{Chapter Seven}

Rory woke up early the next morning taking a breath and stumbling downstairs smelling the coffee. The brew setting controls were a godsend, ensure she awoke to a taste of heaven every morning first thing. She leans against the counter smiling remembering what occurred last night. She was happy and nervous, slightly overwhelmed but it was good. She saw a text come in seeing Dodger on the scene.

"He stepped down, trying not to look long at her, as if she were the sun, yet he saw her, like the sun, even without looking."

She smiled with a blush reading the quote from Anna Karenina that he sent her understanding so clearly that he thought of her reading it. She chuckled thinking about a response and typed it quickly in return.

"Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same."

Jess smiled reading the quote from Withering Heights as a reply. He sat up from the bed stretching to get ready for the day. He hoped he would catch her in passing in the diner at least. He knew that they needed to time things slow, but he longed to see her again already.

"I loved her against reason, against promise, against peace, against hope, against happiness, against all discouragement that could be."

Rory chuckled reading the quote from the Great Expectations knowing that she could almost feel him whispering it in her ear. She wanted to see him, she smiled setting off and changing quickly to go to the diner instead of replying. She missed her daughter and knew her mom would be meeting her at the diner as well. She smiled pausing being thrown back in time seeing him leaning there through the window reading a book, her book she was guessing.

As if sensing her stare, he raised he head and stared at her offering a smirk. She chuckled as he put away the book and came from behind the counter as she walked into the dinner. A quick glance around showed that no one else was in the diner and she quickly kissed him on the lips. He smirked at her as she blushed feeling like a teenager again.

"Sit, I will bring coffee" Jess commanded as she nodded taking a seat at the counter as Luke came from the storage room

"Rory" Luke said in surprise before glancing at the both of them smiling before patting Jess on the shoulder looking at Rory "What can I get you?"

"Pancakes" Rory said happily as Jess set the coffee before her "Thanks Jess"

"Anything for you" He whispered sending her a wink as Luke groaned at the interaction

"I feel like I just stepped back in time" Luke muttered before smiling at Rory "It is good to see it worked out"

"I trust you called him and gave him the book?" Rory questioned with an eyebrow raised in question

"I helped but I can't take credit" Luke said seriously "We just want you to be happy"

"Mom?" Rory questioned in shock having never thought her mother, the ruler of the hate Jess club was the one that called him

"She wanted the best for you" Luke said in panic seeing the look on her face "Don't be mad at her"

"I am just surprised" Rory said honestly shaking her head "I am not mad, just wondering why she would do that. She hates Jess"

"She isn't thrilled but she is willing to notice he has changed and will give him a chance" Luke said softly having had this conversation with his wife the night before "She will do anything for your happiness"

"Thanks Dad" Rory said softly causing him to smile "This will be different this time"

"I know" Luke said with a chuckle shaking his head "I am going to start on your breakfast since Caesar isn't here yet"

Rory chuckled in amusement knowing that he was uncomfortable. He wasn't one for discussing feelings, but it always took him by surprise when she called him dad. She had long since accepted that Luke was the only true father in her life. While, her father was a great father to Gigi. He had never been there for the important moments as Luke was. When he picked her up from the accident from the airport she decided that she truly didn't lose anything, Luke was everything a daughter could ask for. Chris was still part of her life, but she had permanently placed Luke in hers as well. He helped her piece her life together and kept her secret from everyone.

"You okay?" Jess questioned seeing the faraway look on her face as he took a seat next to her

"Yeah" Rory said shaking herself the memories threatening to arise "How did you sleep?"

"Good" Jess mumbled giving her a knowing look "Honestly Rory"

"Patience" Rory replied seriously looking at him "I will tell you, just not now or today. I need a lot of alcohol to explain this"

"Understandable" Jess said softly wondering what was so bad that she wouldn't just talk about it

"Mommy" Gracie yelled coming through the diner with a tired Lorelai as Rory got out of her seat kneeling to pick up her little one

"Hey baby girl, did you enjoy your night with Grammy and Pappy?" Rory questioned brightly before kissing her daughter's cheek

"Yes, we played tea cups" Gracie said happily as Rory sat down with the little one in her lap looking at Jess with a bright smile "Jess! Mommy do you know Jess! He reads to me like you do Mommy! He is my friend mommy"

"Yeah?" Rory questioned in amusement glancing at Jess "Would you like Jess to join us for breakfast?"

