Chapter Two: As Holly Jolly as it Gets.

With a heavier-than-usual backpack, she entered the Dragonfly Inn just as the clock hit 3pm. She threw her backpack on the ground. It was eerily silent. Looking around, she saw no familiar face. Not even Michel. Just a man and a kid, sitting on a sofa and looking through a brochure.

"Mom?" She called, stepping in, leaving her backpack behind. Getting no response whatsoever, she decided to aim bigger. "Sookie?" she called, "Michel?"

With a sigh of frustration, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, wondering what to do next.

"Merrrrry Christmas!" a voice came behind her, and she jumped in place. Turning around with her hand holding her chest, she saw her mother, wearing a knitted sweater with reindeers on it, holding a cardboard box full of glittery items.

"Mom." Rory said, trying to catch her breath, and closed her eyes as she sighed with relief.

"Aw, my daughter." Said Lorelai with a wide smile. "Did I scare you?" she asked, not able to hide a chuckle.

"No." responded Rory, her voice harsh, glaring at her smiling mom. Lorelai laughed and placed the box on the ground. She took Rory into a hug and Rory mellowed, her tight lips breaking into a small smile. Lorelai let go and took one step backwards, holding her daughter by the shoulders.

"You got highlights." She commented, examining her daughter's hair.

Rory sighed. "I went to get it layered and the hairdresser said it would light up my face. I didn't really care but Paris talked me into it and I was too exhausted to object."

"Paris?" Lorelai mock gasped. "What am I paying her to babysit you for?" she asked, keeping on a straight face.

"She actually wanted to get pink highlights, but she had an allergic reaction to the smell so I pretty much had to drag her out."

Lorelai laughed a little, remaining quiet for a few seconds. "I missed you." She told her daughter, giving her shoulders a gentle squeeze. "I missed you too." Rory replied.

"You have no idea how thankful I am that you came here early," Lorelai added, her smiling face taking on a more serious expression. "I know you're really busy with school and all, but -"

"I wouldn't have missed this for the world." She cut into her mother's words.

She looked around the Dragonfly. Nothing really changed ever since the place opened, only now the place was as holly jolly as it gets since Christmas was coming up. A big oak tree was standing on the ground and decorations were hanging from all over. Other than that, things were pretty much the same as she remembered it, although there was a possibility she remembered it wrong, since the last time she visited this place was on the last summer break, when she came to help Lorelai or just pay her a visit when she was too packed with work to spend much time at home. After that, once she was back to school, her trips to Stars Hollow included spending some time with her mom at the house, barely leaving the house because she was so packed with school work.

Now, she was there for her mom's wedding.

"The place looks great!" Rory turned to face her mother. "Are you going to keep it that way for the reception?"

Lorelai replied with a dismissive hand gesture, followed by a small sigh. "Oh, Luke's going to flip if it remains that way," she said, and then, her face suddenly lightened up and her lips curled into a devilish smile. "Of course I am!"

"Even the singing drunk Santa?" Laughed Rory, and Lorelai nodded. "Even Willy."

"So, who's doing your cake?" Rory asked, and as if as on command, Sookie came out from the kitchen with a plate in one hand and a spoon held in the other. Noticing Rory, she smiles widely, half-running towards her. "Sweetie, you came!" she called, trying to throw her busy hands around Rory.

"Yeah," Rory smiled, carefully hugging Sookie back.

Lorelai, noticing that Rory's hair is getting a little too close to Sookie's plate, stepped in and took Rory's hair back. "Careful, Sookie, I don't think that's in the recipe!"

Sookie let go of Rory in reply. "I'm so glad you're here!" she added and turned to Lorelai. "You have to taste this!" she exclaimed. "I was just doing a taste run for the cake and I need your opinion on –"she shoved the plate in Lorelai's face, "this!"

Lorelai grabbed a piece of the cake that laid on the plate and brought it to her mouth. She closed her eyes and made a small noise, opening her mouth to speak, but Sookie stopped her before she did.

"Wait!" she called, handing Lorelai the spoon, "taste this first."

"Sookie, this is incredible!" Lorelai exclaimed, and Sookie giggled.

"What is it?" Rory asked, looking from Sookie to her mother and back. "A Black Forest coffee-chocolate cake with a coffee and rum cream topping," explained Sookie. "With coffee beans on top!" added Lorelai, grinning like a kid in a candy store. Or like Lorelai Gilmore at a coffee shop, whatever goes.

"You're having a coffee cake of your wedding!" Rory laughed, "Does Luke know?"

Lorelai shook her head. "He's not going to approve of any cake, anyway." She said, taking another piece of cake and feeding it to Rory.

"So, I'm gonna go back to the kitchen," Sookie announced, "do you want me to call you when I'm all done?"

"Yes, please!" Lorelai grinned, and Sookie laughed as she turned and walked back into the kitchen.

"You're so bad!" Rory laughed.

Lorelai clapped her hands together. "I know!" she laughed. "Hey, want to see what I'm making Luke wear?" she asked, a glint in her eye. Rory kept on laughing as she followed her mom into her office.

He closed the diner not long ago. It was dark, it was late, it was cold and he was tired. But there he was, sitting on the only chair down amongst many chairs turned upside down, calculating.

-

Suddenly, a chime was heard and the diner's door opened.

He looked up, smiling at the figure standing in the shadows, not far from him.

"Hey." He said.

Jess nodded. "Hey."