Rory sighed. She was content now. I mean, she had to be, right? Come on, Jess had just spent three hours with her, doing nothing but sitting on the old couch stroking her hair with his fingers, all the while saying, "Are you sure you're alright?"

He'd left because Luke had wanted him back by nightfall, but not before saying repeatedly how much he loved her. What did she do to turn his eyes her way? She'd never been particularly flirty around Jess, nor particularly nice - in fact, far from that, and yet he'd still been attracted to her, still loved her, still would spend three hours aimlessly accepting the occupation of a couch potato.

Rory beamed to herself. Jess was way too nice - beneath the bad-boy demeanour, ruffled hair, self-confident smirk, he was just an old softie at heart...and that was just the way she liked it. She smiled a little ruefully, letting her finger linger on her lips where he'd kissed her good-bye.

Sighing a little, she suddenly remembered the mysterious present from her secret admirer. She'd been so caught up in just basking in Jess' presence that she'd forgotten all about it...hastily she retrieved it from the kitchen cabinet.

She observed the little package curiously, fingering her name, calligraphied so finely on the exquisite gold-coloured paper. She almost didn't want to open it - it was such a pretty present - but curiousity got the better of her and she deftly opened it...she had just about taken out a plain brown box from the packaging when she heard Lorelai's voice pierce the quiet atmosphere as she gaily cried out, "Hi Rory! Guess what? I stopped by Luke's today and got some donuts for dinner! I mean, I know they're not healthy and all, but, what the hey, it's only once in a while, right?"

Rory rolled her eyes, and gave her mum an indulgent smile, quickly smuggling the package (just barely!) under the coffee table, wondering if it gave the present proper coverage.

"Mum! We've eaten nothing but donuts for dinner the whole week!" she stood up and put her hands on her shoulders, pretending to be exasperated, "What will I tell the people at Harvard when the weight I gave them on the application form doesn't match the weight I will be when I begin classes!?"

"Oh well," sighed Lorelai, wiping a mock tear from her I, "You can always tell them that you tried to eat healthy food, but in vain. In the supermarket, you'd be gasping for the fresh healthy apples, while I wickedly slapped your hand away and headed straight for the junk food aisle. And then you'd say to your lecturers, 'Ah! There was once a day when I could wear jeans that were actually sized. But now, alas! - all my clothes are tailor-made due to the fact that I'm too fat! Twas my mother! My mother I tell you! The wicked Mrs. Lorelai Gilmore! Why, she deserves to be put in a cellar with only healthy food for at least a week!'"

Lorelai put her hand to her head, feigning a fainting spell, "Healthy food?! What is that? There's no such thing as healthy food in the Gilmore household! Oh!" Lorelai narrowed her eyes, "You must be talking about my health freak of a daughter..." lowering her voice to a whisper, "We don't call her...Rory anymore...in fact, she is now referred to as...as....the Health Junkie! Yes, yes, it was hard to lose a daughter to another one of the marketing scams, saying that healthy food is healthy and all, but alas, that's the price you pay to eat the food you love...namely...donuts!" As she said that Lorelai viciously bit at a cinnamon donut.

By that time, Rory was doubled over in laughter, her concern about the contents of the package long gone, as she lunged for a donut from the box Lorelai was holding in her hand, "Gimme gimme!" she screeched, as she tickled Lorealai's stomach till she finally let go.

They both ended up exhausted on the couch, back-to-back, heaving and sighing, from indigestion, most likely.

"Mum?" Rory turned to face Lorelai, all of a sudden serious.

"Yes, honey?" Lorelai's face was frozen into a smile, still thinking about their odd donut debate.

"Thanks for buying donuts everyday for dinner. Thanks for always being there to talk to...thanks for being the greatest mum in the world...thanks for being...you," Rory whispered the last word as she hugged Lorelai, "You're the best friend in the world!"

"Aaw, honey, don't do this to me! My all-new mascara's smudging onto your shirt!"

They broke apart abruptly, erupting into laughter again as Lorelai shoved a whole donut into her mouth.

That night, as Rory packed her bag for school the next day, she thought back on the day's events. It was way past midnight already, she'd been up studying, but Lorelai was probably asleep. It was definitely save to retrieve her precious package from under the table, but before she did, Rory had a disturbing thought. If Lorelai was Rory's best friend, how come Rory just couldn't find it in herself to tell Lorelai about all the things that'd been happening lately? About Jess' sweet devotion to her? About the bitterness she felt whenever she thought of Dean? About Tristan's sudden change in character? And about this new mystery admirer?

She didn't know. It was a mystery to her herself.

She sighed and trudged out the bedroom door to retrieve the package.