A/N: Is it all getting too fluffy? Uninteresting? Geez, I hope not!

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 21

Jess wasn't entirely surprised when he got to the diner early in the morning and found it still locked up. Luke was usually a stickler for early rising and getting everything done so they could open up at what Jess always thought was a pretty unreasonable hour. Of course, last night was Luke's first official date with Lorelai and somehow Jess figured that made a difference.

Letting himself into the diner, he looked towards the curtain and the stairs beyond that led to the apartment. There was no movement, not even the tiniest of sounds. Jess smirked as he removed his jacket and hung it on the hook. First job was putting on the coffee, then he got to the usual early morning set up, taking down chairs and checking the ketchups were filled up. He had his back to the counter when he heard soft footsteps approaching. He turned in time to see the curtain pulled back and there was Lorelai - in nothing but one of Luke's plaid shirts.

"Aaw, jeez!" Jess turned back fast, sure it was not at all appropriate for him to be seeing his uncle's girlfriend (and his girlfriend's mother) in such a state of undress.

"Damn it, Jess!" Lorelai cursed, pulling the curtain in front of the lower part of her body. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, what am I doing?" he asked, squinting at her through half-closed eyes until he was sure she was a little closer to decent than before. "This is a diner, not a strip club. I'm trying to get set up here."

Lorelai opened her mouth to protest some more but closed it without any sound coming out.

"You make an excellent point," she noted then. "Um, I was just... Coffee," she said, pointing to the machine with a pathetic look on her face.

Jess took pity on her. After all, he and Lorelai were getting on better these days and he didn't hate that, not just for Rory and Luke's sakes, but for his own too. With a heaving sigh like it was just such an inconvenience, he moved behind the counter, retrieved one of the pots from the coffee machine plus two mugs and brought them to where Lorelai was half-hidden behind the curtain still.

"You're a peach," she told him gratefully. "Thanks, Jess."

"No problem," he told her, shrugging his shoulders. "Although I should probably be asking you if your intentions towards my uncle are honourable."

His smirk was wicked as ever. Lorelai couldn't help but laugh.

"Completely honourable," she told him.

Jess nodded that he understood and then moved to turn away. Lorelai did the same, but stopped at the last minute and looked back.

"Hey, speaking of honourable intentions-"

"I slept at the band's place last night," Jess cut in without a moment's hesitation, way before the question was ever asked. "I had a feeling maybe you and Luke had sleepover plans, and either way it seemed like a good idea to not be around. Rory crashed out around midnight, I was bunked in with Zach and Brian by twelve thirty."

"Cosy," said Lorelai with a look.

"And not to be repeated," Jess replied with a look of his own. "Nice guys, but Brian snores like a train and Zach hums chord progressions in his sleep."

Lorelai actually bust up laughing at those revelations, and Jess couldn't help but smile himself. It sounded like he was kidding, but unfortunately he wasn't. Anyway, he knew Lorelai was most likely laughing more out of relief than anything else. She was protective of Rory, as any decent mother should be. Jess didn't always like that, but he respected it at least.

"So, we're cool?" he checked with Lorelai. "You believe me?"

"I believe you," she agreed, nodding her head. "I guess it's not really my place to pass judgement anyway. I mean, first date here led to... activities, and Rory is in college now, all grown up. It's not really my business if she wants to... indulge in activities."

"For what it's worth, my intentions? Also honourable," Jess promised her.

Lorelai nodded and smiled. "Good to know."

She thanked him one more time for the coffee and then rushed upstairs with her java in hand. Jess took in a deep breath and let it out again in one.

"That was weird," he said to himself, getting back to the task at hand.

Somehow he doubted he would be getting help from Luke any time soon.

"It is way too long since we got chance to hang out like this," said Rory definitely.

Lane re-joined her on the couch, placing a bowl of chips and another of popcorn on the table in front of them.

"Well, you have been a little distracted with the boyfriend," she noted, encouraging Rory to dig into the snacks and taking a handful of popcorn for herself. "Not that I'm complaining, you know I could not be happier for you, but I do miss you sometimes."

"I know, I miss you too," Rory assured her, hugging a cushion. "It's kind of hard to juggle everything lately, with Yale, and Mom, the grandparents, Jess, but I'm trying, I swear."

"I get it, Rory, don't worry." Lane smiled. "Speaking of your mom, the whole town is talking about the great Lorelai and Luke romance. I love that it's finally happening for them!"

"Me too! They both mean so much to me, I only want them to be happy, and finally it seems like they are." Rory grinned. "It should feel weird, I mean, with Luke being Jess' uncle and dating my mom, but it's not. It actually just feels right."

Lane gave up on reaching for handfuls of snacks then and put both bowls in the space on the couch between them, pulling her legs up under her body to be more comfortable.

"So you and Jess," she said with ineterest and a mouth half-full of food. "It's all going well this time?"

"Very well," said Rory definitely. "Very, very well," she emphasised with a grin, even as the heat rose in her cheeks.

"Rory, do you need to share something with the best friend?" asked Lane, getting a vibe she thought she understood. "Something like a big step in a particular direction? I know it can't have happened last night, because Jess was on this very couch a little after midnight, and I would hope he would be more of a gentleman than to come and go like that."

