A/N: Apologies for the massive delay in updating, folks! I picked up a mutant cold and just haven't been around for a while because of how crappy I've been feeling. Good news - I'm back now; bad news - this story is almost over! Just one more chapter after this I'm afraid, but I do appreciate all the lovely reviews you guys have been sending my way so far. This chapter went in a decidely JavaJunkie direction, so I'm gonna go ahead and dedicate it to brittaden - she may have inspired a little of this ;)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 11

"So, graduation is six o'clock. I'm going straight from work, give me a little time to prettify and all," Lorelai explained to Rory who rolled her eyes.

"Like you need any time for that."

"Thank you, dearest daughter, I have trained you well," her mother grinned, pulling her in close with one arm and dropping a kiss on top of head before relasing her again. "However, I am still going straight from work, so are you catching a ride with Sookie and Jackson?"

"Um, yeah, I guess," her daughter said awkwardly. "It depends a little on when they're leaving..."

Lorelai knew she was clearly missing something. Rory had school, potentially an after school activity like the paper maybe, but that was still no reason why she wouldn't be ready to leave for the community college graduation ceremony with Sookie and Jackson. After a minute of very definite squirming, Rory explained herself.

"Jess has to go to the doctor's office today, to get the cast off his arm and get his head checked," she explained. "I... I kind of wanted to go with him."

"Oh," said Lorelai with a strange smile. "Well, that's fine, honey. If you get delayed I'm sure you can get the bus over, right?"

"Of course," Rory smiled right on back. "I just... I know you're a little... well, not keen on the whole me and Jess thing."

"Rory, I never said that," her mother shook her head. "Honestly? From what I've seen this last week or so, he's a much better boyfriend than I had him pegged for, and y'know, as much as I wish you guys never had that accident, I think maybe it changed Jess for the better."

"Changed him, how?" asked Rory curiously.

For her part, she couldn't see much of a change in Jess, apart from the one where he was her boyfriend now, and that really had more to do with her finding some courage and seizing the moment than anything else.

"I just think maybe the life-and-death experience made him look at things differently. Maybe it did the same for you too, gave you guys a push in the right direction," Lorelai explained. "Jess is being nicer to Luke, and very nice to you."

"He was always nice to me," Rory blushed furiously. "I don't know why..."

"Oh, hush, of course you know why," her mother rolled her eyes. "I believe he really likes you, hon, and I know you really like him too. I won't deny, Dean was a good guy and I felt like maybe you were safer with him than with Jess, but I'm trying to give him a second chance... or a first chance, maybe? Point is, I'm trying, and he's trying. It's a whole big trying thing."

Rory laughed at the odd phrasing, but she definitely appreciated her mother's honesty and the effort she was putting in for Jess too. She came over to hug her tight, thanking her for always being the best mom ever. When she pulled away she gasped as she remembered something, telling Lorelai to move and rushing off to her room. When Rory returned it was with a wrapped gift in her hands which she presented with a flourish.

"I know technically you haven't graduated yet, not until this afternoon, but I kind of want to give you this now, instead of bringing it to the ceremony and everything."

Lorelai looked touched and confused at the same time. The hastily wrapped gift with the strange shaped bow on top looked decidedly as if it ought to be a record of some kind. She couldn't imagine where Rory got it or when, and she certainly couldn't have guessed what the album would be.

"Oh, I should tell you, it's from Jess as well as me," Rory smiled.

That had Lorelai even more intrigued as she pulled off the ribbon and then tore into the paper. She grinned at the sight of a Go-Go's album, and all the more when she spotted the autograph on the front of the sleeve.

"Oh my God!" she gasped.

"You like?" Rory checked, as if the grin on her mother's face wasn't answer enough already.

"Babe, this is... it's perfect," she told her. "Signed by Belinda? I mean, as if a record by my favourite band from my favourite daughter wouldn't have been good enough. This is... Thank you so much, honey," she hugged her tight. "Where did you even get it?"

"This weird little record store in Woodbridge," explained Rory. "When I was with Jess that day, we found this and I just knew I had to get it for you, but I was a few bucks short. Jess gave me the money and he wouldn't let me pay it back, so he said it should be a gift from both of us."

