Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize and you'll recognize all the characters in this chapter.
A/N: I know it's been forever since I've updated and I know at one point I said I'd update every Friday, yeah well…we'll forget I said that. However, I won't leave this story unfinished because the whole thing is finished, I promise! Also, the reason for updating right now, I was doing homework for my masters class, and the chapter I was reading talked about FanFiction! I was super excited and I decided I'd update in honor of that or something. Anyway, you didn't need to know all that. Enjoy!
A month had passed before Luke and Jess could find time to put up the wallpaper that Rory had picked out. That Saturday, Lorelai and Rory were having a movie marathon, Luke and Jess had holed themselves up in the nursery putting up wallpaper and Emma and Aaron were spending the day at a friend's house.
Lorelai and Rory were sitting on the couch watching classic movies and keeping one ear tuned to the nursery. They knew Luke and Jess would be fine, but sometimes they did butt heads and being together all day might have consequences. Especially if they were both irritable and annoyed with the wallpaper.
Rory ran her fingers through her hair, brought her hand to her stomach and looked toward her mom. "Can I ask you something?"
Lorelai turned to her daughter. "Of course." She pushed pause on the movie. It was okay to pause it since it was The Proposal and not a true classic like Casablanca or of great importance like Hard Bodies.
"Well, you know I'm pregnant and all," Rory began.
Lorelai bit her lip to keep her laughter in. She could tell Rory was trying to be serious about something and she was just nervous. She also knew her daughter would get to the point in a second so she just said, "Yes. That much is obvious."
Rory rolled her eyes at her mom's sarcasm. "Do you think I'm obligated to tell Chris?"
Lorelai sighed at her daughter's question. She had thought about this, but somehow hoped Rory wouldn't. She knew that she had been fooling herself. There was no way Rory wouldn't think of this or look to her for advice. "Honestly, Sweets, I don't know."
"Mom, that doesn't help!" Rory exclaimed.
"I know, I know," Lorelai admitted. "And I'm sorry. I honestly don't know what to tell you. Do I think he needs to know? Well, yes. But do I think it's a good idea to tell him? Well…no. After all, the doctor said you needed to be avoiding stressful events and this is going to be more stressful than anything. Not to mention Chris is going to want to be able to visit the baby and that's not going to go over well with Luke or Jess. On the other hand, if you want him to know, you need to tell him. Also, if you want to let him visit the baby, you should let him. Ultimately, he's your father and this is your decision."
Rory sighed. "That's what Jess said. I do think Chris has a right to know, because I am his biological child, even though that's it. But he is going to want to visit this baby and I don't think I want him to."
Lorelai nodded, but didn't say anything because she knew Rory had more to say.
"I just don't want him to let this child down," Rory explained. "I keep remembering all the birthdays and Christmases he missed. I remember you having to sign his name to a card because yet again I didn't get one from him on my birthday, and yes, I knew about that. I just don't want him to hurt my child the way he hurt me. He'll say he's more dependable now, but how can I be sure that's true? Not to mention the child will be so very confused."
Lorelai nodded her agreement to everything he said. "All that is very valid. I mean, your child will have a father that will always be there and a grandfather that will always be there, but that doesn't mean that if Chris doesn't show up the pain will lessen any."
Rory sighed. "I also have some selfish reasons for not wanting to let him visit."
"Which are?" Lorelai questioned.
"Well, first off, it's just not fair that he can take the time to visit my kids when he couldn't even take the time to visit me, his own child," Rory revealed. "But more importantly, I don't want him to hurt me anymore. I'm sick of it."
Lorelai completely understood. "I know when he didn't show up he hurt you. It hurt me ten times more though, to see you so disappointed and upset."
Rory nodded. "I just don't want to deal with it."
"Are you talking yourself into not letting him visit your child?" Lorelai inquired.
"I think so," Rory admitted. "Now the question is, do I need to call him and let him know? It seems a bit unfair to call him and tell him but then say, 'Oh, by the way, you aren't ever allowed to visit.'"
