Disclaimer: If I was in any way affiliated with Gilmore Girls, Amy Sherman
Palladino, The WB, or anything else, this thing would not be here. Besides,
I'm a broke teenager.
A/N: Yet another AU fic for me. They're so much easier to write. Don't have to worry about people being in character or anything...**sigh** the power of an AU...
No Quick Fix
Chapter One: Moving On and Moving Out
Jess is seventeen and living in New York with Liz. He's pretty much the same as how he was written on the show. He isn't the biggest supporter of the New York Public Schools and has visited the local precinct on a few occasions.
His girlfriend, Arpi, lives in an apartment down the hall from his. She lives with her parents and Wesley, her and Jess's infant son. Jess helps her take care of him, but Wesley lives with Arpi's family.
One Thursday night, Jess was taking care of Wesley since Arpi had to work. When it was getting late, Jess decided that it was time to take Wesley back to Arpi's apartment. He gathered Wesley's things and soon exited the apartment. He walked down the hall and stopped in front of Arpi's apartment.
Jess: (knocking) Arpi? You in there?
After he knocks a few more times and receives no answer, he gets the key out that Arpi had given him. He slowly opens the door.
Jess: (stepping into the apartment) Hello? Anyone home?
When no one answers, Jess puts Wesley into his crib in Arpi's room and decides to check around the apartment. Nothing is out of place, but then he freezes in place when he looks into the bathroom.
Jess, out of the corner of his eye, sees his girlfriend lying in the bathtub with her arms propped up on the sides, floating in the now blood red water.
Jess immediately goes to Arpi, but he's too late. He runs to the kitchen to call 911.
~*~ One Week Later ~*~
After Arpi's death, Jess has had full custody of Wesley. Wesley is too young to realize what happened and soon becomes used to the fact that his mother is now gone.
Jess: (sitting at the kitchen table with Liz while Wesley is sleeping) I still can't believe that she did it.
Liz: (voice reassuring) I know. No one saw it coming.
Jess: I mean, why couldn't she have talked to me? I feel like it's all my fault.
Liz: It's no one's fault. Looking back, if she was in enough pain to do that, it's for the best.
Jess: But what about Wes. I mean, he's going to grow up not knowing her at all.
Liz: (trying to comfort Jess who has his head in his hands) It will be hard. I wish that there was a simple solution to this, but there isn't.
Jess: (looking up) I know. In time, things will get better, but right now, everything sucks.
Liz: Time heals most wounds, but it is also slow as hell sometimes.
Jess: (puts his head back in his hands) I can't do this.
Liz: Yes you can. You are a great father.
Jess: No. Not here. I can't raise him here. I don't want him to end up like me.
Liz: Jess-
Jess: (cuts Liz off) New York is not the place for me to raise him. There's too much here that I don't want to face.
Liz: Well, we could always call someone...
Jess: Who? Dad?
Liz: I was thinking more like your uncle, Luke.
Jess: Who?
Liz: He's my older brother. He lives in Stars Hollow, Connecticut.
Jess: Sounds like Hicksville, USA.
Liz: It's pretty close.
Jess: (sarcastically) Oh joy.
Liz: The people are a little nuts, but it's a good place to grow up.
Jess: (thinking about what Liz said) Do you think that he'd be okay with it?
Liz: Yeah. Family is his weakness.
Jess: Oh.
Liz: You sure you want to do this?
Jess: Yeah. I want to do what's best for Wes, and leaving New York would definitely help.
Liz: (looks sympathetically at her son) All right. I'll call Luke.
Jess: I'll be in my room.
Liz: 'Kay.
Jess: (walking towards his room but stops and turns around) Hey Mom...
Liz: Yeah?
Jess: Thanks. For everything.
Liz: (smiles) You're welcome.
Jess goes into his room and picks up a book while Liz picks up the phone to call Luke.
Luke: Luke's.
Liz: Damn, I thought this was the number for William's Hardware.
Luke: (a little surprised) Liz?
Liz: Also known as your younger sister.
Luke: Hi.
