The next morning came without the slightest hesitation, the sun brightening everything in the sleepy town. Rory's eyes opened slowly, and she wrinkled her nose. It smelled like her mother had been trying to cook.

She rubbed her bleary eyes and walked into the kitchen, finding her mom fully dressed and looking frustrated as she glared at the coffee maker. There were burnt eggs on the stove, and a fire extinguisher sitting close by.

"Mom? What are you doing?"

Lorelai's head snapped up, guilt in her eyes.

"I figured breakfast at home would be a nice change… but I burnt it."

Rory laughed quietly.

"It's okay, we'll go to Luke's."

Lorelai shook her head, sending her dark locks flying.

"See… I don't think that's a good idea. We go there every day and I think Luke is tired of us."

The younger Gilmore stared hard at her mother. She got the feeling there was a lot more going on than she knew. She padded over to the table and took a seat across from Lorelai.

"Mom… Luke is your boyfriend. You know he loves seeing you. Seriously, what's going on?"

Lorelai sighed.

"You were always too smart for your own good, baby doll."

Rory smiled at the pet name, but didn't miss the sadness in her mother's voice.

"Don't freak out, okay? But… Jess is in town… with a kid."

Rory's eyes got wide. Her heart felt like it seized in her chest, the rhythm stopping, sending her spiraling into a dizzy blackness that she hadn't felt in years.

Jess Mariano?

Flashback (Three months after Jess left Rory at Yale)

The phone would not stop ringing. In the three months that he had occupied this apartment, Jess hadn't had a single call that wasn't from either Luke, Griffith, or telemarketers. Luke had left only 30 minutes before, after attending Griffith's funeral with Jess, so that left only telemarketers, and Jess didn't want to speak to them.

But the phone had rung 9 times, not that Jess was counting, and he was getting fed up. He picked up the receiver and slammed it back into the cradle. They would get the message.

Silence.

Jess was relieved, finally alone with his thoughts again. He'd been writing, and it would be easier to concentrate now.

The phone rang again.

Jess groaned in frustration. He almost slammed it down again before a thought crossed his mind.

What if Luke had been hurt?

So he picked up the phone, hands a little shaky, and barked a greeting into the receiver.

"Hello?"

There was silence for a moment on the other end, before-

"Hey, Jess… It's, uh, it's Rory."

His eyebrows shot up, his heart thudding in his chest and his hands shaking yet harder. She sounded nervous.

"Rory? What… Is everything okay?"

Rory rushed to reassure him.

"No, no… everything's fine. I just wanted to talk to you. Luke told me about your friend. I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I know it probably doesn't help, but I am. And I'm here for you any time you want to talk. I'd like to be friends… If you think that's possible."

Jess was silent. Anger was swelling in his chest. She wanted to be friends now? He tried to control his temper but the images his imagination had created of Rory and Dean together flooded his mind and pushed him over the edge.

"You know what, Rory? Not everything is about what you like or what you want or what you need. Some things, believe it or not, are about other people! Don't be so fucking high and mighty, offering your friendship up to save me! Did it ever occur to you that I can make it just fine without you? I don't need your pity, Rory. I'm doing great on my own, without you. And I wouldn't have it any other way."

Rory was silent. When she did speak, there were tears in her voice.

"Asshole."

Jess chuckled into the phone.

"Mistress."

And he slammed down the receiver in her ear, the sound lonely and cold.

End flashback

That was the last time they'd spoken. It had been almost two years, and Rory was glad to have not seen him. She turned to her mother, and spoke.

"A kid?"

AN/ Next chapter will be up very soon. I just wanted to post something today. I'm still writing, and it's not tedious yet. But you know what helps? REVIEWS!!! Give me some advice about how you want to bring Jess and Rory together! That way it will happen sooner.