(RORY's in an unfinished bathroom, washing a bunch of paintbrushes in a utility sized sink. JESS enters, and she makes room for him as he grabs a paintbrush and runs it under the water. They stand in silence, shoulders touching while they work. JESS tests his paintbrush against the side of the sink, checking to see if the water's running clear. He tosses the clean brush into an empty bucket harder than necessary.)
Rory: (surprised) What's the matter?
Jess: (He braces his hands on the edge of the sink and looks at her sideways.) Your mom. Has she always been that stubborn?
Rory: (alarmed) What did you say to her?
Jess: Nothing. (He shakes out a paintbrush, spattering himself with water. RORY hands him a rag.)
Rory: (warningly) Jess.
Jess: Okay, I might have said something. (He wipes his face with the cloth and goes to sit against the closed door.)
Rory: Like what? (She sits beside him.)
Jess: I can't really remember. (She shoots him a look.) Something about how...she didn't like me and was just taking out her anger on you. (RORY closes her eyes, upset.) Was that so bad?
Rory: It sure didn't help our case.
Jess: (exasperated) What would you have me say?
Rory: (upset) I don't know! But being polite normally works.
Jess: Normally works? Are you, by any chance, referring to Dean?
Rory: (embarrassed) Maybe.
Jess: So you're saying I should be more like Dean?
Rory: No! It's just— (she falters) my mom liked him. And I liked her liking him.
Jess: (caustically) Well, that's sweet!
Rory: Jess—
Jess: No, this is stupid! (He stands up.) If your mom doesn't like me, that's her problem! I'm not going to morph into some creepy perfect boyfriend just to win her approval!
Rory: (stands up) That's not what I meant!
Jess: Well, what did you mean?
Rory: (explosively) I just meant that I can't stand having the two most important people in my life hate each other! (She tries to calm down and explain.) I know that you're nothing like Dean and I wasn't asking you to change! I was just asking you to make an effort to be nice to my mom. (She studies him nervously.) That's all.
(JESS slowly uncrosses his arms, and RORY looks relieved.)
Jess: (gruffly) Well, if that was all you meant...
Rory: It was.
(She walks forward until they're face to face. He waits a moment, studying her eyes, then kisses her. As she wraps her arms around his neck, he reaches behind her and locks the door.)

(Cut to RORY trying to exit the bathroom surreptitiously. She's carrying a bucket full of clean brushes. As she turns a corner LANE nearly knocks her over.)
Rory: (caught off guard) Lane!
Lane: Hey! Where have you been hiding?
Rory: (too quickly) Nowhere!
Lane: (confused by her reaction) Okay...
Rory: (changes the subject) Did you just get here?
Lane: Yeah. See, I wanted to come earlier, but my mom made me stay home and watch the store.
Rory: Well, you're here now.
Lane: (cheerfully) The second she walked in the door I came straight here.
Rory: Great. We're almost done with painting the living room. (They start walking in that direction.) Did you bring music?
Lane: Do you even have to ask? (She opens her shoulder bag and starts pulling out CDs.) I've got Billy Joel, the Grateful Dead, Michael Jackson before someone stole his face...
Rory: Bruce Springsteen?
Lane: Of course! What's painting without Born in the U.S.A.?
Rory: Enough said! (opens a CD player sitting in the lobby) What do you want to play first?
Lane: Well, I've been dying to listen to this homemade CD I found in a used music store in Hartford. Get this: Bob Dylan playing with The Band! On one album!
Rory: Wow! That's incredible!
Lane: I know! I never thought I'd find a copy!
Rory: The only problem is, (lowers her voice) I'm not sure how it'll go over with this crowd.
Lane: (makes a face) You're probably right. How about...(searches her bag) Rubber Soul?
Rory: Much better.
(LANE puts in the CD. Drive my Car by the Beatles starts playing. MOREY turns around.)
Morey: Nice choice.
Lane: Thanks! (She picks up a brush and starts painting the trim beside RORY.) So how are things with you and Lorelai?
Rory: Bad.
Lane: Do you want to talk about it?
Rory: Not really.
Lane: Okay. (waits a beat) So how are things with Jess?
Rory: (smiles shyly) Still good.
Lane: Do you want to elaborate?
Rory: (smugly) Nope.
Lane: Oh, so that's where you were earlier.
Rory: (embarrassed) Lane! God, imagine if Miss Patty overheard you!
