sPERSON- I really didn't know if it was G.G. or Gigi. I had both on my computer at different times, and finally decided G.G. because her real name is Georgia. I did do some research, however, and TwizTV's Gilmore Girls scripts, which so far has been what I consulted for Tristin, Lindsay, and Babette. It said G.G., so I'm going with G.G.

hp/dr fan- I'm sorry you didn't like my chapter. If you were to offer some criticsm, constructive or otherwise, it might help you enjoy it better. If you don't have any, then I suggest you read something you do enjoy.

miloluver- Awww… I can't believe I'm the only reason you go online! Advice: It is my personal opinion that I have good taste (cringe), so check out my favorite stories. That'll give you lots more reasons to go online.

someone5- I am thrilled to have a number one fan. And I will try and refrain from throwing objects until I have this story completed.

Everyone: Thank you for your support of my predicament! I'm back now, and I just finished off this chapter. Hot off the press, but I'm hoping it won't mean I made more mistakes than usual. Normally I miss them anyway when I go back and check. It was so amusing to log on to my email account today and see all the author alerts- I had like 40 because I love that little button. So now I have to find someway to organize them, and then read everything. While I do that, here's chapter 23.

Rory half-dragged Lorelai through the back door, tripping over a kitchen chair. She swore under her breath as the two fell heavily, waking Lorelai up.

"What? What's going on? Where am I? Who's attacking?"

"It's me, Mom, we fell. I commend the lady who decided to leave that chair in this strategically placed position in front of the door."

"Mmmhmm. Bed." Sighing, Rory grabbed Lorelai's arm and pulled her to her feet.

"Why were you up so late last night?"

"Planning…Rory…party." Her arms screaming in protest, Rory elected to simply dump her mother's almost-lifeless body on her own bed. She lay down beside Lorelai, nostalgia hitting her hard.

"Hey." Lorelai broke the silence after a while. "I can't believe this room is gonna be empty."

"I thought you were asleep."

"I slept on the way home. I should be good for 36-48 hours."

"Of course. Does Folgers know about you?"

"They'd better, as I am their best customer." The two fell into silence again, each quietly breathing and preoccupied with their own thoughts.

"Is Jess the one?" Lorelai asked later.

"Yup."

"It's ironic, us going for Luke and Jess. Kinda like those identical twins who got married at the Inn to –surprise- another pair of identical twins. Not like that? Um, hang on, I'll come up with a better example."

"I know what you mean. They're really closely related, as are we."

"I'm really proud of you for being able to do this, Rory. It took me and Luke forever to admit we had feelings for each other. You and Jess just seemed to fall perfectly into place. I envy you, but I'm also glad I'm not you. I have it easier here with Luke." Rory nodded, feeling the same way. Jealous of her mother's relationship, but treasuring her own.

"Do you ever wish things had gone differently?"

"I used to. But if Jess hadn't left, he wouldn't have grown up. He wouldn't have become this totally amazing person who is so much like the old Jess, but so much more."

"Do you regret him not being your first?"

"I more so regret Dean having been my first. My and Jess's first time was so incredible, and I think it would have been great but not perfect if we'd done it here." Lorelai nodded, feeling more at ease with Rory's words. She began to nod off, but stopped when the phone rang.

"I'll get it," Rory groaned, getting up. She picked the cordless up off her dresser, and pressed 'Talk'.

"Rory Gilmore!"

"Hi Dad, what's up?"

"Please tell me you're joking! Your mother put you up to this, you're not serious."

"I'm completely serious. Don't do this to me, Dad," she warned, rubbing her eyes.

"What are you thinking, Rory? You're not supposed to be the spontaneous one who moves across the country, that's me! That could be your mother if she wanted it to be! But it's not you, this isn't you Rory! Somehow, you didn't inherit either of our minds, so you're supposed to be the rational one!"

"I made a list," she pouted, sick of Christopher's constant excuse. HE made mistakes, he knew LORELAI make mistakes. Yet, Rory couldn't.

"Who the hell is this kid, I want to meet him. And then kill him."

"You will stay away from him," she warned.

"Some punkass…punk, thinks he can just give my daughter and ultimatum and force her to move across four time zones!"

