A/N: Unfortunately, Fanfic.net HATES me. So I haven't received any feedback that has come in since chapter 15. So if you would like to send me feedback, the only way I'll get it is through email: Trumpetlee@aol.com Thank you!!

2. Gloria is mine. Yes, I'm taking some liberties with Jess's New York life.

They quietly walked into her house at around one in the morning. It was dark, and Rory closed the door as softly as she could. Not that she had too much to worry about. Her mother could sleep through anything.

She turned from the door to face him. He looked almost eerie in the dark. Standing there, hands in the pockets of his jeans, big brown eyes staring at her calmly. She walked toward him and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his neck. "Thank you for tonight," she said softly.

He nodded and kissed her hair as he swung his arms around her. "Love you, Rory," he said quietly, almost inaudibly.

She smiled and kissed his neck softly. "I love you, too, Jess."

He pulled back a little and kissed her deeply, just as the light clicked on.

"Gooooood morning!" Lorelei said with a smirk as she walked into the front hall.

Rory pulled away from Jess and smiled, obviously embarrassed. "Hi, Mom."

"Did you guys have a good time?" Lorelei asked his a smirk.

"Yeah, it was great," Rory replied, clearing her throat. She took another step away from Jess, who was now holding her hands. He was staring at her. She was staring back.

"It's late," Lorelei said. "Jess, you should get home before Luke starts to get worried."

Jess turned from Rory and raised an eyebrow.

"Er... it's getting late, you don't wanna get mugged or-"

The eyebrow rose higher.

"Go home!" Lorelei cried. "We'll see you in the morning for coffee."

Jess nodded. "Yeah."

No one moved.

Lorelei rolled her eyes, took Jess by the shoulders and pushed him towards the door. "Say g'night, Rory!"

Rory smiled. "G'night, Rory!"

Lorelei sighed. "Say g'night, Jess."

He looked back over his and Lorelei's shoulders at Rory and smirked. "G'night, Jess."

*****

"Have fun?"

Jess nodded as he walked into the apartment, plopped down on the couch and opened up the leather-bound book Rory had given him.

"Did she?"

"Yup."

"How much fun?"

"Raunchy, Porno fun," Jess replied, not looking up at Luke, who was glaring.

"Gypsy fixed your car."

Jess blinked up from his book. "She did?"

Luke nodded. "I gave her the cash for it."

"Thanks." He looked back down at his book.

"You uh... you got a phone call," Luke told him.

Jess blinked, and lowered the book. "I don't get phone calls."

Luke handed him a posted note with a number and a name on it. "You do now."

Jess looked it over. "Huh."

Luke dangled the cordless phone in front of his nephew, who took it and dialed. "Grandma? Is Gloria there?"

*****

Knock, knock, knock.

"If I had a gun, I'd shoot you! It's two in the morning!" She swung open the door to see Jess standing there. "Jess, what the hell are you doing?"

"I came to say goodbye to Rory."

"Goodbye?"

"I gotta go home for a few days."

"Well, she's asleep, Jess."

He nodded. "Just tell her... bye... I... love her, and I'll be back soon."

"Jess?"

Jess looked past Lorelei. "Rory?" He looked back to the older Gilmore. "You said she was sleeping."

"She was."

Rory pushed in to stand next to her mother. "What's going on?"

"I gotta go, Rory. I'll be back in a couple of days."

"Where?"

"Home."

"Why?"

"Emergency."

She frowned.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, okay? I gotta go."

"I'm going back to school on Monday morning," she told him.

He sighed. "And it's Friday, now, I know. I'm sorry. I have to do this."

"Can I come with you?"

He gave her a weird look, as did Lorelei.

"What?"

"Rory, maybe you should stay," Jess said.

"No, if it's that important-"

"Rory, it's so late," Lorelei cut her off. "Go with Jess another time."

Rory sighed.

"I'll be back, I promise. I swear," Jess told her. "But I really have to go." He began to walk off.

Rory bit her bottom lip. She didn't want him to go. She didn't want him to drive, mostly. She looked to her mother, who was still standing in the doorway, looking as conflicted as Rory. Something was obviously very wrong.

"Jess!" Lorelei called.

He turned back, looking slightly confused.

"Wait ten minutes for Rory to pack a bag."

Rory stared at her mother in shock. "Mom?"

"Look at him," Lorelei replied, gesturing to Jess, who was standing awkwardly halfway to his car. "He's frazzled. He needs you. Go pack clothes and stuff."

Rory smiled and rushed up the stairs.

*****

"So why are we going?" Rory asked groggily as Jess drove. She had started to fall asleep at the wheel. He'd insisted on driving. She hadn't really wanted him to, though. They were only half-way to Manhattan.

"Because my best friend is a dumb-ass," Jess replied, looking out at the road.

"What'd he do?"

"He landed himself in the jail." Jess sighed. "You should get some sleep. We've got another hour to go."

"Where are we staying?"

"My grandmother's house."

"I thought Luke and Liz's mom died," Rory yawned, curling up a little.

"This is Jimmy's mother."

"Oh. I didn't think you knew any relatives on his side," Rory mused.

"When he split, and Liz stopped being around, Grandma Sofia looked after me a lot."

Rory nodded, blinking to keep awake.

"Sleep."

"No."

"Rory, sleep."

She sighed.

"Thank you."

She looked over at him as he kept his eyes on the road. "For what?"

"For doing this," he replied. "For packing up your stuff and hopping in a car with me to go to New York at two in the morning."

She nodded, starting to drift off. "Told you. Love you."

He gave a half smile to the road and took her limp hand and kissed it. "G'night, Rory."

"Hmm..." she fell asleep.

*****

She was so tired when they arrived an hour later that he had to help her out of the car and into the apartment building. He walked her up a few flights of stairs and to a dull green door. He sighed and tried the door. It was unlocked.

He sighed and walked in, Rory half asleep on his arm.

Rory tried to wake herself up a little and looked around blearily. The apartment was of medium size, with a kind of beige color scheme.

Sitting on the couch was a girl around their age with curly brown hair, done up nicely, wearing a dark red tank top and a short, black skirt. She got up and smiled a little at Jess. "Took you long enough," she said in a heavy New York accent.

"Thass your grandmother?" Rory asked groggily, tilting her head at the girl.

Jess smirked. "Nah. This is my cousin, Gloria. Gloria, this is my girlfriend, Rory."

Gloria smiled widely. "Nice t'meet you, Rory."

"What're you doing here? I thought I was gonna meet you at the police station," Jess said.

Gloria rolled her eyes. "He was pissin' me off, so I left him there."

"Who?" Rory asked quietly.

"Jamie," Jess replied. "He's my best friend. And he's an idiot. What did he do?"

Gloria rolled her eyes. Rory smirked, noticing Gloria's eye roll was exactly like Jess's. "Don't get me started."

Jess sighed. "Which means you probably did the right thing by leaving him."

Gloria smirked. "Well, in any case, it's good to see you." She hugged Jess, who patted her shoulder awkwardly.

Rory started to drift off again.

Jess sighed, and hoisted Rory into his arms and carried her over to the couch. He laid her down and she blinked at him a little.

"Sleep."

She nodded and closed her eyes.

He sighed and got up and walked into the kitchen, where Gloria was sitting. He sat down across from her.

"So, that's Rory."

Jess nodded. "Yes, that is Rory."

Gloria smiled. "I like her."

"You've said two words to her."

"Shut up and be happy that I like her."

Jess rolled his eyes and sighed. "How are you?"

Gloria shrugged. "Same old. How's Hoo-hah Connecticut?"

Jess glared. Gloria smiled.