Thank you for all the reviews! Seriously, they are v. helpful in getting me to write!
Once again I own nothing except the fab Lydia. I want to be her friend!
Chapter Four: Pick a Part that's New
"I should get her to bed." Jess told Luke and Lorelai nodding his head in Lydia's direction, "I think she's had enough excitement for one night."
"Yeah, she really has been the hit of the party." Lorelai grinned, "Goodnight, Jess."
"Night." He smiled at his uncle and Lorelai, before heading to retrieve his wife from Miss Patti.
"Wow! Five times?" Jess heard Lydia ask Miss Patti as he arrived at her side. "Jess, did you know that Patti here, has been married five times. Only four husbands though, she pulled an Elizabeth Taylor and married Richard Burton twice." Lydia linked her arm through her husbands.
"That's great. How much of Miss Patti's punch have you had?" He looked from his wife, to Miss Patti and back again, looking for an answer from one of them. Miss Patti simply shrugged her shoulders and smiled, but Lydia looked up to the night sky, closed one eye in concentration and began to count under her breath. She finally sighed and looked Jess straight in the eye, blinking twice to focus her vision. "A lot, a lot."
"A lot, huh?"
"Yep." She grinned, popping the 'p', "Definitely more than the night with the tequila, remember the night?" Jess nodded and she continued, "But not as much as the night in Vegas. Remember Vegas? No? Well that's my point." She pressed her index finger on the tip of Jess' nose. "I'm pretty confident that I will remember tomorrow, tonight." She wrinkled her nose and shook her head. "Wait a minute. Strike that. Reverse it!"
"Sure thing, Willy Wonka." Jess grinned.
"What happened in Vegas?" Miss Patti asked.
"We got married." Lydia smiled at the older woman, "Isn't that right, snookums?" she smiled up at Jess.
"Jeez, pet names? You really are wasted! Say 'goodnight' to Miss Patti. Lets go to bed."
"I love that song! The Cure are awesome! Goodnight Patti!" Lydia waved as Jess steered her towards the diner.
"'Night Lydia dear, 'night snookums!" Miss Patti winked at Jess, as the couple headed away from her.
"See what you did? With the pet names? So not cool!" Jess mock scolded his wife. Lydia reached up to kiss his cheek, singing the Cure song she said she loved, "Let me take your hand, I'm shaking like milk, -- doo doo doo doo, Let's go to bed!"
When Lydia and Jess entered the diner, Lydia kicked off her heels and picked one up in each hand, "They've been killing me for ages."
"Then why do you wear them?" Jess asked her, putting his arms around her waist.
"Because I'm this height." Lydia waved one of her shoes at her head level, almost hitting Jess in the face.
"Careful!"
"Sorry!"
"So because you're short?" Jess grinned, "'Cause, I kinda like that you're only five two."
"And a half!" Lydia glared. "But also 'cause they're pretty and because..."
"Because...?" Jess pressed her.
"Because dressed up to the eyes, it's a wonderful surprise, to see your shoes and your spirits rise-" Lydia sang as she pulled away from Jess and headed up the stairs still singing, "It's Friday, I'm in love!"
Jess followed her up stairs, sighing, "We really need to get you into bed."
"Monday you can hold your head, Tuesday, Wednesday stay in bed, or Thursday - watch the walls instead. It's Friday, I'm love!" She sang as she crashed through the apartment door. "Oh, hi Rory, April!" Lydia waved before turning to Jess, "Honey, we've got company."
"Hey guys." Jess came to stop beside Lydia, "You're both staying here?" he asked the two girls, both already changed for bed.
"Yep. We wanted to give mom and Luke the house to themselves for the night." Rory explained.
"And, also, Rory and I don't actually have rooms in the house yet." April added. "They remodelled the downstairs, and fixed up the bathroom, their's and Charlie's room, but not a room for either of us yet. So we're both crashing here, and so are you two?"
"Jess didn't call!" Lydia stage whispered, pointing at Jess. "It's his fault! You should have called!"
"I know, but we can sort something out." Jess kissed Lydia's temple.
"Okay, so you two take the double," April pointed at Lydia and Jess, "Rory, you the twin and I'll crash on the couch."
