So they're finally together, I hope the last chapter was worth the wait. This one is an interesting one as another character is introduced. However, I can already assure you that their presence is going to have a very different affect then on the show. So on to answering reviews:
roganjalex: Thanks for the suggestion I've definitely noted it, but we still have a while till Rory goes to college.
Sarah: Them hiding it is part of the fun that I'm going to have in the next couple of chapter so I'm glad you're looking forward to it.
anime07: Thanks for noticing the foreshadowing I was subtle about it so I thought people might not realise what I was getting at. Also, I'm hoping this chapter answers some of your questions regarding the P.S.
Kellybras: Aw thanks for commenting about my writing style, it is always nice to know that people enjoy the way I am portraying the story.
Thank you so much to everyone else that reviewed all of your lovely comments are great to see! I therefore ask all of you to tell me what you think about the series/chapter!
So on to the real reason you guys are here. I own nothing Gilmore Girls related, but I give you this chapter. Also, please see endnote!
Season 2 Episode 5
It's the day after Rory went back to Chilton for her junior year, and it's Logan's first time back in Stars Hollow after joining Yale. Interestingly, Logan wasn't actually making his way through the town to meet Rory or Lorelai, instead he was making his way to Luke's.
Just after their impromptu trip to New Hampshire, the boys had settled into college, and the girls had somehow managed to drag Luke along to help move them in. While their families had paid for people to carry some of the heavier items, the diner owner seemed much better at the project management side of the whole thing, leaving the boys very impressed. They had even resorted to helping him out as it had been a nice distraction from the havoc brought on by the decorating squad that consisted of Lorelai, Rory, and Honor.
During the move, the boys had chatted away to Luke, catching up on everything going on in each other's lives. It would seem that since Lorelai's engagement was cancelled, Luke's behaviour had become much more positive. A change that everyone else was definitely happy about, as the man had become very grouchy.
Weirdly enough it was this change that had Logan currently walking down the streets of Stars Hollow towards the popular diner. This is because it had been obvious to the young Huntzberger for years that Luke had feelings for Lorelai, and while most people were aware of these feelings, Lorelai never seemed to notice them. Logan also suspected that Luke's feelings were even stronger than what he had been able to deduce, and so he thought the older man would be a good person to turn to for advice.
The reasoning behind wanting Luke's advice was because he and Rory had been really struggling with keeping their relationship a secret. Even during the Yale move in, the two of them had exchanged far too many lingering glances, small touches and in some cases they had been flat out flirting. Luckily for the pair, everyone else still seemed to be clueless. Their closest call was when Finn walked into Logan's new room when the pair was in the middle of making out. However, the Australian was none the wiser, as they had pulled apart just in time due to his nosy arrival. Logan had been able to justify why they were standing so close by saying that Rory had gotten something in her eye and he was helping her get it out. An excuse that Finn seemed to buy, but the instance made them realise they were being too careless and Rory had reprimanded Logan afterward, as he had been the one to instigate the little make-out session. This close call has prompted the young Huntzberger's visit and he's hoping that his talk with Luke might help inspire ways to hide their relationship.
Logan finally makes it to the entrance of the diner, he takes a deep breath as he prepares himself for this conversation before opening the door. The noise of the bell alerts the owner to a new customer, and the blonde can see the surprise on Luke's face when he recognises it's him. After the initial shock wears off, the flannel-wearing man then smiles in greeting and gestures him over to the counter. Logan happily obliges, saying a quick hello to some of the other town's people before sitting down on one of the stools.
A few moments later, Luke joins him on the other side of the island as he wipes up some cups. "What's up kid?" the older man asks. "You know Lorelai and Rory aren't here" he points out, emphasising this by looking around his establishment.
Logan laughs at how predictable he must be. This dies down quickly as he becomes more serious. "Actually," he says somberly, "I came here to talk to you." The young Huntzberger watches carefully to see what the other man's reaction might be to the blunt request, usually when Logan comes to talk to him they are both much more subtle when starting more serious discussions.
