A/N: So I'm sure these first few chapters back are going to be a little rough. I admit, they even feel a little rough. But it's just a matter of getting back into the swing of things, so please bear with me. I hope you read, review and let me know what you think anyway. I am so glad to be writing this series again and have even more big news possibly coming up, so stay tuned. I do not own Gilmore Girls or any of its characters or concepts, but I have entered into a book-lending arrangement with a gentleman who reads, which feels Gilmore enough for me.

Chapter 118

"So Matt," Jess smirked as he walked into the office the next morning, "Have a good night?"

"Grand until you showed up," Matt retorted as he picked up a stack of books, "You guys completely embarrassed Leah."

"Actually, you guys completely embarrassed yourselves," Jess corrected, going over to help him, "What made you think that having sex in the middle of our place of business was a good idea?"

"A lot of beer?" Matt raised his eyebrows innocently, "It's new territory to be conquered."

"So how many girls have you sullied our sacred shrine with now, Matt?" Chris asked, coming around the corner.

"You told him?" Matt turned to Jess in disbelief. Jess shrugged.

"Public sex isn't really public unless it's public knowledge."

"It wasn't supposed to be! You guys were supposed to be out of town."

"Great defense. I hear OJ's got some charges, maybe you should look into that."

"Shut up, both of you," Chris snapped, "Your adorably witty banter is too much before I have any coffee in me. Matt, you're an idiot. Jess, if you expected anything else from Matt, you're an idiot too."

"Wow, what crawled up your…"

"Hannah and I are fighting," Chris cut him off, rolling his eyes, "Not that it's any of your guys' business, since I don't conduct my affairs in the middle of our establishment. Unlike Thing 1, who brings his girls here to do the deed and Thing 2, who actually resides in the place of business. Ever heard of boundaries, Jess?"

"It was your idea to live there in the first place, I just never moved out," Jess replied, looking at Matt in confusion, "But seriously Chris, what's going on? You're acting even more unpleasant than usual to deal with."

"She wants to move in," Chris mumbled. Both Jess and Matt looked at him in shock.

"What? Why wouldn't you tell me that? It's my apartment!" Matt exclaimed. Chris shot him a look.

"Maybe if you hadn't been so busy defiling Leah on top of the filing cabinets, you would've been around to tell. You haven't exactly been around lately."

"I'm dating someone. That's how it works. Plus, you two have been playing house so much it's nauseating to be around it. I should've seen this coming…"

"Yeah, well there's a difference between playing house and actually wanting to share one," Chris shook his head, "Why did she have to mess up such a good thing?"

"So I'm assuming your fear of commitment is rearing its ugly head again."

"Jess, it's not even 9 yet. Don't fuck with me."

"I'm just saying, what's so wrong with living with Hannah? You seem to really like her."

"Not all of us jump stages from friends to cohabitants, Jess. Again, it's this concept called boundaries. Maybe we should develop a self-help section so you'll have somewhere to go for this kind of information."

"Seriously, stop deflecting. Why don't you want to live with her?"

"It's too soon. It's that simple, Dr. Phil, so stop trying to analyze me and just help me move these damn books, okay?"

"Fine," Jess shrugged, "Have it your way. Die alone."

"That's the plan," Chris retorted, moving the last of the books, "Now let's get to work, I feel particularly inclined towards annihilating some writing today."

"So Hannah wants to move in? Did she ask him? When?"

"Rory, I don't know that much. He wasn't exactly in a talking mood."

"But that's so exciting! And she's amazing! Why wouldn't he…"

"He says it's too soon."

"He's wrong. Did you tell him he was wrong?"

"Yeah, and he took a few shots with our choices as ammo. I don't think he's really in a listening mood either."

"But we're different. That's not an excuse."

"Or maybe it is. We've known each other forever. It's not like a few months ago was our first date."

"But if they love each other…"

"I haven't heard him use that word, and I doubt you have either, so I wouldn't go putting it in his mouth."

"But it's so clear that they do!"

"Rory, I agree with you in general, but really it's none of our business. If Chris thinks it's too soon, that's his choice, and we'll have to let the chips fall where they may."

"I just don't want him to lose Hannah."

"We don't know that he will. We have no idea what will happen between them. And if not, there are plenty of other girls out there. Either way, it's really not our concern."

"He's one of your best friends!"

"Yeah, but it's not my job to push him, just like it's not his job to tell me how to live my life."

"Speaking of which, what exactly did he have to complain about? I thought he liked me by now."

"It wasn't about you, it was about how fast we ended up living together. He's right that it's not normal."

"But it was right for us."

"True. But for a lot of people, it's a big step. Usually just preceding a ring, a house and some kids."

"It doesn't have to be any of that. She didn't say any of that that we know of. She probably just thinks it makes more sense and wants to spend more time with him."

"Then let her explain that."

"He's not talking to her."

"How do you…"

"We talk, Jess. She's my friend now."

"Well that could get awkward."

"And?"

"Nevermind. Point taken. Go on."

"He won't speak to her, he won't listen to her, he's been blowing her off all day. She actually asked me if he came into work."

"And you said?"

"I didn't know, I hadn't been home. But that I thought he was being a jackass and that if she needed to talk I was around."

"Good call. Thanks for staying out of it."

"I did as much as I could!"

"Rory…"

"She's really upset!"

"Fine. But don't meddle. I know the Lorelai in you wants to fix all of this, but you just have to ride it out. It's not our right to interfere."

"…fine. But if she cries again I'm going to yell at him."

"And there's that non-interference I was hoping for. Fine, fair enough. Now let's disinfect this couch before we can never touch it again."