Over the next few months, Rory's pregnancy progressed.  She finally had a nice, round baby belly by the beginning of June.  Between the doctor appointments and ultrasounds and his talk with Lorelai, Logan had calmed down considerably.  He had been reassured by doctors and Rory that she and the baby were fine and healthy.  He seemed to be believing their words and had relaxed in his overbearing ways.

The visits with Sarah and Sam had also helped.  Rory and Logan had a standing weekly date to go play with the baby.  Sarah loved the visits.   She was able to shower or take a brief nap with Brian.  Rory and Logan had gotten so comfortable with Sam that during the last play date, Brian and Sarah had gone out to lunch at Luke's, leaving Sam in their capable hands.  The system was working well for everyone.  One couple got practice and experience with a newborn while the other couple got an hour or two of freedom.

Every night, Logan would sit on the couch with Rory propped against him.  They would watch a movie or whatever happened to be on the television while Logan held a hand against her stomach.  Their baby was a very active one.  Every kick elicited the same amazed smile from Logan.  While he watched her belly for movement, Rory watched Logan's face and his wondrous expressions.  She felt so lucky to have such an attentive and caring man.  She knew he was going to be an amazing father.

It was her own capabilities that concerned Rory as the baby's arrival drew closer.  She was fairly sure, with all the help she would have, that she would be alright raising the baby.  But Rory was terrified of the birth.  She had blocked that part out for a long time.  At Logan's insistence, she finally read a few of the baby books he had collected.  What she read about giving birth scared the daylights out of Rory.

Lorelai tried to gently explain things to Rory and ease her fears.  But Rory remembered all too well the story her mother had told her every year on her birthday.  She was terrified of dynamite, ice chips, and the whole pending ordeal.  Her mother had done too good a job explaining the whole process every year.  It was etched into Rory's memory.  And it sounded awful.  Rory simply did not believe Lorelai's updated and tamer version of the events.

Instead of living in fear for the next two and half months, Rory decided to talk to Lane and really get details.  Lane already had two babies and was very close to having a third.  She figured it could not possibly be as bad as she was imagining or Lane would never have gotten pregnant again.  She hadn't voiced all her concerns to Logan.  He was so excited and seemed fine with everything.  Rory didn't want to worry him.  She thought talking to Lane was her best bet.

Lane and Rory were set to meet for lunch at Lane's house.    It was a the perfect day.  Zack was off with Gil working on a new song.  Inspiration had hit in the middle of the night.  One of the benefits of living so close was that when either of them got inspired, no matter the time, they could be working in minutes.  Lane didn't expect Zack back for some time.  The creative sessions usually lasted a full day or sometimes more.

Mrs. Kim and her sister had taken the boys to the new water park Taylor had opened in the town square.  The water park consisted of baby pools, a couple slip and slides, and sprinklers, but seemed to be a hit with all the little kids in the town.  Taylor had hired Kirk to lifeguard the activities.  He even managed to convince Luke to build a large lifeguard stand for Kirk to observe all the children.  Kirk eagerly came equipped with his own shiny, silver whistle on a bright red lanyard. The kids played in small water pools while Kirk baked in the sun.  It has become a game among the townspeople to see which spots Kirk forgot to put suntan lotion on that day. 

Rory knocked on Lane's door just after Mrs. Kim and her sister left with Steve and Kwan.  Rory and Lane had at least three peaceful hours to themselves.  Mrs. Kim couldn't even call and bother Lane because she refused to bring her cell phone after the last incident at the Stars Hollow Waterpark.  She had been quite upset when an overzealous five year old had slipped off the slip and slide and knocked her phone into the wading pool.

"It's open.  I'm fat and hot and miserable.  I'm not getting up,"  Rory heard Lane's voice from inside the house. 

"Well, I'm not exactly thin nowadays.  I think I might even have a little waddle going," Rory said as she flopped on the couch next to Lane.  "Has your house always been this far?"

"Ugh, everything is too far!  The bathroom is too far!  And I feel like I live in there lately!"  Lane complained. 

"At least you're almost done! I have to go through nearly the whole summer like this!"  Rory complained back.  "This thing is going to boil and overheat me.  Mom, Luke, and Logan were all sitting around the house in sweatshirts last night and begging me to turn up the AC."  Rory shook her head, "No way!  It is so hot!  I need the house comfortable.  I don't care if mom had to dig out her electric blanket."

Lane cracked a smile.  She giggled and said, "Did she really?"

Rory smiled back and said, "Yup. And, nope, I don't feel bad."

"Wait until you get to this stage when the little alien has completely taken over your body.  Your waddling hasn't even started yet!  Though I will admit, I am waddling a lot less than I did with Steve and Kwan.  God, I was a house with them.  One baby at a time is the way to go."

"I can't imagine two in there.  One is enough.  I am not sleeping right.  I am hungry all the time.  My feet are killing me," Rory complained again.

Lane nodded along with Rory's list of complaints.  Then she launched into her own. "You don't feel bad about the AC being set to 'arctic' in the house?  Well, I don't feel bad for sending Zack out for fried chicken at midnight.  And I really don't feel bad that he has to sneak it around the house and in the back door because Mama has a nose like a blood hound!"  Then Lane did her best impression of her mother, "Fried meat not proper sustenance for growing baby, Lane!  You need fruit and vegetables and bran, lots and lots and lots of bran!"  Lane made a face and disgusted sound, "I never want to see, much less eat, bran again!"

