Come Back...Be Here (Gilmore Girls Post-AYITL)

Chapter 4

"Hey loin fruit we're home" Lorelai shouted as she walked into the house. Luke was right behind her dragging in the suitcases. "Where's Paul Anka? Where's my baby? Awww there he is!" Lorelai crouched down rubbing her four-legged friend all over.

"Hey mom, Luke, how was the trip?" Rory smiled, happy to have Lorelai back in Stars Hollow once again.

"Oh it was wonderful, you can say a lot of things about my mother but she does have fantastic taste and very high standards. She also seems to know which hotels all the hot young Italian men are working at but we'll say no more about that" Lorelai said with a wink.

Rory smiled – at the wedding reception her grandma had surprised everyone by announcing that she had arranged a honeymoon for Lorelai and Luke. Grandma had always been generous but given the rocky start she had got off to with Luke and her strained relationship with Lorelai over the years, well it seemed an extra special gesture.

"We visited so many places – Florence was amazing - the Piazza del Duomo, Ponte Vecchio and the Vasari corridor, the Uffizi and what was that other place Luke, the one with the big naked statue?"

"I don't know Lorelai, there were a lot of big naked statues in Italy," Luke said sounding more than a little exasperated. Rory laughed, a week in close quarters with her mother could totally do that to you.

"Do you mean Michelangelo's 'David' mom?"

"That's it, that's the one. We went to see the statue at the Galleria dell'Accademia and let me tell you. That thing was NOT anatomically correct if you know what I am saying" Lorelai joked while Luke rolled his eyes.

"Rory, we're going to order some Chinese food – are you hungry?" Luke asked.

"Definitely" she responded. "It will be good to sit down and..." Rory caught Lorelai's eye "...catch up."

Lorelai took a deep breath. I wonder if Rory has told the father yet she thought. Lorelai looked at her daughter across the room. Lately, the sparkle had disappeared from her daughter's blue eyes and she couldn't help but wonder when it would come back.

--

Sitting around the dinner table again with Luke and Rory, Lorelai was definitely in her happy place. Sure a week in one of Italy's finest cities was a complete luxury but for Lorelai this was what it was all about. Spending time with the people she loved the most. Sharing jokes, trading insults. It was all part of the fun of the family live she loved so much. Lorelai looked over at Rory as she was enjoying her orange chicken. She'd thought about her a lot while she was away and it had been really hard not to explain to Luke but Rory had asked her not to say anything and so she kept her promise.

"Luke" Rory set down her chopsticks "I need to talk to you about something".

"Ok, Rory. This sounds serious, are you alright?" He asked shooting a puzzled look at Lorelai who offered him little more than a slight nod and an uneasy smile back. She knew what was coming but she wasn't sure how Luke would take it.  Lorelai was nervous and started to busy herself tidying away the Chinese cartons.

"Mom! Stop" Rory begged.  Lorelai sat down immediately at the table which made Rory smile on the inside - when did she ever do what she was told? Even in the current situation it was hard to suppress a giggle.

"It is serious I guess. I mean I am fine but, well, god I don't know how to say this." Rory stumbled over her words "I'm pregnant".

"What!" Luke exclaimed jumping up and looking straight at Lorelai "You knew about this and didn't tell me? How long have you known?"

Rory jumped in before Lorelai had a chance to defend herself "Don't be mad at mom Luke, I asked her not to say anything, I wasn't ready". Luke slowly sat back down at the table. "I'm just a little over seven weeks I guess. I'd only just found out myself and I needed to work through a few things but I'm ready to talk about it now."