A/N: I take what feels like forever to update now! I'm so so sorry. I always plan on working on it but then I either get busy or tired from being busy so just be patient. I know my updates have been pretty quick and I'm still here just as invested as all of you so if I don't have a new chapter up as fast as I usually would, know there *will* be one soon still. Hopefully this chapter is a reward for your patience.

"Are you sure?" Jess said into his phone. "I bet I could make up some excuse to get us both of it if I think fast enough."

"No," Rory smiled softly. "I'm already on my way anyway."

"What?" He asked. "I told you I'd come pick you up."

"Its not that far of a walk, Jess," she defended.

He let out a dry laugh. "But still. You're making me look bad, Ror."

She laughed, too. "That's doubtful. I can't see anything being able to make you look bad."

He smirked into the phone and whispered. "Is that a reference to last night I hear?"

Jess imagines the bright shade of red Rory would turn into as she walked closer in his direction. "No."

"Liar," he replied.

"I just meant -" she stopped than started again. "You're playing me, aren't you?"

"Nah," he lied.

"You want to hear me say it," she challenged.

Jess shrugged with his smirk in place. "Maybe."

"Fine," Rory said. She lowered her voice when she said her next sentence. "You never look bad, whether its clothed or not."

He stayed silent as he stood still not far from the diner. Jess hadn't even begun walking to Liz's since he was gonna walk Rory there. After a shuffle of his feet, he spoke again. "Now you're making me really want to cancel even more than I wanted to already."

Rory laughed, back to her usual volume. "We're going, Jess."

Before he could comment, Jess noticed Rory walking toward him. He watched her as she moved across the square. She gave him a smile. "Wow."

She ducked her head down. "I have to go. I see my date."

"Date, huh?" He smirked. "Is he good looking?"

"He's okay," she answered for his benefit. Jess laughed and she waved at him. "Be right there."

They hung up once she was closer. As soon as he could, Jess wrapped his arms around Rory's waist and pulled her to him. "Hi."

"Hi," she breathed.

Rory wrapped her arms around him as well while he nudged her nose with his. "I missed you."

"Me, too," she blushed. "We haven't seen each other since -"

"Last night," he finished. "Or this morning, if you want to be specific."

"Do you think, that maybe -" she started.

Jess tugged her closer to him. "Think what?"

"Can I stay with you tonight?" She peered at him from underneath her eyelashes with her blue eyes.

He stared at her back with the same seriousness she held in her eyes. "You don't even need to ask."

"Good," she smiled and closed her eyes only to reopen them a second later. "We should go."

Jess just nodded and untangled his arms from around her. His hand kept in contact with hers still and they started walking together with their hands between them. The walk was quiet and Jess occasionally stole glances at Rory. She looked nervous.

"You okay?" He asked.

She nodded too fast. "Yeah. I'm good."

"My offer still stands to get us out of this," he told her.

Rory smiled softly and looked over at him for a moment. "No, its okay. Your sister would be sad."

Jess nodded in agreement. He hated to disappoint Doula as much as he hated to disappoint Luke or Rory. "You sure?"

"Yeah," she squeezed his hand in assurance.

He didn't quite believe her, though. "Rory, you look like you're going to trial. You can't be fine."

She bit her lip nervously. "You'll think its stupid."

"Tell me anyway," he encouraged.

"This is the first time I'm really meeting your mom," she explained.

Jess was confused. "Didn't you meet her years ago? And go to all these family functions with her?"

"Well, yeah," she gestured with her free hand. "But tonight, I officially meet her as her son's girlfriend."

Jess held in a laugh. "That's what you're worried about?"

Rory nodded. "I knew you'd think it's stupid."

They stopped walking and Liz's house was in sight. Jess stood in front of her and held her both her hands now. "I don't think its stupid."

"Then what?" She asked. "You obviously are thinking something."

"Yeah, I am," he agreed. Rory waited as patiently ad she could for him to continue. "I'm thinking you've already met Liz countless times. And that she loves you. Liz has never really known any girl I've been involved with but she knows you."

"What if she thinks differently of me now that we're back together?" Rory asked quietly. "Does she know our history?"

Jess shrugged. "She knows we dated and it didn't work out."

"That's it?" She continued. "Not any details?"

"Why are you even worried?" He asked her. "I'm the one who fucked up the first time around. If anything, she'd love you more than me if she knew."

Rory rolled her eyes in disbelief. "I doubt it."

"She knows you better than she knows me," he simply said. "Liz would kick my ass for leaving you like Jimmy left her."

"Jess..." She whispered.

