A/N: I'm sorry for all the typos in the last chapter especially! I tried to fix them but the site wasn't letting me so I just left them instead of reuploading the chapter and deleting it. I hope that's okay. Maybe I'll go back to fix it :)
Jess tapped his pen on the table anxiously. He couldn't think of what to write next so instead of staring at the screen, he decided on old fashioned notes. Not that it helped him much because his mind was just as blank now as it had been half an hour ago.
Customers walked around Truncheon, some occasionally glanced over at him. He noticed a group of girls staring at him as they whispered to each other. Jess was curious as to why. He wasn't going to blindly assume they thought he was good-looking, especially not since they were standing in a book store that sold a book or two with his name and picture on the back.
Instead of focusing on the staring girls, he looked back to his notes. Most were illegible, some weren't as much. The one thing that really stood out was a name. Jess scribbled over the name on the paper and tried to concentrate. He wasn't finding that plan so easy.
"Excuse me?" He heard a voice say from beside him and Jess looked up to see the girl who was staring at him the most of that group.
Jess sat up straight in work mode. "What can I help you with?"
The girl smiled at him. She had red hair but it wasn't a bright red, it was lighter than those hair dye in the commercials. "Are you...are you the guy who wrote Directly Darkly? Jess Mariano?"
"Yes," he answered with a smile on his face. Jess stood up and she almost blushed.
"Oh my gosh," she said. "I'm a big fan of yours. I read all of your books and the store website said that you actually worked here so I figured there was no harm in checking. I brought my friends and we made a day out of it."
"I'm very flattered," Jess smiled again at her. "Did you want me to sign something or..."
He trailed off, unsure of what to say after asking to sign. The girl shook her head. "I was wondering if maybe I could get a picture with you?"
"Oh, sure," he agreed, coming out from behind the desk. "That's good."
The girl beamed brighter. "Oh my gosh, thank you!"
She grabbed her phone out and tapped a few buttons while Jess came to stand beside her. She held the phone out and snapped a pic with her iPhone selfie-style. His smile disappeared as soon as the camera was away and she turned to him. "This means so much."
"You're welcome," he told her and she happily walked back to her friends, smiling and showing them the pic.
"Looks like someone has fans," Chris walked up to Jess and nudged him. "She wanted a picture? Aww."
"Shut up," Jess told him and sat back down.
Chris made a face. "You can't sit down."
"Why not?" Jess asked. "I've been sitting here this whole time trying to write."
"You have fans!" Chris exclaimed in a low voice. "Wouldn't want to disappoint them."
"I do not have fans," he explained. "One fan. I had one fan."
"A really cute fan, I might add," Chris teased.
Jess groaned. "No, you may not add."
Chris put his hands in surrender. "Fine, keep sitting here, moping and writing. But beware of your mob of fangirls."
"I'll keep an eye out," Jess grinned.
Chris walked away and he sat back down, picking up the pen. Before he realized what he was doing he wrote the name he had crossed out on the page. Jess sighed, and looked back at the screen. The pages he had written were nothing if he couldn't write more. Just as he was about to give up for the moment, the phone rang.
Jess picked it up, work mode back in. "Hello?"
...
Matt threw the mail at Jess. Jess sat up on the couch from his slouched position and shifted through the envelopes. "What's this?"
"What does it look like?" Matt questioned. "Your mail still gets sent here."
"But I moved out a month ago," he objected.
Matt nodded. "It seems the people sending you stuff do not know that."
Jess started looking the mail as Matt walked up the stairs to his room. He had been planning on going home soon but sometimes he forgot he didn't live at Truncheon anymore. There was only three things in the pile. One was some bullshit on insurance he didn't have nor want; another was from California. As Jess looked at the name on the top, he recognized Lily's name. He smiled to himself and made a reminder to tell her his new home.
The third stopped him in his tracks. It was fancy lettering that he'd never seen on any kind of paper before. His name was written with all these swirls and curls he almost didn't recognize it. Jess assumed it was a wedding invitation for his uncle and Lorelai but when he opened it up, his stomach fell.
The even fancier paper on the inside told him that Rory - not her mother - was not only getting married, but to Logan, the blonde dick at Yale. He wanted to throw up. A million thoughts ran through his mind - why was she marrying him? What happened after that night she came to see him? Did she forgive Logan for cheating on her? What did Lorelai think?
The last one was the one he wondered about the most however. Why did she invite him?
Jess crumbled up the paper and threw it in the garbage. He wouldn't touch that wedding with a fifty foot pole. Whatever Rory's reason for inviting him even if it was just a courtesy to Luke, he wanted to know what it was. But then again, he also didn't because he tried too hard to bury their past to bring it back up again. And at her wedding of all things.
