A/N: I know, I know, I close Truncheon and then just leave Jess job-less as I cut to another flashback. And I promise these flashbacks will be coming at longer intervals, instead of this sort of every-other thing I've been doing, but I really wanted to write a Christmas chapter, as it's around Christmas, and COYH present-time is in February right now (because that's what my timeline says), so here is another flashback. The last one for a few chapters. This is right after Rory and Jess start dating. I'm talking, two or three weeks. Their first Christmas as a couple. At least since they were teenagers.

Since I may not update again before January, I'd like to say Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it, and Happy New Year to everyone! I hope your holidays and the coming year are good to all of you. Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: You know by now.


The bell above the diner rang quietly and Jess looked up from his book and smiled sweetly at the girl who had just entered. "Hey," he called to her softly.

"Hi," Rory answered, smiling as she sat down at the counter. Jess leaned over and kissed her gently. She smiled into his mouth for a moment before he pulled away again. It still felt so good to be able to do that again. Looking into his beautiful eyes, she told herself not to get lost there and forget why she came.

"How was your day?" Jess asked, and something about the way he said it distracted her again.

"Fine," she said, giggling like a child. He grinned one of those rare, special, lopsided grins at her. Everything was so fresh, and so good between them. Rory was completely caught up in all those mushy feelings people always write songs about. Lyrics kept running through her head, and it felt like every love song had been written specifically for her. In fact, she had Johnny Cash lyrics running through her head right now. You've got a way to keep me on your side, you give me cause for love that I can't hide, for you I know I'd even try to turn the tide. She hummed a little of the last line absentmindedly, and then mentally shook herself. She had a reason for coming here other than just staring at those gorgeous brown eyes and feeling mushy and ridiculous. "Jess, I need to talk to you," she said decidedly.

"Yeah?" he asked, smiling crookedly at her, and the sparkle in his eyes mesmerized her. She lost her train of thought again.

"Mmm?"

"Rory?" He cocked his head, adorably confused.

"What?"

"You need to talk to me?" Now he was amused.

"Oh!" she blinked and tried to remember what she needed to say. "Stop doing that!" she scolded him.

"Doing what?" he asked, narrowing his eyes in confusion.

"I don't know," she said, frustrated. "Being adorable. Distracting me."

He smirked. "I'm sorry. Would you like me to turn around?"

"No, no, that won't help at all," she muttered and his smirk grew into a grin.

"I could hide under the counter," he offered. "Or you could close your eyes."

She considered the last option seriously for a moment, but decided against it. "No, that's silly. I can talk, right? I've had no trouble talking ever before in my life. I'll talk." She looked up at him and he looked down at her expectantly. "Uh..."

"Rory!" Now he was both amused and frustrated.

"Sorry," she said, smiling a little. "Okay, focus," she told herself, then looked back up at her new-old boyfriend. "What are you doing for Christmas?" she asked him seriously.

"What?" He hadn't been expecting that.

"Christmas," she repeated. "You know, Santa, presents, holly-jolly-ness?"

"I don't know," he answered. "I thought I might just hang out at home."

She downright pouted at that. "No!" she protested. "You can't spend Christmas alone!"

"Chris and Matthew would be there," Jess corrected her.

"Okay, that's not much better," she informed him. "Spending Christmas with your roommates-slash-business-partners when you have a girlfriend is totally lame." She emphasized the last word heavily.

Jess smiled softly. "Girlfriend," he repeated, so softly she almost didn't hear it.

"Yes," she stated firmly. "I want to spend Christmas with you."

"Okay," he said, smiling.

"But," she began, and this is what she'd really come to argue about, "I don't want to do it in Philadelphia."

He narrowed his eyes, but let her continue.

"So," she said tentatively, "I was wondering what you thought about spending Christmas at my mom and Luke's house?"

He raised an eyebrow at her and she couldn't make out if he was considering, or just highly amused that she would even suggest that.

"So?" she prompted after a moment.

Jess sighed. "Okay," he said.

"What?" She'd been expecting an argument. She'd been prepared to pout, bribe and kiss her way into getting him to even consider it. His quick and satisfying answer threw her.

"I said okay," he repeated. "It might be nice...maybe."

"It will," she assured him.

"As long as everybody is nice," he said, looking at her pointedly.

She knew he was referring to her mother, who was less than thrilled about her daughter's recent reunion with her old boyfriend who once broke her heart and her wrist. "Everybody will be nice," Rory assured him. "I promise."

He searched her face for a moment before answering. "Okay, then."

