Rory held onto Jess' hand as they walked back into the dining area of the inn after seeing Dean. Lorelai gave her a look of wonder and her daughter just nodded at her. They stood nearby everyone while they chatted and talked amongst themselves.

Sookie clapped and everyone turned to her. "Wait! Rory, didn't you have news to tell us?"

"That's right," Lorelai pointed. "You said at dinner."

Rory nodded nervously. She had never liked being the center of attention. "I do have news."

Lorelai used the finger that had been pointed at her daughter and flicked it back and forth between Rory and Jess. "Is this a you two thing or -?"

"No marriage," Rory laughed.

Jess added, "No pregnancy, either."

Lorelai sighed in relief. "Thank God. I couldn't handle it if my youngest and my genadchild were close in age."

"Its none of that," Rory confirmed. "Its actually just a me thing."

Luke walked over to his wife. "Good thing?"

"Very good," Jess nodded and nudged her.

"I have been promoted to New York Times editor," Rory proudly said to everyone.

"Oh my god!" Lorelai gasped and moved to hug her daughter. "That's amazing!"

"I know," Rory hugged her back. "They asked me earlier than this but I actually finally took the job."

"What took so long?" Luke asked as he moved to hug her. He knew as well as anyone what that job would mean to her.

When the hug was finished, she shook her head and answered. "I actually made a pro-con list. This is probably more work. I'll be checking everyone's articles and placing it is harder than it looks."

"You'll do amazing," Jess told her with a smile.

She smiled back at him and it almost felt like they were the only two people in the room. "Thank you."

"This is a cause for more celebration," Sookie said as each person took their turns hugging Rory and wishing her congratulations.

"I'll get champagne," Lane said as she walked to the kitchen with her husband on her heels.

"I'll get the glasses, " Zach said.

"We don't have to celebrate," Rory told them.

"Of course we do," Luke told her.

Jess nodded in agreement and hugged Rory to him by the waist once everyone was done coming up to her. "Let us celebrate you for once, okay?"

"Fine," she replied and he kissed her cheek.

Lane and Zach soon returned with the champagne and glasses. Every adult held their glass up high as they toasted to the holiday and to Rory. Jess laughed when he saw her expression and squeezed her hand comfortly.

...

Rory sat up in Jess' bed, the sheets up to her waist, wearing his old Metallica shirt. He laughed when she found it and had suggested wearing it. He wasn't even sure why he kept it. Maybe it was the memories, maybe he just still thought it brought out his eyes.

She looked down at Jess who laid beside her and was half-asleep. He had looked so peaceful like that so she was almost afraid to bother him. Rory put her hands through his hair, feeling it slide against her fingers.

"I like your hair like this better," she commented.

His eyes opened and he turned to her. "Hmm?"

"Your hair," she repeated. "I like it like this compared to how it was in high school."

"Oh, that," he laughed.

"Yes, that," she smiled and kept her fingers in his hair. "All that gel and product. You were a regular Jesse Katsopolis."

"I didn't talk to my hair in the morning," he remarked.

"Oh?" She smiled teasingly. "I could have sworn I saw a morning pep talk."

"You're imagining things," he told her.

"Like what you said earlier?" She asked. "In the diner."

Jess sighed and briefly closed his eyes. He knew exactly what she was talking about without asking. "It just came out."

She nodded. "So its not..its not something you've thought about?"

"Honestly?" Jess blew out a breath. "I don't know."

Rory made a confused face. "You don't know if you've thought about a family?"

"I don't know if I thought of a family with you," he corrected.

"Oh, that makes me feel so much better," she replied sarcastically.

"You know I don't mean it like that," he explained and sat up too. "You and me...I didn't actually expect us to have a future."

"Gee, thanks," she moved her hand away from this hair and crossed her arms.

"You mean you thought we did?" He questioned. "After I left or what happened at your dorm? Better yet, when you married Logan, you thought we had a future?"

"Fine, you have a point," Rory sighed. "But still. When we were together, you planned on being with me. Twenty two point eight miles."

He chuckled. "I wasn't exactly thinking of having kids when I was eighteen."

She chuckled this time. "I guess I wasn't, either."

Jess turned himself in the sheets. "I got an idea. We talk about this tomorrow, I promise. But now, we sleep."

"No," she pouted. "If we don't talk about it now, you're gonna find some way out of it."

