A/N: Thanks so much to all the reviewers.


Chapter 3

Rory sang along with Belinda Carlisle Saturday morning as she drove to Lorelai and Luke's house. "Ooh, baby do you know what that's worth," she warbled. "Ooh, heaven is a place on earth."

Belinda Carlisle reminded Rory of her mom, and she smiled. It was amazing how Lorelai and Luke had finally admitted to their feelings for each other. And now they were married with a child on the way. It was strange -- after years of feeding and caffeinating her, Rory would be connected to Luke through the baby.

Rory was so caught up in her musings that she nearly missed the exit to Stars Hollow. She veered right and off the interstate.

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Jess took the train to Stars Hollow. When he arrived, Luke was waiting for him. Jess recognized his uncle immediately; the last time they saw each other, Luke had been wearing a backwards baseball cap and a flannel shirt.

"Hey," said Luke.

"Hey," Jess answered.

Silence.

"So, you go more luggage?" Luke asked, gesturing toward the lone suitcase in Jess' hand.

Jess raised an eyebrow. "I'm a man. I don't require three bags for a weekend trip."

"Right," Luke said. "So uh, you ready to go?"

"I don't know, the board announcing the train arrivals and departures is pretty fascinating reading material. I may stay and look at it for a while," Jess answered sarcastically.

"You're acting like a teenager here against his will," Luke snapped. "Come on, let's go."

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"Rory!" Lorelai exclaimed. "You're just in time. I'm having an epiphany. Tonight I am celebrating the fact that I committed to one man by law for over a year."

"A year and a day," Rory said, "to be precise." She walked in the door of her mom's house.

"Uh, yeah Rory. I know I'm forgetful but I'll remember my own wedding anniversary."

"You recorded a reminder and programmed your alarm clock to play it, didn't you?"

Lorelai replied, "Better safe than sorry."

"You're shameless."

"And you're just like me."

"No, I remember stuff."

"Says the girl who forgot her three-month anniversary with her first boyfriend," Lorelai pointed out.

"Valid point," Rory admitted. "Hey, what are you wearing to the party tonight?"

"Oh, I got a fabulous new dress," Lorelai said excitedly. "Come upstairs, I'll show it to you."

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As they neared Stars Hollow, Luke tried to initiate a conversation with Jess.

"So, you remember your second cousin Amber?" Luke asked.

"Sure," Jess said, staring out the window. He missed New York already.

"She'll be there," Luke said.

"Wow, you weren't kidding."

"About what?"

"Lorelai invited the whole family. What did she do, go online and trace your genealogy and invited everyone who came up on the site?"

"It's crazy I know, hopefully the mood swings will end soon," Luke said. "Yesterday she decided to move our entire room around. The bed is now right next to the door, which I can't stand."

"Mmmm."

Luke paused for a second. "Lorelai's daughter will be there. She's about your age."

This was interesting. "How does Lorelai have a twenty-two-year-old daughter?"

"Twenty-one, actually. She's great, really smart, very pretty."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Lorelai had her when she was sixteen. But she did an excellent job raising her, aside from the fact that she'll probably die of a sugar coma at age thirty."

They pulled up to the diner. Jess got out and pulled his suitcase with him.

Luke took him upstairs to the apartment. "You can stay here, or you can stay with me and Lorelai."

"Nah, here's good."

"That's what I thought," he said. He left to go get sheets for the bed.

Jess wandered around the room for a few minutes while Luke went to get the sheets. The room was mostly bare since Luke had moved in with Lorelai, but there were still a few pictures lying around in their frames. Most were Luke and a dark-haired woman that Jess assumed was Lorelai; there was one of Luke and a woman with long curly hair.

Then he saw it.

A picture of Luke, Lorelai, and the intern -- Rory Gilmore.

Luke entered as Jess picked up the picture. "Hey Luke."

"What?" He was in the process of changing the sheets.

"Who's this girl?" Jess held up the picture and pointed to Rory.

"That's Lorelai's daughter, the one I was telling you about. Rory."

It was a small world, after all. Jess couldn't believe it -- the intern was his stepcousin.

This would be a fun party.

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Rory felt comforted as she stood by the food table and looked around the town center. The usual suspects were there -- Miss Patty was trying to entice a cousin of Luke's by the gazebo. Kirk was the self-appointed present-taker -- he held the presents until Lorelai (she was running the gift show) was ready to open them. And Taylor was inspected everything for signs of vandalism.

Emily and Richard, who had driven in from Hartford, approached Rory. "Rory!" Richard exclaimed. "Lovely to see you!"

"It's great to see you too, Grandpa," Rory said with a smile. She hugged him, then hugged Emily.

"How is your internship at the newspaper going?" Emily asked.

"It's good," Rory lied. "I get to do a lot of busy work though."

"Oh, well, start at the bottom and work your way up," Richard commented. "It's the way things should be -- these days, everyone is handed their positions on a silver platter."

A slow song started up. Emily gasped. "Oh, Richard, we must dance to this one," she said. "Rory, dear, you don't mind, do you?"

"No, go ahead," Rory said with a grin. Her grandparents left to dance, probably to a song with special meaning to their relationship.

Rory went over to the gazebo, where Luke and Lorelai sat.

"Mom, this is bigger than your wedding reception," Rory commented. "Luke, how did you let this happen?"

"Easy," Luke answered. "When we got married, she wasn't pregnant. Now she is."

"Point taken," Rory said."

"Daughter, being pregnant brings many luxuries," Lorelai told her.

"It also deprives you of coffee."

Lorelai frowned. "Which, in turn, cancels out all the luxuries."

Luke's attention was diverted. "Over there's my nephew Jess."

"Oh, bring him over here," Lorelai urged. "I'd love to meet him."

Luke left to retrieve Jess.

Rory thought for a moment. It was curious that his name was the same as her boss; Jess wasn't a very common name for men. Then again, she thought wryly, there's no way Luke's nephew is anywhere near the level of conceit and meanness of my boss.

Luke approached the gazebo behind Rory. "Rory, Lorelai, this is my nephew Jess. Jess, this is my wife Lorelai and my stepdaughter Rory."

Rory turned around.

"Hello," Jess Mariano said.

Oh. My God.