"You'll never guess what I did..," Celeste began, lifting the large cup of coffee, it's size reminding her much of the kind that Luke's had, to her lips in a small coffee shop near Bloomingdale's having just spent the past two hours strolling around the shops helping Rory pick out a couple of Christmas presents. Rory hadn't been very productive just finding a couple of things for her dad and grandmother, still not having found the key items as she was struggling with ideas this year.

"Tattoos? Piercings? Ate at McDonalds for the first time?" Rory teased.

"I applied to work at Stars Hollow High," she replied hesitantly, wondering what her reaction might be.

"You don't mean…." Rory began, "No…," she said in disbelief, seeing Celeste chuckle and nod at the same time.

"I might not get it. I have to take a course and I want to take a couple of more courses… but I don't know, it might actually be good… I can have an impact, maybe? At least I hope so," she explained, her determination from the beginning of that sentence growing smaller as she reached the end. She'd gone in with a brave front, but there was some slight hesitation in her whether she was actually cut out to deal with an actual classroom full of embarrassed kids.

"I mean… rather you than Taylor, right?" Rory noted humorously, beginning to accept the thought.

"Is that how low you think of me?" Celeste shot back laughingly, knowing she hadn't meant it seriously.

"No seriously - hey, you've gotten me to talk about a lot of things I normally wouldn't so there you go, and for real - if you need tips on teaching methods - I'm here to help!" Rory offered, continuing to drink her own coffee.

"I'm not sure if the course will cover actual methods of teaching, but I was kind of thinking about the question bowl, and if there is any flexibility in the course I want to bring in some ethical and psychological topics into it. And I've always wondered if it would be okay of me to promote sustainable menstrual products and stuff like that?," she blabbered, having already gotten so many ideas. Her view of what was going to be happening may have been a little naive and flawed but at this point she didn't care. She wanted to see what the limits of these programs were. If nothing else, wanting simply to learn from the experience.

"Looks like this stuff with G has been a good inspiration for you," Rory commented, seeing it in her just as Jess had, that excitement looked good on her.

"Definitely, and Doula too," Celeste shared.

"Doula - she's not…?" Rory asked. It wasn't her business, but still for a split second she struggled to see Doula as anything other than a child. But then again, she was only three years younger than G.

"She's just come to me with a few minor issues, I don't think it'd be right of me to tell - but nothing compared to G," Celeste explained. "But it's nice to see how she's just beginning to be a little curious about these things. I gave her my book - and I actually think it's a nice way to ease her into it - getting the romantic view of it first - that it's not just mechanics - cold and clinical like the sex-ed she's already gotten with the former teacher. I think it's good she knows that the emotional part of it is what one should try to aim for," Celeste added. She wasn't yet fully formed, and well balanced as a teacher of this, but she meant well and was willing to learn.

"I can see that you care," Rory said, and took a sip of her coffee. "I can see that you know what you are talking about and you are definitely approachable, so I guess that's like half a victory already," she added supportively, staying realistic about her current knowledge but not wanting to discourage her in any way. If she was going to take classes, she'd recognize soon enough what she knew and what she didn't.

"Maybe you could help me pick out a few classes later? You know a lot more about the US system of these things…," Celeste suggested.

"Absolutely," Rory replied approvingly.

"How's the job front at your end? Excited?" Celeste asked, putting her empty coffee cup aside.

"Honestly, this whole month is so insan that I haven't nearly gotten through the prep work I should've. For a moment I actually thought I may have said 'yes' too quickly," Rory replied.

"I mean there's still a month until the semester begins. Maybe you could talk to your supervisor?" Celeste suggested.

"I don't want to let her down. She'd got a real shortage of people to deal with, apparently popping out babies is popular also in academia. And it's no more than half-time really, but I just know that half-time really depends on how I am able to squeeze everything I feel needs doing into half time. I like to be thorough," she replied.

Celeste know damn well that Rory wasn't doing it for the money, hence it was a little difficult to talk her into giving it up.

"Is there any part of it that someone else could maybe help you with? Get an assistant or something? Celeste suggested, knowing that she was probably suggesting something Rory would consider ridiculous.

