AN: Here's an other chapter. So what's new... well my group got an estimate on what we would earn on the program we're making (and it's a LOT), so now I have to really work on figuring out some stuff, so should I be late with updates, you now know why. It shouldn't stop you from reviewing, though, cause I will be more encouraged to write if more people review.

buckice - Hey, you're back. Loving the long reviews. I very much agree with your opinion on "write more" reviews. Sure it's lovely to get them, better than nothing, they really don't do that much for me than remind me that the person is reading my story... lol. And what you said about the conflict, it makes sense. And 1 am isn't late. Lately I've been going to bed around 6,7,8 even 9 am. Glad you noticed Sookie's line. It doesn't hold major importance, it was a semi-coinsidencem really. And how close friends Luke and Sookie are is always up for debate, but in my opinion I don't think they're just tolerating each other because of Lorelai. I mean look at 3x17 where they're cooking breakfast together and enjoying each other company whilst doing it, that's more than tolerating each other. On the whole 'not marrying Max' I think Lorelai's convinced herself that it was because of Chris, if you know what I mean. And thanks for the correction, I hear a word in my head and I get confused on the single versus double vowel thing. It's okay to think I didn't capture Rory, she's not one of my fave characters either. Despite being my age (about 5 months younger actually, the character, not sure about the actress... lol) and us having a simillar relationship with our moms (only my mom was 34 when she had me), we're nothing alike. Sure we both love to write, but I'm fiction, she's journalism. It's okay to not find the Rory/Jess thing interessting. I don't really ship Rory, though I do have a preferance for Jess post season 3. That's not mainly why I'm sticking the Jess storyline in here. To write a story about Lorelai you have to include Rory in some way, unless of course you write an early season 6 story and even then, there should be at minimum some thoughts about her. And since Rory at this point has something major going on, it was only plausible to have her share it with Lorelai. This isn't turning into lit, narco or rogan. The story is about Lorelai, Luke, LL and what they have going on, which in this case is Rory.

bellybuttonsrcool - Yes, Rory did tell Lorelai in the show, though not at the same point as I chose to have her tell her. Rory told Lorelai the episode after. The fight early in the episode and the rest about Jess late in the episode. I'm honored you like the story so much. I'll do my best not to disappoint you... lol

LukeNLorelaifanatic - Actually I can confide in my mother like that. I can talk to her about anything. We do choose to keep certain things private, but I talk to her all the time about boys I like, girls I like. It took me less than a week to tell my mom I was dating a girl and mom wasn't yet aware that I was bi, despite I had always thought I'd laid out all the signs... oh well... lol

smileyGGfan - Of course you get a paragraph, though you would've gotten several if you could just keep up with reading when I post new stuff... lol Just a small hint. I'm glad the drink won't taste like a My little Pony, cause I don't know if I could take it. Glad more people loved the "Comfort food" line... lol

- Hey mom, her daughter asked, as the two made their way to the car. - How are you holding up?

- I was negotiating at a funeral, Lorelai groaned.

- Yes you were.

- Is that the only thing you're gonna say? You're supposed to try and make me feel better.

- No, you're mistaking my job for yours. The perk of actually being the kid in this relationship. Although at times I do wonder...

- Funny, Lorelai replied.

- I think so.

- That established it's not your moral duties as daughter I'm referring to. By refusing to cheer me up, you, my friend are breaking the best friend code severely.

- What best friend code?

- The universal best friend code.

- Is this an un-written code?

- Yes, but just as valid.

- Uhuh. So which section of this so-called code is it I'm breaking?

- Do not mock my code, Lorelai scoffed. - It's the bit that says 'though shalt not fail to cheer your best friend up when she completely humiliates herself at Fran's funeral'

- So specific, Rory teased. - I'm still not taking any blame for failing to talk you out of doing it in the first place.

- Why didn't you?

- Hello? No force on earth was gonna stop you. Not to mention Sookie. You guys were on a mission and there was little I could do to stop you.

- Aha, so you admitt you could've done something.

- You're just trying to missplace the blame, so you don't have to think about it, Rory pointed out.

- Yes I am.

- And how's that working for you?

- Motion to change the subject to a completely different one?

- Motion granted.

Letting her eyes wander a bit, Lorelai suddenly spotted a gorgeous red dress in the window to her right.

- Ooo, hey, come here, look at this, she said, looking over at her daughter. - I think that one would look good on you.

- It's nice, Rory replied, distantly.

- Okay, so maybe it's not perfect, but we still have time, Lorelai said, with an encouraging smile. - We could even go see if there's anything good in Hartford. How about I meet you there after school tomorrow. We could make a day out of it.

- I don't really feel like shopping for prom dresses, mom.

