A/N: Thank you for the reviews, you're all awesome.

Bears or ducks?

Friday evening, Rory and Jess walked into the living room of the Gilmore mansion, finding almost everyone gathered there, talking and drinking.

"Sorry we're late grandma, work got in the way." Walking up to her grandmother, she hugged her quickly before waving at her mother and step-father and sitting down next to Lorelai, while Jess took the last free chair.

"Don't worry, it's good to finally see you." Emily smiled, standing up. "Drinks?"

"Soda for me."

"Jess, scotch?"

"Sure." He replied, grimacing after making sure Emily couldn't see him, making both Lorelai and Rory snicker.

"Where's grandpa?"

"In his study, on the phone. He should be done soon. What have you been up to since we last saw you?"

"Unpacking, mostly. Jess put the nursery together this week…" She paused for a second, accepting the drink her grandmother was offering her and nodding as quick thanks before continuing. "…So now I just need to finish organizing the baby's closet. Toy box!" She turned around, pointing her finger at Lorelai.

"…Ok?" She replied, confused, blinking a couple of times. "Is that my new pet name or…"

"No, remind me to buy one when we're out shopping tomorrow!"

"What, you're telling me you don't have some sort of list? Jess, what's wrong with my kid?" Lorelai chuckled, looking at the man.

"I had a list. Which I forgot at home. I swear, being pregnant has turned me into a moron."

"Aw, it's ok. It gets better."

"Are you lying?"

"Only a little." Lorelai smiled, rubbing her arm.

"You're going shopping tomorrow?" Emily asked, looking at the two women.

"Yeah."

"That sounds fun." Emily smiled before sighing, looking down at her glass.

"Mom, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." She sighed again, making both Rory and Lorelai roll their eyes. "I hope you girls enjoy yourselves."

"Grandma, would you like to come with us?" Rory offered, smiling sweetly.

"Why, thank you, Rory, that would be lovely. Should I meet you at the diner at 10?"

"Erm, we were going to drive to Hartford anyway. We can just come pick you up." Rory offered, still uncomfortable.

"Wonderful. We'll stop for lunch." Standing up, she smiled again. "I'm going to go check on dinner."

"Got roped into that one." Lorelai made a face and Rory nodded.

"Big time."

"You should have fought harder. None of this 'oh, grandma, please come with us!'." Lorelai mocked her daughter, making everyone laugh. "Just ignore the sighing, how many times do I have to tell you?"

"Mom, you know that had I not said that, she would have just kept it up until both of us would have caved. She's done it before. She's the master."

"What are the chances you'll be either sick or tired or something tomorrow and we don't have to go?"

"You think there's any way to be out of it that doesn't involve someone bleeding from their head?"

"Gah, I dislike it immensely when you have a point." Shaking her head, she shrugged. "At least she'll be distracted by tiny baby clothing!"

"As will we." Rory pointed out, grinning. "Remind me to show pictures of the nursery when we get back. I think it needs bears."

"You will no longer think that after I've dragged you to the store I was telling you about and showed you the ducks!"

"This never ends, does it?" Jess smirked, looking at Luke and the man shook his head, chuckling as well.

"Not if Caesar tripping on one of Will's trucks while carrying two plates today is any proof."

"How is everyone tonight?" Richard smiled, walking into the room, making Lorelai and Rory stop talking.

"Hey, grandpa!" Rory waved, smiling. "Work finally giving you a break?"

"Yes. I apologize for not being here, there was a bit of a problem in our Seattle office."

"When are you going to follow through on that retiring thing? Before or after mom kills you?" Lorelai snickered, sipping from her drink.

"Richard, we're letting the maid go." Emily announced, walking back in the room. "And do you really think I would kill someone, Lorelai?"

"Your hearing still works fine, mom, doesn't it?"

"Yes, it does, Lorelai." Sitting down next to her husband, she picked up her glass again. "I hope you told your office…"

"No more calls tonight, I promise, dear." Richard smiled at his wife.

"What did this maid do, mom?"

"What's the time, Lorelai?"

"Uh…" Picking up Luke's wrist, she glanced at his watch. "Four minutes past seven."