Luke stops wiping and places the cup down on the counter so that he can give the boy a proper look. He's startled to see that the normally confident blonde actually appears to be nervous, he therefore hesitantly replies, "Uh...yeah, sure. What's this about?"
Instead of answering him straight away, Logan looks around the diner. "Is there anywhere more private that we can go to talk about this?" he inquires anxiously.
Sensing the young man's discomfort, Luke calls for Caesar to take over for a little bit. He's then directing Logan up to his apartment, slightly concerned as to what this could be about. When they make their way inside the small studio the diner owner only just remembers about Jess, but it is already too late as the two boys stare at one another in curiosity. Luke lets them look at one another for a few more seconds but then gives a small cough to gain both of their attention. "Um, Jess, this is Logan. He's one of the kids that Lorelai used to look after, you know the woman whose house we are going to tonight." After saying this to the dark-haired boy, Luke then turns to the blonde, "Logan, this is my nephew Jess. He recently moved in with me."
Jess snorts at Luke's introductions, not at all impressed by the rich-looking kid that his uncle arrived with. Whereas Logan tries to be somewhat polite. "Yeah, hi. Rory had mentioned that you had come to stay with Luke" After mentioning the diner owner's name he offers the older man a sincere smile, before looking at Jess again. "As he said, I'm Logan. Logan Huntzberger" the blonde then reaches out his hand for the dark-haired boy to shake.
Instead of accepting the gesture, the other boy just looks at the hand in distrust. Due to his love of the written word, Jess knew the importance of the guy's last name. However, he's never cared for the overprivileged crowd and so he doesn't want to waste his time talking to the blonde. "Well as Uncle Luke mentioned, I'm Jess" he replies mockingly. The dark-haired boy then turns to his relative and asks sarcastically, "Have you set up a little club for troubled youths or something? I mean you're starting to get a real collection going with me and this guy!"
"Jess" Luke warns, but before he can continue telling him off they hear a crash coming from downstairs. The older man quickly excuses himself, saying he'll be back in a moment as he needs to sort out whatever happened. As he walks away he mumbles about Caesar's incompetence, but his disappearance means that the two boys are left alone.
Once his uncle is gone, Jess quickly turns and makes his way back over to his makeshift bed, grabbing a book on the way. When he glances back up to the other boy, he's expecting to see him looking uncomfortable due to his uncle leaving him behind, but instead the blonde looks at ease and is giving Jess a knowing smirk.
"Cute little act you pulled there" Logan comments while leaning against the kitchen table, "I get the whole my parents never had time for me, I'm completely misunderstood blah, blah, blah, all that crap. But Luke is a really great guy. So maybe show him a little more respect, especially seeing as he's doing you a huge favour."
Jess cannot believe the audacity of this dickhead. He narrows his eyes in scrutiny, before sassing, "I'm sorry, but the guy literally wearing a Rolex is going to tell me how I should live my life." He then laughs darkly, "You know what Richie Rich, save the life lessons for someone else, as I don't really buy into your whole 'I get where you're coming from' speech. Something tells me your life hasn't been that hard" Jess then gives the guy another once over to really emphasise his point.
Logan rolls his eyes at the boy's jab, "Think whatever you want about me Jess, as long as you treat Luke right I don't really care" He's happy to see that him not reacting to the other boy's teasing, has actually stumped Jess. He therefore continues, "Also just so you know, regardless of how much money anyone has, people can always be going through a hard time. So maybe don't be so quick to judge seeing as that person could understand or even relate to some of your problems."
The raven-haired boy scoffs before retorting, "So I should just count my blessings even though I got shipped off to this hell hole? I mean according to you, that's alright because Luke's a nice guy so all that other stuff doesn't matter "
This causes Logan to laugh, "It's ironic how out of the two of us, the guy 'wearing a Rolex' is able to appreciate when someone is trying to do a good thing for them" Logan mocks. He then says, "I mean you heard Luke earlier. Lorelai didn't have to do what she did, but I wouldn't be here today without her. So you bet your ass that I respect everything she's done for me. Perhaps you should take a look around and see how Luke is already trying with you. At the end of the day, he didn't have to take you in, it was you who fucked up, but Luke's still trying to help you. So maybe give him some credit instead of this whole attitude thing."
