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Rory stands leaning against the kitchen sink, with her face trained on the window. She shifts her head and closes her eyes to feel the heat of the sun against the side of her face. It's a bitter cold day in December, despite the bright skies above. She has found herself returning to this spot over the last couple of hours, because even with the heat on, the house is no match for the type of cold New York city wind exacerbates. To match the freezing weather, the energy inside their home is downcast.
The whistling sound of the kettle on the stove draws her reluctantly away from the window. She takes it and pours a cup of peppermint tea. She picks it up carefully, along with a small plastic syringe of infant cold medicine and starts walking out of the kitchen. She walks past the staircase decorated with pine garland and white lights, down the hallway and past the living room - where a tall, full Christmas tree sits adorned with colorful twinkling lights and candy canes. A handful of wrapped gifts lay underneath; nearby, the fireplace mantle is covered in holiday scented candles and boasts four stockings - two basic red ones for Jess and Rory, one with a paw print on it for Sabrina, and a small, fuzzy pink one with Persie's name on it, made by Lorelai.
She pads down the hallway towards their bedroom where she left both Jess and Persie sleeping a little while ago. But as she pushes the door open, her breath catches at the sight - one that she has seen many times now, but with the added element of them both being sick, it makes her heart ache. Jess lies on his back on their bed, the nearby bassinet sits empty because Persie is curled up asleep on his chest. He has one hand on her back and the other smoothing over her soft, dark hair in a gentle, soothing motion. His eyes are closed, his nose is red and irritated from constant sniffling and blowing. The orange liquid Dayquil on the side table next to him is half empty, and he has a pile of cough drops sitting next to it. She quietly steps into the room and up to the bed. As she places his mug of tea down, Jess opens his eyes and looks up at her; she frowns when she sees redness surrounding his beautiful hazels. She looks over the two of them, Persie's nose looking a little red and irritated too, and her heart aches more.
"My poor babies," she whispers with a sympathetic pout. She reaches out and places her hand on Jess's face and forehead, "oh Jess, you're so warm. Are you sure you don't want to go to the doctor?"
He opens his mouth to reply but quickly closes it to muffle the cough that comes out, so he doesn't bother the baby on his chest.
"Doctor won't be able to do anything at this point. It's just the flu," he mumbles out, voice raspy and tired, "the lovely perks of having a daycare in the building, I guess."
"I'm sorry," she pouts. He shakes his head, and his eyes move down to Persie. He pushes his head back into the pillow to get a better look.
"I'm only worried about her," he looks up at Rory again, "I feel bad. My phone went off because Liam called me, and it woke her up. She needs to rest."
Rory moves her hand from Jess's face to graze her thumb across a chubby cheek. Her frown deepens at how warm she is too.
"I'm worried about both of you," she takes a seat on the edge of the bedside, "maybe we should plan to have her first Christmas here. Travelling while sick is going to be terrible for her, and you."
Jess shakes his head again.
"Your grandmother will kill me."
"Not for being sick!"
"Yes, because it's my fault for bringing her to daycare."
"She invested in that daycare."
He shakes his head again, "it doesn't matter. We told her Persie's first Christmas will be in Nantucket, and it will be. We still have a little over a week, and we've already been sick for a few days. It's almost over. It will be okay."
Rory bites her lip as her eyes move thoughtfully around the space. Jess insisted on being enclosed in the room with Persie while Rory sleeps nearby in the living room at night, to hopefully avoid both parents getting the flu.
"I guess we will just wait and see."
She smiles softly as she takes a closer look at their daughter's adorable, plumpness resting on his chest, sound asleep.
"She looks so comfortable there," Rory murmurs, her gaze moving to lock on Jess's eyes, "she loves you so much."
He grins softly and swipes a thumb over Persie's velvety head.
"I hope to bring her any comfort. Can't imagine what it's like getting sick for the first time ever. She must be so frustrated."
Rory gives him a half-smile.
"You're bringing her lots of comfort, don't worry," she looks at the clock then and whispers, "she should eat and take medicine again soon. But I hate to wake her up again. I hate seeing her like this at all."
She hears Jess muffle another cough and looks up to see a guilty look on his face.
"I'm sorry, Rory. It's my fault."
She gives him a look, "no, Jess. It's no one's fault."
"I have been talking you into letting me take her to work with me so often. I wasn't thinking."
"You didn't force me or her to do anything. It's okay. Kids get sick. And thanks to you, I've been able I get so much done with the book and for myself."
"Well, I am happy to hear that. Just hope you don't get sick too. You still feeling okay?"
She nods, "while the extra spicy tacos I had for dinner last night are making me a little nauseous today, no sign of the flu."
He chokes out a laugh, "I told you that you never need to order them extra spicy there. Carlos makes them hot enough to leave scars on the tongue in the first place."
"Hey, I have no regrets."
The phone on the side table next to Jess goes off with loud vibrations then, and he curses as he reaches out to grab it. Rory gets to it first and sees that Liam is calling again.
"Doesn't he know that you're sick?"
Jess sneezes and nods at the same time.
"It's our busiest time of year. I told him to call me if he needs me. Let me see it."
She stands up and answers for him,
"Hi Liam. Are you okay?"
"Um, is Jess there?"
"He has the flu and he's sleeping. What's wrong?"
Jess sighs and closes his eyes, letting her take over.
"It's so busy here and I need to order a book for someone from the other truncheon because we're sold out. Believe it or not, I've never done that before and Brooke is too busy to help me, and the only other people here are a few students who obviously don't know either."
