October
"RORY!!!"
Rory sighed as she tried to get through her homework. "Yeah?!"
"HAVE YOU SEEN MY LIPSTICK?!"
Rory gave another sigh. "No! Did you try asking Paris?!"
"No..."
Rory sighed. She'd been really excited when she'd gotten the news that Gloria would be attending Yale with her. She'd gotten a full scholarship, so the money wasn't a problem, as long as she was on her best behavior. This was not always easy for the New Yorker. She partied a lot, and fought a lot, but her grades were top-notch.
Rory had taken charge of her dorm arrangements, promising Paris that they would at least be in the same suite again, and promising Gloria the same. And so it had been the three of them, plus Tanna.
Things had been going... well... as well as could be expected.
When Paris and Gloria had met at her end of the year party about five months prior, it hadn't been a pretty sight. Gloria had called Paris a "Hoity-toity Rich Girl." Paris had been no better, calling the darker- haired girl "City Trash."
This had resulted in Paris receiving a black eye.
"Did I forget to tell you?" Jess had said over the phone from California after the incident. "Gloria was a boxing champ back in high school."
Of course, Paris had fought back, using her nails to dig giant craters in the skin on Gloria's arms.
What was it with Marianos and Gellars?
Mariano.
Jess.
She sighed.
He was still in California. Lily had begged him to stay when he'd been ready to leave at the end of the summer, and he'd given in and promised another month or so. At this rate Rory wondered if she'd ever see him again.
The thought of him permanently staying in California made her a little queasy, and so she tried to concentrate on her homework.
*****
"So, Rory, your birthday is coming up," Richard said smiling at his granddaughter of Friday dinner. "What would you like?"
Rory shrugged. "I don't know yet, Grandpa," she replied absently, playing with her food.
Lorelei frowned a little at her daughter. She knew what she really wanted for her birthday.
"So, how is Jess?" Emily asked.
"Fine," Rory replied, her voice still slightly distant.
Emily put her fork down when she'd finished eating. "He must really love California."
"Not really," Rory told her.
"Well, when is he coming back?"
"We don't know yet, Mom," Lorelei replied.
"Is he coming back?"
Rory nodded. "Yup. He's coming back. He always comes back."
Emily sighed. "What if he doesn't come back?"
"He's coming back," Rory repeated. "He promised me."
"Well, I'm under the impression that this boy has broken promises to you before."
"Mom, don't," Lorelei said gently. "This isn't a good-"
"Grandma, he's coming back," Rory said calmly. "He wouldn't just not come back."
Emily sighed. "I just don't want to see you hurt."
Rory got up abruptly. "Excuse me. I need the bathroom."
As she walked off, the three adults glanced worriedly at each other.
*****
"Lily, he can't stay here forever."
"Why not?"
Sasha sighed. "He's not happy here, Honey. He needs to go home."
"He is home."
Jimmy sighed. "Lily, your mom's right. Jess is unhappy. He hasn't said more than two words in three days."
It was true. The more time Jess spent in California, the quieter he became. Jimmy knew it had nothing to with them. Jess just missed the East. And Rory. Especially Rory. He couldn't stay, and both Jimmy and Sasha knew it.
"So?"
The two adults gave each other a glance.
"I'll talk to him about it tomorrow," Jimmy said.
*****
"So then Dave was completely like 'well, why don't we make it an F?' And then Brian was like-"
Luke groaned. "Lane, stop talking!"
Rory snickered and walked over to Kirk. "Know what you want yet?"
"No."
"Know what you want yet?"
Kirk glared. "No."
Rory smiled. "Know what you want yet?"
"No!"
Lane giggled and watched.
"Know what you want yet?"
"Pancakes!" Kirk yelled in anger. "God!"
Rory gave him an even wider smile. "Coming right up."
Luke shook his head as he watched Rory trot back to the kitchen to talk to Caesar. "Gotta teach Jess that trick when he gets back."
"If," Kirk corrected.
"He's coming back," Lane said.
Kirk snorted. "Sure he is."
*****
"Those things will kill you, y'know."
Jess rolled his eyes as he lit his cigarette. "Sure, Jimmy, Like you're one to talk."
"When're you gonna cut the 'Jimmy' crap and start calling me dad?"
"When you figure out a way to go back in time and stop yourself from abandoning me... Jimmy."
Jimmy sighed as he sat next to his son outside the apartment building. "Alright. Yeah, I deserved that."
