Title: What Sam Says        

Chapter 17: The First Mentions of…You Know…The "L" Word

A/N: I have seventeen chapters. I am so cool.

Thanks for all of the suggestions from everybody—I'll take them all to heart, and then credit you, if and when I use them.

Sorry that I'm late with this…I was busy yesterday…I tried to write—I even wrote half of the chapter!—but then we had guests, and I was talking to the guy who agreed to be my escort to Sweet Sixteen, and I actually have stuff to do today, but I'm going to finish this chapter, stick it up, and then write another one—or two—before I go to bed tonight, as an apology.

Begin Story.

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"I need to use the phone," Rory said sheepishly as she and Jess separated from their thousandth reunion kiss.

"Ask Sasha," Jess said, waving vaguely towards the kitchen. Rory nodded, kissed Jess quickly on the cheek, and walked into the kitchen, to see Sasha leaning on the counter, flipping through a magazine.

"Uh, can I use your phone? It's long distance."

"Sure." Sasha handed the phone to Rory and watched as she dialed.

"Luke? Hi, it's me. I know Mom's sitting right there at the counter. Can I talk to her?" Rory rolled her eyes at Sasha as Luke started to ask her questions. "No, it was a good flight. Yeah, I found him. He was happy. Is happy." Rory smiled a goofy smile. "I'll have to see if he comes back with me. Yeah, well, I'm using his dad's phone, so I should probably talk to Mom. Thanks. Hey, Mom?"

Sasha wandered out of the kitchen and settled herself sideways on the arm of the couch, where Jess was still sitting, staring off into space with a happy look on his face.

"It's not your kid, is it?"

"Huh?" Jess asked, looking up at Sasha.

"Her kid. It's not yours."

"No," Jess shook his head. "You're always right, Sasha. Jimmy and I both hate you for it."

"Yeah, I know. So, you know it's not your kid, and you still kiss her?"

Jess shrugged. "She's not with anyone. The father isn't involved at all. We have a history, chemistry, and mutual attraction. Therefore, I'm the best candidate for her boyfriend."

"Why isn't the father involved?"

"You know, curiosity killed the cat."

"You know, clichés seriously aren't your thing."

"I know. You should let her tell you why the father isn't involved. I don't know if she wants me spreading it around."

Sasha nodded. "I'll do that."

"I'm gonna go find Lily," Jess announced, standing up from the couch. Sasha watched him walk from the room, and then she made her way back to the kitchen, where Rory was sitting at the table, laughing into the phone.

"Mom! But, yeah. You know, we always were good in that apartment." She paused to listen to something her mother said, and then blushed. "God, no! I've never done that. With anyone. No, I don't care if I'm an adult. Besides, it'd seem really weird, now that I'm…. Mom!! No, I can't talk to you anymore. Your mind's completely in the gutter, and crazier than it's ever been. Yeah, I'll call when I know our plans. I promise I'll call. Mom—I swear." Rory sighed, and then lifted her right hand. "I swear on all that is good, holy, and chocolate, that I will call my mother, Lorelai Gilmore, within the next twelve hours, and before, if, and when anything big happens. There. You happy?" Rory lowered her hand. "Yeah. I love ya too. Talk to you later." She hung up the phone and gave a sigh of relief.

"Talkative mother?" Sasha asked. Rory nodded. "Yeah, I'm one of those."

Rory laughed. Jess wandered into the kitchen, Rory's bag over his shoulder.

"Hey, listen Sash, I think I'm gonna go ahead and take Rory over to the Inferno for dinner," he announced, reaching for Rory's hand with one of his.

"Oh, okay. I guess I'll talk to you later."

"Sure. Bye." Jess led Rory out of the house, and they were grinning at each other the entire time. Sasha watched them go, and then headed into Jimmy's study to find Lily.

"I'm so glad you didn't just laugh in my face or something," Rory said as she and Jess walked through Jimmy and Sasha's backyard to the street.

"Why would I do that? Seriously, Rory, you underestimate yourself, and…my feelings for you." Jess blushed slightly, and then changed the subject. "Do you want to walk to the Inferno, or do you have a car?"

"I have a car, but let's go ahead and walk. Jess—"

"Sure." Jess interrupted Rory, still avoiding the subject. "Let me put your bag in the car, though."

"Okay."

Jess nodded and put the bag in the trunk when Rory opened it for him.

"Jess. Talk to me," she pleaded as he tried to start walking. "How do I underestimate your feelings?"

Jess kept his eyes focused on the sidewalk, until Rory gripped both sides of his face with her hands and forced him to look her straight in the eye.

"Jess."

"I…think I love you."

"I love you, too." Rory said immediately, causing Jess to look up in surprise.

"You do?"

"Yeah. You've been there for me…lots of times, and you always seem to look out for my health and well being before your own. Well, most of the time."

"Yeah." Jess nodded. "So…what now?"

"Now? Now we go get dinner. I'm famished."

Jess grinned, grabbed her hand again, and they walked off.

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"So, no one's heard from this Mike guy—"

"Mark," Lorelai corrected Luke. He just shook his head dismissively.

"Whatever. No one's heard from him for a month now?"

"Yep. He's completely disappeared. Rory said that Jess said that Tristan said that the CIA is working overtime to find him, cause he knows lots of  very top secret stuff, and he could be using that to help any number of enemy countries."

Luke nodded. "But, still, Rory hasn't spoken to him in five months, and there's no evidence that he even cares where she is anymore. Right?"

Lorelai nodded. "She's apparently off the hook. Which is good, cause this means her life might be able to return to normal."

"God. You're right. She is grown-up."

"And it's scary as hell."

"You know, I look at her, and I can still see the little six-year-old, sitting on a stool at the counter, begging for another cup of coffee."

Lorelai grinned at the memory. "She always was like a little version of me."

"I'm still having trouble figuring out if that's good or bad."

"Why, Luke, I'm surprised." Lorelai smiled, almost mischievously. "What would be good about it?"

"Self-sufficient. You are so strong." Luke said slowly. "You came to this town as a seventeen-year-old, and you worked your way from a maid at the Inn, living in a tool shed, to the owner of your own Inn, the owner of your own house, with a daughter who went to Yale, and is rapidly becoming self-sufficient herself."

Lorelai breathed in, slowly, deeply, and clamped her eyes closed, to keep the happy tears from falling. "That means so much coming from you."

"I mean every word."

Lorelai grinned as the first tear fell, and then laughed. "God. I'm bawling like a baby, cause you complimented me." She laughed again, standing up from her kitchen table and going over to the roll of paper towels on the counter. The she turned back around, to face Luke again. "Those were very sweet words."

"Don't ever call me sweet again."

"You're just an old softie."

"Lorelai…" Luke said in his warning tone. She laughed.

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"Lee, two everything hot dogs," Jess said to the redhead behind the counter of Dante's Inferno. Lee nodded, and started fixing the order. "You know where Jimmy is?"

"I think he took his break in the bookstore."

"He took a break?" Jess raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah, it shocked me, too." Lee shrugged, and then handed the hot dogs to Jess.

"Thanks," Jess nodded and handed one to Rory, who took it with glee.

"You remembered how I like my hot dogs!" she exclaimed, biting into it.

"Yeah, cause it's so hard to remember 'everything'," Jess rolled his eyes and started leading Rory by the hand to a bookstore on the boardwalk.

"So, we're going to see your dad?"

Jess shrugged. "You've met his girlfriend; might as well meet him." Then he grinned at the look on Rory's face. "And besides, he's heard a lot about you."

"Really?" she grinned back.

"Yep."

"Good."