A/N: Okay, so this is where this particular story ends. It's been fun and I seem to have a lot of happy readers, so that's cool. Thanks to everyone who has left lovely reviews throughout the story's run, and I hope you enjoy this closing chapter :)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 28

Everyone in Stars Hollow was gathered to see one of their favourite daughters married at last. It was like a Christmas gift to everyone to see Miss Gilmore so happy, becoming wed to an upstanding man that was more than her equal in verbal wit, and the only one who could keep up with the rate of rambling or the amount of food and coffee she could put away in one sitting. Today was the day when Lucas Danes made an honest woman of Lorelai Victoria Gilmore, and nobody was more proud to be there than Rory and Jess.

Though it was a given that Rory would be her mother's maid of honour, it had come as a surprise to Jess to be asked by Luke to play best man. They had only met again a year ago, after more than a decade apart. As Jess had said at the time, surely Luke had friends or other relations more suitable to stand up with him, but no. Luke insisted he would be honoured if Jess would do it, and so he agreed, as much for Rory and for Lorelai as for his uncle.

This was the latest in a series of trips to Stars Hollow that Jess had made, starting before he and Rory ever actually got together. Once they were a couple, it would have been unthinkable apparently for him not to accompany her when she went visiting, not least because her mother and his uncle were a couple, both engaged and expecting a child together.

Baby Rose Emily, named for both her grandmothers, had arrived on the scene just a little earlier than expected at the beginning of August, and Lorelai wasn't even out of the hospital before she had proposed to Luke that they be married before the year was out. He agreed in principal, though organising a wedding whilst they were both working and raising a new-born did seem kind of foolish. The town pulled together as always, and before long it was settled. Christmas Eve 2009 would see the marriage of Lorelai and Luke finally begin, and Rory was determined to be there to see it. She booked the time off from work just as soon as she knew it was happening, and Jess made the same arrangements. They were going to be at the wedding, no exceptions, and now, here they were, just as planned.

"It's beautiful," said Rory as she took Jess' arm and they paraded back down the aisle behind the happy couple. "I mean, I knew it would be, but... it really is."

Jess leaned in to kiss her cheek as they continued following on down the aisle. He had been a little reluctant about coming here like this. Visits to the Hollow were fine most of the time. He and his uncle got along, and Lorelai was so similar to Rory, it was easy to like her. The problem was all the people staring at him today, the whispers he already heard that he and Rory might be next to take their vows. As much as he loved her and honestly couldn't imagine life without her anymore, they had known each other less than fifteen months total. It was a little soon to be talking about marriage, he thought.

"Hey there, baby!" said Lorelai, taking her youngest daughter out of Miss Patty's arms and smiling widely. "How's it feel having married parents, huh?"

Rose squirmed in Lorelai's arms, but of course said nothing. At not even five months old yet, it would be shocking if she had.

"I think she's happy about it," said Luke anyway, kissing his daughter's head. "I know I am."

"Right back at you, husband," said Lorelai happily, grinning like her face would split in two. "This is one of the best days ever."

"I'll agree with that." Rory smiled too, gripping Jess' hand now. "I'm so happy for you, Mom. For both of you. All of you," she amended, including her sister in the sentiment too.

"You're not gonna cry, are you?" asked Jess awkwardly.

"Trying not to," Rory assured him, giggling through a veil of happy tears when both he and Luke tried to hand her a tissue at the same time.

"Nice to see I'm not the only gentleman to show up here," said a voice.

Rory spun around with a grin on her face, running at Logan and hugging him tight the moment she reached him.

"You made it!" she enthused.

"Hey, Ace," he greeted her happily, taking a moment to breathe her in.

She was as beautiful as he remembered, but he didn't ache so much when he had to let her go anymore. Rory wasn't his to hold onto. She and Jess were made for each other and he had to learn to live with it. Of course, it got a little easier when he wasn't literally living with it anymore. After they moved out, he saw them less often, which hurt in a different way, but Logan was man enough to deal. He continued his usual lifestyle for a while, working when he needed to, hooking up with women but never wanting or expecting anything serious. Unfortunately, the shine had gone off that whole situation of late.

Concentrating on work paid off for him and a few months back, his internet venture finally got off the ground. An overseas company were interested in helping him out and for once Mitchum hadn't had the chance to scupper anything. Logan did well, he made money, and he got to travel some. The last postcard Rory and Jess received from him had come from Japan, and though they had tried to let him know about the wedding in Stars Hollow and the fact he was invited, nobody really expected he would show up. It was wonderful to see he had made it to the reception at least.

"Hey, man," said Jess as he caught up to them, stoic as always even in a moment when he was feeling a lot. "Good to see you."

"You too, Jess," he assured him. "I, er... I assumed it was okay to bring along a plus one? If there's no spare seat, trust me, we're okay with sharing."