Jess nodded and exhaled some smoke.
"Listen, Jess... Thank you... for staying so long. I know you're real homesick and...well... thanks."
Jess merely nodded.
Jimmy sighed. "I'm... I'm doing a lot better, and... Sasha and I want you to go home... that is... if you want to... we're not... kicking you out or anything, we like having you around. If you wanna stay, that's fine."
Jess sighed. "I wanna go home, Jimmy."
Jimmy nodded and gripped Jess's shoulder. "You got it."
******
"I think he's really depressed, Luke."
Luke gave his phone a bewildered look. "Liz, I just talked to him a couple of days ago. He's fine."
"But I saw him a couple of months ago," Liz pleaded. "And I think he was really unhappy."
"Well, if he wants to come home, he'll come home."
"No, he won't because he feels obligated to stay."
Luke sat down on his couch. "You're jealous."
"What?!"
"You're jealous that Jess is getting along better with Jimmy than he is with you."
"No."
"You're jealous that he gets along better with Sasha than he does with you."
"Ugh!"
"You are," Luke laughed.
"She's creepy."
"You only say that because Jess likes her better."
"He does not!" Liz cried. "I'm his mother."
"Only technically."
Click.
Luke frowned as he heard a dial tone. "Hey!"
******
Jess had been sitting against Lily's door for the better part of an hour. He'd told her that he was going home. She hadn't taken the news well.
"I can't stay here forever!" he called.
"Why?!"
"Because my home is back east!" He explained. "My girlfriend is back east. My jobs. My apartment."
"You can find a new girlfriend here, you have a job here, and you live here!"
"I'm going home, Lily."
She swung open her door, and he fell back and hit the floor. She looked down at him angrily. "You are home."
He shook his head.
"Jess!"
"Lily!" Jess cried back. "I gave you one more month, and it's up. I'm going home."
"You were supposed to stay here!"
Jess rolled his eyes up at her. "No."
"Please?" She asked.
"No."
"Jeeessssss!!"
He sat up, got to his feet and walked off. She glared after him and slammed the door.
******
"All I'm saying is that maybe they should take a break," Emily said.
"If you think about it, we're already on a break," Rory commented. "He's there, I'm here."
"And who knows if he's coming back," Emily added.
"He's coming back," Rory replied.
"It's been five months," Emily said.
"Almost," Rory nodded. "Not quite, but almost."
Lorelei sighed as she sat in her parents' dining room. "New topic."
"Yes, please," Richard nodded. "Rory, how is school?"
******
Jess was caught off guard when Sasha pulled him into a tight hug. "Have a safe flight, Kid."
"Uh..." he hugged back tentatively. "Thanks."
She let him go and smiled, and he looked to Jimmy.
"So uh... bye."
Jimmy nodded. "Thanks for everything, Jess."
Jess nodded, and they shook hands briefly before Jimmy pulled him into a hug with lasted all of about ten seconds.
Afterwards, they stared at each other, and Jess cleared his throat and looked to Lily.
"Bye, Lily."
She didn't reply. She didn't even look at him.
He sighed. "Okay. I gotta go. I'll uh... I guess I'll call when I get there."
******
Rory frowned as she and her mother reached their front porch after dinner that evening. "What if Grandma's right?"
Lorelei stopped behind her daughter, who turned to her. "About what?"
"About... what if Jess really isn't coming back?"
Lorelei's look softened. "Oh, Babe. Of course he's coming back. He wouldn't do that to you."
Would he? Lorelei had her doubts. Jess had pulled this kind of thing before, and it had been five months. As much as she hated to admit it, her mother did have a point.
Scary thought, that; Emily having a point. Lorelei almost shuddered from it.
Rory nodded. "I know. He didn't send a letter this week, and he never misses a weekly letter."
"Maybe it's late."
Rory nodded, seeming to relax just a little. "You're probably right. It's just late." She walked forward and hugged Lorelei. "Love you, Mom."
Lorelei smiled. "Love you, too, Gilmore." She glanced over her daughter's shoulder, and saw exactly what her daughter wanted most for her birthday. She smiled, all thoughts of her mother being right seeping from her mind. She let go and smiled at Rory. "I'm gonna go in, okay?"
Rory nodded and smiled. "I'm gonna sit for a while."
Lorelei nodded. "Good. Happy birthday, Sweets."