"He didn't give me an ultimatum, Dad. Will you calm down, you're going to have a panic attack. Take a deep breath."

"I'll take a deep breath when I get you out of this mess. How could you be so stupid, you don't just leave your entire life behind to be with some guy, Rory!"

"Sweetie, let me talk to him." Lorelai had gotten up unnoticed, and was holding her hand out for the phone. Despite Rory's prediction that her and Chris were just going to fight, she waited for Rory to hand the phone over. Wordlessly, she complied with her mother's wishes.

"Christoper? It's Lorelai. I hear you have some problems with Rory's new living arrangement, am I right? I am, huh. Well, let me say something before you sic the mafia on Jess. Leave Rory alone. This is her decision, no one else can make it for her. What are you afraid of anyway, losing touch with your daughter?" She spoke the last line sarcastically, earning a sharp retort from Chris. "Yea, well, maybe she IS our daughter after all. You cannot decided that for her, babe. Last time I checked she was 25, and fully capable of making an informed decision. Hang on, I'll ask her." Lorelai covered the mouth of the phone. "Rory, Jess didn't hold a gun to your head and force you to agree to this, did he?"

"Not that I recall."

"He didn't hit you over the head with a piano, did he?"

"That one I'm less clear on, but I'd still say no."

"Chris, she's going according to her own wishes, and she is fully reasonable. Now if you'll excuse the Gilmore Girls, it is late, and Rory's plane leaves in 27 hours. Goodbye. Rory, wanna say goodbye to your dad?" The phone exchanged hands.

"I'll talk to you soon, hopefully." She tried to end the call quickly, but Chris wasn't done.

"California, eh?"

"Yup. Where the sun never stops shining."

"Sweetie, I really do just want what's best for you. Your message kind of shocked me, but I don't want this to come between us."

"Neither do I."

"Yea, so…I need time to digest this. I'll call you sometime there, and I WILL be talking to this punk."

"The punkass punk. Real clever there, Dad." Chris's scratchy laugh came from the other end of the call.

"Yea, when I'm mad, the witty banter kind of comes to a screeching halt."

"Talk to you soon, bye." They ended on fairly good terms, and Rory climbed back into bed next to her mother.

"Thanks."

"See, that wasn't so bad," Lorelai said in Connecticut, as Christopher sighed heavily and sank down onto a recliner.

"Chris? What's wrong, honey?"

"Rory's not a little kid anymore," he remarked wistfully, his mouth smiling but his eyes sad.

"What happened? Rory's boyfriend?" Lexie tried to piece together everything Chris had told her about Rory and the current situation.

"I should have known he was going to be trouble. I mean, I never met him, but he was at the wedding." Lexie didn't ask what wedding, she didn't want to disturb her husband's calm tirade. "I leave her for a second, to answer the phone. It was Sherry, calling about G.G., and I look back, and this guy has his arms around her and they're kissing, and there's some touching going on… And I'm just thinking to myself, 'I saw her with Dean five minute ago.' And not that I was a huge fan of Dean, but he was nice, and well-groomed, and polite. So I see her with this guy, and I get a bad vibe. He doesn't look like he'd respect me at all, he's a complete mess, and he's trying to put his hands on my DAUGHTER'S waist. Little punk! And the worst part is, he drove her to that. To be the kind of girl that cheats on her boyfriend when he's in the same place as her. God, I could have killed him. But Rory looked like she had enough problems without this guy's brains splattered all over her dress, so I just went to talk to Lorelai." Lexie blinked, not understanding. She still moved closer to rub his back, and whisper soothing words to him.

Mother and daughter awoke the next morning side by side. Lorelai's cheeks were covered with tears. It was Rory's last full day here. Rory's cheeks ached from smiling in her sleep. She must have been full out Cheshire-cat grinning, she realized, because the muscles were ablaze. She couldn't help it; she was thinking about her conversation with Lane. And she'd dreamed about raising a small family of dark-eyed children on the beach, reading to them from the classics, teaching them to appreciate good literature.

"My, you're chipper this fine morning," Lorelai quipped as she yawned. Rory copied her, and stared at her ceiling. She knew every crack, every chip, every stain.

"Good dream," she explained, closing her eyes again.

