A/N: I've been writing a lot of Harry Potter Fanfic lately. I needed something different to break my writer's block. I am seriously stuck on words for Safe at Last. I know what I want to have happen, but the words will not come. The same with Draco Malfoy, A Life. I have that story planned out for a long time, but the words for the next chapter are not coming. So I thought, why don't I write something for Gilmore Girls? I don't see this as a long fic. Maybe ten to twelve chapters. I have it planned out to be ten chapters, but it could go a bit longer. I hope you like my little trip back into Stars Hollow.

On another note, this story happens two years after season 7 ends. It completely ignores Gilmore Girls: A Year In the Life from Netflix. I was disappointed in those four episodes. While I love the characters, I felt the story was weak and could have been handled differently. There are adorable parts in those episodes, but overall, they were disappointing.

Please read and review!

It had been two long years since I had been home in Stars Hollow for longer than a few days. Two long years since my mother put me on the airplane to start my first real job as a journalist covering the presidential campaign. I stepped off the bus, having taken it from the airport. I wanted to surprise mom with my arrival. She expected me in three days. Just a little fib to see the surprise on her and Luke's face when I walk into the house.

I had taken the latest bus possible, in the hopes that most of the town would be home when I arrived. I didn't want my surprise to be blown from lack of planning. Part of the plan was the hoodie I had put on that morning under my pea-coat. It wasn't foolproof, but it could work, if most everyone was in their houses already, and I took the alleyways instead of the main street to get home.

I looked around Stars Hollow in wonder. It was four days after President Barack Obama had been sworn in as the 44th president of the United States. I had done my job well covering his campaign. A few of my articles had been picked up by the Times and the Associated Press. But above all else, I was proud that I didn't fall apart being away from home for so long.

Stars Hollow didn't look different at all. The Valentine's Celebration decorations were up stupid hearts everywhere. I groaned thinking of the questions I would receive about my non-existent dating life. Being on the go didn't allow for dating unless it was with the fellow reporters, which I had made a rule early on after having the fallout from a terrible date with another reporter, that I would not date other reporters. It just did not work out well for either party. I am not up for casual anything. I need a relationship. If Logan taught me anything, it was that.

Damnit. I hadn't thought of Logan in a long time. My relationship with him had been a joke. He wanted the picture-perfect marriage that I couldn't give him. But I had loved him. It broke my heart to tell him I wouldn't marry him on my graduation day two years ago.

I continued to walk incognito to my mother's house. Surprisingly, no one noticed me. I was rolling a suitcase after me, but no one noticed. I felt a bit jumpy walking up my driveway. The lights were on in the house. It was almost dinner time, so mom and Luke would be hidden in the kitchen. I left my suitcase on the front porch and slowly and quietly opened the front door. It no longer squeaked when opening. Luke had fixed that years ago.

I could hear mom in the kitchen moving around. I closed the door quietly behind me and walked it, quietly lowering my backpack to the floor. I took off my jacket as quietly as possible, but really it wasn't necessary. My mom had begun singing, loudly about pop tarts and tater tots. I rolled my eyes at the ridiculous food choices of my mother and walked through the hall to the kitchen. My mom's back was too me, unwrapping pop tarts on the counter and stacking them on her plate.

"Hi, mom!" I said loudly. I started laughing because she screeched, jumped, spun around, and threw the handful of pop tarts in every direction all at once.

"Fruit of my loins! What are you doing home today? I thought you were coming home on Monday?" she asked running towards me wrapping me in a hug.

"I wanted to surprise you. Is it a good surprise? You aren't too disappointed that you didn't get to pick me up from the airport?"

"How could I be disappointed to miss the boring drive to Hartford to pick up my favorite daughter?" Lorelai asked in return.

I giggled and pulled her into another hug, "it's been too long."

"I agree kid," she responded softly.

We both hear Luke calling as he walked down the stairs, "Lorelai? Are you ok? I heard a clatter and a screech." He entered the kitchen wearing his trademark backward baseball cap and a plaid flannel button up.

"Rory's home!" Lorelai yelled excitedly.

Luke opened his arms to offer me a hug. I ran into them as he said, "it's good to have you home, Rory."

I felt a wave of happiness hit me. I was home. This is how it should always be.