She can hear the sound of the store's bell ring, and some conversations in the background. She crosses an arm over her chest while she thinks and then turns to survey Jess and their daughter again. They both look peaceful, and comfortable with taking care of each other (she has no doubt that Jess is comforted by her sweet smile any time she's awake). Persie still asleep, Jess lies still with his eyes closed, rubbing a thumb over her back.
"I'll come help," she finally says to Liam. Jess's eyes shoot open, and he gives her a concerned look.
"Oh no thanks, I can feel Jess's death stare through the phone. If you come, you might get sick, and then he kills me. The end."
An uncontrollable chuckle escapes her, and Jess's hard look softens a little.
"I'll be there soon. In the meantime, call Matt and Chris and have them walk you through placing a transfer order."
"Okay…and Jess isn't plotting my murder right in front of your eyes?"
"Liam, call Matt and Chris. I'll see you soon."
She hangs up on him and finally meets Jess's stare.
"You don't need to go over there, it's okay. If it's really too busy, I'll tell him to close the shop."
"That doesn't make any sense," Rory argues, "I want to help. Unless you need me here to take care of you and Persie?"
He swallows, and part of him wants to laugh because she knows exactly what she's doing. He moves his head in denial and gives her a small grin.
"No. You knew I would say no to that."
She matches his grin and steps up to the bed to give him a gentle kiss on his forehead.
"Sometimes manipulation is the only way I can get you to let me help," she winks before moving to place a similar kiss on Persie's head, "I'll go warm up a bottle and bring it to you before I go. Do you need anything else?"
She sees a hint of a smirk on his face as he lifts a hand to wave her towards him with his finger.
"Yes, come back for a sec."
She sits on the edge of the bed near his pillow. His hand glides up her arm, over her shoulder and then to cup her face lovingly; he presses his palm against her cheek to convey his meaning.
"Thank you," he mumbles. She softens and his hand glides back down to hold hers. He brings it to his mouth and places a kiss to the back of it.
"I love you," he says in an equally tender tone; he then releases her hand and rests his head against the pillow again, "I would wash my hands now if I were you."
Rory takes a much needed seat in Jess's office at the end of a long, busy day at Truncheon. She's tired, her breasts ache, and her throat is dry from talking so much. But - she lets the day settle over her as she finally pumps in peace, and it leaves a wide smile on her face. Happy to have helped, relieved to know that her brain can still manage that level of work, and excited because being that busy has surprisingly fired up creative thoughts of how to finish the last few chapters of her book. She feels further inspired as she looks up at the office wall across from her - the one that Jess has been taping pictures to since opening the store - and sees the dozens of pictures he's added of their daughter and their family. The newborn pictures catch her eye first; a traditional photo of just little Persie wrapped up snug in her hospital bassinet, next to it is a picture of her and Persie taken the same day. She lies in the hospital bed with their daughter in her arms, but the picture itself is a close up showing both of their faces. She remembers Jess taking it, which is a miracle because the day still feels a little hazy to her. But she remembers - she told him that she wanted to shower first and maybe change into real clothes; he had replied okay we can take pictures after you shower. But can I please capture this moment right now? Just for myself. You have no idea how beautiful you both are to me. I want to remember this…twilight of the beginning of our lives as a family of three.
She couldn't have said no to that if she tried. Her gaze wanders down to newer pictures, and she recognizes one that Lorelai took last month at Thanksgiving. She and Jess are sitting on the couch in the Gilmore living room, because the dinner was a family only one this year in Luke and Lorelai's home. She is cuddled against his shoulder, while Persie sits up in his lap - her wobbly five month old body supported by his steady hands and his legs. Rory is grinning for the picture, but Jess is looking down at Persie with the kind of smile that is accompanied by a twinkling in the eyes. She laughs to herself in his office, because she remembers he was supposed to look at the camera - but he kept looking down at her, couldn't stop himself.
But also in the photo, are Luke and Jimmy, standing behind the couch, both looking down in the same direction. Though this doesn't make her laugh, because she knows their eyes were glued to the man they both can technically call a son - and she can feel their pride beaming off of them as though it is in the very room with her at Truncheon right now. It was a successful holiday with blended family, with minimal tense moments between Jess and either of his parents. Persie seems to make everything easier for Jess, always giving him something exciting and special to discuss with anyone at all. His love and adoration for their daughter, for their family, is constantly present. Whether it's through his words and actions, or in his looks - like the one in the picture in front of her - she always feels it. And she knows that their daughter feels it as well. He is the man that was missing from both her own childhood and his too; his love could make up for a thousand absent fathers, she's sure. This thought, mixed with the awe she feels at seeing right in front of her eyes how much Persie has already grown, makes her lungs feel impossibly too small for the breath she needs to take.
Her phone pings with a message, and it shakes her out of the heavy moment. It's Jess, asking her to bring home a black notebook with his book notes that should be in his desk. She rolls back in the office chair to open his drawers, and she laughs out loud when she opens the last one: there is a pile of black notebooks inside. Lifting them up one by one, she looks for any indication on the cover that it's for his book but doesn't find anything there. She sits the pile on the desk and messages him back with a picture I think you left out some important details. She notices that her breasts feel drained already, and she looks at her watch to see it's been less than ten minutes. After waiting a couple more minutes with nothing coming out, she shrugs and removes the device. Jess texts her back then, shit, I need to get better at organizing huh. Should be one of the first few. You can open them and check.
