DICLAIMER: Don't own Gilmore Girls, Never have, Never will….

AN: Finally, it took me forever, this has been sitting on my computer for months and months and months, and finally I came to realization that I wasn't going to be changing anything so I might as well give you guys the end of this long and tragic story. So I want to apologize for not updating this sooner, and I hope it doesn't come as some disappointment… enjoy…

Jess watched as Rory walked into the elevator and the doors closed behind her. He stood there for a moment, waiting for the doors to open back up, imagining her running towards him and apologizing, running straight into his arms, they'd hug and kiss and all would be right in the world, but seconds passed, and then minutes and the doors never opened. So he did all that he could, he turned around and knocked on the door behind him.

"So you're him," Jillian stated, while opening the door wider.

"Yeah, that would be mine," he pointed at Reagan who just popped the dice on a game of Trouble.

"No, I mean you're the 'someone else'," She used air quotes.

"The what?" he didn't know what she was talking about, "I'm Jess."

"Come on in." She stepped aside making way for Jess but instead he did not move.

"Thanks, but really, I'm just going to take her and go."

"Don't be silly, stay awhile, have a seat, a drink, maybe something to eat," Jillian grabbed his hand and pulled him in, "Besides we are in the middle of a game, you can't take her away now."

With much hesitation Jess followed Jillian into the apartment and agreed to stay awhile. "An hour." He mumbled under his breath, knowing he'd still be there by nightfall, and perhaps into the early hours of the next morning. He glanced over at Reagan, and smiled at how happy she looked. She hadn't look this happy since before Rory left, and he knew her little heart was going to break when they had to go back home, Rory-less. Jess didn't want to disappoint her. It seemed that that was all he had been doing lately, one disappointment after another, she may be young, but she knew.

Reagan giggled as she sent another one of Jilly's pieces home, and she turned to glance at Jess, "Look Dad! I'm winning!"

He smiled as she turned her attention back to the game with a huge grin on her face.

Hours passed and Jess was still there, he hadn't moved since he sat down nearly three hours ago. Jilly tried prying into his personal life, everything with Rory, and Reagan, and Reagan's mother, but Jess wasn't much of a talker, well at least not to people he didn't really know. Jilly finally got a small amount of information from him, enough for her to see what was happening, and what had to be done.

Jess was sitting on the couch his head tilted back, all he wanted to do was sleep, sleep off this horrible day, but Reagan wouldn't let him leave, and Jilly seemed to be siding with Reagan.

Looking over at her dad Reagan crawled up onto his lap and she cupped his face in her tiny little hands, "Don't be sad Daddy," she kissed him, "I still love you." She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him the tightest hug her little body could give.

Jess wrapped his arms around her, but was more gentle, "I know you do, and I love you." He kissed her on the nose, and she giggled. She stared at him for a moment, it seemed like she knew everything about him. Like she was 20 years older, wise beyond her years, and she was going to give Jess the exact answer he was looking for, but instead she turned herself around and adjusted herself perfectly into his lap. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back into his chest. He looked down at her soft hair and gently kissed the top of her head, at least he had her, if he couldn't have Rory, at least he had her.

Jillian watched as Reagan closed her eyes and a smile spread across her tiny face. Then Jilly smiled at how sweet and loving she was, how she fit perfectly into her dads lap, and was perfectly content with it, with doing nothing, just knowing that her dad was holding her. Jilly couldn't help but wanting to be a part of that for just a split second before the scene was interrupted.

There was a knock on the door and Jillian quickly got up to answer it.

"Jilly I really really need to talk to you…" Rory was looking down at her hands, which seemed to be shaking. She looked up and saw a pair of brown eyes staring at her from the couch, "What is he doing here Jillian?"

Jess rose from the couch to start making his way to the door, but Jillian turned around and mouthed to him to give her a minute. He sat back down, and she stepped outside into the hallway with Rory closing the door behind her.

"Rory… give him a chance to explain," Jilly pleaded.

"Explain what? I don't even know why we're fighting anymore, let alone why we're both mad," she sighed putting her hands over her eyes.

