So, this has to be dedicated to the lovely Kàra, LadyOfVictoryRising. She pretty much demanded this. So I hope you enjoy! I dunno if I like it, I find it hard to get in Rory's head. I'm more of a Lorelai if I'm being honest.

You've Been Fackelmayer'd

"Mariano." I start to unbutton my coat, and looking up at Jess I give him a small smile. I glance away and spy the coat check and I hand my coat over, slipping the ticket in my purse. Jess reaches for my hand to follow the hostess but he doesn't move, causing me to stare up at him.

"Wait, what? Rest of...I booked a table for two."

I tilt my head to the left and watch as the redhead scans the book in front of her. "It was changed to a table of four this afternoon." She turns her head to the left and both Jess and I follow her line of sight. A couple, a blonde woman and a man with a mop of hair very like Jess', sit there.

"Shit." Jess squeezes his eyes shut. "I knew she was up to something."

"Jess?" I place my hand on his elbow, still looking at the couple. "Is that your..." I trail off. I know who they are.

"Parents." Jess sighs, confirming what I had guessed. "Yeah, that's mom and dad. I'm sorry. I should have known. Bee told my mom we were having dinner here. Sorry again." He smiles and reaches down to take my hand.

"No." I pull out of his reach. "I can't meet your parents." Instinctively I pull the neckline of my dress up.

"What? Why? I've met your mom."

"Yes." I try to smile. "And want to meet them, but not tonight."

"What's going on?"

I glance back at his parents. They haven't seen us. "Can't we just bail? They'll never know."

Jess gives me a funny look, and tell me that he's not going to bail.

"I'm not wearing the right thing." I blurt out.

Jess places his hand at my elbow and smirks at me. "Trust me, you are." He says in an undertone, sending shivers down my spine.

"Be serious." I sigh, running my hand through my hair, trying to find a way to articulate a way to explain how wrong this dress is. "This isn't a dress to meet your boyfriend's parents in. It doesn't say 'Hi, nice to meet you, I'm going to be so good for son.' It says 'Hey, you know you can have sex with me later'."

Jess grins. "I can have sex with you later?

Letting out a grunt of frustration, I snap my fingers at him. "Focus. Please."

"I'm trying but your dress keeps talking to me."

"Jess!"

"It's too late. They've spotted us."

"What?" I turn around just as Elizabeth reaches us.

"You two planning on standing by the door all evening?" She smiles. "Hi hunny." She kisses Jess on the cheek, while I fiddle with my dress, pulling it up again. "And this must be Rory."

"Hi, nice to meet you."I smile as Jess' mom slips her arm through mine and leads me to the table.

"James, this is Jess' date, Rory."

"Oh." James stand and offers his hand. I give him a quick smile and nod of the head as I take his hand. "Nice to meet you, I thought we were only meeting Jess for dinner."

"Yeah, well, we didn't know we were meeting you or mom at all." Jess smirks, pulling out my chair. I flash him a smile as I sit down, again checking my very low cut dress.

"So, you win." James laughs before offering us wine, which both Jess and I take. "So, Lizzie, covert ops now, huh?" James grins at his wife.

"Don't call me Lizzie, Jimmy." Elizabeth tells him, smiling at me. "And no covert ops. I just wanted to spend some time with my son. And if I get to meet this beautiful girl he's been spending time with, all the better. So, Rory. Where are you from?"

"Connecticut." I set down my wine glass. "Stars Hollow."

Elizabeth nods her head in recognition telling me she's been to the Dragonfly Inn, asking me if I know it.

"Yeah," I find myself smiling easily, "My mom owns that inn."

"Your mom? So you're Lorelai's daughter."

"You know my mom?" I smile, knowing it's not easy to forget my mom once you've met her.

"Well, your grandmother. I've been to the inn for DAR functions."

"Oh." I feel my face drop suddenly, but quickly try to recover. "You're in the DAR with my grandma? Small world."

"Isn't it?" Elizabeth smiles. "James, this is Richard Gilmore's granddaughter."

"Oh, you're grandfather told me all about you."

I give him a wide smile as I tell him that I've heard about him too.

"How is he?" Jess speaks up, his hand coming to rest on my thigh, the heat of his palm radiating through the chiffon of my skirt.

"Better." I breath out, glancing up at him. "He's getting home on Friday."

"We heard about the surgery. Send him our wishes?" Elizabeth asks as the waiter arrived to take our order.

"Everyone ready?"