Liz: Hi. How's Stars Hollow.
Luke: Boring as usual.
Liz: That's what I thought.
Luke: You were the one with the brain, not me.
Liz: True.
Luke: So, is there a reason for this call?
Liz: Uh, yeah. You remember my son, Jess, right?
Luke: Yeah, why?
Liz: Well, his girlfriend died last week...
Luke: (interrupts) Oh God, poor kid. How's he holding up?
Liz: He has good days and bad days.
Luke: Understandable.
Liz: (getting back to her reason for calling) Well, anyway, since Arpi died, Jess has had full custody of Wesley.
Luke: (curious and confused) Wesley?
Liz: My grandson.
Luke: Oh.
Liz: Well, Jess and I were talking earlier and he mentioned that he didn't want Wesley to grow up here in New York and that's when I thought about you and Stars Hollow.
Luke: (knows what is coming) And...
Liz: Would it be all right if Jess and Wesley moved in with you or into a nearby apartment?
Luke: (thinking) Sure. He can work in the diner until he finds something else.
Liz: Thank you so much Luke. This means so much to me, to us.
Luke: No problem. Do you have an idea of when they'll be coming?
Liz: Uh, hold on...
Liz places her hand over the phone and calls out to Jess.
Liz: (quietly, but loud enough for Jess to hear) Jess!
Jess: (gets up and walks over to Liz) Yeah?
Liz: When?
Jess: What?
Liz: When do you want to go to Stars Hollow?
Jess: As soon as possible.
Liz: (back to Luke) When is the soonest that it would be okay for them to come?
Luke: Uh...I guess tomorrow would be okay.
Liz: (mouths to Jess, 'tomorrow?' and he nods) All right.
Luke: I'll set up part of the apartment for them and then we can think of something more permanent when he gets here.
Liz: Thank you so much Luke.
Luke: No problem.
Liz: Bye.
Luke: Bye.
The two hang up.
Liz: (walking over to Jess) Looks like we have some packing to do.
Jess: Let's just worry about the more important stuff for now.
Liz: I can ship the rest of it later.
Jess: Thanks.
Jess and Liz begin to take clothes out of drawers and pack them into two large bags. After the bags are filled, they begin piling clothes into boxes.
Meanwhile, in the diner, after Luke hangs up the phone he has an odd an expression on his face that does not go unnoticed by Lorelai, who has been sitting at the counter the whole time.
Lorelai: (serious) Everything okay?
Luke: (voice distant, you can tell he's preoccupied) That was my sister...
Lorelai: What is it?
Luke: My nephew, he's moving here.
Lorelai: Out of the blue?
Luke: His girlfriend passed away last week...
Lorelai: (cuts him off) Damn. Poor kid...(A/N: Not the most sympathetic line, sorry)
Luke: Yeah. Well, he and Wesley are going to move in with me.
Lorelai: Wesley and...
Luke: (realizes she doesn't know Jess's name) Jess
Lorelai: (confused) Wait, which is your nephew?
Luke: Technically, both I think. Wesley is Jess's son.
Lorelai: (nods in understanding) And the girlfriend was Wesley's mom.
Luke: I think so.
Lorelai: How could someone be so young and have to deal with all of that? Wait, how old is he?
Luke: Uh, (thinks for a second) seventeen or eighteen.
Lorelai: Yikes.
Luke: Yeah.
Lorelai: If you need anything, you know that Rory and I are here for you, Jess, and Wesley. If you need some baby stuff, I still have some of Rory's.
Luke: (smiles appreciatively) Thanks. That means a lot.
Lorelai: No problem. Besides, it sucks to be a teen parent on your own.
Luke: I wouldn't know.
Lorelai: It was worth it.
Luke: Rory's a great person. You did a good job with her.
Lorelai: I did, didn't I?
Luke: Yeah.
Lorelai: Shoot! I just remembered there was an emergency at the inn. I gotta go.
Luke: Yeah. Oh, Lorelai.
Lorelai: (turns around) Yeah?
