Thank you for your reviews! Here's the next chapter! I warn you, it is an upsetting one!

Chapter 10

Jess and Rory hastily paid the cab driver and then rushed into the hospital. They went to the department that Lorelai had directed them to and as they rushed down the corridor, they spotted Lorelai pacing around with Katie and LJ sat on some seats nearby.

"Mom!" Rory exclaimed.

Lorelai turned. "You're here." She said relieved.

"What's happening? Is Grandma ok?" Rory asked quickly.

"It's not good, sweets." Lorelai said softly.

"We're not too late, are we?" Jess spoke up for the first time, dreading the answer.

"No." Lorelai assured him. "She's ok. Very weak but ok. The hospital...uh...the hospital want to keep her in now." She said quietly.

"But she wants to be at home. Around family!" Rory protested.

"I know hon. But she's really not well. The cancer...it's spread more and is taking over her body. She's very ill." She said softly, trying hard to keep her tears at bay.

"No..." Rory said quietly, not caring about the tears that appeared in her eyes. "So...so...you're saying...you're saying this is it?" She asked shakily.

Lorelai blinked back tears. "The hospital has told us to expect the worse." She said quietly.

"How long?" Jess asked quietly, feeling numb.

"We don't know. But they said...they said she might not make it through the night." Lorelai said quietly.

"Where's dad?" Rory asked looking around.

"He's in there with her now." Lorelai said. "I wanted to wait for you to get here and also Sookie said she would come and take the kids and look after them. They shouldn't have to witness this."

"Shouldn't they be able to..uh..say goodbye?" Rory asked quietly, glancing over at her siblings.

"I took them in before you got here but your Grandma doesn't want them here at the end. It's not fair on them." She said.

Rory nodded. "Yeah...I guess I was glad I wasn't there at the end with Grandpa. I wouldn't have wanted to see him so weak." She said.

"You two can go on in if you want. She'll be so pleased to see you." Lorelai said giving them a small smile.

Rory nodded and glanced at Jess. "Coming?"

Jess nodded and they headed towards the room that Lorelai pointed to. They stood outside the door for a moment. Jess glanced at Rory. "You ready?" He asked.

"No." She admitted.

Jess reached over and took hold of her hand. "Together." He said quietly.

Rory gave him a small smile and a slight nod and watched as Jess pushed the door open slowly. She saw her dad sat next to her Grandma, holding her hand. "Grandma?"

"Rory, Jess..." Katherine said weakly but relieved.

"How are you feeling?" Rory asked, not knowing what else to say. "Sorry, stupid question." She muttered.

"All the better for seeing the two of you." Katherine smiled at them.

Rory and Jess went to the other side of her. "I'm so sorry. We should have stayed with you today." Rory said, blinking back tears.

"Don't be silly. I wanted you to go and have fun. You deserved it." Katherine said. "You have nothing to be sorry for." She said. She saw the doubtful look in her granddaughter's eyes. "Ok?"

"Ok." Rory said quietly.

"I'm just happy you're here now." Katherine said, giving them a weak smile.

"I love you, Grandma." Rory said softly.

"Oh Rory, you have no idea." Katherine said softly, taking hold of her hand. She then looked at Jess and held out her other hand to him. "I love you both so much. Don't you ever forget that."

Rory felt tears roll down her face and bent over to give her a kiss on the cheek. "I'm sorry. I have to...I need to..." She stammered and then rushed from the room.

"Rory!" Luke called after his daughter.

"Leave her." Katherine said softly. "I get it." She glanced at Jess who was looking towards the door. "Go." She said softly.

"What?" Jess said turning back to her.

"Go after her. Make sure she's ok and assure her that I understand." She said. "Please. I don't want her feeling bad."

Jess hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I'll be back." He said and then headed out of the room.

Katherine looked over at her son. "I know it's hard." She said. "For everyone." She said pointedly.

Luke looked up at her. "I want to be here." He said gruffly.

"I know and I'm very grateful you are." She said taking hold of her hand again. "But it's still hard. Especially for Rory and Jess. I don't want to force them to be here."

Luke nodded, understanding. "Yeah." He said quietly. He looked her in the eyes. "I'm staying." He said adamantly.

Katherine smiled. "Thank you." She said softly. "And...and I'm so sorry." She said blinking back tears.

"Mom, no." Luke shook his head. "You have nothing to be sorry for." He said softly.

