"Are you sure?"

Lorelai had to ask it again. She thought her daughter was going insane or something close to it. She had to know she was thinking straight.

"Yes, I'm sure," Rory answered. "I was sure the first few times you asked and it hasn't changed my mind yet."

"Aha!" She caught on. "Yet."

Rory turned to her mother, who sat on her bed as she packed up some of her belongings into a box not unlike the ones she'd lived out of for a year. "It means your questions haven't gotten to me yet."

"But that means you'll notice the insanity and change your mind?" She wondered.

"Mom," Rory stopped packing. "I know you're worried but you don't have to be."

"I'm not worried," Lorelai shrugged. "Why would I be worried?"

"Because it's Jess," she said.

She laughed quickly. "Oh, no. Adult Jess doesn't worry me. Your choices do."

Rory shook her head and went back to loading the box. It was almost full so she grabbed another. The insides of her dresser drawers were almost all packed. Her closest was done first. She assumed she wasn't bringing everything to Philadelphia but she wanted to be sure she wasn't leaving anything behind that she didn't want to.

"Is it because your number's too high?" Lorelai asked out of the blue.

"My number -?" Rory was confused.

"Of the people you've slept with," she clarified. "Is that what you're pulling a What's my number? I mean, maybe one of your exes could be the one but also what are the chances you're gonna end up with Chris Evans? He might be a little busy in the marvel universe to google your past lovers."

"I'm not pulling a What's my number," she sighed.

Rory closed the drawer she was looking in and sat down beside her mom. "What is it then?"

"You wouldn't get it," she replied.

Lorelai gave her a smile. "Try me."

"I need a fresh start," she began. "You'll say you did too when you got pregnant with me but this feels different. I'm 32. I haven't gotten anywhere I hoped to by now and Jess is not only offering me a place to stay that's not crowding the newlyweds but a job."

"I have to do this," Rory went on. "I have to get my life back on track and I have to see if this will help me do it. I lost what's important to me and I need to get it back."

"I know," Lorelai said sadly, understanding more than her daughter thought she would.

"It's not about Jsss," she told her. "It's not about trying to get him back. He's a good man and more than that, a really good friend, Mom. He's offering me exactly what I need right now."

"Okay," Lorelai nodded. "All right."

"I'm sorry that I can't figure this out here," she said.

"Nah, it's fine," Lorelai hugged her to her side. "I just need to know you're happy and that you're making the right choice."

"I think I am," Rory smiled to herself. "And I think that even if it's not, it's for me to find out."

"All right," she repeated. "But you know I'm always right here if you need me."

"I know," her smile grew. "And anyway, this just means that maybe being around my exes will equal a run-in with Chris Evans, right?"

"God, I hope so," Lorelai said and they both laughed.

….

Three years later

"Is she ready?" Rory almost shouted.

"Almost!"

"It's almost ten!" Her voice rose this time in a panic.

"She'll be ready, don't worry."

Rory walked into the bedroom and stopped short at the sight in front of her. A smile grew widely on her face as she looked at her daughter.

"She's ready," Jess said as he moved away from the little girl.

"Mommy!" She shouted happily. "Am I pretty?"

"Very pretty," Rory beamed as she walked over to her daughter.

Jess leaned closer to her ear. "The prettiest."

The little girl giggled. "Uncle Jess did my hair."

"Oh, did he?" She gave him a look.

"I've become a hair designer for young kids," he said. "I was thinking about going professional. What do you think?"

"I think your braid has improved," Rory told him.

"When can I braid, Mommy?" she asked.

"When you tie your shoes, baby," she answered.

"That's next on the list, Tori," Jess told her.

Tori smiled big. "Is Daddy going to teach me?"

Rory stopped smiling and turned serious. "You're gonna have to ask Daddy that, sweetie."

"You don't want me teach you?" Jess asked. "I'm hurt."

"No hurt!," Tori yelled. "Daddy coming soon?"

Jess nodded. "He said ten."

"And now it's nine fifty," Rory read the clock. "He's gonna be here any minute."

