A/N: Thanks to those who took the time to review on the previous chapter. Make the most of this one - the next will be the last!

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 26

Jess wasn't sure if it helped or just made matters worse to have Lorelai with him when he took the call. His cell told him it was Rory, which meant it was a shock to hear her friend's voice when he picked up. Then Paris told him what was going on, that the baby was coming, three weeks early. That she was taking Rory straight to the hospital and she suggested he get his butt in gear and join them there as fast as possible.

He hung up the phone, repeated what had been said to Lorelai, and then they were both in motion, racing outside to their cars, neither one entirely in a fit state to drive, but planning on doing it anyway. It was only when Lorelai reached for Jess' hand to tell him he should go with her that she seemed to realise she was shaking as much as he was himself.

"The diner," she said then. "Luke has the truck there, he'll drive. He's good with a crisis and it'll be safer than the two of us crashing on the way to the hospital."

Jess agreed because it made sense, and also, maybe a little bit because his brain was too fried from the shock and the worry to do anything else.

Everything became a blur. Running full-tilt to the diner, being bundled into the truck with Luke and Lorelai, the drive to the hospital. He saw nothing, heard nothing, knew nothing, not until they let him into the room where Rory lay on a bed, sweating and screaming, looking as scared as he had ever seen her in his life.

"Jess!"

She made a grab for his hand and he didn't hesitate in letting her take it. She could squeeze the hell out of it if she needed to, it didn't matter to him at all.

"It's too early. I wasn't ready! Yes, I had some pain today, but it wasn't that bad, I never thought, and then, suddenly, my water broke, and now he's coming. It's too early!"

"Hey, come on, it's okay," Jess promised her, smoothing her hair back and urging her not to panic. "We read it in the book, remember? The forty-week date is just a guideline. Thirty-seven weeks is technically full term."

"But I'm not thirty-seven weeks until tomorrow!"

In spite of himself, Jess couldn't help but smile.

"It's just a day, Ror, not even a whole day. You're telling me all these medical people didn't tell you this already?"

He cast his eyes over a couple of nurses moving about the room and saw at least one of them smiling.

"Sure, we did," she assured him, "but I'm a mother myself. I know all sense and logic goes out of the window when it comes to your kids, even if they're not out in the world yet. Still, thanks for reiterating. I'm guessing it helps, hearing it from you, right, Rory?"

"A little, I guess," she admitted in a too-small voice. "Not that I didn't believe you," she assured the nurse, "it's just that-"

Her words disappeared into a sound of pain, not a scream as Jess was perhaps expecting, but a strange, guttural noise that he had never heard from Rory before. He held onto her hand as the contraction tore through her, reminding her to breathe, hoping he was helping but not entirely sure.

"Okay, it's over, for now," Rory said then, sighing with some amount of relief. "Oh, God, this hurts so much more than I thought. I mean, you just figure people exaggerate, you know? They really, really don't."

"I believe that." Jess nodded, sure that was exactly the right thing to say. "You know, if I could do this for you, I would, but I can't."

"I know." Rory smiled, trying to breathe deeply. "Just know that I appreciate the thought. Also, I'm so glad you're here."

"Me too." Jess told her, kissing the hand he held. "Everybody's here, actually. Your mom and Luke are in the waiting area with Paris. I know that doesn't exactly help right now but-"

"It does," she told him, nodding her head. "Trust me, it really does."

Another contraction came over her then, taking her voice, her concentration, her very breath. Once again, Jess wished he could take on some if not all of the pain she was suffering, but he couldn't. Not that his hand wasn't in danger of breaking every time she squeezed it, but that didn't seem like much, given what she was going through.

"Okay, I think it's time I got the doctor in here," said the nurse after a brief look at Rory's lower half. "Not long now, sweetheart."

"I should be in there."

"Lorelai, she's fine," Luke assured his wife, patting her hand. "As much as you love Rory, and I know that's a lot, this is something she has to do alone, or at least with Jess."

