A/N: This chapter was really hard to write. The main reason for that is that it's basically catching us up to where we are now. The next one should be better. Sorry for the wait.
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Missing Bits, Missing Boys
Rory folded a sage green cardigan and tucked it into her suitcase. She frowned as she mentally inventoried her pajama choices, knowing that the decisions she made while packing could prove to be crucial to the success of the entire weekend. With a decisive nod, she moved to the dresser and opened the second drawer. She stood holding a pair patterned with butterflies in one hand and another set sporting dancing Snoopy in the other when Jess walked into the room.
"Here," he said as he held a USB thumb drive out to her. "I told you I didn't take it," he muttered as he turned to leave the room.
"And yet, you have it," Rory said archly as she put the butterflies back and carried Snoopy back to the bed.
"I found it in that dish on the table next to the couch," he said hotly. "Remember, you were sitting there a couple of nights ago."
Rory smiled as she took it from him and asked, "What would I do without you, Encyclopedia Brown?"
"Bite me."
"Come here, I will," she answered with a grin.
"I'm mad at you," he said as he turned away again.
"No you're not," Rory cajoled as she reached out and grabbed his wrist to stop him.
"Yes, I am. I don't like being yelled at for no reason," he grumbled.
"I didn't yell, I asked."
"You accused."
"I inquired. I'm a reporter, remember? I ask questions."
"You're an interrogator. You should work for the D.A.," Jess replied petulantly.
"I'm sorry," she said in a gentler tone. Rory reached up and brushed a curl back from his forehead. "I was a little stressed, and I thought I lost my notes."
"You thought I stole your notes."
"I thought maybe you borrowed my thumb drive," she corrected.
"I have about ten of them, I don't need yours."
"Let me make it up to you," she murmured as she brushed a kiss to his lips.
"Gonna take more than that," he said with a smirk.
"We have time," she whispered into his ear.
"I've seen you pack, we don't have time," Jess said dryly.
"Are you packed? All ready for your weekend of male bonding?"
Jess rolled his eyes. "Jeans, t-shirts, socks," he reported.
"And are you going commando? I notice you didn't mention any boxers," she pointed out.
"I'll borrow Luke's."
"Ew! Jess!" Rory said as she released his wrist and covered her face with her hands.
Jess laughed as he reached up and tried to pry her hands from her face. "You're so easy."
Rory laughed and said, "I'll show you how easy I can be."
Jess kissed her hungrily, running his fingers through her silky hair. When they parted, he nuzzled her ear and whispered, "I've missed you."
"I've been here," she answered.
"You've been busy. Preoccupied."
"With our wedding," she reminded him.
"Our wedding," he agreed. "Don't let your mom and grandma yank your arms off, okay? I like your arms."
"Just a little over a month," she whispered.
"Any second thoughts? Cold feet?"
"My feet are quite toasty, thank you," she answered with a grin.
Jess flashed her that crooked smile as he pressed his palm to her cheek. "I'm gonna make you so happy."
"You already do."
"You don't know. I've just started," he said in a low gruff voice.
"Make me happy right now," Rory said as she slipped her hands up under his t-shirt.
Jess nodded and said, "Okay, but we're leaving on time, no matter if you have your toothbrush or not."
"I'll borrow Mom's," Rory answered with a grin. She pulled his shirt up over his head and giggled at his grimace of distaste. "Just kidding. I'll swipe yours," she whispered as her lips hovered near his.
****
Rory pushed the passenger seat back a little and turned to Jess with a lazy smile. He glanced over at her and muttered, "Stop it."
"What?"
"Stop looking like that."
"Looking like what?" she asked innocently.
"You know what," he grumbled. "Your Mom is gonna take one look at you and know why we're running late."
"Do I look happy? Satisfied?" she asked leadingly.
"Stop."
Rory smiled as she closed her eyes and let the drone of the engine lull her into a light doze. As contented as she was, she was anxious to get home. Home. Stars Hollow would always be home. It didn't matter that she hadn't lived there in a few months. It didn't matter that her diligent use of change of address cards ensured that the piles of mail that Lorelai forwarded at first had dwindled down to junk mail. It didn't matter that Pottery Barn apparently thought that she was jet set enough to keep two addresses no matter how many times she notified them. It didn't matter that her name was on a mortgage and her by-lines would soon be hyphenated, Stars Hollow was home, and she couldn't wait to go home.
Her eyelashes fluttered as she stole a peek at Jess, admiring the glossy tumble of too long curls that flopped onto his forehead and the tight set of his jaw as he maneuvered through traffic. She loved that he managed to still look all man even when he was driving a 6 year old silver-blue Prius and the B-52s blared from the 'Going Home to See Mommy' CD that Lorelai had burned for her long ago. She sighed softly and closed her eyes again, a small smile curving her lips as she reached out and placed her hand on his thigh. A moment later, his hand covered hers and she drifted off.
The miles flashed past and her breathing grew deep and even. Jess smiled as he glanced over at her and then turned his attention back to the road. It had been a long two years. Some months stretching into an eternity, others whizzing past seemingly at the speed of light. The last four months in particular, were nothing like the endless stretch of months immediately following Rory's graduation from Yale. First, she was swept off to New York in a rush of 'Pomp and Circumstance' fueled adrenaline to claim one of four prized positions as a James Reston Fellow at the New York Times. It hadn't been easy. It took a little while for her to realize that a diploma from Yale was not the golden ticket that everyone, including herself, had believed it to be. It took a while for her to realize that she would have to prove herself all over again, just as she did at Chilton and then Yale. She tried to do it at the Times, but there she was a golden child surrounded by other golden children, and it quickly became apparent that it was hard to be your best when you were constantly up against the best of the best. Every assignment was fought for tooth and nail. There were even the occasional skirmishes over who would have to make the afternoon Starbuck's run, everyone loathe to leave the newsroom for even a minute for fear that they would miss out.
