"Are you sure I look okay? Like the hair isn't too much? The pants? God, what was I thinking with this shirt, it's way too revealing, I need to—"

"Lane!" Rory interrupted her friend's panicked rambling. "You look great, okay?"

"I'm not overdoing it?" Lane asked in a small voice, tugging at the Ramones tee that she had found at a thrift store and cut into an almost sleeveless V-neck crop top.

"Not at all," Rory said with a reassuring grin. "Dave won't know what hit him."

"No, none of that. This isn't a date, it's just seeing an old friend—"

"Who you used to date…"

"Rory!" Lane said, exasperated, flopping down on Rory's bed and throwing her arms over her face dramatically.

"Sorry! I just don't see what the big deal is!" Rory sat down on the edge of the bed.

Lane let her arms fall onto the bed at her sides, propping up on one elbow to look Rory in the eye. "Okay, here… remember how you felt when you and Jess reconnected? How opposed you were to anyone insinuating that you guys were getting back together?"

Rory winced. "Oh. Yeah. Sorry."

Lane offered Rory a kind smile. "It's okay, I get it. You're my best friend and you just want me to be happy."

"Took the words right out of my mouth," Rory said with a smile.

"I just need some time to adjust, okay? I mean, I know I was only married for like two seconds, but I was married, and I just got divorced. I'm really, really excited to see Dave again, and like so nervous I might throw up, but I'm not sure I'm ready to start planning a future with him."

"Understandable," Rory said with a nod. "Do we need some sort of secret signal or something if you get too nauseous and need me to hold your hair or have Jess distract Dave so he doesn't hear you puking?"

Lane laughed, falling back down on the bed the rest of the way. "Probably not, but if you see me run to the bathroom looking green, all systems are go for the hair holding and distracting."

"Sounds like a plan. Now, let's brush your hair and wait for the knock on the door so you can make a grand entrance," Rory said with a gleeful grin, hopping off the bed, looking back at Lane.

With a playful sigh, Lane relented. "Fine, I can do the grand entrance."

Just then, they heard a knock at the door, muffled slightly by the closed bedroom door. Lane and Rory's wide eyes met before they both hopped up and down a little, suppressing excited squeals.

"God, I feel like a teenager again," Lane half groaned, half laughed as Rory put the finishing touches on Lane's makeup and ran a quick comb through her hair.

"Okay, you're perfect, let's get out there."

Opening the bedroom door, Rory and Lane made their exit, looking around the apartment expectantly. When they saw no one but Jess, Rory's shoulders dropped in disappointment as she looked at the open door in confusion.

"Where's Dave? I thought I heard someone knock."

"Pizza," Jess explained, setting the boxes he was carrying on the counter. "Which, by the way, how much pizza did you order? Because the guy just set it down in the hall and left and it's taking me multiple trips to bring it in."

"I just wanted there to be plenty of food!" Rory defended.

"Yeah, well, we're gonna be eating pizza until Ellie graduates. College."

"Don't be dramatic, it's only five pizzas."

"And two orders of cheesy bread and a salad to share!"

"For three people?" Lane asked in surprise.

"Hi, have you met me? Mom and I would order half this much just for the two of us on top of candy and ice cream. Worst case scenario, we send you and Dave home with leftovers."

"Fair point," Lane said, tipping her closed beer bottle towards Rory. "Hey, you have a bottle opener?"

Rory and Jess both went searching through the kitchen for the bottle opener, it always ending up in a different spot than the last time they used it. Lane joined the search, laughing as Rory and Jess bickered about where it could be.

"Uhh, did someone forget their pizza in the hall?"

The three spun around to see Dave sticking his head into the apartment, holding two stacked pizza boxes.

"Dave, hi!" Rory said. "Sorry, we were searching for the bottle opener and forgot the pizza and the door, I guess."

"That bottle opener?" Dave asked, pointing at the magnetic bottle opener stuck to the fridge door.

"Yep, that would be the one," Rory chuckled. "Come on in, you can set the pizzas on the counter."

