A sporadic update while multi-tasking. I owe it to my growing music collection for keeping me sane. Even though I'll be dropping a bit from the fanfiction world after I finish my two latest stories.

--

Lorelai rolled over at the shrill ring of her cell phone. Blurry-eyed she looked at the clock on the nightstand; five o'clock grinned happily back at her in bright green numbers. Her sleepy eyes closed momentarily as she groaned; letting her head sink back into the pillow. Although that was a short-lived action she reached out her arm and blindly grabbed for her cell phone that was still buzzing. But who in their right mind would call at five in the morning?

Taking one look at the caller ID her silent answer was no more and she flipped open her phone, slipped out of the covers and ran a hand over her son's hair before walking out of the room. "You know this will call for payback." Lorelai finally whispered into the phone as she snuck downstairs. "But this does prove my method that at least you can't wake the dead." She referred to her son and husband and the warm comfort that she had left behind.

"I already feel like the waking dead that you talk of." Rory absently rubbed her forehead, trying to starve the headache that was coming on as she sat at the table and shivered, holding the phone to her ear.

Lorelai offered a quiet regard. "Oh well you're not carrying something like the bubonic plague or something like that you'll have to live in a bubble for the rest of your life, are you? because then I might have to have to start sending you food in the form of mail."

Rory let out a tired half chuckle. "No, but I did hear that nesting is the new high when you would like to sleep but can't." There was a silent gasp and then a pause on the other end of the line.

Lorelai's eyes got wide. "Nesting. Please say it's the kind of nesting where you're redecorating you're house and need some pointers, kind of nesting."

Looking around, Rory found one box out of the many that had been sitting around her house. In the corner she found there was only one box to be unpacked and was filled with some pictures that she planned to put up on the fireplace of their family room when she had a minute. In fact she planned to one day to make this place feel a little more like home. "Actually all boxes and contents are accounted for."

Sighing Lorelai relaxed her voice before straightening and balancing her cell phone on her shoulder as she put on a pot of coffee, "Which technically leaves the other kind of nesting." While filling in the blanks of what hadn't already been said out loud. "And I can already feel that you're putting on a silent endeavor while you're marching on a dusty trail, so spill it missy. You just woke me up at five in the morning and there is no way right now that you can be so calm."

Taking in a deep breath, the words just tumbled out in rambling form for the next fifteen minutes. "...suddenly I can't eat, can't sleep and not to mention having an inversion to food and really hoping right now for a good cup of coffee." Rory ended, leaning against the palm of her hand.

Lorelai sighed. "That's what they say happens in pregnancy. And I hear you hon, but at least you feel better now that you got it all out?"

Rory sighed as well, realizing that she did feel better. "Much. Hey how did Luke really take it when you told him about your pregnancy?"

"Quite shocked at first actually but he soon got over it and now I haven't seen him happier to get home after a long day at work. And the fact that you've told Jess doesn't mean that you two won't ease into it. It's hard work but also very rewarding. If I had even thought for one time and gone along with living with my parents while raising you, I'm pretty sure neither one of us would have survived, but the fact is that we still both moved on and we survived."

"You know what they say, survival of the fittest..."

"Always survives? Hey you're not thinking about going to work today are you? Because you could totally play hooky and come hang out with me in grand Star's Hollow. Perhaps even snag a fresh cup of Jo from Luke's and see your brother and not to mention your mother who misses you ever so dearly."

"Would love to follow up on my coffee addiction that you gave me while I was in the womb but I have a meeting at eight with the boss of all bosses that I cannot miss."

"And are you sure that boss wouldn't mistake you for a ghost or most likely the dead? From what I've heard, you sound like you're in no shape to meet with the "boss of all bosses" Lorelai emphasized with a twist of hope that her daughter would change her mind.

"Are you actually hearing me here?" Rory asked, half teasing. "because it still sounds like somebody is still half asleep."

"Ah sweets, we are way past the half asleep mark. Try insanely zombified. Between work, the town of Star's Hollow and William's late night endeavors, I'm thinking I have the half asleep thing covered to a tee. Amazingly enough the Dragonfly Inn still stands. Not to mention my coffee offer still stands because you know Luke doesn't have to know..."

"I don't have to know what?" Luke's sleepy voice broke in as his feet dragged along the kitchen tiles.

"Mm.." Lorelai lifted her head, looking over him. "That Rory has a serious addiction to coffee and that she's missing your extra delicious coffee from the diner?" She smiled graciously licking her lips just for the occasion; effortlessly bringing out the lines in cover.

"And she called to tell you all that?" Inquiring, he wasn't quite convinced, but Lorelai nodded anyway. "At five in the morning because you know it is five in the morning--well past five now, and I'd have to guess that you've been down here talking on the phone for the last hour because I've woken up several times and neither of those times were you in bed."

"Hey at least our son is still sleeping--there's a plus right there. Rory on the other hand isn't." Lorelai pointed out as he grabbed a cup from the cabinet, then proceeded to fill it up with water.

He shrugged in agreement, taking a sip. "That is a plus." nodded towards the phone, "She have a fight with Jess?"

"Not exactly." Lorelai threw over her shoulder as she put her mouth back up to the receiver, "More like she just got the shock of her life."

"You know he won't give me coffee if you tell him." Rory threw in as a warning measure, "He'll give me decaf instead."

"I would never let that happen sweets." Smiling up at Luke, he finished swallowing and put his glass in the sink.

"Okay, you know what I think that it's a bit too early to be playing games with my mind, so I'm going to go get ready before I head over to the diner." Standing there for a minute, he pointed towards the stairs and then left.

It was silent on both ends of the line as they listened for Luke's departure back up the stairs. Momentarily after hearing nothing, Lorelai breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay kid it's safe to say that he's gone now, so get out what you were going to say because this caboose realizes that it needs to have its own departure to leave the train station on time."

"On the other hand I realize now that coffee would taste better if I had a doughnut."

"Spoken like a true junk food addict. So is it safe to that I can see you at lunch?"

"I could definitely do lunch. I have nothing better to do after the meeting, and Jess doesn't really seem to want to talk about all this."

"Don't worry kid, he'll come around."