A/N: This update is a day late... but hopefully not a dollar short ;)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 21

"Oh my God, I can't believe you're coming home tomorrow!" Lorelai enthused, literally bouncing on her bed like a child. "Actually, you're practically coming home today. Just another hour and a half until tomorrow is today!" she said as she checked the clock on the bedside cabinet.

"Maybe for you, it's three hours earlier here, remember?" said Rory, grinning still at her mother's excitement for her homecoming.

"Ugh, it's gonna be so good to have you back in the same timezone as me. This whole across the country thing is way too confusing."

"Mom, you just subtract three from whatever time it is there. It's not so complicated"

"I still don't like it. Different time zones just mean a person is too far away from another person," she explained in a way that only Lorelai could. "Honestly, sweets, I love that you've had a fun trip and that everything has been so good, but Mommy misses you and is more than ready for a reunion!"

"I know what you mean," agreed Rory. "It is great here. Sasha and Jimmy have been really kind to me, and Lily is so much fun. I don't hate the fact I actually got a tan this Summer and that the weather is almost always good, but... well, it's not home. I miss the Hollow."

"As it should be, kid," her mother smiled.

Adventures were very nice and they'd had a few together. This was Rory's first real vacation without Lorelai, and she meant what she said to her daughter about being glad she had a good time. That didn't change the fact that life without Rory in it on regular basis felt very weird and not nice at all.

Rory had to admit it was much the same for her. Stars Hollow was where she belonged and her Mom and Luke were very much missed whilst she was here in California, no matter how much fun she had with Jess and his sort-of family.

"I know you've been missing me, but you must've been kind of loving having the house to yourself, what with you and Luke being together and all?" said Rory then.

"Empty house has its perks when there's a boyfriend to play with," she giggled in such a way that Rory almost wished she hadn't asked. "In fact, my boy toy should be on his way over soon."

"This late?" asked Rory with a frown.

"Well, Mom, you're not here so I decided to break curfew," Lorelai teased her.

"You're hilarious," her daughter dead-panned.

"Yes, I am. But anyway, Luke said he would be right over as soon as he closed up the diner, but then there was some kind of Kirk-related emergency. I didn't even wanna ask what that meant, so here I sit and wait for my man. He's great but he's kinda screwing up my beauty sleep."

"Like you need beauty sleep."

"Man, I have you well trained!"

They both laughed at the jokes they made, and then Lorelai sighed.

"I'll bet you and Jess have had a pretty good time together out there, huh?" she asked. "Running in and out of waves, kissing on the beach whilst Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing plays in the background?"

"Yes, that's exactly how its been," Rory replied overly seriously. "Honestly though, it has been pretty special. Jess is just... he's different. Well, not different exactly, it's like he's the same as before, all the good parts that I fell for in the beginning, but all the really moody, running away tendencies have gone away, and been replaced with this... this smile actually. He smiles a lot more, Mom, and I love that smile."

"That's great, hon," said Lorelai with a genuine grin of her own that Rory could practically hear. "But y'know, I'm not so sure California gave Jess the shiny happy feeling. Pretty sure that has a whole lot to do with you."

"Maybe a little," Rory blushed, and her mother knew it in spite of the fact she was so many miles away. "But honestly, I think a lot of it has to do with Jess himself. He's figured out a lot of stuff that bothered him before, a lot of things he didn't like about himself. Meeting Jimmy, living alone for a while, coming back to Stars Hollow and starting fresh, it's all relevant."

"I'm sure that it is," Lorelai agreed. "And I'm happy for you, Rory, and for Jess, and for Luke actually. Y'know he cares so much for that boy as well as for you."

"I know."

"In fact, he cares so very much that he's going to come pick you up from the airport tomorrow," explained Lorelai. "And before you start pouting that I can't come myself, I would like to point out that I have already done all the fat lip necessary about this situation, but Jackson is sick so Sookie is out, and Michel had to go out of town on a family thing, so yours truly is the one woman inn running machine. I'm so sorry, hon, I just can't leave things the way they are..."

"Mom, it's fine, I understand," Rory assured her. "But right now, I have to go. Jess and Jimmy just got back with pizza," she explained, scrambling from the bed.

"They went out for pizza?" her mother checked. "What you can't get delivery in the Sunshine state?"

