After the detour of stopping at home then driving to Stars Hollow, they finally reached their destination. Lorelai climbed out of the car first and then helped Tori out. Rory took a deep breath first as she realized this was a good thing.
She didn't know what to say. Or maybe she did and she didn't know how to word it. Jess' presence in Stars Hollow delayed her having to explain why Tori now had her own room. Right now, she just wanted to enjoy having her daughter back and not worry about explanations and reactions.
As they pulled up to the house however and she got out of the car, another surprise hit her. The front door opened and Tori squealed in delight as she ran towards the house.
Rory and Lorelai both laughed as they walked at their own quick pace to the house. Tori crashed right into Jess with a beaming smile. Jess hugged her back tightly and spared a look behind her. His smile grew as he saw Rory approach. One of his favorite girls walked towards him as the other hugged him hello.
Inside, there was Luke. He made them dinner and together they ate and chatted. Tori didn't suspect anything had changed and Rory mentally prepared herself for the upcoming conversation. If Jess was nervous, he didn't show it. He looked utterly and completely happy. It almost wiped her own nerves away. Almost.
After dinner, Luke and Lorelai's offered to clean up despite their guest's protests. Instead, Jess led both Rory and Tori into the living room and sat down on the single chair while the two girls sat on the couch. They gave each other a knowing look. It was time.
Another deep breath escaped Rory and she began to tell her the news. She started it simple with the own bedroom part before she left up to her and Jess sharing a room.
"My own room?"
Tori's words were quiet and sad. Her face looked worried as Rory told her the news. Jess didn't say anything. Instead, he just waited to see how she'd respond.
Rory nodded. "Yeah. Isn't that great news?"
"No," Tori frowned.
"No?" Now Jess cut in. "Why not, peanut?"
She sighed dramatically and both of them had to resist a laugh. "Are we moving?"
"No!" She said too loudly but then lowered her voice back to normal. "No, baby. Why would you think we're moving?"
"The room," she pointed out.
Jess leaned forward in the chair. "Tori, you and Mom are still living with me. Don't worry about that."
"But how?" She asked curiously. "We share a room."
"Well, that's the next part," Rory breathed deeply again, nervous. "You see, me and Jess are gonna be sharing a room."
Tori frowned. "How?"
"Jess and I…" she started then paused and started again. "We're a couple now. We're together."
Tori's face ranged in emotions. There was confusion at first that eventually led to happiness. She jumped out of her seat and hugged her mother.
"I take it she's happy about this?" Jess asked over their shoulders.
"I guess so," Rory laughed and hugged her daughter back.
Tori separated herself then ran to hug Jess. "Is this good news then?"
"The best," she told him happily.
After she hugged them both, Lorelai and Luke walked back into the room. They'd obviously been listening in and waiting for the news to be told. Rory said a silent thank you because she was relieved to have been able to tell her before they got home. Jess looked relieved too if she had to guess right.
Later that night, they got into Jess' car and hugged everyone goodbye. Lorelai didn't want to let Tori go but eventually let her. They waved goodbye as they pulled out of the driveway and towards their home.
When they reached the apartment, Tori ran inside and past her mother and Jess. She ran right to her new bedroom and laughed happily. Rory reached her and she hugged her tightly. She thanked her for her room and was surprised they moved it all already.
Jess smiled at the two of them as they went inside the room to talk some more. He figured it was some kind of mother/daughter girl talk and that parts would be about him so he let them be. He made coffee, knowing that Rory would want some when she came out of there.
They were in there for a while. He had eventually curled up on the couch with his laptop and before he knew it, Rory was shaking his shoulder awake.
"Hey."
"You fell asleep," she pointed out as she sat down next to him.
He looked around the room. Tori's door was shut and when he looked at the clock, he realized it was too late for her to still be awake. "Tori?"
"Asleep," she answered. "We talked. As much as a mother and her almost three year old can. I think she gets it, as much as she should get, at least."
"Good," he sat up and put his laptop on the table. The battery was dying so he figured he needed to charge it soon. "I'm sorry I missed her bedtime."
