A/N: Thank you once again to everyone still doing anything with this story, it means the world and I'm so glad I'm not alone on this journey! And we *will* be getting into those RL flashbacks and what happened :)
Rory groaned as she walked out of Lane's house that morning. Taylor and Miss Patty were whispering to each other and as soon as they saw her, they stopped. She had stayed at Lane's rather than forcing her mom to find space in the upstairs apartment or worse depending on who's opinion, forcing Jess to stay with his mom and TJ. But apparently that didn't stop the Stars Hollow rumor mill from turning.
Instead of dreading the oncoming looks, she held her head high and walked towards the diner. They looked over at her as she passed, thankfully it wasn't more of a crowd as it had been yesterday. Miss Patty followed her and soon was right beside her. "Good morning,sweetheart."
"Morning," Rory smiled, trying not to worry about what she might say.
The two of them stopped walking and stood face to face. "Are you headed to the diner, dear?"
"I am," she nodded. "Gonna go see my mom, Luke, my little brother."
"And Jess?" She asked expectantly.
Rory braced herself, desparate to hide her happiness over what occurred last night. "He will be there so yeah."
Miss Patty looked delighted. "I hear you were alone in that apartment together last night."
"My brother and his sister were there," she pointed out. "We weren't exactly alone."
"Of course," she nodded. "And after.."
"After my mom and Luke came home," Rory finished. No need for the town to know exactly what happened.
"Oh," her face fell.
Rory smiled. "Sorry to disappoint, Miss Patty."
She started to walk away when Miss Patty yelled behind her. "Remember that time the two of you broke into my studio and Taylor caught you in that compromising position?"
Rory's face turned beet red but she didn't turn around. "Yes."
Patty just laughed, not one of humor but one of knowing. "You two have always had quite the chemistry."
Instead of responding, Rory said nothing and just walked forward to the diner. She felt her blush forming so she looked down at the ground and hoped it wouldn't be weird when they saw each other again.
...
"Why do you want me to go again?" Rory asked Logan as he finished working on his tie. "Your father doesn't want me there."
"I don't care what my father wants," he told her.
She frowned. "Isn't that supposed to be the opposite way when you work for him?"
"I don't think so," he said.
"Really?" She put her hands on her hips and stared at him. "You don't have to speak nicely of your boss?"
He laughed. "No. Not when he has a problem with my wife and the mother of my future child."
"Well, when you put it that way," she smiled softly.
Logan gave her a smile of his own. "Then that will be the way I put it."
"We're still not telling anyone yet?" She asked, her voice softening.
"Do you want to?" He asked his wife.
She spoke without a thought. "I would love to tell my mom."
"You should, then," he replied. "I know how badly you want to."
"Really?" She asked, unsure. "Because telling Mom means the whole Stars Hollow will know by nightfall and you didn't want too many people know yet."
"I know what I said," Logan shrugged and smile still in place. "But its your mom and you want her to know she's gonna be a grandmother."
"Don't say the 'G' word to her," Rory threatened. "She'll want to be just Lorelai to this baby."
Logan watched Rory place her hands lovingly on her belly. "She can be whatever she wants."
"I thought you wanted go wait," she countered.
"I did," he agreed.
"Then why -"
"Am I telling you to tell someone?" She nodded. "Well, one because its not just anyone you'd tell, its your mom. Second, because there's no harm in your parents knowing say compared to mine."
She nods. "And what about telling everyone else?"
He shook his head. "It's still really tiny. We should wait til you're further along."
"What, like seven months?" She joked.
"More like two to three," he suggested. "We did find out pretty early."
"You're right," she sighs and walks towards her husband. "But I still don't understand why I have to go tonight."
"How about because you love me?" He teased.
She makes a thinking face, squinting her eyes. "Do I?"
"Come on," he says with a laugh. "Get ready. Wear something absolutely gorgeous and sexy, which you will have no problem with, and let me show you off."
Rory blushed and smiled. "You've shown me off plenty of times before."
"Well, then let me do it again," he told her.
She nodded and kissed him quickly. "Fine. But I won't be happy about it."
"I wouldn't dare ask you to be," Logan laughs and kissed her again. Rory went into her special closest of dresses and heels, one she only ventured into when Logan had a formal party to attend, and looked for the perfect dress.
