A/N: And here we are at the end of this story, and the end of this 'verse, at least for now. This last idea came from chelsbaby, and the 'verse spun a little more out of control when I decided to take the leap so far forward in time. People, I drew out all the family trees for this story and it is the biggest graphical thing you have ever seen in your life! lol Anyway, thanks to all who have left reviews on this collection, and all other Runaways 'verse stories. You're all super folks! :)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

18. Always & Forever - 5th August 2046

"Well, what do you think?"

Jess looked up from his book, lowered his glasses to the end of his nose, and looked at his wife. He smiled.

"You're beautiful," he told her. "Honestly? I don't think you've ever been anything else to me."

"You don't think it's a little too much?" asked Rory, smoothing the dress out where it was already wrinkling. "I just thought with the whole ruby theme..."

"You. Look. Beautiful," Jess insisted, rising from his seat to meet her, taking her hands in his own. "You never did learn to take a compliment. Forty years of marriage and still we always have this problem."

"I can take a compliment," Rory insisted. "And even if I can't, you were never any better. Y'know, the only thing better than you in a suit has always been you out of a suit," she reminded him, giggling like a girl of sixteen when he pulled her close and kissed her cheek.

"Time rolls on, Ror."

"Yeah, but we rolled on together, and hey, I think we're doing okay for over sixties," she told him with a wide smile. "Forty years, Jess. Can you believe it?"

"Yeah, I can," he said, his hand at her hair.

He meant what he said. She was as beautiful now as she had ever been, though her long brown hair was now much shorter and silver, and her once smooth skin was wrinkled in places. It didn't matter at all. She was the same girl he fell in love with. Better in some ways, because she had been his wife for forty years, and borne him two wonderful children, one of which now had three of her own. A whole life behind them to look back on and enjoy, and so many years still to look forward to, Jess hoped.

"Y'know, you always said when we were seventeen you looked at me and just knew we were forever," said Rory, smiling still. "I thought you were crazy then, but you were right. How are you always right?" she asked, rolling her eyes dramatically.

"It's my cross to bear," he dead-panned, lifting her hand to his lips and kissing it right next to her wedding ring. "I have to go change."

Rory watched him head on up the stairs with just a little more trouble than he used to have. They were both that much older now. Bones and muscles stiffened up when they sat still too long, and most days if they worked enough, they were too exhausted by the time they went to bed to say more than goodnight. Still, not everything had changed with age and decades gone by. Rory still fell asleep in Jess' arms most nights. They always said 'I love you' and meant it. He never forgot her birthday and she had never once tired of re-reading his very first novel, 'The Subsect'.

The computer beeping on the table snapped Rory from her happy thoughts and she moved to answer the incoming video call. She was grinning all over again when she realised who was there.

"Tori! Oh, your dad just went upstairs, let me go get him."

"No, Mom, it's okay," her daughter insisted. "You should stay right there."

"I should?" Rory checked.

"You really should." Tori grinned at her. "So, how are you doing? You feeling good about today?"

"Of course, it's my wedding anniversary," her mother assured her. "Kind of a big deal too, which is why I hoped you'd be here, but hey, I get it. It's a long way, there's a lot going on-"

"Mom," Tori interrupted suddenly. "I need you to take a deep breath, and then turn around," she said, eyes sparkling.

"Oookay," said Rory, feeling very dumb but following the instructions anyway.

She got the shock of her life when she did turn and found the hallway behind her filled with people.

"Oh, my goodness!" she gasped, hands shooting up to cover her mouth.

"Happy Anniversary, Grandma!" Johnny, Paul, and Aimee chorused happily, complete with banner and balloons.

"But I don't understand."

"We had a change of plans," explained Dax, as the kids all took turns hugging Rory and piling gifts on the coffee table. "Actually, I changed some plans. There was no way Tori was going to miss her parents' anniversary party. Honestly? Wasn't too happy about missing it myself."

"I knew there was a reason I always liked this kid," said Jess, descending the stairs with one had on the bannister rail. "Hey, Dax."

