A/N: I'm not sure if I sub-consciously wrote this because this year will mark 10 years since my own grandfather died. Might've been. Anywho, it connects back to #4 in this collection as well, and I hope satisfies those who wanted to know if Tori & Dax stayed together in the future (I believe chelsbaby asked specifically)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

7. Remarkable Inspiration - 24th July 2030

It felt like a long day. It was so hot, Tori was pretty sure that if you cracked an egg on the pavement it'd be fried solid in half a minute. Actually, she as pretty sure if you cracked the egg on her the same thing would happen. This kind of weather was ridiculous for the East coast, the heatwave to end all heatwaves so they were saying in every news report. It was probably the worst possible time to be eight months pregnant.

Air con helped to a certain degree, but Tori seemed capable of burning up no matter what these past few days. The doctor checked her out, told her that she was fine. She needed to keep up her fluid intake and stay indoors when the sun was at its highest, all the usual advice. Honestly, today was the one day when the heat was not the only constant in her mind. In some ways, she would rather it were.

"Hey, Mom," she said into the phone, managing only the slightest of smiles. "You okay?"

She knew no matter what answer her mother gave, she was far from okay. None of them expected to be fine and dandy on this day in the year, the anniversary of the death of one Richard Gilmore. It was ten years now since he passed away. That did make it a little easier to bear. Time was a great healer, that was no lie, but nothing ever really cured the wounds that came with the death of a loved one. Tori didn't believe it was supposed to. The hurt could get smaller, easier to handle, but if it disappeared altogether, it would feel wrong, unjust, unfeeling. She wanted to remember her great grandfather with a tear as well as a smile, it was how it should be.

"I'm more worried about you," said Rory, full of concern. "How are you holding up in this heat?"

"The heat is what it is," Tori told her, ever her father's daughter, of course. "Today is the first day when it's not bothering me so much, but... It's okay. I'll live."

She didn't mean for it to come out like that. Such a thoughtless way of expressing herself in such a moment, on a day like today, but she couldn't help it. It was said now and probably better to let it go rather than make a big deal.

"I don't like you being there by yourself," Rory insisted.

Tori smiled. "I'm not by myself," she noted, one hand on her enormously expanded belly. "Besides, Dax will be home soon. He's taking great care of me, you know that."

"I know, but it's not the same as being there for you myself," her mom insisted. "I worry about you, sweetie."

"You really don't have to," Tori insisted, "but, thanks, Mom. Honestly, right now, I'm more worried about you. It feels weird not being home today of all days."

It was still strange to be away from Stars Hollow on important occasions. Efforts were made to bring the family together for the holidays and all, even birthdays where they could, but as they all grew up and moved on with their lives, it was impossible to be there all of the time. Anniversaries like today were not celebrations by any means, but it still felt as if they should be together, to hold each other up if nothing else.

"Your Grandma Lorelai and me are going with your Gran to the cemetery. Jack wanted to come but he's not sure if he'll make it back in time. Things have been pretty crazy lately."

"He told me. He called a while ago, checking I was drinking all available water," she said, rolling her eyes, even though nobody could see. "I swear sometimes he tries to mother me more than you do!"

She laughed when she said it, feeling good about the fact that she could find anything to amuse her today. It was good to hear her mom laugh to, even as she defended Jack and herself, assuring Tori that they were all just concerned for her. Apparently, Jess had been talking about driving up to check on her at the weekend anyway.

"Since I know how tough it is for you and Dax to get any time together as it is, I did my best to talk him out of it."

"Thanks, Mom" Tori smiled. "Honestly, if Dad really wants to come visit, he can. I never object to seeing you guys, you know that."

They talked a little longer, until Rory really had to go. Tori put the phone down on the table and sank into the nearest chair. She was tired again, way too hot, and just wishing there was any way to feel better. Unfortunately, sitting in the too quiet apartment alone left her mind to wander back to her great grandfather, and that was no good either. Sad thoughts of his passing were going to make her cry, more this year than ever before, given all her wacky hormones.

"Happy memories," she said to herself, squeezing her eyes tight shut, trying to transport herself back to her early childhood for a while.

A thought occurred to her very suddenly, and she hurried (as much as she could in her condition) to the stereo in the corner. It didn't take long to find the music she wanted to hear, and a wide smile came across her face as she made her selection and cranked the volume to eleven.

The apartment almost shook with the old time rock n roll stylings of Chuck Berry, and though Tori was over-hot already and certainly over-sized, she couldn't help but let her feet tap and her body sway a little. In her mind's eye, she saw the first day she heard these songs, her great grandfather dancing like a loon, singing along to all his favourites. For weeks afterwards, Tori herself had sung nothing but 'The Go Go Song' as she called it, the one she had long since learnt was actually called Johnny B. Goode.

