A/N: Here comes the final chapter. Rory & Jess got back together in some way in the previous one, but here they cement their reunion, for lack of a better of phrase. Meh, if you read it, you'll understand. Plus, a bonus Luke/Lorelai wedding! What more could you ask for? ;)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see Chapter 1)

Chapter 28

Rory smiled as her phone buzzed the moment she cleared the doors of the building. It had to be her mom, sitting in Stars Hollow literally counting down the minutes and seconds until her baby girl was free from work for a long weekend in the Hollow.

'Twenty six hours to go!' said the text message.

'Only two until I'm home!' replied Rory immediately. 'Then twenty four hours to go until you're officially Mrs Danes!'

It was impossible not to be swept up in Lorelai's enthusiasm for anything and everything. When it came to her own wedding day, nothing was keeping Rory's mother down, and Rory wouldn't want it to. Hurrying down the street, she knew she had to motor if she was going to make the train. She ought to eat but hadn't really planned for lunch. Around the next corner she stopped suddenly, spotting the hot dog cart a little ways away.

A smile came to Rory's lips as she wandered over, pulling money from her pocket. She ordered one with everything and contemplated a bench in the park across the street to sit on whilst she enjoyed her lunch. Maybe that would be too much in the circumstances. It really wasn't the same by herself. Letting out a sigh, she continued walking towards home, taking bites out of her food as she went.

It was hard not to think about Jess, not least because she was going to see him in the next few hours. Butterflies started to flap around in her stomach at the very thought of it. Anticipation was a beautiful thing, something Rory and Jess had lacked in their relationship before. It was possible to have too much of a good thing, she had found. When their almost-break-up happened, it made them take stock, step back and slow down. Rory couldn't be sorry about that. When they talked now, they really talked. Not all of the time, because that would be way too intense in a different way to the physical and emotional intensity that had come before. Sometimes they still bantered about books and movies, but they took the time to get to know each other better. They needed that, and it only helped them get closer in a lot of ways.

It was tough to keep their distance. Phone calls and emails were further apart, physically seeing each other was purposefully limited. It was better. It made the time they did have more special, made them appreciate each other more, if that were possible. Rory adjusted to trusting Jess again, to not fixating on his past because that was terribly unfair, and she knew it too. Sharing her own past with him was nice too. Seeing the green in his eyes when she talked about her exes was almost comforting because it meant she wasn't the only one feeling ridiculously jealous of what were essentially ghosts.

Going back to Stars Hollow this weekend, it almost became a road trip akin to the last time they visited Rory's home town. Jess offered to drive and Rory opened her mouth to agree to the suggestion, but shook her head at the last.

"Won't it be more fun to travel separately? To not see each other until the wedding? You in your suit and me in my dress..."

"We're not the ones getting married, Ror," he reminded her with an indulgent smile.

She had laughed, leaned in close and kissed his cheek. "I still think it'd be nice."

"Maybe," he had admitted, stealing a real kiss from her lips.

They had gone on to talk about Lorelai and Luke. Rory's mom wasn't nervous at all, only excited and happy. Luke on the other hand was a different story. He had spoken to Jess a couple of times in the last few days and had apparently expressed some fear. Not that he wasn't sure about marrying Lorelai, because he truly was, it was more the worry of screw ups on the day, saying the wrong words or forgetting the rings, something like that. Jess had done his best to reassure his uncle that everything would be cool. Rory didn't doubt he was right.

Swinging into her apartment at last, Rory quickly changed clothes and grabbed her bags to take to Stars Hollow. On her way back towards the door, she felt her cell buzz in her pocket again. She doubted it would be her mom. Dropping her bags for a second, she pulled out her phone and checked the screen, smiling when she saw Jess' name.

'You sure about the train? I can swing by.'

'I'm sure' she text back. 'Can't wait to see you tomorrow. Bet you'll look so hot in that tux... and out of it.'

Rory blushed at her own words and then laughed to herself imagining Jess' expression when he read them. Nothing had really happened with them since their agreement to take it slower. Quite honestly, it was getting to a point where it was killing Rory to keep her hands off the guy. This weekend in the Hollow, she had plans to change things, to allow them to get back to the place where they had been before, physically. Jess had been so patient, but then so had Rory. They needed this time to reassess, but the wait was becoming painful. Clearly Jess agreed as his next message came through.

