Encarta: Agreed, Lorelai is important too!

I would like to dedicate this chapter to all of the people who, like me, cry every time they watch "Here comes the Son". Just to reassure you that yes, there are others like you. I strongly hope people who read this actually do cry, or else I'll feel like a loser. Ah well, there's Narco-trashing below. Go on, read read.

"This is great, Grandma."

"Thank you dear, it's Austrian Cheesecake." Rory took another bite, relishing the taste. She'd forgotten Emily's talent for hiring skilled cooks, even though she herself didn't know how an oven worked. Lorelai sent her another look (she'd been doing that all night), and Rory sighed.

"Grandma, did my mom tell you I was visiting someone in California?"

"Yes, she did." The cheeriness went out of Emily's voice, and was replaced by faux politeness.

"Jess told me to say 'hi' to you."

"Well that's very nice. Next time you call him, tell him I return his hello."

"Don't hate him Grandma, you never really met him."

"Oh, I met him alright."

"That was a bad night for him. And he's changed, so much. Even Mom can stand him now." Her mother glared at her, suddenly involved.

"Yea Mom, he's halfway decent now." 'You owe me' she mouthed to Rory.

"I still can't see why you'd go visit him so soon, and for so long. I mean, from what I've heard, he didn't do such a great job of keeping in contact with you, and then you just pack your bags and fly out to California, where the only person you know is this boy?"

"We took a bus," Rory began, but saw the look of horror in Emily's eyes.

"A bus? That's his mode of transportation, a filthy, smelly, overcrowded bus?"

"It wasn't that bad. Anyway, Jess and I are together now." Richard, as unfamiliar to the mind of a young girl as he was, nodded. He'd suspected his Granddaughter wouldn't be gone so long on a friendly social visit. He'd guessed right when he'd thought Rory was involved on some level with this Jess character.

Emily, however, was stunned.

"Why?" was all she could ask. Being born and bred in a life of privilege, a man's wealth was one of the things that made him appealing. It was all fine that Rory dated middle-class men when she was in high school, but she'd thought Rory was over that. She'd dated their friends' son Logan for a while, another corporate son, Finn, and some other young men introduced to her by Richard and Emily.

And now she and that ruffian were together?

"Because I love him, Grandma." The three others in the room looked at Rory, stunned. Even Richard was stunned along with his wife that she'd reached this stage. And Lorelai's mouth hung open after hearing her daughter freely admit that to her parents.

"Rory, you're young. You're bound to think you're falling in love, you're even supposed to. Sweetie, it's called puppy love, and it's always mistaken for the real thing." Emily's tone was soothing, like she was speaking to a ten-year-old.

"Grandma, I'm not that young. I've been in 'puppy love' several times before. That's how I know this is real. I'm moving to California to be with him."

A shocked silence fell over the table. Lorelai was the only one who continued to eat her cheesecake, while Richard and Emily stared.

"You're moving to California?" Emily asked as if in a daze.

"To be with this boy?" Richard hadn't foreseen this much, not at all.

"Yea. I'm leaving in a few days, but I'll visit. And call and write," she finished, saying exactly what she'd said to her mother, and exactly what she'd say to everyone else when she told them.

"Lorelai, you can't let her ruin her life like this!" Emily turned on her daughter, once again blaming her for Rory's unexpected behavior.

"Rory's a big girl, Mom. If she wants to do this she can, it's not my decision. And this cheesecake is rocking my socks."

"Rory, please. You'll regret this, it may look like he's changed, but he'll leave you again. And then you'll be heartbroken, and alone, and far away from your family when you need them."

"Because you know him so well, right?" Rory retorted bitterly. When Emily hung her head and stared at her lap, Rory hurried to apologize. "I really don't want to fight about this. I've made up my mind, I'm going to Venice Beach to live. With Jess. For good. I don't want to leave with you hating me, I really hoped this would be a nice, memorable goodbye." Emily nodded, and then called for the maid to clear the table. Richard returned to his study, and Emily escorted the girls to the door.

"I really didn't want to hurt you," Rory apologized as they left. Emily stood still, pondering how to respond.

"Rory…if he ever hurts you, or does anything wrong to you, you will always have a place here. Do you hear me?"

"Yea, but he won't. I'll miss you, Grandma." The two hugged, and when Rory pulled apart, she ran inside the house with a strangled sob.

"She didn't squeeze Dad to death yet," Lorelai explained apologetically.

