A/N: 6 reviews on my previous chapter? Count 'em - 6! Thank you all so much, it means a very lot to me, you lovely people :)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 8 - 24 Hour Party People

"I have soooo many ideas for this cake!" Sookie declared, grabbing Rory's hand and dragging her toward the kitchen to taste samples and hear plans.

"But I was..." she protested weakly, looking back at her Mom and Jess where they were sat on the couch still.

"It's okay, hon, we got this covered," Lorelai smiled kindly, trying not to laugh as her baby girl was bodily removed to the kitchen.

Sookie meant well. She had been given the cake to take care of, and all the sweet treats for the buffet of wonder for Rory's sweet sixteen. Luke was going to provide the savoury side of things, and was making way less of a big deal out of it. That left Lorelai and Jess with decorations and invitations, a bigger task than it seemed actually. This party really had to be the biggest of big deals after the way it was pitched to Emily and Richard, for fear they might see through Jess' ruse if it wasn't an extravaganza of epic proportions. Of course, Rory deserved such a big bash for her special birthday anyway, so there was never any doubt this party was going to be a knock-out. Her nearest and dearest sure were going to make certain of that.

"So, I haven't really had a chance to say this without Rory here," said Lorelai, looking to Jess. "She likes to defend my parents as if they were saints, despite all her past experience... Jess, I am so sorry for the way they spoke to you. Mostly my Mom, actually, Dad really seems to have taken a shine," she grinned then as she watched the boy practically blush. "Who knew you gave good parent, huh? Or grandparent from your perspective, I guess... Whatever."

"Yeah, well," he shifted awkwardly at the other end of the couch, turning a cocktail umbrella around and around between his fingers. "I just didn't want Rory to have to spend her birthday with those people. I mean, I know they're your parents, but..."

"Oh, no buts necessary, my friend," said Lorelai definitely as she double-checked her guest list and scribbled on a couple more names. "Believe me, there's nothing you could say about dearest Emily and Richard that I haven't already said myself, especially my Mom. I think you handled yourself very well, Jess. Better than they deserved, that's for sure."

"You're not the only one who knows what it is to have parents that suck. Your Mom and my Mom should get together and go bowling," he smirked at his own joke a moment, watching Lorelai's lips curve too. "Besides, I wasn't gonna make Rory feel awkward or anything," he shrugged, throwing the umbrella aside and pulling his leg up under him as he turned sideways to face Lorelai more. "I want this party to be good for her, she deserves it."

"She does that," she agreed with a nod as she stared down at her legal pad still. "Hmm, I still can't decide if I wanna invite Chris to this shindig or not," she said in a low voice. "You got an opinion on that?" she asked Jess, but his eyes remained on a spot somewhere on the floor, completely unfocused. "Hey, Spicoli! Look alive!" she urged him, slapping him lightly on the arm. "Jess, seriously, what's up? You just turned all zombie on me. That's not like you."

She looked genuinely concerned and Jess couldn't help but smile. His own mother had been pretty much out of the picture since he moved to Stars Hollow aged eleven. He saw Liz maybe three or four times in the last five years, and he never even knew his father. Sometimes it hurt to think about all that he missed out on, and it was easy to be jealous of how lucky Rory got with her Mom. Other times he was just happy to have the weird quasi-family he had found here in this crazy town.

"You got Rory's gift yet?" he asked at last.

"Yes, but I am not going to tell you what it is," she said definitely, and with a grin she just couldn't help. "I know you two, closer than Benny to the Jets, and it would be soooo easy for you to let slip with my surprise, especially if Rory started probing for info," she said, tossing her list on the coffee table and declaring it done for now. "How about you?"

"I don't know," he shrugged as he made his admission. "I mean, usually it's easy. We buy each other books, CDs, nothing major, but this is her sixteenth birthday and... and I don't know," he muttered, making a big deal of looking anywhere but at Lorelai.

It was so cute when he got all shy and silly like that. She never told him so, because guys didn't like that, especially guys like Jess that thought they were tough. Lorelai fought to remember what Rory had bought him for his sixteenth a couple of months ago and was coming up blank at first, then she recalled it and frowned a little.

"Well, didn't she get you a book for your sixteenth?" she checked, already sure she was right.

