I knew this was going to be short, so here's the end! There's not much else to say other than enjoy. So do that!

Thanks to everyone that reviewed chapter 2: Kassandra27, Stella [Your first Lit! I'm so happy, Java, Jeremy Shane, Sailor-Lit, Sophie, swimmerluver, QuEEnSeRb716, imcck, Kemowitch92, Curley-Q, blonde-biatch, and ShaolinQueen.

Disclaimer: It will never be mine.

"My dad could show you how to tie that thing," Rory mentioned to Jess as he struggled with his bow tie. She shoveled another forkful of Chinese rice into her mouth. "Otherwise, you're going to sit there all night playing with it."

Jess glared at her.

"Okay, I get it. You don't like my dad. It's fine. But you don't know how to tie a bow tie. I can't help you because I don't know either."

Jess blinked and went back to struggling with the tie.

"DAD! Come here for a second," Rory yelled. Jess scowled at her and removed the tie from around his neck.

"What's the matter, Ror?" Chris asked.

"I need you to show Jess how to tie a bow tie," Rory requested as she sunk back into the couch pillows.

Chris grabbed the ends of the tie and tried to help Jess by demonstrating. "Okay, so you pull the left side through the back loop and tug a little bit on both sides. Now you my friend, might just be mistaken for a gentleman…or a waiter."

Jess scowled at Rory's father. "Thanks," he said as sincerely as he could through gritted teeth. "I should go." He untied the tie and left it draped around his collar. "Okay. I'll see you at three, right?"

Rory nodded and got up from her place on the couch. "Okay. Wait a sec." She dug out a white box and handed it to him.

"What's this?" Jess asked.

"Oh. Those are your gloves," Rory said as he opened the box to inspect what was inside.

"Huh. You weren't kidding." Jess closed the box, but not before grimacing.

"No no, ladies never kid!" Lorelai piped up from the corner.

"Right. Forgot about that bit." He opened the door. "See you at three."

Rory wasn't the least bit nervous as she was escorted to the preparation room. She noticed there were girls primping at the various mirrors scattered around.

"Hang you dress there, put on your makeup over there. You'll have to make do with a non-lighted mirror. The lighted ones went to the girls that were here before dawn," she instructed Rory. Rory nodded, perplexed that she was apparently one of the last girls there. "Listen up ladies! Everyone must be beautiful and ready to go by 7:30!" she shouted. Immediately, the girls began to rush their preparation.

Spotting an empty seat, Rory made her way to the vanity and set down her things. There was a girl with short blonde hair with a stylist fussing over her. "I can't believe we have an hour and a half," Rory mentioned in an attempt to be friendly.

"I know! I am never going to be ready in time," the girl said nervously. "God only knows if the swelling on my nose will go down. I had to go and inherit my father's nose." She noticed Rory seemed to be swamped with the unnecessary information she had just fed her. "I'm Libby."

"Rory," she said simply. Rory wasn't too sure about the frantic girls attending the ball. The whole event was starting to creep her out a bit. Instead, she tried to focus on what she actually needed to do to get ready. Lorelai had prepared her at home with a touch of mascara and a dab of lip gloss. Rory was not really into vanity.

"Uh, which one should I wear?" Libby busted through Rory's thoughts with a choice of lipstick colors. I've thought about this all month, and I cannot decide."

Rory sighed. Suddenly, she wished she had shown up later or declined the invitation to the ball. "Oh, well, that's a tough one," she said.

"I know!" Libby agreed frantically. "This is red red, and this is orange red. The wrong one and I will end up looking like a hooker." Libby thought for a moment and gasped. "Or a teacher!"

"Wow. That is a lot of pressure," Rory said, turning back to her own mirror. Libby had not quite given up yet.

"The two minutes you are standing on those stairs tonight will determine the social status of the rest of your life," she said nervously. Rory nodded.

"Wow. What if you trip?" Rory noticed how wide Libby's eyes had become. As much as she wasn't enjoying their conversation, she didn't want to freak the poor debutante out more than she already was. "I mean, not that you would," Rory corrected. "You wouldn't. I might. Probably will actually. Could be a real Cirque du Soleil kind of night." Rory tried to laugh, but still spotted fear residing in Libby's eyes.

"You should not even joke about stuff like that!" Libby said, finally turning away from Rory to attack her hair stylist.