"I'll miss you, Mommy," Tori hugged her mother. "And Uncle Jess, too."

"Me and Uncle Jess will miss you too," she hugged her back.

There was a knock on the apartment door and three heads turned. "Daddy's here! Daddy's here!"

"Baby, slow down!" Rory yelled as Tori ran out of Jess' arms and to the door. "Wait for me!"

Jess smiled at her excitement and stood up himself. Rory was already out of the room and the door opened. Tori jumped right into her father's arms as soon as she saw him. "Daddy!"

"Hey, sweetie!" Logan laughed. "How's my favorite girl?"

"I'm good," she said less animatedly. "Better now."

"Hey," Rory nudged her.

"I'm sorry, Mommy," she said in a very little kid way.

"I accept," she smiled at her daughter.

Logan put her down. "Listen, Tori, why don't you go get your stuff? Then we can get ready to go."

"You wanna talk to Mommy alone," she figured out.

"Go," he tapped her side and she ran in the direction she came from.

"Rory," Logan said. "How are you?"

"Good," she nodded. "You?"

"Good," he replied. "This doesn't have to be awkward everytime we see each other, you know."

"I know," she agreed. "It's just hard to think of what to say to make it not awkward."

Logan chuckled. "I know what you mean."

"I can't exactly ask about your home life," she commented. "I'm not sure how much I want to hear."

"Right," he nodded. "It might fit into awkward talk, anyway."

Rory half smiled. "That's true."

"Is Jess here?" He asked, obviously aware of the situation.

"He's here," she answered. "Probably helping Tori right now so we can talk. Keeping away because it hasn't gotten any better with the two of you."

"I've accepted he's a part of my daughter and your life," Logan remarked. "Maybe he should accept me?"

Rory made a face. "I don't think it's that easy. You have to accept Jess because he's who I choose to be in Tori's life. I don't think Jess has to accept anything especially since he's here voluntarily."

"He could leave at any time he wants," he said. "It does make you curious about why he stays, huh?"

Her face turned confused. "What -"

"I'm ready!" Tori ran back into the room. "Come on, Daddy!"

Logan laughed again, any previous expression erased from his face. "All right. Let's go!"

He bent down and faced the hallway. Tori climbed on his back and that's when Rory noticed Jess walk into the room. She anticipated something big happening but not what actually did.

When Logan stood up and faced the room again, two and a half year old on his back, he saw his old rival. Jess handed the small backpack to him. Neither said anything negative to the other which surprised Rory. She realized it might be for the benefit of the little girl in the room.

"Jess," he said.

He nodded back. "Logan."

"Good to see you," Logan told him and he seemed like he meant it.

Jess was stunned but managed, in keeping with the civil nature, to answer. "You, too."

"Let's go, Daddy!" Tori shouted from her father's back.

"All right," Logan chuckled again. "Come on. We're going."

Before he turned to leave, Rory leaned to her daughter and kissed her cheek. "Bye. I love you. Be good with Daddy."

"I will," she laughed.

Jess touched her hair. "I'll see you in two weeks, right, peanut?"

"Right," she nodded delighted.

Logan looked at both of them but especially Rory. "I'll make sure she's good, don't worry."

"You always do," Rory smiled. "Oh and baby, don't pull Odette's hair this time. Be good."

"But it's so long!" She whined.

Jess smirked but hid his face. Logan said goodbye again and then the two of them were gone. Rory shut the door behind him and sighed. "It's gonna be a really quiet two weeks without her."

"We could always invite some neighbor kids to make it loud," Jess suggested.

Rory laughed as she walked over to the couch. "Thanks but I'm not sure we're ready for that kind of babysitting."

Jess followed and sat down beside her. "She's never been gone this long before."

"No," she shook her head. "It's always been a week whenever Logan took her. I don't know what I'm gonna do."

"I'll distract you," he tapped her knee.

"How?" She almost laughed.

"I have this thing I have to go," Jess answered. "I was invited to this 'writers under thirty five' dinner. I was thinking of ways to blow it off but if you want, you can come with me and help me not wanna bail."

