AN: I am going to wrap this up. I keep repeating that, like a mantra. No, this isn't the last chapter, but I'm hoping for about three or four more. Man, I never thought I'd get this many chapters out of it. Glad you all seem to be enjoying. As always, thanks for the kind words.

Tristan nudged Rory, and she looked up to see Ella wandering down the hallway towards the kitchen. She'd been mopey and quiet all evening. To say it was out of character for her was an understatement—especially among this group. They both stood up, and wandered down the hall after their sullen daughter. She wasn't in the kitchen, so Rory poked her head into her old bedroom. There, on the bed, lie her daughter.

"Els?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we come in?"

She looked over at her parents standing in the doorway and shrugged. Rory figured that was the best they were going to get, and they moved further into the room. Tristan closed the door, and Rory moved to sit on the edge of the bed.

"So, what's up?"

"Nothing."

"Ella, you were fine earlier. Did something happen with Billy?"

"I don't want to talk about it," she sighed, sitting up a bit.

"Is this about colleges?" Tristan asked. "Because it's so early. You shouldn't be stressing yourself out over this."

"No, Daddy."

Rory looked to Tristan, who shrugged. She nodded towards the door, and he shook his head in protest. She gave him a look, but he was adamant to remain in the room.

"Honey, you're killing us. What is wrong?"

"It's just that Billy, he," she began, but wasn't sure she could get the words out.

"Did he try something? Because I can take care of this," Tristan offered.

"No, Dad, he," she started again, but stopped.

"Did he break up with you?" Rory tried.

"No."

"I don't get it," Tristan said, still looking at his miserable daughter.

"I do," Rory said, looking first at her daughter then at her husband.

Ella looked up at her mom. "How?"

"Tristan, could we have a minute?"

He looked at his daughter, and smiled before nodding. "My offer to break his kneecaps still stands," he kissed the top of her head.

"I'll remember that," she sniffed gratefully. "But I don't think it's necessary."

He nodded and left. Rory turned in fully towards her daughter and put her arms around her. Ella was still quiet but leaned into her mother.

"Did he say something maybe you weren't ready to say back?"

"How did you know?"

"Let's just say, I've been there."

"Oh, Mom, I felt so bad! Here he was, this incredible boy that I like so much, and he's telling me he loves me—and I just feel queasy."

"In shock," Rory nodded.

"Yeah."

"Do you think you love him?"

"I don't know. Maybe, it's just, it's only been three weeks. Can you even be sure of that in three weeks?"

"I don't know."

"Did you freak out when Daddy told you?"

"He didn't give me the chance."

"Do I want to hear about this?" Ella made a face. Her parents were known for their inability to keep their hands off of one another. If it was this bad after twenty years together, she couldn't imagine how sickening they must have been in the beginning.

"We were on the phone," Rory began, "He just told me he loved me and hung up."

"Oh. That's weird."

Rory giggled. "I told him hours later when I picked him up at the airport."

"Oh. So, it wasn't scary with Daddy?"

"It was intense and overwhelming, but I knew it was right."

"So, you didn't freak out about anything with him?"

"I didn't say that."

"So, what made you freak out?"

"The idea of living with him."

"But you loved him," she said.

"I'd never lived with a boy before. You're lucky, my dear, you have two men that you've had to put up with, but it'd just been Mom and I for so long."

Ella nodded. "What do I do?"

"Oh, honey. If he really loves you, he'll understand if you're not ready to say it back. That's how love works."

Ella looked down, as if considering something. Rory smoothed her hair back, enjoying remembering her and Tristan's earlier moments together. It'd just gotten better and better over the years, but it'd all been such a whirlwind in the beginning.

"Mom, can I ask you something else?"

"Sure, Hon."

"It's about sex," she hedged.

"Sex," Rory repeated, as if preparing herself.

"Yeah. We don't have to," she assured.

"No, no, I want us to be able to," Rory said, pulling away from her daughter just a bit.

"Okay. Lately, that has been on my mind. A lot."

"Oh. Well, that's normal."

"But, I shouldn't right? I mean, I'm not even sure how I feel about him."

"I would say that is smart," Rory nodded.

"How old were you, when you first did it?"

Rory knew that someday having children would mean unveiling this level of personal information. Her poor mother, of course, had no way around such information, and suddenly she really felt for her mother in that way.

"I was 19," she responded honestly.

"With Dad?"

"Yes."

"And you knew he loved you?"

"Yes."

"Is that how you knew it was right?"

"Look, honey, no one can tell you what age or boy you'll feel it's right with. Even me, who would love to tell you to wait until you're thirty and married to some prince."

"Mom," Ella rolled her eyes.

"Hey, your dad would say forty-five. Minimum."

"So, you're saying not to listen to you?"

"No, I'm saying to take all the time you need to be sure. And please, be honest with me about it. This talking thing is good."

"Thanks, Mom. I will. Can I stay in here a while? I just don't feel like being with everyone right now," she said, resettling back against the pillows.

"Sure. You wanna stay over? Lorelai won't mind."

"That sounds good," she smiled as her mom kissed her cheek and left the room.

Tristan was waiting in the kitchen, staring off into space. She moved behind him and wrapped her arms around him. He leaned back into her and smiled.

"So?"

"He loves her."

"What? They've been dating three weeks!"

"She didn't say it back," Rory continued.

"Good."

