A/N apologies for the delay, I've got a lot to update with, 9 chapters in fact, but had connection issues for a couple of days. Review and let me know if you want all the chapters at once or maybe just one or two at a time. Hope you enjoy this one and thankyou to everyone still with me at this point :)

Chapter 21

A Moving Day

Luke knocked on Rory's front door just as Jess was finishing his breakfast.

"Perfect timing," Jess welcomed him into the front room.

"Rory's just taking a shower but then we are more or less set to get on with it."

He gestured at the pile of boxes stacked against the wall, "that's pretty much it plus that armchair over there."

Luke looked across at the armchair Jess was pointing at.

"What about the rest of the furniture?" he asked glancing around the room and into the bedroom beyond.

"Yeah, look Luke," he glanced at the bathroom door, he could still hear the water running but lowered his voice anyway as he explained.

"We've arranged for goodwill to come and pick it up later. Rory doesn't want it anymore. Just the armchair. Oh and the dining table and chairs too. We will buy the rest as we can."

Luke nodded in understanding, then began assessing the number of boxes.

"I reckon if we load up both your cars and my truck we could manage this in maybe only two trips. We'll leave both your cars there and Rory can stay in Hartford while we bring the truck back for the second run. Lorelai took the day off from the Dragonfly today so she'll be able to keep Rory company."

Jess recognised Luke's rambling as a sign of his discomfort. He was likely remembering what had happened the last time he and Jess were in New Haven.

"Sounds like a plan," he offered as some kind of assurance.

"How about we start loading some of this stuff into your truck."

Luke was relieved to have a purpose and began the process of moving the pile of boxes filling the tray of his truck first then Jess's car. He figured Rory was likely the safer of the 2 young drivers so he packed the TV and stereo into her back seat wrapping them in blankets. He'd been correct in his assessment and with the 3 vehicles packed to the brim he would only have to make one more trip for the remainder of the boxes. The goodwill truck was due to arrive around midday giving them enough time to get to Hartford, unload and get back as long as they hit the road soon.

Jess had returned back inside leaving Luke to secure the load in his truck.

"Hey beautiful," he greeted Rory with a kiss as she came out of the bathroom dressed and ready to go.

"Luke's here and we're ready to go when you are."

She looks around the room noting the significantly diminished pile against the wall.

"wow! You've done all this already? I knew I took a while in the shower but...wow!"

She repeated herself, caught up in the sudden rush of reality sweeping by ready to carry her out the front door and onto Hartford. She felt tears prickling the back of her eyes and as her face began to crumple Jess closed the gap between them, pulling her into his arms.

"It's just..." she couldn't even complete her thought, there were no words really.

"Shhh," Jess hushed her, "I know. I'm here. I will never let you go Rory. You can count on me now. Both of you can always count on me."

Luke found the two of them in this private embrace, Rory's head on Jess's shoulder, Jess's hand resting protectively over the slight swell that was beginning to show under Rory's jumper. He silently back stepped out of the room. Pulling his phone from his pocket he dialled Lorelai's number, hearing her lyrical greeting on the line as he reached the front path, he realised he didn't even have any reason to have called her except the sudden desire to say "I love you."

He gave the kids 5 minutes before heading back indoors, making extra noise with his boots on the steps as he approached to announce his presence. He glanced cautiously into the lounge where they'd stood just before but noises in the kitchen alerted him to their current location. He coughed as he walked into the small kitchen.

"Oh hi Rory. Big day."

Suddenly awkward and unable to meet her eyes, "I'm ready to go and your car is ready and I made sure to be especially careful with the monkey lamp and it is strapped in by the seat belt in the passenger seat just as your mum insisted and..."

His voiced trailed off and he took a deep breath, "so yeah, I might get going."

He gave an awkward wave before stepping back out of the kitchen. He was still in the entry when Rory caught up with him, placing her hand on his elbow to halt his escape.

"Hey Luke,"she started, "thank you. I mean thank you for helping us today of course but, for everything else too. I didn't really thank you properly for what you did for me. Coming here, standing up to Dean. Just, thank you. I love you Luke. You're the best stepdad a girl could wish for."

Luke hid the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes as he pulled his stepdaughter into a fatherly embrace.

"I will always be here for you Rory. Always."

He stepped back letting her go. He gave a slight cough before nodding his head and continuing on his way out the door.

"See you both in Hartford."

Jess had now appeared behind Rory, both sets of car keys ready in his hand.