"Was it dirty?"

"Nope."

"Did it involve Jess?"

"Yea."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't you supposed to be dreaming about all the alone-time you'll be having with Jess?"

"Not everything has to be dirty, mom."

"Shows what you know. Anyway, what do you want to do today?"

"Watch TV, eat stuff guaranteed to rot my insides, walk around town, and go to Luke's."

"Done." And it was done, all of it. They spent the entire day vegging out, like they'd done when Rory was ages four through twenty-four. They seemed to be suspended in time, watching new shows and old reruns, eating the same food they'd grown to thrive on, and not talking about anything of substance.

On their way to Luke's, just as the sky was beginning to darken, they took the long way. Hands in pockets, they strolled down the familiar streets, waving to people as they passed them. They heard snippets of conversations about Rory as they ambled, listening intently to each discussion.

"He doesn't deserve her," Gypsy nearly spat, angrily watching the Gilmores pass her shop.

"He's a lucky man," an older lady called out to her near-deaf friends.

"…Never thought she'd do this. We're proud of her," Patty's musical voice floated from inside her studio. Smiling at each other, they completed their journey.

"Luke, we're dying of starvation, so come wait on us before we drop like flies!"

"Please, you two have more than likely been eating ice cream and cookies all day. You are not starving."

"Growing…weak…need…burger." Loreali pretended to collapse on the nearest table, which happened to be occupied by Kirk and his sons.

"Hello Lorelai," the three chorused.

"Hey boys. Would you spare some of your vittles for a hungry, dying woman, and her hungry, dying daughter?"

"Do not feed them, Kirk," Luke warned sternly as he guided Lorelai towards an empty table.

"Luke, Rory has to build up her strength for a long flight back!"

"Fine, I will feed Rory. You, on the other hand, have no excuse."

"Thanks Luke," Rory said with a smile, sticking her tongue out at her mom.

"Unbelievable. This is treason! This is blasphemy! This goes against everything our country stands for!" Rory watched the two banter back and forth, sipping the coffee Luke had handed her ("Traitor!"), and wearing an amused smile on her lips. Just as Luke was beginning to break down, her cell phone rang.

"Outside!" Lorelai exclaimed, pointing at the sign gleefully. Payback for not supporting her on the food matter.

"It's starting to rain," Rory pointed out, and Luke sighed.

"Just this once," he said, acting like Rory was going to be back all the time. Rory grinned widely at him, and answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey." A warm feeling spread over her.

"Jessy!" she shrieked, forgetting in her moment of pure happiness that he had instructed her NEVER to use that name in public. A diner full of curious customers, all of which were staring at her right now, would qualify.

"What have I told you about that?" his voice was mock-serious, although she could tell he was a little irritated underneath.

"Sorry," she apologized quickly, ignoring her mother's raised eyebrows.

"I'll let it side if you tell me you missed me."

"I missed you," she said truthfully, ignoring the kissy-faces Lorelai was beginning to make.

"Good. Because I'm fucking bored. There's nothing to do without you here," he complained childishly.

"Get much writing done?"

"Some. Not as much as I'd hoped."

"Your editor isn't going to be very happy with me," she teased, shooting her mother a look. Lorelai had moved on to kissy-noises, and they were very distracting. Not to mention embarrassing.

"Well, he'll just have to get over himself. What is that noise?"

"My mother, being FOUR." She threw a wadded-up napkin at her as Lorelai began to add dialogue.

"Jessy…I love you Jessy…"

"Excuse me for a second." She put the phone down. "Lorelai Victoria Gilmore, act your age!"

"Oh, full name," she pouted. Shaking her head, Rory picked up the phone again.

"Sorry about that. She doesn't know when to stop," Rory explained apologetically. Seeing the rain drops sliding down the diner windows, she stood up. "Mom, I'll be back in about ten minutes, order me something good!" The diner occupants watched her walk out into the rain, still talking on her phone. She paused at a corner and laughed into the mouthpiece. Her wanderings took her to the gazebo, where she sat and watched the rain as she lost herself in sweet conversation with Jess. She was gone about fifty minutes more than the ten she'd promised her mother, and when she returned, her burger had been eaten.