This was it. The papers she held, were freeing to say the least. Her divorce papers. It was final. The struggle for the past year was over with. The life she hated was no more. She was free to start over. Move any where she wanted to. Go back to work. Go back to the way it should be. Her and her two babies. They were far from babies these days, but to her they would always be her babies, though.

"Mom, someone is at the door." Rory smiled at her 9-year-old daughter. The only good thing about her failed marriage. Her kids. He wanted nothing to do with them. Denied they were even his. She wished it was true. She wanted them to be someone else's. Honestly she had slept with him, on two separate occasions. She never saw it as cheating. They were on a break figuring things out. Because she was pregnant both times they stayed together, for the sake of the kids. Enough had been enough. The last 7 years of her life had been a slow ride to hell. She had clawed and climbed, only to be pulled back down into the fire pit of her life. She had given up on everything. Only to be reconnected with an old familiar face.

"What are you doing, Rory? You have so much to offer the world, and you're gonna lay down and give up. What happened to the Rory I knew? The Rory I had once loved?"

"That Rory died long ago." She sighed. "I don't know how to be her any more."

"Don't give up. Fight for you, for your kids. It'd be a shame for such an intellectually, talented person to waste away. Fight back." She nodded watching him go. Jess had always showed up in her life when she needed him the most. This time was no different.

"Thanks, Lee." She left her papers on the table and headed for the door. "Lee, did you clean your room?" The girl nodded, her eyes glued on the TV. Rory pulled the door open. She couldn't believe her eyes. The universe was something different alright.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but my phone died and my car broke down. Is it possible I can use your phone?" He asked, never looking at her. She took him in. He had a beard now, his hair was longer, down to his jaw. She was tempted run her hand through his black hair. He had filled out, gained some muscle. He looked incredibly good.

"Jess?" She asked barely above a whisper. He looked up at the sound of her voice. Either this was a cruel joke or the universe loved playing mind games.

"Rory?" He asked, pleasantly surprised. Out of all the places to break down at. She looked thinner, paler even. Her silky soft brown hair was past her shoulders. Her once crystal blue eyes, looked dead. It was if he was looking at a ghost. He wanted to pull her close and hold her until she was back to the Rory Gilmore he had once fallen for.

"Come in." She stepped aside, making room for him to enter. "The phone is in the kitchen." He nodded and followed her. His gaze lingered around the walls, seeing family pictures. It was only ever three of them. Rory and what he could tell were her kids. He had heard the very same kids arguing on his way through. He gave her a little smile taking the phone she held out.

"Mom, Hadley won't share." Rory looked at her 7-year-old boy. Sighing she followed her son.

"Hadley, Kolby, gets a turn, or you won't have the TV for a week," she warned.

"Yes, mother," she sighed, turning to her brother. "Tattletale." Rory let it go and walked back to the kitchen. After all kids will be kids.

"Sorry," Rory told him, getting herself a cup of coffee. "Want some?" She asked holding the pot up. It was good to see that not everything about her had changed.

"Nah, I'm good. It's going to be a while yet. I can wait outside, if you have your hands full," he commented.

"Stay. They're just being, kids," she replied, sitting down. She was quick to cover up the divorce papers. Just not quick enough. He had already glanced at the papers by accident. "How have you been?"

"Good, you?" He asked. It had been years since they last saw each other. They had an awkward night at Luke and Lorelai's wedding. An even worse night a few years later, when she had randomly bumped into him with a mascara streaked face. Things had happened and come morning he saw how bad she really was. He could see now that she had fought, even if it took her longer then necessary.

"I've been ok," she replied. At one point she would have unloaded on him. But now wasn't that time. It had been too long. They couldn't fall back into the safety they use to have.

"Cute kids," he commented. He had heard about them but never had the pleasure of actually seeing them.

"You have any?"

"No," he replied. That was a story for another time and a different place. "Rory, I know it has been sometime, but we have been friends. I can see you need a friend to talk to." She did need a friend. Everyone from Stars Hollow had been cut out of her life, her Mom and Luke had been the only exception. She missed Lane, but to keep her marriage, she had to let them go.

"It's complicated, Jess. I just wanna move on from it all. Look to the future, ya know?" In time she would make the necessary amends and explain the situation.

"Yea," he nodded. He did know. His soul had been broken not all that long ago. If you looked close enough you could see he was still broken.

"You still writing?" She asked, changing the topic with a sip of her coffee.

"I'm trying to figure things out for my new book. It's just not coming together like planned. Amidst all that, I need to find a new editor. My old one," he sighed, anger flicking behind his brown orbs. "Things happen." He left it at that. She was pleasantly happy he was still writing. "I haven't seen any of your work anywhere. What's with that?" He asked moving the topic away from him. He was sure a few articles would have popped up at random. She loved journalism far too much, to really stop.

"Kids," she responded, not wanting to dive into it all. "Keep an eye out though. I'll be back. Once I figure out my next move. New York, just doesn't feel like home any longer." She had far to many bad memories haunting her.

"It's nice to start over," he commented. Rory nodded, playing with her mug. "Going home can always help with that." She nodded, letting him know she had heard him.

Their silent moment had been interrupted by the doorbell. "I think that's for you."

"Right, thanks, Rory." She nodded returning his smile. He scribbled his number down. "Call or whatever. It was nice seeing you again."

"You too, Jess." It wasn't until he was gone she realized just how much she missed him over the years.

With him gone she got busy getting the kids some food for dinner. New York was no longer for her. She had the urge to go home. A smile played on her lips. Stars Hollow, that was the one place she could go and get her life back in order. Things were final and that meant she could go home. She found her cell going to her mom's name.

I'm coming home!