AN: Ok, angst-y one. But I loved writing this. And I hope you enjoy reading it. It felt kind of short to me, but I thought where I ended it was best because it would have gone on way too long if I didn't. Anyway, leave your feedback I always like to hear your thoughts, and happy reading!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Shatter like glass
Come apart in my hands
Take as long as it takes, girl
Break on me
Put your head on my chest
Let me help you forget
When your heart needs to break
Just break on me

-"Break On Me" Keith Urban

Rory felt her heart-warming as she walked into her living room. She smelled the delicious smell of banana bread, one of Lilly's specialties, and heard the TV on low while playing The Dick Van Dyke Show. She looked down at the couch, and her smile widened. She saw Lilly curled up in Jess's side asleep, her blanket covering just above her nose, and her thumb slightly falling from where she had been chewing on the end. Jess was also asleep, his arm wrapped protectively around Lilly's small frame. He had his other arm splayed across his paperwork.

Rory quietly tip toed into the kitchen, hoping to not wake the two of them while she grabbed a piece of banana bread. The couch no longer an option, she spread her things out on the kitchen table. Rory had been working for a good 30 minutes when she was interrupted by soft and slow footsteps. She looked up to see a still sleepy Jess sitting down across from her.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty." Rory giggled into her coffee. His hair was mussed up, and he still had his hand slipping up and down his features. He mumbled something, and she jokingly leaned forward. "Hm? Sorry Sleepy, I didn't get that." She further mocked. He took his hands off his face, and looked at her with sleep filled eyes. Dare she say it looked kind of sexy?

"Screw you." He mumbled a bit louder before grabbing at her coffee pot. When he clanked the pot back into position, they both cringed hoping to have not woken Lilly. It had and said teenager walked through the entry way to the kitchen grumbling in a zombie like manner with her blanket still wrapped tightly around her.

Lilly sat down next to Rory, and stuck the end of her thumb into her mouth to bight on it, a random little tick she did when she was thinking. Rory watched her daughter with curiosity, Lilly was quite a deep thinker, but never when she had just woken up from a who knows how long nap. "What'cha thinkin' 'bout?" She asked the still sleepy girl.

"Huh?" Lilly sat up a bit straighter and pulled her thumb from between her teeth.

"What'cha thinkin' 'bout?" She asked again. Lilly thought for a moment longer indicating that what she had previously been thinking about wouldn't be the topic of her next sentence.

"Just what movie to watch tonight. I was thinking Dirty Dancing." She tried, albeit somewhat unsuccessful. Rory let it slide though and nodded her head in approval. The annual Gilmore movie night had been changed around for just Rory and Lilly when the schedules with Lorelai got too complicated, and Lilly wanted some normal Mom night instead of Grandma and Mom night.

The three people at the table soon fell into a comfortable silence. Lilly coughed slightly, and downed a cup of water rather quickly. She then stood up to leave the kitchen for the couch after grabbing a bag of chips. She didn't look back at the two adults in the kitchen, but decided it was best to not draw attention to herself, or draw it away from them. She heard some more shuffling of papers before either adult came back into the living room.

When Rory sat next to her, Lilly moved closer to her, but not before inviting Jess to sit on the couch with them. He quietly obliged, and sat down a bit close to Rory. Then the once quiet room filled with noise when "Be My Baby" started playing indicating the beginning of the movie. Looking at the content looks on their faces, Lilly knew they had acquired a new member for movie night.

XXX

"I missed one day. One day! I shouldn't have this much to catch up on." Lilly groaned into her hands. She currently sat at the counter in the diner not even caring who heard her. She had her books spread out, and her notebooks on top of them. "Like, why did all my teacher's decide the day I miss school to give me a butt load of homework that needs to be made up tomorrow, and tonight's butt load as well? Teachers are idiots." Her pencil moved with such speed that shouldn't have been human, but she had to finish. She had to work.

She hated that she had to have another hospital visit the other night. Now she had to help make up the money, no matter what her mom told her. She was doing it, and nothing was stopping her. In all her ranting, Lilly had completely forgotten about the other patrons sitting next to her. Thankfully, one was Cat, who was in a current dream like state while thinking of Mark, and the other was Jess who didn't really care all that much as he kept working on his book.

He was trying to find ways to help Lilly and Rory with this past week's medical bill. He knew it wasn't his place, but he felt like he needed to pay her for helping him edit. He didn't care what she said, she deserved the money. So he was currently working on a new, crappier manuscript to help him actually get her to edit; thus allowing him to pay her. Or he could just pay the bill without her knowing, but that probably wouldn't go over well. Gilmores loved their pride.

Almost as soon as that thought passed through his mind, Rory stumbled into the diner having missed the top step. She seemed tired, and mumbled unintelligible things while trying to sit down at a stool. Luke didn't even hesitate to give her coffee, and then her head slumped as she looked at her phone. Jess tried to snag a look, but it was hidden by her hair. She continued to do whatever work she had to do on her phone before standing up to leave.

She kissed the top of Lilly's head and started out. However, as soon as her feet hit the pavement, Jess was standing behind her. She whipped around, still rather slow, and gave him a questioning yet tired glance. "I have to get back to work." She mumbled as she lifted her phone to eye level. Jess nodded, and thrust his arm out basically telling her to lead the way. She did, albeit grudgingly, and they soon fell into step with each other.

