DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything but my head and my imagination.

AUTHOR: I am so sorry for taking this long to update, it wasn't my intention. I've been feeling very uninspired lately so there hasn't been much writing at all. Hopefully, this will change soon for I am longing to hear your reactions to coming chapters. In the mean time, hope you enjoy this one! Please write a comment below :)


"Oh, lord! It breeds too!"

The sharp morning sun hit her eyes the second she stepped out off the diner. Lorelai squinted to not get dazzled, but opened her eyes again almost immediately when someone unexpectedly grabbed her arm. A grip hard as iron pulled her down the steps and around the corner. Lorelai took a firm grip around her purse and prepared herself to fight off the mugger, or whatever satanic beast with no sense of self preservation, that had decided to attack her this particular morning.

She fumbled for her keys to have something to stab with, only for almost dropping them when her sight adjusted to shadows and she got a good look at her attacker.

"Taylor!" She gasp in shock and anger. "What are you doing? Let go of me!"

Wriggling herself free from his grip, Lorelai took a step back. The self proclaimed mayor must have been waiting for her to come outside, perhaps he had been lurking out here all the while she had been talking to Luke. The location of where Taylor had snatched her and the way he glanced through the window to make sure Luke wasn't watching them, gave Lorelai an idea of what he wanted.

"If this has anything to do with you trying to convince me to use my influence on Luke to make him rethink changing those sun blinds, you can forget about it. I'm not doing it. I have a strict policy not to take part in any of your disputes. The same goes for Rory. We have a strict no interference policy. We can joke and tease and torment, but we do not get involved..."

Taylor cut off her by shaking his head. He wasn't interested in the sun blinds that been the big drama of the week.

"I would never ask for such favor, but now that you have offered: thank you, that would be most kind if you did. Those sun blinds are the ugly duckling in this beautiful pond." He flashed her one of his trademark goofy smug.

Lorelai raised an eyebrow.

"You do know the ugly duckling turns into a beautiful swan in the end, right?"

"Yes, yes, and that's what I am trying to encourage him to do by changing them. Those horrible blinds scare off my customers!" Taylor shook his head. He didn't have time for this. Neither did Lorelai. She had never understood Taylor's rage against Luke's sun blinds. Sure, they were perhaps a little bleached. Sure, they should have been replaced ten years ago... Lorelai frowned. Perhaps she should use her influence on Luke and make him change them after all. They were hideous, now that she had a good look at them.

"Talking of ugly ducklings," Taylor continued. "Was that Jess Mariano back in Stars Hollow, I just saw?"

Lorelai realized it wasn't Luke Taylor had been prying after, it was Jess. Taylor must have seen Jess' car being parked right next to where they were standing and sensed bad news. Lorelai guessed she had been so preoccupied with the memories of last night's fight with her mother that she hadn't seen the car. Though it was hard to miss, discolored brown and a clear contestant to be driven to the waste yard as it was. Why on earth did Jess still have it?

"Yes, Taylor, Jess is back," Lorelai confirmed. "He came here last night."

"Oh, heavenly lord!" Taylor gasped and steadied himself against the car. "Just when the town had finally recovered from last time, the evil strikes again. I better go and lock my doors and windows before that troublemaker comes sniffing at my candy shop for a treat!"

Lorelai couldn't help a chuckle from emerging her lips.

"I don't think Jess is interested in your candy shop, Taylor. He's got quite enough of other things to occupy himself with these days. He's a dad."

Taylor looked as if he had been struck by lightning.

"Oh, lord! It breeds too!"

Lorelai barely managed to pick up the words before a hoarse voice spoke behind her.

"A dad? Are you saying that the little rascal has been breeding while he's been away?"

Lorelai turned and saw Babette and Miss Patty coming towards her and Taylor from across the street.

"Yes, he has a daughter."

"Oh, my!" Miss Patty made a dramatic gesture. "What poor young woman has gotten herself into trouble this time?"

"Not Rory! Please, tell me it isn't Rory!" Babette exclaimed in horror. "She looked so thin and peaky last time I saw her."

"It's not Rory," insured Lorelai quickly. "She hasn't heard from Jess in two years."

"And aren't we all glad for that!" Taylor exclaimed. "That boy is evil impersonated! The devil himself, I dare say!"

Babette nodded in agreement.

"Just remember how crushed Rory was after he had broken her heart. Oh, our sweet, poor Rory! I am so glad she got over it."

"Yes, aren't we all," mumbled Lorelai, her head full of thoughts. The image of the ring on Jess' hand still clung to her memory. Why did it look so lonely?

"He might be devil, Taylor," Miss Patty interrupted, "but he sure has grown into a fine young man." She nodded towards the window.