"Logan!" said the woman he had now pulled forward by the hand as she slapped him in the shoulder. "You didn't even introduce us yet. Maybe don't make it sound like we're a pair of rabbits in heat," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Rory, Jess, I'd like you to meet Amber Cole," he said then. "We met in Japan, though obviously, she is an American native," he said, since it was clear enough Amber had neither an Asian name nor face.

Amber, Rory, and Jess all made their greetings, shaking hands and such. Lorelai and Luke were distracted by their others guests and didn't miss the rest of their wedding party at all, it seemed.

"So, how did you guys meet?" asked Rory with interest.

"Please, don't make him tell that story. It's so embarrassing!" Amber declared, covering her face with her free hand. "I was not having the best day."

"Let's just say we literally ran into each other at a hotel and I got her out of a fix," said Logan, smiling widely, leaving out the whole part about the fix involving an accidentally locked door and a lack of clothing on Amber's part to save her blushes for now. "And after, when I was offered a drink for my troubles, assuming as many a man would that said drink would be a little less than vertically enjoyed," he said with a look, "I instead earned a slap in the face for my presumption, and a lecture about the general ignorance of the American male."

"Sounds like a real meet cute," Jess joked.

"I was such a bitch." Amber sighed. "I mean, it was kind of presumptuous to think I was going to sleep with him for getting a door unlocked, but even I know I went way above and beyond. I was just having a terrible time," she explained. "Anyway, the next day, I wanted to find Logan to apologise, but he already left the hotel. It was a complete fluke that we even saw each other again a few days later, catching a subway train of all the crazy things!"

"You call it a fluke, I call it destiny," said Logan definitely. "I was supposed to get a second chance to prove to you I was not the idiot you thought I was."

The way he looked at her when he said it, there was no doubting he meant every word. Rory watched them share a brief kiss, saw how Amber looked equal parts thrilled and embarrassed by the public display of affection in front of people she really didn't know yet. It was adorable and perfect. Maybe this was the right woman for Logan, somebody no nonsense, but sweet too. She was undeniably beautiful on the outside, and Rory could only hope she was as nice on the inside where it counted. Logan deserved that, he really did.

Before any more could be said, they were ushered off to the reception. Lorelai and Luke welcomed Logan to the occasion and were pleased to meet Amber too. The party got into full swing with the traditional toasts and speeches, dancing and fun. It went on late into the evening, with all the little ones put to bed in a corner, oblivious to the music and chatter that went on close by.

Rory noticed that Jess had got very quiet just a few minutes ago. They had been talking whilst they slow-danced but he stopped answering a while back and it started to bother her.

"Jess?"

"Can we get out of here for a while?" he asked. "I need some air."

"Sure," she agreed easily.

They slipped out when nobody was paying attention, and hand in hand faced the cold night air without really feeling a thing. As cliché as it was, love seemed to keep them warm these days.

Headed in a direction that was oh so familiar to Rory and not entirely unknown to Jess, they found themselves on the bridge over the lake before long. Jess couldn't think of a better place for this moment, truth be told.

Turning Rory around to face him, he pulled her closer and kissed her without a word.

"I have something for you," he said when they parted a second later, hand sliding inside his jacket and producing a slim packet.

Rory looked intrigued as she took it from him and carefully prised off the plain wrapping. Inside was a book, which was not exactly a shock. They bought books all the time, for themselves, for each other. Always one more volume to add to their ever growing library that would soon overtake their entire apartment, and yet it never occurred to either of them to stop.

"Oh, wow!" said Rory when she finally saw what she was holding in her hands.

By moonlight, she read the title and authors name from the cover - Blue-Eyed Angel by Jess Mariano. The story she knew, she had read a copy from pages Jess printed for her and they both scribbled notes in the margins as the manuscript was refined over and over. Rory knew it would be published by Chris and Matt, Jess' friends at Truncheon in Philly, but she hadn't known exactly when. He certainly never told her the title, or that she would be holding this book in her hand by Christmas.

"Open it," he urged her, when she seemed reluctant to do so. "Read the dedication."

Rory's hands were shaking, and she suspected not just from cold as she prised the cover open, and flipped a page or two. Her eyes started to fill up with tears, blurring her vision before she was hardly done reading the single line on the page.

"For Rory, I couldn't have done it without you," she read aloud, voice shaking with every word.

"That's no misprint" said Jess definitely. "That book would never have happened without you in my life, Ror. I'm pretty sure there are a lot of things that I wouldn't have right now if not for you. I sure as hell wouldn't be at this wedding."

Rory smiled, cried, laughed. Honestly, she wasn't sure what she was doing, she just felt so beautifully overwhelmed right now. Her mother was married to Luke, at last. Her baby sister was here in the world and perfect as a kid could be. Logan had met someone who seemed ideal for him. Rory was here, in a place she loved, under a bright full moon, with the man she loved staring at her like she meant everything to him, because she did.

"Everything has worked out so well," she said, feeling stupid when one lone tear streaked down her cheek. "It's nothing like I expected when I moved into that apartment more than a year ago, and yet... I don't think I could be any happier."

"Makes two of us," Jess assured her as they kissed one more time.

The End