A/N: I'm flying high on the news of Netflix giving us a limited time revival of Gilmore Girls. I've never been more excited for something! So this chapter is coming sooner than planned because there is a possibility of not only seeing Literati together again but actually together as endgame. I really really hope this happens!

This chapter also bumps a few weeks forward so I hope you don't mind :)

"Rory?"

"Yeah?"

Jess leaned against the counter, the cold against his back and his palms flat down over the edge. Theyd just finished dinner and he had washed her dishes. She smiled when he even suggested doing it for her. Rory watched him curiously, waiting for whatever he wanted to say. "I've been thinking a lot about what you told me..."

She looked down at her hands. "About...the baby?"

"Yeah," he looked down now then back up at her. "About the baby."

Rory nodded and tried to keep his eye contact. "What about it?"

"I'm not sure," he admitted. She watched him as he tried to piece together his thoughts. "I just...I hate you had to go through that."

"Me, too," she agreed in a whisper.

"I'm sorry," he apologized and closed his eyes. "Its shitty of me to even bring this up."

"No," Rory stood up and started walking towards Jess. "You should be able to mention stuff like that."

"I just..." He shrugged, unable to find the right words. "I can't stop thinking about it."

"You can ask me about it," she told him once she was standing in front of him. She pulled his hands off the counter and held them in hers.

"I'm not really sure where to start," he said. "I don't want to upset you either. Especially after a great night."

"Jess, I don't want you go crazy thinking about it," she replied. "I didn't tell you so you would quietly sulk and wonder about it."

"I'm not sulking," he sighed. Rory gave him a reassuring smile. "And its not driving me crazy."

"Then what?" She asked. "Tell me."

Jess sighed again and looked anywhere but her face. "How far along were you?"

"Uh, one and a half," Rory answered. "It was close to two."

"So you found out pretty early," he said, she nodded.

"I was late and I was never late," she told him. "I thought something was wrong so I went to see my doctor. He did some tests and called me with the results. That night when I saw you at the inn, I knew I was pregnant."

"No wonder you and...the two of you were acting different," he added. She looked at him confused so he explained. "I saw you after you walked away. It looked serious."

"He was annoyed at seeing you," she smiled and he did in return. Jess always found it amusing when Logan was annoyed at him. "I was calming him down and reminding him of our news."

"And you never told your mom?" He asked. "How come?"

"We were going to," she admitted. "Logan didn't want to tell people until I was further along but I really wanted mom know."

He whispered. "What changes your mind?"

"The night we decided on telling her was the night I..." She trailed off.

"Oh," he said quietly.

She answered in the same volume. "Yeah."

They were both silent for a little bit, hands still holding each other but eyes not meeting. Jess cleared his throat and broke the silence. "What happened...after?"

"After?" Rory asked. "I shut down. Logan and I didn't talk much anymore unless it was to fight. Usually it was about not wanting him to drink and then about when he did. I didn't really want to talk to anyone or see them. But I still had work and I didn't want my mom ask questions so I would go out, pretend I was happy and..."

He watched her carefully now. His eyes were on her face but hers were on their intertwined fingers. "And...?"

She took a deep breath. "I'd cry a lot. Sometimes I got really angry and threw things against the wall when Logan wasn't home. I ate less. I talked less. I just... shut down."

Jess grabbed her in his arms and brought her to him. She sobbed into his chest and wrapped her own arms around him. Rory's hands came all the way to his shoulders in attempt to pull him closer. She wasn't sure how long she cried but she didn't even really care and neither did he. It was something she needed to get out.

When she stopped, Rory wiped her eyes, pulled away and laughed without humor. "That's the second I've cried on you and we've only been back together a week. This must be a record."

"You can cry anytime you need," he told her seriously. "I'm here."

"Really?" Her one word held so much more meaning than it meant to.

He nodded into her hair as he pulled her back to him. "Really."

After they sat back down on the couch and watched a movie. Jess didn't really played much attention because he was watching Rory, extra careful of her expressions and reactions. He hated that he brought anything up and had made her cry.

She fell asleep on his shoulder during the movie and he didn't have it in him to wake her when it was over. Jess carried her to her bed and tucked her in. With one last sweep of her hair behind her ears, he walked out of the room and dialed his phone.

"Yeah?"

Luke's voice always brought him back to being a teenager in Stars Hollow. He smiled slightly and shuffled his feet. "Hey, Uncle Luke."

"Let me guess," Luke suggested. "You're not coming tonight."

"I don't think so," Jess admitted but didn't tell him the whole reason why. "Rory fell asleep while we were watching a movie. I don't want to just leave and I don't want to wake her, either."

"Okay," his uncle said. "Come when you can."

"Tomorrow morning," he replied. "I promise."

Luke was probably shrugging while Lorelai looked at him wondering what was happening. "Take your time. Tell Rory I said hi."

