A/N: I thought I'd give a little warning before this chapter that something sad is revealed. Just a heads up about it and I tried to make surrounding parts light or fun and just nice to help even it out if it can be :)

"Mom?"

"In here!"

Rory shut the door behind to her to her childhood home. Her mother was sitting on the couch, smiling brightly at her daughter. "I'm guessing not so sick anymore?"

Lorelai shrugged. "It went away about a half hour before I called you. I wanted to make sure I wouldn't throw up on you."

"How very thoughtful," Rory laughed then looked around. "Where's Paul Anka?"

"Hiding from me," she told her. "He went in your old room - Evan's room."

Rory smiled. She couldn't explain why she liked it so much when her mother slipped and called it her room. But them she remembered something she wanted to ask. "Mom?"

"Yeah, kid?" Lorelai asked.

She stared at her hands and took a deep breath. "Did you know Jess was coming today?"

Lorelai's expression turned from the teasing woman she was used to into a softer, serious expression. "Luke called him about the expansion. He said if we need anything, he'll do what he can which led to my husband asking for an extra hand."

"Yes, but..." Rory nodded. "Did you know he was coming today?"

"He may have alluded to that," her mother admitted. "Why? Did you see him?"

Rory nodded. "I was caught off-guard seeing him again. Even though we do from time to time. This was...different."

"Different how?" She asked.

"I'm not sure," the younger girl told her honestly. She sighed, closing her eyes then spoke again. "I called him the other night."

Lorelai sat up straight. "You did?" Rory nodded again. "About what?"

"I'm not sure why I did it," she told her mother, avoiding the question. "You mentioned him coming because of the baby and I just started thinking about him. And I didn't tell you which I don't even understand why I didn't to be honest."

Lorelai nodded now, trying to catch up. "Its natural to start thinking about someone from your past when somebody mentions them."

"I don't know if it was just that, though," Rory replied. "Me and Jess... it's hard to explain. We never really had any closure. So everytime I hear about him, I feel like the door is there."

"Honey..." Lorelai sighed deeply and took her daughter's hands in hers. "Do you still have feelings for him? After all this time?"

"I don't think so," she said. "I think it's more we never officially finished. And now seeing him today at the diner, going to the bridge..."

"You left with him?" Lorelai asked.

"Just to the bridge."

"The bridge you two used to sneak to?"

Rory nodded. "It felt like old times. It felt easy. I didn't realize how much I missed having Jess in my life until today."

"Did you two talk about anything?" She asked. "Your past? Logan?"

"He may have mentioned Logan," Rory bit her lip. "But only because I told him we weren't together anymore on the phone."

"Hon..."

"I know," Rory sighed. "It sounds like I still care about him that way."

"Do you?"

"I care about him, yes," she answered. "I always will. I'm not too sure about more than that."

They both were silent for a moment and Rory leaned back on the couch, crossing her arms. Lorelai leaned back, too, and watched her daughter. She couldn't read her expression on her face and wasn't sure why exactly this pleased her. Maybe she wanted her daughter to figure this out later instead of making a rash decision.

"It doesn't matter anyway," Rory finally spoke. "I'm leaving in two days. I'm going home and back to work."

"It's that easy?" Lorelai asked her.

"It has to be," she sighed. "Because I don't know how much else I can deal with lately."

...

Jess looked around the great outdoors of Stars Hollow, trying to avoid conversations with any of the townspeople. His mother went to dance with TJ and their daughter. He loved seeing his little sister probably more than he'd ever been happy to see his stepfather. Suddenly, his phone rang and he looked at the ID, smiling.

"Hey, Lil," he answered the call. "What's up?"

"Mom told me you're at your uncle's wedding," she said across the country.

"Yep," he said. "It's the reception now."

"Do you see her?" Lily asked. "Is she there?"

Jess blew out a breath. He knew exactly who she meant without even asking. Back in that summer of 2003, Jess may have confided in his sorta-sister about leaving a girl behind in Stars Hollow. She never let him live it down.

He looked around through all the people and finally he saw her, talking to Lane and Zach. "Yeah, I see her right now."

"You have to talk to her," she pressed.

He closed his eyes and pinched his nose. "She's married, Lil."

"So?"

"So?" He mimicked. "So I'm not going up to her."

"I'm not asking you to demand she break her vows, smartass," Lily teased. "Talk to her. See her."

"I see her exactly where I am just fine," he told her. "I don't need to talk to her."

"Jess, come on!" She pleaded. "I've been waiting for this."

"You have?" He smirked. "You've been sitting around for six years waiting for me to talk to my ex-girlfriend?"

"Well, no," she laughed. "I've been waiting two years then you did talk. Then less than a year later, you messed it up. So I've been waiting three years."

