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Jess breaks out of a doze. He sits up, slightly disorientated and the Kerouac novel he was reading falls onto the floor. Damn, how long was he out? Leaning onto his shoulder, Jess reaches for the watch by the bed and groans slightly. It's mid-morning. Jess doesn't have to be anywhere until afternoon but it's frustrating. He didn't plan on spending most of the morning napping - not that Jess had many other plans. He hadn't been that awake when Rory left for work, sitting up just to kiss her goodbye before falling back into a deep sleep. Jess could hear the despondency in her voice as she left and resisted his urge to tell her not to go. He knows she hates working there. When she told him about what happened Jess wanted to kill those guys. He wants to tell Rory she shouldn't work someplace like that, but she has to. They both need the money. There's not what you'd call the greatest range of job options here. He knows it and she knows it too. So what good's it going to do to tell her Jess wishes she could quit? Nothing. It's not forever anyhow, right? That thought makes Jess pause. He's never had a plan but right now it feels more uncomfortable than reassuring. Jess's eyes land on the novel on the floor. Kerouac always had a philosophy Jess imitated, politics aside. Travelling the country, being rootless and free and alone. That was all Jess wanted, but after some firsthand experience last year it wasn't entirely what he'd imagined. Sometimes it could be lonely. Maybe Kerouac and his buddies never got lonely, or maybe they were just assholes. Jess suspects the latter. Either way, that life turned out better as a dream than what reality offered.

Jeez, is Jess going to spend the next hour getting into existential crap? He's going to make some coffee, find something edible and then shower before work. Jess isn't going to waste the precious freetime he has before work getting lost down memory lane. Like it's even a pleasant stroll. Briskly, he picks up the book, tosses it onto a pile by the bed and goes to to the kitchen where he makes a cup of coffee and a piece of toast which Jess catches right before it burns. Humming some Bowie, Jess goes to the shower, turns it on and is about to step inside before recoiling with disgust.

"What the hell?" Jess asks the empty bathroom. The water has turned a putrid brown. Jess stares blindly at it for a moment before shaking himself and turning it off. He looks at the dripping tiles and tries to think of what to do. He can fix a leaking pipe but is hardly a plumber. Cautiously, Jess turns the shower back on and this time it seems okay. He lets it run for a moment and then steps under it, just as the water turns to ice. Jess shouts as it drenches it him but, at least, it's clean water and not the brown stuff from before. Still, Jess doesn't want to stay in the shower and see if that changes. Besides, he's already freezing his balls off. Shivering, Jess grabs his towel and once he's pulled on some jeans and a shirt he goes back into the bathroom to try and figure it out. The sink tap is cold. So is the one in the kitchen. Fuck. There is zero hot water.

Jess tries to look at the pipes but all that happens is nearly brushing noses with a cockroach. Jumping back, Jess bashes his head on the cupboard door and lets out a loud swear, the bug running into a crack in the wall before he can squash it. Sitting on his heels, Jess tries to think of a way to fix it and comes up empty. What the hell is he going to do? Picking up his cellphone, Jess cautiously dials a number and closes his eyes.

"Hello?"

Luke picks up almost instantly, sounding frazzled. Jess opens and closes his mouth, regretting calling already.

"Hello?" Luke repeats, sounding annoyed. "I've got a diner to get to so spit it out, would you?"

Jess nearly hangs up but decides that would be pathetic. What, he's afraid to talk to his uncle?

"It's Jess," he says quietly. There's a pause and Jess opens his mouth again, wondering if Luke didn't hear, but then his uncle says, "Hi Jess."

His voice is careful, more concerned than angry. Jess swallows and manages to say, "Hi."

"Hi."

"Hi."

"Okay, that's enough his," Luke says, coughing. "What's going on?"

"Nothing." Jess feels awkward and is glad his uncle can't see him as Luke exclaims, "Nothing? You just called so we could go through several rounds of greetings?"

