Yes! Two updates in one night! Hope you all enjoy this one! I just loved writing the second half of this story. I imagined it all so clearly. So read and review because these updates were written with excitement!

Life's Lessons

Chapter 17

Welcome to the World

Four long weeks had passed and Rory was tired of sitting around so much and not being able to do work. She hated being home alone while Jess was at work, but he always came home early and left to work late. Jess had told the guys that he couldn't be gone long, he had to watch Rory.

The phone was ringing one day while Rory was sitting alone at home.

"Hello?"

"Fruit of my loins!" Lorelai happily greeted her daughter.

"Mom, hi!" Rory instantly got a smile on her face, she needed to hear from her.

"How are you doing hon?"

"Fine. I'm sick of sitting around and not doing anything. And the few hours that Jess is gone is so boring. I wish he'd just stay home these next few weeks." Rory sighed.

"I'm sorry honey, but I'll be there soon. Just one week. Can you hold out til then?"

"Yeah, I think so." Rory said.

"Ok good, sorry I can't keep this conversation long, but I wanted to check up on you before I went to the Inn. Be safe and don't be too bored. Jess will be home soon." Lorelai reassured her.

"Yeah, thanks mom."

"I'll call you later."

"Ok, bye mom."

"Bye daughter." Lorelai grinned and hung up.

Rory sighed and hung up. She decided to put on a movie to get her mind off of the loneliness. As she walked to the shelves she felt a sharp pain and fell down. She had been feeling slight pains all morning, but thought nothing of them. It wasn't until now that she realized that she was in labor.

"Ow!" Rory shrieked and grabbed her stomach. She felt the pain again. "Ow! Ow! Ow!" Rory cried and looked around. She saw her cell phone a few inches away and grabbed it. She quickly dialed Jess' cell.

"Hey Rory, sorry, I'll be home soon. I got hung up here."

"Jess!" Rory gasped in pain.

"Rory! What's wrong?!" Jess panicked.

"Jess! I think I'm going into labor." Rory managed to get out between a few pants and gasps.

"Oh my gosh! I'll be right there." Jess said and grabbed all of his things and ran out of Truncheon. "Talk to me Ror."

"I can't. It hurts too much." Rory whimpered.

"Just let me know you're there and ok." Jess talked to her while he rushed to their apartment.

"Ow!!" Rory cried.

Jess sped up and arrived at their apartment quickly. He ran up the stairs and unlocked the door quickly. He ran into the living room and found Rory lying on the floor, clutching her stomach.

"Rory!" He ran to her and picked her up. "Ok we're gonna go to the hospital now."

Rory's only reply was a few whimpers and small noises.

"I'm so sorry Rory. I should have been here." Jess apologized.

"You couldn't have known." Rory whispered.

"Shh. We just need to get you to the hospital." Jess quieted her.

The drive to the hospital was long and painful for both Jess and Rory. Jess wished he could take away her pain, but new that this was just a part of giving birth. He rushed into the hospital and filled out some papers and the nurses took them to a room.

"Ok, you are not quite ready to be moved into the delivery room. You'll have to stay here for a few more hours. But I think we will be ready to take you in in about an hour." The nurse smiled sympathetically at Rory. Jess nodded and held Rory's hand.

"Ow!" Rory cried, another contraction had come and she squeezed Jess' hand hard. He knew that it should have hurt his hand, but he was too concerned about Rory to think about his hand.

"Shh. You're ok, you'll be done soon." Jess stroked her hair and kissed her face.

"This is definitely more painful than my broken wrist." Rory whispered tiredly.

"I'm sorry." Jess apologized.

"Oh my gosh!" Rory shouted. Jess flinched and looked at her urgently.

"What?"

"We need to call my mom! She's supposed to be here! Ow!! Ow!!" Rory pulled Jess' hand closer and squeezed it.

"I'll call her now." Jess said, pulling out his phone and dialing Lorelai's number.

"Son of mine!" Lorelai's chipper voice came on.

"Mom, you need to get here now. No excuses, get here now. Rory's in labor."

"What?! Ok, I'm leaving now. We'll be there in three hours or less." Lorelai said quickly and hung up.

"They'll be here soon. Don't worry." Jess comforted Rory.

- - -

Two hours later, the nurse came in and told Rory that she was ready to go into the delivery room. She looked at Jess nervously and he nodded.

"We can do this." Jess whispered into her ear.

"I hope so." Rory quietly responded.

"Alright Mrs. Mariano. Let's get you into the delivery room to deliver your baby."

They wheeled them off and had Jess change into a smock and pants. He rushed into the delivery room to find Rory refusing to do anything until Jess was by her side. He smirked and rushed to her side.

