Disclaimer: I am not affiliated, nor do I own any part of Gilmore Girls.

For a time, he was silent. Rory had run out of the gazebo, run away, and he hadn't even made a move to stop her. With her tear streaked face she'd stood in front of him, silent but proud, waiting for his response. Waiting for him to say something, offer some guidance, help; tell her that they would make it through because they had each other. That he loved her. But he hadn't. He couldn't. And so she'd left. After excruciating moments of feeling her broken blue gaze on his face, she'd left. And once again, Jess was alone.

"I didn't think one kiss could've made such an impact." He'd said, trying to lighten the mood. It hadn't helped. She'd stared at him as if he'd held all of her hope…just out of reach, and that with his ill-fated words, had wrenched it from her grasp forever. He could sense his soul breaking and saw the reflection in her own. He desperately wished there was something he could do to change that. She'd stared at him for long moments, a grim line setting on her lips, but left without any words, the only sound, a gut wrenching sob, quickly hushed away. He sighed, running his long fingers through his hair, tugging on the ends. He loved her. He would always love her, but this? He sighed, picturing her face in his mind. Rory smiling. Rory happy. Rory pregnant. It would've been too much if it had even been his, but he knew it couldn't possibly be.

"I love you," he'd told her. "And I'll be here when you get back." The words hung in his mind, and he sighed. When he said it, he'd meant it. When he'd gone searching for her, those words and her reaction to them had been the only thing that had kept him going. But now…he couldn't control how he felt. He was not ready for children. Even if they were Rory's children, and Rory was the only woman he could ever picture himself being with. He thought back to Samantha, his last 'real' girlfriend. Her alabaster skin, and emerald eyes made her beautiful, but in the dark of night, when he was at his most passionate, he couldn't help mouthing Rory's name in anguish. She'd left him for it, and he couldn't blame her. For long nights he'd wondered whether this paragon, this mystical creature who went by the name of Rory really existed at all, or if she, like all good things, was a figment of his imagination.

He sighed again, picturing her face when she'd told him. Her heavy tears shielding the hope from brightening her eyes, her lip, bitten in distress. Her words though, weren't the words of a coward. I'm pregnant, she'd said, and there was no question. Her gaze hadn't wavered despite the salty tears that had coursed down her cheeks to her chin, she hadn't looked away. Long minutes passed before he stood, but as he did so, a lightness managed to creep into the darkest depths of his spirit. He loved her, and he knew what had to be done.

Author's Note: So yeah. This is it. I hope you don't hate me for leaving it like this, but it's sort of like one of those "choose your own adventure" books. You decide what it is that had to be done, and if he did it or not. Does he get Rory in the end? Do you want him to? Does she go back to Logan (even though this is in your imaginations, people please don't do that to one of my stories)? It's all up to you at this point. I fought the long fight, and I hope you enjoyed it along the way. Who knows, maybe there'll even be a sequel.

By the way, SUPERspecial props to Francesca Jones who is awesome, and helped so so much with the development of this chapter, and for her ever sustaining tolerance of me.