"Tristan! She's upset," she chastised.

"All right. So, that's what's wrong?"

"I think she might love him," she looked into her husband's eyes.

"Why?"

"She was talking about having sex."

"I need to sit down."

She allowed him to move to the kitchen chair and sat on his lap. She ran her hands over his cheeks, and turned his head to look at her.

"She hasn't yet."

"Good. I think I was going to have a stroke."

"She's not five, Tristan."

"I still don't have to like it," he let out a breath. "She loves him."

"Maybe. Nothing's decided," she stroked his hair. "Well, one thing is."

"What's that?" he asked, slightly worried.

"I love you."

He smiled and leaned in closer to her. "I love you, too."

He kissed her, glad to forget about their prior conversation for a while while he pulled her closer to him and lost himself in her touch.

&&&&

"So, Jules, how did the tutoring go?" Jess asked as the remaining few finished the movie they'd been watching. Luke and Lorelai were nestled in an oversized armchair, and the kids were lounged on the couch and the floor. Jess sat on the edge of the couch, with Jules stretched out from the other end, her feet in his lap.

"Fine. We got through Advanced Algebra, and started in on my lit class."

"She knows the stuff, she'll be good by next semester," Jake assured him.

"You know, I'm really better at Chemistry, so I could do that part, if you want," Ambrose offered.

"Sure," Jules shrugged her shoulders.

"Hey, Jess, when is Erin coming?" Lorelai asked.

"The 23rd."

"I was just wondering, if we needed to figure her in for any head counts."

"I don't think so, she'll be in Boston."

"Oh, so you guys will all be in Boston?"

"We want to be here," Jules protested, looking at her dad.

"I told her you guys got to call the shots, so whatever you want is what you'll do. I'll be here."

"We'll be here too, Aunt Lorelai," Jules said decisively. Jess watched his daughter, taken aback by her insistence to be here, and not with her mother. Suddenly he felt a relief wash over him, a bit surer that he wasn't going to lose his kids to some wife-stealer in California. It was odd, how the realities of an impending divorce seemed to settle over him, one by one.

"Okay, then," Lorelai said, feeling Luke's grip tighten around her. They could both tell Jess felt some relief from that brief conversation. They had agreed prior to help Jess out in any way possible. They both knew that he didn't require money, but being left suddenly with two teenagers was hard. And there was no way there were going to let those two kids leave him.

&&&&

"I hate shopping," she announced as they hauled the last of their purchases into Will's apartment.

"How is that possible?" he looked at her in disbelief. "You're a girl."

"Last I checked, yes."

He smiled at Anna, and rolled his eyes. "I thought girls loved to shop. The women in my family treat it like some sort of vacation."

"Crowded malls and overpriced merchandise?"

"Okay, now you just sound like my dad."

"There's a turn-on, huh?" she giggled.

He laughed, "Well, as long as you don't start dress like him."

"Damn. Guess I better go back to the mall, then."

He moved over to her, still standing amongst a sea of bags from the mall. He took her hand and led her over to the couch. They sat, looking into each other's eyes as if it were impossible to look away.

"About what happened, at the mall."

"Oh, that."

"Yeah. You didn't have to be so cool about that. I don't know if I would have been."

"You would have."

"You give me a lot of credit," he smiled.

"It's you I care about. And trust."

"Good."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"I know you said it was over with her, and I'm glad of that," she looked down at their joined hands. "But would you tell me, if it ever bothered you?"

"I don't quite understand."

"You dated her for years, Will. And suddenly not only are you broken up, but she's pregnant. No one expects you to just be over it."

"It took me a few months, you know that."

"I know."

"But the thing is, I'm kind of glad in a weird way that it happened like it did."

She looked up at him, and he continued. "I think I would have made a big mistake to stay with her. And if all this hadn't happened, we'd probably be still be together."

She nodded, understanding his meaning. She was sure she was blushing, as she got his meaning. "Oh."

"Ann," he said, rubbing his thumb over the palm of her hand. "I don't know how you're feeling about us, but I was serious about letting everyone know about us. I don't want to hide it, 'cause this is something I'm through the roof about."

She nodded. She knew exactly what he was saying, and she felt emotion sweep up over her. He leaned in to kiss her, and she let her actions show him that she too was happy about the developments their relationship was making. Soon they were horizontal, her over him, and neither showed signs of stopping.

She moved her hand instinctively under his shirt, and moved it up as far as the fabric would give, then slid her fingers playfully down, coming to rest at the top of his jeans. She toyed a bit with the top button, which caused him to stop kissing her neck and lean back a bit.

"What's wrong?" came her breathless response.

"Nothing," he said, wanting to tread carefully. In all honesty, her aggressiveness had shocked him, to say the least. He'd worried so much up to this point about what her boundaries would be as far as sex went. He knew she'd had serious boyfriends before, a couple at least, and he'd assumed that she wasn't a virgin. But now, after the last few weeks, he had been prepared to wait.

"Dave isn't coming home, there's a note on the table," she said.

"That's not it," he said, running his hands soothingly over her back so as not to break contact.

"Will."

"Are you ready for this?"

She smiled, for his concern and his unparalleled ability to put others first. She pulled her hands up from under his shirt, to place them on his cheeks. She studied his face, wanting to remember everything about this moment. He was watching her, almost in awe, and finally she smiled at him.

"I'm sure."