- Why'd... oh, Lorelai said as it dawned on her. - He's not even taking you now? After saying he would? Oh, I swear, I'm gonna...

She felt Rory's hand grab hers as she tried to head for the diner and pull her with her in the direction of their house instead.

- Mom, you promised, Rory reminded her. - You said one more thing and he hasn't done anything yet. I dunno if the prom's happening or not. We haven't talked since...

- Since Kyle's bedroom, Lorelai stated.

- Please, Rory begged.

- Allright, consider it dropped, Lorelai sighed.

They walked side by side in silence until Lorelai couldn't take it anymore.

- I just hate that you're gonna miss your prom because of that jerk.

- How is this dropping it, Rory wanted to know.

Lorelai was about to answer, when they rounded the corner and she stopped dead in her tracks.

- Luke, she silently muttered.

- What's he doing here, Rory pondered, curiously.

- I have no idea...

Her stomach churned. She hadn't really seen nor talked to him since she'd accidentally admitted to Sookie that she was in love with the guy. For a moment she wondered if that was why he was there. Had Sookie accidentally let it slip? After all it was universally known that Sookie was just as bad at keeping secrets as Lorelai was. Plus the fact that Sookie was a hopeless romantic didn't discourage the idea. However letting the theory play out in her mind, Lorelai came to the conclution that that couldn't be it. First of all the whole town would've known by now and Lorelai had yet to be stopped and confronted on the matter. More importantly, Luke looked downright upset and who looked upset after hearing that someone loved them? Unless Sookie worded it badly...

By the time Lorelai had finished her little thought tirade they had reached the porch... and Luke.

- Hey Luke, Rory chirped, when neither Lorelai nor Luke said anything.

- Hey, he replied.

When he didn't say anything more, Lorelai started once more to wonder if she'd been wrong about her conclusion. He seemed so awkward around the two of them and she knew her being mute wasn't helping the situation much.

- So, I'm gonna do my homework, Rory exused herself and headed into the house.

When Lorelai had caught Rory's baffled expression, she knew her daughter hadn't been oblivious to the tension currently residing between herself and Luke and once inside those doors she would have to come up with an explanation as of why. The thing was, with Sookie the whole telling her she was in love with Luke had been a slip-up. She hadn't even before that moment admitted that part to herself. Feelings, yes. But that she was in love? She knew once the words came out that they were true, but it didn't mean she wanted the world to know. In addition to it, her daughter had enough worries on her mind. Graduation, preparing for college, waiting for financial aid that still hadn't gotten through, not to mention her idiot boyfriend, who hadn't exactly gotten on Lorelai's good side since well, ever. She didn't want to burden her daughter more with this whole Luke-thing.

Neither she or Luke had spoken a word to each other at this point and as Lorelai's feet had started to hurt from her not sitting down since the funeral before noon, she took the liberty to sit down on the porch right next to him. She pondered in how to start up the conversation when Luke finally spoke.

- Do you think I'm a bad parent?

One thing was for sure, Luke didn't beat around the bush or started a conversation lightly. Like with most guys it was directly to the matter.

- What? No, Lorelai replied. - How can you even think so?

- Oh come on, Lorelai. You know exactly why I think so. He's skipping school, getting into fights, coming and going as he pleases.

- And before he came he was such an angel, Lorelai replied dryly. - You didn't make him this way, he just didn't change.

- Exactly, Luke pointed out. - He hasn't. Two years and he's exactly the same person he was when he got here.

- Luke, Jess is a troubled kid. You shouldn't expect miracles.

- He promised me, Luke rambled. - He wanted to come back, I let him, but I told him that there had to be some changes. He was gonna go to school, he was gonna graduate. You know what I found out tonight?

- He's not graduating?

- He's not graduating, Luke confirmed. - And you wanna know why? It isn't that he's not smart enough. He reads books I'd never be able to get through. One would think he'd ace tests easily and apparently he can, if he'd only bothered to show up.

- But you knew he was skipping school, Lorelai reminded him. - This isn't anything new.

- And that makes it worse, Luke exclaimed. - I knew and still I couldn't prevent it.

- Luke, Lorelai said, putting her hand on his arm.

- He's gone. Jess is gone.

- Gone?

- After blowing up about his not graduating, I left the appartment to cool off. When I came back, him and all his stuff were gone.

- Just like that, Lorelai asked, not surprised about the event, but about how sudden it happened.

- I may have kicked him out, Luke admitted. - I was angry, I told him he'd stay one more year, quit his job at Wall-Mart and graduate next year and he said no. So I told him he'd have to go. For once he actually listened to me. Who would've thought?

He said the last thing with a chuckle.

- Luke, I'm sorry, Lorelai told him, genuinely. - I know I haven't exactly been the most tolerant towards Jess.

