My apologies for the time it took to finish this, but my laptop charger is currently smoking (I tried to get it to quit, or try the patches) and making a freaky static noise so it's out of commission. This week's song is 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' by the band Deep Blue Something, and is about the most mediocre and boring romance in history. The song's pretty cool though, so check it out. Or not, I get paid either way (and by paid I mean I get your lovely reviews... right?)

I'm considering doing a little 'missing moment' which focuses on Jess and Rory's summers, so if you'd be interested in reading that let me know. Probably would be in first person and different to how I usually write to shake things up.

Disclaimer: I own one thing in this chapter! One little thing. And it's mine! But nothing else is and that makes me sad.

That's One Thing We've Got

There was a tangible change in the air as the new beginnings of late August emerged. The seasons were once again trading places, the warm summer air being replaced by small chills of autumn. The leaves were falling, school years beginning, lives altering for better or worse. It was a time for redemption for some, and condemnation for others.

Lorelai Gilmore had been waiting for this day for far too long. Her very recent relationship with Luke had been put on the back burner as he helped out his sister and her new husband after they broke several limbs between them, and her strained relationship with her daughter had turned into an estrangement of sorts. She had calls from her mother, with Emily never hesitant with niceties and stories of her and Rory's adventures. But today was going to change everything, with her homemade 'welcome home' sign and a huge serving of humble pie.

"Mom?" An inquisitive voice asked. Lorelai looked up to see her daughter looking at her as though trying to figure out if she was real. Then she broke out into the largest smile imaginable, "Mom!"

"Rory!"

It was like a scene from a romance movie, with the two running together to meet and hug each other senseless. Various promises and apologies were made and plans to spend a whole week doing nothing but watch Meg Ryan movies with an occasional break for Tom Hanks were settled. The entire drive home was full of vivid conversation filled with excitement, and the two were genuinely happy to be reunited. Though out of sight, their relationship had taken a beating, and there were cracks that hadn't been there before, that would make it easier to break again. But for now they were glued together and altogether very pleased.

"So Lane has basically worked there 27/7. And I helped," Lorelai said proudly.

"And by 'helped' you mean you took one order and made Lane give you free pie?"

"It was a lot more than one! But yes. This is what I do when I have no boyfriend or daughter, you see… I work two jobs!"

"So I get Luke running off and helping Liz, but what about… Jess?" Rory hesitated before she said the man's name, feeling horrible even thinking about him. Not that she'd stopped thinking about him since she left with her grandma, but being back near Stars Hollow made her visions and feelings about him much, much clearer. Lorelai frowned as she figured out the best way to say 'your ex has done a Kerouac because you broke his heart and we don't know when he'll be back but he'll probably resent you if he does indeed return'.

"Last I heard he was soaking up the rays at Venice Beach in sunny California."

"He went to visit his dad? Or is he," Rory didn't even want to finish her sentence, the idea that Jess was gone for good too horrible for her to dwell on.

"Visiting the infamous Jimmy Mariano is one of his many stops on his cross-country journey. Luke said he promised to be back before semester begins though and though I'm as surprised as anyone, the kid's turned out to be pretty trustworthy."

They were silent the rest of the way home, as though talking about Jess was the trigger Rory needed to remember all the horrible things that had happened at the beginning of summer. For the thousandth time she thought about what she was going to do, whether or not she could smooth everything over with Jess or if she'd have to learn to deal with her choices. She hoped it would be the former, and hopefully the Jess that had formed throughout the last year would give her the time she needed to explain herself. Not that she knew how to even begin that conversation.

"Trying to figure out what to say to him?" Lorelai correctly interpreted as they walked into the house with the first lot of Rory's luggage. Emily was having the rest delivered when it arrived in the next few days. As much as Lorelai wanted to mock her daughter for living the high life of staying in Europe, she figured the whole Jess thing probably needed to be addressed first. "Speak from the heart, babe. That's all I've got. Hope that you didn't break his heart."

"You saw him after… everything. Did he look, well, bad?"

Santa, the Easter Bunny, and now Lorelai's vivid memory of Jess' face looking like he had no idea what was going on, as though he'd lost his soul and his heart in some painful surgery and now just existed for no reason. Sure these images were melodramatic, but she had no intention of telling Rory about them. So a lie would suffice.

"He wasn't the happiest I've ever seen him, but there's definitely still a bridge worth mending there."

"Good… do you want Meg Ryan now or will Reese Witherspoon do for now?" Rory asked evasively, not ready in the slightest for any of this. Lorelai noticed her daughter's quick change of subject and decided to go along with it, their witty banter disguising the mutual worry and confusion about their respective romantic interests.


