Missing Pieces

Chapter 41: Everything is perfect...or is it?

"I'm going to miss you two so much," Rory whispered as she snuggled further into Finn's arms.  They were standing in the Chilton parking lot where Rory's senior newspaper students were all gathered to leave for a week-long trip to Chicago to intern at the Chicago Sun-Times in a groundbreaking new program designed to foster a love of journalism in America's most promising upcoming talent.  Rory, Finn, and Emma had just returned from their weeklong family honeymoon at Disney World, and Rory was devastated to be leaving them for a week now.  The bright side was that she had an appointment with an OB/GYN for her first ultrasound and prenatal check a few days after she returned from Chicago, and they were all excited to see new little Baby Morgan.  Emma's adoption had been pushed through quickly and quietly while they were in Florida, much to their delight, and Rory took great comfort in knowing that she was leaving Emma with her legal father while she was gone.  Life really was perfect.

"You'll be home before you know it, Love.  Em and I will miss you too, but everything will be fine," Finn reassured her quietly.  Rory wasn't generally terribly clingy, but she was having a great deal of anxiety over leaving for a week.  Finn had spent a lot of time reassuring her in hopes of easing her concerns.

"Daddy's right, Mommy.  We'll miss you, but we'll have fun together while you're gone," Emma piped up sweetly. 

Rory chuckled and ruffled Emma's hair.  "I know you will, baby girl.  Mommy's just going to miss you two.  As much as I'd love to stand here with my loves all day, I'd better get everyone gathered up and on and bus."

"You go and get all of your ducks in a row and we'll wait here to say goodbye right before you pull out," Finn encouraged her.

Rory kissed them both and walked over to her students to take roll and give last-minute instructions.  After all of the last-minute details had been tended to, her students boarded the bus.  She turned toward Finn and Emma one more time, and after an emotional goodbye she joined her students and settled in for the 14-hour drive, which was filled with laughter, jokes, music, and heated debates over current events, politics, and journalism. 

Rory was absolutely exhausted when they finally arrived - the first trimester was certainly taking its toll on her - and she sighed in relief when they were finally all checked in and everyone was in their rooms for the night.  She locked the door to her hotel room behind her, kicked off her shoes, and picked up her phone to call home.  Emma wasn't overly-talkative, which was unusual for her, but Rory chalked it up to being tired from having such a busy last few weeks between the wedding and the honeymoon.  Soothed by hearing her husband's voice, she finally rolled over and fell asleep while dreaming of being cuddled up next to Finn.

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"Daddy?  My head feels funny and I'm really cold," Emma whispered softly to Finn as they watched her favorite movie - Alice in Wonderland - together on the couch.

Finn shifted so that he could see Emma better and immediately noticed that her breathing was labored and she looked exhausted.  She'd barely eaten anything all day long, but he'd dismissed it as being normal for her as she would have days when she would eat everything in sight and other days when she barely quit moving long enough to eat.  He warmed his hands and placed the back of his hand on her forehead, immediately noticing that she was burning up to the touch and her skin was clammy. 

"I'm going to grab the thermometer and I'll be right back, Little Love," Finn reassured her.  He walked quickly to the bathroom, his mind swimming with possibilities - none of them good - as he remembered what Rory had told him when he'd first found out about Emma's previous cancer treatments and remission.  He returned to the living room and took her temperature quickly, wincing when he saw that it was 104.