Chapter 5

                                    

                                          
Finn returned, as promised, in an hour to pick Rory up for a road trip to Stars Hollow.  He opened the car door, allowing Rory to get in.  He closed the door behind her and walked to his side of the car.  He pulled away from her house.
                          
"I'm truly sorry you have to go through this all alone," he started.
                          
"I'm not alone, Finn.  I've got my mom, Grandma, Lane, Paris," she replied.
                          
"What I meant was going through this without a partner, someone to share the duties, responsibilities," he explained.
                          
"My mom raised me alone, and she was half my age.  I'd like to think that I'm as strong as she was.  I'm already in a better position that she was, as I've got my own home, a job, and some financial help, despite my reluctance to accept it," she countered.
                          
"Why the reluctance?  Logan should hold some sort of responsibility in all of this!  He's got the means to do so."
                          
"I know, and that's why I've accepted it.  I just don't want to be overly dependent on him.  It hurts the pride a little to accept the help," she said with a disappointed look.  He hated seeing her hurt.
                          
"It's ok, Love.  I promise not to think any less of you!" he replied.
                          
He took her hand and gave it a little squeeze.  She gave him a smile and put her other hand on top of his hand.  He wondered how long she was going to hold on with both hands, but she seemed lost in thought.
                          
Rory just stared out the window, watching the road in front of the car.  It was coming at her quicker and quicker.  It felt like a metaphor for her life, even though she knew where this road went.  Eventually, it would lead to somewhere she'd never been.  Though Finn wouldn't admit it out loud, he was enjoying Rory holding his hand.  She had been so lost in thought that she hadn't noticed the sappy smile he had on his face while holding her hand.
                          
Suddenly, she felt something fluttering inside of her stomach.  She pulled her hands away from Finn's, and put them on her small, but growing, bump.  She tried to feel what was going on, but it wasn't felt at the surface.
                          
"Are you ok, Love?" he asked worriedly.
                          
"Yes, I just felt something," she replied.  Her hands still feeling around her mid-section.
                          
"Are you sure everything is ok?  Is it something with the baby?" he replied not convinced she was ok.
                          
"Really, Finn.  I think I may have felt the baby moving," she said looking down with a smile.
                          
"Darling, you nearly scared me half to death," he replied with relief.
                          
"I just can't feel it from the outside, or I'd let you feel the baby move, too!"
                          
Finn was at a loss.  He didn't know how to respond to that.  It seemed like a very intimate moment to share with just a friend, he thought.
                          
The remainder of the drive was quiet.  Rory stared out the window, gently stroking her stomach, and smiling.  Finn concentrated on driving.  About ten minutes later, they pulled into the snow-covered postcard known to many as Stars Hollow.  Rory directed Finn to Luke's.  They went inside and sat at a table by the window.
                          
"Did I know you were coming?" Luke said after he came to their table.
                          
"Nope!  Just a little spur of the moment road trip for one of your famous burgers," she replied with a huge grin.  She could practically taste the food already.
                          
"Who's your friend, Rory?" Miss Patty asked.  She always asked the questions everyone else wanted to ask.  All eyes and ears were on Rory and her good-looking friend.