"She understood," Rory shrugged. "I told her you were up late in excitement of her coming home today and that it finally kicked in so you fell asleep."
"I wanted to tuck her in," he said.
"It's okay," she told him. "It's not like she doesn't know you love her, Jess."
Jess put his hand on Rory's leg. His thumb rubbed circles around her knee. He sighed. "Sometimes...I feel like we're a family. Me and you and Tori and sometimes it's easy to forget she's not actually mine but she feels like she is, you know?"
"I know," a small smile appeared on her face. "Sometimes it's easy for me, too. It sounds wrong and I feel bad about it but we already feel like this unit. Like we're this family and I really like the way it feels."
"Me, too," he have a in return.
"She asked if we were getting married," Rory giggled.
Jess turned to her in surprise. "What?"
"Yeah," she smiled. "Wanted to know if me and you were gonna be like Daddy and Odette."
Now Jess laughed. "I hope not. Didn't they get married because his father wanted them to?"
"Yeah," she replied. "I mean, they love each other but I don't think we're them."
"Right," he said.
"Hey, Jess?" She asked curiously. He made a sound in reply so she continued. "It's crazy talk, right? You and I getting married?"
He's quiet a moment as he takes her words in. Before too much time passed, he speaks up. "Yeah. Crazy, right."
She nodded, obviously expecting that answer. Jess doesn't mention how it hurts. "Okay. That's what I thought."
"I'm tired," he abruptly said and took his hand off her leg. "I think I'm gonna go to bed."
"Okay," she said sadly.
"You gonna stay up a little bit?" He wondered.
"Maybe just a little bit," Rory told him. "I'll be in there soon."
"Okay," now he said.
Jess stood up from the couch and kissed her lightly. Then he headed into their bedroom and closed the door behind him.
As Rory sat there alone on the couch, she let his words sink in. He didn't wanna marry her. Of course he didn't. They'd barely been back together two weeks. It was too soon. So why did it hurt so much to hear him confirm it was crazy?
She stood up and headed to the kitchen. She took a cup of coffee that Jess had made and poured it into a cup. She stood there a while in silence. Jess never came out of the room. Finally she finished the last cup of coffee and went into the bedroom.
When the door opened, her thoughts erased. Jess had looked so peaceful as he slept. He was already in his pajamas and she guessed he must have brushed his teeth while she was in Tori's room. He looked content, as if all the bad stuff that had happened to him hadn't happened and only the good had.
She smiled to herself as she looked at him. Maybe marriage wasn't in the cards with him, at least it wasn't yet. Maybe that would be okay. Maybe this could be enough. To be with him and Tori, their little family. It would be enough.
Rory grabbed her own pajamas and headed to the bathroom. She brushed her own teeth and changed her clothes. When she headed back to the bedroom, she climbed right into bed and kissed his cheek.
"Goodnight, Jess," she whispered and turned on her side and fell asleep.
…..
"But how do you know?" Lorelai asked with all seriousness.
"Because I know," Rory replied in the same tone as her mother.
"But how?" She asked again.
Rory sighed. "Because I know."
Lorelai shook her head. "But you can't. It doesn't make sense."
"It makes sense," she told her.
"No, it doesn't," she said.
"Yes, it does," Rory replied.
"But -" Lorelai stopped herself. "You know what? I'm gonna rewind because to me, it doesn't make sense."
"But then we'll never finish," Rory pointed out.
"We've seen it before," Lorelai commented.
"It's the same everytime," the younger Gilmore said as she looked at the paused screen of Crazy, Stupid, Love.
Lorelai scoffed. "That's because we never think of it from the perspective of the ending."
"I do," Rory pointed out.
"Well, then, I don't," she replied.
"Can we stop the movie for now?" She asked. "I don't feel up to it right now."
"You're not in the mood for a Ryan Gosling/Steve Carrell comedy?" she asked in shock.
Rory shook her head. "Not tonight. I'm too nervous."
"Is this about going to Nantucket tomorrow?" She asked.
"Yeah," Rory nodded. "Telling Grandma has kind of put me on edge. I feel like I know how she's gonna respond. She's gonna tell me to think about Tori or how divorces happen so maybe Logan will come back and I - I'm just not sure I'm up for hearing that."