"I didn't mess it up," he defended. "She did. Which is why I'm not going up to her and making pleasant conversation while pretending it's all fine."

"You don't have to pretend," she told him. "Just see how she is."

"I know how she is," he said in a cold voice. It wasn't towards her, though. It was directed towards the daughter of his new step-aunt. "She's married to a dick."

"Jess?"

"I know," he said. "You may be 18 but Sasha won't like that. Don't tell her what I said."

"It's not that," she corrected with a laugh. "You'll regret it if you don't talk to her. Trust me."

"Okay," he nodded. "Any other pearls of wisdom?"

"Nope," she smiled. "I have to go, though. Just had enough time to check in with you and give you some sense."

"Thanks," he said sarcastically.

Lily laughed. "It's what I'm here for."

They said their goodbyes and hung up. Jess stood in place, watching Rory laugh with her friend. Lane was showing her pictures, probably of her twins he had heard about. She looked absolutely happy and he had to turn away.

He started to walk back to the diner when he heard his name being called. Jess turned around and saw Lorelai standing there with a tall man. "Yes?"

"Jess, this is my father, Richard Gilmore," she smiled. "He wanted to meet you."

His jaw almost dropped. Rory's grandfather wanted to meet him? Before he got to say anything, the older man spoke first. "I've read your work."

"You mean my one book?" He smirked, shaking Richard's hand that he had extended.

"Yes," Richard said pleased. "My granddaughter also told me you have an online website you write on so I've read some of your short stories, as well."

Jess' smirk faded and it turned to an actual smile. "Not many people read that stuff."

"I found it quite enjoyable, as a matter of fact," Richard commented. "You have a pure talent for the craft."

"Thank you, sir," Jess answered, stunned. "That means a lot. Rory told me of your taste in books so its a high praise."

"Oh, nonsense," he shrugged off Jess' compliment. "I know good writing when I see it."

"Thank you," Jess said again with a genuine smile.

"As much as I would live to stand here in my wedding gown and listen to my father and...well, you, exchange compliments," Lorelai interrupted. "I see my husband looks lost. Maybe I should go see him."

Richard turned to his daughter. "Congratulations, Lorelai. You two look very happy together."

Lorelai hugged her father, stretching to reach the tall man. "Thank you, Dad."

The hug ended and she walked away. The older man turned back to Jess and noticed him staring somewhere else, not the spot Lorelai had disappeared to. As soon as Jess noticed he was caught, he stopped staring.

Richard followed Jess' previous line of sight and saw his granddaughter now talking to the blonde woman and a little girl. He remembered Lorelai calling her Liz which meant she was Jess' mother. "She looks beautiful, doesn't she?"

"What?" Jess asked.

"Rory," Richard smiled.

"Yeah," he shuffled his feet. "She always does."

"That she does," he smiled. "You two were close?"

"You could say that," he half-smiled, remembering how her hair felt when his hands were in it while he kissed her or how warm she felt right up against him.

Richard nodded. "She speaks very fondly of you."

Jess gave him a questioning look, as if he didn't believe him. "She does?"

"Quite a lot, actually," Richard admitted for her. "She's the one who told me about your first book. Couldn't stop praising it as a matter of fact."

"She's a good liar," Jess smirked. "I think she's a little biased about my work."

"Not at all," he told him. "You can tell she cares about you a great deal."

Jess looked back at Rory who was still talking to Liz. She was holding Doula's hand now as they talked. "Yeah?"

Richard nodded. "I'm quite sure of it."

He stopped looking at her and turned back to her grandfather. There was a sad smile on his face that Richard had noticed, too. Instead of pressing any more about the boy's relationship or lack thereof with his granddaughter, he changed the subject.

"Tell me more about The Subsect."

...

There was knocks at the door that quickly alerted Rory and Lorelai out of their conversation. Rory jumped up to answer the door. "Stay there. You were sick, after all."

Lorelai smiled triumphantly. "I could get used to this."

Rory laughed and opened the door, surprised to see the blonde woman on the other side. "Rory!"

"Hi, Liz," she smiled at her. "Evan!"

"''Ory!" the little boy shouted. Rory reached for her little brother and grabbed him into her arms. "Me and Liz played all morning!"

"That must have been so much fun!" She said happily. "What did you do?"

"I drew a picture of mommy and daddy!" He beamed.

"Yoy did?" Rory gasped. "Let me see, let me see!"

Liz laughed. "I have it right here."

Liz pulled the picture our of her bag and handed it to Rory. She took it and gasped in cuteness. "That is talent! Evan, go show mommy."

"I'm on it!" The little boy laughed as she let him down. She heard Lorelai exclaim in happiness when her son reached the living room.

Rory laughed. "Thanks for watching him, Liz."

