A/N: One Epilogue, as promised. I thought it needed clarifying just exactly where Jess and Rory ended up in what would've been Season 5. Yes, I know, I could've continued on and rewritten all of Season 5 in which Jess triumphed over Logan, etc. but honestly, I just wanted this fic to be the road trip and happily ever after, that's all :) Thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, supported, and taken this journey with me - y'all are great :)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Epilogue

Six months later

Rory knocked on the door, frowning a little when she heard only 'It's open!' in response. Pushing her way inside, she was a little concerned to find that Jess didn't even look up from what he was doing when she wandered into his living room.

"You do know that I could be anybody. Attacker, burglar, crazy axe murderer," she told him, even as she came to perch on the arm of the couch, reading the computer screen over his shoulder.

"Lucky for me you're just crazy coffee girl," he said, finally looking up long enough to shoot her a smile. "Hi."

"Hey," she replied, leaning down a little so they could share a quick kiss. "Seriously, Jess, please don't just invite people in here like that. I could be anybody. I know New Haven isn't exactly the crime capital of the world but-"

"Hey, relax," he urged her, putting the laptop onto the coffee table and pulling her into his lap. "I unlocked the door exactly fifteen minutes ago because I knew you were coming over. I do not just let random people in here," he promised, kissing her one more time.

"Fine," Rory conceded, with a huff like it was such a big deal to forgive him. "So, how's it going, hardworking man?" she checked then, turning some to look at the computer screen again.

"Almost done with the re-draft," he told her. "This last part is kind of kicking my butt though. You have time amongst all that Yale work to lend me your editing skills?"

"Seriously?" said Rory happily, eyes alight with joy. "Gimme," she urged him.

Jess couldn't help but laugh as he sorted through pages on the table and then handed a sheaf of paper over to Rory, just as she dropped out of his lap onto the next cushion over.

"Here, I printed it out," he explained. "Not friendly to the environment, I know, but I remember how you like to play teacher and edit with your red marker."

The way Rory bit her lip, trying not to smile and keeping her eyes on the paper, proved to Jess that her mind had wandered when he mentioned playing teacher, but he wasn't about to bring that kind of thing up. He was on a serious deadline here, so there really was no time for the bedroom right now, however sorely he was tempted.

"I still think it's amazing how fast you wrote this." Rory shook her head in wonder, even as she grabbed her pen and settled into her seat, ready to edit. "Not that I ever doubted you were smart enough or anything, because I absolutely knew you were."

"I know that you did." Jess smiled to himself as he arranged the rest of his papers and double-checked he had made all the other amendments to his manuscript. "I don't know, it just all came flooding out of me when I started. It was therapy when we were apart, and after, well, I guess I just couldn't stop. You know, I seriously think that guy in Philly has a screw loose if he thinks this crap pile is worth publishing."

"Hey!" Rory admonished, smacking him across the arm with the other end of her pen. "What did we say about dissing the book?"

"That I can do what I want because it's my book?" Jess countered, smirking hard. "Fine, I'm not supposed to say my work sucks, whatever, but I'm still not convinced it's worth publishing."

"Trust me, it is," insisted Rory. "Do you really doubt the word of someone as well-read as me?" she challenged him.

"I guess not," he was forced to admit.

They fell into companionable silence as they worked then until, maybe an hour later, Rory had her section checked and Jess was sure he had the rest of the manuscript just as good as he could get it.

"It's amazing," she insisted, putting her arms around him and kissing his cheek. "And you're amazing."

"If you say so," Jess agreed just because it was easier, turning his head to capture her lips for a moment. "So, I'll type up the rest of these edits later. You want dinner?"

"You've heard my mom's one about the Pope and being Catholic, right?"

"Too many times," he said, nodding his head as they both got up to go. "You know, Luke called me a while ago. I'm not saying he's going to propose or anything, so don't get too excited, but he was talking in a pretty serious way about him and Lorelai, you know, the future and everything. He even mentioned something about going along to Friday Night Dinner and talking to your grandfather."

"Well, that's a good thing, right?" said Rory, pulling on her jacket. "I mean, I know Mom's very serious about him too. I don't think she has ever been so serious about anyone as she is about Luke."

"Then it's good." Jess nodded.

"I guess that's just the way it is," Rory continued as they headed for the door, hand in hand. "Mom and Luke, Paris and Doyle, you and me. When you find the right person, you just know."

"I guess you do," agreed Jess without hesitation, smiling at her as he opened the door and ushered her out. "So, you have any ideas on where we're getting dinner?"

"I don't mind" Rory shrugged. "You?"

"Let's find something different this time," he suggested. "You know, nothing with food in the title. Olive, chilli, soup. No gardens. No plantations. Something funkier. That sound good?"

Rory smiled as she waited for him to close the door behind them, then pushed herself into his personal space to steal one more kiss. "As you wish," she told him easily, grinning all the wider as Jess' arm slipped around her shoulders and they set off into the unknown one more time, always sure that wherever they ended up, they would be going there together.

The End

A/N2: The one upside to this story ending is that we can probably have more frequent updates on Our Little Corner of the World, Vol 3 now, but that only helps you if you were reading both fics ;)