A/N: Some of the stuff in the following chapters is based on spoilers from upcoming season 4 episodes. I was totally enchanted. If you'd like to see what I'm talking about, go to Gilmoregirls.org and go spoiler whoring like I did.

A/N #2: I keep trying to get to the Literati Songlist page, with all the songs that pertain to the couple, but I think it went bye-bye. Does anyone know if it ran off anywhere, or have the list of songs that were there? Lemme know! Trumpetlee@aol.com. Thanks

A/N #3: I had some problems with the chapter, so if it really blows, I'm sorry.

Jess walked into Connor's Books and looked around to see that nothing had changed. The old man sat at the counter, reading Asimov and muttering to himself, as always.

He walked up to the counter and sighed. "Hey, Connor."

The old man lowered his book and glared. "You're late for work."

Jess nodded. "Sorry."

******

Rory followed Gloria into the hole-in-the-wall gym that evening. It had a small boxing ring, a few weight machines, and a row of punching bags. Free weights sat in a corner with a couple of benches, and a few mats were laid out at the other end.

"What are we doing here?" Rory asked, looking around.

"Jamie works here," Gloria replied. "And Grandpa Frankie used to work here, when he wasn't at his bookshop."

"Your grandpa owned a bookshop? That's awesome."

Gloria nodded. She set her gym bag down and shed her coat, revealing a back tank top that matched her black sweat pants.

Rory set her backpack down. Gloria had promised Jamie she'd visit him at work, and wanted some company. Paris had refused outright, and Tanna had shyly declined, leaving Rory. Not that she minded. Maybe it would help her piece together a little more of Jess's former city life.

Speaking of Jess.

There he was, fists wrapped in tape or cloth of some kind, standing in the boxing ring. His hair was matted to his forehead with sweat, and he wore a pair of gray sweatpants with a thin-looking, dark green t-shirt. Across from him in the ring was Jamie, standing tall, as always, his wrists wrapped my like Jess's, his blond hair slicked back with sweat, wearing blue sweatpants and no shirt at all.

"Jess?"

His head whipped around to look at her. "Rory?"

Jamie smirked and slugged Jess in the stomach while he wasn't looking. Jess heaved and glared up at his best friend.

"You little shit."

Jamie laughed as he evaded one of Jess's punches. "I wouldn't be talking, Shorty."

Rory cringed as she watched them.

Gloria snickered and hopped into the ring after wrapping her fists up. She tapped Jess on the shoulder. "Go kiss your girlfriend hello. I wanna hit something."

Jamie looked like a dear in the headlights of a Mac truck when Jess smirked and left Gloria to her own devices.

Rory looked worriedly at Jess as he approached her. "You're bleeding."

He shrugged. "It happens." He leaned in and kissed her. "What are you doing here?"

"Gloria asked me to come," Rory replied. "What are you doing here?"

"Connor got sick of me and told me to go home early," Jess replied. "Thought I'd stop by." He sniffed a little and wiped his bloody nose with his arm.

"Stop by and get your butt kicked?" Rory asked, wrinkling her nose as she watched him.

"I'll have you know I was winning before you showed up," he told her.

She smiled. "Well, if I'm such bad luck, maybe I'll just go away." She began to walk off, but he grabbed her arm, and she turned back and smiled at him.

"You wanna learn how to fight?"

She shook her head. "Nope. I'm happy just sitting around, getting homework done while you guys bleed."

"Come on," he smirked, getting into a fighting stance. "Hit me."

"No."

"Why?"

"Because I don't hit people," she replied. "I can't hit people, I'm a wussy."

They heard a thud from behind them, and both turned to see Gloria standing over Jamie's fallen body.

"Who was it that said 'the bigger they are, the harder they fall'?" Rory asked.

Jess shook his head. "Whoever it was wasn't kidding."

"So, Gloria said your grandfather worked here," Rory said, suddenly changing the subject.

Jess nodded. "He was a boxing instructor here when he wasn't at the bookshop."

"You didn't tell me he owned a book store," Rory said.

"You didn't ask," he replied.

"Did he teach you how to fight?" Rory asked, ignoring his reply.

Jess nodded. "Yup."

"Jess!" Gloria cried. "Get up here! You're next!"

Rory's eyes widened. "Don't go up there, she'll kill you."

"I can handle it," he replied. "Grab a chair and get some homework done. You wanna go grab dinner after this?"

"Only if you shower first."

He smirked and saluted her before hopping into the ring with Gloria.