"Hmm..," Rory pondered. "Maybe," she replied, not shooting the idea down straight away. Maybe there was some theoretical research and the technical aspects of teaching someone really could help her with? She could easily pay for it out of pocket, or just spend most of her earned income on it. But she worried people would think she was slacking or simply sitting flaunting her wealth. She wanted to be respected for her actions and her own knowledge, not having someone else do it for her. If she went that path, what stopped them from hiring that other person instead of her next?

"I need to think of something to get for Jess for Christmas," Celeste changed the subject, observing the store window of a men's accessories store just by the cafe. She knew that there wouldn't be anything for him there - he wasn't that kind of man.

"He's never been much for material gifts, just wrap yourself in a bow or something," Rory suggested humorously.

"Yeah, that's what I sort of did last year," she laughed. She hadn't literally done that, but close enough, buying herself some nice underwear and giving him all of her attention after cooking him his favourite meal. The man really wasn't very hard to please.

"I told him he can publish the book," Celeste shared, having not told Rory about it before.

"Wow, that's big news. What made you change your mind?" Rory asked, curiously.

"I just need to stop hiding, and it's his outlet too. Everything you and my therapist said, made sense - I just needed to get over the initial surprise. And I just need to trust that he'll do it tastefully," Celeste explained. "Though he is looking for a new editor," she added. "Lauren doesn't get it, or I don't know - maybe she just has an issue with me or the way Jess has changed while being with me... I don't even know what that means. I don't think I've changed him," Celeste pondered.

"Oh, you've definitely changed him. At least you've changed where his priorities lie. And honestly, I wish I had the time to suggest I edit it myself - but maybe… I don't know - maybe Logan? Because he knows you too? Or maybe he can just recommend someone?" Rory suggested.

"You and Logan would be perfect, but I know - it's a lot of work," Celeste said, knowing that this was all wishful thinking.

"I can talk to him when he comes home for the gala," Rory suggested. "And honestly, when it's a book coming form Jess, and you've probably read it several times also, I don't really think there'll be that much left to edit," she added, beginning to seriously consider it. She knew she was swamped but this just seemed so important - something private that only a handful of people understood the depths of and maybe they were the only people who could really do it with the tact it deserved.

"Oh.. the gala - is it weird of me to actually admit that I miss it?" Celeste replied, recalling what it felt like getting all dressed up to go to one of these things. That was one of the few things she truly missed about moving and Jess' change of careerpaths. She knew it was superficial and stupid, but it had been what she'd grown used to. She wondered - maybe someday?

They continued to talk for a while about what Rory was going to wear and the whole big thing about Owen's 'reveal'. Rory definitely had a lot on her mind these days and she was glad to get to have Celeste there for the day to be able to share everything with her in person. She truly had needed it.

Charlie woke to the sound of Finn talking to someone on his tablet out in the pool house living room. The door was almost closed, but not closed shut, hence the voices carried. She couldn't help but to be a little curious whom he was calling and why at this hour.

"How's my favourite buddy?" Finn asked with endearment.

The little boy replied something, trailing off to what seemed to be the presentation of his new toys to Finn over the screen. It now was beginning to be clear to Charlie that he must've been talking to Finny like he'd promised yesterday.

"Are you being a good boy for mommy and Maya?" he continued.

"Finny good boy," Finny replied.

"Oh you're definitely a good boy," Rory pitched in, holding Finny on her lap as they spoke. It had been quite a surprise coming from Finn to suggest calling at this hour, Rory knowing it was barely 9 AM in Australia, but as he'd explained he wanted to catch them before Finny's bedtime. In reality Finn had just been up for a glass of water, but as he'd realized it was probably the perfect time to call, he'd just decided to do it, before going back to bed, having stayed up far too late last night.

"When you come visit?" Finny asked with a sad voice.

"After Christmas… after New Years," Finn specified, wondering whether the kid got the concept of New Years Eve just yet.

"I want to go to Zoo," Finny requested, recalled their joint visit to the Zoo in August, when Finn had been very much entertaining Finny while Logan and Rory had been elbows deep in caring for the twins.

"Then that's what we'll do," Finn promised, having no objections. "And I promise I'll bring you a present, alright?" he added.

"Yay!" came a cheer louder than Finn had anticipated, for a moment glancing back towards the bedroom hoping his voice hadn't woken Charlie.