"No, no, no, no!" Lydia shook her head, "That couch is really uncomfortable! You two take the double, you don't mind sharing, right? And Jess and I will bunk in the twin together. It'll be like we're dating in college!" She kissed Jess on the cheek.
"Lydia, really it's okay, I don't mind taking the couch."
"Nope. Jess and I have twinned it up before." She told them and then paused, thinking about what she had just said, "Ha! That sounded dirty! But we don't mind. So into bed! I'll be out in a minute." She told Jess before grabbing her bag and heading into the bathroom.
"She'll not take no for an answer. You better just take the bed." Jess told the two girls before either one had a chance to protest. He grabbed his bag and headed towards the bathroom himself and knocked on the door. Lydia pulled open the door, wearing a pair of black boxers and an over sized Clash t-shirt, holding a bright pink toothbrush in her hand. Her long hair was in a messy bun with a pair of brown rimmed glasses perched on top of her head, and her make up was still in place.
"Jeez Mariano, I haven't even taken my contacts out yet! What's the rush?"
"Are they my clothes?" Jess asked, checking he had his own bag in his hand.
"Yip." she grinned and walked back into the bathroom, "What's yours is mine, and what's mine is yours. Except for my clothes, it'd be really weird if you started wearing my clothes babe!"
"Duly noted!" Jess grinned, following her into the bathroom and shutting the door behind him.
"They're such a cute couple." April said as she pulled back the covers on the double bed and got in.
"Yeah." Rory sighed, getting in beside her almost step sister. "Real cute."
When Jess and Lydia exited the bathroom, the main room of the apartment was in darkness, apart from the dim stream of light coming from the lamp beside the twin bed. Jess grabbed Lydia's hand and guided her through the room until they reached their bed.
"In first, beside the wall." Jess whispered, pulling back the blanket. "I don't want you falling out of bed."
"You worry too much!" Lydia giggled, pulling her hair out of her bun, and leaving the hair elastic and her glasses on the bedside table she climbed into bed. Jess got in behind her and she turned to face him.
"Night babe." She smiled at him and leaned in to kiss the side of his mouth. "I love you." And she turned so once again she was facing the wall.
"Back at you Murphy." Jess kissed her shoulder, putting his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him.
"Sorry I got drunk. I'm a social embarrassment."
"Hey!" Jess reprimanded her, "You didn't fall over, you didn't flash anyone and you didn't insult anyone. No social embarrassment here. Plus, I'm not sure that this is more drunk than the night with the tequila."
"You're sweet. And lying."
"Go to sleep."
"Okay. 'Night."
Jess listened as Lydia's breathing evened out, but was unable to sleep himself. He lay holding his wife for what seemed like hours, unable to turn his brain off. He turned his head to check the digital clock on the table. 1:05 am. Only twenty minutes since they went to bed. It felt like longer. He slipped out of the bed, grabbed his jacket and headed out the front door of the apartment.
Rory sat up in bed when she heard the door click closed. She threw her legs over the side of the bed and slowly stood up. Carefully glancing around the corner, she noticed only one person in the twin bed, much too small to be Jess. She headed into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water, and turning to look at the apartment door, gave a heavy sigh before drinking.
Jess sat on the front steps of the diner, watching the smoke rising from the lit cigarette he held in his hand.
"I thought you quit those." Rory whispered as she slipped out the open door if the diner.
"I did." Jess nodded, taking a drag, "This is just a once in a blue moon thing."
Rory sat down beside him, and looked up to the sky, "Moon doesn't look that blue from here." she grinned.
"I just couldn't sleep."
"Me either." Rory picked at a loose thread at the hem of her tank top.
"It's weird."
"What's weird?" Rory cast her eyes sideways at Jess, not daring to look him in the eye.
Jess gave a loud sigh before he continued, "There's a girl in my bed."
"What?" Rory looked at Jess in surprise, having convinced herself that being in her company was what Jess found weird. "Doesn't she sleep in your bed every night? Being your wife and everything."
"It's not the girl, it's the bed."