"Drive carefully," Luke warned them in his parental tone.

"I will I promise," Rory replied.

"Heaven help me if anything should happen to that monkey lamp!"

A laugh escaped from both of them - an assuring signal that, eventually, everything would be okay.

Once Luke had pulled away Jess turned to Rory, "ready?" he asked her.

"Or not," she replied forcing half a smile.

"Do you want me to leave you to say goodbye?" he offered.

Rory smiled a genuine smile knowing that he truly did understand her.

"Maybe for just a minute," she agreed. "Will you wait on the stairs for me though? Promise you won't leave without me."

Jess heard the pleading tone in her voice but it was not one of playful Gilmore manipulation it was from some bleak place deep within. He pulled her toward him, wishing he could hold her always this close, cocooning her, protecting her. "

I promise I will never leave you."

He didn't need to add 'ever again'. The words hung between them, an unspoken oath.

Rory took one last walk through her apartment. This had been her first place of her own even if she'd only had it to herself for a few short months. Those memories she would keep. Smiling at herself she recalled her first weekend spent here, she had stayed in her pjs all day reading and watching movies while alternating between popcorn and ice cream and endless cups of coffee. The first meal she'd cooked here that admittedly required nothing more than boiling some water in her kettle to pour over some pasta which she then mixed with a bottle of pasta sauce and ate in front of the TV. Yes, she nodded to herself, there were good memories here too. She came to the place where the armchair had sat until this morning and blushed as she recalled another memory she would treasure. The rose still in her cheeks she took one last quick look around the room before stepping out the front door and into the arms of her future.

"Hey," Jess turned in surprise as Rory wrapped her arms around him.

"All good?" he asked, nodding in the direction of the house.

He noticed to pink tinge to her face.

"I think that armchair is going to go nicely in our place," he teased as if reading her mind.

Her blush deepened, confirming his assumption. He smiled, placing his arm around her shoulder and tilting her head toward him to place a kiss into her hair.

"Shall we then?" he asked. Rory took her keys from him, locking the door for the last time.

"yes, let's" she replied then took Jess's hand as they walked down the stairs, parting when they reached her car door. He bent down to kiss her through the window.

"See you there. Drive carefully."

"Yes Luke!" she teased as she started the engine and pulled out of the driveway, grinning as she saw his smirk dissolve into a smile.

Jess was in his car and on his way before Rory was out of sight. He caught up with her at the traffic lights and they drove in convoy the rest of the way to Hartford. He'd meant what he'd said. Forever was a long time to promise to someone but he knew he could promise it to her. He wasn't a fool, he knew it wasn't going to be easy, they really needed to work on their communication skills for starters. They each had the tendency to shut down and walk away but they would need to learn to talk about what's bothering them, not jump to conclusions like they had each done their share of in the past. The baby would change their lives in a seemingly unfathomable way but he welcomed the thought of it. He wondered if they might have a son or a daughter, quickly realising it didn't matter to him in the least. Healthy and happy and theirs. That was all he required. He smiled again as he pictured his family to be. A new plan was developing in his mind as he drove the rest of the way home.

The drive had passed by quickly and Jess parked his car in a space near Rory's. He could see Luke's truck out the front of their place and stopped to wait for Rory to get out of her car so they could walk up together. Lorelai was already there but the agent wasn't due to bring the keys for another 20 minutes so Jess suggested they grab a coffee from down the road while they waited.

"Hmmm, do they have danishes?" Lorelai asked.

"Cherry and apple," Jess confirmed.

With her arm looped through her daughter's Lorelai followed her nose toward the coffee and danishes muttering something about the most delicious things in the world being Dane-ish leaving Jess and Luke shaking their heads before following along in their wake.

The agent was 10 minutes late with the keys but at last they were in and while Rory gave her mum the grand tour Luke and Jess unloaded the truck so they could head straight back to Hartford and be there to meet the Goodwill truck. The rest could wait until they got back. The girls had catching up to do and everyone knew better than to assume any actual unpacking would get done in the next two hours. Once their men had left, Rory turned to her mother.

"So, fancy another danish?" she asked her.

"Only if it comes with forbidden coffee!" Lorelai replied with a grin.

Lorelai had her purse in her hand and was waiting at the door in record time. Rory grabbed her purse from where she'd left it atop one of her boxes and followed her out onto the front stoop, locking the door behind them as they returned to the coffee shop for the second time that day. Well, third time for Lorelai but she'd keep that little tidbit to herself.