******

"What are we fighting about?"

"We're not fighting," Jason replied. "We're not. I just... how often do we even see each other anymore, Lorelei?"

She sighed. "I don't know. You're busy, I'm busy. You've got the company, and I've got The Inn. We make due with the time we have."

"This isn't working," Jason said. "It just isn't. I mean, look at us. We don't even connect anymore. It's almost like we've been completely avoiding each other for months."

She didn't reply.

"I think it might be time to end this."

******

She sighed as she watched him bustle around his apartment, throwing clothing on.

"Where are we going for dinner?" Rory asked, watching as he pulled his shoes on.

"My grandmother's," he replied. He looked at her questioningly "Is that okay?"

She nodded and smiled. "You know you're grandma and I get along really well."

He snorted. "Only when she's showing you my naked baby photos."

"You were a cute naked baby!"

He gave her a sideways glance with a smirk. "And now?"

"You're not a baby, anymore."

"But I'm known to be naked on occasion," he pointed out.

She said nothing in response, only turned red. He kissed her cheek affectionately before getting up to shove his wallet into his back pocket.

She watched him interestedly, and almost didn't hear her cell phone ring. She snapped out of her stare, and answered it. "Hello? Mom? What? Oh, no... Oh, Mom, I'm so sorry... yeah... Of course! I'll be right there. Okay. See you soon. Okay, hang in there." She hung up the phone and sighed. "Dinner's off."

Jess gave her a sideways glance.

"Jason broke up with Mom."

*****

"I knew it. I knew it. I never liked him."

Lorelei sighed at Friday dinner the next night. "Mom... it's... we'd been drifting apart for a while..." She shrugged. "Maybe it really was time."

Emily shook her head. "Well, I don't like it."

Richard sighed. "It's been murder on our partnership."

Lorelei frowned. "I'm really sorry. I didn't expect it. I guess it just kind of happened. He has the company, and a crazy assortment of clients, and I've got the Inn-"

"And the diner man," Emily added.

Rory blinked and gave her grandmother an odd look.

Lorelei did the same. "Excuse me?"

Emily sighed. "Oh, nothing."

Richard cleared his throat. "So, Rory. Now that Jess is back, how would you like to bring him for lunch one day to browse through the study?"

Rory smiled. "Oh, wow, Grandpa, that'd be great."

"What day would be alright?"

"Uhm... Probably a weekend. Maybe Saturday," Rory replied. "He'd have to make sure Luke would give him the time off... well... then again..." She shook her head out, deciding not to mention that Jess actually asked for time off, merely informed his uncle with phrases such as "I'm not coming in tomorrow," or "Breaking. Bye."

"Well, what about tomorrow?" Richard asked. "I'm free, and I would love to guide you two through those shelves."

Rory smiled. "Well...I'd have to-"She jumped a little. "Whoa."

"What's the matter?" Emily asked.

"Cell phone. I had it on vibrate." She took it out of the pocket of her pants, and ignored her mother as she mouthed the word "Dirty." "Hello...? Hey! We were just talking about you, what's up?"

Emily tilted her head and watched Rory smile in a way she'd never seen before.

"I have an offer for lunch tomorrow at my grandparents'... Please? Please? Please, please, please, please plea-" She waited for an answer, and then turned to Richard. "Time?"

"Hmmm. Twelve-thirty."

"Twelve-thirty?" Rory repeated into the phone. "I'll pick you up at ten... yes, ten... that means you have to be up, showered, shaved and dressed... No, Jess... Jess, ten... This is not up for discussion, if we're gonna be here by twelve-thirty, you have to be ready by ten... If you're still in bed when I get there, I will shove you off of the mattress and onto the floor..." She turned red. "Do you mind?!" She sighed. "Ten... You get up earlier to work the breakfast shift... If you're still in the shower when I get there, I'm gonna flush the toilet on you... Then I'm gonna draw another shaving cream smiley-face on you..." She turned red again. "Oh, my god! Ten!" she hung up the phone and put it back.

"Well, that was..." Richard cleared his throat. "So, the two of you will be here at twelve-thirty?"

Rory smiled as best she could. "Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed."

******

Of course, when she showed up in Luke's apartment the next morning at nine-thirty, he was still asleep.

She sighed and shook her head. She hated having to wake him, but she had no choice. She stalked off into the kitchen area, got a glass of water, walked back to Jess's sleeping form, and dumped the contents of the glass on his head.

