A/N: Not a whole lot of plot advancement in this one, but plenty of Rory & Jess, and Mrs R too! :)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see Prologue)

Chapter 38

Rory would never admit it out-loud, but she had been a little worried about moving out of the home she shared with her mom since she was a child and into a new place with Jess. It wasn't that she didn't totally love and trust her fiancé or want to have more time alone with him. It wasn't that raising their son in their very own home didn't appeal either. It was just a very big change, and Rory knew from experience that she didn't always react well to that.

The first night at Yale, and Rory had to have Lorelai come over and sleep on the spare mattress on the dorm room floor. She couldn't do that now, it would be a little crazy, not that it was one hundred percent sane eighteen months ago. Still, it felt odd leaving the Crap Shack and knowing that when she told somebody she was heading home, she was never going back there but to a new place.

Rory loved the apartment, that much was true. She tried to make joint decisions with Jess on the paint colours and furniture but he wasn't wholly interested. Much of it was her choices that he just agreed with because he didn't care if the walls were cream or blue or yellow, whether they had round or square cushions on the couch, any of that kind of thing. It was like a home before they even moved in, with all their books installed on shelves, and many personal belongings throughout, but it was still odd.

Rory couldn't sleep the first night. Even though Jess was there with her as he had been every night for months now, even though Rory felt as if she were as tired as she had been her whole life. It was definitely an adjustment, but after one whole week of calling this apartment in New Haven home it was genuinely starting to feel like it really was where she and Jess belonged.

Since Jess' shifts varied and Rory had no job to go to right now, they had kind of a skewed routine going on. This particular day, Jess was working from mid-morning to mid-afternoon at the diner and then a late shift in Wal-Mart. Rory didn't have to get up when her fiancé did and he usually advised her not to bother when he was up particularly early, but today, after lying in a while with him reading aloud to her, they both got up together. Jess was going to take Rory with him to the diner where she had arranged to meet Mrs Rossini for a chat and maybe some lunch.

It was over a month now since Mrs R had come to town for Christmas, and still she had not headed back to New York. Neither Rory nor Jess were in any way sorry about that, but they were also highly aware that the longer their friend stayed, the closer they must be getting to a time when she would definitely want to leave. Every time they saw her, Mrs R would lament the fact Lorelai was letting her stay at the inn for free, and talk about the tasks she insisted on helping out with to earn her keep. Short of duct taping her to a chair, which of course she would never resort to, Lorelai just couldn't keep the old lady from cleaning, changing beds, or answering the phone whenever she got the chance to step in. Eventually though, she was going to go back to NYC, and Rory wanted to get in as many lunches, brunches, and general time with Mrs R as she could.

"You take your shower, I'll make breakfast," said Jess, hopping out of bed and into his jeans.

"You're so good to me," Rory replied, yawning even as she hefted herself out of the other side, one hand in the small of her back as she tried to straighten up under the weight of her pregnant belly.

"Well, you deserve it," her fiancé assured her as he rounded the bed, planting a kiss on her lips and one on her stomach before disappearing out the door.

Rory giggled at how silly he could be sometimes then gathered up her stuff and hit the shower as instructed. It was tough just getting around now she was so big. Honestly, she was pretty sure most women weren't this size even at full term, never mind thirty five weeks. The doctor said it varied a lot, and with Rory having been so slim before the pregnancy, it was completely normal for her to feel she was actually bigger than she really was. Seriously, it felt like a miracle to Rory that she could even fit in the shower cubicle at all!

Just as soon as she was done in the bathroom, Rory came out into the kitchen, wearing an over-sized but pretty flowered dress, and was happy to be greeted by the smell of bacon and sausage cooking. Thankfully there were no eggs. She still couldn't stomach them, in fact even thinking about them made her feel nauseous, so Rory had her cooked breakfast with every ingredient except eggs.

"If this is independent living, then I am all for it," said Rory happily as she kissed Jess in thanks for her breakfast and started in on eating it.