Jess is taken aback by what Logan had said. His bewilderment means that he never gets to reply, as Luke has made his way back into the apartment. Sensing the tension, the older man asks, "Everything alright in here?"
Due to the other boy still getting over what was said, it's Logan that responds, "Yeah Luke, everything's fine." He then walks over and claps the diner owner on the back, "I do apologise for dragging you up here, but I've got to run. We might be able to catch up another time."
Luke waves him off saying it was his fault that they didn't get to talk, he then asks, "You going to be at Lorelai's for this dinner?"
"Hopefully!" Logan says with a laugh. "I was just about to go over to the Crap Shack now," he explains, "Therefore my next task is convincing Lor to let me stay, so who knows"
Luke chuckles at this, as he doesn't think he's ever seen Lorelai deny Logan refuge. "From the sounds of it Sookie's cooking, so I'm sure there will be plenty to eat" he comments knowingly to the young Huntzberger.
"Even better" the blonde agrees, "I'll see you both tonight then!" Logan pats Luke on the back one more time, before sending a nod towards Jess and then making his way out of the establishment. He then heads off to the Gilmores', excited to see his girlfriend, but still not knowing how to deal with the whole secrecy issue.
X X X
Later that evening Jess and Luke have just turned up to the Crap Shack, and while Lorelai and Luke talk, Jess examines the living room.
He starts looking through the various pictures on the mantelpiece and he can see multiple that has the blonde guy from earlier. He seems to be in a lot of them with another blonde girl, Jess assumes that this is his sister Honor going off what Luke had told him. However, what catches Jess's interest is the brunette girl that more often than not is right next to Logan in the pictures. Just through the process of elimination, he determines that this must be Lorelai's daughter Rory. He notes that she's quite stunning, especially her piercing blue eyes and so he thinks that his evening could become a lot more interesting if she's involved.
Lorelai then directs him towards the kitchen, where he's introduced to Sookie and Jackson. After the very weird interaction with the lemons, Jess is happy when Lorelai stops them and then turns to the room next to him announcing to Rory that they are here.
Seeing as her door is open, Jess feels welcome to make his way into her room when Rory greets him. He's delighted to see that she is even prettier than her photos, he's also glad to note a lack of the arrogant boy from earlier.
"I'm Rory" she introduces, turning in her chair to get a good look at Luke's nephew.
"Yeah, I figured" Jess replies with a small smile, he can see that she's itching to get back to her laptop, so he starts to wander around.
"Nice to meet you" the young Gilmore says politely, she watches the newcomer start to look around her room. She wants to get further in her article before dinner so she lets him do it, hoping that he might get distracted.
Instead of answering, Jess is more impressed by the array of books that are collected in this girl's room. "Wow, aren't we hooked on phonics" he comments absentmindedly, still in awe by the sheer number. Seeing as he wants to have some sort of discussion, Rory saves her draft before agreeing, "Oh yeah, I read a lot." She then realises that she should try to contribute more to the conversation, "Do you read?" she asks him optimistically.
In his perusal, Jess grabs one of the books off the shelf and starts looking at the cover, "Not much" he says with a shrug. Rory can see that he definitely has some interest in the novel, so she tells him, "I can loan you that if you want? It's great" She twists her body in discomfort, as she's not sure how to proceed when the dark-haired boy replies "No thanks."
Misunderstanding her discomfort for shyness, Jess then wears a smug smile thinking that the brunette might have some interest. "So," he begins suggestively as he approaches her, "What exactly do people do around here for fun?"
"Well it depends," Rory replies slowly, not sure where he's going with this "What sort of things do you like to do?"