She fought the good fight, lulling her competition into a false sense of security about the small town girl turned loose in the Big Apple. She was so sure that she had it nailed, only to have reality come crashing down on her at the end of the summer when she did not win one of the elusive six-month internship extensions. And so, she went home to Stars Hollow. And after swallowing her initial disappointment, she found herself a little bit glad for the break. Her long dreamed trip to Fez had been cancelled when she won the fellowship, and now Paris was starting Harvard Medical School, so it could not be rescheduled any time soon. So, Rory Gilmore, Yale Class of 2007, finished out the year by mailing resume after resume and earning a living by doling out cookies from behind the display case at Weston's Bakery.
Every once in a while, she'd pause in the doorway to the back room and expect to see Jess there, his tongue clamped between his teeth as he squeezed stiff frosting from a pastry tube, perfecting his sugar rose skills. Every once in a while, she'd escape into her room, hiding from the twins and her baby sister, sometimes locking herself in her bathroom with a book to avoid her mother's incessant questions and Luke's worried looks. Finally, she got a call from Stuart Woltz at the Stamford Eagle-Gazette informing her that they had an opening for a fact checker at a salary that was barely more than what she made at the bakery. After a few long months of being an Ivy League educated cake pusher, Rory jumped at it.
So, she began her first real job in journalism with the New Year. Each day she commuted over an hour to Stamford to sit in a tiny cubicle and check over other people's work. Each day, she had to bite back the urge to rewrite said work. She called Jess every morning on the way to work and every night on the way home, which lead to more than one earnest discussion with Luke about his concerns with Bluetooth technology and brain tumors. Every night, she lay on her bed listening to the sound of his voice and counting the hours until their next weekend together. For over a year they had toted duffle bags filled with weekend clothes to Philadelphia or Stars Hollow. For almost a year, she presented Stuart Woltz with various samples of her work, only to be told that he simply didn't have an opening for her yet. She tried to put a positive spin on it, smiling and telling friends and family that it was a foot in the door, and that she liked working at the Eagle-Gazette, but deep down it was more than a little demoralizing. She was basically working to keep herself in gas to get to work, and stamps to mail each successive round of resumes.
Jess drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and glanced over at her again. Certain that she was asleep, he turned the volume down a little as the guy from Sparks tried not to be 'Eaten By the Monster of Love', knowing that if he dared to change the CD, she would awaken instantly. He smiled as he glanced down at her hand, now lying lax and heavy on his thigh, her diamond winking in the occasional pool of light cast along the highway. For almost two years from the time he had given Rory that ring, Jess waited. He didn't say a word. He supported her continued search for an actual writing position. He consoled her as opportunity after opportunity slipped past. He encouraged her as she progressively set her sights a little lower and lower. He cheered when she managed to sell an article to an on-line magazine. He listened to her vent about the shoddy writing errors she was forced to fix on a daily basis.
In the meantime, he had been facing his share of triumphs and frustrations too. The initial high of selling Family Matters to Dell soon plummeted to what Jess would term the inevitable low when it failed to set the literary world on fire. The reviews that he did receive were good, the sales were respectable enough for what his editor liked to call a 'F.T.E. - first time effort', but overall, Jess' first book printed by a mass market publisher failed to take America by storm. Instead, it turned out to be more of a light spring shower.
On the upside, Truncheon was doing well. They had published two authors whose take on the world in general seemed to be the breath of fresh air that people craved. There was one in particular that had captured the attention of some publishing notables, but, to their relief, the writer showed an unflinching disdain for all things mainstream. He dug his heels in and insisted that he would stay with Truncheon, spouting truckloads of idealistic crap about artistic freedom and a world with no Borders. Borders Books and Music, that is. The schmuck couldn't have told you what countries actually bordered the United States if you paid him. But, other then the fact that the pretentious moron's success grated on his nerves, as a partner in the business Jess was grateful for the attention that it brought them.
Dell had picked up the option on his second book based on the rough outline and a sample chapter he had given his editor, but the writing process was slow-going, and he was losing precious time to both Truncheon and a certain blue eyed girl in Connecticut. A girl who still wore his ring, but seemed no closer to actually being with him than she was the day he slipped it onto her finger. He hadn't asked again. For almost two years, he stayed just where he was, doing just what he had been doing, waiting for her signal.
He waded through painful conversations with his little cousins when they got to her phone before she did. He suffered his uncle's unspoken questions with tight lipped determination. He forced himself to laugh at Lorelai's outlandish wedding suggestions. He patiently reiterated the party line when his mother, her grandparents, and each and every nut job busybody in Stars Hollow asked when they would name the day. He held fast, determined to let her chart her own course, happy to follow her lead. That is, he was happy to do so until this past Christmas.
He had come home to Stars Hollow for a few days with an envelope tucked into his duffle bag, and the hope that something, anything would happen to spur the conversation that he wanted to have. When he found Rory sitting at the kitchen table circling apartment ads in the Eagle-Gazette's classified ad section, Jess took it as a sign that it was time to act, promise or no promise. He turned and went back into her room to retrieve the envelope, and then walked quietly into the kitchen.
