A/N: first of all, I'm so sorry this is late! I know I usually update much quicker than this. These past couple of weeks have been crazy between work and I just moved. Finding time to write while trying to get into the mindset of the story to not give you crap has not been easy. But thank you to those staying patient with me. I promise I'm making this worth the wait.

Also, I don't usually comment reviews that are less than nice. But if you even have to wonder if a fic is worth reading, maybe you shouldn't be reading it after all. Sorry you don't like the way it's going or anything else about it but it is my story and I do get to let it play out as I wish. Some people may not like it and some might. But as a writer to be told that you don't find my fic worthy of your time, just remember there is someone behind these stories and they work hard to get it out for nothing.

Jess put the coffee pot back in its place. He had just finished serving Kirk his dinner and dessert which entailed two cups of coffee and little bags of sugar. Finally, he managed to get Kirk to go home and he almost sighed in relief once he was gone. Jess was tired.

With one more look towards his uncle, he decided to take a break. He told him quickly and knowing he had his dealt with Kirk, Luke sent him on his way. Grabbing his jacket, he made sure his pack of cigarettes was in his pocket. Once he knew for sure they were, he headed out the door.

The night was cool and not too dark. He had left his phone at the diner apartment but he didn't care. He didn't have the phone for him anyway. And besides, there wasn't anyone he really wanted to talk to that badly that wasn't right around a corner. Or at least that was what he told himself.

Caleb and Todd have sworn him off when he left New York. It seemed the years of friendship they had didn't matter as much as he thought. They thought he was stupid to leave the city for a small town, especially this particular small town. He wanted to explain how it wasn't like he chose this place but it landed on deaf ears anyway.

Shane was worse. She had tried so hard to convince him to come back to New York. For some reason, she believed he belonged there. Jess did love New York but he wasn't sure he belonged there. Not anymore, at least.

It wasn't long after he was fired that he ended things with her. Whatever they were and whatever they had been...it was over. She called him stupid for wanting to stay in Stars Hollow as a waiter and asked if there was another reason he was breaking it off.

There wasn't, he told her. It was half a truth. He didn't feel it with her. Sure, there was passion and the sex was good but something was missing. It wasn't her, he told himself. He didn't feel the same way with Shane as he had felt with Rory. It didn't even matter his relationship with Rory was brief. It didn't even matter it probably didn't even count as a relationship.

He found himself on the bridge and sat down. Jess let his legs hang over the edge and pulled a cigarette out. He felt around his pockets for his lighter but came up empty. He muttered to himself, "Shit."

Instead of sticking the cigarette back into the pack, he put it between his teeth. He held it as best as he could and shivered slightly. It really was cold now. It felt nice, comfortable to be able to sit outside with no distractions. Lately, he'd found himself writing more and more in a red notebook he bought on a whim. It cleared his head of the cobwebs more than anything had.

Suddenly he felt less alone and a throat cleared. Jess looked up and was surprised to see Lane standing before him. She smiled apologetically at him and had her hands stuffed in her pocket. "Sorry. I didn't know you would be here."

Jess looked at her curiously, cigarette hanging out of his mouth. He smirked. "Should I go?"

Lane shook her head. "No, no. That's not what I meant."

He took the cigarette out of his mouth. "Let me guess - you heard this is a good place to think?"

"Well, yeah," she replied. "Rory said something about here and I don't know. I thought I'd come clear my head."

"How's it going with Zach?" He found himself asking.

"Good," she nodded. "Real good."

"The band?"

"Hep alien is alive and kicking," she grinned.

Jess nodded. "Your mom?"

"Ah," she said. "There it is."

"She still threatening your boyfriend?" He asked with another smirk.

"Not anymore," she replied. "But she's made it obvious how she feels about him."

Jess shrugged lightly. "Lots of parents don't like their daughter's boyfriends. Take it from me."

Lane's lip turned toward slightly to smile softly. "But this is different."

"How?" He asked.

"Because she kicked me out," she answered. "She clearly didn't want me in her house anymore or making my own rules while I lived there. But she has no problem treating me as she did when i lived there."

"That's what parents do," he told her. "I mean, I can't tell you from experience. My mom wasn't the best and considering I never met my father, I have no clue what he's like. But I've heard things."

"Explain," she said.

Jess patted the space beside him on the bridge and she sat down. "Parents are supposed to love you no matter what. Even if you move out or far away, they don't really stop."

"I remember you saying something vaguely like this," she commented.

"What can I say?" He shrugged. "I'm very wise."

"I thought you didn't get along with your mom," she said. "And as previously said minutes ago, you never met your dad. Where does the family wisdom come from?"

Jess looked straight ahead at the water. "From Luke."

"Ah," she replied knowingly. "You guys are close, huh?"

"He's been there my whole life," Jess told her. "My mom, she needed help plenty of times. And there was a lot of times when things got pretty bad. I probably wouldn't have made it this far if not for him."