Jess started his walk again towards the house and held onto Rory's hand. She shruggled to keep up with him. "Don't worry, it'll be fine."

"That wasn't what I -" she took a deep breath and scrambled in front of him. The door was right there now. Jess stared at her, waiting. "You're not Jimmy, Jess. You need to know that. You're not your father."

Jess was about to disagree when the door opened and TJ, Jess' step-father stood in front of them. "Well, looky here."

The two of them turned to him and erased the serious words from their expressions. Rory gave a big smile and Jess was his usual self to TJ. "Are we late?"

"You're right on time," TJ ushered them inside. "Come on. It feels nippy out there."

Jess held back a laugh at the word nippy and Rory noticed his laughing eyes. She nudged him with her elbow. "Where's Liz?"

"In the kitchen," TJ pointed over his shoulder with his thumb to show them where. "She said with the extra guests, it needed to be perfect."

"Oh, she doesn't have to do that for us," Rory said.

"Its no problem," TJ waved it off. "Liz loves to cook. Sometimes she likes to cook foods that'll turn us on so much that -"

"Whoa!" Jess shut his eyes to erase the images. "Don't need to hear about that, TJ."

"What?" TJ asked. He really didn't know what he did wrong and Jess found that to be the worst of all. Rory held back a snicker beside him.

"Just...shut up, TJ," he said as calmly as he could. Jess wasn't really sure what the protocol for telling your stepfather to not talk about him and your mother's sex life was.

TJ shrugged his shoulders, not understanding and shouted. "Lizzie! They're here!"

Rory squeezed Jess' hand again and gave him a small smile. He smiled his own back at her when Liz came out of the kitchen, a towel in her hands to dry them off. "Baby! Hello!"

"Liz," he groaned. Rory smiled big at his embarrassment. She thought it was adorable.

Liz walked right up to him and pulled Jess into a hug. "What? I can't call my baby 'baby'?"

Jess groaned again but hugged his mom back. "Oh, geez."

TJ looked over at Rory who now stood there alone since Jess' hand had left hers to return the hug. "Rory! You're the spitting image of your mother, I tell you."

"Thank you," she nodded at him.

Liz finally let Jess go and TJ continued. "I tell you, quick look, and I would have thought little Jess here brought Lorelai over for dinner."

"Jesus," he muttered under his breath then spoke up. "Doula upstairs?"

"She's getting ready," Liz confirmed. "I should go get her now actually. She'd be sad she missed her big brother's arrival."

"I can get her," Rory suggested.

Liz's eyes lit up. "Oh, would you? Last room on the right."

Rory nodded and Jess pleaded a silent look to not leave him down there alone. She kissed his cheek and gave him an apologetic smile before she turned up the steps. When she reached the last room on the right, Rory tapped on the door just loud enough to get Doula's attention.

"Who is it?" The little girl asked on the other side.

"Rory," she answered. "Can I come in?"

Slowly the door opened and Doula looked up at Rory from inside her room as if she was inspecting her. "Hello, Rory."

She smiled at her formality. "Hello, Doula. Your mom wants you come down because Jess and I just got here."

Doula's face brightened. "He's here now?"

"Right downstairs," Rory nodded.

"Okay," the little girl said. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared right into Rory's eyes. "First things first, though. We need to talk."

"Okay," Rory nodded again. "What about?"

"You're dating my brother," Doula said.

Rory couldn't help but smile. "Yes, I am."

"My brother doesn't date," she stated. "Besides you and...well, there was someone else for a while there. But generally, he doesn't date."

Rory's smile faded. This was a sister version of hurt-him-and-you-die. She decided to be honest with the young girl in front of her. "I'm in love with him."

Doula nodded, arms still crossed. "Does he know?"

"Yes," Rory answered.

"He's always loved you, you know," she pointed out. "For as long as I can remember, he has been. Even when he was with the other girl."

A second mention of the other girl and Rory really wondered who she was. But the words coming out of Jess' sister's mouth surprised her. "He has?"

"Like you don't know," Doula responded.

"I - he told me but I wasn't sure," her mouth opened and closed. "I always thought he would move on."

"He did and he didn't," she shrugged. Rory wanted to laugh at how she did that just like Jess. "I want you to promise me you won't hurt him."

"I won't," she shook her head. "I don't plan on it."

"Nobody plans on it," Doula said. "But they do, anyway."

Rory froze, thinking of Philadelphia and Dean and going off to Washington. "How much do you know of our history?"

"Not much," she answered. "But enough. I'm still waiting for your promise."

"You know, he did his own share of hurting, too," Rory said. She hasn't meany to say that, especially to his sister but it came out as she thought of the past.