'Are you trying to kill me?'

'See you tomorrow' replied Rory, adding a winking emoji before shoving her cell back in her pocket.

She had a train to catch!

The sun shone on Stars Hollow and there wasn't a person in town that didn't wear a wide smile. Today was the day that Lorelai Victoria Gilmore married Lucas William Danes. At last! It had been too many years in the making, but finally the moment was here. The whole town turned out to gather in the square and see. Emily and Richard were there in the gazebo. Liz was noticeably absent but no-one paid any mind, not with a hundred guests or more gathered around. A last minute decision had Jess standing up by Luke as an unlikely best man, and finally the music began, announcing the bride's arrival on the scene. All heads turned to watch April lead the way down the make-shift aisle, followed closely by her soon-to-be step-sister, Rory.

Jess forgot how to breathe when he saw her, and she was hardly less affected by the sight of him. It had been only two days since they saw each other last, but the emotion had been building, and never more so than today. Jess looked just as good in a tux as Rory expected, perhaps even hotter than she could ever have imagined in her head. There was no doubt that he found her just as stunning in her sheer lilac dress, a much more grown up version of the one April wore. Rory and Jess shared a secret smile, both wondering where tonight was headed, only one of them knowing for sure.

All attention went to Lorelai then, the beautiful bride that took everybody's breath away. No-one looked more bowled over by the sight of her than Luke.

"You look incredible," he said as his bride came to stand at his side.

"Not looking so bad yourself, mister," she replied in kind.

Rory smiled as she heard them exchanging compliments when the music faded out. The expression remained as she looked beyond the happy couple and Reverend Skinner to Jess. He was staring right back at her, and though Rory knew she looked good, he was actually watching her face. She shot him a questioning look but he didn't react, just smiled all the more and then turned his attention back to the ceremony. Rory did the same, watching and listening as her mother and then man who had been more of a father to Rory than anything else made their marriage vows.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," said Reverend Skinner at last. "You may kiss the bride."

Though Luke was never much for public displays of affection, that clearly didn't count on his wedding day. Lorelai looked stunned in the best way as he took a hold of her and laid the mother of all kisses on her lips. Whoops and calls from the guests were tutted at by Emily and Richard, and yet both were smiling. Jess pretended to cover his eyes against the 'offensive' scene. Rory only laughed. So far, today was a beautiful day, just as it should be.

"I couldn't be happier for you, mom," said Rory, hugging Lorelai for the fourth time in as many minutes. "I can't believe it! You're finally Mrs Danes!"

"I know!" her mother exclaimed, bouncing around like Tigger and grinning so wide. "Oh, hon, we had the best time when you were growing up and I never for a minute regret the life we had, but this, me and Luke, this is how its supposed to be now. He's what I was missing."

"I know," Rory agreed. "But finally you got the happy ending I always wanted for you."

She was smiling and crying at the same time when Luke returned to them, two glasses of champagne in his hands.

"Rory," he said, handing her a glass. "Mrs Danes," he added with a wide smile as he gave Lorelai her drink.

"Why thank you, Mr Danes," she replied, giggling at how silly it was and yet she loved it all the same. "I'm gonna need this before the first dance gets announced. Baby Housman, I ain't," she noted, downing half the champagne in her glass.

"Nobody expects you to do a perfect merengue or anything," Rory reminded her. "Pretty sure all that's required is to move a little bit and look at each other like the newly-wed lovebirds that you are."

"That I think we can do," said Luke definitely, his arm around Lorelai as he leaned in and kissed her cheek.

"You better believe it," she agreed, before turning to Rory again. "So whilst we're dancing the newlywed way, isn't it traditional for the maid of honour and the best man to also partake of said dancing? Things are better with you two again now, right?"

"Way better," Rory confirmed, looking around for Jess and finding it strange that she didn't see him anywhere.

"And you're still up for house-sitting this weekend, right?" asked Lorelai with a look in her eyes that made Rory blush.

"House-sitting?" Luke echoed. "I thought Babette was watching the house while we're on honeymoon? Rory is only here until Monday..." he trailed off when he realised Lorelai was making hand motions and giving him looks. Luke didn't get why but he at least understood he was supposed to stop talking. "I'm sorry, Rory. Apparently I'm missing something and need to shut up now."