Dave walked into the apartment, sporting a band tee under his jacket, Ramones like Lane's but from an earlier tour. They'd found them together at the same store on the same day when shopping for something to wear to a gig they'd scored, horrified at how someone had donated such prized possessions but thrilled they got to benefit from the donator's idiocy.

"Dave, hey," Lane breathed, a shy grin on her face. "Nice shirt," she laughed awkwardly.

"Lane, wow, hi," Dave said, his neck reddening as he grinned widely. "Yeah, you too. Great minds?"

"Something like that."

Rory watched them with barely restrained excitement as Jess shook his head in amusement, getting out plates and utensils for dinner and setting them on the counter. The air was thick with tension and anticipation of possibility and Rory couldn't get enough of the smiles on their faces, the way their eyes shown bright and their cheeks tinged a rosy pink.

She stood by her statement from years prior; she still saw a love song in their future.

When the awkward silence had lasted just a little too long, Rory broke it, inviting everyone to come grab food and drinks and make themselves comfortable in the living room. As they all made their way to the couches, Rory nudged Jess to put on some music. Rory plopped down on the couch next to Lane and tried to get the conversation going, asking Dave questions about his store, while a Shins vinyl with the volume low for some background music before taking a seat on the couch next to Rory.

There was still a bit of stress around them as they sat perched on the edges of their seats, but as they ate, conversation started to flow more smoothly and bodies sunk back into the couch cushions, limbs crossed as laughs were shared. There was reminiscing about the days of high school, about the band gigs at local birthday parties and Rory and Jess claiming their title as the band's roadies despite never having gone on the road with them. Everyone shared about their jobs and lives as adults, Lane sharing pictures of Steve and Kwan with Dave as Rory saw just a hint of pain cross Dave's face when she got to one of Zack with the boys on his lap. By the end of the evening, as crumb covered paper plates and empty beer bottles were left scattered across the coffee table, it felt like the old days again.

Soon the hour was late and those of the group that had children and were used to earlier bedtimes started yawning, their eyelids feeling heavy under the effects of stomachs full of pizza and a beer or two. They meandered to the doorway to say their goodbyes and as Dave made a move to leave, Lane quickly jumped in and offered to walk him out.

Rory and Jess went around the apartment, cleaning up pizza boxes and washing used cups before heading into their room and getting ready for bed. Once in her pajamas, Rory fell backwards onto the bed, making snow angels on the fluffy comforter.

"This bed is so comfy," she said with sleepy smile. She curled up on her side, happily watching Jess change his boxers. "You have a cute butt."

Jess pulled up his boxers and turned to her with a scowl. "Don't talk about my butt, Lane could be out there."

"So I can talk about your butt when we don't have company?"

Jess snorted, pulling on a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt, much to Rory's disappointment. "Sure, to your heart's content."

Rory hopped off the bed, scampering to the bedroom door and opening it enough to peek into the living room before shutting it again. "No Lane, now c'mere with that cute butt," she said, darting after him with outstretched grabby hands.

Jess jumped out of the way, laughing as he caught her around the waist. "Keep your hands to yourself, woman, even if Lane isn't here now, she'll be back any second."

Rory turned around in his grasp, throwing her arms over his shoulders and pouting. "Fine…" she whined.

"You're drunk," Jess snickered.

"No I'm not, I only had a few beers!" Rory objected, fighting a yawn. Jess gave her a doubtful look. "Alright, maybe a little. Man, having a kid made me such a lightweight!"

"Pretty sure you were always a bit of a lightweight," Jess said, kissing Rory on the nose.

Rory let out a humph, letting her head fall forward against Jess's shoulder and rubbing her face against his shirt. "Night, night…"

"No, no, you're sleeping in the living room with Lane tonight, right?"

"If she ever comes back inside," Rory mumbled tiredly. She started to drift into a cozy state of half asleep, half awake, leaning most of her weight against Jess until her phone vibrated from its place on the nightstand. She sat up with a sharp intake of breath, blinking blurrily around the room. "'sat m'phone?"

Jess snorted, walking himself and Rory over to the bed and dropping Rory down on it. He grabbed her phone and handed it to Rory, nudging her to help her stay awake.

"Check your phone, I'm getting you some water and some aspirin," he said, kissing her on the head.