"Thanks, Mom."
The older Gilmore smiled and walked into the house, closing the door, but leaving it unlocked.
Rory sighed as she sat on the front stoop, looking out. She wondered what Jess was doing. Where he was. If he was alright. What if something horrible had happened? What if he'd been abducted by mutant space goats?
Mutant space goats?
She'd been studying too hard at school.
Still.... Mutant space goats?
She didn't even notice him walk up to her.
He merely stared down at her. Her eyes glazed over in thought. She'd grown her hair out again, and she seemed slightly longer, a little more mature.
It had been five months.
He felt like it'd been years. He'd missed her like hell.
He took the haphazardly wrapped package out from under his arm and held it out to her.
She looked up at him, shock in her eyes.
He smirked at her. "Happy birthday. Miss me?"
She slowly got to her feet, still staring in shock.
"What?" he asked. "Is there something on my face?"
"There will be," she replied softly. She took the box from him and dropped it on the ground before taking him by the shoulders and dragging him into the most passionate kiss she could.
******
Lorelei hadn't heard them walk in. Lorelei hadn't heard them shuffle into Rory's room, and Lorelei hadn't heard any of what followed.
Afterward, they were curled up in bed, holding onto each other for dear life.
She sniffed softly and let a couple of tears fall, staining his bare shoulder.
He pulled back from her slightly. "Hey." He gently wiped a couple of her tears away with his thumbs. "What's with this?"
She sniffed again. "I'm just really, really happy to see you."
He nodded and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
******
"Oh, thank god!" Luke cried as Jess sauntered into the diner the next morning, holding Rory's hand. He turned to Rory. "You're fired." He turned to Jess. "You're hired."
Rory blinked. "Hey!"
Luke sighed. "I'm sorry; Rory, but I can't take it anymore. You and Lane just... don't stop talking. At least Jess can shut up for two seconds."
Rory pouted.
"And you've got studying to do!" Luke pointed out loudly. "You shouldn't be wasting your time here."
She seemed to take this in thoughtfully. "Do ex-employees still get free coffee?"
Luke smirked. "Yeah."
Rory smiled and sat at the counter as Jess walked behind it and got her some coffee.
Luke sighed as he walked into the kitchen, and walked back out with a chocolate cake, which he placed in front of Rory. "Happy birthday. Caesar was supposed to get your balloons but he had the sudden urge to suck the helium out of them."
Rory laughed. "Thanks, Luke. Hi, Caesar!"
"Hi!" came a high-pitched version of Caesar's voice.
Jess rolled his eyes.
Rory gave him a brilliant smile, and he seemed to remember something. He pulled a rolled up piece of paper out of his back pocket and handed it to Luke.
"What's this?"
"Open it."
Luke unrolled it, studied it, and then glared at Jess. "Not funny."
"Not meant to be funny."
"Still not funny."
Rory leaned over to look. "What is it?"
Luke handed it to her and she looked it over.
"Oh, my god. Jess!"
"What?"
She looked up at him. "This is a diploma."
"So, it is," he replied.
"You didn't mention you were going to school," Rory said. "Not once, in any of your letters did you tell me that."
"I didn't?"
Rory shook her head.
"Huh."
She stared at him.
"What?"
"You graduated," she stated.
"How do you know that thing isn't a fake?" Luke asked.
Rory hefted the scroll a little, and sniffed it. "It's real."
Both men stared at her.
"You freak," Jess said.
"Blame Paris," Rory replied. "It was all in the responsibility of being Vice President. Had to sniff out fakes."
"There were fakes?" Luke asked.
"No. But you know Paris."
"So..." Luke said, turning to Jess. "You ah... you graduated."
Jess nodded. "Jimmy told me that if I didn't, he was gonna call my grandmother."
"He was going to sic Sofia on you?" Rory asked. "That's low."
"This is Jimmy we're talking about," Jess reminded her. "Anyways, I went to classes, sat through boring-assed lectures, all for a worthless piece of paper and a thing on my permanent record that says I'm a high school graduate."
Rory smiled and studied the paper again.
Jess rolled his eyes. "It's not a big deal."
"Yes, it is," Luke said forcefully. "Sit. Rory, share your cake with Jess."
Rory looked slightly offended. "Hey. It's my birthday. It's my cake."
"Sookie is probably preparing you three more as we speak," Luke pointed out. "Share with the graduate."
"I don't want any cake."
