A/N: Loving the reaction to the previous one-shot - gives me uber-confidence for my next gen fic which I hope to write in September! In the meantime, here's a little something I wrote for jordana60, who wanted to see Luke & Jess taking care of Jack for a day.

(For disclaimer, etc. - see 1.)

14. Boys Day Out - 1st September 2006

Sometimes women just needed alone time to relax and gossip, at least that's what they told their significant others and the guys were loathe to argue. Both Rory and Lorelai had been significantly busy in their own lives that they claimed to have barely seen each other to talk for way too long. This seemed to coincidence just perfectly with Lorelai being 'gifted' two tickets to a spa, which wasn't at all suspicious. Neither Luke nor Jess were really buying that they had been deprived of each other that much, but since they loved their wives and appreciated that they missed each other a lot since they weren't together constantly these days, if they wanted a spa weekend, then that was exactly what they were going to get. Lorelai said Luke should have Caesar and the other wait staff handle the diner so he could spend some quality boys time with Jess and Jack, especially since he was due to be the father of a son before too long. Though it didn't seem like a necessity to Luke, he couldn't deny that a little alone time with the guys in his family could be cool. As soon as the girls backs were turned they talked of making it a fairly lazy day, since Jack would be perfectly fine with that too - boy, were they ever wrong!

By the time Luke drove over to the apartment, Jess was already set to explode from the frustration of his son running circles around him like a crazy person.

"He's been up since six a.m. and somehow he's on a sugar high without the sugar," Jess explained through gritted teeth, as little Jack ran around and around him, arms out-stretched making airplane noises just as loud as he could. "And I'm going to scream like a girl any second now!"

"Take a breath, nephew," his uncle advised, patting him on the shoulder as he walked into the apartment.

Swooping down he picked up Jack and flew him around in the air, still making his airplane sounds and positions. The kid really thought he was flying and wondered at the feeling, before collapsing into giggles when Luke started to tickle his ribs.

"No, Grandpa!" he laughed until he could barely breathe. "No tickle, no!" he protested through fits of giggles.

"Okay," Luke relented, dropping down onto the couch with the kid in his lap. "No more tickles and no more planes, okay? I think we're giving Daddy a headache," he said with a smirk Jess would've been proud of. "You think you were any different at his age?" he asked him.

"How should I know?" asked Jess grumpily as he started picking up toys and books that Jack had left all over the floor in his mission to be the craziest kid ever.

"The quiet little bookworm came later, trust me," said Luke definitely. "Toddler-sized, you were exactly like this."

The way he said it got Jess' attention and he caught his uncle staring at Jack with a look akin to wonderment. It was weird to think that used to be him, that he would've been sat on Luke's knee at that same age, treated as Jack was. Jess had no solid memory of Luke from back then. He couldn't help thinking that if he had stayed with this man who had been so much like a father to him he might've turned out better, but he supposed it had all come right in the end anyhow.

"Jess?" said Luke with a look of concern. "You okay?"

"Sure, yeah," he smiled, quick to cover for the moment of thoughtfulness. "Er, so how about we head out to the park for a while, burn off a little of this excess energy you seem to have found, little buddy?" he asked Jack, walking over to pick the kid up from Luke's lap. "What do you say? You think we can convince Grandpa Luke to make us up a picnic?"

"Yeah!" the little boy cheered. "Pleeeeease, Grandpa? Pleeeease?" he asked desperately, the way only the cutest little kids could and get away with it.

"I get a day off from making food and the first thing you guys want is for me to make food?" he asked with a mock-stern look that soon crumbled into a smile. "Fine, I'll make a picnic," he said with an eye roll as he got up and schlepped his way through to the kitchen.

Jess chuckled at the show his uncle put on and Jack clapped and cheered happily. The park was a good place to go. With two of them watching the kid, Jack couldn't really come to any harm, and running around in circles for a while should tire him out. No doubt there would be other kids to play with too, giving Jess and Luke a chance to talk or just relax for a little bit. It was what the girls were doing after all. They all worked hard, they all deserved a little down time. Of course, that didn't mean they were going to get it.

"I swear I don't get it," said Luke with a heavy sigh as he trudged into the apartment behind Jess.

The moment they were in, Jess put Jack down on his feet and the kid went tearing around and around the living room. They had been out pretty much all day, and still Jack had energy to spare. He had Luke tossing a kid-sized football around for a while, then he hit the swings, the slide, the hippety hop, all the activities the park had to offer. Jess constantly had to keep an eye out and stop Jack from actively throwing himself off the jungle gym or anything else that might break a limb or worse. The boy just had no fear and Jess wanted to go crazy at him for that. Unfortunately, he knew for sure he had been the same once upon a time. Luke knew it too, so it was hard to be mad about it.

They got a few minutes peace when Jack got hungry and came to sit down on the blanket with his father and grandpa to eat, but all of a minute after finishing up eating everything in sight (a trait he definitely got from his mother) he was on the move again.

"I swear he's solar-powered or something," said Luke as he went over to the couch and collapsed onto it. "How is he still going?"

