So, this is the last chapter! I was considering writing a sequel, but instead I’m going to start another story, this one seems done now. Hope you enjoy it!

And as someone ( 3 you, Po) pointed out to me, in previous episodes Luke and Liz do reminisce about their mom, so…consider it AU, then, if you will.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Gilmore Girls, nor am I affiliated with them in any way. Except for my heart.

A soft kiss on the cheek woke her up, and Lorelai blinked a couple times until she noticed Luke standing next to the bed.

“Hey,” she said wearily, shifting, the covers making a tent over her now eight and a half months pregnant stomach. She squinted up at him, adjusting to the bright light streaming in through the window. “What time is it?”

“Late. I let you sleep in; you had a big night last night,” he said as he offered her a hand to help her up. She took it gratefully, pulling herself to a standing position. One of Luke’s t-shirts covered her top, while a pair of maternity sweatpants were on her bottom. She groaned, as she did every morning.

“I feel fat.” And he responded, as he always did,

“You are fat. But don’t worry, it’s a stage most women go through.” She grinned and leaned in to kiss him.

“Thanks for coming with me last night,” she said as she began to get dressed. “Although Michel sort of made it a happy-running-the-inn-Michel party instead of a happy-maternity-leave-Lorelai one, but it was still fun.”

“Yeah, a lot of people showed, too,” he said. “They like you over there.” She grinned, pulling on a purple maternity top over jeans.

“They seem to, don’t they? I’ll miss it. But it’ll be nice to have a few months to myself. For you, too, of course. Ooh!” she squealed, grinning mischievously. “I’ll sit in the diner every single day and – ooh! Once I have the baby, I’ll breast feed it in public. On a podium!” He glared at her, and handed her a pair of shoes. She shook her head, pointing at a different one. He sighed and gave them to her.

“C’mon, I gotta show you something.”

“Ooh. Whatever could it be?” she asked, closing her eyes per his request and walking downstairs to what she could only assume was the living room.

“Okay. Look.” She opened her eyes and blinked.

“Oh, hey! Your chair is here!” He rolled his eyes and gestured for her to keep going. “So we can…sit in it?” He sighed.

“Kitchen.” He marched her to the kitchen. “See?”

“Um. Oh, hey, that’s your pot! Teehee, that’s your pot. Sorry, I regressed. Hey, did you move all your stuff here?”

“And she finally gets it,” he said, pulling her in a half-hug. “Yeah, while you were sleeping I moved everything else in. So we officially live together. If you want,” he added.

“Insecure man. Of course! It’s been a long time coming, it doesn’t even feel like that big a change. Not that I’m not excited.” She grinned, taking a waffle from him but searching for something a little sweeter as well. “So, what’s the schedule like for today?” she asked as they sat down at the table, and he handed her a box of pop tarts – he had long since made peace with the fact that yes, she was going to eat crap whether he liked it or not.

“Well, I’m at the diner for most of the day, and then I should be able to do dinner later. So I’ll meet you at the house then. You coming by the diner?”

“Probably,” she said, thinking. “I have virtually nothing to do. I might go see Rory up at Stanford.”

“You’re going to drive to Stanford when your stomach hits the steering wheel?” She wrinkled her nose at him. Now that she thought about it, visiting Rory would be fun. She didn’t have much to do. And besides, she hadn’t seen Rory since two weeks ago, when Luke spent a week in New Mexico with April for her spring break. He had ended up going on the boat trip the last couple weeks of August, and she had stayed with them a couple nights when they were in Maine, since she was at a conference for inn owners in the area.

“My stomach is just fine, thank youI think I will do that, actually.”

“You should,” he agreed. “It’d be good for you to see Rory. You think you’d stay overnight?” She frowned.

“Mmm…no. Probably not a good idea, given the time and all – it’s a little too close to the due date to be risking that.” He nodded.

“Right, right. The due date’s April 10th, right?”

