Rory just stared at him for a couple of seconds, taking him in with surprise and, dare she say, happiness. She was not expecting him to be here. Here in Stars Hollow, here on her last night in Connecticut. Just... here.

The last time they had seen each other was a time they would both rather forget about. Rory had used him to cheat on Logan. Plain and simple. She hurt him and she knew it. Rory wanted to reach out to him multiple times since then, but didn't know how to form an apology around, "Hey, I'm sorry I used you to cheat on my boyfriend, who I ended up breaking up with about a year later anyway."

Jess beat her to it with the whole talking thing. Which, is ironic considering his words a couple of years ago were, and I quote, "The verbal thing comes and goes." He ended up asking the question she was going to eventually ask him.

"How's it going? I mean, I know you graduated college and all, which congratulations by the way, but anything else exciting going on the life of Rory Gilmore, the journalist/travel correspondent?" Jess talked to Rory normally, but it seemed to be more strained than it could have been. Which was again understandable considering last year....

Rory couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "Yeah. Things are going good. Great, even. I'm actually leaving to go write for the Obama campaign trial tomorrow, which is why the town put together a whole party."

Jess scoffed and, of course, replied with a sarcastic quip. "Wait, so you mean the whole shindig in the town square wasn't for me?" Even after all this time, Rory still loved his sarcasm and their back and forth witty banter.

But Rory played along. "Oh, my mistake. Yeah, didn't you here? Once everyone caught wind that you were returning to town, they put together a party to celebrate your return. Never mind that I was leaving; the first thing they had thought was "The hoodlum is returning. We need to make his drive through town a living hell." Rory smirked."There was even corny speeches and music that you would die from having to listen to."

Jess laughed out loud. Even though they've grown up and matured, while also having a pretty tumultuous past, some things never change. Like their ability to talk to each other like no time has past. Rory smiled.

When he stopped laughing, he stared at Rory, taking her appearance and presence in. Jess missed her so goddamn much, but he knew he shouldn't. They were in the past, and she made it very clear during her last visit that she was over him. She was dating the blonde dick from Yale and was... content. Happy, even. Or so he had thought.

Rory felt weak under his light stare. But again, some things never change. She cleared her throat to try and break the silence. "So, how are things with Truncheon? Get any letters saying "The Subsect" was the newest Pulitzer Prize winner?"

Jess scoffed. "I wish, but no. Things are going good, though. Truncheon has been thriving since you were last there." When he said those last few words, his voice quieted and seemed to be holding back a lot of kept in emotions.

Rory felt terrible. She was the reason he seems so guarded and upset. If she didn't apologize now, she doesn't know if there would be any other time she would be able to.

So, Rory inhaled deeply and let it all out. "Jess, I'm so sorry. What I did, last time at Truncheon, that was messed up. Horrible, even, and I feel terrible. I shouldn't have done it. I shouldn't have even thought of doing it, but I did and I hurt you. I regret those actions more than you know and I am just really, really sorry. I know I have said that word like 10 times already, but I mean it. I really am sorry." By this point, tears were starting to pool out of her eyes but Rory just stared at her feet. She couldn't make eye contact with Jess, knowing she just said her apologies, knowing that he would never forgive her for it.

Scratch that. This is Jess we are taking about. New Jess, in fact, who loves Rory more than words can express and would forgive her for anything. But that also meant that there is a chance that he wouldn't forgive her for this particular action....

Jess accepts the fact that he has been in love with Rory for years now. He would even go so far as to say that he has been in love with her since she called him "dodger" when he returned her book with notes in the margins. He knows that she is the only woman he could ever love. For now, and for the rest of his life, he will be infatuated by Rory Gilmore.

He's hurt, no doubt about it, but this is Rory and even if he tries, he can't stay mad at her forever. It would hurt Jess more to hold anger and resentment towards her for the rest of his life then just sucking it up and accepting her apology.

Jess inhales deeply and finally responded after her long apology.

"Rory," he starts saying. "I'm not going to pretend like everything is fine again. You hurt me. Badly, but I forgive you. After all the shit I put you through a couple of years ago, I would be an ass to hold a grudge like this against you."

Rory looked at him and tried to backtrack.

"No! No, I wasn't trying to make you feel like you owe me an apology or anything. What happened in the past had nothing to do with last time. I promise. That was just me not using the logical part of my brain, which I hope is still up there even though it hasn't been thoroughly used in awhile.

"The past is," she exhaled, "in the past." Rory tried to plaster on a smile, but it was smaller than it probably should've, and not as convincing as she was going for. She hoped Jess wouldn't notice, but this was Jess we were talking about. Talking to, to be precise. He always seemed to know Rory better than anyone, most often better than herself. He knew. He always knew.

"Yeah. It's in the past..." Jess said solemnly. He too put on a smile, but Rory knew that was fake as well.

"For the record, I'm really sorry as well. It was really shitty what I did to you in high school; I didn't treat you right and you deserved so much better," Jess dragged his hand down his face with a sigh. "Geez, this is such a late apology and a really horrible one at that."

Rory shook her head. "We both have much to apologize for and both of them should've been sooner, but here we are."

He nodded, his head still down.

She decided not say anything more on the matter and moved on to a different topic.

"So," she awkwardly started. "How did you find out about my elaborate "Bon Voyage Party"? I mean, I didn't even know it was happening!"

Jess slowly grinned. "Oh, well Luke mentioned something about it when we were talking a couple of days ago. Said if I wanted to come I should, but if I didn't that's fine too, I guess," he laughed.

"He was so awkward when he was telling me about the party. Guess he was afraid something was going to happen or he was hitting a nerve by asking." Jess smirked. "It was actually really funny to listen to him and picture his awkwardness in my head, but I saved him the embarrassment and said I would be there."

Rory laughed. "Well, regardless," she exhaled, "I'm really glad that you're here."

He sighed. "Yeah, I'm glad I came too."

They both looked out onto the water, rippling a bit from the wind, and felt better. It felt good to put the past in the past, officially. But it felt weird to say that it was all over. Like them being together was indeed over. It just didn't feel right.

Jess looked at Rory once more. "Come on, let's get you back to the party. I'm pretty sure this entire town has sent out a watch group to look for you, and knowing you, you'll want to get a head start preparing for tomorrow."

Rory nodded her head enthusiastically as they started walking. "Oh yes! I have already started putting together a list. Mom and I had to go to so many different stores since she insisted that I needed all this extra stuff. But I kept telling her that I was fine, then I ended up giving in because there really is no arguing with a Gilmore unless you want to publicly realize that you can't beat them when it comes to talking..."