It didn't matter that she was probably going to have lunch in a couple of hours at the diner. Lately Rory was even more constantly hungry than ever before!

"Hey, I'm only playing slave for as long as moving three feet takes you a half hour," he warned her, only half-serious, she knew. "This kid gets born, and it's shared chores all the way."

"Agreed," she sighed. "There's going to be a whole lot more chores when he's here though," she considered around a mouthful of bacon. "Four hourly feeds to start off with, changing diapers all the time..."

"And we'll handle it," Jess promised her, returning to her side. "We will."

"I know" she smiled bravely as he crouched beside her chair. "I just think about how busy you already are and how busy I'm going to be. There's not exactly going to be a lot of us time once the baby comes," she lamented.

"We'll make time," he assured her. "Don't worry, okay?"

"Okay," she nodded, though he had a feeling her head was still whirring with concerns.

Jess planted one more kiss on Rory's lips, then left her to her breakfast. He headed for the shower, but really couldn't relax even under the warm spray of water. He told Rory not to worry because he didn't want her to have to, because it wasn't good for her or their unborn son. The truth was, Jess still had concerns himself. It wasn't going to be easy, none of this. As much as he loved Rory and the baby they were going to have, as much as they had help, support, a home, half a diner, and more money than they expected, it still wasn't going to be plain sailing. Sleepless nights, his work, her going back to Yale in the Fall, it all added up to two very tired, very stressed-out people, and that kind of situation led to fights and trouble that neither Jess nor Rory wanted. Yes, it bothered him, but he tried to put it out of his mind, and tell himself, as well as Rory, that it would all be fine. Still, as the time drew nearer for baby Jack to be born, the more Jess felt he understood Jimmy's need to bolt and never look back.

"It still makes me sad to think she'll probably be going home soon. I've got so used to her being here, and I know it's selfish to want her to stay when she probably really wants to be back in her own place by now, but I can't help it. I mean, you'd miss her too, right? Jess?"

Rory almost resorted to physically poking him in the arm when he failed to answer her twice, only he was concentrating on driving and they were headed for an intersection, so she didn't like to. When he was forced to stop at the lights, she took her chances.

"Jess? Are you okay?" she checked, tapping his elbow to get his attention.

He jumped a little, proving he really was so lost in thought that he hadn't heard a word she said. That was weird and Rory knew it. Sure, guys had been known to zone out when women talked, that was a given if another person was rambling about something that didn't interest you, but this was different. This wasn't a girly rant about shopping or trashy TV, this was about Mrs Rossini who they both loved like family.

"Huh?" asked Jess, glancing at her and then quickly back at the road when he realised the light was green again.

"I know you have to concentrate some to drive, but that was some serious thought you were giving to the asphalt up ahead," said Rory with a forced smile, hoping to keep the mood light and not be accusatory.

She remembered occasions before when Jess got really thoughtful and quiet. It usually led to a fight or him disappearing on her. Rory wanted to believe that would never happen again, his running out the door at least. If they fought, well, she wouldn't love it, but all couples had arguments sometimes. It was the leaving that freaked her out. Lately, Jess had been the model boyfriend, or fiancé as his title should be, as well as the greatest and most supportive father-to-be that Rory could hope for. They were engaged, had a home of their own, and were seemingly happy and content. Now Jess was giving her the silent treatment and her insides twisted up painfully at the idea something was about to go horribly wrong.

"I was just thinking... Work stuff" he shook his head, waving the subject away with one hand, the other staying firm on the steering wheel. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?"

Rory couldn't think what work stuff would make Jess lose focus like that. He hadn't taken on anything major at the diner yet with regards to the books or the ordering, though Luke told him he could if he wanted. As for Walmart, now there was a job that required little to no brainpower, something Jess had told her many times, both when he worked there the last time and on this go around too. Still, she let it go. Pushing Jess never helped. She had to trust that when he was ready to talk, he would, that he wouldn't just bottle it all up until he exploded and disappeared into the night. He was more grown up now, they both were. Now wasn't the time to fall apart.