She smiles with excitement, and also a little nervously, at the prospect of freely going through his private thoughts. But she knows that he wouldn't say it's okay if it wasn't, and so she starts to page through them. The first one is Truncheon related stuff (that she hopes he also puts in the computer somewhere). The second is completely blank, and she takes it upon herself to put it to the side so she can create a pile for him of empty ones. She flips through the first couple pages of the third one, and at first thinks she's found it. There are dates and notes about Persie that at first glance look like they could be inspiration for his book. But as she reads them more closely, she realizes it's more of a journal and she gasps softly at his sweet words. There are loving notes from the first couple of months of her life - about how much love he feels for his daughter and for Rory too, about how hard it was to not be able to help more. About how beautiful it is to finally see her as a mother. About Persie looking at him and seeming to really recognize his face for the first time around two months. She finds a note that's not dated, that makes her heart ache - "I don't know if she's going to grow up and think I was the greatest dad in the world. But I'm going to make sure she grows up knowing that I love her and will take care of her no matter what." She makes a mental note to tell him more often that he's an amazing dad.
She grins when she sees a note from September that says, "Persie is a treasure right now. Well, she's always a treasure. But lately she spends most of her awake time giving us beautiful smiles, whether she's having tummy time or lying on her back, or snuggling in me or Rory's arms, she's so happy. She's sleeping longer through the night, giving me and Rory time to sleep (and do other things in bed). And Rory is much happier too. She seems comfortable in her beautiful body. I am a grateful, and lucky, man to be surrounded by all this light."
She chews on her lip as her heart courses with throbbing love. She knows she shouldn't keep reading, but she turns the pages anyway; she convinces herself that it's alright if she just skims and doesn't read every single word. As she flips to the last pages that have writing, she finds an entry that makes her eyes mist, "today Persie pulled Rory's hair so hard I could tell she was trying not to cry. She didn't want to freak her out I'm sure. Every day I'm reminded of their strength - both of my Gilmore-Mariano girls. No doubt in my mind they are stronger than me." The next entry makes her laugh, "my little monster stuck her hand in her bowl of oatmeal and flung it in the air. Landed right on my face. She thought it was hilarious, and I had a hard time not laughing too. I want to imprint every interaction with her in my mind."
The last entry, from a week prior makes her grin warmly, and inspires exciting thoughts, "Had a chaotic playdate with both Chris and Matt's kids today. They're all older than my girl and absolutely adored her - even fighting with each other for a chance to play with her. She cried a little but seemed to mostly be intrigued by their company. It makes me wonder what she will be like when she's an older sister. Will she adore her siblings or find them annoying? Can't say I have sufficient experience since Doula and I are so far apart in age. Guessing probably a combination of both. I can't wait to see it one day."
...
She walks through the front door to their home an hour later, arms full with a cooler for her breast milk, a tote bag, and a brown paper bag with hot, homemade chicken noodle soup from a nearby diner for Jess. She gently presses her back against the door to close it behind her and kicks off her shoes. She looks ahead of her down the hallway and can make out what looks like lights from the TV in the living room shining on the wall. With a curious tilt of her head, she quickly puts the baby's milk in the fridge and takes off her coat before walking down the hallway.
When she gets to the living room, an irrepressible smile grows on her face. Jess looks up from where he's sitting on the couch, with Persie perched in his lap, looking up at the bright television with wide eyes. The cat lounges next to them, her furry head resting on Jess's knee near Persie's feet. He has one hand resting against the front of the baby's body, and the other mindlessly petting Sabrina.
He grins back at Rory, and lifts his hand from the cat to point in her direction; he lowers his head closer to their infant and says excitedly,
"Look who's home, Persie."
Rory smiles wider and steps closer to the couch, into her daughter's line of vision; she moves her wobbly little head and gives Rory a big smile accompanied by an excited squeal as she throws her hands in the air.
"Oh my goodness," Rory puts a hand on her heart in delighted surprise, "did you miss me, Angel? You've never squealed for me before!"
She looks to Jess who looks just as happily surprised as her. He meets her eyes,
"I guess she learned a new trick."
She steps up to the couch. She holds out the paper bag to Jess and then picks the gurgling baby up in her arms.
"Aw, I missed you too Persie! It was a long day apart, wasn't it sweets? I'm so glad you didn't forget about me!" She kisses her on the cheeks and head and then looks at Jess again,
"And she's feeling better it looks like?"
He nods as he opens the bag.
"We're both feeling a bit better. We slept most of the day while you were out," he takes out the soup and grins, "thank you for this. I was getting tired of the canned stuff."
"I figured," she snuggles Persie's head against hers, "did she eat?"
"Oh yes. I promise I woke her up to feed her throughout the day, but at dinner she ate well. She had a whole bottle of milk and some sweet potatoes too."
"Oh my! That has to be a good sign, right?"
"I think so. She hasn't had a fever since you left this morning," he shrugs one shoulder and blows on his soup. He pats the couch next to him, "come here. Persie's not the only one that missed you. And I haven't had a fever since this morning either."
"I would sit next to you anyway," she promises, taking the empty seat. She leans over and kisses his cheek; Persie fusses in her lap, facing both of them. Her jaw drops.
"I'm sorry, are you mad I kissed your dad?!"
She moves her little head around, looking between them and Jess laughs.
"I think she wants to see the movie."
Rory looks up at the screen and sighs in relief while turning Persie around on her legs.
"Oh thank god. An American Tail."
