Oh my goodness. I apologize again for these little bits taking so long. Thank you so much for the reviews. It means a ton.

The next couple chapters are going to be close time frames, like the same event I mean. I don't know if I explained that properly, if you don't understand, you will. I promise.

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He is late. He parks his car near the diner and hastily runs a hand through his hair, giving himself the once over in the dingy mirror hanging loosely from the ceiling (he barely drives it, he does live in New York).

The door creaks in the quiet street as he climbs out and darkness envelops him. He smiles because he suddenly remembers that this place does sleep and it isn't the city and everything is usually closed by eight. Nothing is illuminated but the center square where he can make out people standing, a couple arguing, and a familiar brunette, seated in the back row, her head angled in concentration.

He lets his feet carry him over the bright green grass towards the light (he smiles at the symbolism) and stands behind her in the back row, looking over her shoulder. She is reading and her legs are tucked carefully underneath her, balancing precariously on the white wooden chair.

"Taylor, I swear to God-"

He glances up at the familiar voice and smiles in spite of himself. He can see Luke in Taylor's face, Lorelai half heartedly trying to hold him back, her hand loosely clutching his flannel shirt.

"This has been going on for an hour now."

He glances down and cocks an eyebrow at her. She has folded the book in her lap (Hemmingway, a quiet chuckle) and is staring ahead with glazed eyes. He takes the seat in the row of white chairs next to her, crossing his ankles on the chair in front of him and pulling his jacket tighter around him.

"What happened?" He mutters quietly. He notices the smile that immediately breaks out across her face and the way she readjusts herself in the seat as if her happiness can't be contained.

"Well, Taylor is saying that the extra row of chairs added is a violation of some code." She rolls her eyes. "And that Mom and Luke have to get rid of it before the wedding. Which means they have to uninvite-" She looks to her left and her eyes quickly scan the chairs around them. "Fifteen guests."

She beams at him and leans a little closer. He gets a whiff of her lavender perfume mixed with just the smell of, well, her and he feels something shift inside of him. She shifts her eyes to the side and ducks her head, whispering.

"Luke got angry."

Jess nods appreciatively and leans back further in his chair and watches as his Uncle struggles to release himself from Lorelai, his face red and that particular vein popping in his forehead. He hears her next to him, chuckling softly, and her arm rests against his gently.

He lets out a deep breath and closes his eyes, leaning his head back. "I miss this place." He mutters quietly and he can feel her turn to look at him, her crystal eyes searching his face, amusement present.

There's a pause and he can actually feel the shift in the air that comes with her grin. "Well, I can honestly say that I never imagined I would hear you say that." She giggles. "Like this."

He doesn't know why but he doesn't smile. He thinks maybe its because he remembers who he was so many years ago and the people he hurt, mostly her. And maybe its because he never really opened himself up to the place. He never let himself have a family here; he didn't let himself become a part of something.

He hears her go silent and the shift that comes with her smile is gone, the electricity dissipated. He thinks she may have noticed the tension in his face because her hand is suddenly clutching his, twisting her fingers around. He opens his eyes and looks down at her, lolling his head to the side, cocking his eyebrow (again).

She smiles at him gently, her eyes searching his, her thumb rubbing careful circles on the back of his hand. He can feel the blood rushing through his body, the oxygen circulating through his chest. He feels like he is on fire, or drowning, or something and he smiles just because it's still what it was and he knows, honestly knows, the feeling he gets when she looks at him like that will never change.

He licks his lips and ducks his head closer to hers. Their foreheads are almost touching and he can feel her fingers tighten around his lightly, can feel the smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, can feel the wind blowing her bangs across her face and the ends tickling his skin, can feel her breathing on his nose, can almost feel what he had almost forgotten-

"Jess!" He jumps back immediately at the sound, pulling his hand back, tilting his head to the side and coughing. He sees Rory shift in her seat and bring her hands to rest on the old paperback again. She smiles as her mother saunters down the isle and plants herself in front of the pair, her hands on her hips.

Jess meets the elder Gilmore's eyes with hesitation but she doesn't scowl or glare like he thinks she will. Instead she gives him a soft smile and lets out a defeated sigh, raising a hand and pointing towards Luke still arguing with Taylor, his arms moving franticly.

"Please go get him. I want to go home."

Jess nods, standing up and brushing past Rory, his knee bumping hers. He meets her eye with the contact and she gives him a private smile but her mother fails to notice. Instead Lorelai falls into the seat vacated by Jess and lets her head fall against her daughters shoulder.

As he gets closer to the arguing pair, he can just make out hoarse expletives and rushed sentences. He gets between his Uncle and the grocery owner and nods at Luke.

"Hey, why don't you take Lorelai home? I'll take care of this."

Luke looks for a moment as if he is going to explode and then lets out a deep breath, his eyes softening a bit and then hardening again when he glances over Jess's shoulder at Taylor. Jess pats him on the back gently as he is walking away and Luke mock glares at him.

"So Taylor." He claps his hands lightly in front of him and rubs them together, his eyes shining. "Let them keep the chairs."

"I'm not going to let you, a hooligan if I ever-"

"Let them keep the chairs." He speaks as if he never heard Taylor interject, his voice rising only slightly. "Or I promise you there will be many, let's say obstacles, for your shoppers Monday morning."

Taylor looks at him for a moment with disbelief, as if he can't possibly believe he is hearing what he is hearing. His mouth opens and closes silently before he turns and stalks away, Jess waving quietly behind him.

He turns to walk back to the diner and fall into a familiar bed that never was removed or taken away ("You always have a home here." He had said. "Always.") when she catches his eye. She's lingering behind her mother and Luke and her face is peaceful. He winks at her and smiles and he can see her blush from here. She gives him a small thumbs up and winks in return before turning and doing a small jog to catch up to Luke and Lorelai. He watches her retreating form and smiles in the square, looking around at the small shops, the solitary traffic light, and the diner he called home.

Yeah, he misses this place.