Luke: Don't tell anyone, okay? Here's been through enough and doesn't need Stars Hollow's insane residents bothering him.
Lorelai: Gotcha. And remember, call Rory and I whenever you need help. She can babysit now since it's summer.
Luke: Thank you.
Lorelai: No problem.
Lorelai exits the diner and heads toward the inn.
Lorelai: Hey sexy man.
Michel: Thank you for rushing when we called with an emergency.
Lorelai: I got distracted.
Michel: Well, no need to worry yourself. Everything is fine.
Lorelai: Great! See you tomorrow!
Michel: Wait, Lorelai!
Lorelai pretends that she doesn't hear him and she goes home.
Lorelai: (entering the Gilmore home) Mini me! Where are you?
Rory: Room!
Lorelai: (walks into Rory's room to see her reading on her bed) Hey there kiddo.
Rory: Hey.
Lorelai: Listen, there's something I have to tell you.
Rory: What is it?
Lorelai: Well, Luke's nephew is moving to Stars Hollow.
Rory: Why?
Lorelai: His girlfriend died last week and he's moving here with their son.
Rory: Wow.
Lorelai: Yeah. I told him that we'd help out and everything. I volunteered you to babysit.
Rory: Sure.
Lorelai: Oh, Jess, his nephew, is seventeen or eighteen.
Rory: Hide him from Miss Patty.
Lorelai: Just thought you would like to know that little piece of information...
Rory: Mom, his girlfriend and the mother of his child just died.
Lorelai: Wesley. The baby's name is Wesley.
Rory: So, it has a name.
Lorelai: Yup.
Rory: Do you know when they are coming?
Lorelai: Tomorrow I think.
Rory: That's fast.
Lorelai: Yeah, but I think it's something like the sooner, the better.
Rory: Yeah.
Lorelai: So, movie?
Rory: Willy Wonka!
Lorelai begins to sing the oompa loompa song and the they begin to gather junk food for the movie.
A/N: This was basically an intro./filler chapter. I'll update as soon as I can, but I want to know what you people think. About the title, it's from a song by Nada Surf. That was all I could come up with. Well, please review and send me comments or questions.
A/N: Yet another AU fic for me. They're so much easier to write. Don't have to worry about people being in character or anything...**sigh** the power of an AU...
No Quick Fix
Chapter One: Moving On and Moving Out
Jess is seventeen and living in New York with Liz. He's pretty much the same as how he was written on the show. He isn't the biggest supporter of the New York Public Schools and has visited the local precinct on a few occasions.
His girlfriend, Arpi, lives in an apartment down the hall from his. She lives with her parents and Wesley, her and Jess's infant son. Jess helps her take care of him, but Wesley lives with Arpi's family.
One Thursday night, Jess was taking care of Wesley since Arpi had to work. When it was getting late, Jess decided that it was time to take Wesley back to Arpi's apartment. He gathered Wesley's things and soon exited the apartment. He walked down the hall and stopped in front of Arpi's apartment.
Jess: (knocking) Arpi? You in there?
After he knocks a few more times and receives no answer, he gets the key out that Arpi had given him. He slowly opens the door.
Jess: (stepping into the apartment) Hello? Anyone home?
When no one answers, Jess puts Wesley into his crib in Arpi's room and decides to check around the apartment. Nothing is out of place, but then he freezes in place when he looks into the bathroom.
Jess, out of the corner of his eye, sees his girlfriend lying in the bathtub with her arms propped up on the sides, floating in the now blood red water.
Jess immediately goes to Arpi, but he's too late. He runs to the kitchen to call 911.
~*~ One Week Later ~*~
After Arpi's death, Jess has had full custody of Wesley. Wesley is too young to realize what happened and soon becomes used to the fact that his mother is now gone.
Jess: (sitting at the kitchen table with Liz while Wesley is sleeping) I still can't believe that she did it.
Liz: (voice reassuring) I know. No one saw it coming.
Jess: I mean, why couldn't she have talked to me? I feel like it's all my fault.
Liz: It's no one's fault. Looking back, if she was in enough pain to do that, it's for the best.