"Yeah I loved this movie when I was a kid," Jess cocks his head, "what did you think it was going to be?"
She laughs and replies honestly, "Almost Famous. I've been afraid to look at the TV."
"Oh she's a little too young for that," he smirks, "maybe after she turns one."
Rory chuckles and as Jess starts eating his food she turns her attention to the cartoon. Persie makes cute noises while her eyes are following the mouse on the screen. Rory smiles and leans down to kiss her head.
"I liked this movie when I was a kid too," she says softly. She turns to Jess and their eyes meet. His nose is still a little red, and his dark hair a mess on his head; she finds him adorable and can't help grinning.
"I didn't know you liked this movie. You don't really ever mention loving anything as a child."
He smiles sadly before turning back to his container of soup.
"It's hard to remember. Just comes to me sometimes…" he mumbles and turns back to her, "we were doing tummy time, and I figured she might be getting bored of me, being around me constantly the last few days. I was looking through stuff on TV and saw this and suddenly remembered watching it every day on VHS. I would start in the morning, then go to school, then finish it at home later if my mother wasn't…entertaining boyfriends in the living room."
She listens with no judgement and gives him a sweet smile in response.
"And you wanted to share it with your daughter. You're such a great dad, Jess."
"For forcing our six month old to watch something she doesn't understand?"
"For sharing something special with your little girl."
He swallows and changes the subject, "how was Truncheon?"
"It was so great!" she replies with an excited smile, "I was so busy all day. It was exciting!"
"Really?" he gives her a dubious look, "you enjoyed dealing with the holiday crowds?"
"Yes, it was fun! I loved helping people pick out books," she leans in and stage whispers, "though I was a little biased and talked most people into getting yours."
He laughs in amusement, "Liam is going to be mad at you when all those people come back to return them because they don't know what the fuck I'm talking about."
"Oh hush you! People love your work."
"Uh huh, especially my fiancée."
"Yes she does!"
"Have any interest in being my publicist?"
His words are playful, but it's not such a farfetched idea to her. She laughs and goes to reply, when she hears an adorable sounding snore coming from her lap. Both parents look down and find Persie's head pressed sideways against Rory's stomach with her eyes closed and her little mouth hanging open. Rory smiles over her and leans down to place gentle kisses on her head.
"She fell asleep before she got to see Fievel reunited with his family," Jess mumbles with a tender half-smile. As Rory turns to look at him, he scoots closer to her and wraps an arm around her shoulders. She tilts her head to lean into the crook of his neck; he kisses her similarly to how she kissed Persie before leaning his head on hers.
"We can still watch it," she suggests in a whisper, eyes turned towards the cartoon on the screen, "unless you wanted to write. I found your notebook, it's in my tote bag by the front door."
He shakes his head, and she can feel Jess smiling against her.
"I'll write tomorrow. Let's watch the rest."
The three of them stay comfortably cuddling like that through the rest of the movie. Though by the end, Jess is snoozing against her too. She carefully pulls herself away from him, holding on to the baby in her lap. He instinctively turns his body in his sleep to lean against the couch instead of her. She scooches to the edge of the couch and stands up, effortlessly moving Persie from her lap to cradle in her arms in a way only a mother can. She looks back at Jess with a grin; she frees one hand to lift a blanket hanging off the back of the couch and drapes it over him. She leaves the TV for now, so she has enough light to find her way to the nursery. It's a short walk, and soon she is placing Persie down gently into her cozy pink crib. She leans in before lifting the side back up and murmurs to her,
"I love you, and Daddy does too. But he needs sleep as much as you do. I'm sorry he's not here to help put you to bed," she places multiple warm, gentle kisses on her cheek, "sweet dreams, Persephone."
She turns the brown noise machine on, checking to make sure it doesn't wake her up before quietly leaving the room. As she goes to walk back and turn the TV off, her stomach suddenly gurgles.
"Damnit, never ordering extra spicy again," she mutters to herself with one hand on her stomach. She steps into the living room to turn off the TV and turns back around. Her stomach swirls again; she darts towards the bathroom with her hand on her mouth. She hits the lights and closes the door behind her, not wanting to disturb her sleeping loved ones. She perches herself on the edge of the tub, fingers holding her hair back as she leans over the toilet bowl. It's a few empty, uncomfortable gags before she actually throws up. She stays put, waiting for more to come as her stomach still feels off. Nothing else happens for a solid five minutes, and she stands up with a groan. She steps up to the sink, reaching for her toothbrush with a grimace.
"I can't get sick too," she mumbles to herself, and she tries to convince herself otherwise while she brushes the residue away, "I'm fine. I'm okay."
Her stomach churns again as she spits into the sink. Her frown deepens and she sighs.
"Fine. I'll check," she grumbles, opening the cabinet above the sink to get the thermometer. As her eyes shoot around the contents in front of her, she softly gasps as she considers another possibility. She takes it out, and closes the cabinet; as it closes, she meets herself in the mirror again. Her frown slowly curves upward, morphing into an excited smile.
"So Rory, how is the book coming along? I imagine it must be difficult to focus with such a precious little thing in the house."
Rory looks up from her plate towards her grandmother, who has a small smile on her face as she tries to feed Persie in her high chair. The table is covered in plates of delicious food, and surrounded by Rory, Jess, Luke, Lorelai and of course Emily and Persie. In the background, Sinatra Christmas songs play quietly. Rory takes a breath as she puts her fork down, and the sweet smell of dessert in the kitchen makes her stomach growl. Emily looks intensely at her then; her eyes shoot to Jess, and she sees he has an amused smile on his face.