Lane: Don't worry, she's outside flirting with the plumber.
Rory: Good.
Lane: Come on! Tell me every steamy little detail!
Rory: (mock offended) Excuse me, nothing about it was steamy!
Lane: Nothing?
(RORY grins slyly, and LANE laughs.)

(Later. LORELAI enters the lobby carrying a clipboard. She looks around for RORY, sees her painting beside LANE, and walks over.)
Lorelai: Hey, how's it going?
(Both girls turn around to look at her.)
Lane: Great! We're almost finished with the trim.
(RORY puts more paint on her brush and goes back to work.)
Lorelai: (writing on her clipboard) Wonderful. Can I put you two in charge painting the bedrooms tomorrow?
Lane: (brightly) Sure.
(SOOKIE enters the room.)
Sookie: Okay, I have an announcement! (People stop painting to listen.) Because everybody has been so wonderful about helping out, we're serving a complimentary picnic dinner on the back lawn. Everyone's welcome so please, come eat! (People start to stand up, clean up painting supplies, and filter out of the room.)
Lorelai: (calling out) I'd hurry, because the construction crew looked like the extras from !
(The room empties out.)
Sookie: (comes over) Do you need help cleaning up in here?
Lorelai: Oh, no, I'll take care of this. You go eat.
Sookie: Thanks, sweetie. (She leaves.)
(As RORY passes LORELAI, she reaches out to grab RORY's sleeve.)
Lorelai: Hold on a second.
Rory: What?
Lorelai: I think we need to talk. (RORY makes a face, but she allows LORELAI to pull her over to the staircase to sit down. LORELAI tries awkwardly to begin.) So, it was nice of you to show up and help out.
Rory: (shrugs) I did it for Sookie.
Lorelai: (stung) Right. Okay, I'll make this quick. (She pushes her hair back.) I had a bad day on Thursday. The inn thing fell apart, I was stressed, and I took it out on you. I didn't mean what I said, and I'm sorry about it.
Rory: (coldly) Great. Apology accepted. Can we go eat now?
Lorelai: No, I need to know we're okay first.
Rory: (impatient) We're okay!
Lorelai: Are you sure? Because I have spent the last forty-eight hours wracked with guilt about what I said to you. (pause) Having you was the best thing to ever happen to me. Period.
(RORY is silent.)
Lorelai: Rory? (She brushes RORY's hair back behind her ear.) Would you say something?
Rory: Does this whole apology extend to Jess too? (LORELAI pulls her hand back.)
Lorelai: (looks away) My rules still stand.
Rory: That's not fair.
Lorelai: I don't care if you think it's fair; that's how it's going to be.
Rory: Why are you doing this?
Lorelai: Because I don't trust Jess.
Rory: You don't even know him!
Lorelai: Yeah, but I know his type.
Rory: His type?!
Lorelai: Yeah! The type who hangs around after you break up with your boyfriend, just waiting to make his move while you're still vulnerable.
Rory: Is that what you think happened?! That he took advantage of me?
Lorelai: Uh, guys have been known to do things like that.
Rory: (stands up) Dean and I broke up over a month before Jess and I got together! And I made the first move, not him!
Lorelai: That doesn't mean he won't try to take advantage of you in the future!
Rory: If you knew Jess, you wouldn't think that!
Lorelai: Fine, what would I think if I knew him?
Rory: You'd think that realize he's smart, and he's funny, and really trustworthy! Just because he doesn't make a wonderful first impression, he's still an good person!
(LORELAI looks away, shaking her head. Her expression says she's heard it all before.)
Rory: (slowly) I need for my relationship with you to be separate from my relationship with Jess.
Lorelai: (flatly) That's impossible.
Rory: Why not?
Lorelai: Because I care about what happens to you. And that's not going to change.
Rory: (crosses her arms) You know I'm not going to stop dating him.
Lorelai: (sighs) I know.
Rory: And you're okay with that?
Lorelai: No. But it doesn't look like I have a choice, do I?
(RORY's look softens. She doesn't smile, but the tension eases. SOOKIE comes in.)
Sookie: Hey, are you two coming?
Lorelai: (looks at RORY) Yeah. (She stands up.) Let's leave this mess for later.

(RORY, SOOKIE, and LORELAI walk out onto the back lawn. The setting is lit in the early evening light, and people are ranged across the lawn, eating and talking. LANE comes running over.)