Jess tossed the envelope in the trash, too, and yelled to Matt and Chris he was leaving. He never looked back for that paper and it was gone within a matter of days when the garbage was picked up.
...
Rory groaned, frustrated as she searched the kitchen. She had looked in every cabinet and could not find the one she could always rely on to be in her mother's kitchen. Lorelai walked into the room, a curious look on her face.
"What is the matter?" Lorelai asked. "You know we never cook in here so what could you possibly be looking for?"
Rory gave her mom a look then crossed her arms. "You have no pop tarts!"
Lorelai burst out laughing. "That's what all the groaning is for?"
"Like you wouldn't," Rory pouted, challenging.
"Luke tries to ban sugar from me," Lorelai explained. "Especially now. So that's why I keep the good stuff hidden."
"What?" Rory asked.
Lorelai walked to a cabinet, opened it, and moved a shelf out of the way. She turned back to Rory holding a 6-pack box of strawberry pop tarts. "Hidden, see?"
Rory gasped in happiness. "Thank god!"
She took the box from her mother and sat at the table, grinning as she ripped open the wrapping. Lorelai sat across from her. "I made sure to have some secret spots when we added onto the kitchen."
"I'm so glad," Rory mumbled with a full mouth.
"Eat first, talk later," Lorelai instructed.
Rory glared at her as she swallowed. "Who are you and what have you done with my mother?"
She shrugged. "She's expecting a baby and trying not to drive her husband crazy with the things she eats he doesn't approve of."
"By hiding them," Rory added.
Lorelai nodded, smiling. "Now you get it!"
Rory nodded with a shrug and kept eating her pop tart. She moved onto the second one in the package within seconds it seemed like.
"Not that I'm not happy to see you devour my junk food," Lorelai started. "But can't you buy your own pop tarts if you wanted them? You're...old enough to buy food."
Rory laughed. "Are you afraid to say my age, Mom? Because if I'm old enough to buy pop tarts, you're old enough to admit your daughter's age."
"Blasphemy!" The older woman exclaimed. "A lady never tells her age."
"Or her daughter's apparently," Rory laughed.
"Hush or I'll take away your food," she warned.
Rory hugged the last bits of the second piece to her. "I'll be quiet."
When Rory finished, Lorelai smiled wide at her. The younger girl was suspicious but ignored her mother just to drive her crazy. As crazy as she would be if Rory had done that same look to her.
She threw out her wrapper and went to hide the box back in its secret spot. But when she went to sit down, her mother's expression was still the same. "Okay. I give up. Why are you grinning like the Chester cat?"
"Because I have news to tell you," Lorelai replied.
"Bigger than a baby?" Rory asked. "Is it twins?!"
"No, not twins," she laughed at the thought of two more babies. "Its not bigger but it does involve bigger."
Rory made a face. "What does that mean?"
"Remember how I told you I wished we expanded more?" Lorelai asked her daughter.
Rory nodded. "And Luke is letting you?"
Now Lorelai nodded excitedly. "He told me we can start as soon as possible!"
"Uh-huh," Rory processed. "Don't you have to move out while they add on?"
"Probably," her mother groaned. "I didn't think of that."
"What about Sookie?"
"What about her?"
"Can't you stay with her?" Rory asked.
Lorelai chuckled. "Sweetie, did you forget about the apartment above the diner?"
Rory almost blushed. Of course she hasn't. She never could, no matter how much she tried to. "You and Luke and evan would all stay there?"
"That's the idea, yes," she answered. "Unless you don't like it. Luke said we could start making arrangements today if I wanted to and I really want it done before I'm fat."
"Because that's the priority," Rory teased.
"Of course!" Lorelai told her. "But, really, hun. Is that okay? Because you're here now and I wouldn't want to put you out."
"You wouldn't," Rory shook her head. "I actually shouldn't be far from work too long anyway. Maybe I should go home soon."
"I take it back!" Lorelai shouted. "Don't leave me!"
Rory laughed. "Mom."
Lorelai grabbed her arm. "You can't leave your poor mother!"
"Tell you what," Rory offered. "I'll leave this weekend. So you get a few more days with me. But I do have to call work."
"Yes!" Lorelai raised her arm above her head in triumph. "A few days is better than leaving now."
"But I'm still staying here for now, right?" Rory asked her mother. Lorelai just gave an amused look in return.
...
The next morning, Rory to the diner alone since her mother was having morning sickness signs. She approached the door slowly, preparing to tell her stepfather her mom was at home still. She wasn't sure if she should admit why since the town all didn't know...yet.
