A/N I still have a fool for an editor...reviews are coffee to the soul either way.
"You're not going to talk to me the entire way there?" Jess asked as they drove to Connecticut.
Amber just continued to stare out the window.
"Fine," he said, turning up the radio.
"Do you honestly expect me to be okay after last night," she asked turning down the music a few minutes later.
"I said we were wrong."
"You're unbelievable!" she screeched. "el estúpido," Amber exclaimed in Spanish, as she often did when she was angry.
"Gilipollas," she muttered under her breath,
"Hey, I don't see any saints in this car. I have a few mistakes I could throw in your face."
"That wasn't a mistake," she yelled. "Matt and Chris knew what they were doing, and YOU went along with it. Like it was some joke."
"A joke? We've been together for three years," Jess retorted.
"Is that supposed to make it better? Or is it some consolation prize?"
Jess didn't say anything as he pulled off the freeway and parked the car at a gas station. Turning to her as he shut the engine off, "We were idiots, okay."
"I know."
"But I did call you, and we did go on a date. I remember our first date was kinda awesome," Jess reminded her as she softened her stance. "Maybe I should have mentioned it. But was the point? To avoid the argument, we are having right now?"
"What about not making me look like a moron in front of our friends?' That would work too."
"I'm sorry. Matt isn't known for discretion when he's had a few."
"I know he isn't," she closed her eyes for a minute and sighed. "Can we go? Get your mothers celebration out of the way. We can talk later."
He half-smiled at her and internally breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes, we can get this over with."
He tried to apologize again, "Don't do it, Mariano. I don't want to hear it."
When they finally parked the car at Liz's, Luke was behind the grill with TJ, who was making some ridiculous point about Hot Dogs being the best food item ever invented. Doula ran out of the house with her mother following closely behind.
"JESS," The little girl squealed into her brother's arms as Jess picked her up and tossed her in the air. Luke and TJ stopped their conversation to greet the guest of honor. Doula pulled on his hand to lead him inside.
Liz, TJ, Luke, and Jess' cousin April greeted them. To his chagrin, Liz invited her friends from Renaissance fair, Miss. Patty, Babette, Kirk and his girlfriend and the last person Jess thought he would see, Taylor Doose.
"What happened to just family?" Jess asked, not surprised his mother did exactly what he thought she would do.
"They want to celebrate with you," Liz answered.
"We are leaving as soon as I can get us out of here," he whispered in Amber's ear, squeezing her hand.
Jess felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Jess," came a familiar voice.
"Lorelai?"
"You look great, congratulations," she beamed at him.
"Thank you," he said with a plastered on smile he had been using since he walked in the door.
"You want to cause bodily harm to your mother don't you?" Lorelai asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I…well."
"It's okay; I don't blame you. You should know she hasn't stopped talking about how proud she is of you," Lorelai continued as if she was in a race to say the most words in one minute.
"Hi, I'm Amber," Amber said walking up to Jess and Lorelai.
"Oh hi, you must be the new girlfriend. I'm Lorelai Gilmore, Luke's girlfriend…fiancé," Lorelai corrected.
"Oh good, you met Lorelai," Luke said, walking up behind Lorelai.
"It's nice to meet you," Amber said. "Did you say, fiancé?" Amber asked, noticing the ring on Lorelai's ring finger.
"You told him?" Luke said. "I was going to tell Jess."
"She guessed," Lorelai said to him.
"And I see the diamond on her finger," Amber pointed out.
"That's great Luke. You're gonna make it stick this time?" Jess asked.
"Good, because I want you to be my best man."
"I will happily by your best man," Jess answered.
"Keep July open," Lorelai said. "It's happening if I have to drag him down the aisle!"
"So again with the engagement?" Liz asked at the end of the night after everyone left. The two women sat on the back patio with a bottle of wine between them.
Yep, we're going for round two of the engagement," Lorelai smiled looking at the ring on her finger.
"Good, because you make him happy," Liz gushed. "How are the wedding plans coming?" Liz asked.
"They are coming along," Lorelai answered.
"Hey, how is Rory doing, " Liz asked. Out of the corner of her eye, Amber and April walked into the backyard.
You two should join us," Liz said pouring wine for Amber.
"I would love one, thank you." she said sitting in an empty seat next to Liz.
"She's doing okay. She's helping me with the wedding." Lorelai answered and then turned her attention to Amber, "So, how long have you and Jess been a thing?" Lorelai asked.
"Three years in June."
"Wow, that's a long time."
"It is."
"You know, Jess is such a different person these days, I think it's because of you," Liz said, taking a sip of her wine.
"I haven't done anything special," Amber said.
"Yeah, he speaks in full sentences now," Lorelai said, and the three women laughed.
"Not always, when he gets going on writing something new, he can be monosyllabic and moody."
"Who knew Jess would end up as Spike from Buffy?" Lorelai said. "Rory finally admitted to me that he was the one who helped her get back you Yale."
"Your daughter?" Amber asked.
"Rory," Lorelai nodded.
"She was at the first open house for Truncheon," April interjected. "I'm sure you met her there."
"Oh. Right her," Amber tried very hard not to choke on the last of her wine. Lorelai saw the change in mood and mentioned she and Luke had to be going.
"You're quiet," he said in the car on the car ride to New York.
"Lorelai Gilmore is the mother of Rory Gilmore?" Amber asked Jess point blank.
"Jess shifted in his seat to look at her and narrowed his eyes.
"Yes, she is."
"The last time you saw Rory was when?" Amber asked.
"At the open house," Jess paused for a minute.
"What happened at the opening, Jess?" She said, growing angrier by the moment.
"I showed her around Truncheon."
"And?"
"And what?
"Something happened between you two."
"You know what happened."
"You have told me that story, but not about how you "helped her get back to school." Amber air quoted.
"What's your point?"
"You were still hung up on her. You saw her in April, and you called me for our first date three weeks later. It all makes sense now. Matt and Chris dared you to call me so you could get your mind off of Rory. They were sick of you moping. I was the rebound girl."
"That's ridiculous!"
"It is?" she turned to look at him. "Tell me I'm wrong."
Jess said nothing, trying to form an explanation.
"You can't even deny it."
"You have never been a rebound," Jess finally exclaimed.
"Whatever, I want to go home."
"Amber, we have non-refundable reservations in New York."
"I want to go home," She repeated evenly.
