A/N: In the middle of writing the first scene, my power went out for a few minutes and me, being a bit stupid, didn't have it saved so I apologize if some of it seems off. I tried to rewrite what I had but I couldn't remember it exactly how I had it.

Also there's a tiny flashback in this one, probably seems insignificant but I like it and it fits neatly into the chapter so I hope you like it!

And Emily might seem a little OOC but she's meant to. Shes a cross between her usual self we're used to and a nicer version since losing her husband. Just in case that needed to be clarified since I'm not writing her completely as she is on the show :)

The doorbell to the Gilmore household rung and Lorelai moved her finger from the button, waiting. Luke watched her in amusement. It had been a while since he was here as well and he wondered what exactly it be like this time. They had dropped Evan off at Sookie's but Lorelai felt a little guilty not being with him even if it's to her mother's.

Jess shifted on his feet. He moved them back and forth around each other and didn't look up at anyone. Rory watched him and wondered what he was thinking. He had been silent the whole car ride besides casual small talk which only made her wonder more.

The door opened a maid stood there. "Hello?"

"Yes, hello," Lorelai smiled at the confused girl. "We are the Gilmores and the Danes."

"Gilmores?" The maid asked. Her face scrunched up like she was confused.

Lorelai tried not to laugh. "Emily is expecting us."

The maid gasped. "Oh, come in!"

The five of them trailed in behind the maid and Emily walked toward the door with an exasperated look on her face. She definitely did not like this maid. "You're here!"

"We're here," Lorelai answered.

It felt awkward standing there in the entrance of the big house. The men looked all around for something to pay attention to. Emily turned to the maid, "Esmeralda, please take their coats."

The four of them quickly took their coats off and handed them to her. Esmeralda took the jackets and scuttled out of the room. Emily started her walk to the living room area. "Come in, come in."

Rory sat on besides Jess on the couch. Lorelai sat in a separate seat, figuring the men would not want to sit alone. Luke sat on Rory's other side on the couch. Emily asked everyone their drinks and started making them. Lorelai shuffled in her seat when a water was handed to her.

"I can drink soda," she objected.

Emily sat down with her glass in her hand. "Its better if you don't consume so much caffeine, Lorelai."

Lorelai groaned and they all started drinking from their glass. Emily looked to Rory. "My, its wonderful to see you again."

"It is," she smiled. It felt nice being back here on a Friday night. "I had a nice time last time I was here."

"As did the DAR ladies," Emily smiled at her granddaughter. "How is work?"

"Work is good," she nodded. "I feel like I've been writing non-stop."

"Wonderful!" She exclaimed proudly. She had never hid how proud she is of her granddaughter. "I subscribe to your newspaper so I can see every article."

Rory smiled a big smile. "Wow, Grandma. That...I'm glad you like them."

Emily waved it off as if it were nothing. She looked over to Lorelai. "Congratulations, by the way."

"Thank you, Mom," Lorelai said softly.

"I want to make a toast," she raised her glass. Everyone looked at each other in surprise but raised their glasses as well. "To Lorelai and Luke. I hope this child grows up as well as your other children. May they feel as loved and as safe as well."

Lorelai whispered after she sipped her water. "Thank you. That...that means a lot."

"I mean every word," Emily smiled.

Lorelai looked over at Rory as if to mouth 'wow, you weren't kidding'. Rory just shook her head and wanted to laugh. Her mother hasn't believed her about how Emily was the last time she went over. "That was a great toast, Grandma."

"You're welcome," she simply said but then her eyes landed on Jess and she followed noticed who he was. "I remember you."

"We met a few times over the years," he explained.

She kept her stare on him. "You sent me flowers."

Lorelai, Luke and even Rory looked over at Jess. "What?"

"I did," Jess confirmed.

"When?" Rory asked. He gave her a look and she understood. "Oh."

"When you sent me flowers?" Lorelai asked.

Emily and Rory looked at Lorelai while Luke's gaze went to Jess. "Now I remember."

Jess nodded. Emily's face turned back to him. "They were lovely. Thank you."

