Heat
By Belle
Pairing: R/J, maybe a little L/L later on
Rating: PG for now.
Summary: Set in season 3. Dean breaks up with Rory and she looks to console in Jess, who is dating Shane. Jess and Rory exchange harsh words, but Rory regrets them once she finds out that there was a fire at the diner, and Jess is nowhere to be found. CONTAINS SPOILERS!

[ Crap Shack; kitchen ]

Lorelai is holding up her arm. It is adorned with a pink glittered plastic bracelet.


Lorelai: I wonder how they get the glitter into this plastic bracelet! How does it stay in there so well? It doesn't come off, no matter how hard you rub!

Rory: A marvel of modern science, no doubt.

Lorelai: I know! With nail polish, they just pour it in and mix. But this is more intricate. It might even involve plastic molding!

Rory: You are filled with so much child-like wonder for so early in the morning.

Lorelai: Yeah, well. I made an Irish coffee when I woke up.

Rory: Maybe Luke can make you another one!

Lorelai: Yeah, right. If he thinks coffee is fatal to my health, think what he'd think about a shot of Bailey's.

Rory: I'm really glad you two aren't fighting anymore.

Lorelai: I'm irresistable to him, babe.

Rory: It's all in the hair flip.

Lorelai: But we're still having problems with the other diner boy, aren't we?

Rory: Mom, I don't want to talk about that right now.

Lorelai: I'm betting he won't give us free refills.

Rory: Mom! Just stop it. I'm with Dean. It's settled. It was dead and buried a long time ago.

Lorelai: Just tell me one thing... do you still have feelings for him?

Rory looks off, silently.

THEME SONG

[ at Luke's ]

Lorelai: Busy this morning. Luke could use a hostess.

Rory: It's chocolate chip pancake day.

Lorelai: I think I want potato pancakes!

Rory: Luke doesn't make potato pancakes. And you don't eat them.

Lorelai: I know but I was thinking that they might taste like tater tots.

Rory: They have onion in them.

Lorelai: Blech.

Rory: Oh! Taylor's leaving, we got a table!

Lorelai: Score!

Lorelai and Rory sit at a table. Luke approaches.

Luke: I'm assuming you two want the chocolate chip pancakes of death.

Lorelai: You assumed right, bat boy.

Rory: Assume some coffee with those pancakes.

Luke: Coming right up. Jess!

Jess approaches the table with a coffee pot in hand.

Jess: Good morning, ladies.

Lorelai: Jess. What a nice early morning... er, surprise.

Jess: Sorry I'm not jumping out of a cake.

Rory: Thanks for the coffee.

Jess: No problem. Don't forget to tip good.

Lorelai looks at Rory.

Lorelai: Since when are we paying customers?

Rory: We're just climbing the ladder of status.

Lorelai: So are you hanging out with Dean today?

Rory: Yeah, I have to meet him at his house in a little while. He paged me this morning.

Lorelai: Any big plans?

Rory: I'm not sure yet.

Lorelai: Damn. I thought we could go vintage shopping.

Rory: Since when do we shop vintage?

Lorelai: I was watching the Style Network, and vintage stores have all these cool clothes from the past!

Rory: Hence the vintage.

Lorelai: Well, I figured we could go and try on cool clothes. Chanel dresses from the seventies, Madonna-ish outfits from the eighties, Sophia Loren ensembles. It would be fun.

Rory: Sounds it. Maybe tomorrow?

Lorelai: Sure babe. Ooh, here come our pancakes!

[ Dean's house ]

Rory: Hey there!

Dean: Hi. We uh... need to talk.

Rory: That sounds bad.

Dean: Look. I'm gonna come right out and say it. I think we should break up.

Rory: What? Why?

Dean: Look, Ror. I have feelings for you. Strong ones. But you don't feel anything for me. You don't love me anymore and it shows. You tried your best, but it just didn't work out. You love Jess.

Rory: Love is a strong word.

Dean: I know.

Rory: I like Jess. I like Jess a lot.

Dean: I realized that a long time ago. And then I heard a few crazy rumors.

Rory: Like?

Dean: I heard you skipped school and went to New York to see him.

Rory: Oh.

Dean: Is it true?

Rory: Yes! But nothing happened! We just had lunch and went to a music store.

Dean: Rory! It's okay.

Rory: I'm so sorry.

Dean: I'm fine. Can you just answer me one question? Be honest.

Rory: Shoot.

Dean: Did you ever kiss Jess?

Rory: Yes.

Dean: May I ask when?

Rory: At Sookie's wedding.

Dean: I'm okay. I swear.

Rory: Did I mention how sorry I was?

Dean: Yes! It's fine, Rory. We can still be friends.

Rory: I guess.

Dean: I hope you're happy with Jess. I want you to be happy.

Rory: I will be if he ever breaks up with Shane.

Dean: Okay, well. I'll see you around.

Rory: Yeah. Bye.

[ at the book store ]

Rory: (talking to herself) I need a good feminist text!

Jess: (comes up behind her) Try this one.

Rory: Hm, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. Any good?

Jess: Yeah. Once you get past the fact that her third husband's name is Tea Cake.

Rory: Right. Well, I guess I should go pay for this. Thanks.

Jess: You can't keep avoiding this, Rory.

Rory: Avoiding what?

Jess: We need to talk about what happened at the wedding.

Rory: It's open and shut! I kissed you, you kissed me back and then you kissed Shane. I kissed Dean and we broke up. And now-

Jess: What, back up. You broke up with Dean?

Rory: Well, technically he broke up with me.

Jess: I'm surprised.

Rory: So was I.

Jess: You didn't want to break up with him?

Rory: No, I did! I did for a long time!

Jess: I see. But you never even called me after the kiss!

Rory: I was confused! Do you know how many unfinished letters I wrote to you? I have shoeboxes full!

Jess: You were always able to talk to me about everything.

Rory: Well, maybe I wasn't! Maybe I got scared and I ran away and didn't know what to do!

Jess: If I kissed you again, would you run away?

Rory: You have a girlfriend.

Jess: I have a distraction.

Rory: Listen, I don't know what you're talking about or what you're feeling. But when you figure it out, I'll talk. You know where I live.

Jess. I do.

Rory: Good-bye Jess.

Jess: Bye Rory.

[ Later that night, Crap Shack ]

Lorelai: Rory, sweetie, wake up. It's an emergency.

Rory: Mom, I have your pink glitter-y bracelet.

Lorelai: No, it's not that. There was a fire at Luke's.

Rory bolts up in bed.

Rory: What? When? Are Jess and Luke okay?

Lorelai: Luke is fine. The fire was in the apartment, and Luke was in the diner at the time so he was able to get out.

Rory: What about Jess?

Lorelai: Well, honey. There's no easy way to tell you this. They think he was in the apartment. No one has seen him since. And the apartment was completely burned up.

Rory: (sobbing) Did they find his body?

Lorelai: That's the thing. There was no body. Luke wasn't even completely sure he had been in the apartment at the time of the fire. But he hasn't turned up.

Rory: Oh my God.

Lorelai: I'm so sorry, Rory.

Rory: I had a fight with him yesterday! Now he died hating me! I'll never see him again!

Lorelai: Sweetie, Jess would never hate you.

Rory: Did you see Luke?

Lorelai: Yes, he came over here. He seemed a little fazed.

Rory: I need to take a walk.

Lorelai: I understand.

Rory: I'll see you in a little while.

A/N: Yeah, it kinda sucked I'm working on it. Please R&R. I can take constructive criticism... to a point =)