FOUR YEARS LATER

"MOM!" Lorelai heard her daughter call from their bedroom, "Have you seen my pink sweater?"

"Which one?" Lorelai called from the kitchen, where she was trying to make sandwiches for the trip. She had to keep the sandwiches separate. Jess liked ham with mustard. Rory liked ham without mustard but with cheese. And Lorelai just wanted a sandwich. "The one that's too tight and you're not wearing or the one that's mine and you're not wearing?"

Fumbling through the drawers to try and find the little plastic bags to put their lunches into, Lorelai wished that Sookie had given her a map as to where everything in this kitchen was. Since Sookie had taken that cooking job in Stars Hollow after Luke told Lorelai the Independence Inn was looking for a professional chef, Lorelai had been struggling to find everything in this very organized but very confusing kitchen. Of course, that had been about six months ago.

She found them in the drawer with the knives – exactly where she would have thought to look. The door to their bedroom flung open, and Lorelai heard Rory stomp into the kitchen. "Mom, I need my sweater!"

Lorelai rolled her eyes before turning around to face her daughter. Plastering her mother look on her face, she said, "Rory, I've told you. That sweater is much too tight for you."

"Everyone else is wearing them like that."

Lorelai wanted to laugh at the age old "everyone else is, so I should be able to" line. "Well, I'm glad you'll get to start your own group of people who aren't wearing their sweaters so tight they look like girls in a sorority." She wished she could make Rory understand that she would be objectified throughout her life – why push it now when she was only twelve. Changing the subject as she turned back to trying to shove the sandwiches into the baggies. "Are you packed yet?"

Rory let out a frustrated breath, and then said, "I don't see why you're making me go anyway. I want to stay here and spend the summer with my friends, not go to some small town and hang out with people I don't even know."

"We've already talked about this, kid." Lorelai said, turning back around, her hand on her hip and an irritated look on her face. "I'm going to be working a lot, and I don't want to leave you and your brother home alone all the time."

Her daughter rolled her eyes at her. "We're not babies, Mom. We don't have to have a babysitter all the time."

"Your grandparents are excited to see you." Then she narrowed her eyes as she said, "And someone in this room isn't trustworthy enough to be left alone at home."

Lorelai knew what her daughter's response would be. "It was just those two times. And I just wanted to go out and be with my friends."

Shaking her head, Lorelai corrected, "I told you that when I was at work, you weren't allowed to go out. But you decided that you weren't going to listen to me and went gallivanting around the city at ten o'clock at night. "When Jess told her the next morning that Rory had gotten back past midnight, Lorelai could have strangled her daughter for being so naïve. "So, excuse me for not trusting you, Rory."

"If you weren't gone all the time, I would have been…"

Lorelai interrupted Rory. "Nope, you didn't follow the rules. So, no, I can't leave you here all summer to just keep breaking the rules." Knowing her daughter's arguing capabilities, she changed the subject, "Are you finished packing?"

But Rory would have none of the subject change. "God, dad doesn't mind if I go out without asking him."

At the mention of Rory comparing Chris' parenting to Lorelai's, she just turned around and finished the sandwiches. "You spend one weekend a month with your dad. So what you do when you're with him is his problem." That was the only way around that one, but Lorelai made a point in her head that the next time she talked with Chris she needed to mention that Rory was only twelve and still needed to be watched. "But when you're at home, you have to follow what I've set up."

"Why can't I go spend the summer with Dad?"

Lorelai had been prepared for this question since she had set up the kids going to see Camille and Zeke. Rory loved her grandparents, but with the novelty of staying with Chris, Lorelai knew that was going to be an issue. In the last few months, Chris had been more involved in Rory's life, coming to the city a few times a month to take Rory out to dinner, and for about two months, Lorelai had agreed to let Rory spend two weekends in Boston. Never wanting to keep Chris away from Rory without cause, she had watched her daughter blossom with her father. The talkative girl would come home with stories of how Chris had taken her to the theatre, or the movies.

But one weekend a month compared to an entire summer was something Lorelai wasn't willing to gamble with. Because although the visits had been good, Lorelai just wasn't able to trust her daughter with him for a few months. And she knew there was no good way to explain that to her twelve-year-old.