"Oh, yes you do," Luke replied. "Sit. Now."
Jess glared.
Luke glared back.
Rory smiled. "I missed this so much."
*****
Rory, of course, was the center of attention, seeing as it was her birthday. Unfortunately, since he was the boyfriend, he was pulled halfway into the spotlight along with her.
Everyone had been surprised to see him. Some showed horrified surprise (Taylor), some showed mild, disinterested shock (Kirk), and some were almost happy to he him (Jamie and Gloria, who'd driven in).
Not that any of that mattered.
He was sitting on the couch, with her on his lap. She was talking to the mass amount of people around her, opening presents, and listening to stories. He said nothing, only listened to the somewhat organized chaos around him, and played with the end of the pink feather boa that was wrapped securely around her neck.
He wondered if he could squeeze himself back into her life. He wondered if maybe she was better off with him in California. He wondered if Lily would ever forgive his leaving.
His wondering was interrupted when she slid off of his lap and next to him and cuddled into his side as she listened to Babette tell some wild, fast-paced story.
"Having fun?" she whispered.
Jess gave a slight shrug. "What's fun?"
She smirked and reached up and kissed his jaw and went back to listening.
******
They sat on the bridge after the party had ended that night. They'd been excused from the clean-up when Jess had voiced a desire to light a fire in one of the many trash cans.
This, or course, was all part of an ingenious ploy of his. He knew they'd never send him off on his own. What if he'd gone back to his terrible Jess-like ways while in California? He needed a chaperone. And who better to keep his mind off of mischief-making than his girlfriend?
And she had yet to open his present.
He put the package in her lap. "You were supposed to open this last night."
She blushed a little at the thought of the previous night's activities, although he couldn't see it. "I was busy... opening something else," she replied almost inaudibly.
"Open it," Jess told her.
She nodded and ripped it open, and pulled the top off of the box to reveal a heavy-looking leather jacket. She pulled it out. "Wow... Jess..."
He shrugged. "It's gonna start getting cold around here soon... thought it might be useful or... something..." he rambled a little. "If you don't like it, I can-"
She cut him off by kissing him briefly. "I love it. Thank you."
He smirked and nodded. "Happy birthday."
"RORY!!!"
Rory sighed as she tried to get through her homework. "Yeah?!"
"HAVE YOU SEEN MY LIPSTICK?!"
Rory gave another sigh. "No! Did you try asking Paris?!"
"No..."
Rory sighed. She'd been really excited when she'd gotten the news that Gloria would be attending Yale with her. She'd gotten a full scholarship, so the money wasn't a problem, as long as she was on her best behavior. This was not always easy for the New Yorker. She partied a lot, and fought a lot, but her grades were top-notch.
Rory had taken charge of her dorm arrangements, promising Paris that they would at least be in the same suite again, and promising Gloria the same. And so it had been the three of them, plus Tanna.
Things had been going... well... as well as could be expected.
When Paris and Gloria had met at her end of the year party about five months prior, it hadn't been a pretty sight. Gloria had called Paris a "Hoity-toity Rich Girl." Paris had been no better, calling the darker- haired girl "City Trash."
This had resulted in Paris receiving a black eye.
"Did I forget to tell you?" Jess had said over the phone from California after the incident. "Gloria was a boxing champ back in high school."
Of course, Paris had fought back, using her nails to dig giant craters in the skin on Gloria's arms.
What was it with Marianos and Gellars?
Mariano.
Jess.
She sighed.
He was still in California. Lily had begged him to stay when he'd been ready to leave at the end of the summer, and he'd given in and promised another month or so. At this rate Rory wondered if she'd ever see him again.
The thought of him permanently staying in California made her a little queasy, and so she tried to concentrate on her homework.
*****
"So, Rory, your birthday is coming up," Richard said smiling at his granddaughter of Friday dinner. "What would you like?"
Rory shrugged. "I don't know yet, Grandpa," she replied absently, playing with her food.
Lorelei frowned a little at her daughter. She knew what she really wanted for her birthday.
"So, how is Jess?" Emily asked.
"Fine," Rory replied, her voice still slightly distant.
Emily put her fork down when she'd finished eating. "He must really love California."
"Not really," Rory told her.
"Well, when is he coming back?"
"We don't know yet, Mom," Lorelei replied.
"Is he coming back?"
Rory nodded. "Yup. He's coming back. He always comes back."
