The first little part comes from Season 2 episode 12 - Richard in Stars Hollow. Just a little something that came to mind. I own nothing but the plot. Takes place about 4 years after season 7.

"Nice picture." A smirking Jess stated coming to a stop by Rory.

"Gee, thanks." Rory replied sarcastically.

"You're very popular right now. I bet if you burn a few books, they'll probably make you mayor." Jess joked.

"This is ridiculous."

"I don't know, bet you have a lot of supporters on this. Pat Buchanon, Jerry Falwell, Kathie Lee Gifford." Jess was having fun annoying her.

"Bye." Rory stated giving him a glare.

"Aw, come on, it's a little funny." Jess tried stuffing his hands in his pockets further.

"No, being the poster girl for censorship is not a little funny. The only videos not behind that curtain are Bambi and Dumbo. I mean, they actually had a meeting earlier about whether or not Babe should be behind the curtain so as not to offend people who keep kosher." Rory ranted.

"It's a crazy world we live in."

"And where did they even find that stupid picture?" The huge picture on display freaked her out. Surely they could have found a better one of her. Or better yet they didn't need a picture of her.

"Oh no, the picture's good. It's the people who are stupid." Jess replied glancing at the picture.

"I'm never gonna be able to leave my house again."

"Well, at least you won't starve." Jess remarked seeing the bags of food Rory had.

"I can't look at it anymore." Rory huffed.

"Relax. I don't think it'll be around very long." Jess stated matter of factly his smirk staying in place.

"Why?" Rory questioned getting scared.

"Just a guess." Jess replied walking backwards.

"Jess!" Rory shouted.

"Enjoy the food." He called out with a small chuckle.

"Come back here." Rory demanded.

"Why?"

"I'll give you an egg roll." Rory stated getting Jess to take a few steps closer to her.

"Yes?" Jess inquired.

"What did you do?" Rory asked once again.

"Nothing much. Just wanted to make sure whoever rented Dumbo or Bambi gets a little surprise." He shrugged acting as if it was no big deal.

"What kind of surprise? What did you do?" Rory asked a mix of amused and concern.

"You owe me an egg roll." Jess replied walking off a smile replacing his smirk.

Driving through the night she realized one thing. She'd gone crazy. All over one stupid egg roll. The last she saw of him was the night she picked Logan over him. She thought she was in love with Logan. She loved the idea of being in love with Logan. He had pushed her limits making her do things no guy before had. All except one. Logan did make her happy, just not happy enough to marry him. Looking back Logan had also changed her into someone she didn't wanna be. She wanted to live her life her way for once. Now she was driving to Philly. To see the man she never fell out of love with and that thought alone still freaked her out, right to her core. No one stood in her way unless he was in a relationship. He couldn't have moved on? Of course he did Rory, he wasn't going to spend the last 3 years pining after you. With the thoughts of him being with another woman, she had to see him. She needed to do this.

On all the nights to order Chinese and read her collection of Jess Mariano books, it had to be now, both of them mixed together. Good memories along with the bad flooded in. The one thing that stuck out because of the egg roll in hand, she still owed him one.

Getting into Philly the first thing she did was get a hotel room for the night. She needed sleep before she tried to figure out the rest. The drive had worn her down, her mind was still reeling with the fact Jess might not still love her. But telling him her feelings was something she needed to do.

Morning came fast and Rory found herself at a café on her second cup of coffee. The most logical thing to do would be to go to Truncheon and see him but she couldn't force herself to leave the chair she took residency in. The furthest she ever found herself going was to the counter to get a fresh cup of coffee. Seeing the man who walked through the door had panic setting in. She wasn't ready for this.

Jess threw his pen down. He was in no mood to deal with Matt and Chris fighting over the new book display. Sending his friends a glare he shrugged his jacket on. The last few months he had been in a mood. His friends tried to get him to open up but he only closed up more. Truth be told he wasn't entirely sure why he was so mad at the world for. Well other than Rory Gilmore invading his thoughts. He was trying to write another book and every time he sat down to write Rory was all he could think about. He couldn't write yet another book about her. He could but it would stay unpublished like the last one.

"Where are you going?" Matt asked stopping his disagreement with Chris.

"Out." Jess called over his shoulder. With no where in mind to go he walked into a café 2 blocks away. Paying for his coffee he looked around spotting a certain brunette. Rory? It couldn't be her? The last he had heard she worked for the New York Times. She couldn't be here in Philly. With his brown eyes meeting her blue eyes he was certain it was Rory. He hadn't thought about her in months now. Before that was a year. He tried to move on. Planned on getting married but the second Luke told him Rory was in New York. From what he heard she had refused Blond dick's proposal. It gave him hope. There was no one like Rory Gilmore. She still had his heart. He couldn't just show up in her life, not again. Mostly because he didn't know where she lived. He wasn't going to make a scene at the Times.

"Jess?" Rory questioned. He looked mostly the same as the last time she had seen him. Except now his hair was a bit longer and he had some facial hair. He looked good.

"Rory." Jess acknowledged sitting down. "What are you doing here?" He was happy she was here. Surprised but happy none the less.

"To see you." She chewed on her lip waiting for his reply. That certainly took him off guard.

