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Rory wiped her hands on her legs before ringing the doorbell. She had found another pair of pants in her car but they were still far too casual for the Gilmores, to say nothing of the shirt. Rory waited and a fresh-faced maid opened the door.

"Everyone's in the living room," she said, sounding as though she'd rehearsed the words. "Please come through."

"I'll show myself in," Rory assured her. The maid looked relived and as she hurried away there was a loud exclamation of,

"Rory!"

Rory turned to see Emily striding towards her, saying happily,

"About time! Lorelai said you had some news and –"

The delighted look on her face turned to appalled disgust.

"What in the world are you wearing?"

"Sorry, Grandma," Rory said sheepishly. "I spilled coffee on my blouse."

"So you decided to exchange it for a shirt which says The Beats on it?"

"I'm sorry," Rory said again. "It was all I had in my car and I didn't have time to go home."

Emily frowned. She opened her mouth to ask further when Lorelai emerged, saving her daughter.

"There you are! Come into the living room and tell Mom and Dad your news!"

"Oh yes, of course!" Emily exclaimed, her annoyance forgotten. "We're simply dying to know!"

She ushered Rory into the living room where Richard was sitting, the newspaper in his lap. He put it at aside at the sight of his granddaughter and only raised his eyebrows at her attire.

"Sorry, Grandpa," Rory said awkwardly. "Coffee disaster."

"Mm," Richard said drily. "Still far more tasteful than your mother's shirt which said Porn Star on it."

"Don't start talking about that now!" Emily exclaimed, ushering Rory onto a chair. "Tell us your news!"

"Oh, yes!" Richard echoed, putting the newspaper away. "We're very intrigued!"

Rory looked at her grandparents' excited faces and felt shy for a moment, like when she had told them she was going to Yale. She smiled, took a breath and said,

"You know I had an interview in New York today, for an arts paper. It went very well. They gave me the job and I start in two weeks."

For a moment Emily and Richard simply stared at her. Rory stared back and, just as she was wondering if she should ask if they'd heard, she was deafened by an uproar of delight.

"Oh, Rory!" Emily cried. "We're so proud of you! We just knew you could do it!"

"I'll get the champagne," Richard said, beaming, and as he rose he and Emily went to Rory's side and hugged her, kissing her cheeks.

"Thanks, guys," Rory said, pleasantly embarrassed and Lorelai added,

"Call me crazy, but I think they might be proud of you."

"I'm getting that impression," Rory giggled and they finally pulled away. Richard went to find the champagne and Lorelai added,

"Count me in on that, too. I'm so proud of you, babe."

"Thanks, Mom," Rory said, a little more seriously, and smiled across at her. They sat in silence until Emily said,

"So you'll be moving to New York?"

"It looks that way," Rory said. "It's easier than commuting."

"It's better," Emily said. "Well. I'll have to get used to you not being here again."

There was a sudden pause and Lorelai said gently,

"New York's not very far away, Mom."

Emily nodded and Rory said cheerfully,

"I'll be back for dinner most weeks."

"Can't get rid of her that easily," Lorelai joked and Emily smiled. "Trust me."

Richard returned with the champagne, cheering everyone, and the sadness was forgotten as the cork flew across the room as the bottle was opened. It thankfully didn't break anything and Lorelai and Rory were still giggling when they went in for dinner, Richard complaining about the main course.

"Lettuce again, Emily?" he groaned. "As if one salad isn't enough?"

"It's with chicken!"

"It's the third time this week! All this lettuce is making me feel like a rabbit!"

"Richard, you know what the doctor said about diet! You want to keep in good health, don't you?"

"Yes, but one can still have variety! I feel as though I should be chomping on grass!"

Rory let their argument wash over her and stared at her plate. She picked up her own piece of chicken, wrapped the lettuce around it, and began to chew. Everything today had been so sudden that she hadn't stopped to think about the changes her job would bring, the strangeness of not being home. Rory had got used to going to dinner every Friday again and, although she'd assured Emily nothing would change, she knew at the back of her mind it would. It suddenly felt frightening.

"Richard, if you want new meals so much, you can write the weekly recipes and give them to our cook," Emily eventually snapped. "Until then, stop complaining. I will only begin to worry if you start to resemble Bugs Bunny and carry a carrot instead of a pen. Finish your dinner!"