She waved it off. "It's no problem. I have the cutest nephew in the world. Besides, Lord knows he watched after mine enough."

"That's true," Rory nodded. "Speaking of...have you seen Jess? He's in town."

"He is?" Liz gasped. "Why didn't he call me?"

"I think it was short notice," she tried to sound upbeat. Rory wasn't sure what the nature of Jess' relationship with his mother was nowadays. For all she knew, she just made a huge mistake in telling her this.

"I'll have to bring Doula by," the older woman told her. "She hasn't seen her big brother in a couple of months."

"Couple of months?" She couldn't stop herself from asking the scolded herself for putting her foot in her mouth.

"Sure!" Liz replied happily. "Jess comes and visits every few months to see his sister. He always makes sure to call if he can't make it, too."

She nodded, biting her lip. "That's really great. I'm glad."

"I have to go," she told the younger girl. "TJ is expecting me. I just wanted to drop off Evan."

"Thank you," Rory said, smiling. "Again."

Liz waved. "Bye Lorelai!"

"Bye Liz!" Lorelai shouted from the other room between laughs and giggles. Liz left with another wave and was off. Rory stood there in the doorway watching her leave and thinking about Jess and how he visits more often than she thought he would.

...

Jess groaned for what seemed like the hundredth time. He paced around the diner floor shaking his head. Why had he agreed to help again?

"That's not where the expansion would be," Luke told Tom.

"But we expanded upstairs and the kitchen before," Tom defended. "Where else would you do it?"

"It was supposed to connect to the living room," Luke said loudly. It wasn't exactly a yell but enough people turned towards their table. Jess stopped pacing around it and grabbed an order pad instead. He walked to the furthest table and looked up, wishing he hasn't.

"How are you doing, doll?" Babette asked him.

Miss Patty grinned at him. "You're looking well. Very well, in fact."

"Writer looks good on you," Babette told Jess.

"Thanks," he said to them. "Can I get you anything?"

"You could turn around and let me see that butt!" Miss Patty teased.

"Anything else I can get you?" He asked. Jess wanted nothing more than to get far away from them.

"Just some pie would be nice," Babette said.

"You Danes men sure fill out good," Miss Patty said as he walked away. He practically ran to Ceaser.

"You should add the room upstairs!" Kirk yelled.

"Kirk!" Luke groaned. "It can't be upstairs because there's no room underneath it."

"So?"

"So a room is gonna built with no foundation and connected only by the side of an upstairs?"

"I didn't think of that," Kirk thought to himself out loud.

Luke put his head in his hands and groaned some more. Finally, he sat up. "Excuse me a moment."

Luke practically ran right to Jess who was still hiding in the back. "I know who I'm hiding from. Who are you hiding from?"

"Miss Patty wants to check out my ass," Jess answered. "I could feel her undressing me with her eyes."

"Welcome to the club," Luke told him. "I went through that for a long time."

"What stopped it?" He asked, really needing an answer.

"I married a Gilmore," Luke shrugged. "They seemed to stop when they all knew me and Lorelai were together."

Jess sighed. "Lucky you."

Lane walked into the back room to find them huddled together while Ceaser cooked. "Why are you two in here?"

"Hiding," Jess replied. He pointed his head towards the table he ran from and Luke pointed towards Kirk and Tom.

"While the place is full?" Lane questioned.

"Just give us a couple of minutes," Luke told her. "We'll be right out."

"Okay," Lane said then turned to Jess. "Nice to see you again."

"You, too," he smirked and she smiled back before going back out to the customers.

Luke took a deep breath. "I guess I better go back out there."

"Good luck," Jess told his uncle as he walked out there. Ceaser gave him a look. "What?"

"You could cook if you're staying in the kitchen," he said.

Jess made a face. "Nah, I'm good. I think I'll go out actually."

"You sure?" Ceaser asked. "I could use the help. Kirk's here, after all."

He laughed. "I'm well aware of that. But I think I need to get out of here before my adoring fans up their antics."

Ceaser nodded, grumbling. "Okay."

Jess laughed another time than walked out of the kitchen, pass the table where Babette and Miss Patty sat and straight to Luke. "I'm headed out of here."

"What?" Luke asked. "I thought you were going to help."

"I will," he reassured him. "Just not while they're sitting right there and staring at me."

Luke looked over the offending two and saw Miss Patty very clearly staring at Jess. In fact, she was staring at both of them. "Go."

"Thanks, Uncle Luke," he said as he grabbed his jacket and was out the door into the square.

As soon as he was outside, he remembered there wasn't really anywhere to go in Stars Hollow. At least not anywhere he would want to go. Instead of stopping at one destination, Jess decided to just walk around and maybe find some place quiet to read in the process. He thought of going back to the bridge but all he was thinking of was Rory when he considered that option.

