Cooper Who?

Rory opens the door and walks out, stopping almost immediately when she once more finds Jess sitting on the floor, leaning against the door to his room. This time he's reading, but he looks up immediately, closes the book and stands up.

"Twenty six minutes," Jess comments with a smirk. "Not too bad."

"I can't believe you actually kept score," Rory laughs, suddenly all kinds of self-conscious.

He raises an eyebrow at her. "You basically told me to, so…" He trails off and she can almost feel his eyes on her.

"I guess I did," Rory confirms, and then she has to look away, pretty sure her cheeks are flaming.

"So… breakfast?" Lorelai's voice interrupts the moment, and Rory isn't entirely sure if she's grateful or not.

"Breakfast sounds wonderful!" she quickly agrees, forcing a smile that she hopes looks natural, and at the same time wondering why this feels so forced all of a sudden.

"I don't think you want to eat at the hotel though," Jess chimes in, and both Gilmore's immediately stare at him.

"What? Why?" Lorelai asks, frowning.

"Well, I'm pretty sure that if you didn't want to eat a veggie burger for dinner, you probably don't want to eat eggless French toast with spinach for breakfast."

"What did you say?" Lorelai asks, horrified.

"That's actually a thing they have for breakfast here?" Rory wonders at the same time, pretty sure her expression is identical to her mother's.

"That and many others just as healthy," Jess confirms.

"We probably should've figured this out," Rory ponders sadly. "Right?"

"After last night? Most definitely," Lorelai mutters, then turns to Rory. "I am so sorry, honey. I should've checked that the hotel actually served edible food."

"Well, maybe," Rory agrees, but can't help but be grateful they are staying here. Who's to tell what would've happened if she hadn't gotten lost and wound up in that park?

"So, what do we do now?" Lorelai asks.

"Go someplace else?" Rory suggests.

"The weather is nice," Lorelai observes, suddenly smiling brightly. "Why don't we have a pick nick?"

"Oh, I like that!" Rory exclaims eagerly.

"We can go to a park, sit there people watching, it'll be fun!"

"I love that idea," Rory gushes. "So, we need to find some place to buy breakfast, and then… Oh, blanket or a bench?"

"Well, we don't have a blanket, so…"

"Bench it is," Rory concludes, and then turns to Jess. "So…any good place to buy breakfast around here?"

Jess is watching her, clearly amused, and then his lips twitch up in a barely visible smile. "I know just the place," he nods.

"Awesome!" Rory exclaims, beaming at him.

And that's all it takes to get completely lost in his eyes. She has no idea how long it's been when a rather pointed throat clearing effectively brings her out of her haze.

"Sorry to butt in here," Lorelai says, not sounding sorry at all, "but we were talking breakfast…"

"Right, sorry," Rory mumbles. "So… we should probably go."

"Yes, that is an excellent idea," Lorelai agrees dramatically, and then she starts walking towards the elevator.

Rory chances a glance at Jess, finding him looking back with a smirk. She smiles at him and then he nods towards the direction her mother disappeared in. "I guess we should follow," he says, the smirk widening.

"I guess so," Rory agrees and resolutely reaches out and takes his hand in hers. Then she remembers what she and her mother decided earlier. "Um… by the way, mom and I said we'd call Luke after breakfast, because it's the morning rush there now, so he might be swamped at the moment, and I'm hungry now, so…" She trails off, feeling embarrassed all of a sudden.

"Oh."

She looks over at Jess when he doesn't say anything more and finds him staring off into space. She doesn't know what he's thinking, but she wants to know, so she takes a breath and continues. "Is that ok with you?"

He sighs, and then nods. "Yeah."

"Something wrong?" Rory asks, frowning.

He shakes his head and then he looks directly at her again. "No. It just still feels so strange. I don't know what…"

"We'll figure it out," she says, trying to sound reassuring.

"Yeah," he nods, then looks further down the hallway. She follows his gaze and sees her mother standing by the elevator, watching them.

"Ok then," she says with a small smile. "So, let's go."

"As you wish," he mumbles and Rory's smile brightens.