"Okay, first, eew! You have spent too much time with boys," said Rory, wrinkling her nose at the phrasing. "But anyway, it hasn't happened yet. It did come pretty close last night though."

"Ooh, details!" said Lane, clapping her hands madly. "I haven't been so much as kissed since Dave, and I may yet die an old maid, so I am living as vicariously as possible via you!"

"Lane!" Rory gasped, turning crimson all over, she was sure. "I'm not... You don't really want all the details, do you?"

"Well, no, not all the details." Lane rolled her eyes. "What am I? A pervert? No! Just the vagaries. You really think you're ready for that big step?"

"I'm starting to think so. I was pretty sure last year, a little before everything went south and Jess left for California."

"Is that what bothers you? If you let him get that close and then he might leave again?"

"No," said Rory, without a moment's pause. "No, I trust him now. Me and Jess, we're in a better place. I know we're both in it for the long haul this time, that's not the issue."

"So, what is?"

Rory opened her mouth to answer that question but then closed it again fast. She had no reason not to be honest, save for the fact that she wasn't entirely certain she knew what the truth of the matter was.

"I don't know," she admitted eventually. "I honestly don't, except... Well, it's just a big deal, I guess. The first time, it's supposed to be a big deal, isn't it?"

"It should be." Lane nodded. "But if you love Jess and he loves you, isn't that all you really need?"

"Oh, I wanna be ready!" said Rory, frustrated with her own inability just to be in that place. "And Jess is so sweet about waiting, even though I know it's killing him, which actually makes me want him more. I wish I knew why I can never quite go that far."

Lane felt equal parts sympathy and jealousy right now. She hated seeing her best friend so mixed up and conflicted, but at the same time she would so love to be in Rory's position. If Dave had stuck around, this could be her right now. The two of them would probably be in a similar position to Rory and Jess, considering next steps and all. As it was, she didn't even have a guy in her sights at the moment, and wondered if any man would ever look at her the way she had seen Jess look at Rory.

"Well, maybe don't think about it so much," she advised after some consideration. "Just let it happen. I mean, I have no experience of these things, but if all the movies, songs, and novels have a clue what they're talking about, you just go with it and eventually it'll just feel right. It'll happen when it's supposed to happen," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

"I guess it will," Rory agreed, letting her head rest on the couch cushions and her body sink in just the same.

"And maybe one day it'll happen to me. When I'm forty or something."

"Aww, Lane." Rory sympathised with her friend's plight. "C'mon, let's change the subject. How're things with the band?"

"All good. Our last gig was a smash. Plus, living with the guys is surprisingly okay. They don't always clean up after themselves so well and the budgeting is my job, but we get along."

"That's what matters."

"It seems so weird sometimes, how far we've come in a year." There was a faraway look in Lane's eyes as she mirrored her friend's position, curled into the couch cushions comfortably. "I mean, yes, you were dating Jess then and you are again, but now Lorelai and Luke are together, I've left home, Dean is married... Oh my God, did you hear the latest about him and Lindsay?" she said, suddenly upright in a second.

"I know he's been working for Tom at the Dragonfly," said Rory, wondering if that was it. "College seems to be off the table at this point."

"Kinda sad."

"Kinda is, but hey, it's his choice, his life."

"But that's not what people are saying," Lane insisted, shaking her head before leaning in to all but whisper to Rory, despite the fact they were quite alone. "You know I'm not exactly Miss Patty when it comes to gossip, but I did hear that Lindsay makes all Dean's choices for him. She wants a townhouse and every luxury, which is why he's working so much and giving up the whole education thing."

Rory frowned. "He doesn't have to let her rule him."

"True," Lane agreed. "He had so much potential."

"He did, and I'm sad for him that he's not living up to it," said Rory thoughtfully, "but it's none of my business anymore. I mean, I care, of course I do. Dean meant a lot to me, and a part of me will always love him, which is why I wish he wasn't throwing his life away, but it is his choice. He chose marriage to Lindsay, I chose Yale."

"And Jess," said Lane with a smile.

"And Jess," echoed Rory, grinning just the same. "He makes me so happy, Lane. I know there was a time when I questioned if I'd done the right thing in being with him, but it's so different now. It's all the good parts of what we had and none of the bad."

"You seem happy," Lane agreed. "Even before, when things weren't always great, when you're with Jess you always seem... I don't know, more Rory. The best version of yourself, and so happy you're practically glowing!"

Rory laughed at that. It sounded so strange and yet she kind of knew what Lane meant. Jess didn't define her or her life, but he did make her a happier version of herself, she had to admit that.

"Well, now we just need to get you happy," she told Lane definitely, snagging a few more chips from the bowl.

"Meh, I'll be fine," said her best friend, waving away her concern. "Seeing you happy with Jess and Lorelai happy with Luke, it helps. It gives me hope."

Rory smiled. It gave her hope too, that things really could be as good as they seemed. She really was as happy as she said, as happy as she looked, apparently. A lot of that was down to Jess and their relationship that could not be going any better if it tried. She loved him, she was so sure of that now, and there was nothing bad about the feeling.

To Be Continued...