"I was hoping, if you could take a look at my next manuscript. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet, but I thought you might enjoy it." He lied through his teeth. Rory rolled her eyes, she did not have time for another project, and this time she wasn't kidding. She had to work extra hard to get that Christmas bonus this year, no matter that Christmas wasn't for two more months, but she needed it to help pay Lilly's medical bills.

"Jess, I don't have time to play publisher at your beck and call. I need to work." She picked up as much speed as her tired legs could muster. She had worked almost non-stop since Lilly's migraine on Friday, and now it was starting to wear on her.

"I know, that's why I want to pay you again." He tried while also picking up his speed. She immediately slowed down as soon as he did, and it took all of his might to not crash into some random late season tourist. Rory's blue eyes looked into his brown trying to work her way through his mind. It was going to be unsuccessful, he knew that, but he couldn't help but silently love the way she tried to figure him out.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked with a bit more conviction in her tone. Jess had not expected that. He had thought she would immediately warm to the idea, run into his arms and maybe think about where they stood. Shows how much he knows about women. He mulled over a good way to approach this without offending her, but knew it best to just come out with the truth. It took him 20 years, but he now knew the good that comes with communication.

"I want to help. You need help. Lilly told me about all the medical issues she had, and I want to help you pay for them. Or at least help pay for how much it'll cost you from Friday." He tried, he really did, to sugar coat it enough to not throw a blow to her pride. The look in her eyes, a mix of hurt and anger, broke his heart.

"I have been doing just fine on my own. I have done this parenting, working, paying debt thing for 16 years without help from anyone. Not my mom, not my grandparents, not Luke, not anyone. No child support, no second income. Me. What makes you think now I can't do it?" She ranted with scorn in her voice. Rory wasn't sure who it was pointed at though; herself or him. She noticed Jess take in a deep breath, and she thought maybe she had been a bit harsh in her assumptions.

"I don't think that at all. I just thought, I could help out. You're a great mother, and you obviously are trying really hard… But we all need help sometimes." He wished he could have realized that when he was 17. She looked him over once more, realizing that he didn't think her inadequate or a failure. He just saw her as a friend who needed help. She didn't realize until now that's what she really was.

She wasn't sure if it was sleep deprivation, or her complete and utter need to let it all out, but Rory finally let herself succumb to her feelings and cry. A sob escaped her lips, and before she knew it Jess had pulled her in for a hug. She let herself completely break down as he led her through the streets of town. She didn't care who saw her, for once in her life she didn't care about appearances.

Jess held her close as they walked to one very special spot, and he let her soak his shirt through with her tears. He could tell this had been 16 years in the making. 16 years of pent up feelings, worries, angers that were finally rushing out in one big swoop. He sat her down on the side of the bridge, her face still buried in his chest, and he comforted her. Something that Jess Mariano was not known for.

He heard her mumble something, and looked down to see her face turned slightly toward the lake to talk better. "I s-sometimes feel like I-I'm drowning-ing." Rory admitted softly. She had never allowed herself to feel that way; Lilly was the best thing to happen to her, and no mother was supposed to feel like they weren't enough for their child. At the thought, another sob wracked her body.

He pulled her in a bit tighter before pushing back a bit to see her face better. Her normally bright, blue eyes were red and puffy, and her face was a deep shade of red from being pressed against his chest for so long. She sat there trembling, like she could break any moment. "It's ok to feel that way." Jess whispered. Rory shook her head.

"Not when you're a mother." She told him. A few more tears fell down her porcelain skin, and he so wanted to make all her pain go away. She was Rory Gilmore, she was the one with the good life, she shouldn't have pain. But she did, and it made Jess feel powerless.

"Even mothers feel like this every once in a while. Especially the single ones." He tried to remind her. She didn't move after he said that. She didn't think she had a right to a good mental breakdown. She had a right to watch after her kid. Her kid who needed her. Her kid who ended up in the hospital too much. Her kid who didn't have a father because she had been too selfish.

Rory's eyes flicked to Jess's face. He looked at her with understanding and compassion. She had feared that those were the elements that he wasn't yet capable of when she found out she was pregnant. But now here he was being the father figure to his daughter that he didn't even know was his. She hated herself in that moment. She knew if he found out he would hate her. She couldn't stand to live with that.

That began another round of tears. No longer were the pity invoking sobs, but the idiotic whimpers with fat drops of water falling from her eyes. She couldn't stand to tell him and lose him, but she couldn't stand to let him not know. She had a difficult decision to make. She felt even guiltier when he pulled her back to him. He held her and comforted her, but if he knew the thoughts swirling in her head he would most likely yell and kick and scream.

"It's gonna be ok." Jess said into her ear. She shook her head once again. He didn't deserve this.

"I can't lose you." She whispered almost inaudibly. Jess barely caught it, and he kissed her hair hoping to put an end to some of her worries. It didn't.

"You won't." He tried yet again to put her worries at bay. She nodded this time, another lie to add to the list. She didn't believe it, but maybe she could just pretend. Fake it till you make it as the saying went. She wasn't sure how much longer she could fake it.