A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews, you're all awesome. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Fate said so

A few minutes later, they were standing in front of the diner, Rory's hand holding his tightly. Looking at him, she smiled, leaning over and kissing his cheek.

"Are you ready for this?"

"If I say no, will we leave?"

"I don't want to hide my ring anymore, Jess." She pouted, making him smile.

"The things I do to make you happy…" He sighed, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close to him. Kissing her cheek quickly, he smirked. "You know they're all watching us through the windows, right?"

"I had a feeling. Is mom there?"

"First table on the right."

"Ok. We can go in now."

"This whole announcements thing better be over soon."

"Oh, yeah, not much left." She stuck out her tongue, kissing him quickly.

"Lie better next time, will you?"

"I'll try." She let go of him and took his hand again, walking in the diner. Sitting on the chair next to her mother, with Jess on the other side, she looked at Lorelai, who was drinking her coffee.

"You ok, mom?" Rory asked, concerned when she saw her mother looked angry.

"Stupid people are stupid."

"What?"

"People are awful!" Lorelai grumbled again.

"What happened?"

"They canceled."

"Who canceled?"

"You know we were supposed to have this wedding at the inn next month? Well, they freaking broke up and now I'm left with an empty inn a month and a half before the date. What the hell am I going to do?"

"Mom, I don't think they broke up to annoy you."

"Yeah, well, they're doing a really good job at not annoying me."

"You still get to keep the deposit, right?"

"Yeah." Lorelai mumbled. "But we were starting to buy food and do you have any idea how many people we had to turn down to hold the inn for them?"

"Some of those people will call again. You might not get a full inn, but you still have time left. Now let's be nice and stop being angry at the poor people who broke up a month and a half before their wedding, ok?"

"Suppose so." Lorelai sighed, calming down.

"You ready to do this?" Rory asked, looking at the people in the diner.

"Why do I have to be ready?"

"Because I am going to need you to save me if they get too invasive."

"And because I'm running upstairs in about 10 seconds." Jess smirked, making Lorelai laugh.

"You better not." Rory threatened, looking at him.

"We've already had to do this once tonight. Can I at least hide quickly?"

"After it's over, you can go hide."

"Thank you." He placed a quick kiss on her lips, making Lorelai grimace.

"Hey, mother at the table."

"Hey, get used to it." Rory laughed, then stood up, holding Jess' hand. "Can I have everyone's attention for a second?"

The diner was suddenly quiet, with everyone looking at her, Miss Patty and Babette moving their chairs even closer to her.

"What is it, doll?" Babette asked, smiling knowingly at Patty.

"I know there's been some gossip running around town about me and Jess and I wanted to tell you it was right. Yes, we are engaged. We haven't set a date or decided on any details, so please don't ask about that, or actually you can ask, but you're not going to get more than an "I don't know." but feel free to ask about anything else."

"Why would you ever tell them that?" Jess sighed, squeezing her hand and she looked down at him, smiling.

"Congratulations, honey!" Patty was the first one to react and the others in the diner nodded in agreement, shouting their congratulations as well. After a few more seconds of shocked silence, Kirk quickly got up and started to go towards the door, trying to go unnoticed. Which worked for about 5 second until he tripped and fell in the middle of the diner. Getting up and dusting himself off quickly, he ran out the front door, making everyone shake their heads, trying not to laugh.

"Oh, can we see the ring?" Babette asked excitedly after they recovered from Kirk's interruption and Rory quickly moved her ring to her ring finger again, smiling before she held up her hand. In a few seconds, both women were next to her, looking at the ring, then quickly hugged her, smiling.

"You're getting married in town, right?"

"Wouldn't have it any other place."

"Away from this madness would be nice." Jess grumbled, but only Lorelai heard. Snickering, she shook her head quickly.

"Why didn't you tell us this?" Babette suddenly turned her attention to Lorelai but Rory replied before she had a chance to.

"I asked her not to. I wanted to be the one to tell you."

"Oh, how did it happen?" Patty suddenly realized and Jess looked up at Rory, shaking his head slowly.

"Nothing out of the ordinary. He asked, I said yes."

"You could have at least taken her out to dinner, Jess." Babette nudged him in the shoulder and he shook his head, trying to stay calm.

"I can assure you that it was just the way I wanted it to happen. No dinners required." Rory ran her fingers through his hair quickly, smiling, while the two women watched them, smiling as well at the display of affection.

"What the hell is going on here?" Luke asked, finally appearing from the kitchen and Lorelai laughed.

"They announced their engagement. And watch your words, baby ears around you." She mocked his statement the night before, pointing to their son.

"Oh, are you going to have children soon?"