Rory grinned and leaned over the counter to kiss him again. It was supposed to be a short kiss, but somehow she ended up sitting on her heels on top of the counter, hands tangled in his hair with his hands resting on her hips. She laughed softly into his mouth. "How'd I get up here?" she asked, amused.

Jess shook his head briefly, but didn't speak, leaning back into her kiss.

---

"And you promise not to get into any verbal sparring matches with him?" Rory called from the kitchen.

"Oh my god," Lorelai cried, fussing with the huge red bow that was tied to the stair rail, "for the seven hundred and eighty-fifth time, I will be nice!"

"You two just don't have the best track record," Rory argued, licking icing off her finger and inspecting her gingerbread house.

"Jeez, Officer Krupke," Lorelai protested loudly, "give me the benefit of the doubt. I'm trying to be supportive of you two, and I'm trying really hard to give him a second chance. I will be super nice, I promise."

"You don't like him," Rory said insightfully, coming into view and leaning in the door frame.

Lorelai walked up to her and put her hands on Rory's shoulders. "I want to like him," she said firmly. "You like him. Luke likes him. I want to like him."

"But you don't," Rory stated.

Lorelai sighed. "Jess and I have a big, stinky history," she explained.

"So do Jess and I," Rory protested.

"But, honey," Lorelai argued, "you liked him from the beginning. I didn't like him from the beginning. It's different." Rory made a face. "I will like him," Lorelai promised. "I just need space. And time. When is he getting here?"

"Not for a couple of hours," Rory replied.

"Perfect," Lorelai said, smiling. "The house will be ready, Luke will be here so the two of you can play Polite Police, and I'll look fantastic, which, as you well know, puts me in a great mood. It'll be great."

Rory smiled reluctantly. "Okay," she said.

"Great," Lorelai agreed. "Now help me with the Joseph Stalin of Christmas wreaths over here."

---

"He's here!" Rory called up the stairs.

Lorelai sighed, readying herself, and Luke kissed her gently on the top of her head.

Rory ran to open the door. Jess stood outside, shoulders hunched from the cold and haloed in snow. Rory smiled a little shyly at him and he reached out and pulled her onto the porch with him. She brushed some of the snow out of his hair, and he leaned in to kiss her tenderly. She gasped and pulled away, but his arms were so tightly wrapped around her, she couldn't go far.

"Your lips are cold!" she reported, halfway between a scold and a laugh.

He smiled crookedly at her. "Huh," he said in mock befuddlement. "Well, then I guess you'll just have to warm them up, won't you?"

"I guess so," Rory agreed and kissed him again.

Lorelai fidgeted with the bow on the stairs. And the pillows on the couch. And the hem of her shirt. Luke took both her hands in one of his and sat down on the couch, pulling her onto his lap.

"It's going to be fine," he murmured in her ear.

Lorelai looked at the pure honesty in his eyes and smiled a little, believing him, trusting him completely.

Rory and Jess entered, hand in hand and smiling. Lorelai and Luke rose to greet Jess. Luke clapped him on the shoulder and Lorelai semi-awkwardly shook his hand. Rory gave Lorelai a look and Lorelai shrugged at her behind Luke's back.

"Here, Jess, I'll help you get your stuff in," Luke told him, leaving the girls in the living room. They stomped through the snow out to Jess's car, and Luke peered over Jess's shoulder as he opened the trunk. "Jeez," he said when he saw what was inside, "you're still using that old duffel bag?"

"It's a good bag," Jess protested. "It holds all my stuff, I only need one bag."

"You've had that bag since you moved in with me when you were seventeen," Luke argued.

"Longer," Jess corrected. "And it's been better to me than half the people I've known. The bag stays."

"Invest in some luggage or something," Luke pleaded.

"No," Jess said simply.

"What do you want me to carry?" asked Luke, giving up.

"Nothing," Jess replied, "this is it."

"Well, then, why did I come out here?"

"I thought you were giving the Gilmore girls a moment alone so Rory could tell Lorelai to be nice for the seven hundred and eighty-sixth time."

"No," said Luke, "I came out to give you a hand. How do you know these things?" he added in bewilderment.

"How do you not?" Jess countered. Luke glared. "We should go back in, they'll think we got attacked by wolverines or something."

Luke opened the door, thinking if he wasn't carrying anything he could at least open doors. Lorelai and Rory marched into the foyer to meet them.

"There you are," Lorelai said to the snow-covered men in front of her. She leaned up to give Luke a quick kiss. "We thought you'd been eaten by wolverines."

Jess smirked as he walked smugly passed Luke.

"Oh, now this is just ridiculous!" Luke protested.

Lorelai looked confused. "Hon, what?"