"Well, that was very sweet of him," Lorelai acquiesced. "Tell him thanks from me when you see him later, okay?"

"I will," Rory promised, glad to have pleased her mom with the gift, and somehow even more glad that she had inadvertently made Lorelai think even a little better of Jess too.

Rory's head was so busy all day in school, it was hard to concentrate on her work, but she knew she must. They had a Franklin meeting right after classes, but her article was already done and she told the supervising teacher that she had to accompany someone to the doctor's office, so she was let out early. Paris was burning with anger and frustration, immediately trying to get Rory fired for daring to skip out early, regardless the excuse, but even as editor she really didn't have the power to do that, especially not when the teacher had said it was fine.

The bus ride seemed to take forever, and when they had to stop at just about every red light on the way into Stars Hollow, even sweet little Rory Gilmore felt like cursing for all she was worth. She dived out onto the sidewalk just as soon as the driver applied the brakes and physically ran to the diner. She came swinging in through the door, practically panting for breath, just in time to hear Luke telling Caesar he wouldn't be too long taking Jess to see the doctor, so he should be able to cope.

"Geez, what happened to you?" asked Jess as he came over to Rory.

She was bent almost double, sucking in breath that wouldn't come. She put her hand up on his shoulder, trying to stand straight. Rory felt a little sick truth be told, and yet she smiled when she realised Jess looked genuinely concerned for her. It was sweet.

"I'm fine," she promised. "Just... shouldn't run," she explained breathlessly.

Jess almost laughed when he realised how ridiculous this was, that his girlfriend who was as thin and well-built as she was, but apparently couldn't run even from the bus stop without almost dying from lack of breath. He pulled her close in his arms and hugged her, mindful that kissing her probably wasn't the best idea right now when she had only just now got her breath back.

"I'm glad you're here," he whispered near her ear as she hugged him back.

It was quite the admission for Jess to make, Rory knew. Going to see the doctor for a final check and removal of his cast, it wasn't anything to be afraid of, but he was still glad to know she was going with him, that she cared enough to want to. Rory smiled brightly as she pulled out of his arms then, and gave him a peck on the lips.

"I'm glad I'm here too," she promised, just as Luke appeared beside them and said they should be going.

They walked down to the doctor's office, Rory holding onto Jess' good hand as they went. Luke mentioned Lorelai's excitable mood in the diner this morning about her graduation.

"Oh yeah, I'm so proud of her," said Rory with a grin, looking at her boyfriend then. "She said I should pass on her thanks, by the way, for the gift."

"You actually told her it was from me too?" asked Jess, as surprised as he was amused. "Bet that went down well."

"I told you, she said thank you," Rory repeated with a frown. "She insisted I tell you, she said it, honestly."

"I believe you," Jess relented as they reached their destination and went inside.

The doctor was fine with both Luke and Rory coming into the exam room if that was what Jess would like. He shrugged and said they could if they wanted, but both his companions knew he probably wanted them there.

The cast came off easily, and then the doctor checked Jess' arm had healed correctly - it had. Next he pulled the sticking plaster from the wound on his head. Rory was wincing before she ever saw what was under there. Up to now, Jess had always had a dressing on the bump on his head; a whole lot of bandage right after the accident, and then various sizes of plasters and such. Now, as the gash was revealed, it really didn't look like much. The whole point was that it was healing well and was beyond the point where infection was a concern. The dressing was to be left off now, and everything would fine.

"You may not even notice the scar when it's done healing," the doctor advised.

Luke said that was great, but Jess' eyes went to Rory. The way she blushed proved she remembered their conversation about his getting a cool looking scar that the chicks would dig. She was already into him whether he had a mark on him or not, that was kind of the point.

"So, your arm feels okay?" asked Rory as they walked back towards the diner.

"You tell me," replied Jess, wrapping said arm around her waist and pulling her close to kiss her cheek.

Rory giggled, and tried not to look embarrassed when Luke rolled his eyes at their antics. Honestly, he was happy enough for the young couple. Jess had liked Rory from the start and his uncle hoped she would be a good influence on him. They certainly seemed to be getting on well, and Lorelai had promised to go easy on them too. Luke had a good feeling about the whole thing, especially the part where Jess had now been invited to Sookie's wedding. He really hadn't wanted to leave his nephew alone all day when that event rolled around, and now he didn't have to.