"You're welcome," he said. Rory moved to look at him again but Emily interrupted.

"Did Luke bring you here tonight?" She asked. "To support your Uncle?"

"Uh -"

He wasn't sure if he should be the one who tells Emily Gilmore he's dating her granddaughter. Rory cut in and saved him before he could give it another thought. "Actually, Grandma, he's here for me."

"For you?" She asked.

"For me," Rory repeated and her hand slid into Jess' and she gave it a squeeze.

Emily's expression fell slightly but she managed a poker face and picked it up. "Oh."

Luke whispered. "Here we go."

"That's real nice," she simply said and sipped her drink again.

The four of them waited for her to say more and when she didn't, they stayed silent and finished their drinks.

The maid walked in. "Dinner is ready."

Emily rolled her eyes. "It's only 6:45, Esmeralda."

"Yes?" The maid asked. "But dinner is ready now."

"Well, fine," Emily huffed and stood up. Everyone stood up as well with her and followed towards the dining room. "I guess we're eating earlier today."

When she was out of view, Lorelai grinned at her daughter. With a whisper, she said, "I guess some things don't change."

"Did you say something, Lorelai?" Emily asked but didn't turn around.

"No," Lorelai shook her head. "Nothing, mom."

Luke hid a smirk and Jess kept his hand clasped onto Rory's. She gave him a reassuring smile and they continued their walk. Once at the table, Emily took her usual seat. Luke held out Lorelai's chair for her on her side and sat beside her. Rory let go of Jess' hand and pushed out her own chair. He watched her and finally sat beside her. Jess had been the last seated.

Esmeralda brought out their food one by one as Emily grew more and more impatient. When she was finished, she took a small bow and shuffled back to the kitchen. "Wow."

"Wow?" Emily asked.

Lorelai almost laughed at that word coming from her mother's mouth. "Just wondering how you're holding in what you really want to say to her."

Emily's face stayed still. "Excuse me?"

"Nothing, Mom," Lorelai replied.

Rory held her lips together in a tight line and tried not to laugh. Everyone ate and they fell into a familiar conversation. Jess and Luke stayed as quiet as possible, Jess more than Luke since the dinner was technically for Lorelai and him. He was grateful for Emily not saying what her expressions clearly wanted to whenever Rory reaches over and touched his hand.

At the end of the night, Rory, Jess and Luke walked out the door while Emily asked Lorelai for a moment before leaving. They waited outside the house for her to return. When Lorelai did rejoin them, Emily was not with her and her expression told Rory it was not a happy conversation.

"Mom?" Rory asked once she was outside. "What'd she want to talk about?"

"Nothing important," she shook her head and gave a smile. Rory could tell it was fake. "Re-offering congratulations."

"She did?" Luke seemed surprised. Her mother shot him a look that requested not to press on it. That made Rory wonder even more.

"Yeah, she did," she lied. "Let's go home. I'm dying for some pie."

Luke wrapped his arm around his wife. "When aren't you?"

She giggled. "I'd have to think about that answer, Alex."

They got into the car and Rory looked at Jess. He just shrugged, not knowing what happened in there either. He opened her door for her and got in himself then drove away. Luke's truck was ahead of them despite the traffic and Jess tried his best to stay behind.

"Jess?" She asked.

He turned to look at her quickly then back to the road. "Yeah?"

"What do you think Grandma said to mom?" She asked.

He sighed. "I don't know, Rory. You should ask her."

She turned slightly in her seat to look at him better. "I have a bad feeling about it."

He didn't look at her. "How come?"

"Did you see how she was looking at us?" Rory asked.

"Yeah," Jess nodded. "But that doesn't mean anything."

"She doesn't approve," she crossed her arms over her chest.

"So?"

"What do you mean, so?"

"So what if she doesn't approve?" He asked. "Are you gonna break up with me because she doesn't?"

"No!" She exclaimed in shock. "God, no. Why would you think that?"