Jess: But what about Wes. I mean, he's going to grow up not knowing her at all.
Liz: (trying to comfort Jess who has his head in his hands) It will be hard. I wish that there was a simple solution to this, but there isn't.
Jess: (looking up) I know. In time, things will get better, but right now, everything sucks.
Liz: Time heals most wounds, but it is also slow as hell sometimes.
Jess: (puts his head back in his hands) I can't do this.
Liz: Yes you can. You are a great father.
Jess: No. Not here. I can't raise him here. I don't want him to end up like me.
Liz: Jess-
Jess: (cuts Liz off) New York is not the place for me to raise him. There's too much here that I don't want to face.
Liz: Well, we could always call someone...
Jess: Who? Dad?
Liz: I was thinking more like your uncle, Luke.
Jess: Who?
Liz: He's my older brother. He lives in Stars Hollow, Connecticut.
Jess: Sounds like Hicksville, USA.
Liz: It's pretty close.
Jess: (sarcastically) Oh joy.
Liz: The people are a little nuts, but it's a good place to grow up.
Jess: (thinking about what Liz said) Do you think that he'd be okay with it?
Liz: Yeah. Family is his weakness.
Jess: Oh.
Liz: You sure you want to do this?
Jess: Yeah. I want to do what's best for Wes, and leaving New York would definitely help.
Liz: (looks sympathetically at her son) All right. I'll call Luke.
Jess: I'll be in my room.
Liz: 'Kay.
Jess: (walking towards his room but stops and turns around) Hey Mom...
Liz: Yeah?
Jess: Thanks. For everything.
Liz: (smiles) You're welcome.
Jess goes into his room and picks up a book while Liz picks up the phone to call Luke.
Luke: Luke's.
Liz: Damn, I thought this was the number for William's Hardware.
Luke: (a little surprised) Liz?
Liz: Also known as your younger sister.
Luke: Hi.
Liz: Hi. How's Stars Hollow.
Luke: Boring as usual.
Liz: That's what I thought.
Luke: You were the one with the brain, not me.
Liz: True.
Luke: So, is there a reason for this call?
Liz: Uh, yeah. You remember my son, Jess, right?
Luke: Yeah, why?
Liz: Well, his girlfriend died last week...
Luke: (interrupts) Oh God, poor kid. How's he holding up?
Liz: He has good days and bad days.
Luke: Understandable.
Liz: (getting back to her reason for calling) Well, anyway, since Arpi died, Jess has had full custody of Wesley.
Luke: (curious and confused) Wesley?
Liz: My grandson.
Luke: Oh.
Liz: Well, Jess and I were talking earlier and he mentioned that he didn't want Wesley to grow up here in New York and that's when I thought about you and Stars Hollow.
Luke: (knows what is coming) And...
Liz: Would it be all right if Jess and Wesley moved in with you or into a nearby apartment?
Luke: (thinking) Sure. He can work in the diner until he finds something else.
Liz: Thank you so much Luke. This means so much to me, to us.
Luke: No problem. Do you have an idea of when they'll be coming?
Liz: Uh, hold on...
Liz places her hand over the phone and calls out to Jess.
Liz: (quietly, but loud enough for Jess to hear) Jess!
Jess: (gets up and walks over to Liz) Yeah?
Liz: When?
Jess: What?
Liz: When do you want to go to Stars Hollow?
Jess: As soon as possible.
Liz: (back to Luke) When is the soonest that it would be okay for them to come?
Luke: Uh...I guess tomorrow would be okay.
Liz: (mouths to Jess, 'tomorrow?' and he nods) All right.
Luke: I'll set up part of the apartment for them and then we can think of something more permanent when he gets here.
Liz: Thank you so much Luke.
Luke: No problem.
Liz: Bye.
Luke: Bye.
The two hang up.
Liz: (walking over to Jess) Looks like we have some packing to do.
Jess: Let's just worry about the more important stuff for now.
Liz: I can ship the rest of it later.
Jess: Thanks.
