I STILL don't own anything :( if you read it, please please review! I'm so self conscious when it comes to what I write!

"You're home late. What happened to early? Momma like the early." Lorelai said as Rory walked in the door.

"Yeah, I know. I couldn't get him to study, so I had to bribe him with ice cream." She said setting her book bag down and walking into the living room.

"I'm so shocked, Jess not wanting to study"

"Mom" Rory said in a warning tone. She pulled off her jacket and put it on the arm rest of the couch. She grabbed the extra pair of chop sticks off the table and a take-out container.

She continued, "The noodles are good. The China Doll?"

"Oh yeah, have a shrimp ball. I organized the take-out drawer. Until I got hungry that is. Then I ordered and sat down to watch a movie. Of course it took me eating all the sweet and sour chicken to decide. But I put in Chicken Every Sunday. I thought you would have been home in time for some of it. Man I tell ya, there's something about watching a movie with my mother's name in it that makes me on edge."

"I think you're over-reacting."

"Nope, Rory I'm telling you. Even her name puts a damper on the fun times."

"You're just sad I wasn't here to watch it." Rory said, smiling and taking another bite of noodles.

"Maybe…" Lorelai hesitated. She noticed the subject change and wanted to let it go but, "So how was studying? Get anything accomplished?"

Rory gulped down her mouth full of food. "Othello. Finally some Shakespeare."

"Oh well. Good." She put on her best smile. "So, orange soda or grape?"

"Grape sounds good" Rory said, her eyes watching her mom as she got up and started towards the kitchen. Bed sounded good.


The red numbers sat there, mocking her. 3:23. The little "A.M" might as well have been doing a dance with its tongue out. Sleep had been evading her. She huffed and rolled over. Enough! Lorelai rolled out of bed, and padded down the stairs.

She walked into Rory's room, to see her awake. Reading a book.

"Hey"

"Uh, hey" Rory stirred and sat up, closing her book. "What are you still doing up?"

"Who are you, Mr. Feder? I get to ask the questions. Now, what are you still doing up?"

Rory let out a slight laugh, her mother was irritable she could tell. "I'm reading."

"I can tell. Why?"

"Mom."

"What?"

"What's bothering you?"

Lorelai let out an exaggerated sigh, "Ugh well," she started as she made her way to Rory's bed. "I guess there's just stuff on my mind. I can't sleep." She laid down next to her, staring up at the ceiling.

"Like what?" Rory said, sinking back down under her covers.

"I guess I feel like there's… tension."

"Oh? With what?" Rory asked in an innocent tone.

"Rory, come on," Lorelai ripped her eyes from the spot on the ceiling and found her matching daughter's.

"Come on, what? Tension with us?" She looked worriedly at her mom and watched her eyes roll. "But our history! And then the movies tonight, and the China Ball was a great success!" Rory wasn't ready for this conversation. She wasn't sure about the whole Jess thing even more than Lorelai wasn't. But she knew that's what she wanted to talk about.

"The China Doll." Lorelai corrected. She broke eye contact and returned to the comfort of the ceiling. "Rory, darling, offspring, beautiful angel… you know you can talk to me about anything."

"Yeah I know," She responded.

"Then why aren't you?"

"I didn't think we had anything to talk about?" Rory asked, her tone climbing higher, feigning with innocence.

Lorelai gave up, knowing it would get her nowhere tonight. "Nah, I guess not," She looked back to her daughter and smiled lightly. "Mmk, well I guess I was just feeling funny. I'm gonna head up back to bed." She rolled out of the bed and fixed her shirt, giving Rory another look to see if any words were going to happen tonight. Guess not.

"Okay. I should try to sleep too. We're gonna be tired tomorrow." Rory said, moving herself to the middle of her bed.

"Yeah, we are. At least it's Friday."

"At least."

"Okay, goodnight sweets." Lorelai walked to the door and shut it quietly behind her. Rory let her hand linger on the switch of her lamp, making sure her mom was actually leaving. When the door didn't re-open after a minute she turned to the lamp out and rolled over. School was gonna be a drag. And Dean came home tomorrow.


"Cofffeeeeeeeeee." Lorelai whined, while walking into Luke's. Rory was stumbling behind her. They both reached the counter. Lorelai set down her purse and took off her jacket while Rory just let her book bag drop by her stool and she climbed on the seat, then putting her forehead on the counter.

Lorelai glared at Luke while he walked around, giving refills on coffee. He caught her glance and raised his eye brows in confusion. He made his way back around the counter while Lorelai took a seat next to Rory.

"Geez what's wrong with you two?" He said, grabbing two mugs.

"What's wrong with us? What's wrong with you? You've been holding that coffee pot since we got in here and we've yet to receive our own cups of it!"

Luke sighed and poured the coffee. Handed the first one to Lorelai and set the other by Rory's head. "Here. Now-

Lorelai put her hand up in a "stop" kind of way and brought the cup to her mouth. After 5 gulps and a half empty cup she stopped. She put her cup in front of Luke and nodded towards the coffee pot. He gave her a dirty look then rolled his eyes and topped off the cup.

