AN: thanks for the wonderful reviews! This chapter hopefully has some wrap up of the whole nasty Jess/Erin situation, and I've got a few more story lines to wrap up, so a few more chapters. . . This particular chapter begins where the last one left off. Enjoy!

"Jess, hi. This is a surprise."

"Is it all right that I. . .?"

"Oh, yeah. It's fine, I just didn't expect—are you okay?"

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have," he began to backpedal.

"No, really, it's fine. What's wrong?"

"I just dropped the kids off with their mom."

"Oh, man."

"We all had dinner together, and she announced that it's over. She's staying in California, for good."

Gwen sat in silence, listening and waiting. She could hear the pain in his voice. She knew even though you know it's over, it's always hard to hear it vocalized. She couldn't even imagine what it must be like to have to watch your kids go through that as well.

"I don't mean to lay all this on you, I didn't think."

"How are the kids?"

He almost smiled, it was like she knew. "I can't even describe the looks on their faces. I shouldn't have made them go in there, they're so angry."

"Hey, that's her problem. They know you're doing your best. Kids are smart like that."

"Thanks."

"So, you're all alone?"

"Yeah."

"Where at?"

"Boston."

"Oh. Guess I can't meet you somewhere then."

"I'm fine. I just have two hours to kill."

"I'm so sorry. You don't deserve all this."

"I'm going to be okay." It was the first time he said it that didn't feel and sound like a lie.

"Well, Merry Christmas."

He smiled. "Merry Christmas," he paused, "I'm still going to call when I get back to New York."

"You better."

"Good night, Gwen."

"Night, Jess."

He shut his phone and looked up. Her parents' house was still there, a beacon of reality. He put the car in gear and drove away.

&&&&

"Hey," he held the door open for her.

"Hey," Anna kissed his cheek on her way past him. "Is Dave here?"

Her hand now playfully on his chest, he wished his roommate was gone. "In his room."

"Darn," she crinkled her nose.

"Have you talked to him recently?"

"No, why?"

"He's acting . . . funny."

"Like the time Jimmy Banks dared him to eat those mystery berries off the bush behind his house?"

"No," he laughed, "Spacey, preoccupied."

"Did he and Mallory split up?"

Will considered this. "I don't think so, he's been gone three straight days, and he's not mopey."

"I remember the privacy of the last few days," she smiled, thinking of the good use she and Will had put the time alone to. "I was hoping he'd be gone again tonight."

Will smiled as he leaned in to kiss her. She wrapped her arms around him, and they stumbled to the couch.

"Geez!"

Will looked up over the arm of the couch, Anna nestled under him. "Oh, hey. You look like crap," he informed his roommate. He also sat up, earning a sigh from Anna as she did the same.

"Do you guys have to do that right here?"

"What's wrong?"

"Other than the need to gouge my eyes out?"

"Yes," she sighed at his dramatic tone.

"I'm tired. Mallory's stressed out . . . Bree's moving out, and she needs another roommate to make rent."

"Oh, right," Will nodded.

"You knew?"

"We ran into Bree," Will cringed.

"Oh," Dave looked at the pair, curious as to how that went. "Anyway, I've been trying to help her look for cheaper places and stuff."

"Wanna just relax with us and watch a movie?" Anna offered.

"You guys really don't mind?"

"Of course not," Will agreed. "But keep your eyes on the screen," he warned.

Dave winced, and Anna smiled as she moved to pop a movie into the player.

&&&&

It'd grown colder in the last few hours, though part of him believed it was colder around this house in all seasons. His in-laws (soon to be former as it may be) had never really grown on him, and he dreaded the very sight of the house. It'd always made Erin tense and crazy, and him by extension. He pressed the doorbell and wiggled his toes in his socks to keep his circulation going in his extremities.

"Oh, hey, Jess."

"Heather," he nodded, addressing Erin's youngest sister.

She slipped out onto the porch, and pulled the door closed behind her. "We all know now, I'm so sorry," she put her hand on his arm.

He looked down. He didn't want her pity, just to pick up his kids. "Thanks. The kids ready?"

"Yeah. You want to come in?" she asked politely, but already knowing the answer.

He shook his head, despite his nearly chattering teeth. She nodded and disappeared into the house again. The next time the door opened, his kids appeared, with Erin behind them, their arms loaded with gifts.

"Here, take the keys," he stuffed the keys into Ambrose's hand. "I'll be right there."

The kids said goodbye again to Erin, then headed out to the car. He turned to face her.

"I'll get our lawyer to draw up the papers when I get back home," he announced.

"I'm so sorry, Jess," she barely spoke above a whisper.

"We should go. It's late."

"Jess," she reached out to touch his cheek.

He froze, looking at her for a moment.

"We should go, it's late."

"I told them I'd call, and visit as soon as I can."

"That's between the three of you."

She nodded. "Okay."

He wanted to have some great parting line, akin to 'Have a nice life,' but nothing seemed to fit. She was a part of him, only now she wouldn't be there. They looked at each other for a beat, then he turned and walked away, leaving her on the porch to watch as they drove off into the night.

&&&&

After getting the kids secured in their rooms, Jess traveled wearily to his. On the door he found a note taped in place.

"Hot chocolate & Cookies."

