A/N: DrewSaywer, I love you.

"Ella's got her pick of the fellas," Jess laughed, picking up his phone.

"Yeah that's right beautiful man. I have a problem," Ella answered.

"Stairs?"

"Stairs."

"Greggers!" Jess yelled. "Our favourite lady is here and she's spinning her wheels. Let's go! Grab a quarter!"

"You guys eat your Wheaties this morning?" Ella asked as Greg and Jess sprinted down the stairs.

"You know we did, my dear," Greg smiled.

"I really should wring your gorgeous necks, it's 2017! Why the fuck aren't you wheelchair accessible yet?"

"But we are," Jess winked. "You love this part."

"You're right, I do. If you had a ramp, I'd still make you carry me. All right, Greg –flip it. Call it, rebel with a book."

"Heads."

Greg tossed the quarter high in the air, caught it and flipped it over on the back of his hand.

"Oh, sorry pretty boy," Jess chuckled as he saw how it landed. "You don't get the fun part today. I've got her, you've got her wheels." He swooped down, undoing Ella's seatbelt and kissing her on the cheek, scooping her up so fast she almost didn't manage to get her stiff right arm around Jess' shoulder before she was up and pressed tightly against him. "Jesus, I always forget how light you are. Are you sure you –you know, eat?"

"You've seen me eat, smartass," Ella smiled. "Are you really questioning my weight as you're carrying me up the stairs?"

"No, I –"

"Would you prefer if I were twenty-five pounds heavier?"

"No," he laughed.

"Watch it, dude," Greg laughed from behind them. "She'll hit you when we get inside."

"Um, What's going on here?" Jess heard a familiar voice ask from a few feet away.

"Oh, Rory," Greg said. "You're early! Wanna sneak ahead of the parade here and grab the door?"

"Way to think that one through," Ella sighed. "Hi," she said to Rory. "This really has the potential to be awkward, I guess, right? Jess, how many times have I told you, this is not how I make a good impression. So, I'm Ella and that there behind me is my wheelchair. Einstiens here insist upon working in a place that is inhospitable to people with disabilities –"

"This is what you call inhospitable? You have men –plural- literally carrying you up the stairs and across a threshold. We could just leave you out there, you know," Jess scoffed. "Inhospitable my ass."

"I'd shake your hand, but I kinda have to hold on here."

"Oh, no…" Rory said. "That's okay. I just –here –let me get the door. Wha –um, what happened?"

"And you are…"

"Sorry. I'm Rory."

"The Rory?" Ella whispered to Jess, eyes wide.

"Subtle," he laughed. "Yeah, she's the only Rory I know, so," Jess said, walking in the door and stopping, waiting for Greg to put the chair down.

"I'm Ella," she said when Jess sat her down, offering Rory her left hand. When Rory paused before taking it, Ella laughed. "Right one doesn't work so well, it's pretty much there for decoration. It's nice to meet you! I've heard so much about you."

"Oh boy," Rory sighed.

"Ah, it's like, ninety percent stellar, I swear," she smiled. "And nothing happened."

"What?"

"When you asked what happened –I'm assuming you meant to me? Nothing. I was premature and there was a lack of oxygen to my brain –so in essence, my brain and my body are in a lifelong committed relationship with epic communication problems. So, I guess that's what happened –but like, nothing traumatizing happened to me. It's not so bad actually, being small and petit with a need to be carried," Ella winked. "I really don't know how women who don't need to be swept off their feet by men ever manage."

Rory nodded mechanically, trying to make sense of the information that had just been given to her. "Sorry, I didn't mean…"

"Okay, you officially shocked her into silence, which is no small feat," Jess laughed. "Happy?"

"Thrilled."

"Rory, should we go –take a look at your drafts?" Greg asked.

"Yeah, sure," Rory nodded.

"I'll be –down here with Ella if you need anything," Jess said, his eyes falling to Rory's stomach, which was getting hard to hide. Jess watched them disappear up the stairs. When he heard Greg's office door close, he turned to Ella. "So, how's your column? Do you wanna order lunch?"

"Yes to lunch, but fuck my column, Mariano. What was that all about?" Ella asked

"Can I plead the fifth?"

"No. I mean –skip the stuff I'm not supposed to know, cuz I can tell there's some of that –but no, not a chance in hell."

