After "Teach Me Tonight", but before "I Can't Get Started." I own NOTHING!

Jess Mariano had never been one to ask for help. He had never wanted it. He had forced others who had tried to help him out of the way, including Luke and Rory. He had gotten Rory hurt in the car accident, and now he was back where he had started. Now, as he lay broken and bleeding in a dark alley somewhere in New York City, he wished with all of his heart to be in Stars Hollow, where bad things never happened.

He was in this predicament because he had painted himself into a corner. He had run from Luke; from Rory, and now he had no one to call for help. Luke hadn't wanted him to stay after the accident, but Jess hadn't fought it, either.

He had mouthed off to the wrong person for what he now thought to be the last time. By morning, he wouldn't be around. Either he would bleed to death or he would freeze. Though it was March already, nights could still drop below freezing. Jess yelled for help, making all of the racket he could without further injuring himself. Finally, someone passing by on the street heard his pleas, and came into the alley. It was a tall, broad man who looked quite intimidating. He lifted Jess effortlessly, and carried him to the hospital that was only three blocks away, but which had been impossible for Jess to attempt. "I'm Joseph Samaritan." the man told him. "Just lie still."

"Thank you." Jess managed as they reached the emergency room and he was whisked away into triage. The hospital staff checked him for identification, and found his driver's license and Luke's phone number. They put in a call to Luke as Jess lay in the emergency room, grateful that Jospeh Samaritan had found him.

Luke reached the hospital in record time, and by the time he got there, Jess had been admitted with a slight concussion, one cracked rib, and a fractured right wrist, not to mention loss of blood from a cut down his arm. The cut had been stitched up, and looked like a snaking zipper up Jess's left arm. "Your nephew is a very lucky young man." the doctor overseeing Jess's care informed Luke. "A cut like that could have killed him. But he was brought in quickly, and it was shallow. It just needed some stitches to keep it together. There's no muscular damage, which there really should be."

"Thanks." Luke nodded. "Who brought him in? My sister doesn't know about this?"

"Jesse told me before he lost consciousness that a man by the name of Joseph Samaritan brought him in. Jesse was beaten pretty brutally, Mr. Danes. I can't pretend that this isn't serious. A seventeen-year-old should be in someone's care."

"There's a lot of circumstances that I could tell you, but it would require several days of your time." Luke said, frankly.

"It looks like he's waking up." the doctor motioned to the form lying in the hospital bed, and then he left the room quietly.

"Jess." Luke spoke the teen's name and Jess stirred, eyes opening slowly in confusion.

"Luke?" Jess tried to sit up, and gasped in pain as his injured ribs pushed together with the motion. Luke pressed him back into bed gently.

"Jess, what happened?"

"I crossed the wrong guy."

"Who, Jess?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does!" Luke exclaimed.

"No, it doesn't." Jess said flatly.

"Jess!"

"Fine." Jess spat vehemently. "It was Liz's boyfriend."

"What?" Luke was aghast.

"Liz's boyfriend." Jess repeated. "He thought I had mouthed off one too many times to him, we met on the street, he threw the first punch, knocked me into an alley, and it went from there. I defended myself and he pulled a knife. He...." Jess paused, embarrassed. "He held me down and sliced my arm open. I should've been able to get away, but my head was fuzzy from being knocked into the pavement."

"Liz...." Luke seethed. His sister sure knew how to pick vindictive, dangerous losers.

"Luke, please." Jess begged, his eyes filling with tears. "Don't. She's happy, he hasn't hit her, and I'm alive. Leave Liz alone, please?" Luke shook his head. Liz had a kid like Jess, who was willing to be beaten to death before she was unhappy. Why couldn't she appreciate him?

"Jess," he said quietly. "Liz has to know. Can I please tell her?"

"No!" Jess sat up again, wincing, but not allowing his injured body to impede his demand. "Do not tell her. Just..." he lay back against the pillows cradling his head. "Let me get better. I'll come back to Stars Hollow with you. I'll do whatever you want me to. Just let Liz be happy."

"Jess, your mom cares about you. Deep down, she does."

"I know." Jess acknowledged.

"You really don't want me to tell her?"

"I just want you to take me home."

"Jess." So many emotions of Luke's were encompassed in his nephew's name.

"Take me home." Jess repeated stubbornly.

"You can't leave yet, Jess. You have to get stabilized first."

"I know." Jess nodded gingerly.

"Who brought you in?"

"A guy who found me. He didn't seem real. He said his name was Joseph Samaritan. He was huge."

"Okay. I'm going to see if I can track him down."

"Okay. And Luke?" Jess asked as Luke turned to leave. Luke paused.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"No problem, Jess."