"I don't know. Your wife is usually the Energiser bunny in the room," said Jess with a shrug, pushing his hair back off his forehead with his whole hand.

"That's the coffee," said Luke knowingly. "This kid is just... I mean, seriously, never, ever let him have caffeine!" he said definitely, groaning when Jack suddenly appeared in front of him and tried to throw himself bodily onto his grandpa.

"Want play?" he asked with shining eyes and a grin nobody could resist.

"Jack!" Jess called for his attention. "No more games with Grandpa right now," he smirked terribly, always taking too much pleasure in referring to Luke by such a title. "He's feeling old and tired."

"Yeah, 'cause Daddy looks like he has so much energy right now," said Luke with a look that Jess tried to ignore.

"Daddy play!" said Jack with delight, running at him instead and crashing into his legs.

"Yeah, we can play, but something quiet and calm, okay?" he suggested. "How about a nice game that requires nothing more than turning cards?" he tried.

Jack looked thoughtful a while and then went pelting away to his room. Jess let out a long sigh and came over to sit on the carpet near the armchair. His head went back into the seat and Luke laughed a little.

"You look like I feel," he told his nephew.

"You can laugh, Luke, but you got all this to come," he reminded him. "How many months now 'til Lorelai makes you the father of a son, huh?"

"Hey, I am so ready for that," his uncle told him firmly. "My kid is going to be a lot calmer than this."

"You're kidding, right?" said Jess, taking his turn to laugh. "Your son is also going to be Lorelai's son," he reminded him. "And you think he's gonna be calmer than Jack?"

Luke's eyes went a little wide at the prospect but he didn't say anything as the little boy in question came running back with a precariously balanced pile of boxes in his arms. He came crashing to the floor, all the lids coming off a little as he landed on the carpet. Jess winced at the sound but recovered fast.

"Couldn't pick just one thing, huh, buddy?" he asked Jack who shook his head,

"We play this, this, this, an' this," he said, pointing to one after the other. "Okay?"

Jess wanted to say no, but he really couldn't bring himself to do it. He glanced at Luke who was fighting the urge to doze off on the couch and knew he was the only entertainment his son was going to get for the next few hours. It would be a while before he stood any chance of getting the kid to go to bed, and Rory wasn't due back until late tomorrow. At least these games could be played sitting down and Jess was glad about that.

"Okay, let's play," he said to Jack, tapping on the first box.

Jack happily pushed the others aside and tipped the big cardboard animal dominoes all over the carpet. Jess smiled as he watched him, listening intently as he explained the rules in childlike fashion, oblivious to the fact that there wasn't an adult alive that didn't know them already. Moments like this were things to be treasured, Jess knew that much. He would do just about anything for his son, no matter what. The little things mattered as much as the big moments. Jess barely got either growing up. His kid was having everything, no question. He was never, ever letting this little boy down.

"I know you think I'm crazy..." said Rory as they came into the apartment.

"I don't think you're crazy," her mother assured her. "I mean, yeah, maybe a little for giving up the chance to be in that beautiful, beautiful spa for another twenty four hours," she considered. "But hey, I get the draw of a good-looking husband and an adorable kid as much as the next person, I just..."

Lorelai finally stopped talking when she realised there was no longer any walking happening. Rory had stopped all of three steps inside the apartment door and stood staring into the living room. Lorelai frowned and squeezed by her to see what the big deal was. It was quite a sight to see. Luke was flagged out on the couch fast asleep, his hat askew and a colouring book dangling off his lap.

On the floor, Jess was also sleeping, propped up a little on the base of the armchair and a pillow in a position that couldn't really be comfortable. Jack was sprawled on top of his father, as sound asleep as anybody else. It was perhaps the most adorable thing the Gilmore girls had ever seen.

"Aaaaw, they all had a big day," said Lorelai softly but with a grin that wouldn't shift.

"I guess so," Rory nodded, just staring at the cuteness of her husband and child. "Seems a shame to wake them."

"Agreed," her mother said, looking across to the other door. "You think we can pick our way through to the kitchen to get to the coffee without waking them up?"

"We don't have decaff here," said Rory with a look.

Lorelai blew her hair off her forehead with exasperation and muttered 'busted'. She was about to make further suggestions about where they could go and what they could do, but soon realised there was no point. Rory's eyes and mind were fixed on the scene before her, not so much Luke obviously, but on Jess and Jack. Lorelai had to admit, it was pretty special seeing father and son all snuggly and cute. Her hand went absently to her middle and she smiled thinking how that could be Luke and their baby someday soon. It certainly was too sweet a moment to spoil with words, and so they stood just staring a while.

"You don't think this is getting creepy now?" asked Lorelai when five minutes had passed.

Rory shook herself and frowned.

"Probably, yeah," she agreed. "Let's go back to the Hollow for a while," she suggested, headed for the door.

Still she couldn't resist one more quick glance back at her boys. Rory knew then more than ever that she couldn't be happier and she couldn't love her family more.