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Lorelai Effect

Part 3

The lack of caffeine was taking it's toll. As well as the uncertainty that surrounded her life. She needed answers to the questions that swarmed her head and made her more cranky than she knew she would have been just from withdraw alone.

When she stalked into the inn's kitchen the staff left quickly, knowing a fear that only normally existed in her mother's house. Her frown deepened as she went about fixing her morning tea. She was really beginning to hate tea.

"No word from Luke?" Sookie asked with a knowing smile.

Lorelai slammed the box of tea down on the counter, "Three days! What could be taking so damn long!"

"It took eight years for the poor guy to ask you out, cut him some slack."

"So I might potentially go into labour before I find out if I'm worth his time. And why are you on his side on this? He's not the one who may or may not be having a baby."

"Well you could easily find out," Sookie reasoned, "Certainty is only one bathroom break away. You do know that the longer you wait the worse it might be for the maybe baby."

"I'm taking vitamins," she confessed, "Just in case."

"This isn't healthy for you, either. You've changed everything: eating habits, caffeine and vitamins, all on the off chance you could be pregnant. What happens if you're not? Will you be okay?"

She shifted nervously, not able to meet her friend's eye. "I don't know."

"Please take the test. I'll come in with you, or Rory. We could all wait together for the longest three minutes of life. What do you say?"

"You know why I can't," she said, growing uneasy at the situation, her stomach turning for the umpteeth time that morning.

"It was worth a try. I wish you would reconsider," she continued watching as Lorelai paled straightening up, "You really don't look good."

Lorelai clutched at Sookie, the world spinning in front of her eyes. She had had dizzy spells over the last few days. It had been something she had experienced with Rory, but she knew it could have just been a side effect of the change in her diet. Lack of sugar. Lack of caffeine. But nothing compared to the moving blackness that was swimming before her eyes making her know what it would be like to be in the Perfect Storm.

"Lorelai," she heard Sookie cry out, mingled within the sounds of pots clattering to the floor. She was feeling hot and the world was moving around her like she was caught in her own personal earthquake. The next thing she was aware of was the sound of Sookie on the phone to an ambulance and the damp coolness of a cloth on the back of her neck from where she was sitting on the floor.

~G.G~

Rory had been studying on campus when she got the call. Her mother had taken a fainting spell and was being rushed to the hospital. She rushed as quickly as she could, arriving in time to overhear Sookie tell the staff of the situation with Luke, how Lorelai thought she could be pregnant but didn't want to know for sure until things were better with the potential father. It wasn't until the chef threatened the medical staff, yelling that telling Lorelai the results one way or another wouldn't help her at all, that they conceded. They would run the tests but wait until they were sure she could handle the news before breaking it to her.

But, they cautioned, she would have to be told before leaving the hospital. So time, Rory knew, was running out. She stayed long enough to check on her mother, find out they were keeping her overnight for observation and get the list of what Lorelai wanted to keep her occupied during her stay before she was out the door. She had let things go on too long, she knew. She should have done the mature thing ages ago and lock Luke and Lorelai in a closet together until they either killed each other or made up.

Having gathered up what she needed she parked in front of the diner, her anger not leaving her, even as she saw April with him.

"Rory," Luke greeted, knowing something was wrong as soon as he saw her.

She didn't say anything as she went behind the counter, grabbed the front of his shirt, and pulled him towards the curtain, not caring that the diner was full and that people were staring. "Mind the fort April," she called behind her.

"Rory, what are you doing?" He demanded even as he followed her up the stairs, "I swear you are too much like your mother," he grumbled when she let go of him and walked into his apartment, turning on him as soon as he shut the door.

"How can you do this to her?" She demanded, arms flailing in the air.

"Do what? To who? Lorelai? I haven't done anything, Rory."

"Exactly! And that's the problem. It's been a week, Luke. A week."

He crossed his arms, "It has not been a week."

She ignored him, too much like her mother to care about things like inconvenient details when she had a point to make. "Do you really not know how you feel about her that much that you can't decide if you want to marry her in a week? Has she not given you the space you needed? Has she given you too much space? What is it? What has she done so wrong that you need to punish her like this?"

"Rory," he countered, his own temper rising, "What are you talking about? I'm not punishing her."