Rory's face lit up. "A party for young writers?"

"It's gonna be boring," he added.

"You had me at writers," she beamed.

"Really?" He asked and she nodded. "It's not like you'll get to read the books while you're there. If it was, I'd have been more willing to go alone."

"Oh," her smile dropped. "Wait. Were you gonna take anyone?"

"Nah," he shook his head in reply. "Who would I take?"

"A date?" Rory suggested.

Jess played it off. "No date. You know that."

"You could have met someone and I just don't know about it," she said.

"No," he told her. "You know you and Tori are the only girls in my life right now."

She nodded, a forced smile on her face. "Right."

"Come on," Jess stood up and held out his hands. "Let's go."

"Go where?" She asked but still let her help her off the couch.

"It's a surprise," he replied.

Rory grabbed her jacket and his and they were out the door.

…..

"This is your surprise?" Rory asked as Jess handed an ice cream cone to her.

He took his own cone and his change. "Yeah. What? Not good?"

"No, it's good," she said. "I just thought it'd be something else."

They walked away from the vendor and started their walk down the boardwalk. "I didn't have a lot of time to think of an idea."

"Ah," she smiled. "Thank you."

They each took some of their ice cream before he answered. "For what?"

"I know how much you don't like it when Logan comes," she began. "And I know everytime he does come, you don't have to be there but you are. Every single time because you care about Tori so thank you."

"You're welcome," he looked at her like he had when they were seventeen years old. She felt it and turned her head the other way as they finished their snack.

…..

Rory opened the door in a rush. "Jules!"

A head peaked out from behind a wall and smiled brightly at the voice. "Hey! What are you doing here?"

"I just got off work," she put her purse and jacket down. "And I came right here."

Jules walked towards her curiously. "What's going on? Something wrong? Tori?"

"No," she waved it off. "Tori is great. She's with her father in London right now."

"Oh," she frowned. "Then what is it? What's going on that you used your emergency key?"

"I need an outfit," Rory replied.

A laugh erupted from Jules. "Clothes...that's what's going on?"

"Not just clothes," she shook her head. "Jess has this fancy dinner thing in three days. He saw I was sad about Tori being gone for two weeks so he suggested he take me with him and I realized I have absolutely nothing to wear to something like that."

"Why not ask your mom?" She wondered.

"Because as glamorous as Lorelai Gilmore is," she replied. "I'm not sure she has the type of outfit I'm looking for."

"And you think I do?" She asked.

"Maybe," she shrugged. "If not, we can go shopping."

"And what do you wear to something like this?" Jules questioned.

Rory laughed. "I have no idea, to be honest. I just need something that looks nice, professional like, not too slutty either."

"Not slutty!" Jules exclaimed. "But why?! Maybe you and Jess could finally act on those unspoken sparks that are always flying between you two."

"Oh, please," Rory scoffed. "There are no sparks. We're really good friends."

"So were Monica and Chandler," she pointed out.

"We are not Monica and Chandler," Rory replied.

"Fine," she sighed. "Phoebe and Joey then. They never officially dated."

"Jess and I are not any members of the friends cast," she said. "There are no sparks. It's just a guy helping his female friend raise her daughter."

Now Jules scoffed. "Please. You've been living with him for three years."

"He's a great help," Rory pointed out. "And Tori loves him."

"I bet he loves Tori too," she commented.

"He does," she said but quickly added. "It doesn't mean anything though."

"If you say so," she held her hands up in surrender.

"Hey, if I wanted this conversation, I would have asked my mother," she told her.

"You know how often Lorelai is right," she said.

Rory laughed once. "Maybe sometimes but she's already brought this one up. I've heard it all before. Every time I see her, she asks if me and Jess are sharing a room yet."

"Are you?"

Now she definitely laughed. "No! It's not like that. It was when we were younger but we've both long moved on. You and my mom need to stop asking about that."

"I'll stop asking when you start being honest with yourself," she replied.