"There's nothing to talk about," he said and leaned off of the headboard. "It was a slip."

"Jess," she said. "When you said that, it got me thinking."

"About what?" He asked.

"Us," Rory his her eyes as she answered. "I mean, I know I want kids. I've known it since I found out I was pregnant all those years ago."

"And?" He waited.

"And I love you," she finally looked up and gave him a small smile. "I love you more than I thought was possible. And maybe, someday...it'd be nice, in my opinion, at least..."

Jess smirked at her. "Are you telling me you would want to have kids with me?"

"Only if you would want to," Rory backtracked. "Because if you don't, then this is horribly embarrassing."

He shrugged, keeping a pretense of not caring. "I guess, if you wanted it..."

"You're really saying this?" She asked seriously. "You really would want a family with me?"

"Ror, do you remember what I told you that stupid night in your dorm room?" He asked and she nodded. "I told you I knew we were supposed to be together. And now that I have you again, I'd want the whole package. Maybe not a white picket fence because we live in New York but..."

He was interrupted by his girlfriend's lips on his. Jess instantly reacted, his hands coming towards her face. They cupped her cheeks and she crawled out of her space on the bed to move closer to him.

When she pulled away first, Rory's hands were on both aides of Jess' face as his hands moved to her back. "You mean that? I'm not being crazy or bringing this up way too early or just pushing you -"

"No," Jess smiled softly at her. "Well, I mean, yes, you're crazy but I don't think anything can technically be too early for us."

The smile spread widely on Rory's face. "Really?"

"Yeah," he replied. "I'm not saying, right this second. But yeah, in the future, down the road...it could be nice."

She kissed him again. This time was sweeter, more delicate. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he smiled.

"Okay," she said and snuggled back down to the pillow. "Now you can sleep."

"Not so fast," Jess said and she looked up at him. "You didn't want me to sleep so I suggest you make this worth my while."

She laughed. "You mean planning our future isn't worth it?"

"It will be," he said. "In the future. Now, I have another suggestion."

Rory raised her eyebrow at him but didn't move otherwise. "What's that?"

"We practice on practicing," he answered simply.

"I'm going to sleep," she told him. "We can practice on practicing tomorrow."

He pouted sadly. "That's not fair."

She mimicked his sad face. "It's what's happening."

"Fine," he scooted down to his own pillow again. "But I won't be happy about it."

Rory laughed and kissed his cheek. "I wouldn't expect any differently."

They laid back down, her back to his chest. Jess wrapped his arms around her small frame, pulling her towards him. She sighed deeply as she put her own arms over his and caressed his hands.

"Jess?" She whispered.

His breath moved on her neck as he replied. "Yeah?"

"I'm really glad we're back together," she said. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too," he replied. "More than just that month."

Her voice was even lower when she spoke again. She was almost on the verge of tears. "Me, too."

Jess kissed her shoulder through the T-shirt and wrapped his arms a little tighter around her. Rory closed her eyes and smiled before finally reaching slumber.

...

The next morning, Jess packed what they had of their stuff away while Rory went to go see her mom. Before she left, she told him what she had planned to do. He let her do her own thing, understanding when she said she needed to do it alone.

"Rory!" Lorelai said happily when her daughter was at the door. "I thought I was coming to Luke's to say goodbye."

"This isn't goodbye," Rory shook her head. "I have to tell you something."

"Okay," Lorelai said slowly. "You seem serious. Is it serious?"

"Very," Rory nodded and looked toward her old room. "Where's Evan?"

"With Luke and surprisingly his grandmother," she answered.

"Okay, good," she said to herself.

"Rory?" Lorelai watched her carefully. "What's going on? Are you okay, hun? Maybe you shouldn't leave today if you're not okay."

"I'm okay," she told her mother.

She didn't buy it. "Did you and Jess fight again? You seemed happy last night at dinner."

"We didn't fight," she shook her head.

Lorelai's shoulders sagged in confusion. "Well, what then?"

"You should sit," Rory instructed and Lorelai did as she was told. "Do you remember that car accident me and Logan got into a few years back?"

"The one after that party," Lorelai nodded, still confused as to why she was bringing that up. "I raced to the hospital and you were tired and didn't want company."