"Will do," Jess said and soon they both hung up. He sighed and grabbed the items Rory had given him the previous night. She hadn't put them away so he didn't need to look for any. One more look towards her room and he got ready for sleep.

...

In the morning, Rory didn't remember much. She stretched her arms above her head and looked around her room. Not remembering going into her room, she stood up and looked around. Her clothes were the same as the ones she had eaten dinner in and suddenly she remembered the previous night.

Walling out of her room, she opened the door slowly and peered out. Jess was asleep on the couch unlike the previous morning. He looked so peaceful. She hated that she kept breaking down in front of him. All that time that she grieved, she tried to be strong but something about Jess had made Rory feel more open to getting those feelings out.

Rory grabbed what she needed for a shower and tiptoed to the bathroom. One look in the mirror showed what a mess she looked like so she covered it with a spare towel, afraid of the face on the other side. Her shower didn't leave her as refreshed as she had hoped it would but when she walked out of the bathroom, she saw Jess was still sleeping and smiled.

Still tiptoeing, Rory walked over to the couch and sat in front of it. His snores were very light, not at all the way her mom had made them sound all those years ago. He never looked more relaxed, she thought. Shaking her head out of her thoughts and realizing she should probably wake him up, Rory shook Jess' shoulder. He flinched then opened his eyes as he sat upright facing her.

His surprise at seeing her turned to a smile and it caused Rory to smile back. "Hey."

"Morning," she told him. "So you stayed."

"Didn't feel right to leave when I couldn't say goodbye," he sat up and their legs were touching they were so close.

"I'm sorry I fell asleep," she said. "I guess I was more tired than I thought."

Jess shook his head. "You don't have to apologize for that. Did you sleep okay?"

"More than okay," she said proudly. "Really really good actually."

"I'm glad," he gave her a small smile which faded as soon as his next words came out. "We don't have to talk about...that, you know."

Her face was confused then came into understanding. "I should be able to. I want to be able to."

Jess held her hand. "Then we will when you're ready. I don't want to force you to talk about it."

Rory sadly smiled. "I might never be ready."

"That's okay, too," he shrugged.

She nodded. "I do want to tell my mom. I'm just..."

"What?" He asked.

Rory sighed. "Afraid. Afraid of how I'll react. Afraid of how she'd react. Afraid I waited too long. Just...afraid."

"Pretend I'm there supporting you when you do," he suggested.

She squeezed the hand that was holding hers. "I just might do that."

"I got a possibly weird question," Jess said, trying to help change the subject because of the expression on her face. Rory gave him a look and he continued. "Do you think I could use your shower?"

She laughed, the seriousness gone. "Yeah, sure. Go ahead."

"Thanks." He stood up from the couch and his hand still held hers.

"You're welcome." Rory stood up, too. "I have to get to work though."

He nodded. "I should probably go after. I promised Luke."

"Okay," she said. She didn't want him know how sad she felt at the mention of him leaving.

They held hands to the door and stood there. Jess looked down at their hands and smirked. "You know what's funny?"

"What?" She smiled in spite of herself. "What's so funny that Jess Mariano can see the humor?"

His smirk grew. "That Rory Gilmore is leaving for work without any coffee."

"Ha!" She laughed. "I was going to pick some up. Thought it was better than making a pot since I was short on time."

"Damn," he muttered.

"I do know something else I can't leave without," she grinned.

"Yeah?" She nodded. "What's that?"

Rory leaned forward and kissed Jess softly on the lips. It was intended to be soft and quick but it soon turned into each of them melting to each other and hands wrapped the other. Neither could catch their breath as they pulled apart and she sighed, a smile growing already.

"If that's how we say goodbye," he said. "We should be apart more often."

"No more," she shook her head. "Not too long. We've been apart too long."

"I can agree to that," he whispered.

Rory laughed and pulled away. "I have to go to work."

"Go," he told her. "I'm gonna head back soon so I'll call you later, okay?"

"Okay," she smiled brightly.

Rory turned to the door to leave and before she could then the knob, she looked back at Jess. He stared back at her. "What?"

"Nothing," she shrugged. "I just really like having you here."

"Me, too."

With one last nod, she was out the door and Jess walked back inside the apartment to take the shower.

...

"So are you gonna tell him?" Lorelai asked, changing the subject.

Rory laughed into her phone. "Tell who what?"

"Jess," Lorelai said as if it was so obvious.

"Tell Jess what?" She asked. "And how did talking about Grandma inviting you over turn to me and Jess?"

"Because, one," Lorelai listed. "Grandma invited me and Luke. Which means you and Jess are invited."

"So I'm telling him you and Luke were invited to Grandma's?" She asked.

"Oh, kiddo," Lorelai laughed. "That's only part of it, my dear."

