Thanks everyone for the generous feedback, it means a lot, especially as I found that chapter hard to write. As much as I love Rory and Jess, I think their relationship is flawed in the third series due to their age and Jess's problems, not helped by the fact that they have trouble communicating at times. There will be a couple of chapters prior to the party and then two or three afterwards before it moves to the future. I included more Season Three than I initially intended but hope it helps the story rather than holds it back.

The next few days were strange. Jess didn't call Rory and Rory didn't call Jess, though she would at times pick up the phone and start to dial before chickening out. Lorelai noticed her daughter beginning to make excuses not to go to Luke's and, frowning, she sat down with her at the table where Rory was studying, or pretending to at least.

"What's up?"

"What do you mean?"

Rory wouldn't look up and stared even more fervently at her text book on Hemingway.

"Did you and Jess have a fight or something?"

"What are you talking about?"

"The fact that you have got oddly attached to the phone lately, leap whenever it rings and visibly wilt when it isn't you-know-who."

"You-Know-Who? I'm dating Voldemort?"

"Rory, I –" her mother paused and couldn't help giggling. "He is to me."

"Mom!"

"Sweetheart, you know who I mean," Lorelai said, serious again. "Has something happened?"

Before Rory could answer the phone rang. Snapping her head up, she sent the chair flying as she jumped up shouting,

"I'll get it!"

"Bet it's a Death Eater," Lorelai mumbled, picking up a magazine. Rory ignored her and excitedly said,

"Hello?"

"Rory? Can you come over?"

"Hi Lane," said Rory, trying not to sound disappointed. "What's up?"

"Can you come over?"

"Sure."

"Definite droopage," Lorelai commented as Rory grabbed her house key. "Heading to Lane's?"

"It's rude to listen to my conversations," Rory said waspishly and ignored her mother's call of,

"If Voldemort's calling I want to know!"

Rory kicked at the pavement as she walked to her friend's. She wanted to talk to her mother about what had happened so much, but whenever she tried something stopped her. She felt embarrassed and confused and felt like talking about it would make that worse, as well as the added stress of stopping Lorelai from going after her boyfriend. She sighed and walked into the Kim's, ducking under a rocking-chair.

"Lane upstairs!"

Rory jumped and cracked her head on the rocker.

"No good you wincing," Mrs Kim said sternly and Rory rubbed her head. "Flaxseed will help with that!"

"Thanks Mrs Kim," Rory said, trying not to sound as though she were in definite pain. "I'm going to see Lane."

"I go in the kitchen," Mrs Kim said threateningly and Rory ran up the stairs, knocking on her friend's door.

"I'm reading Matthew, Mama!" came a panicked voice and Rory pushed open the door to find her friend clearly hiding something under the bedspread with a Bible open in front of her.

"It's me. What are you hiding?"

"Shh!" hissed Lane, and got up, pulling out a pile of CDs from where she had been sitting.

"That must have been painful to sit on. Oh cool, Velvet Underground!"

"You develop a tough butt after growing up in the Lane household. I'm trying to get the guys to play it but they're not on board. They don't think it's rocking enough."

Lane's voice oozed with contempt and Rory grinned.

"What about Zach's deep attachment to The Offspring?"

"He says they rock in a different way."

"Awesome argument," said Rory sarcastically, sitting on the bed as Lane replaced the CDs. "What's up?"

Lane looked awkward.

"Two things."

"Okay," said Rory, trying not to sound self-conscious. "What?"

"Firstly about the party at Kyle's. Secondly about you."

"Me?"

"You've been weird this week," Lane said and Rory looked down.

"Not you too."

"What do you mean? You've barely spoken to me on the phone, you don't want to go out and you automatically change the subject whenever Jess comes up."

"Yeah," said Rory, not looking up and Lane asked,

"Have you broken up or something?"

"No," sighed Rory. "We didn't break up."

There was a pause and before she could lose her nerve Rory said,

"We slept together."

"What?" shrieked Lane. "You slept together?!"

"Lane!" hissed Rory. "Remember whose house we are in!"