Emily sighed. "What if he doesn't come back?"
"He's coming back," Rory repeated. "He promised me."
"Well, I'm under the impression that this boy has broken promises to you before."
"Mom, don't," Lorelei said gently. "This isn't a good-"
"Grandma, he's coming back," Rory said calmly. "He wouldn't just not come back."
Emily sighed. "I just don't want to see you hurt."
Rory got up abruptly. "Excuse me. I need the bathroom."
As she walked off, the three adults glanced worriedly at each other.
*****
"Lily, he can't stay here forever."
"Why not?"
Sasha sighed. "He's not happy here, Honey. He needs to go home."
"He is home."
Jimmy sighed. "Lily, your mom's right. Jess is unhappy. He hasn't said more than two words in three days."
It was true. The more time Jess spent in California, the quieter he became. Jimmy knew it had nothing to with them. Jess just missed the East. And Rory. Especially Rory. He couldn't stay, and both Jimmy and Sasha knew it.
"So?"
The two adults gave each other a glance.
"I'll talk to him about it tomorrow," Jimmy said.
*****
"So then Dave was completely like 'well, why don't we make it an F?' And then Brian was like-"
Luke groaned. "Lane, stop talking!"
Rory snickered and walked over to Kirk. "Know what you want yet?"
"No."
"Know what you want yet?"
Kirk glared. "No."
Rory smiled. "Know what you want yet?"
"No!"
Lane giggled and watched.
"Know what you want yet?"
"Pancakes!" Kirk yelled in anger. "God!"
Rory gave him an even wider smile. "Coming right up."
Luke shook his head as he watched Rory trot back to the kitchen to talk to Caesar. "Gotta teach Jess that trick when he gets back."
"If," Kirk corrected.
"He's coming back," Lane said.
Kirk snorted. "Sure he is."
*****
"Those things will kill you, y'know."
Jess rolled his eyes as he lit his cigarette. "Sure, Jimmy, Like you're one to talk."
"When're you gonna cut the 'Jimmy' crap and start calling me dad?"
"When you figure out a way to go back in time and stop yourself from abandoning me... Jimmy."
Jimmy sighed as he sat next to his son outside the apartment building. "Alright. Yeah, I deserved that."
Jess nodded and exhaled some smoke.
"Listen, Jess... Thank you... for staying so long. I know you're real homesick and...well... thanks."
Jess merely nodded.
Jimmy sighed. "I'm... I'm doing a lot better, and... Sasha and I want you to go home... that is... if you want to... we're not... kicking you out or anything, we like having you around. If you wanna stay, that's fine."
Jess sighed. "I wanna go home, Jimmy."
Jimmy nodded and gripped Jess's shoulder. "You got it."
******
"I think he's really depressed, Luke."
Luke gave his phone a bewildered look. "Liz, I just talked to him a couple of days ago. He's fine."
"But I saw him a couple of months ago," Liz pleaded. "And I think he was really unhappy."
"Well, if he wants to come home, he'll come home."
"No, he won't because he feels obligated to stay."
Luke sat down on his couch. "You're jealous."
"What?!"
"You're jealous that Jess is getting along better with Jimmy than he is with you."
"No."
"You're jealous that he gets along better with Sasha than he does with you."
"Ugh!"
"You are," Luke laughed.
"She's creepy."
"You only say that because Jess likes her better."
"He does not!" Liz cried. "I'm his mother."
"Only technically."
Click.
Luke frowned as he heard a dial tone. "Hey!"
******
Jess had been sitting against Lily's door for the better part of an hour. He'd told her that he was going home. She hadn't taken the news well.
"I can't stay here forever!" he called.
"Why?!"
"Because my home is back east!" He explained. "My girlfriend is back east. My jobs. My apartment."
"You can find a new girlfriend here, you have a job here, and you live here!"
"I'm going home, Lily."
She swung open her door, and he fell back and hit the floor. She looked down at him angrily. "You are home."
He shook his head.
"Jess!"
"Lily!" Jess cried back. "I gave you one more month, and it's up. I'm going home."
"You were supposed to stay here!"
Jess rolled his eyes up at her. "No."
"Please?" She asked.
"No."
"Jeeessssss!!"
He sat up, got to his feet and walked off. She glared after him and slammed the door.
******
"All I'm saying is that maybe they should take a break," Emily said.