"So do we have to sit at the counter now you're dating Luke? Do we get free food now you're dating Luke? Oh, do you think he'll give us his secret coffee mix to take home?"

Rory had been suspiciously chatty all morning. Lorelai found her good mood enthusing as she was also very excited for today. Luke was finally coming home and they would start their actual phases of dating. Though they'd both admitted feelings for each other and had shared one very fantastic kiss, there were still the boundaries to be drawn as to what exactly they were. She hoped Luke wouldn't want something casual, because as far as she was concerned this was it for her. But she had no idea why Rory was suddenly so happy. The last week of bad chick flicks and junk food had featured the youngest Gilmore not exactly wallowing, though it wasn't very far from it. As much as she didn't want to burst the bubble her daughter had seemingly built, Lorelai was curious.

"Why so chipper today missy? Did you miss Luke as much as I did?"

"Yes! Without the dirty parts of course, but it's more than that… I think I know what I want to say to Jess."

"Oh," she considered whether or not to further prod to see if Rory's ideas were sufficient to win over the famously stubborn Jess Mariano. He'd stuck to the idea of him and Rory for an entire year and Lorelai had the strangest feeling that his attitude had shifted away from this. It only took one push for someone to be out of your reach forever, and Lorelai hoped Rory had been gentle when it came to that precipice.

However time for this discussion had ended as they had arrived at their destination of the diner. Lorelai beamed at the surly-looking, backwards cap-wearing, coffee-hating owner of the establishment who may just be the man of her dreams, and felt her heart flutter when he smirked up at her as they took a seat at a table.

"You two are the only ones who've decided to bother me today, so I'm going to go upstairs and clean. Jess called this morning and informed me of his imminent return, and there's no room for two people to exist up there. Tell Caeser to make whatever you want, okay?"

Rory was in shock processing this new information. Sure she had her speech to Jess all planned in her head, but she imagined there'd be time to write it all down, colour-code the most important factors, maybe practice in front of the mirror a few dozen times. Improvisation was not her forte, but seemingly it would have to do. Lorelai on the other hand was feeling very put out that Luke was treating them like he would any other customers that bugged him. Sure he didn't let just anyone give Caeser the orders, but some acknowledgment of what had happened between them would be nice.

"Thanks Luke," Lorelai managed.

"Don't worry about it," he hesitated before finding some courage tucked away somewhere, "Look this is going to sound corny or whatever, but do you want to go out to dinner tonight? I know this place and it's… good."

Lorelai had to stop herself from jumping up and down. It wasn't that he was ignoring what had gone on between them, he was just nervous. Nervous Luke was adorable and definitely impossible to turn down.

"Sounds amazing. Is seven good for you?"

"Seven's good."

"Good."

"Good."

"Good," Rory piped in.

"Good," Luke replied to Rory.

"Anyone else feel like we've done this before, but with a different word?" Lorelai mused.

"It's like our catchphrase!" Rory agreed.

"You're both insane. Enjoy your food," Luke said as he tried to hide a smile before heading upstairs. The two decided to take full advantage of Luke's generous offer and got Caeser to make them a variety of breakfast foods as well as a plate of fries and cherry pie, reasoning that it was practically fruit and it was never too early for fruit.

Very little food was consumed however, because in an instant Rory's entire outlook for the day changed with only the slamming of two car doors and a high, feminine laugh. Looking out the window to see an unfamiliar red car she thought nothing of it, as it was probably some couple returning from a summer away near a beach or something entirely clashing with the feel of Stars Hollow.

The girl herself seemed pretty, if you were into that sort of thing. Obviously dyed bright red hair that grew in waves down her back lower than her actual shirt, which was a midriff-baring leather jacket that probably had nothing on under it. She was sporting large black sunglasses and bright red lips, and looked like the incarnation of everything Taylor Doose hated with all his heart. She wore a black mini skirt accompanied by torn fishnets and boots that nearly reached her knees. Anywhere else she would've been a normal addition to a suburb or city street, but in Stars Hollow she seemed dangerous. Dangerous, and probably beautiful, if Rory gave it enough thought. She wasn't into the overly made-up look or the semi-goth fashion this girl seemed to have picked up, but it was obvious the man she was with found them very appealing. Rory could only see his sort of long hair tied back in a ponytail as he sucked face with this confusing addition to the streets of the small town. Then he turned around and everything turned upside down.

The red haired whore was making out with Jess.

