AN: Wow, you guys really didn't like 24. I'm trying to make it up for you…

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN GG.

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"Sookie, this is delicious!" Rory exclaimed when she took a bite of the roasted turkey she had put on her plate. "Really, it's great!"

Sookie grinned, proud of her work, as usual. "I'm making up for the deep fried fiasco of 2003." She shook her head, remembering bits and pieces of the incident.

"I remember that year," Lorelai said, laughing. "You got so wasted…"

A groan escaped Sookie's mouth, so that was why she could only remember parts of the night. "Wait, wasn't the year of the seven thanksgivings?"

Both Rory and Lorelai nodded, feeling full just thinking about it. "But it was technically only five… The shanghai at the Gilmore residence didn't count – and we avoided the deep fried bird." Lorelai recounted.

"We skipped the rolls," Rory remembered, saddened.

Sookie laughed, "You guys are nuts!" She handed the rolls over to Rory, causing her to smile.

"That seems to be the consensus," Lorelai and Rory said in unison.

"You're the same person," Sookie said with a giggle.

Lorelai touched her fingers together and laughed evilly, "My plan succeeded!"

The friendly banter continued through the dinner, Jackson even chiming in when the time was appropriate. Lorelai was glad she had Sookie as her best friend and Rory as her daughter. Rory thought about Sookie as another mother, just one that could cook. Lorelai was her best friend; Rory couldn't wait until she and Jess moved into the apartment and had an extra bedroom for her to stay in. Sookie was excited to have Lorelai and Rory over for Thanksgiving – she saw them as family even though she didn't get to see Rory that often.

Near the end of her dinner, Sookie presented a detailed cake in the shape of a turkey. Lorelai laughed out loud, "Another shape cake?" she asked, referring to the graduation cap cake Sookie made for her graduation from business school. "I must not be working you hard enough at the Dragonfly if you have enough time to make these."

"She doesn't sleep," Jackson interjected. "Davey and Martha sleep more than she does."

"That isn't true," Sookie complained. "They never sleep either!"

They all laughed heartily and dug into the cake. "It feels wrong to eat something that you spent so much time on," Rory muttered, her fork on its way to her mouth.

"But it's cake," Lorelai said with her mouth full of said turkey-shaped-cake. "It doesn't matter what shape it is when it goes in, it all comes out the same."

"Ew, Mom," Rory said, pushing the fork away. "Nice way to ruin my appetite."

Lorelai just smiled, "You better be hungry; we have to go to Luke's soon."

"So this is just your appetizer?" Sookie asked. "I don't even get to be a main course?"

"You know we love you Sooks. You're the main course and Luke's the dessert."

"Ew, Mom!" Rory repeated. "You mean Luke's meal is the dessert."

"Sure sweetie. Just like Jess is your dessert."

"You guys… I'm keeping you from your men," Sookie said between bites.

Rory shook her head, "No, you're not. We've got all night to be with them."

"But you want to be there now,"

"Well…"

"You can go, I'm gonna clean up here,"

"We're going to spend the rest of the night here," Jackson chimed in.

"You sure?" Lorelai asked.

"Go on," Sookie insisted. "Thanks for coming."

"Wouldn't miss it," Rory said as they stood to leave. "Thank you for the wonderful meal." Lorelai agreed and they headed out the door to walk through town to Luke's. They were silent for a bit, trying to let their bodies digest before eating another meal.

"It's gorgeous, isn't it?" Lorelai asked, sweeping her hand in front of her. "The town, just all covered in fallen leaves. It's beautiful."

Rory nodded, taking in her surroundings. They've seen the town like this a million times before but it was always breathtaking. It was the quiet combination of nature and the town's manmade structures. They were just passing by the gazebo when Rory heard a loud rumbling coming closer.

Both Lorelai and Rory searched for the noise that was interrupting their moment with nature; both stopping in their tracks when they saw the small van enter the town square. "Lane!" Rory yelled, even though she knew her friend couldn't hear her. "I didn't know she was getting back today, did you?" She asked Lorelai.

"I had no clue," Lorelai said honestly.

The van parked on the street across from Luke's and Lane hopped out the side door. Rory started running to her and they met halfway between the gazebo and the van. "You're back!"

"We finished the tour," Lane said, excitedly. "Our last gig was yesterday in Newark, and we got here just in time for Thanksgiving!"