...
The bells once again chimed as the door to the diner opened. She looked around and saw Babette sittimg with her husband, Morty. Rory hoped to God that she could pass without any attention on her. Everyone sat in stunned silence and Luke smiled when he saw her.
"Hey, Luke," she sat at the counter.
Her stepfather smiled at her brightly. Ot was fast and quickly faded when he noticed people watching him as well. "Hey, Rory. Looking for your mom?"
She nodded. "Is she here?"
"Nah," he shool his head and poured her a cup of coffee, handing it to her. "After Evan went to school, she headed down to the inn."
"Oh," she whispered then drank some of the coffee. "Maybe I'll go down there to see her."
"I'm sure she'd like that," he watched her. There was something she wasn't saying - or asking was maybe a better word. He put two and two together, getting better at it since being with Lorelai and figure out what it was. "Jess is upstairs."
"Oh?" Her hand snapped up.
"Yep," Luke nodded.
"Is it all right if I -"
He waved his head towards the familiar curtain. "Go ahead."
She smiled a silent thank you at him and drank the last of her coffee. Taking a deep breath, she pushed aside the curtain and and walked up the stairs. Jess was sitting at the table when she entered, writing something down in a notebook. He looked up when he heard the door and a smirk formed on his lips.
"Hey," he simply said.
She couldn't help it - she smirked back. "Hey."
Jess walked up to her and kissed her lightly. "Is that okay?"
Nodding, Rory smiled. "Yeah. It is."
"Good," his smirk was gone and turned to a smile. But he quickly recovered into his more usual self. "It'd probably make it hard to go back to just friends if I'm kissing you when you walk into a room, right?"
"I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't mind," she laughed.
"So me and you - " he gestured between the two of them "- what is this?"
"I was gonna ask the same thing, actually," she replied. "But I know my thoughts."
He waited then asked, "What are they?"
"That I want to try this," she smiled. "That there's obviously something still here."
"That's what I was thinking, too," Jess told her. "Though I wasn't sure how you felt so its nice to know we're on the same page."
"We are," Rory smiled at him and he leaned in again, kissing her once more. Her hands went to his hair. His hands went to her waist and they stood there in front the door kissing for what felt like hours.
When they finally broke apart, Jess leaned his forehead against hers, a smile playing on his lips again. "Its been a long time since we did that."
"If I remember correctly," she pointed out, "we did this last night."
"I mean, before now." He opened his eyes and looked at her as she opened hers again, letting him stare into the blue he loved so much. Then he added in a much quieter voice. "Before Philly."
"Philly," she sighed and whispered at the same time. The one word caused Rory to walk away from Jess' glance and further into the room. "For a moment there, I forgot what I did."
Jess looked down at his feet. "I haven't forgotten ."
She nodded sadly. "I am sorry. About all of it."
"I know," he said. "You told me."
"I meant it then and I mean it now," Rory apologized. "And I don't want that come between who we are now."
"It won't," Jess replied.
"You promise?"
"I promise."
"Really?" She asked, worried.
He laughed, shaking his head. "If you think that's gonna end this before it begins, then all the things I've done are going to make us enemies."
Rory laughed, too, ducking her head down then back up. "You're right."
"How about we focus on now?" He asked her. "We enjoy this, we see what happens. No dredging up the past, okay?"
"Okay," she agrees. "Deal."
He kissed her again, more inside the apartment this time and her arms wrapped around his back now. Jess' hands were higher on her back and she melted into him. They were breathing heavily before they knew it and they were face to face, chest to chest. Neither moved when they broke apart, they just stood there smiling and smirking at each other. Rory kissed him again. "I like this."
"Me, too," he said.
"Sadly, I have to go," she told him.
He pouted teasingly. "Where to?"
"I want to see my mom," she answered. "I'm leaving tonight."
"Back to New York," he stated. She just nodded. "When?"
"I guess around six, seven," she said. "I wanted dinner with everyone before I go."
Jess wrapped his arms tighter around her. "Am I invited?"
"Of course," she blushed. "If you want to come."
"I do."
"So come."
"Okay."
