It appears I have incurred the wraths of many people by going away for a week. I'm sorry, take it up with my crazy mother! But yea, I didn't want to leave you guys hanging, so I thought I'd finish off chapter 19 and post it before I left…and it appears, I created a cliffhanger of monumental proportions. I apologize. So, without further ado, let's pick up where we left: Rory took a deep breath. Exciting stuff.

"I think you should ask Luke if he wants to move in with you," slipped out of her mouth. For a second, her and Lorelai stood there, staring at each other. She hadn't meant to skirt around the issue. She'd planned on telling her mom straight-out that she was going to California- permanently. However, one of the pro's from her list slipped out instead.

"Um, okay. But I think that'd be weird. It's always been just me and you, and I don't want to lose that roomie thing we have going for us."

"Well, here's the thing. I'm going back." Her brain was screaming at her to just get it over with, but her mouth was taking its sweet time.

"To California?" her mother asked, sounding confused at a bit hesitant.

"To Jess." Realization dawned on Lorelai, and Rory looked past her so she wouldn't have to witness the emotions rushing through her mother's eyes.

"Honey…no." Rory looked at her sharply, wondering if she'd heard her right.

"No? You're forbidding me to go? I'm not asking for you permission, Mom, I'm telling you I made a decision."

"No! You were mine first, he can't have you!" Lorelai stomped her foot childishly, tears pooling up behind her trademark blue eyes.

"You were lucky, you fell in love with a guy who lives within walking distance from your house! I didn't; my guy lives on the other end of the country. And if I have to go to the other end of the county to be with him, I will."

"Rory, please don't do this to me," Lorelai begged, tears falling freely now.

"I'm sorry mom, but I love him. And…and Luke can move in with you, and you can pick the movie every night, and you can use my room as an extra closet…" Rory hadn't noticed herself start crying as well, but she had. Sobbing, Lorelai pulled her into her arms, and they stood on the sidewalk in front of Gypsy's, crying and hugging.

After a while, Luke walked up to them. Taylor had told him where they were, and mentioned that something appeared to be wrong. He approached the weeping ladies, and draped his arm over them. Leading them home, they held onto each other and continued crying. No one who saw them knew why, but Luke had a pretty good idea his nephew was involved.

Rory awoke on the couch, with her mother half-draped over her. Grunting, she wiggled out from underneath her and yawned.

She'd told her. They'd cried. She was sad that Star's Hollow soon wouldn't be her home, but then she thought about what she was getting in return for giving her old life up. A pair of dark, playful brown eyes…and a smirk that held more tenderness for her than it betrayed.

Jess. She'd been away 24 hours, and she missed him. She debated getting up to call him, but Lorelai stirred.

"Wake up, sleepyhead," she whispered, shaking her lightly. Lorelai opened her eyes, all mascara washed off of their fluttering lashes and now resting on her cheeks.

"You're back," she stated, smiling. At once it faded. "But you're not staying."

"I had to tell you in person. And I wanted to get some of my things," she admitted.

"When are you going back?"

"I was thinking of hanging out here for a few days, do a little bit more mother-daughter bonding before I move."

"Move. It sounds weird. We've lived here forever, both of us." She pulled herself up so she was sitting, and the two simultaneously crossed their legs Indian-style.

"Do you hate me for doing this?"

"I could never hate you, babe."

"Don't hate Jess. This was my choice."

"I don't hate Jess, I'm just a little shocked that things are moving so fast for you guys. I mean, Luke and I have been dating for what, six years? And you stay with Jess for two months, and decide to move across the country for him."

"You and Luke have the luxury of taking it slow; neither of you are going anywhere. Me and Jess don't have that option. It was either this, or give him up for good. I can't do that, Mom."

"You really love him, don't you?" Lorelai asked, cocking her head to the side. She smiled sadly, and held her arms out. "Aww, my baby's a woman now." Rory snuggled in her mother's arms, feeling just as safe as she did in Jess's embrace. They were the two most important people in her life, and they'd always protect her. She hated being in the position of choosing one or the other. But in the end, Lorelai would always be her mother. Jess would not always be so readily available.

"So much. I've never felt like this before. The only time that even comes close is when I was seventeen and we'd sit out on the bridge, reading to each other. It may sound crazy, but I honestly want to be with him forever."

"You're showing it too. Moving is a big step, especially when it takes you from one coast to the other."

"I'll call. All the time. And I'll visit, and write, and I won't shut you out."

"I appreciate it," Lorelai said, playing with a piece of Rory's soft, brown hair.

"I'm sorry; I know this must be hurting you. But I can't leave him. Not now, not ever."

"I know. I can't stop you, and even if I had that kind of power, I wouldn't be able to bring myself to do that to you." They shared a smile, happier this time, and stood up.

"Coffee?"

"Do you even have to ask?" The quickly changed and rinsed their faces free of last night's tears, and headed into town.

"So after breakfast, how about I tell Michel I'm taking a few days off and we can hang out before you officially change your address?"

"Sounds great."

"You'll have to go to Friday night dinner tomorrow, and tell your grandparents. You will NOT make me do that when they finally get suspicious and realize you've been gone for three years. I'd start planning what you're going to say now, so you can let them down easy."