"Nothing, never mind," Luke said, pulling her into the living room.

Rory looked at Jess. "Well, come on," she said, grabbing his arm and pulling him through the kitchen into her old room. A cot was set up next to her bed and she gestured toward the bed. "Go ahead and put your bag down. Do you want more pillows? Hey, mister, you're supposed to take that bed," she admonished, pointing to her bed as Jess dropped his bag on the cot.

"No way," Jess argued. "This is your house, that is your bed. I sleep here. Sleep in your own bed."

"But you're the guest," Rory protested, a hint of a pout gracing her face. Jess wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into a kiss, erasing the pout from her features.

"Sleep in your bed," he whispered, inches from her face.

Rory giggled. "Okay," she conceded. Jess smirked and pulled away and Rory half-cursed herself for being so twidderpated.

"So, your mom..." Jess prompted, pulling clothes out of his bag and dumping them on the cot.

"She promised to behave," Rory reported confidently. "And you?"

"I promise too," Jess said, nodding at her.

"Good," Rory smiled. She held out her hand as Jess finished emptying his bag, and he took it, stroking it with his thumb. "Let's go," Rory said, walking with him back into the living room.

---

Lorelai pouted down at her cards. "Ooh," she said in disappointment, "very bad hand."

"Me too," Rory complained. "What do you have?"

Lorelai tilted her cards toward her daughter. "You?"

Rory did the same.

"Hey," said Lorelai excitedly, "trade this one of mine for that one of yours?"

"Deal," Rory said, but as she tried to hand her mother the indicated card, Jess reached over and grabbed her wrist. "Hey!"

"Cheater," Jess accused and Rory's jaw dropped in shock at the claim.

"Let go of me!" she shouted in indignation. Jess raised his eyebrows at her and tightened his grip on her wrist. "Hey!" she cried again.

"No trades," Jess ordered. Rory pouted.

"Kin can trade," Lorelai argued.

"Yeah," Rory agreed, "that's how we've always played it."

Unexpectedly, Jess let go of her wrist. "Okay," he said, and Rory and Lorelai looked at each other in shock that he bought that. "That means Luke and I can trade too."

"Drat!" Lorelai cried as Rory made a frustrated noise. "They're already winning," she muttered loudly to Rory, "I think we just inadvertently gave them another cannonball to fire."

"We've aided our enemies," Rory said mournfully.

"I want ho-cho," Lorelai randomly exclaimed.

"Oh, mom!" Rory cried. "Don't say ho-cho!"

"Ho-cho!" Lorelai yelled again and Rory made a squawking noise.

Luke got to his feet. "I'll make some," he said, heading to the kitchen.

"Ho-cho!" Lorelai repeated joyfully.

Rory stood up too. "I'll get the marshmallows," she said and hurriedly left the room.

"Ho-cho!" Lorelai yelled after her.

Jess and Lorelai looked at each other awkwardly, realizing that they were the only two left in the room. Lorelai cast around for something to say as Jess cast around for a reason to leave the room. He'd just used the bathroom, so that was no good, and it probably wouldn't go over well with Lorelai if he tried to convince her that he just needed to go make out with her daughter for a minute. Lorelai shot down three conversation options on the basis that they were ridiculous – knit hats, snow globes, whale blubber – and convinced herself to just start talking.

"So..." she began, looking over at Jess, who had, while she was absorbed in thought, decided that faking sleep might be his best option. She stopped short when she saw his limp form propped up against the coffee table that they'd pushed out of the way to play cards. "Hey," she protested. "What are you, narcoleptic?"

Jess opened an eye. "Didn't fool you, huh?"

"You fell asleep in like two seconds," Lorelai said, "only circus freaks do that. Besides, you were half sitting up, and only chickens do that. Circus freak chicken boy."

"My Native American name, I believe," Jess responded, and Lorelai blinked, taken aback at the familiarity of the statement.

"I said that," she said.

"Excuse me?" Jess asked, narrowing his eyes and cocking his head.

"I said that," Lorelai repeated, "to my dad once. He said 'Impossible girl', and I said that."

"Huh," Jess said.

Lorelai shifted a little, uncomfortably. "You know, Rory keeps trying to tell me that you and I are alike," she told Jess.

Jess nodded. "Me too."

"I always deny it. Vehemently."

Jess narrowed his eyes. "Me too."

Lorelai frowned. "Maybe she's..." she trailed off.

Jess glanced briefly at the television, which was off.

"What's your favorite movie?" Lorelai asked.

Jess looked back at her. "I can't decide," he said. "I was on an Almost Famous kick for a while. Now there are too many."

