Rory lay on her rainbow patchwork bedspread, which she had snuck out of Lorelai’s room. Another sunshiny day, as always, started her idly thinking about the few rainy days Stars Hollow seemed to have in one year. You could count them on the fingers on one hand, and that’s after any amputations.

Lorelai stuck her head through the doorway.

“Sweetie, Taylor’s put up a list of carollers.” She put on her pleading, puppy-dog face. “Shall I sign us up?”

“Okay.” Rory smiled at the prospect of the entertaining night to come. Lorelai managed to combine carolling with Halloween. The pranks she pulled on Luke were always the best.

“Be back before you can say supercalifruga…supercilifraji…you know, that Mary Poppins word.”

“Why would I want to say that?”

There was a muffled ‘ow’ from Lorelai, who had managed to somehow slam her elbow into the refrigerator.

Shaking her head, Rory lay back, thinking about Christmas presents, and how far behind she was. Smiling, she started composing a list in her head. Mom…some sort of pink sparkly thing? A useless knick-knack of some sort? Maybe a …

Rory could feel the perfect present in the corner of her mind, fleeting brushing against her subconscious. She concentrated, and felt the idea slowly form. It was-

“For-” Rory bit back something she would seriously regret later.

Propping herself up on her elbows, Rory looked around. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a black flash.

There was a head in the window.

Rory’s heart thudded.

Rory jumped, before realising exactly who it was. Who else would it be?

She walked over, a little exasperated.

“I saw you an hour ago when you brought around my present,” Rory said, heaving the window open.

“I know.”

“Thank you for that, by the way. It was very … useful.” Rory tried to read his expression but, as usual, it didn’t say much.

“What was it?”

Rory laughed.

“Like you don’t know. So anyway, why are you here? I’m pretty sure it’s not because you’re excited about the release of that Mandy Moore movie.”

“Very funny. I think I cracked a rib,” Jess replied sarcastically.

“Well, I am known for my humorous ways.” Rory smiled down at him from her window.

“You seem unusually chipper today.”

“Why thank you. You still haven’t answered my question, though.”

“Huh. Would you look at the time? I gotta go.”

“Oh, okay.” Rory’s brow furrowed slightly. “By the way, you’re standing on our camellias.”

“They’ll cope. See ya.”

“Bye Jess.”

Rory leaned back, but not before catching a glimpse of Dean, standing forlornly on the side of the street, watching Jess walk away from the house. She quickly ducked inside, not thinking to try to explain.

***

A chilly breeze swept around them.

“You know, you can be very annoying when you want something,” Lorelai grumbled.

“Funny that. I wonder where I got it from?”

“I do hope you’re not referring to me.”

“Of course not. It’s Grandma.”

“Well known for her gabbling tendencies.”

Mother and daughter smiled, as they walked confidently along the sidewalk. Rory’s slowly faded, or rather, drooped at the sight before them.

“Where is everyone?”

“Probably at home. In their nice warm beds. Snuggled up in pillows and blankets. Drinking hot chocolate,” replied Lorelai. Rory didn’t take the hint. Or, rather, decided not to.

“Why aren’t there hordes of people here? There should be tons of people who’ve left their Christmas shopping late but … where are they all?”

“Besides you, you mean.” Lorelai wrapped her scarf around her tighter for emphasis, but it fell, metaphorically speaking, on deaf ears.

“Well, it is getting late,” Lorelai answered. She gasped melodramatically.

“Maybe there’s been a gas leak! Or a tsunami washed the town away! Or maybe the town got eaten by a gigantic monster!”

“Yes, a magical 8-storey tall creature that managed to hide itself in that rose bush over there.” Rory pointed at a straggly little plant that was more weed than shrub.

“It’s not impossible.”

Rory didn’t answer. She was staring at a twinkling point far away in the distance.

“The tree!”

***

It was stunning. The deep emerald pine was draped with sparkling lights all the way to the majestic tip, adorned with a graceful angel, complete with glowing halo and wings. It was already half decorated with the decorations of various Stars Hollow townspeople, but there was a convenient little space just right for the Gilmores.

“Perfect,” pronounced Lorelai with more than a little relish. She started digging around in her fleecy pocket.

“Oh no, you didn’t.” Rory took one look at her mom. “You did. Again.”

With a grin, Lorelai produced a neon monstrosity. Rory identified it as maybe a mutated cousin of the refined Christmas bauble.

“It’s hideous.”

“Don’t listen to her, Mr. Bobble.”

“Do I want to know?” Luke’s voice drifted from the other side of the tree.

“Hi.” “Hey Luke.” The Gilmores chorused in sync. Well, not quite in sync, but you get the general idea.

“Where’s yours?”

Luke pointed to somewhere halfway up the tree, then paused, puzzled. He walked slowly around, but still couldn’t find it.

“Jess!”

“What?” Jess’ hands were tucked firmly in his pockets, but he nodded at Rory. She nodded back at him.