Lane: There you are! Come on, I saved you a seat! (She pulls RORY away.)
(SOOKIE and LORELAI walk slowly among the eating people. LORELAI takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, sounding content.)
Sookie: What are you thinking?
Lorelai: I'm thinking...that I feel sort of like Kelly McGillis in (She smiles at herself.)
Sookie: You're Amish?
Lorelai: (confused) No.
Sookie: Evil cops want to kill your kid?
Lorelai: (laughs) No. (She stops walking.) Remember that scene where the whole community comes together to build a barn?
Sookie: (not getting it) Yeah?
Lorelai: Well, that's what this feels like.
Sookie: Oh! (She waits a beat.) So do you get to kiss Harrison Ford at the end?
Lorelai: (starts walking again) I wish!
Sookie: I know who you could kiss.
Lorelai: Who?
Sookie: A certain diner owner who's sitting over there. (Camera shows LUKE sitting by himself on a blanket.)
Lorelai: Sookie, I told you—hey, where's Kirk taking that plate of salami?
Sookie: What? (turns to look then hurries off) Kirk! Don't you dare!
(LORELAI waits for a minute, watching her go, then turns and walks over to LUKE.)
Lorelai: Hey, is this seat taken?
Luke: (looking up at her) Do you see someone sitting there?
Lorelai: Maybe. (He rolls his eyes, so she sits down.) Why are you sitting here apart from everyone else?
Luke: It's quieter. Well, that and if I had to hear Taylor complaining about paint colors for another minute I was going to beat him to death with a roller.
Lorelai: (laughs) Good call. We don't want any bloodshed. (They sit for a moment in silence.) The inn looks really beautiful, doesn't it?
Luke: The front steps are crooked. They make the whole place look terrible.
Lorelai: They give it character.
Luke: It looks sloppy.
Lorelai: It looks perfect, Luke.
Luke: Fine, I'll leave the steps. Just don't blame me when you get sued.
Lorelai: Oh, I won't. (She glances over at him and smiles.) Luke?
Luke: (gruffly) What?
Lorelai: Thank you.
Luke: You said that already. Earlier.
Lorelai: I know. (shifts uncomfortably) Can I ask you a question?
Luke: I'm listening.
Lorelai: Why did you do this?
Luke: What do you mean?
Lorelai: I mean, why'd you go to all this trouble for us?
Luke: You needed the help. I knew how to help. (He shrugs.)
Lorelai: So you did it because you're my friend.
Luke: Right. (looks at her sideways) Why?
Lorelai: Oh, Sookie thought there might be another reason you were helping us.
Luke: Like what?
Lorelai: (lying) I have no idea. (She looks away, unaware that he's studying her. She catches sight of JESS sitting across the lawn, sipping a bottle of soda.) Can I ask you another question?
Luke: Would it stop you if I said no?
Lorelai: What do you think of Jess?
Luke: Jess?
Lorelai: Yes. Your nephew?
Luke: I know who he is, thank you. (He thinks for a minute.) I like him.
Lorelai: Really?
Luke: He's a good kid. Smart too, once you get past the sarcasm.
Lorelai: So you think I should give him a chance?
Luke: I think...it would be better if I didn't answer that question.
Lorelai: You're no help.
Luke: The question is, does Rory like him?
Lorelai: Yes.
Luke: And do you normally trust her judgment?
Lorelai: (resignedly) You think I should listen to what Rory says about him.
Luke: Hey, I didn't say anything.
Lorelai: But it's what you think. (He just looks at her.)
(She looks away and her smile fades to a look of worried contemplation. Call and Answer by the Barenaked Ladies begins playing. She glances over to where JESS is sitting.)
(RORY walks up behind him and stands with her knees against his back. He tilts his head backwards to look at her. They both grin and exchange a few unheard words. RORY's holding a paper plate with cake on it, and she carefully settles cross-legged beside him. He reaches over and swipes a finger of frosting. RORY tries to hit him, but drops the cake instead. He laughs, and lies down on the grass.)
(Cut to LORELAI looking troubled.)
(JESS is gesturing, one arm bent beneath his head, explaining some unheard point. RORY laughs, places a hand on his sternum, and leans over to kiss him. He pushes himself up on an elbow to meet her, his other hand against her face.)
(LORELAI's face softens. RORY looks up and sees her mother staring. LORELAI looks away, then down, her face pensive.)

(End credits)