A/N: I had sooooo much fun writing this chapter. I think when you read it, you'll understand why... the second half more than the first half ;)

Thanks to each and every reader who leaves a review - you're wonderful people! :)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 16

"Rory!" Lane greeted her with the biggest smile and a giant hug to match.

"Hey, Lane," she almost cried as she hugged her friend back. "God, I missed you so much! I'm so sorry I didn't call you or anything. Things just got crazy..."

"Hey, it's fine," her best friend assured her as they pulled out of their hug and she led Rory inside. "You're had a lot going on, I get it."

They had seen each other only briefly since Rory and Jess got back to Stars Hollow. Even after her announcement at the town meeting that they were together and having a baby, Rory had been wary about putting herself in a position where people could judge her. She was so focused on telling the people that needed to be told and being comfortable in her home town again, plus Lane was working a lot, there just hadn't been time to meet up and have the very long talk she felt her best friend was owed. Now Rory was here and never more glad to be so. She really had missed Lane so much.

"Wow, look at you," she said, standing back and observing the curve of Rory's body that was never there before, as well as how thin the rest of her looked. "A baby, that's just... wow."

"It really is," she giggled nervously, pushing her hair behind her ear. "I feel so overwhelmed by it still, and then other times it doesn't seem such a big deal. That's weird, right?"

"I don't know," Lane shrugged. "I haven't even had sex yet so babies is way, way in the future for me," she said, waving her hand off into that distant land she spoke of. "Of course, that was the plan for you too so..."

"Yeah, well, plans change," Rory told her philosophically as they walked through to Lane's bedroom and sat down together on the bed. "Honestly, when I left here all I knew was that I had to go see Jess. Beyond that, I had no idea what would happen, but I did always intend to be back here for Yale and everything."

"So what happens with that now? Yale, I mean?"

"Well, I talked to administration. I'm taking this year off, and then hopefully we'll have figured things out so I can go back and complete my courses. It's not going to be easy, but Jess is great, my Mom and Luke too. They're all so determined to help. I'm not entirely sure I deserve it," she said guiltily, eyes on her fingers as she pulled at loose threads in the comforter.

"Of course you deserve it," said Lane definitely. "You're not some terrible person or anything. Things got rough so you left for a while, and sure, getting pregnant wasn't a plan, but you're okay. You're human, Rory, just like the rest of us."

"Did I mention the part where I missed you?" she smiled across at her best friend. "And that just about every little thing makes me emotional right now," she sniffled, glad of the box of tissue Lane quickly passed her from the night stand.

"That's part of pregnancy, from what I hear anyway," she assured her. "So, have you seen Dean since you got back? I mean, last I heard you and he had… done the deed," she said awkwardly. "Clearly you regretted it later."

"Oh boy, did I!" Rory admitted, blowing her nose hard. "I thought it was the right thing, to be with Dean. He was my first love. I guess I wasn't smart enough to realise that first doesn't always mean true," she shook her head. "How stupid was I, Lane? He's married and I just… Even if he weren't, I should've realised what a mistake I was making."

"Well, it's not always easy. I mean, and don't take this the wrong way, but when you were with Jess, and after he left too, you kind've did a lot of Dean comparisons," she explained awkwardly, really not wanting to upset her friend any more than she already was. "I didn't like to say it at the time, but don't you think that was a little unfair?"

"I do now," Rory admitted. "I don't know, Lane, I think I was just hurting after Jess left and comforting myself with the fact that at least I picked one good boyfriend before him. I was such an idiot. I should've known Jess had reasons for not talking to me, and I know one of them was because I didn't treat him like I should have. I never let myself trust him back then, I always… I always compared him to Dean, I did," she admitted sadly. "Now I make the same comparisons and Jess wins every time."

"Sounds like he really stepped up when the pregnant thing happened," Lane smiled. "No offence to Jess, but I wouldn't exactly have bet on that."

"It makes sense when you know him like I do," Rory told her with a dreamy sort of a smile. "He's going to be the best father, Lane. Nobody was ever more determined to be the ultimate parent. I think it's because his Dad left when he was a baby and his Mom was always such a flake. Jess wants to be different. He wants our baby to have everything he didn't."

"That's sweet," her friend agreed, "and I'm glad for you. I mean, I know your Mom coped alone, and I'm sure you could've handled it if you had to, but it's definitely better that Jess is sticking around."

"Agreed," Rory smiled. "I can't believe we were both so stupid before, just letting everything fall apart. We belong together, Lane, I know we do, and now there's going to be a kid... it's definitely scary, but I am so stupidly happy at the same time."

"Then I'm happy for you," her best friend promised. "Y'know, whatever else happened with Jess before, I never doubetd that he loved you. Eveybody could see it then, and it's even more obvious now," she smiled. "So, I guess your Mom and Luke will help out with the whole accommodation thing?"