She knew he had a point and he said it in the best possible way. Luke usually did, actually, and it was one of the many things that Lorelai loved about him. Still, she couldn't help but wish she was right there at Rory's side, holding her hand and letting her know it was all going to be okay. Apparently, that wasn't her place now, it was for Jess to do, and she did understand why. That didn't mean letting go came easy.

"Finally, we have beverages," said Paris as she came back to the waiting area, three real mugs balanced expertly in her hands. "The first three morons I talked to tried to fob me off with vending machine crap, but I know better than that. A twenty in the hand of the right person, and hey presto, real coffee for us," she said, handing one off to Lorelai, "and real tea for you," she added, passing the last mug to Luke.

"Thank you, Paris," he said politely, even managing to smile.

Lorelai was well aware that his nerves were a little fried, some because of Rory's situation, but moreover because of Paris and her being such an acquired taste. Most of the time, Lorelai was okay with her way of being, since it was often not dissimilar to Emily. Luke just wasn't as well-practised at being around people like that without blowing a fuse, especially in circumstances that were already kind of tense.

"You doing okay there, Lorelai?" Paris asked, now sat down next to her.

"Sure, I'm okay," she said, nodding her head. "Well, mostly. I don't mind admitting, I'm a little nervous. Thirty-seven weeks is kind of early."

"It's technically not premature," said Paris with all the sage wisdom of a woman who worked in the fertility field. "Of course, children born on that borderline are prone to future issues. Diabetes or learning disabilities or-"

"I need to go," said Luke, suddenly on his feet, his movement and tone both as abrupt as each other. "I, uh, I left something in the truck, so I need to go get that."

He put his mug down by his seat and then went off down the corridor with a purpose. Lorelai wasn't sure if he really did leave something in the truck or if he just really couldn't stand to listen to Paris anymore. Either way, she wasn't about to argue.

"He's stressed."

"We're all stressed, honey." Lorelai patted Paris' hand. "So, hey, maybe stick to happy conversation, okay?" she suggested with an indulgent smile.

"Sure, of course." Paris nodded. "So, Rory said she and Mariano didn't decide on a name yet. I assumed Richard would be a shoo-in, or Luke, I guess," she considered, taking a sip from her mug.

"They're pretty big on wanting the kid to have his own name, which I get. Believe me, I wasn't feeling super-inspired when I name Rory after me," she admitted, following suit and taking a drink too.

It was so strange to think about, the day when she was in the position that Rory was right now, giving birth to her own baby. Like doing the splits on a crate of dynamite was certainly an apt description for the pain and it had indeed caused her to curse like a sailor on leave, but all that aside, there wasn't one moment when Lorelai regretted her foolish teenage pregnancy. Without it, she wouldn't have Rory, which would also most likely mean she wouldn't have Luke or any of the Stars Hollow folks in her life. That would certainly suck.

"You doing okay?" Paris asked then, a genuine look of concern on her face. "I mean, this must be rough for you. It's not so long ago you and Luke came to me about surrogacy..."

"I'm doing just fine, Paris, I promise." Lorelai smiled warmly, a little touched by her checking. "Me and Luke, we moved past that. I'm actually not sure that it was about really wanting a kid. I mean, I have Rory, he has April, not to mention Jess and Lane and, well, even you," she said honestly. "We had a hand in raising a lot of kids, and as much as it would've been cool to have one together, well, if it was meant to be it would've been. Right now, I'm focusing on Rory's kid, and what a kickass grandma I'm going to be."

Paris grinned. "Oh, I believe that."

The two women were equally startled from their conversation by doors bursting open to reveal a strangely amazed-looking Jess, just as Luke appeared from the other direction, calling out to ask if everything was okay.

"More than okay," Jess told him, as well as Lorelai and Paris. "I just watched my son being born. I have a son."

He said it like he couldn't quite believe it, a feeling Lorelai remembered well. She immediately got up to hug him and was quickly followed in that act by Luke and even Paris, all of them wanting to congratulate him.

