Good news: Super-duper long chapter! Yay!

Bad news: Just a few more chapters left, guys.

Sunsetstars02: Yikes! Thank you for pointing out my oopsie.

"Rory! I'm so sorry baby!" Babette called out as she passed her in the lobby of her parent's building.

"I never liked Jess much," Kirk commented from his sleeping bag in the stairwell.

"I know a good attorney, honey. Just say the word," Patty ran out of her apartment to tell her.

"Have you seen Kirk? And I couldn't believe when I heard! It's too bad," Lulu commented as she rushed past her down the hall carrying a Tupperware container. Rory nodded at all of them, saying nothing. She had steeled herself coming here, knowing ahead of time that everyone in the building, most of whom she'd known as she entered adulthood and dated Jess, would have condolences. She hadn't wanted people to know. She hadn't wanted the condolences of people who didn't know the whole story. But, even as she smiled patiently, seething with annoyance, there was something freakishly comforting about not having to fake it anymore. She didn't have to act like the Happy Gilmore. She could rant about whatever she wanted, and be moody as much as she liked, without worrying that her behavior would be reported on.

"Men suck!" she screamed happily, enjoying this new freedom much more than she could have expected.

"Sing it, sister!" Patty screamed back. Rory laughed, letting go of some of the tension she'd carried since the parking garage. They meant well. It was sweet of them to care, really. She hummed a little ditty she'd heard on one of Riley's educational videos, pushing the buzzer next to the Danes' door. Lorelai's grim face greeted her smile confusedly. She would have bet money that Rory wouldn't be smiling for a while. She didn't know that a burden had just been lifted. Rory had somewhere along the line become bogged down by burdens, what with her job, her family, her kids, her husband, the people who worked for her, the life of an actress, and whatnot other things.

"Hey there you," Lorelai tried to be equally happy as she let her daughter in and wrapped her in a friendly hug.

"Hiya momma. Where are the boys?" Luke came down the hall carrying Matti at that moment, whom Rory swooped down on with a coo.

"Baby brother! Oh how Rory missed you!" Luke looked at his wife, bewildered. Lorelai shrugged, and made the coo-coo sign with her hand.

"Hey Luke, nice shirt. It's not flannel for once."

"Yea, your mother dropped every last one, including the ones that I haven't worn in years, at the new dry cleaner's down the street."

"There's a new dry cleaner's?"

"One that Taylor has tested, and declared unusable." Taylor had the habit of reviewing all businesses in the area, and posting his results in the lobby. The other residents teased him and whined about his stuffiness, and used his tips when he wasn't looking.

"Mind you, he declared it unusable two weeks before she decided to do laundry. And one week before she shopped." Rory winked at her mother.

"I've done that before, though it was with biker pants."

"Jess once owned biker pants?" Lorelai asked with a gleam in her eye, before catching herself. "I'm not surprised; he has horrendous taste." Rory rolled her eyes as she put Matti down and headed for the kitchen, him toddling happily after his doting sister. She grabbed a bottle of flavored water from the fridge, and sat on the counter as her parents came into the tiny room.

"Give it up. I refuse to take part in the Jess-bashing party, so if that's the only reason I'm over here tonight, I think I'll steal this water and leave."

"Jess where?" Matti inquired about his big brother.

"Very far away, where he will remain, sweets," Lorelai commented offhandedly to her son.

"Mom," Rory warned.

"Just because you like him again doesn't mean I have to." She crossed her arms and looked stubbornly at her daughter. It was kind of frustrating; Matti would do anything she asked, adoring her the whole time. She couldn't tell Rory to do anything anymore. Rory was grown. Rory was on her own. Rory hadn't made the best choices, and that was what frustrated her; that she couldn't call Jess's mom to pick him up, and forbid them from playing together ever again. She could do no forbidding where Jess and Rory were concerned.

"You don't have to like him. But can we refrain from arguing about him tonight, please?" Lorelai sighed.

"If we must. I rented Sophie's Choice to watch tonight."

"Good pick!" Tap dancing around the subject, they together put Matti to bed, gathered pillows and blankets from around the apartment, and readied themselves for a sleepover in front of the TV. Like old times.

"Do you girls need anything?" Luke asked, coming into the living room in pajamas. No flannel, though.

