present tense

who's going to jump her? one of babette's gnomes?

They had a great dinner. It felt a lot like how it should have been a long time ago. They should have gotten to spend time together like this but teenage angst and parental control got in the way. Now, they were all still very much the same people, but time, experience, and reflection, had allowed them to find friends where there used to be foes.

"That was excellent Luke, as always," Rory said, trying to clear the table.

"Stop that," Luke demanded, swatting her hand away.

"You don't have to tell me twice."

Jess grinned and Lorelai rubbed Luke's back as he collected plates.

"I'm so glad you finally found a chef that you like for the inn Lorelai," Jess says, picking up a conversation they had been having earlier.

"Yeah. We'll just see how long this one lasts," Rory said, voicing what Luke was secretly thinking.

"Hey it has been a month. That is a new record!"

Jess laughed as Lorelai wheeled around to look at Luke for support.

Luke physically started as if he were jumping into action and said, "Yes of course dear," and then when Lorelai turned back around, he made a face at Jess and Rory across the table, expressing his disbelief.

The two on the receiving end of Luke's expression tried to stifle a laugh.

"Well actually, when I went into the kitchen this morning, he didn't have coffee made, and he was using my favourite mug for his tea, so he's on thin ice," Lorelai confessed.

Jess and Rory bust out laughing.

"What?" Lorelai said, questioning the exaggerated reaction.

"Nothing hun," Luke responded kissing his wife on the side of her head as he sat down.

The group sat at the table until late into the night, further discussing their lives (over leftover pie from the diner).

"Oh god, look at the time," Luke said quietly, "Rory, you should be asleep by now."

"Yes, I suppose you're right," she responded poshly while smiling at Luke's all too parental tone.

"I can drive you to your place."

"I think I'll just walk, it'll be good for me."

"It won't be good for you if you get jumped."

"It's Star's Hollow? Who's gonna jump her? One of Babette's gnomes?" Lorelai said.

"Well I don't know! Kirk sleep walks!" Luke said exasperatedly.

"I'll go with her," Jess interrupted, "maybe I'll deflect any jumping."

"Perfect! She'll have a big strong man to protect her," Lorelai said to Luke, gesturing at Jess.

"Great. So can we go?" Rory said, feeling a little annoyed.

Suddenly she was back in high school, asking to go out with her boyfriend. Except Jess isn't her boyfriend. It was just the same cocktail of emotions had emerged. That mixture of annoyance and affection.

"Yeah get out of here," Lorelai said, just as she would have if her daughter really were still in high school.

Rory kissed her mother on the cheek while putting on her coat, gave Luke a hug and shouted her thanks for dinner as she and Jess walked down the driveway.

The night was a bit chilly and Rory pulled her coat around herself.

"So that was pleasant," Jess said sincerely.

"I know right? It was nice."

"I think I may be winning over your mother."

"Winning? You've won. She would not stop asking you about your job. I don't even know how you finished your food, because between answering her questions and trying to deflect attention from yourself, you didn't have time for chewing."

"It was a challenge yes. Lot's of swallowing things whole."

Rory laughed.

"Since Lorelai was keeping me busy all night, I never got to ask how your book is coming along."

"Yeah," Rory huffed out, forcing a smile and looking at the ground.

There was long pause.

"So how's your book coming along Rory?"

Rory laughed, "It's going I guess."

"And what do you mean by that?"

"Well I've been working on it every free minute I have and I'm enjoying it, but I'm about to have a baby and my life up until now has been very eventful. I don't think I'll be able to get it all down before my days are filled with baby bottles, diaper changes, and lots and lots of laundry."

"I see."

"And I know that Lorelai and Luke are going to love taking care of the baby and even Lane will help out. Heck, I have a whole community that is going to want to take the baby for a day. Even then though, I'm going to be so beat that I'm going to fall asleep on my laptop."

"Will the father help out at all?"

Rory paused.

"No, I don't think he's much of an option."

"Who is the father?" Jess asked, trying to sound casual and failing.

"I don't want to tell you," Rory rushed out.

"Oh," Jess reacted, now trying not to sound hurt.

"No, it's just that," Rory said frantically, "you respect me. Or at least I think you resect me-"

"I do."

Rory let the words sink in. Clearly she had suspected as much but it was nice to hear it definitively.

"Okay. So, I just don't want that to change, and I'm afraid that if I tell you about the story behind the father of my child, things will change."

"That makes me sound a little like a sexist pig," Jess said jokingly.

"Yes well, one can never be too careful," she jabbed back.

They walked on in amiable silence.

"You're going to find out eventually, like I will tell you. I'm just not ready yet."

"That's cool, don't worry about it."

They changed the conversation topic to the crazy antics that Taylor was getting up to until they reached Rory's apartment building.

"Well it was a pleasure seeing you Jess, as always."

"You too," Jess said accepting her hug.

Rory pulled away and started walking up the steps kind of sideways.

"Thanks for the walk," she said.

"Thanks for the company."

She got the door open and stepped through the doorway before turning around, holding the door open with her shoulder.

"Goodnight Jess."

Jess smiled.

"Goodnight Rory."

She returned his smile, nodded, and shut the door.