If Rory hadn't known him so well or for so long she would've hesitated in knowing it was him. He'd grown his hair out, not shaven for at least a few weeks and was sporting a new tattoo on his right shoulder, which was visible due to his black sleeveless shirt. Despite his more rugged outward appearance, he appeared to be (Rory hated to think it, though she was barely thinking straight) in a pretty good mood. He grabbed the redhead by the hand and pulled her towards the diner, entering behind a few elderly people and a younger kid. He didn't even glance at the table Lorelai and Rory were sat at, both ignoring their food, too engrossed by the scene in front of them.

Luke had apparently seen the car turn up out front as he made his way to the front counter, sizing the two people up as he did, narrowing his eyes at Jess' new tattoo.

"When you said you'd be back soon, I figured you meant in a few hours. The place upstairs is a mess. Who's this?" Luke asked gruffly pointing to the woman, glancing over for a moment at Rory as he did so.

"Luke? Luke Danes? You don't recognise me?" The girl asked in what Rory decided was an annoyingly high-pitched voice, "Of course you don't recognise me, I left this place when I was a kid. It's me, Tiffany!"

"Tiffany... not Andrew's Tiffany?" Luke asked with a hint of shock in his eyes, to which she nodded enthusiastically, "Wow, you've grown up. What am I saying, of course you grew up, it's been like what, fifteen years since you and your mom skipped town?"

"Yeah, about that. It feels super weird being back in the Hollow, you know? Dad used to visit us out in Cali but this place was my childhood, you know? Like, I lived here for the first eight years of my life and here I am, back again due to fate or something, you know?"

"That was my next question, how did you find Jess?"

"He was crashing on the couch of my ex-boyfriend and as soon as he found out I was over twenty-one he latched onto me like a leech or something."

"I did not!"

"Whatever. You were desperate for booze." She joked before standing up on her tiptoes and planting a light kiss on his lips, apologies for her teasing.

"Huh. Look Luke, me and Tiff are gonna go see her dad, by which I mean she'll see her dad and I'll go look at books. Do you reckon the place will be clean by the time we get back?" Jess asked, straight to the point as always.

"Uh sure, I can't see why not. Be back before seven and I'll even let you work a shift," Luke added with what almost resembled a smile.

"You're kidding me! Don't tell me you got a life while I was gone,"

"He's hanging with the same old crowd, just this time with a suit and expectations because it's a date," Lorelai interjected as smoothly and normally as she could handle with her daughter nearly catatonic next to her. Jess turned and without hesitation Jess smirked at her, his eyes never once glancing towards Rory.

"You realise that just means he'll be undressing you with his eyes while you ramble now,"

"Wow, dirty!"

"Are you Luke's girlfriend? Oh my god, you're like, super pretty!" Tiffany interjected, walking up to the table which sat the mother and daughter. Rory looked up and saw this girl with too much makeup and eyes that were obviously vomit-coloured and instantly disliked her.

"Thanks! I'm Lorelai, and this is my daughter Rory."

"Shut up, she is so not your daughter! You look way young to have a daughter in high school."

"I'm in college, actually," Rory muttered through gritted teeth.

"Awesome! College is the best, I just graduated actually. Which is why I'm here visiting my dad... well that and because Jess is super hot! And smart too, what a weird combination!"

"It runs in the family," Lorelai managed to get out before Rory opened up her mouth, an emphasised her point by winking up at Luke, who seemed to be almost blushing.

"Aw you guys are like super cute! I better get going before Jess gets all grumpy. Once you promise him books you need to deliver, you know? It was nice meeting you Lorelai... oh and you too, Tory." Tiffany flounced away from the table towards Jess, who pulled her in by the waist and walked out back into the street.

Suddenly Rory felt like all eyes were on her. Sure it was only Luke's and her mother's, but she didn't know how to feel and they weren't helping.

"You and Jess have a terrible history when it comes to summer," Lorelai began hesitantly after a few moments, "remember the whole Shane fiasco following your trip to Washington?"

"He said he didn't want to pine for me or something," Rory remembered as she was reminded of the seething jealousy she would feel every time she saw him and the blonde bimbo together, and how strongly it was brought back again just moments ago, "Shane was different, though. I know he'd deny it, but he dated her to make me jealous."

"What's the difference then?"

"He isn't dating this girl to make me jealous. He's dating her because he's over me, or at least this is his way of trying to get over me."

"Oh hon, are you sure?"

"Positive. I guess the only thing I can do is try and get over him."


Remember how I asked for the names of a girl you hated? This is the payoff! I chose Tiffany because I'm not overly fond of the name either, plus it has a decent song for it so everything works out. I hope I made it clear that she's Andrew's daughter too, I was going to give her his last name but according to Wikipedia he doesn't have one!

Review and let me know what you think of the Stars Hollow native turned Californian valley girl (of sorts).