A/N- This may be the shortest chapter ever and I'm really sorry! Jess isn't talkative! But it was necessary to have this one. So I hope you like it in spite of that shortcoming and expect more tomorrow. As always, please read and review. I do not own Gilmore Girls or any of its characters or concepts, and right now all I really wish I had was enough time to write this all day every day.

Additionally, for those who are wondering, there's a bunch of really good Matt/Chris/Lit material coming up, as well as some JJ excitement. And maybe some actual answers for Rory. So keep following along if those things sound appealing to you.

Chapter 56

"Hello?"

"Hey," Jess said, his voice nervous. He rolled his eyes at his own reaction. "Is this a bad time?"

"Jess?" Lorelai asked, confused, "Um, no, not at all. Just give me a sec, I'm holding a pizza."

"Should've guessed," he smirked to himself as he heard her walking through the house to put it down.

"Alright, sorry. So, is everything okay?" she asked, her voice resonating with a slight tone of worry, "With Rory? Or, with you? I mean…"

"I know it's weird that I called you," Jess sighed, cutting her off, "Rory's fine. I'm fine. I just…need to talk to you."

"What's going on?" Jess heard her drop something onto a table. Pizza box. Obviously this conversation called for sustenance.

"Well…remember when you asked me why I was helping Rory?"

"Yeah…"

"And I told you it wasn't because I had feelings for her?"

"Jess…"

"I think that it's gonna happen. And I wanted to talk to you."

"Me?" Lorelai asked, confused, "You seriously want my opinion on you dating Rory?"

"Operating under the probably extraordinarily naïve assumption that you're past your blind hatred of me at least enough to offer an opinion that's grounded more in what you think to be her best interest than your bias against me, yes. I do."

He could hear the grin on Lorelai's face. "That is some serious overestimation. I'm flattered."

"So?" Jess implored. He couldn't stand when she delayed like this. Diversion tactics infuriated him to no end.

"Jess, I told you before. You have my blessing," she responded, "And I meant it. Of course, I'm worried about her. I kind of wish she had her own shit figured out before this happened. I don't want her to become dependent on you or her life to be all about a guy. But I know Rory and that she's not that girl. And you're the best possible guy for her. There will never be a perfect time or perfect scenario or anything like it. I want Rory to be happy, and you've always made her happier than I've ever seen her without you."

"Lorelai," Jess started, his voice lower than usual, "I appreciate it. I really do. Your approval means the world to her, and by extension to me. Hell, at this point, your approval means at least a small something to me regardless. But even though I'm not the jackass kid I was in high school, I'm not perfect. Trust me. Luke knows the list. But the short version is that I could still hurt her, badly, even though I'm not going to run away or leave her. I'm not a savior or a Prince Charming. I'm fucked up. Seriously. And scars are permanent, no matter how many times you scrub yourself clean."

"Jess, I'll admit that given the choice I'd probably want Rory to be with someone completely infallible," Lorelai answered, "But that's not reality. And in reality everyone is fucked up in their own specific way. Yeah, you have more baggage than most. By far. Definitely more than Rory does, or that most of the people she's dated did. But she wants to carry it, and that's what really matters. And the most important thing about those scars? You keep trying to, even if you know that they'll never completely disappear. That's what makes you the man I think deserves to be with my daughter and can make her happy. That's what makes you good enough for her. That and the fact that she wants to be with you."

"Did she tell you about…this?" Jess inquired, unable to stop himself from asking.

"Usually I wouldn't answer that," Lorelai began, "But no, she didn't. She came in today, dropped her stuff, said she really needed to see Lane, and then came back from Lane's, we ate, and then she went off somewhere now."

"So the pizza…"

"I'm part hobbit."

"From now on I don't want you visiting unless you wear socks."

"I can't make any promises."