Richard resumed eating with an air of mutiny. Lorelai leaned over and whispered,

"She's good, isn't she?"

Rory could only nod.

They stayed a little longer after dinner for drinks. They had talked all about the details of Rory's new job, where it was and where she would live, Rory assuring her grandmother that she didn't need a paid-for apartment on the Upper East Side and that Manhattan was perfectly safe.

"You've never lived all on your own before," Emily fretted. "I hate the thought of you alone in New York. Drug users live in New York!"

"Rory will be fine, Mom," Lorelai said firmly. "She's already made friends with the guy from Taxi Driver. He's better than a doorman."

"Your sense of humour always eludes me," Emily said frostily and Rory said earnestly,

"It really is safe, Grandma. I wouldn't go anywhere that isn't."

"Rory can take care of herself," Richard put in her defence. "She always could. She went to Fez, didn't she?"

Emily's face relaxed into a smile.

"Yes, I know," she said. "I know Rory will be fine. It will just feel strange, that's all."

"I'll be home all the time," Rory said firmly. "You can come see me."

"In Manhattan?" Emily exclaimed, sounding sharp again. "I most certainly think not!"

The evening passed smoothly after that and, to Rory's relief, no more questions were asked about her outfit. It was only when she and Lorelai had driven home and had sat on the couch with coffee that her mother asked,

"So you spilled coffee, huh?"

"My blouse got wet," Rory mumbled, blushing as Lorelai remarked,

"So you chose a Beats T-shirt which I've never seen before."

Rory sipped her coffee in place of a reply and Lorelai asked,

"So you're with Jess now?"

Rory looked up. She opened her mouth to say it was still complicated but found herself saying,

"Yes."

Lorelai nodded and Rory said,

"I love him, Mom."

Her mother looked up into her daughter's blue eyes and smiled sadly.

"I know. I can tell."

"You can?" Rory asked. "I didn't go there knowing I'd say it."

"I know you love him."

"Does it seem weird to you?"

Lorelai looked at her and finally said,

"Yes and no."

"What does that mean?"

"I know how much you loved him," Lorelai said, "when he lived here in town. And when he came back, that time, I know you still did. I could tell. And when you told me about going to see him, and kissing him, in Philadelphia a few years ago, I wasn't surprised."

"But..." Rory prompted and Lorelai finished,

"But I never imagined you loving him all this time. When you were with him, when you were eighteen, it made sense. He was different, he was rebellious and you'd always been such a good kid."

"It wasn't like that, Mom!"

"That's how it seemed to me. I know you had more in common that just that, that you both loved reading, but I still felt that way. I mean, you skipped school for him – you! I told myself it was okay, it was time in your life for a Jess. Jesses don't last. You enjoy the thrill and it finishes. It always does. When Jess left, when you finished Chilton, I was sad for you but I wasn't surprised. I figured that was the end of it. I never expected him to still be around."

"Do you not want him to be around?"

"No, I don't want him not to be there," Lorelai said. "He's not a teenager now and he was your friend when you were going through all that stuff last year. I don't know him. It just all feels so strange."

"You never wanted to know him."

"Honey."

"No, you didn't," Rory said almost angrily. "You decided he was a bad influence and that was that."

"Rory, he was troubled."

"He had some things to work through," Rory agreed. "But he was never as bad as you made out. It was unfair of you to blame him for the car crash, Mom. He swerved to avoid an animal. It could have happened to anyone."

Lorelai bit her lip.

"I know," she said eventually. "It's just...I didn't trust him and when you called me to say you were in hospital my heart stopped. I know it was just your wrist but my mind kept jumping to what could have gone wrong, what could have happened, that you might have broken your back or your neck or –" she stopped, taking a breath. "I wasn't thinking straight," she said eventually. "I know I was unfair. I just kept thinking you were hurt and it was his fault."

"But it wasn't his fault, Mom."

Lorelai sighed.

"I know."

"I had my own issues too," Rory said, making her look up. "Stuff I needed to work through. Jess helped me."

"You mean last year?"

"No. Well, yes, but I'm not talking about that."

Lorelai frowned.

"Help me out here."

Rory looked down. She'd started saying it without thinking and her mother prompted,

"Rory?"

