"Excuse me." Rory said when the phone rang, she scrambled off the floor to go and pick it up. "Hello."

"Offspring."

"Hey Mom."

"Is Jess still there?" Lorelai inquired.

"He's helping me debate which books I should take back to Yale with me."

"I see." Lorelai said with a slight tone.

"Mom." Rory sighed.

"What are you doing for lunch?"

"It turns out Jess knows the heating instructions for that lasagne Sookie gave us. So he's going to stay and have lunch."

"I see."

"Mom you keep using that tone."

"Did he change the water bottle?"

"Yes. He'll probably clean out the rain gutters if you absolutely insist."

"He might as well make himself useful."

"Mom…"

"I'm going to Luke's for lunch. I'll see you when I get home."

"Bye Mom." Rory hung up.

"Lorelai?" Jess questioned when she re-entered her room.

"Yes."

"Everything okay?"

"She just wanted to know what I was doing for lunch." Rory sat down and picked up a book. "And she really does want you to clear the rain gutters."

"Right."

"But that can wait until after lunch and after we've finished here." She told him.

"Back to Emily Dickinson and why you don't need to take her book of poetry to Yale."

"Just because you don't like poetry it doesn't mean that the rest of us don't."

"If you're at Yale and you get the overwhelming desire to read poetry it's generally available on the internet. Or we'll download you the e-book version."

"E-books just ruin the experience, reading a book is more than just the words on the page. It's about feel of the paper, the smell of the pages, the sensation and the sound of turning the page."

"No e-books." Jess said. "But you really don't need Emily Dickinson…"

The debate continued.

GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

"Rory." Rory heard a voice behind her as headed to buy school supplies.

"Hey Miss Patty."

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" Miss Patty inquired.

"I thought I'd get a head start on buying school supplies." Rory replied.

"That's nice dear. Do you know why Jess is back in Stars Hollow?" Rory had been waiting for that question since Miss Patty had stopped her.

"I'm sure he has his reasons."

"Do you know how long he is staying?"

"I'm sure he'll have to go back to New York as some point." Rory replied. If only to get his things. She added silently.

"Babette saw Jess drop by your house this morning." Miss Patty remarked nonchalantly.

"Mom asked him to clean out the rain gutters. But I needed another opinion on which books I should take to Yale with me so he helped me reduce the pile to a more manageable size so he helped me with that first."

"I see."

"I should really get going." Rory said. "Have a nice afternoon Miss Patty."

"You too dear."

"So did you find out anything doll?" Babette asked when Miss Patty walked over and sat down on the bench next to her.

"She was being cagey. She said Jess has his reasons for being here, and that he was going back to New York at some point." Patty told her.

"Did she tell you why he was at Lorelai's place this morning?"

"To clean out the rain gutters, but he helped her with some books first." Patty relayed the information.

"I'll bet he did." Babette said knowingly.

TBC