"You're okay with this?" Lorelai took a deep breath as she tried to find the words to explain what she was going through.

"As her mom, I'm scared of losing her. As her friend, I want her to take this chance. And I want it to work out." Emily nodded. She mumbled a goodbye to both of them as Rory came back, dabbing at her eyes, and the two left. Richard walked into the entrance, and stood next to his wife as they watched Lorelai's beloved Jeep pull away from the house.

"I'm going to miss that little girl."

Rory had missed attending the monthly town meetings. Her, Lorelai, and Luke walked in a straight line towards Miss Patty's, already late.

"Everyone, walk slower. And be more dramatic."

"What?" Luke asked his girlfriend, clearly confused.

"Charlie's Angels here, kids. I wanna be Farrah Fawcett!"

"Ooh, I'm Kate Jackson!"

"Which means you're stuck with being Jaclyn Smith, Lukey."

"Who are these women again?" Mother and daughter looked at him, open-mouthed.

"Where the hell were you in the seventies?"

"Outside, playing baseball with the other normal kids."

"I'm making you watch every episode I have on tape!"

"Don't worry; she only has 30 out of 115," Rory whispered to him. He groaned, and walked up the steps to the dance hall. Rory stopped, and took a deep breath. The older couple turned towards her, concerned.

"I'm fine," she said, answering their unspoken question. "It's just hard. Saying goodbye so much, so quickly."

"You don't have to go back right away. You could stay here for another week, watch Charlie's Angels with me and Luke."

"I'm not watching Charlie's Angels," Luke interjected.

"Wanna bet? Anyway sweetie, you could stick around a bit longer, couldn't you?"

"It's easier getting it all over with quickly," she replied. Looking at the quite streets, she reminisced about all the times she'd done something as simple as walk down those Star's Hollow roads. Thoughts of racing Lane, dodging the occasional car, came to her. But just as quickly, they were replaced by memories of walking leisurely around, her mouth sealed to Jess's. It was funny- she used to have problems walking and chewing gum at the same time. She'd grown accustomed to walking AND having Jess's tongue down her throat at the same time. She made a mental note to 'walk' down the boardwalk with Jess one of these days.

Luke pushed the door open, and the entire gathering's heads snapped back to look at the late arrivals. Most of them stirred excitedly when they saw Rory. Everyone knew she was back, but she and Lorelai had been hermits the past few days. They stayed inside, watching all their favorite movies, ordering food, and talking. They'd only been to the diner that once, and several people had missed her then.

"Rory Gilmore, long time no see!" Taylor exclaimed from his position at the front podium. "Young lady, you have been sorely missed."

"I missed you all," she said earnestly, beaming at her neighbors. Babette waved at her jovially, Patty winked, and Lane was bouncing up and down in her seat. She let her mom know she was sitting with Lane and Dave, and approached them. Lane jumped onto her husband's lap, making an empty seat for Rory.

"I missed you," Rory whispered, hugging her best friend.

"Same here. How's things at the store?" Lane had taken over at her family's antique store after her mother had gone back to Korea to live with her cousin. Dave helped her run the place, and the two rehearsed with their band in the midst of chairs and tables.

"Great, but why are we talking about me? I want to hear all about you! I only got ONE phone call while you were out there!"

"I know, there were a lot of people I wanted to call. To make up for it, I will now be sending you a Rory newsletter, packed with interesting little facts about my day-to-day life."

"Good, I miss knowing what's going on with you. How were things with Jess?" The two stopped their whispering when Dave cleared his throat, and they noticed everyone watching them.

"Ladies, I'm thrilled Rory is back, but could you please have your little reunion at another time?"

"Sorry Taylor!" Rory apologized, giggling. She listened to the town going-ons for the rest of the meeting, until Patty took the floor.

"Taylor, I know this isn't official town business, per say, but I want to welcome Rory back as a town." Everyone nodded, and Rory stood up to growing applause.

"Rory, sweetie, we're so glad to have you back. Star's Hollow wasn't the same without you." Rory frowned, and looked at her feet.

"Rory, are you alright?"

"I've got a little announcement, Patty. I'm moving to California in a few days." Stunned silence greeted her broadcast, and she sat back down. Beside her, Lane stared along with everyone else.

"What?"

"I'm going to live with Jess," she said, quieter. Dave let out a long, low whistle, while Lane stuttered.

