Chapter One
Luke Danes glanced up from the cash register as the door of his diner swung open. Lorelai Gilmore and her daughter, Rory, were staggering in, looking like they had just rolled out of bed. Both were wearing pajama pants and sweatshirts. Rory had a thick book under her arm, and Lorelai held the latest issue of the National Enquirer.
" Did I miss something? It's 9:00 on a Saturday morning. Why are you two not sleeping?" Luke asked warily, reaching for two mugs and pouring hot coffee into both.
" Didn't sleep. Birds." Lorelai muttered, waving her hand around and sliding onto a stool. She took the coffee gratefully.
" There's a bird nest outside her window. Lots of chirping." Rory explained sleepily, pouring sugar into her java. " Didn't feel like walking downstairs to my room. Wanted coffee. Here we are."
" You're not speaking in full sentences. This can't be good." Luke put down the coffee pot in front of them. " I'll just leave this here. Help yourselves."
" Hey, Luke. Is, uh, Jess awake yet?" Rory asked, glancing over at her mother, who still seemed in a daze.
" Yeah, he should be down in a few minutes. Why?" Luke opened the cash register and studied the contents.
" No reason," Rory answered quickly, looking down into her mug. She waited until Luke left the counter before looking back up again. Jess was standing right in front of her. Rory jumped, and then made a face at him.
" Didn't mean to scare you," Jess deadpanned. His dark hair was sticking up again, she noticed. Last Saturday, at the auction, it had been flat. She liked it better this way. " Nice pajamas. I have a pair just like them."
" Pink, with purple elephants?" Rory laughed, looking down at her pants.
" Purple elephants? No, mine are green," Jess said with a smirk. He looked over at Lorelai, who was sleeping with her head on the counter. " She okay?"
Rory rolled her eyes. " Great. Now she sleeps."
" We have a bed upstairs. Actually, two, if you count the new air mattress Luke bought. Do you want to bring her up there?" Jess offered.
" Sure, why not?" Rory poked her mother in the ribs, causing Lorelai to flinch.
" Come on, we're going upstairs."
" I'm awake," Lorelai protested, blinking.
" Upstairs." Rory ordered, pulling Lorelai off the stool.
" Where'd the Bobbsey Twins go?" Luke asked, going back behind the counter.
" Rory brought Lorelai upstairs to go to have a siesta." Jess answered. " I think they're both half-asleep."
" It's 9:15. Of course they're still asleep." Luke paused. " What? Why are they sleeping in our apartment?"
" You question the Gilmores? I thought you knew better than that." Jess tsked.
Luke nodded his head. " Right. What was I thinking?" He handed Jess a couple dollars. " Cash register. And I need another pot of coffee."
Jess put away the money and setting up the coffee machine when Rory appeared at the counter again. " Sleeping like a baby. Hope you don't mind, she's on your mattress."
Jess shrugged. He put a hand on Rory's book and turned it around so he could see the title. " Louisa May Alcott. Little Women." He raised his eyebrows.
" It's a classic," Rory declared, taking her book back. " How's The Fountainhead coming along?" She asked pointedly.
" It's coming," Jess defended himself. " I still say she's crazy."
" We talked about it for a half hour last night. I can't believe you don't see the beauty of The Fountainhead." Rory shook her head.
Jess pushed a button on the coffee machine and turned his attention back to Rory. " Luke said he would give me a couple hours off today. You want to do something?"
Rory hesitated for a moment. Dean had left a message on her cell phone about going somewhere with his parents all day, and that they would talk when he got back. So, no Dean in Stars Hollow.
" I need to go back home and get changed," Rory said slowly. " You want to meet back here at 11?"
" Sounds good to me," Jess agreed. He smiled slightly. " I'll give you coffee for the road. Looks like you're gonna need it."
Rory slid through the door of Luke's Diner at 11:00 exactly. Jess was waiting for her, reading The Fountainhead and eating a donut. She snuck up behind him and took the book out of his hands.
" What the hell?" Jess asked, turning until he could see that it was Rory.
" Is my mother awake yet?" Rory asked, sitting next to him and giving back the book. Jess reached over and slid the paperback under the counter.
" Still dead to the world," Jess replied, pulling his jean jacket over his red tee.
" Maybe you should leave her a note or something."
" Good idea. I'll be right back." Rory ran up the steps and into Luke's apartment. She grabbed a pad of paper and a pencil, writing as she made her way to where Lorelai slept.
Mom,
Went out with Jess. I'll leave my cell phone on so you can reach me.
Don't worry, I'll be careful. Boy in the plastic bubble kinda careful.
I love you.
Rory
Rory left the note next to her mother and ran back down the stairs.
