A/N: Finally! We can rejoice! In this universe, Jess and Rory are finally together. Now we get to see what comes next. Read, review, and have a great day!

Chapter 9

"Oh my God! Oh my God oh my God oh my God!"

Rory could only smile as she watched her best friend, Lane, hop around the room excitedly. Upon hearing the news of Rory and Jess's kiss, Lane had reverted back five years to her 16-year-old self and was practically bouncing off the walls in girlish glee. Rory had reverted as well, having practically run to Lane's house immediately after bidding Jess farewell, where the two women had run upstairs to Lane's childhood bedroom and current place of residence.

"You kissed Jess!"

Rory laughed. "Yes, that is the story I just told you three times."

"Finally!" Lane held her arms up triumphantly.

"Hey, what do you mean 'finally'?" Rory asked defensively.

Lane looked at her with amused exasperation. "I mean, this has been coming for a long time! Come on, Rory! I saw the way you two were looking at each other the day he helped you moved back! You guys talk on the phone daily. Rory, you and I are best friends and have been, like, forever. Even when we aren't living in the same town, we don't do that. You've had a thing for him when he moved here at 17. So let me rejoice in my best friend finally kissing the guy of her dreams!"

"Lane, where's all this pro-Jess attitude coming from?" she asked, laughing. "I mean, I know you didn't hate him, but you weren't exactly his biggest cheerleader a few years ago."

"Hey, I thought we swore to never speak of my cheerleader phase," Lane said, pointing a finger at Rory accusatorily.

Rory raised her hands in defense. "That was not meant as a reference to the pom-poms that shall not be named, sorry."

"Thank you. And, since I saw how happy he makes you."

"Aww, Lane!"

"And since he grew up and stopped being a stupid rebel who got in fights all the time and made life difficult for everyone involved."

"Okay, I'll give you that one."

"Also, the guy's got a good taste in music, I'll give him that."

"Honestly, how have you two not bonded more over that?"

Lane smiled at Rory. "I'm so happy for you."

"Well, don't be too happy yet. We still have to have 'the talk'."

"You're both adults. I'm pretty sure you know where babies come from, as well as how to prevent them."

Rory laughed. "No, not that talk. The 'are we really going to try long-distance dating' talk."

"Ooh, that talk," Lane said with a grimace.

"Yep. I'm in New Haven, he's in Philadelphia. I'm trying to do four semesters of Yale in three, he's helping run a business, plus whatever he has going on to keep marketing his book and continuing to write… it's not going to be easy."

"You aren't kidding." Lane pondered a moment, examining Rory. "You want to try, though, don't you?"

Rory smiled bashfully. "Is that crazy?"

"Eh, only a little. A healthy dose of crazy is the key to a healthy relationship, anyway."

The two friends sat in a thoughtful silence for a few seconds before Rory realized what was going on in Lane's life.

"Oh my God, Lane, I am being so insensitive!" Lane gave her a confused look. "I come in here, spewing happiness about kissing my guy and complaining about long distance, when… well, you and Zack…"

"Oh, Rory. Don't worry about it. I'm happy for you, really. No jealousy here." Rory gave Lane a disbelieving look. "Okay, fine, maybe a twinge of jealousy. But again, a healthy amount. I've moved on. Mama helped, strangely enough. Apparently, she's been hiding a bottle of some Korean booze in the cabinet with the teacups. She sat me down, gave me some, and told me to move on. I drank alcohol with my mother. How weird is that?"

Rory's jaw dropped. "Whoa. Mama Kim drinks?!"

"Apparently, in certain situations, yes."

"Whoa!"

"Right?! Who knew?"

"If only we'd found bottle that in high school. Our lives would have been much more exciting."

"If by exciting you mean terrifying, because Mama Kim would hunt us down and send us to bible camp when, not if, she found out, then yes, very exciting."

"How are you really?" Rory asked tentatively after a beat of silence. "With the whole Zack thing."

Lane looked down smiling sadly and sighed before meeting Rory's eyes. "I miss him. A lot. The whole thing was so stupid and childish… Ugh, I still can't believe he got jealous over Brian just writing a song with my name as the title. I mean, come on. We're talking about Brian here!" Lane exclaimed, standing up and pacing the room in exasperation. "Not that I have anything against Brian, but when has he shown any kind of interest in me? Never! And then Zack just goes and ruins our shot at being noticed by a label, a real record label, Rory. We could have actually been a real band! Not just playing tiny, little gigs but recording actual albums! Not only does he ruin that, but his very public outburst also destroys, absolutely demolishes, Hep Alien. No one's talking to each other anymore, I'm not playing anymore, and the love of my life is… not here anymore," she finished in a soft and sad tone as she plopped back down on the bed next to Rory. "I guess I'm not as over it as I thought I was," she says quietly.