"Yes, we're staying with Mom for now, and Luke is giving Jess all the shifts he can at the diner to make extra cash. He's working for WalMart too, which I know he doesn't exactly love, but it pays pretty well if he takes the shifts nobody else wants," she shrugged. "We knew it was never going to be easy, but it feels so good to be back in Stars Hollow. New York was great in it's way, but... well, there's no substitute for family and best friends," she smiled, tears once again forming in her eyes. "Oh my God, stupid hormones!" she complained, wiping her face with more tissue. "Please, tell me what's been happening with you. Something that's not going to make me bawl like a baby."

Lane wasn't sure what to say for the best. She had plenty to tell, and she doubted any of it was enough to make Rory cry, which was a good thing.

"Well, the band is good, living with the guys is fine, and Mama Kim even comes to visit once in a while now," she explained. "The only thing that's even remotely rough for me right now is... well, Zach."

"Zach?" echoed Rory. "But you just said living with the guys was fine? Is it not fine?" she checked.

"No, it is. The living with is all fine, but... well, Zach has a lot of girls over and lately I just..." she floundered, looking down at her own fingers playing with the fringe on the comforter. "I think maybe I'm a little, sort of, maybe jealous," she admitted awkwardly.

Rory's eyes grew wide at that revelation.

"You like Zach?" she gasped, not really sure how else to react.

"I really think I do," her best friend nodded, before both burst into fits of girlish giggling.

As Lane waxed lyrical on how she had come to realise that Zach Van Gerbig was so much more than just a guy in her band at this point, Rory listened with rapt attention and a genuine smile on her lips. The fact was that as much as she was happy with her life as it was now and felt she could cope admirably with the whole pregnancy thing, it was nice to be the teenage girl she had once been, just for an hour, before reality crept back in.

Jess wasn't sure exactly what he was finding to smile about as he hurried from the diner back to the Gilmore house. It wasn't the fact he needed to go home and change because thanks to Kirk he had half a glass of iced tea down the front of his shirt. It couldn't be because he was having a great day because he had been working his ass off since the early hours, as per usual. Jess supposed it was just being back in this fruit-loop town, because in spite of the fact it was like an asylum much of the time, it was home.

That made no sense, and Jess knew it. He had been born and raised in New York City and returned to that place when he left Stars Hollow. Adding up all the time he had lived with his Uncle Luke, the total came out at barely eighteen months, which was a tiny percentage of his entire almost-twenty years of life, but this was still home. The only people that truly mattered to him lived here, like Rory and his unborn baby, and Luke too. It was oddly comfortable to be amongst people and places he knew, and he sure didn't have to worry as much about crime, expenses, and such as he did in NYC.

The house came into sight and Jess hurried up the porch steps, letting himself inside. Nobody was supposed to be home. He knew for a fact Rory was spending the day with Lane, and Lorelai would be working on her new inn as she did every day. Jess had no problem with pulling his shirt off over his head on the way to the bedroom, and only knew it was an issue when he passed through the kitchen and heard a gasp.

"Oh, for the love of...!" Lorelai exclaimed, quickly turning her back to save her from seeing any more half-naked Jess.

"Ah, geez!" he groaned, hurrying into Rory's room.

Technically, it was his room too now, at least for the time being, but Jess wasn't used to that yet. He located a clean shirt and pulled it on fast, buttoning it the whole way up before he dared to step out into the hallway again. Lorelai was still there, sat at the kitchen table, looking quite possibly as awkward as he felt.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"It's okay. I mean, you startled me but..." Lorelai waved a hand to dismiss the whole topic as unimportant, deciding at the last that to tell the guy she could see now what had Rory so besotted would only make matters worse. "Er, Jess, could you maybe sit down for a sec?" she asked then, even as he sidled towards the exit.

"Luke's expecting me back at the diner."

"He'll survive," she told him with a smile. "And hey, I have pull. I'll tell him it was my fault you got held up. Please, Jess?" she urged him when he still looked ready to run.

The fact was, she knew why he was so uncertain. Lorelai and Jess had never really gotten along, and now he had got Rory pregnant, she had every reason to be mad at him. She had told him she wouldn't be that person, wouldn't judge him anymore harshly than Rory since she knew full well it took two to make a baby. Besides, Lorelai was more determined than ever not to be her own mother in this situation.

Jess gave in and took a seat opposite Lorelai at the table. He wasn't sure whether to expect her to yell at him, warn him to stick around, or encourage him to get out and leave the whole family alone. It was the unknown that bothered him, and one of many reasons why he had made a point of not being left alone with Lorelai up to now.

"So," she began at last. "I know you don't like me very much..."

"I never said that," he interrupted, completely defensive, and yet Lorelai smiled.

"No, but it's a vibe I get. I walk in a room and you pretty much evaporate unless Rory or Luke are already there."

"It's your house," he shrugged, leaning back in his seat and concentrating on his own hands than her. "I figured you'd like to see as little of me as possible."

"Well, once upon a time, that would've been true," Lorelai admitted thoughtfully. "Y'know the first real conversation we had actually went pretty well."