"Take good care of you mommy and sisters for me, alright?" Finn said.

"Bye!" the boy replied.

"Love you, I'll see you soon," Finn replied, waving him off.

"You want to speak to G too? I think she should be home by now, or coming any minute now, I'm sure she'd love to say 'hi'," Rory suggested obliviously.

"Nah, it's fine," Finn said, really not wanting to open up that wound. He continued to ask instead a little how Rory herself was doing and how the babies were growing, Rory expressing some worry about the upcoming gala announcement but Finn simply assured her that Logan and the HPG PR team surely knew what they were doing.

As the call finished, Finn threw the tablet on the couch and pulled himself up, and headed back to the bedroom, finding Charlie loosely wrapped in a bed sheet, smiling at her.

"Sorry, if I woke you. We should go back to bed, it's way too early," Finn commented and pulled off his t-shirt, he'd put on to make the call. It really wasn't too early for normal people, but they were sort of on their own schedule whenever Charlie had a day off.

"It's fine," she replied, appreciating Finn's warm body slipping under the sheets next to her.

"It'll be his bedtime later, so I figured I'd just make the call now," he explained, kissing her temple as he snuggled into her side.

"You almost sounded like his dad or something," Charlie pointed out.

"Well in that case I'm a horrible one - I can't really believe I forgot to call him until now," Finn said regretfully. He might have thought about the kid or Rory and her kids on the whole every once in a while, but he wasn't too meticulous about keeping in touch. He was quite self-centered, he couldn't deny that.

"So you're really fine with me not...," Charlie began, referring to her inability to have children, the topic still being on her mind. The topic was a serious one, but she felt like she needed to at least hear him comment something on it, having menitoned it a few times but never really heard much back from Finn on the subject. The last thing she wanted was end up in a similar situation like she had with Greg a couple of years along the way.

"I've never felt like I'd want kids to be honest, I don't think I'm the most responsible guy to even consider something like that. But then again I've never really considered it deeply enough, there hasn't really been anyone to consider it with," Finn shared. "But I at least think that knowing Finny is out there - it's kind of perfect right now. I get to do all the fun stuff with him, on occasion help to babysit when his parents need me to, and I am happy to do it, but it doesn't rule my life. I like to have that kind of freedom, and I've seen it with Rory and Logan how having kids turns that around…," he explained. "I can have the positives without the burden - and I know it sounds kind of heartless of me, but I don't really think it's for everyone," he added.

"I know I said I've accepted it, and I have. My plan A has been getting a dog or two someday and focusing on myself, not that dogs really replace that...but just for company, you know. But I won't lie...I can't promise that I won't at some point realize that I might want it - even if it means adoption or surrogate…," Charlie admitted. She really didn't know if that was something she wanted to live without. It was quite early for a conversation this serious but she really appreciated his honesty and the way they were able to discuss it calmly. Knowing Finn wasn't very eager on the topic actually felt like a relief, much better than the opposite would've felt.

"And that's your right," Finn replied. He was almost going to add, that it was her body and her life, simply not being used to thinking of himself connected to anyone else's life to be factored in like that. But thankfully he didn't, realizing that she might take it the wrong way.

G returned form school in a haste, having gotten a message from one of the dress-buyers that they were sending someone to pick up a couple of them that afternoon.

As she entered the townhouse, the familiar voice coming from the parlor caught her off guard. It took her a moment to realize that Finn wasn't actually there, just speaking through the tablet to Finny and Rory. Her heart felt like it skipped a beat right there.

She slowed her step, listening in. She wondered whether he'd asked about her. But even if he had, she didn't hear it - the entire conversation seemed to be about Finny and Rory, saying very little about himself. Thus, she quietly climbed the stairs up to her apartment, going to get the dresses and bring them downstairs so they'd be ready and waiting when the courier arrived, her mood, which had been pretty good for the entire day, having a running joke going with Brody about the worst Christmas presents for their parents through text, now being brought down.

As she climbed the stairs she could feel a nasty lump forming in her throat and against her will her eyes swelled up with tears. Could she even live here anymore if Finn was going to be around the kids? How could she ever handle seeing him with anyone else - pictures were one thing but here...?