"Lane, you don't have to be over it. It's okay to not be over it. I was there for the public parts of it, it was…"

"Buddy Rich yelling at his band but with more Gwen Stefani mics, tambourines, and violence?"

"I was going to say intense, but… yeah." Rory grimaced. "Hey, really, if you think about it, it was kind of romantic?"

Lane laughed. "You're reaching. Big time. I appreciate the positive spin you're trying to give the whole thing, but it's a stretch to say it was romantic."

"Yeah, you're right," Rory pouted. "But I had to try."

"I'll be okay," Lane muttered.

"You will." Rory said confidently, grabbing Lane's hands in her own. "It sucks right now, but you'll be okay. And hey, I'm here for another few weeks and until then and ever after, I swear to be at your beck and call for greasy, sugary sustenance and sappy movies and moody music and anything else you might need."

Lane smiled gratefully. "Thank you, you're a good friend."

"Hey, helping you through a breakup is in the list of requirements for being your best friend, and I will do whatever it takes to fulfill those requirements!"

Lane thought for a moment. "Even if one of those requirements is running through the town square declaring your love for Kirk?"

"Even that. But also, please don't make me do that."

Lane laughed. "Don't worry, I'm not that evil. But, fair warning, I will be testing the limits of these unspoken requirements."

"Oh, please do, I'm up for the challenge," Rory nodded assuredly.

They laughed and chatted until it was time for Rory to meet Lorelai.

"I've gotta go, mom gave me the task of picking up dinner from Al's tonight."

"You going to tell Lorelai about the kiss?" Lane grabbed her bedpost as if to steady herself. "Whoa. I just traveled back in time to when we were 16 and you busted in here yelling about shoplifting and kissing a boy for the first time."

Rory laughed at the memory then answered Lane's question. "Yeah, I am. Actually, she's been strangely calm and almost supportive of all this. I'll be doing it slowly and carefully, but yes, I will be telling her," she said with a grin that didn't quite meet her eyes. Internally, she was starting to have doubts about Lorelai's possibly feigned support of the matter.

"I wish you luck, my friend!"

"Thanks, Lane. Call me if you need anything at all." She gave her friend a quick hug before leaving to get dinner. As she started the walk home, her nerves about telling Lorelai about the kiss with Jess grew.

Rory was in the kitchen taking the boxes of Chinese food out of the bags when she heard her mom come in the front door. Her stomach did a little flip flop.

"Hey hot lips!" her mother called from the entryway.

Rory blanched. "The kiss just happened this afternoon, no one was around when it happened, and I made sure Mrs. Kim was nowhere in earshot when I told Lane this time. How do you know about it already?!"

Lorelai marched into the kitchen, her mouth agape. "Um, what kiss?!"

Rory was officially confused. "What do you mean 'what kiss'? You just called me hot lips!"

Lorelai blushed. "I heard noise in the kitchen and thought you were Luke! What kiss?!"

"You call Luke 'Hot Lips'?" she asked, looking at Lorelai. She shook her head and went back to the takeout. "You know what, never mind I asked, I don't want to know."

"Rory!" Lorelai yelled.

Rory startled and turned to face Lorelai. "What?"

"What?! Kiss?!"

Rory smiled shyly. Lorelai gasped.

"Did you and Jess…?" Rory nodded. "Wow, kid, moving fast!" Her face said happy, but her voice was strained.

"Mom? Are you sure you're okay with this?"

Lorelai nodded slowly. "I am sure I am… on my way to being okay with this." When she noticed the small frown that had formed on Rory's face, she continued. "Rory, he hurt my baby. When my little girl gets hurt, it's hard to forget who did the hurting. But you're an adult now, you can do what you want. And I know promised you'd be careful, I'm just worried. Because you're not the only one in the relationship, he's there too. And before you say it, I know. He's grown up, he's changed, he's responsible now. But, no matter who you're dating, I'm always going to worry."

"I get that. I do. It's going to be hard, especially long distance, we have yet to have that discussion. But mom…" Rory's grin could not be contained.

"Aw, kid. You look happy."

"I am, mom."

"Well, he gets a few points for making you look like you slept with a hanger in your mouth."

Rory blushed, but still couldn't stop smiling. "Good, I'll add them to the tally."

"Plus, he really has grown up, hasn't he? I mean, just hearing things from Luke, and seeing snippets for myself… the guy has really grown out of his hoodlum days. Made a name for himself." She spoke as if she were trying to convince herself her words were, in fact, true.

"Yeah, he really has. He's a really good guy."

