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"Holy sh--"
"I really don't suggest you say that when you're holding a five month old baby," Rory said, walking into the room where Jess was changing Jemma's diaper.
"Sorry," Jess replied. "Does it always smell this bad?"
Rory laughed. "Not all the time."
"Oh," Jess said.
"Sometimes it's worse," Rory added.
"I have a lot to look forward to," Jess stated.
Rory nodded. "Yup."
Jess and Rory continued in silence as Rory showed Jess how to change Jemma's diaper.
"You're an expert," Jess said.
"Well, after changing about a billion diapers over the course of five months, being an expert is expected," Rory replied.
Jess smiled at Rory. "I really missed you, Ror."
"No, you didn't," Rory replied, picking up Jemma and making her way to the front porch.
Jess followed her, still confused by her comment.
"Then, what is it I miss?" he asked. "Because, I'm pretty sure it was you I was missing."
Rory shook her head, sitting down on the steps. "You miss the challenge."
"You were never a challenge," Jess retorted. "You were the one I wanted to be with."
"Funny thing, though, Jess," Rory stated. "You left."
"I am quite aware of that small tidbit of information," Jess said.
"Look, Jess, I'm happy you're here. But, the only reason I want you here is so you can raise your daughter," Rory said. "She needs a father."
"Well, you've got Dave, Jamie and Dean," Jess returned.
"True," Rory said. "But they're nothing like her real father. I want her to argue with people about Salinger, and to listen to weird music, and to really truly know love everywhere she goes."
"That last part is going to be a bit hard with me around, don't you think?" Jess asked.
"Maybe," Rory answered. "But I think I can help with that."
"I really did -- do -- love you Rory," Jess said. "I just, thought you should know."
Rory nodded. "And now I do."
Jess shook his head, looking at the sky. "Looks like we're in for a storm."
"Yeah, it does. I should probably get Jemma inside," Rory said. "Mom wants to teach her the art of a perfect coffee tonight."
"God help us," Jess muttered.
Rory laughed. "It's good to have my sarcastic Jess back."
"It's good to hear you laugh again," Jess responded.
"I laugh," Rory defended. "You just weren't around to hear it."
"Is that how it's going to be from now on? You saying something every time I try to get serious?" Jess asked.
"Jesus, Jess, you just don't get it, do you?" Rory returned. "I waited for you to come back. Eventually, I gave up. I figured that if you were going to come back, then you would have come back two months later, not thirteen."
"Well, had I known about her, I would have come back," Jess responded.
"Only because of her?" Rory inquired.
Jess looked at the ground. "You know I wouldn't have come back just for Jemma."
"Sometimes that's what I think would have happened. Jess, I thought you were getting tired of me," Rory said.
"You should know that's not true," Jess replied.
Rory sighed. "Well, you lied to me about Wal-Mart."
Jess shook his head. "Rory, can we not talk about this right now?"
Rory nodded. "Fine."
"Fine," Jess said.
Rory and Jess sat in silence, and then Rory stood up and took Jemma into the house.
Jess followed her and waited outside the bedroom door until she'd put Jemma into her crib. He couldn't believe how good she'd become at the silent treatment.
Rory stepped outside of Jemma's room. "Well, the baby has been put to bed."
"Look, Rory, I'm just going to head back to Luke's. I'll be by later." Jess turned around and left.
Rory sank down on the couch as Lorelai was walking through the front door.
"Hey, babe, I -- Rory!" Lorelai exclaimed, making her way over to the couch.
"Mom… I…" Rory was now crying.
Lorelai pulled her daughter into a hug. "I know, hon, I know."
"No… no… you… don't," Rory responded. "Mom… I… I love… I love Jess."
Lorelai's eyes widened. "What?"
"I tried not to, Mom. But, I do." Rory wiped her tears.
Lorelai smiled sympathetically at her daughter. "What are you going to do, babe?"
