'Please!' Rory begged. Her arm around his waist as they walked towards the diner. It was lunchtime and they'd promised to meet Lorelai. Jess just shook his head. She'd been begging him all morning.
'No. I do not wear a tux.' Jess said shaking his head once again. She fluttered her eyelashes and pouted. Why did she have to look so cute? Jess thought to himself. Hugging her tighter.
'But you're my boyfriend! You're meant to escort me!' Rory said pleading with him. He didn't know how much longer he could resist.
'Rory. I don't fit into that world. I don't wear a tux. Or tails. Or white gloves. I don't even try to be polite because I know it won't happen. However much I would love to spend the evening with you honey. I don't want to embarrass you.' Jess said walking into the diner. Rory smiled up at him happily. Hugging him close.
'I love you.' Rory smiled.
'What? I didn't say yes. So what's brought this on?' Jess asked hugging her. Then letting her sit at a table. Lorelai was yet to arrive.
'You called me honey. You've never used any kind of cute endearment for me before. I like it.' Rory replies simply, as Luke pours them coffee.
'What'll you have?' Luke asked.
'3 Burgers, 3 Fries, and onion rings.' Jess said knowing the order off by heart.
'Ooh and pie. Cherry pie. 3 pieces. More coffee and some ice cream.' Rory added.
'In cones.' Jess smiled at Rory.
'In cones.' She said knowing he liked them in cones. They'd only just been talking about it that morning in between Rory begging him to take her to her coming out ball.
'You 2 are going to eat all that?' Luke questioned.
'Mom's coming as well.' Rory said pointing to the empty seat. On cue Lorelai rushed into the diner, kissed Luke and sat in the empty chair.
'You order?' Lorelai asked dropping her bag onto the floor.
'Yeah.' Jess answered her. Rory started at him with a smile. 'I'm not going.'
'Jess. I don't care if you turn up in old jeans. You're metallica shirt and leather jacket. I love you and I want you with me. I don't want anybody else to escort me. So please come.' Rory begged him.
'In fact please do wear your leather jacket. I would love to see the look on my mothers face when she sees you like that. I mean at least you'll stand out from the crowd.' Lorelai clapped her hands together.
'I really don't have to wear a tux?' Jess asked.
'No you don't. In fact I'd prefer it if you didn't. Tux's aren't you and I want everyone to see the person I'm with. I want you to come, not some false reality you.' Rory smiled over at him. 'So? Is that a yes?'
'Fine I'll come, but only because I love you so much.' Jess said taking her hand. The food arrived then.
'Did I actually just here you agree to go to that stupid thing?' Luke asked putting the food on the table.
'Ha! What are you laughing about. You're coming.' Lorelai said grabbing her burger. Luke looked at her as if she'd gone mad. Or at least a bit more mad.
'What? I think you have me confused with someone else. No way am I going to a coming out ball.' Luke said gruffly.
'Oh but you are, and what's more you're going to take part.' Lorelai smiled wickedly. Luke, Jess and Rory looked confused.
'What?' Luke asked.
'You are going to walk Rory down the stairs.' Lorelai said brightly. She'd had this plan in her head ever since she'd called Christopher and he'd said he couldn't come.
'I am not.' Luke yelled. Rory looked down at her plate.
'What's wrong?' Jess asked picking up on this. He took her hand gently. When she looked up she had tears in her eyes. Lorelai and Luke now both looked at her, all 3 were concerned.
'Dad didn't want to come?' Rory asked quietly.
'Oh hun. I'm sure he wanted to, but he said something about plans.' Lorelai replied not wanting to mention that Christopher was going out with mates. Rather than coming to see his daughter.
'He didn't want to come.' Rory said playing with her fries. 'Now I'll have nobody! I'll have to walk down on my own.'
Jess shot Luke a look. He didn't want Rory to be upset. Luke understood what Jess meant by it and after a seconds thought he put his hand on her shoulder.
'If you'll have me. I would be honoured to be your father for the night.' Luke said meaning every word. Rory jumped from her seat and threw her arms around him.
'Really? Oh Luke thank you so much! I would love you to walk me down. You've been more a father to me than my dad ever has.' Rory said smiling widely. Luke looked thrilled hearing those words.