Lane nodded. "So when Luke called and you were in Florida…"

"There was no question I'd come," he finished.

They were both silent for a moment. Jess couldn't tell what the expression on Lane's face said. He guessed it had something to do with a certain Gilmore girl though. Neither said anything else until Lane decided maybe she should head home.

They said their goodbyes and Jess stayed on the bridge. He stared out at the water and shoved his hands in the pockets from the cold. When it got too cold, he stood up and walked back to the diner.

…

Rory silently closed the door behind her. She tiptoed into her dorm when she suddenly heard a voice and almost yelped in surprise.

"Huntzberger?"

"Paris," Rory held her hand over her heart. "You scared me."

Paris walked forward towards her with her arms crossed. "You didn't answer my question.'

"Yes, I was with Logan," she told her. "Not that it's any of your business."

"Of course it's my business," she huffed. "You're sneaking around with the Hugh Hefner of Yale. I have the right to an opinion."

"I already know what your opinion is," Rory said. "You've made it quite clear these past couple of weeks."

"But I don't think I'm getting through to you because you're still sneaking out on booty calls," she countered.

"It's not...booty calls," she frowned.

"Oh?" Paris raised her eyebrows. "So it's a date? And he doesn't call you and you meet up and have sex?"

"That's not -" she saw the look on her friend's face and sighed. "why does it matter to you who I sleep with anyway? I didn't say much of an opinion to Jamie or to Professor Fleming."

"Because he's gonna break your heart," she said. "He does it to all the girls he hooks up with."

"I highly doubt that," Rory tried to walk past her. "And besides he can't break my heart. We're not even dating."

"You're friends with benefits," she pointed out. "That always leads to some sort of heartbreak. People like you can't just have a nice strings attached thing."

"I can and I am," she crossed her arms now, her path to the room forgotten.

"Don't say I didn't tell you so," she replied.

"I'm sure you will remind me of it regardless," Rory told her.

"Of course," Paris smirked. "It's like you're forgetting who I am, Gilmore."

"How could I forget?" She smiled back, making it clear the tension was gone. "Now, really, Paris. I have to get to sleep. My mom is coming tomorrow and we're gonna make a day of it."

"Well, all right," she uncrossed her arms. "Go to sleep and be on your way."

"Night," her smile faded as she turned to go into her room. Once she was inside with the door closed, Paris' words and her own thoughts took over her mind. She closed her eyes, counted to ten and tried to push it out of her mind.

…..

Lorelai came just as she said she would the next day. Rory and her mother shopped for a while and then they left to get some coffee. Lorelai listened as her daughter talked about classes and Paris and the newspaper but noticed she conveniently left out any mentions of Logan.

It became obvious to Lorelai why she was so hesitant as they passed an outdoor cafe and spotted a certain blonde with a date. "Is that -"

"Logan, yeah," Rory said in a low voice.

"He's over there with a girl," she observed. "They look pretty cozy."

Rory watched them as Logan whispered in the girl's ear and she laughed. His hand was on her leg and her fingers trailed to his. "Yeah, they do."

"What a jerk," Lorelai said.

"He's not a jerk," she defended.

Lorelai looked at her questionably. "Aren't you guys seeing each other?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"And he's over there seeing her," she continued. "Why are you okay about this?"

"Because we're keeping it casual," she replied.

"What does that mean?" Her mother asked.

"It means, he sees me, I see him," she shrugged. "He can see someone else, too."

"And you?" She asked.

"I can see other people, too," she explained.

"That's not what I mean but thanks for clarifying," she said. "I mean, you're okay with this? Casual dating and Logan over there with another girl?"

"I'm fine," Rory said but her expressions showed she was anything but.

"Rory, love of my life, bearer of my name," Lorelai said. "You forget I can tell when you are fine and you, my dear, are not fine."

"It's just weird," she explained. "I mean, last night, he was with me and now he's over there, with someone else -"

"He was with you last night and he plans a date with another girl for the next day?" She questioned. "Give me a brick or something heavy to throw."

"Mom, no," Rory pleaded. "It's just weird is all. I'm good. I'm fine."

"You really have no problem with the guy you're involved with hooking up with other girls?" She wondered.

Rory looked down at her feet then back up with a small nod. "Yes."

Lorelai searched her face, finding her answer not in her daughter's words but in her face. "Okay."

Rory looked towards the stores they passed and exclaimed. "Look at that window! We have to go in there."

Lorelai pretended to be excited. "I'm right behind you, kid."

Rory went in first. Her mother risked a glance towards Logan and his date. They seemed to be sitting even closer than they had been when she first noticed them. She plastered on a fake smile and walked into the store, ready to play the part of being okay with this relationship.

….

