A/N- Thanks for all the kind reviews and the support, guys. Wow, it's been a shitty week, continuing to get worse. But tomorrow's a new day, a new week...let's hope that means a clean slate. Anyway, here goes this chapter. Welcoming back a few dearly beloved members of the Stars Hollow world, because I've missed them and watching a bit today reminded me of how much. Please read and review. I do not own Gilmore Girls or any of its characters or concepts and I also do not possess the ability to bake things. So I guess maybe there is a little Gilmore in me after all.


Chapter 94

"But Lulu always cuts the crusts off, and I don't even have to tip her!" Kirk whined as Jess looked at him disbelievingly. He inhaled deeply.

"Kirk, I have no idea how old you are, but I'm pretty damn sure you're too old to…"

"I paid for a service! And just because…"

"Kirk," Luke came over, his voice low, "If you want the crusts cut off, go eat with Lulu."

"But she's in Alaska! She's a part of…"

"Or just cut them off yourself. What a thought," Jess scoffed. Kirk raised his eyebrows.

"Fine," he grumbled, "But don't expect any favors on the tip."

"I'm crushed," Jess said flatly before returning to the counter.

"You're awfully chipper," Luke noted as he refilled a few coffees. Jess sighed.

"Sorry," he replied quietly, "Just have…things on my mind."

"Well there's nothing to take your mind off of things than good-old fashioned murder," Luke suggested, glancing at Kirk, who was now attempting to cut off the crusts, much like a child who has never before used a knife.

"Good point. You pull one side, I'll pull the other," Jess smirked, and Luke grinned as Miss Patty and Babbette walked in.

"Luke!" Babette exclaimed, rushing over to him, "We need to talk to Lorelai! It's important! Oh, hi Jess."

Jess nodded in amusement. Miss Patty narrowed her eyes at him. Luke looked at them in confusion.

"She's not here. What did you need?"

"We tried her house too, and she's not there either. That only leaves the inn, but Sookie said she wasn't there either. Where in the…"

"She's out of town," Luke cut them off, "But is there something in particular I can help you with?"

"Well…" Miss Patty began hesitantly, looking at Jess, "I don't…"

"It's fine," Babette assured her, "Maybe he'll know. We heard Rory quit her job!"

"Don't you two think…"

"Hush, Luke. Is it true? Is she okay? Last time she did something like this was when she left school, and there was a rift! Is there another rift? I don't think the town could take another rift…" Babette asked, her voice speeding up until Jess' head was spinning.

"He doesn't have to…"

"There's no rift," Jess answered, "And yes, it's true. The rest is for Rory to tell you if she wants, so ask her."

"But is she…"

"Yes, she's okay," Jess assured them, seeing the panic in their eyes, "In fact, she's better than okay. Now will you two please go find someone else to harass?"

"I liked him better when he didn't talk," Miss Patty muttered to Babette as they walked away to a table. Jess raised an eyebrow in amusement, trying not to laugh.

"They're nuts," Luke shook his head, before taking a plate of food, "Table 5?"

"Got it."

"So earlier…"

"You're going to have to be a little more specific than that."

"You answered them."

"And? They wouldn't have ever gone away otherwise."

"Still," Luke insisted, "You answered them. And you sounded…proud."

"I'm not mad that she quit," Jess sighed, "I'm happy she quit. I just…"

"Don't want to lose her but don't want to hold her down?"

"Something like that," Jess nodded.

"Been there," Luke grumbled, going to the fridge and taking out a pie. He offered a piece to Jess.

"With Lorelai?"

"A few times," he admitted, "Why do you think it took me so long to actually do anything about it?"

"I just figured you wimped out," Jess smirked. Luke glared at him. "Okay, sorry. Why?"

"I always thought she could do better than me," Luke answered, "Even when she kept picking losers. Guys who didn't treat her right. I would still say to myself, Look at her. She runs this inn better than I've ever seen anyone run a business. She could be doing this with any hotel in any city. And once she opened the Dragonfly, it was clear this place was nothing compared to what she could do."

"So…"

"She didn't want the big things, Jess. She wanted the job she wanted and to be here in this fit-it-on-a-postage-stamp town and she just wanted someone that would love her, for every fault she had, and for every virtue she couldn't see that was there. She didn't care about what I did for a living or that I wasn't the guy on the paper towel ads or George Clooney or anything. She knew what she was capable of having, and she picked me anyway. For some crazy reason I make her happy, and that's enough to make me happy."

"I just…I don't want her to hold it against me one day," Jess admitted, "That's selfish, but…"

"She won't, Jess. She will, however, hold it against you if you force her into having a life without you in it because you think it's the right choice for her. Plus, it's not like she can't do her job where you are."

"But it's Philadelphia. It's not like it's a Mecca of journalism."

"No, but it's a major city, with papers."

"It's not New York."

"She doesn't need the Times, Jess. Don't you get it? She's like Lorelai. They could both go to the ends of the earth and back again. They're shooting stars in a planetarium. But they don't want that. They want to feel safe, protected. There's a reason that Lorelai ran to this tiny little town instead of some city, and it's not just because the Independence looked like a welcoming place to seek refuge. They want to feel like a place is theirs, like they know every corner of it. They want to create their own stories and their own little world and have that. They want a home."

"I can't…"

"You have, Jess, and you can. Just because you didn't get one then, doesn't mean you don't deserve one now. Or that you can't give one to someone else. You of all people are probably more prepared to do that than anyone else, because you know exactly how awful it is to be without one."

"I yelled at Liz," Jess admitted, not looking his uncle in the eye.

"She told me," he nodded.

"I was…"

"I know. And I get it. I'm not gonna say you're wrong for thinking like that. But…just think about giving her a chance, alright? It'd make things a lot easier."

"If I do, it won't be for her," Jess nodded, "Thanks, Luke."

"Anytime," he smiled, standing up, "Now if you don't mind, I need to call Lorelai before she trades me in for someone that actually pays attention to her."

"If I remember her luck with engagement isn't so great, so I doubt she'd risk it," he smirked, earning a pillow thrown violently at his head by Luke.

"Lorelai? Hey, sorry, just finished eating. Yeah, well, he's still alive, though I'm not sure he will be by the end of the night…"

"Boy, is it nice to be home," Jess laughed.