Jess remembered, at this very kitchen table in fact, as Lorelai offered him leftover Chinese, quizzing him on school and his thoughts on the town. It had actually been okay, until Rory walked in looking for the bracelet Jess knew he had in his pocket this whole time. That screwed everything up and seemed to cement Lorelai's bad opinion of the town hoodlum forever.

"Sometimes you're a lot like Rory," he smirked slightly. "Or she's a lot like you, I guess."

"Uh-huh," Lorelai nodded her agreement. "And you know you're a lot like me too," she told him, at which Jess quirked an eyebrow. "And I'm not just talking about the baby thing either. See, you and me, we feel our parents don't understand us, didn't do what they should when we were growing up, y'know? And when there's trouble or anything serious going on, we bottle, we run, or we lash out - fight or flight, baby, that's us. But what's also true, about you and me, is that when it comes to people we love, especially our kids, we stick at it," she said definitely, pushing her finger into the table top to make her point more firm. "We make promises and we keep them, come hell or high water or Emily Gilmore," she smiled.

Jess smiled too, he just couldn't help it. He shifted to sit forward in his chair, arms along the edge of the table.

"Huh. You really believe me when I say I love Rory," he said, watching her face carefully. "When I tell you that I'm definitely sticking around, you're not doubting me this time."

It wasn't a question but a statement of fact. He could already see that Lorelai meant exactly what she was saying. She believed in him. People didn't really do that, only Rory and Luke so far, and Lorelai was maybe the last person Jess expected to be adding to the list.

"I really believe you," she promised anyway, meeting his eyes with a purpose. "Stood up for you with Richard and Emily, didn't I?"

Jess smirked at that, still surprised by both Lorelai's attitude and Rory's outburst at the Gilmore mansion on Friday.

"Yeah, thanks for that by the way," he said, knowing full well it should've been said sooner, but maybe that didn't matter right now.

"No problem, kid... man, person, whatever," Lorelai gave in on trying to use the correct pronoun, waving away such worries with her hand as she got up and moved towards the coffee machine. "Jess, I know I was hard on you before, but when your kid comes along, and especially when he or she gets to be a teenager, you'll understand why, I swear," she explained as she poured herself and Jess both a healthy cup full of Java. "Still, I was probably a little hypocritical. See, as many traits as you share with me, you also have kind of a Christopher vibe sometimes too, and as you keeny observed, with me and Rory it's 'like mother, like daughter' more often than it's not," she said, putting a steaming mug down in front of him and retaking her seat.

The look on Jess' face was a picture in that moment.

"You're not about to go all Mrs Robinson on me, are you?" he asked too seriously, and then that famous smirk broke through.

"Ha! You wish!" Lorelai teased him with a grin of her own.

Jess picked up his coffee mug with both hands and stared into it as if maybe the answers to life, the universe and everything were in there. Of course, they weren't. He had things he should say in this conversation of truth and honesty with Lorelai, he just wasn't so sure how well he was going to do at looking like he meant it when he made his apology. He would mean it, but Jess wasn't used to saying he was sorry. He was concerned it wouldn't quite come off, even if it was true.

"Y'know, for what it's worth..." he began still looking into his coffee at first and then making himself meet Lorelai's eyes again. "I'm sorry too. I know I wasn't exactly a mother's dream date for her daughter..."

"You weren't trying to be," she cut in easily. "Now, it's different. You're trying to be the most responsible boyfriend and soon-to-be father. You are, you're different, Jess," she smiled, putting a hand to his arm on the table. "I think we all are. We're a family now, you, Rory, me, Luke, and baby makes a full house."

Jess nodded his agreement and looked back to his coffee. It felt strange, having anyone want to include him in their family, least of all Lorelai Gilmore. Luke tried to make him feel wanted and of course Rory loved him, but this was different. This was more than he ever really got from his own mother and it meant a lot more than Jess was willing to express.

"Thanks, Lorelai," he told her, as sincerely as he ever said anything.

"For what?" she asked, tilting her head and sipping her coffee then.

"I don't know, letting us stay here? Not castrating me for getting Rory pregnant?" he smirked slightly at his own semi-joke.

Lorelai smiled widely over her coffee cup.

"For a minute there it was a pretty close call," she teased dangerously. "But honestly? I have as much to thank you for," she continued more seriously. "You took care of my daughter and then you brought her home to me. You're the reason I have Rory back, that I'm going to get the chance to help her with this pregnancy, and meet my grandkid," she smiled once again. "So, thank you, Jess."

He acknowledged her words with a nod, before picking up his coffee and taking a long drink. He would never quite understand how the Gilmores could drink as much of the stuff as they did, but lately he sure did like the caffeine hit when he was working so very hard.

"Now, get back to work before Luke gets mad and witholds my coffee supply for making you late!" Lorelai complained, suddenly ripping the mug from a startled Jess' hands.

He was laughing as he rose from his seat and headed for the door. For all that he was afraid of the conversation he knew he had to have with Lorelai eventually, it had actually gone pretty well. To think he had once vowed never to come back here; maybe he really was destined to belong in Stars Hollow. It really wasn't so bad.

To Be Continued...