"I do know," Doula confirmed. "And I'll get to him. But right now, I'm asking you, woman to woman, to not break my brother's heart."

Rory nodded and shuffled her feet. She looked back up at the eight year old in front of her, who seemed so much smarter than her and older than her real age. She couldn't not say what she asked for. "I promise."

A light knocking on the door and it swung open. Jess stood there with a curious expression on his face. "Liz wanted to know what was taking so long."

"Jess!" Doula ran to him and hugged him tightly to her. Rory gave him a reassuring smile and he smiled back. She pulled back and looked at her brother. "We were just having a girl talk."

...

Dinner was all right. Liz didn't dare to bring up Jess' childhood years and he tried to hold back any comments he wanted to add. TJ leaned back in his chair, patting his stomach. "I'm full. That food was fannnnn-tastic, Lizzie."

Liz smiled at her husband. "Thank you, baby."

Jess made a face and Rory giggled low at him. She reached across and grabbed his hand, catching Doula's attention. TJ stood out of his chair, a loud squeak sounded as it skid across the floor. "How about I do the dishes for you, let you all catch up?"

Liz smiled huge at her husband as he too their plates and carried them off. Jess put her elbows on the table. "We don't have to catch up, you know."

"Oh pfft," Liz waved off. "I want to know everything."

Rory held back a blush. "There's not much. I come here and I go back to Philly. I edit books and release the zine then I come back here."

"What are you editing?" Liz asked.

Jess shrugged. "A friend asked me to edit something so I'm working on that."

"Are you writing?" Rory found herself asking before she thought it through.

He looked over at her now. "Some. Here and there."

Liz's eyes lit up. "Really? When can I read it?"

"It's not even a book yet," Jess said. "Its just some ramblings."

Rory smiled at him. "I'm sure it will be a book, though."

"Maybe," he shrugged.

Doula watched him shut down slightly when asked about his writing. She decided to interrupt. "Jess, are you coming back here again soon? To stay?"

"Uh -" he started then looked over at Rory and remembered a conversation quite early this morning, under the cover of blankets and the moon. "Actually, no. I was thinking about going to New York for a bit."

"New York?!" Doula shouted.

Liz gasped. "What about your job?"

"I can do my job anywhere probably," he replied. "I don't have to write and edit in an exact place."

"But you pretty much run the place," Liz said. "They'll be okay?"

Jess pretended to think before answering. "Yeah. They'll be fine."

Doula watched Rory watch her brother and connected the dots. "You live in New York. Don't you?"

Rory was surprised she was being asked questions right then. She quickly recovered and replied, "I do, as a matter of fact."

"You're making him leave, aren't you?" Doula accused.

"Doula, no -"

"I'm going to New York because I want to," Jess explained. "Rory didn't even ask me to."

"Sweetheart," Liz said and Jess tried to hide his flinch as he remembered when he was little and she called him the exact word she now called his sister. "Your brother is a grown man and he's in a relationship. He's bound to want to see her occasionally."

"More than he wants to see me?" She yelled. "Why is she so important? She broke his heart!"

Rory now was the one who flinched. Jess recovered faster than her. "She's important because I love her. And I want to go with her and actually spend time with my girlfriend."

"Sure," Doula continued loudly. "Because girlfriends are more important than sisters. I guess as long as you're sleeping with someone, they're important!"

"Doula!" Liz yelled. "That is enough. Go upstairs right now and stay in there until I come."

Doula huffed then stormed off. She stomped her feet all the way up the steps then slammed the door as loud as she could. Rory jumped in her seat at the sound. Jess turned to his mother, apologetic. "I didn't mean for her to find out like this. I was gonna ease her into it."

"Its okay," Liz said. "She just misses you. And she loves when we go visit you or you visit us."

"That doesn't have to change," he told her.

"I know," she smiled softly. "But she doesn't."

TJ walked out of the kitchen with an energetic expression on his face. "Hey, what'd I miss?"

...

Jess knocked on the familiar door with his knuckles. The sound was low but loud enough for the occupant to hear. He opened the door just enough to peek inside and saw Doula sitting on her bed, surrounded by pillows and holding a stuffed bunny. She looked up when he opened the door further. "Hey."

"I don't want to talk to you," she turned to the window.

"Okay," he put his hands in surrender. "I'll talk, then."

She turned her face back to him and waited. Jess shut the door behind him then went to sit on the edge of the bed. He was quiet at first but when he finally spoke again, his voice was calm.

"Downstairs," he started. "What you said was out of line. I'm not saying that to make you feel bad even though I can't help but think you said those things to make me feel bad. But it wasn't okay, Doula, and you need to know that."