Before she said anything else, Jess kissed her another time. Once again he succeeded at making her speechless and taking her breath away. Rory had to admit she really liked this new development. She giggled a little. "Your beard tickles."
He laughed. "Sorry."
Rory laughed and gave him another quick kiss. "I'll see you later?"
"Definitely," he smirked at her and after planting one more kiss on her lips, Rory walked out of his arms and to the door. They gave each other small waves and she was out the door.
Once downstairs, Luke was the first to notice the smile on her face but certainly not the only. Babette and Morty were now joined by Miss Patty and Kirk. To say they stared the most was an understatment when compared to the intent looks of everyone else. The smile faded from Rory's face as she realized all the expectant faces looking at her.
"So?" Babette asked.
Rory didn't answer but turned to Luke. "I'm going to see my mom. You'll be at dinner tonight?"
"Wouldn't miss it for the world," he told her.
She smiled but this was a different one than when she came downstairs. This one was more familial. "Thanks, Luke."
"See you then," he called after her.
As she was closing the door behind her,is Patty asked Luke, "Please tell me that delicious nephew of yours is upstairs."
Rory laughed as she walked away, crossing her arms in front of her chest. It was a little breezy today and it felt extremely nice for an August day. She even dare say the day was perfect, though it may have less to do with the weather and more to do with a certain man. Her car was parked in front of Lane's and she climbed into the seat and sighed, smiling in her privacy.
Then, finally, she drove out of her spot and towards her mother's inn. Michel barely batted an eye when he saw her enter, so used to her that he didn't even pretend there could be a guest. Sookie spotted her first and gasped in excitement. "Rory!"
"Hi, Sookie!" She beamed and hugged her. "Is my mom around?"
"Yeah, she's in the back," the redhead replied. "Was she expecting you?"
"No," Rory smiled. "A little surprise for my last day."
"Oh," Sookie pouted. "You're going back already?"
"Tonight," she nodded.
"Don't make me sad so early!" Lorelai said as she marched into the room.
"I was just gonna come surprise you!" Rory exclaimed.
"Michel apparently didn't want me be surprised," Lorelai said as she hugged her daughter. "Hi, sweets."
"Can I talk to you?" Rory asked her mom.
"Hmm, sounds serious," Lorelai murmered. "If I say no, can we avoid this until later?"
"Mom!" She laughed. "Please."
"Fine," Lorelai reluctantly agreed. They walked towards an empty part of the dining area and sat down. "Tell me whatever it is."
Rory smiled shyly. "Me and Jess are...back together."
Lorelai nodded. "And?"
"And what?" Rory asked confused.
"How did it happen?" She asked. "The babysitting? Did getting you two together actually, you know, get you two together?"
"Gross, Mom," Rory sighed. "Yes and no."
"Explain," Lorelai demanded. "If this involves the two of you doing unspeakable things while my son slept not too far away..."
"We only kissed," Rory answered with a smile. "And we talked about some stuff."
"Ooh, some stuff," Lorelai teased. "Sounds kinky."
Rory rolled her eyes with a smile. "It was just...nice. And I saw him this morning."
"Aha," Lorelai smirked. "Is that when the kinky stuff happened?"
"No kinky stuff!" Rory yelled with another laugh. "Just talking...and other things."
Lorelai raised her eyebrows. "Am I supposed to believe other stuff doesn't meant something kinky?"
"Mind out of the gutter," Rory said. "No kinky stuff."
"Fine," she gave up. "But to let you know, I'm not exactly surprised."
"Because you set up us babysitting?" Rory asked.
"No," Lorelai shook her head."Because of what you told me."
She nodded, going along with it. "So you're gonna hold that over me?"
"Nah," her mother told her. "Just stating facts. Honesty is the best policy, after all."
"Uh-huh," Rory said, her mind floating elsewhere at her words. "Okay, Mom. You win."
"Yes!" Lorelai cheered. "I love winning!"
...
Jess dangled his legs over the bridge, looking down into the water. Whenever he was in Stars Hollow and needed somewhere to go, this was his place. After last night and this morning, he'd be lying if he didn't admit he was afraid. His stupid mention of Philly held in his mind and he scolded himself for even thinking it.