"Well where are you eating dinner? We just left Sookie's,"

"I need a shower before I even think about food," Lane joked. "I've been in that bus with three unwashed boys for I don't know how long. Eww."

"I have so much to tell you though!"

"Tell me when I'm clean?" Lane asked. "I take it you were on your way to Luke's?"

Rory nodded, "Yeah, dinner number two."

Lane smiled and turned to go back to the van. "I'll get my stuff in order and then I'll meet you at Luke's."

"Lane, wait," Rory yelled as Lane ran back to the van. "Wait!"

Lane couldn't hear her because Dave had started the van again. She just got happily in and directed them back to the house.

Leaning up against the gazebo, Lorelai had witnessed the interaction between the girls. "Problem?" she asked, smirking.

"I haven't talked to her in…a while," Rory admitted. "She's going home to shower and change and then she's 'meeting me at Luke's'."

"Problem being?" Lorelai tried to pull it out of her; she secretly loved getting Rory to admit when she was wrong because it happened so rarely (like herself).

Rory glared at her mom, "Jess. Jess is the problem! She didn't let me say anything!"

"I know honey, I just love that look," Lorelai grinned and took her daughter's hand. "It'll be okay. Lane probably won't hurt him, or you, that much."

"Thanks Mom," Rory said, dripping with sarcasm. "Thanks."

"No problem sweetie," she said and lead Rory to the diner. The closed sign was up but Luke and Jess were waiting inside. They were both slouched back in their chairs, aprons dirty and hair tousled. "Busy day?"

"Most of the people in this crazy town are too far gone to make their own damn dinner," Jess said, irritated from working nonstop all day.

Rory went over to comfort him, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. She could feel him relax and she took the seat next to him. Lorelai sat next to Luke and kicked her under the table. "Hey, can we go upstairs for a bit?" Her voice was a bit tense, but she tried to hide it.

"Sure," Jess replied and slowly stood up. Rory went to his side and he leaned on her a bit – more to touch her than for actual support. They disappeared behind the curtain before he spoke again. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing too bad actually…it's just that Lane came back," she said on their way up the stairs. She stopped at the top step and sat down. They just needed a bit of privacy even though she knew Lorelai was filling in Luke downstairs. "I haven't gotten to talk to her in a while."

"Lost touch?" he guessed.

"Not so much actually. We've been friends forever and that hasn't changed. She just left with Dave and the rest of Hep Alien on a tour a few weeks before you came back into my life."

"Oh," Jess was fairly stoic, not sure what to make of what she was saying or why they came upstairs to talk about it.

"She doesn't know about you, the apartment, you and the apartment, you and Yale… Basically she doesn't know anything that's happened since you came back."

"So I have another person to prove myself to,"

Rory curled up against him, "I'm sorry. The other thing…"

"Yeah?"

"She's coming over for dinner," Rory said, looking away from him. "I tried to tell her but she just left to get ready."

Jess thought about it for a while. "It'll be okay," he said, having come up with a plan. "Don't worry."

"That's what Mom said, but she was just kidding,"

"One person will not be able to keep me away from you," he lamented. "And she'll want you to be happy."

"That's true," Rory said, a small smile forming on her face. "She hated Logan. So she'll at least be happy he's out of the picture."

"Ah, now we all have something to be thankful for. Come on, you go back to the diner and talk with Luke and Lorelai, I'll get changed and be down soon."

"Don't take too long, you better be down there when she shows up,"

Jess kissed her on the lips, something he had been waiting to do since her tease when she entered. "I will."

Rory's smile widened and she kissed him again quickly before racing down the stairs. Her mood was much lighter than when they entered the diner a mere five minutes before. "Apparently he's got it figured out."

"And I'm going to get dinner figured out," Luke said, standing and going to the kitchen.

"Why is Luke so nervous about this?" Rory asked her mom, figuring that was the reason for him running off. "He shouldn't really care all that much."

Lorelai smiled and sighed, "He just doesn't want anything to happen between you and Jess. I think he's gotten used to the idea of you two being together. He said it reminds him of us."

"Three years is nothing compared to you two,"

"I know hon, but that's what he doesn't want. He doesn't want you to have to wait as long as we did."

"That's so sweet," Rory said, her eyes starting to well up. Luke was such a big softy sometimes. Rory stood up and went over to the kitchen, finding Luke cutting the remains of a turkey on the oven. She came up behind him and gave him a quick hug and said, "Thanks." She let go of him, turned on her heels and returned to her seat to find Jess coming downstairs.