'He has a habit of being like a father to those with jerks for dad's.' Jess said smiling at his uncle. Luke understood his meaning and patted him on the back.
'Only this is Luke, I'm not as nice as Rory. See she doesn't mind Jess turning up in leather jacket and jeans. Heck she wants him too. I on the other hand want you in a tux!' Lorelai said already making a mental list of what to get when they went out shopping that afternoon.
'Fine. If that's what'll make you happy.' Luke said grudgingly. Jess smirked at him. Ignoring this Luke walked back to the counter. Letting them finish their lunch.
***
'Lorelai you still haven't told me when Christopher's arriving. The balls tonight.' Emily said handing her a cup of coffee. Her and Rory had come over for the final dress fitting before the ball. Rory look at her mom nervously and mouthed. 'I thought you told her.' Lorelai looked away guitily.
'Uh well mom actually…Chris couldn't make it.' Lorelai said gulping down her coffee and pouring herself a second cup.
'What do you mean he couldn't make it. It's his daughters coming out party! Who else will walk her down the stairs. You must be joking. Stop palying games and tell me when he's arriving.' Emily demanded.
'Mom! I called him. He said he had plans and couldn't make it. So Luke's going to walk her down the stairs.' Lorelai said.
'Luke? As in that man from the diner?' Emily looked disgusted.
'As in Luke Danes. He owns the diner and actually I'm dating him now.' Lorelai took the plunge. Knowing that she'd have to tell her mother at some point. Hoping it wouldn't be until later.
'When did this happen? Why didn't you tell me?' Emily asked. Lorelai looked at her daughter for support, but Rory was enjoying it too much.
'Uh it's recent.' Lorelai replied. 'So back to tonight.'
'Yes. Rory dear will Dean be meeting us at the hall?' Emily asked her. Rory's face fell from the smile she had been wearing. Lorelai laughed silently and mouthed 'I thought you told her!' Mimicking what Rory had said.
'Actually….Uh…Well I'm not with Dean anymore.' Rory said looking at her mom who was clearly loving her pain.
'Karma baby.' Lorelai mouthed.
'Oh! Why did you break up with him? I thought you were happy together.' Emily asked her. Rory knew she'd have to tell the full story.
'Uh well…I sort of…and there was this…' Rory took a deep breath knowing it was now or never. Knowing she couldn't opt for the latter. However much she wanted to. 'Ok. Well here goes. Me and Dean broke up because he got jelous of a friend of mine. I guess he had a right because I did have feelings for him, anyway. Dean got angry and hit me then we broke up and I'm now dating Jess. The uh..guy Dean was jelous of, and uh well when Dean found out he came round and he hit me, and pushed me over and cut my head and kicked me. But he's gone now, and I'm happy. Really happy with Jess. So it'll be Jess coming and uh he's meeting us at the hall. He's coming with Luke, because he's Luke's nephew.' Rory babbled nervously.
'He hit you?!' Emily raised her voice. 'And neither of you saw fit to tell me this!'
'Sorry mom. It was just really tough, but Rory's good now.'
'Why have I never heard about this Jess before?' Emily asked. 'If you like him so much why haven't you mentioned him?'
'Well I do like him…love him actually.' Rory blushed. Wishing she had Jess' calm confidence. She smiled just thinking about him then carried on. 'I only met him 2 weeks before we started dating and we've only been dating for 2 weeks.'
'You've known him a MONTH!' Emily was beside herself. 'Lorelai how can you let your daughter date somebody she's know for a month. Well 2 weeks! She started dating him after 2 weeks! How could you let this happen?'
'Because she loves him, and he loves her.' Lorelai stuck up for her daughter. 'I know it seems unlikely but if you saw them together. When you see them together you'll know it as well as I do. I want Rory to be happy and Jess makes her happy. So I won't get in the way of that.'
'So..?' Emily asked curiosity getting the best of her. 'What's he like?'
'Um…Well I'm a little bias.' Rory said smiling to herself. 'Maybe you should wait till tonight and make up your own mind.'
***
'I feel like an idiot.' Luke said as they arrived at the hall and went up to Lorelai and Rory. Lorelai smiled at him.