Jess and Liz begin to take clothes out of drawers and pack them into two large bags. After the bags are filled, they begin piling clothes into boxes.
Meanwhile, in the diner, after Luke hangs up the phone he has an odd an expression on his face that does not go unnoticed by Lorelai, who has been sitting at the counter the whole time.
Lorelai: (serious) Everything okay?
Luke: (voice distant, you can tell he's preoccupied) That was my sister...
Lorelai: What is it?
Luke: My nephew, he's moving here.
Lorelai: Out of the blue?
Luke: His girlfriend passed away last week...
Lorelai: (cuts him off) Damn. Poor kid...(A/N: Not the most sympathetic line, sorry)
Luke: Yeah. Well, he and Wesley are going to move in with me.
Lorelai: Wesley and...
Luke: (realizes she doesn't know Jess's name) Jess
Lorelai: (confused) Wait, which is your nephew?
Luke: Technically, both I think. Wesley is Jess's son.
Lorelai: (nods in understanding) And the girlfriend was Wesley's mom.
Luke: I think so.
Lorelai: How could someone be so young and have to deal with all of that? Wait, how old is he?
Luke: Uh, (thinks for a second) seventeen or eighteen.
Lorelai: Yikes.
Luke: Yeah.
Lorelai: If you need anything, you know that Rory and I are here for you, Jess, and Wesley. If you need some baby stuff, I still have some of Rory's.
Luke: (smiles appreciatively) Thanks. That means a lot.
Lorelai: No problem. Besides, it sucks to be a teen parent on your own.
Luke: I wouldn't know.
Lorelai: It was worth it.
Luke: Rory's a great person. You did a good job with her.
Lorelai: I did, didn't I?
Luke: Yeah.
Lorelai: Shoot! I just remembered there was an emergency at the inn. I gotta go.
Luke: Yeah. Oh, Lorelai.
Lorelai: (turns around) Yeah?
Luke: Don't tell anyone, okay? Here's been through enough and doesn't need Stars Hollow's insane residents bothering him.
Lorelai: Gotcha. And remember, call Rory and I whenever you need help. She can babysit now since it's summer.
Luke: Thank you.
Lorelai: No problem.
Lorelai exits the diner and heads toward the inn.
Lorelai: Hey sexy man.
Michel: Thank you for rushing when we called with an emergency.
Lorelai: I got distracted.
Michel: Well, no need to worry yourself. Everything is fine.
Lorelai: Great! See you tomorrow!
Michel: Wait, Lorelai!
Lorelai pretends that she doesn't hear him and she goes home.
Lorelai: (entering the Gilmore home) Mini me! Where are you?
Rory: Room!
Lorelai: (walks into Rory's room to see her reading on her bed) Hey there kiddo.
Rory: Hey.
Lorelai: Listen, there's something I have to tell you.
Rory: What is it?
Lorelai: Well, Luke's nephew is moving to Stars Hollow.
Rory: Why?
Lorelai: His girlfriend died last week and he's moving here with their son.
Rory: Wow.
Lorelai: Yeah. I told him that we'd help out and everything. I volunteered you to babysit.
Rory: Sure.
Lorelai: Oh, Jess, his nephew, is seventeen or eighteen.
Rory: Hide him from Miss Patty.
Lorelai: Just thought you would like to know that little piece of information...
Rory: Mom, his girlfriend and the mother of his child just died.
Lorelai: Wesley. The baby's name is Wesley.
Rory: So, it has a name.
Lorelai: Yup.
Rory: Do you know when they are coming?
Lorelai: Tomorrow I think.
Rory: That's fast.
Lorelai: Yeah, but I think it's something like the sooner, the better.
Rory: Yeah.
Lorelai: So, movie?
Rory: Willy Wonka!
Lorelai begins to sing the oompa loompa song and the they begin to gather junk food for the movie.
A/N: This was basically an intro./filler chapter. I'll update as soon as I can, but I want to know what you people think. About the title, it's from a song by Nada Surf. That was all I could come up with. Well, please review and send me comments or questions.