"Yeah, but that was different," he told her definitely, but when Lorelai still look bemused he knew he had to explain. "That was a first edition Hemingway from the twenties. You know what that's worth? We're talking a thousand dollars minimum," he explained. "And yeah, I know, she got lucky in a weird rare book store out of town and she didn't pay that much for it, but that's still an amazing gift."

"Granted, it is pretty amazing if you're into Hemingway... and I know you are," she added with a look.

"Besides," Jess continued as if he hardly even realised she'd spoken. "Rory's a girl, and it's a bigger deal buying gifts for girls."

Lorelai opened her mouth to speak again and then closed it again quickly. Jess never really referred to the gender difference between himself and Rory. Actually, Rory didn't either. Of course they knew they were a boy and a girl, unlike most best friends that tended to be of the same sex, but it was never a topic for discussion. They had been friends since the age of eleven, when nobody cared about things like gender differences. Just lately, Lorelai had a feeling that Jess was starting to think more about this BFF relationship he and Rory had going. He sure was jealous of Dean, she knew that much, even though Rory wasn't even really dating the guy... yet.

"Jess, whatever you normally buy for Rory, she always loves it, so go with the same instinct that got those gifts and just buy something," Lorelai advised. "She's not going to care if it's expensive or flashy. That's not our Rory," she reminded him gently.

He nodded that he agreed with her, even as Lorelai walked away to answer the phone. Jess heard the name 'Max' spoken before she dodged upstairs to continue talking. His brain was too busy with other things to worry about Lorelai potentially dating a Chilton teacher.

Lorelai was certainly right about Rory, of course she was, but it didn't stop Jess worrying. He needed to get Rory something special. Sweet sixteen was a much bigger deal for chicks than it was for guys. There was no big party for his birthday, he had vetoed that the minute Luke suggested it, even when Lorelai and Rory tried to jump on the band wagon. For Rory herself, there had to be a fuss - a big cake, a party, and special gifts. If only he could think of something good enough for her.


Rory volunteered to go over to Sookie's house to fetch a few things she had forgotten just as soon as the suggestion was made that somebody needed to go. Honestly, she loved Sookie, and she loved her Mom too, but Rory needed to escape the crazy for a little while. Jess had left a while back, and all Lorelai would say was that he had to go shopping. Being like most guys, Rory knew Jess hated to shop, but the look on her Mom's face suggested maybe he wasn't buying for himself. That made her smile.

Rory was just checking the list of things Sookie needed from her place, or from the store if it turned out she didn't have them in her kitchen. She was so engrossed in her reading, she didn't realise someone was coming the other way until she had run headlong into his chest.

"I'm sorry!"

Both Rory and the stranger apologised in tandem, only to look at each other and realise they weren't strangers at all.

"Dean, hi," she blushed, just because she always seemed to whenever he was around.

Rory didn't know exactly what it was about this guy that made her so nervous. Sure, he was cute, friendly, and entirely sweet, but Rory wasn't usually the kind to go so girly over a boy. Dean was just special, she supposed, and though the two of them weren't exactly dating as such, they definitely got along well. Before long, Rory would like to be calling Dean her boyfriend. Of course, she wasn't about to tell him that, because that would be way too embarrassing.

"Oh," she said when she suddenly realised she had spaced out while he was talking, so taken was she by his beautiful eyes and dazzling smile - and apparently she was turning into a Disney princess all of a sudden! - Rory cleared her throat and spoke properly. "Um, I was just picking up some stuff for Sookie, my Mom's friend, she's working on my birthday cake..."

"It's your birthday?" asked Dean, since obviously this was news to him.

"Yes, well, no," said Rory awkwardly, pushing her hair behind her ear for the third time in some ridiculous nervous habit that she hated. "I mean, it is my birthday, but not today. On Friday, actually. We're having a party," she smiled. "You should come."

She blushed all the harder the moment the words were spoken and had the weirdest urge to run. At the same time, Dean's gaze stuck her to the spot and somehow seemed to prevent her from breathing until he suddenly spoke.