Jess ducked back into the diner apartment when his shift was over. He didn't tell Luke he was headed anywhere but he assumed it was okay since he was off the clock. He headed to the bathroom and while he was in there, he heard voices get closer. The apartment door shut and he heard the unmistakable voice of Lorelai Gilmore.

"It was horrible, Luke!" She exclaimed. "It looked like it was killing her to not walk over there."

"Well why didn't she then?" His uncle asked. "I've never known her to not stand up for herself."

"Because she's being casual," her words were in a mocking tone. She obviously wasn't happy.

Jess almost walked out of the bathroom until his uncle spoke again. "Rory? Casual?"

"It's apparently her new thing she's trying," he could almost hear Lorelai's eye roll. "But she's sitting around, seeing him one night and then Logan goes off the next day with someone else."

Logan? Jess briefly wondered who that was. His thoughts were stuck on Rory having a casual relationship with a guy who was okay with seeing other girls though.

"What?" Luke seemed furious. "What a little punk. So he's going on a date with Rory one night and the next day, he's on one with someone else?"

"Oh no no," she said. "It gets much worse than that."

"How can it get worse?" He asked then he seemed to connect it at the same time Jess did. "Rory's - she's sleeping with this guy?"

"Oh yeah," Lorelai said. "For weeks now. See, I thought she was actually dating this guy but then I find out they're sleeping together and she's basically just this side thing of his."

"And Rory's okay with this?" He still seemed angry but he tried to speak calmly.

"Apparently," Lorelai answered. "I don't know, Luke. Something's wrong. Rory isn't the kind of girl to do something like this. She's not a casual kind of girl."

"What about Jess?" He asked before he managed to think first.

"Jess?" She almost scoffed. "What about him?"

Jess resisted his own urge to roll his eyes. He wasn't sure he should be hearing any of this in the first place.

"Weren't they casual?" He asked as a cover.

"I guess?" She tried. "I mean, they were never officially together but she was in love with him so it probably doesn't fit."

Luke sounded even more surprised about this than the Logan thing. "Rory's in love with Jess?"

"Yes," she said. "Or she was, before."

"Does Jess know?" He whispered. It almost was as if he suddenly knew his nephew was there.

The head shake Lorelai did was evident in her voice. "That's not the point, Luke. The point is I want to kill that kid. You didn't see the look on her face when she saw him with the other girl!"

"What can we do?" He asked, in full protective mode.

"I don't know," she sounded defeated. "But I know my daughter. I know she's not this person and whatever is making her this person...I don't want her hurt."

"Do we talk to her?" Luke asked.

"I don't know," Lorelai repeated. "She's going to hate me for even discussing this with anyone, especially you. But you understand and I needed to talk to someone."

Luke paused then asked, "Did you talk to her already about it?"

"I may have tried," Jess heard her say. "When we saw him. It didn't get very far and she's too defensive of this casual thing they have going."

Luke let out a sigh. Jess leaned against the wall, hoping they would leave because he wasn't sure how much more he could listen to. "What if you brought it up again?"

"I attempted, she switched subjects," she replied. "I don't know what to do here, Luke."

"Rory is a smart girl," he said. "She knows right from wrong. She knows her heart. She studies and make pro/con lists. She will make the right decision about this."

"I know," she agreed. "But what if she doesn't?"

"She will," Luke assured her.

He didn't hear anything right now which he guessed meant something he preferred not to think about. It was probably just a hug but he waited in patience until he heard the door shut behind them. Then he grabbed his keys and snuck out of the apartment.

…

Rory sat on her bed in her dorm room, studying. She read back and forth what was on the page before her but none of it processed. She couldn't get her thoughts straight, not even for class.

If she was being honest, she had been edge ever since her mother's visit. Rory had told herself she was okay with the casual thing she had going with Logan. And she had been, right until she had actually seen him with someone else.

It wasn't a jealous feeling. She knew jealousy. She remembered a girl in Chicago named Beth who dated Dean that she even disliked and it wasn't even how that felt. She didn't even feel betrayed. It just felt.. like she was one of many. That logan could drop her and at the snap of his fingers, twenty girls would appear.

She wasn't sure she wanted that. She wanted to mean something to someone. It seemed less likely to be possible lately but it definitely seemed impossible if she was casually having sex with a guy who had no problem sleeping with other people.

She sighed and closed the book. With a hand running through her hair, she let out a sigh and leaned down in her bed. She just needed to relax and get those thoughts out of her mind.

There was a knocking on the front door of the dorm. Rory sat straight up, thankful for the distraction from her thoughts. It'd be brief considering she ordered Thai food but it would help. She climbed off the bed and opened her door out to the main room of the dorm.

The face on the other end of the door when she finally reached it was not the Thai food delivery man.

"Jess," Rory said in surprise. "Hi."

"Hi," he said back as they just stared at each other in the doorway. "Can I come in?"

A/N: Sorry to end it there! I'm gonna try to start work on the next chapter asap for you guys!