Jess gives her a lingering stare before smirking, "I can think of a few."
While Rory knows that the boy is flirting with her, his execution just reminds her of Logan. Unfortunately for Jess, he just doesn't match up. Therefore the whole thing doesn't have any effect on her, the only thing it does is stump her on what to say next. She ends up playing with the necklace that Logan gave her. Fiddling with the pendant as a little distraction as she comes up with something to say, so much so that he draws the other boy's eye. He's slightly confused as to why it has the letter A on it but shrugs it off. Jess can also see that his toying with her didn't have the effect that he wanted and so he goes for a more direct method. "Wanna bail?" he asks hopefully.
Rory flat out laughs. "No!" she exclaims, completely baffled by how he thinks she would want to leave, "Sookie's just made a ton of food and I for one don't want to miss it. Unless you somehow have something better to do, I would suggest that you join us." She then proceeds to turn her back on him and makes her way out of the room, grabbing a drink on her way to the table. She calls out over her shoulder that there is soda in the fridge, but doesn't give Jess a second glance.
Watching her go, Jess is amused by the little display and thinks that the whole situation has potential. He then follows her lead, but when he opens the fridge he notices that there is also beer available and so he grabs a bottle instead. Checking that he won't get caught, he then proceeds to make his way out the back door, fully intending to find a way to open the stolen beverage.
However, Jess never makes it much further than the door as he finally encounters the blonde from earlier. Or he should actually say that he knows where the blonde has been, as the other boy hasn't noticed his arrival.
After their 'chat' at Luke's, Logan had made it back to the Gilmore residence and had surprised both Lorelai and Rory with his appearance. They had both assumed that he would be too busy with his first couple of weeks with college, meaning that it would be a bit of time before they would see him again. While Logan had understood Lorelai's reasoning, he had rolled his eyes at Rory as he would have thought his girlfriend would've known that he would try to visit as soon as he could. While his visit was a welcome surprise, unfortunately for him Rory did have a deadline with the paper.
Logan had sat with her while Lorelai prepared everything for the dinner. However, after trying to sneak one too many kisses and bugging her in general, Rory had deemed him a distraction and had banished him from her room. That hadn't been too bad, as she had done it at the same time that Sookie and Jackson arrived, he was therefore able to catch up with them. The young Huntzberger would have been around for when Luke and Jess arrived, but just before they did, Logan's phone had started ringing. When he'd looked down to put it on silent, he realised it was his father, and so he begrudgingly answered it while making his way to the back porch.
It was this same conversation that Jess was overhearing now, and from the boy's slightly red face and raised tone, it would appear to be a bad phone call.
"See you're not even listening to me!" Logan screams at his father, huffing angrily once he's finished. While he hears his dad's sarcastic reply about the irony of that statement, the blonde frustratedly pulls at his own hair.
Watching him do this, Jess wonders what has him so worked up. His thoughts are interrupted yet again by the young Huntzberger. "Don't give me that bullshit, you obviously don't care what I think! No, instead you just make your demands and then expect me to follow along as if I don't own a single brain cell." the blonde yells down the phone, it seems that whatever the other man had said really struck a nerve.
"I'm not one of your lackeys that you can boss around. For fuck's sake, I'm your son!" Logan's voice cracks towards the end, which makes him finally look at his surroundings. He freezes when he notices Jess.
It's clear to see that his attention is now on the dark-haired boy instead of the phone call, and after several seconds of what Jess can only assume is an earful from his father, Logan speaks into the device. "You know what Dad, I've got to go. Lorelai is having people over for dinner and it's rude for me to keep them waiting" he says through gritted teeth. It would seem that the other Huntzberger doesn't like that response, as the blonde then growls out, "Well do you want to be the one to tell her?"