Rory looked up as she reached for her bottle of water and noticed him hovering by her chair. She jumped slightly and then asked, "Stalking me again?"
"Always," he answered gruffly. "Where is everyone?" he asked as he glanced over his shoulder nervously.
"Christmas pageant rehearsal. The boys have to tie pillowcases to their heads and practice abiding," Rory explained.
"Good thing Patty didn't decide to cast against type and use Carly as the angel," he said as he sat down next to her, turning the envelope in his hands nervously.
"Aw, but she is an angel," Rory insisted, trying to bite back a grin.
"She's Beelzebub," Jess muttered.
"She just wanted her hair to be as pretty as yours," she cooed. When he scowled at her, she unleashed her hold on the grin and said, "I love my Mousse Man."
"Ha," he said dryly, running his hand through his product-less hair. "Gotta go get some today."
"Whatcha got there?" she asked as she nodded to the envelope.
"What do you have there?" Jess asked as he nodded to the want ads.
Rory frowned down at the want ads and shrugged. "I was just looking."
"Getting an apartment in Stamford?"
"It's a long drive, kind of taking a toll on my car," she justified. "And since nothing else seems to be coming up…"
"I can see that," he conceded as he fidgeted with the envelope some more.
"Are you gonna tell me what that is?" she asked again.
"This?" he asked as he looked down at the envelope in his hands. He stared at the blank paper and sighed as he lost his nerve. "Uh, nothing. I just need to mail a letter off to a guy," he lied badly.
"A letter to a guy," Rory repeated.
"Yeah, uh, for Truncheon," he offered by way of explanation.
"Oh."
"I'm gonna go get some stamps. And some hair stuff," he said with a small smile.
"You want me to come with you?" she asked as he stood up.
"Nah, I'll be right back," he assured her.
Rory nodded and said, "I think I'll take advantage of the quiet and read for a little bit."
"Good plan," Jess said as he tucked the envelope into his back pocket. "Back in a few," he called as he hurried to the front hall and grabbed his coat from the closet. He shrugged into it as he opened the front door, and then jogged down the steps, tugging the zipper up to ward off the stiff winter breeze.
"Chicken," he muttered to himself as she shoved his bare hands into the pockets and hurried toward the square. As he approached Weston's he decided to stop inside to say hello to Lisa and to see how things were going.
"Hey," he said as he stepped through the door.
"Hi, Jess!" Lisa called out. She rested her hand on her rounded stomach as she waddled out from behind the counter to greet him.
"Wow, you're huge," he said as his eyes widened.
"Little tip for the future, not the right thing to say," Lisa said as she arched her eyebrows at him.
"Sorry," he muttered. "How're things going?"
"Things are going well. About the same as always," she said with a shrug. "How about you?
"Good. Things are good."
Lisa nodded and smirked a little as she proclaimed, "And so we have come to the end of out normal course of conversation." She jerked a thumb toward the back room and said, "Your uncle's back there."
"Luke?"
"You got another?"
Jess rolled his eyes and said, "I just meant that he's not supposed to be here. I thought the kids had play practice or something."
Lisa laughed and said, "Luke Danes watching dress rehearsal of a bunch of rugrats wearing old sheets? I bet he barely makes it through the actual performance."
"Mind if I…" Jess said as he pointed to the back.
"Well, Luke still owns almost half of this place, so I'd say its okay," she said as she rolled her eyes.
Jess narrowed his and said, "I don't remember you being so snarky. Is it the hormones?"
"Also not the right thing to say. I'll remind Rory about the importance of birth control," Lisa said as she waddled back to her stool behind the counter.
"Yeah, I will too," Jess muttered as he stepped into the back room.
He glanced around at the racks of baked goods waiting to be placed on display and noticed a birthday cake awaiting decoration. He turned to the small office and poked his head around the corner. Luke sat hunched over the computer, and from what Jess could see, was doing an excellent job of sweeping up the mines that were scattered on the tiny grid. His lips twisted into a half smile as he lounged against the doorframe and said, "Excellent work. Do you diffuse bombs too?"
Luke jumped and immediately hit the 'x' button to end the game. "What are you doing here?" he snarled.
"I just stopped in. Lisa said you were back here. Should I ask what you're doing here, or should I opt for the obvious answer?"
"Those things make my head explode," Luke confessed.
"Everyone has their limits," Jess sympathized.
"I swear, the minute we step into a roomful of kids, I'm not even sure that I like my own," Luke grumbled.
"Pack mentality."
"Hyenas."
"That's bad," Jess said with a shudder.
"I know," Luke said contritely. "I just, the minute I heard one kid call another doody-head, I had to get out of there. Flashbacks," he said with a wry smile.
"No, I meant hyenas are bad," Jess corrected. "The part about your head exploding, I totally understand."
"Where's Rory?"
Jess looked away and then said, "At the house, looking for an apartment."
"An apartment?"
"Apparently, she thinks she should move to Stamford."
"And you're gonna let her?" Luke asked, incredulous.
"Can I stop her?" Jess scoffed.
"Yes! Geez, Jess, yes you can stop her!"
"I don't want to stop her. I said I wouldn't," Jess said stubbornly. "But I'm starting to think…"
"Think?"
"Is she ever gonna marry me?" Jess asked in a low voice.
"Did you ever think that maybe she's waiting for you? Maybe she hasn't made any moves because she's waiting for you to make yours?" Luke asked
"It's supposed to be her call," Jess reminded him.