G had barely reached the third floor, as she found the third floor door wide open and heard Celeste speaking to one of the babies whom she was curretly changing.

G quickly tried to look up, and wipe her tears off, hoping to hide that she'd been on the verge of crying.

"Hey," she said, as she decided to attempt to distract herself by talking to Celeste. She didn't even know why she wanted to interact at that point, when she could've just rushed upstairs and hidden.

"Hey," Celeste replied over her shoulder, not really looking at her, her eyes focused on Emma in front of her. She was helping out while Rory was spending some time with Finny downstairs.

It was as Celeste, holding the four-month-old on her hip like a pro, turned and saw her, when her face turned serious.

"What's wrong?" Celeste asked, the redness of G's eyes and around her nose and mouth really leaving very little room for speculation.

G suddenly burst into sobs and searched for a hug, which Celeste offered, while a little inconveniently still holding the baby at the same time.

"Why can't I shake him?" G cried in despair.

Celeste knew Rory was speaking to Finn downstairs, making the logical conclusion on whom this was about. She must've heard him - she thought. She felt sympathy for her - getting over someone was never easy, and she could imagine that the months that whatever they had had truly left a trace deeper than she'd initially thought in G.

"He's found someone new… he just forgot about me," G whimpered, only really guessing based on the photos.

Celeste truly didn't know what to say - she couldn't just tell her that it had been hard on Finn as well. She couldn't really comment on him finding anyone, she didn't know the details, just having in passing seen a picture, having not thought much about it.

"Come on, you'll get past this, I promise," Celeste said with certainty. One always did. "You are more resilient than you think, and this is why you have me and Rory," she assured, saying the only thing she could think of. "We were actually kind of hoping to talk to you a bit tonight," she added, stroking her hair, almost hoping that maybe distracting her with something else would at least calm her right now.

"About what?" she asked with confusion, wiping away her tears but still clearly hurting.

"We're just worried about you… we're not trying to ambush you or… just… Cathy should be around soon to help out with the babies and we'll just sit down and talk. I want you to see that you have a support system," Celeste assured, hoping she wouldn't just start putting up walls at the sound of this.

It was then the elevator doors opened, and Rory stepped out with Finny holding her hand.

"Hey, everything okay?" Rory asked worriedly, seeing G clearly being upset.

"Uh-uh," she replied, not sounding very sincere. "I need to go get the dresses, someone should be picking them up within the next hour," she replied, glancing at the time, trying to pull herself together.

Rory shot a worried look towards Celeste looking for an explanation but got very little in reply.

"Let's just meet back here, maybe we should just have the talk now and not wait for Cathy," Celeste said, realizing that postponing this discussion really wouldn't do anyone any favors, perhaps even drive G further from to shut off.

"Fine," G sighed, clearly sounding a little defensive already.

As G headed upstairs to get the dress, beginning to feel a little anxious. The sound of an official-sounding 'talk' was not sounding promising, and frankly she was beginning to worry how much of what she'd share in confidence with Celeste had already reached Rory's ears. God, how she hated being treated like a kid and being talked about behind her back.

She brought the three dresses downstairs by taking the elevator, the dresses being rather heavy and long to carry down six flights of stairs. Her mind was preoccupied, to say the least, and it only briefly dawned on her that these were in fact the dresses that the ones bought by Yvette Beualiue, but as the message had simply mentioned a pick up, she really didn't think much more of it than expected another UPS pick-up. She hung the dresses in their foyer, the coat rack usually meant for guests, and headed somewhat reluctantly back up the stairs to the third floor.

Celeste hadn't told Rory much in between, just that G was having a bad day. Rory had made sure Finny was occupied with a paint with water set, which also she knew he loved, and the twins were quite happy with their tummy time on their blanked in front of the couch, Rory sitting crossed legged on the floor with them, holding herself a sensory teether toy to keep them entertained.

"I feel like I'm on trial here," G blurted, her hands crossed across her chest defensively, and landed on the couch next to Celeste as she returned.

"This is not what this is," Celeste pleaded, touching her arm. "We're just worried about you," Celeste added.

"Really? Then what is this? A new set of house rules? You guys are obviously talking about me behind my back - I honestly don't know what to think anymore," G said, sounding agitated, her 'say first and think later' habit kicking in, which she'd already begun to get past.