I realise I haven't looked the menu, distracted by both Jess and his unnerving glances and his parents and my dress. I glance around the menu, unable to take in any of the dishes. I hear Elizabeth order chicken and James a steak. I helplessly try to find something to order as Jess asks for the cannelloni.

"Miss?" The waiter smiles down at me expectantly.

"Ahh. Same." I point to Jess. "Cannelloni, right?"

"Excellent." The waiter makes a note and turns to leave.

Elizabeth smiles over at me and I get the feeling she's about to ask me something. "Will you excuse me?" I stand up, my chair scraping along the tiled floor. "I need to use the restroom." I grab my purse and head off before realising I have no idea where the restroom is. I spot a waitress and stop her. "Restrooms?"

She gives me an odd look. "Just there." She points directly to her left.

"Thanks." I feel my cheeks going red and duck past her into the obviously marked and located bathroom. I glance in the mirror and once again attempt to raise the neckline of my dress. "Why did I ever buy this thing?" I mutter, pulling my phone out of my purse and hitting 'two' on the speed-dial.

"Going that badly, huh?" Katie's voice comes over the receiver.

"His parents are here." I exclaim.

"Hold on, I'm putting you on speaker. Okay, we're here. Now, what was that about his parents?"

"They're here."

"At the same restaurant?" Katie's using that voice she uses to calm me down.

"At our table!" My voice gets higher.

I hear April's distinctive laugh. "Dude, you've been Facklemeyer'd!"

I stop pacing. "I'm sorry what?"

"Facklemeyer'd." April repeats. "In 'The City'? Whitney goes on a date with Freddie Facklemeyer and he brings his dad along."

"Oh...kay." I shake your head, not having a clue what she is talking about. "But I don't think Jess brought his parents. And his dad was clueless to the fact I was gonna be here. I think his mom orchestrated the whole thing. Which isn't all that shocking."

Katie coughs before asking, "Why isn't it shocking?"

"She's in the DAR with my grandma." I lean my head against the hand dryer.

"A friend of Emily? Ouch." I hear April laugh.

"This isn't funny." I try to protest.

"Rory, calm down. Parents love you." Katie tells me.

"Yes, they do." I nod, stepping back in front of the mirror. "In parent appropriate clothing."

"Oh, God. The dress!" I have a feeling Katie's jaw just dropped.

"Exactly!"

"Well, we know Jess loved it, his eyes completely bugged out of his head when he saw you earlier."

"That doesn't help me April. Jess was meant to like the dress!"

"His dad probably doesn't mind it either!" Katie laughs and I screw up my face in frustration.

"Really not helping!"

"Well, I dunno," Katie sighs, "Did his mom give you a patented Emily Gilmore-esque look of disapproval when she saw the dress?"

"No." I tell her.

"Then you're fine. If she's in the DAR and friends with your grandmother, she would have made it painfully obvious that she hated the dress. I wouldn't sweat it."

I start to protest but Katie interrupts me. "Gilmore, get the hell back out there. Seriously, you've been on the phone way to long, they'll be wondering where you are. Besides, Heath is about to sing."

"Fine." I sigh, "See you-"

"Later!" Both call over the phone and the line disconnects a second after. Putting the phone back in my purse, I glance back up at my reflection. I readjust the neckline and with a determined nod of the head, I turn to re-join the table.

"How's Katie?" Jess asks in an undertone as I take my seat beside him.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I smile over at him, before turning back to his parents. "Sorry there was a que."

"No problem." James smiles. "So, Rory, you're in publishing too?" He asks and I nod.

"Bryman's."

"Jess had an internship there."

"Yeah, he mentioned that." I smile over at Jess, "But apparently working for the man wasn't in Jess' plan."

I see him smirk out of the corner if my eye. "I never did well with authority." He shrugs.

"I never would have guessed." Elizabeth rolls her eyes. "All those meetings with Charleston weren't a big enough clue."

"In trouble with the principle?" I grin, shaking my head, making a 'tutting' with my tongue.

"And you were never called into the office?" He smirks.

"Once, Paris tried to impeach me and we had a massive blowout during Student Council. Then we had a 'Shut up! No, you shut up!' fight in front of Charleston."

"Charleston?" James' voice startles me. I'd forgotten his parents were there.

"Yeah." I breath and try to regain my composure. "Chilton alumna, Sir."

"A girl who knows her Latin." James smiles. "And none of this 'Sir'. Call me James."

