A/N: Well, here we are at the end of this story and the Epilogue that grew a little longer than I originally intended. I don't think it will disappoint anyone though, at least, I hope not! Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me through this latest Literati journey and especially those who left reviews :)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Epilogue

Rory woke up slowly, opening her eyes and wondering why the ceiling didn't look quite right somehow. Turning her head, she realised with some alarm that nothing about the room was familiar. This was not her bedroom at home or the one at Yale either, and yet, as she sat up fast and surveyed the scene around her, she realised other things did seem right. It was her comforter at the bottom of the bed, her usual items on the nightstand, the familiar framed photograph of herself and her mom right there where it should be.

She shifted her focus back to the foot of the bed, realising with some surprise that there was a TV there, the screen black, save for rainbow-coloured writing across the centre that said, 'Good Morning, Rory.' The remote was alongside it, complete with a sticky note that read, 'Press play.'

Frowning in confusion but curious as to what in the heck was going on, Rory did as the note advised and hit the play button. Immediately, the display on the TV shuddered into life, one of Rory's favourite songs playing in the background as the writing and black background faded into a video of one Lorelai Gilmore.

"Hey, sweets," she greeted her daughter from the TV screen. "So, you're probably a little confused right now, but don't freak out, okay? A lot of stuff has happened and some of it is going to be hard for you to hear, but pay attention, baby girl, because it's a story with a happy ending," she promised, smiling widely.

What followed shocked Rory to the core as before her eyes came video clips and pictures galore, detailing an accident she could not recall, a condition she didn't know she had, and a whole lot of information about family and friends that she had apparently missed. In the minutes that followed, Rory both laughed and cried, discovering that her mom was now married to Luke, that her best friend, Lane, was was married to band-mate, Zach, that Sookie and Jackson now had two kids and a third on the way, rather than just the one that she knew about, and so much more besides.

"So, that's most of the important stuff you need to know about everybody else," said a male voice from the TV as the final frame of video faded away. "That just leaves you and me," he continued, as his smiling face suddenly appeared on the screen.

Rory gasped at the sight of a guy she never thought to see in reality. She had a dream about him last night, one so vivid she could almost believe it were true. Now she had to wonder if maybe it had been after all.

"Hey, Rory," said the mystery man from the TV screen. "I'm Jess Mariano, and if you've taken a look at your left hand at all this morning, you'll probably realise what we mean to each other."

Realising what he must mean by that, Rory glanced down at her hand, eyes widening a little more at the sight of an engagement ring, before she quickly went back to watching the screen.

"I know this whole thing is scary and weird, but please know that everything is cool. This apartment is our home and you have absolutely nothing to be worried about. I know it's going to take you a while to process and that's okay. Your diary is in the nightstand if you wanna read what's been going on in your own words, and when you want to talk, just come find me. I won't be far away. I love you, Rory."

Rory watched him smile as he told her that and then slowly the screen faded back to black, the video over. Blinking hard, she tried to take in everything she had just seen and heard. It seemed unbelievable and yet it had to be true. The evidence had been right there before her, and some of it still was, in the form of the diamond ring on her finger.

Reaching to the nightstand, Rory pulled open the drawer and there was her diary, just as Jess had told her it would be.

"Jess Mariano," she said to herself. "Luke's nephew?"

She was frowning a little as she opened up her diary and read all she could in her own handwriting. It was true, every word, not that she really doubted it, but it was kind of crazy. When she touched the back of her head, she could feel the bump from the accident. As she read more and more pages of her own writing, she understood so many things that would otherwise make no sense, including her dream about Jess last night.

With tears of sadness and happiness both, she read, she thought, and she processed. It was an hour, maybe more before Rory felt ready to face the world, but she was comforted by the fact her clothes were already laid out on the chair (her own choice from the day before, she had no doubt) and by knowing that when she headed on out of the door, she wasn't going to be alone.

Dressed and ready, she headed for the door, only to turn back at the last and go over to the window instead. Taking a deep breath, unsure what she was expecting, Rory pulled on the cord to raise the blinds and gasped at the sight that met her eyes.