Rory sighed and figured it would be a good time to get dressed. She emerged from her dressing room a few minutes later and grabbed a book out her bag. Suddenly, she heard someone approach her. Rory looked up and sighed. Apparently, Libby had gotten over the fact that she had freaked her out.

Libby took out a flask and drank from it. "Midori Sour?" she offered.

"Ugh, no thanks." Rory went back to her book in the hopes Libby would go away.

Instead, Libby sat down next to her. "More for me." She took another drink from the flask. "At my last coming out, I shared with this girl who couldn't handle her booze. Neon green puke all over her white dress."

"Your last coming out?" Rory had been under the impression that a girl only "came out" once.

"Oh, this is my fifth one this year." Libby closed the flask and looked at Rory.

"Wow," she answered. Reluctantly, Rory shut her book. She was well aware that Libby would not leave her side now.

"They say four out of five debs marry their escorts," Libby informed Rory.

"Kind of like the dentists with Trident," Rory joked.

"I figure, five coming out balls, five escorts, one of them has to stick, right?" Libby reasoned. Rory nodded. "So, is your escort the one?" Libby pressed on.

"The one what?" Rory asked, already wondering why she hadn't left to find Jess or to read in a closet.

"The one you're going to marry!" Libby exclaimed as if it were the most obvious question in the world.

Rory paused. Jess? Marriage? She wanted to laugh, but wasn't sure how Libby would take it. "Oh, well…"

"Is he cute?" Libby asked, inching closer to Rory.

Again, another tough question for Rory. Sure, Jess was attractive, but how was she supposed to say that to an outsider? Jess was her best friend, not her boyfriend. "I suppose he's cute but…"

"Where are you guys planning to live when you get married?" Libby spouted off.

"Hang on." Typically, Rory was a patient person. This time, she just couldn't deal with Libby. While Rory headed to the doorway Jess was standing by, Libby attached herself to another debutante.

"Hey," he greeted her.

"Hi," she said back. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you before you became a proper lady," he joked. "Are you excited?" he asked, attempting small talk.

"Excited to get out of here," Rory laughed.

"That bad?" Jess asked.

"Oh, yeah," Rory confirmed. "My mom was right. These balls are horrible. This one girl has already been to four this year."

"Jeez." Jess shook his head. "Twenty minutes."

Rory spotted Libby coming toward them. "Oh no. Hide me," Rory said quietly. Before she could run or hide behind Jess, Libby approached them.

"Oh my God! Is that your escort?" she asked excitedly.

Rory looked at Jess, who seemed to be twitching in his tux. "Yeah, it is."

"You are totally getting married!" Libby squealed and walked away.

"What did she just say?" Jess asked, even though he had a pretty good idea.

"Oh, nothing. It was nothing. I think we're lining up now. I'll see you in a little bit?" Rory asked.

"Aye Aye," Jess responded. "Don't trip!" he called out as an after thought.

Rory waited in line for her name to be called. "Lorelai Gilmore: daughter of Christopher Hayden and Lorelai Gilmore." Cautiously, Rory walked down the stairs to meet Jess at the bottom. He was waiting by the banister, wringing his hands. Chris escorted her down to Jess. After she curtsied, Jess took her hand and brought her over to the circle of debutantes.

"I can't believe I only stepped on your foot once!" Rory gushed as she and Jess made their way to Luke's.

"Yeah, that was pretty unbelievable," Jess said. "I half expected to need my foot amputated after this whole thing."

Rory smacked Jess on the shoulder. "Thanks. You know, for everything," she said.

"My pleasure," Jess said as he opened the door for her. "Remember, you're a lady now. Can't have you opening any doors by yourself." Jess smirked.

Smiling, Rory shook her head and hoisted herself up on a stool.

"You still owe me pants and Hemingway," he reminded her.

"Jess!"

"But since you're such a lady, it looks like I'll have to read it to you!"

Lorelai watched through the window as Jess chased Rory behind the counter with a stack of Hemingway novels.

"Back from the ball?" Luke asked from behind her.

"Yeah."

"Where are Rory and Jess?" Lorelai pointed at the window. Luke nodded in return. "What are they doing?"

"Oh, nothing. Jess is just about to have his revenge by burying Rory in an avalanche of books."

Fin.