"You're going to bed already, babe?" Lorelai asked. They hadn't even started the movie yet, and were still at the popping and pouring stage.

"Your girls' nights are my go-to-bed early nights. I like them very much. Very peaceful, and I wake up extremely well rested."

"Are you saying I keep you awake?" Lorelai asked, mock-appalled. She even put her hand over her heart for added affect. Rory chuckled as Luke refrained from exchanging witty banter, and just went into the bedroom. After they had both changed into t-shirts of Lorelai's, turned off the lights, and begun to watch, a door creaked down the hall.

"Busted, Matti. Back to bed, mister," Lorelai called. The door closed with a snap. "He's so easy to outmaneuver," Lorelai chirped. Ten minutes later, as Leslie uttered the word 'Fuck' for what had to be the tenth time, Rory became aware of breathing on the back of her neck. Turning her head around quickly from her upright position against the back of the couch, she saw her brother crouching down, his eyes shining in the darkness.

"Mom, it appears you've been severely outmaneuvered."

"What?" Lorelai looked. "You so didn't hear those words!" Rory carried him back to bed.

"You stay here, bucko. Mom's gonna be upset if you come out again. Big people movie."

"I'm big," he said, making a muscle.

"Very impressive. But do you know what the word...halitosis means?"

"Nope."

"Well, you're not very big yet, are you?"

"I guess not. Ni-ni Rory."

"Ni-ni, Matti. For real this time." She closed his door and found Lorelai standing in the hall, eavesdropping.

"Picking up mommy tips," she explained. Rory snorted. "What does halitosis mean, anyway?"

"It means Lorelai isn't old enough for this movie."

"Oh fuck. And I so wanted to see the ending for the seventh time."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

After the credits had rolled, Lorelai and Rory sat across from each other on the floor, a light on a table near them illuminating the Tarot cards spread in front of them.

"You messed it up again. You're missing a card," Rory pointed out.

"I'm doing a different spread, doofus."

"Where's the book?"

"No, not the book. We decided we were going to learn how to do this without always consulting the book."

"You shuffled them this way on purpose. Most of them are upside down."

"That isn't always bad."

"Mom, you're messing with my fate. Remember last time when you pre-selected the prettiest cards for good luck?" Lorelai's eyes widened humorously.

"I gave you the fertility card!"

"This is so your fault, lady," Rory said as she indicated her stomach. Lorelai pushed the cards out of the way to scootch closer, and pat the tummy.

"What are you going to name my grandbaby?"

"We don't even know the gender yet, mom. It's only been a few weeks. And I think you angered the fates by doing that."

"You should name it after me."

"Then I'd be naming it after myself, and I can't think of another nickname for Lorelai."

"Lori."

"Rory and Lori? It's so cute it makes me sick."

"Lora."

"It's still similar."

"My Lai."

"...no comment. No comment, mom."

"Fine, maybe that was pushing it a little. But I started the tradition! The least thing you could do for your wonderful mother is continue her dream."

"Don't we have some maternal grandmother who started it?"

"She was named Lorelai, but she didn't name anyone that."

"So technically, it was your mother who started it."

"NO! It's my thing. She can't have it."

"Is it to late to be logical?"

"Yes. It is."

"Then by golly, I accept your answer." They dug a box of fudge out of Lorelai's stash behind the radiator (very dangerous) and ate it piece-by-piece, gossiping about the residents of the Starrshallau.

"Okay, so Patty and Taylor? They were drunk at a charity ball, and did some handsy-stuff in the elevator. Babette saw it, and prolonged the stories. It wasn't much of anything, and Patty is semi-embarassed, but takes our teasing in stride. Taylor SPAZZED OUT, and personally called on everyone who had the ability to know, threatening to slaughter their own public reputations should they muss his with this little bit of weirdness." Rory giggled.

"That's gross, but cute."

"Exactly what I said!"

"How are Sookie and Jackson?"

"Same as always. Lovable. Strange. Lovable. Strange."

"Glad to know things don't get topsy-turvy here when I leave. Lane and Dave?"

"Haven't seen much of them or the boys lately, though Zack's wife is being a bitch, and he asked me to be his date to an awards show."

"Did you say yes?"