"New York," she said softly to herself. "I live in New York," she said, giggling at how crazy that seemed.

Shaking her head in wonder still, Rory went back towards the bedroom door and stepped out into the living room. It wasn't the biggest apartment, but she liked it instinctively. She supposed she ought to since she probably helped pick out all the furniture and such. Her eyes scanned the walls as she walked through the room, seeing pictures of pretty much everyone she loved there. She found herself heading towards the kitchen without really knowing she was doing it and that was where she found Jess.

"Um, hey," she said, raising one hand in an odd wave as he turned to see her standing in the doorway.

"Morning," he said, smiling at her. "You'd be amazed how many times you show up just when the coffee machine is done," he said, rolling his eyes as he poured her a cup and brought it over.

"Thank you, Jess," Rory told him, laughing in spite of herself. "I'm sorry, this is a little..."

"Scary and weird?" he quoted from the video.

Rory shook her head. "No," she told him definitely. "I mean, yes, kind of weird, but not scary," she said without hesitation. "I'm actually not scared at all."

"That's good," Jess told her, looking very pleased to hear it.

It was so strange because, on a cerebral level, Rory really didn't know him, and yet, somehow, as she looked at Jess, she felt as if she did. Of course, they had clearly spend a lot of time together in the last couple of years, they would hardly be living together or engaged if they hadn't, and it just didn't seem awkward at all to her to lean forward and put her lips against his own in a sweet kiss.

"Okay," he said as they parted, looking just a little dazed. "You're not usually this forward this fast," he admitted. "Not that I'm complaining."

"Good." Rory grinned at him, even as she felt the colour rising in her cheeks. "Um, so, I read a lot about us and our lives, but I think I missed the part about what we do for a living. Do I have a job?" she asked, feeling strange having to even pose that question.

"Essentially, yes," Jess told her, picking up her free hand and leading her back through to the living room and then on to a second bedroom.

It was practically shoebox small, but just big enough for two desks, each with a computer, paper and pens, and everything a person might need for work. One had tchotchkes and such that she recognised as her own, or at least to her own taste, while the other she had to assume was Jess' space. From her desk, he picked up one of the pieces of paper and showed it to her.

"I wrote this?" she checked, skimming the page. "A novel?"

"Short story," he confirmed. "In the circumstances, you're better with those, but don't go thinking you're subpar just because your books aren't as long as mine," he said, smirking as he gestured to the shelf hung between their desks.

Rory was amazed all over again as she took in the sight of three books held between stylish book-ends. Two were novels by Jess Mariano, the third, a book of short stories by Lorelai Leigh Gilmore.

"Oh my God!" she gasped. "I'm... I mean, we're... published?" she checked.

"You get your next collection finished like you keep telling me you're going to and that shelf will start looking a little more even," Jess told her mock sternly, before his smile broke through again and he wrapped his arms around her. "We have plans to fill that thing over the next few years, and if a few end up being best sellers, that'd be cool too."

Rory laughed even as tears fell from her eyes. She put down her coffee so she could take Jess' face in her hands and kiss him again, more deeply than before, taking him by surprise in the best way.

"I have to admit, I like days when you take things this well," he said as they parted. "Rory?" he checked then, looking a little concerned.

She didn't wonder at it, given what she had to tell him.

"I read something in my diary that I don't think you know yet," she confessed, swallowing hard. "Jess, as crazy as this sounds - especially to me - I'm pretty sure we're having a baby."

When he kissed her then, he all but took her breath away and Rory didn't mind at all. She meant what she said before, she really wasn't afraid of being here in what ought to be a strange place with a strange man who said he was her fiancé. She had no memory of any of it, that much was true, but something deep inside of her, stronger than mere memory, told her this was right, that this was her place in the world. Somehow, she just knew that she never wanted to be anywhere else for as long as she lived.

The End

A/N2: And that's all she wrote, at least for this story. Unfortunately, I don't have any new GG fics in the works right now, although 'As You Wish' will continue to be updated as regularly as I can (I am messing around in sooo many fandoms right now! lol). Any final thoughts on this story, however, would be gratefully received :)