"Can he?" Gracie said happily before squealing when her mom nodded "Jess! Please! Please eat with us!"

"Don't bother saying no" Lorelai said in amusement taking a seat at the table seeing his hesitation "Have a seat, I don't bite"

"I wouldn't dare say no to the little princess" Jess said with a chuckle messing with Gracie's hair glancing at Rory who watched the interaction closely "What is the little Princess having for breakfast?"

"Choc chip cakes" She said happily clapping her hands together looking up at Luke as he came to the table "Pappy! Choc Chip Cakes"

Luke shook his head in amusement and glared at his Wife and daughter for teaching her those habits "Of course Little one" He said causing her to smile up at him brightly

Rory continued to eat breakfast watching as her daughter talked constantly with Jess. She was surprised that she was quite taken with him so quickly. She was normally shy around those new in her life. She was taken with Finn when she meant him, but it had taken her time to warm up to Colin and Doyle. He had taken her by surprise, he was animated with her and told her stories of his life now happily. She glanced at her mother to see that she was surprised and amused as well, it was side of Jess none of them had seen before.

Rory looked at her sadden seeing the way her eyes were shining reminded her of her daughter's father and that smile always would remind her of her mother. She always was saddened knowing that the person that saved her life would never know his daughter. She could just hope that he was proud of the way she was raising her, keeping her from his parents and the environment that he grew up in at all costs. He always credited her to changing his life and turning him into the man he become. Nothing would make her okay with that fact that she was raising his daughter.

"Rory?" Lorelai questioned pulling her from her thoughts placing a hand on her shoulder

"Yeah?" Rory questioned in confusion looking at everyone looking at her in concern

"Gracie is wondering is Jess can come on your day to the Zoo" Lorelai stated softly, and Rory smiled running a hand through her daughter's hair

"If Jess is okay with it then sure baby" Rory said softly trying to push the thoughts aside staring into the mirror image of the eyes of a boy turned man that became her best friend

"I would be happy to" Jess said to Rory being taken by surprise as Gracie hugged him happily

Rory chuckled at her daughter's antics as Luke set a basket on the table surprising her "Food and drinks for today" He explained before walking away causing her to smile

"Thanks Dad" She shouted in amusement before picking up the basket "We have a bit of a drive, you ready to head out?"

"Yep" Jess said taking the basket from her messing with Gracie's hair "Let's get the show on the road little Princess"

Gracie took his hand and her mother's practically dragging them from the diner "Bye Grandma and Pappy" She shouted as they exited the diner

Rory watched in amusement as Grace talked quickly like a Gilmore Girl telling Jess all about the animals that she wanted to see and why they were her favorites. She was hyper, and Jess kept up with her daughter as they walked through the Zoo with ease. He was showing her how well he could handle this situation, he was acted just like Luke did when she was younger. She chuckled as she sent her daughter to play in the play area of the Zoo after they ate dinner.

"You seem to have a lot of your mind" Jess commented from the seat next to her watching Grace playing with a little boy closely

"It just took me by surprise" Rory said honestly as he looked at her confused "Today has me thinking of her parents a lot. I think it is how quickly she had taken to you"

"If it bothers you, I won't hang around her" Jess said softly feeling pained over having to say it and Rory shook her head "Who are her parents Rory?"

Rory flinched slightly and sighed looking at him looking at her in understanding "It really is a long story" Rory said honestly

"I can wait until you are ready" Jess said softly seeing the pain in her eyes

"When I was on assignment a few years ago I almost died, and I won't go into details on what I went through there" Rory said seriously, and Jess nodded in understanding "The soldier that saved my life was a boy that once loved me before you, he always said that I saved him first and he was returning the favor. We grew close again during my recovery"

"Sounds like fate" Jess said with a sigh thinking about how someone else loved her first apparently

"Tristin Dugray" Rory whispered with pain "become my best friend and I grew close to him as well as his wife Amelia. She was a lot like me and always found it amusing how close we were considering our history. I hated him in Highschool. He was an ass of a person back then but the man he became was amazing"