Ella was thirty-one years old. Five foot two and barely a hundred pounds, she'd used a wheelchair her entire life. Her disability was not something she cared to explain in dry, medical terms. Her brain had issues communicating with various parts of her body; the messages sent to her limbs, telling them what to do got scrambled somewhere between point A and point B –hence, lifelong communication issues. She was smart, funny, sharp and charming; her brown hair was cut into an asymmetrical bob, with hazel eyes twinkling from behind bold horn rim glasses.

She had a website, a blog and a column, That's How I Roll. She and Jess met in 2009 after Matt and Chris stumbled upon her column and asked her to contribute to the 'zine. Truncheon's expansion into Brooklyn was partially because of Ella's sleuthing, helping them secure contacts and figure out how to stay afloat before the doors of their Brooklyn house even opened. Her writing was unapologetic and relatable, offering a perspective on life rarely considered by those who didn't have to live it. Jess was immediately drawn to her no bullshit persona, the confidence she radiated unknowingly and disguised in a self-deprecating wit that left people speechless.

Ella was like Jess, in female form. So, when she told him he couldn't plead the fifth, he knew she meant business. "Look, El, I can't –it's a long story," he sighed.

"Okay," Ella smiled. "For those of you just tuning in, allow me to provide you with an abridged version –Jess, tell me how I do…"

Jess swallowed hard.

"That was Rory Gilmore –the woman of legend. Someone whose existence, to the skeptics is about as likely as Big Foot or The Loch Ness Monster. She's here. And you were super awkward –why?"

"She's writing a book. We're publishing it."

"Ah. Okay. That makes perfect sense."

"She asked me to."

"Oh, she asked you, did she? I know that. But then why is she upstairs with Greg and not you? And why were you such a spaz? That's my shtick."

"That's… complicated," Jess sighed, sneering internally at his use of that particular word, knowing Ella would react to it just the way he did.

"Mmmm complicated. I bet," Ella said sarcastically. "Uncomplicate it."

"I can't."

"Why? When I met you, you'd just gotten to the point where you could talk about this woman without blowing steam out your ears. You'd just started being friendly with her after what –three years?"

"Something like that."

"What is it about her? And don't tell me the part I already know, about how she believed in you when almost no one else did and you were happy to be able to return the favour, even if she got confused, let you kiss her and leave, ripping your heart out of your chest. I'm glad she did whatever she did for you, and that she helped you become what you are, because she gave me my best friend. But it's not all on her, Jess. You did the work. You became a great man. Don't get me wrong, I'd march up there and hug her if I could. But the way you looked at her –I've heard you explain it, describe it –but I never thought I'd witness it. I saw you before you went to Stars Hollow in the fall –you were fine. Something happened."

"You terrify me."

"Why? Because I'm you –except with spastic limbs and a uterus? Because you can't lie to me? Or because I'm right without even knowing what happened?"

"Yes –to all of the above."

"You agreed to help her with her book! You were happy –you were excited. I was happy for you. This is gonna be huge for you guys! You gave her advice; she took it –you guys were gonna build this thing together! It was all good! I was so happy that not only could you guys be friends but you could be truly comfortable being those people –people whose history doesn't weigh them down anymore. I know you; very rarely do I worry that you are unable to balance the complexities of human existence on your beautiful, broad and sculpted shoulders…"

Jess chuckled under his breath.

"But that," Ella said slowly, meeting his smirk with concerned eyes. "That look you gave her said something else. What the hell happened between November and now?"

"Something."

"Jess, drop the cryptic. Is it because she's pregnant?"

"I never told you –"

"I'm a woman, I do know what it looks like. You didn't have to tell me anything. Oddly, as someone who doesn't walk, I have a very keen eye for the way people do what I can't do. She was leaning back, like she was compensating for a load she's not used to carrying. I saw her try not to cradle her belly. She's getting to the point where it's hard to hide."

Jess didn't know what he was supposed to tell this spitfire of a woman sitting across from him. For all the ways Jess became the person who gave Rory a dose of reality when she needed it the most, Ella did that for him –Ella was his sobering, non-judgmental, zero bullshit mirror. He could fool lots of other people, but not her.