“Yep. Not far from mine – just a few days earlier.” She grinned. “Maybe I’ll hold it in. But then again, a mother-child joint birthday is a little cheesy, don’t you think?” They still hadn’t heard the sex of the baby; they had decided they wanted to wait. It was old-school, and in the past with Sookie’s pregnancies, she had thought she would never be able to wait, but now it seemed to add a bit of thrill, instead of anticipation…and then squalling baby. She would get an added surprise.

She finished her pop tart and took a sip of coffee, then grinned. “Hey! My coffee aversion passed!” He took the cup from her and set it down on the table firmly.

“Half a cup, and that’s all. Unless you want our baby to come out with two heads.”

“It would be quite a conversation starter.”

“Oh, well, in that case.” She grinned and reached for a second pop tart. He stood, reaching for his coat. “I’ve gotta head to the diner. You want a ride into town?” She shook her head, using his hand to pull herself up.

“No, I’m going to drive to Stanford now, I think.”

“Let me drive you.”

“To Stanford? That’s insane. And besides, you’d have to pick me up.” She looked at him oddly. “Are you worried about me?” He sighed.

“A little, of course. At this point, you could go into labor at any time.”

“It’ll happen with or without you there, Luke, there’s nothing you can do to stop it. And if you’re not there, you’ll know instantly. Are you sure that’s the only thing? Because…” she paused, not sure if she should voice her concern.

“What?”

“Well, it’s just…for the past, what, five, six months? It’s been a little weird.” He sat slowly, and so did she.

“What do you mean? I thought things have been going great.”

“They have! But it’s just…oh, god, I feel stupid just even thinking it.”

“No, go ahead.” She bit her lip.

“Well…I feel like you’re trying too hard to…I don’t even know what word to use. Make me happy? It seems like you’re overstraining yourself. You drive me everywhere, you do things with me you never would agree to on a regular basis – you even let Taylor make a baby countdown calendar for us, because I wanted it! I…” she trailed off, looking at him, and strangely, he wasn’t denying it. “I might be wrong in saying this, but – are you still trying to make up for it?”

“For what?”

“For bolting. Ever since then, you’ve been too perfect, if that makes any sense.” He nodded.

“No, it makes sense.” He was quiet, and she raised her eyebrows questioningly. “I…may…be trying to get myself back on your good side,” he admitted. Her breath caught.

“Luke – when have you ever been on my bad side? Yes, we had those few days, but…I forgave you instantly. I thought you knew that.” It hurt her that he didn’t think she had forgiven him.

“No. That came out wrong. What I meant was…well, you’re right, I guess. And I’m sorry – I’ve been a little…overprotective. We good?” She nodded after a second, and let him kiss her lightly. As they stood and got their jackets, she added,

“Luke, you never have to worry about something like that – like me not loving you enough. Believe me, I know how that feels, and I would never do something like that to you.” She cringed as she realized what she’d said, and quickly added, “I mean, I can understand how that feels, I don’t know, I - ”

“I did the same thing to you,” he said quietly, and she exhaled.

“But that’s in the past. Forgiven. So we can move on. So…let’s go.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I have to get to Rory anyway.”

“No, I mean…it’s all forgiven?”

“Luke! Don’t even – yes. It is entirely, one hundred percent forgiven, and I love you, and you love me, and we’re engaged and having a baby, so let’s just be…happy.”

“Happy’s good.” He grinned at her and kissed her once more, and then they got in their respective cars and drove those same two miles, until he stopped at the diner and she kept driving, driving and driving until she reached Rory’s apartment in Stanford, not far from the newspaper. She parked outside the building and waddled – yes, she waddled now – to her door, but paused when she saw it was ajar and that there were angry voices coming from inside.

“I mean, why are you even here?” she heard Rory ask angrily. “You’re the one that left, remember?”

“Yeah! And I also remember you saying that why did it have to be all or nothing. Well, I reconsidered. It doesn’t have to be.” Logan. Lorelai frowned, wondering if she should go inside, but for the meantime stayed where she was.