"Really? Then why haven't you told her? Why does she still not know if she has a future with you?" She paused, her body shaking now that her adrenaline was wearing off and she was faced with the truth of what was happening, the fear that she had felt when she had last picked up her phone, "Why did Sookie call me to tell me that she had to call the ambulance to take my mother to the hospital?" She finished with tears in her eyes.

He paled, his heart dropping into his shoes as his body followed it into one of the chairs at his table. "W-what happened? Is she alright?" He got to his feet, heart now racing, wondering why Rory was still just standing there.

"I don't know. Because she won't let them tell her without you there!"

He held up his hand, stilling the attack towards him that he felt she was preparing for. These Gilmores, he knew, fought as quickly as they talked. "Whoa, slow down and tell me what they hell you're talking about."

"She might be pregnant," she confessed, not surprised at the shock that flashed across his face as he sat back down, "But she refused to take the test without you. She refused to let you miss out on this no matter what happened between you."

"The coffee..."

"Made her nauseous," she said, sinking down at the table beside him.

"Why didn't she tell me?" He asked even as he knew the answer, "She didn't want me to stay with her for just the baby."

Rory nodded, both sitting in silence a moment before she stood, remembering why she came, "She was at the Dragonfly and took a dizzy spell. Sookie's with her, but I should get back. They're keeping her overnight. They're doing a pregnancy test. We managed to convince them not to tell her yet, but you should be there to find out with her. But," she added, "I hope you know what you want when you go in there. Because if you lead her on or hurt her any more than needed, you'll wish you were dealing with Emily Gilmore."

Rory didn't wait for any acknowledgement before heading to the apartment door, not surprised that April was standing in the open doorway as she passed.

"I called Lane," the teenager told her father, her arms crossed, "She's coming in. So let's go."

He rose an eyebrow, "Go?"

"Do you think I'm going to let you mess this up again? I'm going with you to the hospital. And on the way, you are going to tell me exactly what has been going on..."

~G.G~

He had never driven that fast, or talked so much to his daughter using as many pauses and run-on sentences. He admired her even as she called him an idiot. He could see in her traits that had endeared Lorelai to him. The woman that should have been the girl's step-mother by now. The woman who might be carrying April's sibling in her body. In the body that was lying in a hospital bed without him. Without him because he had been the idiot that April accused him of being.

"What was I thinking?" He mumbled, pulling into the hospital parking lot. Normally he would complain about the prices they charged at these parking garages, but now, if it meant that Lorelai would be okay, he would gladly pay the fee over and over and over again.

Sookie was pacing in the hall when he rounded the corner, looking lost. She called out to him, glad to see another familiar face.

"Where is she? Is everything alright?"

"Calm down," she urged, "Hi April," she greeted before looking back to the anxious man, "Things are fine. They're just keeping her for observations."

"Where is she?"

Not hiding the smile she held up a finger, gesturing for him to listen. Sighing in frustration he did as she asked, and at once he heard the muffled shouts on the other side of the hall. Sookie merely shrugged at his questioning gaze before suggesting that she and April go and find Rory some coffee, giving Luke a reassuring pat.

He stopped her, "You're just going to leave me? To that?"

"Honey, she's been like this for days. It's time I share the pleasure that is a hormonal, emotional, caffeine-deprived Lorelai Gilmore. Good luck with that." She quickly ushered April away, shaking her head as she commented on the likelihood of him leaving that room intact if he actually went in there empty handed.

Steeling himself for the waiting onslaught, he quietly knocked on the door, listening for a break in the shouting before he announced himself.

"Mom, you need to calm down."

"Don't tell me what to do Rory. Judas! I can't believe you told him. This was your doing," she said, turning her attention to the doctor. "Turning my daughter against me."

"Ms Gilmore, we have the results of the tests..."

"No! I'm not listening to anything you have to say. Either of you."

"Am I interrupting?" He asked, making himself known.

"And you are?" The doctor asked.

"In trouble," Lorelai started on him, "Did you do the speed limit the entire time? Rory's been back an entire ten minutes."

He crossed his arms, "Rory drives like you do."

She smiled despite herself, letting her walls down enough for him to see the fear and relief in her eyes, "You're late."

He nodded, taking the seat beside her, "I'm sorry."

Rory watched them for a moment before turning her attention to the doctor, "This is Luke. Can we give them a minute? Cuz this won't be pretty."