Problem was, he didn't know what to tell her –he knew what he wanted to tell her, that his shoulders were starting to buckle under the weight of that pesky problem of human complexity that she knew he was so good at carrying. But he couldn't. Partly because he didn't know if he could find the words and partly because he still didn't know if his whole 'we can keep it to ourselves until we know whose kid it is' thing could even stick. Until he knew exactly how to have that conversation with Ella, it was better for Jess to endure her intensity and keep his mouth shut.

He was just about to open his mouth, to say something to fill the void when he heard Rory scream from upstairs. Jess jumped up at the noise and ran to the bottom of the stairs. When he got there, Greg was already helping Rory down the stairs. "What happened?" he asked, meeting them part way to support Rory's other arm.

"I'm… there's blood, Jess," Rory cried.

"Blood?" Jess felt his face go pale. "That's not supposed to happen, right?"

"No. I mean it's not a lot –but I'm –I'm –"

"Rory," Jess said slowly, taking her face in his hands, "it'll be okay. We'll go to the hospital, get you checked out and everything will be fine. Come on, breathe. I'm right here."

Ella wheeled to the bottom of the stairs. "What hospital's closest? I'll call ahead, let them know you're coming. Greg, you should drive them –it'll be faster."

"The number's in my top desk drawer, El. Can you grab my cell too? It's in my bag by the chair there."

"But wait," Greg said. "If I drive them –Ella, how're you gonna –"

"I'm disabled, not helpless. I can hold down the fort here until you get back. Jess can stay with her and either call you or take a cab back with her. Besides, you may not have a ramp but at least you have a bathroom I can use. You're gonna be short staffed the rest of the day with Jess being out with Rory. I'll stick around here –help you out until you close."

"Greg, just drive my car," Jess said, handing him the keys. "Park it, take a cab back here and then Rory and I won't need you to come back to get us…. If we need you, we'll –but then you have your car here and you can drive Ella home tonight."

Ella wheeled quickly to where Jess' messenger bag was propped up against the wall and unceremoniously dug around until she found his cell. "You really should keep this in your pocket, you know," she offered with a dry wit, to briefly lighten the mood. "You know they make cell phones now that are specific shapes that fit easily in the palm of your hand or in your pocket? It's genius." Ella held her hand out, palm up, offering Jess the phone. When he took it, she saw genuine, raw concern in his eyes. When his hand covered hers she held it there. "It'll be fine," she whispered. "Just be there for her. And call me the second you know what's going on."

"I will. Thanks El," Jess said quietly, offering her a tiny smile.

"Ella, I'll be back as soon as I can," Greg promised her.

"Oh my God, I'm fine. When you're back it's all you and me and luckily for you, you will get to partake in the fun today. I know how much you love holding me close, Greggers," she winked.

"Just don't tell my wife," he answered with a playful grin.

"Are you kidding? She doesn't even bat an eye; she's not weirded out in the least –it's why I like her so much! I want to hear all about your newly minted newlywed status later." Ella turned to Rory. "Rory, I'm sure everything will be fine. It really was nice to meet you and I hope to see you again soon. Under better circumstances, of course. If there's anything I can do –anything please let me know. Any friend of Jess' is a friend of mine and if I can help, I want to."

"Thank you Ella, that means a lot," Rory smiled timidly as Jess and Greg helped her down the steps.

"Jess!" Ella called out. "Take care of her," she said sincerely.

Jess smiled warmly and winked at Ella one last time before all three of them disappeared into Jess' car and Ella closed Truncheon's front door, all alone in a reasonably sizeable publishing house. The sudden silence and emptiness left in in the wake of such a flurry of frantic activity was overwhelming. "Oh Jess," she whispered to herself, unnerved by the look she saw in his eye as he rushed to help Rory, "what are you not telling me? I'm worried about you."

At the hospital, Rory was checked out and her bleeding was deemed to be of no cause for alarm. It was only light spotting, and even though it was a more common occurrence within the first trimester of pregnancy, Rory was fairly early in her second trimester in this first week of March; spotting could indeed happen throughout the entire pregnancy. The doctor assured her she did the right thing in coming in to get it looked at.

Both Jess and Rory breathed a heavy sigh of relief at the news.

"I was really scared, Jess," she whispered.

"Me too, Rory," he assured her, his voice shaking. He kissed her hand and smiled at her. "But you're fine. Listen, I should go call Lorelai and Luke –let Logan know too."