"You could always bring Tori," she suggested. "That's how I avoided fights with my mom."
Rory's mouth dropped. "You mean you used me as a buffer just so she wouldn't get mad at you?"
"Well, it worked, didn't it?" Lorelai shrugged.
"I can't believe you," she shook her head.
"I gotta tell you something," the older Gilmore said. "It's nice being in your apartment because if I say something that you don't like, you can't storm out."
"Just watch," she grinned.
"Oh, no," she held a finger up. "Then you'll miss the end of the movie and how you don't nickname your daughter 'Nana'."
"She couldn't say Hannah," Rory replied.
"Oh, no," she chuckled. "That's no excuse."
"Man, Jess is lucky to be missing this," Rory leaned back on the couch as she pressed play.
"How long are he and Tori going to be out?" Lorelai wondered.
"I didn't think they'd be long but it's already been an hour so far," she answered.
"He's preparing her for tomorrow in case you bring her, I bet," she said.
Rory wanted to laugh now. "No. She's staying out of the Emily path so far. I know grandma loves her but her and Jess have this whole weekend planned and you and I are gonna face it alone together."
"Wouldn't you rather I stay out of the Emily path too?" She tried.
"No getting out of it," Rory warned. "You said if I needed anything, you'd be there and this is what I need. I need backup and I'm not putting Jess or my daughter through it until I know it's okay."
Lorelai pouted. "But you'll put your own mother through it."
"Again, you told me you would," she told her.
"Can I take back my offer?" She asked.
"No," she said. "Besides, I need you even if Grandma is okay with it. Because if she is, she'll be asking where it's going and so far, all it went towards is moving our stuff into the same room."
"I'm not sure my mother will like that part," she giggled.
"No, she won't," she almost smiled. "Do you think she'll bring up the step cousins thing?"
Lorelai now laughed. "I almost hope so. It'd be a ice breaker for sure."
"For you maybe," Rory gave her a look. "You're the adult couple. Jess and I are the late couple even though we did date first."
"I'm sure it'll be fine," Lorelai said.
Rory gave her a look. "Who are you and what have you done with my mother? She would never say something involving Emily Gilmore will be fine."
Lorelai chuckled. "You haven't seen my mother as often as I have lately. She makes me and Luke visit her, remember? And she's mellowed. Like really mellowed. Plus she has Jack and that is just -"
Rory laughed as Lorelai made a face but then spoke seriously. "She's happy. She's allowed to be happy again."
"I know," she pouted. "But I guess I didn't expect her to."
"I know," Rory frowned. "Me, either."
Lorelai noticed the atmosphere and tried to change the tone. "But I'm sure it will be all right. She knows Jess has been taking care of you and Tori the past few years. Maybe she'll be happy for you."
"You think?" She wondered.
"Ha, no," Lorelai let out a chuckle again. "But you see, I'm trying to be positive here and you're ruining it by asking what I really think."
"Fine," she crossed her arms. "I'll be denial and hope for the best."
"That's my girl," Lorelai beamed.
…..
Rory heard the floor creak and the door shut. She opened her eyes to see who the suspect was. A smile crept on her face as she saw him even in the dark.
"Go back to sleep," Jess whispered to her.
"You woke me up," her sleep filled voice said.
Jess grabbed a change of clothes out of his drawers then he leaned on the bed. He kissed her lightly. "Sleep. Sorry I woke you."
"What time is it?" She asked.
"Late," he answered. "Matt called and I had to go into Truncheon. I wanted to bring Tori back but she wanted to come to work with me."
"Jess," she sat up.
"She went in my office to wait," he continued. "It was supposed to be quick but it took longer than I expected. Tori fell asleep in my office with Jules. She was waiting for Matt so she watched her for me. It made sense."
Rory shook her head. "Jess."
"She insisted she stay," he told her. "I'm sorry I kept her out. I really didn't plan on it. Don't be mad, okay."
"I'm not mad," she said.
"You're not?" He asked, confused.