"Then hear him out."

"You don't know what he's put me through," Rory cried out throwing her hands dramatically through the air.

"No… you're right…I don't, but I do know that there is a man inside my apartment- broken because you won't listen to what he has to say. I do know that you have been friends since you were eight, and that has got to be one of the best things in the entire world to have made it this long, and I do know that he fell in love with someone else, but that it doesn't matter anymore because now he's in love with you Rory."

"He only loves me because he lost me." Rory turned towards her door- she was searching for her keys.

"Don't be stupid Rory. I would give anything to have another chance."

Rory stopped searching and turned around to face Jilly, "Another chance at what?"

"I would give anything to have another chance," she repeated, "I had someone once. His name was Paul, and we were engaged. He proposed right out of high school and I accepted, and we both agreed to wait until after we graduated from college before we actually got married. Two weeks before he graduated I took off; I came out here to L.A. to pursue acting… I knew he wouldn't come with me, he cared too much about his family and friends, and he had a good job waiting for him. But I didn't care, I wanted to follow my dreams, I was selfish, so I left without a goodbye and I mailed him the ring." She paused, "he was perfect, he would have taken such great care of me, and been a great father, and the worst part is, I loved him, I still do and I left him. So don't be stupid okay? Consider this my second chance, take it Ror, just listen to him, that's all, what's the worst that can happen? You don't like what he has to say, and fine, go ahead, tell him to get lost and call Gio"

Rory shook her head, "No it's over with Gio."

"What do you mean over with, Gio? It's only just begun."

"Have you looked at your watch, it was a pretty short date."

"What happened?"

"What happened? HE HAPPENED!" Rory pointed to Jillian's door. "I was fine, I was actually excited about tonight, my first real date, in… FOREVER and then HE showed up; right out of the blue, no phone call, and no warning… anything. I couldn't stop thinking about him, and how mean I had been, I mean come on now…no matter where I go in life, or what happens it always come back to him… its always about him."

"Well okay then, so what's the worst that can happen? You hear Jess out and you fall in love with him all over again, and your happy, or you don't like what he has to say and you can hate him, forget about him, and be alone, until you find someone even better then that." she pointed at her door behind her.

"You've known him for all but five minutes and you already think he's the best thing to walk the earth…"

"Have you not looked at him? He's gorgeous, kind, sweet, has a daughter… who he LOVES… and that little girl loves you just as much as him… and he treats her so well, plus he came across the country to talk to a girl who he also loves who doesn't even want to talk to him, yet he's in there putting up a good attitude so not to let his daughter think you've left them for good."

"I'm just not sure I can…listen to him that is…"

"Of course you can…"

"No I mean…" there was a long pause, "I don't hate him. I never have, I couldn't, but he can't just show up here! It's not fair. It's not fair to me."

"Life isn't fair Rory."

"Did he tell you that I love him?"

She shook her head… "No… but he didn't have to. I could see it in your eyes when she showed up at the door without him. Besides, I don't think he knows that you do."

"I just don't want to hurt anymore, and that's what he does, he makes me hurt."

"Because you love him..."

"Of course because I love him, if I didn't I wouldn't care."

"Then listen to him, you are making a huge deal out of nothing. You say you don't want to hurt, and that you love him, so there… fine… he loves you, you love him, I really don't see the problem other then your being way too stubborn!"

Right then the door opened and Jess poked his head out the door. Rory looked away and Jillian turned around and mouthed to Jess, "talk to her, make her listen." Then she brushed passed him leaving the two of them in the hallway alone.

He looked at her and opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it. "Let me talk first okay?" He didn't say a word, and she started…"What makes you think you can just show up here out of the blue? How can you just show up and think its okay? I know we are best friends, and have been through thick and thin, and have been there every step of the way for each other, but you know things haven't been good for us lately. So it's not okay. It just makes things harder. I was tired in Stars Hallow, I was on over-drive. Crash. And. Burn. And now finally, just finally I'm starting to relax again, and you come and shake everything up. What makes you think its okay?"