The next reply must be much more agreeable, making Jess wonder what kind of pull Lorelai must have. "I thought so" Logan says knowingly, "Don't worry I'm sure you can have a go at me on another phone call." The blonde then rolls his eyes at the other boy while he listens to his father's reply, causing Jess to laugh quietly to himself. Logan then turns his back to him, "Yes, yes I'll call Mom at some point" Jess doesn't have to see the guy's face to know that he's lying, "I'll send my regards to the Gilmores as well. Okay, bye Dad."
With the phone call ending, Logan lets out a deep sigh as he pinches the bridge of his nose. He collects himself quickly, before turning to the other boy. He offers a tight smile as he questions, "Is there any point in asking how much of that you heard?"
Jess snorts at the guy's discomfort, "I mean I wouldn't be able to tell you what it was that you two were fighting about, but I could safely assume the type of relationship you have with your father." As the dark-haired boy makes this comment, he walks past the blonde making his way to the railing and starts trying to get the lid off of the beer bottle. Logan appreciates that Jess isn't making a big deal out of what he overheard and so he doesn't comment about the obviously stolen choice of drink.
The younger of the two then turns so that he can assess the blonde, "I know you would have probably preferred that I hadn't walked in during all of that, but I've got to admit I might have misjudged you" Jess tells Logan this praisingly, tipping the bottle in a salute like fashion, before taking a swig.
It's now Logan's turn to snort, "Do I want to know why?" The young Huntzberger leans his body against the railing getting a better look at the other guy's face. He's interested to know what the answer could be.
"Well," Jess says reluctantly, "Earlier when you gave your little speech, I believed that you were just talking out your ass. I thought that there was no way that a rich kid like you would ever have any real issues. However, from that one phone call, I think that you have a bit more shit to deal with than I gave you credit for. I mean I can relate to a screaming match down the phone to a parent."
At the boy's admission, Logan then starts to chuckle. "While dealing with Herr Huntzberger isn't my favourite pastime, I'm glad to see we have some common ground" he tells Jess sincerely, before joking "I mean who knows maybe we can actually start up that club you teased Luke about."
"As long as you're the face of the operation, I think I could join" Jess continues the joke, "I'm not really a people person, so management isn't my forte"
The two of them are laughing when Lorelai comes out to check on them. Logan is a bit more aware of his surroundings now that he isn't on the phone, meaning he had heard her opening the door. This meant he quickly grabbed the beer off Jess so that it looked like it was his drink. The other boy was confused for a second until Lorelai's presence became known.
Lorelai is relieved to see that Jess hadn't run away, but she's also curious as to what is going on as the two boys look like they are actually getting along. "You know guys, there's this whole dinner going on inside. I thought I would come find you seeing as you both don't seem to grasp the sit down at the table element" she teases them, glad that Logan is there so that her joke doesn't fall short.
The older of the two turns to her with what she describes as his society smile. He normally uses it when he's trying to win someone over, which makes sense seeing as he starts apologising. "Sorry Lor, it's probably my fault." At this admission she looks at the blonde expectantly, Jess also looks at him as the guy seems to be saving him twice in one night. Logan carries on with his explanation, "I think our newcomer overheard me shouting at the Dark Lord, and came out to see what was going. Which you know, is understandable when you've never experienced me talking to my father."
Jess isn't that surprised when the scrutinizing glare that she had had for him, softens completely when she looks at the blonde. After Richie Rich's explanation, she becomes far more understanding. So much so that she seems to also excuse the beer in Logan's hands, which suggests that he sometimes has a drink after dealing with certain family members. The dark-haired boy is therefore grateful for the guy's quick thinking when the woman had appeared. He doesn't think he would have had the same reaction from her if he had been caught holding the bottle.
While Lorelai knows that Logan has been talking to Mitchum and she knows the effect that it can have on her kid, she also knows that something else must have happened as these two seem far too buddy-buddy. However, she's just glad that someone seems to be getting through to Jess and so she doesn't question it. Instead she tells them to come join the rest of them, before making her way back inside. She hears Logan call out that they'll be there in a second. She just hums in acknowledgment as she assumes that they are finishing their conversation.