He didn't want to be thinking of their past, certainly not his moments where he caused pain so he shouldn't be thinking of hers. Jess watched the ripples in the water and turned himself back to things they had said in the last 24 hours. Rory had told him she wanted him back then, that none of the shit he believed mattered actually did. He really had felt like he had failed her twelve years ago and to hear her say he didn't, at least not for what he thought he did, was almost empowering.
Quickly, he switched his thoughts to the kisses from last night and this morning. It just felt right. More right than the kiss before she went back to New York City and that kiss was pretty damn right too. A smile spread across his face as he remembered the way she felt and the way she tasted. She was just as he remembered if not better.
As if on cue, a shadow fell over him from the end of the bridge and walked towards him. Jess looked up to see who it was and his assumption was confirmed as Rory approached. He smiled at her and she did the same back, coming to sit next to him. "Hi."
"Hi," he smirked and wrapped his arm around her. Rory snuggled into him, eyes closed with a look on content on her face. "Does this feel like déjà vu to you too?"
She laughed. "A little. It almost feels like we're back in high school."
"I'd like to think some things have changed," he whispered to her.
Rory felt Jess' lips touch her hair and she smiled. "Some did. Some didn't."
"That's true," he agreed with a nod. "Like me and you. Here we are again after everything that's happened."
"Right," she said. Her face paled and she leaned away from him. "Jess?"
He stared at her face worriedly. "What's wrong? Are you regretting this or did I-"
"Nothing's wrong," she shook her head. "Not now. Its just..."
"What?" He asked.
"There's something I have to tell you," she took a deep breath. "Something I never really told anyone before."
His voice is quiet when he speaks next, a hundred percent listening to whatever it is that's eating at her. "Okay."
"I know you said no dredging up the past," she started. "And I'm not trying to. But I feel like of we have any hope of making this work, I have to be honest and tell you this."
"Now you really have me worried," he said, half serious and half trying to joke.
"You don't have to worry," her eyes softened and she touched his face. "Its not something of the present. It's about the past - my past."
"I'm listening," Jess told her. "You can tell me."
Rory took another deep breath and closed her eyes, working the ways to say it out loud. "A few years ago, I was pregnant. I found out right before you came on Christmas after Evan was born. Remember?"
Jess nodded. "I remember."
She nodded too and stared out at the water, continuing. "We went to this party for his work a couple of weeks later. It was a New Years party slash a business thing. Logan had gotten upset at his dad, I don't know why. Probably something like the usual."
Rory closed her eyes then re-opened them, still staring at the water. Jess watched her as she went on. "He drank. A lot, actually. And on the way home, we started fighting. I guess he wasn't paying attention to the road but we crashed...into another car. They were fine, no one was killed of that family."
With eyes now done at her feet, Rory stopped talking. Jess leaned closer to her and wrapped his arm once again over her shoulder but not as romance this time, but of comfort. He didn't say another and neither did she. She just cried onto his shirt until the tears stopped and she wiped her face with her palm.
Finally, after one more sniff Rory pulled away from Jess and looked into his eyes this time. His face was sympathetic and soft. "At the hospital, when the doctor told me the baby was gone, I lost it. I had never even told my mom I was pregnant and there I was grieving over my child. When she came, I didn't tell her. She still believes we were lucky that night and not that she lost her grandchild."
"I can't imagine," he whispers. "Not even being able to talk about it...I had no idea, Rory."
She nodded and wiped at her eyes again. "Logan promised me he wouldn't drink again after we got out of the hospital. But I caught him coming home and we would fight and I knew it was over. How do you get past something like that?"
"I don't know," he answered honestly. Jess wasn't sure of what to say so he let her speak and said as little as possible.
"I've wanted to tell my mom," she said. "Plenty of times. But now it's been so long and I don't really know how to being it up."
"Maybe do what you just did," he suggested. "The way you came to tell me."
"Maybe," she agreed. "Thank you for listening."
"Thank you for telling me," he replied.
"I don't want any secrets," she told him. "And this was my biggest one."
"I don't want there to be, either." He nodded and kissed her head. "I have a sort of sister."
"What?" She gave him a confused look.