Rory mumbled something incoherent and yawned as Jess left the room. He ducked his head into Ellie's room, making sure she was still asleep, before grabbing a couple bottles of water out of the fridge and a bottle of aspirin from the cabinet before returning to the bedroom where Rory had managed to grab a makeup remover wipe and was rubbing down her face. She smiled dopily at him as he sat down next to her on the bed, and his heart seized a little at how much love was openly displayed on her face. It still blew his mind that all that love was for him.

"Lane is staying at Dave's tonight," she said with a cheeky grin, waving her phone. "She has my key for emergencies so she'll be able to get in when she decides to come back."

"Wow, good for them," Jess said, nodding approvingly.

"Right!" Rory agreed enthusiastically. "I'm just so happy for them, Lane is so amazing and she deserves so much more than Zack was giving her, y'know?" she drawled, getting a little teary.

"I know, lay down," Jess said gently, coaxing her down against her pillow and pulling the blankets up to her chin. He took her phone from her hand, plugging it in before turning off the lights and climbing in next to her. He smiled to himself as Rory scooted her way across the bed and curled up against him, tucking her head under his chin and letting out a sigh. Jess happily wrapped his arms around her, burying his nose in her hair and drifting off to sleep.

Rory woke up to the sun peeking through the gaps in the curtains and she sat up, leaning on her elbow as she looked around the room blearily. She felt thirstier than she ever had before and even though she didn't feel too hungover, all she wanted was a tall glass of water and about five tacos. Jess was asleep next to her, face half hidden in his pillow, and the clock informed her that it was only just after seven in the morning. She would normally try and go back to sleep but the ache and heaviness in her breasts refused to let her, so she pulled her breast pump out of her nightstand drawer and set it up, the rhythmic whirring lulling her back to sleep. She startled awake when one side began to slip and spilled down her stomach, so with a grumble she turned off the machine and put the now filled bottles on the stand and pulled her shirt down.

Now somehow even thirstier than before, she clumsily extracted herself from the tangled bedsheets and stumbled blindly out to the living room, tripping over a teething toy on her way to the kitchen to stick her mouth under the faucet. She turned on the cold water and bent down, drinking straight from the tap and savoring it as it went cool down her throat. From her place with her head in the sink, she heard the sound of a key in a lock and turned off the water, sitting up to watch Lane sneak into the apartment like a teenager trying to hide that she missed her curfew. Lane carefully shut the door behind her as quietly as possible, wincing as the lock clunked loudly into place when she turned the deadbolt.

"And where have you been young lady?" Rory asked, smirking.

Lane jumped about a foot in the air with a little screech, her hand flying to her heart. "God, Rory, you scared the crap out of me!"

"Sorry," Rory laughed, grabbing a kitchen towel and drying off her chin. "Soo…"

Lane stepped into the kitchen, leaning back against the breakfast bar. "Soo what?"

"How was it?!" Rory asked excitedly, clutching the towel in her hands.

Lane blushed and tried unsuccessfully to hide a smile. "It was fine…"

Rory jumped up and down, giggling like a teenager. "Oh my God, give me all the details. But quietly, Jess and Ellie are still asleep."

"Well, I went to walk him out, you know that, and then… we just started talking. And it was like no time had passed, you know? We walked about as slow as possible out of the building and by the time we got to the street, he asked if I wanted to come over for coffee since he doesn't live that far away, and then we just… talked. All night long."

Rory's enthusiasm dissipated a little. "Talked? That's all?"

"So sorry to disappoint," Lane laughed. "Yeah, that was it!" She paused, biting her lip. "Well…"

"Ah ha!"

"There may have been a little kissing," Lane said with a shy grin, holding her thumb and forefinger a centimeter apart.

Rory returned to jumping up and down and giggling.