"That's why you're here?" She asked. "To defend your girlfriend's honor?"

"No," he sighed. "I'm here because you also need to know that I'm not choosing her over you. And I wish you wouldn't think that's what's happening."

She sat up straighter. "Then what is?"

"I have loved Rory for a long time," he explained. "And I know she broke my heart. I broke hers, too. But right now, me and her have a chance. And of all the reasons for it not to work, I don't want not living near each other to be one of them."

"Where's the part where you're not choosing her over me?" Doula asked curiously. She had calmed down since dinner but she still felt hurt by his decision to move to be with Rory but he didn't move to be with her.

"Did you know New York is closer than Philadelphia?" He asked. Doula shook her head. "It is. So really, if I go with her, I'll be closer to you than before and I can visit more often."

Her voice was low and skeptical. "Really?"

"Really," he smiled at her. "So instead of yelling about me choosing her, think of the bonuses. And besides, I thought you liked Rory. You invited her to dinner."

"That was before I knew you'd move away from work to be with her but not me," she replied.

"Come on," he pleaded. "What did we just go through? I'll see you more this way."

"Okay," she reluctantly agreed. "But I like Philly. I like going down there to see you. I like when Uncle Luke comes and April visits. I like that place and I like you there."

"I'll still be there," he said. "I'm not moving for good. I need to go back there once in a while probably."

"So why go at all?" She questioned.

"Because I need to," he replied. "Does that make sense?"

"None at all," she smiled.

He laughed and ruffled her hair. "You'll understand when you're older...much older."

"Whatever you say," she laughed back.

"You know, its easy to forgot you're only eight," Jess mused.

"I may be eight but I'm well read," she said proudly.

He laughed again, glad they were back to normal. "That you definitely are."

...

Back at the apartment, Rory came out of the bathroom dressed in her pajamas. Jess smirked when he saw her. "What?"

"Cute pj's," he simply said.

Rory looked down at her flannel pajamas with puppies over them. "They're comfy."

"They're very sexy," he smirked.

She walked closer to him and he put his hands on her hips. "My mom is worried about me staying here."

"How come?" He kept smirking.

Rory gave him a look. "You know why."

"Does she know we're adults?" He asked. "Because you'd thinks she noticed."

"I think she's just in denial about you and me, alone," she whispered the last part. "Probably taking clothes off."

He looked at her in mock surprise. "Is that we're gonna do?"

"Maybe," she smiled. "Probably. Definitely."

"Good," he nodded as he ran his fingers over the collar of her top and left a trail to the top button. "Because we'd be wasting a perfectly good nice night alone."

She held his eyes with her own, her fingers playing with the hair behind his head. "Really? Because if I remember correctly, you decided to come home with me."

"I'm home with you now, too," he whispered and leaned forward to kiss her neck.

Rory closed her eyes and made a sound. The sound just made Jess continue more and more as he left a trail of kisses now to the button. When his mouth reached the skin above the fabric, Jess removed his fingers from her waist and undid the button. He kissed each inch of skin as he opened each button one by one. Her fingers dug into his hair and more sounds erupted from her.

When Jess got down to the very last button, he looked up at Rory. Her eyes were closed and her head leaned back. Her upper teeth was cutting into her lower lip as if to hold in any sounds she wanted to make. He slowly opened it, threading the button backwards through the hole and kissed her belly button.

Her eyes opened and looked down at him. Jess moved her top open more, just enough it was still on her shoulders but that he still got a pretty good look at her. "Jess?"

"Hmm?" He murmered.

"If I'm gonna be topless," she warned. "Then maybe we should be equal."

"I can agree with that," he whispered and leaned in to kiss her lips now.

The kiss was soft, gentle. His hands moved to cradle her face and her arms wrapped tighter around his neck. Rory felt his tongue and deepened it, touching his with her own. He groaned and moved his hands to her lower back and pulled her closer to him.

She broke the kiss first. Her hands went to the bottom of his T-shirt and curled it into a ball in her fist. Jess watched her as she made the decision to pull it over his head. Jess held his arms up for her then captured her lips back to his. Rory's hands held his back, her fingers trailing his back muscles. She liked the way they felt under her palm. As much as she had liked the way Jess felt in high school, she had to admit she very much liked how he felt now.

Jess backed them up enough that his legs hit the bed and Rory fell on top of him. She laughed for a second before his lips took hers again. His hands went to her shoulders and pushed the sleeves down. She wiggled out of her pajama shirt and his mouth left hers and trailed kisses down her chest again.