"I don't know, Kid," Lorelai said. "Maybe you need to take a little more time and think about this a bit more."
"I need to decide soon though," Rory said. "If I don't, I'll have to tell him after the baby's born. It's already abominable that I've waited this long!"
Lorelai smiled. "It's not abominable. If you waited this long to tell me or even your grandparents it would be. Waiting this long to tell Chris, well that would be classified as…understandable."
Rory smiled at her mom. She, then, for a few hours reverted back to her childhood days and laid her head on her mom's shoulder. Lorelai put her arm around Rory's shoulders and gently rested her cheek on Rory's head for a few minutes. She had missed moments like this with her daughter. Because her daughter was getting older and almost had a family of her own, Lorelai knew these moments would be few and far between. She kept her cheek against Rory's hair, turned her attention back to the movie and cherished this moment as much as she could.
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"Well, I've decided what I want to do," Rory said, walking into the Inn, seeing her mom standing at the desk.
"Don't keep me in suspense," Lorelai teased her daughter.
"I think I'm going to tell him," Rory revealed.
"And?" Lorelai asked. She wondered what Rory was going to do about the visiting.
"I don't think I'm going to let him visit," Rory said quietly. "It's mean and it'll be hard to tell him that, but it just feels like the right thing to do. Of course, Jess didn't want me to tell Chris yet, but you know he'll find out eventually, I'm surprised he hasn't found out already and maybe if I tell him he won't be as mad?"
Lorelai smiled. "You know he'll be mad."
Rory nodded. "I do, but I can always hope."
"Why didn't Jess want you to tell Chris yet?" Lorelai asked.
"Dr. Sandefur told me to avoid stress and this isn't exactly stress relieving," Rory explained. "But I feel like deciding might have been the most stressful part. Besides, I've waited too long to tell him already and I don't want to wait until after the baby is born."
Lorelai nodded, understanding. She agreed with Jess on some level, but she also understood Rory's point of view. She also agreed with Rory on the thought that deciding might've been the most stressful part. Maybe Chris wouldn't make a big deal of it. Then again, she knew that was wishful thinking. She could tell that Rory knew her decision was the right one for everyone concerned, so Lorelai didn't think Rory would stress too much about it after the phone call was over.
"Would you like to call in my office?" Lorelai asked. If Chris made her daughter cry Lorelai knew it would be better if she were close for comfort.
"I was hoping you would ask," Rory admitted. Rory was thinking the same thing her mom was.
"It's open," Lorelai said. She then walked off toward the kitchen so there would be no way for her to overhear anything. She didn't exactly want to hear anyway.
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Rory took a deep breath and punched in Christopher's number on the number pad on the telephone. She took a few more deep breaths when she heard it ringing. Then, he answered. "Hello."
"Hello, this is Rory."
"Hey, kiddo. How are you?"
Rory winced as she always did when he called her kiddo. She wasn't too fond of the nickname and he always used it. "I'm fine. I called though because there's something I think you should know."
"Is something wrong?" Chris asked.
Rory pressed her lips together and tried not to laugh. He wouldn't be the first person she would call if something was wrong. "No, no, everything's fine. It's just…I'm pregnant. I'm going to have a baby."
"That's great, Rory," Chris told her. "Congratulations."
Rory tilted her head slightly. Shouldn't he sound more excited about it? Or at least more interested? Or throw a fit? Or…something? "Chris, why don't you sound more shocked?"
Chris closed his eyes briefly. He wished his own daughter wouldn't call him by his given name, but there was nothing he could do about that now. Like Rory had said, he lost this battle. "I already knew."
"You already knew!" Rory exclaimed. "How? When did you find out?"
"News travels fast in this society," Chris reminded her. "It was probably around the same time your grandparents found out. So, what you're…four, five months now?"
Rory wrinkled her forehead for a minute in confusion, but then remembered what they told her grandparents. "No, actually, I'm six months. We kind of had to lie to the grandparents. Listen, if you found out so long ago, how come you didn't call me and say something to me?"