"Are you not eating enough, dear? Please, we have plenty of food and dessert on the way. Jess, there should be more warm rolls in the oven. Why don't you go get her some? Taking care of a baby is a lot of work, she needs sustenance."
Jess quirks a brow at the older woman but stands up.
"Yes, she doesn't get any sustenance at home. I'm too busy beating my chest and telling her that her place is in the kitchen."
Emily rolls her eyes, "you know I was not implying anything like that."
"I would love a warm roll," Rory steps in, giving Jess a sympathetic smile. He winks down at her, telling her that he's just being difficult for the hell of it.
"Jess Mariano at your service. Anyone need anything else?"
"One of any dessert that's in the kitchen and a cup of coffee!"
"Lorelai," Emily sighs, "coffee and dessert will be brought out when it's time. If you haven't noticed, your daughter is still eating."
"I'll bring you a coffee," Jess stage whispers across the table; he then squeezes Rory's shoulder and walks to the kitchen. Rory smiles and starts digging into her plate of roast beef and mashed potatoes again before Emily says her name. She meets her eyes with a mouthful of food.
"You never responded. How is the book going?"
She puts a hand over her mouth as she finishes chewing and nods.
"It's going well. Jess takes Persie to work with him a lot, or sometimes I go with them and write at Truncheon. I'm almost done. But almost done when writing a novel can be deceiving, I know I still have a lot of work to do."
"But you're almost finished with it? Really?" Emily smiles, and Rory laughs when she notices that Persie is chewing on her finger.
"You okay Grandma?"
"Oh, it's just her gums, I'm fine. Tell me more about the book."
"Well," Rory starts, putting her fork down and moving hair behind her ear, "I have a couple more chapters outlined to finish the book, and I also need to add more details about your life, Grandma. I want to dedicate at least a chapter to your story."
A look of pleasant surprise flashes over her grandmother's face; she smiles softly as she takes her hand from the baby's mouth and cleans it on a cloth napkin.
"Well then, let's set aside time to talk before Friday. You are staying until then, right?"
She grins, "yes, we are."
"Great, we can talk over coffee maybe the day after Christmas?"
"That sounds great."
"Wonderful," she replies, and her smile is suspiciously clever looking. And Rory realizes exactly why when she adds on, "and we can start discussing wedding plans too. Tell me Rory, what do you think of the Romanovs?"
"Oh mom!" Lorelai groans.
"They probably had it coming," Luke mumbles; Lorelai turns to him with a laughing grin, and they share a nostalgic look.
"What? I just mean their aesthetic!"
Rory's mouth opens and closes, unsure of how to respond. Then, Persie starts crying and she actually sighs in relief.
"Oh dear," Emily sighs sympathetically, "if only she would eat then maybe she wouldn't want to cry!"
Rory chuckles and stands up, noticing that her daughter really hasn't eaten much of her mashed food.
"Sorry, she usually has milk at the end of the day. She must be confused," she steps up to the high chair and starts to unclasp Persie, "I just wanted to try something different so we could all eat together."
"Why don't I have the cook make her something else? She could easily whip up some mashed bananas, maybe she wants something sweeter than squash. She could have gotten her sweet tooth from you and your mother."
"It's okay Grandma," she throws her a smile before lifting the baby out of the chair, "I'll go feed her. We'll be back so she can say goodnight."
"Okay dear, mother knows best. We'll save you dessert,"
Emily calls after her as she leaves the dining room. She throws back a thanks in response, and then she's walking down a quiet hall, looking for a quieter place to sit and feed her daughter. Persie's cries are quieter rumbles against Rory's chest, where she's pawing with her little hands as Rory eyes her grandmother's office. She kisses her head and steps into the room, leaving the door open slightly behind her. She hums to soothe the baby as she takes a seat behind the desk and arranges her sweater so she can finally eat. Persie hungrily and happily latches onto her, and Rory chuckles.
"I wonder if all our babies will be like you," she murmurs, running a finger down her cheek, "mostly happy unless you're hungry or tired."
She chuckles again as Persie blinks her blue eyes up at her effortlessly, as though she's not inhaling milk from her mother's body. As she gets lost in her daughter's eyes, she hears the office door creak open. Her gaze moves upward, and she grins at Jess walking in; hands behind his back, handsome smirk on his face and proud, loving look in his eyes as he gazes over mother and daughter.
"Hi," she greets merrily, "what are you doing here?"
He steps up to them and Rory turns in the wheeled chair to face him. He winks as he slowly pulls his hand from behind his back to reveal a dinner roll in a napkin. She grins wide.
"You left without this."
"Thank you!"
"And," he adds in a sentimental mumble; he rests on the edge of the desk to lean forward and kiss her lips, "I just wanted to check on my two favorite people."
Rory's heart rattles and buzzes with warmth, as she hears words out loud that have been resting patiently in her imagination for so long. She looks around the space briefly: it's not her mom's office, but it's all close enough to her dream that it hits her deeply. She presses herself forward until her lips meet his again. He holds her face, glad for the invitation to kiss her as passionately as he's been wanting to since they got to Nantucket. They break apart, his hand still on her cheek, and she looks up at him with sparkling, talkative eyes. He cocks his head.
"What?"
She pauses, biting down on her bottom lip in a moment of indecision. She releases it just as quickly, and a big, marvelous smile brightens all of her features. Her look alone causes him to smile too; he brushes his thumb over her cheek before asking again,
"What is it?"