"There was a reason I didn't want company," Rory looked down at the ground and held onto the chair in front of her. She wasn't even sure how she was still standing but she knew if she sat, she'd have to look in her mother's eyes.

The older Gilmore waited. "Was it me?"

"Not entirely," she replied. "I don't know how to - I don't know if I can do this."

"Do what?" Lorelai asked. "I'm sorry, honey, bit I'm really confused right now. You're telling me about a car accident from years ago with your ex-husband."

Rory sighed, trying to remember the courage she mustered to tell Jess. Her fingers gripped the chair harder. Why was this harder than telling Jess? It was still saying the words out loud. The words she had only said to two people - Logan and her doctor.

The conversation last night replayed in her mind. Jess admitted he would want a family with her and it brought back how her and Logan never actually talked about a family until she discovered she was pregnant. Rory took a deep breath and slowly got the words out.

"The night of the accident, I was pregnant," she said and watched Lorelai's face change. It went from surprise to shock to horror then finally to sadness. "I was only a couple of months along when I lost it."

Lorelai's voice was very quiet when she talked. "Was - was the accident how -?"

"Yes," Rory said.

"Um," Lorelai was speechless. If it had been any other time, she'd have made a joke about it. "You were pregnant?"

A nod. "Yes."

Lorelai sat there as she processed. Her daughter watched her in silence, still behind the chair and holding on. "Say something."

"Hold on," she said then slower in a low voice. "You lost the baby because of the accident."

"Logan had been drinking that night," Rory shuffled her feet. "And we were sort of arguing a little in the car."

"So if he hadn't been drinking..." She trailed off, afraid to say what her daughter had obviously been thinking.

"Probably not, no," she finished.

Lorelai nodded slowly. Her expression was off in a distance and she looked over at her daughter. The expression on her face was unreadable but readable at the same time. She saw the pain at remembering that night written all over it.

When Rory finally noticed her mom look up at her, she broke. Tears spilled and she started to tell her everything. How Logan told her they would put off talk about kids so he could get the business started and finding out she was late.

She told Lorelai about going to see her doctor and waiting in that room. Then about when she received the phone call that told her she was pregnant and how she'd wanted to tell her mother but Logan wanted them to wait.

Words flowed out and continued as Rory explained the night of the accident, they'd made the decision to tell her mother about the baby. She told her about how after the accident, Logan seemed as upset as she had been and made a promise to not drink anymore.

Each time he drank, she was explaining, she'd remember laying in that bed, in the hospital gown as her doctor came in and explained to her her baby was gone. The small, tiny defenseless baby she'd gotten used to having with her in that short time was gone.

Rory recalled crying in the bed so much that her doctor left her and she didn't stop crying. She explained touching her stomach and that just flowed the tears more. Eventually, her doctor had come back, telling her that the accident and the miscarriage wouldn't affect her chances of getting pregnant again.

She explained the state of mind she was in when Lorelai had walked in the door. Rory had been numb, at best. She told her how Logan started drinking again and he tried to pretend he didn't. She smelled it all over him when he came home or she did laundry. He wasn't hiding it as well as he'd thought.

By the time she had said all she could, Rory was all cried out. Lorelai had begun crying around the parts about the doctor in the story. Paul Anka had joined them and kissed both of them as much as he could. Then she hugged her daughter tightly as they both cried and mourned one's child and the other's grandchild.

...

Evan dug into his ice cream sundae he'd gotten from Taylor's soda shoppe happily. His legs swung from the stool and Jess smiled at his little cousin. He seemed so happy.

Luke strolled up to his son and nephew. "Where's Lorelai and Rory? I thought they were coming."

"They'll be here," Jess answered.

"What time are the two of you leaving?" Emily asked from the other side of Evan. How they'd managed to get her on a stool, none of them knew.

"In a few hours," Jess checked his watch. They'd have to leave later than planned if she was gone much longer. He knew what she was doing though so he didn't exactly blame her either.

"They should get here on time," Emily continued. "Doesn't Lorelai understand that?"

"With all due respect," Jess said. "Maybe they actually a reason for not being here."

"And what would that reason be?" She waited. "There's something more important than being with your family?"

"Its not my thing to say," he said. "And they are with family. They just need a little time."

"Is everything okay?" Luke asked.

Jess shook his head but not as no, instead to shake off questions. "Everything's fine."

Emily huffed. "Am I not family enough for their moment then?"

