A/N ~ Hey all! New story, not exactly sure where its going, so bear with me. I'm getting a lot of ideas, but suggestions are definitely welcome!!

Disclaimer ~ Don't own anything, there may be a couple songs incorporated into certain chapters, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

Summary ~ We all know Literati will come to a depressing end in the final few episodes of this season, this is how I hope it goes.

Chapter One: The Return

"I still can't believe you don't like that book, it's a classic. "

I scowled and shook my head at him "Ernest Hemmingway is a chauvinist pig. Do you not think the way he treats Catherine like she exists purely for Frederick's pleasure is wrong?" I asked earnestly, trying to get him to see my side of the argument.

He laughed a little "All right I will admit some of the things he has her say are definitely unflattering to females, but he writes magnificently. "

I just glared at him sardonically, pulled his tattered copy of A Farewell To Arms out of my back pocket and flipped to one of the pages I had marked with a post it. I cleared my throat valiantly as he sighed exasperatedly at me, I ignored him said "Alright, page 106 and I quote. 'I want what you want. There isn't any me any more. Just what you want." And set the book down and glared at him. He opened his mouth to object and try to explain to me the hidden meaning but I cut him off, I wasn't interested in underlain connotations if they were expressed through bigotry "Same page . . . 'I'm good. Aren't I good? You don't want any other girls, do you?' then he say no and she says 'You see? I'm good. I do what you want.'" This time I tossed the book lightly back at him and smiled playfully as he stumbled in catching it "I knew there was a reason I couldn't get through Hemmingway, thank you for helping me rediscover it."

Jess smiled and said teasingly "One of these days I will find something of Hemmingway's that you like."

I tapped my chin, pondering sarcastically "Hmm . . . his obituary would be good . . . do you have that?" I exclaimed. He leaned on the counter and let his signature smirk play about his lips

"You're impossible" he said shaking his head lightly.

"I aim to please."

And then he leaned down and kissed me lightly. It was only with Jess that I had ever felt anything truly special in just a kiss. Whenever he kissed me I felt chills run up and down my spine and my fingers tingled a little and this time was no exception. He pulled away and smiled at me, one of his real smiles, not a smirk but a patented Jess Mariano smile which he usually reserved for only me. Whenever he did that I always felt my heart melt inside, Jess was always himself around me and only me, and that made me feel special to know him the way I do.

We just stood there in silence for a second before Luke called him into the kitchen for some reason or another, I wasn't really listening; something to do with bacon grease had poured in the sink and a clogged drainpipe. I sipped my piping hot coffee and stared off into space. Things had been amazing with Jess, not far from perfect actually.

Just last week he came to my graduation and watched me throw my cap in the air, and afterwards he had surprised me with a bouquet of red roses and a book, Metamorphosis by Kafka, the perfect gift.

 

Just then I heard the bells over the diner chime loudly and I looked around, expecting my mom to come running in, complaining about the construction workers at the Dragonfly. It had been a favorite topic of conversation lately and I had suffered many severely unpleasant mental pictures from her descriptions of the numerous plumbers' cracks she had witnessed.

Instead I saw a man I didn't recognize standing in the doorway. He was of tallish medium height with deep brown eyes that had a familiar mysteriousness about them. His dark hair was graying but he didn't seem more then 40 and there was a worn look about him, like he had seen more in life then anyone would ever want to see. He wore a black business suit which immediately made me think he was an out-of-towner, you usually didn't see black on anyone in Stars Hollow except Morey in the summer, and not even he would venture out in a suit. He shifted nervously as he surveyed the diner and then his eyes rested on me and he said softly "Hi, Um I was wondering if Jess Mariano is here?"

I nodded pleasantly and called out "Jess! Jess there's some guy out here, looks like FBI, Is there something you would like to share with me?!"

Jess walked through the door to the kitchen and shot me a mischievous look as he responded "Nah, you already know about that bank I knocked over about a week ago." I laughed lightly at him,

"Slipped my mind"

I then turned back to the guy in the door and was about to say something but stopped when I noticed the look on his face. It was a mixture of flaring emotions, three stood out brightly as he surveyed Jess. Pain, guilt and regret shone on this guy's face as he stood there in silence, just staring at Jess.

I shot a confused look at Jess who mirrored the expression I felt on my face. "Is there something I can help you with?" Jess asked politely, there was something about this stranger that seemed to demand civility, even from Jess.

The man came suddenly back to earth and walked slowly to Jess, he paused and asked quietly "Are you Jess Alexander Mariano?" I shot Jess a teasing look . . . Alexander? He hadn't ever told me that, but Jess didn't look at me, his eyes were fixed on the man, confusion still evident in them.

"Yes" he said slowly and finally glanced questioningly at me before looking back at the strange man. The man exhaled slowly as he held out his hand, which Jess took

"I'm Jimmy, Jimmy Mariano." He whispered, but it was so quiet that everyone in the diner heard it.

I sat there for a second, thinking I had heard wrong. I must have, this couldn't possibly be Jimmy Mariano, Jess' father. I looked at Jess, and as I did what I saw was all I needed for confirmation.

I watched as his entire body tightened up, his mouth dropped open and his eyes became wide in shock, but then I saw a pained expression flit though them followed by anger and resentment. He dropped his father's hand and stepped back to lean against the counter before disappearing up the stairs.



I sat there in complete astonishment for a second before looking at Jimmy, who was still standing there with his hand outstretched. So this was the man who had abandoned Jess before he was even born, the monster who never bothered to call or write, and when was brought up in any of our conversations was quickly dropped as Jess' eyes clouded over. I then jumped up and ran up the stairs to find Jess.