Part 3

Time went on and as the two girls sharing a dorm busied themselves with their respective studies, the landscape changed from the colorful but dull autumn, into early winter. A thin layer of snow blanketed the ground as the days became darker and shorter.

Jessie sighed heavily as she looked out at the white ground from the window.

Rory looked up from her textbook as she heard it for the third time, the girls had become pretty close, as they had learned more about the other.

"What is it?" Rory asked and put down the book she was holding in her hands.

Jessie turned around and gave her roommate a gloomy look, "Nothing really, it's just that I can't afford to go home for thanksgiving."

"Oh," Rory recognized the answer, Jessie had a traveling account that her father had set up and due to a small trip down to New York for a concert the girls had taken had emptied the account to such a degree that Jessie would only be able to afford to go home over Christmas.

"I really miss them." Jessie added, then said with a sheepish grin, "I even miss my step siblings."

Rory gave the blonde girl a look filled with empathy, and then a thought came to her, "Why don't you come with me?"

"I wouldn't want to impose," Jessie replied her body holding a hesitant posture.

"Oh, it'll be fun," Rory insisted. "Besides last year we had dinner at four places, so you would definitely benefit me and my mom by dividing the food up on more people."

Jessie gave Rory an incredulous glance, "Four dinners?" she asked with a disbelieving smile.

Rory nodded with an honest smile, "Yeah I know it sounds a lot, but we really did go to four dinners, we were really stuffed after that."

"Will you repeat them this year?" Jessie asked her voice still contained some traces of doubt.

"I think so, at least if I understood mom correctly," Rory answered.

Jessie's eyes returned to the scenery while she thought it over, then she nodded a quick nod for herself and looked back at Rory, "Okay, I'll tag along."

"Great! You'll love Lane." Rory exclaimed with a happy face.

"She's gay?" Jessie asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No dummy, she's my best friend, you know she whose mom is overly religious, and you've met her!"

Giving Rory a beatific smile Jessie replied, "I know just teasing."

"Ha ha, very funny," Rory shot back dryly.

Jessie simply gave Rory an old-fashioned look and then returned to her staring, this time however, her depression gone letting her appreciate the scenery.

* * * * *

"HONEY!" A woman's voice screamed from the front door of the white wooden house and Jessie recognized it immediately. It was Rory's mother's voice and to be honest Jessie loved that voice. Although she loved the woman's personality even more, her voice always reminded her of Katie's.

Only seconds later Rory was enclosed in a bear like hug.

"Awww! I've missed my little girl sooo much!" Lorelai exclaimed with an excited voice slightly muffled by Rory's hair.

"Nice to see you too mom," Rory replied with a more sedated voice, she had become used to these eruptions from her mother after it had happened every time she had returned to visit.

After Rory had replied Lorelai noticed Jessie standing some steps behind them. "Hey what are you doing over there?" she asked with a mischievous voice, "Get over here!" she ordered with fake sternness.

Jessie complied with an amused grin and they hugged once she had reached them.

"So this is a surprise, Rory didn't tell me you'd tag along this time." Lorelai said after they had released each other.

"Oh, my travel budget couldn't afford a trip home before Christmas, so Rory invited me to join you." Jessie replied with an apologetic smile.

"Well, you're very welcome to use our couch."

"Thanks... I think," Jessie, said as she recalled how that convertible couch had felt sleeping in the last time. It was not a very pleasant memory.

Lorelai gave Jessie a sympathetic smile, "I know it's not the best sofa in the world to sleep in and I would invite you to share my bed if it weren't for you might take that wrong and I'd guess my daughter wouldn't approve of me sleeping with someone young enough to be my daughter," she then said with a straight face, her words made both girls look at her as if she had sprouted a second head.

Lorelai sighed audibly and then said resignedly, "It was a joke!" she then added with s coy grin, "You can borrow my bed minus me, I'm sure Luke will borrow one of his beds with... I mean to me."

Lorelai's last sentence made Rory slit her eyes suspiciously, and she then asked her mother, "Mom, is there something you want to tell me?"

Lorelai tried to look innocent but it came off as very fake, "Why nooo, I have nothing to tell you," she then made a teasing face and added, "Not that you can make me!"

Rory and Jessie looked at each other and on a silent cue they jumped Lorelai and began to tickle her ferociously.

Squealing highly Lorelai tried to get away but the two younger girls proved to be much too agile for her brave attempts.

"OK! OK!" Lorelai finally gasped, "I'll tell! I'll tell!" she conceded still chipping for air.

"Spill!" Rory demanded with a victorious grin.

"Ok, me and Luke have been dating for a while, since we were afraid it wouldn't work out we haven't told anyone," giving Rory a knowing look she continued, "of course even though Luke seem to have some hopes that it's still secret I'm sure all of Stars Hollow knows it."

Rory nodded knowing exactly what her mother meant.

Jessie looked at them and decided that the old saying that everybody knows everybody was truly true for this small town.

"When will you go official with it?" Rory wondered as the three of them turned to the bags the cab driver had picked out while they had greeted each other.

"WE were going to do it some time after we'd told you. Now that you know I guess soon."

"Sweet." Rory said with a grin. "Are you planning on giving me any siblings soon?"

"Whoa, there!" Lorelai said putting up her hands in a defensive stance, "we haven't come that far yet."

"You said yet." Rory pointed out with a smug smile.

"We haven't discussed it, and I honestly don't have any rush to realize it, the inn is still going strong and keeps me very busy."

The two Gilmores continued to banter forward and back while they all walked towards the house, Jessie simply let her ears be filled with their voices as she loved listening to them chatting about everything and nothing.

To be continued...