"This sounds important to you," he shrugged. "What did you do last time? Somehow we kept dating without both your mother and your grandmother's approval."

"Yeah, but.."

"But what?" Jess pressed. "Does she have the final say?"

"No, but -"

Jess tightened his fist over the wheel as he tried to hold in any anger. "Who am I dating Rory, you or your grandmother?"

She sighed. "Me."

"It was rhetorical," he smirked and her face softened when she saw his did. "But you know, Luke did tell me that dating you was like dating your family. I guess I should have seen this coming."

"What?" She asked. "Luke said that?"

"A long time ago," he shrugged and tried to focus more on the road ahead. He didn't see Luke's truck anymore. "Damn it."

Rory sat up straight. "What?"

"I lost Luke and your mom," he told her. "I guess they got further."

"Oh," she pouted. "We know the way home. It'll be fine."

"I just hope your mom doesn't freak out when she doesn't see us behind her," he said.

"I'll text her and let her know we lost them but are on our way," Rory grabbed her phone and dialed.

Jess' eyes looked over at her while she typed and he couldn't help but stare at her hands. He forced his eyes back on the road. "Do you want me take you home? They're probably going straight there anyway."

Rory stopped typing and looked over at him, shrugging. "I don't know. Do you want to do anything?"

"It's still early," he said. "We could hang out."

"Sounds good," she agreed. "Then after, you're taking me home?"

"We probably won't be far from there," he added. "I can just walk you."

She nodded absentmindedly. Her thought were still wondering what her grandmother had said to her mom. "Sounds good."

Jess risked a glance at her. "Rory? You okay?"

"I'm fine," she smiled. "Right as rain."

He made a face and was ready to laugh when Rory's phone buzzed. "My mom says be safe, in every - oh my god."

Now he laughed. "Well I think we can say we have her approval."

"Oh my god," she repeated as she stared at her phone.

Jess stopped laughing and smirked when he looked over at her. "That's a lovely shade of red you got going there."

"Shush," she half-smiled. Rory noticed the laugh bubble to the surface and slapped at his arm. "Its not funny! She thinks we're gonna pull over on the side of the road and have sex!"

"I think I saw a shoulder back there I could pull into," he pointed to the way they came.

"You can shut up now," she told him which only made Jess laugh harder.

"You gotta admit its a little funny," he said.

"Its not," she stubbornly said. He gave her a look and she caved a little. "Only a little."

Jess took her hand in his and kissed it. He held it against his chest as be drove one-handed. Rory smiled at him then looked out toward the road as they drove back to Stars Hollow.

...

Jess walked out of his mom's house with a sigh. It always felt so draining to pretend he wasn't feeling what he felt when he looked at Liz and Doula. The hurt always stung at him everytime and he started his walk to Luke's after spending almost the whole day inside that house.

The diner was crowded. He wasn't surprised at that. It was nearing dinner time and there was hardly any tables available. Jess sat at the counter and much to his annoyance, he was next to Kirk. Luke came out of the back and almost laughed at what his nephew got stuck into.

"Don't say a word," Jess warned.

Luke put his hands up. "I didn't sat anything."

"This place is too crowded," he groaned as he looked around at all the people.

"Sorry my business is getting in your way, Jess," Luke said sarcastically. "Next time, I'll have the health department shut us down so you have a better seat."

Jess rolled his eyes. "Can I just get a burger? I'll eat upstairs or something."

"Coming right up," Luke said and he shook his head, probably laughing, as he walked away.

"I always wanted a male family member to talk to," Kirk said to Jess. "Mother is all I have. Besides, Lulu, of course."

Jess turned to him. "Gee, where's your father, Kirk?"

Kirk was stunned. "Mother said he left."

"I wonder why," his voice said. He felt bad. This was the way teenage Jess would deal with Kirk. He decided to make himself less of an ass. "My dad left, too."

"Oh?" Kirk asked. Jess nodded. "Fathers can be very unreliable."

Jess kept nodding. "Yes, they can be."

"Your mother seems like a lovely woman," he admits. Jess cringed. "I don't see how he would have left her."

