14. Where Do You Want to Be For Christmas?
'Verse: AU, in which Rory & Jess never met before.
Timeline: post-series - Part 3 of 3; following 'What Do You Want For Christmas?' (LAC'17 #16) and 'Who Do You Want For Christmas?' (LAC'18 #5)
Date: December 2020

"Well, here we are again. Does it seem like twelve months to you? It never seems that long to me since we did all this before," the woman declared with a sigh.

"Um, time does fly," was all Rory said, having at least a little sympathy for the poor harried mother of at least four kids who were all under five as far as she could tell.

"Take my advice," said the stranger, "stick with two. It's plenty."

Before Rory had a chance to say anymore, the other mother had moved forward into 'The North Pole', ushering her brood along with her. Rory closed her mouth with no words spoken, still feeling bemused when Jess joined her.

"You okay?" he checked.

"A lady thought Rory was my mom," said Talia without pause.

"Mommy!" Will declared happily, hugging Rory's legs tight.

"Yes, sweetie," she said, lifting her little boy into her arms and hugging him. "It's fine," she assured Jess then, "that wasn't really what surprised me. She just... she had a lot going on," Rory said of the harried mother before her in the line. "Four kids. Pretty crazy, huh?"

"Seems like a lot," Jess agreed, nodding his head, "but I guess big families can be cool," he said with a look that Rory wasn't quite sure how to take.

"Daddy, Rory, look how pretty!" Talia declared then, her head tipped all the way back as she pointed at the lights and garlands strung everywhere around the upper level of the mall and right up into the ceiling.

"They really went all out," her father agreed.

"It's amazing," Rory said, grinning so wide.

"Really amazing!" Talia echoed, still staring up as Will now did the same, almost tipping out of Rory's arms in the process.

In the end, she put him down by Talia again, and Jess told his daughter to hold Will's hand until it was their turn to see Santa. He moved in closer to Rory the moment the kids were distracted and put his arm around her, pulling her closer.

"You are gonna pay for that if she gets stuck on that word again," he whispered in her ear in such a way as to make her shiver.

"I couldn't resist." Rory giggled. "Come on, it's nice to remember this time last year, how we met and everything. It's pretty crazy to thing how things can change in a year. I mean, did you ever imagine the four of us would be living together by now?"

Jess met her eyes, a slow smile spreading across his lips. "Yes," he told her then, with as much sincerity as she had ever seen in him. "I mean, I didn't know for sure exactly, but the moment I met you, Rory Gilmore, I knew something changed."

Rory grinned at him. "Are you telling me I'm what you wanted for Christmas?"

"Every year," he promised, kissing her soundly.

Talia giggled at the sight and covered Will's eyes when he turned to look. A moment later, a girl dressed up as an elf came to talk to the kids, prompting Rory and Jess to leave each other alone a while and pay more attention to their visit to meet Santa.

"I wonder what they're asking for?" said Rory thoughtfully, her head on Jess' shoulder and his arm around her still.

"Whatever it is, they can have it," he told her easily. "Same goes for you."

"I already have everything I want," Rory assured him with a smile.