Okay, so here is the ever-promised sequel to Second Chance. Wow, I'm actually writing a sequel. Okay, so last time I figured that I am not great at writing LL scenes. Now, in this story, Luke and Lorelai will still be together, but there just wont be that many scenes with them alone. In fact if there are any, it will be more of a bonus.

oooooooo

I awoke to find the bed empty next to me. I didn't panic; this had become a weekly routine. I made my way to the living room, where Rory sat on the window seat, laptop in her lap with a cup of coffee on the windowsill. "What are you doing?" I asked, sitting down and closing the computer simultaneously.

"I couldn't sleep," Rory explained, bringing her knees up to her chest.

"And, hmm, let me guess, you have some big article due, right?" I teased, taking the computer and opening it.

"Yeah, actually I do," she informed me. "It's due the day after tomorrow. It's missing something, but I'm not sure what. You know what I mean?"

I closed the computer again, setting it down. "Yeah, I do, but Rory, it's 3:30 in the morning," I sighed as we stood up. Rory stretched picking up her coffee. I took it away. "You cant keep doing this. You cant drink this stuff this early. I'm going to start hiding it."

Rory just scowled, following me back to bed. "Sorry," she confessed, "I've just been busy, stressed."

We lived in New York. After college, Rory was offered a job as an intern at the New York Times. Of course, to take the job, we actually had to move to New York. She was actually hoping to be able to stay closer to Star's Hollow, perhaps in New Haven or even Hartford, but everyone agreed that we had to go. I told Jace, who had by then retired, making me the manager of the store, him simply the owner. He said he understood and that there would always be a job there for me. Apparently, people like me. Huh. I got a job at a music place. At first I didn't like it and considered it a transition job, but I've really grown attached to it. They're constantly playing some obscure band. It's kind of something out of Empire Records, only my life isn't so screwed up. I mean, take Lucas, he's twenty-four, washed up, working at a record store, and apparently developing a gambling problem. I, on the other hand, am twenty-three, working at a record store, and married to an incredible woman who now works for the New York Times. "I know."

"Please, you have your dream job", she teased, curling into my side.

"Um, your joking right?"

"No, I am not. You have a book published. You work at a music store, one that actually condemns rap and sells something worthwhile. You tell me what's so bad about that?" Rory looked at me expectantly. I just laughed and her features softened.

Oh yeah, Rory finally convinced me to call a publishers toward the end of her third year at Yale. I did, and he liked it. I got a book deal. I'll tell the truth here; it wasn't a number one best seller, but it sold. People liked it, and it made money. That's actually the money that we are living off of now, that's how we can afford to live in New York.

oooooooo

"Well aren't we having déjà vu?" Rory asked, me, turning over in bed.

I looked up from the laptop which sat on my lap, briefly flickering my eyes towards Rory before refocusing them on the screen, all the while typing furiously. "Shh…go back to sleep," I muttered.

"How can I sleep with all that clicking and clacking?" she mocked, scooting closer towards me.

"Sorry," I whispered, finally resting my fingers. "I just had an idea and I had to write it down. You know?" Rory opened her mouth but didn't say anything before closing it. "Shit," I sighed, leaning my head back against the wall. "I…and the characters, in my head…"

"Right," Rory mocked, nodding her head in false understanding.

"I'm sorry I meant to tell you but everything has just been so hectic," I admitted. I turned to Rory dramatically. "Since when is the honeymoon over?" She laughed into my shirt.

oooooooo

Rory sat at the bar next to me, hunched over on her elbows, scrutinizing a menu. I closed mine, watching her out of the corner of my eye. Sighing loudly, she flipped the menu over, closing it in the process, and took a long sip of her beer, one that I didn't expect her to drink, and turned to me. "Bad day?" I asked.

She nodded, pouting into her hands, supported at the elbows by the bar. "Being an intern sucks. No one likes interns," she whined.

"Two burgers with fries," I ordered, then, turning back to Rory, "I like interns."

She smirked, scooting closer to me. "I'm just a copy machine, coffee maker, file deliver. I want to report on something Jess, and I'd rather it not be the mail room gossip."

"Well I know that those lips of yours are good for something," I teased.

"That's not how I want to get ahead," she enthused, "I want them to offer me a real job on a real story because they think that I can do it well, not because I suck up best."

"Just do whatever you have to do, it will make a great biography," I offered.

"But-"

"Here," I offered, "I'll make a deal with you. If you get famous, I'll write you a great biography."

"Yeah…and they can make movies about us, The Mariano's, because the idea of a husband a writing his wife's life story is the epitome of romantic," she perked up.

"Yeah, we'll take the world by storm with our amazing talents, helping each other all the way."

"Right through the darkest, deepest, most shameful kissing up ever imagined," Rory expanded.

"Here, here," I sang, raising my glass, which Roy happily tapped with hers before we both touched them to our lips, taking gulps of the sour liquid.

"Which brings me to my news," I said lamely.

"I didn't know you had news."

"I have to go to New Orleans for about a week," I muttered, watching as the bartenderess placed two plates down in front of us as she eyed Rory spitefully.

"Jess," Rory whined, reaching for the ketchup.

"I know, I know," I groaned, "but my publisher wants to meet with me and he says that it's too urgent to wait until he gets back, which isn't for another month, so he's paying to fly me down." Rory just pouted, nibbling on a fry. "I'd ask you to come too, but I hear they need someone to bring your boss coffee in the mornings," I teased.

"How can I if I have nobody to support me while my lips get sore?" she teased, still pouting.