Inside the diner, Jess had returned from Luke's apartment with one much happier Clara on his arm. The quartet outside the window watch the young father give his daughter a cuddle before putting her down in the infant seat with a rattle toy to play with.

"Yes, one fine young man indeed. Look at hair, that jaw... those arms!" Miss Patty licked her lips like Jess was something delicious to eat. "Wrap him up and I'll take him with me home."

Before Lorelai or either of the other two could say something, Lorelai was drawn away from the window by the familiar buzz of her cellphone. The display read 'Rory'.

She allowed herself to breathe once before pushing the answer button.

"Hi, honey." Lorelai cursed herself for sounding so strained. It was only Rory, for God's sake! And yet... the news Lorelai carried was enough to make any mother worried. How would Rory take the news of Jess being back in Stars Hollow? How would she take the news of him being a father? Lorelai was so not looking forward to this call. She wished she could have postponed it at least until she'd had another cup of strengthening coffee.

Thankfully, Rory didn't seem to notice the stiffness in her voice. Rory had her own worries to deal with this morning.

"I am so sorry for last night!" the younger Gilmore girl blurted out. "I shouldn't have left you there all on your own, not when you specifically asked me not to leave. I'm so, so sorry. Logan was cranky. His family has been harassing him all week for leaving the family company. He didn't want to come to this social event, but I made him go even though I knew he didn't want because that's the horrible kind of person I am; and now I've made him angry for forcing him to go and I've upset you for leaving you alone there even though I promised I would stay and..."

"Rory, breathe!" Lorelai interrupted. "It's okay, really, I'm okay."

"It's not okay! I shouldn't have left you there when I said I wouldn't. It's so not okay. I should have stayed. I should have told Logan to go home, or have let him stayed at home like he wanted to. Then I wouldn't have made him angry and I wouldn't have hurt you."

Rory let out a frustrated groan.

"I just... I'm..."

"It's okay, honey. I know you're sorry." Lorelai squeezed the phone so hard her knuckles turned white. She loved her daughter so much. Her sweet little Rory. She hated that she had to be one telling Rory about Jess. At the same time, she didn't want Rory to hear it from someone else either.

"Look, Rory, there's something I need to tell you."

"What, mom?"

Lorelai took a deep breath to strengthen herself. "Jess is back."

For a brief moment it was quiet on the other end of the line, then Rory spoke: "In Stars Hollow?"

"Yes."

"Wha... uhm... why?"

"To see Luke. Maybe. I don't know."

It was quiet on the other end. Lorelai licked her lips nervously.

"And there is something else." Lorelai closed her eyes and sent a silent prayer to whatever-higher-power-there-was that she did the right thing. "Rory, Jess has a daughter. Her name is Clara."

Lorelai waited for the thud to come that would tell her that Rory had dropped the phone in shock. It never came. Neither did Rory's reaction. Lorelai counted slowly to twenty, but still - nothing! A small part of her started to hope that the connection broken and that Rory hadn't heard the last, but the sound of a car passing on Rory's end of the line crushed that hope in its cradle.

"Rory?" Lorelai said softly. "Are you there, honey?"

A soft rustle let her know Rory was making her way back to reality.

"That's Dean's sister's name."

Whatever Lorelai had expected Rory to say, that was not it! But thinking about it, Lorelai could see the irony in what Rory had pointed out to her. Dean and Jess had been sworn enemies back then, fighting each other to win Rory's affections. They had been like day and night with Dean as day, being the sweet boy next door, and Jess the night as the troubled, moody teen he had been. Now they were connected through a five lettered name.

"Yeah, I know," Lorelai whispered and bit her lip. There was the silence again. This was bad.

Lorelai stomped with her feet in frustration. How she hated to tell Rory this on the phone. There was nothing she wanted more than to be at Rory's side, to see her reaction, to comfort her, to do... something!

"Why did he give his daughter Dean's sister's name?"

Rory's question put an abrupt end to Lorelai's fears. There was nothing hurt in the younger Gilmore girl's voice. Lorelai let out a sigh of relief.


Rory stared at the phone for the longest time after she had hung up on her mother's call, unable to move. They had talked casually, conspiring over all the reasons Jess possibly could have to give his daughter the same name as his worst enemy's sister, mocking every suggestion put to the table in true Gilmore fashion. Rory had spoken about Jess with ease, sounding relaxed and confident, though she had felt nothing like it on the inside.

Stumbling to the nearest park bench, Rory sat down and braced herself as memories of a past relationship came crushing in over her with an overwhelming strength. A wound that had been healing for two years suddenly opened itself again...