"What?" Rory turned back to look at Patty, blushing and biting her lip.

"Are you going to have kids soon? After the wedding, I mean."

"I believe that should stay between me and Jess, ok?" Rory nodded, happy with her answer.

"But you are going to have children at some point, right?"

"At some point, yes." Rory nodded again, not wanting to tell them that the point was much closer than anyone thought it would be.

"Good. Doll, you're going to look like a princess in your wedding dress."

Looking at Jess, who was wincing in pain hearing their conversation, Lorelai smiled sympathetically. "Jess, can you take Will upstairs? The crowd is tiring for him."

Mouthing a quick 'thank you', Jess took the young boy in his arms and headed behind the curtain, with everyone watching him. Nudging Rory with her elbow, Babette smiled. "He's gonna be a great dad someday, sugar."

"I know."

"Are you getting married at the inn or in the town square?" Babette and Patty sat down in the two empty chairs at the table and Rory sat down as well, getting ready to try to answer their questions as best as she could, despite knowing that she had no answers.

"I don't know."

"Oh, how about the bridge? They repaired it again last summer." Lorelai offered, making Rory smile.

"That doesn't sound too bad. I don't think we can fit everyone around that area though."

"Probably not." Lorelai shook her head, drinking from her coffee cup.

"But the inn sounds like a good idea."

"Oh, you could go down the stairs like your mom did. You'll be so beautiful, honey." Patty gushed, smiling happily.

"Have you told Liz yet?" Babette suddenly asked and Miss Patty leaned closer. The problems between Jess and his mother were well known around town, and the subject of a lot of gossip.

"Yeah. Tonight. We just came from her place."

"What did she say? How did she react?"

"She's happy for us."

"How about your grandparents?" Patty chimed in this time.

"Everything is good." Rory lied, not wanting to let them know about the fight.

"Yeah, dad is extremely happy about this and mom offered to help plan the wedding." Lorelai laughed, remembering her mother's offer to call a few vendors. Before either one of the two women could ask anything else, Taylor walked in the diner, with Kirk right behind him, trying to catch his breath, read and sweaty. Approaching their table, he looked at Rory, serious.

"Can I talk to you for a second, young lady?"

"Sure?" She hesitated for a second before standing up and moving to the side, still close enough for her mother to intervene. Watching them from behind the counter, Luke clenched his fists but Lorelai smiled at him from the other side of the room, trying to calm him down.

"I heard you are planning on marrying that delinquent."

"Taylor." Her smile faded and she looked at him, reminding him that he was about to cross a line.

"You don't have to do that, you know. There are plenty of young men who would be better for you."

"I appreciate your concern, but I love Jess."

"I don't know if you remember, but he stole the bridge money! And drew the chalk outline of a body outside my store! Caused problems in school! He stole Babette's gnome! You got in an accident because of him! Do you realize who you are marrying?"

"Obviously. I'm the only thing keeping him out of prison. But, you know, maybe someday he'll finally manage to get himself locked up and then I will be free again." She joked, trying to ignore the man's craziness.

"If you're scared of leaving him, we can help. I can help you. I have a cousin who runs this organization…"

"Taylor, back off her, will ya'?" Babette chimed in the conversation.

"Well, obviously you're not concerned about this even though you were a victim of his criminal behavior."

"Ok, that's it." Luke stepped from behind the counter, walking to the man. "Get out."

"What? I'm town selectman, don't talk to…"

"I'll talk to you any way I damn please. This is my property. Get out."

"Luke, I know he's your nephew but you have to agree that…"

"Out!" He pointed to the door and the man walked out, shaking his head. "You too!" He pointed at Kirk and he quickly followed Taylor. "He's an idiot." He turned his attention back to Rory and she smiled gratefully at him.

"I know."

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She assured him, sitting down at the table again.

"Babe, can I get a cheeseburger? And onion rings? And fries?" Lorelai looked at her husband, smiling.

"You're going to have a heart attack in ten years, you realize that, right?"

"Hush and do what the mother of your child asks, will you?" She grinned and he shook his head.

"Anything for you, Rory?"

"Cheeseburger sounds fine. No onion rings, just fries."

"No coffee, doll?" Babette looked at her and Rory quickly smiled.

"He knows he has to bring coffee without me mentioning it after all this time." She looked at her step-father. "Don't you, Luke?"

"Yeah, yeah. I hope you enjoy your early deaths, both of you." He grumbled again before heading back for the counter. After a few minutes, he appeared again, dropping two plates on the table, then put a full mug in front of Rory. "Coffee. Just the way you like it..." He winked when the other two women couldn't see him, letting her know it was decaf. "…Strong enough to kill an army."

"Thanks, Luke."

