A/N: Thank you, reviewers! Maybe you could help me, some? I had a hard time with the Emily/Lorelei exchange. Any constructive criticism (about anything, really) will be sincerely appreciated. As for "Will Rory and Jess get together?"- I hope it remains ambiguous. They both have a lot to overcome if it's going to work, but we'll see how it goes. ;) Their first in-person exchange should settle the probability, though.

Luke and Jess returned back at the Inn with two tuxes in the back seat. Fortunately for them both, Luke's tux was ready, and Jess' fit well enough that even Emily Gilmore wouldn't find scruple with it. The conversation on the way back was light as they joked about townies and commented on the unusually nice early-winter weather. It had been cold enough fo snow, but not enough snow to require shovelling, so it looked like Lorelei might get her white, winter wedding after all.

Forty-five minutes after they left the 'boutique'- men like Luke or Jess would never let such a word fall out of their mouths- they arrived at the Inn. Lorelei ushered them into the dining room and made sure Luke had plenty of hot tea, and for Jess, coffee. Afterwards, she continued to make rounds into the kitchen and to the front desk, with apologies to Luke and Jess, of course, and assurances that she would sit down and eat with them in "just a minute."

"Just a minute" had become fifteen when Luke finally put his foot down and caught Lorelei by the arm on her way back to the kitchen. "The Inn can run without you for half an hour. Sit down an eat with us."

Lorelei exhaled deeply and plopped herself down into the chair next to Luke. "I'm sorry, it's just that all this wedding business is starting to wear me out. Sookie doesn't know if she put enough flowers on the cake, Michel wants to know why the entire Inn is booked, even though it only looks like half a dozen rooms are occupied." Lorelei made a talking mouth with her hand, "Blah, blah, blah, blah..." she mimicked, and then put her hand in Luke's, "Are you sure eloping is out of the question?" She batted her eyelashes dramatically several times, for which Luke only issued a laugh.

"Lorelei," he punctuated her name by squeezing her hand, "We've been over this."

Lorelei nodded, issuing a sigh and then brushed a locked of hair out of her face before she picked up the menu. "Alright, boys. Sookie has an amazing stuffed chicken breast going today. The stuffing has garlic, olive oil, parsley...or, for Luke, you could have the poached salmon with the secret dill sauce."

Jess involuntarily made a face at the mention of 'dill sauce'. Lorelei noticed and started backing out of her chair, repeating the order, "Two chickens and a salmon then? And I'll have Serder bring you some more tea, Luke."

"No, you don't. Sit down. Serder will be around in a minute."

Lorelei almost pouted as she fell back in her chair, but the mood was fleeting. "So, Jess, what's been going on in your life?"

Jess rubbed his forehead, reluctant to answer any questions from this woman, especially vaguely personal ones. "Nothing, really," he dodged.

"He's being difficult. Lorelei, this kid finished his GED, is taking writing classes at a community college and managed to land (and keep) a job that pays him enough that he doesn't need to keep a roommate." Luke was obviously eager to brag about his nephew.

Now Jess was uncomfortable. He shifted in his seat a little and shrugged indifferently. "Look, it's not a big deal really. I'm just taking the classes to-"

"Jess, that's great. I'm really happy to hear that you've turned things around." Lorelei smiled genuinely at him, but there was a sad quality in it.

The smile was fleeting. The screeching, demanding tones of Emily Gilmore could be heard from the lobby and they immediately occupied Lorelei's attention.

She folded her arms on the table and dropped her head into them, defeated. The groan that the elder woman's voice elicited as it became louder and closer was followed by Lorelei explaining that this was the third time that week that Emily had come in about one thing or another. She was about to mock her mother, with what little sense of humor she had left about the situation, when the devil showed up in the dining room.

"Lorelei, we have to-" she spotted Jess, "What is that hoodlum doing here?"

"Give it a rest, Ms. Gilmore," Jess scoffed.

"You will not tell me to give it a rest! Lorelei, I demand an explanation! Why is this boy here? Are you trying to get him to run off Logan, because if those are your intentions..."

Jess scoffed at this too, but Lorelei did the talking this time. "Oh, please, mother. I do not resort to the same Machievallian tactics you do. Rory may be making bad decisions right now, but she is free to make them without my arm-twisting! If you want to run her off the same way you did me, that's fine!"

