Winter Wonderland

The door swung open hours later, but it didn't wake Rory, who had dozed off on the couch.

Jess stumbled in just as Sofia stormed out. She glared. "Jess," she hissed.

He smiled. "Hi."

Sofia rolled her eyes and walked up to him. She gave his shoulders a hard shove and he stumbled back, landing on the floor.

"Owww.... Grammaaaaa...."

Sofia rolled her eyes and went back to bed.

When he woke up the next morning, Rory was placing a blanket over him.

He must have been shivering. The floor was cold.

"Rory?" his voice came out hoarse as he sat up. His head felt like it might explode.

She helped him to sit up the rest of the way with a gentle hand on his back. "Hey."

He said nothing more, only leaned forward a little and placed his head in his hands.

"How do you feel?" she asked softly.

"Like someone played roller hockey with my head."

Rory nodded and rubbed his back. "You scared me last night."

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

She nodded again. "I wish you wouldn't push me away so much."

He stayed silent. He barely moved.

"I want to be here for you," she went on. "All the time. Not just when you feel like it."

He nodded slowly but didn't remove his hands.

"Hey," she coaxed softly. "Jess."

He sat up a little more, taking his hands away, but he didn't look at her.

She noticed the remains of a single tear track on his cheek before he turned from her completely.

She slid closer and wrapped her arms around him tightly.

He let her.

"It's snowing," Rory told him, clearing his cheek with her thumb.

"Yeah?" Jess asked.

"Yeah. We might be stuck here for a little."

"Good," he nodded.

"Good?" Rory questioned.

He nodded again. "The city looks cool after it's snowed."

She smiled. "You'll have to show me."

He kissed the top of her head and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I will."

Lorelai sighed into her cell phone. "Okay, Babe. Be safe and we'll see you this weekend. Love you." She hung up the phone and walked back into the diner. "They're still in New York."

Luke nodded as he poured her a cup of coffee. "They okay?"

"Yeah," Lorelai nodded. "Staying with Sofia and heading back to New Haven tomorrow after the plows have done their thing."

"Good."

"Mhm," Lorelai replied as she sipped her coffee. She set her mug down and stared up at Luke. "What are you doing tonight?"

Luke looked slightly nervous. "Nothing... why?"

"I thought maybe we could rent a movie or something and just... hang out."

"Hang out?"

"Y'know... like a... second date type of hanging out... unless you don't want a second-"

"Seven okay?" Luke cut her off, as he made his way to the cash register.

She smiled. "Perfect."

Jess slowly stepped into the kitchen and sat down across from Sofia, who was drinking tea and reading.

Jess opened his mouth to speak but the old woman cut him off.

"You're a stupid boy," Sofia said without looking up. "But you're forgiven."

He smirked a little.

"Now go take a shower," she snapped. "You're stinking up my house."

Dean slowly walked into Al's and found Lindsay waiting for him. She looked pale and tired, and he instantly felt guilty. He'd been awful to her.

Slowly, he sat down across from her and sighed. "Hi."

She nodded. "Hi."

After another moment of silence he got the nerve to speak up. "Listen, Lindsay, I think-"

"I'm pregnant."

Dean stared in shock. "You... I.... you... are?"

She nodded.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded again.

"Oh."

They sat in more silence.

"We'll be late," Jess called to Sofia as he gathered his keys and jacket. "Don't wait up."

Sofia nodded. "Take a scarf."

He rolled his eyes.

"Jess. Scarf."

He sighed. "Whatever." He grudgingly did as he was told and went into the small front closet to pull down an old black scarf. He threw it on and was about to open the door, when Rory stopped him and wrapped the wool snug around his neck, making sure it covered his face.

He gave her a glare.

"What? It's cold."

He shook his head and pulled the scarf down from his mouth. "Come on." He took her hand and led her out the door.

Sofia smirked and took another sip of tea.

They weren't even watching the movie. They were too busy kissing.

Lorelai smiled against Luke's lips.

Life was good.

Jess sighed. "That's pretty much it... I'd take you to more spots but... it's getting dark, and... This is Manhattan, so..."

"Crazy scary people," Rory nodded. "Right." She smiled as she took in her snowy surroundings. It had snowed so hard that the plows hadn't been able to get out yet, and so everything around them remained untouched. She'd never really seen anything like it. "You're right. This is amazing."

Jess smirked as they kept walking. "My grandparents used to take us out of the city to go sledding."