"If you think about it, we're already on a break," Rory commented. "He's there, I'm here."
"And who knows if he's coming back," Emily added.
"He's coming back," Rory replied.
"It's been five months," Emily said.
"Almost," Rory nodded. "Not quite, but almost."
Lorelei sighed as she sat in her parents' dining room. "New topic."
"Yes, please," Richard nodded. "Rory, how is school?"
******
Jess was caught off guard when Sasha pulled him into a tight hug. "Have a safe flight, Kid."
"Uh..." he hugged back tentatively. "Thanks."
She let him go and smiled, and he looked to Jimmy.
"So uh... bye."
Jimmy nodded. "Thanks for everything, Jess."
Jess nodded, and they shook hands briefly before Jimmy pulled him into a hug with lasted all of about ten seconds.
Afterwards, they stared at each other, and Jess cleared his throat and looked to Lily.
"Bye, Lily."
She didn't reply. She didn't even look at him.
He sighed. "Okay. I gotta go. I'll uh... I guess I'll call when I get there."
******
Rory frowned as she and her mother reached their front porch after dinner that evening. "What if Grandma's right?"
Lorelei stopped behind her daughter, who turned to her. "About what?"
"About... what if Jess really isn't coming back?"
Lorelei's look softened. "Oh, Babe. Of course he's coming back. He wouldn't do that to you."
Would he? Lorelei had her doubts. Jess had pulled this kind of thing before, and it had been five months. As much as she hated to admit it, her mother did have a point.
Scary thought, that; Emily having a point. Lorelei almost shuddered from it.
Rory nodded. "I know. He didn't send a letter this week, and he never misses a weekly letter."
"Maybe it's late."
Rory nodded, seeming to relax just a little. "You're probably right. It's just late." She walked forward and hugged Lorelei. "Love you, Mom."
Lorelei smiled. "Love you, too, Gilmore." She glanced over her daughter's shoulder, and saw exactly what her daughter wanted most for her birthday. She smiled, all thoughts of her mother being right seeping from her mind. She let go and smiled at Rory. "I'm gonna go in, okay?"
Rory nodded and smiled. "I'm gonna sit for a while."
Lorelei nodded. "Good. Happy birthday, Sweets."
"Thanks, Mom."
The older Gilmore smiled and walked into the house, closing the door, but leaving it unlocked.
Rory sighed as she sat on the front stoop, looking out. She wondered what Jess was doing. Where he was. If he was alright. What if something horrible had happened? What if he'd been abducted by mutant space goats?
Mutant space goats?
She'd been studying too hard at school.
Still.... Mutant space goats?
She didn't even notice him walk up to her.
He merely stared down at her. Her eyes glazed over in thought. She'd grown her hair out again, and she seemed slightly longer, a little more mature.
It had been five months.
He felt like it'd been years. He'd missed her like hell.
He took the haphazardly wrapped package out from under his arm and held it out to her.
She looked up at him, shock in her eyes.
He smirked at her. "Happy birthday. Miss me?"
She slowly got to her feet, still staring in shock.
"What?" he asked. "Is there something on my face?"
"There will be," she replied softly. She took the box from him and dropped it on the ground before taking him by the shoulders and dragging him into the most passionate kiss she could.
******
Lorelei hadn't heard them walk in. Lorelei hadn't heard them shuffle into Rory's room, and Lorelei hadn't heard any of what followed.
Afterward, they were curled up in bed, holding onto each other for dear life.
She sniffed softly and let a couple of tears fall, staining his bare shoulder.
He pulled back from her slightly. "Hey." He gently wiped a couple of her tears away with his thumbs. "What's with this?"
She sniffed again. "I'm just really, really happy to see you."
He nodded and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
******
"Oh, thank god!" Luke cried as Jess sauntered into the diner the next morning, holding Rory's hand. He turned to Rory. "You're fired." He turned to Jess. "You're hired."
Rory blinked. "Hey!"
Luke sighed. "I'm sorry; Rory, but I can't take it anymore. You and Lane just... don't stop talking. At least Jess can shut up for two seconds."
Rory pouted.
"And you've got studying to do!" Luke pointed out loudly. "You shouldn't be wasting your time here."
She seemed to take this in thoughtfully. "Do ex-employees still get free coffee?"
Luke smirked. "Yeah."
Rory smiled and sat at the counter as Jess walked behind it and got her some coffee.
