A/N: Thanks to those who left reviews - hope the rest of you are still reading along too! Now, who's ready for movie night? ;)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 23

"It just seems so unfair. I mean, we're so happy, and mom and Luke are so happy, and Lane is just so heartbroken over Henry, plus now Mrs Kim knows all about that whole relationship, which means, on top of everything else, she's also grounded. I could not feel worse for her right now."

Jess wished he knew what to say to make Rory feel better. Honestly, he wished he knew what to do to make things better for Lane too, but there was just nothing that came to mind. It did suck that just when everybody else was getting along so well, Lane's relationship ended up in the toilet. Seemed especially unfair since she was dating Henry long before the other two couples got together.

"So, I'm guessing we're looking at comedies?" he suggested, looking up and down the shelving at the video store. "I mean, you don't need to be depressed any further, right?"

Rory heaved a sigh. "I'm not depressed, and I'm sorry that I'm ruining tonight for you," she apologised, moving in closer and giving him a hug. "I just feel bad for Lane."

"Me too," Jess assured her, kissing her cheek, "but worrying about her, or worse, beating yourself up for feeling happy when she's sad? That won't help."

"I know." Rory nodded her agreement and focused her sights on the movie choices before her. "Okay, comedy. How about a rock music comedy film festival? Rock N Roll High School, This is Spinal Tap, and Detroit Rock City?"

"Huh. Could work," said Jess, giving it due consideration.

It certainly appealed more than romantic comedies, not least because this particular night in was going to spent not alone together but with Lorelai too. Jess didn't mind hanging out with both the Gilmore girls exactly, though alone time with Rory was pretty good too. He had to think it was a bonus to have a girlfriend whose mom didn't hate him, after all.

"What?" he asked on realising that Rory suddenly looked distracted.

"That," she said pointedly, inclining her head towards a couple of kids sitting on the floor, giggling over a video cover.

"Huh. When Jessie Spano got more than just excited," said Jess, noting it was Showgirls that the little boys had in their hands.

Looking back at Rory and seeing how she was squirming, Jess rolled his eyes, walked up to the kids, plucked the video from their hands and put it up on the top shelf of the nearest unit where they would never be able to get it back. They were not thrilled, but Rory was smiling, so it hardly mattered.

"Better?"

"Much better," she said, putting her arm around Jess' waist as his went around her shoulders and they headed for the counter with their video choices. "Kirk, just so you know, there were some kids back there looking at a... well, a mature video cover. It's up on a higher shelf now, but maybe that's something you could keep an eye on?"

"Mature, you say?" said Kirk, his eyes practically lighting up.

Jess tried not to notice or to care about any of this. If Rory knew the kinds of things he got up to as a little kid, well, it was much worse than ogling half-naked pictures at the video store. Not that he planned on telling her that, not right now, probably not ever. What would be the point in that kind of over-share anyway?

When the movies were finally rented, they headed back to the Gilmore house, via Al's. Lorelai had placed an order and all Rory and Jess had to do was pick it up.

"It still messes with my head that the best Chinese food around here comes from Al's Pancake World."

"Ah, the wonder of Stars Hollow." Rory grinned at him, swinging the bag from her hand. "I actually think you're settling in here pretty well, all things considered."

"All things considered?" Jess checked warily.

"I just meant that, coming from a big city and everything, this place was obviously a culture shock, and it was pretty clear that you weren't exactly thrilled to come here in the first place-"

"That wasn't about Stars Hollow specifically," he told her fast. "I mean, yeah, this crack-pot town of yours takes some getting used to, but the place really didn't matter."

He didn't elaborate on what did matter, why it was he was so mad about being shipped off to live with his uncle. It was never about Jess being anti-Luke or anti-small town or anything like that. It was the loss of control, having his life decided for him. It was Liz and her whacked out ideas of what was best for him.

"Well, I, for one, am very glad you came here, whether you originally wanted to or not," said Rory, curling back under his arm as they walked along.

"Yeah, well, can't exactly say I'm hating it right now either," admitted Jess, eyes forward as they headed for her house, determined not to make a fool of himself, no matter how easy it would be right now. "So, movie night with you and Lorelai, anything I need to be prepared for?"

Rory made a sound of consideration. "I don't know. You've hung out with us both enough times to know what we're like. I can't imagine there'll be any surprises. Just know that we are unapologetic mockers of any people or parts in movies we think aren't so good, and you will see us eat almost our entire body weight in food that would absolutely not be Luke approved."