Rory turned to look at him through narrowed eyes, "I'm sorry, I don't really understan-"
"It's the bed I slept in when I was seventeen." Jess interrupted her, "When I was dating you."
"Oh." Rory stared at a crack in the pavement, her cheeks turning pink.
"I mean last time I slept in that bed, I was in lo... but now I'm with..." He took a final drag of his cigarette before putting it out on the step. "It's just weird I guess." he finished.
"Yeah, weird." Rory agreed.
A silence lulled over them, Rory started to pick at the hem of her top again, searching for something, anything to say. Jess simply stared across the square.
"She was really good." Rory broke the uneasy silence.
"What?" Jess asked, not taking his eyes of the gazebo.
"Lydia. Her singing. She's incredible."
"Yeah, but a tip?" Jess looked at her, "Don't tell her you think so."
"Why?"
"I made the mistake of telling her how good she was when I first heard her sing. Over three years later, and she still sings at me every single day."
Rory laughed, and bumped Jess with her shoulder, "Yeah, and I bet you love it."
"Yeah." Jess quietly confirmed, once again staring out at the square, and plunging them into another awkward silence.
After a few minutes Rory gathered the courage to break the silence again. "Why do you..." She lost her nerve and lapsed back in silence, tucking her hair behind her ear.
"Why do I what?" Jess asked, glancing at her.
Rory sucked in a deep breath, and exhaled it with a loud sigh. "Why do you love her?" She couldn't bring her gaze up to meet his, keeping her eyes firmly fixed to the pavement.
"A million different reasons."
She looked up and locked eyes with him. "I'm only asking for one."
Jess smiled as he thought back to about an hour before. While he showered and Lydia took her makeup off. "She sits in the bathroom sink to get closer to the mirror."
"What?" Rory scoffed.
"Yeah, she's blind as a bat, and apparently, according to the rule book, you have to remove your contact lens, and then your makeup. And once the contacts come out, she can't see. So she hops in the sink to get a better look."
"Okay, well that's -"
"Insane. I know." Jess cut her off. "But that's Lydia. After a while the craziness becomes normality. Well not normal, but you realise that that's who she is. And she never apologises for it. And you love her for that."
Rory nodded, and blew a strand of hair out of her face. "You know who she reminds me off?"
"Don't say it." Jess pleaded.
"My mom."
"Jeez Rory."
"You think so too?" she grinned.
"Well she hates coffee, but the constant stream of chatter and the slightly less than firm grip on reality she has, plus her crazy stunts, are all, I guess, Lorelai-esque. But Lydia doesn't hate me. Which I think is the most important thing to remember."
Rory smiled and the two fell into yet another silence, though this one slightly more comfortable than the last.
"I tried to hate her." Rory whispered.
"What? Who?"
"Lydia. I was talking to her before she got up to sing, and I tried to hate her. But I couldn't. I think if we met under any other circumstances, we would be friends."
"That you should tell her." Jess pointed at her.
"What? The friends thing?"
"Yeah, she's always complaining that all her friends are male. There's one girl she works with, Lisa, that she kinda likes, but they don't have that much in common. She's an art teacher, and she's very, well let just say she's spiritual, and that's so not Lydia, plus she only really calls if she's having problems with her on/off/on again boyfriend."
"That sucks. Wait? An art teach-Lydia's a teacher?"
"Yeah, high school math."
"Really? I never pictured her as a math. teacher."
"What did you picture her doing?"
"I dunno. Just something different. I never pictured you with a teacher."
Jess made no verbal reply, but simply shrugged his shoulders.
"You're so different now."
"Different?" Jess cocked one eyebrow.
"Yeah, I mean you're settled and married. Not the guy everyone warned me would only be after one thing."
"Well, the town really didn't crown me Prince Charming."
"Ha, yeah." She laughed humorlessly, "But ironically enough, out of the grand total of three boyfriends I have ever had, you were the only one I didn't sleep with."
Jess turned to look at her through narrowed eyes, "When did you sleep with Dean? I mean, when we were together you were a, you know?"
"A virgin? Yeah, I know. Dean and I slept together after..." Rory trailed off, not know how to finish her sentence.
"After?"