"Jess! Wait! Come here!" Rory said emotionally with an eager smile, reaching for his hand. Jess stepped closer and let her lay his palm on her belly; he looked at her quizzically. "Just wait…" she promised. After a few seconds, there it was. "There! Did you feel that?"

Jess looked at Rory and gazed back down at his hand as the lump quickly forming in his throat threatened to overwhelm him. "Was that –? Did the baby just… move? Kick?" he asked quietly.

Rory nodded with a tearful smile. "I started feeling it earlier this week."

Jess let out a tiny laugh, with an air of childlike wonder, his hand still against her belly. After a few more seconds, he offered her another warm smile. "I should make those calls now. Plus, Ella –she's worried. I promised I'd call her to let her know everything was okay."

"Ella seems great, Jess –really great."

"Yeah," he whispered affectionately. "She's my little spitfire."

"Are you two…"

"No. Just friends. But –believe me, I don't have a one that's better than her. She's –everything."

"Does she know about –?"

"She figured out you're pregnant Rory, all on her own –pretty much as soon as she introduced herself. I didn't tell her –she just knew," Jess assured her, almost defensively.

"Well, she is a woman. I've talked to her for all of five minutes; she's sharp enough that if she hadn't figured it out I'd be disappointed," Rory laughed. "I meant –does she know it might be yours?"

"No –we agreed and that's not my place to –I don't know how I feel about that even being a possibility yet."

"Jess," Rory said, taking his hand. "Keeping it from Stars Hollow, Luke, my mom… that's a pretty fair plan of attack that minimizes fallout and keeps the unrelenting gossip mill at bay until we know for sure. But Ella –it sounds like she's –your best friend."

"She is," Jess said sincerely.

"You love her, and she loves you –the way best friends always do. You should tell her –I'm telling you, if you want to, you can, okay? I can't expect you to carry this burden all by yourself, that's not fair."

"But whatever do you mean? I have Logan," Jess quipped.

"That's not what I mean. She's your support system. You told me about the Truncheon guys and that to trust you was to trust all of them. So I'm saying I trust you –and to trust you is to trust her, right? –is she gonna go telling everyone?"

"Of course not. She wouldn't tell a soul."

"You need someone to trust, Jess. You need to be able to talk to someone. Not just Logan –someone who you love and trust. I've already messed so many things up… I can't allow your life to become irreparably screwed up because of me," Rory smiled.

"Okay. But you should take your own advice, Rory. Lane wouldn't say anything. You shouldn't keep this totally bottled up either," Jess whispered, smiling. "I should go make those calls now. You rest a minute, I'll be back."

"Yeah, I guess. Jess," Rory said quietly with tears in her eyes and a loving grin dancing across her lips "my baby's moving. I can feel my baby moving inside me. It's amazing."

Jess smiled softly, feeling his chin quiver at the faintest sign of Rory slowly finding her way out of the haze she'd been stuck in. It'd still be a while, he knew. But the Rory he'd always known, the Rory he knew would be a loving mother was finally starting to emerge. All he could hope for now was that she wouldn't fall back into the darkness –but instead, keep fighting to find and climb out into the light.

"What do you mean, she was bleeding?" Logan asked anxiously.

"She was bleeding," Jess repeated evenly. "I don't know, Logan –I'm not a doctor. They said some spotting is normal, usually within the first twelve weeks."

"But she's not –she's in her second trimester."

"I know. But they checked her out –she's fine. They're keeping her here for a few hours for observation. When they release her, I'm driving her back to Stars Hollow. By the time Lorelai gets here, she'd be released. I told her I'd stay… bring her home."

"How's she doing?"

"Rory?"

"Yeah."

"She was pretty scared. I think she still is –but she's okay."

"How are you?"

"See above, re: pretty scared, but okay."

Logan sighed. "I can't stay here. I have to be there. This is bullshit!"

"But you live there –your work, you can't just –"

"I can. The Huntzberger name reaches far and wide. I'm working on it."

"How fantastic for you," Jess said flatly.

"Hey, if I'm there I can help. This wouldn't be all on you. Me being there would be a good thing," Logan replied. "Unlikely allies, remember?"

"Right. Sorry."