He shot up in bed and gasped from the cold. "AH!" He shook his head out, and looked up at her grinning face. "You," he growled. He shoved the covers off and got up, wearing only a t-shirt and boxers.

She couldn't help but snicker. "Oh, god. Lily's right. Skinny legs!"

He glared, and she ran. He gave chase.

******

"Dragonfly Inn."

"Lorelei."

"Mom. Hi. What's up?"

"I... I wanted to ask you about... something," Emily said awkwardly.

"Uh.. okay," Lorelei replied, leaning against the concierge desk.

"Rory and Jess..."

'Oh, god,' Lorelei thought. 'No. No, no, anything but this.' "Uh... what about Rory and Jess?"

"They aren't... Rory looked very... different when she spoke to him on the phone the other night, don't you think? Much more mature..."

"Uh... I don't know, Mom, I didn't notice," Lorelei replied nervously. "Oh! Look! Flying monkeys just walked in! Bye!" She hung up, and stared wide-eyed at the phone.

Sookie walked by, and gave a quizzical look to her best from. "Lorelei?"

"I think my mother just tried to ask me about my daughter's love life."

"Oh... god," Sookie said.

All Lorelei could do was stare at the phone.

*****

They'd been late for lunch due to the fact that their chase lasted longer than expected, and Jess made sure to take extra long in the shower, even after Rory flushed the toilet on him.

Lunch had been alright, if quiet, and Richard had given them a somewhat abbreviated tour, due to the fact that he had to go out with Jason for an unexpected meeting.

This left Rory and Jess to browse the shelves on their own.

Jess sighed as he pulled out a copy of Machiavelli's The Prince. "Predictable."

Rory browsed a little and pulled out the first book in The Little House on the Prairie series. "Surprise!"

Jess took it from her and looked it over. "Huh... Richard doesn't... look like a Prairie fan..."

Rory snickered as she went to pull the next book off of the shelf. She snickered. "Look, Jess, Pat the Bunny."

He glared. "I hated that girl."

Rory laughed. "She liked you, didn't she?"

"She was an ignoramus," Jess replied. "A complete idiot. I think she was there to pick up guys."

"What exactly did she do to get Lily to yell at her?" she asked, turning to him. She noticed that his face had flushed ever so slightly and she smiled.

"She uh..."

Rory's smile widened. "What?"

He didn't reply.

"Did she grope you?"

He gave her a strange look.

"Butt-cheek pinching?"

He turned back to the bookshelf in front of him. "Hey, look. Nine Stories." He picked it up and thumbed through it.

Rory giggled, and kept looking through the books.

*****

"He got groped in California?"

Rory nodded and giggled as she ate the cold Chinese food. "He blushed when I asked him about it."

"Jess?"

Rory nodded. "It was so cute. It was right up there with the Batman photos. He was so embarrassed."

Lorelei smiled. "You gonna hop a plane to Venice Beach to beat this girl up?"

"Nope. Lily took care of it, apparently," Rory replied.

"She's still not speaking to him?"

Rory shrugged. "He said he got her on the phone the other night, but not for long. I think she's just really hurt that he decided to leave. She really misses him."

Lorelei nodded.

"Hey, are you okay, Mom?" Rory asked. "With the... Jason breakup?"

Lorelei nodded. "I think... I mean... ugh. I don't know. I guess I sort of saw it coming. We hadn't been connecting like we used to."

Rory nodded. "Ben and Jerry's night?"

Lorelei nodded back. "Oh, yeah."

******

"There are my boys!"

Jess looked up from bussing the last of the tables, and Luke looked up from the register. Liz stood in the doorway with a smile on her face.

"Count of three?"

Jess nodded. "Count of three."

Luke sighed. "One..."

Liz gave them both a puzzled look.

"Two..." Jess said.

"Three," they snapped in unison, and began to make their way for the stairway to the apartment.

"Freeze!"

Both froze in place.

"Turn."

Both turned, each looking slightly guilty in their own way. Luke's guilt was a little more obvious, while Jess's was hidden by his well- rehearsed scowl.

"I'm here to see you guys," Liz said with a smile.

"Goody..." Luke muttered.

"Yay..." Jess deadpanned.

"I have some news."

"Goody..." Luke muttered.

"Yay..." Jess deadpanned.

She held up a hand and beamed as the ring on her finger sparkled in the dim light of the closed diner. "TJ proposed. I'm getting married."

Luke stared in shock.

Jess's eye twitched.