- No, you were right all along. The guy's trouble. I'm actually relieved he's gone. Ever since coming here he's been giving me nothing but trouble. I say good riddance. Let him fall on his face and actually learn the consequences of his action. I'm through watching his back, Luke ranted and then silently added. - But then I catch myself thinking it and...

- You didn't do anything wrong, Lorelai repeated.

- No, Luke objected. - I failed him. I snooped around in his stuff. I mean, what parent does that?

- Normally I'd say not a very good one, Lorelai admitted. - But come on, you had to do something. He's never given you a single reason in the time he's been here to trust him. It's not like you expected him to screw up. You chose to ignore my warning because you wanted to give him a fair chance to start over. You did everything you could and he just threw everything back in your face.

- I should've listened to you.

- No, Lorelai sighed. - Do I think you should've accepted some help a little sooner? Yes, you should've. But neither of us could've known it'd get this bad. For all we knew he could've been willing to start over and if you'd listened to me and antisipated trouble, then things would probably've ended just as bad.

She squeased his arm and looked him in the eyes.

- I don't always understand where your family loyalty comes from, since I couldn't run far enough away from mine. But I know that you'd go out of your way for every single one in yours, regardless how you felt about them.

- It's what you do, Luke shrugged.

Lorelai smiled. If they hadn't been sitting down, she'd be giving him a hug right about then. However the angle of the way they were sitting was making it impossible to do so. Instead she once more squeased his arm.

- No, she said. - It's what you do. That's what makes you you. This amazing, one of a kind guy. Jess couldn't get a better uncle.

- Yeah, I'm swell, Luke replied, sarcastingly.

- I mean it, Lorelai stated.

- Thank you, Luke said genuinely.

- So he's really gone?

- Yup. His stuff's gone, so that's pretty much a given.

- And you don't think he's coming back?

- Nope. Even if he falls flat on his face, I'm probably the last person he'll want to turn to.

- And you have no idea where he might've gone?

- Oh, I know where he went, Luke replied. - Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. Jimmy comes to town, ignores my warning to stay away from him and the next day Jess takes off? Wouldn't surprise me if he's at the Milestone right about now.

- Who's Jimmy, Lorelai asked, confused.

- That's Jess' good-for-nothing dad, who left him and Liz when Jess was just a baby.

- What happened?

- He just took off! Said he was gonna go get diapers. Never returned. You can say he's the reason I have no respect for absent fathers.

Getting aggrivated, Luke got up and started pacing from side to side, while the rant continued.

- Damnit, you make a kid, you stick around! You don't just walk away and let the mom deal with the mess. Whenever I see one of those deadbeats all I see is Liz's face when she realized Jimmy wasn't coming back. And you know what makes me even more angry? When one of them decides after years and years to show up. No call, no letter, no nothing! Just shows up and thinks that's ok! He wasn't there during the diapers, he wasn't up at 3 am with the bottle, he wasn't there when the mom had to explain to the kid why his dad wasn't there, he wasn't there during the jam hands, the first day of school. Frankly, he's never been there, yet he dares to show up now? When all the hard work is done and the kid's ready to make his way in the world, or would if he wasn't too busy trying to disappoint everyone who's ever believed in him. Jimmy did nothing for Jess, he doesn't deserve to be called dad. Yet, I'm the bad guy, for not telling Jess his dad finally decided to pay a little visit!

Luke sighed and leaned back towards the porch railing. Lorelai was grateful he wasn't looking in her direction, as she was sure at this point her face revealled everything anyone would need to know about her feelings for him. Closing her eyes, taking a moment to get her heart rate down to normal, she once more glanced at him.

- You ok, she asked.

- Yeah, I'll be okay, he sighed. - I'm more worried about Rory. I assume she doesn't know?

- She hasn't said anything, Lorelai shrugged.

- Do you want me to tell her?

- No, that's okay. Thanks. But I think I should be the one to do it. I just need to figure out when. She's got so many things on her mind right now.

- Don't wait too long, okay? She'll notice it eventually.

- Yeah, Lorelai replied. - She's a smart kid.

- You did well, he nodded.

- She came out that way, Lorelai shrugged. - I swear. I merely fed and clothed her.

- You did well, Luke repeated, putting empathis on each word.

- You did too, Luke. No matter the outcome, you did one hell of a job. For two years that kid had someone he could turn to, that he could rely on. Whether or not he did makes no difference.

- I guess, he muttered. - I've gotta...

- Yeah, Lorelai replied.

Luke started walking away, when he looked back over his shoulder.

- Don't wait too long to tell her, he reminded her.

- Does three years work for you?

- Goodbye crazy lady.

TBC