...

Jess picked up the phone quickly, expecting his Matt or Chris to be yelling at him for his latest edits in the online zine. "Yeah?"

"Jess?" It was not either one of them. This voice was crying and obviously very upset. He'd also know it anywhere but yet he still checked his ID after. It wasn't from a cell phone.

"Hi," he told her. "Are you okay?"

"No," Rory told him. He mentally slapped himself. Of course she wasn't, she was very obviously crying. "Jess..."

"What?" He asked her. "What happened?"

He was all ready to kick Logan's ass if needed to, prepared for anything, he thought. Until she told him what was wrong. "My grandfather..."

There was more sniffles on the other end. He waited and let her get them out before speaking again. "Is he okay?"

"No," she sniffed. "He passed away today."

"Oh my god, Rory," Jess said and put his head in his hands for a moment. "I'm so sorry."

"Thanks." There was another sniffle. "I don't really know what to do."

He lifted his head. "What do you mean?"

"I never lost someone close to me before," she answered. "Not like this."

"What happened?" He asked. "You don't have to tell me but if you do want to, I'd like to know."

"Heart attack," she told him. "He's been going to doctors so much since the last one six years ago. They thought he was fine."

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "I don't really know what the right thing to say is."

She smiled through her tears. "Don't worry about it. I just..."

"Just what?"

"I needed to talk to you."

Jess took a deep breath and closed his eyes then opening them back up. He wanted to ask why she couldn't talk to Logan but he knew it wasn't the time for that. "I'm glad you did."

"You met him, right?" Rory asked. "At mom's wedding?"

"Yeah, I did," he confirmed. "He's...was a good man."

She nodded. "Yeah, he was. I feel like I didn't know how much I loved him, you know? And I never want someone not know I love them."

Jess sat still. What was she saying? There was something in her tone and her words. He pushed it aside. That was another thing not for now. "He knew."

"How can you be sure?" Rory asked. "Because I spent so much time away from him. What if he didn't know, Jess?"

"He knew, trust me," Jess assured her. "When I talked to him, I knew he knew."

She was silent for a moment then finally spoke again. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For answering. For being here. For letting my cry."

"Of course," he said in his most serious voice. He always knew no matter what she needed, he would give it to her and being there for her when she cries is the least of what he minds.

"Can I call you again?" She asked. "In case."

"Sure," he told her.

Rory smiled on the other line. "Thank you, Jess."

"It's nothing," he told her.

"I'm gonna go," she told him. "Mom is...not doing well."

"You're home?" He asked meaning Stars Hollow home and not her husband's.

"Yeah," she replied. "Just until the...arrangements are made. Until everything is done."

"Okay," he nodded. "Go. Go talk to your mom, be there for Emily. And call if you need anything, all right? Anything at all."

Rory smiled again. "I will. Bye, Jess."

"Bye, Rory," he said as they both hung up.

He didn't get back to his work at all for the rest of the day, telling the guys he needed time off and no complaints. They didn't object because he never took days off. Jess dialed a flower company and sent flowers to both Lorelai's home and Rory's grandmother. To Rory he sent just a letter, telling her of his conversation with Richard at the wedding and her grandfather's high praises of his Yale graduate granddaughter.

She never called again or mentioned the letter.

...

Jess walked into Andrew's bookstore with the ringing of the bells. Andrew looked up towards him with a nod and Jess returned the nod before going to look at the stacks. Once he got to the end of the store, he saw a familiar pair of blue eyes and brown hair standing there.

"This feels like déjà vu...again," he joked.

Rory smiled. "I hope you don't run away this time."

"I'm sorry about that, by the way," he told her, no more joking.

She waved her hands in front of her. "Its over ten years ago. It's fine."

He nodded then pointed his head towards the books in her hand. "Doing some shopping?"

"Yeah," Rory said as she finally remembered she had books in her hand. "I left most of mine at home so I'm looking for new ones to try out."

"New Haven?" He asked she mentioned home.

"No," she shook her head. "Not anymore. Somewhere else."

"Can I ask where?" He laughed.

"How about you take me to dinner and I'll answer your questions if you answer mine?" She countered.

"That sounds fair," he smirked. "Tonight?"

"Plans," she shook her head. "My mom. Tomorrow okay? Before I go back home?"

"Sure," he answered.

"Good," Rory beamed. She started to walk away then turned back to him. "Its really good seeing you again, Jess."

"You, too," he smiled at her as she walked to Andrew at the counter and then out of the store.

A/N: This was a very hard chapter to write considering but I just couldn't picture writing a 2015 fic with Richard in it partly because we know if there ever is a movie even, Edward is gone :( So I hope I did it all right and I didn't want to make it happen during the story either so the characters have grieved in their own time also.