"It's fine, Luke," she assured him. "Even though you're married to Mom now, which I couldn't be happier about, it's probably still best that us girls are allowed to have a few secrets."

"I agree. A lot," said Luke definitely, offering Rory to clink glasses with him as if to seal that deal.

She laughed and did just that, taking a long swig of her champagne as Kirk switched tracks on the decks and announced it was time for the happy couple's first dance. Lorelai passed her glass off to Rory, gathered up the skirt of her dress and headed out into the centre of the room on Luke's arm. Rory watched them go and couldn't have been smiling any wider as two of her favourite people in the world began to dance.

"Pretty special," said a voice in her ear, making her shiver.

"Yeah, I think so," she replied as Jess appeared at her side. "This was always how it was supposed to be for them. Fate, destiny, call it whatever you want, I never doubted we would get to this day eventually."

"And you were clearly right." Jess nodded. "You look beautiful, by the way. This is the first time I've got to say that."

"Thank you. You look great too," she assured him, before laughing. "This is crazy. I actually feel nervous, like we're on our first date or something."

"It is weird," Jess agreed, hands in his pockets, looking as awkward as she felt. "I blame the wedding."

"Me too." Rory nodded, immediately wincing when she caught sight of her mother waving her arm, encouraging her daughter to dance already, and with Jess apparently.

"Either your mom is landing a plane or she wants us to get out there," said Jess.

"I don't see any jets around," Rory noted.

"So, shall we?" asked Jess, holding out his hand.

Taking a deep breath, Rory turned and put the two glasses onto the table and then placed her hand in Jess' own. He led her out to the floor and they put their arms around each other, moving slowly to the music. Other couples soon filled up the floor, nobody was paying much attention to anybody else, all caught up in their own romantic interlude.

"Rory, these past few weeks..."

"They've been tough," she said before Jess could even finish his thought. "But I'm not sorry about it. I think it's done us good. I mean, the talking and getting to know each other better. It's been good for us."

"I'm not arguing with that," said Jess definitely. "In fact, I was going to say something similar. Honestly, when you wanted to slow things down and... and do the whole serious talking thing, I wasn't sure how I'd handle it. I'm not the guy that talks about his feelings or the past or anything, but I did with you, and it was okay. It is okay," he told her with a smile. "Just one more amazing quality that makes up the wonder of Rory Gilmore."

"You're pretty amazing yourself," she agreed, ducking her head as a blush overtook her one more time. "I wasn't wrong about how good you'd look in that tux either," she told him, leaning in close enough to kiss.

Jess wasn't sure what he was supposed to do here. It wasn't as if they had cut all physical contact, but since the whole slowing down phase began, sex had been off the table. There had been kissing, a little more than kissing a couple of times, but he'd been stuck on second base this whole time and it was becoming painful. As good as Rory looked today, having her this close and saying these things to him, it had to be a sign. She wasn't a cruel tease, not his Rory.

"So, where are you staying tonight?" he asked, feeling safe in the question.

If she meant for them to be together, it would be fine, and if not, he could claim his question was a reasonably innocent moment of curiousity. His heart skipped a beat when she pulled back to meet his eyes, smiling seductively. It was a look he hadn't seen in too long.

"I'm heading back to the house, and since Mom and Luke are leaving for their honeymoon in an hour, I'll be all alone. Unless somebody wanted to come over and keep me company?"

Jess didn't have words and so let his actions speak, pulling Rory closer and kissing her until neither of them could bear to go without oxygen a moment longer. When they parted, Rory gasped in air but quickly found her voice.

"I love you, Jess Mariano," she told him softly. "And I'm sorry for-"

"Doesn't matter," he interrupted before she could say another word. "You needed time and space. Maybe it was the best thing. Now there's no more surprises. We're both going into this with our eyes wide open. After everything, you're looking at me and telling me you love me, and I love you, Rory. I swear to God, I don't know how this happened to me, but... but I can't live without you any more."

"I don't want you to," she promised, feeling oddly emotional as she moved in to kiss him again.

Maybe it was Luke and Lorelai that actually got married today, but Rory almost felt as if she and Jess had made a similar commitment. They spoke their words of love and forever, and tonight they would re-consummate their union in a bed she hadn't regularly slept in since she left Stars Hollow for New York and a new life. Rory couldn't be happier.