Rory shrugged. "I doubt he feels the same. I mean, he said he loved me but--"
"He told you he did?" Lorelai asked. "Honey, you know Jess. He'd only say it if he meant it."
"Part of me believes that, too," Rory responded. "But I think it's for the best if he and I just be a mother and a father. We shouldn't try to be together. It always complicates things."
"Okay, Rory, sweetie, you two have dated once," Lorelai reasoned.
"And look where that got us," Rory pointed out. "Not together with a kid."
Lorelai shook her head. "I'm not going to tell you what to do, okay? But do what you think is right."
Rory nodded. "I think I need to just accept the fact that a relationship with Jess is like trying to figure out why Cher is doing yet another farewell tour."
"Pointless. Kind of like Hanson," Lorelai agreed.
"Boy or girl? Straight or gay?" Rory joked.
"Where's Jemma?" Lorelai asked.
"Sleeping," Rory replied.
Lorelai nodded. "Okay, then. How about a movie?"
Rory smiled. "Sounds like a plan."
Jess sat on a bed in the apartment above Luke's and looked at the photo album in his hands.
Pictures of Rory and Jemma, Luke and Lorelai, Lorelai, Luke and Jemma, and Lorelai, Luke, Jemma, and Rory were displayed all over the place.
And then he saw two pictures of he and Rory.
In one, he was happy. In another, Rory was smiling, but he was frowning. He couldn't remember why he'd been unhappy that day.
He slowly closed the photo album, now realizing what Rory's words had meant.
He'd been a stupid boyfriend. A sucky boyfriend. He'd been the worst boyfriend ever.
He shook his head, trying to clear the thoughts. He watched as Luke came in through and grabbed a coffee cup, then left.
Jess smiled. He'd been surprised when he found out that his uncle had managed to finally tell Lorelai how he felt.
And then he was upset again. He needed Rory, and he needed to find a way to make her see that she needed him, too.
He would get her back. He loved her too much to give her up without a fight.
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"Holy sh--"
"I really don't suggest you say that when you're holding a five month old baby," Rory said, walking into the room where Jess was changing Jemma's diaper.
"Sorry," Jess replied. "Does it always smell this bad?"
Rory laughed. "Not all the time."
"Oh," Jess said.
"Sometimes it's worse," Rory added.
"I have a lot to look forward to," Jess stated.
Rory nodded. "Yup."
Jess and Rory continued in silence as Rory showed Jess how to change Jemma's diaper.
"You're an expert," Jess said.
"Well, after changing about a billion diapers over the course of five months, being an expert is expected," Rory replied.
Jess smiled at Rory. "I really missed you, Ror."
"No, you didn't," Rory replied, picking up Jemma and making her way to the front porch.
Jess followed her, still confused by her comment.
"Then, what is it I miss?" he asked. "Because, I'm pretty sure it was you I was missing."
Rory shook her head, sitting down on the steps. "You miss the challenge."
"You were never a challenge," Jess retorted. "You were the one I wanted to be with."
"Funny thing, though, Jess," Rory stated. "You left."
"I am quite aware of that small tidbit of information," Jess said.
"Look, Jess, I'm happy you're here. But, the only reason I want you here is so you can raise your daughter," Rory said. "She needs a father."
"Well, you've got Dave, Jamie and Dean," Jess returned.
"True," Rory said. "But they're nothing like her real father. I want her to argue with people about Salinger, and to listen to weird music, and to really truly know love everywhere she goes."
"That last part is going to be a bit hard with me around, don't you think?" Jess asked.
"Maybe," Rory answered. "But I think I can help with that."
"I really did -- do -- love you Rory," Jess said. "I just, thought you should know."
Rory nodded. "And now I do."
Jess shook his head, looking at the sky. "Looks like we're in for a storm."
"Yeah, it does. I should probably get Jemma inside," Rory said. "Mom wants to teach her the art of a perfect coffee tonight."