“Logan, it’s been almost a year. I’ve been places, I’ve done things! I met someone!” She raised her eyebrows. Sam? But that wouldn’t count…although, she might make it. “And I did not have to tell you where I was going, I don’t even know why the hell you’re mad about that. It’s not like I had obligation to you anymore! I don’t call up Dean and say, hey, I’m going to Florida for the weekend, just in case you were wondering!”

“This is different.”

“This is not different!” Quiet. Then a quick exhale, and the sound of a stumble. “What the hell?!” Rory demanded from inside. Lorelai frowned, confused, and peered through the crack in the door, looking absolutely ridiculous to any passerby. The two were several feet apart, glaring at each other.

“Rory…”

“No! Don’t Rory me! God, I cannot believe you! You show up here, say you love me, beg me to take you back, then you yell at me for not telling you where I was going, and the you kiss me? Are you freaking kidding me?” Enough was enough. Clearly, Logan wasn’t welcome there, and he was pushing it. Lorelai pushed open the door, the perfect image of an angry pregnant mother. “Oh. Mom.” She smiled briefly in her direction.

“Logan,” she said in a low and threatening voice that, surprisingly, she could pull off. “I think it’s time you leave.”

“I’m sorry, Lorelai, but Rory and I are adults, we don’t need you - ”

“No, she’s right,” Rory said, looking sad and angry. “Please, just go, Logan.” After a long pause and a sigh, he moved past Lorelai and left. She shut the door behind her and widened her eyes at Rory.

“Wow.”

“Yeah. Thanks, mom.”

“Looked like you needed help. He just showed up like that?”

“Yeah! And he was mad that I didn’t tell him where I was going. What the hell?” She nodded as they moved to the couch. “Anyway. Did I know you were coming up?”

“Nope, I’m a surprise. Hope it’s not a bad day.”

“No, actually, it’s a great day. I mean, time-wise. I have the morning off, until one, so we can do something if you want.” Rory frowned. “Is it okay for you to be here? I mean…you look like you’re going to pop any day.”

“My due date isn’t for two weeks. It should be okay. Luke would freak if I went into labor here, though, and there would be a slew of I-told-you-so’s. But what does he know? Anyway, so…give me a tour of the apartment?” Rory nodded, leading her through the small but cozy apartment.

“Well, this is the living room,” she said, pointing at the room containing all the furniture that Emily had outfitted Rory with at Yale. “No comment, please, I’m broke. And…” as they moved down a small hallway, she pointed out the kitchen, the bathroom, and her bedroom. “It’s small, I know, but I don’t need that much space. And it’s a great location, just three blocks from the paper. And the neighborhood’s good…”

“Rory, you don’t have to build it up to me. It seems great. No roommate, though, huh?” She shook her head.

“No.”

“I’m so proud of my little girl, living all on her lonesome.”

“All right, now, don’t get mushy. Should we go out?” Lorelai nodded, and after Rory got her coat, they began to walk around the neighborhood. “See? It’s a nice neighborhood.”

“Yeah, very nice. Where’s the newspaper office?” Rory pointed across the street at the far corner.

“You wanna see?”

“Very much. Can we?”

“Of course. C’mon.” The building was small, five floors high, with the name of the paper in block letters outside. When they entered, Lorelai gasped. “Impressive, right?”

“No, I – oh, shit! Call Luke. I gotta sit down.” She staggered to a seat, ignoring the looks of the workers.

“Mom? What’s going on?”

“Oh, oh, damn! It’s two week early! How could I have not seen this coming? You were early, too! It’s why you’re so small and pretty.”

“Oh, no. I’ll call Luke. And I’ll get my car, I’ll drive you to the hospital in Hartford.”

“Okay.”

“Just…take deep breaths. I’m gonna go over there.” Rory left the area quickly, clearly as uncomfortable as when Sookie had given birth. Lorelai couldn’t help but laugh a little, ignoring the now persistent ache and instead thinking that she would go to the hospital, Luke would be there, an it would be okay. After a few minutes, Rory got in the elevator, and a little later she came out, helping Lorelai up. “I have the car downstairs. I called Luke, he’s going to meet us at the hospital. He says to tell you that he told you so, and that he loves you.” She smiled. That’s so Luke. When they reached the car, Rory forced her into the passenger seat with a great deal of maneuvering, and stretched the seat buckle over her.

