"Who wants to hear the latest in the Luke and Lorelai Saga?" Rory asked, placing a plate of Pop tarts on the coffee table beside the bowl of chips. Tristan and Lane both grabbed one, while calling out that they did. Jess just shook his head while Lindsay simply smiled. "Well this may be speculation, but if things continue the way they have the last couple of weeks, tomorrow will mark their third dinner in a row. I however will be, hopefully, unnoticeably absent. But in actual events that have occurred – last night they went to see a movie at the BWR." The four other teens let out a little cheer as Rory grinned over the rim of her coffee cup.

"Now, I'm sorry Rory, but I have something to share that may make your news pale slightly in comparison," Lindsay began, replacing the chip bowl. "Would anyone like a first-hand account of what went on at the BWR last night?"

"How do you have this information?" Rory demanded.

"Note the phrasing - first-hand account." The blonde replied. "I was there. I watched them walk in, claim Big Red and get comfy for a nice night at the movies. They didn't see me though, I made sure of that."

"What happened?" Lane asked.

"Well, Luke spent the bulk of the movie shushing Lorelai; she seemed to be under the impression that we all wanted to hear her thoughts on the film, but he disagreed. I however enjoyed them. At one point he got up for a popcorn refill," she continued, enjoying the looks on all their faces. "When he returned he put his arm over the back of the couch, around her shoulders." This comment caused the two other girls to squeal while Tristan and Jess just continued to smile.

"What next?" Rory was practically bouncing in her seat Jess put a hand on her knee to calm her down.

"That was it, really. The movie ended, they got up and left."

"I can't believe this," Lane muttered. "Luke Danes has an almost-girlfriend."

"It's about time," Tristan commented.

"He's had actual girlfriends before, remember, people?" Jess pointed out, trying to look like he thought they were all being silly, but he was enjoying this as much as they were.

"But they don't count." Lindsay explained. "Because we don't remember them, Rory and Tristan know nothing about them and he was clearly in love with this one the whole time anyway,"

"She sounds just like you," Jess observed, looking at Rory. "It's uncanny."

"Shut up. We're happy."

"Fine, be happy, don't let me stop you."

"Thanks for your permission, master." Lindsay rolled her eyes at him.

"Master, I like that. I think I'll have you call me that from now on. Has a nice ring to it," the blonde shook her head at him before pulling a cushion out from behind Lane and throwing it at him. He caught it, hurled it back in her direction and soon they were all throwing things and running around and screaming.

"You know what I love?" Jess asked Rory the next night. She cocked her head to the side for a moment, thinking.

"Me?" she asked, smiling.

"Aside from that. I just love it how you get so excited over two people going to see a movie or having dinner,"

"Well, not just any two people, and you know it's important."

"It's just dinner." He reminded her. Rory shook her head as she stood up.

"So they say. But really, it's more than that: I know it and they know it. So do you, so just admit it already would you?"

"I admit nothing,"

"Doesn't matter, I saw the look on your face yesterday when we were all talking about it."

"What look?"

"The smile,"

"I'm allowed to smile without it having something to do with them."

"Uh huh,"

"I was having fun with my girlfriend and our friends," Jess explained, following her out of her room while pulling his shirt back on. "What makes you think the smile was to do with anything else?"

"You don't have to worry. I'll keep your secret."

"There is no secret!"

"Shh, it's ok. No one will hear it from me, I promise."

"Rory!" she grinned and turned back to face him before opening the fridge.

"Geez, it's so easy to wind you up. Just like your uncle."

"I really wish you wouldn't do that."

"Yeah, so does he, that's what makes it so fun."

"Evil! You're just pure evil, why do we keep you around?"

"Because neither of you can imagine life without me in it anymore. You spent far too many years with me not being here and facing that reality again is just too hard to bear."

"You have a mighty high opinion of yourself,"

"Go on, try and deny it. Tell me I'm wrong." Jess opened his mouth and Rory shot forward, kissing him, cutting off anything he was about to say. "See?" she said, pulling back and returning to the fridge. "You can't do it. I was right."

"I... Why bother?"

"That's what I was thinking." Rory replied, pulling Jess towards the couch, carrying a couple of drinks.

Meanwhile at Lorelai's

"You know that was very good," Luke praised Lorelai as they sat at her dinner table, having just finished dinner.

