Chapter 38

Thanksgiving Day

"I don't ever want to leave this bed," Rory moaned as she rolled over and rested her head back onto her pillow.

"No arguments here," Jess mirrored her movements. "It is a very comfy bed."

"Maybe we can steal it for our new place?" Rory suggested, a mischievous sparkle in her eye.

"Or we could tell your mother what we've been doing this morning and then rescue it off the bonfire while she's trying to find the matches," Jess countered.

"I like the way you think, let someone else figure out how to get it down the stairs and then take it. I'm glad you're on my team," Rory rolled back onto her side to look at Jess.

"I'm glad I'm on your side too," he told her as he lifted her hand to his mouth, lightly kissing her fingertips.

"So, you're still feeling good about our plans this morning?" Rory asked him tentatively.

"I'm in no hurry to leave this bed, I thought we'd already established that?" he couldn't help but tease her when she was looking so adorably flushed and bedraggled.

"You know that's not what I meant."

"Yes Rory, I'm still feeling good about the idea of moving to Providence with you. It all seems a little unreal and I do still have to discuss it with Matt and Chris and make sure I'll have some semblance of a job myself. Details aside though, I'm happy Rory, happy and relieved."

Rory snuggled into his chest and let out a contented sigh. A second later she sat bolt upright in the bed, his last word registering in her mind.

"Relieved?" she looked at him questioningly.

"You told me we needed to talk, what's a guy supposed to think?" he gave her a moment to figure it out.

"Oh Jess, I never thought of it like that. Oh Jess, I'm so sorry. You know I'm not going anywhere right? You're stuck with me." She resumed her position, cuddling into his side where she fit best.

They lay there in silence, lost in their own separate thoughts for a while.

"Hey Rory?"

"Yes Jess?"

"This is all happening pretty fast isn't it?"

"I guess. Sometimes it doesn't seem fast enough."

"Yeah, I know want you mean."

"I know I want this Jess, you and me together in the same city, the same apartment, the same bed. Even if maybe it is a little soon, I'm ready. What's soon anyway?"

"You're right," Jess agreed. "I thought I was ready for this 3 1/2 years ago. Doesn't seem too soon at all when I look at it that way. I've loved you for such a long time Rory Gilmore."

"Are you trying to make us late for lunch?" Rory teased, the mood suddenly too serious, too sentimental.

"Maybe."

It was already after midday by the time Rory gave her hair a final check in the mirror and zipped up her boots. Jess sat watching her get ready from the chair at the desk.

"Remind me to tell your mother how inspiring I find this room," his tone was serious but his eyes were twinkling with laughter.

"I see you're leaving the bed making to the professionals today?" Rory gestured to the dishevelled sheets.

Jess just shrugged at her. "I thought it might make the whole bed stealing scenario happen a little quicker this way."

Rory shook her head at him and grabbed her coat and bag and walked out the door with Jess following closely behind her.

The diner was filled with an assortment of townspeople when they arrived. All eyes flew to the couple in the doorway when the bell signalled their arrival.

"Over here Rory, Jess." Lorelai waved them over to a table by the window.

"Happy Thanksgiving Lorelai," Jess handed over the bunch of red and orange flowers they'd picked up on the way.

"Oh really? You bought me flowers?" Lorelai uttered in disbelief. Rory watched on amused as her boyfriend was suddenly rendered shy. She'd guess he'd never bought a girlfriend's mother flowers before. He hadn't really thought this through beyond continuing their little game.

"He also wanted to thank you for putting us in such an inspiring room, didn't you Jess?" Oh how she loved to see him squirm.

Jess leant close to whisper in her ear, "I thought you were supposed to be on my side."

"All's fair in love and war," she kissed him then took the seat opposite her mom. Jess sat beside her and took her hand and held it in his lap.

"Hey sugar!" There was no mistaking Babette's voice as it echoed across the room. She came over and stood by their table, dragging Morey over with her. "We're off now Lorelai, thank Luke for us. It was a beautiful meal, isn't that right Morey? Turkey was just the way I like it and those yams! Wow! Might have to steal me the recipe for those hey sugar?" Babette winked at Lorelaiconspiratorially.

"Sure thing Babette, I'll see what I can do," Lorelaiagreed.