Answering her daughter, Lorelai said, "Because I already set everything up with your grandparents. They're expecting you." Putting the bagged sandwiches into paper sacks along with a few veggies and a granola bar, she finished, "And you will be polite and thankful for them letting you stay with them."

When she didn't hear a sarcastic response from her daughter, Lorelai said, "If you aren't packed in ten minutes, I'm going to pack for you."

Thankful that the only argument that she heard was a "whatever" and then the door to the bedroom slamming – Lorelai washed her hands and then called out as she walked over to Jess' room. "How's the packing going?" Once Sookie moved out, Jess had taken the little room sectioned off in the living room. Lorelai had then taken over Jess' mattress in the room, after having slept on the couch for a few years once the mattress in the room was too small for both her and Rory. She was glad to finally have her own bed, but sharing a room with an attitude-filled teenager was not a piece of cake. Nothing about motherhood was a piece of any sugar filled thing. "Can I come in?"

Sure. I'm done." Was Jess' reply. Where Rory started out her adolescence with blatant disregard for anything Lorelai said, Jess withdrew from the world. He was happy to sit in his room, in the park, or on the couch reading the newest book of the day. If it was up to him, he would sit in his bedroom doing schoolwork and reading without ever interacting with anyone.

Walking into the room, she found his small duffel bag on the end of his nicely made bed, where he was curled up against the wall, a book in his lap. "I should have you pack your sister's things next time."

He smirked up at her and said, "She is in rare form today." He had saved up for a few months all the money from his paper route to buy the black leather jacket he wore as often as possible. He was a simple kid with his clothes. Some kind of band t-shirt, any kind of jeans, and his jacket. She had stopped trying to expand his wardrobe after he exchanged everything and kept his usual clothes.

"I swear, having teenagers is going to either make me crazy or give me so much grey hair people will think I'm a grandma." She exhaled, sitting on the edge of the bed. Gesturing to the small bag, she asked, "Are you sure that's enough to keep you for the summer?"

He didn't have to say anything. He just looked at her like she should know the answer to that question. And she said, "Yeah. Just so you have enough underwear to get through…"

His face reddened in embarrassment at his mother asking him about his underwear. "I think I've got it, Mom."

"Sorry, you're right." She admitted. "I guess you're not the one I have to go and inspect their luggage." She thought of her daughter who had come home with a crop top the other day.

Then trying to address the one thing she needed to with her sensitive child, she seriously said, "Jess, you know I'm not just trying to get rid of you and Rory this summer, right?" With his feelings, she knew that the last thing he needed to feel was that she wasn't abandoning him to have the freedom for the summer.

He just looked at her and nodded his head.

Still unsure if he knew, she started to explain, "I really want to get us into the little house before school starts. If I can pick up a few extra shifts a night at the bar, we should be able to move the last two weeks of the summer."

Again, her somber child nodded, and then looked back at the book in his hand. But it was when he looked down at the pages, he said, "You won't work too hard while we're gone? Because it won't be bad if we move after a few weeks of school."

The thoughts that went through her teenage son's mind blew her mind sometimes. He knew when she was tired, knew when she was sad, knew when she just needed some chocolate ice-cream. And she, again, told him, "It's ok, Jess. I know when too much is too much."

Still looking at his book, he barely moved his head in a nod. "Good."

Their serene moment was interrupted by the yelling from the other room as her daughter's voice screamed, "I'M NOT GOING!"

Jess gave her a "have fun" look before returning to his book.

"Thanks, kid." She said sarcastically, then added as she walked to the curtain door, "Can you take the stuff out to the car? We're going to try and leave as soon as I can tie your sister up and wrangle her to the car."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She would have kicked that step on her landing that was one half a centimeter higher than the others, which, no matter how many times she came up those stairs, she would almost always catch her boot on it, and, unless she was holding onto whatever she was carrying, it would fly out of her hands as she stumbled to catch her balance.

Mumbling under her breath, she cussed at the stair, "Well, fuck you too."

"Well, not exactly the greeting I was expecting."

Her head swiveled towards her apartment at the sound of his voice. She couldn't believe he was there by her door. "Chris?" She managed to croak out.