"Florida is the Sunshine State, California is the Golden State," she corrected. "And yes, you can get delivery here, but everybody knows the delivery guys are stoned after six and can't find the house," she said matter of factly.

"Oh, okay then," her mother replied, finding that a little odd, mostly because her daughter suddenly knew such facts after only fourteen days in Cali.

"I'll see you soon, Mom."

"Really soon!"

The Gilmore girls ended their call and Rory rushed to the living room just in time to see pizza boxes being handed around and opened up. Sasha and Lily were on the floor by the coffee table whilst Jess waited for Rory on the sofa and Jimmy took up the armchair.

"That's Hawaiian with extra pineapple for Lily-Lou," said Jimmy, passing her the box. "And one with everything for Rory," he smiled as he handed it over,

"Thank you," she replied politely, digging into her food with gusto.

There was chatter and laughter aplenty as they ate, the five of them enjoying what would be their last meal together, at least on this trip. Rory sat up close to Jess with Lily down in front of them, and Sasha smiled at how cute they all looked.

"So, as much as you've had some fun here, you kids must be glad to be headed home tomorrow," she said thoughtfully. "Rory, you must be missing your mother, given how close the two of you are."

"I do miss her, yeah," she admitted shyly. "Not that you guys haven't been totally welcoming. You really make me feel like part of the family."

"Well, you are" Sasha shrugged. "As much as any of us anyway."

It was true enough that they were an odd family unit, with Lily being Sasha's daughter alone, and Jess being Jimmy's estranged son. No-one was married, and there were very few blood ties here. Still, Rory knew just exactly what Sasha meant.

"It's kind of how it is at home in Stars Hollow actually," she explained. "I mean, my best friend, Lane, she's like a sister to me really, and Luke has always been kind of fatherly."

"He is good at that," said Jess with a knowing look.

He didn't even think about the comment until it was out there and the look on Jimmy's face was something to behold. Jess hadn't meant it the way he must've taken it, and yet.

"I'm gonna grab a beer," muttered Jimmy, heading for the kitchen.

Jess shook his head, dumped his pizza on the table and followed his father. Sasha and Rory shared an awkward smile and then continued eating. It was weird to Rory how Jess and Jimmy could be related and awfully similar at times, and yet not act like father and son at all. They were some kind of friends, maybe, but that was all for the most part, even though they were blood. Sure, they hadn't seen each other for the first eighteen years of Jess' life, but Rory would've thought that when they finally got to meet they would want to be closer. She hardly ever tried to talk to Jess about his dad, not before or after he met him. It was such a delicate subject. Now she couldn't help but strain her ears to hear what as going on in the kitchen, but she couldn't hear a word. Part of the reason for that was probably because very little had been said yet.

Jimmy actually was digging in the fridge for a beer when Jess got the door.

"Hey," he said to get his attention, but Jimmy either didn't hear him or didn't want to answer. "I, er... I don't know what you thought..."

"You want a beer?" asked Jimmy, all out of the blue as he yanked his head and hand out of the frdge, bearing two bottles.

"You realise I'm still only nineteen, right?" asked Jess, even as he took the beer from his father's hand.

Jimmy looked like he was torn between laughing and slamming his head against a brick wall. Jess leaned back on the counter and waited for his father to say something, anything really. There was a moment back there when something awkward and painful happened. It was unintentional, even unexpected, but it happened and Jess didn't feel okay about letting it slide on by.

"I'm not a father, Jess," said Jimmy eventually. "I told you that when you first came here last Summer, and I mean it as much now as I did then."

"Lily thinks different," said Jess, sipping on his beer.

"Lily's just a kid," Jimmy shook his head, took a long drink from his bottle.

"Yeah, but she's a smart kid, and... and you're doing good with her," his son tried to tell him. "I mean, she looks up to you, thinks you're cool. That's not nothing."

"Pretty sure she likes you better, big brother," smirked Jimmy.

Jess smiled and shook his head.

"Maybe you're right, maybe she's not so smart."

That made them both laugh and the tension broke some. Jess cleared his throat to speak again.

"Y'know, Luke has been... Well, he's helped me out a lot. I can't make that not true just to make you feel better."

"I don't expect you to."

"I know, but I appreciate that you let me stay here last Summer, and that you let me come back this year, bring Rory along."