"I don't think that it's out of line for you to talk to her about it. You guys have been engaged or whatever for a couple of years, but you never talk about it. The only one who does is Lorelai," he added with a bewildered shake of his head.
"It's supposed to be her call," Jess repeated.
"So ask her if she's ready to make that call," Luke argued.
"I don't want to pressure her."
"She's coasting, Jess! She hasn't sent out a resume in God knows how long. She's waiting."
Jess pushed off of the doorframe and walked over to the workstation where the cake sat waiting to be decorated. He skimmed the order ticket and reached for a pastry bag filled with bright pink frosting. Luke stepped out of the office as Jess bent over the blank sheet cake and began piping a border around the bottom of the cake. "What are you doing?"
"This is due at three," Jess muttered.
"Lisa was gonna do it. I told her to go sit down for a while first," Luke told him.
"I can't believe Mrs. Jennings is only turning eighty. I could have sworn she was at least a hundred," Jess muttered as he turned the cake.
"You're not on the payroll," Luke reminded him.
"Then you can't fire me if I screw it up." He worked steadily, feeling his uncle's eyes boring into him as he finished the border. Ignoring Luke, Jess reached for a detachable tip, and quickly changed out the bag. He pulled a sheet of wax paper from a nearby box and spread it on the counter. Moments later the petals of a slightly misshapen rose began to take form. Jess scowled at it as he straightened up, and then immediately began to make another.
"Have you changed your mind?" Luke asked quietly.
Jess shook his head as he carefully squeezed the frosting onto the second rose. "She may have," he said in a low voice. He surveyed the second rose and nodded his satisfaction before moving to the cake once more.
Jess stood poised with the tip pressed to the creamy white frosting and took a deep breath as he forced more frosting down into the tip of the bag. Luke stood back and watched as his nephew painstakingly created a string of pink roses in the corner of the cake, making slight corrections with a tiny spatula. Minutes later, a matching string of roses decorated the opposite corner. When Jess reached for a bag of red frosting, Luke asked, "Are you gonna talk to her about it?"
"Yeah," Jess said tersely as he began to add red roses to each cluster.
"Today?" Luke prodded.
"We'll see."
Luke rubbed the back of his neck and then sighed heavily. "Fine. I'll take Lorelai and the kids to the damn pizza place tonight. That's the only opening I'm giving you. And if I throw my shoulder out hitting that stupid mole, I'm taking it out on you," Luke told him as he stalked back into the office.
And Luke was true to his word. Jess watched as his uncle loaded his wife and three wired children into the car and climbed behind the wheel, his jaw set in grim resignation. A short time later, Jess glanced over at Rory as she sat curled into the corner of the couch, engrossed in the book propped on her thighs. He felt her wiggle her toes under his leg, and knew that was her way of letting him know that she had caught his peek.
He took a deep breath and then said in a low voice, "I don't want you to move to Stamford."
Rory looked up and blinked in confusion. "What?"
"I don't want you to move there."
"Well, I can't stay here forever," Rory said slowly.
"Move to Philly," Jess said as he turned to look at her, his dark eyes burning with intensity. When she gaped at him for a moment, he jumped in. "I know I said I wouldn't pressure you, and I'm not really trying to, I swear." Jess leaned forward and pulled the white envelope from his back pocket. "I have a couple of things that I've been wanting to talk to you about, but I didn't know what to say, and I don't want you thinking that I'm trying to make some kind of demand or something."
"Philly?"
Jess nodded and opened the envelope, withdrawing a flyer and a business card. He held up the card and said, "Okay, listen, I know that this may not be exactly what you had in mind, but I was talking to this guy at this thing we did at Truncheon a couple of weeks ago, and he works for a newspaper thing called Metro. Apparently they put out free dailies in major cities, and they do one in Philadelphia," he explained.
"I've heard of them," Rory said with a nod.
"Okay, well, here's the thing. This paper is really growing, at least in Philly. They've passed the Daily News in circulation, so now it's second only to the Inquirer," he told her. "I was talking to this guy, and he was saying they that they had openings, apparently a couple of his reporters took jobs at the Inquirer, so I guess that people can kind of use this as a springboard," he said in a rush.
"They're hiring reporters?" Rory asked as she took the card from his fingers and studied it carefully.
"He said they were."
"And you waited two weeks to tell me?" she demanded.
"I didn't want to interfere. Besides, I wasn't sure that this was something you'd be interested in," Jess said defensively.
"You mean more interested than in making fifty phone calls a day asking, 'Is that Olson with an 'e' or an 'o'?'" Rory asked sarcastically.
"I promised everyone that I'd stay out of your way. You, your mom, Luke, your grandparents," he said heatedly.
"Out of my way does not mean that you can't help me; help us!"
"You wouldn't let your grandparents help get you a job with the Courant!" he shot back.
"That's them, this is you!"
"What does that mean?" he cried.
"I expect you to help me! That's what we're supposed to do, Jess, help each other," Rory said heatedly.
"Well, there you go! There's the guy's name and number! That's a direct line, by the way," he said as he pointed to the handwritten number on the front of the card. "I told him all about you."
"Yeah, two weeks ago," Rory grumbled under her breath.
Jess offered her a small smile and said, "It's the holidays. No one is moving very fast. You can probably call him tomorrow."
"Tomorrow is Christmas Eve," she pointed out.
"And the news takes a holiday?"
Rory's lips curved as she closed her fingers around the card. "I'll call him tomorrow."
"Good."
Her smile grew as she said, "That would be so great."
Jess nodded and said, "You'd have someone else checking on your facts."