"I'm leaving you without any parents." Katherine choked.

Luke squeezed her hand and blinked back his own tears. "I'll be fine." He said quietly, trying to reassure her.

"Lucas..." Katherine said softly.

Luke looked at her. "I love you mom."

"I love you too, son." She said.

Jess found Rory outside sat on a bench. He went over and sat down next to her. "Hey..."

"Hey..." She sniffed.

"Are you ok?" He asked. "Sorry, stupid question."

Rory gave him a small smile but shook her head. "I can't do it. I can't be there at the end. It's too hard." She said teary.

"Then you don't need to be. Grandma will understand. That's why she sent me after you. She wanted me to tell you that she understood and that you have nothing to feel bad about." He assured her.

"I feel so selfish. I feel like I'm a rubbish granddaughter." Rory sniffed wiping away some tears.

"Rory, you're not selfish and you're definitely not a rubbish granddaughter." Jess said softly. "It's ok. It's hard for everyone." He said. "I'm having doubts too." He admitted.

Rory turned to look at him. "You are?"

"She looks so weak, so...ill." Jess said quietly. "I don't think I want that to be my last memory of her."

Rory nodded and sniffed. "Why is this happening?"

Jess sighed and put her arm round her, which led to her leaning her head on his shoulder. "I don't know. It's just...it sucks."

Rory glanced at him. "You really don't think she'll mind?"

Jess shook her head. "She'll understand."

"I think I might offer to take the kids home instead of getting Sookie to look after them." She said quietly.

Jess nodded. "I'll come with you."

"You don't need to. If you want to stay...I don't want to force you to come with me." Rory said quietly.

Jess shook her head. "I'll come with you." He repeated. "Come on, let's go...well...you know..." He said gesturing back to the hospital.

Rory took a deep breath knowing that Jess meant going to say goodbye. She glanced at him. "Together?" She said quietly.

"Together." Jess said.

They headed back in to find that Sookie had already come for Katie and LJ and Lorelai was in the room with Luke and Katherine.

"Hi..." Rory said quietly as they went in.

"Hey sweets." Lorelai gave her a small smile. "Are you ok?"

"It just...got too much." Rory said quietly. She glanced at her Grandma. "Sorry."

"You don't need to apologise." Katherine assured her. "I understand."

"Uh...we're thinking about going and get Katie and LJ from Sookie's and going back to your house with them." Jess said glancing at Lorelai. "Is that ok? That way, you can stay here with Luke."

Lorelai gave him a watery smile. "That's fine."

Jess looked back at Katherine who was talking quietly to Rory who had gone to her side. He took a deep breath and vowed he wouldn't cry. He slowly went to join Rory who gave Katherine another kiss and whispered something in her ear, before going to hug both her mom and dad and then leaving the room quickly. Jess looked down at the woman who meant so much to him. "I just want you to know that...that I appreciate everything. Everything you've done for me." He said quietly.

"Oh sweetheart, you don't have to thank me." Katherine said.

"I do. With everything that happened with mom and you letting me live with you..." He said but then stopped. "Wait, where's mom?" He frowned.

"She's on her way." Luke assured him.

Jess just nodded and turned back to Katherine. "I...I..." He tried to say but he was really bad at expressing his emotions.

"I know." Katherine assured him.

"I love you." He managed to choke out.

"The feeling's mutual. Now go look after Rory and those other gorgeous grandchildren of mine." She smiled.

Jess followed Rory's actions by giving her a kiss on her cheek. He nodded at Luke and Lorelai before leaving quickly before he could change his mind.

Jess was woken up by the ringing of the house phone. He sat up on the couch where he had been sleeping and looked at the clock. 3:21am. His heart sank as he reached for the phone.

Rory had heard the phone as well but was too scared to answer it. She heard movement in the living room and heard Jess talking quietly on the phone. She heard him hang up and slowly she got out of bed and went out to the living room. She saw Jess just standing there, his eyes meeting hers as she walked in. "Please don't say it..." She said tremulously.

"That was your mom..." He said just as tremulously. "They..uh..they were with her at the end."

"No..." Rory sobbed, tears starting to stream down her face. "Please no..." She cried and she launched herself at Jess.

Jess just stood there, numb. He held Rory close as she sobbed against his shoulder and for the first time, he let some tears finally fall.

I know it's a really sad chapter. I was really nervous doing it so please let me know what you think! I really do appreciate hearing from you. Thanks! :)