"What Celeste means is just… that maybe…," Rory hesitated, unsure how to put it. "We see you struggling with your relationships, and while it's okay, it happens to the best of us - hell, I struggled too, I really struggled," Rory trailed off a little. "That just maybe… you'd be open to considering talking to someone professional," she suggested, hesitantly.

"What!? Now you think there's something wrong with me?" G huffed. She kind of agreed even, she did feel like there was something wrong with her but not the same way the others saw it.

"That's not what we're saying," Celeste explained. "Maybe you could just benefit from talking to someone who knows more about this," she added.

"More about what?" G snapped.

"That just maybe… the way you cling to men, older guys… whatever... isn't completely healthy. That it's not good for you. We see you being unhappy, and I know crushes sting…, but we don't really know how to help you other than to listen, but I feel like you're not saying everything that's going on," Rory said, her thoughts not being too well put together at this point. This was new to her too.

"You told her about Finn, didn't you?" G suddenly blurted, somehow the plural in her sentence having made it so clear to her, not even knowing that she herself exposed the secret.

"Finn? What about Finn?" Rory exclaimed in confusion, the mention of the man she'd just spoken to opening up a whole new thought process for her, which she really didn't like.

Celeste face showed the horror she felt. She was horrified that by Rory finding out that she'd been keeping something as significant as this form her, would not end well for them.

"That I have crush on him! But clearly it's just me," G burst into tears again.

For a moment Celeste was relieved that G only really knew her side of this, while she knew a little more. They exchanged glances with Rory, Celeste whispereing that she'd made a promise.

"But what about Brody?" Rory said, feeling confused and baffled.

"He's just a guy, he just...he makes me feel a little better," she explained through her tears.

"Wait.. the guy you were crying about that one time upstairs - that was Finn?!" Rory suddenly realized.

G didn't need to reply, simply pulled up her knees to her chest and buried her face in her arms.

"We really don't mean to say that there's anything wrong with you… it's just maybe you need advice, better advice than we can give you. Maybe you'd even benefit from it for college - you'd understand how something like this works, how your mind works. Try to see the positive in this," Celeste suggested, trying her initial idea out, but she feared it might be too late for that approach.

It was then G's phone rang.

"I bet it's the courier, can someone get it, please," G said through her sobs, not wanting to face anyone, not even the UPS guy at that moment.

Rory answered the phone, hastily getting the elementary information of them being there in 2 minutes. She was already beginning to get up and head downstairs to just hand the dresses over, like she had already done with one of the dresses, while G had been in school one day, but it was then she heard a loud cry from the blanket by her feet, Leigh having lost her balance while being on her stomach and bumped her head against Emma's. And as the bump had been one with significant force the both of them let out a loud wail. And Leigh hardly ever really cried.

"A little help?" Rory asked the others, lifting Leigh to her lap, kissing her forehead, beginning to sooth her. Emma, however, didn't settle for Celeste holding her, clearly wanting her mommy as she was right in sight. Rory leaned her back against the couch and gestured with her hand for Celeste to hand Emma to her lap as well. If she was seated, she could hold them both.

G, while distracted by all the cries, still felt like hiding, physically not feeling up to help at that moment. She felt betrayed, forgotten and embarrassed and as they'd now insinuated - like there was something wrong with her, the discussion having not exactly turned out as Celeste had initially planned.

G's phone rang again.

"They must be downstairs," Rory commented, glancing briefly at the number.

"Alright, I'll go handle it," Celeste said, without thinking much about it, continuing down the stairs in a hasty step.

She heaved the heavy dresses off the rack carefully and opened the door without a second though, expecting some courier to simply be ready to take them.

Instead the sight in front of her stopped her in her path, the cool winter air from outside feeling like a bucket of cold water.

AN: I'm very grateful for the reviews you have left. But I have to say - it seems everyone's in summer mode or something as it's been a little quiet - so I really really appreciate you leaving reviews as somehow just the readers numbers just don't feel the same. It really is a huge motivational booster to keep me writing. They makes me feel that there are people out there who are looking forward to the next chapter. Feel free to leave suggestions on what you like and don't like, what you would like to see happen etc. Thanks again!