“Thank god this ginormous belly is going away soon. I can’t deal with that.” It was about a forty minute drive to the hospital, and in that time she had two contractions, both very painful. Luckily she had done it all before, and it was a strange sense of déjà vu, doing this again. Somehow in the months that she had been pregnant, she hadn’t thought much of the giving birth part. Now it was staring her in the face.

When they reached the hospital, Luke was in the emergency room with an armful of stuff. They hadn’t had time to put together the traditional suitcase, because the baby was early. He gave her a light kiss in welcome, and a nurse brought over a wheelchair. Luke talked to the doctor over the phone, and then she was pushed to a single room. She looked over her shoulder at Rory.

“You coming in?” Rory bit her lip.

“Um…”

“You don’t have to, Ror.”

“No. I will. I’m coming.” And so the three of them sat in the room, making chit chat as Lorelai was hooked up to an IV and a monitor, and was changed into a robe. After her fourth contraction, Luke came to sit with her on the bed and rubbed her back, doing everything he read in those books she had snuck into his apartment when she thought he wasn’t looking. After a few hours, Rory went to find some coffee, and Luke slid his arms around her, massaging her neck and back.

“You okay?” he asked her, and she nodded slowly. “Scared?”

“A little. More than last time, because now I know what to expect. Time for the splits.”

“I’m sorry?”

“The splits. Over a case of dynamite. Oh, never mind,” she said irritably, and he patted her on the back, ignoring her snide remark. There was a knock on the door, and she looked up just as another contraction came – the second one in five minutes. She grabbed Luke’s hand, ignoring his pained expression, until it passed. The doctor checked her out, and then announced that she was nine centimeters dilated.

“Only one more to go!” he exclaimed happily, and she forced a smile in his direction, her breath catching as yet another contraction came.

“Distract me,” she told Luke, so he launched into a detailed account of how Kirk had decided to become a stock broker, and had wasted two hours of Luke’s day trying to buy stock in the diner, until he realized what stock brokers did, and left. She smiled weakly and squeezed her eyes shut as the contractions kept on coming. Just a minute after that one ended, another one began, and a nurse barged into the room and loaded her onto a gurney to be wheeled to the delivery room. Luke was handed a robe and gloves, and they passed Rory in the hall, who shouted out good luck while averting her eyes. Then they pushed open the doors to the delivery room, and it began.

After a lot of pain, screaming, and tears, the doctor placed Nathaniel Lucas Danes into her arms, after his birth at 5:32 pm, March 27th. Lorelai peeled back the blanket to see his big blue eyes, identical to hers in their shape, but with a hint of the blue-grey in Luke’s. A tuft of light brown hair stuck up from his soft head, and his bright red, contorted face eased into that of a peaceful angel as she planed a soft kiss on his forehead. She felt Luke’s presence behind her and looked up at him, surprised by a kiss. He ran a hand over her slightly damp hair, and then reached out tentatively with a hand to touch the baby. She laughed.

“Luke, it’s okay. He’s your son.”

“Yeah,” he said, stroking Nate’s cheek softly. “My son,” he repeated, as if trying on the words for size.

“You want to hold him?” He shook his head.

“You hold him for now. I’ll have an entire lifetime.” She nodded, and pulled Luke’s arm around her so that his hand cupped the baby’s head – after all, his head was about the size of Luke’s palm anyway. Lorelai let out a sigh, knowing that the hard part was over now. Soon, she would go home, and she and Luke would launch from the lovey-dovey phase to the parent’s mode, monitoring Nathaniel at all times. Then they would be married, and who knew? Maybe more kids were in the picture. They seemed to be working out pretty well for them so far.

She poked Nate’s nose, and then intertwined her fingers with Luke’s, her breath catching as the baby’s eyes pieced her own, almost a mirror image. They seemed to be saying, I know who you are, when you touch me.