"When I dropped out of Yale," Rory said slowly, "Jess came to see me."

"He what?"

"He'd published his book and he wanted to see me, to thank me. He told me I was the reason he wrote it. It was when I was at Grandma's. We went into my room there and then we went out for drinks."

Lorelai stared at her in silence and Rory swallowed.

"Logan came too. I didn't think he'd be there, he was away but he came back early and came with us. He was a jerk. He said all this stuff to Jess, trying to rile him up, and Jess left. I followed him and Jess asked what was going on."

"Why you were with Logan?"

"Yes, but the whole thing. Why I was out of Yale, what I was doing with my life. It woke me up. He looked so disappointed in me and then I felt disappointed in myself...I knew I had to go back. So I did."

"You went back because of Jess?"

"He gave me the push."

Lorelai let out a long sigh.

"Wow. I can't believe you never told me."

"I'm sorry."

"Why didn't you?" she asked, wheeling round, and Rory wanted to look away again.

"I guess I felt ashamed," she said finally. "I'd made such a mess of things, for months, and I'd let you down so badly. You were always so weird about Jess. When he left, when I was eighteen, I was so mad at him, and I was mad when he came back after that. I wanted to stay mad at him and we were mad together. I stopped feeling that way but you hadn't and I didn't know how to tell you he'd stopped me ruining my life."

Lorelai nodded and Rory shook her head.

"No," she said. "Well, yes, but it was more that I was being a coward. I missed him, after he left and after I kissed him, when I was fighting with Logan, and I didn't want to admit it. I didn't want to think about it."

"Us Gilmores are good at that, huh?" Lorelai said, smiling sadly. She put an arm around Rory who laughed and said shakily,

"Something like that."

They lapsed into silence and Rory asked anxiously,

"Are you mad that I didn't call?"

"Honey, I said I wasn't."

"You seem sad."

Lorelai sighed, looking away for a moment.

"I've just got used to you being around again," she said eventually. "And now you're moving away. You have your own life, you have Jess...it feels strange. I have to get to know him. I have to get used to you being away again."

Rory stared at her but before she could utter some kind of assurance Lorelai laughed bitterly.

"I sound like my mother. If that isn't a cry for help I don't know what is."

"Mom," Rory said, finding her voice again and scooting near her. "It's okay. It's not as if you've lost me, it's not like I've gone. It's like you said, New York isn't far. I'll be home all the time."

"I know," Lorelai said, trying to smile but failing. Rory continued,

"Just because I'm with Jess doesn't mean I'll want to hang out with you less. You're my best friend, you're my mom. That hasn't changed."

"I know, sweets," Lorelai said, wiping her eyes and hugging her tightly. "I'm just being dumb."

Lorelai kissed her cheek and laughed properly this time.

"God!" she exclaimed. "What am I doing? This is great news. I wanted this to happen for you and I'm acting like you're moving to Cambodia. It's not even California. I'm so happy for you, hon."

"Me too," Rory said, smiling broadly and Lorelai patted her leg.

"So how many people have you told? Paris? Lane?"

"No one, yet," Rory said. "I've only told you and Emily and Richard. Oh, and Jess."

"Well, do you want to call them? We were going to celebrate! Do you want to go to Luke's?"

Rory looked at her there on the couch, eyes bright with excitement. The room was lit with the gentle glow of the lamps, the air still warm with summer, and she said,

"Actually, would you mind if we just stayed here and watched movies?"

"Sure," her mother said, looking touched. "I'd love to."

Lorelai went to get the video box and snacks. As Rory waited for her, starting up the machine, she sat back on her heels and looked around. It felt strange that she would soon leave.

"Hey!" Lorelai called. "What happened to my cheese steak?"

The weekend before Rory had to move Lorelai threw her a farewell party. The whole town came, as did Paris, Lane and Jess. It had actually been Lorelai who'd encouraged the invitation and Rory was apologetic on the phone. She needn't have worried. Jess laughed and assured her,

"I'd love to come."

"Really? I thought you hated town things!"

"I do," he said seriously. "But I miss you. And it'd be cool to see that house again. It's been years."

So he came. He knocked on the door just as Paris had come through and they let out pleased exclamations.

"I'm assuming you still worship the Beats," Paris said, grinning and he pointed his finger at her.

