A/N: Didn't want to leave you hanging too long for the big Rory/Jess talk, so here it is. It's not the longest chapter ever, but I don't think it will disappoint too much :) Thanks to the reviewer-peops, as always :)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 29

"I'm so sorry about this," said Lorelai for about the seventeenth time since she got to Sookie's house.

"Sweetie, it's fine," her friend promised her, also for the seventeenth time. "I love that you came here. I mean, I know an argument could be made for Luke being the one that you share this moment with, but I can't help being so proud that I get to be here."

Sookie was grinning a mile wide when Lorelai turned to look at her. They were sat on the closed lid of the toilet and the edge of the tub respectively, Sookie holding baby Davey close in her arms, while Lorelai waited for the pregnancy test to give its result.

Yes, she should be sat with Luke waiting on these results, or even with Rory, but right now those people just were not options. Luke was so busy and could potentially have Jess to deal with yet, then there was Rory all in her doldrums about her potential break up. Lorelai had considered doing this test by herself in a service station bathroom on her way back from Woodbridge (the only place she considered it was safe to buy the test without anybody she knew finding out about it) but in the end, she really needed someone to hold her hand, at least metaphorically. Sookie was her go-to girl and apparently happy to be so.

"So, what are we hoping for? Positive? Negative?"

"Honestly?" said Lorelai, shaking her head. "I'm not even sure that I know. I mean, it's me and Luke, you know? We talked about it, and someday, sure, we have a vague kind of a plan about kids and everything, but now? Right now, with the wedding and the inn and Rory and Jess and everything that's going on? I don't know, Sook. It's not the best timing ever."

Sookie looked awkward and Lorelai felt bad. There was no good answer her friend could give to her, no right or wrong. The truth was that Lorelai was literally half-and-half on what result she wanted to present itself on that little plastic stick. Having Luke's baby, that would be amazing. Starting again from the beginning with a real family around and everything, it was bound to be great. Still, what she said about timing was also true. God only knew how they would cope with them both working full time, a new business just beginning, plus the kids they already had being in such a mess right now.

"I'm the most selfish woman in the world," she said then, running her hands back through her hair. "I cannot believe I want this result to be anything but positive. I mean, if there's a kid on the way, I gotta be happy about that, right?"

"I don't think anybody can tell you what you should be feeling about anything, sweetie," said Sookie kindly. "I mean, Jackson and me, we were thrilled when we found out I was pregnant with Davey here."

"No, honey, you were thrilled, Jackson had a calculator-related meltdown for a couple of days, then he was thrilled," said Lorelai with a smirk she couldn't help.

"You know what I mean." Sookie rolled her eyes. "The point is, we were happy but we also had concerns. There's a lot to think about with a baby, like if you have enough money, if you have enough time, all kinds of things, but it's still a good thing if it happens, right? If it's you and the man you love that made that baby?"

"Yeah, I know." Lorelai smiled. "Hell, when I found out I was pregnant with Rory, the timing and the situation could not have been worse, but that turned out pretty good. That kid is the best thing in my life, I can't imagine being without her."

"Exactly." Sookie nodded, adjusting Davey in her arms and kissing his forehead as he slept soundly. "So, if you're pregnant then it'll be awesome and if you're not, well, then it'll happen when it's supposed to happen."

Lorelai nodded, knowing Sookie was right. Still when the oven timer rang she felt herself violently jump and her hand was shaking all over again as she reached for the pregnancy test.

"I guess it's cooked," she joked, forcing herself to breathe as she checked the display of lines.

"Well?" asked Sookie, hardly able to wait for the answer and finding Lorelai's expression completely unreadable.

"Huh, would you look at that," she said eventually. "Negative. Not pregnant," she confirmed.

"Oh," said Sookie. "Well, that's... that's okay, right?"

"Sure." Lorelai nodded. "Probably for the best in the circumstances. All the busy stuff going on, bad timing, it's just easier this way," she rambled some, dumping the test in the trash and washing her hands.

"Lorelai?" Sookie stood behind her and caught side of her friend's face in the mirror above the sink. "Oh, sweetie."

"I'm sorry," Lorelai cried, struggling to get her words out. "It's so stupid, I just... a part of me really wanted it to be true, you know?"

As she began to really cry, Sookie looked around awkwardly, dashing out of the room to deposit Davey in his crib. She came rushing back a minute later, flinging her arms around Lorelai and letting her cry it all out on her shoulder.

"Someday this is going to happen for you, when the time is right, and then you and Luke are going to be the best parents ever," she promised, rubbing Lorelai's back. "Well, at least tied for first place with me and Jackson."

Lorelai laughed and cried at the same time, unable to do anything else right now. She felt so foolish, but she just couldn't help it, and to think she was going to have explain this to Luke yet. God only knew how he would react.