Leaning against their apartment – no, her apartment – door, he looked up at her with a smirk on his face. "Surprised?" He got to his feet, brushing his hands off on his pants from touching the ground. He looked. Well, she sought for words that would be appropriate for a description of her ex-husband who was married to another woman. She thought he looked good, a little leaner, maybe his leather jacket bulging just a little bit more in the arms. And his hair had grown out, his curls replacing the before buzzed look, making his eyes softer, his blue eyes. And he smiled at her and said, "I thought I would surprise Rory and take her out."

At the sound of her daughter's name, she snapped out of her surveying him, and she walked towards him. "Oh, I wish you would have called." She balanced the casserole pan in one hand as she pulled her keys out of her coat pocket. "I just got back from dropping the her off at her grandparents." Putting the key into the lock and opening the door, she said, "They're going to spend time away from the city this summer."

He followed her into the apartment and said, "Really? I didn't know you were even speaking to your parents." The surprise in his voice was warranted, "When did that happen?"

She could have slapped herself for not catching her mistake, especially in front of him, what with his dislike of anything having to do with Jess. Setting the casserole on the countertop, she turned to him and said, "Sorry, I mean they're staying with Jess' grandparents. In Stars Hollow."

Watching his face cloud over for just a second, she waited for him to ask about it. But he didn't. He just looked at her, nodding.

She explained, "Jess' grandparents wanted to get to know him, which has been the best thing for him."

He stood in front of one of the kitchen chairs, wrapping his hands around the top of it, and said, "That would be good for him. To have his real family in his life."

She was proud of him for saying that without malice and anger. Or resentment. And she nodded, "Anyway, they really have helped, not only with Jess, but also including Rory in their family, which, for her, not having my parents in her life, was so good for her." Still, he wasn't reacting like she thought he would, no anger at her for letting Rory go with people who weren't her family. And she continued, "So for the past few years, they would go spend time with them for a week or so there. But this year, the kids said they had more fun there…" She smiled at the thought of their little apartment compared to the whole town of Stars Hollow, and she said, "…and so they're staying there with them for about two months right now."

Chris just smiled and said, "A small town compared to the city during summer break for two almost teenagers is a wise choice, Lor."

She was amazed at how absolutely calm he was about the situation. After all the pressure he had given her to get rid of Jess, how antagonistic he had been towards anything about Jess – Lorelai was pleasantly surprised.

"So, since when do you drive three hours to see Rory without calling me?" She asked, turning back to put the casserole in the fridge. Camille had made food for Lorelai, so Lorelai could enjoy a little bit of free time from the kids without having to cook. "I'm really sorry she's not here."

There was a pause, and she looked up to see him with a frustrated look as he started to say, "I was in the city for work and just thought that I would…"

He was holding something back. Something in his face showed pain that was probably only discernable by someone who had known him for as long as she had. He looked down at his hands, which were gripping the chair very hard. She put on of her hands on her hip and asked, "Chris, is everything alright?" She could see how tired he looked, the vacant stare on his face told her that he was thinking through things.

He took a breath and said, "Work's just stressful. Dad's, well, he's expecting so much from me right now that I feel like I'm drowning." Running his hand through his hair, his voice sounded a bit lighter as he said, "I just thought seeing Rory might make me feel a bit better. She's always such a happy kid."

Nodding, Lorelai agreed, "She sure is. God, sometimes just a few minutes with her makes whatever I was worrying about disappear." Looking at the clock on the wall, she realized she had to go. "Chris, I wish I could stay and talk, but I have to get to work." Reaching over to grab her purse from the table, she asked, "Are you driving back to Boston tonight?"

The look on his face made her heart break. It was so downcast, like his best friend had died. And he pleaded with her, "Lor, call in sick from work. We can go out on the town."

"Chris…"

She shook her head, but he interrupted her, his voice full of excitement and bargaining. "Just like old times, before life got so complicated. We can just go out, get some drinks, laugh our problems away. And talk like…"

"I can't. First off, I have work." She swung her purse up over her shoulder, and then she, remembering their kiss at the hospital and the guilt that came over her that night, and she said, "And, what would Sherry say if she knew you had drinks with your ex?"

His face fell, and he nodded, "You're right." Then he sent her a puppy dog look and said, "I just miss my friend, Lor."

Walking past him to get to the door, she set her hand on his that was still resting on the chair. Squeezing it just a bit for comfort, she said, "I know, Chris. I do too."