"Sash would've killed me if I didn't," he smirked, because they both knew that wasn't the only reason. "Besides, kinda like havin' you around."

"Yeah?" Jess smirked too. "That's cool. Kinda like being here."

When they returned to the living room a minute later it was with smiles on their faces and whatever strange bond they had once again restored, maybe even reinforced.

"You okay?" Rory whispered to Jess as he sat down close beside her.

"Yeah," he promised, kissing her cheek. "I'm fine."

Sasha looked at Jimmy and he smiled genuinely at her. She always knew when he was faking, so she figured things were okay. She'd get the whole story later, and was pretty sure Rory would do the same with Jess. For now, she was just going to let things continue as if the awkward moment from before never happened.

"You're gonna come visit again, right?" asked Lily then.

"Oh, well..." Rory began, eyes flitting first to Jess then to Sasha.

"You are always welcome, both of you," she assured them.

Rory threw a questioning look at Jess who only smiled and leaned down to ruffle Lily's hair.

"Yeah, I guess we could stand a little more of your company eventually, munchkin," he teased her.

Lily laughed and complained all at the same time. It was a lovely happy family atmosphere. As much as Rory would be glad to see her mom and Luke and everyone in Stars Hollow again very soon, she was going to miss this place and these people. She was glad to know she might be coming back someday.

"I'm going to miss this," said Lorelai, snuggling further into Luke's embrace, her head on his bare chest. "I mean, yeah, I'll be so glad to have Rory home, but this bed is going be so big without you to share it with," she declared, planting a kiss on his chest.

"I know what you mean," Luke agreed, holding her tighter. "I'm guessing it's going to be weird for the kids too. As much as I have a general rule of not thinking about the fact that Rory and Jess actually... spend nights together," he said awkwardly, making Lorelai giggle. "They're going to have got very used to it whilst they've been in California."

"Hmm," Lorelai considered. "Well, I guess on nights when you wanted to be here, Rory could be at the diner with Jess. They were doing that a lot when you were away so it's not like it'd be so weird."

Luke agreed that made sense as they both yawned together and decided now was the time to settle down to sleep. Lights out, eyes closed, it was barely two minutes later that a thought came to Lorelai and she poked at Luke to get his full attention.

"What happens when Rory goes back to Yale?" she asked worriedly.

"What do you mean?" asked Luke, not even opening his eyes at first.

"I mean, Rory is going to be living in a dorm in New Haven and spending lots of time studying and everything," Lorelai explained. "Where will that leave Jess?"

Luke opened his eyes and shifted to flip the lamp back on. He hadn't really thought much about what the future held for his nephew and Lorelai's daughter. They had gotten together again at the start of the Summer and spent a long vacation together. It wasn't over yet, but Yale would be back in session in just a few short weeks. That would force Rory and Jess apart for large portions of time. Luke sighed.

"Well, Jess will work at the diner with me, I guess. That'll take up a lot of his time," he shrugged. "He and Rory will still see each other, same way that you and I still see her."

"Yeah, I guess," said Lorelai with a sigh. "But it won't be the same. Plus there's that whole thing where Rory is a college girl dating an 'outsider'," she air-quoted. "I just... Well, as much as I was against the whole Rory and Jess romance before, things are different now. They're so happy. I'd hate for things to get all awkward and turn bad again. Neither of them deserves that."

Luke was a little astounded at how Lorelai's worries seemed to be not just for Rory but for Jess too. That meant a lot to him, since he was pretty sure it was primarily for his benefit. He leant down and kissed her lips.

"Try not to worry about it," he told her softly. "I know they're young and kinda pre-disposed to being as stubborn as each other, but they're really working at this relationship. They've come a long way and they're so committed. Twenty miles of road and a few college kids isn't going to do too much damage."

Lorelai nodded her head; "I hope you're right."

"I'm right," Luke assured her with a smile, as they shared one more kiss, and he put the light out again so they could sleep.

Still, it took Lorelai a little while to turn off her brain enough to get any rest. Between the excitement of her baby girl coming home tomorrow and concerns for what might happen when Yale was back in session, it wasn't surprising she was having trouble relaxing. Of course, having Luke to snuggle up to, his strong arm holding her close and safe, it helped in the end, and Lorelai drifted off into a pretty dream that kept her occupied until the alarm clock sounded and declared a new day.

To Be Continued...