"Well, I guess now I have a chance to get to know him again."

"Promise you'll be nice!"

Lorelai grinned evilly. "Maybe. Or maybe I'll lull him into a sense of complacency before pouncing!"

"Mom!" Rory chastised.

"I promise, I promise!" Lorelai said, waving her hand dismissively.

"Thanks for giving him a chance, mom," Rory said after a second of quiet.

Lorelai reached out to hold Rory's chin in her palm. "For you, my one and only loin fruit, anything."

Rory wrinkled her nose and playfully batted her mother's hand away. "I really wish you'd forget that term for me."

"Never!" Lorelai yelled as she grabbed their food and they moved into the living room to settle down on the couch.

Lorelai sat down and turned and faced Rory who was wasting no time in diving into her food.

"So."

"Soo…?" Rory said curiously, opening a box of chow mein.

"How was it?" Lorelai grinned mischievously.

"Mom!"

"Aw, come on! It's been years since you two kissed, there's gotta be some improvement! I know you're more experienced now and I can only assume he is, too. Though, based on how much kissing you did back then, I assume you both enjoyed the activity then too."

"Mom, stop!" Rory was disgusted, albeit a little amused.

"Come on! I bet Lane got the girl talk! I want girl talk too! How was it? Was it just a kiss, or was there, y'know, more? Oh, God, do I want to know that? I think I do… Well, maybe not. I don't know. Do I?"

"It was just a kiss. Breathe, mom."

Lorelai took a breath. "Oh, good. I mean, I don't mean good that there wasn't more, you're an adult, like I said, you can do whatever you want, I just mean…"

"Do you want me to tell you so you can stop hyperventilating?" Rory's amusement was overpowering the disgust at this point.

"Dear God, please."

"It was…" Rory's grin returned.

"Wow, that good, huh?" Lorelai was smiling now too.

"Oh yes, it was good. Like, really, really good. Like…"

Lorelai held up her hand. "Okay, I know I practically begged for it, but stop, I'm getting uncomfortable now."

Rory laughed. "You know you brought this on yourself."

Luke walked in the door before Lorelai could respond. "Ah! Saved by the Luke!"

"Huh?" Luke looked at Rory. "Do I want to know?"

"No, probably not," Rory chuckled.

Lorelai got up and walked over to her fiancé, giving him a peck on the lips. "Do you come bearing pie?"

Luke held up a takeout bag. "I do indeed." He offered a strange smile to Rory. "Uh, hi, Rory!"

"Hi, Luke…" she gave him a skeptical look. "Jess told you!" she yelled, pointing at him accusatorily.

"Aw, jeez… yes…"

"Wow, Luke," Rory laughed. "You suck at keeping secrets."

"So, it's okay that I know…?"

"Well, considering Jess is your nephew, your friend, and your best man, yes I'm pretty sure it's okay that he told you."

"I practically had to pry it out of him, I almost feel guilty," Luke admitted, rubbing his neck. "But he came back to the apartment grinning like an idiot, and I knew you two were hanging out today… you sure you don't mind that I know?"

"Yes, Luke, I'm fine with it. This is… it's a good thing." Rory's face hurt from smiling so much, but she didn't even care.

"Well, good. I'm… I'm happy for you two." This time, Luke offered her a genuine smile.

"Thanks, so am I."

Luke, being Luke, felt suddenly uncomfortable and out of place in their special moment, and stood there in awkward silence before mumbling something about putting the pie in the fridge. He walked into the kitchen as Rory chuckled at her soon-to-be-stepfather as she continued to dive into the boxes of takeout, ever thankful for his presence, as awkward as he may be at times. Lorelai, previously lost in thought, broke the silence looking disturbed.

"Wait, hold on… if Luke is Jess's uncle, and I'm your mom, and Luke and I are getting married…"

Rory put her hand up. "Nope! Stop! He and I have already come to that realization and promised to never speak of it again! Step-cousins isn't even a thing!"

Lorelai laughed wildly. "I'm just saying, it's very 'sweet home Alabama'"

"Mom, stop!"

"Should I learn the banjo? Maybe the jug? Ooh, how about that little metal thing that you put in your mouth that goes sproing? I bet that would be fun!"

"I'm never going to hear the end of this, am I?" Rory whined as she slumped down in her seat.

Luke returned, incredibly confused to find Rory blushing furiously and Lorelai laughing hysterically. "Did I miss something?"

Lorelai couldn't catch her breath. "Hold on, give me a sec, I have more jokes."

Rory glowered at her mother as she returned to her food. "Officially ignoring you now!"

Lorelai was doubled over with laughter.

Luke walked back into the kitchen and mumbled, "I definitely missed something."