It was late before Lorelai and Luke left for their honeymoon. So many people wanted to wish them well, and the happy couple were pleased enough to be congratulated on their marriage that had been way too long in coming. Just before midnight, Lorelai tossed the bouquet, a parting shot that struck Taylor in the head and fell into Kirk's open arms. Everybody laughed. Finally, they headed off to the airport, with barely enough time to spare. Rory waved until her mom and new step-dad were out of sight, then she grabbed Jess' hand and gave him a smile.

Slipping out of the reception was easy, even though most of the guests were happy to stay on at the inn, revelling in the joy of the day. Nobody was watching the maid of honour and the best man anymore. They hurried away to the house she still thought of as home, moving quickly up the porch steps. Rory's heel broke half way and Jess caught her in true superhero style when she fell, sweeping her up into his arms.

"My hero," she teased him, giddy from champagne and more so from this feeling, like everything was just ending how it was supposed to, or maybe just beginning again as it was always intended.

"Pretty sure this is what the people who actually got married are expected to do, not us," said Jess as he carried Rory to the front door and let her unlock it from his arms.

Despite protesting, he didn't put her down and she clearly didn't want him to. Jess carried Rory into the house, forgetting where he was and what day it had been when she started to kiss him.

Jess had been here before but with his eyes closed and the woman he loved most in the world assaulting his senses, he lost all sense of direction. That wasn't good enough for Rory, because by now she knew exactly where she wanted to be. She muttered words against his lips, a need to be put down on her feet already. From there she could direct them both to her bedroom, though the kissing didn't stop, the need for each other overtaking them.

They tripped through the door, briefly startled and laughing at how stupid they were. Jess' eyes opened and scanned the room he had barely seen before. It wasn't how it would have been when Rory lived here. She had taken most of her belongings to New York when she moved out, but the bed remained, the desk too. Some books she clearly assumed she could do without or wanted here for when she visited, and posters that no longer meant much to their owner. Teenage Rory had lived here, not the woman in Jess' arms right now, and yet he recognised her in every detail somehow.

"This is a little weirder than I thought," she noted, looking around the room herself. "But then I think about before, when we visited Stars Hollow the last time," she said with a smile, looking at Jess in the half light, her fingers messing with his hair. "It might've been like this, if you'd come here all those years ago. I honestly don't think it matters. If we'd have met at seventeen, or seven, or seventy, I think this was always how it was supposed to be. You and me, just like this," she said softly, kissing his lips. "You think so?"

Jess didn't know how to answer that. He knew how screwed up he was as a teenager and hated to think how things might have gone if he met Rory back then. Still, she had a point about them being destined, being just exactly what each other needed. This was how it was supposed to be. He knew it because nothing else made sense. His life made no sense anymore unless Rory was in it. Jess couldn't imagine losing her again, because if she was gone, then there would be nothing left.

"Jess?" she said, a hint of a frown marring her forehead.

He was looking at her so intensely, like he had a hundred things to say but had lost all the words to express them. Rory might have been worried if she didn't know him better, and she had never known Jess better than she did right now.

"Yeah," he said at last, his fingers in her hair, his palm at her cheek. "You and me, just like this."

When he kissed her then, there were no more words, and there didn't need to be. Making love for the first time in weeks was passionate and amazing, then beautiful and lazy as they took their time rediscovering each others bodies, sealing their love that was never in question, but all the stronger for what they had been through.

Jess fell asleep with Rory in his arms, their bodies entwined in the too small bed that was just big enough for them two. For a few minutes she lay awake, just thinking, body humming, trying to remember how to breathe around the euphoria of this moment. Back here where she started, it was almost perfect, because Rory felt like this was a new dawn for the both of them. She drifted off to sleep with her head on Jess' chest, safe in the knowledge that this was just exactly where she was supposed to be, where she was always supposed to be, from the very beginning to the very end.

The End

A/N2: And that's how that turned out. I rewrote the ending about three times before I was happy with it, so I do hope you like. Also, ICYMI, I have a completely unrelated Christmas one-shot out now for your reading pleasure, titled 'A Gilmore Christmas Miracle', for all your festive Literati needs ;)