She let out a small laugh. "Do you want me to be?"
"Well, no," he replied. "I thought you might be. I kept her out."
"I understand that work called," she said and reached out for his hands to pull him closer. "You did the responsible thing. You even had someone watch her. I'm not mad."
"I already put her to bed," he told her. "Said you were asleep and I missed her bedtime the other night so it was my turn."
Rory smiled. "I love that you actually want to be there for her bedtime."
"Of course I do," Jess said. "After all this, do you think I wouldn't?"
"No," she smiled bigger. "I like that I never have to doubt it. I never have to ask. You just do it and you take care of both of us."
"As long as you're letting me, I'll do it," he said.
"I love you," she said. "I just - I feel like you need to hear it."
"It is nice to hear," he smiled back at her. "I love you, too."
She kissed him again softly. "Is my mom asleep?"
"She's watching some movie on Lifetime," he answered. "Why?"
She shrugged. "Just wondering how much making out we could get away with."
He crawled more into the bed. "I think a fair amount. She is pretty into the movie."
"She does love her movies," she giggled but her laughter was quickly quieted by his lips on hers.
….
"Got it," Jess said as he did one last check on the bag in front of him.
"You sure?" Rory asked from the doorway.
"Yes, I'm sure," he answered. "I have everything and then a little extra."
"Okay," she said. "But I just wanna make sure because -"
"Hey, this is not my first time alone with Tori," he said with a smile. "I know what I'm doing."
"You really should listen to him," Lorelai said from the other room on the couch. "Isn't that right, Tori?"
"Right!" The little girl agreed.
"See?" He pointed in their direction. "I have two votes of confidence. One being your mom and that says more like four votes then."
"Hey!" Lorelai gasped. "I resent that. I don't hate you anymore."
"You hated him?" Tori asked.
"Only for a little while," Lorelai told her.
"Try over ten years," Jess replied.
"I'm on your side, remember?" She pointed out.
"You're gonna lose three of those votes of confidence, you know that, right?" Rory smirked.
"She would never choose that over Tori's well-being," he commented but then asked louder. "Right, Lorelai?"
"Right!" Tori shouted.
"He said Lorelai!" Rory shouted.
"She's like a little Lorelai," her mother said.
"By third generation," Jess said.
"Fourth," Lorelai and Rory said at the same time.
He shook his head. "I think it is time and the little one to go."
"I'm not little!" She shouted.
"She is getting bigger," Lorelai commented teasingly.
"Come on, Tori," Jess walked out of the bedroom, past Rory and into the small living room area. "Say goodbye to Mommy and Mammy."
"Bye, Mammy," Tori got out of her seat and hugged her grandmother.
"I'll see you later, sweetie," Lorelai told her.
Rory waited until her daughter climbed off the couch and hugged her, too. "Bye, mommy."
"Bye, baby," she hugged her tightly. "You have a good day with Jess, okay?"
"Okay," she rolled her eyes dramatically, as if saying she didn't need to be told to have a good day because she knew she would.
Jess walked up to them both and Tori walked by Lorelai who now stood by the doorway. "Good luck with Emily today."
She sighed heavily. "I need good luck, don't I?"
"Not really," he said. "She loves you. Deep down, she wants you happy and she knows you know what you're doing."
"See that's what I meant to say last night," Lorelai said.
"Have fun," he smirked.
"You, too," she smiled and meant it.
Jess kissed her quick and patted her arm. Lorelai squealed. "Not in front of the kid!"
"Ssh!" Tori held her finger over her mouth at her grandmother.
"Oh, I see how it is," Lorelai said.
"She's in support," Jess said.
"Do you even want me on your side?" She countered which earned a laugh from him and Rory both.
"Okay, go," Rory said. "Before I chicken out and change my mind."
"Bye," Jess told her again and kissed her quick again before he headed to the door. Tori waved goodbye to her mother and Lorelai and then they were out the door.
"So," Lorelai said. "To Nantucket, we go?"
"Nantucket, we go," Rory confirmed.
….
