Aki- sorry it took a while to update, but school started again and I didn't have a chapter pre-written. With school I hope to get at least one chapter a week up. Also, all of you who have been begging in your reviews for more Rory and Jess interaction will be very pleased with the second part of this chap.

Chapter 7

Amber sat in the corner of Luke's Diner with a half finished milkshake (chocolate of course) in front of her. It took a long dispute with Luke to get him to serve ice cream in the middle of winter, but she won in the end. She stared over the top of the novel she had just bought from the bookstore, watching as customers came in and out. People were interesting to watch, these small town people particularly so.

That is when Lorelai walked in. She looked around, it was busy. She sighed, no where to sit. She decided to go complain to Luke about it.

"Luke, there's nowhere to sit, there's no free table!"

"What do you want to do with about it, they are all filled with paying customers."
"I'm a customer."

"No you're my wife, you haven't paid for anything since we got engaged."

Lorelai growled in frustration.

"Look," said Luke, "Amber is sitting over their by herself. Maybe if you ask nicely she will unwisely allow you to sit with her."

"Good idea!" Lorelai exclaimed and went over to Amber's table. "Hey Amber," she said, making to girl look up from the pages of her book, "Can I it with you? If you hadn't noticed everywhere else is packed."

Amber looked up at her and simply nodded as an answer. Lorelai sighed in relief as she sat, taking off her coat.

"Nice day, huh?" asked Lorelai.

Amber glanced at the overcast sky throughout the window, "If you say so."

"Well," said Lorelai, leaning forward across the table as though letting Amber in on a secret, "It's going to snow soon. It may not look it now, but it will."

"Was it on the news," asked Amber, putting down her book, the snow that had fallen on her journey to this town was gone already.

"No, I can feel it. Maybe we will have a white Christmas…it's been years."

"Maybe…" said Amber, uninterested, picking up her book again.

"Why aren't you excited?" asked Lorelai.

"Snow's snow, it's no big deal."

"That's were your wrong," said Lorelai, shaking her head, "Snow is magical. Not only that. It's a miracle. Good things happen when it snows."

"Like car accidents?"

Lorelai huffed and sat back in her seat, "You are just like Luke."

"Whatever that means," mumbled Amber. Lorelai got some food and coffee from Luke and began to eat as the conversation lacked between the two.

"Hey, what's your birthday?" asked Lorelai suddenly.

Amber looked up from reading, "Why?"

"You're my great niece. That means more presents to give. Duh!"

Amber rolled her eyes and told the women. As Lorelai wrote in down she paused for a second. She was no math wiz, but she knew enough to realize that whoever Amber's mother was, she would have been pregnant during her and Luke's wedding.

"So…were you raised just by Jess?"

"Oh, a, yes. And this old lady we used to live next door who would baby sit me when I was little and Dad had to go to work."

"Your mom was never…?"

"No," answered Amber, wondering why Lorelai was so curious and why she, Amber, was so willing to answer, "I never meet her. In, fact, I don't know anything about her. Dad doesn't talk about her much, or at all really."

"Yeah, but single parenting isn't that bad. I raised my daughter by myself."

"Aren't you…?" Amber glanced at Luke.

"Me and Luke didn't get married until my daughter, Rory, was twenty-one."

"Okay."

"Rory's real father was rarely around. See, I had Rory when I was sixteen."

"Woe…."

"Yeah, I know," said Lorelai.

Amber was silent for a second before asking, "Did she, Rory I mean, ever get mad at her dad for not being there?"

"Probably. I think she did," Lorelai stopped and looked off as though in deep thought, "But she used to have this overwhelming hope that things would be different, that he come and stay. That we would get back together…But then she kind of gave up on it. Her father kept breaking his promises, you know. Coming and leaving and coming and leaving. She lost her trust in him…

"It's funny now that I think of it. When she was younger I couldn't wait for her to grow up, to understand, to become a realistic Rory who knew her father wasn't going to stay or change or be different, but then she did. Sometimes I think I miss the hopeful Rory a bit. It's refreshing to experience someone enjoying blind trust, to have faith like a child…I don't really know which one is better…Sorry, I'm rambling."

"No, it's okay," said Amber. She had listened intently to everything her great aunt had said. It meant something to her.

"So Jess really doesn't talk about your mother?"

"No," said Amber, "Except he has told me I have her eyes-,"

"I guessed that-,"

"And her smile…Actually just last night I asked him if he loved my mother. You know what he said?"

