Chapter 6

Tendrils of light creep in the poorly drawn blinds of the diner apartment. Rory stirs blearily, rolling into the warm body next to her.

"Morning," Jess mumbles sleepily.

Rory smiles as she works herself out from underneath his arm. "Hi," she replies, groping around under the bed looking for her clothes.

"So…" he lets out awkwardly. "Last night was…?" He props himself up on one elbow watching her yank open the dresser and pull out a t-shirt.

"Incredible," Rory finishes for him as she pulls her hair into a ponytail and lets it fall onto her back. "We should've tried that years ago."

Jess gives her a filthy smirk. "Absolutely," he says in agreement.

"So…no regrets?" Rory postulates clumsily. "Sorry, I'm not very good at this morning after thing."

"Typically people who have regrets don't stick around to talk about them."

"Right," Rory says looking down.

"Rory," he says, catching her eyes. "I don't have any regrets. Not as far as last night is concerned. Why?"

Rory bites her lip. "I guess I'm just wondering…where we go from here?" She hesitates. "That's a totally uncool question isn't it?"

Jess shakes his head. "It isn't. But it is kinda of a lot for seven in the morning. How about we start with breakfast?" he suggests. "If I remember correctly a hungry Gilmore is a nearly rabid Gilmore."

Rory nods eagerly. "There's eggs in the fridge, can you make something?"

"I think I can whip something up."

"So," Rory says between bites of toast. "Did you ever finish Middlesex?"

"Yeah."

"And?" She prompts.

"Weird but enlightening," he replies stirring his coffee. "How'd you like The Marriage Plot?"

"It resonates with a certain age group. But I don't think it has a lot of lasting value. It doesn't have the punch factor of The Virgin Suicides."

"That's what I told Matt," Jess exclaims. "Bastard completely disagrees. What did you think of the new Snow Patrol album?"

"Loved it, you?"

"Sappy but poetic where it counts."

Rory smiles, "It's nice being up here…with you. We had some good memories here."

Jess scratches his head and looks over to the makeshift bedroom he used to sleep in. "A lot my memories seem to consist of you trying to drag me out of bed before you left for Chilton, but yeah there were some good ones."

"You were so incorrigible too! You'd grumble and gripe about how ungodly early it was and refuse to eat the donuts I offered you."

Jess laughs, "There was usually only half of one left by the time you got upstairs and tried to tempt me with it."

"I had to make sure it was good didn't I?" Rory replies, half laughing. They go silent for a moment, remembering.

"I guess the question is," Rory finally says, "Do we want to call last night closure and move on or do we let ourselves revisit what we had? I mean there was good stuff but also some definite train wreckage in there too."

"Should we make a pro, con list?" He suggests flippantly.

Her eyes light up. "Could we?"

"You seriously want to make a pro and con list?"

"It's how I make all my big decisions."

Jess shrugs, "Alright fine. If anything it'll tell us where we stand, right?"

"Pros win, we get back together. Cons win and we stay friends. Deal?"

Jess nods in agreement and Rory runs to grab a notebook from her stash.

"Pro," she starts. "We know each other well."

"Pro we actually like each other," Jess throws out.

"Pro, you can cook."

"Pro, the sex was incredible."

"Con," Rory suggests pragmatically, "we live in separate cities."

"Con, you hate Ernest Hemmingway."

"Con, you like Ernest Hemmingway."

"Pro, we're now adults and we don't have to answer to Luke and Lorelai."

"Con, we're now officially step-cousins."

"Pro," Rory adds, "Dean moved away years ago."

"Con you slept with him before he moved away," Jess says nonchalantly.

"How did you—?" She babbles.

"—the whole town knows," he finishes. "It's not exactly a secret, Rory. We have baggage, we might as well talk about it."

Rory frowns adding it to the list. "Fine. Con. You have a history of taking off instead of working things out."

Jess nods in agreement. "Con. You're a sock thief."

"Con. You have teeny little girl feet."

"Con, you cost a fortune to feed."

"Pro, I'm an independent woman, I can feed myself."

Jess nods in concession. "Pro, you liked Almost Famous."