"Forget it."

"Jess, what's going on?" Luke asks, his tone even again. "Come on. Why'd you call?"

"Never mind, it's..."

"Jess. It's not nothing."

"There's something wrong with the pipes," Jess says and Luke repeats, "The pipes? What's happened?"

"There was this brown stuff..."

"Brown stuff? Like sewage?"

"No...just like brown water, I guess."

"It could be rust."

"Huh. Maybe. Anyway, it stopped but then the water went cold and I can't get it back to normal."

"You have no hot water?"

"Zilch."

"Have you called your landlord?" Luke asks and Jess can't help laughing. Like that'll be any use. Luke gets the message and says, "So I'm assuming that's not an option. Have you looked at the pipes?"

"I don't really know what I'm looking for," Jess admits. There's a long pause and Luke says, "I'm guessing there's no point in telling you the place is a dump and the pipes will probably break again anyway."

"Not really."

Luke sighs and says, "Let me come and take a look."

"What?" Jess asks, thrown off. "No. You don't need to - just tell me what to do, I'll figure it out."

"I'm here."

"You've got the diner."

"Caeser's there, and Lane, and the place couldn't be in more capable hands. Trust me, Kirk worked here last week."

Jess smiles but insists, "Luke, you really don't need to drive out here."

"I want to," Luke says. "I don't want you and Rory living in a health hazard."

Jess tries to protest but Luke tells him he'll be there within the hour. Jess tries to tidy the place a little but judging by his uncle's raised eyebrows and cough as he enters it hasn't helped much. Luke doesn't make a remark on it. Instead, he dumps a cardboard box of something heavy on the kitchen table and without comment asks to take a look at the water. Jess tries to look in the box but is distracted by Luke asking more about the water and then spends twenty minutes at the boiler, Jess waiting awkwardly behind him. It's a hot day and Jess feels some sweat slowly bead down his back. Finally, Luke lifts his head back up and coughs again, taking off his cap and shaking the dust off.

"Fixed."

"Seriously?"

"For now. And that brown stuff was just rust. But Jess, I mean what I said. I don't like you and Rory living somewhere with no landlord with bursting pipes."

"They didn't burst."

"You know what I mean. You know what I'm saying."

Jess nods a little, hesitaes and asks, "Can I give you something for fixing it?"

"No. No way."

"I want to pay you back...for everything, I mean."

Luke straightens up, looking Jess in the eye, and is serious as he says, "Jess, you know what would mean more than that? Getting out of here."

"I can't -"

"Yes you can. You and Rory want to be together, great. But this apartment - Jess, it's falling apart. It's not safe."

"It's fine."

Luke sighs and says, "I'm not trying to cut into your independent thing or whatever. But I don't think this is enough for either of you."

"Rory is going back to Yale in fall anyway. Relax."

"Right," Luke says quietly. He looks at his nephew for a moment and says, "What about you?"

"What about me?" Jess chuckles but is slightly thrown by the question. "I don't know," he says honestly. Luke nods and goes over to the sink to wash his hands. Jess watches him and, before he can lose his nerve, says, "Do you think I screwed up?"

There's a silence as Luke stops mid-rinse and hastily Jess says, "Okay, I know the answer is yes and I won't ask for the extended answer. I just...I..." Dammit! His voice is fading all over again. Why can't Jess say what is he's trying to ask? Luke turns around, drying his hands on his pants and says gently, "Do I think you messed up your whole life?"

Jess gives a kind of shrug and Luke says, "Jess, you're barely twenty-one. You're too young to have screwed up your whole life. You can do more. You can fix things."

Jess nods, looking away. He wants to ask Luke if he thinks he's still smart, like Brad at the restaurant saying he could write a book, but Jess can't. He just shrugs again and Luke takes a step towards him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I've not been thrilled with you lately," he says and Jess nods. "We both know why. But I meant what I said...I'm always here. If you want to come back..."