"Happy anniversary, Pop," he replied, smiling too wide.

He knew Jess had mixed feelings about that name. The grandkids had taken to calling him Poppa Jess when they were little, and he could deal with that, but he never had quite got used to Dax following suit. It still seemed weird, but he refused to rise to the bait and complain about it.

"I know, I'm a very bad person," said Tori, walking in with her hands raised in mock surrender. "But seriously, Mom, you didn't recognise the side of your own house?" she said, gesturing the computer screen that still showed a picture of her own face with the outside wall in the background.

"So not what I was focusing on!" Rory insisted, hugging her daughter close.

"Hello, Daddy," said Tori then, turning to Jess.

"Hey, Tor," he greeted her, pulling her into his arms. "I'm not sorry you're here."

"Me either," she promised, squeezing him as tight as she dare. "How could I miss this day? Forty years? That's incredible."

"It is what it is," said Jess, nonchalant as ever. "One day it'll be you two," he said, looking from Tori to her husband.

"If I'm lucky," said Dax, smiling and yet very serious in what he said.

Jess couldn't hate that. When he first met the little punk that was Darryl Cooper, he hadn't been so sure he wanted the kid dating his fourteen year old. Turned out he was a keeper, and now Jess had to say that he couldn't be sorry his baby girl had made things work with Dax. They had been married more than seventeen years now, and had produced these three beautiful and talented grandchildren - currently, ages almost sixteen, fourteen, and ten - neither Jess nor Rory could be prouder of them.

After gifts and as much catching up as time allowed, they all headed over to the inn for the real celebration. Lorelai and Sookie had insisted on organising the party, though Rory insisted she ought to do most of the leg work. April helped all she could too, albeit from long-distance. They all muddled through in the end, and everything had come together, thanks to much help from a great number of people around the town. Stars Hollow had always been the same that way.

Rory and Jess intentionally arrived after everyone else, since they were the guests of honour and had been instructed to do so by Lorelai. She insisted it was just the proper way to do things, and Rory still refused to argue with her mom on such things.

A cheer went up as the couple of the moment entered the room, as Rory gasped at the sight of the place, even more decorated than usual. Many folks rushed over to offer congratulations and tell Rory and Jess how great they looked. They had both just recently gotten used to being the older people at a party, as the generations before them sadly passed away. Taylor, Miss Patty, Reverend Skinner, they were all gone now, along with Mrs Rossini and both of Rory's grandparents. Thank goodness for all the kids, now grown up and willing to continue all the crazy traditions of the town Rory and Jess had long called home. Stars Hollow wouldn't be Stars Hollow without a certain amount of wacky baked into it.

"Uncle Jack!" yelled Aimee, racing to the door when she spotted the latest arrival.

Rory smiled. The grandkids were always thrilled to see Jack, and he really was just the greatest uncle to them. She worried about him and Jaime at first, especially when they told her and Jess that they didn't plan on having children of their own. Rory had just presumed that more grandkids would come from her son, but Jaime had declared she was not the motherly type (she left all that to Martha, and Davey's wife, Shanay) and Jack agreed that he was fine with not having kids. Rory feared it was a sacrifice he would live to regret, but he never had. He was so happy now, anyone could see it. A happy family made for a happy Rory, and a happy Jess by default. Everything was good right now, better than good, Rory thought, as she looked to the door once again.

"Hey, about time you got here!" said Jess loudly, noticing the same thing his wife had now.

Lorelai walked in with all the purpose of a woman thirty years younger than her age, beside a familiar young woman pushing a wheelchair.

"You see how fast you are when you're my age!" said Luke, trying for grumpy but unable to keep from smiling as Joey pushed his chair on over. "Hello, nephew."

"Good to see you, Uncle Luke," said Jess genuinely, leaning down to hug the older man.

Honestly, he was more than glad to see the guy after all his health problems lately. It was practically a miracle he was still here. Jess wasn't sure what he would do when the day came that Luke wasn't around anymore. He hoped not to get to that day for a while yet. It was quite a skill his uncle had to still make him feel like a seventeen-year-old sometimes after all these years. He really didn't want to lose that.