“Where’s that thing you hung on the tree?”

“There.” Jess pointed to a miniature guitar. Lorelai saw Rory’s slight smile, though she tried to hide it.

“Luke,” Lorelai said, taking control of the situation once more, “this is Mr. Bobble.” She held the offending object out to him, when it started emitting a high, static pitch.

“Argh!” Luke threw it back at Lorelai, who quickly dropped it to the ground, stamped it and covered it with snow.

“Poor Mr Bobble. Laid to rest in more ways than one.” Rory looked a little melancholy all of a sudden.

Lorelai discreetly motioned to Luke. In her case, it meant waving her arms like a windmill to attract his attention, and then signalled that she needed to talk to him alone, accompanied by large amounts of silent mouthing and eye expression. She thought she saw Luke roll his eyes.

Those two trudged away.

“Ironic.”

Rory didn’t even turn around to know it was Jess.

“It is.”

“Why so wistful?” Jess asked, glancing at her.

“No reason.”

“Okay. Just thought I’d ask.”

Rory toyed briefly with the notion of pelting him with a snowball, but decided against it. Another time and another place maybe.

A something small and white floated gently onto Rory’s cheek. Then another. And another. She stared skywards in wonderment, seeing the black velvet heavens open gloriously. Her face broke into a rapturous smile. There was something just so beautiful about snow.

“You’ve got a snowflake on your cheek.”

“I know. You have some in your hair,” she smiled.

Jess was silent for a moment, and then came closer. Rory looked at him curiously. Reaching out a hand, he seemed uncertain for a moment, then swiftly brushed off the snowflake, softly grazing her cheek.

“There.” He tried to make it sound as casual as possible.

Rory stared at him. How is it possible that … he can … Her thoughts were scrambled and said the first unintelligent thing that came into her head.

“Thank you,” she breathed.

***

“So Luke,” Lorelai began, terribly unsubtle. “Gotten any lately?”

“Excuse me?” Luke asked, incredulous, and not a little bit horrified. No one had enquired about that aspect of his life for quite some time.

“Presents! I meant presents!” Lorelai’s expression was wide-eyed and vacuous. “Why, what were you thinking of?”

“You know, people use to pull that line in high school. High school.” He emphasised.

“Well?”

“Has she been making her own coffee?” Luke asked Rory, who had just walked by.

Rory nodded vigorously.

“110% coffee in one convenient cup.” She said, feeling enormous sympathy for Luke.

“That should really not be allowed.”

“Hey Lor.”

“Chris? What are you doing in town?”

“I’m just here for a holiday. You look great, by the way.” Christopher smiled at Lorelai.

“Thanks. Oh, this is Luke. Luke, Chris. You’ve met, haven’t you?”

“Yep.”

“Yeah.”

“Hey Chris, you wanna come over later? Rory’s going to be excited to see you.”

“Sure. Let me just hang this up.”

Luke stood there through this,

“I guess I’d better be going. See you tomorrow Luke.” Lorelai skipped away,

Luke nodded and walked away, looking for Jess. For some reason, he felt like savagely kicking something.

***

Luke and Jess walked silently. Neither of them felt much like talking.

A present lay on the front door of the diner. This being Stars Hollow, no one had even thought about considering contemplating maybe swiping it.

“It has a pink ribbon on it.” Jess observed with a trace of amusement.

Luke absorbed this silently.

“If you’ve got nothing to say, stay quiet.”

Jess raised an eyebrow, but very very quietly.

Luke unwrapped his. It was a box of caramel fudge, double dipped in rich chocolate, covered in pink sugar frosting and finally, dusted with coconut, liberal amounts of M&Ms and the odd marshmallow.

“What kind of sick, twisted person would do this?” Luke was aghast. That … thing disgraced the name of ‘food’.

“I think we both know the answer to that.”

***

“Rory.” Dean stepped out from behind the giant pine. He still had his decoration, a gold star, in his hand.

“Oh, hey.” She trudged over to him, noticing with growing alarm his unsmiling face and stiff speech. “What?” she asked, alarm bells ringing in her head.

He was silent for a moment.

“I saw you.”

“Saw what?”

A look of anger and hurt passed quickly over his face.

"Look, Rory ... I love you. You know that," Dean stated this flatly.

"Dean-"

"Let me finish. Rory, I know you think I'm crazy. That I'm jealous over nothing." He took a deep breath, and then continued. "I've seen the way you look at him, Rory. You used to look at me that way. Like he's, he's ... your oxygen or something. Like Jess is everything that matters to you."

Rory looked stricken.

“That’s not true.”

Dean sighed.

"It's killing me, Rory. I think I deserve some sort of closure." Rory looked up at him apprehensively. He didn’t seem angry, but his brown eyes were sad, with a note of finality in them that she had never seen before.

"We've both made our choices," was all he said before walking slowly away, not looking back.