Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my own ideas.

Setting: AU season 2, where Rory and Dean never got back together after their first break-up.

A/N: I am so excited to share this story with you guys. It was an idea that came to me while I was writing A Lot Like Christmas. The idea of mashing up Gilmore Girls and How the Grinch Stole Christmas just tickled me and I had to get it down on paper. This story will have two parts. Enjoy, and please review!

Part One

Rory sat with a book in her lap, but she hadn't turned the page in almost 10 minutes. She could feel the smile on her face as she thought about her sleigh ride with Jess during the Bracebridge Dinner, but she couldn't control it. It had been such a great moment. She'd had a good feeling about him, ever since he'd stolen her copy of Howl. The little moments they'd shared made her think they could really connect if they had the chance, and she'd felt exactly that while they were sitting in the sleigh together and he was telling her about being stuck in Stars Hollow for Christmas since his mom didn't want him at home.

She knew he had a serious chip on his shoulder, and he didn't exactly get along with her mother, but she hadn't felt this way about a guy since those first interactions with Dean. Except, if she was being honest with herself, she would have to admit that it was even more exciting thinking about Jess. Not only were there butterflies fluttering like crazy in her stomach, but she actually loved talking to him too. He was smart, and funny, and no matter how difficult he was to read, Rory thought he might like her too. That was the best part. Rory could feel her smile widening and her cheeks warming as she thought about the way he had held her hand to help her out of the sleigh.

"You don't usually smile like that while you're reading Macbeth." Lorelai commented from the doorway, where she'd been watching her daughter for long enough to realize Rory's head was in the clouds.

"It's As You Like It, actually." Rory said, turning her head so Lorelai couldn't see that she was blushing even deeper now that she had been caught in her daydream.

"Still, Billy Shakespeare has never put that look on your face before." Lorelai pointed out. "So what has?"

"Just excited for Christmas." Rory said, gazing over at the beautiful Christmas tree Luke had put up for them. It wasn't a complete lie. Jess was definitely on her mind, but she also just loved this time of year. It was, to quote her mother, magical. "The Bracebridge Dinner really got my festive spirit into overdrive."

"It was pretty great." Lorelai agreed with a smile, coming over to sit next to Rory on the couch. She didn't completely believe that Rory's daydreams were about the holiday season, but Lorelai was willing to let it slide for now. "And Christmas is going to be great too. Well, not dinner at my parents' house on Christmas Eve, but the rest of it. Speaking of which, do you want to grab dinner at Luke's before the tree lighting ceremony tonight?"

Rory bit her tongue to avoid saying 'yes' too quickly. "Sounds good." She said after what she deemed to be an appropriate amount of time.

"Are you going to wear your ugly reindeer sweater?" Lorelai asked. "It was a big hit last year."

"The head fell off when someone wore it to the inn Christmas party." Rory reminded her. She didn't bother saying that she wouldn't wear it anyway.

"Oh yeah." Lorelai recalled. "Actually, Michel pulled it off because it was a crime against fashion."

"RIP, reindeer sweater." Rory said with a pout. She closed her book and stood. "We'd better get ready. Meet in 30 minutes for inspection?"

"Aye aye, captain." Lorelai said with a mock salute and they both departed to their rooms to get dressed.

"Christmas music while we make ourselves pretty?" Lorelai called.

"Yes, please!" Rory yelled. "Jazz standards or hair metal?" She had already put the hair metal Christmas CD in before her mom responded.

"Hair metal!" Lorelai responded predictably and Rory pressed play, the sounds of Sammy Hagar singing 'Joy to the World' filling the house.

A half hour later, Rory was looking at herself in the mirror self-consciously, studying her soft red sweater and black skirt from every angle.

"Thirty minutes on the dot!" Lorelai exclaimed, bursting into the room wearing her favorite green sweater dress and black boots. "You look cute!"

"Yeah?" Rory asked. "You think?"

"Umm yeah, of course I do." Lorelai said, tilting her head. "Why? Who are you trying to look cute for?"

Rory felt herself blushing again and shrugged in response.

"It's Jess, isn't it?" Lorelai asked, sitting down on Rory's bed. "You like Jess."