"Try to keep her calm," the doctor told Luke before following Rory out into the hall.

Lorelai waiting for the door to close before she closed her eyes, focusing on her breaths, "Let's have it."

An eyebrow rose, "It?"

"Your decision. Come on, I'm ready. You've had a week, Luke. Please tell me that you've come to some decision in a week." He didn't bother to correct her as her voice rose, her emotions getting the best of her, "Do I mean that little to you that you can't tell the difference in all that time of what it's like not having me in your life?"

"Tell the difference?" His volume matched hers. Did she really not know him that much? "You know what I've been able to tell this week? How much time you take up in my day." He rose starting to pace around the small room, entering into one of his rant modes "I don't have to cook for you or clean up after you or worry that you're going to have an early death with all that crap you put into your body or take your incessant phone calls. I don't have to straighten out the real sugars from the diabetic stuff after you shuffle them into silly patterns. I don't have to make small talk and stay near you in the diner on your multiple visits. I save on donuts. I didn't realize how many you sneak off with until you weren't there. I order too many. They go stale!

"And I have even more time now that Lane doesn't trust me to not harass customers and Caeser won't let me near the grill. My own grill! And the quiet! My cell phone doesn't ring, I don't have that damn television blaring as I go to sleep. I would be sleeping better because of it if I didn't miss you not being there during the night.

"Because I do. I miss you. I miss that I never had enough doughnuts and remembering how much I hate that damned ringtone you put on my phone. I hate not knowing who is calling the diner at the worst possible times. I miss cooking for you so that you'll actually eat something healthy. Although I hear you're doing fine with that now."

"I'm not fine..."

"I'm not finished!"

She smiled, her eyes shimmering with tears. She loved ranting Luke. "Sorry."

"I hate having time. I miss the work. I miss you. So here's your damn ring back, don't take it off again, and don't shut any damned doors. We're getting married. Soon. Now let's find out if we're having a damned baby."

"You shouldn't damn the baby, Luke," she whispered, slipping the ring back on her finger, having missed the weight on her hand. "It might turn out like my mother."

He rolled his eyes, letting out a long breath. "I'm sorry."

"Me too."

"Are we good?"

She nodded, "Yeah, we are. So... maybe baby?"

Shaking his head, not fighting the smile that won it's place on his face, he opened the door, bidding the doctor inside.

"Are we ready now?"

"Yup, sorry about that," Luke said, not able to meet the doctor in the eye, his nerves building. "So, what's the word?"

"This is an unusual case," the doctor began, looking between both parties, not surprised when they frowned, "After hearing what I have about the timing of the symptoms, the stress of the events as of late, the uncertainty of your situation... have you ever heard of a false pregnancy? It's when the woman's body shows signs of pregnancy without there being an actual fetus present in the womb. Some show false positives, swell in the belly, some even go as far as lactating and going into labour."

"So I'm not pregnant? I'm just crazy?"

"According to the blood work you are producing the hormones associated with pregnancy. However..."

"You still think I'm crazy."

"Not at all," he tried to assure her, "I'm just suggesting that we rely on more proof positive methods for determining pregnancy. I'd like you to have an ultrasound."

She looked at the IV in her arm, "That explains the fluids," she frowned, "I hate ultrasounds," she pouted, "So much needing to pee."

Luke hid his smile, reaching out and taking Lorelai's hand in his, his fingers playing with the ring on her finger, "When?"

"We have a technician booked for first thing in the morning. I'll be by before I leave with instructions and to see how you're doing."

Lorelai waited until the doctor left before focusing on Luke who was trying not to make his grin too obvious, "What?"

He shrugged, "Just marvelling at just how much work you really are. Do you mind if I stay the night?"

Her expression softened, "You want to stay in a hospital all night? You hate hospitals."

"I want to stay with you tonight. I'll put up with it being in a hospital."

"You don't work tomorrow?"

"I did," he confessed, "But April made some calls on the way here. Lane and Caesar have it covered."

"April's here?"

He nodded, "With Sookie and Rory."

"She's a good kid."

"She- she likes you," he told her. "A lot. I think it scared me. I mean what if..."

"She liked me more than you?" Lorelai asked, trying to break the tension between them, "Big worry, I understand." She was silent a moment, "It's why I called you Duke," she confessed in kind, "It's because of Rory."

