A/N: I find such joy in writing the Elder Gilmores. This chapter is a bit of a flashback. How did Rory and Jess break the news of their engagement to Richard and Emily? And how did the elder generation take it? Did Jess survive the encounter? Read to find out!

Disclaimer: If I did, this would've happened.

"Are you sure you're ready?" Rory asked, very concerned.

"Yeah, Richard and Emily can be pretty brutal," Lorelai agreed.

Jess sighed. "I'm about as ready as I'll ever be," he said as though he was about to be marched off to the gallows. Lorelai placed a supportive hand on his shoulder and Rory laced her fingers with his and rang the doorbell with her other hand.

That bell sounded like his death warrant.

And unfamiliar maid answered the door, took their coats and informed them that the Gilmores were in the living room. Lorelai led the way and Jess and Rory kept a tight hold of each other as they followed.

"Hi, Mom," Lorelai said brightly. "Hi, Dad."

"Well hello, Lorelai," Richard answered as Emily looked up from her book. "Rory! So nice to see you! And this must be Jess." He held out a hand and Jess shook it, his stomach still twisted around with nerves.

By this time, Emily had stood and circled around the furniture to Rory and Jess. "Hello, hello," she said, smiling at both of them. Despite the smile, Jess thought she looked a little murderous. Or maybe it was because of it. The last time they'd met had not gone so well. At least this time he didn't have a black eye.

They got through drinks without much problem. Rory had consistent physical contact with Jess, whether she was holding his hand, touching his shoulder, or resting her hand on his leg. This was an extreme comfort to him, especially when Emily pseudo-lightheartedly mentioned his black eye from the last time, and when Richard brought up the fact that they hadn't seen him for years, even though he'd been in Rory's life for the last two. Lorelai was a big help when it came to subject changes. When Emily asked Jess where he'd been in-between now and the last time he was with Rory, Lorelai jumped in with a comment about spoons, which drove Emily into a rant about how Lorelai was always changing the subject when she was trying to ask questions and there were such things as segues and maybe Lorelai should learn how to use them, and by the time Lorelai had stopped answering smartly in return, she had forgotten her original question.

Finally, Richard said, "I suppose we should go into the dining room now, dinner should be just about ready, don't you think, Emily?"

"Actually," Rory said quickly, "I wonder if we could wait just one more minute? Jess and I have some exciting news."

Emily and Richard looked at her apprehensively, and Lorelai visibly brightened to show her support, and perhaps because she was almost as nervous as her daughter and soon-to-be son-in-law.

"Yes, Rory?" Emily asked, tensely.

"What's your news?" Richard added.

Rory took a deep breath and smiled. "Well," she began, "the other night, Jess asked me to marry him." It looked to Jess like Emily and Richard had stopped breathing. "And I said yes!" Rory finished, beaming. When no one said anything, she added, "We're getting married!" Just in case she needed to clarify.

"Isn't that great, Mom?" Lorelai prompted. "Dad?"

"Yes," Richard sputtered, slightly shocked. "Yes, that's wonderful."

Emily just gaped.

---

Dinner was adventuresome. Emily was completely silent and terse and a little pouty, while Richard asked Jess so many questions, Jess thought his head might actually be spinning.

"So, my boy, what do you do for a living?"

"I'm a writer, and partial-owner of a bookstore in Philadelphia. We also publish some, or find other publishers for our clients if we can't publish them ourselves."

"Philadelphia?"

"Yes, sir."

"I've been there on business a few times. Nice city. Do you live there?"

"Yes, sir, I have an apartment above the store."

"Will you and Rory live there when you're...married?"

"We're not sure where we're going to live yet, actually."

"But you work at this bookstore. Surely you'll need to live near it?"

"Actually, as long as I'm within driving distance, it doesn't have to matter exactly where I live. I can cut down my actual work in the store, and I can meet with clients over the phone. Wherever we end up, I can get an office and bring more writers into our business from another city. We can expand. I'd just need to be able to make it to meetings every few weeks."

"So you're saying you could live here?"

"We could," Rory answered, giving Jess a break, "but we haven't decided where we're going to live yet." She and Jess locked eyes and she smiled a little. Their place of residence was a frequent debate topic for them.

"Where did you go to college, son?" Richard interrogated.

"Oh," said Jess, caught off guard a little, "um...I didn't, actually, sir."

Richard raised his eyebrows as Emily looked up from her food.

"You didn't go to college?" Emily asked sternly.

"No," Jess answered. Rory could sense him retreating behind his monosyllabic walls, and grabbed his hand under the table.

"Jess had a pretty hard life for a while, Grandma," Rory said politely. "He had a lot of problems he needed to overcome and a lot of obstacles in his life, but he got through it all and he's a better, stronger person because of it. He really cleaned up his life, and he did it by himself." She smiled sweetly at him as she added, "I'm proud of him."

"But, Rory," Richard argued, "college is -"

"Jess has two published novels," Rory interrupted firmly. "He's co-owner of his very own bookstore which sells books and music and art and they have poets in there all the time. He's amazingly intelligent and talented and his book collection is actually bigger than mine. And I love him, so screw college."

