Thanks for the reviews! Hope you like this chapter!!
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
"So, what's the plan, my man?" Lorelai was jumping on Rory's bed -- at eight o'clock in the morning.
"Back to sleep. Or you'll be shot," Rory replied tiredly.
Lorelai rolled her eyes at her daughter. It seemed like just yesterday Rory had come to the Independence Inn to find she'd been accepted into Chilton.
"Mom?" Rory called out as she walked toward the kitchen.
"Here! She's in here!" Sookie yelled through the closed door.
Rory walked into the kitchen to see her mother and Sookie smiling broadly.
"You're happy," she said.
Lorelai kept smiling. Her eyes were literally shining. "Yeah."
"Did you do something slutty?" Rory asked.
"I'm not that happy," she said. Lorelai and Sookie started giggling. Then, Lorelai held out a plastic purple gift bag to Rory. "Here."
Rory took the bag and started smiling, too.
"What's going on?" Rory asked. Rory had no clue what this was all about, her mother and Sookie looked so happy it had to be something big.
Rory reached in, rifled through the tissue paper, and pulled out a blue-and-white plaid skirt. Sort of woolly. Lots of pleats. "I'm gonna be in a Britney Spears video?"
"You're going to Chilton!" Sookie blurted excitedly. She turned quickly to Lorelai. "Sorry."
"Mom?" Rory asked.
Lorelai held up a letter. "You did it, babe. You got in!"
"How did this happen?" Rory asked excitedly. "You didn't… with the principal, did you?"
"Oh, honey, that was a joke," Lorelai said with a wave of her hand. "They have an open spot and you're starting on Monday."
"Really?" Rory asked, still not believing it.
"Really," Lorelai said.
"I don't believe this. Oh my God! I'm going to Chilton!" Rory said.
She hugged her mother quickly.
"Sookie, I'm going to Chilton!" Rory cried, hugging Sookie, too.
"I'll make oatmeal cookies," Sookie said, giggling. "Protestants, they love oatmeal!"
"I have to call Lane," Rory said, turning around to leave.
She quickly turned back around, running to her mother and hugging her. "I love you."
"Ohhh. I love you," Lorelai said, smiling.
Rory had come so far since those days. She'd become a great, spectacular mother, and Lorelai grew to respect her more and more each day.
Jemma started crying, breaking Lorelai from her reverie.
"Oh, boy," Rory said, getting out of bed, making her way over to Jemma's crib. "What's the matter, babe?"
Lorelai smiled at her daughter and granddaughter. They looked so inseparable.
"Shh," Rory soothed, dancing around slowly with Jemma. "It's okay."
Jemma started settling down, resting her head on Rory's shoulder. Lorelai smiled at this sight, as well, reminding her of Rory's infancy. She slowly made her way over to Rory.
"I'm going to go get some coffee," Lorelai whispered. "Want any?"
Rory nodded. "Yeah, a cherry danish, too, please."
Lorelai smiled at Rory. "Okay."
Rory watched as her mother left the room, and she slowly made her way over to the radio. She saw a blank CD case sitting on top of it. After much debating, she put it in, and when the song came on, she smiled.
Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?
You been out ridin' fences for so long now
Oh, you're a hard one, I know that you got your reasons
These things that are pleasin' you
Can hurt you somehow
Rory slowly made her way over to the rocking chair, sitting down and rocking Jemma back and forth.
Don't you draw the queen of diamonds, boy
She'll beat you if she's able
You know the queen of hearts is always your best bet
Rory smiled, remembering how Jess had sang this same song to Jemma not even two days ago.
Now it seems to me, some fine things
Have been laid upon your table
But you only want the ones that you can't get
Rory didn't know how it happened, but for the first time in a long while, Rory let herself remember the good times that she and Jess had shared.
Like the time he took her to the Distillers concert.
And the time he got in her carriage with her because there was no one to ride with her.
Or their first meeting, when he stole her copy of Howl.
Rory smiled, remembering everything.
Desperado, oh, you ain't gettin' no younger
Your pain and your hunger, they're drivin' you home
And freedom, oh freedom well, that's just some people talkin'
Your prison is walking through this world all alone
She remembered how they had perfected the making out and walking at the same time. Though they'd almost killed themselves a few times.
She remembered how he'd come the bridge after Dean had broken up with her.
Don't your feet get cold in the winter time?
The sky won't snow and the sun won't shine
It's hard to tell the night time from the day
You're losin' all your highs and lows
Ain't it funny how the feeling goes away?
And then she remembered their first time.
She'd been scared, and he'd protested, but she wanted to. And it was magical. And it brought her one of the greatest things ever to happen to her, who was now laying in her arms, sound asleep.
Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?
Come down from your fences, open the gate
It may be rainin', but there's a rainbow above you
You better let somebody love you, before it's too late
She still loved Jess, there was no question, but she didn't want to risk Jemma losing a father if they happened to break up.
And so she smiled, because Jess had become a better person.
Lorelai came into Jemma's room holding two coffees and two danishes.
"Hey, kid," Lorelai greeted.
Rory looked at her mother. "Hey, mom."
"What's this?" Lorelai asked.
"Desperado," Rory replied. "Jess made a CD for Jemma."
"What else is on here?" Lorelai asked.
Rory smiled when her mother changed the song.
"You can always count on Jess to be humorous," Lorelai joked, as Cleaning out My Closet played.
Rory shook her head, smiling. "I told him no hard rock."
"Ah, Eminem is great though," Lorelai replied.
Rory smiled at her mom. "Okay, new song."
And the two women listened to the lullabies Jess had picked out for his daughter.
Rory would smile, and Lorelai would laugh. Occasionally, they would hear a sound of glee from the small baby who was sitting up, smiling.
And Jess, as he watched from the window, only hoped he could be the father that the little girl needed.