"Jess –thank you. For being there. This is gonna sound weird, but –I'm glad you –you being there makes me feel better. I know you're looking out for her. Thank you. This is an impossible situation and you're in the thick of it, and no one else even knows what's really happening. Thank you."

"Gee, can I get that in writing? And recorded on tape?" Jess asked sarcastically. "With your official signature to authenticate it?"

"Jess…"

"I know. You're welcome. Hey, there's something else –"

"What is it?" Logan asked nervously.

"It's good, I promise. The baby is –it's kicking. I felt it. Rory said she started feeling it a few days ago. She was so –happy, amazed."

"The baby's kicking?" he asked quietly, smiling to himself.

"The baby's kicking," Jess confirmed, with a smirk of his own.

"And Rory's –"

"She is. I think –I hope this means she's starting to connect. I think maybe this is the start of her finally –I don't know. I hope this is the first of many good things –good changes, I mean."

"Me too. All right, listen I gotta go. Will you call me –let me know when she's home? Tell her to call me tomorrow, when she's had some rest and some Lorelai time."

"Will do," Jess assured him.

"Thank you," Logan said sincerely.

By the time Jess made it back to Brooklyn, it was almost nine. He was exhausted. The day seemed to have started a million years ago. Even though he was physically and emotionally spent, he didn't go straight home. Bypassing his own apartment building, he drove to Ella's. He sent her a text before he got out of the car. Is this a bad time? Is your attendant there?

Ella replied immediately. No, she's gone. Why?

Jess buzzed her apartment and Ella let him in without a word. When he knocked on her door two minutes later, he was fidgety and out of breath.

"Jess?" Ella said as she opened the door, letting go and turning her back to wheel inside when she felt him push it open further to walk in. "What the hell? I told you to call me! I've been worried all day –" she stopped short when she spun around and saw his face. "What happened? Is Rory –?"

"She's fine. I drove her home to Stars Hollow after –she's fine."

"Well then what's with the face? Why do you look so –what's going on?"

"I have to –I –remember how you asked me to uncomplicate all this earlier?" Jess asked wearily. "I said I couldn't –but I can. I need to talk to you. I can uncomplicate it for you –or, tell you what's really going on –there's no way to actually uncomplicate this…" he rambled nervously.

"Slow down," Ella said softly. "And sit down."

"Where are you going?"

"Something tells me this conversation needs to be accompanied by alcohol. Red or white?"

"Doesn't matter."

Ella stood up on the footplate of her chair and took two wine glasses down out of the cupboard. She sat back down and situated them carefully between her knees, grabbing a bottle of red wine and tucking it securely in the side of her seat cushion against her thigh and wheeled slowly back over to Jess.

"I could've helped you with that, you know," Jess chuckled.

"Nah, it's not my first rodeo. You can pour though –oh ye of steady hand," Ella smiled.

Jess laughed and took the bottle of wine from her as she set the glasses on the coffee table. He poured them both, almost totally full.

"Wow. This is gonna be one of those conversations, huh? Cheers. What the hell is going on with you?"

"I –you can't tell anyone…"

"Jess –what are we, twelve? I am a fortress –a safe for your deepest, darkest and naughtiest secrets. You know that."

"I'm serious, Ella," he said softly.

"So am I," she whispered.

Jess sighed deeply and stared into his wine glass. He couldn't bring himself to look at her when he said the words. "Rory's pregnant."

"I know."

"And the baby –the baby –it might be mine."

Ella gasped quietly and felt her eyes sting with tears. She bit them back and put her wine glass down, reaching to lay her hand on Jess' arm –she shook, partially from tight spastic muscles and partly out of nerves and concern for her friend. "Who else knows?" she asked gently.

"Me. Rory. The other guy. And now you," Jess answered without looking up.

"Jess, I don't care what you say, how much you say or what you do or don't tell me right now –just –just talk to me. Tell me what happened."

"It's a long story."

"Well, luckily for you, I can't exactly run away."

Jess met Ella's eyes for the first time. He looked tormented, tired, confused and even a little broken. He tried to smile at her pun, but he couldn't. "Everything's so fucked up," he sighed.

"Hey, just start somewhere, okay?" Ella said softly. "Doesn't matter where. I've got all night and this bottle of wine needs to be finished, now that we've opened it."