"And what time do we usually eat?"

"Seven." Blinking a couple of times, she shook her head. "You're seriously firing someone over a four minute delay?"

"No, I am firing her because she is still not done with the salads, which means dinner will be delayed even more. The ladies from the D.A.R. are coming over next week, I cannot afford to have someone on my staff who doesn't understand the importance of serving food at the appropriate time. I expect things to be…"

"Done properly. You pay good money for that." Lorelai mimicked her mother's voice, reciting the same speech she'd heard many times before. "You're going to run out of maids soon. Seriously, I think I heard them mention on the radio that said they're all running away from Connecticut, leaving behind mountains of aprons and feather dusters."

"There's no need to be dramatic, Lorelai."

"May not be, but it sure keeps me young."

"How is everyone at the D.A.R., grandma?" Rory chimed in, trying to change the subject.

"They're good, thank you for asking. They keep asking about you."

"Send them my regards."

"Actually, there's been some talk of them wanting to arrange a baby shower for you. Most of them remember you so fondly from your time there, they were just so disappointed to not having been invited to your wedding."

"Grandma, you know…"

"Yes, yes, you've explained it to me before." Emily smiled, cutting her off mid-sentence. "How does the fourth of May work for you?"

"What?" Rory asked, dumbfounded.

"For the shower?"

"Grandma, I'm not sure I want…"

"Nonsense, you have to have a baby shower."

"But…" She shot her mother a desperate look, but before Lorelai could chime in, Emily continued.

"It can be moved to the weekend after, but not the last two as we have other functions scheduled."

"The fourth is fine, grandma." Rory sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Wonderful. I'll let the girls know."

"Dinner is served, ma'am." The maid announced, walking in the room then rushing right out.

"Finally." Emily grumbled, heading towards the living room as everyone else stood up as well, getting ready to follow.

"And you thought shopping tomorrow was bad." Jess whispered in Rory's ear, squeezing her hand when he was close to her.

"It's ok, ten more minutes in there and your kid would have been put that down on the list for every cotillion from the time she turns 14 until she dies." Lorelai snickered.

"But at least I wouldn't have had to suffer through that." Rory replied, grinning before they all walked inside the dining room.

The next morning, Rory walked out of the bathroom, sitting on the edge of the bed next to Jess, toweling her hair.

"I don't want to go."

"Then don't." He smirked, moving down and kissing her knee. "What's she going to do?"

"You want me to cancel on grandma? Really?"

"No, you want to cancel on her. I'm just saying you can."

"I can't. She'll be upset." Pouting, she lowered one hand, running it through his hair. "When it's just me and mom, we get to be silly and laugh and talk but now…we won't. Mom will be in a mood, grandma will grumble if I ever try to pick up a band onesie and the entire trip will probably end in shouting."

"Well, you're ever the optimist, aren't you?" Jess chuckled, placing quick kisses on her leg. "Just stay away from anything she might find objectionable and it'll be fine. God knows we already have too many band things."

"No such thing."

"For a yet unborn child?"

"You have a point?"

"No." He laughed again, shaking his head. Sitting up on the bed, he kissed her, his hand cupping her face. "Stop procrastinating or you'll be late and your mother will barge in here and I think it might scar both her and me for life."

Smiling, she pulled his bottom lip between her teeth, lowering one of her hands and running it down his bare chest. "You plan on staying in bed half naked all day?"

"Until Luke breaks down and makes me either help him or babysit Will, at least. If it were up to me, I'd be in bed until you dragged me to Liz."

"I'm not dragging you, she wants to see you."

"You can't always get what you want though, now can you?"

"Jess…" She sighed, pulling back a bit.

"I know. We're going. I'm just going to be less than stoic about it. Just like you are about your shopping trip, I might add."

"Oh, shut up." Rory laughed before standing up and moving to the couch, turning on her hair dryer.

"Look at the tiny ducks!" Lorelai exclaimed, dragging her daughter to a corner of the shop and pointing to the bedding set. "They're so cute and sweet and duck-like!"