"Okay." I nod.

"Did you two know each other in high school?"

"No dad. Rory was two years behind me."

"So the Paris you mentioned was the infamous Paris Gellar?" James laughs. I nod and he continues. "She's like a pit-bull."

"James." Elizabeth scolds her husband. "She wasn't that bad. She did force Jess to pick a career. Without her, he might still be at Harvard trying to figure out his life."

"Mom." Jess sort of whines and I bite back a laugh. "Paris picked your career?"

"No. She forced me into the career's office. She read out a leaflet. She did not pick my career."

"Okay." I grin at him.

"You're enjoying this?"

"A little." I shrug one shoulder and reach out to lift my wine glass as our meals arrive.

"Rory, your grandfather mentioned that you went to Yale?" James asks as the waiter leaves.

"I did." I nod before taking a sip.

I set my glass down as Elizabeth smiles. "That's right, I remember Emily telling me you dated the youngest Hunztberger." The mention of Logan catches me by surprise and I misjudge the space on the table. My wine glass hits the edge of my plate, tipping the glass over, spilling the wine over the tablecloth.

"Oh, God!" I jump up and try to mop up the excess liquid with my nakpin. "Sorry. I'm such an idiot."

"Rory." I feel Jess' hand on my shoulder. "Calm down. It's fine."

"It's not."

"It's just some wine. Relax."

I stop and let out a shaky breath, glancing over at him. "But..."

"Sit down." He smiles, moving his hand so his knuckles brush down my arm. I nod and do as he says.

"Sorry." I tell his parents, my cheeks red from embarrassment. They brush it off and tell me not to worry.

"So, you dated Logan Huntzberger?" I can hear the grin in Jess' voice. Looking over at him, I nod.

"You know him?"

"From elementary school. Met him at a few parties in high school and college. Always struck me as a bit of a dick."

"Jess! Language!" Elizabeth chastises him.

He ignores her, his gaze steady on me. "How long did you-?"

I tuck my hair behind my ear and exhale a long breath. "Three years."

"What happened?"

"He proposed." I tell him honestly. "But I wasn't ready to get married so he broke up with me."My eyes leave his and I focus on my hands.

"I always knew he was an idiot." I glance up and Jess is smiling at me. "We all have a past, Ror. Don't worry about it."

I nod once and turn back to his parents. "I'm betting you know the Huntzbergers too, huh?"

"Yes." Elizabeth nods. "From what I remember, Shira was quite thrilled when you two broke up."

"Mom." Jess warns.

"Jess, I'm just trying to say that I've always suspected Shira Hunztberger of being an idiot, and this confirms it. I think Rory's wonderful."

"Thank you." I feel myself blush again with her compliment and Jess hand giving my knee an encouraging squeeze. "So, James? Architecture? That must be interesting. Any favourite buildings?"

"Please don't start him." Elizabeth rolls her eyes.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"No." Jess pats my thigh. "But you're now going to get a full history of The Dakota Building."

"Where John Lennon was killed?" I ask, grinning.

"Have I mentioned I like her?" James laughs, pouring more wine into my glass. "Well The Dakota building was finished in 1884 after four years of construction."

"It was great meeting you Rory." James tells me, as Jess gets my coat from the check.

"You too. I now know a lot more about The Dakota than John Lennon."

Elizabeth appears at her husband's side and give me a bright smile. "You won't be a stranger, will you Rory?"

"No." I feel Jess' hand on the small of my back and I look back at him.

"Ready?"

"Yeah. It was nice meeting you both."

Elizabeth nods as James collects his car keys from the valet and gets into the driving seat. "You too. And Rory? Can I say, I love that dress."

"What?"

"I think it's stunning."

"Thanks." I laugh, readjusting the neckline that caused me so much grief.

"Bye hunny." Elizabeth kisses Jess cheek and then turns to get in the car.

"Told you what you were wearing was fine." Jess smirks, holding out my coat for me. "Back to mine for a nightcap?"

"Yeah, I think I deserve one." I laugh, lacing our fingers together. He steps towards the street to hail a cab, but I pull him back. "Can we walk?"

"Sure." He gives my hand a squeeze and then heads off to his left.

Walking through the city, hand in hand feels so...perfect, I don't want it to end. I glance up at him and he gives me a small smile, pulling me closer and wrapping his arm around my waist.

Okay, so maybe making it to his place would have it's benefits.

As I said, I dunno what I think of this. Review and let me know what you think!