"I'm pregnant."
He pauses, his thumb resting just at the corner of her mouth - where his eyes are currently locked in shock at the words that just came out of it. Her grin widens, and he feels her lips move against his thumb. Suddenly, his whole face lifts in incredulous joy. In a quick second, he covers her mouth with his, careful not to push against the baby still happily eating in her arms. As he thinks about that, he pulls back from their deep kiss. His eyes rake over her as he asks,
"I thought you couldn't get pregnant while breastfeeding?"
One side of her mouth rises higher, she shrugs a shoulder with it.
"It's not foolproof. Even less foolproof if the baby isn't solely breastfeeding."
He ingests her words, and his eyes sparkle with an appreciation she can feel all over every inch of her skin. He places another, more tender, kiss on her lips. He hovers there, eyes glued to hers as he mumbles,
"Your magical body never ceases to amaze me."
She grins but asks sheepishly, "Are you happy?"
He laughs, "Are you kidding?"
"Jess."
He shakes his head, because he can't believe she would ever question something like that.
"Oh Rory, I'm so happy," he kisses her head repeatedly before cradling it against his, "I'm so excited. I love doing this with you."
"Making babies?"
"Well, yes that. Of course that," he presses his lips to her head once more before turning to face her, so she knows how serious he's being, "I love being a parent with you. Having a family together…it's beyond how wonderful I ever imagined it being. I love you so much, and this life we've created together, that's growing even more now, is just…"
His words have her eyes and heart wide open, as she looks back at him, hanging onto everything he says; waiting for him to complete his moving thoughts. He swallows and leans forward to brush hair from her face. He notices that Persie has stopped eating, and with a soft smile he takes her from Rory's arms and places her against his shoulder. To his delight, his daughter cuddles against him, placing her head in the crook of his neck - little fingers opening and closing against his shirt. He takes a deep breath as he kisses her fuzzy head full of hair. He looks to Rory again, his hands holding Persie close to him like he never wants to let go.
"I dreamed of growing up and cultivating safe spaces for myself. I've never felt safer than this," he nods towards the baby in his arms, "she heals me. And so do you."
She doesn't know what else to say except,
"I love you, Jess."
He reaches out to run his fingers through her hair, fully captivated by her and the news she's given him.
"I can't believe you're giving me more of this…happiness," he whispers. His hand stops, cupping her cheek now. And then he asks with tender, caring eyes, "And Rory, you're okay with this? With having another baby so soon? I know how difficult her newborn stage was, and really it wasn't so long ago, was it?"
She smiles and stands up; he drops his hand from her head to open his arm to her and she slips under it. She presses her lips against his chest and watches as the hand that holds Persie lightly pats and massages her back.
"Rory?" he murmurs her name when she doesn't answer. She tilts her head back to look up at him and gives him a reassuring smile that wipes any concern from his face.
"I'm sure I'm ready," she reaches out and places her hand over his on Persie's back, "the newborn months were hard, you're right. But they were also special, and we got through them together. I'm excited to do it again with you."
He squeezes her more tightly to him in response, happy and relieved to hear these words.
"Jess?" She mumbles against his chest.
"Hmm?"
"Can I help out at truncheon sometimes? I kinda miss working."
After a pause, she steps slightly out of his hold to see his face. He cocks his head.
"But you never worked at truncheon. How can you miss it?"
"No, not there specifically. Just the…structure. Having things I can check off a to do list. And it would be helpful for you, wouldn't it? The store is busy."
"Okay," he shrugs, "I'm a little surprised."
"Why?"
"I kinda thought you would be trying to go back to the times by now."
Her eyebrow lifts, she looks at the baby and then back at Jess.
"Not yet."
He nods slowly. She smiles softly and brings a hand down to her stomach.
"Plus, it would be kind of silly to go back and then leave again in like eight months."
His face drops slightly in disappointment,
"Do you know when you're due already?"
"No, no. I don't. I took a couple pregnancy tests is all but…I know they're right. I can tell. I felt nauseous last week when you and Persie were sick, and I thought I was getting sick too. But then I realized that I also haven't been expressing as much milk and I kinda put two and two together," she gives him a sly smile, "I'm thinking it happened at Miss Patty's. Or at least within that timeframe."
"Oh Miss Patty will lose her mind if we tell her that. Probably turn the place into a museum."
Rory chuckles and after a moment asks again,
"So. Truncheon?"
He grins and shrugs a shoulder.
"I do need some help with research for my book. Brandon is supposed to help me but since he's going to Paris for a month with Martha before his Spring semester starts…I've got some room for assistance."
"Yeah?"
"Yes, and I can't think of anyone more qualified than my Chilton valedictorian, Yale graduate, news editor, New York Times journalist fiancée for the job. In fact, I think you may be out of Truncheon's league. How will I ever afford you?"
"I'm sure we could negotiate something."
"Speaking of negotiating, what are the chances I can get you to break the 'no sex in Emily's house while other people are in it' rule?"
"On Christmas Eve of all days?"
"Rory. You just told me you're making me a father again, and I didn't even know it was a possibility yet. You have no idea how badly I want to…be all over you. Around you, in you, close to you. I need to devour you and kiss you all over."
She gasps and puts a hand on Persie's ear.
"Jess!"
"What? She has no clue, do you Persie?" he jokes in a silly voice that makes the baby laugh. He kisses her tiny nose as Rory smooths a hand over the thick brown hair on her head. He leans into Persie's ear and whispers, "you're going to be a big sister, sweetpea. Are you ready for that kind of responsibility?"
