satelliteblues21 – Ah! The Desoto! I'm not a car freak, I don't really even like cars. But that is one gorgeous car, and yes, I fell in love with it when Spike drove one.

So…good episode, eh? Of course, I'd have liked more of Jess, and I've gone from being 'Impartial' about Logan to 'Blech'. I was a basket case earlier today, looking forward to the episode, and now I almost as eagerly await the dozens of fics sure to spring from tonight's episode. Those of you who are just joining us ex post facto…Balalaikas!

"Rory, Madeline's wings are falling apart."

"Get Joan on it, I don't now jack about feathers."

"Rory, props are missing from the police station set."

"Make an announcement telling everyone that if they return them, they won't get it trouble. In case they don't turn up, raid the prop closet, and have someone ready at Staples just in case."

"Rory-"

"Know what? Rory has to take a 5-minute break now." Hurrying away from the assistants scurrying around her, she made a beeline for the only friend she had in this frenzied place.

"Marty! I has a headache!" She burst through the crowd of actors and crewmembers to collapse into the arms of her co-writer and director.

"Guys, lay off Rory, alright? I don't think she's the only person qualified to make these decisions, so try solving a problem yourselves for once." The crowd of people ceased their screaming and walked away muttering.

"You're an angel, did you know that?"

"I did not. Speaking of angels, Madeline's wings are falling apart." She detangled herself from his arms to smack his chest. "Sorry, bad joke. Did you tell them to talk to Joan?"

"Yes. I don't see why they didn't go to her in the first place." The co-directors linked arms and began walking towards their set.

"Someone's grumpy."

"Someone was puking the entire contents of her stomach out less than twenty-four hours ago, bile included."

"Gross. Hey, I have an idea- drink a little less."

"Can't- I think Jess is stickin' it to the nanny again." Marty put his arm around her again to lend comfort, without actually having to respond to her comment.

He'd grown up wanting only one thing- to be a director. Not an actor, not a producer, a director. He was very into the technical stuff, and he wasn't a half-bad writer either. In college he'd studied everything directing related, tried his hand at a few campus soaps, and written, cast, and sometimes filmed a few pilots for fun. Because he didn't have much money even without the absurd costs of film and actors, he'd been forced to take a year off before his senior college term, and had returned three years ago to get the remaining credits required to graduate.

That had been the year he met Rory Gilmore, one of his favorite actresses. The Jersey Girls director, her hero Max Medina, had gotten her into directing the last year or so, and she was taking a few classes herself before diving in as a director and possibly a writer. It was a monumental year, but not because they'd gotten together or anything. She was head-over-heels for her new husband, the handsome Jess Mariano, and he was still reeling from the initial 'dude, I think I'm gay' shock. But they'd become close friends, and somewhere along the line, one of them had decided to write a script together for fun, and see how far it could fly.

Streets. Something fun, something fresh, something the world had never seen before. The show was set on the streets of Boston, about a handful of street performers who led extremely dramatic lives. Murders, relationships, mysteries, and friendships, while dealing with money troubles, annoying tourists, and the even more annoying police force. They wrote it together, they directed it in shifts, and they were able to sell it to the same network that had bought Jersey Girls before Rory was a household name. The only person she'd taken with her from said show was Madeline Lynn, their leading lady, who played Annelise, the human statue. Also in the mix were a clown, a stuntman, a painter, and a few musicians.

So, more than two years later, they worked together, had a hit TV show, and talked about everything going on in both of their lives. Which for him meant his cute boyfriend Brad AN- THE Brad, from Chilton, and for her meant the hours she spent lying in bed crying about Jess. Marty wasn't a big fan of her husband anymore, but he'd learning that ragging on the man usually upset Rory.

"Look, I don't wanna say anything bad about Jess, but this is the third girl, Rory. That you've told me about." His words made her feel significantly dirtier, but it didn't stop her from responding.

"Maybe he's not, I'm just saying that I've noticed some potential sneakiness."

"Have you confronted him about it yet?"

"No."

"Well don't you think you should?" He loved Rory, but she wasn't the best at sticking up for herself.

"No."

"No?"

"No. Look, I know Jess and I aren't really the super duper couple E! makes us seem like, but we're still good. We have a good rhythm, with the kids and the house and work and stuff. Changing it would screw everything up."

"Rory-"

"Marty, I'd love to continue this conversation, but we really should get back to work. Standing here, in the corner of half a police station, talking about my husband can wait for later. Like after work. At a bar." He backed off, recognizing the normal signs of Rory crawling into her denial shell. But she didn't really deny it so much as turn a blind eye to her husband's running around. Even in the rut the two were currently in, Rory had never considered being unfaithful- she coped with alcohol, or in a pinch, simply refusing to think about it. Jess coped with Shane, and possibly Jenna and Mina. Rory didn't know if it went beyond those three, and she pretended like she didn't care.

So Marty listened to her describe, day after day, what Jess had said, and what she'd said back, and what he'd done because he didn't want to be near her, and how much she'd drank in her anger, and who he'd done out of retaliation. It was a vicious cycle, one that Rory, though she wasn't the cheater, didn't help. If anything, she made it worse. But whenever Marty tried to offer his advice, she closed up. Said they'd make it through, said they were happy enough with the situation, said that she knew he loved her, but was banging the nanny because Rory wouldn't let him touch her most of the time.

