*It is a week later—Tuesday Morning. Jess and Rory are in a taxi on their way to the today show. Jess is looking out the window, his mind somewhere else.

Rory squeezes his hand, "You ok?"

"Hu-yeah. I'm fine." Jess replies wincing.

"Nervous?" Rory asks, already knowing the answer.

Jess scoffs, "No...What's there to be nervous about it's just a superficial talk show…" Jess trails off.

"So what's the matter?"

Jess turns abruptly and answers, "That is the problem…it's a stupid show where some bubbly host masquerading as a journalist is going to advertise my book and millions of-of goobers…" Rory giggles at Jess, he smiles for a moment before his face turns stern again. "Well…they'll buy my book because Mary sunshine tells them to…they'll read it, not understanding half the stuff in it and then will go around claiming to be superior for reading it."

Rory looks out the window as the taxi stops. "So what? You don't want to promote your book?"

"I do, but not this way…this isn't who I am. This book is my life, it means something to me…I would rather have 5 people buy my book and truly understand and enjoy it then have a million people buy it only to have it collect dust." Jess says passionately.

"Ok…so then let's go..." Rory turns and addresses the cab driver "Excuse me. Can you please take us back to our hotel."

The car starts. Jess coughs and then begins to talk. Rory interrupts him, "So, we'll go back and turn on the show and watch Katie Curic fill up 10 minutes of dead air."

Jess smirks at Rory's devious side. "She's going to freak…"

"Well…she deserves it…asking a talented author to surrender his journalistic integrity…she is the Devil."

*6 months pass—Early December—6pm

Jess' book has had moderate success. It turns out that the first guest ever to make Katie Curic stutter on air intrigued many people. Rory has taken a full time job teaching at a local high school.

*Jess is sitting at the kitchen table reading as Rory enters. Her face is flushed her eyes tired.

"Bad day?" Jess says with concern.

"No…just hectic. That one class…I'm telling you. It's going to kill me. It's full of…punks. They don't want to do anything, they have no drive at all…they just don't care."

"Hey, you'll do fine…you have a way with punks." Jess smirks as Rory collapses into the car next to him.

"…Yea…but there's just so much stuff to be done to get them ready for midterms next month."

Jess gets up and goes to the coffee machine, "Alright…just calm down, you need to chill. Look at it this way; you've got the entire weekend ahead of you. Come on, after dinner we'll rent some movies, get some ice cream and then just sleep all day tomorrow."

Rory smiles, "Mmm, that does sound n—

The phone ringing cuts off Rory.

Jess grabs it, "Hello?" He rolls his eyes handing the phone to Rory.

She grins taking the phone, "Hi mom."

"Season's greetings!"

"My! Someone's a little high on eggnog." Rory giggles.

"Nope. But I had the greatest idea."

"Oh yea?"

"You know how we always talked about going one Christmas and renting a cabin in the woods to do all that festive family stuff."

"Yea…"

"Well, let's do it. This year…for a whole week."

"You've got to be kidding."

"Come on it'll be so cool…All of us together, Sookie and Jackson. Luke and Jess, you and me, hey maybe Lane can come too!"

"No. Mom, come on I have so much stuff to do, I can't take a week off for this."

"Kill joy."

"Love you too. Good bye."

"What was that about?"

"Nothing, My mom just wanted to rent a cabin for Christmas…for a whole week."

"Huh."

"What?" Rory says agitated.

"Nothing…this just sounds like something you'd like to do."

"Well, I would but I just can't sacrifice a whole week."

"Oh…ok. So do you want to go get those movies?"

"Yea!" Rory says perking up.

*They head out the door.

"Oh, hey I forgot my wallet inside, here start up the car I'll be right back."

Jess doesn't wait for Rory's reply; he just heads towards the stairs.

Jess enters the apartment and heads to the phone. Mechanically he dials it.

"Hey, Luke? Is Lorelei there." Jess drums his fingers loudly on the desk, "Hey…yea about that Christmas thing…count us in."