Rory shook her head and said, "I always have mine straight." She leaned over and kissed him lightly. When she pulled back she whispered, "We'd be in the same town."
Jess nodded and said, "Uh, yeah, about that," as he lifted the flyer he had pulled from the envelope. "I was thinking that maybe if you wanted to, and again, it doesn't have to be in Philly, we can go wherever you want…" he said quickly as she took it from him.
Rory scanned the sheet and then looked up at him with a puzzled frown. "You want to buy a loft?"
Jess shrugged and said, "The real estate market is slow, no one is buying, really, so we could get a good deal. I've got some money from the book deal and some savings left, we could probably scrape together a down-payment."
"You want to buy a place?"
"Well, I'm tired of living in a place that smells like stale beer and dirty socks," he said with a smile, using her favorite description of the apartment he shared with two other guys.
"You want to buy a place," she said softly.
"I was us to buy a place," he corrected. When she looked up at him in surprise, Jess asked softly, "We are still getting married someday, aren't we?"
Rory laughed, but when she saw the solemn look on his face, she sobered quickly. "You're not kidding," she breathed. "Yes, yes we are. I mean, I was wondering when you were gonna ask again," she added with a stern look.
"I'm asking now."
Rory waited a beat and then said, "Okay, I'm listening now."
Jess rolled his eyes and said, "Rory Gilmore, will you marry me?"
Rory beamed as she nodded happily. "I've decided to drive my mother crazy and be your prototypical June bride. It's a good thing you asked now, other wise you'd have to wait another year, just to give us time to plan it."
"This June?" Jess asked hopefully.
"This June," she answered, and he pulled her down on top of him as he fell back on the couch.
Jess' smile turned into a grimace as the CD started over, and once again he was subjected to the GoGos dreaming about vacations. He glanced over at the woman curled up in the passenger seat and marveled at how quickly it had all happened once the decision was made. Within a month, Rory had secured a reporter position with Metro in Philadelphia and they had narrowed their apartment search to three units. Within a week of accepting the position, Rory was camped out in his too small bedroom while they negotiated an offer and acceptance on their loft. A month later they moved in, and now, in just over a month, they would be married.
Living together had been an adjustment. Jess knew that Rory liked to live an orderly life, but she was also a slob in some ways. There were always dirty dishes in the sink that she promised to 'get to later' even though they had a brand spanking new dishwasher. She was fastidious about hanging her clothes up the minute they came out of the dryer, but getting them into the washer and then transferred to the dryer seemed to be a challenge. And he also discovered that she suffered from a form of selective dust blindness. Her computer keyboard was meticulously cleaned each night with short bursts of compressed air, but the desk on which it rested carried a film of dust so thick that he feared it had become a sort of a pet.
But all of these things were nothing compared to the knowledge that every night he got to curl up behind her and fall asleep with his cheek pressed to her soft hair. Every morning, he got to wake up to her petulant grumbles, and looked forward to the angelic smile that she always gave him immediately following her first sip of coffee. Every evening, he got to come home to her. He got to actually see her reactions as he related the events of the day, and bear witness to the excited light in her eyes as she told him what she was working on. All in all, it was all he had wanted.
Her name was in print; his fingers flew over the keyboard for at least two hours each night. Her socks dyed his underwear pink; she cut her finger when he left his razor in the soap dish. She ate the crusts from his pizza; he accepted whatever vegetable she plucked from her food without complaint. Everything was finally falling into place. Well, almost everything. They still had to make it through the wedding, he thought with a scowl.
Personally, he couldn't care less, but she wanted it, and what Rory wanted, he wanted her to have. There had been talk of a small ceremony and reception with family and friends, but that quickly escalated once Emily and Lorelai got involved and things got competitive. Up until six weeks ago, the plans for the wedding between Lorelai Leigh Gilmore and Jess Mariano resembled something out of a Busby Berkley movie. And then, Rory put her foot down. The guest list was slashed. The decorations were scaled back dramatically. The menu was pared down until even Jess commented that they could probably spring for the stuffed mushroom caps. Opulent bouquets of roses were scaled back to small, elegant sprays lilies and orchids. The only thing that remained constant throughout the wedding planning tug-of-war was the lack of bows on the backs of Lorelai, Lane and Paris' bridesmaid dresses.
Jess signaled for the exit to Stars Hollow, rubbing his eyes tiredly as he coasted down the ramp. He turned onto the deserted two-lane highway that lead into town and reached over to give Rory's leg a gentle pat. When she stirred, he looked over at her. Her eyelashes fluttered and then he was looking into the blue eyes that made him fall in the first place.
"Hey," he said softly, turning his attention back to the road.
"Hi."
A smug smile curved his lips as Jess pulled his hand away from her leg, and she immediately took hold of it. "Almost home."
Rory smiled lazily and said, "Yeah, only one more month to go."
****
"Are you gonna miss me? Maybe a little?" Lorelai asked as she closed the book on her lap and snuggled down into Jake's pillow.
"Yeah," he admitted softly in the dark of night.
"I'm gonna miss you like crazy," she whispered.
"We're comin' home," Jake assured her.
"I sure hope so." They shared a smile as Josh snorted in his sleep. "Wanna know a secret, Jaluke?" she asked softly.
"Uh huh."
Lorelai searched her mind for an age appropriate secret to share with her little boy. "Your daddy snores," she whispered.
"I know."
"You knew that?" Lorelai gasped softly.
"I heared him."
"He doesn't snore every night, though," Lorelai said to be fair. "You wanna know another secret?"