He loved his girl, but she was killing herself. The only problem was, he didn't know what to do.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

A photographer snapped her picture as she hurried past him, her long, model-like legs moving quickly over the checkered floor of the airport. She pushed Riley's designer stroller before her, and constantly looked over her shoulder to make sure Jane was keeping up.

"Daddy's plane should be landing, let's pick up the pace, Jane." Unfortunately, the movie star's daughter had insisted upon 'dressing up' to go to the airport, and her too-big heels and flowing cape caused her to continuously trip. Rory rolled her eyes. From now on, Mina did NOT have the final say in clothing.

They got to the lounge for Jess's gate, but found that the plane was still coming in. Sighing, Rory sat down and coaxed Jane into the seat beside her. As she was rummaging through the leather diaper bag for cheerios, her phone began to ring. Handing the bag over to Jane, she plucked the phone from her Prada bag, checked the caller ID to make sure it wasn't some freaky person, and flipped it open to talk to her mother.

"Hi Mom."

"Hello favorite daughter, what's up?"

"The kids and I are waiting for Jess at the airport."

"Sounds like fun. Hey, what are you doing this weekend?"

"Well, Marty and I are planning on going up to Boston by ourselves. Checking out the real performers, having some tasty old-fashioned Italian Pizza, and staying in a ritzy hotel with the softest beds known to man while typing away furiously on our laptops."

"Didn't you buy one of those beds?" Lorelai asked suspiciously.

"Well, yea. But there's still novelty in sleeping at a hotel."

"Uh huh. So what does Jess say about you and Marty sharin' a room whenever you hit Massachusetts?"

"Well, he knows Marty's not like that, so it's never been an issue."

"Okay. Well, if you're busy, never mind," Lorelai responded rejectedly.

"I might be free next weekend-wait, no." She scanned through her palm pilot as she spoke. "Okay, weekend after next. What do you want to do?"

"Oh, I'm kinda going to Philly for talent scouting then." Rory sighed.

"I hate being so busy."

"Ditto." As she slipped her palm back into her purse, she saw people begin to get off the plane and come into the airport.

"Mom, I'll call you later to talk about when we can get together. I gotta go now, bye."

"I love you."

"I love you too." She hung up as Jane squealed 'Daddy!', and sure enough her scowling husband was making his way over to them.

"Hey there Princess," he greeted as he scooped Jane up into his arms and kissed her nose. She giggled as he dropped his carry-on at Rory's feet and bent over to kiss Riley's head. "Little man." Once he was done with the kids, he turned a questioning eye on Rory for the first time.

"Let's go before we get mobbed," she answered his look, standing up and taking his bag. She walked ahead of them as Jess pushed Riley's stroller and continued to hold Jane on his hip. The little girl happily told him about the picture she'd painted while he was away, neglecting to mention that her canvas had been the bottom half of the playroom wall, and how much trouble she'd gotten in from all three women in the house.

"…And you're standing in a tree, and there's a birdy in the tree."

"I'm in the tree, or under the tree?" She thought.

"Udder." Jess cracked up as Rory's phone rang again, and she grudgingly answered it after seeing it was Joan, the Streets wardrobe manager.

"Rory Gilmore." She could feel Jess's eyes burrowing into her back, and she squired uncomfortably. She'd always been a little reserved about giving up her last name- it had meant a lot to her mother to name her Gilmore, and not Hayden. She'd legally taken Jess's last name when they were married, but everything work-related still had her using Gilmore.

"Rory, catastrophe! We couldn't find another pair of vintage leather pants for Stephanie to wear!"

"What's wrong with the pair we currently do have?"

"There is a giant stain on the crotch. I don't know how, I don't know why, and I don't know what in the world was going through Lacey's mind when she picked them up, but we cannot use them."

"Then find some non-vintage pants." There was silence on the other end. "Joan, I know you're an 'artist' and all that, but no one will be able to tell the difference."

"But you promised me vintage," Joan whined.

"Joan, either skip the vintage, or find something else for her to wear. I'm the director, you're the wardrobe chick- this isn't my job. And before you call Marty, it isn't his job either. So make it work!" She hung up, taking great satisfaction in the smacking noise the phone made when she flipped it shut. Everyday, she was giving Max more and more credit for putting up with the entire cast and crew single-handedly for six long years. She had a partner to help fend off some of the stupidness, but Max had written and directed every single episode by himself. No wonder he'd always been so stressed.

"Everything alright there, Ms. Gilmore?" Jess drawled from behind her. She whirled around to face him and plastered a peachy smile on her face.

"How was Canada, honey?" She walked backwards as she spoke, hoping she didn't crash into anyone. That would be an interesting tabloid headline. 'Rory Gilmore mauls innocent bystander at airport!'

"Still there."

"And how was shooting?"

"Went smoothly."

"Anything interesting happen there?"

"Same-old same-old."

"Good to know." She was about to turn around when she felt something solid against her back, and before she knew it, she was down.

In the blink of an eye, Jess had braked the stroller, put Jane down, and was at her side, pulling her to her feet as the lady she'd crashed into scowled at the couple.

"Watch where you're going!" The lady's own husband was now standing beside her, glaring at Jess as he protectively held an arm around Rory.

"I'd watch what you're saying, if I was you." The couple scoffed, picked up the wife's purse that had dropped when she fell, and went on their way. Jess relaxed his hold on Rory as they walked off. "Are you alright?"

"Yea. I really shouldn't do that in a crowded place, especially not when I have heels on." Jess let go of her and took the stroller again, and the family continued walking towards the luggage carousel.