"Sookie will be so pleased, she gave me the recipe. I thought it was about time I moved on from the lasagna."

"It was a good move."

"Thank you. You want dessert?" she asked, taking his plate.

"You made dessert too?" he asked, incredulous.

"Well... not exactly." She replied, "I ordered a cake from Weston's."

"As long as it isn't that twelve-layer-death-by-chocolate cake I'm in."

"Is that its official name?" Lorelai asked, grinning as she rinsed the plates.

"Should be. That thing is dangerous."

"Well it's a good thing I just got a plain old cheesecake then isn't it?" she replied, removing a box from the fridge.

"I'll be forever grateful," Luke told her, getting up and finding two small plates and spoons before taking them back to the table. "What did Sookie say when you were asking for recipes?"

"Oh, well, I just sort of tossed a comment into a general conversation. She thought it was great that I wanted to broaden my horizons. Didn't really see a need to talk about it too much or mention how often we've been having these dinners. She would probably jiggle the baby out in excitement, even while I was trying to explain that nothing was going on. And Jackson would have killed me because it's way too early for that."

"Right, she wouldn't have listened." Luke nodded. "This is good." He added, swallowing a bite of cheesecake.

"I'll be sure to mention that to Fran next time I see her." Lorelai replied, grinning.

"Oh, right. Sorry. I forgot."

"No, it's fine. By all means, I should have let you keep thinking I'd made the thing."

"Well, you pick very nicely."

"That compliment I can accept. Thank you."

"So you said you'd explain what happened over there," Luke reminded her, pointing towards the living room area. "Worked out the explanation yet?"

"Oh, well, yeah. Really wasn't that hard actually. The kids were here yesterday, hanging out and I guess they were either really happy or feeling like they had to kill each other, coz when I walked in, the girls were pinning Jess to the floor and were tickling him and Tristan was curled in a ball laughing so hard he could barely breathe. They'd had a bit of a pillow fight." She added, hoping to clear up the confused look on Luke's face. "But they cleaned it up, mostly. Now I just have to redecorate a little, but it's ok. At least they feel like they can hang out here and have fun. I like that."

"Well good." Luke nodded, he'd found Jess and his two friends in similar positions a few times over the years, but with them being older now, and supposedly more mature it sounded very interesting. "I think I would have liked to have seen that."

"It was a nice sight, very entertaining." Lorelai agreed.

"I bet."

"Oh my God, I think this is a first," Lorelai commented, pushing her plate away.

"What, you're full?"

"Yeah,"

"No way is this the first time you've ever been full."

"No, of course not. But I've never filled up on food that I cooked before."

"Well, then I guess congratulations are in order."

"Thank you very much. I don't think I've been this proud. Well, maybe the day Rory took her first step; that was a pretty good one."

"Yes it was." Luke agreed, Lorelai was silent for a moment before looking at him.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I mean, I know we've already talked all this stuff through and everything, but I just, I want to make sure you know-"

"I know."

"You know, ok, well that's good. You want some tea?"

"Sure."

"'K," Lorelai grabbed the plates took them to the kitchen.

"You're not having tea are you?" Luke asked, coming towards her and peering over her shoulder.

"Is that a problem? Are you supposed to be the only one who's allowed?"

"I just thought you only ever drank coffee,"

"Hello, the last two times we had dinner at your apartment, what did I drink afterwards?"

"I thought that was just your way of being polite, you know, not angering me by bringing coffee into my home. Or you were feeling lazy and didn't want to go downstairs and make it yourself."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, but no," Lorelai replied, handing over a mug, "I drank the tea because I wanted too. I actually kind of like it. It isn't too bad."

"I'm sure I told you that once or twice."

"Yeah, and then when that lecture didn't take you moved on to 'at least switch to decaf, please!' But as you can see, I just need to reach certain conclusions in my own time."

"Sorry I tried to rush you."

"I suppose I can forgive you. This time." Lorelai added with a little smile.

Lorelai and Rory sat on the sofa across from Lorelai's father, glancing at each other, trying to work out what was going on. Usually, the maid greeted them at the door, and Emily would appear as if from out of nowhere to lead them through to the sitting room for drinks. Tonight however, both the maid and Emily were missing and Richard, who now sat with his hands folded in his lap, looking back at the two women across from him, had been the one to let them in.