Rory blew out a deep breath, "After my freshman year at Yale." No need to bring up the night Jess asked her to leave with him, she thought.
But Jess brought it up himself. "He was there, that night I went to Yale. Were you two, then? Is that why you said no?"
"No, Jess, it didn't happen 'til after that."
"Oh." Jess nodded, keeping his eyes down. He then remembered something Luke had told him during that visit for his mom's wedding. "Wasn't he married?" He asked quietly, not lifting his gaze.
"Yeah." Rory whispered.
"Oh. Right. I never imagined you being the other woman."
"That makes two of us. Things would have been so different if I had just said yes to you that night."
""Rory," Jess sighed, "Don't. You were right to say no. We never would have lasted."
"Maybe." She nodded, "But I'm willing to bet it would have worked if I had left Logan for you that night in Philly."
"Please, Rory, don't fill your head full of 'what if's'. Everything that happened was for a reason. And no matter how misguided you were back then, or how bad you feel about it now, you did love Logan."
"I guess you're right. I just miss being in a relationship. Hook ups aren't really me." They weren't, but sometimes she just needed to feel, something, anything remotely resembling a connection.
"Rory Gilmore hooks up?" Jess smirked, to which Rory slapped his shoulder. "I'm kidding," he rolled his eyes at her, "and you will find that guy. The one that you fall madly in love with. And you'll forget all about Dean and Logan. And me."
"I'm unlikely to forget you Jess."
"Really?" He smirked, raising his eyebrows.
"Well yeah, in four months we'll be related, cuz!" She laughed.
"God, cousins." He laughed with her, "Is it weird that we dated then? Sounds a little to 'Gone with the Wind' for me!"
"I miss this." Rory locked eyes with him again, admitting something she knew she shouldn't.
"What?"
"Us. Being friends."
"We were friends?" Jess asked, scratching his temple.
"Well, when you first moved to town, we were in a sort of friends realm, weren't we?"
"I don't think it counts when I was trying to break you and Dean up the whole time." Jess smirked.
"Still, I miss it."
"We could always try..."
"Try?" Rory asked, not wanting to sound too hopeful.
"Try to be friends. As I said, Lyds is always looking for a girl to join the group. Though I know nothing about your life now. Where do you even live?"
"D.C. I work in the White House. Well, I work for The Washington Post, part of the White House Press corps."
"Wow, that's pretty cool. Again, don't tell Lydia. She'll hound you for a tour."
"Well, I can't give tours." Rory smiled.
"That will be of little consequence to her. She's a massive 'West Wing' fan. She claims it about the writing and the drama, but it's really just Rob Lowe."
"Well, if you're going to pick one person to base watching a show on, it's him." Rory tried to stifle a yawn but failed. "I should get to bed. It's been a long day."
"Yeah, me too." Jess stood up and offered a hand to Rory, pulling her to her feet. "Oh, and can you not mention to Lydia about me smoking?"
Rory smiled, remembering her earlier conversation, with Lydia asking the same thing of her. "Sure, don't worry about it."
They headed inside, and climbed the stairs. Once inside the apartment, Rory headed straight to her bed.
"'Night, friend." Jess whispered in darkness, smirking to himself.
"Yeah, g'night, cousin." Rory retorted back, as she got into bed.
They both fell into an easy sleep, most of the issues that had been keeping them awake, at least somewhat, resolved.
When Jess woke the next morning, he was vaguely aware, before he opened his eyes, he was taking up to much space for him to be sharing the twin bed with someone else. He rubbed his eyes before opening them and glanced at the clock. Just after ten. He lifted himself out of bed and headed into the kitchen to get a glass of water. As he placed the glass back into the sink, the door of the bathroom open. He turned as Rory exited, tying her hair up.
"Oh, hey." She smiled.
"Hi, you seen Lydia?"
"No, her and April were already gone when I got up. But that was only twenty minutes ago. They're probably just having breakfast downstairs."
"Yeah. You done in there." Jess pointed over her shoulder at the bathroom.
"Oh yeah, go ahead." She stepped out of his way, "I'll see you downstairs."
"Yeah, later Ror." He closed the door to the bathroom and Rory stood staring at it for a couple of heartbeats, before turning on her heel and heading out the door.