When the album hit that particular track, she put it on repeat, laughing as it started over for the fourth time and the upstairs neighbours slammed on her ceiling. Tori didn't flinch. Just this once, she was going to be a pain in the ass and not care. Besides, it wasn't as if they were always so quiet, and it wasn't exactly late at night or anything. She would turn off the music in a few minutes. Just one more chorus... maybe two.

Tori was so lost in the loud music, she didn't notice the front door open and close, had no idea her husband was home until he was stood right by her.

"What the hell, Tor?" asked Dax, yelling to be heard over Chuck Berry's guitar solo.

"Hey!" she greeted him with the biggest grin, moving to turn the music down just a little. "I was... This was my great grandpa's favourite," she told him, smiling still, even as tears poured from her eyes.

Dax looked confused a moment, before the light dawned. He knew what today was. Every year it was mentioned, the passing of Richard Gilmore, who he never had the privilege to meet but felt he knew well from all the stories he had been told over many years. Tori was trying to celebrate the life of a man that meant so much to her, but it was clear she was hurting, as anyone would be in such a moment.

Dropping his bag without a thought, Dax pulled his wife into his arms and held her as best he could with her bump between them.

"I'm sorry," he told her, planting kisses on her cheek and in her hair. "I really am."

"It's okay," she promised, swallowing a sob. "I'm okay, I just... Actually, the truth is, I think I know now what I want to name our son," she said then, pulling out of Dax's arms and meeting his eyes. "If it's okay with you."

"You want to call him Richard?" he checked, sure that must be what she was about to say.

Dax got a surprise when Tori smiled and shook her head.

"No, that would be... I don't know, it'd feel weird," she admitted. "I was thinking, maybe, Johnny?" she tried, eyes darting to the stereo that played on with the same track still.

"Johnny?" Dax echoed, giving it due consideration.

"It carries on the J tradition that the guys in my family have going," Tori explained. "And it'd be for Great Grandpa too. Besides, I like it anyway. It's cool, right?"

"Johnny Cooper," said Dax thoughtfully. "Johnny Anthony Cooper?" he tried.

That was his father's name in there, which surprised Tori a little. When she asked him before if he would like to name their son after anyone in his family, Dax said he didn't care to. Clearly he changed his mind somewhere along the line. Maybe because she was giving her family such consideration in her own choice of name.

"I like it." Tori nodded happily, moving to kiss him again. In these last few moments she had come to feel that much better, lighter somehow. "Can you believe in a month we'll be parents?" she asked when they parted. "All this time to get used to the idea and it still bowls me over every time I think about it."

"It actually doesn't freak me out as much as I thought it would," Dax considered. "I don't know, I think... well, I always thought this was how it would be."

Tori frowned at that.

"I'm sorry, you knew when you were sixteen and I was fourteen, that this was how it would be? That we'd be married and having a kid and everything?"

"You didn't?" Dax checked.

For that, Tori didn't have an answer. When she first met Dax, she thought he was cute, and then they started dating and she fell head over heels, but she was so young then. She just kind of thought life would move on and things would change. She was a realist that way. She loved a good fairy-tale but never assumed her own life was going to be one. Now she couldn't imagine ever moving on from Dax. He had been her guy this whole time, for ten years now, and she never regretted him once.

"You make me so happy. You know that, right?"

"Sure," he agreed, pushing damp strands of hair back off he flushed face. "Same here," he promised. "Now, how about you sit down and I'll get us something cool to drink? You look like you could use it"

"I did tell my mom how good you are at looking after me," she noted with a smile as he guided her to a seat and helped her get settled, "and Johnny," she said, patting her bump.

Dax smiled at that, already liking that they had a name for their child that was due in just four weeks' time. He also liked that Tori had managed to make a happy memory today, to help ease the pain of a sad one. She was so good with him when it came to the anniversary of his mother's passing, and he tried to be just as helpful to her on this particular date in the calendar.

"Maybe if the next kid is a girl, we could name her Paula," said Tori from somewhere behind him. "Or even if it was another boy, Paul would work."

"The next kid?" asked Dax, turning to look at her with one eyebrow raised.

"The next kid," she confirmed with a smile. "You'd wanna name one after your mom, right?"

"Yeah, that'd be cool," he agreed, still smiling like an idiot as he turned back to the counter and poured out two glasses of cold lemonade.

The next kid. As crazy as it seemed, he already really liked the sound of that.

To Be Continued...