"Okay then." Jess nodded, counting himself as prepared as he was ever going to be, just as they reached the Gilmore abode. "Let's do this."

Lorelai had been just a little apprehensive about movie night. It felt a little like deja vu when she was preparing the living room, and it was impossible not to want to make comparisons to a similar night with Rory and Dean, more than a year before, when things really got started with them. She tried not to focus too much on that, and actually, once the evening got into full swing, it was quite easy to forget that this situation might be weird at all.

Jess was a good kid, underneath it all. Lorelai had always thought so. Mostly, she supposed, because she had been the same at his age. It was easy to put on your armour and tell the world to shove it, but inside, there was still a soft chewy centre, with a sense of humour, a heart and soul, and a vulnerable kid who could cry at the drop of a hat. Sometimes, the hat wasn't even necessary.

Not that tonight was a night for tears. Much laughter was shared, many jokes, and so much food, plus one or two musical insights that even surprised Lorelai herself. Jess really knew his stuff when it came to punk and rock from mostly before he was actually born. Lorelai was impressed by that. Also, even more so by how Jess was with Rory.

It was the little things that counted in relationships, Lorelai knew. Sure, sweeping gestures, expensive gifts, and big surprises could be nice, but the day-to-day stuff, those nothing things that actually meant so much, that was how you really gauged love and devotion. Jess made sure Rory got the last dumpling in the box. He chose her terrible Derek St Hubbins impression as the best, over Lorelai's flawless attempt at the same. Also, when the food was mostly destroyed and he thought he wasn't being watched, he had a tight hold on Rory's hand, their fingers perfectly entwined.

As the third and final film came to an end, the credits rolling on Detroit Rock City, Rory excused herself for a much-needed bathroom break. Lorelai moved to shut off the video and TV, turning around from her spot on the floor to look at Jess. She didn't realise quite how wide her smile was until he called her on it.

"Okay, I know you didn't OD on the caffeine in the soda since you guys are both coffee addicts, so what is with the crazy clown grin?" he asked warily.

"Sorry, sorry," said Lorelai fast, waving her hand in front of her face and willing her smile down toa dull roar. "I swear, I didn't mean to freak you out. I am just happy is all. This has been such a fun night, right?"

"Sure, it was good." Jess nodded his agreement, squirming just a little in his place on the couch and making a big deal of looking to the stairs as if he were willing Rory to come back faster. "Uh, you guys really go all out on movie night, huh?"

"All out is right, my friend," said Lorelai, looking at the devastation on the coffee table and the floor. "It's been a while since we did Al's Chinese menu and pizza and that many chocolate treats all at one time," she noted, "but hey, you were a big help. You can really hold your own in the junk food department."

"I've had practice," he told her, smirking a little. "Besides, I was starting to miss this stuff. You know, Luke really doesn't keep Mallomars in the house and we never order takeout. I mean, living over a diner, who would? But still, I am way more used to this stuff than the healthy, balanced diet he tries to feed me."

"Liz isn't much of a cook either, huh?"

"Please." Jess rolled his eyes. "I was lucky if she even knew when it was dinner time, much less tried to make anything to eat. Unless meal times coincided with the munchies, obviously."

Lorelai wasn't sure how to respond to any of that, especially the last part. She was in no way a cook. She hadn't made food for Rory since she was tiny and it was as easy as putting fruits and veggies through a blender. Sookie cooked. Luke cooked. Lorelai ate, raised Rory to be the same, and it worked out pretty well. Still, she couldn't ever imagine being the kind of mom that didn't make sure her kid got a meal, even if it was just takeout or something you throw in a microwave or whatever.

"You know, Jess, I think it would've been real easy for you to come here to Stars Hollow and continue being mad at the world and how you were getting screwed every which way. You could've been a jerk and I'm not sure I could've blamed you if you had been, but you didn't let it happen. You knocked that chip off your shoulder, you grasped the helping hand that was offered to you, and believe me, I know that's tougher than some people think that it is."

"I seem to remember something about going through everything I'm going through yourself, but in heels," he told her, smiling slightly.

"Hey, look at that, you were listening, even on the first night." Lorelai smiled back at him. "I just want you to know that I think you're a cool kid, Jess, and it is great seeing you and Rory together. You make each other so happy, it's kind of beautiful, actually."

It was oh so very plain that Jess didn't know what he was supposed to say to that at all. Clearly, he wasn't used to compliments, at least, not from adults, Lorelai supposed.