"I figured it would be better if I didn't," Christ admitted. "I didn't think you'd want my interference or my help or my congratulations. I figured you'd tell me when you wanted me to know."
Rory raised her eyebrows in shock. That was very mature of him. Who would've thought? "Wow, Chris, that's very mature."
Chris smiled at the shock in his daughter's voice. "Yeah, I thought so. I'm just guessing here, but I'm also assuming since you waited so long to tell me, I'm not going to be able to have a relationship with this child? Boy or girl?"
"We're going to be surprised with the gender," Rory told him. "And, you're assumption is correct, at least for now. When the baby gets old enough to understand things and the complicated relationship everyone in our family has I'll explain things. I'll let my child decide for his…or her…self whether they want to get to know you or not. I don't know how old the kid will be before I'll do that though. I know that even when I was ten it still hurt when you didn't come to my birthday party after I had sent you an invitation in plenty of time. I know you'll say you're more dependable now and while that may be true…I just can't risk it. I don't want you to hurt me or my child anymore than you already have."
Chris sighed. He didn't like it, but in some way he did understand. "Can I ask you one favor?"
Rory narrowed her eyes in suspicion. There must have been a catch somewhere. He was too understanding about the whole thing. "Yes, but I can't promise I'll agree."
"Could you…send me pictures?" Chris asked.
Rory smiled. "Now that's something I can do. Every year. I promise."
Chris smiled as well. "Thank you. And I'm sorry I couldn't make you believe I've changed."
Rory closed her eyes. "You're welcome and I'm sorry too."
Chris hung up the phone and Rory set the phone down in its cradle with a small, shocked look on her face.
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Rory walked into the kitchen and found her mom talking to Sookie.
"Is everything okay?" Lorelai asked suspiciously as they began to walk out of the kitchen. Her daughter didn't seem sad, then again, she didn't look thrilled either.
"He knew," Rory whispered quietly. "He knew and he didn't call me."
"When did he find out!?" Lorelai asked in surprise, stopping in front of the couch in the living room.
Rory shrugged and plopped down on the couch. "About the same time the grandparent's did. Apparently nothing is ever hidden when maids are concerned. It's amazing. He knew and he didn't call to fuss or yell or even to plead. He even said that he figured he wouldn't be allowed to visit and he was okay with that. The only thing he asked is that I send him pictures of the child."
"Maybe he really has changed, Kid," Lorelai speculated.
"Do you think I made the wrong decision?" Rory asked worriedly, turning to look at her mom who had just sat down.
Lorelai gently put her hands on Rory's stomach and felt the baby moving around. She smiled. "I told you, this was your decision to make. I do know, though, if I was in your shoes, I probably would've done the same thing. Maybe I would've told him I'd let the kid make a decision for himself when he…or she…was older."
Rory broke out in a smile. "That's exactly what I said!"
"What do you know!" Lorelai cried. "It's that ESP again!"
"I have to go home and tell Jess everything went okay," Rory told her mom, gently getting up off the couch, which became a harder task with every passing day. As Lorelai got up too, Rory leaned over and kissed her mom's cheek. "I love you, Mom."
Lorelai smiled and gently returned the kiss. "Right back at you, Kid."
Well, what did you think? I was going to cut it off before she called Chris, but I felt like I should give you a longish chapter. I also don't really remember if it was in this story where Lorelai and Rory talked about ESP, but if it was, you probably don't remember it anyway, but suffice to say they did talk about it at some point. Also, as much as I don't like Chris because he always messes with Lorelai and Luke I do think he really loves Rory and he may even really love Lorelai even though he always picks the wrong time to show it! So I decided to make him nice in this chapter…and I do think towards the end of the series he really does change…again, even though I don't like him because he messed things with Lorelai and Luke (though I think that was pretty much her fault!). Anyway, all this was not needed, please review if you're still with me and thanks for reading!