Luke Danes glanced up from the cash register as the door of his diner swung open. Lorelai Gilmore and her daughter, Rory, were staggering in, looking like they had just rolled out of bed. Both were wearing pajama pants and sweatshirts. Rory had a thick book under her arm, and Lorelai held the latest issue of the National Enquirer.
" Did I miss something? It's 9:00 on a Saturday morning. Why are you two not sleeping?" Luke asked warily, reaching for two mugs and pouring hot coffee into both.
" Didn't sleep. Birds." Lorelai muttered, waving her hand around and sliding onto a stool. She took the coffee gratefully.
" There's a bird nest outside her window. Lots of chirping." Rory explained sleepily, pouring sugar into her java. " Didn't feel like walking downstairs to my room. Wanted coffee. Here we are."
" You're not speaking in full sentences. This can't be good." Luke put down the coffee pot in front of them. " I'll just leave this here. Help yourselves."
" Hey, Luke. Is, uh, Jess awake yet?" Rory asked, glancing over at her mother, who still seemed in a daze.
" Yeah, he should be down in a few minutes. Why?" Luke opened the cash register and studied the contents.
" No reason," Rory answered quickly, looking down into her mug. She waited until Luke left the counter before looking back up again. Jess was standing right in front of her. Rory jumped, and then made a face at him.
" Didn't mean to scare you," Jess deadpanned. His dark hair was sticking up again, she noticed. Last Saturday, at the auction, it had been flat. She liked it better this way. " Nice pajamas. I have a pair just like them."
" Pink, with purple elephants?" Rory laughed, looking down at her pants.
" Purple elephants? No, mine are green," Jess said with a smirk. He looked over at Lorelai, who was sleeping with her head on the counter. " She okay?"
Rory rolled her eyes. " Great. Now she sleeps."
" We have a bed upstairs. Actually, two, if you count the new air mattress Luke bought. Do you want to bring her up there?" Jess offered.
" Sure, why not?" Rory poked her mother in the ribs, causing Lorelai to flinch.
" Come on, we're going upstairs."
" I'm awake," Lorelai protested, blinking.
" Upstairs." Rory ordered, pulling Lorelai off the stool.
" Where'd the Bobbsey Twins go?" Luke asked, going back behind the counter.
" Rory brought Lorelai upstairs to go to have a siesta." Jess answered. " I think they're both half-asleep."
" It's 9:15. Of course they're still asleep." Luke paused. " What? Why are they sleeping in our apartment?"
" You question the Gilmores? I thought you knew better than that." Jess tsked.
Luke nodded his head. " Right. What was I thinking?" He handed Jess a couple dollars. " Cash register. And I need another pot of coffee."
Jess put away the money and setting up the coffee machine when Rory appeared at the counter again. " Sleeping like a baby. Hope you don't mind, she's on your mattress."
Jess shrugged. He put a hand on Rory's book and turned it around so he could see the title. " Louisa May Alcott. Little Women." He raised his eyebrows.
" It's a classic," Rory declared, taking her book back. " How's The Fountainhead coming along?" She asked pointedly.
" It's coming," Jess defended himself. " I still say she's crazy."
" We talked about it for a half hour last night. I can't believe you don't see the beauty of The Fountainhead." Rory shook her head.
Jess pushed a button on the coffee machine and turned his attention back to Rory. " Luke said he would give me a couple hours off today. You want to do something?"
Rory hesitated for a moment. Dean had left a message on her cell phone about going somewhere with his parents all day, and that they would talk when he got back. So, no Dean in Stars Hollow.
" I need to go back home and get changed," Rory said slowly. " You want to meet back here at 11?"
" Sounds good to me," Jess agreed. He smiled slightly. " I'll give you coffee for the road. Looks like you're gonna need it."
Rory slid through the door of Luke's Diner at 11:00 exactly. Jess was waiting for her, reading The Fountainhead and eating a donut. She snuck up behind him and took the book out of his hands.
" What the hell?" Jess asked, turning until he could see that it was Rory.
" Is my mother awake yet?" Rory asked, sitting next to him and giving back the book. Jess reached over and slid the paperback under the counter.
" Still dead to the world," Jess replied, pulling his jean jacket over his red tee.
" Maybe you should leave her a note or something."
" Good idea. I'll be right back." Rory ran up the steps and into Luke's apartment. She grabbed a pad of paper and a pencil, writing as she made her way to where Lorelai slept.
Mom,
Went out with Jess. I'll leave my cell phone on so you can reach me.
Don't worry, I'll be careful. Boy in the plastic bubble kinda careful.
I love you.
Rory
Rory left the note next to her mother and ran back down the stairs.