"Thanks," he muttered after a while, "and for what it's worth, you and Luke being happy, that doesn't suck either."

"Wow, thanks. I might have a sentiment that special engraved on something," she said sarcastically, just as Rory came rushing back down the stairs.

"What did I miss?" she asked, looking between her mom and her boyfriend.

"Not much," Jess told her as she dropped back down onto the couch beside him. "I should probably make a move soon. It's getting late and you know Luke."

"It's nice that he worries about you," Rory told him definitely.

"Yeah, maybe." Jess rolled his eyes, but Lorelai knew better.

She had done that eye roll herself, used that very same tone of voice. Jess didn't hate that people cared, he just felt the need to seem like he did. Self-preservation. Oh, Lorelai remembered it very well. She also recalled very clearly what it was like to be a teenager in love, or at the very least deep attraction.

"I'll just take some of this stuff through to the kitchen," she said, filling her hands with empty snack bowls and used up soda bottles as she exited stage left. "It was nice having you over, Jess. We should do this again sometime."

"Yeah, thanks for the hospitality," he called after her as she disappeared from view.

Rory smiled at her mom's best attempts to be subtle and also kind.

"Presenting Lorelai Gilmore, subtle like a flying brick," she said when Lorelai was out of earshot. "You know she left us alone on purpose, so we could, you know, say goodnight, right?

"I figured." Jess nodded. "But seriously, what's so embarrassing about saying goodnight?" he asked, completely deadpan.

"Hmm, tough to say," said Rory, playing along. "I mean, it's just a word, right? Pretty easy to say, nothing you couldn't do in front of an audience."

"Well then maybe we should find something to do that would be wrong in front of your mother, just so she didn't waste her time hiding in the kitchen," said Jess, his hand behind her head, pulling her closer, until finally their lips met.

Rory sunk into the moment for a while, revelling in the feelings evoked by the kiss. Jess was very good at that stuff, which when added to everything else she loved about him, really did result in a pretty great package.

What startled Rory was the realisation that the word 'love' had popped into her head completely unbidden. She was so shocked to realise she had even thought it about Jess that she pulled back very suddenly, almost causing him to pitch forward on top of her.

"Okay," he said, shaking his head slightly. "So, I'll go."

He got up to leave and Rory felt guilty about how abruptly she had ended their moment, and how swiftly he felt the need to leave. Scrambling from the couch, she gave chase, catching up to Jess just as his hand reached for the doorknob.

"Jess, don't," she urged him, pulling his arm back. "I'm sorry, I was just... I guess I was overthinking. You know, I do that sometimes."

"Really? I hadn't noticed" he said sarcastically, but thankfully smirking which let her know he wasn't really mad at her at all. "Anything I should worry about? 'Cause personally, I thought tonight went pretty well."

"It did," Rory assured him, taking his hands into both of hers, "and no, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. You were great, and it's great that you and mom get along so well, and the whole thing was just..."

"Great?" he asked, clearly teasing her.

Rory laughed. "Yes, it was. So, thank you for that."

"No problem," he promised.

It was Rory who leaned in then, stealing one last quick kiss before Jess actually did open the door and leave the house this time.

"I guess I'll see you in the diner tomorrow?" he said from the porch.

"Obviously. You and Luke have the coffee."

"Obviously," Jess echoed, smiling and raising one hand in a wave before leaving.

Rory watched him walk away down the driveway and then closed the door, turning to lean her back against it. She loved him. Rory loved Jess, she was almost certain of it, even though that seemed crazy after them only being together a few short weeks. It had taken her much longer to realise she loved Dean. Maybe that just meant her feelings for Jess were that much more real.

"My boyfriend is so dreamy and awesome and wonderful," Lorelai said in an overdone girly voice as she came out from the kitchen. "I'm the luckiest girl in all of Connecticut to have found my dream guy!"

"You're hilarious," Rory deadpanned.

"Yes, I am," her mom agreed easily, "but you and Jess? You are so sickeningly cute together that you actually loop back around into adorable again. Seriously though, sweets, it's very cool, seeing you guys so happy, and you know, Jess really isn't the messed-up kid that I expected him to be. Sure, he has issues, who here doesn't? But I think he's a good guy at heart, and you and him, you just kind of work."

"I think so." Rory smiled wide. "Thanks, Mom," she said then, hugging her tight.

It really was so cool to have such a great mother and a great boyfriend who both got along so well.

To Be Continued...