"Lorelai, did you happen to notice where our son went?" He turned his attention back to his wife and she smiled.

"Oh, I think he was crawling in the middle of the street a few minutes ago."

"What?"

"He's upstairs with Jess. He was getting grumpy because of the crowd and unless you want to deal with an angry toddler…"

"So you're letting Jess deal with him? God help us." Luke sighed, making Rory snicker.

"I'm sure Will is ok. Jess and I have babysat him before and he's still alive."

"Yeah, well, you were there."

"Jess can figure out that if he needs help he can come downstairs."

"I think he's way more likely to call for help then walk back in here voluntarily." Lorelai laughed, making her daughter chuckle as well.

"You have a point."

After she finished eating and answering all the questions that the two women had for her, Rory walked upstairs, holding a plate of food in her hand for Jess. Opening the door, she saw Jess on the couch, a book in one hand and the sleeping toddler in his lap, propped against his other arm. Smiling at the sight, she put the plate on the table and walked to the couch, leaning over and kissing Jess.

"Mom wants him back." She whispered, running her fingers through Jess' hair.

"Ok." Jess whispered back and she took the young boy from him, careful not to wake him up. She returned upstairs after a few minutes, sitting down on the couch next to him, kicking her shoes off.

"I brought you dinner."

"Thanks." He smiled, wrapping his arm around her as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Not going to eat?"

"Not hungry right now."

"What were you reading?" She smiled and he picked up the book, glancing at the title.

"Thomas the Tank Engine. Riveting, let me tell you. I know Luke and Lorelai get to make the rules on what we can and cannot read to Will, but for our kid-no way."

"Oh, and I suppose you'll be reading Hemingway to her?"

"I'll avoid any mentions of whorehouses. Deal?"

"Deal. But only because I am pregnant and I am trying very hard not to get weepy and mushy after seeing you like that."

"Like what?"

"With Will sleeping in your arms. I'm pretty sure I would be begging you for a kid right now if we didn't have one on the way already."

Jess kissed the top of her head, smiling softly. "If it makes you feel any less sentimental, I'm pretty sure I'm covered in spit right now."

"Not really, but thank you for trying." She smiled, snuggling even closer to him. Rubbing her arm slowly, Jess smiled again.

"How did it go down there?"

"I think Taylor offered to call a women's organization to help me get away from you, you delinquent."

"I'll kill him."

"He's crazy, but means well." She looked up, suddenly crushing her mouth to his. When she pulled back, he hugged her again, waiting for her to put her legs over his and holding her close to him.

"Any reason for that?"

"Do I need a reason to kiss my fiancé?"

"Nope." He smirked, kissing her. Resting her head back on his shoulder, she smiled happily while he ran his hand over her legs. After a few minutes of silence, Jess kissed her forehead, looking at her.

"Something wrong?"

"Absolutely nothing." She smiled, lifting her head and kissing him. "I'm just thinking."

"Share?"

"It's just…what are we waiting for?"

"What?"

"The wedding. Why are we waiting?"

"Because…you wanted us to wait?" He reminded her.

"I think I've changed my mind. We've been together for so long waiting seems stupid. I have everything I've wanted. I don't want a big wedding, I don't want anything but to marry you and have everyone there."

"You're sure?"

"The only place I want to get married is mom's inn. Well, that or the Independence, but that one looks nothing like it used to. We can get it for a weekend, Sookie can make the food, we would only have to get flowers and favors and clothes. I don't want to wait." She shook her head, kissing him. "Say yes, please."

"I've already said yes. You want us to get married, we will." He pulled her even closer to him, cupping her face in his hand. "I'd marry you tonight if you asked me to."

"How does the weekend between Christmas and New Year sound instead? I think fate is pushing us on this. It's too perfect." She smiled, resting her forehead against his.

"Think you can find a dress in a month and a half?"

"Think you can get used to the idea of having to wear a tux in a month and a half?"

"If I must." He smirked, kissing her quickly.

"You must. And I'm sure I can find a dress."

"You know this means we'll have to plan this while you're going through morning sickness, right?"

"I'll deal with things at night." Rory grinned, kissing him again. "Tell me we're really doing this."

"As long as you're absolutely sure you'll never regret it, we're doing this."

"Why would I regret it?"

"Because…you didn't get to spend a year planning this?"

"I don't want to spend a year planning this. I want to marry you. That's it."

"Then we're doing this." Jess nodded, making her smile grow even bigger. Placing quick, happy kisses on his hand that was still cupping her face, she bit her lip, trying to chase a few happy tears away.

"I love you. Crazy much."

He kissed her, holding her as close to him as he could in the uncomfortable position, his fingers pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Love you too."