"You have a habit of changing people" Jess said honestly knowing from history that she had changed at least two people forever

"Yeah, he changed me to. I was really lost after returning, I didn't handle it well. He saw the signs and forced his way into my life, giving me hope that one day it will be okay" Rory said softly her eye tearing up "When Amelia found out she was pregnant they didn't want their child to be raised by his parents just in case something happened. I never expected something would but agreed when they asked me no questions asked"

"Rory" Jess whispered seeing her pain and wiped away a tear

"Tristan left for his tour when she was two months pregnant" Rory whispered brokenly "He died overseas in an explosion two months later. It was heartbreaking and she almost lost Grace when she found out. I stayed with her throughout the rest of her pregnancy"

Rory paused taking a deep breath remembering the next part "I was really angry that they never told me the truth. Amelia had a condition that made it dangerous for her to have children. She never said a word about it even after Tristen died. All I remember was the blood" Rory explained choking back the feeling "There was so much blood when she was giving birth"

Rory swallowing harshly feeling overwhelmed before glancing at Gracie "She died giving birth to their child" Rory whispered softly "They had chosen her name and the lawyer gave me a box of letters from them. Some for her as she grows up on important events. Some for me throughout the years and another person. The first two broke my heart in pieces"

"What did it say?" Jess questioned softly absorbing all the information

"Tristin explain why he chose me, he said that there was no one he trusted more then to raise his daughter to be as innocent and sweet as well as free to be who she is then the person that taught him that he was better then his family's plans. There were so many details and insights I never expected, I never knew how he truly felt. I was his first love" Rory said choking back the pain as best as she could

Jess just pulled her close sheltering her as much as he could knowing that it would be hard to find out the pain the way she had. Rory still never understood the effect she had by existing, she never understood how her soul changed people. He could understand how Tristin saw her and made the choice to have her raise Grace. He knew the effect that Gilmores had on others. He just wished that one day she wouldn't feel so much pain over it.

"Amelia's letter names her Grace and explained that in her time knowing me that she trusted no other to be a mother to her child. She wanted me to look at Grace as my own and choose my own last name as hers. She said that her forever and therefore her child existed because of the person I was. She wanted me to raise her to hopefully one day change someone the way that I had changed her father. She never held resentment for the way I held part of his heart, because she was his forever" Rory explained softly giving him a broken smile "She trusted me to be who she would never be"

"Rory" Jess said softly kissing her forehead "I can't imagine what that must feel like, but it is a honor to be provided the chance they gave you. I wish I could have met them and knew them to thank them for the chance they gave us"

Rory smiled at him saying us and remembered something "You may actually remember Tristin" Rory said with a chuckle as he looked confused "Blonde hair blue eyes teenager that played Romeo in Highschool"

"The one that made bagboy mad before me?" Jess questioned thinking back and Rory nodded with a laugh "Wow, who would have thought"

"It really was a small world when he saved me" Rory said seriously looking at Grace smile from the slide "She looks so much like them, I see so much of him in her"

"You will give her the life he never had the chance to live" Jess said honestly causing her look at him softly "You are amazing Rory"

"I just did what was asked of me" Rory said honestly before taking a breath "But I wouldn't change it. I just wish that they could have at least seen her grow up. I would give up a lifetime with her for them to have one minute with her"

"That is why they chose you" Jess said with a smile touching her cheek in comfort "You love so unconditionally and would give anything for someone else to get their happily ever after. You are amazing"

"I hope this works out" Rory said confusing him and she smiled "I think that you are the one person that Tristin would want by my side to raise his daughter. He liked you from the stories I told him"

"I am honored" Jess said softly before standing up "Let's go get the Little Princess and go see the elephants"

"Okay" Rory said feeling lighter at the information being out there

Grace laughed loudly as Jess picked her up tossing her in the air before rearranging her on his shoulders. Rory paused for a moment and smiled at the sight before looking up at the sky praying that Tristin and Amelia were okay with this choice. Somehow, she knew that they were, that they wouldn't want anyone by him at her side through this. Tristin always said that Jess was a lot like him just like Amelia was a lot like her. They couldn't replace Grace's parents in blood, but they were the next best thing should it work out.

5