"Con, you're a pathological re-watcher and re-reader."

Jess opens his mouth, then hesitates. "What's the score?"

Rory quickly adds them up. "Eight pros and ten cons," she says. "But, I'm not done. Pro," she adds. "You have lovely hands."

"Rory—"

Rory holds up a hand to stop him. "Pro, you're very intelligent. Pro, you wrote an excellent book. Pro, you didn't make fun of me that time I bit into a wax apple."

The corners of his mouth crinkle as if he is trying not to laugh.

"Pro, I think we'd make a good couple and the circumstances are finally working in our favor. There. Pro wins."

He arches an eyebrow. "You just stacked the odds, Gilmore."

Rory looks him in the eye and rips the paper down the middle. "I changed my mind. I want to get back together regardless of what the paper says. Are you with me?"

Jess smiles. "I'm in."

For the next few days, the two of them fall into an easy pattern while they reconnect. Jess agreed to stay and help in the diner while Luke and Lorelai are on their honeymoon; Rory spends her mornings in the diner, her afternoons in Stamford and the two of them spend most of their evenings in bed.

"I got us The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Rosemary's Baby," Jess says, waving the boxes as he walks into the apartment. Rory is perched in an armchair, coffee at side her and her laptop balanced on her lap. She holds up a finger while she finishes typing her thought.

"Sorry," she says when she finishes, gesturing for him to come closer. "I'm just finishing this up for work. I'm almost done."

Jess skims the article over her shoulder. "Abortion rates among women who already have children, huh? Controversial much?"

Rory shrugs. "It's an important story and I got a great interview. Anyways, yes on Rocky Horror, no on Rosemary's Baby."

Jess pops the DVD in the player. "I'll go make us some burgers real quick."

Rory blows him a kiss in thanks as he backs out the door almost as soon as it shuts, her phone rings.

"Hello?" She answers, balancing her phone under her ear so she can continue to type.

"Hi Rory, its Grandma."

"Oh hi, Grandma. How are you?"

"I'm well. I'd put your grandfather on but he's out at that disgusting cigar club again."

"Well I know he enjoys it," Rory attempts tactfully.

Emily sighs. "Last time I had to have his suit dry cleaned three times just to get the smell out."

"That's unfortunate," Rory says, half concentrating on typing.

"Anyways, the reason I called is that I wanted to remind you about the Children's Literacy fundraiser next week, you are the Chair of the committee."

"Of course."

"I hope you are still planning on attending. Because I know what an important issue that is for you and really we must keep up appearances. You haven't been anywhere since you and Logan broke up."

"I've been lots of places," Rory mumbles sarcastically. "But yes, you're right, I'll be there. I'm supposed to give the keynote speech."

"Wonderful, you know how important I think these things are for a young girl. I would hate for you to miss out because of Logan. Oh, do you think you could bring a date? It's just he and Gwen Valerie are all over the gossip pages. It would be good for you to show that you've moved on. You could bring anyone really."

Jess walks in the door, balancing a plate of burgers and fries along with pie.

Rory eyes him appreciatively and opens her eyes very wide. "I'll have to let you know. I'll call you back."

Jess shakes his head his head as Rory hangs up the phone. "I know that look. No." He says firmly.

"You don't even know what I'm going to ask."

"I remember that look, and I can tell it's going to be something I don't want to do."

"There's a fundraiser next Friday for the Children's Literacy Foundation. We're raising money for the Hartford Libraries." Rory sighs. "I know it seems stupid but they do make a difference in the community. That's why I picked it and that's why I spearheaded this fundraiser."

"Hmmm," Jess says non-committally.

"I'm not planning on dropping out of school again, or joining the DAR. But I want to stay involved with this. I know it seems stupid, but these people have a lot of money and it goes to a really good cause. So, you don't have to come with me, but it would be nice. And there will be canapés."

Jess raises his eyebrows. "Canapés?" He says sarcastically. "I'm sold."

"And," she lowers her voice. "I have a slinky black dress I was planning on wearing."

He smirks, coming closer and placing his arms on her waist. "Well it is for a good cause…"