He pulls his head back to look into her round blue eyes. They blink at him before she babbles happily and wiggles her limbs in his arms.
"I think that's a yes; what do you think, Mama?"
Rory grins, because Jess has already started trying to get Persie to talk, and in this venture likes to now refer to her as 'mama' in front of their six and a half month old.
"I think she's the cutest little thing. I can't wait to give her a little sister or brother."
Her stomach makes a sound then, and Jess looks at her sympathetically.
"Are you okay? Have you been feeling sick at night again?"
She gives him a small smile, "that was actually a hunger sound. I have been feeling a little nauseous here and there, but nothing like last time. Yet."
"Good, go ahead and eat. Please. I've got Persie."
"Okay," she easily accepts, which makes Jess happy. She places a kiss to his lips and then another to the baby's head, "but don't put her to bed without me."
"Of course not, how could she sleep without her evening twenty kisses from you?"
She laughs as she walks towards the door, "it's not twenty."
"Must be more then," Jess argues playfully, turning to face her where she stands in the doorway. She shakes her head, a clever smile curving on her face.
"It's sixteen. For the age that I was when I met her daddy."
Satisfied with Jess's mixed look of love and surprise, she leaves the office and walks back to the dining room - following the undeniable smell of apple tarts.
"Perfect timing," Lorelai greets her as she takes a seat at the table, "I was contemplating eating your ration of apple tarts."
Rory's eyebrow quirks and she turns to her grandmother.
"How many has she had already?"
"The amount is too disturbing to disclose," Emily replies and holds up a carafe, "coffee, dear?"
She opens her mouth and then shakes her head in denial, pulling the small plate of desserts in front of her.
"No thanks. It will just slow me down."
"You sure? I can put Kahlua in it for you," Lorelai offers, pointing in the direction of the room that holds the alcohol. She shakes her head again and takes a small bite of an apple tart.
"No thank you."
Lorelai laughs, "why not? Are you pregnant or something?"
She desperately tries to keep a poker face, avoiding Lorelai's gaze as she shakes her head. But the gasp coming from her mother makes her realize that she failed. Her shoulders slump and she drops her dessert.
"Oh my god, are you really?!"
Rory opens and closes her mouth; she looks at her mother and then at her grandmother, who in opposition to Lorelai's shocked look, is keeping a straight face of subtle excitement. She sighs and turns back to Lorelai with a nervous smile.
"It's really early on…hasn't even been confirmed by a doctor yet."
"But Clearblue said 'yes, Rory, you've got another bun in the oven'?!" Lorelai exclaims with a giant smile, and she leans her whole body closer to her daughter. Rory's tame smile grows as she nods.
"Yes, three Clearblue tests said 'Pregnant'. I took them last week. I was feeling a little off."
"Oh honey! Congratulations," she wraps her arms tightly around her; as she pulls back, she teases, "wow, you and Jess wasted no time, huh? Just jumped right back into the sack, no protection needed."
"Lorelai, that's hardly appropriate," Emily scolds, then much more sweetly says to Rory, "that's wonderful, Rory. Congratulations! I for one am positively thrilled."
"Thanks Grandma, we're really excited too."
"And now I understand why you have been avoiding wedding talk," Emily surmises with a smirk, "tell me, was this your plan all along? Children before you get married?"
She blushes and admits, "maybe."
"Well, it's not the way we did things in my day, but I am happy for you that your plans are going the way you want them to. And I look forward to helping plan your wedding whenever you're ready."
"I'm looking forward to that too, Grandma. I really am."
"Does Jess know?"
Rory asks her mother in disbelief, "You think I told you before I told Jess?"
"Why is that so crazy?! We were best friends once upon a time!"
"We are still best friends, mom. But he's the father and my fiancé."
"Sisters before misters!"
"You're not sisters," Emily cuts in, "despite the fact that you've always acted like one to her. More than a mother."
"Ah, my mother criticizing my mothering. Now it really feels like Christmas," Lorelai quips sarcastically, "can we tell Luke?"
"Tell Luke what?" the man asks as he walks in the room with a dish rag on his shoulder.
"Why is there a dish rag on your shoulder, Lucas?"
He looks at Emily nervously, "I was coming to wipe down the table for you guys."
"You can take the man out of the diner…" Lorelai mutters and gives Rory an awaiting look, as if asking her to finish the joke. Instead, she replies to the earlier question,
"Not without Jess."
"What's going on?" Luke asks, stepping up to the table and piling up the empty dishes.
She starts to respond but is interrupted by the sound of cries - getting louder and louder before finally Jess walks in with a fussy Persie in his arms. He's taken his sweater off, wearing just a white undershirt; he holds their daughter close to his face as he murmurs soothing sounds to her. She's mesmerized by the scene, always finding herself spellbound by the ease in which he is an incredible, loving father. And despite the baby crying in his arms, she smiles to herself. He meets her eyes across the room then.
"She's tired. Ready to put her to bed?"
"Speak of the devil!" Lorelai exclaims as she looks at Jess and then back to Rory, "Now can we tell Luke?!"
"What? Tell Luke what?!" the burly man exasperates, feeling like he's being left out of something. Rory meets Jess's eyes again; his eyebrows lift in curiosity as he rubs Persie's back in calming sweeps.
"They know. Mom asked me if I wanted coffee, and then coffee with Kahlua. And then she just guessed, and you know how terrible of a liar I am."