"I never said I thought that it was okay, I knew it wasn't okay, but I just had to see you. Be honest, if I had called would you have listened to me? Would you have let me come over to explain myself?"

She shook her head, "No," she whispered more to herself than to him.

"See I knew that, but I had to talk to you. And I knew if I would have given you heads up, we wouldn't be here right now. You live 3,000 miles away from me now, and I wasn't going to let our friendship die like that. If it's going to end, there is at least going to be some closure."

"What?" she paused, "You think our friendship is dying? You're not going to get rid of me that easy, not after everything we've been through."

He stood there watching her, as she was talking to herself, mumbling something that he couldn't understand.

"Well not unless you want to be rid of me, but I just have to know something, did you really love me?" her eyes were pleading for the truth.

"Yes."

"Do you still?"

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't."

"What you did hurt me Jess, you were always pushing me behind everyone else. Making me second best in everything, when you were always first for me. We were best friends and I was practically invisible, I was just there to make things better, to follow behind you and pick up your messes, but what you said hurt me even more. So many times your words stung, they burnt, I thought I was going to die. And I can't forget that. I try; I try to be as strong as before, like I was when we were younger. But I can't," the tears were beginning to form.

"Rory…" he tried to stop her, but she kept on talking.

"Can you see my fears Jess? Can you see them in me? My one fear is being alone Jess, because that means I'm without you. My life is nothing without you, but with fear comes anger. You hurt me; do you know what its like to be thrown away? To be swept aside to make room for the new and better things? To be brushed off like you're nothing, like you don't even have feelings? You don't know what that's like because it's never happened. There was me, then Skylar, then Reagan, then me again, and Reagan, you've never been alone Jess, you don't know what its like."

"Wait what?" he stopped her, "I don't know what its like?" he laughed at her over his own tears, how could she be so cold? "My mother left me when I was eight Rory. You think those first eight years of my life were pleasant? I had to raise myself since the moment I could walk. There was always someone better then me, men, they were more important then her own son. Then as soon as her boyfriends left her, she came to me. I was seven and I was taking care of my mother like she was my child, as soon as I began to feel like she loved me, as soon as I saw a single sparkle of what I thought was love in her eyes she brings me here. She takes me to Stars Hallow, doesn't say good-bye and just leaves in the middle of a diner with a man I don't even know! I do know what it's like Rory, a lot worse then you do. You're spoiled when it comes to love, you don't know what its like to NOT be loved. Everything I ever love has left me. My mother, Skylar, you. You left me Rory, what I love has left me, and what I need isn't here. I don't need you because something is wrong; I need you because I want you. I need you here, with me. You say you'll be my friend. You say that we can still be friends but I don't ever see you, I don't ever hear from you and I don't feel you being close to what I need at all. What I know is nothing, what I feel is gone, what I want is empty, and what I need is you, here, with me."

"Jess…" she reached towards him but this time he pulled away.

"Rory… stop… just listen… it's my turn to speak okay? I didn't come here because I can't do things on my own… I came here for better reasons then that. Back at home, back in stars Hallow you told me something… something that has been stuck in my head since you left… you told me that I lived an amazing life. And you were right, I did live an amazing life, but the only thing that made it amazing was you. When you left it was anything but amazing, it wasn't even great, it was just ordinary, and normal, I've never lived a normal life, and to be quite honest, I didn't like it all that much. You also told me that you were coming here, not only for a job, but so that you could start a life, maybe start a family, and so I'm standing here in front of you today, offering you mine. Why start a new family when you can have this one…that already loves you."

