Author's Notes: Still liking? Yes, no?

Disclaimer: Do you really think that if I owned thing associated with "Gilmore Girls" I would be writing a fanfiction?

Rory was cuddled up on the couch with a binder on her knees, writing casually, but also taking time to glance at the television, which was playing "The Godfather."

"So one large with everything," Lorelai said as she walked in from the kitchen on the telephone. "And two orders of those cheesy, garlic breadsticks. Great, thanks." She hung up and sat on the edge of the couch, stroking Rory's hair gently. "Rations will arrive shortly. What are you working on?"

"Chemistry write-up." Rory glanced at the television and smiled. "Hey, look!" Lorelai looked at the screen. "Horse head scene. Nice. One of the high

points in American cinema." The phone rang and Lorelai answered, walking into the kitchen. "Hello?" She waited a second, and thought for a minute they had hung up, but she didn't hear a dial tone. "Hey-lo?" she repeated. "Hey, if this is that creepy phone breather, would you mind not calling collect anymore? It's really starting to add up-"

"Is Rory there?"

Lorelai frowned. "Jess?"

"Is it okay if I talk to Rory?"

"She's not taking any calls tonight."

"Oh. Okay."

"Why did you move back?"

"What?"

"Was it for her? Because Dean is still her boyfriend, you know. And even if Rory doesn't feel the same about him anymore, you have got to respect that they have been together for a year, which is a pretty long time for anyone I know."

"Whatever."

"No, we're not done!" Someone started knocking at the front door. "Hold on."

"I'm hanging up."

"If you ever want a chance with Rory, you will not hang up this phone."

Jess paused. "Fine."

"Who is it?" Rory called from the couch.

"Um, Michel. Just a sec." Lorelai put the phone on her shoulder as she opened the door. "Oh. Dean."

"Is Rory home?" he asked.

"She's studying. Finals. You know."

"Well, can I-"

"Dean, I'm kind of in the middle of something."

"Five minutes. Lorelai, I'm going crazy."

Lorelai decided quickly that five minutes comforting Dean would be easier than twenty of arguing with Jess on the phone. "Michel, I'll call you back." She hung up the phone and walked out on to the porch with Dean, closing the door behind her. "Hi."

"Hi." They sat down on the steps.

"So, crazy, huh?" Lorelai joked, but Dean remained serious.

"Jess is back."

"I know."

"He came back for her."

Lorelai shook her head. "He came back because he has a good thing with Luke. He hasn't had a lot of luck and this is the only break he's gotten."

"Has Rory told you anything?"

Lorelai sighed. "Dean, I don't want to be the go-between. And whatever Rory has told me- not that she told me anything- I'm sure she meant it in confidence. Just go home, get some rest. She'll call you tomorrow."

He nodded solemnly. "Okay. Goodnight."

"Bye Dean." He was barely two steps away when the phone rang again. She groaned. "Yeah?"

"Luke only gave me a ten minute break and I have two minutes left. So were you done yelling?"

"Yes, no more yelling. I just want you to realize that Rory is not the kind of girl who goes from one guy to the next. I don't want her to be that girl."

"She wouldn't be Rory if she was."

Lorelai smiled meekly. "Goodbye, Jess." She hung up and walked back inside, getting cozy on the couch. "It is a damn good thing that I don't have a love life of my own right now, keeping up with yours is hard enough."

Emily opened the door, smiling, though she could see Lorelai and Rory were less enthusiastic, as usual. "Hello, girls. Come in."

"Hi, Mom," Lorelai said as she took off her sweater. "How was your week?"

"Very nice, thank you," Emily answered, leading them into the parlor. "Is Sookie enjoying her honeymoon?"

"I'm sure she is, I told her not to call the inn unless she or Jackson were physically injured. Where's Dad?"

Emily handed Lorelai a white wine. "In his office. He said he has a surprise for you, Rory."

Rory smiled a little. "Really?"

"Yes. How were finals, by the way?"

"Oh. Good. As good as finals can be."

Emily nodded. "Are you glad school is over?"

"Yeah," she answered quietly.

"Did you hear, Mom?" Lorelai spoke up. "Rory won the school election and she's going to D.C. for the summer."

"No, you didn't tell me. Congratulations, that sounds wonderful, Rory. I'm so glad you're involved in so many activities as Chilton." Richard walked in, carrying a book. "Richard, Rory won the election."

"Yes, Charleston told me at the club. Well done, Rory."

"Thank you, Grandpa."

"And this for your trip." He handed her the book.

Rory smiled as she read the cover, "The Ruthless Leader. Thanks, Grandpa," she said, standing up to hug him.

Lorelai took the book. "Dad, she's the student council VP, not Napoleon."

"It's great, I'm sure Paris will want to study it for tips," Rory thanked him again.

"I'm glad you like it." He turned to Emily. "Shall we start dinner?"

"Yes, let's."

"They're certainly chipper this evening," Lorelai whispered to Rory as they headed for the dinning room.

"Hope it lasts."

They were enjoying the salad when Emily turned to Lorelai.

"How is Christopher doing?"

Lorelai and Rory glanced at one another quickly. "Um, good. I guess."

"He left so quickly at the wedding, we didn't get a chance to talk," Richard noted.

"He had to get back to Boston. Something came up."

"Is anything wrong?" Emily asked.

Lorelai shook her head. "He's just busy."

After dinner, Richard and Rory were searching his library for more useful political books for her trip. Emily and Lorelai were waiting quietly in the foyer.

"Dinner was very good tonight, Mom," Lorelai complimented flatly.

"What happened between you and Christopher?" Emily asked.

"Nothing, Mom."

"You were both so happy before the wedding. You said we would be seeing him more often."

"I thought you would be."

Emily sighed. "What did you do?"

"Why do you assume it was me?"

"It's always you, Lorelai. Christopher has tried all these years to make things work for him and you and Rory, but you'd always stop him. You wouldn't marry him, you ran away. You always said how you wanted Christopher to be involved, but you never tried very hard to let that happen."

"Mom, it is not my fault Chris went back to Boston," Lorelai said firmly.

"So what happened?"

Richard and Rory walked in. "Grandpa is lending me some of his presidential biographies," Rory announced.

"Great. We should go," Lorelai said quickly as she walked outside.

"Did you and Grandma have a fight?" Rory asked, breaking the silence in the car on the drive home.

"No," Lorelai mumbled.

"Mom-"

"Not now, sweetie." Lorelai took a breath, trying to smile. "So, what do we need to do before you leave next week?"

"I need to pack, get a phone card, letter-writing stuff-"

"Oh, I saw some Powerpuff Girls stationary on sale!" Lorelai announced.

"Great." Rory glanced out the window. "Um, did Dad leave a message before?"

"I don't think so…maybe he'll have left one when we get home," Lorelai offered.

"He didn't call on Wednesday."

"Maybe you should call him," Lorelai suggested.

"I don't know what to say."

"Do you want me to call him?"

"I can't ask you to do that, Mom."

"Why not? It's okay-"

"If he wants to talk to me, he can call, Mom," Rory said firmly.

Lorelai could see that Rory had resolved herself. "Okay." She then smiled and changed the subject. "Hey, I was thinking. We should have a party."

"For what?"

"For you! We'll invite everyone in town, so they can get a good fix of Rory before you ship out."

"Everyone in town?" Rory asked, glancing at her lap.

Lorelai reconsidered. "Well, maybe not everyone. Only people you want to see. Like, I don't know about you, but I don't want those porcelain unicorn weirdoes crashing the party, do you?" Rory smiled a little as did Lorelai.