"We should push another table up, is Lane bringing anyone?"

"I didn't get the chance to ask…but I bet Dave is coming," Rory replied and stood up, helping him get another table. "So are you going to let me in on your plan?"

Jess shook his head, "You'll find out eventually."

"Secrets are no fun!" Lorelai said, "You know they're very hard to keep too…so you might as well just tell us."

"No, you'll both find out soon enough!" Jess said sternly, but laughed afterwards. "I'm going to go help Luke," he said and disappeared to the kitchen.

"Boys," Rory said, lounging in a chair again. "Maybe we should do something to help?"

"What, and ruin tradition? No way," Lorelai laughed and kicked up her heels. She leaned back in the chair. "I'm just waiting for the show to start."

"Awe Mom, it's not going to be a show. I hope to catch her before she comes in,"

"That's not going to work and you know it," she said, her tone letting Rory know she really was right. "Besides, we need a little action around here. Miss Patty and Babette have been dying of boredom. Maybe you can knock out a window or something, that'd get them going!"

"Mom!"

"Hey, I heard that," Luke said, emerging from the kitchen. "You're paying for it."

"It hasn't even-"

"If it does."

Lorelai scrunched up her face and stuck her tongue out at Luke.

"You keep doing that; your face will stick that way,"

"Can you imagine," Lorelai said with a giggle, "Saying 'I do' to this," she did the face again.

Luke shook his head, "I'm marrying a five year old."

"Oh honey, I'm at least six,"

"As much as I love the amusement, I think they're going to be here soon…" Rory reminded everyone. "Do we get plates? Forks? Knives?"

Jess came out of the kitchen with all the utensils in hand. "Got it."

"My little homemaker!" Rory exclaimed and helped him with the pile of dishes. "What would I do without you?"

"Let's try not to think about it," he said, putting everything down on the tables and giving her a kiss. "Been there, done that, don't want to do it again."

Rory kissed him back, "That's for sure." She turned to the table to set the place settings and saw Luke and Lorelai sitting in a daze. "What's wrong?"

Lorelai tipped her head back ever so slightly and Rory felt lightheaded. "Hi Lane," she said, turning around to see her best friend along with her boyfriend. "Hi Dave."

"You, and…him…and…" Lane was tongue-tied.

"Full sentences, you can do it," Dave whispered, trying to lighten the situation.

Lane's mouth gaped open for a while, staring at the scene in front of her. "You didn't call."

"You didn't have a phone,"

"That's no excuse!"

"Lane, you know I wanted to, and I would if I could-"

"There really was no way to contact you," Lorelai chimed in. "You didn't leave any numbers."

Jess was silent and Rory waved her hand at her mom. She needed to handle this on her own right now. "Come with me," Rory said and reached for Lane's hand. She flinched, but didn't completely back away – that was a good sign. "We'll be right back," Rory left with Lane like she did with Jess, going up the stairwell. She knew full well that everyone back in the diner was listening to her but it didn't matter. "Just let me talk?"

Lane nodded, "Okay," she said timidly, still in a state of shock.

"Two weeks after you left…"

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Well everyone! Wasn't that good? Just to clear something up (I couldn't say it in the beginning AN cos that would've given stuff away), Dave didn't leave and Gil never came into the picture. Obviously Dave and Lane are together – the way it was meant to be despite the recent activity in the show (no spoilers!). I'm kinda proud of this chapter, it's my longest one to date!

Okay Peoples, please review. And I really mean that, you guys barely reviewed on chapter 24 (I'm not just saying that to get sympathy either)… It made me sad and I started to really doubt my story. 

On another note, I have two huge tests Friday. I go on spring break starting Saturday. I'll be gone for a week. While I hope to get a stockpile of chapters written while I am away at my grandparents, I have no guarantees on when I will be able to post. I will TRY to post tomorrow (Thursday) and maybe Friday…if I can. I just seriously don't know yet. This means that the every day posting won't officially resume until the 13th of March, sorry everyone! You won't have to go for a week though, I do promise to post sometime during my break.

Thank you all for reading, I write this not only for my pleasure, but for yours. Tell me if you want to see anything, I'll do my best (and it will give me ideas!).

Also, thank you katesque for giving me my inspiration for this chapter!