"But honestly… it felt so good to just talk to him again. It was always like he and I were on the same wavelength, and it was a different wavelength than anyone else. Conversation between us is totally effortless and God it's like he actually has opinions on things! And I know, I know I shouldn't compare him and Zack, because they're totally different people and in totally different circumstances, but I feel like it's natural to compare them. It's like an automatic response. Like, I have this connection with Dave that I never, ever had with Zack and talking to Zack about serious things was always like walking through molasses in the fog except the fog is secondhand pot smoke because the molasses you're walking through is high as a kite so not only are you barely moving, but you're also lost and you never quite reach the right destination! So now you're frustrated on top of being lost and nothing ever gets done and you're stuck feeling like you're all alone! And now you are, because not only did you and the molasses get divorced but now he's taking off to play guitar with a band on tour and you have to be excited for him because it's the opportunity of a lifetime but now you're stuck at home with twins as a single mom and you're never ever going to get to live your dream of being a professional drummer!" Lane finished talking, panting from the emotional outpouring and the rate at which she was speaking. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

"Wow," Rory whispered. "Zack's really leaving?"

"Yup," Lane said with a sharp nod and a sniffle, rapidly blinking to keep the tears at bay and crossing her arms tightly across her chest. "That's why he wanted to take the kids this weekend. Have one last big father/son hangout before he heads out on tour."

"Lane, that's…" Rory breathed. "I'm so sorry. That's so shitty."

Lane laughed wetly. "You can say that again."

Rory stepped across the kitchen, leaning against the counter next to Lane and wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

Lane sniffled and let her head fall to Rory's shoulder. "The boys and I are probably moving back in with Mama. It doesn't make sense for us three to be in that house all alone, plus we'll save money this way, and I could use the help. And I was thinking of talking to Sophie about a job. Maybe I'll start teaching drum lessons…" Lane mumbled, her voice sounding far away.

"God, you're so organized for being in the middle of a crisis," Rory chuckled humorlessly.

Lane sat up, looking at Rory with red-rimmed eyes. "I am?"

"Yes! Lane, you've already thought like five steps ahead. The times when my life felt like it was exploding, I slept with my married ex-boyfriend and ran away to Europe with my grandmother or dropped out of school and moved in with my grandparents."

"Interesting that your grandma is a common factor there," Lane mused.

Rory laughed. "All I'm saying is, you're handling all this really well."

"It doesn't feel like it," Lane said with a shuddering exhale.

"Well, you are. Trust me, I've seen many life crises in my time, and you definitely surpass most of them on the 'got it together' scale."

Lane giggled. "Thanks."

"Always. Now what do you say we go get breakfast at the crappy diner a couple blocks away and you give me every single detail about your night with Dave?"

Lane sat up, taking off her glasses and wiping the moisture from her eyes with the back of her hand. "Yeah, sounds good," she said with a nod.

"Good, let me go tell Jess and throw on some clothes."

After pulling on a sweatshirt and some yoga pants, Rory and Lane headed out in search of breakfast, landing at the diner down the block. Even though it was still fairly early on a Saturday morning, the place was packed.

"I thought you said this place sucked?" Lane asked

Rory shrugged. "Everything sucks compared to Luke's," she said with a grin.

Lane nodded in agreement. "You aren't wrong."

The two were directed to a table by a waitress in a stereotypical uniform, a pale yellow dress complete with sneakers, a hat, and a frilly little apron, who then took their drink order, both of them ordering coffee before flipping through the menu. When the waitress returned, Rory ordered the pancakes and bacon while Lane ordered oatmeal and a waffle.

"That's an… interesting combination," Rory said, sipping her coffee.

"Yeah, I want to have the waffles, but somewhere in the back of my mind, I hear my mother's voice telling me a waffle alone isn't filling or nutritious."

"Hence the oatmeal."

"Hence, indeed."

The two ate their breakfast, feeling like teenagers as they giggled and gasped while Lane gave Rory all the details of her night at Dave's.

"It was so… sweet. Like, there's no other word for it. It was sweet. He's so sweet!"

"Dave's always been pretty great," Rory said, grinning to see Lane smile so widely with blushing cheeks and sparkling eyes.