"How's it going, Joey?" he asked his niece then.

"It's goin'," she said with a smirk that Jess well recalled from his own teenage years. "Did my dad get here yet?" she checked.

"I haven't seen him," said Rory, coming over to greet her mom and Luke with hugs and kisses, "but he promisd he was coming, so I'm sure he'll show up soon."

Joey nodded, tucking her dark hair behind her ear and quickly excusing herself from the scene.

She was only nineteen and looked so much like her mother. Despite all attempts to include her in the family in every possible way, she did always seem like the extra wheel. It was only her Grandpa Luke that seemed to inspire her softer side. Everybody else got attitude and the hard-as-nails exterior much of the time. The product of a teenage pregnancy that didn't turn out quite so well as Lorelai or Rory's adventures with that particular situation, she had grown up with Tara, seeing Billy only on weekends and some holidays. The whole situation had always been rocky at best.

"I just always feel like there's something else I should be saying to her or doing for her," said Rory sadly.

"I know," Lorelai agreed, "but hey, no long faces tonight, babe. This is a happy occasion!"

Jess smiled maybe even wider than Rory. After all this time, he still never tired of hearing Lorelai describe anything about his relationship with Rory as 'happy' or in any way good. When he thought back to how they started in the beginning, it was amazing how close everyone was now.

"Ladies and gentlemen," said a voice then, and all eyes turned to the make-shift stage where Kwan was stood, holding the microphone in his hands. "We'd like to thank you all for coming to this celebration for the Ruby Wedding Anniversary for Rory and Jess. Thats forty years, guys!" he told anyone who didn't know.

A general cheer went up and Rory blushed terribly, hiding her face in Jess' shoulder, just as she always had in such moments.

"So, I got talking to my folks about the kind of music that Rory and Jess were into back in the day. As you all know, nobody knows or remembers music like Lane and Zach Van Gerbig, so they helped me to find the perfect song, which we would like to perform for you now. Ladies and gentlemen, for one night only, the collective stylings of Hep Alien, Anarchy's Child, and Sharp Panik!"

"Oh my God!" Rory gasped as she watched far too many people crowding the stage, picking up their instruments to begin playing.

There was Lane, Zach, and Brian, three of the original members of Hep Alien, plus Dax, Kwan and Shelley from Anarchy's Child (the latter two now having been together ten years; his first marrage, her second), and finally the third generation of rock band-mates that were part of the family, namely Steve's daughter, Abigail, Shelley's son, Kurt, and Abi's friend, Jenn.

"What are they going to play?" asked Rory, looking to her mom.

"Don't ask me, hon," said Lorelai, hands raised in mock surrender. "This part had nothing to do with me."

Rory and Jess both looked towards the stage and cracked up at the same time when the collective band broke into a class rock tune they both recognised.

"The Clash?" said Jess, looking to Rory.

"I guess Lane has a better memory than even I thought. I must have told her about The Guns of Brixton thing, that day at the diner when I was tutoring you. You remember?"

"Always," said Jess, meeting her eyes. "Come on."

"Jess, we're not dancing to The Clash. At our age? Are you crazy?"

"Crazy about you," he said definitely, pulling her forward and into his arms.

Rory giggled like the teenager she hadn't been in decades and it was music to her husband's ears that far outdid even the large rock band's loud playing. All this time, all these years, all the crazy times, all the family members that had built up around them, by blood and not. It was amazing.

"We've had a pretty good life so far, Mrs Mariano," said Jess, holding his wife close as he could and slow-dancing with her despite the raucous musical accompaniment - no-one seemed to care.

"I plan on having a lot more of it yet, Mr Mariano," Rory countered. "Here's to another decade, or two," she said with a large smile.

"I'll agree to that," he assured her, leaning in to kiss her sweetly. "I love you, Rory. Always."

"I love you too, Jess. Forever."

The End