"No way! You teach math.?" April and Lydia sat at the counter, April with a plate of pancakes in front of her, Lydia with a glass of orange juice.
"Why is that so surprising?" Lydia asked, brushing her hair out of her eyes.
"Because you're you." April told her, "Oh hey Rory."
Lydia looked up and smiled at Rory, "Morning. Is Jess awake?"
Rory nodded at the redhead, "He was just getting ready when I came down."
"Good," She smiled as Rory sat beside April, before directing her attention back to April. "What does that mean, that I'm me?"
"Well you're cool." April rolled her eyes, as if it were obvious.
"Thank you?" Lydia's eyebrows knitted in confusion, while Rory laughed from behind her coffee cup.
"Well you are." April told her, "I can't imagine any of the trolls who teach math. at my school singing karaoke that well," Lydia rolled her eyes, "Or getting Taylor to start a conga line,"
"I didn't!" Lydia gasped.
"Or challenge Kirk to a dance off." April finished.
"Oh dear sweet baby Jesus." Lydia put her head on the counter. "I don't remember any of that. Well the karaoke, yes, but the rest?"
"And you said you'd remember everything." Jess smirked as he entered the diner and walking to stand behind Lydia.
"I know! I remember saying that." She turned on her stool to face him. "And I remember singing Cure songs. And that Miss Patti has had five weddings, but only four husbands. So why can't I remember a dance off!" She buried her head in his chest, "Or the conga!" she said into his body.
Then she heard April start to laugh. And Jess' body start to shake as he tried to hold his laughter in. She sat up and looked between the both of them, before poking Jess in the chest. "You. You did this!" Rory began to laugh as well as Lydia continued. "You told her," she pointed at April, "to say those things! There was no conga, or dance off! I hate you!" She slapped his arm.
"No you don't." Jess laughed.
"Right this minute I do." She turned her back on Jess and he then sat down beside her.
"Come on, Murphy, it was just a joke. Payback for agreeing to have lunch with my mom and TJ."
Lydia said nothing but glared at him while taking a sip of her OJ.
"Have you eaten yet?" he asked.
"Nope. I was foolishly waiting for you." Lydia retorted, resting her chin in her hand.
"Your nails are red." Jess stated.
"So?"
"They were grey when you went to bed."
"Well I was bored this morning." Lydia shrugged her shoulders.
"What time did you get up at?" Jess raised an eyebrow.
"Eight." Lydia sighed. "Couldn't sleep. I tried to help Caesar make breakfast, but he kicked me out of the kitchen, muttering something about Luke, and insurance, and potatoes falling on my head. And since I was waiting to eat with you, I decided to paint my nails."
"My teacher's also don't care about their appearance. They have lipstick on their teeth and coffee stains on their blouses." April smiled.
"What?" Jess asked, leaning in front of Lydia to look at April.
But Rory spoke up before April could answer, "April is coming up with a list of reasons why Lydia is cooler than the math. teachers in her school."
"Her sparkly pink calculator?" Jess smirked, to which Lydia rolled her eyes.
"Well that's on the list now too," April smiled, "Along with her singing, and her fashion sense,"
"Fashion sense?" Jess questioned, which resulted in Lydia elbowing him in the chest.
"And she likes the Cure." April continued as if she hadn't been interrupted.
"Oh I love the Cure." Lydia grinned.
"Who doesn't?" Lane appeared in front of her, coffee pot in hand. "Coffee?" she asked the redhead.
"No thank you. I don't drink coffee, I take tea, my dear. And I like my toast done on one side."
"You want toast?" Lane asked, pulling out her order pad.
"No." Lydia said quickly, "It's the words to a Sting song. 'Englishman in New York'?"
"Oh. Okay. You want something to eat?"
"Just some tea and a blueberry muffin." Lydia pointed at the muffin case.
"You must be starving." Jess brushed Lydia's arm with his knuckles.
"Yeah, but we're eating with Liz soon. I don't wanna spoil my appetite."
"No, you really do. Trust me."
"Oh, well in that case, I'll have french toast with a side of bacon. Thanks Lane."