"I still say Austen would have liked them. You should give them another shot."

"Please, if I wanted to read something mind-wasting I'd crack open the National Enquirer. At least they know how to edit."

"Jack Kerouac is rolling in his grave."

"Jack Kerouac would waste paper whining about it."

They both started laughing and Rory smiled at them.

"Do you guys want a drink?"

"I'll get them," Jess said, going into the kitchen. Paris turned to her, grinning.

"Back to Mariano, huh?"

"Something like that."

"Still got a good mind and looks!"

"Hey, hands off, Geller."

"I've got Doyle to keep me happy," Paris retorted. "Does Jess keep you happy?"

Rory went pink. Paris smirked and said,

"He must be good in the sack."

"I'd forgotten how good it is to have you here," Rory said sarcastically and Paris laughed.

"Oh, relax. He can't hear you and besides, he's the one who's seen you naked."

"I say we move this highly disturbing conversation out of the hallway," Rory said firmly. They sat outside, on the porch chair, and Paris smiled.

"What?"

"You look good, Rory," she said seriously. "I know last year sucked. You looked...I can't think of an adjective that wouldn't make Oprah approve."

"I know," Rory said quietly and Paris said,

"You've turned it around."

"Thanks," Rory smiled and, to her surprise, Paris leaned over and hugged her.

"Don't get used to it," she warned. "This is not a frequent thing!"

"Oh, I believe you."

They smiled and Jess emerged with the drinks. He and Paris resumed their argument and Rory sat back and relaxed.

"Am I interrupting?" came a sudden voice. They jumped and looked up to see Luke smiling awkwardly. Rory leapt up and hugged him.

"You came!"

"I wouldn't miss this."

"I thought you were going to see April today."

"I've got a little time. She doesn't get here for another hour."

He hugged her back and said fondly,

"Congratulations, Rory."

"Thanks."

"I knew you could do it. Ever since you told me about the interview, I knew you'd get it. They'd be idiots not to have hired you. You're going to blow them away."

"Thanks, Luke," Rory said, touched.

Luke smiled, looking a little embarrassed and Jess got up.

"Hey, Uncle Luke."

"It's just Luke," Luke said sternly. He looked his nephew up and down and said,

"So I hear you two are back together."

They nodded, grinning, and Luke smiled.

"It's about time."

"That's what I've been telling them!" Paris called and Rory rolled her eyes.

"Listen Rory, I have to go to the airport," Luke said apologetically. "Is your mom around?"

Rory nodded and said,

"She's inside."

"I'll go find her. I'm sorry I can't stay longer."

"Oh, that's okay."

Luke hugged her again and then Jess. He clapped his nephew on the back and said,

"Take care of each other."

"And now we say goodbye," Jess said, but he smiled as he said it. "Good to see you, Luke."

"You too, Jess."

Luke adjusted his cap and then headed inside. Rory and Jess grinned at each other and then Paris called,

"I believe I was trouncing Bukowski here!" and the two resumed their argument.

They were still arguing ten minutes later and Rory left them to talk. She went to find Lane and the two strolled silently away from the house so the music faded.

"Well," Lane said eventually. "I said you'd do it. I knew you'd move away from Stars Hollow."

"Lane."

"This isn't a sad thing," her friend insisted. "I'm happy for you."

"You can be happy and sad," Rory said. "I'm going to miss you, Lane."

"I'm going to miss you, too," Lane said. They stopped and hugged, the fireflies around them, and Lane said,

"You know when you move I'm sending you an order of music every week."

"I know. You have to come see me. There's record stores you'd want to live in."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Lane joked, but her voice wobbled. "I'm really going to miss you, Rory."

"I'll come home all the time," Rory promised, but she felt sad as she said, "I'm going to miss you, too."

They hugged in silence for a while, not needing to talk, until finally Lane stepped away, wiping her eyes.

"It's getting late. I need to go. Thank Lorelai for me."

"Want me to walk you?"

"No," Lane said, smiling sadly. "I feel like going alone. Call me before you go, okay?"

"You know it."

They hugged again and Rory watched until Lane turned a corner and disappeared.

When she got back Jess was nowhere to be seen. Everyone else except for him and Paris had gone, who said Jess went to the bathroom but she hadn't seen him since. Frowning, Rory looked around and then stopped. Voices were coming from the kitchen and she stood outside and listened.