"What?"

"When we first met, for the first year that I knew you. Rory worshipped you. You were the first man who wasn't her father who she got attached to. The first man who was actually in her life. That scared me. It's why I pushed you away, why I didn't want to be your friend at first. Because if you got close to me you'd get close to her and then she could get hurt. I didn't want that."

"So what changed?"

"She got the chicken pox and I didn't know what to do. And you were there. You saved the day. You proved that you cared about her. You showed me that you really were IN her life. I thought it only fair to be in yours as well."

He nodded slowly, leaning forward and kissing her lightly, "I'm going to go get us something to eat, tell them the plan. Then later Rory can take April back to your place for the night?"

"I think they'd like that."

"Good. I think I'll bring Rory with me, if she can be away from you, since I'm sure she knows more about what you have and haven't been eating lately. Keep an eye on April?"

"I'd like that."

He paused at the door, smiling at her, pleased when she smiled back at him. "Good."

"Where's Sookie?" Luke asked when he joined the girls in the hall.

"She had mommy things to do," Rory explained, eyeing April conspiracy, "Speaking of mommy things..."

"We find out tomorrow," he explained, "So tonight we're going to have a family night."

"And are we a family?" April asked, hopeful.

He straightened, hands going into his pockets, a proud smile on his face as he nodded. The girls squealed and hugged him. Feeling uncomfortable at the affection he separated himself from them, suggesting that April keep Lorelai company while he got Rory to help him out with something.

Rory smiled at him, "We off for food?"

"Yeah," he said, suddenly nervous, "And something else. But I need your help. You got your phone..."

~G.G~

Rory was puffing hard when she and April arrived back at the hospital the following morning, both tired and excited about what the day brought.

"Everything good?" Luke asked, looking around the hall nervously.

"Yeah, where's mom?"

"Getting ready for the ultrasound. She wanted me to see if you two wanted to come in with us."

"Can we?"

Luke nodded at the excitement that lit up his daughter's face, "Already cleared it with the technician. I think he would do anything to prevent the Gilmore wrath."

Rory laughed, falling in step with her new family as they moved towards the exam room, "Mom learned from a pro." She met his eye, "Is everything okay here?"

He gave an excited - be it nervous - nod. "Yeah, this is good. Will be good. I'm nervous."

"Couldn't tell." She looked him over, glad that he had had the chance to change from his diner-wear. While nothing fancy, it wasn't his usual, flannel-themed garb.

"Come on," they heard Lorelai yell from inside the small room, "Some of us have full bladders here!"

Rolling his eyes he led the way into the room, kissing her temple and refraining from saying anything that might set her off. He had been made aware of her higher than normal blood pressure and so tried to keep her calm. She had caught onto this late the previous evening and took much enjoyment since then in trying to goad him into an argument.

"Alright, everybody here?" The technician asked with a friendly smile, revealing Lorelai's stomach, "Shall we break the mystery of this maybe baby?"

Lorelai's smile widened. She liked the technician. While waiting for her family to arrive they talked, and by the end of the preparation processes had been tempted to name any possible child after him. Her family, the thought made her chest hurt with joy.

Inhaling sharply at the cold gel on her stomach, her urge to pee growing exponentially with the contact and the pressure that followed when the sensor pushed down on her abdomen. "You better not tell me there is too much fluid in there."

The technician laughed, aware of the eyes watching him watch the screen. "There," he said after a long moment, a pleased smile on his face, "We have it. No more maybe about it. I'd say 8 weeks at first glance."

"8 weeks..." Lorelai whispered, clutching Luke's hand in hers. "I wasn't crazy."

"Oh, look at that zygote," Rory put in with a playful smile, "I'm naming it Ziggy."

"So small," April added, glad to be able to share in the moment. She was going to have a sibling.

"Lorelai the 3rd."

"4th," Rory amended.

"Your gran is dead, I don't think that counts."

"Do you know nothing about genealogy?"

"I would remember more of it if I wasn't swimming. Can I...?" She asked, gesturing to the technician.

"You're all clear to de-liquidfy. Your doctor will check with you in an hour, make sure everything is good and you'll be on your way."

Waiting until Lorelai was safely shut away, Luke turned once more to the girls, "Is everything in place? Are you sure?"