'But you look so very dreamy.' Lorelai said fluttering her eyelashes at him. Rory laughed and Jess smirked.
'How's my little debutante?' Jess asked giving her a quick kiss. She smiled up at him.
'I'm good.' She said relaxing now he was here. Looking at his appereance, he'd dressed up a little. Wearing nice black jeans. A black shirt and his black leather jacket. His hair still messy the way she liked it.
'You look beautiful.' He smiled at her, she was in a floor length white gown.
'I look like a cottom ball.' She complained. 'You look very nice though. I like the outfit, though you dressed up a little more than I expected.'
'Well I didn't want to let you down.' Jess smiled. Putting an arm round her shoulders.
'Incoming!' Lorelai said as Emily and Richard approached. Emily looking less than pleased at Jess' appearance.
'This I suppose is that boy?' Emily said. 'Couldn't you have dressed appropriately?'
'Grandma. Grandpa. This is Jess. My boyfriend and I told him to wear whatever he felt comfortable in.' Rory said slipping her arm round his waist.
'It's nice to meet you Mr Gilmore. Mrs Gilmore.' Jess said, extending his hand to Richard. Richard took the offered hand and shook it. Pleased by his manors. If not his choice of outfit. The rest of the group looked stunned at Jess' polite greeting. Rory smiled at him affectionately. He tried to keep a look of indifference on his face but her smile got to him and he smiled back.
'It's nice to meet you Jess.' Richard said cheerfully. 'So what kind of grades do you get?' He asked jumping straight into the interrogation.
'I'm not currently getting great grades. I'm not reaching my full potential but I plan on turning that around, sir.' Jess replied unfazed by his direct questions.
'Really? What are your goals?' Richard asked prying further.
'Well sir. I never really had any goals for my future. Especially acedemic ones, but Rory has influenced me. I know I can do more so I intend to get into an Ivy leauge school. I'd like to do something in the field of English.' He answered. Rory smiled up at him and Lorelai looked flawed by his seemingly truthful answer.
'That's a very fine goal.' Richard commended him.
'If he can make it.' Emily scoffed.
'He will.' Rory defended. 'He's so smart! Smarter than anyone I know.' Rory smiled at Jess again. Just then all the girls who were coming out were asked to return to the preparation room upstairs. They were about to start.
'That's my cue.' Luke said as he headed to where the fathers were being told to gather. Rory kissed Jess. Hugged her mom and Hugged Luke before running. In a very unladylike manor, up the stairs.
***
Rory stood at the top of the staircase, her arm through Luke's. She looked out over the sea of faces. Her gaze resting on her mothers. She smiled then looked to the bottom of the staircase where Jess was standing. Getting a lot of attention, seeing as he was the only guy not in a tux. Rory loved that he stood out.
'Presenting Lorelai Leigh Gilmore. Daughter of Lorelai Victoria Gilmore and Christopher Hayden. Uh and presented by…' The announcer stopped looking questioningly at the paper which simply read Luke Danes. 'Uh presented by her…um?'
'Stepfather.' Rory supplied looking at Luke shyly.
'By her stepfather Luke Danes.' The young woman said smiling at Rory. They began walking down the stairs.
'I know technically you're not my stepfather. But I feel like that's the best word to fit you. Well excluding actualy father but I figured it may confuse people if I said I had 2 fathers.' Rory explained blushing deeply.
'It's alright Rory. I'm honoured you think of me that way.' He said reaching the bottom of the stairs and holding her hand out. Jess took it nervously and linked his arm through hers.
'You didn't fall.' Jess whispered in her ear as the walked across the floor.
'I know!' Rory smiled happily. 'But there's always the fan dance. I could slip and break my neck then.' Rory smiled. Jess smirked at her.
'I love you Rory.' He said as they reached the line of other girls and their dates.
'I love you too.' Rory replied at the guys took their seats and the girls set up for their dance.
'So is your escort the one?' One of the girls asked Rory.
'The one what?' Rory asked confused.
'The love of your life. The man you're going to marry.' She replied.
'Oh. I…' Rory paused looking over at Jess who was smiling up at her. 'Yeah I think he might be.'