She took another sip and then set the drink down. "Okay, now you can talk." And she smiled.

"What happened to you guys? And… is she dead?" He said, offering his other hand to point towards Rory.

"No, I think she might be sleeping though." She picked her cup up again.

"Why is she sleeping?"

"I'm not sleeping. I'm dying. Dying of sleep deprivation and coffee withdrawals." Rory chimed in.

"Honey, Luke brought you coffee."

Rory's head lifted and she focused on the cup in front of her. "mmm, coffee."

"Sleep deprived, why?" Luke asked looking at Lorelai.

"You sure have a lot of questions, mister."

"Well, you two come in here, dragging along, demanding coffee and start sleeping on my counters."

"I'm not sleeping!" Rory said, even though her head was back down.

"I didn't know the coffee demands were anything new?" Lorelai mocked, taking another sip of coffee.

Luke gave up and pulled out his order pad. "What'll it be?"

"Another cup of coffee for me and another for her," she said nodding her head in Rory's direction. "and our jet lag breakfast."

"Jet lag?"

"Yeah, you know." She answered casually.

"No, I don't know. I know your "hang-over" breakfast, her "big test today" breakfast, and your "over dosed on candy at movie night last night, next morning" breakfast, but not Jet lag."

Lorelai smiled, "I was testing you. You passed. I want the special omelet, made my way-

Luke cut her off "So, omelet minus everything besides jack cheese…"

She continued, "Yes, and she'll have pancakes," she ducked her head next to Rory, "right honey?"

"Mhhhhm." Rory answered.

"Comin' right up." Luke said and walked to place the order. He came back picking up the coffee pot and refilled the girl's drinks. "So, what calls for the jet lag breakfast?"

"We just couldn't get any sleep last night is all."

"I see. Probably shouldn't have laced up on all that candy before you went to bed."

"Who said we had candy?" She asked, slapping on an innocent look. Luke rolled his eyes again. The curtain was pushed back and Jess came behind the counter.

"Is she dead?" he asked Lorelai.

Rory's head snapped up. They all looked to her. Suddenly feeling more awake, the color rushed to her face and she shifted in her seat. Tucking a hair behind her ear, she responded,

"I'm not dead."

Jess smirked.

"Well that's good, or we'd be kinda freaked out right now" Lorelai said, filling the gap.

"Right." Rory nodded once.

"We're just tired," Lorelai continued, looking at Jess.

"Yeah, just tired." She repeated.

Lorelai tore her eyes away from them, hoping Rory could smooth over the awkwardness without her help. Luke walked away to take orders, and Lorelai took up a conversation with Kirk.

"So I was hoping I would catch you, and it's good I did I guess." Jess said to Rory.

"Yeah, why?" her eyebrows wrinkled in confusion.

"Well, I was going through my books last night and this," He pulled a book from his back pocket, "is what I found. I know you'd like it; it'll keep you interested... And apparently you need that today to keep your eyes open."

Rory took her right hand from off the counter and grabbed the book.

"I slept with Joey Ramone…" Rory read the cover out loud.

"Same guy as Punk Movement contributed, mostly by Mickey Leigh though. Pretty decent."

Rory continued to look at the cover, then looked up to meet his eyes and smiled "Thank you"

Jess nodded. "I want it back though." He said with a little smirk.

"Do I look like a book bandit to you?"

"I don't know, you're still somewhat mysterious. What with your ice cream idea last night…"

"Hey, that was not my idea!" she let her smile touch her eyes.

"Huh." He knocked on the counter in a little rhythm and walked away. She watched until he went to take an order and let her eyes fall back on her book.


After school Rory skipped Luke's and just headed home. She had a nap in mind before Friday night dinner because she knew after she'd have to deal with Dean. Walking in the door, she dropped her book bag and hung up her Chilton blazer. She checked the machine and it had no new messages. There was a note on her shut bedroom door from her mom all it read was something about dinner. She was too tired to actually pay attention. The door to her closet squeaked when she opened it to find a new outfit. Finally deciding on her Bjork shirt and her comfy shorts, she grabbed Jess' book off her shelf and curled up into bed.

She came out of sleep to her name being screamed by her mother. "Rory! It's 5:36! We're gonna be late! Where are you?"

She looked down at her book and saw that a few pages got bent. Oops. She closed the book and sat up right when Lorelai walked into her room. "Are you sleeping? We have to get ready for dinner, we're going to be late! Get up, get dressed, let's go!" Lorelai said hopping around trying to get off her high heel.

"I have bed head!" She yelled back as Lorelai retreated from her room.

"That's why we don't take naps!" Lorelai's voice became father away. Rory rushed up and got dressed putting on her purple v-neck tee and black skirt with flowers on it.

She pulled her hair up and reapplied mascara and while looking in the mirror, her eyes got caught on the reflection of her wrist. Dean's bracelet. She didn't call it her own anymore – at least in her own thoughts. Speaking of calling, she didn't call him last night, just a simple page goodnight around 9:30, when she was still with Jess. She closed up her mascara and went and picked up her pager from her night stand. One from Dean she slept through: 'Be home in a few hours. I love you'.