"Wha?" he asked, fighting off sleep.
"I like going out on the boat with you guys."
"No fish."
"No, I don't like the fishing, but I don't mind watching you fish. Besides, I'm too good of a fisherwoman, it makes Daddy feel bad," she whispered. When Jake giggled, Lorelai kissed his cheek and whispered, "That's a secret too, okay?"
"'Kay," he whispered back.
"Go to sleep," she said with a stern look.
"Not tired," he protested, despite all evidence to the contrary.
"You are tired," she insisted. "Go to sleep and when you wake up, Rory and Jess will be here."
"What time?"
"Uh uh, I'm not falling for that. If I tell you what time, you'll stay up waiting for them. I'm not gonna let them come home until you're asleep. Pro fishing guys need their rest," she admonished gently. "You go to sleep, and you can see them when you get up," she promised as she slipped from the bed. Lorelai knelt down beside him and asked, "Who loves this little boy?" as she brushed his sandy brown curls from his forehead.
"You do," Jake answered automatically.
"Yes, I do," Lorelai said as she kissed his forehead. "Goodnight, my little guy."
"Night," Jake whispered as Lorelai tucked the book under his pillow.
Lorelai turned and walked on her knees to Josh's bed. "Ow, ow, getting too old for this," she said to herself. She ran her fingers along Josh's smooth cheek and murmured, "Goodnight, little love," as she gave him one last kiss. She smiled as he slept on, completely oblivious.
Lorelai stood up and crept to the door. "Daddy will be here in a few minutes," she whispered in a way that only children know was both a promise and a threat.
She padded down the hallway, poked her head into Carly's room to be sure that she was still fast asleep, and smiled when she saw all of the blankets that Luke had carefully tucked around her kicked to the foot of the bed. Lorelai pulled the sheet back up over her, and smoothed back the tumble of dark curls that shrouded one rosy cheek before kissing it softly. She gathered the small pile of dirty clothes she had collected after bath time and walked tiredly down the steps.
She shuffled into the kitchen and found Luke wrapping two halves of an enormous sub sandwich in plastic wrap. "Get a yen for a dagwood?" she asked on her way to the laundry room.
Luke shrugged as he sealed the second half and then carried them to the refrigerator. "Figured they may be hungry."
"Jake's still awake," she told him as she poured detergent into the washer. She set the dials and turned it on as he wiped his hands on a paper towel.
"Back in a minute," he said as he crumpled the towel and dropped it into the trash.
A minute later, Luke peered around the corner into the boys' room. He heard the soft ripple of pages ruffling and whispered, "You should be asleep by now." When Jake didn't answer, Luke stepped into the room and said, "You'll be tired tomorrow."
"No," Jake answered.
Luke smiled as he sat down on the edge of the bed. "You excited?"
"Yeah."
"Me too." Luke nodded sagely and said, "I promise, it'll all still be there if you go to sleep." When Jake simply nodded, Luke kissed the top of his head and ruffled the boy's wavy curls gently. "I love ya, buddy. Goodnight."
"Night," Jake said softly.
Luke stood up and checked on Josh. He fiddled with the blankets a little and ran his fingers over the crown of Josh's head, smiling as a stubborn cowlick popped right back up. "See you in the morning," he said gruffly, and then stole from the room.
He poked his head into Carly's room, and simply shook his head when he saw the sheet that Lorelai had pulled up just minutes before already bunched around her legs. He sighed and headed back downstairs, stepping into the hall as headlights swept through the front windows. "They're here," he called into the kitchen.
When he got no response, he looked into the living room, but came up empty. Luke felt a draft of cool night air and turned to find the front door slightly ajar. He spotted Lorelai under the porch light holding the cell phone to her ear. When he opened the door he heard a car door slam and saw Rory talking into her phone as she said, "Okay, well, I'm gonna let you go because we're here now."
Lorelai grinned as her daughter bounded up the steps and into her arms. "Okay, bye!" she said as she flipped her phone closed and hugged Rory tightly.
Luke shook his head as he caught Jess' eye over their shoulders. Jess simply smirked as he pulled Rory's suitcase from the trunk and then slung a duffle bag over his shoulder. "We're turning left. Now we're turning right. I see the driveway. I see Luke's truck. I see the front door. I see you," he mimicked as he hauled their gear to the porch.
"Shut it," Lorelai said, holding her palm up to stop him. She pulled back and beamed at Rory. "You're home!"
"I'm home," Rory said with a happy shrug. "Hey, Luke," Rory said as she extricated herself from Lorelai's grasp and transferred the hug to Luke's torso.
"Hi," he said gruffly, cradling her head in his hand and ruffling her hair a bit. "Good to have you home."
Rory grinned as she pulled away and said, "After last year I would have thought you guys would have been glad to see me go."
"Nah," Luke said gruffly as he reached for her suitcase.
"Never," Lorelai said firmly.
"You hungry?" Luke asked, looking straight at Jess.
"You don't wanna carry mine?" Jess asked with a smirk.
"I'm starving," Rory said with an enthusiastic nod.
"Which means we ate as we left Philly," Jess translated.
"Yes, I speak the language," Luke answered as they followed the girls into the house. "Drive okay?"
"Other than the snoring, yes," Jess answered.
"I do not snore!" Rory said as she whirled around and glared at him.
"You do sometimes, Sweets," Lorelai said with a laugh.
"Hey! You're supposed to be on my side! That's how this whole girls weekend versus boys weekend works."