"Huh"

"I was reading your books." She admitted making herself blush. The pink tint hadn't went unnoticed by a now smirking Jess. "And I was eating egg rolls and I remembered I still owe you one for making my picture vanish." Finishing she took a giant gulp of her coffee.

"Huh." Jess replied thinking back to that night. "I never did get that egg roll. You could've came down tomorrow. You're gonna miss work."

"It couldn't wait Jess." If she had waited another day she would have never made it to Philly to see him. And this was something she needed to do even if she was using an egg roll as her excuse.

"First you skip school to see me in New York and now you skip work to see me in Philly. I'm impressed Gilmore."

"As you should be."

"I need to get back to work but," Jess paused to jot down an address. "Meet me here for that egg roll." Jess pushed the paper across the table. "At 7." Rory smiled taking the paper in her fingers.

"See you then Jess."

Jess headed back to work with a grin plastered on his face. Things were starting to look up or so he thought. As for Rory she finished her coffee and started to panic. What was she going to wear? She had only threw in a few pairs of jeans and shirts nothing nice enough for tonight. Rory headed out to find a store.

"We have never seen you this excited and happy. Why can't you tell us her name?" Matt asked with a whine to his voice.

"You both need a new hobby." Jess replied finishing off his hair. All he told his friends and roommates was he was going to catch up with an old friend. They got that Jess was meeting a woman but he refused to tell them it was Rory.

"We can't help but worry Jess. Especially after what she did to you." Chris stated emphasizing you.

"I'm over it, so should you guys." Jess was already annoyed with his friends. They couldn't know he was meeting up with Rory.

"We had to watch you as this hollow shell of a man Jess. We can't get over it and deep-down you're not either." Matt yelled. Jess went to speak but instead turned on his heel and walked out. He couldn't let them bring his mood down. Rory hurt him years ago but he had done the same to her. They had to be on a fair playing field by now. The past was the past and now they could start over. As friends.

Rory wanted to be early, but not knowing her way around the city she happened to get to the place the same time Jess had. They shared a smile. Jess held the door open motioning Rory to enter first.

"How have you been Jess?" Rory asked once they had their food in front of them.

"Not bad. You?" Jess asked digging in. Small talk was the best after all. Neither one saw the point in bring up heavier subjects. They both wanted answers for certain things but now wasn't the time for that.

"Nat bad either." Rory smiled. They made small talk all through dinner and dessert. They talked about work, books, music and the up coming wedding.

"I see you can still eat." Jess smirked pulling out his wallet to pay the bill.

"That has never changed. Jess I owed you remember?" Rory asked putting her hand on his.

"I guess after tonight you still have a debt to pay Gilmore." Jess smirked forgetting about the burning sensation that spread through his body at Rory's simple touch. Rory smiled at this happy to have another reason to meet up with Jess again.

"I wont take as long to pay it off this time." She smiled. Jess paid and they made their way outside. Rory had walked to the restaurant since it was a few blocks from the hotel she was staying at. "Luke really wants you to be his best man huh?" Rory asked walking next to Jess.

"He really does. And after everything, standing by him up their only seems right, ya know?" Rory could only nod. She knew he changed and did something with his life but she didn't just how much he had changed. "Why have they waited 4 years to get married?"

"The Inn, the diner. Mom wanted to work around me being on the road covering Obama's campaign. Other things happened like the twins. And now is the perfect time for it." Rory replied. "Before the twins were born they eloped but mom felt bad that she wasn't able to share her special day with friends and family."

"They're 2 right?" Jess asked. He saw them after they born. Now all he saw of them was pictures that Luke would send. He always said he would go back to visit and see them but he could never find the time to do so.

"Yep. They're so cute." Rory gushed.

"I bet." Jess replied with half a sigh. Rory felt it would be best if she changed the topic back to the wedding and off babies. Their was something bothering Jess but Rory wouldn't push him on it. Instead she was going to stay clear of it.

"You sure you wanna be seen dancing with me?" Rory asked looking straight ahead a grin plastered on her face. It was something about Jess that made her feel like she was 17 all over again.

"Who says I don't have a date?" Jess remarked stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Oh. I didn't know, I thought." Rory stopped talking she already felt bad enough for assuming his was single. Jess was a good-looking man, anyone would be lucky to have him. She had lost out on that chance long ago.

"I don't have a date Ror. I've been single for some time now." Rory felt relieved hearing that. "We could always go together, leave together. Keep Luke and your mom guessing. That'd be fun." Rory laughed gently pushing him.

"The look on their faces when they see us walk in together would be priceless. If you really want to go together Jess, I wouldn't be against it."

"It's a date than." Jess smirked. They walked the next block and a half in silence. Both their minds whirling around at what they just agreed to.

"This is me." Rory spoke up breaking the silence. "Give me your phone." Rory demanded holding her hand out waiting for Jess to pull his phone out. "I still can't believe you broke down and got a cell." Rory replied a smile playing on his lips.

"Had to with work and all." Jess replied looking around.

"Call me this time Jess." Rory told him handing his phone back. Jess nodded. Rory kissed his cheek opening the door to her hotel room. "Goodnight Jess. I had fun tonight."

"Night Ror. I did too." Jess smiled walking away. This time he'd call her. He wasn't going to mess things up this time.