"I can't live in Stars Hollow again."

"If you want my help," Luke says steadily, "I'm here. You're my nephew."

Jess nods again as Luke steps away and he indicates at the box he brought in when he arrived. "That's a care package for you and Rory."

"Luke, you don't have to -"

"Like I said, I want to. And I also meant what I said before," Luke says, sounding more serious. "I don't think this is a good place for you to be living. And it's one thing if you want to live like this, but Rory too? I'm guessing neither of you have tons of spare cash."

"We're fine," Jess says sullenly. His goodwill to his uncle is fading rapidly and he shakes his head when Luke asks, "Do you want to get lunch or something?"

"No. I have to go work."

"Then at least let me give you some money," Luke says and Jess doesn't object as he pushes the bills into his hand.

"Thanks," Jess says uncomfortably. "For that and for the pipes..."

"Call me again if you need to," Luke says, putting his hat back on. "And say hey to Rory from me, would you? I'm sorry I missed her."

Jess nods and Luke adds, "Lorelai misses her too."

If he was feeling more normal Jess would ask if Lorelai was carrying around a shovel with his name on it but instead he just sticks his hands in his pockets, nodding like a moron. Luke leaves and Jess goes to the window. When he was a kid Luke visited him and Liz a couple of times. Jess can't remember how old he was - he was still pretty little - but he does remember running to the window to watch his car pull away, wanting his uncle to stay. He must've cried once because Jess can still hear Liz saying, Hey, what's with the waterworks kiddo?

It feels weird to remember. Jess stares out of the window a little longer before shaking himself and getting ready for work. He busies himself with it but can't get his uncle's words out of his mind. You can still fix things. So he thinks there's a lot to fix. And it's worse for Rory to live like this than him, it seems. Not that Jess is really surprised by that statement. He can't seem to rid them, all through work, and Jess keeps making stupid mistakes. Still, when Rory comes home Jess relaxes a little. Being able to take a shower helped.

"Hey," he says, going to kiss her. "How was work?"

"Fine..." Rory says vaguely. "It was okay." She gives him a quick smile, kicking off her shoes, and then goes over the table, exclaiming over the care package.

"What's this?"

"There was a problem with the pipes...Luke came by and fixed it. He dropped off that."

"Wow, real food," Rory says gleefully. She opens a packet of chips and asks, "What's wrong with the pipes?"

"There wasn't any hot water...it's fine, Luke fixed it."

Rory nods, her voice forcedly casual as she asks, "Did he mention people?"

"Says your mom misses you."

Rory nods. Jess hesitates, wondering if she wants to talk about it, but even if she does Jess has no words to offer. Rory eats more chips and says, "I'm exhausted. Let's just eat and do nothing tonight."

Like they usually do so much, but Jess doesn't say it. Rory seems sad. He talks cheerfully about the pasta dish he can make and, once they're finished he says, "I talked about some stuff with Luke."

"You did?" Rory sits up, concerned, and Jess swallows.

"Sort of."

"What about?"

"Just...stuff," Jess says vaguely, wishing he'd never brought it up. "He says I can still do more."

"You can," Rory says quietly. Jess looks at her and she holds his gaze. "You can, Jess."

Jess silently gets up, taking their plates to the kitchen. He dumps them in the sink after rinsing them off and when he gets back to the bed he says, "It was no big deal."

"Jess..."

"It's fine, Rory."

"Okay," Rory says quietly. She looks at him but picks up her book and they both read in silence. Jess is sleepy. He's not used to feeling so full and it's making him tired, yet he can't relax. A little while later, Jess slowly puts his book down.

"Even if I can do more, or something...what am I going to do?"

He waits and then says, "Rory?"

Jess looks over and sees Rory has fallen fast asleep, her breath pulsing in and out of her mouth. Gently, Jess places the blanket over her and lies down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. The question chases around his mind until he drops into a deep, dark sleep with endless turns.