Here's the next chapter. I underestimated how much story I have left so there will be a few more chapters. Here's some to tide you over till then. Happy belated Thanksgiving to those of us in the US. Enjoy and please review! ~happygirl0278
"So while we're not on the subject at all,"
"Smooth, very fluid transition." Rory interrupted.
"You'll appreciate it. It benefits you."
"Okay okay."
"I was merely wondering if you'd made up your mind about the town meeting tonight."
"I don't want dad to go to jail. I know he's got fines to pay because he was on the phone while he was driving, but I don't want him going to jail. What do you think is fair?"
"Initially I would have said put him in the stocks for the entire town to throw tomatoes at him. Then I was thinking tar and feathers. But upon second thought that seemed a little extreme."
"Just a bit. I'm glad you reconsidered. But seriously, what do you think?"
"Why don't we say he should pay for your medical bills and physical therapy? Then maybe we open it up to the town to decide the rest."
"Okay that sounds like it would work. Just make sure you emphasize the fact that I don't want him to go to jail."
"I'll spread the word. Miss Patty and Babette should be at Luke's. I'll get them on board and then the town will follow."
"Thank you."
"I don't want to stress you out any more than you need to be. Finals are stressful enough without all this drama." Lorelai said as she parked the Jeep in front of the diner. "Let's do this!"
"Calm down, it's only breakfast."
"Sacrilege. Luke's breakfasts are foods of the gods."
"I'm pretty sure that's Ferrero Rocher."
"That's just what they want you to think. It's really a distraction."
"I'll let you believe that. You'll be the only one who knows the truth."
"I'm choosing to ignore the mocking that I'm currently receiving at this moment in time so that I can pretend that I still want to help you." Lorelai said as they walked in and sat down at the counter.
"Rory, good you're here." Luke said as he walked out of the kitchen.
"What you're not happy to see me too? Why is it all about her? Just because she's hurt and a young adorable girl doesn't mean that I'm less important." Lorelai rambled.
"Do you want to go talk to Jess?" Lorelai shook her head. "Didn't think so. Rory, can you go talk to your delinquent dropout boyfriend. He is in one of his moods and I do not want a surly Jess around my customers. Please go talk him out of it."
"Sure you ask the girl in the crutches to go upstairs." Lorelai continued.
"Mom I managed just fine at school and at home. I want to see him before I go to school anyways. He hasn't snuck out to visit me since when he got in trouble last week."
"Good to know." Luke said.
"I'll be back and can I have pancakes with extra bacon on the side."
"Thank you, Rory." Luke said as she disappeared behind the curtain.
"Not to act like a concerned parent, nagging girlfriend or your therapist, but how are you doing with all the Jess drama that's going on? And speaking of girlfriends, what about Nicole? Have you worked it out?"
"Whoa there Dr. Phil. We'll talk later. There are very observant people in this room." Lorelai looked over at the end of the counter to see Kirk blatantly staring, listening to their conversation. "At least Patty and Babette are being more discrete about it." Luke commented glancing at them over Lorelai's shoulder. "But yes, Jess's mood is contagious."
"I'm sorry. Stop by the inn later and Sookie will make you a turkey burger and you can rant to your heart's content."
"Thanks."
"No problem. By the way Rory figured out what she wants from the town meeting tonight. She very adamantly proclaimed that she doesn't want him to go to jail. We decided something more along the lines of paying her medical bills and for physical therapy. Please spread the word to those who ask, because I know everyone is dying to know what is going on. Patty, Babette you got that?" she asked turning around to her friends.
"Sure thing honey." Patty said.
"Sugar by the meeting tonight, everybody will know." Babette reassured her.
"Thanks girls, you're the best."
"I love how they don't even pretend they weren't listening."
"I wanted them to hear so it's okay." Meanwhile Rory made it up the stairs and knocked on the door before walking in.
"Luke I already told you there's no point in me taking my finals when I'll be getting incompletes in my classes." Jess grumbled from under his pillow. Rory ignored this comment as she made her way over to his bed and set her crutches down next to the bed as she sat down on the edge. She pulled the pillow off his head and leaned in to kiss him.
"You wanna rephrase that?" she asked.
"That was a much better greeting than I got from Luke this morning."
"Oh yeah?"
"He doesn't seem to see the stupidity in going to school to take finals which won't get me any closer to graduating. I went for the days when class was still going on, but now it's kinda pointless."
"I see your point, but Luke has one too. Now I see what he meant about you being in a funk."
"Luke said funk?"
"Actually I was elaborating and translating into this thing they call slang."
"Ah I see." Rory raised an eyebrow, no willing to let it go.
"Jess," she prodded.
"I got a visit from my dad last night."
"Oh wow, what happened?"
"He came to visit the diner and dumped it on me that he was my dad. And that was pretty much it."
"That's pretty big news to just dump on someone. Is he hanging around?"
"I don't think so. Luke was pretty ticked when he found out so I think he will have some things to say to him. Apparently he's not too fond of the guy who knocked up his teenage sister."
"I wonder why?" Rory joked, trying to get him to smile. She nudged him with her elbow, but he still lay there, looking off to the side, lost in thought. "So when am I gonna see you appear at my window next?"
"Lorelai Gilmore, I'm shocked. Encouraging me to sneak over. I never thought I'd see the day."
"Yeah yeah yeah. Are you complaining?"
"Not at all." he smirked as he rolled over onto his back to look at her.
"Good cause I feel like I never see you since you've been grounded for all eternity."
"Just for the foreseeable future."
"So basically forever?"
"Basically yeah."
"By the way, when did you start calling me Lorelai?"
"It was just a thing I was trying out. It sounded weird when I said it. Didn't you think so?"
"Yeah, glad we agree. The only time I get called Lorelai is on the first day of school."
"Whenever my teachers took attendance they'd be looking for a girl. That got annoying in middle school."
"Oh I bet. Back to the topic of dads. Are you and Luke coming to the town meeting?"
"I'm pretty sure the whole town is coming. No pressure." he joked.
"I'm really worried because everyone seems to be out for blood, but Mom is on my side so that might be better."
"If you want me to cause a scene just let me know. I haven't had an opportunity to do anything with the firecrackers I got in Chinatown when I was in New York. They're the kind that makes a lot of noise." Jess offered, his eyes lighting up at the thought.
"You would cause a public disturbance for me? Aw that's so cute in an 'I wanna go to juvi way.'"
"I've done it before. I'd do it again. If I light them in the street outside Miss Patty's, nobody will be thinking about the 'trial.'"
"Oh God, don't call it that! It is not a big deal. This town is just psycho!"
"Are you speaking ill of Stars Hollow?"
"You do it all the time. By the way when have you caused a disturbance for me?" she wondered.
"Video store? Chalk outline? Either ring a bell?"
"What? Just go get my attention?"
"In case you haven't noticed, I kind of like you."
"Like? I would say more like mildly obsessed. But that's okay because I love you." she said the last part quietly as she looked down at her crutches on the floor. Jess sat up and pulled her into a kiss.
"Rory, I love you too." he confessed after he broke the kiss. Rory's eyes light up and Jess could feel her smile as she leaned in to kiss him again.