Lorelai nodded. "Me too. I mean, not the Almost Famous thing, although that's not a bad movie, but the too many thing. Me too. I've always loved The Godfather."

"I used to watch Sophia's death scene over and over," Jess confessed.

"Me too!" Lorelai exclaimed. "I mean, I still do."

Jess cocked his head. "This is weird."

"I know," Lorelai agreed. "Maybe Rory was right?"

Jess looked at her evenly.

"You don't get to hurt her this time," Lorelai warned him seriously. "You don't get to leave. You don't get to disappear after a fight and then never talk about it again. You work out your problems this time. Talk to her. She's a great listener, you just have to talk. You hurt her, I'll kill you. I'm talking Freddy Krueger here. Cold-blooded, premeditated murder. You understand?"

"You'll have to take a number," Jess responded and Lorelai raised her eyebrows at his audacity, "because if I hurt her this time, I get to be first in line to kill me. We're talking razors to wrists here."

Lorelai looked him over, sizing him up. "You mean it?"

"Hey," Jess replied, "If I screw this up like I did the last time – if I hurt her like that again – that's all I'll deserve."

Lorelai nodded in approval. "Okay, then," she said.

Rory and Luke entered with hot chocolate. Rory sat down right next to Jess, handing him his cup. He ducked his head to kiss her shoulder briefly. Luke glanced over at Lorelai to make sure the gesture hadn't made her feel awkward or uncomfortable and was surprised to see her smiling softly. She sipped her hot chocolate and glanced at her husband. Luke raised his eyebrows at her and she grinned.

"Good ho-cho," she complimented him.

"Aw, mom!" Rory protested.

---

"Jess," a voice sang quietly in his ear. "Jess, wake up." He opened his eyes and rolled over to stare straight up into a pair of sparkling cerulean eyes. "Merry Christmas," Rory whispered.

"Hi," Jess mumbled. "What time is it?"

"Six thirty," Rory replied softly. Jess groaned. "Come on, it's Christmas morning! Doesn't it make you feel like a little kid again?"

"Rory," Jess protested sleepily, "I didn't grow up like you did. Christmas morning wasn't a big deal."

"Oh, come on," Rory argued, the thought of little Jess spending Christmases without joy making her feel sad and uncomfortable. "It must have been a little special."

"Pick a year," Jess challenged.

"Okay," Rory accepted. "When you were ten."

Jess thought for a moment. "When I was ten, I'd stayed out all the night before with my friend Joel, we ran around slashing people tires and throwing spit-balls at Santas. I believe the day ended with Joel and I getting caught trying to lift candy bars from a mini mart. Liz was home drunk all day. Someone had just dumped her."

Rory frowned. "When you were seven?"

"When I was seven I woke up early for no reason. I sat under the pathetic tree we had and read A Christmas Carol to try to get in the spirit of things while I waited for Liz to get home with her jerk of the week."

"Didn't you ever get any presents?" Rory asked, distressed.

"Luke usually sent some," Jess answered, nodding. "That year, I think he sent me a toy train."

"Do you still have it?"

"Liz might."

Rory paused, not sure if she wanted to hear more. "What about when you were five?" she asked, thinking about her own Christmas that year. They were still living in the shed at the Inn then, and the party at the Inn that night had been spectacular. It had snowed, and she'd gotten Colonel Clucker as a present from her mom.

To her surprise, Jess smiled slightly. His eyes took on a sort of far-away look as he said, "That was a good year."

Rory smiled. Finally, she thought. "Tell me," she asked.

"Mom wasn't dating anyone at the time, and she'd broken up with him, so she wasn't depressed. We lived in a little apartment in the Lower East Side – back before it turned yuppie – and Luke came to visit us on Christmas Eve. He and my mom were joking and laughing, and I don't think they fought at all that night, which is rare for them. Luke brought some presents and we put them under the tree, but they let me open one that night. It was a Dr. Seuss book, which I could read by myself, and I was very proud of that fact. Luke left that night, because we really didn't have anywhere for him to sleep, so it was just me and Mom on Christmas morning. We opened all of Luke's presents, and that was a year she was trying to get sober, so she'd gotten me presents too. I remember being really excited about that morning. What?" he asked, because Rory was looking at him funny.

"You called her 'Mom'," she pointed out.

"Liz," Jess corrected himself, but too late. He smiled reluctantly. "When I was five, I called her 'Mom'."

Rory grinned. She rolled off of her bed and squeezed in next to him on the cot, covering herself with his blanket and cuddling up to him to keep warm. "Pretend like you're five," she asked him. "Be excited about Christmas morning. Be proud of yourself that you can read on your own. Call you mother 'Mom'. Let's be five, come on!"