"Duck-like? That's your argument?" Rory snickered, rolling her eyes. "What do you think, grandma?"

"It's…"

"Not exactly your taste?" Rory offered, smiling. "It's silly, I know."

"Lorelai had the most precious pink lace bedding set when she was born."

"I don't think lace would go that well with our 'a step above IKEA' furniture." Seeing her grandmother's expression change, she bit her lip. "But I'd love to see pictures."

"You shouldn't have bought a crib. That's what showers are for. What am I supposed to get you now?"

"Grandma, Jess and I are grownups. We work hard so we can buy the stuff we like."

"But it's not done."

"Let her win, I beg you." Lorelai whispered, rolling her eyes.

"Fine, grandma. You can buy us another crib."

"Well, what's the point in having two?"

Turning around, Rory made a face, clenching her fists.

"Mom, they got what they liked. Now, they don't have a stroller yet, do they…" She looked at Rory, raising her voice slightly and the younger woman shook her head. "So you can get them one you like. Or a swing. Pack'n'play. There are countless things babies need that they haven't bought yet, so why don't we think about those for a while and continue looking at the world's most adorable duck bedding!"

"If she buys us a thousand dollar stroller…" Rory whispered to her mother after Emily huffed, heading to look at clothing.

"You will say nothing. So, ducks?" She pointed at the set again, making Rory shrug.

"I have no idea. I'm too scared to buy anything now and risk starting a cold war with grandma."

"Hon, get whatever you want, give or stash away anything she or her friends give you and call it a day."

"She'll insist on seeing it, you know that."

"Then pull it out for the photo shoots and her visits. What do you think I do with half the stuff she bought for Will? Although I'll see if I can convince her to get you one of the diaper bags she got me, they're awesome."

"Fine. And I still say the bears were cuter." Rory grinned. Walking up to them, Emily held up a dress.

"What about this?"

"Aw, it's cute."

"I'll get it for you then." The woman announced, smiling before heading back.

"You've made grandma smile. Good girl!" Lorelai grinned as well before looking at the bedding again. "You're crazy, definitely the ducks."

"Bears." Rory shot back, laughing before heading out to look at a toy box, with her mother following closely behind. Opening the lid to one, she looked inside, rubbing her bump. "You like this one, kid?"

"She kicking?" Lorelai asked excitedly, but Rory shook her head again.

"No."

"Aw, man, unfair! Everyone's gotten to feel her kicking but me."

"Not everyone, mom."

"But…I'm the grandmother here, I should get some sort of dibs ahead of at least people you work with, if not honorary uncles as well."

"What would you have liked me to do? Drive to Stars Hollow?"

"Yeah!" Lorelai nodded enthusiastically.

"She'd have stopped kicking before I got there."

"Then you should move back in with me."

"Oh, you're delirious again. Lunch?"

"At least coffee."

"Let's find grandma." Rory smiled, looking around the store. A few minutes later, the three women were in a coffee shop. Walking to the table with a plate of cake in her hand, Lorelai grinned.

"Someone's bringing the coffee."

"Cake?" Emily grumbled, looking at her daughter. "We're going for lunch in an hour, Lorelai."

"It's for Rory, mom. She's pregnant!" The woman smiled innocently, sliding the plate in front of her daughter, while still holding a fork in her hand. "I'm just tasting to…uh…see if it's not poisoned! Or has nuts. Dreadful thing these allergies."

"Rory's not allergic."

"You can never be too safe." Nodding, Lorelai took a bite out of the cake before nodding. "It's safe, honey." She mumbled while chewing.

"Lovely." Emily mumbled again, drinking from her coffee. "How are you feeling, Rory?"

"Great. The baby's taken to keeping me awake by kicking the hardest at ridiculous hours but other than that, all's good." She smiled, picking up her cup of decaf, while her mother kept eating the cake. "You and grandpa should drive over one weekend, her room's looking great."

"Have you picked a middle name?"

"Nope." Rory shook her head, rubbing her stomach again. "Yes, we're talking about you, no need to get fussy."

"Yeah, there is!" Lorelai mumbled between bites.