"And Rory?" Lorelai asked then.

"She's fine. She's exhausted, but she's fine," Jess promised them all. "I should actually get back to her. To them," he corrected, grinning like a loon.

"Hey, you might wanna take this with you," Luke advised, holding out a box.

Jess looked momentarily confused as he prised opened the lid to take a look.

"My friend from Litchfield called just yesterday to say it was done and I should pick it up next time I was passing by. I actually just got back from the trip five minutes before you and Lorelai came busting into the diner this morning. I just remembered it was in the glove compartment and went to go get it."

"Thanks, Uncle Luke." Jess hugged him one more time, then disappeared back through the doors, headed for Rory and their baby son.

"What was in the box?" asked Lorelai curiously.

"A gift, from Jess to Rory." Luke smiled, his arm around her shoulders as he kissed her temple. "I'm sure Rory will show it to you later."

Lorelai nodded. "I'm sure she will."

"He's so tiny and so amazing."

Rory could not stop marvelling at the perfect little bundle in her arms. She was beyond tired and should probably be getting some sleep, but she just couldn't bear to put him down. Jess was sat alongside her, the most over-the-top grin on his face, so she knew he was suffering the same problem she was. She was almost too happy to even function. Possibly even happier than she was tired, though Rory would have to admit, if asked, that it was a close-run thing.

"You're amazing too," Jess assured her, kissing the top of her head. "What you did today..."

"It's only what all women do. Well, all women who have kids, and in a natural birth kind of way, obviously," said Rory modestly, fighting a yawn and losing. "It's no use, I have to sleep," she admitted then. "Could you...?"

Jess nodded in agreement to taking the baby and yet seemed more than a little cautious in actually doing so. If she had more energy, Rory might have asked him what the problem was. After all, he held a baby before, his little half-sister Doula being the most obvious example, but then, she supposed, that was different to having a newborn of their own.

"Come on, kid. Let your mom get some sleep, okay?" he said softly, laying the baby down in the nearby crib.

"She really needs it," Rory admitted. "This was a very different day to what I had planned."

"I get that," Jess nodded, rejoining her on the bed, "but hey, if you can keep those eyes open a few more seconds, I have something for you."

"You do?" Rory yawned one more time, fighting to keep her eyes open and her head up. "What is it?"

Clearly realising she was struggling, Jess showed her the box, but then immediately opened it up, so she didn't have to make even that small effort. When she saw what was inside, her eyes got a little wide.

"Jess, it's gorgeous," she said of the heart-shaped gold locket on the fine chain. "Oh my goodness..."

She reached out one shaking hand to lift it from the box, smiling when she noticed the familiar etched design, reminiscent of the one on Jess' engagement ring, plus the tiny diamond sparkling in the centre of it.

"Well, you were pretty determined not to have a ring," he explained, "but I wanted you to have something. Luke has a buddy who owns a jewellery place over in Litchfield. He helped me get this specially made for you."

Rory's eyes filled with tears so fast, she couldn't see a thing. Still, she clutched onto her precious locket, her free hand reaching out blindly for Jess' shirt, which she haphazardly caught a handful of, pulling him close enough to kiss.

"Thank you," she said softly, pressing her lips against his own.

"You're welcome," he told her, kissing her back. "There are some pictures already in there. You and me, Lorelai and Luke, your grandparents, plus some spaces. I figured you'll want a picture of Junior in there, maybe some other people."

"It's such a special gift."

"And not the only one you got today." Jess smiled, looking over at the baby, sleeping soundly by then. "You know, we thought we had some time, but we really need to come up with a name for him. We are not calling him Junior forever."

"Agreed." Rory yawned all over again. "But I think that's something that'll have to wait a while. I can't stay awake too much longer."

"Then get some sleep," Jess advised her, gently kissing her forehead as she laid down some more. "We'll be right here when you wake up."

To Be Continued...