"I would have, but Matti has a school play that night. He will be portraying a potato."

"Ooh, I want to go! Write down the time and place."

"Will do. Let's see who else...Babette and Morey had a huge fight last month. She threw some of his stuff out the window, and they got fined hugely because apparently it caused some minor traffic casualties. I thought they'd get arrested, but it turns out the cop's father was once married to Patty, and the relation helped them slide."

"Is there anyone in New York who hasn't married Patty?"

"You and me. I think that's it. She's got her eye on Matti- always wants to babysit him."

"I'm sure those are her intentions."

"And she has a weird fixation with Luke's butt. I'd be offended if I weren't so proud."

"What about Kirk? I saw him in the stairwell on my way up here."

"Why did you take the stairs?"

"The elevator was out." Lorelai grinned. "He had something to do with that, didn't he?"

"It's out right now because they are 'disinfecting' it. He and Lulu were doing...inappropriate things on the elevator. Yes, I know there's a camera. It's what's kept me from jumping Luke all these years. But they did, and Charleston found out about it, and they are banned from the elevator for the rest of the YEAR." Charleston was the stuffy old head of building management. Everyone hated him, but loved the building and their neighbors. Besides, he'd be dying soon anyway. So they stuck. "To protest about having to use the stairs, at least once the elevator gets up and going again, he has decided not to leave them until Charleston caves. He moves to a different floor every day, to find which has the most traffic, so he can more effectively clog it. I for one think it's the bottom floor, but he refused to listen to my untested opinions. Lulu is bringing him food and fanmail." After his children's show was cancelled (apparently it scared younger kids) he had become a recording artist for children's ditties. Come to think of it, that was probably what Rory had been humming earlier...

"So...I saw Jess's interview," Lorelai started a few minutes later.

"You promised we wouldn't mention him."

"Bunny, my head has been read to burst with questions since I saw it. I need to know some stuff, even if you don't want to tell me." Rory sighed and snuggled down into the couch that had once sat in the living room she'd shared with Lorelai.

"He told the truth. And I was ticked off at the time, but I think it was for the best."

"Even...even the using alcohol to cope part?" Rory shrugged.

"I don't have an addiction or anything, if that's what you're getting at."

"I didn't say that!" Lorelai rushed. "I mean, I've had many a fight with Luke where polishing off a bottle of wine was part of the unavoidable aftermath. But the way Jess said it, it didn't sound like it was something you did when you were pushed to the max. It sounded like it was everyday coping. He mentioned emotional issues. And he tried to blame you for the Mina thing. And he said she was the third! Did you know that?"

"Of course. I know what Jess was up to. And he was right- I'm not faultless."

"You knew what he was doing? And you never said anything?"

"I caught him with Shane, and with Mina. And I always had the feeling in my gut that there was something going on with Jenna, even though I had no proof."

"See, Rory, I'm trying to think of in what situation I'd let Luke slide by with having three affairs under my attentive nose. And the only one that I can think of- I'm sorry Bunny- is if I was too into the drinking to care. I know you're telling me you don't have a problem, and I know I know practically none of the details, but I don't understand how you could almost always be in your right mind, and not care. You keep saying you love Jess."

"And I do. Dad came over the other night with a vendetta, and just the thought of losing Jess scared me to death."

"Okay. Okay, let me get my head around this. You love your husband. Your husband who apparently loves you back, even though that didn't stop him from sleeping with multiple girls down the hall from your bedroom. And you knew about this, but didn't care enough to deter its happening."

"I fired each of them. Of course I cared," Rory interjected.

"Obviously not enough if you let it go on." Lorelai winced at the accusing tone of her voice. This wasn't how she'd planned this conversation to go at all. She just wanted to know what was going on in her daughter's life.

"I hated it, but I didn't think I had the right to say anything."

"You're his wife!"

"I'm a horrible wife. I was mean to him, I was indifferent to him, I didn't care what was going on in his life. I withheld everything from him. I didn't trust him with my problems. I treated him like crap. He at least deserved a little cold comfort after dealing with me, and that was something I couldn't and wouldn't give him."

"And what if he picked up any diseases from these hoebags?"

"Come on, mom. Jess isn't that stupid. I was helping Kathy clean up one day, and the garbage basket in her room had condoms in it."

