Old Enough

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! This chapter takes place during the summer after Rory's graduation. R and R!

Disclaimer: Still thanking Amy for the wonderful characters, except Ben coz he's mine.

As Rory watched her best friend play, she pondered the wonder of progression. Four years ago, Lane wouldn't have been allowed to play with a band in a place like the place they were in. A dingy bar in Hartford. Motorcycles parked out the front. Sleazy forty year olds coming onto every female in the joint. Yet it was the place Lane hated to leave. But in saying that, four years ago Rory would not have agreed to be getting married, yet here she was wearing an engagement ring.

"So? Did we rock or what?" Lane bounded over to Rory, drenched in sweat, demanding to praise on yet another great performance.

"You definitely rocked!" Rory encouraged with the utmost enthusiasm.

They left the bar and ended up back at Luke's, draining down more coffee than should be naturally possible, talking about the coming weeks.

"Oh my God! Does you're mom know? This is huge! When did you decide?" Lane had more questions than Rory cared to answer, but as her best friend Rory had an obligation to spill all the details.

"Well, we were just talking about it and sort of as a joke I said we should get married this weekend and he said 'Okay.' It was the last thing I expected him to say and I was kidding. Then he said maybe this weekend was too soon, but what about in a month. I had no idea what to say, but I figured, why not? You know? There's no point in delaying the inevitable. We're gonna get married anyway, why not do it right now? And getting married in Stars Hollow, where I grew up, with all the people I grew up with. How amazing would that be?" Rory had gone into ramble mode again and Lane needed time to absorb all the information.

"Rory, stop. So, you're getting married?" Rory nodded. "And you're getting married in three weeks?" Rory nodded again. "And you haven't told your mom yet?" Rory shook her head. "Okay, I think I'm up to speed, continue."

"Well actually, that's it. Except… Will you be my Maid of Honour?" Rory asked quietly, as if afraid of the answer she would get.

Lane got up and hugged her best friend. "I'm offended that you even had to ask! Of course I'll do it! I know we haven't been planning our wedding days since we were seven, but I imagined that I would be right beside you as you said 'I do' to that perfect guy! And that guy is Ben and that day is coming!" Lane exclaimed with all the energy she could muster. Rory sat smiling to herself. She'd never been able to imagine this moment. The moment when the plans for her life were finally cemented and final.

"It means a lot to me that you like Ben." Rory said simply to Lane.

"Of course I like him. You like him, so I like him."

"Yea, but it wasn't like that with… the others." She replied.

"I didn't like Jess, because I knew from the start that he was trouble and I was right! But I liked Dean and Adam and Daniel and Tristan. Until they broke your heart and then I stopped liking them as much." Lane retorted with confidence. "You have good taste in guys and you're an excellent judge of character. You're smart and wouldn't rush into anything you weren't ready for, so if marrying Ben is right for you, then I'm right there beside ya!"

"I hope my mom is as understanding as you are." Rory hoped.

"Rory, you're twenty-one years old, you've been making decisions for yourself since you could talk, your mom has always pushed you to be independent, what makes you think she won't support this marriage as much as she's supported every other decision you've ever made?" Lane demanded.

"Because now, she's got Luke and he's the King of over thinking and I'm afraid that he'll give my mom a sense of rationale she never used to have." Of things that could go wrong right now, having her mom disapprove would be the worst!

"Rory, stop over analysing this. Your mom is going to accept this, because you're her daughter and she loves you and she wants you to be happy." Lane explained calmly. "So, go. Go home. Talk to her and I will see you tomorrow. That is if you're still alive after your mom is done with you." Rory turned ghost white. "Relax. I was kidding. I'm sure it'll be fine."

"I'll see you later. Wish me luck with my mom." Rory told her.

"You don't need it. You have the world's coolest mom." Lane told her back.

Later, at the Gilmore house Rory and Lorelai were watching the Lord of the Rings extras for the millionth time with an array of takeaways spread in front of them. "That guy talks way too much. And that wouldn't so bad if some of what he had to say was at all interesting, but it's all blah, blah, blah." Lorelai commented.

"And if you hadn't seen it a thousand times already and didn't know what he's going to say." Rory retorted.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Lorelai admitted. Sometimes she wondered how her daughter got so smart. "So you wanna know something really funny? Today Michel was giving a tour of the Inn and he was in the stables with the guests and he dropped his phone. Easy mistake to make I know, but he happened to drop it under the horse…" Lorelai struggled to contain herself, the story was just too funny to be told without laughter. "…and he bends down to pick it up and Cletus pees all over him!"

"You're right. That is pretty funny." Rory lacked much enthusiasm, which basically told Lorelai all she needed to know. There was something wrong and she wanted to know who did it so she could beat their brains in.

"What happened? Who did it and why?" Lorelai demanded. She would beat it out of her she had to.

"Nothing's wrong, but I have to talk to you about something and you have to hear me out before you say anything. Okay?" Lorelai just stared at the younger Gilmore, willing her to continue. "Mom?"

"Okay. I won't say anything. Now speak."

"Okay. Ben and I have been talking and we've decided to get married in three weeks. And before you say anything, yes, I have thought it through carefully and yes, really do love Ben and no, I don't think it's a mistake. Does that answer all your questions?" Rory half didn't want to hear the answer, but she stayed watching her mother intently, trying to read her expression.

"Really? You're actually gonna do this? You're actually gonna get married?" Was all she asked.

"Yeah. I'm really gonna get married." Rory replied.

"You have no idea how proud I am of you! You've accomplished so much more in your life than I could ever have dreamed of and now you're getting married to a boy I totally approve of. Just tell me what you want and you'll get it. Doves, candles, balloons, you can have 'em. Hell if you want flying pigs, I'll get those too!" Lorelai pulled her daughter into a hug. To have a daughter like Rory was every parents dream, but it was her reality and she was so proud to see her daughter finally happy and settling down.

I know it's long and I know I said it's primarily a Rory/Jess fanfic and it is. I promise Jess is coming, just bear with me! R and R!