The door chimed when she walked in and she went right to the counter and sat down. Luke came beside her and handed her coffee. "Mom's not coming?"
"Not this morning," she shook her head. "She's...under the weather."
Luke nodded. "Does she need me to go home? Being Evan in?"
"Not necessary," she told him. "Liz has Evan right now. And mom probably prefers you not see her...sick."
"I've seen her...sick before," Luke followed with her words. He knew his wife hadn't told anyone outside the family quite yet. Her mother didn't even know.
Rory sipped her coffee. "I didn't know. You took care of her...when she was sick?"
"You thought I wouldn't?" He asked her. "Of course I did."
"I'm glad she has you," Rory smiled.
Luke almost blushed and changed the subject instead. "What can I get you? Another cup of coffee and...?"
"Pancakes and a burger?" She asked.
"For breakfast?"
She nodded.
He shook his head, dazed. "Why did I even ask?"
She laughed at his mumblings as he walked away into the kitchen. Rory kept drinking her coffee, listening to the chatter she had missed from being away from Stars Hollow so long. She smiled to herself, listening to Miss Patty and Babette gossip over whatever Kirk was doing this week. Apparently he and his mother were fighting because Lulu wanted a baby.
Suddenly, the chatter stopped. Rory wondered what it was and turned around in her seat, stunned into stillness when she saw a familiar pair of brown eyes and dark hair. Everyone in the diner was staring at the two of them as she observed him. He had a beard now and he had more defined muscles. He definitely looked better than even the last time she saw him just months ago.
...
"Are we almost done with the guest list?" Logan asked Rory as she handed him the list of things her grandmother had told her to plan.
"Almost," she answered. She stared at the list in front of her, going over all the names. "How many do we have left?"
Logan leaned over the couch and grabbed the small pile of envelopes and invitations. "Um, five."
"Only five?" She let out a small laugh. "I didn't know we had that many guests."
"Well, you sent one to everyone from Stars Hollow," he told her. "Despite how I told you to send one to your mother and Miss Patty. I told you she'd cover telling everyone."
"I know," Rory laughed. "And believe me, you're right. She would let everyone know within an hour. But I wanted them to know I want them there. You know what I mean?"
"Yes, I do," he said and kissed her cheek. "My side is gonna look so small compared to yours."
"Your side will be fine," she smiled. "Colin and Finn are coming right?"
"Like they would miss me getting married," Logan joked. "I think they said hell is freezing over and pigs now fly when I told them."
"Well, maybe we'll release pigs instead of doves at the wedding then," she laughed.
Logan laughed again, kissing Rory quickly then stood up. "I'm gonna take a shower before I have to meet my dad."
"Okay,", she smiled at him.
He pointed at her as he turned. "Finish that guest list, Ace!"
She stuck her tongue out at him and he laughed. Once he was gone, she stared back down at her paper full of people she loved and wanted at the wedding's names. Rory tapped her pen nervously. "Just do it."
She scribbled four letters at the bottom of her guest list. It was sloppy and she doubted Logan could read it. Hell, she doubted he would even come. But she grabbed one of the invitations and wrote out the address Luke had given her on it. She pretended she didn't know it when really she did by heart. Ever since she got an invitation of her own to that exact spot.
As soon as she was finished, she jumped from her seat and opened the bathroom door. "Finished my guest list."
Logan peaked his head out from behind the shower curtain. "You sure?"
Rory nodded. "I'm sure. I was actually wondering if you had any to send because I was going to go send them now before I forget."
"Mine should be with yours," he told her.
"Okay, good," she nodded and turned to leave the room.
"Hey, Ace?"
"Yeah?"
He gave her a look and she knew exactly what that look was. Rory walked to her fiancée and kissed him softly. Logan held her to him and deepened the kiss.
She broke away, laughing. "Let me go send these before it gets too late!"
"Fine," he laughed in return.
She kissed him quick again. "I'll be right back."
She shut the door behind her and walked right to the pile of envelopes. Rory made sure they all had stamps and were properly addressed than stuffed them in her hands and left the apartment.
Outside, Rory dumped all but one invitation into the mail box. She stared at her own writing as of she could burn a hole in the damn thing. His name - Jess Mariano - stared back at her. Finally. She took a deep breath and dumped it in with the rest of them, hoping she didn't just make a huge mistake.
...
He approached first, walking into the diner and out of the doorway. She stopped staring at him and smiled buy he spoke first. "Hey."
"Hey, Jess."
A/N: I hope no one minds Logan flashbacks lol I will say this, though, he won't be in present day so that will maybe help to know no drama coming from him ;)
I hope you all still like this!