She figured since was already late in replying she would just wait to talk to him till later.

"Rory! Let's roll!" Lorelai said running down the steps. Rory threw her pager in her purse and ran out to meet her mother.


"That was very nice of you to offer to help grandpa tomorrow." Rory said as they were driving back to Stars Hollow.

"I guess. Did you hear how they were going on about Margie? Like she was an updated Jesus in heels."

Rory giggled, "I know."

They stayed silent for a minute before Rory's pager went off, 'Are you almost home yet? I miss you!' from Dean.

"Dean?" Lorelai asked, glancing over at her.

"Um, yeah."

"You headed right over there once we get home or do you want me to drop you off?"

"No, I'll walk."

"Okay," Lorelai said and let it go. She could feel it though. Rory's change.

After changing again, she threw on the Bjork shirt from earlier and pulled on jeans, sneakers and her zip up gray hoodie, she grabbed her book and headed out. After about 10 minutes she ended up at Dean's. She closed the book and stuffed it in her pocket and rang the door bell.

Dean opened the door, "Hey!" he looked so excited.

"Hey, you" She said and put on her best smile.

"I missed you."

She leaned in and pecked him on the lips.

"Do you wanna come in?" She nodded and walked through the door. He closed it behind them.


"Hey." Luke said, coming into the apartment, letting the door shut behind him.

Jess looked up for a second and looked back down to his book.

"Do you need to talk about anything?" Luke asked awkwardly.

Jess scoffed, "What?"

"I don't know… you've seemed off today."

"If you haven't noticed the whole town thinks I'm 'off'. Maybe you're just catching on."

"Rory doesn't seem to."

"Huh," he replied standing up.

"Do you think that tutoring did any good?" he let his open hand hit his fist. He always seemed to do that when he didn't know what to really say.

"Wonders." Jess replied and walked to his dresser.

"Well, if you think it helped, I was thinkin' about asking her to do it some more."

Jess instantly turned his head to look at Luke. Then as soon as it appeared, he wiped the excited look off his face and looked away then asked, "Yeah?"

Luke nodded even though Jess wasn't looking. After a beat, "So do you?"

"Do I what?"

"Jess." He watched his nephew move around his side of the apartment some more. He sighed, "Do you think it would help if I would ask her to tutor you some more?"

"I don't think even God could help me know, Uncle Luke." He said pulling on his jean jacket. The leather one was going out of season but spring nights weren't the warmest either.

"Jess…"

"Hey, I just do what I'm told."

"So if I said you should study with Rory again, you'd do it?"

"Guess so." Jess picked up his book and walked towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Out." he slipped through the partially open door and Luke watched.

After walking around for a while he ended up by the Gilmore house. He walked closer, slowly deciding what to do. If he knocked on her window, that could be potentially dangerous and a lot more hazardous than just knocking on the door. Rory would save him if Lorelai answered.

When he reached the door he took a deep breath and knocked. He heard the tv being turned down and some ruffling. Then he heard a loud thud and Lorelai say "damnit!" After a few footsteps the door opened to reveal Lorelai.

"Jess." She said surprised.

"Hey."

"Um, hi." She answered, still kind of shocked.

"Are you okay?" He asked, squinting his eyes.

"Me? Uh yeah, I'm f- I'm- yeah, what are you doing here?"

"I was looking for Rory."

"Oh. Right. Um, she's not here right now. But she should be back really soon actually. She said she'd be home around 10:30."

He glanced down at his watch. 10:24. "Okay."

"Okay…" she hesitated. "Well um,"

"I'll just see you guys tomorrow then."

"Oh okay." She said and he turned around to start back down the steps. "Or um, Jess. You could wait, here I mean."

He slowly turned around. "Yeah?" he asked quieter than usual.

"Um, yeah. Just come on in," she waved her hand back towards herself. He took one step up and followed her into the house. She walked towards the living room and stopped herself in front of the… chair?

He looked confused and let out a slight laugh. "Ummm?" he asked gesturing towards the chair.

"Oh right. Well I didn't want to sit on the couch because I'm kind of sick of it. So I picked the chair, right? Seemed like a good idea. But the chair, you can't stretch out because you can't lay down and the table is to the side of it, so if I wanted to watch tv, I'd have to turn my neck which would hurt after a while, so I decided it needed its own foot rest. So I got out the milk crates from the closet, and that's when things… got ugly." She gestured to the hall where things were all over the floor and the closet door was open.

"Huh. Interesting."

"Yeah, so the milk crates weren't comfortable so I got some pillows but then the pillows kept sliding and that's when I got out the sewing kit."

"And things got uglier. Got it." He said, a smirk playing on his mouth.

"You're catching on." She smiled. "So, do you want some coffee?"

He nodded, "Sure". She looked so relieved, which he was expecting. Coffee didn't sound too appealing right now, but save her from more awkwardness because she would have something to work on. God knows why he was still trying to put out a good impression. She already had hers. But she seemed to be trying too and that worked.