Emily threw her hands up into the air, "It always comes back to how controlling I am. How I am Hitler and Mousillini! Why is your daughter living with me, then? I must be brainwashing her! Fine, Lorelei, so be it! But if you think for two seconds I believe this boy is sitting here with you because..."

"Because, why, mother? He's Luke's nephew! There's nothing sinister about it!"

"Nothing sinister! The boy broke her arm, he wrecked her car- and Dean might not have been bright or cut out for anything, but he didn't show up to dinner with a black eye and then storm out! And Logan has been nothing but a charming gentleman, fit for a Gilmore!"

Jess grumbled inwardly and commented sarcastically to himself: Don't you just love when they talk about you like you're not in the room? He knew better than to speak up, though, and resigned himself to counting the bumps on the textured ceiling above him.

"Oh, I see. Accidents are unacceptable, but felonies are a reason to start prodding about grandchildren as long as he has enough money to throw at the problem!" Lorelei exhaled before continuing, "Just leave. You can't have anything worth saying."

"You will not talk to me like that, you lady. I am your mother and-"

"Mrs. Gilmore," Luke cleared his throat, finally speaking up, "I think it's time for you to leave."

--------------------------

Jess tapped the doorknocker twice. The white door had been recently painted white by a man with no sense of craftmanship. There were paint flecks on the glass window at the top of the door, and on the doorknocker. The idiot had even painted over the brass plating at the foot of the door. Jess was unimpressed, but unsuprised.

He didn't know why he was here. He didn't have anything to say to his mother. They were never going to have a great relationship, and he accepted that. But Luke had asked him, TJ, he knew, was out of town for a few hours, and if there was any day to clear himself of obligations to screwy mothers, today was it.

He took a deep breath and straightened his jacket hearing noise from behind the door and tried to put on a smile as his mother opened it and practically launched herself at him to give him a hug. "Oh Jessie, I'm glad you're here! Luke told me in town, and I wasn't sure when you were going to come visit me. He told me you're doing great, kid! Here, come sit. Lucky for you, I cleaned up the living room the other day. Oh, wait- don't sit there. I was sewing a new dress and I think there might be pins in it. Yea, right there, the couch is fine."

Jess allowed himself to be shuffled around the room by his mother before finally settling on the left side of the couch, the only place his mother could be sure there weren't any needles. She must have been talking about the right side, because he found three, but didn't mention it.

Liz sat herself down opposite of him and winced as she pulled a needle out of her leg. She stuck in into one of five, variously-shaped, pin cushions sitting on an end table next to the chair before beginning what Jess could only describe as an interrogation.

"I want to know everything, Jessie. Start talking."

Jess tried to refrain from scowling. He dreaded any direction this conversation could take. "There's not much to tell. I finished my GED, I've got a nice job, I'm taking community college classes." Jess gave a half-shrug, anticipating his mother's take-over.

"My kiddo's taking classes at college! What are you studying? English? I bet you'd make a great English teacher, or maybe a writer! Are you writing a book? You should write a book."

He shook his head. "No, I'm not working towards a degree, just taking a few writing classes."

"Then there are plans for a book! What are you going to write about?"

Jess folded his arms, and then unfolded them. He hadn't told anyone about it. He wasn't sure he wanted to. "It's nothing. I'm not even sure I'm going to send it anywhere. I don't really want to talk about it."

Liz leaned forward to scoot her chair closer and then fell back into it. "Alright, kid. I won't push. Tell me about your job! Luke said you work in a bookstore?"

Jess merely nodded.

"And the girl? You've been gone for more than a year- I know there's been one."

Jess sighed and nodded. He didn't really want to think or talk about what had happened with Mena, but if he had to tell anyone about her, it might as well be his mother. She would push until she found out anyway. "Yea, there was one. We parted ways about a month ago, though. It was a sudden, I don't really understand what happened."

"Aww, I'm sorry. What was her name? Was she nice? Pretty?"

Jess gave a slight smile at the thought. "Mena," he recalled, "And she was beautiful: wild red hair and bright green eyes. It wasn't love, but she was special."

"And she just left? That's too bad. I would have liked to have met this Mena who can make my Jessie smile." Liz smiled herself, sincere affection evident in her eyes.