"No problem. Jess?"
"Same, and I'll take some coffee."
"You're such a copy cat!" Lydia leaned in towards Jess, "I haven't said hello to you yet," She placed a soft kiss on his mouth and pulled back smiling, "Morning Sunshine."
"I guess you like me again, huh?" Jess smirked.
"Uh, no!" Lydia rolled her eyes and turned towards April and Rory. "I hate boys! Especially stupid New York ones!"
"Well, on that note, I'm heading out to read my book in the gazebo!" April jumped off her stool and walked backwards to the door. "Don't leave without saying bye." she warned her cousin and Lydia as she opened the door, and then headed out before they could reply.
"She's a good kid." Lydia smiled at Rory.
"Yeah, she'll be one hell of a step sister."
"So, Rory, tell me all about you. We didn't get a chance to talk last night. Well apart from how excited I was about singing!" She winked and tried to fight back a smirk. "What do you do?"
"Amm, well..." Rory glanced over Lydia shoulder, watching as Jess signalled for her to not tell Lydia she worked in the White House. "Well, I'm a reporter." she said simply.
"Oh, wow. What paper?"
"Washington Post."
Lydia nodded her head a few times, before taking a sip of her tea. She stopped suddenly and looked curiously at Rory. "You work in the White House. Press corps, right?"
"How did you know that?" Jess asked, putting his coffee cup on the counter.
"Please!" Lydia waved her hand in his direction, "I know all the names of the reporters from major publications that are in the press corps."
"Why?" Both Rory and Jess asked at the same time.
"Well, because, it's far more likely that I would meet a reporter than someone who actually is on staff at the White House."
"Okay, why do you need to meet a reporter?" Jess asked.
"Well, so I could become best friends with said reporter," Lydia smiled at Rory, "And then she could sneak me in!"
"For a tour." Jess directed at Rory, who grinned back at him.
"What?" Lydia looked at her husband, "No, not a tour! I want to club some assistant over the head and then step in as somebody's Donna Moss!"
"Why would you do that?" Jess sighed.
"Well sweetie, I think it's a little over ambitious to believe that I'll get to club Robert Gibbs over the head, and become the real life C.J. Craig my first time in!"
"Obviously." Jess deadpanned.
"So, Rory," Lydia turned in her seat once more, "What do you think? You can sneak me in? I'll even get one of those trilby hats, with the card that says 'press' on it. No one will even know I'm not a real reporter."
"The hat might give you away." Rory laughed.
"You guys don't wear those?" Lydia asked and Rory shook her head.
"Sad." Lydia pouted and picked up her knife and fork to cut the french toast Lane had placed in front of her. "What if I ditched the hat and brought a pen?"
"You ready?"
"No." Jess sighed and closed his eyes.
Lydia glanced up at him, but waited a few heartbeats before asking again, "You ready?"
"Yeah." Jess opened his eyes and smiled down at Lydia, who grabbed his left hand in her right, and then took a half step forward in order to knock the door.
The door swung open almost immediately, revealing a very flustered looking Liz in a bright pink apron. "Come in, come in!" She smiled at them, and then pulled them both into a hug as so as they stepped over the threshold.
"Something smells...good?" Lydia said with a large, toothy smile on her face.
"Lair." Jess muttered in her ear, which resulted in him receiving an elbow to his side.
"Oh, I tried to make chicken pot pies like the Contessa." Liz told Lydia with a weak smile.
"Contessa?" Jess asked his face marred with confusion.
"The Barefoot Contessa." Liz clarified, as Lydia said, "Ina Garten." at the same time.
"I love her! Even if she does scare me a little bit." Lydia continued
"I know, but my pastry turned out all wrong, and the chicken went very black in the oven, and they were just bad. How does pizza sound?" She asked them as the entered the living room.
"Perfect." Lydia smiled, "I love pizza!"
"Did you have another kid and forget to say something?" Jess pointed at the small boy, with a mop of dark brown hair, sleeping in a small playpen in the corner of the room.
"No," Liz smiled, hitting Jess lightly on the arm, "that's Charlie, Luke and Lorelai's kid. They still haven't came by to pick him up yet, so they obviously had a good night."
