Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with The Gilmore Girls; it is all the property of Amy Sherman-Palladino. I do own a few individual characters as well as the plot, but there's really no point in suing me because I don't own anything of value.

Chapter Three

Jess and Anna left soon after Jess had retrieved the basinet. By that time, Rory had said goodnight to her mother and Luke and retreated into her bedroom.

Luke, with the basinet in the back, drove Jess and Anna back to the diner and helped Jess set it up upstairs. After putting Anna down to sleep, Jess took a shower.

Jess came out of the bathroom, towel drying his hair with nothing but a pair of boxer shorts on. He gave a small yelp when he saw Rory sitting at the kitchen table.

"What are you doing here?" Jess asked, making no move to cover himself, determined not to get embarrassed.

"I-" Rory looked up at him and stopped.

She quickly averted her eyes, her cheeks turning red in embarrassment.

"Can you put something on?" she asked him, still not looking up. "It's…" she trailed off.

"Distracting? Tempting?" Jess asked, smirking as he pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

"No," Rory said coldly, glaring at him.

Jess sat down opposite her and waited expectantly for her to say something. When she didn't, he spoke.

"How did you get in here?" he asked.

"I took Luke's keys," she replied, holding up Luke's key ring, still not looking at Jess.

Again, Jess waited for her to say something, but still she didn't.

"Well if you're not going to say anything," he said, "I might go to bed."

"Jess," Rory said, finally looking at him. "She should have been mine."

"What? Who should have been yours?'

"Your daughter, I should have had your daughter," she whispered, a tear falling down her cheek.

Jess sat in stunned silence, not believing what she'd just said. After everything he put her through, she had wanted to have his child.

"Rory, you don't mean that, trust me. I'm not good enough for you. You'll marry some smart, rich Yale guy and have a million kids on your own."

"That might be true now, but only because you left."

Jess felt like he'd been slapped. Rory had quite possibly just given him the biggest compliment of his life, but he felt terrible. He knew why as well- it was regret. He now regretted leaving her more than he ever had before.

"Rory, I'm sorry for leaving how I did."

She didn't reply, instead, stared at the table top, as if studying it intently.

"I was so upset when you left, but I soon got over it, and then I was just plain angry. I don't understand it Jess, even now, it's still all a mystery to me."

Jess knew she was trying to subtly make him give her a reason for his actions, but he couldn't do it.

"Rory, I said I was sorry. Right now, that's all I can offer you."

Staring deep into his eyes, Rory nodded solemnly, rose from the table. The tears now flowing freely, Rory exited the apartment. Jess followed and closed the door behind her. He sighed, sliding down it until he was sitting on the floor. His head in his hands, Jess began to cry as well.

"Hi, what can I get you?" Jess asked a customer sitting at the counter.

It was early the next morning and, without being asked, Jess had opened up the diner. Anna, still asleep, was in her car seat nearby and, much to Jess' surprise hadn't woken up due to the noise the customer's chatter was making.

"Just a cup of tea, thanks," the man replied, going back to his newspaper.

Jess began to prepare the tea. He was surprised that Luke wasn't here already as he usually opened up very early in the morning. As he turned round, he saw Luke and Lorelai on their way in, Rory not with them.

"Jess," Luke said in disbelief. "You opened?"

"Huh," Jess replied, giving the man his cup of tea.

"Hey, Lorelai," Jess said. "What are you doing today?"

"Hanging out with Rory, why?"

"Oh," Jess replied, his mood darkening. "Never mind."

"What? Tell me!"

"I just wanted to know if you wanted to watch Anna so I could stay here and help Luke, but never mind."

"Oh! Of course I would, I can still do stuff with Rory if we've got her. Please Jess! Let me take her."

Jess smiled slightly at her enthusiasm. He knew that Rory wouldn't want Anna around but right now, Jess had no alternative.

"Okay, I'll go get her things. She's right here, she's still sleeping."

"Oh she's so adorable," Jess heard Lorelai say as he ascended the stairs.

Jess quickly packed a baby bag for Anna and collected her stroller, carrying it down the stairs. He quietly and carefully took Anna from her car seat and gently placed her into the stroller. She stirred a little but fortunately didn't wake up.

"Lorelai," Jess said sternly. "Under no circumstances are you to give my daughter coffee."

Lorelai pouted and sighed.

"Well, there goes that plan."

"There are a couple of bottles already made up but I'm out of formula. Here," he said, handing her some money. "You can pick it up at Doose's."

"Oh sure, but here, I think I can afford it," she handed the money back to Jess. "Luke, give me my coffee to go, I'm gonna go home and hang out with these two gorgeous girls."