"You'll find out when they tell you," he said.

She gasped in surprise. "Well, I never!"

"What's wrong with mommy?" Evan asked.

"Nothings wrong with your mom," Luke told him. "She's gonna be here soon with Rory and you can see her."

"Can I go see Doula?" He asked once his ice cream got lower.

He looked around for someone to take him and he sighed when no one was there and he needed to watch the diner. Jess got off of his stool. "I'll take him."

"You sure?" Luke asked. "They could be here any second."

"Its fine," Jess waved it off. He wanted Rory take as much time as she needed and he wanted to get out from under Emily Gilmore's watchful eye.

"Okay," Luke said and Jess grabbed Evan's jacket in one hand and his cousin's hand in the other.

"I'll be back," Jess said as he opened the door.

Emily turned to her son-in-law with a look of distaste. "Has he not learned manners yet?"

"He's learned them," Luke replied. "Something's going on, though."

"Something like what?" She asked curiously. "Is everything all right with my daughter and my granddaughter?"

"I think they're fine," Luke said then corrected. "They're probably better than fine. I just have this feeling something's going on Jess knows about but won't tell me."

She probably would have rolled her eyes right then if she hadn't started to pick up his worry. "Can't yoy just ask him?"

"You can't just ask Jess anything," he commented. "Maybe I'm worrying for nothing."

"I sure hope so," she said. "Otherwise, they have quite the explaining to do."

...

Jess tapped on the door and within seconds of the light second, the door opened. TJ stood there grinning ear to ear. "Liz! You got company!"

"What if I came to see you, TJ?" Jess asked politely.

He laughed. "Are you?"

"Nope," Jess smirked. "I'm actually here for this guy."

"Hey, Evan!" TJ crouched down to his height level and smiled brightly.

"Daddy says you're a doody face," Evan replied which made TJ frown and Jess hold his lips in a tight line to not boil over with laughter.

Liz came to the door excitedly and looked between her husband, son, and nephew. "What's going on?"

Jess pulled Evan forward with his hand. "This guy wants to see Doula."

"Oh, great!" She clapped. "Doula is in need of some cheering up today. She's sad that you'll be leaving again soon."

"Well, maybe I can see her for a little bit, too," he smiled at his mom.

The married couple moved aside and let Jess and Evan in. Liz put her hand on Jess' arm and stopped him for a hug. "Its really good to see you, baby."

"Yeah, you too, Liz," he said.

Doula walked into the room and saw the two guests. She smiled happily and ran up to Jess and hugged his legs. "You came!"

"For a little bit," he patted her hair. "Evan wanted to come over."

"Cool!" She let go of him. "Come on, dad bought me drums."

She ran back to the living room with Evans on her heels and Liz smiled at them. Jess gave her a questioning look. "Drums?"

"She wanted them!" TJ exclaimed. "How could I say no?"

"He has a hard time telling her no," Liz pointed out in the general.

Jess nodded. "This should be entertaining."

It was ten minutes later that there was a knock on the door. Liz went to open it while Jess sat perched on the couch with Evan. Doula slammed loudly on the drums and he hoped he wouldn't lose his ears over this. TJ had left to pick up some breakfast at Liz's suggestion.

"Rory!" Liz said happily once the door was opened. Jess turned his head at her name.

"Hey, Liz," she said. "Luke told me Jess and my brother are here so I wanted to stop by."

"Oh, that's fantastic!" She exclaimed. "I get to see both of you before you head off to New York!"

The two of them walked in the living room and Doula stopped drumming. She stared at the girl who had just arrived. It wasn't a mean stare but instead it looked like a sad one.

"Does Jess have to leave now?" Doula asked quietly.

"No, not yet," Jess informed her.

Rory took off her coat and sat down on the couch. She lifted Evan up and sat him on her lap. "I'm too old for laps!"

"Never," she smiled and kissed his head which made the little boy groan. She turned to the little girl in the room. "I'm just here for a visit."

"Why not visit your mom?" She asked. "Or Lane? You have all the time in the world and I don't."

Jess sighed and leaned forward. "Doula."

"I just want time with my brother," she admitted.

"I can go," Rory said.

"Do I have to go, too?" Evan asked her. "I want to stay."

"You can stay," she smiled at her brother.

"You both can stay," Liz stepped forward. "Doula, why don't you come with me real quick?"