"Jeez mom! I do not need to hear about Luke's sex life. Or implications of it."
"Prude." Lydia deadpanned and then grinned at Liz.
"You guys want anything to drink? I'm gonna order the pizza too now, so any preference? Oh he's stirring." She glanced at Charlie, who had just woken up.
"I'll get him." Lydia smiled, "And I'll take a soda." She walked over to the playpen and said over her shoulder, "Jess you know what I take on my pizza, right?"
"Nothing, you like plain pizza."
"Bingo." She bent down and picked up the toddler. "Hello, little man. Did you have a good nap?"
"Come on." Liz slipped her arm through Jess' and lead him into the kitchen.
"Where's T.J?"
"New York. His brother fell down the stairs in his apartment building, so T.J. left to help him out a bit this morning. He was bummed he's missing lunch." Liz told her son as she opened the fridge and lifted out two juice boxes and a bottle of water.
"I bet."
"Be nice. Does Lydia like diet coke? That's all I have."
"Yeah, want me to order?" Jess lifter the phone off the counter.
"Please. I'm feeling like pepperoni today." Liz smiled and exited the kitchen carrying the four drinks. "Can you grab your own drink?"
"Pizza'll be here in twenty." Jess walked back into the living room to find Lydia sitting with Charlie sitting on her lap, and Doula sitting rapt at her feet.
"Jess?" Doula looked and ran to her brother when she saw him.
"Hey kiddo." Jess picked up his three year old sister and kissed her on the cheek.
"Have you met Lydia?" Doula smiled up at him, pointing to Lydia across the room.
"Yeah, I've met her. She's a pain right?"
"No! She's cool!"
"You think she's cool?" Jess raised his eyebrows at his wife, over Doula's head, and Lydia raised one fist above her head in mock celebration.
"Yip." Doula grinned, "She likes my bow." She pointed to the bright pink bow clipped into her blonde curls.
"Well, who wouldn't?" Jess said seriously to her, smiling.
"Aaaand, she likes Beyonce!"
"The singer?"
"No, Jess." The three year old scoffed. "My bunny rabbit." She pointed at a stuffed pink rabbit at Lydia's feet. "Down please."
Jess put her on the floor again, and she took off to sit beside Lydia again. Jess sat beside his mom on the sofa.
"You know, Doula, I like Beyonce the singer too." Lydia told the little girl.
"Me too."
"Wow, really? What's your favourite song?"
"Ammm?" Doula scrunched her face up while thinking and then broke into a large grin. "Single ladies, single ladies." She sang at Lydia.
"Oh I like that one too." Lydia smiled, and lifted Charlie so he was standing on her lap, and began to dance with him and sing with Doula, "If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it." Charlie started laughing, and trying to sing along too.
"She's good." Liz leant in towards her son.
"The singing? You heard her last night."
"Well, yes, but I didn't mean that. I meant with the kids. She'll make a great mom."
"We've only been married three months, mom, give us time before you start planning grandkids."
"But one day, yes?" Liz grinned, watching as Jess glupped down his water.
"We haven't talked about it. Can you just drop it? Please?"
"Sure, sorry." Liz and Jess fell silent, watching as Lydia danced with the two toddlers.
"But seriously, that girl is a mom. She needs-" Liz spoke up, but caught the glare Jess was giving her and stopped, "Sorry."
"So, Liz, tell me where did Jess come from?" Lydia reached for another slice of pizza, while Jess groaned.
"New York?" Liz asked her face marred with confusion.
"No," Lydia laughed, "His name. Where did you get Jess from?"
"Please don't tell her the story. She's been trying to get it out of me for years."
"Hush you." Lydia placed her hand over Jess' mouth. "Please!" she smiled at Liz.
"Well, one of my favourite movies is 'Jessica' with Angie Dickinson."
Lydia looked at Jess, her eyes popping, "O-M-G! Was I right?", in response to which, Jess simply rolled his eyes.
"Anyway," Liz continued, "they told me I was having a girl."
"The doctors?"