"Lily," he said. "She's Jimmy's girlfriend's kid. They never made it official but me and her, we kept in contact after that summer. She's kind of like my little sister now."
"That's really great," she murmered. "Can I meet her?"
"Maybe," he smiled at her. "One day."
"Good," she nodded and smiled back for the first time since coming to the bridge. "Time to go to dinner?"
"Let's go," he told her, once again putting his arm around her and walking off the bridge.
...
"Oh my god, sweets," Lorelai rushed into the room. "Are you okay?"
It took Rory a moment to focus on what was happening. Her mother was here. Hadn't she asked for her? She couldn't even remember much besides the numbing pain she felt when she thought of why she was in the hospital. "Mom."
"Are you okay?" She repeated.
Rory didn't know how to answer truthfully. To say yes would be a lie - she was broken inside and to say no would lead to explanations she was not ready to give. She settled for a part of the truth. "The doctor says I'm going to be fine."
Lorelai sat next to her on the bed, taking her hand. "So...Logan was drinking?"
Rory nodded and stared at their hands together on the bed. She could barely function thoughts let alone a conversation, especially this one where the other person involved was missing parts of the puzzle. "Yeah."
"Hun," Lorelai rubbed her hands over her daughter's. "I'm so glad you're all right. Logan's parents are here and Luke is outside. We left Evan with, believe it or not, Grandma."
When Rory didn't smile or comment about Emily, Lorelai began to worry. Rory saw the expression written all over her face and responded. "I'm really tired, Mom. Do you think I can just sleep?"
"Of course," Lorelai told her. "I'm sorry. Of course you want to sleep and of course its okay. Sleep, hun. I'll be right here."
"Thanks, Mom," she did her best to smile and could feel herself cringing.
Lorelai kissed her daughter on the head and walked out of the room. Rory saw Luke hug her mom and then whispering to each other. She closed her eyes as the tears fell and she finally fell asleep once she heard her mom creep back into the room.
...
After dinner, Jess walked Rory out of the diner and to her car. Luke seemed glad that they were working on being together while Evan, on the other hand, asked a lot of questions since one is his sister and the other is his cousin. That one got a lot of laughs from Lorelai and Jess had almost choked on his food.
"You're gonna be okay driving back?" Jess asked her when she unlocked her car.
Rory nodded. "Yeah. I've done the drive before."
"Okay," he said. "When are you coming back?"
"I'm not sure," she made a face. "Work has been crazy. I'm lucky I got to come now."
He made his own face, pulling his lips in and out almost like a duck. "I'll come see you."
"You're staying here?" She asked. "What about work?"
"I'll go back to work," he shrugged. "But I'll still have time to visit you."
"And we'll talk a lot," she added. "Every day."
"You'll get tired of me," he told her. "Hell,what if I get tired of you?"
She hit him on the shoulder and he put his hand over it in pretend pain. "I hate leaving you right when we're starting again."
"Think of it like this," he suggested and wrapped his arms around her waist. "The reunion will be killer."
She nodded in agreement, smiling. "That is true."
She leaned in and kissed him then, her hands now around his neck. Jess pulled Rory closer to him and they stood there, kissing for what felt like an hour. When they broke apart, he smiled. "I am going to miss doing that while you're gone."
"Me, too," she smiled.
They let go of each other and Rory opened her car door, turning back to Jess. "Promise we'll talk?"
"Promise," he put his hands up as if it were an oath. "And thank you...for earlier, for trusting me."
Rory gave him a small smile, acknowledging what his words mean. "Thank you for listening."
"No problem," he said and kissed her forehead.
"I really should be going," she explained. "Don't want it get too late."
"Okay," he nodded.
"Bye, Jess," she kissed him quick but meaningful.
He smirked at her. "See yoy later, Rory."
She climbed into her car, shutting the door and looked up at him. He waved at her which made her wave back. Fjnally, she started the car so Jess backed up and Rory pulled out of the space and drove away from him and Stars Hollow.
As Jess turned back to the diner, he noticed Kirk and Babette in the distance, watching. Great, he thought, now the rumor mill is going to be working overtime tomorrow.
Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he walked back to the diner and locked the door behind him. He was already missing Rory though she had only just left. It was gonna be a long night.