"Yeah?" Rory smiled, looping her arm through his.

"Yeah."

"Show me?"

"Now?"

"Now."

He shrugged. "It's late."

"So?"

"The streets aren't plowed yet."

She sighed. "Come on! This is me trying to live on the edge a little. Let's go!"

He smirked. "Okay."

It was a long, slow drive out of the city, but well worth it. The large hill Jess stopped in front of was covered in thick, fluffy snow.

"It's beautiful," Rory grinned as she looked out the car window.

Jess smirked. "Come on."

When they trudged up to the top of the steep hill, they found Jamie and Gloria already there, lying in the snow.

Jess prowled over to them silently, scooping up and packing down some snow on his way to make a perfect snowball.

Rory watched with crossed arms as Jess spiked it down hard on Jamie's face.

The blond cursed loudly and sat up to dive at his best friend's feet. Jess was knocked over and it sent them both rolling down the hill.

"Jess!" Rory cried.

Gloria laughed and sat up. "They're fine. They've done this a million times."

Rory plopped down next to her roommate and watched the boys push each other around as they climbed back up the hill. "Where were you guys today?"

"Still at Logan and Dora's," Gloria replied. "Too drunk to move."

Rory nodded slowly. "What are you doing here?"

Gloria giggled. "Regressing. Snow does that; you ever notice?"

"Oh yeah," Rory smiled. "My mom turns into a seven-year-old when it snows."

Gloria smiled back and laid back down.

Rory watched as Jess shoved Jamie back down the hill. "They seem better."

Gloria sat up again with a nod. "Yeah."

"Jess cried a little."

Gloria whipped her head to give Rory a shocked look. "Well... good."

Rory nodded. "Did you guys ever bring Leslie here?"

"Jamie tried once," Gloria replied. "Jess, too. She never wanted to come."

"Why?"

Gloria shrugged. "Thought it was stupid."

Rory sighed as Jess made his way over to them.

"Hey," he said.

She looked up at him seriously. This wasn't stupid. This was special; this place. It was part of him. It was important.

He blinked down at her. "What?"

Rory grinned wolfishly and replied by pouncing at his legs, much like Jamie had, only she wasn't as strong.

Jess fell backward with a surprised yell. "Rory!"

She giggled and climbed on top of him. "Hi."

"Hi. What was that?"

She shrugged. "Felt like it."

"Huh." He wrapped his arms around her. "What do you think?"

She smiled. "I think we should come here again sometime."

Jess nodded. "We can do that."

Their date had lasted a lot longer than either had expected.

When it ended, and Luke went home, Lorelai automatically picked up the phone and dialed Rory's number.

It took a few rings before she finally picked up.

"Hell- AGH! COLD!"

"Rory?"

"Hi, Mom!" Rory laughed. "We're having a snowball fight!"

"You are?" Lorelai blinked. It seemed odd for them to e playing in the snow after someone had died.

Another thought occurred to the older Gilmore.

"Ooh, we missed the first snow again!"

"Oh, no!" Rory cried. "Again! This must st- AH! JESS!!!"

"I had another Luke date!" Lorelai said suddenly.

"Ooooh!" Rory exclaimed. "Did it go as well as the last one?"

"Better! We rented a movie!"

"What movie?"

Lorelai grinned. "I don't remember. We turned it on and I never saw a second!"

"Gross!"

"Hey!"

"I love you dearly, but you making out with Luke is not on my top ten favorite mental images list."

"Yeah, yeah," Lorelai mocked. "Like I'm fond of the Jess details you give me."

Rory laughed. "Hey!"

"Have fun, Sweets."

"Bye, Mom!"

"Bye." Lorelai hung up the phone and grinned to herself.

Jamie and Gloria had left soon after their snowball fight had ended, leaving Jess lying in the snow with Rory in his arms.

"Are you okay?" Rory asked.

"Fine."

"Liar."

He sighed. "I'll be fine soon."

She smiled and nodded. "Better."

They were silent for a long moment.

"Hey, Jess?"

"Hm?"

"Last night..."

He closed his eyes. "I said I was sorry."

"You proposed to me over the phone."

He opened his eyes and raised an eyebrow at her. "I did?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Huh."

More silence followed.

"Just so you know," Rory said slowly. "I'm... not ready to get married."

He nodded. "Good. Because I don't remember proposing. At all."

She cuddled closer to him. "Well, good then."

He nodded and smirked. "Yeah. Good."