They catch up to Lorelai almost at the same time as the elevator arrives and they all once more pile into the small space. Thankfully they have no mountain of shopping bags this time, but Rory still can't avoid feeling awkward, and is grateful when the ride is over. They exit and walk out in the ambient sunlight outside, and Lorelai looks first right, then left.

"So, where's a good place to eat?" she asks.

"Well, you wanted to watch people," Jess says and points to the left. "There's a small park over there, surrounded by schools. At this time of day, it'll be filled with people."

"Sounds perfect," Rory smiles.

"Let's just hope Cooper's saved us some seats," Jess smirks.

"Cooper who?" Lorelai asks, looking a bit disturbed.

"A statue," Jess shrugs. "There are steps below it."

"Ok then," Lorelai chimes in. "Let's go check out this statue and see if there's anywhere to sit."

They start walking again, Rory and Jess still holding hands, and Lorelai somewhat awkwardly trying to stay beside Rory, without colliding with any of the people they meet. Soon they reach one of the most horrible crossings Rory's ever seen, and she silently wonders who ever came up with it, but somehow they make it across the street safely, and find themselves in front of a large statue.

"Huh," Lorelai mutters. "I guess he was important somehow."

"He believed education should be free, and for everyone," Jess offers with a shrug.

"Oh, I like him already," Rory grins and pulls Jess with her towards a bench to the left of the statue. "And looks like he saved us some seats."

"Oh, look at that. He did!" Lorelai grins, and looks around. "But for how long?"

"I guess we'll see when we come back with the food," Rory shrugs.

"Or," Lorelai says slowly, "I stay here and make sure it stays that way."

"You don't want to come?" Rory asks, frowning.

"Well, you know what I'd want for breakfast," Lorelai shrugs. "And besides, I feel like the fifth wheel around you two, so…"

"Oh," Rory blinks. "I'm sorry."

"It's ok," her mother assures her. "Just, buy lots of delicious food, and lots and lots of coffee."

"Will do," Rory grins.

"We're going that way," Jess says, pointing somewhere behind the statue and they both wave to Lorelai before walking away, Rory unconsciously pressing herself closer to him after a few steps.

"See you soon," Lorelai calls after them and Rory turns around briefly, waving one more time, smiling brightly, and then they're behind the statue and she turns towards Jess.

"So, where are we going?" she asks.

"You'll see," he smirks, letting go of her hand and instead wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "But I think you'll like it."

"I'm sure I will," Rory agrees, curling herself into him, feeling content. Not even the stressful traffic around them fazes her.

They soon stop in front of a large window and when Rory looks that way she sees a gigantic painted coffee cup and she grins. It definitely looks promising. Eagerly she walks inside and then stops, breathing in the delicious smells. She can hear Jess chuckle beside her, but ignores him and gets in line.

It's soon their turn and Rory orders just the way she did the night before, but this time it's pancakes, eggs and bacon, and donuts. And lots and lots of coffee. When she turns to Jess, asking what he wants, she finds him smirking at her, but she just smiles brightly. He shrugs and orders French toast and a Red Bull.

"You just had to?" Rory mutters, shuddering again as she thinks about the breakfast at the hotel.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he grins back.

Rory rolls her eyes. "Of course you don't."

She pays for their food and they find a table where they can wait, sitting side by side, fingers laced together. She likes it, just being together like this.

"How do you even find these places?" Rory suddenly asks, looking around to take in the diner that's actually a lot bigger than it looked at first glance.

"Told you," Jess shrugs, "I know lower Manhattan like the back of my hand."

"I don't know the back of my hand that well," Rory comments, still curious.

Jess shrugs again. "Well, I grew up on these streets, and now I work as a messenger all day, so I kinda have to."

Rory frowns, something he said that night finally clicking into place. "Shouldn't you go to school?"

"Probably," he shrugs. "But school doesn't pay your bills so…"

"Oh…"

"Look, it's no big deal. I never liked school anyway, and I can just get a GED or something if I have to."

Rory can tell he doesn't want to keep discussing it, but the concept of not going to school is as foreign to her as not actually liking it that she just can't let it go.

"You don't like school?"

Jess sighs beside her. "No."