"If I was five, you'd be four," Jess pointed out. "And if we were that young, I couldn't do this." He kissed her sweetly.

Rory rolled her eyes, but smiled. "Just pretend," she ordered.

"Rory!" they heard Lorelai call from outside, far enough away that she was probably still upstairs. "Rory, come on! It's CHRISTMAS!"

Jess looked at Rory.

"Lorelai's good at pretending to be five," Rory explained.

---

Lorelai sat perched in the middle of her wrapping paper nest, smiling like a little kid. "I love Christmas," she announced. "And I love my pretty bracelet," she added, leaning towards Luke to give him a quick kiss.

"I love my book," Rory said, excitement coloring her voice.

"Yeah, a book, big deal," said Lorelai sarcastically.

"Hey," Rory argued, "this book is first edition and rare! I love it." She kissed Jess in gratitude.

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Nerd," she muttered. Rory grinned.

"Okay," Lorelai said, getting to her feet and pulling Luke up with her, "time for more coffee." She stepped delicately over the wrapping paper gathered around her, and guided Luke into the kitchen.

Rory looked up at Jess. "Are you coming to Hartford with me tonight?"

Jess nodded. "We should leave in a few hours."

"Okay," Rory agreed. "Thank you for the book."

Jess smiled. "Thanks for making me act five."

"Jess?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

Jess raised his eyebrows. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"I've always loved you."

Rory grinned ecstatically. Then she jumped up. "I have to go tell Mom!" she cried, and ran into the kitchen, leaving Jess laughing on the living room floor.

---

A few hours later, they were in Rory's car on the way to Hartford. Jess had made arrangements for Luke to take his car back to the diner, and he'd take a bus back to Stars Hollow before driving to Philadelphia. It was a slightly elaborate plan, but Jess and Rory thought it was worth it to spend the extra time alone together.

About half-way to Hartford, Rory's cell phone rang. She glanced at Jess, whose eyes were properly on the road, before answering.

"Hello?"

"Rory!" It was Lorelai. She sounded excited.

"Hey, Mom, what's going on?"

"I have huge news!"

"Huge news? Huge good or huge bad?" Jess glanced over at her curiously.

"Huge good, definitely huge good."

"Well, what is it?"

"Are you ready?" Lorelai paused for dramatic effect. "I'm pregnant again!"

"What?" Rory squealed. Jess looked at her again. "Mom's pregnant!" she cried. Jess raised his eyebrows. "Oh, Mom, that's so exciting! I'm so happy for you! I finally get a little...sibling thing!"

"Let's hope it not a little alien thing."

"If you keep drinking coffee like you do, it will be," Rory heard Luke's voice through the phone.

"Oh, shush," Lorelai told him. "Okay, sweetie, Luke and I are going to go celebrate. I just wanted to tell you. Call me when you wake up tomorrow."

"Will do," Rory promised. "I love you, Mom."

"Aw, kid, back at ya."

Rory hung up the phone and looked at Jess, who looked apprehensive. "What, you're not happy for them?"

"No, no I am," Jess told her. "I'm just thinking about Luke."

"Luke's a great father," Rory said. "He's really good with April, and he was like my second dad from the time I was little."

"Little," Jess pointed out. "And April walked into his life on her own two feet. Have you seen that man around babies?"

"Well, how was he around you?"

"I don't really remember, everything before I was three is sort of black."

Rory rolled her eyes. "I'm sure he'll be great," she said.

"Just as long as Lorelai teaches him how to hold it."

"Why?"

"Apparently, when I was an infant, he dropped me."

"What?" Rory cried, appalled and amused. "No!"

Jess nodded, laughing.

Rory smiled. "I like hearing about your childhood," she told him.

"Well, don't get used to it," Jess answered. "Something about Christmas time makes me a personal storyteller."

"I'll keep that in mind," Rory said mischievously.

"You are your mother's daughter."

"Thanks." Rory smirked. "Hey, it looks like you two started getting along."

"A little."

"Well, I'm glad."

Jess glanced at her. "I'm glad you're glad."

Rory leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Merry Christmas, Jess."

He smiled at her. "Merry Christmas, Rory."


Teaser: She was getting identical looks of horror from the men in front of her and she snickered in amusement.

And yes, the baby Lorelai's pregnant with is Nathan, in case you were wondering. Please review! The next few chapters are all in story time, and you get to see what happens to Jess. He needs a job now and I know where he's going to work, but what are your speculations? I'd like to hear your thoughts and ideas as to what job he may pursue now.