Once the older Gilmore is gone, Jess turns to the other boy who's busy looking at the closed door. "Thanks," he says, startling the blonde, "You didn't have to do any of that."
Logan shrugs it off, "It's fine, don't worry about it. Lor's an amazing person, but I think she's a bit sceptical of you due to her being so protective of Luke. She'll warm up eventually once you prove yourself, but it's probably easier for me to take the blame at the moment."
"Yeah, I understand that," the other boy agrees, "But I appreciate it nonetheless." Jess then looks around the porch, "I've got to admit you've got a nice set-up here" he comments to the older guy.
Logan looks at him slightly perplexed due to the random comment, "Thanks, I guess."
Seeing the blonde's confusion, Jess expands, "I mean the whole home away from home, people to turn to sort of thing. It also helps that the two women are insanely hot-"
"Excuse me!?" Logan interrupts with a growl. Jess puts his hands up in surrender, realising that his remark about the Gilmores obviously brought out the boy's protective side. "Woah" he says, trying to calm the guy down, "I was just making an observation, I didn't mean anything by it." He's glad to see the young Huntzberger relax again, Jess therefore jokes, "Geez, you would have thought that I had said I wanted to hit that or something"
After taking a calming breath, Logan does laugh at Jess's teasing. He may have overreacted just a little bit. While he's always been defensive about the two Gilmores, now that he and Rory are dating it seems that he needs to work on how he behaves around other guys. "Sorry about that," he mumbles to Jess.
"No worries" the other boy waves it away, pretending to look around the porch again. Seeing as he caused the tension, Logan thinks back to what Jess was trying to say before his interruption. "You know you could also have a similar set-up" he comments to the younger guy.
Jess turns to him bemused. "What made you come to that conclusion?" he asks curiously.
"I mean that thing you said, about people to turn to." Logan explains, "I wasn't kidding when I said Luke was a great guy. I think if you work at it, you can make this whole situation a good thing. Granted, Stars Hollow can seem a bit daunting at first, and while the people are a bit wacky, they do function like a family. It's why I always feel so at home here like I belong to something. So it's up to you whether or not you want the same." He pauses before saying, "I know Lorelai seems a bit hostile now, but she'll come around. You'll probably then be wishing that she'll leave you alone." Jess snorts at this remark, but Logan continues, "The reason I'm saying this is because all these people are great to have in your corner. I therefore think you should really consider how you want to go about all this."
The blonde then pats the dark-haired boy on the back ending his little speech, before he starts making his way inside. When he reaches the door he looks back at the other boy. "You coming?" he asks, and is glad when Jess follows him.
As they make their way into the house, Jess lets the older boy lead him into the living room. Logan, being more comfortable with the house, strides forward while he grabs a plate greeting everyone at the makeshift table that had been brought in for tonight. Jess follows the action and takes the last available seat next to Luke. This is because Logan had sat down next to Rory and the other boy notes how she seems far more accepting of the blonde's attention compared to his. Rory's currently giggling at something the young Hunztberger must have whispered and the blonde seems completely enraptured by her, meaning that the two are totally unaware of Jess's musings.
The dark-haired boy is only brought out of his pondering when Luke asks what they were doing outside. However, just like before, it's Logan that answers him while piling food onto his plate, "Oh you know typical guy stuff. Football scores, our mutual love of poker, those sorts of things. Gotta find things that we have in common."
Rory full-on snorts at his response, gaining everyone's attention, "I'm sorry," she says incredulously, "Since when do you partake in small talk like that?"
Lorelai then chooses this time to pipe in, "Don't worry Hun" she reassures Rory, "Lo here is just covering up that I found the pair having what seemed to be some kind of heart to heart. But I think for the sake of their manhoods we should just pretend that that was what they were talking about." She gives her daughter an exaggerated wink as Logan exclaims in protest.