It was written in Rory's handwriting. He grabbed the note and headed back down the stairs. It was late, nearly midnight, by the time he opened Luke and Lorelai's front door. They'd obviously sent everyone else home much earlier, but Luke, Lorelai, Tristan, and Rory sat in the living room with the aforementioned treats.

Lorelai jumped up, pulling him over and down between her and Rory on the couch. He shrugged off his coat off.

"You guys didn't have to wait up," he insisted.

"You say that as if we had a choice," Tristan retorted, giving Jess a smile.

"Hey, if you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. But we're all here," Lorelai said, ignoring Tristan.

"It's over."

It was all he needed to say. He felt Rory's arm slip under his, and Lorelai's as she rubbed his other shoulder softly. He knew instantly that they were thinking of Jules and Ambrose, as was he.

"You need anything?" Luke asked.

"Nah. I'm okay."

Tristan wondered how much of that statement was true. He knew this wasn't unexpected, but the guy looked as though he'd pushed his car back from Boston.

"You want us to take the kids in the morning?" he offered.

"I should really be there," he started, but Rory cut him off.

"You should really get some rest. Meet us for lunch at Luke's. We'll get the kids up and started."

He nodded numbly. This was his family, and he just had to let them take care of him. He listened as they filled him in on the day's events. He laughed as Lorelai let slip her having seen Billy and Ella at Luke's—and at the look of sheer panic on Rory and Tristan's faces. Luke offered to install a strong dead bolt on Ella's bedroom door, and everything seemed normal for a moment. They all talked for a while longer, but less than an hour passed before he left with Tristan and Rory, as they drove back in the light snowfall to the Inn.

&&&&

Ella bounced onto Jules' bed fairly early the next morning. Jules groaned and pulled the covers down to see who was assaulting her warm cocoon. When she saw Ella, she frowned.

"What?"

"Get up and come downstairs."

"I'm tired," she said, pulling the covers back up.

"Sookie made us all breakfast."

"I'm not hungry."

Ella looked at her empathetically. "It's Christmas Eve, and it's tradition. And you love Sookie's French toast. She shaped the sticks into snowmen, and everything."

"You know, right?" Jules pulled the covers down from over her head and looked seriously at Ella.

Ella nodded, biting the inside of her cheek. "Mom told us just now. Jake went to get Ambrose."

Jules nodded. She should have figured that Rory would have had all the details of how to take care of all of them figured out.

"How was it, seeing your mom?"

"I was just so mad, I mean, I still love her, but I hate her so much right now."

Ella crawled up and sat next to Jules, drawing her legs up to her chest. They sat like this, leaning together in silence.

&&&&

Jake knocked on the door, but got no response. He knocked again, and tried the door handle. It gave, and as he opened the door he saw Ambrose in bed, but reading with headphones on his ears. At the movement across the room, he looked up and pulled the earphones off.

"Hey."

"Morning. I was going to breakfast, you wanna come?"

Ambrose shrugged. He had dark circles under his eyes, and didn't appear to have slept.

"You wanna talk about it?"

"There's nothing to say—they're getting divorced. Mom's staying in California, with some man we've never met."

Jake nodded.

"Is Jules up?"

"I haven't seen her, but Ella was supposed to get her."

"She's not eating, have you noticed that?"

"Yeah. Does your dad know?"

"I think so. Does she talk to you about this stuff?"

"She has. About your parents, anyway."

"She won't talk to me about it."

"She'll get through it. She's stronger than she lets on."

"Yeah," Ambrose agreed. "I just want to kill her."

Jake knew he was talking about his mother. "I don't blame you."

"What about Dad? Is he up and around?"

"Mom said they're going to let him sleep in. She said he hasn't been sleeping."

"He hasn't." Ambrose seemed to be thinking for a moment, then swung his legs out of bed and grabbed his jeans, sliding them on. He grabbed a t-shirt and moved towards the door as he pulled it over his head.

"Come on, Jules might need more coaxing to get her downstairs this morning."

&&&&

The boys stood in the open doorway, looking in on their sisters. They were seated side-by-side on the bed, neither seemed to be talking. Jake cleared his throat, capturing their attention.

"The food will get cold if we don't get down there," he declared.

"Or worse, Mom and Gramma will finish it off before we get there," Ella added, nudging Jules.

"Have you seen Dad?" came Jules' question of Ambrose, ignoring the talk of food.

"He's sleeping in this morning."

"Oh."

"But we have a lot to do this morning, so come on, get the lead out."

Jules sighed, but nodded. "We'll be right down."

The boys nodded and headed out to let the girls get ready. They joined the crowd, promising that the girls were on their way.

&&&&

Rory poked her head into Jess' room, using the master key that Lorelai had provided her. She'd been up for hours, fueled solely by coffee and Tristan's unending supply of energy. He woke just before their alarm went off, and made sure that she woke with a smile on her face. They'd gone into the kids' rooms shortly after to explain what was going on and what they wanted them to do. She then sent Tristan downstairs to breakfast and slipped down the hall to Jess' room alone.

He was completely tangled in the sheets, but seemingly sleeping quite peacefully now. She was glad, as she could tell that he hadn't been sleeping much, if at all, recently. Her motherly instinct kicking in, she tidied up a bit; pulling the drapes closed on the windows, straightening and pulling the sheet and blanket up over his chest. She grabbed the "No Maid Service" card from his bedside table and quietly exited, going to join everyone else for breakfast.