"Hey, I would love to come but I'm working Friday night," he sighed. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine," Rory shuffled her feet. "I mean, working is important... and good for you. I mean, not for your health exactly, although I'm sure it is, I meant... Well, money is good, and working earns money. Probably not much when you work for Taylor, but still, better than nothing, right?" she rambled the way only a Gilmore could.

Dean seemed to find it all very sweet and amusing as he was grinning again within a second.

"I'm not sorry to have the money," he agreed with a nod. "I mean, cash means I can buy gifts. Y'know, when people have birthdays?" he winked, and then suddenly he was walking away, with a cheery wave and a 'see you around, almost-birthday girl'.

"See you later!" Rory called back, before turning and fairly pelting to Sookie's house.

Falling in love was wonderful in its way, but if she blushed any harder, her face was going to explode, she was certain of it. That was the part Rory hated and loved all at once. She couldn't stop grinning as she continued to run a few more steps, then abruptly stopped. There was a reason girls like her were academic, not athletic. She slowed to a sensible walk and continued on, still smiling so widely her face ached. It was wonderful.

From behind the counter in the diner, Jess watched Rory speed by and wondered what was up. He very nearly ran after her, except he noticed even in her hurry that she was smiling. Nothing wrong there, she must just be excited about her birthday or something. That made Jess frown, not because he didn't want her to be happy about her party or anything, just because it brought his mind back to the whole gift buying thing. He had looked into the windows of every store in this back-water town on the way home, hoping for inspiration. He didn't find any.

Luke found Jess wiping the same spot on the counter that he had been on ten minutes ago and wondered what was wrong. Just when he opened his mouth to ask, his nephew looked over and caught him staring.

"What?" he snapped, not really meaning to but it still came out that way.

Luke had given up trying to reprimand him for little things like that. The way Jess was brought up, at least as far as age eleven, meant his manners weren't all they were cracked up to be. Mostly he was a good kid, no thanks to his parents, of course. Luke came down hard on the major issues, and let the small stuff slide for the most part. Honestly, he wasn't mad right now, he was just concerned. Jess was quiet and thoughtful on a regular basis, and Luke stopped worrying about that a long time ago. It was just the way Jess was. There seemed to be a certain mood he got in though, when Luke just knew something was wrong. Like Jess would like to talk about something but wasn't sure he could or should.

"I don't know," Luke shrugged. "You just, you seem like you have something on your mind. Were things okay at the Gilmore house?"

"Sure, yeah," his nephew nodded easily, tossing the cloth between his hands. "We got the guest list done, invitations, blah, blah, blah," he rolled his eyes as if the whole thing bored him.

Luke bit back a smile. He knew full well Jess didn't mind doing that kind of thing. Oh, he would if he were forced into it, or if it were for anybody else in town, but this was for Rory. Jess would go to the end of the world and back for that girl, and Luke didn't mind knowing it. She had been a hell of a good influence on the little hoodlum that had arrived in Stars Hollow five years ago and more. He couldn't be happier that the two were still best friends.

"Well, the food from this end is under control, and I can't imagine Sookie is having any trouble," he said easily. "Oh, I was going to ask you, I got this book for Rory..." he turned and reached under the counter, pulling a volume from a paper bag. "You think she'll like it? I mean, you two and all your reading, I figure you know what she has and what she'd like better than I would..."

"This is great," said Jess, almost sounding stunned as he turned the book over in his hands. "She loves Ayn Rand. I personally don't get it, but she does."

"I heard you guys talking about her once," Luke admitted. "But Rory doesn't have this book, right?"

"Nope. She only got into Rand's non-fiction recently. You're fine."

"Good," he smile, shoving the book back into the bag. "So, what did you get her?"

Luke knew that was a question better not asked when he saw a look of thunder pass over Jess' face. Maybe that was what had been bothering his nephew in the first place.

"None of your business," he muttered, pushing past his uncle.

Jess grabbed the coffee pot on the way and went to refresh the cups of various patrons within the diner. He was not at all happy to be reminded he had yet to even think of a decent gift for his best friend's sweet sixteenth, never mind actually go and buy it. Things never used to be so complicated where Rory was concerned. Jess never even saw it coming until the last few weeks, and he still wasn't willing to think about what had happened to them, for fear of what it would really mean going forward.

To Be Continued...