A/N: Hey, I have reviews - thanks so much, folks :) For what it's worth, I didn't know the reviewing system had been down at some point, but either which way, it's always nice to know I have avid readers for this story still. Thanks again! :)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 20

"I know I already said it several times, but it so good to be home!" Rory enthused, quickly dipping her finger into the nearest bowl on the kitchen table and taking a taste.

"It's so great to have you home!" her mom agreed, taking a taste from that same bowl and getting her hand slapped by Luke for her trouble. "Hey, that's not fair! She didn't get her hand smacked."

"We're all very glad that she's home," said Luke smartly.

Lorelai poked her tongue out at him, before giving Rory her full attention once more. "A whole four days at the homestead. Lucky girl," she said, pulling her into a hug.

"Trust me, I feel lucky." Rory sighed, hugging her back. "I love Yale, I honestly do, but the work is tough sometimes, and I just miss you guys so much. All of you, everybody. I feel so out-of-the-loop-y when I'm away all the time."

"Well, you can get all caught up while you're here, and I promise, anything you want to do this holiday, you can. Anything, name it, nothing is off-limits."

Rory smiled at the thought, her eyes moving past her mom to where Jess was dutifully stirring something on the stove. Today, he was playing kitchen assistant to Luke for the great Thanksgiving meal, which meant he was pretty busy.

So much for nothing she wanted to do being off-limits. There were moments when literally all Rory wanted was Jess, as close as she could get him. All that waiting he did at her request before, she was sure that the universe was getting its own back on her, putting obstacles in her path now that all she wanted was him, for the two of them to be together that way at last.

"Rory? Hey, you okay, babe? Kind spaced out on me there?"

"Just distracted," she told her mom fast. "Dinner smells so good, but hey, don't we have a parade we should be watching?"

"Yes, parade!" Lorelai said excitedly, grabbing Rory by the hand and dragging her into the living room.

At the last moment, Rory shared a secret smile with Jess and then let herself be pulled away for now. After all, she did want to spent time with her mom too. Thanksgiving was for family and that started with Lorelai for Rory. Not that she hated that they had Luke and Jess over for the day, not at all. The best food always came from Luke, or Sookie, but she had her own family dinner plans with Jackson and little Davey and no-one else this year, which was perfectly reasonable and understandable. This year, the Gilmore girls had narrowed down their Thanksgiving meals from four to one, and Rory was more than happy about that. She just knew she was going to enjoy this one so much better than last year.

After a couple of hours of simultaneously enjoying and mocking TV specials and such, it was wonderful to be told that dinner was almost ready and to be invited to help set the table for the occasion. Since they were both summarily useless at cooking, Rory and Lorelai were fine with being assigned the task of decorating and laying out flatware. That was something that could absolutely handle

"But my favourite part will most definitely be the eating of the food," said Lorelai with a grin as she put the finishing touches to the fourth and final place setting.

"You won't have long to wait," Jess told her, entering from the kitchen. "Luke says he hopes you're all set, because this turkey is ready to be carved," he explained, pulling down his sleeves, now the dinner prep was all over.

"Turkey - yay!" Lorelai cried like a happy child, rushing through to the kitchen.

Rory face-palmed as she watched her go. "My mother, ladies and gentleman," she deadpanned.

"Works for me that she wants to run out just as I come in." Jess shrugged easily, quickly pulling Rory into his arms. "Hey."

"Hey back," she said, right before they kissed.

The moment didn't last near long enough, but Rory didn't really know how to complain. Luke brought through the turkey and Lorelai trailed behind with a couple of dishes of sides, dispatching Jess and Rory for the rest that were waiting in the kitchen. Five minutes later, they were all gathered around the table at the back of the living room, digging into the enormous and beautiful meal the guys had made.

The phrase 'and a good time was had by all' had never meant as much to Rory as it did during that meal. So far removed from the awkwardness that had landed all too easily over the Thanksgiving dinner they shared last year at the diner, this one was a true family meal. Everybody getting along, everybody happy to be there. She honestly didn't think there was any way she could have enjoyed it more.

After all the turkey and trimmings they could manage, there was a choice of pies to follow, and then, jokes and stories and chatter galore as they sat around, digesting all they had packed away. Rory was used to her mom talking a lot, but the usually more quiet Luke was getting into the spirit by the end, and even Jess couldn't seem to resist being part of the conversation more often than not. It was just nice. Really nice.

"Well, the pans and dishes won't wash themselves," said Luke eventually, getting up and beginning to clear things away.

"You can't clean up, you cooked dinner," Lorelai protested weakly.

"Yeah, we should probably..." Rory began to gesture awkwardly at the mess on the table, until Luke told her it really wasn't necessary.

"Honestly, it's no problem for me to do it. I'm used to a lot of clean-up. I run a diner, it's no big deal."

"Fine, but I'm going to help," said Lorelai with determination, dragging herself up from her seat with an enormous effort.

"How about we all help, then it'll all get done twice as fast?" Jess suggested, grabbing the nearest couple of dishes as he got up too.

"Wow, how very Sesame Street of you." Lorelai grinned. "Seriously though, Mariano has a point. We'll all pitch in, get the clean-up done fast, then the rest of the day is ours."