"What?" asked Lorelai, genuinely interested.

"With all my heart, now shut up and go to sleep."

Lorelai smiled sadly.

After the book launch…

Rory had been waiting across the street all day, sitting on the bench, leaning on the walls, or walking through the stores and stands. Finally, after it was dark and the crowds dispersed he came out.

She ran across the street. "Hey," she said to him. He looked at her, surprised, but not really. Rory did not give him time to respond his time, "Can we talk?"

For a moment, it seemed to Rory that Jess wasn't going to respond, or if he did, was going to so no.

"When?" he asked roughly.

Rory licked her lips nervously before asking hesitantly and hopefully, "Now?"

Jess nodded in return "Wait a sec," he said, pulling out his cell phone and dialing a number, "Hey Luke, it's Jess," he was silent for a moment, as though listening to someone of the other side and then, "Yeah the launch kinda of ran over and now Sarah is keeping me over more, you know how she is," Another short second of silence, "So can you watch Amber for a little while longer, okay…thanks." Jess hung up the phone and stuffed it into his pocket.

"Now we can talk," said Jess to Rory.

A few minutes later they were walking down the side of the street, not touching, not looking at each other, and obviously not talking. Rory had rehearsed all day long all the things she had wanted to say to Jess, but now her mind was blank.

"How's…how's Amber?" she asked, breaking the uneasy silence.

"She's okay," answered Jess, glancing up at Rory as he did so.

"That's good," said Rory weakly. Jess looked at her as she stared at he ground as the both unconsciously wondered in the forest part of Stars Hollow. Her dark hair hung around her shoulders, her eyes as blue as ever were serious and …sad.

"Um-thanks for sending me those pictures…"

"It's nothing…you asked for them." Jess stopped and looked around him. They had may their way unconsciously to the bridge (AN- A Gilmore Girls lit cliché yes, but you know you love it). The trees and the night hid them from all wandering eyes.

They were silent for a moment, standing awkward near each other. Jess decided to speak up, giving his thanks, "Thanks for helping us out a few years ago, you know…financially."

"Oh," answered Rory, jumping swiftly into the conversation to keep another awkward silence away, "It was the least I could do." Rory froze after that statement. It was a common small talk phrase, but when she said it then…It really was the least she could have done. How could she not help when he had gotten into debt and wrote her an email begging for help? It was indeed the least she could do, sending money to help her daughter and her daughter's father. In return, Rory begged for pictures of her daughter. She still had them hidden on her computer.

She wondered what her daughter looked like now. She had not seen her in person since she was just a few days old and the pictures were from a few years ago.

"It was the least I can do…" she repeated weakly, more to herself than Jess.

Jess watched Rory in turmoil with herself. He saw the guilt written all over her face. He didn't feel sorry for her. It was horrible, he knew, but he was still furious at her. In his mind, she deserved the anguish she was dealing with. It might have been sadistic, but he was gaining pleasure in her pain.

"Um..," started Rory, looking Jess in the eyes. Her voice was shaky as though she was on the edge of tears, "I'm sorry, Jess."

He looked away from her, in another direction, over the lake and into the trees. He sighed roughly in, Rory was not sure what it was, disgust, anger, disbelief?

"I-I really am," Rory repeated in a cracking, high voice.

Jess looked back at her, shaking his head and said, "That's not enough."

There was another silence between them, not so awkward this time, but chilling. Rory realized how close they were actually standing. Jess took a step closer, for what reason he wasn't sure. Rory raised her head to continue staring into his eyes. He noticed the unshed teardrops that clung to her lashes. She looked beautiful, he couldn't deny that. Their frosty breath mingled in the air they were so close. Jess leaned down little. Their faces were closer than ever. Rory wasn't quite sure what was happening over the few seconds that seemed to last hours, but their lips barely brushed before Jess pulled away.

Rory stood statue still, shocked as Jess walked away.

"I got to go," he said before handing her a book, "This is for you." Then he left with looking back once, fading into the surrounding darkness.

Rory would admit that she had made a lot of mistakes in her life, especially recently involving Jess. Having a one night stand was one, another, deserting their daughter. But this mistake was of not realizing something until it was too late. Not realizing that she, Rory Gilmore, still loved, maybe never even stopped, loving Jess Mariano.

Rory had been very inclined to crying the last few days, but right now, tears escaped her.