Jess is amazed by the easy way that they all interact. The teasing nature coupled with the assurance that no one really means it is a nice change for him. However, there is still something else that he can detect between Logan and Rory. The two just seem far too in sync and extremely comfortable with one another, traits that are obvious even to Jess who's only known them for a short time.
His suspicions all come to a head when Logan waves off their teasing as he continues to pile up his plate. He looks around the table at the various foods that Sookie has cooked and then turns to Rory asking, "Ace, can you pass me the potatoes?"
That one question makes everything align in Jess's head as he remembers Rory playing with her necklace. The one issue he had had was that he couldn't understand why it had the letter A on it, but he now believes that he's looking at the person that gave it to her. He also recalls that she only started fiddling with it when he tried to flirt with her, almost like a subconscious reaction. This alongside the way these two are behaving makes Jess come to one conclusion.
While he should feel disappointed that an intriguing girl like Rory isn't available, Jess is actually quite smug as he thinks that he's stumbled across something that no one else has figured out.
X X X
Over the course of the next day, Jess thinks about what he and Logan had talked about. He may have felt more inclined to think about it due to Luke pushing him into the lake after their conversation about Taylor Doose. However, even before that point, Jess had been giving the subject some serious thought. So much so that it had actually stopped him from stealing one of Babette's gnomes. This restraint is why Jess believes his most recent dispute with Luke was nowhere near as bad as it could have been. Especially seeing as the whole argument started after the older man had come into the apartment ripping the cigarette out of his mouth.
While it had made the conversation easier, Luke's little speech about not wanting Jess to fail had gotten a bit too emotional for the boy's liking. That's why Jess had taken himself out of the apartment and was now wandering the streets of Stars Hollow. He's still processing everything that has happened the last couple of days when he sees Rory Gilmore making her way out of one of the town's many shops.
Jess thinks that his evening has definitely become more interesting as he saddles up next to her. "Hey" he greets. Rory turns to look at him, "Hey yourself" she replies while still walking towards her house.
"So that was some dinner last night" Jess starts warily, he's never been the best conversationalist. The young Gilmore can see that he's trying and so she hums in agreement, "Yeah, I think I should give you some credit as you were able to survive the craziness that is my mother"
"Ah, she wasn't that bad. Your boyfriend kinda warned me about how Lorelai works before we both sat down" he says while looking at her expectantly. He wants to see whether she will notice the label he gave Logan.
Unfortunately for the young Gilmore, it seems Rory is oblivious to his little test. "That was nice of him. Having that knowledge before meeting her really helps" she agrees, but seconds later realises how Jess had addressed Logan, "Crap" she mutters under her breath, annoyed at herself for her carelessness. Jess is just happy that she confirmed his assumptions, it would seem that his deduction skills are still up to par.
The brunette girl goes to correct her mistake, but before she can get out a single word, Jess reassures her, "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me." He thinks that while it's nice to be one of the first people to have this information, it isn't really something he's keen to divulge.
Rory looks at him in confusion, she can't figure out why a literal stranger would keep this to himself. "Why would you do that?" she asks him curiously, completely invested in his response due to how critical it was for her and Logan.
Jess is amused at the power that he seems to suddenly have, but instead of abusing it, he shrugs and says, "I'm new to town, even if it's only because I'm stuck here and can't do anything about it. However, I've realised that it wouldn't hurt to try and make the best out of the situation. I therefore don't think I should be making any enemies this early on." He doesn't tell her how Logan's words have had a big influence on his changed behaviour, he knows that he would never hear the end of it if the young Huntzberger ever found out. Unbeknownst to the boy's internal angst, the young Gilmore sees merit in his reasoning and even lets out a small giggle as she thinks about the waves he's already seemed to have caused. "I think that makes sense" she agrees, before telling him sincerely, "Thank you for doing it though, at the end of the day you don't owe us anything."