"Jess…"

"No… I'm not done…You see, your wrong about some things too. One being that I didn't love you like you loved me… because I've loved you forever. I know you don't believe me, you think this was just a sudden thing, you were leaving and so I said what I could to make you stay. Even if that was the case, it wouldn't have worked. But I honestly love you Rory. Before Skylar came along, you were my girl, Dean was just an obstacle for me to get over, but I was determined to make you mine, then I saw your eyes, and you loved him, so I found someone for myself, because I wasn't going to ruin what you had. I always thought you better then me Ror. You had a real home, a real mom, you knew how to fix everything, and I was just this boy, who felt so alone, until I had you. You made things better, but you were always a step higher then me, so I found someone who was my level, I found Skylar, and I honestly thought we'd be together for the rest of our lives, because we were even, but then she left me, and I know I messed that all up, because when she was gone, I thought I was going to be alone for pretty much ever, so I held on for as long as I could, which was obviously too long" he stopped and smiled at her, "But then you came, my other half, my better half, and you fixed everything like you always did, only along the way you fell in love with me, and I was so hung up on the past that I pushed you away. Now I can't even imagine where I would be today if you weren't in my life, because I do love you, more then anyone I've ever loved my whole life." he stopped and stared at her.

She had tears in her eyes, she couldn't believe he had come this far to tell her this, "and the other?"

"Huh?" he didn't take his eyes off of her.

"You said I was I was wrong about some things, not just one."

He nodded, "Yeah and number two, you were wrong about Reagan…"

"I don't understand…"

"You wrong because she can be your daughter. You are more of a mother to her then Skylar ever was, and anyone ever can be. Biologically yes, Skylar was her mother, but that's not what counts, its love and nurture and being there for her when she needs you, you've been there every step of the way, since the moment she was born, to her first smile, to her first word, to her first step, and your going to be there for her on her first day of school. You are her mom Rory, you always have been and you always will be."

"Jess…"

"Wait." He put up his hand and they both smiled, she had tried to interrupt three times now and every time he made her stop… "Let me just get this out and then you can say whatever it is you want to say, you can kick me out and send me home, just let me finish."

"Okay" she whispered.

"These last five years you have given up everything, and I mean everything for us. You gave up Harvard and the whole college experience of living on campus, you gave up friends and boyfriends, you gave up your Saturday nights to stay home and baby-sit, you have been nothing but supportive in everything I've done, and now if you let me, I want to return the favor."

Rory gave him a confused look…

"There is nothing for me in Stars Hallow, since you left there is no point of me even being there, I want to be with you Rory, I want to have a family with you, I want you to be happy, to have your job… here in California, and have us, if you want us." He stopped and there was silence, "I'm done now."

Still silence.

"I tried too you know." He paused, giving her a chance to speak up, but she didn't move. "The day you left for here, I raced to your house to stop you, but when I got there I found your mom at the kitchen table and she told me you were gone, she gave me the 'wall', and I asked her not to tell you, I wasn't going to let you walk out of my life."

There was still silence from her end, he didn't know what to do, and so he turned around to knock on the door behind him to get Reagan and leave.

His hand was already raised and balled into a fist, only inches from knocking on the door when she whispered his name and grabbed the arm that was raised in the air.

He turned to look at her, even now, after everything she was still as beautiful as he always remembered. He stood facing her, studying her face, every detail when she grabbed the back of his neck and brought her lips crashing down upon his. Never wanting it to end, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her tightly towards him. They paused only to glance at each other, to make sure it wasn't a dream.

Rory slowly brought her hand up, gently resting her fingertips on his forehead she let her hand brush the side of his face.

His eyes followed her hand, her touch so soft, so gentle. Her hand came to a rest on his cheek, leaning into her he kissed her palm softly, before bringing his eyes to fall back upon hers.

"Are you sure about this?" he whispered while gazing into her eyes.

"Jess…" she said in a motherly tone… he was waiting for his middle name to come next.

"Sorry, I'm sorry, it just doesn't seem real, it's what I've wanted since I met you, and now that it's finally happening, I just want to make sure I'm not going to wake up anytime soon."

She smiled and rubbed her hand up and down the side of this arm.

"HEY," he gasped, jumping back.

She smiled, and kissed him softly, "This isn't a dream," she rubbed his arm where she had just recently pinched him.

He leaned in and kissed her again, stumbling back they hit the wall, both letting out a giggle, they looked into each others eyes, "I love you," he kissed her, vowing to himself never to let her go again.