"Sounds like a plan." Rory nodded as they made a start. "Actually, I was thinking, when we're done with all this, maybe we could take a walk," she said to Jess as they met on their way to the kitchen. "What do you think?"

He looked confused for a second or two, then must have read the expression on her face exactly as she hoped he would. "Walk sounds good," he agreed easily then, the smirk pulling at his lips thankfully hidden from the view of the 'grown-ups.'

So, an hour later, when all the dishes were clean and neatly stacked, Rory put on her coat, hat, and scarf, Jess pulled the zipper high on his leather jacket, and the two of them headed out with their arms around each other.

Outside, the air was cool, crisp, and refreshing, which was the reason why they chose to walk as quickly as they did into town. At least, that was Rory's excuse until she was forced to confess otherwise.

"So, are we headed for the bridge or...?"

Before he could even get the whole question out, Rory pulled Jess to a halt, took his face in her hands and kissed him hard on the lips.

"Okay," he said, looking suitably dazed when they parted. "So, not the bridge?"

"How about the apartment?" she asked, swallowing hard, hoping he wouldn't mind her being so bold - she really couldn't imagine he might want to argue.

"The apartment?" he checked, with a look that was asking for confirmation of so much more than a location, Rory knew.

"If you wanted to..." she said, nodding her head firmly.

Jess nodded back at her, then leaned in to kiss her once, twice. "Let's go."

With a spring in her step, she put her hand into his own, and went happily down the street towards the diner.

It wasn't exactly how he expected the day to go, but Jess certainly wasn't complaining at all. When Rory suggested a walk, with a look that suggested she had something a little less vertical in mind, he had tried not to get his hopes up. When she asked about going to the apartment, it seemed like a sure thing, but Jess knew better than to let himself get carried away. He tried that once before and instantly regretted it when he saw how he had upset Rory.

This go around, he had been more than determined to go at her pace, to never push his luck, not even a little. It was the only reason he was so hesitant, even when they were in the apartment, kissing like they didn't know how to stop. Even when she started unfastening his jacket and then his shirt. Even when they were laying on his bed, both half-dressed and breathing hard.

"You really sure?" he asked her urgently, unsure how much longer he could keep pretending he could actually bear to stop if she asked him to.

"Really, really sure," she told him, diving right back in for another kiss.

That was when Jess stopped holding back. Instead, he fell head first into the moment, allowing himself to be fully present for what he had a feeling could be one of the best moments of his life. Turned out, he wasn't wrong. Sure, he tried to put as much focus on Rory as possible. After all, he had done this before, she hadn't, and it mattered a whole lot more to girls than it did to guys. At least, that was what everybody said. Jess wasn't entirely sure that was true, since being with Rory meant the whole world to him, something he thought maybe he told her at some point in the middle of it happening. Honestly, he was so caught up in everything, he really wasn't sure what he said. Not 'I love you', because she absolutely would've called him on that afterwards, but something close, he was pretty sure.

"So, that was... um, I'm actually not sure I have the words right now," she admitted, a strangely nervous laughter in her voice.

"You're okay, right?" he checked, looking down to try to see her face, but she seemed pretty determined to hide beneath his chin.

"I'm good. Very good," she promised, finally lifting her eyes to meet his own. "It was good for you too, right?"

"Very good," he told her sincerely, leaning down to kiss her one more time.

Rory smiled, so bright it was almost blinding, and then, she kissed him, just once, before curling back into side, her whole body wrapped around his own. If there was such a thing as a perfect moment, Jess had a feeling he was in one, right then and there. Seemed like a good time for a confession he had been wanting to make for a while.

"You know I have something I've been meaning to tell you for a few days now. I guess I was kind of waiting for the right moment, and since today has turned out to be a day for right moments..."

"What is it?" Rory asked curiously, though she didn't move at all.

"I got a job."

"You did?" she asked loudly then, her head coming up so fast, she missed breaking his jaw by a quarter-inch. "What kind of job? Where is it? Is it in town? In Hartford maybe?"

"Ever the aspiring journalist." Jess smirked at her enthusiasm that he loved and always would. "The job is assistant librarian... at Yale."

"At Yale? My Yale?"

"I didn't know you owned the whole place now," he said, rolling his eyes. "If I had, I would've had you help me with my application," he said smartly, leaning in to kiss her cheek and her neck.

"Jess, don't joke," she said, playfully shoving him away. "This is amazing. You're going to be working at Yale."

"Apparently," he agreed with a sigh, marvelling for a moment then - at her excitement for his news, at where they were and what they had done. "I don't start until after New Years, but yeah, I'll be working at Yale. So, that makes you happy?"

"Oh my God, I could not be any happier than I am right now!" she enthused. "Seriously, best Thanksgiving ever!"

When she practically threw herself onto him and started kissing him all over again, Jess honestly didn't think he could be any happier himself either. He really wouldn't have thought anything could top what just happened in his bed, but the first part of the day really had been pretty special all on its own. Dinner with a real family vibe and all, it actually didn't suck. Then coming over to the apartment with Rory, finally getting to the place they had been on the on-ramp for, off-and-on for months now, Jess knew it would be special, and he was absolutely not disappointed. Now, telling Rory his job news, which had made her so incredibly happy. She was right, it really was the best Thanksgiving ever, because, for once, Jess Mariano knew he had an awful lot to be thankful for.

To Be Continued...