"She was very different back then," Jess explained. "Needed help."

Kirk was intent on keeping the conversation going. "What kind of help?"

"The kind she couldn't get by herself," Jess found himself answering. "That she needed to want to be helped."

"Mother never needed that kind of help," Kirk mused. "Unless I didn't notice."

"Oh, you'd notice," Jess told him. "Trust me."

"What are the signs if needing help?" He asked. "Just in case."

"Does she drink?" Kirk shook his head. "Do drugs?" Kirk looked scandalized but shook his head. "Get headaches?"

"She does!" Kirk exclaimed. "What does it mean?!"

"It means you're her son," Jess smirked. "She's fine. Don't worry about it."

"Really?" Jess nodded. "Oh, thank heavens. I was getting worried."

Luke brought of the burger and a soda for Jess. "Worried about what?"

"Jess was telling me signs on a sick mother," Kirk explained.

Luke looked at Jess then back at Kirk. "He was?"

Kirk nodded. Jess spoke, though. "He brought it up."

"That was insightful," Kirk said to both of them. "I'm going to go see Mother right now. See how she feels."

He grabbed his jacket and paid. Kirk was out the door as fast as lightening. Luke turned back to him. "That was a nice thing you did."

"What?" Jess asked. "I made small talk about Liz with the guy. I'm hardly doing something nice."

"You talked to him," Luke pointed out.

"I didn't wanna sit next to him," Jess defended. "It got him out of here."

"No," Luke eyed him suspiciously. "Its more than that."

Jess scoffed. "Whatever."

"You have grown up," he said then added. "In some ways more than others."

Jess groaned. "Oh, go clean something!"

"After I tell wife you're a softy now," Luke teased him.

"Shit," Jess muttered and started to eat his food. Maybe Luke was right. Maybe that has been a sign after all of how much he changed. It actually made him smile to think such a thing. Instead of dwelling on meanings, he ate his burger in silence and hoped this meant good things.

...

Jess parked his car in front of the diner and took the keys out of the ignition. Rory pulled her seatbelt off after texting her mom to let her know they made it and started to open the car when he touched her arm. "You want to stay here or go somewhere else?"

"Here has coffee," was her answer.

He smirked. "Guess that answers that."

Jess grabbed the keys and opened the door, his other hand held Rory's. She sat at the counter once inside and Jess started a pot of coffee. The smell traveled through the diner fast and she breathed it in, a smile on her face. Jess leaned over the counter from behind and reached for her hands.

"Remember before you went to school, you used to come sit in that exact seat?" He asked. "And I would take a break without telling Luke it was a break."

Her smiled widened. "We would sit exactly like this. My mom would tease me about how coupley we were acting."

"I used to do this, too," he rubbed his thumb over her hand and traced it along the skin. Her eyes closed as she not only enjoyed the feel of his fingers but rememberered. "And you would do just that, close your eyes."

"I like the way it feels when you touch me," she admitted.

Once she realized how her sentence had sounded, Rory blushed and looked down. Jess lifted her head with his free hand. He didn't say anything but he leaned in and kissed her lightly. Her eyes fluttered shut and she kissed him back. Jess' hand stayed on her chin as the kiss deepened.

Rory soon found herself stretching on her toes to reach him on the other side of the counter. Her thoughts traveled back to earlier in the night, to what her grandmother may or may not have said to her mother. He must have sensed the change in thought because Jess pulled away, leaving her surprised.

"You're still thinking about it, aren't you?" He asked, having guessed already at her thoughts.

She made a gesture with her shoulders. "It's nagging at me."

He shrugged. "Call your mom. Ask her. Tell her she has to tell you the truth."

"What if it's bad?" She bit her lap.

He shook his head. "But you'll know. Isn't that what's important?"

"You're right," she agreed with a nod.

They were quiet for a few seconds before Jess spoke again. "Why does it matter so much, Rory? I mean, this is more than just concern."

"I don't know," she whispered.

"If she said anything about us..." He asked. "Would it make a difference?"