"You never know."

"Mom, Jess wouldn't put me in harm's way. If there was a chance he had something, he would have made sure I knew."

"But-"

"I will not discuss Jess's devotion. Is there anything else you want to talk about?" Lorelai thought. And thought. And yawned. And thought.

"You said something about your dad?"

"Yea, he showed up with a baseball bat, and scared Jess. Well, he scared us both, but Jess was having flashbacks from Liz's admirers. I told Chris I didn't want to see him for a very long time, and if I see him before a very long time has passed, I'm going to go hormonal on him."

"I've seen that. It's not pretty," Lorelai teased. She had been pregnant with Matti at the same time as Rory with Jane, and the two had driven Luke and Jess up and down walls with their combined emotional instability.

"It won't be. But I don't want to be pushed that far. I hope he just heeds me."

"We have no idea of knowing. Chris is unpredictable." They mused silently, thinking of the on-and-off absence in their lives. It wasn't as poignant as it had once been. Both had found a new male figure to depend upon, and forge a partnership with. Though Rory's wasn't entirely stable.

"I was really shocked when I heard what Jess said. I thought I knew more about your life. I thought you trusted me to let me know when there were problems," Lorelai said quietly after awhile.

"If I could vocalize what was wrong, I would. And I will. I don't want to have to keep things bottled up anymore. I'm like Arthur Dimmesdale – I think I like my sins out in the open."

"I guess that's good if it makes you happy. I didn't expect you to be this happy, especially so soon after Jess's bare-all. But you are. Just don't carve any letters into your skin, because that's weird."

"I promise. Jess and I have an appointment with a psychiatrist tomorrow, so maybe I'll have a better idea of what's wrong after that. I'll let you know."

"Thank you, Bunny." They went to sleep soon after, much left unsaid, but much more having been said than in past days.

The next morning, Rory got up early to drive back home, and kissed each of her family members goodbye.

"Good luck reclaiming the clothes, Luke. Though if I must say it, I think you look quite handsome in cotton."

"Don't go all Oedipus on my guy," Lorelai reprimanded playfully from the other side of the kitchen where she was helping Matti pick out a cereal. He was having a hard time deciding between some granola kind, and Grape Nuts. "Luke, what have you done to my son? He won't eat Coco Puffs or Lucky Charms."

"Need I remind you that he is my son as well? Maybe my genes are just beginning to activate."

"But he loves the hearts, stars, and horseshoes. I don't understand what's wrong. He's never been so...nutritional."

"Bagel," Matti said with finality. His parents stared. He shrugged. "I wanna bagel." While Luke prepared the chosen breakfast, and Lorelai began putting all the cereal boxes back in their cupboard, Rory came over to assist her.

"I'll call you sometime in the next few days."

"Thanks, Bun. I appreciate it." She kissed the back of her mother's head.

"Bye Luke. Bye Matti!"

"Bye Rory! Bring Jess and Jane and Wiley!"

"Riley, Matti. My son's name is Riley."

"I said Wiley!" Rory surrendered and left, passing Kirk at the entrance to the stairwell.

"Good luck with the protesting, Kirk."

"Rory, have you ever had intercourse in an elevator? It's good stuff." She wrinkled her nose.

"I can't say that I have, but I'll keep it in mind."

Back in the apartment on the thirteenth floor, Matti was eating his bagel in front of the TV, while Lorelai talked to Luke in the kitchen in a hushed voice.

"She said the interview was spot-on, but she didn't sound that upset."

"Can I please go beat Jess up? Just a little?"

"NO; Chris already tried that, and Rory is furious. I don't want her hating you."

"Can I just threaten him?"

"No. Get over it; they can solve their problems on their own, and if they need violent intervention, they'll ask for it."

"They're not the best as solving problems, apparently. Prolonging perhaps."

"Rory said they're off to see the shrink today. See? They're trying." He opened his mouth. "Whatever you're about to say, no. They are adults. We are staying out of this unless otherwise asked, and we probably won't be asked."

"I was just going to say that she didn't look as upset as she has in recent weeks." Lorelai nodded as she turned and headed for the living room.

"Yea. I noticed that too. I think there's hope for her and Jess yet."