Finally, the exhausted duo got back to Europe just over one month later. Once they had a good nights sleep and did some laundry the next morning, they headed off to Luke's for some coffee and breakfast. After greeting the townspeople Rory and Lorelai sat down at the diner and Luke took their order.
"Hey Luke, where's Jess?" Rory asked.
"Oh, he moved out about a week ago," Luke responded.
"Really? Where'd he move to?" she asked nervously.
"New Haven," Luke answered.
"New Haven?" Rory echoed.
"Yep. Here, he told me to give this to you," Luke said before leaving to help another customer.
It was a slip of paper with his new address and phone number on it.
"Why on earth would he move to New Haven?" Rory asked her mom.
"I don't know. Maybe to be with you?" Lorelai pointed out the obvious.
"But I'm in Stars Hollow!" she replied, clearly not getting it.
"Hon, you're going to Yale next month! I didn't think you hit your head that hard on the luggage rack coming home," her mother said.
"Oh, right. I guess I just wasn't expecting him to stick around," Rory admitted.
"Ror, if you really want to be with Jess you're going to have to believe in him a little bit more," Lorelai told her daughter.
Rory nodded.
"I'm gonna go," Rory said, standing up.
"Where are you going?" her mother asked.
"To see Jess," she replied.
"Well at least take the Jeep," she said, handing her the keys.
"Thanks mom, I'll be home by tonight," she said as she hugged her.
"Drive safe!" she said as Rory exited the diner.
It took her a while, but she found the apartment and went up to knock on the door. No one answered.
"Are you looking for Jess?" someone asked.
"Yes," Rory answered, turning to the man walking his dog.
"He left for work about 10 minutes ago," he replied.
"Do you know where he works?" she asked.
"Over on 3rd street, at the book store," he told her.
"Thank you," Rory said before turning back to the car.
She made her way over to the small used bookstore and went inside. Rory went up to a worker and asked for Jess. After being told what section he was in she wandered off to find him. She found him in the classics section stocking Mark Twain books.
"Hey," she said softly.
"Rory. How'd you find me," he asked, putting the books down and walking over to her.
"I have my ways," she said.
"I see. Did you have a good trip?" Jess replied.
"Yeah, I'll tell you about it when we have more time," Rory answered.
"Okay. Do you want to go somewhere for lunch?" he asked.
"Sure," she said.
"Meet me at the front of the store an hour and a half and I'll take you someplace," he told her.
"Alright," she responded.
She kissed him and went to go wander around and look at the books. She was sitting in an armchair near the front of the store reading when Jess got off for his lunch break.
"Ready?" he asked her.
"Yep," she said, putting the book in her bag.
"What'd you get?" Jess asked, looking at the bag.
"Hemmingway," she responded casually.
"I don't believe you," he said.
"See for your self," she said, handing him the bag.
"Huh. Rory Gilmore reading Hemmingway voluntarily. What happened in Europe?" he joked.
"Just thought I'd give it another chance," she shrugged.
Once they got to the restaurant Rory proceeded to rant incessantly about her trip to Europe.
"So I'm assuming you enjoyed the trip," he said after hearing a very interesting story about Lorelai attempting to get a mime to talk.
"Mm-hm. So what did you do all this time. I mean, besides move and get a job and stuff," she asked.
"Not much. I did get this though," he answered, pulling out an envelope and handing it to her.
"What's this?" she questioned, taking it.
"Open it," Jess said mysteriously.
"Oh my god! Jess! You got your GED!" she shrieked.
"It's not that big of a deal," he said, glancing at the people who were turning their attention to Rory.
"Yes it is!" she insisted, leaning over the table to give him a kiss.
"I'm very proud of you," she said after sitting back down and giving him the envelope.
"Thanks," he mumbled.
"So how did you have time to do this?" she asked.
"I just registered, paid the fee and took the test. I passed, so I got it," he shrugged.
"You know, at first I was afraid you weren't gonna keep your promise and then when Luke said you moved out I got scared. I know it was stupid of me and I know I should have believed you, but I believe you now, I really do. I'm sorry," she admitted.
"It's okay Rory. I was the one who ran away. Plus, giving me and Hemmingway another chance in the same day, that's pretty impressive," Jess said.
"I thought so," she said with a smirk.
"I took the rest of the day off, you wanna come see my apartment?" he asked after paying the bill.
"Oh, you didn't have to take the day off for me," Rory replied.
"I wanted to. Come on," he insisted.