"So," said Rory, staring out across the rippling water of the lake.

"So," Jess echoed, looking in the same direction.

"You said we needed to talk," she reminded him, glancing sideways. "I kind of thought that meant that you had something to say."

Jess nodded like she was right and yet kept his silence a while longer. Rory watched him shift in place, rub the back of his neck with one hand, and seemingly consider his words carefully before he dare say a single one.

"Something happened... in Florida."

"With Madeline," said Rory, nodding her head.

Jess' looked up at her so fast she was surprised he didn't hurt himself.

"You called me," she explained, "or actually Louise did, using your cell. From what I heard you and Madeline got very close."

She sounded bitter and angry, Rory knew it and she also knew she probably had no right. That didn't mean she could help it at all. She was mad at Jess for doing just exactly what he had been so mad at her for doing, even if she had started this whole mess. Two wrongs didn't make a right, it was a proverb for a reason, not that she was about to say so.

"That was not what it sounded like," said Jess definitely. "Okay, yeah, Madeline had this idea of how she wanted to help me get back at you for what happened with Huntzberger, but I did not encourage her. At least, not on purpose."

"But you told her and Louise what I did!" said Rory, starting to yell as tears welled in her eyes.

"Come on, Rory, I was still mad about it, and honestly, I was more than a little drunk," said Jess, getting a little loud himself now. "You cannot be mad at me for that!"

"I guess not," she admitted. "So, what exactly did happen with Madeline? I know she always liked you so-"

"She kissed me," Jess said fast, ripping off the band aid because it seemed like the best thing for the both of them right now. "I probably kissed her back too, but I honestly don't remember too well because I was really, really drunk," he confessed, his hand on Rory's arm to get her attention then. "What I do know is, nothing else happened, okay?" he said, meeting her eyes. "I'm pretty sure it could have, if Madeline got her way, but it didn't. I may not remember all the details of that night, but I do remember throwing up, a lot, and the beach spinning like a merry-go-round," he told her then, looking green just thinking about it. "Paris was right there with me, Rory, she can tell you if you don't believe me. I did not sleep with Madeline Lynn or anybody else, okay?"

"I believe you," said Rory, knowing that he would never lie about something like that, any more than she would.

In fact, after everything that had happened, with her hiding things and all, Jess was probably more likely to tell the whole truth from the get-go, just to keep from being a hypocrite. He was so mad at Rory for her indiscretion, she couldn't blame him for that, and maybe his allowing anything at all to happen with Madeline was petty and vengeful, but she did understand. She might well have done the same thing in his position. Didn't mean it hurt any less to hear about it, of course.

"So, now we've both made mistakes, you can forgive me?" she asked, trying to sound more hopeful than bitter, but honestly, it wasn't coming easy.

"No," said Jess. "Well, yeah," he tried a second later, rubbing his forehead that already ached. "Rory, it's not like I did it on purpose. It wasn't a plan to even things out. I didn't kiss Madeline for revenge, she kissed me, and... and honestly, I let it happen because I figured why the hell not, but it wasn't to hurt you or get even, it just wasn't," he promised her. "The truth is, I'm glad it happened, because in the end, it put things into perspective. I always knew I loved you, Rory, but Madeline proved to me, without a doubt, that I can't stop," he said, meeting her eyes one more time. "I couldn't let anything happen with her, or anybody else, because no matter what mistake you made with Huntzberger, I don't want anybody else. There's just you and that's it."

Rory bit her lip and nodded her head, feeling one tear streak down her cheek even though she was trying to hold them all in. Jess loved her so much, it was why she felt so bad about what happened with Logan, it was how she was able to hurt him so much with her error in judgement.

"I got some perspective too," she admitted. "I understand how I made you feel by doing what I did, because when I found out you did the same thing, it crushed me."

Jess hated to see her cry, and quite honestly, if he hadn't learnt to build his walls up so strong and high, he would've been bawling along with her right now. They really had made a hell of a mess of this relationship lately. He only hoped it was salvageable yet.

"So, basically, we're both idiots," he said, smirking some, "but at least we love each other, right?"

"Right." Rory smiled through her tears, leaning in closer to Jess, her head dropping onto his shoulder. "I am sorry, Jess," she told him definitely.

"Yeah, I'm sorry too," he said, wrapping his arm around her as her's crept around his back too. "You think we can maybe just forget the last couple of weeks ever happened?"

"No," said Rory making him look at her strangely. "I want us both to remember this," she confirmed, gazing up at him, "so nothing this dumb ever comes between us again."

"Yeah, that sounds good," Jess agreed, not protesting at all when Rory shifted ever closer and kissed his lips.

To Be Continued...