Her hands roamed his front now. They inched towards his belt, he still was wearing his clothes from the dinner. His mouth stilled, right next to her bra, as she undid the metal. Jess moved his hips up so she could take the belt off completely. Rory threw it on the ground, happy to be rid of it.

Next, Jess slid two fingers under each of her bra straps, peeling them off her skin. He slid each one down, kissing her shoulders in the process. His hands moved down to the bra cup and he pushed them as down as he could, kissing her there too. Rory closed her eyes again and once again bit her lip. She made a squeak when his tongue darted over her skin and left a delicious wet trail over her.

When she couldn't take anymore teasing, Rory reached her fingers behind her and undid her own bra. It fell from her and was quickly forgotten about.

...

Jess rolled over in his sleep and where he expected Rory to be was empty. He sat up and looked around for her. She was nowhere he could see so he pulled his boxers back on and started walking through the apartment. Rory sat on the couch, her legs curled up to her and she only wore the shirt he wore to the dinner the previous night.

"Ror?" He asked.

She looked over at him and a smile came to her face. "Hey."

"What are you doing up?" He walked to the couch and sat on the other side.

"Couldn't sleep," she said.

"Something wrong?" He asked. Jess was curious to what would keep her awake. In his opinion, they had an amazing night.

She shrugged. "Just thinking."

He sighed and put his hand on her bare knee. "Something must be bothering you."

"Its nothing," she told him. He gave her a look and Rory continued. "I'm thinking about Doula."

"Doula?" He asked then it clicked. "You're worried about leaving?"

"Not about leaving," she shook her head sadly. "About taking you with me."

"Why would that worry you?" He teased. "Afraid well grow tired of each other?"

"Was she right?" Rory asked.

He turned serious. He knew what she was asking about. "Yes."

"So I did break your heart?" She said with a humorless look on her face. "I always imagined I did but imagining is so much different than hearing your boyfriend's sister yell it, isn't it?"

"Why are you thinking about this?" He asked.

"Because I called my mom when I woke up," she sniffed. "She told me how both of us broke each other's hearts and how we love each other and the past doesn't matter."

"Well as much as the earth might explode when I say this," he replied. "But Lorelai's right."

"God, I know that," she groaned. "But why, if it doesn't matter so much, why does it always come back to haunt us? I mean, Jesus, Jess. Your sister even knows!"

"She doesn't know," he said much more sharply than he'd intended. He calmed his voice down once he realized how he sounded. "She just knows what I was like when I missed you."

"I leave tomorrow," she stated.

He felt the need to correct her. "We leave tomorrow."

"I think you should stay," she told him. "Spend time with Doula. I don't want to take you away from her."

"You're not," he stressed the word not. "If anything, you're bringing me closer."

"She hates me," Rory commented.

"No, she doesn't," Jess shook his head.

"She does," she nodded. "At least as your girlfriend, she does."

Jess inched closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. "Come on. Let's go back to bed. I'm sure once you sleep, you'll feel better."

"I did sleep," she said. "I mean, we even had sex. Yet these thoughts are all I can think no matter what I do."

"Sleep," he demanded. "For me."

He pulled her up from the couch, arms still around her and they walked back to the bed. "Jess?"

"Yeah?" He tucked her into the bed and crawled in himself on the other side.

"I really do want you to come," Rory moved herself to him and laid her head on his chest.

"Good," Jess smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Because I'm coming whether or not you want me to and if you said no, it might have gotten awkward."

Rory laughed and he felt his heart tighten. He hated seeing her curled on the couch looking so sad. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he whispered into her ear as he held her close to him. "And don't worry about earlier. Really. I talked to her and she's better about it now."

"You sure?" She asked.

He nodded into her hair. "I'm sure."

"Okay," she whispered then louder. "Okay."

"Rory?" Now he had a question to ask.

She snuggled closer. "Uh-huh?"

"Did you ever ask your mother what your grandmother said after dinner?"

"Oh, that," she laughed. "Apparently, Grandma asked her why Luke can't be more like you and send flowers."

Jess tried not to laugh. "Seriously?"

She laughed harder and nodded. "Mom got annoyed because Luke deals with so much from her and if all things, that's what she pointed out."

"So it wasn't about..." He trailed off.

"You and me?" She finished and felt him nod. "No. Unless Mom hid it from me which I don't think she did."

"That's a pretty funny one," he said. "And not even about us, not really."

"It is nice to not have her completely hate us together," she smiled.

"I wouldn't go that far," Jess kissed her hair and with one last laugh, Rory closed her eyes and went to sleep, snuggled into her

boyfriend's arms.