They spent the rest of their afternoon in Kat's dorm room. Her roommate was nowhere to be found and had left a message for Kat not to wait up for her. So they had the entire (entire meaning the crowded) room for themselves. After two beers to encourage him a little, Jess began his story. The whole fucking lot. His childhood, his sentence to Hell in Stars Hollow, his savior with the name of Rory and the way he single handedly managed to blow it all to pieces.

All the while Kat just listened, nodded and handed him a new drink when she noticed him running out. Of drinks or of courage.

When finally Jess's story seemed to be done, Kat was awed. Here, right in front of her, was a man who was considered to be the most intelligent of his class, maybe of his year, and he was completely in the dark when it came to love. The boy just didn't understand. Now that she knew more about his past with this mystery girl, she could reconstruct events and picture it going down the drain. It baffled her how wrong the guy was! First of all, he had now idea whatsoever about his own strength. Which was just mad. Second, he though she, the girl he ran away from, would probably hate him, while Kat knew, felt, that if this girl really did love Jess, she would pine like he did now. She would love him still, would love him forever. She would maybe try to hate him, but that would never work. She would never succeed.

Kat Mendosa had one strong quality: she was a planner. She loved it, was good at it. And she had one serious weakness: she was a hopeless romantic. Put those two together and there she was: planning a perfect way to help her friend: planning a way to get him and the girl he loved together.

Sometimes, Kat pondered, sometimes the best plan is not to have a plan at all. Sometimes it was best just to jump headfirst into a problem. That's what she would do. First, a call to Gino Mendosa, rich, infamous and daddy. A ticket to Hartford, Connecticut would be ready for her at the Airport check-in desk. Good.

Next came shopping. She needed sweaters. It's hard to get good sweaters in California but she needs them as it is almost winter in Connecticut. Ugh, she hates winter. She's a Mendosa. Originally from Chicago. Winters are terrible there. That's why the entire family packed up and left for a sunnier location. Or maybe to flee from the IRS. Never mind.

She sighed. With shopping and packing done, all that was left was to form a good enough excuse for Jess when she told him she was taking a few days off. Luckily for her, he bought her family emergency story, it was likely enough. Being from a catholic Italian family meant having lots of relatives. So there was always some niece, some second cousin, some uncle she hadn't mentioned yet.

Grinning by herself she hopped on board of the plane that would take her to the town she knew so well, if only from Jess's stories, to go find the girl he loved and drag her with her to finally get things going with her best friend.

Yale, same time...

Blissfully unaware of what was awaiting her, Rory Gilmore packed an overnight bag to stay in Stars Hollow for the coming Christmas holidays. It was the first time since Thanksgiving she would be home, only the second time she would be home since she started college this fall. Sure, Yale was close enough to home, but Rory wanted to experience the whole Ivy League idea and the only way possible was to live on campus.

She liked it there, though she had to admit there was more than one reason. The other reason she didn't like to mention, it still tasted bad in her mouth. It was why she'd fled from her birthplace. Not to have to go to Luke's every day, not to look at the curtain that hid the staircase to the apartment where he used to live. Sometimes that curtain would move with the draft and she would always instinctively hold her breath. But he never sauntered into the diner anymore, giving her his trademark smirk. He would never be there anymore.

Rory wouldn't pine over him. She adamantly refused to pine. No way. She would bury herself in her college work and maybe, just maybe she would find herself a nice freshman to take her out. Maybe she would fall hopelessly in love again with him and marry him and live happily ever after. Right.

But she couldn't stay away from her home town and her mom forever and since it was almost the holidays, it was now or never.

Rory heaved her bag onto her shoulders and found her car in the crowded parking lot. For the first time in years, Rory was happy with a gift from her grandparents. Instead of buying her a car, they let her choose her own, so no flashy gadgets and no snobby vehicle. Her car was big enough to get her anywhere she chose to go.

Right now, her destination was Stars Hollow…

Nothing had changed since she was last here, a few weeks ago. Taylor was giving directions to Kirk and Babette, who were both struggling with the Christmas lights, while Luke tried to intervene before they decorated his diner as well. The grumpy look on his face disappeared the minute he recognized her car pulling up. Patiently he waited for her to get out. "Rory, nice to have you back. You staying the holidays?" "Yeah. I really have to catch up on the latest gossip. Is mom in the diner?" "Where else would she be?" Rory smiled. Of course Lorelai was in there. Her shift at the Inn being over, she would be inside with a precious cup of java. Which Rory ached for too.

Rubbing her hands against the cold, she entered the soothing surroundings of Luke's diner. "Mom!" Her mother looked around and practically jumped off her stool at the bar. "Offspring!" The women hugged before Rory sat down next to her mother. Miraculously, a cup of fresh brew was placed in front of her, making her look up in surprise to see…Luke. The little flame that had leaped up died out just as fast as realization again sank in. Luke gave her a rueful smile to acknowledge her sadness and confusion. Though he never spoke a word about his nephew and basically lived his life as if the boy had never been there, Rory could tell he missed Jess too. Almost as much as she did. Almost.

Lorelai rambled on and on about something that apparently had something to do with Michel scaring off some elderly couple, but she couldn't really concentrate. After not getting an answer for some time, Lorelai caught on. "Rory, are you okay? You look pale." "I'm fine mom, really. It's just the cold, I guess." Her mother didn't answer. Lorelai wasn't crazy. She could still read her daughter like an open book and right now she read the word 'pining' all over her morose little face.

Heartbreak was not unfamiliar to the older Gilmore. She knew all too well how long it would take to get back on track. And she also knew that there was no way she could help her child get through this. If she could, she would have done so months ago. Sigh. That's what love can do.

Both women finished their coffee in complete silence.