Rory nodded, "No worries, we got this. Sookie called in the big guns. Miss Patty and Babette, there is no way people don't know, and with Sookie in charge you know Jackson is making sure everything is getting done. I also have the perfect dress for her to wear out of here."

"And your grandparents?"

"Insulted about not receiving proper notice, but are going to be there. Luke..."

"Yeah?"

"I hope it's okay but I called Jess."

"What did he say?"

"'Bout time."

"Sounds right."

"Ahh, so much better," Lorelai exclaimed as she practically danced back into the room. "What am I missing?" She asked, looking between the guilty expressions.

"Aren't you still on bedrest?" Rory suddenly asked, eyebrow arching accusingly.

Her mother pouted, "Rory! I've been in bed too long. I want to go out and breath the fresh, non-filtered air and remember what it's like to be alive in the sun! I want to feel the breeze against my skin and remember that the hills are alive..."

"In that hospital gown?"

Lorelai stopped mid showtune tangent, looking down at the light blue hospital gown and robe she wore, "And we're going back to my room."

~G.G~

An hour, twenty minutes later Luke was checking Lorelai out of the hospital, his hands shaking slightly as he finished the paperwork. He was thankful that April was distracting her by making sure that they had everything packed.

He glanced at them, the two most important women in his life. Lorelai was dressed in the pale blue, knee length dress that hugged her high on her waist and fluttered away from her body, dancing every time she turned. He knew that he wouldn't be able to fight the smile that lit up his face watching them. So he didn't try, just like he didn't glance away when Lorelai caught him staring at her. Blushing, she smiled back before fastening up the overnight bag, making sure that April could handle the load that she had insisted on carrying.

And in that moment, between watching her dance just by being alive and showing concern for a child not her own, he knew. And his doubts faded away. His hands no longer shook when he took her hand in his and led her in the direction that April started them down.

"I know that I wasn't really conscious when they brought me in here," she said when they stopped just shy of the double doors that April ducked into, "But this doesn't seem like a way out to me."

Inhaling a steadying breath Luke turned, taking both her hands in his. "I remember when we first got engaged, when they found out that you did the asking, they said that was robbed of that moment. The moment when I didn't know if you would say yes, the moment when I could only hope that you'd feel the same way, that you'd want to spend your life with me. And maybe they were right and that moment was important.

"Maybe that's why I screwed up. Because I didn't remember how much not knowing sucks." He shifted, "Lorelai Gilmore, will you marry me?"

She smiled at him, "You know I will."

"Now?" He asked, his grasp on her hands tightening when he felt her try to take a step back.

She blinked, and she looked to the doors, suddenly realizing that they were standing outside the chapel. There were tears shimmering in her eyes. "Now?"

He nodded, "Rory and I worked it out last night. She's as sneaky as you are," he added, wiping her cheek dry with his thumb. "This isn't a now or never, but you were right. Why wait?"

"Luke... are you sure you want to do this? What about your doubts and April and..."

"Lorelai, I know what I want. Do you?"

She nodded, "I want you."

"Shall we?" He asked, kissing the back of her hand, pleased that he had come out on the other side of that moment with his hope justified.

He watched her face as he threw open the doors. The chapel was full of people, of friends and family. It was full of the life that she shared with Luke. Standing by Star's Hollow's own reverend was Rory, April and Jess, all waiting to stand with the couple. Sookie and Jackson sat with their children, Liz and TJ held hands and smiled at the pair. Even Emily and Richard were there, front row, proud expressions on their faces.

Lorelai turned and threw her arms around Luke's neck, laughing as he hugged her tightly, "How did you..."

"We have amazing kids."

Her hand went to her stomach, truly understanding the truth and power of his words, "We really do."

"Second thoughts?" He asked when she looked back at the crowd as they took to their feet.

She shook her head, grasping his hand tighter as they made their way down the aisle, towards their future, together.

~G.G~

Eight weeks ago the future was changed from what it could have been. Should have been. Literally a one in a million chance with the protection that we were always so careful to put into place. A small sliver of hope to light what could have been a hopeless future. Three broken hearts, one wasted year for a marriage, a baby, a family finally brought together. That's the Lorelai effect. It's not the flap of a butterfly's wing that changes weather. It's a home, and to me, it's that much more special.

~END~