"Well sorry my publisher didn't count on the fact, but I'll buy you some chap stick from New Orleans and send it to you with a post card," I grinned, trying to cheer her up, but she still looked sulky. "Look," I said, pulling her stool closer to mine so that I could hold her by the waist. "Just save all your hardcore stuff till next week, okay?"

Rory nodded, offering a small smile, before picking up her burger. I grinned, squeezing her waist once more, before picking up my burger too.

oooooooo

"I feel very adult," Rory stated, sitting on the bed while I packed.

"Well I hope so, we've been married for four months," I laughed.

"Long time," she muttered, fiddling with the sleeve of one my shirts.

"I guess," I shrugged, zipping up my suitcase. "I have to go; my plane leaves in an hour," I said, walking towards the door. Rory followed me. "I'll be back on Thursday okay?"

Rory nodded. "Jess?" I turned around and she pulled me to her, burying her face into my neck. "I love you," Rory mumbled into my collar.

Smirking, I pulled away, reaching down to brush Rory's face. "I love you too," I laughed, bringing my face close to hers and kissing her softly. "I'll call you when I get there."

She bit her lower lip and leaned against the door. "Bye," she said softly, shutting the door behind me."

oooooooo

"Coming, coming," Lorelai yelled, running for the front door. "This doorbell sure is driving me…Rory?"

"Hi Mom," Rory chimed, throwing her arms around her mother.

"Rory…what are you…doing here?" Lorelai asked, hugging Rory.

"Oh you know," Rory sighed, dropping her bag. "It's Saturday and Jess is gone for the week and I'm all alone in that big apartment. I figured I come home and visit for the night…that's okay right?"

"Duh," Lorelai answered, shoving Rory's bag into her room. "Now…I bet you are starved for a Luke Burger."

"You have no idea," Rory sighed.

Soon the pair stepped into the diner. "Rory," Luke greeted, looking up from behind the counter, "what are you doing here. Where's Jess?"

"New Orleans. I came for a visit," Rory answered as Luke placed a cup of coffee in front of her. "Thanks. I will never get used to the lack of Luke's Diners in New York."

At that moment Rory's cell phone rang, moving Luke to point to his sign. "Luke…it's Jess," Rory whined pleadingly.

"Fine," Luke conceded.

oooooooo

"Hey," I greeted, leaning my back against the wall, stretching out my feet against the bed opposite me.

"Hey Jess. Are you there?" Rory asked eagerly.

"Yeah, I just got here, got something to eat on the way to the hotel. I was starving."

"What's it like there?"

"It's hot, humid, cloudy, and some of the streets stink," I spat. "Food's good, though."

"Well, that's what important," she mocked. "Can I get a burger? Thanks Luke," she said to someone else there.

"Where are you?" I asked.

"I'm visiting my mom," she explained, "I didn't want to stay by myself."

"Ah."

"Have you met with your publisher yet?" she inquired, laughing at something in Star's Hollow.

"No, tomorrow, bright and early," I replied cynically. "What time is it there? It's only nine here."

"Ten…that's the one hour difference thing," she laughed. "Tired?"

"You have no idea," I replied, rubbing my face. "I think I'm going to sleep now."

"Night," Rory replied. "Have fun."

"You are a funny, funny girl. I love you, night," I replied.

oooooooo

Rory knocked on the door hesitantly, waiting for permission to enter. "Come in," the voice answered gruffly. Rory slowly opened the door, entering her boss' office. "And you are…" the voice asked without looking up from the files on her desk.

"Rory Mariano," Rory replied nervously, refolding her hands in her lap.

"And you want…" Ms. Geralds inquired again.

"Well, I was wondering if there were possibly any upcoming stories or articles that anyone possibly needed extra help on. I'm interested in doing some extra work," Rory attempted, keeping her rambling to a minimum.

"For extra pay?" the woman assumed, pulling open a new folder.

"Oh…no," Rory answered. At this, Ms. Gerald's head shot up as if attached by a string to Rory's voice. "I'm just trying to…invest my time," Rory explained.

"Ah, so you want to get ahead," she presumed, leaning back and crossing her arms over her chest. "Big dreams?"

Rory blushed a little. "I want to be a journalist," Rory explanatorily muttered.

"Well you have excellent credentials Mrs. Mariano," Mrs. Geralds commented, closing a folder. Rory inwardly smiled; she still loved when people called her that. "You're obviously smart, capable, and willing to work. I'm sure we can find an article for you."

"Thank you, thank you so much," Rory gushed, sitting up straighter.

"Now, come to see me first thing tomorrow morning, and I'll give you an assignment," Mrs. Geralds offered.

"Thank you," Rory said getting up and pushing in her chair. "This is really very generous of you."

"Well, go on then," her boss pushed. "See you tomorrow."

oooooooo

"Hello," I answered my phone, buzzing in my pocket as I stepped through the glass doors into the office building which my meeting was located in.

"I did it," the voice yelled, causing me to pull the phone away from my ear.

"Um… Rory?" I asked, pushing the button to the elevator.

"I went in to her office, asked if there was any extra slack to be picked up, but she saw through me. She asked me what I was aiming for. I told her that I wanted to be a journalist. She told me that she could find me something," Rory squealed. "She told me to go back tomorrow so that she could give me my first assignment."

"Congratulations Rory," I whispered, hitting the button for the twenty-seventh floor and watching as the doors closed. I listened as the lights changed above the doors, counting the beeps. "I'm going into my meeting now."

"Good luck," she remarked.

"Thanks."

"Go make this a really great day for us."

oooooooo

I actually wrote two chapters of this. The first one was not so great, and I liked this one better. Anyway, I'm not entirely sure where this is going, so if you have an suggestions, feel free.