"And like I said before, we just talked. All night. He made coffee for us and we curled up on the couch and caught up on the past few years. He told me about college and about this guy, Ben, that he met at a bar and how after getting drunk and applying to rent a storefront they ended up opening a music store together! I mean, his life has been so interesting since high school! And I got to tell him about Hep Alien and the tour and he wanted to see pictures of the boys and wants to meet them and… Rory, he made me feel special. He made me feel important, like I'm more than just a mom or a wife or even just a drummer. He made me feel like myself again. I haven't felt like my own person in years." Lane's voice wavered as her eyes went glassy, and Rory reached across the slightly sticky table to hold Lane's hand.

"Lane…" Rory breathed. "I had no idea you felt like that."

"Because I didn't tell anyone," Lane shrugged. "I don't think I even had words for how I've felt until last night."

Rory squeezed Lane's hand, smiling at her, offering her silent support. "Lane, you are so much more than just anything. Just a mom, just a drummer, just a waitress… you are one of the coolest, strongest, most amazing people I know. I mean, you lived a double life for your entire childhood, joined a band without your mom knowing, had twins while in said band, and now you're working your ass off to give your kids the life they deserve. Lane, you rock."

Lane grinned widely, blushing slightly. "You're my best friend, you're obligated to say that."

"True, but I also believe it," Rory responded, giggling. "And you should too! Come on, say it."

"Say what?"

"Say that you rock!"

"Rory!" Lane laughed.

"Lane"

Lane glanced around the diner nervously before rolling her eyes and taking a deep breath. "Fine, I rock."

"You can muster up a little more enthusiasm than that."

Lane huffed out an impatient sigh. "I rock!" she said, just slightly louder.

"One more time!"

"I rock!" Lane cheered, turning the heads of a few people sitting near them.

"Yeah, you do!" Rory said, grinning widely.

The two finished eating, light conversation and girlish laughter passing between them, and then they returned to the apartment with breakfast for Jess and Ellie. As they were walking home, Lane's phone pinged and she looked at it, a bashful smile spreading across her face. She bit her lip to try and hide it as she tucked her phone back into her pocket.

"Dave?" Rory asked.

"Maybe," Lane said playfully.

Rory laughed, linking arms with Lane as they rounded the corner to the apartment.

Saturday passed with ease, Jess staying home with Ellie and Rory and Lane slipping into the dynamic of their childhood friendship and spending the day running around their corner of the city, shopping and eating and thoroughly enjoying a day with no responsibilities. That night, Dave returned and the four of them had a movie night, complete with every sugary and salty snack they could get their hands on and a marathon of Lane and Rory's adolescent favorites. From Clueless, to My Girl, to Hook, they laughed, they cried, they quoted every line right along with the characters on the screen. The guys had fallen asleep by the middle of The Little Rascals, so the girls turned off the TV, covered them with blankets, and left them on the couch to claim the bed for the night, punch drunk and giggling the entire time. After checking on Ellie, Rory joined Lane in her queen-sized bed and curled up next to her, yawning.

"I am too old to be partying this much," she mumbled.

"Tell me about it," Lane yawned. "Hey, you made me yawn," she complained.

"Not my fault yawning is contagious," Rory giggled sleepily. The low chuckles also seemed to be contagious as soon Lane had joined her, laughing hysterically at nothing in particular.

Once they had caught their breath, Rory began to drift off, her pillow the most comfortable thing she'd ever felt.

"Hey Rory?" Lane whispered.

"Mm?"

"Thank you for helping me feel like myself again."

Rory reached across the bed, holding Lane's hand. "Anytime."

The four of them woke up the next morning feeling a little somber, the chatter low but comfortable as they ate breakfast and played with Ellie, but the air around them felt light. They all went down to the bus station to see Lane off and as they found Lane's bus, Rory stepped aside to let Lane and Dave have their own private goodbye. A few tears were shed when it was Rory's turn to bid Lane farewell, and she lost count of how many times they hugged before Lane absolutely had to find a seat before the bus left without her, but Rory felt rejuvenated after a weekend with her best friend and she did everything she could to commit every moment to memory.

Early Thursday morning the next week, Jess was startled awake by his phone ringing on the bedside table. He sat up, confused and bleary, grabbing his phone just before it vibrated its way onto the floor.

"'lo?" he said, his voice gravelly with sleep. Rory groaned from next to him, cursing whoever was calling before the sun was even up. She rolled over and cracked open one eye, the other one buried in her pillow. Suddenly, Jess was fully alert, throwing aside the covers and leaping out of bed.