"We'll eat Corn Nuts, scratch ourselves and pick our teeth tomorrow," Lorelai promised. "Simul-scratching," she added as she shot Luke an amused glance.
"I love the way she talks like I can't keep my hands out of my crotch," Luke grumbled to Jess as he set Rory's suitcase by her bedroom door and then headed for the fridge.
"Wait until you see the sandwich Luke made for you," Lorelai said, clapping her hands in excitement.
"Your world has become very small," Rory said as she sank down into her favorite chair at the kitchen table.
"It's a masterpiece!" Lorelai said defensively. Her shoulders slumped as she sat down too. "Yeah, it has. Last week I did a happy dance because Luke accidentally bought the juice boxes without 10% real fruit juice."
"You are nothing if not a self-sacrificing parent," Rory said solemnly.
"Yes," Lorelai agreed. She looked up as Luke unwrapped the sandwiches and placed them on a plate. She started to turn back to Rory and froze, just as Luke's head jerked up. They exchanged a glance and then Lorelai looked at the door as she called, "Show yourself!"
There was a soft giggle, and then Jake trotted into the room. Ignoring his father's scowl and his mother's warning look, he ran straight for Rory and hugged her tightly. Rory kissed his cheek and whispered, "Get to bed."
Jake smiled and high fived Jess as he ran from the room, his bare feet pounding on the steps as he headed for safety. Lorelai shook her head and said, "He was determined to wait for you."
"He watches out for me," Rory said, shooting Luke an amused smile.
"He's a night owl," Luke muttered as Jess carried their plates to the table.
"He misses you," Lorelai told Rory. "You're the only one who understands his obsession with the printed page."
"Aw, poor guy," Rory said as she smiled her thanks at Luke and picked up the stuffed hoagie roll.
"And he's all wired up for caveman time. They both are. I'm afraid your little brothers are on the outs with you baby sister."
"She takes their stuff," Luke explained as he sank down into his usual chair.
"All girls do," Jess asserted. He carried two bottles of water to the table and sat down next to Rory.
"Boys steal too," Rory said through stuffed cheeks.
"I think girls tend to swipe more stuff," Luke said gruffly as he toyed with the salt shaker.
"I'm so glad you're leaving, gives me more time to rifle through your Field and Stream collection," Lorelai said, rolling her eyes.
"I can name about six shirts that have migrated from my side of the closet to yours," Luke said gravely.
"They have names?" Lorelai asked, feigning excitement.
"I buy a pack of razors and suddenly they're all missing," Jess muttered.
"Uh! That is not me!"
"Oh? Elves break in, use my razors once and then toss them in the trash?" Jess countered.
"Do elves shave?" Lorelai queried the group.
"We leave at nine tomorrow," Luke said abruptly, hoping to change the subject.
"I would think elves would be trying to grow their beards longer," Rory pondered aloud.
"What's the plan?" Jess asked Luke, choosing to ignore the girls as they pushed the elf issue.
"Are they disposable razors?" Lorelai asked Rory.
"Yes."
"Well, then, you have every right to toss them, they were made to be tossed. It's their destiny," Lorelai said with a shrug.
"Richard will be here at eight. I figure you can ride with me in the truck and the boys can ride with Richard," Luke told Jess.
"I'm just saying that you don't have to fulfill their destiny after one use," Jess grumbled as he shot Rory a glance. He turned back to Luke and asked, "Do we need to get anything?"
"I use them more than once," Rory whispered to Lorelai as she carefully removed the tomato from the remainder of her sandwich.
"Of course you do, you're very green," Lorelai sympathized.
"We're good. We'll just need to pick up perishables at the store up there," Luke told Jess.
"Any gear?" Jess asked as he automatically reached over and plucked the extra tomato from Rory's plate.
"We have a date with Emily on Saturday," Lorelai told Rory ominously.
Luke cocked his head and watched as Jess added the tomato to his own sandwich and then took a huge bite. "I've got us all set up. Plus, Richard discovered Cabela's last summer. I think he has more gear up there than I do," he grumbled.
"What kind of date," Rory asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.
"A shopping date in Boston," Lorelai said with a shrug.
"Do the boys have real poles this year? I don't plan on diving for any plastic fish this early in the year," Jess said firmly.
"Shopping in Boston? For what?" Rory asked.
"Yeah, they're hooked up," Luke answered. "What can you get in Boston that you can't get here?" he asked Lorelai.
"Here, here? Or here in general?" Lorelai asked with a smirk.
Luke sighed and said, "Forget I asked."
"Forgotten," Lorelai said with a nod. She turned back to Rory and aid, "There was some mention of you needing a trousseau, but I have to tell you that I think her main motivation was finding you that Bitsy Menninger took her granddaughter to the American Girl store for tea or something, and now she feels like a slacker."
Rory chuckled and said, "I hope that Carly and I get matching dolls with matching dresses and matching outfits for ourselves."
Jess' eyes widened as he groaned and shook his head. Luke snorted and looked at his nephew as he said, "Ten bucks says all four of them come back dressed alike."
Rory shook her head as she shot Jess a reassuring look. "I'm just glad it's not another round of videographer interviews," she muttered.
"Yes, considering the fact that you told her fifty times that you didn't want video," Lorelai added smugly. She sat up suddenly and said, "Oh! I forgot to tell you! I know that you ordered flowers, but I saw the coolest idea for centerpieces." When both Luke and Jess groaned loudly, she glared at them and said, "No, its cool! You take little fish bowls, put a betta fish in them and float a gardenia on top."