The dark-haired boy looks at her, before saying, "Okay so don't repeat this to him, but Richie Rich does seem to be a somewhat decent guy. Not that he needs anyone to tell him that." He chuckles when Rory rolls her eyes, she wholeheartedly agrees that Logan's ego definitely did not need this confidence boost. Jess then continues explaining his actions, "I also think, even from my limited interactions, that the two of you seem to really get one another. It's a nice thing to see after experiencing all my mom's failed relationships. So if my silence can help you guys maintain that, I don't see why I shouldn't keep my mouth shut."
Rory is relieved that Jess is going to keep this information to himself. However, she then thinks that she spoke too soon when he says, "On one condition..."
She narrows her eyes at him before asking, "Which would be?" Rory hopes that it won't be something ridiculous or unachievable.
While he would love to keep her in suspense, Jess also doesn't want to annoy her. "You have to try and be less confrontational when you talk to me from now on. That goes for Blondie too, even if he tries to deny that he went on the defensive when we first met. I mean I'm not lying when I said that I want to try and make this work. It would also seem that the two of you appear to be tolerable, so I would prefer it if we started on the right foot."
The young Gilmore is warmed by the fact that Jess is going to give Stars Hollow a try, she's also delighted to learn that he thinks her and Logan are worth the time to try and get to know. Rory therefore agrees to his condition fairly quickly, "I think that we can come to some sort of deal."
Jess raises his eyebrow as he's slightly sceptical about Logan's participation, "I'm sorry, but how can you be certain that Huntzberger Junior will be compliant to these demands?"
Rory snorts as she thinks about how there is very little that the blonde would ever deny her. "Leave it to me," she tells him confidently, "You haven't really had time to get to know me yet, but Logan won't be a problem."
Seeing as they've come to some sort of agreement, Jess doesn't want the conversation to get much deeper and so he moves it along "Okay then I'll leave you with this little trick" he says while producing the book that he had been looking at in her room the other night. "You bought a copy!" Rory exclaims wondering where he had been keeping that this whole time. She then says, "I told you I'd lend you mine."
Jess laughs as he then informs her, "It is yours." The brunette girl gasps, "You stole my book!" she accuses, not impressed by someone taking one of her most prized possessions. Seeing her slight anger the mischievous boy has the good sense to appear bashful. "I just wanted to put some notes in the margins for you," he explains apologetically, he doesn't want to piss off his newfound friend.
"What?!" she asks in surprise, not fully grasping what he means until she opens the book. "You've read this before," Rory says dumbly as she stares at his handwriting that covers the pages of the book.
Jess shrugs trying to appear nonchalant. "About 40 times" he says casually, making it seem like no big deal. However, his humble admission has the young Gilmore considering him in a new light. "I thought you said you didn't read much?" she asks curiously as she still looks over his notes in fascination.
"Well what is 'much'?" Jess replies almost philosophically, he's amused to see that his answer seems to have impressed her as Rory throws him a grin. Wanting to leave on a positive, the dark-haired boy then says, "Goodnight Rory!" before walking away from the slightly bewildered girl.
It takes Rory a second to catch up with the conversation, but wanting to end on the upper hand she calls out, "Goodnight Dodger!" She's satisfied to see that the name makes him pause in his stride, as it was the exact reaction she was looking for.
"Dodger?" Jess asks, trying to comprehend what she means. He's met with Rory's smug face, "Figure it out." she says as she turns to walk away.
It takes him a beat, but then Jess shouts back, "Oliver Twist!" He beams at her when Rory confirms his answer. The pair then start making their way back to their homes, both of them thinking about how this could be the start of a beautiful friendship.
Endnote: Jess has now been introduced and he's managed to figure out Rory and Logan's relationship faster than anyone else. This leads me to my next question to all of you:
I've already planned out how each person is going to find out about our favourite couple, but how big of a reaction do you want from the main characters?
This is asking whether you want a big or small reaction from Lorelai, Honor, Finn and Colin. Each of them can have a different intensity. I'll be setting up a poll, but it might be easier to leave a review specifying what you want, so it's up to you guys! Please let me know your thoughts about this or anything else, as it is always great to hear from everyone!