"I'll be right there," he said before flipping his phone closed. He tossed it onto the bed and pulled on the first pair of jeans he could find before grabbing a black sweatshirt out of the closet and pulling it over his head.

Rory sat up, concern filling her body. "Jess? What's going on?"

"Something happened at the office," Jess said, running his hands through his hair to try and tame his bedhead. "That was Alex, she went in early to get the zine printing for tomorrow and found water everywhere."

"Oh my God!"

"I have to get down there and see what the damage is," Jess said, bending down to tie his shoes. "Crap, I was supposed to have Ellie today—"

"Jess, go, I'll work it out. It can be my turn to bring her to work for a change, okay?"

"Thank you," Jess breathed, appreciation lacing his voice. He leaned down and gave Rory a quick kiss before grabbing a jacket and darting out the door.

Rory bit her lip as she heard the soft sound of the door being shut and locked. Her mind felt thick with worry, and despite the sun just peeking over the horizon, she knew she wouldn't be able to fall back to sleep that morning. So, she got up, made the bed, tidied up, and took a quick shower before Ellie began to stir.

She was determined to focus on anything but the stress she felt, so she set her mind to being productive. She got Ellie dressed and fed, packed up the backpack diaper bag with snacks, toys, and other supplies, got her own things together, poured herself a large thermos of coffee, then strapped Ellie to her chest and set off. She held her chin high as she walked into the office, ignoring any confused glances as she made her way to her cubicle, and got Ellie set up on a blanket on the ground before turning on her computer and checking the notes that had been left on her desk. She had mostly simple busywork for the day, but it was enough to keep her mind occupied and for that she was immensely thankful.

Still, she jumped in her seat every time she thought she heard her phone go off. Every time her desk phone rang, every time she heard someone else's phone ring. She was on high alert and both dreading and craving information on Truncheon.

After feeding Ellie some lunch and getting her down for a nap in a cozy area she'd created under her desk, she dove into the last piece she had to proof for the day, grabbing the printed copy and her trusty red pen and setting to work. She was deeply focused when a tap sounded behind her on the cubicle wall. She startled a little, spinning around in her chair to find George smiling politely.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," he apologized.

"No, no problem," Rory chuckled. "What can I do for you?"

"I just wanted to remind you about our meeting tomorrow afternoon."

"Oh, yes, your office at nine o'clock, correct?"

"Right. See you then, Gilmore."

George left with a curious glance at the blanketed-off area of the desk and a curt nod, and Rory did her best to jump back into her work. Unfortunately, her focus had been broken, Ellie was awake and fussy, and it was nearing the end of the day, so she decided to save the rest for the next day. She gathered their belongings, said her goodbyes, and headed home. She'd hoped to find Jess in the apartment when she walked in but found the apartment dark and silent. It sent her heart into her throat, made her stomach twist in knots. She checked her phone, hoping she had just missed a call from Jess, but found it free of notifications. She set Ellie up to watch a show and decided to just call Jess herself; she'd kept herself from panicking all day, but it was getting late and was officially heading into panic mode.

Just as she pressed the speed dial for Jess's cellphone, she heard a key in the door and spun around to find Jess walking in. He looked beyond exhausted, shoulders hanging and feet dragging, brows furrowed. He was followed by Alex who appeared similarly fatigued but also looked a little like the world was ending. A frown was etched into her face and it didn't seem like it was going away anytime soon. She barely acknowledged Rory's presence, just giving her a quick glance before dragging herself to the couch and collapsing on it, curling up in a little ball and turning her attention to Sesame Street.

Rory watched Alex in confusion and worry before turning back to Jess who had planted himself against the breakfast bar, elbows to the counter and face buried in his hands. Rory walked over to him slowly as if approaching a scared animal. She tentatively laid a hand on his back and felt a small amount of relief when he relaxed into her touch the slightest bit.

"Jess?" she asked softly.

Jess sat up with a long intake of breath before turning to her and clearing his throat.

"Truncheon: New York is officially closed for business."


A/N: Dun dun dun...