"Okay," she drew out the y. "Then what's the rest of it?"

"That you lo-veeeeeee him," she teased.

"Oh my god," Rory his her face in her hands.

"You lo-veeeeee him," Lorelai kept saying on the other end in a sing-song voice. "You want to be with him for-everrr."

"You done yet?" Rory asked with a laugh.

"Nah," Lorelai replied. "I think I'll get a few more in. Then I'll be done."

"I'm not telling him that," Rory said.

"Why not?" Lorelai gasped. "You do!"

"Because we only just got back together," she explained. Two weeks had now passed since Jess visited her in New York City. They went back to their usual routine of when to talk but hadn't seen each other since. The not seeing him and being a semi-long-distance relationship was getting to her a little.

"So?" Lorelai prodded. "Like he hasn't been waiting forever to hear that!"

Rory shook her head, uncovering her face. "Because I want to be really sure."

She imagined her mother making a face on the other end. "You mean you're not?"

"I mean I want to definitely know I mean it before I blurt it out," she decided and winced at her own words.

"Uh...okay?" Lorelai said.

"You can call me crazy," Rory said. "I know you want to."

"It's like were telepathically linked!" Her mother exclaimed.

"I'm hanging up now," she told her.

"No!" Lorelai yelled. "Don't leave mommy yet!"

"I'm sure Evan will keep you company for now," she teased.

"Fine," she whined. "Leave me. Make mommy need her own four walls where she stares all day about the daughter who hung up on their phone call."

Rory pretended to think than answered. "Well, I guess I could spare a couple more minutes."

"Success!" Lorelai yelled.

"You have to explain something to me, though," Rory told her.

"Of course," Lorelai said. "See, the way it goes on the banana..."

"Not that!" Rory grimaced. "The dinner with Grandma. What did she say?"

"She wanted a celebration for the new baby," she told her daughter in all seriousness.

"That's nice," Rory said. "So that's why you want us to come?"

"That and..." She trailed off and rory understood.

"I know," she looked down.

"Its just so different being there," Lorelai said in a sad voice. "Mom doesn't even act like she used to."

Rory nodded, repeating herself. "I know."

"I guess, you know, it could be nice," Lorelai suggested. "It could be, right?"

"Yeah," Rory agreed. "I think it will be."

"So Jess went back to Philadelphia?" Lorelai asked after a quiet moment and changed the subject.

"Yeah," Rory answered. "He said something about Matt and a book he's editing."

"That's nice," Lorelai said. "I think he was tired of being here, anyway."

Rory shook her head. "He likes it...to an extent."

Lorelai laughed. "Yeah. When you're here."

"He does not only like it when I'm there," she argued. "What about all the times he came between now and I don't know, five years ago?"

"You," she simply said.

"What?" Rory gasped. "No."

"Please, he always liked the town more with you around," her mother snorted.

Rory opened her mouth then shut it. Did she mean - even when she was married to Logan? She didn't comment on where her thoughts went. To analyze that time might bring heartbreak and she wasn't sure she wanted to think of how much she hurt Jess all these years.

"Hon?" Lorelai asked when she got no reply. "You still there?"

"I'm here," she commented. "I thought the two of you get along now, though. You mean you haven't set him straight about the Stars Hollow ways?"

Lorelai snorted again, which made Rory laugh. "If you couldn't do it, no one can."

She laughed sadly and her thoughts went back to wondering how he felt ever since Philadelphia. She changed the subject back to the dinner with her Grandma to keep her mind from wandering.

...

"This part is..." Jess sighed, looking at Garrett. He was his friend, sort of, but he was also one of his authors. He had to tell him if he didn't like something in the rough draft. "Not good."

Garrett's face fell. "What was wrong with it?"

"Nothing was wrong, exactly," Jess winced. "It just was different from the before."

"Different how?" He asked.

Jess rocked on his heels. "It was...out of character. I mean, the guy dealt with this shitty life, his parents left him at an orphanage."

"Yeah?" Garrett nodded.

"You wrote the parents in," Jess explained. "Its not realistic for the guy to be glad to see them."

"But he wants to know who they are," Garrett defended.

"Maybe he does," Jess agreed. "But the whole buildup is he's better without them. So why does he suddenly need them?"

"Because he wants to know about these people," Garrett tried wording it differently. "Because he wants to know why having him wasn't enough and why they didn't want him."

Jess took a deep breath, remembering when he felt exactly that. Maybe he was taking this story too personal, maybe he was the wrong person to ask about it.

Matt walked to Jess and whispered in his ear. "Rory's calling."

Jess nodded and tried to stop the smile that wanted to appear. He wasn't able to lose his street cried by smiling. "Give me a few minutes, okay?"

Garrett nodded. "All right."