Rory bit her lip and debated denying it, but what was the point? Her mom could read her like a book and, besides, it's not like she was doing anything wrong. Finally, she nodded.

"I had a feeling when I saw you two at the Bracebridge." Lorelai said. She'd seen the doe-eyed look on Rory's face when Jess helped her out of the sleigh and knew she couldn't pretend there wasn't something blossoming between the two teenagers. There was clearly an attraction there, whether Lorelai liked it or not.

"Are you mad?" Rory asked, sitting down next to her mom on the bed.

"Of course I'm not mad." Lorelai said immediately, wrapping an arm around her daughter. "I assumed you'd have other love interests after you and Dean broke up. And Jess has a whole Rebel Without a Cause thing going on, which is always appealing when you're a teenager. But I gotta tell you, hon, that usually works out a lot better in theory than it does in practice. He's…he's got some issues, kid."

"You don't really know him." Rory pointed out, trying not to sound too defensive. She'd known that her mom and Jess had gotten off on the wrong foot and that Lorelai was skeptical of him, to say the least. She wanted her mom's approval on this, but she also knew that it couldn't stop her from feeling the way she did.

"Yeah, but neither do you." Lorelai responded. "I'm not dumb enough to think I can change your mind here. That's an Emily Gilmore move all the way, and I am not going down that road. Just be careful, ok?"

"Ok." Rory promised, standing back up. "I really look good?"

"You look great." Lorelai assured her with a smile. "Can we please go eat?"

Lorelai and Rory entered the diner to find it almost completely empty. Luke was wiping down the counter, Kirk was drinking hot chocolate by the window, and a couple other people were just finishing up their meals.

"What gives?" Lorelai asked, sliding off her coat before grabbing a chair and sitting down.

"I could ask you the same thing." Luke said. "Aren't you going to the tree lighting?"

Lorelai gasped and put a hand to her chest. "We have never missed a tree lighting and we certainly are not going to start now."

Rory nodded, her eyes wide. "When I was 13, I had bronchitis and we still came to the tree lighting!"

"Which delayed your recovery at least a week but it was well worth it!" Lorelai exclaimed.

"I know how devoted you are to the tree lighting. So why are you here when there's going to be a full spread at Ms. Patty's after the lighting." Luke asked, walking over to their table with two mugs of coffee.

The Gilmore Girls just stared at him as if he'd sprouted another head.

"Sorry, forgot who I was talking to." Luke said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Burgers and fries?"

"Yes please!" Lorelai said.

"With onion rings too!" Rory added, looking around the empty diner even though it was clear Jess wasn't there.

"Are you and Jess coming to the tree lighting?" Lorelai asked, putting a hand on Rory's and giving her a wink.

"I have to, I'm bringing the coffee for the party." Luke responded from his position behind the counter. "Jess…who knows? Haven't seen him all day. Kid disappears like he's Houdini or something."

"Harry Houdini is much better known for his escape acts than disappearing." Kirk corrected from his seat by the window, causing everyone to look at him.

"Kirk went through a magician phase a few years ago. It was truly a terrifying time." Luke informed Lorelai and Rory.

"Is that when you were running around town in a top hat?" Rory asked, recalling.

Kirk nodded solemnly. "Mother made me quit when the doves got loose in the house."

As Luke approached Rory and Lorelai's table with their food, an ear-piercing shriek came from outside. Everyone looked up and, a moment later, Babette burst through the diner door, breathing heavily.

"Babette, what's wrong?" Lorelai asked, jumping up from her chair. Luke dropped the plates he was holding on the nearest table and everyone in the diner went to surround the panting woman. Luke pulled out a chair, into which she promptly collapsed.

"Cesar, bring out a glass of water!" Luke called. Babette had yet to say anything; she was still trying to catch her breath. She started moving her hands about frantically.

"A man! A tall man! Oh, a Christmas Tree! There's a tall man blocking everyone's view of the Christmas tree!" Lorelai guessed unhelpfully, causing everyone to glare at her.

"Somebody stole Christmas!" Babette finally exclaimed.

Several things happened at the exact same time. Taylor Doose burst in the diner with the rest of the town close behind him, Luke screamed' JESS' at the top of his lungs, and Kirk fainted.