"No, the girls who worked in the crystal shop across from the bakery I worked in. And they were convinced it was a girl, so I decided on the name Jessica. When I was handed a boy, I had no names picked and just shortened it to Jess. It suited him."
"It does, Jessica totally suits him!" Lydia tapped Jess on the cheek. "Oh what about his middle name?"
"That was all Jimmy. I wanted Harrison. But Jimmy was insisted on Dylan. After Bob. Of course he didn't stick around long enough to ever use it."
"Mom." Jess warned.
"I know, I know. I wasn't exactly a model parent either. How's Jimmy doing?"
"Good. I talked to him a few days after I phoned you last month. Him and Sasha are trying for a baby. Lilly's very excited."
"That's nice." Liz nodded, as someone knocked on the door. "I'll get that." she said and left the room.
Lydia took a sip of her soda, and glanced at Jess, who was rubbing his eyes, "You okay?".
"Fine," he smiled, "just tired. What about you?"
"Well, Jessica Dylan Mariano, I'm peachy keen." she grinned, not daring to look at him.
"Oh God, this is gonna be one of those things you never drop isn't it?"
"Yep!" Lydia laughed as Liz returned, bringing Rory with her.
"Sit down Rory, I'll go wake Charlie." Liz exited again, to get the toddler who had fallen asleep again, after dancing around with Lydia.
"Hey Rory!" Lydia grinned at her. "How's your mom?"
"Suffering. But she said it was worth it."
"We should be heading soon." Jess rubbed Lydia's arm.
"I know. You want me to drive. I'm a lot less tired than you are."
"You hate driving." Jess pointed out.
"It's only to New Haven. That's what? Thirty minutes from here?"
"Yeah," Rory confirmed, "22.8 miles."
Jess smiled at the memory, but was quickly jolted back into the present when Rory asked, "Why you going to New Haven?"
"To blackmail Eve Harrington." Lydia told her.
Jess rolled his eyes at his wife, "Or to visit her brother."
"My brother, not Eve Harrington's." Lydia quipped.
"Your brother lives in New Haven?"
"Yeah, he's starting his senior year at Yale soon, but he stayed in New Haven over the summer, working at a free clinic. He's pre-med. "
"Who's pre-med?" Liz asked, coming back into the room with Charlie and Doula.
"My brother Jamie. We're going to visit him in New Haven, at someones insistence." Lydia said, smirking at Jess.
"You didn't see him all summer, it's a waste to not go see him when we're so close by."
"I saw him two weeks ago."
"Very different."
"How is it different?" Liz asked.
"Oh, well," Lydia turned to face Liz and Rory, "Jamie and I always spend August third together. It's our parent's anniversary."
"Wedding?" Rory asked before thinking.
"No." Lydia shook her head, "My mom and dad died in a car accident ten years ago."
"Oh my God, I'm such an idiot."
"Rory, it's fine." Lydia assured her.
"We really have to go." Jess squeezed Lydia's shoulder, "Thanks for lunch mom." Jess gave Liz a quick hug.
"No problem, and don't be strangers!" She told Lydia, pulling her into a hug, while Jess said goodbye to Doula.
"Bye Lydia!" Doula called from Jess' arms.
"Bye pretty girl!" Lydia kissed Doula on the cheek, and then turned to Rory.
"It was great meeting you Rory. If you're ever in Philly, stop by. Have a coffee, or whatever. We're going to be family soon, right?"
"Right." Rory smiled and Lydia reached forward and hugged her, "I mean it. I'd like us to be friends." Lydia whispered.
"Lydia, come on. Bye Ror."
"Yeah bye Jess." Rory smiled as she watched the couple close the front door.
"Now, that wasn't so bad was it?" Lydia smiled up at Jess. "Can't wait 'til next time."
"Next time?"
"Well, the wedding. Obviously" Lydia climbed into the driver's seat of the car.
"Obviously." Jess got in beside her and smiled as she pulled on a pair of huge sunglasses.
"What? I can't drive with the glare of the sun!" She said without looking at him, "To New Haven?"
"Yes, Jackie O, to New Haven."
And done. Don't know if I got the Jess/Rory interaction just right. Not completely happy with it. Please review to let me know what you think. Feedback is always helpful!