"Oh."

"Look, I know you love school, and that's great. But me…" He sighs, obviously trying to find the right words. "Let's just say I'm pretty sure we've had very different experiences with school, so…"

"I'm sorry," she says quietly, looking down at the table. "I wasn't trying to pry, or insinuate anything. I just…"

Jess ducks his head, trying to catch her eyes, and then smiles a little. "I know. It's ok. Like I said, I think it's great that you love school. It fits you."

She smiles back, though she knows it's sad. "I just can't image not liking school. I mean, it's hard, and even I don't like all the subjects, or teachers, and not every kid is the nicest, but… I don't know, I just love learning new things. Always have."

"So… let me guess," Jess says then, smirking. "Top of your class? Got all your college applications done already, the dream is some fancy Ivy League, like… Harvard? Or maybe Yale?"

"Now you're just mocking me," Rory says, pouting, but can't exactly disagree.

"So… how did I do?"

"You forgot Princeton," she says quietly, no longer meeting his gaze.

To her surprise he laughs. "No, I ignored Princeton. It's in New Jersey and therefore doesn't count."

"Spoken like a true New Yorker?" she teases.

"Spoken like anyone with a mind."

"The academical world might disagree with you."

"Then the academical world is wrong."

"Solid argument," Rory says, rolling her eyes, but then focuses back on Jess. She's pretty sure he turned it onto her on purpose, but she at least has to try and get some more information out of him. "So… how long…?" she starts, once she begins not sure how to finish her question.

Jess sighs, clearly uncomfortable to continue this conversation, but he still answers. "Just didn't start after summer."

"So, technically you could just start late," Rory thinks out loud, not ready to completely give up the idea of him going to school.

"Except I've already missed too many days," Jess reminds her.

"I just don't want you to waste that pretty awesome mind of yours."

"Yeah, well, that's a minority opinion," he scoffs, shaking his head, then sighs. "Sorry, I just… Can we not talk about this right now?"

"Oh… right, of course," Rory rambles, baffled that he would say anything like that, and wondering what exactly he's been told in school to think that. "I'm sorry. I'll stop, ok?"

Jess sighs again, clearly frustrated. "I know you only mean well, but I can't do this now. I'm pretty sure I agreed to go with you to meet my uncle, and possibly even stay there. That's a huge thing already, and now you want me to go back to school? I can't…"

"It's ok. I get it," Rory assures him, trying a small smile, for the first time really knowing that this, whatever they are, won't be a smooth ride. But she doesn't even for a second doubt that she wants to continue this thing they've started. And she hopes that once he's met Luke and settled in, things will be easier.

He returns her smile with a nod and she squeezes his hand before leaning her head on his shoulder. No matter what, she hasn't felt as safe as she does with him since she was a little girl and her whole world revolved around her mother.

Their order is called not long after and Rory keeps hold of his hand as they go and collect their bags. Jess rolls his eyes at her when she lifts a coffee mug out of one of the bags, but takes both of them without complaining. She just smiles at him and leads the way out of the diner.

Back on the street Rory takes her first sip of coffee, eyes closed and letting out a relieved sigh as she does. When she opens her eyes she finds Jess watching her, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Us Gilmore's need our coffee," Rory defends. "It's almost as important as oxygen."

"Apparently," Jess mutters, but he is smiling now.

"And this was good coffee," she admits. "Not as good as Luke's, but not far off."

"I can see that," he scoffs. "You've almost got me feeling jealous of a hot beverage here."

"Oh, don't worry," Rory smiles sweetly, suddenly feeling bold. "You're pretty hot yourself."

"You think so, huh?" he asks, without warning pulling her in flush against his body.

"Oh… um… yeah," Rory stutters, all of the bravado leaving her body as she looks into his intense eyes.

A/N: I know a couple of my readers expected a call to Luke in this chapter, and I'm sorry to disappoint. But, since the story is already finished, I can't really change it now. Or, I can. But I don't want to. I will tell you though that Luke will be told. Soon. :)

I also want to send a big thank you to my ever faithful reviewer Nancy. Thank you so much for all of your reviews. I really appreciate them.