DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything, other than this minty piece of winterfresh gum!

(Rory, alone in her car, pulls into the driveway. She turns the car off and gets out. She hears a gate squeaking behind her. She turns around. Jess is opening the gate.)

RORY (stunned): Jess.

JESS: Hey.

RORY: Hey.

RORY: I... (After a pause) Sorry. That wasn't a sentence.

JESS walks over to her): I got the gist.

RORY: What are you doing here?

JESS: I got a job. Professional driveway skulker.

RORY: Pay's good?

JESS: Yeah, but the hours suck.

RORY: Jess -

JESS: I'm in town on a little business. All nice and above board.

RORY: How'd you know where to find me?

JESS: Luke. I shook it out of him, he wasn't sure if it was okay.

RORY: It's okay. You look good! The years don't seem to have hardened you.

JESS: Yeah, you look good, too. I know this is kind of weird, but there's actually something I wanted to tell you. Show you, actually. (He notices Rory glancing up at the house.) I can come back another time.

RORY: No, it's just, uh, we're kind of exposed, here. I mean, her window is like right there.

JESS: Who's?

RORY: Oh, my grandma's. You want to come in?

JESS: You sure?

RORY: Yeah. Come on. But just be careful. She's a very light sleeper.

RORY'S BEDROOM

(They enter.)

RORY: Here we are.

JESS: Casa Rory.

(Rory snatches a pillow from the bed and puts it on the ground in front of the door.)

RORY: So our voices don't carry.

JESS: Very prudent.

RORY (gesturing around): This is not really my taste.

JESS: Yeah, not unless you've aged about ninety years.

RORY: I haven't.

JESS (pointing at the dress hanging from the door): Is that for Halloween?

RORY: No, no, this is just for a function I have to go to.

JESS: A function.

RORY: It's just a job. The DAR. Daughters of the American Revolution. It's not a career or anything.

JESS: Oh, I hope not.

RORY: No, see. Don't get the wrong idea. I'm just here temporarily. My mom and I -

JESS: Luke mentioned a rift.

RORY: It's a long story. I was crashing in the pool house and that was just temporary, but the pool house became storage, so then I had to move into the main house. All temporary.

JESS: Isn't school in session?

RORY: Mm-hum.

JESS: Why aren't you living on campus?

RORY: Because I'm - not going.

JESS: You graduate already, Doogie?

RORY: No, I'm just taking a little time off.

JESS: Time off, oh I understand.

RORY: No Jess, you don't understand.

JESS: You know what I mean! I know you. I know you better than anyone! This isn't you.

RORY: Jess-

JESS: What are you doing living at your grandparents place? Being in the DAR, which I plan to mock when I leave. (RORY SMILES)But that's not my point, dropping out of Yale- why did you drop out?

RORY: Jess please! You don't understand.

JESS: Rory, I didn't want to get in a fight here, I have to show you something.

RORY (AGGRIVATED): Fine.

(JESS DIGS THROUGH HIS BAG AND PULLS OUT A BOOK, THEN HANDS IT TO RORY)

RORY: A book. (She reads the cover.) The Subsect. Written by Jess Mariano. (She looks up at him, questioning.)

JESS: It's no misprint.

RORY: You wrote a book?

JESS: A short novel.

RORY: You wrote a book?

JESS: And through a fluke I got it to these guys that have a small press, and they read it, I don't know if they were high or something, but they decided to publish it!

RORY: You wrote a book.

JESS: There's no money in it. They only printed, like, five hundred of them. Believe me, I'm not quitting my day job.

RORY: But - you wrote it. You wrote a book. (She stands and flips through it, then stops on the page with the dedication.) (Reads the dedication aloud) To Rory, my first true love. Thank you for everything you have done for me. I will always love you. (Rory is in tears by the end.)

JESS: That's not a misprint either.

RORY: I- You- You still love me?

JESS: Well, yes. I know its bad, we broke up a while ago but I know I will never stop.

RORY: I- I- Love you too.

JESS: (STUNNED) Oh wow. (GASPS) Really?

RORY: I will never ever stop loving my first second boyfriend.

JESS: Does this mean?

(RORY NODS)

RORY: Jess? I think im going to call my mom.

JESS: Ill get your bag, and pack it.

(RORY WALKS UP TO JESS AND KISSES HIM AND THEN WALKS TO HER PURSE AND TAKES HER CELL PHONE OUT)

(RORY DIALS LORELAI'S NUMBER)

RING, RING, RING

LORELAI: Hello?

RORY: Mom.

LORELAI: Rory? Is- Is that you?

RORY: IM SO SORRY!

LORELAI: You're sorry, I'm sorry.

RORY: I was so mixed up.

LORELAI: I should have pulled you out of there.

RORY: I was stupid!

LORELAI: No, I was stupid!

RORY: I was more stupid!

LORELAI: Uh, boy, time to get you back to Yale!

RORY: I love you, Mom.

LORELAI (sniffles) Oh, kid, you have no idea.

RORY: Can I- come back?

LORELAI: Of course you can babe.

RORY: Mom guess what?

LORELAI: The word kropog sounds dirty?

RORY: MOM! Jess wrote me a book.

LORELAI: Wh- What?

RORY: He wrote me a book, and he told me he loved me. And guess what?

LORELAI: Your never leaving home again!

RORY: That too, but I love him back

LORELAI: Rory, im, (CRYING EVEN HARDER) so happy.

RORY: Mom, im grabbing Jess' arm as we speak and we are heading for the door. Ill be home in 10 minutes.

LORELAI: Its takes 20 to get here.

RORY: 10 minutes.

LORELAI: Bye kid.

RORY: I love you!

(THEY HANG UP)

RORY: Jess, move your butt into this car. Were heading to stars hollow!

(THEY DRIVE OFF AND LAUGH, TALK, SING FUNNY SONGS IN THE CAR UNTIL THEY REACH LORELAIS HOUSE)

(Lorelai runs outside and hugs JESS)

LORELAI: Thank you for making my kid come home.

JESS: It was nothing.

LORELAI: We will be eternally grateful.

(LORELAI AND JESS WALK INTO THE HOUSE LAUGHING.)

JESS: You coming?

RORY: Give me a minute.

(RORY TAKES A DEEP BREATH AND SMILES, PAUL ANKA COMES OUTSIDE AND SITS NEXT TO RORY.)

RORY: (DEEP BREATH) I- I- Really missed it here.

(RORY AND PAUL ANKA GO INSIDE)

PLEASE R&R

xoxo,

..:Kayla:..