"No," she said in a rough voice. "No."

"Damnit," he swore. "It would, wouldn't it?"

"I told you, no," she answered.

Jess leaned back against the back counter with his arms crossed. "It would. If Emily Gilmore said she doesn't want you with me, you would break it off."

"No!" She said louder. Rory was out of her seat and coming towards him. "She said she didn't want me be friends with you back in high school. She was mad at you after the accident. Hell, she yelled at my mom because we were together!"

"What?" He was surprised. She'd never told him about any of that.

"If I didn't back down then," she continued. "Why would I now? You're such an idiot sometimes for a smart guy."

Jess stopped leaning and stood straight. "Excuse me?"

"You're so stupid," she shook her head. "I love you. My grandmother can't decide if I stay with you."

Jess froze. "What did you say?"

She froze, too as she realized what she just admitted. "Um -"

"You do?" He asked. His voice was much softer now and he tried not to let his hope show.

She nodded. "I do."

Jess walked to Rory, closing the last gap of floor between them. "Say it again."

His hand came on both sides of her face. She was forced to look into his brown eyes and she took a breath before telling him. "I love you."

The answering smile her words received were enough for Rory to not feel embarrassed. She was afraid of admitting already but the look on his face told her she hadn't needed to be. His lips crashed down to hers. They melted together and moved in the same rhythms. Her arms wrapped around his neck and the coffee he brewed was far forgotten.

He pulled away for a second and stared into Rory's eyes. "I love you, too."

"You do?" She mirrored the words he asked her seconds ago.

He smiled and replied her words back to her. "I do."

"After everything?" She asked. "Philadelphia?"

Jess simply pushed her hair behind her ear and nodded. "After everything."

She smiled at him happily. "Jess -"

He cut her off to ask his own question. "And you do, after everything...everything I did? High school?"

"Yes," she confirmed. "I don't think I ever really stopped."

"Me, either," he stroked her face.

Rory couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed at him and kissed him fiercely. Her tongue swept into his mouth and he held her body right against his. A moan escaped her mouth and he smirked against her lips, proud of the sound he made her make. He lifted her up and Rory's legs tangled around his waist. Jess carried them from behind the counter.

"Jess -" her eyes were dark and he could barely see them in the blackness. But the intent was clear. She wanted him and wondered how much it showed.

He was ready to pull away but she shook her head and held him tighter. "Take me upstairs."

Jess carried her as best as he could up the stairs to the apartment. Rory laughed but stopped once he opened the door. He brought her straight to his old bed and put her down on top of it. She pulled him down to her and the kissing resumed. Jess hovered over her, carefully crawled onto the bed, his hands on her face and her arms wrapped around his neck.

They laid there just kissing for a few minutes before her hands traveled to the buttons on the front of his dress shirt he had worn to dinner. He pulled away to look into her eyes. Blue shined back at him and she smiled. Jess kissed her sweetly. Her hands went back to work in the buttons.

It didn't take her long to get the buttons done and Rory pushed it off him. He had a tee shirt on underneath and she could see his muscles through it. They were much more defined and...bigger now. He looked amazing with them, she thought. Jess didn't notice her thoughts working and started kissing her neck. His hands went to her legs, traveling over her skin. Rory shivered and her dress felt like not enough anymore.

She leaned up a little and pushed her hair out of the way. Jess couldn't figure out what she was doing until he heard a zipper. Rory got it down as low as she could then Jess took over. He pulled it off of her shoulders and down her chest, revealing her blue bra. She kissed him again when her dress was halfway down and he eagerly responded. Her hands went to the bottom of his shirt so he moved apart to let her pull it off him.

Since they were apart, Jess leaned off the bed and pulled her dress down the rest of the way. Rory blushed so red that she was thankful it was dark. She wasn't sure why she felt so nervous at his reaction to seeing her. It's not like this was her first time but yet at the same time it felt like it was. Their lips came together again and she unbuckled his belt. Jess let them fall and stepped out of them as he came back onto the bed to rejoin her.