"So... Grandpa is Grandma coming down soon or..."

"Yeah, coz, if she's not feeling well, we could just go and-"

"Ah, here we are, I'm so sorry to have kept you girls waiting," Emily called out, coming into the room. "I just had a few minor things to attend to. Does everyone have a drink?" she asked as the maid scurried down the stairs and raced off to the kitchen. Both dinner guests lifted their glasses as Richard answered his wife and Emily smiled. "Wonderful. Well, I have some news for you girls that I'm sure you'll enjoy."

"What's going on?" Rory asked, putting her drink down.

"Well, as you know, we've been out of town a little these last few weeks and that has meant that any work carried on the house had to be put on hold for the time being,"

"Meaning that the gardener hasn't been here and your rose bushes are in need of pruning, well, thanks so much for sharing that Mom, but-"

"Rory, your room is ready!"

"My... oh! Really?"

"Yes. As soon as we got back from visiting your great-grandmother in London I called up the decorator and had her call her people to get them over here. They've all been working round the clock for the last two days and now it's finally ready! Would you like to see it?"

"Ok, sure."

"Come, come," Emily took Rory's arm and began leading her up the stairs. Lorelai hurriedly put her drink down and jumped up, following them.

"Wait for me, I want to see it too!" she called out as her father picked up a newspaper and began to read.

"Voila!" Emily opened the door with a flourish and Rory and Lorelai peered in.

"Wow, Grandma, this is... this is really nice," Rory commented, looking around the room. The large bed was covered in pink and white pillows with a stuffed white tiger also laying there. Someone had lit a fire in the fire place and there were vases of sunflowers all around as well as N'Sync and Britney Spears posters on the walls.

"Do you like it?"

"Yeah, it's beautiful."

Lorelai scrunched up her nose and leaned closer to Rory, "Did you see the posters?" she whispered.

"Thank you Grandma. This is great," Rory gushed, hugging the older woman.

"You're welcome sweetheart. Now come on, lets go downstairs and see how dinner's coming along." Rory nodded and turned towards the door. Lorelai stood for a moment longer, staring around the room. "Are you coming?"

"I just can't believe you did all this."

"Well, Rory is my granddaughter, and if I had been allowed to know her as she was growing up, then she certainly would have had her own space here. I don't see any reason why I can't give that to her now that she is here."

"Mom, I'm just saying-"

"What? What are you just saying Lorelai?"

"It's really nice of you, is all. I just don't know how much time Rory's going to be spending here."

"Well we're only five minutes from her school so, if she feels like it, she could always come here in the afternoons."

"She works after school, Mom."

"I'm aware of that, but I'm not very happy about it."

"I worked after school too, remember?"

"I do, at the inn. I didn't like that either."

"Yeah, well, I liked my job. Rory likes hers too, so,"

"You don't want her to have the option of being closer to me, do you? That frightens you."

"You want me to be honest?"

"If you're capable,"

"A little bit. I mean, I know I screwed up with her, and I'm trying to fix it. And I know that you should have your chance to make up for lost time too, but I just feel that if she has the option of coming here, and getting away from me when things get tough, on top of having Luke's, then I'll never get to repair what I did to us."

"Well, maybe you should have thought of that a few years ago, hmm?" Emily returned, before walking out of the room.

Rory pulled the car over outside the diner and turned in her seat to look at her mother. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Mmm, nothing. You want coffee?"

"You didn't say anything at dinner."

"Well it's rude to talk with your mouth full, I'm sure I would have mentioned that to you at some point while you were growing up."

"And you haven't spoken since we left Grandma's either."

"I didn't want to distract you from driving; that could have very bad consequences you know."

"You're upset about my room, aren't you?"

"Oh boy."

"I mean, the room, I don't mean... The room, it's not like I'm moving in there or anything."

"I should hope not."

"It's a gesture. That's all, you know that, right?"

"Yeah, I guess I do. I dunno."

"Well, I'll say it again. I like the room, it's nice, it was nice of her to do that for me, but I will not be moving into her house. We won't be having weekly sleepovers, braiding each other's hair or painting each other's toenails."

"Thank goodness."

"She was just doing something nice." Rory added to make sure she was getting her point across.