"Right," winced Lane. "Sorry. You...you actually did?"

Rory nodded and Lane gasped loudly.

"You're pregnant! That's why you've been weird lately!"

"Lane!"

"Does Jess know? What are you going to do? What did Lorelai say? Have you told her?"

"Lane!" Rory said sharply. "I am not pregnant!"

"Oh," said Lane awkwardly and then she stared at Rory. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Rory hugged a cushion to herself.

"I don't know. I just couldn't."

"Well, when?"

"Tuesday."

"Tuesday?!" Lane exclaimed. "I'm your best friend, Rory! We promised that we'd tell each other when we did it for the first time back when we were thirteen – not that we ever thought I would," she added, sounding slightly exasperated.

"Lane, I'm sorry," Rory said, finally looking up. "I really am, I wanted to, it's just...it's been weird. I haven't even told Mom."

"Weird how?" frowned Lane. "Are you sure you're not pregnant?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Rory sighed. "It just...Jess hasn't called. Not once. And it wasn't like how I thought it would be."

"He hasn't called you at all?" Lane asked. "Why not?"

"I don't know! That's just it!"

"Have you called him?"

"No," said Rory miserably. "I tried and didn't have the courage."

"You shouldn't have to," Lane said. "How was it? Was it as good as they make out it is in movies?"

"No," said Rory honestly, trying not to cry. "It started off good...before we did anything. When we actually did it it hurt and then afterwards we didn't know what to say."

"You didn't know what to say? What did you do? Did you cuddle?"

"No," said Rory, wishing Lane would stop with the questions. "We just lay there awkwardly and didn't say much and then he went because Mom was coming home. He said he'd call."

"And you haven't told Lorelai? Why not?"

"I don't know!" Rory snapped and Lane looked shocked. "I don't know! I don't know why I can't tell her and why it was all weird and why he hasn't called. I wish I did know. That way I could stop feeling like such an idiot."

Rory tried not to cry and Lane put her arm around her.

"I'm sorry, Rory. I'm the one who's an idiot."

"You're not," hiccupped Rory and Lane said,

"I blame my mom for lack of social skills."

"No," Rory said, wiping her eyes. "It's probably good to talk about it."

"You should talk to your mom," Lane said gently and Rory nodded. "And then she can go and kill Jess."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Rory said and Lane added,

"Or I'll do it for her. I don't know where he is – he hasn't been in school all week or anything."

"He must have," said Rory stubbornly and Lane shrugged.

"Maybe. I'll keep an eye out."

"Thanks," said Rory, and got a CD out again. "So, playlist for the party?"

"Yeah. I wanted you to help me pick it out. You know, I can never sing Like a Virgin to you again."

"I don't think that's such a bad thing."

"Will you be there?" Lane asked. "At the party?"

"Of course I will," Rory said, and silently wondered if she would go alone.

Rory walked past the diner on the way home and glanced in but Jess was nowhere to be seen. As she peered in Luke caught her eye and before he could ask anything Rory turned and ran home as fast as she could.

Rory heard the shower running when she got back and, heart beating, she checked the machine. There were no messages and Rory walked slowly to the fridge to get a soda, trying to stop the tears pricking at her eyes.

Feet thudded down the stairs and Lorelai burst into the kitchen, her hair still damp at the edges.

"Have you seen my keys?"

"Here, Rory said, picking them up and handing them to her. "What's the rush?"

"Impromptu meeting with insurers. I don't know long it'll take but I might go out with Sookie afterwards."

"Okay," Rory said quietly and her mother looked up at her.

"Is everything okay, Rory? Death Eater didn't get you on the way home? Dementor?"

Rory tried to smile at her mother's joke but failed. Lorelai frowned.

"Do you want me to come back early instead? I don't have to go out with Sookie."

"No," Rory said, trying to smile and losing her courage. "I'm fine, it's just all this finals stress. Go and have fun."

"I don't know if that's the word," Lorelai said, leaning over and giving her a quick kiss. "Don't study too hard."

"I won't," Rory said and, as her mother left the house, she opened her book, and she wished it was all she had to worry about.