Emily was in good mood when they arrived. Both Rory and Lorelai were surprised but took it anyway. Nantucket had really grown on Emily as she found her new place in the world. It was nice to see a whole new side of her and they were thankful she seemed so happy and relaxed in this place..
"So how's the whaling museum, Grandma?" Rory asked over lunch.
"It's going good," she nodded with a smile. "They asked me to do more presentations."
"Oh, wow," Rory said. "That's great. Are you going to do it?"
"I already do so much," she sighed. "I'm not sure if I have the time."
"You should do it, Mom," Lorelai said. "I saw some of your presentations before. You're good at it and you scare the hell out of those kids, too."
"Lorelai," she said.
"What?" She asked. "You should see them, Rory. They squirm and scream when she tells them about the gushing blood. It's so good."
Emily cut in. "I think maybe it may be time for me to leave there. It's been a while."
"Why would you leave?" Rory asked. "You love it there."
"I don't know," she said. "I guess I miss my old life sometimes. I was even thinking about moving back to Hartford."
Lorelai's eyes almost bugged out. "What?"
"But the house is long sold," Rory commented. "Where would you go?'
"I can find somewhere new," she replied. "That house is not the only house in Hartford and it's certainly not the only house for me."
"What about here?" Lorelai wondered.
"I'll keep this home, too, Lorelai," Emily told her. "I'm not about to give it up just yet."
Rory smiled. "So you'll be closer?"
"Yes, I will," she smiled back. "I imagine it's hard enough for you to travel here, still being in Philadelphia after all. Maybe the two of us can both move closer to home. Wouldn't that be nice?"
"Grandma," she spoke slowly. "Where I live is home."
"Philadelphia has been her home for a while now, Mom," Lorelai pointed out.
"Well, I know that," she said. "I just hoped that maybe it was time to move on from there and come back."
"Maybe at some point," Rory mused. "But right now, it's my home."
Emily continued eating her food, indifferent to her granddaughter's tone. "But you and that boy are just playing house. Tori should be with her family, not all these hours away from everyone."
"We visit," Lorelai cut in.
Rory shook her head. "Tori is with family, Grandma."
"More family than just you," she clarified. "I'd love to see her more often. I'm a little disappointed she didn't come now."
"She didn't come because I had news to tell you and I wasn't sure how you'd react," she replied. "And I can see I was right to think ahead."
"What does that mean?" Emily asked. "What news?"
Lorelai prepared. Rory put down her utensils and stared at her grandmother. "You know that 'that boy' I'm playing house with? Well, he and I are together. We're not just pretending. We're actually in a relationship."
Emily's mouth dropped. "When did that happen?"
"A few weeks ago," she answered.
"While Tori was with her father in London?" She asked.
She nodded. "Yes."
"Well," Emily put down her own utensils. "That explains it."
"Explains what?" Lorelai asked.
"Why she is seeing that boy," she said.
"That boy is a grown up man," Rory said. "He also happens to be helping me raise my daughter."
"A thing you wouldn't have needed if you had just married Logan when you found out you were pregnant," Emily replied.
"Can of worms," Lorelai coughed. "Can of worms."
Both of them ignored her. Rory spoke first. "I wasn't going to marry Logan. He was engaged and even if he wasn't, I still wouldn't have. It wasn't right."
"What's right is when you're having a baby with someone, you get married," Emily countered.
"Not that again," Lorelai groaned. "It didn't work for me and Christopher and now look at us. I'm married and he's in a relationship. He wouldn't have GiGi if we'd gotten married."
"Or maybe he would because you would have gotten divorced," Rory added.
Lorelai nodded. "That is true."
"I now accept that you and Christopher weren't meant to be," she sighed. "Your father believed so too but he came around. But I can't just step aside while you let the love of your life go."
"He's already gone, Grandma," Rory told her. "He's been gone for a long time. What happened was not us getting back together. He's married now and I'm with Jess. We will always have Tori but we're happy with the way things are."
"I have a hard time believing that," she said sadly. "The two of you loved each other so much."
"Yes, we did," she nodded. "But that's just it - loved. We don't love each other anymore, not the way we used to."
Emily picked up her utensils again, a sign that the storm was calming. "I just wish it had worked out."