"And you Rory, sweetie! So good to see you home and looking so grown up! Isn't she looking grown up Morey? More beautiful than ever. And I think I can tell why," Rory could feel her blush deepening with every wink Babette sent her way. "I always knew you two would find your way back to each other. Him with that hair and you with those eyes, you're destined to make beautiful babies. I see you got that kissing thing sorted out too. You let me know if you need advice in any other areas. You know where to find me. Anyway, so great to see you all. Pop around before you leave again Rory. The gnomes have missed you. See ya Lorelai, see ya Jess. Have a happy thanksgiving," she finally finished and with a nod goodbye from Morey they left the diner.

"Things really never do change around here do they?" Jess asked bemused.

"Well apparently you two have gotten better at the whole kissing thing since last time but aside from that, no. Same old Stars Hollow. That's one of the things I love about this place though, sometimes monotony can be comforting," Lorelai told him thoughtfully.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Mind if I borrow that line sometime? It's a good line," Jess met her eyes across the table.

"Well I guess, I mean you did buy me flowers I kinda feel like I owe you something in return," Lorelai smiled.

Luke came out from the kitchen and noticing Rory and Jess had arrived came over to the table to greet them. When he spotted the flowers on the table he let out an exasperated sigh.

"I thought we'd been over this? A conclusion was brought was it not? I distinctly remember you agreeing to never bring me flowers on thanksgiving again. I still don't have a vase to put them in and they will still be sitting there in the morning limp and lifeless on account of the non existent vase and their unnecessary death will only provide further proof to my argument that you shouldn't have bought them for me in the first place!" Luke finished his rant then looked at the three laughing faces surrounding him.

"They're not for you Luke," Lorelai told him. "Jess bought them for me."

"Don't try and drag my nephew into this."

"No really Luke, Jess gave them to her," Rory took a turn trying to explain while Lorelai was still giggling across the table and Luke didn't know quite what to believe.

"So you mean to tell me Jess, my nephew, gave you flowers?" Luke tried to wrap his mind around it but it seemed too strange.

"I can show you the receipt if you like," Jess rummaged through his wallet, handing the piece of paper to his uncle who looked at it then shook his head and walked back out to the kitchen.

"Oh that was so much fun! I haven't heard a Luke rant to rival that since the butter and peanut butter argument we had last June." Lorelai could hardly contain her excitement. "We so need to plan our next scheme, how many shades of purple should we aim for this time?"

"I'm not sure I like you two getting along after all," Rory looked between her mother and her boyfriend with a frown on her face. "I think this could be a very dangerous combination. You're both far too scheming and alike for anyone's good. Poor Luke."

"What if we promise to always include you in our plans?" Lorelai bargained.

"Well, I guess I could drive the getaway car," Rory suggested.

"Or you could keep the engine running so it's ready for me to drive," Jess teased her.

"Again with the bad driving reference? If anyone deserves that kind of reputation it's you mister!" The words were out of Rory's mouth before she realised the implications of bringing up such a dark patch in their past.

All three of them were silent for a moment until Lorelaispoke.

"So, how about those Yankees?"

The mood reverted to its former state of joviality and Luke arrived with perfect timing with 3 plates piled high with their dinner.

"Come sit down Luke," Lorelai insisted. "I promise not to ask you for a vase for my flowers."

"Let me just get my plate and I'll be right back," Luke went back to the counter to collect his own meal. He looked around to see nearly everyone else had left or was almost finished. As he took his own seat next to Lorelaihe looked across the table at his nephew and Rory and smiled. "This is nice, this is good, a proper family thanksgiving."

"Never pegged you a such a sentimentalist Luke," Rory teased him. "You're right though, this is perfect."

"No place else I'd rather be," Jess agreed, squeezing Rory's hand in his.

"Let's toast to that," Lorelai raised her coffee mug and the others raised their glasses. "To all the things we have to be thankful for especially this little chosen family we've created."

They clinked their cups and drank for good luck and ate their food and enjoyed each other's company.

Later that night back at the inn Jess turned around in the desk chair where he'd been sat writing for the last hour or so to look over at Rory sound asleep on his pillow. He had everything he could ever have hoped to have right here in this room and he felt more content than he'd ever been in his life. He returned his pen to the page and wrote:

If ever someone were to ask him he couldn't have told them how long he'd sat there that night staring at his world while she slept. What he did know to be true was that he'd happily sit there for half a lifetime more. But what of the other half? Well he'd spend that by her side of course.

He laughed to himself as he put the pen down for the last time that night and crawled into bed beside Rory. Maybe he'd publish this book under a pen name, he didn't think he'd ever live it down if Matt and Chris discovered he was writing a silly romance novel.