!" Lorelai shrugs. She traces the edge of the cup with her finger. "Are you thinking about Luke?" Lorelai sighs.

"Do you think he's thinking about me?"

"I do. I think he's sitting at home waiting for the moment you walk through the diner door. Mom, he's had feelings for you for years, one summer apart isn't going to change that," Rory assures her. Lorelai frowns, still sad. "Are you still not feeling well?"

"When wasn't I feeling well?"

"At the beginning of the trip, you weren't looking well," Rory says, concerned.

"I'm fine," Lorelai insists.

"Well then drink up, we're going to need the caffeine to get us to the hostel tonight, it's quite a few miles from here." But Lorelai still doesn't drink.

"I was right, wasn't I?" Lorelai asks. "I mean, we needed this time."

"Yes, Mom. As a child who's been through this, I know what April's dealing with. Her relationship with Luke will be a lot better if she knows that her dad and mom really don't belong together." Lorelai reaches out and rubs Rory's hand. "If you guys didn't do this, he might never actually have a relationship with her."

"Yeah, probably so." Lorelai traces her coffee cup rim again. Finally she sighs and looks up at Rory. "Hun, I have something to tell you."

"You saw Kim Clijsters when I was off getting us coffee?"

"Yeah and she and Lleyton Hewitt were snogging."

"Mom, they broke up a long time ago! He's married to someone else and they've got a kid now," Rory reminds her mother. Lorelai looks perplexed at this idea. "I promise you I'm right, it was around the time that she had that wrist surgery."

"Before she won the US Open?"

"Yeah, much before."

"Oh. Hey, do you think Jennifer Capriati will ever come back?"

"Mom! You're veering off course!"

"Yeah well I'm no Jeff Gordon. Flash Gordon maybe." Rory shakes her head as Lorelai grins, proud of herself. But after a moment, Lorelai takes a breath getting serious again. She takes Rory's hand. "Rory, yesterday, in the morning, for breakfast, I ate – an apple." Rory looks confused. "An apple," Lorelai repeats with more emphasis.

"And it was poisonous and you fell into a deep coma until Prince William came to give you a kiss?" Lorelai scoffs.

"Of course not, Prince William is way too young for me, I'm no Susan Sarandon." Rory shrugs. "Kid, you gotta let it go, Prince William's never going to date you."

"Hey, a girl can dream!" Lorelai smiles. She rubs Rory's hand thoughtfully.

"Listen, the last time I ate an apple for breakfast, of my own free will, was when I was pregnant with you." Rory's mouth drops open in surprise, but she covers.

"But that doesn't necessarily mean anything, I mean you could just have thought it was caramelized or something," Rory hedges.

"Yeah, but while I was playing sick yesterday, and you went around by yourself, I went and bought a pregnancy test," Lorelai says, leading Rory to the final truth.

"You were playing sick! I can't believe you lied to me!" Rory exclaims, feigning mistrust. Lorelai stares at Rory, waiting for her to get back on track. "Yes, you bought the thing, go on." Rory motions for Lorelai to continue.

"It turned pink."

"It turned pink?"

"Actually," Lorelai pauses chuckling to herself. "It didn't. These tests don't turn pink anymore. They have an extra line. Or a plus sign. Or it actually reads pregnant. Or there's a red dot and you have to take the time to read the directions before you can figure out the results. It's like in Morse Code or something. And then once you figure it out and you get something that's not supposed to be there because you read the directions from the wrong box, you're all confused again. And you're forced to call the company and scream at them that you're all confused and you're hopped up on hormones and they shouldn't be allowed to do it. They should form a union and all do it the same. It would only be simple. I mean it doesn't take Upton Sinclair to write a book about it before something changes." Rory stares at Lorelai in modest amusement, allowing her mother to rant away.

"You know, I highly doubt anyone's going to write a book about this," Rory says. Lorelai looks up at her daughter knowingly. "So..?"

"The test was positive. I'm pregnant."

"Really?" Rory asks.

"Really," Lorelai answers seriously.

"Really!" Rory asks again, actually excited this time.

"Let's choose a new word." Rory shrugs.

"Well this is great Mom, I mean things will definitely work out with Luke now. No worries. He'd never leave you for Anna knowing that you're pregnant," Rory says logically. Lorelai doesn't seem happy though.

"I just – I don't want that – I don't want him to be with me because I'm pregnant, you know? I wouldn't let Chris do that 18, almost 19 years ago, and I won't let Luke do that now," Lorelai explains. Rory nods. Lorelai sighs. "This is just such bad timing."

"How do you figure?"

"Well for one, Sookie's pregnant, and we're trying to open the inn together. And then you're leaving for Yale, and I don't want it to be like I'm replacing you with this kid. And Luke, things just aren't right there, we're not sure what's going on and I really don't want this to change things."

"Mom, things are going to be okay," Rory assures her, squeezing Lorelai's hand. "I'm excited to have a little sibling. Hey, this totally helps me with that dream!"

"What dream? You had a dream that I was pregnant?" Lorelai asks, confused.

"Well, I did once, but you gave birth to Snuggles, the bear from the TV commercial. No, I'm talking about your dream, the one you had while I was in DC."

"Oh, that dream."

"Yeah, maybe it didn't mean anything about Dad. Maybe it was more of a forecasting dream. You're going to be happy and with Luke and carrying twins."

"Twins?" Lorelai looks frightened.

"Yeah, and I'll come home from school every weekend and tell you how fat you're getting," Rory teases.

"Twins?" Lorelai squeaks.

"Okay, maybe not twins, but I guess we won't know until we go home and you go see the doctor," Rory says. She looks up at her mother. "You want to go home now?"

"Now! No, Rory, I promised you this trip, going around Europe. We can't stop having only seen half, we've seen the 'Eur', we still have to see the 'ope', maybe that half is even better. Who knows what could happen?" Lorelai says, her eyes sparkling.

"Yeah, but Mom, don't you want to go home and tell Luke?" Lorelai shakes her head. "I mean it is Luke's, isn't it?" Lorelai gasps in disbelief.

"Yes, it is Luke's! Unless my name is actually Mary or something."

"Virgin Mary or Magdalene?" Lorelai frowns, considering Rory's question.

"Actually either would work in this case," Lorelai responds. She chuckles to herself. "Guess this is the easiest way to teach you about taking precautions."

"Gross!" Rory exclaims. Lorelai shrugs.

"Hey, it's my job to teach you the important stuff, even if it comes as a result of my bad decisions or my lack of thinking." Rory rolls her eyes. "Just remember, if and when you ever decide to - you know - take a moment and think of this before you forgo protection."

"Ah! Mom!" Rory shakes her head in disgust. Lorelai shrugs, tracing a finger around the rimi of her cup again. "Are you going to make it backpacking through Europe?"

"Sure, I'm – what – a month – two months – pregnant? I'll be three months at the most when I get home, not to worry. I had barely started showing at three months with you, Mom still believed I was coming out and on my way to Vassar," Lorelai explains. Rory nods.

"Okay then, it's settled," Rory says. "I'm so happy!" They hug. Lorelai finally looks happy about the whole thing. "Okay, now I'll go get you a decaf coffee." Rory stands. But Lorelai quickly grabs the cup.

"It's okay, if the caffeine gives the baby two heads, it won't be the worst thing I'm going to do to it," Lorelai considers.

"That's the truth," Rory agrees.

"Hey!" Lorelai exclaims, hitting Rory's arm playfully. Rory sits back down. Lorelai looks over at her smiling. "This is going to be great." She looks away, just watching the people around her, biting her lower lip. "Absolutely perfect."