"But-but you can't!" Lane said, clearly having no idea as to WHY Rory couldn't, but not wanting her to just the same.

"I am."

"Don't try to talk her out of it, her mind's made up," Lorelai called from the other side of the room. The townspeople looked confusedly between the Gilmores, Rory's announcement still sinking in.

"You're moving in with that hoodlum?" Taylor asked, his face completely puzzled.

"And I know you'll all be happy for me, and support my decision," Rory finished, instructing people in how to receive this.

"Is Jess treating you like a princess, Baby?" Babette asked worriedly. Rory grinned.

"In his own Jess-like way, he is." Babette nodded, satisfied. If Jess was being good to Rory, this was good. This was great, in a tear-jerking kind of way.

Taylor adjourned the meeting in a daze, and everyone talked animatedly amongst themselves as Rory left the building. She walked out to the bridge, and sat down. She remembered being out here in the day time, a few months ago. He'd asked her to come as a friend, and at the time she hadn't known what would be waiting for her in Venice Beach. Her life, it turned out.

She heard footsteps on the bridge several minutes later, and turned to see Dean approaching her.

"Hey," she called. She'd be glad to see anyone who wouldn't chastise her.

"Why are you going?" She didn't know if he'd been at the meeting, but he'd heard somewhere if not there. One thing was for sure, he was not the haven she'd been hoping for.

"Jess makes me feel alive again. In just two months, he became my world. I don't know how to forget that, and try to live without him again." He sat down beside her, making her uneasy. This was her and Jess's spot. Dean had never belonged here.

"Do you really think he's not going to screw you over again?"

"No, I don't," she said honestly, searching his face for true concern. All she saw was anger, jealousy.

"Well, then it's true then when they say love is blind."

"Jess is different. He's not the same person he was when you knew him. You, on the other hand, are the same spoiled, resentful, sulking teenage boy you were back then."

"I just want you to be happy Rory," he said tersely.

"NO, you don't! You just don't want me to be with Jess! You want to feel like you won that particular battle! And as much as I should probably tell you that there were no losers or winners, Jess won. He won me. You have Lindsay, who Mom tells me is pregnant, congrats by the way, and I have Jess. So I'm happy, and if you'd be big and get over this macho need to beat him, you'd be happy too. Now go away, this is my and Jess's spot."

"Is your name on it?" he asked sarcastically. She stood up, and began counting boards. When she reached the desired board, she got down on her stomach and leaned over the water.

"Do you have a lighter?" she asked, used to Jess having one on him at all times, just in case.

"Sorry, no. I'm not your pothead boyfriend." She looked sharply at him.

"Jess doesn't do that anymore. He did in New York, but that was before I even knew him." She knew this from his book, and from several early morning conversations they'd shared under covers. Dean, however, frowned. He'd just flung that at her to make her see how much she didn't know about Jess. He didn't think she'd know whether or not Jess had done anything of the sort. She did, and it surprised him.

She sighed, and rummaged through her pockets. Her jacket had stayed behind while she was in California, so she didn't know what would be there. A candy wrapper, a receipt, a watch whose clasp had broken…

She took the watch out, feeling ingenious. Pressing the button that caused a tiny, blue-green light to illuminate the face, she held it up to the wood.

"Come here," she commanded, and he slowly obeyed. Getting down to the same position she was in, he leaned over and saw the small light faintly revealing JM + RG carved into the wood, and what looked like it could be a circle surrounding it. A circle, or a heart.

"He carved it with his pocketknife," she said, reminiscing, "And wouldn't put a heart around it. He said it was too 'The Little Lady of the Big House'…Jack London" she clarified when his face showed blank. She'd forgotten not everyone was as versed in literature as Jess.

"Anyway, I took my keys and tried to put a heart around it, and he just sat back and smirked, knowing it wouldn't work. You can kinda see it, though, if you look hard enough." She retuned to gazing at the little carving, not noticing her thumb start to scream in pain from the little metal button digging into it. Dean stood up and walked away, realizing that he wouldn't get through to her. She had always been like this when it came to Jess. He fumed, remembering her words. 'Jess won. He won me.' He shook his head violently, telling himself that he was worried about Rory's safety, and that his rivalry with Jess didn't have anything to do with this feeling of jealousy welling up inside him. He had to fool himself into thinking that; he had a baby on the way with Lindsay.

Meanwhile, Rory would end up falling asleep on the bridge, her arm dangling over the side and almost skimming the water.