"Here, give me your hand." Rory smiled, taking Lorelai's hand and putting it on her bump. "Feel that?"

"Aw, heya, baby!" Lorelai gushed, looking from her hand to her daughter's face. "She's seriously going at it, isn't she?"

"Oh, yeah." Rory nodded, biting her lip. "Want to feel her, grandma?"

"I…"

"You don't have to." She reassured the woman, still smiling.

"I don't want to bother you."

"You're not."

"Go on, mom, join the fun." Lorelai grinned, moving her hand away. Pulling her chair a bit to the side so she could be closer to Emily, Rory looked at her grandmother.

"So?"

Extending her hand, Emily waited for Rory to place it on her bump, smiling when she felt the kicks.

"Pretty cool, isn't it?"

"Rory, you graduated from Yale, I'd expect better adjectives from you." Emily chided her, before moving her hand away, the smile not leaving her lips. "And, yes, it is."

"I believe this mean she wants the ducks, since I was thinking about them when she started it!" Lorelai snickered, taking another bite from the piece of cake.

"And she has mind-reading skills, since she knows what you were thinking about?" Rory rolled her eyes. "Bears."

"I don't care. You get the bears, I'll get the ducks, everyone's happy. You need more than one bedding set anyway."

"Get it for Will."

"He's a boy, I can't get away with pink and yellow bedding for him. Luke's already watching baseball with him, he'll kill me if I do."

"I tell you what, if it will make you happy, you can get it, ok?" Turning her attention back to her grandmother, she laughed, drinking from her cup. "What do you think? Settle the debate. Bears or ducks?"

"The eternal question, yet again." Lorelai chimed in.

"I think both sound lovely." Emily smiled, looking at her granddaughter.

"Jess is going to make so much fun of me if I don't stop buying stuff for the baby." Rory rolled her eyes, finishing her coffee.

A while later, Rory and Lorelai collapsed at a table in the diner, dropping their heads on the table. Walking to them, Jess dropped two coffee mugs on one end before sitting down, smoothing Rory's hair down.

"You look like you had the time of your lives."

"Funny." Lorelai lifted her head, glaring at him. "Die."

"I can take away the coffee."

"Rory, mean!" She pointed her finger at Jess and Rory lifted her head as well, glaring at her husband.

"You have 5 seconds to get me ice cream."

"And if I don't?"

Pushing her bottom lip out, Rory blinked a few times, pretending to start crying.

"Big guns. Going." Jess stood up, placing a kiss on her head as he walked to the kitchen. Walking downstairs with Will in his arms, Luke sat down in one of the free chairs, kissing his wife quickly.

"How'd it…"

"Blargh." Lorelai shook her head as Jess dropped two bowls with ice cream on the table. "Good son-in-law, we may keep you after all."

Starting to dig into her ice cream, Rory smiled when Jess started rubbing her leg under the table. "If we were missing anything for the baby before, we aren't now. And definitely won't be after that damned shower."

Picking up her son when he started reaching for the ice cream, Lorelai kissed his cheek, grinning. "How'd it go with uncle Jess? Did he read any books he isn't allowed to?"

"Trust me, we had a morning filled with building blocks and ten readings of 'That's not my bunny'." Jess replied, sighing.

"I did warn you about that one." Lorelai grinned, making a face at Will. "You made him tell you about the bunny, didn't you? Yes, you did…"

Smiling as she watched her mother talk to her brother, Rory squeezed Jess' hand under the table. "Brett finally kicked hard enough for both mom and grandma to feel. Sorry you missed it, Luke." She chuckled, looking at the man.

"I'll live. I should probably head to the kitchen. Will's been fed and changed."

"I'll put him down for his nap." Lorelai nodded, leaning over and kissing her husband quickly.

"And she makes a face when we do that." Jess smirked, leaning closer to Rory. "Ready to go?"

"Let me finish this coffee first. Why, you anxious?"

"To get it over with, definitely."

"Aw, it's ok." She laughed, running her hand through his hair. "Just Liz and dad left and then we'll be home again."

"When you put it like that…" Jess made a face before dropping his head on the table.