Matt stood by Garrett as Jess walked away and to the main Truncheon phone line. He grabbed the cordless phone and walked up the stairs to his old room. "Rory?"

"Hey," he heard her voice on the other end.

Jess shut the door behind him and sat on the bed. "Hey. How's work?"

"Good, I'm actually working on something right now," she told him.

He smirked. "So you're playing hokey kind of?"

"Kind of," she laughed. "Mostly, I just missed you."

"I missed you, too," he admitted. "And you kind of saved me."

"I did?" She laughed again. "From what?"

"This guy's book I'm editing is hitting a little close to home," he said. "I think I'm taking out anger over how I grew up on him."

"Oh, my god," she said. "I'm so sorry."

"Nah," he shrugged. "Be more sorry for him. He has to deal with me. I guess maybe I should apologize."

"You could," she agreed. "Though I am jealous of him. He sees you more than I do."

"He's seen me for twenty minutes," Jess scoffed. "Hardly worthy."

"Still more," she pouted then brightly changed her tone. "But I have news!"

"What is it and why are you are so happy?" He asked suspiciously.

"Because one, its a way for us to you know, be in the same state," she replied.

He was definitely interested in that. "I'm listening."

"You won't like the next part, though," she said.

"What is it?" Jess asked even more suspiciously.

Rory blurted it out in a rush. My grandma invited my mom and Luke over because of the pregnancy and she wants to celebrate so mom suggested me and you come, too which of course Grandma didn't want me disincluded but now she knows about you and us."

Jess listened as she took a deep breath and took one of his own. "So you want me come to your Grandmother's?"

"Yes?" She asked it as a question instead of an answer.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. Emily Gilmore was still not entirely a fan of Jess. Actually, that was even an understatement. She hated him was probably more accurate. But losing her husband had made her more civil towards him even if she didn't want to be so he guessed civil was better than nothing. "Okay."

"Really?" She asked. Excitement was on the edge of her voice.

"Sure," he said. "Why not?"

"Thank you!" She was definitely excited now. "Really, Jess, you have no idea how important this is."

"I might have some idea," he said.

Rory laughed. "Its on Friday. So be here around 4? We'll drive down together."

"This Friday?" He asked. "But its Wednesday!"

"She said sooner is better than later," Rory explained. "Please remember you promised."

"I didn't promise anything," he disagreed.

"Please?" Jess imagined her sticking out her lip and pouting at him, widening those blue eyes he loved so much to work her magic on him. Damn, just thinking about it worked, he thought.

He groaned. "Fine. I'll be there."

"Yes!" She cheered. "I can't wait to tell Mom you're coming!"

"You're so gonna owe me, Gilmore," he warned.

"Owe, smowe," she pfft-ed. "Just be there at four and I'll be in your debt."

His eyebrows rose. "Debt, huh?"

"Mind out of the gutter," she scolded. "I'll see you Friday."

"That does sound really good," he mused.

"It does." He heard the smile in her voice and smiled back. A part of him almost slipped and said the words he hadn't said to her in eleven years. He quickly pushed that aside, not wanting to ruin what they have going.

They hung up and Jess opened the door from his old room only to find Matt standing there. "Have you been there this whole time?"

"Some," Matt shrugged. "Rory?"

Jess walked past him to the their old kitchen. Matt followed closely behind. "I told you we were back together."

"Really? When was that?" His friend asked.

Jess sighed. "Huh."

"What is that huh?" Matt asked.

"Maybe I didn't," he answered. "Maybe I didn't want to hear this."

"And what is this exactly?" He crossed his arms over his chest expectantly.

"You telling me what a bad idea this is," Jess half-yelled.

"You're damn right its a bad idea," Matt answered at the same volume. "Do you remember what that girl did to you?"

"I remember crystal clear," Jess clarified. "Trust me. I'm well aware of what happened."

Matt threw his hands up in frustration. "Then what are you doing? Why are you back together with the girl who destroyed you?!"

Jess was seeing red. His fists balled against his sides, fingers digging into his palm. He took breaths to calm down. "Look, I know you mean well -"

"Damn right I do," Matt interrupted.

Jess ignored that. "But it's my life, my choice. I appreciate you looking out for me, really. But she's important to me, always has been. I'm gonna see what happens here. See if we have a chance."

"Okay, fine," Matt put his hands up in surrender now. He backed out of the room and walked to the stairs. "But don't tell me when it doesn't work and she walks all over you again."

Jess clenched his jaw shut and didn't comment as Matt went downstairs. He was tempted to be old Jess, let his anger get the better of him. Instead he took really deep breaths and counted to fifty, hoping that would help before climbing down the stairs himself.

A/N: So no flashbacks again. But however they WILL be back. I'm just enjoying these moments for now so I hope you are as well. And their past, the nine years will definitely still make appearances and mentions. Just be patient and you guys rock :)