"She's going to expect you to use it every now then, you know. Like after school, she'll want you to come over."

"Well, I'll work that out when the time comes." Rory replied as they reached the steps of the diner. "What's this, you were attempting to close, or something?" she asked as they entered the diner and found Luke wiping down the counter.

"I've learned that I can't really do that without your permission. Somehow my life has been reduced down to answering to a teenager, but, whatever. There's a fresh pot of coffee, Jess is getting your pie and I'm going to bed."

"Jess is here?"

"I should have just opened with that, shouldn't I?" Luke asked Lorelai, "Then I could have left the room."

"Well, I appreciate the rest of the information anyway. Good night."

"Night."

"Hey, you're here." Jess smiled as he came out of the kitchen, carrying a couple of plates.

"Hey yourself, I didn't know you were working tonight."

"Yeah, well, I didn't really have anything better to do with my time, so I thought I'd hang out here like a loser and wait for you to get back. I saved you the last two pieces of cherry pie. You want ice cream with it?"

"Rory, you have a very well trained boyfriend," Lorelai commented, taking a seat at the counter.

"I'll get the ice cream," Jess decided, turning back to the kitchen.

"Wait, kiss!" Rory called out and he stopped, turned around and kissed her before continuing back to the kitchen to complete their desserts.

"Aw, that was almost cute enough to not be sickening."

"Shut up!"

"I was just saying that-"

"Well don't. Please. You don't need to be just saying anything at all. Complete silence from your corner is acceptable."

"Fine."

"Thank you."

"Here you go, pie and ice cream."

"Where'd you get that?" Rory asked him as he sat down.

"Freezer,"

"Not the ice cream, that." She replied, pointing her spoon at his cone.

"From the store room,"

"Since when are there cones in the store room?"

"Since I asked Luke to get some and he did."

"That is so not fair."

"Do you want one?" Jess asked, laughing.

"No. But when I asked him about maybe considering ordering in some chocolate covered coffee beans, you know what he said?"

"A flat out no?"

"A flat out no. He didn't even pretend to think about it for a half a second."

"That's because Luke hates us on coffee. He couldn't stand the thought of adding chocolate to our caffeine."

"Yeah, but still,"

"Oh, honey, don't worry about it. I can find you chocolate covered coffee beans." Lorelai volunteered "Or better yet, I can find someone who can make them for you."

"We can't go asking Sookie to make stuff all the time." Rory objected. "Especially not when it's something she's not allowed to have while she's pregnant."

"Really?"

"Really. It wouldn't be fair to her. And Jackson would come after us with a pitchfork."

"Oh yeah. I keep forgetting about his crazy protective dad-to-be thing that he's got going on."

"You should stop that or he really will come after you." Jess warned, finishing off his ice cream cone. "Ok, I'd better get going, are you guys right to lock up?"

"If we say no does that mean you'll stay longer?" Rory asked hopefully.

"I'll just go and let Luke know he needs to stay awake a few more minutes."

"Mean! Go, get out of here. I don't want to talk to you anymore."

"I'll see you tomorrow,"

"No, I don't think so. Not if you're going to be this horrible to me."

"I will see you tomorrow." He repeated before pulling his jacket on. "Night Lorelai."

"See ya Jess."

"Eat your pie." Rory instructed before her mother could say anything.

A few days later Liz entered the diner and sat at the counter, dropping onto the seat in a daze. Luke came over and asked what she wanted before noticing that she didn't quite look like herself.

"Liz, are you ok?" he asked, staring at her.

"Nuh huh." She shook her head and picked up a menu, looking it over absentmindedly.

"What is it?" he demanded, putting his order pad down.

"I went to the doctor this morning," she explained slowly. "S'not the flu."

"Well then what is it?" Luke repeated, getting worried.

"She said I'm... I can't believe this, I mean, I can't be. I shouldn't be. Not like it's impossible, but I just didn't think that... that..."

"Liz!"

"She said I'm pregnant."

AN: Oh man, I wanted to do that since... November, I think. I dunno. I have pages of attempts at chapters, filled with Luke and Liz talking and she rants about having this picture in her mind of her and Sookie being pregnant together, but I could never work out when to actually put it in. But it's in now. I hope you enjoyed that. Please review.