A/N- Very short note today because of difficulty with internet and all sorts of crazy real life things, but hope you enjoy the chapter! This was a hard one to get up today (dirty!) but thank you all of my readers for your kindness, patience and appreciation of this fic. As always, I don't own Gilmore Girls and please read, review and recommend. Feel free to message me.
Chapter 12
The next day at work, Jess was trying to help a girl, about thirteen years old, find something to read. She reminded him of Lily and for that reason he had spent far too much time on this one particular task rather than getting the other work done that was waiting. After about ten minutes he noticed Matt waving him over, and reluctantly he left the girl to continue her browsing. "So," Matt said, walking into the office with him and pulling out a couple of coffee cups, "How was the Twilight Zone?" "Could've been worse," Jess replied, gratefully taking the cup and letting Matt fill it, "Though I'm still doubting my sanity about next weekend." "What's next weekend?" Matt asked curiously, raising the mug to his lips. "They're coming here," Jess sighed, setting down his mug and staring absently at the wall. "You mean Luke is," Matt corrected, starting to sort through a stack of papers. "No." Jess met Matt's eyes as realization dawned upon him. "Wait, you invited Lorelai? Here? To stay with you and her boyfriend in the barely one-bedroom apartment you live in that is really a converted part of your place of business?" "Glad to know your thoughts on that decision," Jess mumbled, taking one of the stacks of paper, full of recent manuscripts that needed author calls. "Why? Why would you do something like that?" Matt demanded, "She hates you! " "Kind of," Jess muttered, not meeting Matt's eyes. "Wait…hold on a minute," Matt stared. He walked out of the office without saying a word, returning with Chris. "Doesn't at least one of us have to be out there running this business that we're responsible for?" Jess snarled, knowing exactly where this was going. "You are not going to tell us that it's a coincidence that two weeks after you see Rory for the first time in years, you suddenly decide to go to Star's Hollow to make nice with her mother. So nice, in fact, that he invited her here." Matt looked at Chris meaningfully. "Lorelai? Here? Like to see Truncheon?" "For the entire weekend," Matt replied, earning an eye roll from Jess. "Yes, two whole days, however will I survive? I got work to do." "No," Chris stopped him, "Look, I get that you don't want to talk to us about this, and we've tried giving you your space, but this has gone far enough. We all have work to do now but tonight after closing we're going over to my place and we're going to talk about this. We can't have you ending up with your head in your ass for two months like the last time she showed up and screwed with everything." "And on that note, you better have booze," Jess retorted, pushing past Chris forcefully and walking out onto the main floor.
About six hours later after closing, Jess, Matt and Chris got on the train and headed towards their apartment. As Matt called to order pizza, Chris lowered his voice. "Jess, you know we just want to be sure you're okay, right? She really fucked you up before." "God, that's the most ridiculous part of this whole thing. You think that I am so goddamn affected by her. Whatever, let's wait for the hand-holding until we're fortified." "Seconded," Matt said, hanging up the phone, "Pizza'll be there in twenty." "Right on time."
Walking in the door, having arrived at the exact same moment as the pizza, the men settled into their usual setup. Jess went and grabbed the beers, Chris got plates and napkins, and Matt lazily flopped onto his spot on the couch so no one could take it. Sighing, Jess handed a beer to each of them, sitting down next to Matt and cracking his open. After taking a long gulp, he set it back down on the table and looked straight at Chris. "Look, I see why you're concerned. But this isn't about her! The situation now is absolutely nothing like it was then." "How is it different? How?" Chris demanded, "Jess, it doesn't matter that time has gone by or any of that shit, you two are the same people and just because you're in different places than you were doesn't mean shit. The things she did to you don't just disappear." "Exactly," Matt agreed, grabbing a piece of pizza, "And if it didn't matter to you at all, are you telling us it's all just pure coincidence that you're starting these things now? Seeing Luke more? Giving him a bed? Talking to Lorelai? Lorelai, Jess. This is a woman who basically got you banished from the first place you ever had a stable situation." "That wasn't her fault," Jess replied, his voice low, "I wanted to go anyway. I couldn't stay there after what happened. It would've been harder for everyone." "Everyone. Like Rory, you mean?" Chris implored, "You are so full of shit. Her opinion mattered to you back then, more than anyone's. And now you're going to sit there and try to convince us, your best friends, that she means nothing to you?"
"Listen to me," Jess said, "Because I'm only saying this once. Nothing you said was untrue. But I'm not lying to you either. It really isn't the same anymore. I know exactly how I felt about her and I know exactly how I feel now and it is nothing like what it used to be. I'm not the only one who changed. She changed too." "But how do you know?" Matt prodded, "You've barely seen…" "I just…" Jess sighed, "I know. I know her better than anyone. And I know who she is now and who she used to be and I know too much. Too goddamn much. The reason I'm trying to make things work with Luke is because he's family. My family. My only family. And the reason I'm trying to make it work with Lorelai is because he deserves to be happy more than anybody, and he won't be unless she and I are peaceable. Yes, the timing was coincidental, but her coming here ddin't cause those things. They were already in my mind and it's just been a matter of execution."
"You really sure about that?" Matt asked once more. "Yes," Jess said, "Now listen to me. She may come back at some point. She's a professional who travels in addition to being a human being in possession of free will. She could come here. And it didn't upset me when she did, and it won't upset me if she does. It also won't upset me if she doesn't. What will upset me is if you two give her a hard time and hurt her, and make things more dramatic than they need to be. I know you're protective because of how I was before about her, but things really are different now, and although I'm not asking you to bake her a cake, if you could try to treat her with the same respect you'd grant to anyone else I have a positive opinion of, that would be appreciated."
"I won't be purposefully rude to her, but I can't promise I'll be as nice to her as I would in that situation," Chris replied, "I mean, I'll give it my best shot, but if she comes here you have to know that we're not going to be happy." "No, we won't," Matt agreed, "But we'll both do our best to be as cordial as we can, out of respect for you. Does that work?" "For now," Jess nodded seriously, "Plus, it probably won't be an issue. I don't really think she'll come back."
That was the first lie Jess told that night. He knew she'd come back and he knew it'd be soon. But he didn't care and he didn't know if he really wanted her to yet so he just figured he'd let them rest easy for now. Maybe they'd find it easier to act less moronic if she showed up out of the blue and they weren't expecting her to.
