New fic set roughly three years after the finale. I hope you all enjoy it!I will probably update this less frequently than my earlier fics because I have a new job!

Through the muggy air Rory Gilmore crossed the street. It was Saturday afternoon and she'd just finished at the store. Going to get groceries was not Rory's favourite way to spend a weekend, but she worked every day, spending her evenings nibbling on takeout whilst touching up articles, and had little free time. Once in a while her conscience would strike and Rory would make a real trip to the store, stocking up on fruit and green vegetables she swore she would eat. That night she would try her hand at cooking, bravely attempting stir fry or stew, yet no matter how easy the website promised the recipe would be, Rory's food would burn or remain raw, congealing into a sticky mess in the pan.

"You're my daughter, honey," Lorelai said when Rory called. "It's best to give up now. I learned that years ago."

"Quit trying to cook a real meal?"

"Quit wasting your time! Rory, you cannot cook. You're going to destroy those fancy saucepans as well as your digestive system."

"You're the one who keeps telling me to eat a real meal."

"Chinese is a real meal. I want you to eat, Rory. I don't want you to forget while you work late."

"I eat fine."

Rory's voice was quiet and Lorelai, noticing, said,

"Rory, you don't have to be great at everything. You suck at cooking and you got that from me. Now go order some pizza before I put on a Loius Armstrong voice."

Rory had laughed and felt better. She obeyed her mother but today, after a potluck lunch at work, the urge to try had hit Rory again and she'd shopped in the food aisles, determined to cook from scratch. Her bags were heavy in her hands and swayed painfully against her legs. Rory gritted her teeth and crossed the streets back to the apartment she'd been renting since she had moved to New York two years ago. Rory had considered, not that long ago, of moving out and into her then-boyfriend's apartment but those plans had fallen apart, along with her relationship, and Rory once more spent her evenings alone.

Rory made it back to her apartment building, feeling the sweat in her hair trickle onto her forehead. Teeth gritted, she got the door open and mounted the stairs. The elevator had been broken for as long as Rory had lived there and she carefully made her way to top of the steps, feeling the strain in her arms. Once inside, she dumped the bags on the table, disrupting the notes for her articles which lay around the laptop. Rory put on a pot of coffee, drank a bottle of water in one gulp, and stretched her neck back, which was feeling stiff after the foray into town. As the coffee brewed Rory got out her cellphone and checked her voicemail. There was a chirpy message from Lorelai, another from Lane and, to her surprise, one from Luke. Rory saw him most weekends, when she went home to Stars Hollow, and he had got back together with Lorelai a few months ago, but they never called each other. Confused, she pushed the sweaty bangs back from her eyes and played the message. Rory didn't even know Luke could use a cellphone.

"Hey Rory, it's Luke," she heard him say. "I guess you knew that, or maybe you don't, I can't tell with these damn things...anyway, I'm calling because Jess came over last week and he asked about you. I told him you were fine and I said maybe he should call you. He said he didn't want to call you unless you were okay with it, so I'm calling to, uh, see if you are. Okay with it, I mean. Call me when you can. Your mom sends her love. Well, you knew that. Bye, Rory. Bye."

Rory slowly took the phone from her ear and stared at it. It was a good thing that it was a message and Luke wasn't on the phone himself, as Rory had been struck dumb. Rory picked up the empty water bottle and shook the last of the dregs into her mouth, hoping it would cool the sudden burning in her mind. Fifty questions were hammering around her head, clamouring in a painful chorus. Jess was back? Back in Stars Hollow, or just back in Connecticut? Or was he simply visiting his uncle and, if so, why the sudden wish to talk to Rory? They hadn't talked since...Rory shook her head, the sudden, shaky feeling from climbing all the stairs engulfing her again. She remembered the last time they'd talked and knew Jess did too.

She couldn't call Luke like this. Rory set the phone down and headed into the pokey bathroom. The water which came from the shower was mostly lukewarm, with a rusty smell and habit of freezing or boiling Rory halfway through, but today she didn't care about the risk. Rory put the water on full blast, standing in the tub for a sinful half-hour, closing her eyes and allowing the weak water to pummel her head and the soap to run in her eyes. Finally, after taking her time getting dressed, Rory picked up the phone again. She wished she could simply text but it had been enough of a struggle to get Luke to actually buy a cellphone. He rarely used it and Rory dialled the diner number, curling her hand up tight. Luke answered almost instantly and Rory pictured him, clad in flannel and a baseball cap attached to his head.

"Luke's."

"Hey, Luke. It's Rory."

"Hey," Luke said. The rushed sound of his voice disappeared and he asked warmly,

"How's it going?"

"Okay. I got your message. Is this a bad time?"

"No, it's fine," Luke said, a slight pause in his voice. Before it could become uncomfortable Rory rushed on,

"It's okay. You can tell Jess he can call, if he wants."

"He seems to," Luke pointed out. Rory blushed.

"Right. Well, give him my number."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course," Rory said, trying to sound nonchalant. "I'm fine."

Luke gave a grunt of understanding and Rory asked,

"Is something going on? Is Jess back?"

"He's not moving back, if that's what you mean," Luke said. "He wanted to tell you himself. Actually, I'm not even sure what it is. He didn't say."

"Oh."

Rory's words dried up and she was saved from answering further as Luke said,

"Rory, I'm sorry, I need to go, a bunch of customers just walked in."

"That's fine," Rory said quickly. "I need to go anyway. Thanks for calling me."

"No problem," Luke said. "Have a good night, Rory. Don't work too hard."

"You too, Luke. I'll try. Give Mom my love."

Rory hung up, her head spinning and sank down onto an uncomfortable chair. She hadn't spoken to Jess for over a year, not since that awful night. The night hadn't been awful, Rory amended. Just the day after.

Are you always going to do this?

Am I always going to be careful?

This isn't being careful, Rory, you know it isn't! This is what you do when you get scared!

I'm not going to throw this away!

Rory shook back the memories which were already starting to hurt. She looked around the kitchen and her eyes settled on the coffee she'd forgotten to drink. Rory made some more but as she sipped, closing her eyes, the harsh words echoed in her mind. She stubbornly opened her laptop, focusing her thoughts on her work, and she churned out some five hundred words before her stomach begun to protest in hunger. Rory automatically reached for the takeout menu before catching sight of the grocery bags and recalled her good intentions of the morning, which felt like a different day. Rory got out some vegetables, started to chop and pretended her burned stew was fine as she waited for Jess to call.