"Will do." They sat down at a table in Luke's, and waited for service.

"I'm going to miss you. I can't say I'm thrilled about this, but if it's something you need to do, then I'm not stopping you. It's not like I have any say in this anyway; you're grown," Lorelai said quietly so only Rory could hear her. Rory reached across the table and took her mother's hand.

"You have no idea how much I'm going to miss you. I love you, Mommy."

"Same here, kiddo." Lorelai squeezed, and Luke walked over to their table.

"You two okay?"

"We're fine," Lorelai said with a grin, releasing Rory's hand so she could take Luke's. He looked down at their hands, and Lorelai cleared her throat.

"Moveinwithme?" she asked quickly, holding her breath. Luke blinked.

"What?"

"You could finally use your dad's office for an office, and relocate all your flannel shirts and baseball caps to my house."

"I don't mean to offend, but I don't think I could take living with the both of you."

"Well, lucky for you, Rory's moving out."

"What?"

"I know. I was a little traumatized when I first heard, but I'm in the first stages of acceptance by now." She placed her free hand over her heart dramatically.

"Rory's moving out? To where?"

"Guess," Lorelai responded, a little dryly.

"No." Realization hit quickly, harshly. "You are not going to LIVE with that deadbeat nephew of mine."

"What about your deadbeat nephew?" Having perfect timing, Liz walked into the diner, TJ on her tail.

"Yea, I am," Rory said to Luke, her eyes daring him to find something wrong with her decision.

"Rory! I heard you were in California with my kid!"

"You heard right," she said, wondering how much Liz knew.

"How is he? I haven't talked to him in weeks."

"He's good. It's nice to see you again," she tactfully changed the subject.

"Oh yea! The fair was incredible, but it's nice to be home…"

That night, mother and daughter stood in their kitchen, preparing snacks for their movie night.

"So did Luke give in yet?"

"I think it'll take a while, but I'll wear him down. He'll move in if for no other reason than to shut me up."

"You know, if he says 'no', and you don't want to be alone, you could get a cat," Rory suggested with a grin, knowing her mother's fear of becoming an old 'cat-lady'.

"Egad, no! No kitties, no matter how cute and fluffy they are!"

When her mother had fallen asleep during Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Rory turned the TV off and covered her with an afghan. She tiptoed into her old room and closed the door. Pulling her phone out, she remembered the secret calls she'd made to Jess years ago. Lorelai either had no knowledge of them talking for long hours, or she believed Rory was calling Dean.

"Talk," the phone rudely answered. Grinning and shaking her head, she responded.

"I told her."

"You did? How'd she take it?" His tone became much warmer as he realized who it was.

"Well, she didn't ducktape me to the 'Welcome to Star's Hollow' sign, but she's pretty depressed. I think she'll survive, though."

"Does everyone know?"

"Just her and Luke. I'm going to tell the town and my grandparents sometime in the next few days, and I'll be home by next week."

"That's too long. I miss you."

"I miss you too," she replied, realizing the conversation was about to get very sappy unless she steered it away.

"So, where's your novel heading?"

Rory took a deep breath, and Lorelai wrapped her arm around her daughter's shoulders.

"I just realized that I have less than a week to say goodbye to everything," she whispered quietly.

"Having second thoughts?"

"No. Just wishing it was easier to let go." Lorelai rang the doorbell, and the two hung back, waiting.

"Hello Lorelai- Rory!" Emily stepped onto the front step- something she'd never done while greeting guests- and hugged her granddaughter.

"You're back! Why didn't you tell me she was back?" she snapped at Lorelai.

"We wanted it to be a surprise, Grandma," Rory mollified, smiling at her.

"Come in, come in! Richard! The girls are here, both of them!"

"Rory's here?" her grandfather called from his study.

"Come see for yourself!" Ten seconds later, Richard Gilmore was walking in.

"Rory! I can't tell you how thrilled I am to see your face again!" He pulled her into another hug as Emily began fixing drinks.

"Rory, what can I get you?"

"Whatever you're having sounds great, Grandma." The four sat down on various couches and chairs in the posh living room, and the elder Gilmores looked at each other and actually grinned.

"How was California, Rory?"

"It was great, I met some interesting people." Sasha appeared in the back of her mind, urging her to make Jess wash his sheets free of the sand they often accumulated. Rory didn't mind the sand anymore. It was one of the things that she'd come to identify with Jess. It was as familiar to her as the faint taste of smoke that always lingered days after he smoked the occasional cigarette.

"And I'm assuming the ocean was lovely?"

"Beautiful, big, and blue." She looked around the room, mentally taking notes. This would most likely be the last time she attended a Friday night dinner for quite some time.

"Did you get any work done on the beach?" Richard sounded genuinely interested in her trip, while Emily sat there and beamed.

"I did, actually. It was very calming, just sitting by the ocean and writing."

"I'm glad something good came of this trip, although you are never to leave us hanging like that again, young lady!" Lorelai choked on her wine.

"What's the matter, are you alright?"

"Fine, Mom, just went down the wrong tube." Lorelai shot Rory a look, saying 'tell them now', and Rory shook her head. She couldn't disappoint them during before-dinner drinks. Maybe during desert…