my rule was that I wasn't gonna post any of my other 'On Common Ground' stories until after I finished 'On Common Ground'. But after the revival I needed a very alternate universe with a little bit of happiness and fluff. If you are not familiar with this universe, all you need to know is Jess and Rory are childhood friends. The story will be told in six short and sweet vignettes.

"Well, it looks like one, doesn't it?"

Jess looked out from sitting on the new Gilmore house porch, across the lawn to the edge of the crazy neighbor lady's property. There sat a tree stump, moss growing up the sides of it and a small ring of mushrooms protruding along the top edge.

"Maybe," he said, squinting his eyes against the mid-morning sunlight. "The top of it, maybe."

"Right?" Rory smiled, her voice high. "Just like in A Midsummer Night's Dream."

"That play was stupid," Jess said, picking himself up from the steps and moving over to the porch bench. Rory followed and turned around, hanging by her arms onto the chipped and faded railing she to face Jess. She smiled sweetly.

"… What?"

"I thought we should stake out here and see if a fairy comes. Y'know, since there's a fairy ring and all."

Jess pressed himself further down into the bench seat, looking at her skeptically. "Why would you want to wait around for Puck to show up?"

"Not Puck," she said, rolling her eyes, "A real fairy."

"Oh, yeah," Jess said, his tone dropping an octave as he narrowed his eyes, "A real fairy, duh."

Rory ignored him and swung around, looking back out at the tree stump. "I figure if we wait long enough, we might see something."

Jess jumped up from the seat and came to stand beside her, hanging his arms over the railing. "Yeah, and if you wait on the top of the steps all night maybe you'll see Santa bring the presents."

"No, you won't," Rory intoned looking at him sharply, "He doesn't come if you're not asleep."

"Oh my god." Jess dropped his head with a groan.

Rory pushed off of the railing, her long hair whipping around her face as she dashed over to the patio table and picked up a chipped white plate with a peanut and butter jelly sandwich cut in two triangles on top of it. She sat down on the floor next to the porch rail and put the sandwich down there with her, picking up one half and holding it out to Jess. "Now, come on," she said. "I can't wait all by myself."

Jess stared down at her, watching the purple jelly drip out from between the dry white bread slices held carefully in her hand. "Fine," he said, sitting down Indian style across from her and taking the half sandwich. Holding it on either end he bit into almost the whole thing, the peanut butter sticking to the roof of his mouth. Rory smiled at him and he raised his eyebrows at her from over the rim of the crust, swallowing quickly.

"Okay," Rory grinned, turning out to the lawn and looking intently through the handrails. "Let's watch."