Rory said nothing to that comment. She believed she already was being honest with herself. "Come on. Help me find a dress."

….

"You ok?"

Jess risked another look over at the passenger side. Rory looked nervous and she'd looked that way ever since they left the apartment.

She looked over at him and tried her best to smile. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Do you not want to go?" He asked. "If not, we can go home."

"No, I'm fine," she explained. "I'm just thinking about something."

"Oh," he was surprised. "Anything you wanna talk about? Tori and Logan?"

"Not Tori and Logan," Rory smiled. "He's actually a pretty great dad. Tori always gets so happy when he comes and I know she loves me but I can tell she doesn't want to leave him."

Jess stared straight ahead as he drove and especially during his next question. "Do you ever think she wishes you and Logan were together?"

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "I don't think she likes her stepmom that much but I'm not sure. She's really young. I don't even know how much she processes what's going on between us."

"Don't hate me for asking this but -" he cut himself off to take a breath. "Do you ever wish you and Logan were together?"

She stared at him in surprise for a moment before she answered. "Honestly? Sometimes I do. It'd be much easier if her parents were in the same place, the same country. I know most people shouldn't be together just for a kid but there are times I wish Tori had that."

"What about for you?" He wondered. "Tori aside, do you wish you had that?"

"No," she answered much quicker this time.

Jess turned to look at her expression. "No?"

"No," she repeated. "Because once upon a time, Logan was very important to me. I loved him very much, more than I thought I could. He broke my heart and I broke his. I thought I was gonna spend the rest of my life with him."

"But?" He added.

"But it wasn't right," she continued. "It felt right and it was at the time but it wasn't going to last. We were led in two different directions and I'm thankful we came back to each other because I can't imagine life without Tori. But that's it. I think we were brought back together for her, not for us."

"So what do you think happens for you now?* He asked.

"What do you mean?" she laughed.

"I mean, for you personally," he clarified. "I know you. You're a girlfriend kind of girl. This is the longest I've known you to be single."

Now Rory laughed harder. "I can be single, you know!"

"Maybe," he teased.

"Oh what does that mean?" She asked. "Look at you! You're single."

"I'm always single," he countered.

Rory blew a raspberry. "I have a hard time believing that."

He laughed too, extremely aware of the conversation and how fast it turned. "It's not like I don't date."

"If you say so," she crossed her arms. "This is the most date you've had in a while."

"That's not true," he argued.

"Uh-huh," she grinned. "Admit it."

"Fine," he caved in. "Maybe it is -"

Rory pointed a finger at him. "I knew it!"

"I haven't had the time to date," he said. "I'm working. I'm writing. I'm helping you."

His words about helping her sobered her mood immediately. "So am I why you don't date?"

"I didn't mean it like that," he told her. "I just mean I have more important things going on than finding someone to go out with. You and Tori are more important."

"Oh," she said almost in a whisper.

"What's that?" He asked. "Oh? Did you want me to say you're not?"

"I don't know," she shook her head. Neither laughed anymore as the conversation turned back to serious. "I guess maybe I expected you to not feel obligated to be there for us."

"I'm not obligated," Jess replied. "I've never felt obligated. If I was her father, I'd say yeah but I'm here voluntarily."

Rory swallowed hard at his words. "You mean that?"

"Of course," he said with a look at her. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't."

"Thanks, Jess," she gave him a small smile. "I know it hasn't been easy but you've really helped a lot these past couple of years. Thanks."

"Anytime," he gave her a small smile back.

"Okay," Rory laughed once. "I think we need to get to this dinner before we have another meaningful heart to heart that makes me wanna ruin my mascara."

Jess laughed now too. "Almost there."

Rory pulled down the mirror above her and checked her face then turned to Jess. "How do I look?"

He took one look at her and replied, "Beautiful."

A/N: I decided to skip forward because it felt more real if more time had passed since the revival. I hope no one minds :)

Also keep in mind this story's length is not definite yet to me. I still don't know how long I'm gonna make it. It may seem like things are quick or random but they are meant to be that way just because of that fact.