"Er, I was just thinking about Mrs R," she said eventually, recapping what she had been telling Jess before when he wasn't really listening. "She'll probably be headed home soon and I'll miss her."

"Y'know I'm not so sure she will go back, at least not now," Jess shook his head. "She sure seems to like Stars Hollow a lot, and Taylor of all unholy things," he visibly shuddered. "I mean, I don't get it, but if he's another reason for Mrs Rossini to stay, I am all for that. I hate her being alone in that apartment, in that neighbourhood... it's not cool."

"I agree," Rory nodded. "I would so love for her to stay."

"That'd be good," replied Jess, though he sounded absent and vague again already.

Rory stared across at him in profile, seemingly all concentrated on his driving. That wasn't it and she knew it. Nobody needed to look that serious about controlling a car down a quiet road from one small town to another, a route he already knew pretty well. Something was on Jess' mind, Rory just wished she knew what it was exactly.

"Jess, you would... Well, you'd tell me if something was wrong, right?" she checked, internally wincing at her own question, knowing she might start something they both didn't need to get into right now.

It was a pleasnat surprise when he glanced at her with what seemed to be a genuine smile on his lips.

"Rory, I've got a beautiful fiancé, a son on the way, a decent apartment, and a share in a diner that's gonna stop us going bankrupt," he explained succinctly. "What would be wrong?"

Rory knew it wasn't that simple. There were still things to be worried about, everything from the birth of their son to the logistics of coping with a baby, jobs, college, and family commitments, and a whole bunch of other stuff in between. Still, his pretty words about his seemingly perfect life made Rory smile and let go of all the worries for now. Maybe she was just being paranoid anyway.

"Your grandparents are very kind people," said Mrs Rossini, completely missing the way Jess snorted with laughter as he walked by the table.

Rory noticed and shot him a scathing look that turned into a smile much faster than it should've. She knew Grandma in particular could be acid tongued and even down-right mean, but Jess shouldn't say so, even if it were true.

"Mrs R, you're practically part of the family," Rory told her happily. "Of course you're invited to the vow renewal" she smiled brightly. "I want my Grandma and Grandpa to meet my honorary Grandma."

"Oh, passerotta, you are too sweet!" said Mrs Rossini, her eyes filling with happy tears. "Far too kind to a silly old woman."

"Hey, you are not silly or old," said Rory definitely. "You're part of this family now, so you should definitely be coming to this wedding thing," she explained. "What? You don't want to see what a whale in a dress looks like?" she joked about her own size.

Mrs Rossini rolled her eyes.

"Rory, you are beautiful, bellisima!" she said definitely. "If all this were from too much eating of good food, perhaps we talk about you being a whale, but you are having a baby. This is a beautiful thing."

Rory felt silly then, and kind of bad actually. Mrs R never had children of her own, and yet she was the best mother figure Rory could've hoped for in the absence of Lorelai in New York, and the greatest extra grandmother in the world. She wanted to be there for Rory, for Jess, and for Jack when he came along. If it was up to Rory, Mrs R would never leave Stars Hollow, and she told her as much whilst she had the chance.

"Well, that is a big decision to make, my dear," she said, patting Rory's hand across the table. "I have reasons to stay, I know, but this is your home and mine is New York."

"Jess' home was New York too, but things change," her young friend explained. "He was born and raised a city boy, but look how well he's learnt to fit in here," she smiled as she looked across at her fiancé, switching plates with Lane, squeezing past Luke, and interacting politely with customers.

"You love each other very much," said Mrs Rossini as she looked between them. "This I always knew, but every day I see more and more... You remind me of myself and my Gennaro," she smiled, nostalgic and oddly proud all at the same time. "We did not have enough time together, and this teaches me to seize every moment I have now," she explained to Rory. "You and Jess, you are young with your whole lives ahead. You make every day happy as you can, bella Rory," she told her definitely, squeezing her hand. "Do not waste a second."

"We won't" she nodded with a watery smile as her eyes filled up fast with tears. "I promise."

To Be Continued...