Rory frowned and asked, "Aren't gardenias toxic?"
Jess barked a laugh and said, "Nothing says love and marriage like a Siamese fighting fish."
"True," Luke chimed in with a laugh.
"Hush, you," Lorelai hissed. "I don't think they're toxic. They didn't look like it in the picture. The fish was really pretty too."
"Two minutes after they took the picture the fish was floating belly up," Luke said in a low voice, cracking Jess up.
"What do you do with the fish after?" Rory asked.
Lorelai shrugged and said, "I guess people could take them home with them."
Luke leaned forward and said, "Here's a question. How do you plan to keep every little kid at that wedding from reaching into that bowl and squeezing that poor fish to death tryin' to catch it?"
"It could get messy," Rory agreed with a nod.
"Only your offspring would want to touch a fish," Lorelai said accusingly.
"I bet there would be others," Jess said with a shrug.
"How do you plan to keep Kirk from reaching into that bowl and squeezing that poor fish to death tryin' to catch it?" Luke asked pointedly.
"Fine, forget the betta fish," Lorelai said as she sat back in her chair and sulked.
"You done?" Luke asked Rory as he pointed to the scraps left on her plate.
"Oh, thanks, it was good," Rory said as she grabbed her plate before he could take it for her. She picked up Jess' plate and carried them both to the sink.
Jess watched as she rinsed both plates and then stacked them neatly into the dishwasher. "Amazing," he breathed.
"What?" Luke asked.
"Nothing." Jess shook his head and the dropped his head back, rolling his neck to loosen the kinks in it. "Tired."
Luke nodded and said, "Yeah, we should all hit it," as he stood up. "I need to go make sure Jake went to bed, and then I'll be back down to lock up."
"I'll check on Jake," Lorelai said as she stood up too. She walked over to the sink and nudged Rory with her elbow. When her daughter smiled, Lorelai grinned in response and said, "Good to have you guys home. I can't wait to get our matching mother-daughter dresses."
"Me either," Rory agreed as she hugged Lorelai. "Night, Mom."
"Night," Lorelai whispered. She smiled and waggled her fingers at Jess and said, "See you in the morning. First person up starts the coffee!"
Luke rolled his eyes as he checked the back door lock. "I wonder who that will be." He nodded to Rory and asked, "You got everything you need?"
Rory nodded and said, "I sure do."
"Okay, well, night," he said as he raised his hand in a brief wave and then started for the front door.
Jess smirked at his uncle's retreating back and then asked Rory, "Are you sure? Do you want him to run out and buy you a fresh toothbrush? Some deodorant? A new car?"
"Jealous?" she asked, baiting him.
"Insanely. I want Uncle Lukey to spoil me too," he whined.
Rory grinned as she walked over to him and held out her hand to pull him up. "That's my job." She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly, pressing her face into the curve of his neck. "What about you? You have everything you need?" she asked softly.
Jess kissed the top of her head as he ran his hand up and down her spine. "Yep, I'm good."
****
By the time Luke switched off the bathroom light, Lorelai was already in bed with the covers pulled up to her chin. "Its not cold," he said with a puzzled frown as he climbed into bed next to her.
"I'm practicing hunkering down until my man comes home to protect me," she said with a sly smile. She turned her head to look at him and asked soberly, "Are you gonna miss me? Maybe a little?"
A small smile teased his lips as he said, "I am gonna miss you, probably a lot."
"I can't sleep without you," she whispered.
"You mean the two or three nights out of a year that we spend apart?" he teased.
"Yeah."
"Me either," he admitted. "I may have to have the boys sleep in with me."
"To keep you from crying yourself to sleep with loneliness?" she asked solemnly.
"Yes."
"I get it."
Luke pulled her a little closer and said, "I'll bet there will be one or two extra in your bed."
Lorelai shook her head and said, "Hon, I hardly ever pick up strangers when you're not around."
Luke chuckled and said, "Finally broke you of that habit, huh?"
Lorelai smiled ruefully and asked, "Is it weird that it feels so much better when she's home?"
"No."
"By the time I was her age, she was almost nine," Lorelai whispered.
"Just a few years before I met you," Luke said with a nod.
"Is that possible? How did I do that all by myself? How was there a time that I didn't know you?"
"I dunno. Doesn't seem like it should be, but it is, you did, there was."
"You're gonna come home, right? Jake said you would," she told him sternly.
"We will. Josh asked me earlier if you changed your mind," he told her.
"Yes, I have."
"You'll enjoy your girl time. Just do me one favor?" he asked.
"What?"
"Do not get a matching outfit with your mother. I was having flashbacks to the fashion show thing with the red dress," he chuckled.
"Ah, the Nancy Reagan look. I rocked that dress," Lorelai added with a smug smile.
"Every time I hear that song, all I can see is your mother prancing around on that runway."
"Thanks, now I'm going to have nightmares," Lorelai grumbled as she turned over, pressing her back to his chest.
Luke's smile grew as she pretended to pout. He leaned in close to her ear as ran his hands slowly over her hip as he softly asked, "Will you miss me, Lorelai? Maybe a little?"
"Stop that," she muttered.
"I don't wanna stop," Luke whispered as he kissed her neck, his soft, damp lips tickling her skin as his hand slipped under her pajama top, caressing the curve of her waist.
Lorelai asked, "Are you trying to seduce me?"
"Is it working?"
"Yes." Lorelai hummed softly as he kissed his way down her neck, his fingers tracing lazy circles on her bare stomach. "Lock the door."