Richard and Emily stared at Rory, shocked at her sentiments, and the words she'd chosen to portray them. Lorelai beamed in pride at her daughter. Jess squeezed her hand in gratitude under the table and resisted the urge to kiss her shoulder. Somehow he thought that wouldn't go over well with her grandparents.

---

Lorelai blinked. "Wow," she said.

Rory exhaled. "Wow," she agreed.

Jess stared at the door that had closed behind them.

"Well," Lorelai said, "I thought that went pretty well."

Jess and Rory turned to stare at her.

"What?" Lorelai asked defensively. "At least they didn't disown anyone or throw things at Jess's head."

"I yelled at them," Rory said guiltily. "I haven't done that for a long time."

"They deserved it," Lorelai reassured her. "They were being unreasonable and impossible and I was proud of you."

"Yeah, I guess," Rory sighed.

"I know," Lorelai said firmly. "I have to go home, sweets. Luke left me about four messages saying the kids are getting out of hand and he still feels really sick. You'll be home soon?"

"Sure," Rory said, looking at Jess who nodded. "Yeah, we'll be back soon."

"Okay. Love you." Lorelai kissed Rory on the head, then clapped Jess on the shoulder. "You did good," she said. "They don't like you yet, but I have hope. They hated Luke at the beginning, so don't feel bad."

"They still don't like Luke," Jess protested.

"No, but they're getting very close," Lorelai said as she got in her car. "See you back home," she called to them both and then drove away.

Rory immediately turned to Jess. "Was that okay?" she asked nervously. "Yelling at them for you? Did I embarrass you? Did I make you feel less manly? Did -"

Jess cut her off by capturing her lips with his. She pulled away after only a moment.

"Was that okay?" she insisted.

"Thank you," he murmured softly in her ear.

"Are you sure?" She was very concerned about this. He had some convincing to do.

"Your grandparents are crazy," he whispered, glancing at the door again. "You kind of did what you were supposed to do and didn't leave me to fend for myself with them. After all they are your grandparents."

"But I didn't make you feel like I was fighting your battles, did I?"

He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. When she didn't speak up again, he wrapped his arms around her waist, closing the distance between them, and engaged her in a very serious, very deep kiss.

She gasped for air. "We should go," she panted.

"Why?" he moaned, tracing his lips down her neck.

"My grandparents are still inside."

"So?" His mouth was now dancing in circles around her collar bone.

"What if they look out the window?"

"We're getting married soon."

"But I don't want them to sick the maid on us."

"I could take her."

"Jess."

"Rory."

"We have to go."

"I don't want to," he started kissing the crevice right behind her earlobe.

She sighed. "Me neither."

"So let's not."

"My mom's waiting."

It was the argument that always stopped them. He looked up into her eyes and nodded resignedly. Then he gave her earlobe a soft bite before pulling away from her and opening her car door.

---

"Mom!" Rory called softly as they entered the house. "Mom, we're home!"

Lorelai appeared from the kitchen. "The kids are asleep in the nursery upstairs, and your old room is all set up for you two," she said. "Luke is in the living room if you want to say hello."

Jess immediately headed for the living room and Rory followed. Rory, however, reached Luke first. He was slumped on the couch with a movie playing softly on the television.

"Hi, Luke," said Rory, giving him a quick hug.

"Rory," said Luke huskily, "Jess. I'm so glad you're staying the weekend."

"Us too," said Rory as Jess smirked a little. She turned to Jess. "I'm going to go put our stuff in the room, okay?"

"Sure," said Jess as she took his bag from him and exited the room. Jess looked down at his uncle. "What the hell were you thinking?" he asked softly.

"What?" Luke said defensively.

"You left me alone with those nut cases!"

"I'm sick!"

"They nearly had me arrested when we told them. I'm surprised they didn't send out for a hit man before desert."

"It wasn't that bad."

"You weren't there. You should have been, but you weren't."

"I'm sick!"

"Sure you are."

Luke tried to respond but was derailed by a coughing fit. When it had passed, Jess smirked.

"Good timing."

"Shut up."

"Make me."

"I'm tired of you," Luke told him. "Go find your girlfriend."

"Fiancé," Jess corrected.

"Yeah, whatever."

Jess started to walk away, but Luke reached up and stopped him by grabbing his arm.

"I'm really glad you're back," he said sincerely.

"Me too," Jess admitted, smirking at the familiar banter. "I missed this."

"What?"

"Nothing," Jess said defensively. Then he caved. "You, I guess. Even though you're an idiot."

"We're like Batman and Robin."

"I draw the line at tights."

"Ah, Jess, you can't! Your step dad would disapprove."

"Let go of me, blasphemer!"

Luke laughed.

"Good to have you home."

"Yeah, yeah, now let me find my fiancé before this turns into a serious It's a Wonderful Life moment."

"We'd have to have Henry Travers in the corner for that to happen."

Jess smirked at his uncle who smiled back, then left to find Rory. They had some unfinished business from the driveway to attend to.

Teaser: Luke stared at Jess oddly. "You have a very imaginative mind," he remarked.

Review, please!