Luke handed Lorelai her coffee and, saying goodbye, she left with Anna. Jess picked up a cloth and began to wipe down a table. He heard the doorbell jingle and looking up, saw Kirk. Straight away, Kirk spotted Jess and immediately made a beeline for him. Jess sighed; it was going to be a long day.

"Jess, it's for you."

Jess put the coffee pot back down and took the phone from Luke. It was just after lunch and Jess had been working all day.

"Hello?"

"Jess, it's Rory. I need you to come over here," she pleaded.

"Why? What happened? Are you okay? Where's Anna?"

"I'm fine. Anna's here with me. It's just, mom got called into the Inn and Anna's crying and I don't know what to do."

"Okay," Jess said, sighing. "I'll be right over."

Jess hung the phone up and told Luke where he was going. Jess grabbed his keys, deciding to drive over instead of walk. Jess wondered why Rory couldn't make Anna stop crying. She wasn't a problem baby and could usually be calmed down through a bottle or her pacifier. Still, Rory hadn't had much experience with babies and probably didn't like Anna very much as it was.

"Rory?" Jess called, letting himself into the house.

He walked into the kitchen to find Rory sitting at the table, Anna nowhere in sight.

"Where's Anna?" Jess asked, looking around the room.

"Oh, I got her to sleep so I put her in my room. She's in her stroller."

Jess raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He quietly opened the door to Rory's bedroom and approached Anna's stroller. As Rory has said, she was sleeping soundly, her pacifier in her mouth.

Jess glanced around the room. It had been over two years since he'd last been in there but it hadn't changed much. However, a photo on Rory's bedside table caught his eye. Rory and a brown haired man, their arms around each other, were both smiling. Jess was surprised at the wave of jealousy that passed through his body and went back out into the kitchen, closing the door only slightly.

"Jess," Rory said. "I didn't call you over here because of Anna."

"I figured as much," he replied, sitting opposite her. "She looks like she's been asleep for hours. Why did you call me over, Rory?"

"I-" she sighed. "I know last night was a little strange. And I wanted to say sorry, if I made you uncomfortable."

Rory wasn't looking at Jess, choosing to stare at her hands in her lap.

"That's okay. I'm used to being uncomfortable- especially in this town."

Finally, Rory looked up at him, smiling slightly. Jess gave a small smile back.

"You've changed so much," she whispered. "I feel like…" she trailed off again.

"Fell like what?"

"Like maybe I was holding you back."

"What?" Jess cried. "Rory, that's ridiculous. If I'd never met you, I would have been the one who'd bailed, not Lucy."

"Lucy's the mother, I assume," Jess nodded. "What was she like?"

"Nothing much," Jess shrugged. "If Anna hadn't been born, I would have broken up with her a long time ago."

"Why did she leave?"

"I dunno," Jess replied, looking down at the table. "I don't think she wanted a baby. I mean, neither of us did, but I changed my mind the second she was born. Maybe she was just scared, I don't know."

"Aren't you scared?" Rory asked quietly, reaching out and taking Jess' hand.

"Yeah," he replied, his voice cracking. "I'm scared I'm gonna screw her up. I don't want her to be like me."

"Jess, she'd be a wonderful person if she turned out the slightest bit like you. You're going to do a fabulous job. I've seen you with her, you're fantastic."

Rory suddenly got up and came to stand in front of Jess, pulling him up from his chair.

"Don't sell yourself short," she said. "Do you know why I was so upset that you left?"

Jess shook his head.

"I was in love with you," she whispered.

Before he could do or say anything, Rory pulled Jess' mouth down to hers. At first, he eagerly returned the kiss. He'd forgotten how wonderful it felt to kiss her and found he still knew her mouth like the back of his hand. But remembering, he suddenly pulled away.

"Who's the guy in the picture?" he asked.

A look of panic suddenly washed over Rory's face and she took a step backwards. Not catching Jess' eye, she answered him.

"David, my boyfriend."

"Well," Jess said harshly, "I don't think David would appreciate you kissing your ex-boyfriend. Thank your mom for me, Anna and I have to go now."

Glaring at Rory, Jess walked past her and into her bedroom. He didn't know why he was so angry with her. He thought it was unfair of her to ignite these feelings inside of him, only to tell him she had a boyfriend.

He silently pushed Anna's stroller back out into the kitchen, into the living room and out the front door. He carried it down the front steps before securing her in her car seat. He folded the stroller up and placed it in the boot of the car. As he turned his keys in the ignition, he saw Rory. She was standing in her bedroom window, tears falling down her face as she watched him drive away.