His face lifts in surprise; he keeps his eyes locked on hers, and she knows it's out of concern. She smiles and clasps her hands in her lap as she shrugs.
"It's okay. It's family."
His features relax, but his attention is quickly pulled back to the now sobbing baby in his arms. Rory stands up but doesn't move as she sees Luke take a cautious steps towards Jess. He holds his arms out to his nephew,
"Can I hold her?"
Jess shrugs and holds her up, giving her a kiss on her tear stained face before handing her over to Luke. He takes her with a big smile,
"Let's see if she still likes this," he mutters, and the room watches as he carefully flips her so that she's lying on her belly against his arm. He cradles her to his body like this and gives her soft pats on the back as he slowly sways. Her little head rests in the crook of Luke's arm, and the feet that were previously kicking all over the place start to calm.
"This is usually how I get her to nap whenever Lorelai and I watch her," Luke explains as Persie's cries quiet down completely, "Doula loved it when she was a baby. Guess all babies do."
The side of Jess's mouth perks up softly. He shrugs his shoulders.
"Or maybe it's you," he mumbles to his Uncle, "she doesn't usually fall asleep like this for us."
Luke's gaze turns to Jess for a moment; a silent smile grows on his face. Rory clears her throat and Jess looks at her.
"Everyone knows except Luke. I thought you might want to tell him."
Luke's smile turns to a frown as he looks up and around the room.
"Come on, you guys are freaking me out. What don't I know?!"
"Rory's pregnant," Jess reveals as a proud grin grows on his face. Luke's eyes widen and his mouth falls open slightly. He looks between the two of them.
"Wow! Really? Wow, that's great," he enthuses with his typical Luke mannerisms, "that's really great news, you guys. Congratulations."
"We're going to be grandparents again!" Lorelai exclaims happily, "and we're going to have double trouble when we babysit. Yay!"
"No trouble at all," Luke replies with a shake of his head; he then turns a concerned eye on Rory, "your mother didn't force you to drink coffee and Kahlua, did she?"
"Nope, me and my little peanut were spared."
"Good. Can I get you anything? Have any special cravings? Oh, when Liz was pregnant with Jess she used to love saltines and peanut butter. You want me to get you saltines and peanut butter?"
"Luke," Rory stops him with a quiet chuckle; she nods to the now sleeping baby in his arms, "you're doing so much for us right now. I'm good. Thank you."
"Alright. What about you, Jess? Need anything?"
Jess meets Rory's eyes and gives her a subtle raise of his brows.
"Nothing you can give me, Uncle Luke."
"I don't want to know what that means," he grumbles in response. Jess pats him on the shoulder and then quirks his head.
"Why is there a dish rag on your shoulder?"
He sighs, "I was going to clean up the table."
"Huh," Jess clicks his tongue, "can't take the diner out of the man, I guess."
Lorelai gasps in delight.
"Ah! Finally!"
"Luke, Lorelai," Emily suddenly addresses them, "why don't you two go put the baby to bed? It might be nice to play pretend since you decided not to have any children of your own."
Lorelai's smile is broad and pained as she says, "ah, criticizing my life choices now. You really are full of holiday cheer today, mom."
"Do you not want the privilege of putting your granddaughter to bed? If not, I would be happy to do it."
Lorelai stands up then and puts a protective hand on Luke's arm.
"No! We want to do it," she turns to Jess, "we'll put Persie to bed. And congratulations by the way, you do an incredible job of impregnating my daughter."
"Mom," Rory groans, hand on her forehead, "I'll put her to bed myself just avoid any more of your comments."
"Well, that would defeat the purpose of me asking them to do it," Emily sighs, "I was trying to give the expecting parents some alone time to enjoy their news in peace. I'm about to go to bed myself."
Rory's eyes shift to Jess; a blush grows on her cheeks at the smoldering look in his eyes.
"Okay then, say no more," Luke mumbles, "we're putting her to bed. She can sleep with us, I'll just grab her things and the bassinet and move them to our room for the night."
He steps away from Lorelai to give Rory a half hug, "congrats again, Rory. Let me know if you need anything at all, okay? Either one of you."
"Thank you Luke."
Lorelai gives her a hug next with an extra tight squeeze.
"I'm so happy for you, sweets. Goodnight."
"Mom," she says as Lorelai releases her, "please kiss her goodnight for me. Sixteen kisses."
"Sixteen?!"
"Please."
She looks at Rory, a smile and look of intrigue in her eyes,
"Okay, sure. I'll give her sixteen kisses from mommy. Promise."
The happy grandparents depart the room, leaving Jess and Rory alone. He steps up to her - smoldering look still in his eyes.
"And I," he starts in a sultry murmur, placing a hand at the back of her neck and one at her hip, "am going to give her mommy sixteen kisses. On every part of her body."
"Jess-" she scolds playfully, unable to tamper the lightness she's feeling.
"Okay, okay," he glides the hand at her hip to rest over her stomach, and his smoldering look becomes tender as he says, "but I'm definitely going to give you sixteen kisses here. And maybe a hundred more. To show my love for this life-changing Christmas gift."
His promise warms her all over; she looks between his lips and his eyes before pressing her mouth to his for a sweet moment. She puts a hand on top of his and finally replies,
"The two of us are more than okay with that. Let's go upstairs."
He smirks, and before Rory knows what's happening, he's lifted her into his arms bridal style. She grins wide and wraps her arms around his neck. He leans down to place a soft, adoring kiss on her nose.
"As you wish."