The little girl nodded and stepped off her drums. She took her mother's hand and they walked off into another room.

"She still hates me," Rory sighed.

Jess put his hand on hers. "She doesn't hate you."

"Yes, she does," she said. "She doesn't even want me here."

"That's not true," he shook his head. "She's just protective over me."

"Its not like I'm gonna do anything," Rory said and brushed Evan's hair away from his eyes.

"She thinks she's competing for her brother," Evan commented.

"What?" Rory asked.

"Doula," he nodded.

"Wait," Jess said. "So she just wants more time with me? That's all?"

"Yep," he nodded again. "She told me so last night. She doesn't want you leave."

"So she doesn't hate Rory," Jess commented. "Just that I'm not here."

Evan nodded faster. "Yep. She wishes you lived here, she said."

"I don't live here, buddy," he smoothed down his cousin's hair. "I can't really just pick up and leave, either."

Rory sat there in silence. She began to think about how actually, if Jess wanted to, he could. He told her he could write from anywhere and he technically lived in both Philadelphia and New York City. The logical part of her head screamed that and the selfish part told her be quiet because she loved having him around.

Liz and Doula walked back into the room and the younger girl walked straight to Rory. "I'm sorry, Rory."

"Its okay," she smiled.

"No, its not," Doula said. "I just really miss Jess and I take it out on you because he loves you too."

"Its really okay," Rory told her. "If I had to share Jess with someone who made him move away, I'd do the same thing."

"But you moved him closer and I should be happy," she admitted. "Do you want to play a game with me?"

"Sure," Rory smiled.

Doula raced upstairs and Liz stood in the doorway, watching. Rory moved Evan off of her lap and as she stood, Jess grabbed her hand. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good," she smiled.

"Not juat about this -" he motioned a circle with his hands to indicate Doula. "But with your mom. You told her?"

"I told her," she nodded. "We talked. We cried. I'm okay."

"Okay, good," he let go of her hand and she walked out of the room and up the stairs.

"Why the concerned face?" Liz asked when Rory was gone.

"She just had a rough morning," Jess leaned to the back of the couch. "I wanna make sure she's all right."

"You're a good man, Jess," Liz smiled at her son and touched his cheek lightly then walked out of the room.

...

"I don't want to say goodbye!" Lorelai crushed her daughter to her as close as she could.

"I have to go," Rory laughed. "We need to get on the road."

"Okay, fine," she groaned. "Take me with you!"

"You're seven months pregnant," Jess said which earned him a glare.

"And?"

"And nothing."

"Lorelai, they have to go," Luke said for them. "They really should have left alrrady."

"But I don't want to say goodbye," she whined. "Evan might have been fine telling his sister bye but not me!"

"Even Emily did it," Jess added.

"Mom," she laughed. "I can't breathe."

"Good," Lorelai said. "Stay here and we'll go see a doctor."

"Mom!" She laughed.

"Fine," the older woman pouted and let go. "You saw Lane already?"

"I saw Lane," she nodded. "And Paris is still at the inn for a few more hours. So be nice."

"Is there any other way?" She grinned.

"Come on," Jess said to his girlfriend.

"Once second," Rory held up a finger and moved to hug Luke. "Bye, Luke."

"Bye, Rory," he said and hugged her back. "Be safe."

"Very safe," Lorelai winked.

Rory rolled her eyes thankfully. She was glad that her mother wasn't treating her like a fragile doll after this morning. "We should get going."

Jess stepped forward and hugged Luke quickly then Lorelai, too. Rory smiled at him then they got into the car with one last goodbye.

Jess threaded his fingers with Rory's as they drove. "You excited to go back?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "I start as editor tomorrow. And I have you back with me so there's that."

He smirked at her but didn't turn. "It will be nice to be in the same place again."

"Jess?" She said. Now he turned to look at her. "Thank you for en couraging me. I'm not sure I would have been able to tell my mom today if it hadn't been for you."

"Nah," he said. "That was all you. You didn't need me."

"Yes, I do," she confessed.

He took another quick look at her then back to the road. "You're welcome."

"One more thing," she smiled. "Remember what we talked about earlier? What do you say we practice practicing when we get home?"

"I say that's a great idea," Jess grinned at her and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles.

Rory smiled happily and leaned back in her seat. She was definitely glad to be going home.