"Call me crazy," she heard Lorelai say, "but I don't think we got off to the best start."

A chuckle from Jess.

"I'll back you up on that."

"I know," Lorelai continued, "that I never really gave you another chance. I never tried to start over. I'm sorry about that."

"I didn't want to get to know you either," Jess said. "You weren't the only one not being neighbourly."

Lorelai sighed.

"I'm sorry I blamed you for the crash," she said. "It was unfair of me."

"It's okay," Jess said quietly and Lorelai said,

"No, it isn't. It was an accident and I knew that but I was so mad that you that I didn't care. I didn't know you'd go home, I didn't...it was unfair to blame you. I'm sorry."

"That's okay."

They were silent again and Lorelai said,

"You know, Rory just told me about how you got her back to Yale."

"She told you that?"

"New information."

"I figured she wouldn't."

"She never told me before," Lorelai said. "I didn't know you helped her. I hadn't gotten through to her in the longest time, I was so worried about her. I never knew what it was that got her to come back, not until she told me. Thank you."

"It's okay," Jess said and then, "Is that phrase starting to sound redundant?"

"Not to me," Lorelai said warmly. "This is so weird. I spent so many years hating you, or feeling guilty that I didn't, anymore, that I need to get used to liking you."

"Is it hard?"

"No," Lorelai said simply. "I spent a lot of time wondering what it was that made my daughter love you so much, defend you so much, and I'm getting it."

There was a sound of her sigh and then Lorelai saying brightly,

"Jess, do you want this to be our start-over? Do you want to try and be friends?"

"Okay," Jess said cautiously. "I've taken a beer from your fridge though, is that a bad start?"

"Well, you're over twenty-one now."

"I am at that."

They chuckled and Lorelai said seriously,

"I know you love my daughter. I know you care about her. That's all I can really ask."

"We seem to be getting along," Jess said. "The hard part's over."

"Oh, are you kidding? You have to have dinner with my parents!"

"Ah, yes. That should be a joy."

Rory leaned against the wall, letting out a breath and then stood up as Jess said,

"I do really love you daughter, Lorelai."

"I know, Jess. I know."

Rory slipped away before they could see her. Paris was heading off and Rory walked her to the door.

"Say goodnight to Jess from me," she said. "It was good catching up."

"I will. Thanks for coming, Paris."

They smiled in farewell and Rory watched her go to her car. Just as she drove away Jess came up behind her, brushing her leg with his.

"Hey."

"Hey," Rory said. "Paris said goodbye."

"I figured."

Rory turned and kissed him. Surprised, he kissed her back, holding her closely, and when they broke away Rory said,

"I love you."

Jess smiled, surprised and said,

"I love you too."

They were interrupted by Lorelai, coming out with a drink, and Jess said,

"I should head off. It's a long drive."

"I'll walk you to the car."

Jess said goodnight to Lorelai, a new friendliness in his voice, and Rory walked with him to the car. They kissed again, Rory glad of the privacy, and he said,

"You okay? You seem sad."

"I'm fine. I just feel weird about moving."

Jess nodded and Rory kissed him once more.

"You'd better go," she said softly. "You want to beat traffic."

Jess nodded, kissed her cheek and got back into the car. Rory watched him drive away and jumped as her mother came up behind her.

"He's gone, huh?"

"He's gone."

Rory couldn't look at her for a moment and Lorelai said,

"So we've decided to be friends now."

"You have?" Rory exclaimed, trying to sound surprised. "When did this come about?"

"Just now. It's a little weird but I want to be friends with him, and I like getting what I want."

"He's a great guy, Mom."

Lorelai smiled and tucked a hair behind her ear.

"I can tell. You and Luke were right."

"He found you?"

"He found me. It's shame he couldn't stay."

"The main thing is he came. Both of them."

"You're right," Lorelai agreed.

Rory looked at her mother and hugged her tightly.

"Thank you, Mom."

"That's okay, sweets."

"For everything," Rory said, still hugging her. "Tonight, just now, this year...I love you so much, Mom."

"I love you too, kid," Lorelai said, her voice a little wobbly. "I love you too."

She planted a kiss on her daughter's head and the two stood out as the night died around them.