Luke sighed as he walked into the kitchen, and walked back out with a chocolate cake, which he placed in front of Rory. "Happy birthday. Caesar was supposed to get your balloons but he had the sudden urge to suck the helium out of them."
Rory laughed. "Thanks, Luke. Hi, Caesar!"
"Hi!" came a high-pitched version of Caesar's voice.
Jess rolled his eyes.
Rory gave him a brilliant smile, and he seemed to remember something. He pulled a rolled up piece of paper out of his back pocket and handed it to Luke.
"What's this?"
"Open it."
Luke unrolled it, studied it, and then glared at Jess. "Not funny."
"Not meant to be funny."
"Still not funny."
Rory leaned over to look. "What is it?"
Luke handed it to her and she looked it over.
"Oh, my god. Jess!"
"What?"
She looked up at him. "This is a diploma."
"So, it is," he replied.
"You didn't mention you were going to school," Rory said. "Not once, in any of your letters did you tell me that."
"I didn't?"
Rory shook her head.
"Huh."
She stared at him.
"What?"
"You graduated," she stated.
"How do you know that thing isn't a fake?" Luke asked.
Rory hefted the scroll a little, and sniffed it. "It's real."
Both men stared at her.
"You freak," Jess said.
"Blame Paris," Rory replied. "It was all in the responsibility of being Vice President. Had to sniff out fakes."
"There were fakes?" Luke asked.
"No. But you know Paris."
"So..." Luke said, turning to Jess. "You ah... you graduated."
Jess nodded. "Jimmy told me that if I didn't, he was gonna call my grandmother."
"He was going to sic Sofia on you?" Rory asked. "That's low."
"This is Jimmy we're talking about," Jess reminded her. "Anyways, I went to classes, sat through boring-assed lectures, all for a worthless piece of paper and a thing on my permanent record that says I'm a high school graduate."
Rory smiled and studied the paper again.
Jess rolled his eyes. "It's not a big deal."
"Yes, it is," Luke said forcefully. "Sit. Rory, share your cake with Jess."
Rory looked slightly offended. "Hey. It's my birthday. It's my cake."
"Sookie is probably preparing you three more as we speak," Luke pointed out. "Share with the graduate."
"I don't want any cake."
"Oh, yes you do," Luke replied. "Sit. Now."
Jess glared.
Luke glared back.
Rory smiled. "I missed this so much."
*****
Rory, of course, was the center of attention, seeing as it was her birthday. Unfortunately, since he was the boyfriend, he was pulled halfway into the spotlight along with her.
Everyone had been surprised to see him. Some showed horrified surprise (Taylor), some showed mild, disinterested shock (Kirk), and some were almost happy to he him (Jamie and Gloria, who'd driven in).
Not that any of that mattered.
He was sitting on the couch, with her on his lap. She was talking to the mass amount of people around her, opening presents, and listening to stories. He said nothing, only listened to the somewhat organized chaos around him, and played with the end of the pink feather boa that was wrapped securely around her neck.
He wondered if he could squeeze himself back into her life. He wondered if maybe she was better off with him in California. He wondered if Lily would ever forgive his leaving.
His wondering was interrupted when she slid off of his lap and next to him and cuddled into his side as she listened to Babette tell some wild, fast-paced story.
"Having fun?" she whispered.
Jess gave a slight shrug. "What's fun?"
She smirked and reached up and kissed his jaw and went back to listening.
******
They sat on the bridge after the party had ended that night. They'd been excused from the clean-up when Jess had voiced a desire to light a fire in one of the many trash cans.
This, or course, was all part of an ingenious ploy of his. He knew they'd never send him off on his own. What if he'd gone back to his terrible Jess-like ways while in California? He needed a chaperone. And who better to keep his mind off of mischief-making than his girlfriend?
And she had yet to open his present.
He put the package in her lap. "You were supposed to open this last night."
She blushed a little at the thought of the previous night's activities, although he couldn't see it. "I was busy... opening something else," she replied almost inaudibly.
"Open it," Jess told her.
She nodded and ripped it open, and pulled the top off of the box to reveal a heavy-looking leather jacket. She pulled it out. "Wow... Jess..."
He shrugged. "It's gonna start getting cold around here soon... thought it might be useful or... something..." he rambled a little. "If you don't like it, I can-"
She cut him off by kissing him briefly. "I love it. Thank you."
He smirked and nodded. "Happy birthday."