He grabbed her hand and smiled. "We're gonna do this." Rory nodded and looked at the doctor.

"Ok ma'am. When I tell you, you need to push ok?"

Rory just nodded and squeezed Jess' hand harder. Jess placed his other hand behind her back to support her.

"Alright, one, two, three, push!" The doctor shouted.

- - -

There was a moment of silence then a loud cry pierced the room. Rory collapsed backwards and Jess held her hand. Watching and waiting to see his newborn son.

The doctor's cleaned him up and brought him to Rory. Rory reached out for him and took him in her arms.

"He's beautiful." Rory whispered. Jess smiled and tried to hold back the tears that were forming in his eyes. Rory looked at Jess with tears streaming down her face. "We did it."

"Yeah." Jess whispered, looking at his son in Rory's arms.

"Holden Lucas Mariano. Welcome to the world. I'm your mommy and this here is your daddy." Rory softly spoke to baby Holden.

Jess couldn't hold back his tears any longer. Rory looked up at him and smiled softly. She reached up and wiped a tear away. "Who would have thought that my Dodger would be crying at the birth of his son." She whispered. Jess shrugged and smiled at her.

He looked at the baby in her arms and smiled. He had Jess' features. His nose, mouth, ears…but his eyes, he didn't get to see his eyes. Jess wanted him to open his eyes, to see if he had Rory's eyes or his.

Rory watched Jess as he examined their baby boy. She grinned and looked down at her son. He looked almost exactly like Jess. He had his nose, mouth, ears…but his eyes, she didn't get to see his eyes. Rory wanted him to open his eyes, to see if he had Jess' eyes or hers.

"Do you want to hold him?" Rory asked finally.

Jess looked a little nervous, but nodded. Rory carefully handed Holden to Jess. He instantly knew what he was doing and smiled.

"Hey Holden. I'm your daddy, and this here is your mommy. She's beautiful and she loves you very much. Just like I do. I'm going to teach you so much. How to read especially. You'll read Hemmingway, but you will not be allowed to read Rand. She's a political nut." Jess smirked.

"Hey!" Rory pretended to be offended. Jess chuckled quietly and turned his attention back to his son.

"I love you." Jess whispered to Holden and kissed his tiny little nose. He stirred and Jess got scared that he woke him up. But Holden just yawned and stopped moving.

"He looks just like you." Rory finally said. Jess looked up at Rory and then back at Holden.

"You think?"

"Yep. Mini Jess. Mom was right." Rory grinned. "Mom! I wonder if she's here yet?"

"Do you want me to go check?" Jess asked, handing her Holden.

"Please? I want them to meet their grandson."

Jess nodded and walked out. He found Lorelai arguing with the nurse saying the she was the mother of the woman that was in labor and she had the right to go find her.

"Mom!" Jess called to her and the nurse turned around in surprise. She apologized and let Luke and Lorelei go to Jess.

"Jess! Did she have him yet?"

"Yeah. About thirty minutes ago." Jess tiredly replied.

"Oh my gosh! I bet he's gorgeous!"

Jess smiled. "He is."

"Can I see him?" Lorealai anxiously asked.

"Of course. Follow me."

- - -

"Rory!"

"Mom!" Rory looked up from her sleeping baby and smiled.

"Oh my gosh! I'm sorry I wasn't here!" Lorelai sat next to Rory's bed.

"It's ok. Jess was great." Rory looked at Jess and motioned him to come over. He walked over to the bed and sat down next to her.

Lorelai looked at Holden and smiled. "Yep. Mini Jess alright. Make sure you keep scissors away from him."

"Lorelai." Luke scolded. "He does look like you though Jess. He's beautiful."

"Hey, he's not beautiful…guys aren't beautiful." Jess snapped playfully.

"Oh sorry, he's gorgeous then." Luke rolled his eyes.

Rory laughed quietly and looked at Holden. He began stirring and Rory watched him as he moved and made quite baby noises. Then he opened his eyes and all four of them gasped. He had blue eyes, just like Rory. Jess was happy, he hoped Holden had his mom's eyes. He didn't want his son to be stuck with his greenish brown eyes when he could have his mother's beautiful blue ones.

"Blue eyes." Jess whispered into Rory's ear and she smiled.

"Looks like the Gilmore gene remains." Lorelai smiled.

"Yep. And I'm glad some Gilmore has shown up in him." Jess smirked and kissed Rory.

So what did you think? Tender moments at the end, that I just loved...and I had to give Holden blue eyes. Jess loved that about Rory, so I wanted his son to inherit it...so leave me reviews! Baby Holden deserves them! lol

Thanks,

Bethany