"You are getting really good at that!  Gives me an idea what you will sound like in thirty years," Rory laughed.  "Ugh, I am so thirsty from the walk over here.  I'm going to get a drink.  You want anything?"  Rory rolled herself to the side and began her attempt to get out of the couch.

"Sit tight.  I'll get it.  I have to make the long walk to the bathroom anyway.  It's been a whole hour since I peed last,"  Lane said sarcastically.

Lane rolled to the side and managed to get her feet under her.  She pushed herself off the couch and stood.   She sighed with the effort.  To Rory, she said, "What do you want?  We have every kind of juice imaginable-- apple, orange, grape, and pineapple.  And we have a variety of waters-- regular, sparkling, seltzer.  No soda or anything good.  Mama keeps inspecting the refrigerator and throwing out anything Zack sneaks in for me.  I am just not fast enough to stop her.  By the time I make it to the kitchen, she already has the sugary sweetness glugging down the drain."

"Hmmm...the pineapple juice sounds kind of good right now,"  Rory said.

"I mix it with the orange, pretty good,"  Lane said as she began to waddle away towards the bathroom.

"If you are mixing, I'll try one of those.  A pregnancy juice cocktail,"  Rory said giggling and settling back into the cushions. She looked around the room and noticed Lane and Zack had set up all the baby gear.  There was an electric swing in the corner with a handmade little blanket hung on the seat.  Next to it on the floor was a vibrating sling chair. 

Rory thought about all the gifts she received at her shower two weeks before.  As expected, Emily, Shira, and Lorelai had put on a spectacular party.  They even managed to keep it a secret from Rory.  She had thought she was going to lunch at the Huntzberger house.  Instead, she walked in to see about a hundred women of varying ages.  Rory was surprised that she had such a good time.  The food had been excellent.  The few baby games they played were tasteful and did not involve mystery diapers.  And she had scored a ton of things she would need for the baby.  Rory was very excited for the house to be complete so she could set up the nursery.  Tom promised her it wouldn't be long.  Rory had a couple months before her due date, but the desire to start setting up and preparing was getting strong.  According to the baby book, that was called nesting.  Rory just wanted everything in place and perfect for her baby.

"Ice?  I assume you want ice, right?"  Lane called from the kitchen.

Breaking herself from her thoughts, Rory called back, "Yes!  Nothing is cold enough!  Lots of ice!

She heard Lane laugh, then the clank of ice hitting a glass.  A few moments later, she heard Lane coming back towards the living room. "This is the last time I get up for at least an hour, next round is on you."

Rory smiled and said, "Deal."

Lane reached the couch and leaned towards Rory to hand her the drink.  Rory took the drink and tried a sip.  All of a sudden, Lane's eyes widened and she dropped her own glass.  Her hand flew to her stomach. 

Rory looked at her alarmed.  She said, "Lane?  Are you ok?"

"I think my water broke," Lane whispered.

"No, that's the juice cocktail.  Look, you dropped it.  I can clean it up.  Sit down,"  Rory said.

"That's the juice," Lane said pointing to a wet area near the glass.  She pointed to her shorts and leg and said, "That's my water."

Rory went a little pale.  She struggled out of the couch and said, "Oh God.  Ok.  What do we do?  I should call someone, right?  Zack.  I should call Zack."

Lane doubled over and held the arm of the couch. "Oh!  Wow!  Rory, this is coming on fast!"

"Sit.  Maybe you should sit,"  Rory said nearly panicking.  She was digging in her pocket for her phone.  "I found it!  I am going to call Zack."

Lane lowered herself on to the couch and nodded.  Within a few minutes, she was holding her stomach and groaning again.  Rory held the phone to her ear willing Zack to answer.  When she got his voice mail, she cursed and shouted a quick message for him to call her.  Then she tried Gil's number.  When she got the same result, she really began to panic.  Rory looked at Lane and said, "No one is answering!  They aren't answering!"

"Writing.  They are writing, don't like to be disturbed.  They probably have their ringers off,"  Lane said.  Obviously uncomfortable, she said, "It's too fast.  I heard second kids were fast.  This one is technically my third, but second time in labor.  Try Mama.  Maybe she took her phone."

Rory frantically began scrolling for Mrs. Kim's number.  She found it and hit the call button.  The girls heard a ringing in the kitchen. 

"Shit!  She did mention charging it while they were gone,"  Lane said as she was gripped by another contraction.  "Rory... I have to get to the hospital!"

"My mom!  I'll call my mom!"  Rory said.  She hit a couple buttons.  When Lorelai answered, Rory said in a fast high pitched clip, " Mom!  Get here!  Lane is in labor!  The baby is coming!"  Rory paused as she listened, then said, "Ok, ok, but hurry!"

When she hung up, she looked at Lane and said, "Mom is on the way.  She said to boil water and gather newspapers."

With the contraction subsiding, Lane looked at Rory incredulously and said, "What?"

"I don't know.  Where do you keep the kettle?  And newspaper is in the recycle bin, right?"  Rory said frantically.

Lane started laughing, "Rory!  I am fairly sure she was joking!"

"I should get blankets and stuff..."  Rory said pacing the room.

Lorelai barged in the door.  She headed immediately to Lane.  She said, "How are you doing?  Luckily I was pretty much across the street."  Taking note of the situation and the obvious fact that Lane was in labor, she said,  "How about we get you to the hospital?"

"I haven't boiled water yet.  And we have no newspaper!"  Rory said.

Lorelai looked at her panicking daughter and her daughter's friend who was in labor and tried not to laugh.  She said, "That's alright.  They will have it at the hospital.  Can you just help me get Lane to the car?"