"It did," she said. "Just not in the way you wanted it to."
…..
"How did it go?" Jess asked over the phone. Rory groaned and stuffed her head into a pillow. He laughed. "That good?"
She pulled her head out and ran her free hand through her now static hair. "It was a disaster."
"Define disaster," he said.
Rory told him everything that had happened at dinner. She explained how after lunch, Emily didn't bring up the subject of Jess or Logan again. Most of the conversation had turned to Lorelai, much to her objections but she accepted if it took Rory off the hook.
"Wow," was all he said when she finished.
"I guess it's safe to say she doesn't approve," she commented.
"She's just looking out for you," he said.
"But she should know I know what's best for me," Rory replied. "I've made a lot of mistakes, I know that. But this - you and me - it isn't a mistake and I wish she could see that."
"She will," Jess said. "Eventually."
"I'm not so sure," she told him. "She sounded pretty much set in her opinion."
"Hey, she gave up on your parents, right?" He asked. "Maybe she'll do the same for you and Logan."
"In maybe twenty five years then, I guess," she joked.
"Rory, you know she loves you," he said.
"I know," she sighed. "It's just frustrating."
"I know," he repeated her words.
"I'm happy, Jess," she said. "Happy. Doesn't she know how important that is? That I'm happy and safe and loved and that you feel more like my family than Logan's family ever made me feel?"
"She does know," Jess said. "I think that's why she has a hard time accepting it. Because she wanted you to have a life like hers, not realizing you can have the same things in a different way."
Right then, there was a knock on the door. Rory slid her legs off of the bed and walked to the door. When she opened it, she was surprised to see her grandmother stood there.
"I gotta call you back," she said into the phone.
"Okay," Jess said and then said his goodbye.
When they hung up, Rory crossed her arms over her chest. "Yes, grandma?"
"May I come in?" she asked.
Rory moved out of the doorway and let her inside the room. Emily turned to face her granddaughter awkwardly. She wasn't sure she'd ever seen Emily Gilmore do anything awkwardly before.
"I think I have to apologize," she said. "It's just - I wanted you to have more. Your mother didn't follow the path I'd hoped she'd take and I always thought that you would."
"Grandma, I needed to live my own life, just as my mom did," she said.
"I know that," she said sadly. "I guess I just hoped that the life you'd want would be closer to mine."
"I know you mean well," Rory took a deep breath. "But this is the life I have. I've made mistakes and there have been unexpected turns but Tori is the most important thing in my life to me. And Jess - well, Jess is a big part of that."
"I just don't understand why you chose him," she said. Her tone wasn't judgemental but more a tone of wonderment.
"It's more he chose me," she smiled to herself. "He knew I was having trouble in my career and he offered me a job and a place to live. When he found out I was pregnant, his offer didn't change. He wanted me as I was even if it was just as friends at the time."
"You're in love with him," Emily remarked.
Rory nodded. "Yes."
"And how does he feel about you?" She wondered.
"The same," she answered.
"Okay," she simply said.
"Okay?" She questioned.
"Okay, I'll try to accept this," she explained.
She was confused and stunned. "You will?"
"Yes," she nodded. "If you love this...man and he means that much to you, maybe I can try to see the good in him, too."
"Wow," she breathed out in relief. "That's...that's great, Grandma. Thank you."
"But don't expect to be let off the hook," she warned. "I want to re-meet him, no black eyes this time. And I want you to bring Tori when this happens. It's been too long since I've seen her."
"Of course," Rory nodded.
"All right," she nodded and walked to the door. When she turned back, her expression was soft. "I'm glad you and your mother are here."
"Me, too," she agreed with a small smile.
Then Emily was out of the room and shut the door behind her. Rory released a small laugh in relief. She wanted to call Jess back already but first she let what had just happened sink in. Maybe Emily really had changed more than she thought.
A/N: I hope I didn't write Emily too badly. I wanted her to be like old Emily but also the new Emily. It's how I could see her reaction.
Also, I don't think I'm good at writing young kids so I'm trying my best. I hope it doesn't come out bad.