"God help us," Jess muttered.
Rory laughed. "It's good to have my sarcastic Jess back."
"It's good to hear you laugh again," Jess responded.
"I laugh," Rory defended. "You just weren't around to hear it."
"Is that how it's going to be from now on? You saying something every time I try to get serious?" Jess asked.
"Jesus, Jess, you just don't get it, do you?" Rory returned. "I waited for you to come back. Eventually, I gave up. I figured that if you were going to come back, then you would have come back two months later, not thirteen."
"Well, had I known about her, I would have come back," Jess responded.
"Only because of her?" Rory inquired.
Jess looked at the ground. "You know I wouldn't have come back just for Jemma."
"Sometimes that's what I think would have happened. Jess, I thought you were getting tired of me," Rory said.
"You should know that's not true," Jess replied.
Rory sighed. "Well, you lied to me about Wal-Mart."
Jess shook his head. "Rory, can we not talk about this right now?"
Rory nodded. "Fine."
"Fine," Jess said.
Rory and Jess sat in silence, and then Rory stood up and took Jemma into the house.
Jess followed her and waited outside the bedroom door until she'd put Jemma into her crib. He couldn't believe how good she'd become at the silent treatment.
Rory stepped outside of Jemma's room. "Well, the baby has been put to bed."
"Look, Rory, I'm just going to head back to Luke's. I'll be by later." Jess turned around and left.
Rory sank down on the couch as Lorelai was walking through the front door.
"Hey, babe, I -- Rory!" Lorelai exclaimed, making her way over to the couch.
"Mom… I…" Rory was now crying.
Lorelai pulled her daughter into a hug. "I know, hon, I know."
"No… no… you… don't," Rory responded. "Mom… I… I love… I love Jess."
Lorelai's eyes widened. "What?"
"I tried not to, Mom. But, I do." Rory wiped her tears.
Lorelai smiled sympathetically at her daughter. "What are you going to do, babe?"
Rory shrugged. "I doubt he feels the same. I mean, he said he loved me but--"
"He told you he did?" Lorelai asked. "Honey, you know Jess. He'd only say it if he meant it."
"Part of me believes that, too," Rory responded. "But I think it's for the best if he and I just be a mother and a father. We shouldn't try to be together. It always complicates things."
"Okay, Rory, sweetie, you two have dated once," Lorelai reasoned.
"And look where that got us," Rory pointed out. "Not together with a kid."
Lorelai shook her head. "I'm not going to tell you what to do, okay? But do what you think is right."
Rory nodded. "I think I need to just accept the fact that a relationship with Jess is like trying to figure out why Cher is doing yet another farewell tour."
"Pointless. Kind of like Hanson," Lorelai agreed.
"Boy or girl? Straight or gay?" Rory joked.
"Where's Jemma?" Lorelai asked.
"Sleeping," Rory replied.
Lorelai nodded. "Okay, then. How about a movie?"
Rory smiled. "Sounds like a plan."
Jess sat on a bed in the apartment above Luke's and looked at the photo album in his hands.
Pictures of Rory and Jemma, Luke and Lorelai, Lorelai, Luke and Jemma, and Lorelai, Luke, Jemma, and Rory were displayed all over the place.
And then he saw two pictures of he and Rory.
In one, he was happy. In another, Rory was smiling, but he was frowning. He couldn't remember why he'd been unhappy that day.
He slowly closed the photo album, now realizing what Rory's words had meant.
He'd been a stupid boyfriend. A sucky boyfriend. He'd been the worst boyfriend ever.
He shook his head, trying to clear the thoughts. He watched as Luke came in through and grabbed a coffee cup, then left.
Jess smiled. He'd been surprised when he found out that his uncle had managed to finally tell Lorelai how he felt.
And then he was upset again. He needed Rory, and he needed to find a way to make her see that she needed him, too.
He would get her back. He loved her too much to give her up without a fight.