"Luke?" said Rory a second time when he seemed to zone out.

"You okay?" Jess checked, almost sounding concerned.

Luke smiled.

"I'm fine," he assured them both. "Just... wasn't listening, sorry."

"It's okay, I just... well, I'm headed home to change and then going to Hartford to see my Mom graduate," Rory explained. "Jess said maybe you could drive me?"

"But I wasn't..."

"You know how you said you'd love to see Lorelai graduate," Jess cut in the moment his uncle started to appear confused and argue the point. "And I know how much she would appreciate you being there."

The look on Jess' face said it all, though Luke couldn't understand why he was so desperate for him to go to Lorelai's graduation. He figured it was more to do with driving Rory over to Hartford than anything else, but even then it seemed strange.

"Er, yeah, okay," he nodded then. "Sure, I'll drive you."

Rory smiled and thanked him, then kissed Jess on the cheek and rushed off home to change. She agreed to meet Luke back at the diner at five sharp and then she was gone. Luke looked to his nephew with a puzzled expression.

"What?" Jess shrugged. "You know Lorelai would love you to be there, and Rory needed a ride."

Luke opened his mouth to argue but Jess had already walked ahead and into the diner before he could. He had no idea why Jess was so determined he go to the graduation, and yet he couldn't be sorry that this was how things had worked out. It would be nice to see Lorelai in one of her proudest moments. He only hoped she would be pleased to see him.

Luke had intentionally hung back as Lorelai dealt with first her parents and then Sookie and Jackson. He had felt a little silly coming here in the first place. It had been great to see Lorelai graduate, no doubt about that, but he hadn't really been invited as such and Luke never failed to feel dumb in a suit. He didn't look that bad, he supposed, but it just wasn't him somehow. The last straw would be having to make nice with the heads of the Gilmore clan, and so he waited. He watched from the far corner as Lorelai hugged her family and friends, and Rory took pictures. Only when the coast was clear did he come over.

"Hey," he touched Lorelai's elbow as he reached her and she spun around from her conversation with her daughter to grin at him.

"Luke, hey!" she greeted him. "Y'know I didn't expect you to be here. I mean, it's great, and thank you, but wow, it's a real surprise."

"Well, Jess wanted me to bring Rory," he said shifting awkwardly. "Which was totally fine with me..."

"But you were coming anyway," said Rory herself, looking confused by this moment between her mom and their favourite diner man. "You were coming anyway, right? Mom, you did invite Luke, didn't you?"

She looked from one adult to the other, as the pair in question shared an awkward glance.

"Well, no," Lorelai admitted at length. "I mean, not that I wouldn't want you here for this," she insisted to Luke. "I just, well, you're a busy man and it's just a stupid community college grad..."

"Hey, it's not stupid," he told her with a frown. "You shouldn't put yourself down like that. I know how hard you worked for this, alongside being an incredible mother," he complimented, feeling weird the moment started to look emotional. "And... well, I guess it's not really my place to be proud of you, but... for what it's worth, I am."

Rory felt like she was tearing up too at how sweet the whole scene was. When her mom reached out to pull Luke into hug, she turned away and let them be.

"Thank you, Luke," she head Lorelai tell him. "Really, thank you."

Rory looked down at the camera in her hands, quickly making a decision. She turned fast and snapped a picture that neither Luke nor her mom noticed had happened, so caught up were they in their hugging. They made a cute couple, which Rory felt surprisingly okay about. She liked Luke a lot, and it was clear to everyone in town how much he liked her mom. If Lorelai could like him just the same, maybe something good could happen between them. Rory smiled as she realised Jess must have noticed that even before she did. That could easily be why he encouraged his uncle to come see her mom graduate today. She would have to ask him about it later. For now it was just sweet to watch Lorelai kiss Luke on the cheek, and then laugh as she wiped her lipstick off his face. Everything was working out pretty well right now, and Rory couldn't be happier.

To Be Continued...