Chapter 5

'Hey, Kirk's posing with the girl scouts again.' Lorelai called out, checking the morning paper and heading to the kitchen. 'Great picture of him in the paper, uniform and everything. I think we should cut this one out too for the fridge.'

When she made it to the kitchen, she could see Rory already up, making coffee. She was halfway dressed for school.

'Your shirt's on the other way around, missy.' Lorelai noticed, making Rory jump.

Lorelei followed, 'What is up with you? You fall off the bed this morning or something?'

'NO! I mean, no. I'm good. Just need my coffee.'

'Right. One would think you'd get jumpy after the caffeine.' Lorelai pointed out. 'Does this have anything to do with the random guy using the shower in our bathroom right now?'

'I'm not jumpy.'

'You have lip gloss on.'

'I showered. The lip gloss was just there. You left it there, remember?'

'Well, I wasn't kidding earlier, your shirt really is inside-out.' Lorelai could tell Rory was all nerves, but she assumed this was a natural reaction to having Jess over. These two were always a bit jumpy around each other, she thought.

Rory cleared her throat. 'So, I think we should skip Luke's this morning. We can't leave Jess here alone, right? And Luke would be able to tell if he saw us anyway.'

'Uh, how would Luke tell?' Lorelai argued, 'do you think we'd have some traitor scent? Or maybe a glow? An aura that identifies us as the fugitive-harboring, back-stabbing, meddling diner customers that we are?'

This talk about glows was getting Rory was getting a bit uneasy. Could her mom tell? Rory hadn't overslept in the garage, much to her relief. She'd set Jess's alarm earlier than usual, snuck back into the house before dawn and made sure to tiptoe and leave no trace. She'd even spent longer than usual in the shower trying to plan for this morning. She thought she was doing a great job in acting as normal as possible. Just a regular school day, on which she happened to stay up all night with her boyfriend. Having sex. Oh God, could her mom really tell?

'Oh, hey Jess. Didn't think you'd be up so early.' Lorelai greeted an awkward-looking Jess, who was shifting around uncomfortably. His hair was wet, curling around his face and he was dressed in his usual black sweatshirt and worn jeans. Lorelai barely noticed that his face looked more flushed than usual, instead she went on. 'Want some breakfast? We have Pop tarts and some take-out from last night. That's about it, unless you wanna come to Luke's with us.' She opened the cupboard to pull out some pop tarts, glancing at Rory.

She saw Rory's eyes go over Jess's body quickly and then away. Jess was giving her the same once-over. Lorelai's stare went from Rory to Jess and then back to Rory again.

It took Lorelai almost two seconds to put it together, though she would later claim that she would have seen it instantly if it weren't for the lack of coffee in her system. 'You… and you?' She gasped, wagged her finger at Rory and then at Jess and then back at Rory.

Rory was very rapidly turning red. She glanced over at Jess, who was downright squirming.

'Mom, I think we need to… do that thing I told you about… in my room.' Rory shot up and pulled her mom's arm.

'I locked the door! Both doors! Did you even know we had a lock on the back door? Because I found out yesterday when I locked it so he wouldn't sneak in!' She gestured at Jess, 'And I closed all the windows. I checked up on you at midnight, your window was closed and you were sleeping and he was sleeping and… Did he teleport here? Oh my –'

'MOM, please!' Rory was mortified.

'Woah, woah… He's not getting away with this, that little delinquent, miscreant. HOODLUM –' Her mom was starting to unleash her fury at Jess, who was wide-eyed, looking at Rory for help and trying to will himself out of existence.

'Mom. Room. Meeting. Now.' Rory pushed at her mom's shoulders, away from Jess and into her room.

She pulled her mom into the room and closed the door.

'Mom…'

'Rory… My God, did he sneak in here? Did he break the locks?' Lorelai paced frantically, walking over to the window, presumably to check the integrity of said locks before she turned to Rory again, 'Did he make you do anything? Because I swear to God, I'll smash his face with a frying pan –'

'Mom! He didn't break in –'

'—and then his face'll just mold to it, stretch out like a pancake and get that wonderful frying pan imprint, so he –'

'— nothing bad happened.'

Lorelai's eyes widened dramatically, as she yelled at Jess from beyond the door, 'I'll smash your face with a frying pan, you –'

'Mom, stop! Please… just be cool, please…'

'Rory, did he hurt you?'

'No! I snuck out to see him… and then things just happened.'

'You snuck out?'

'Through the window. But really, everything's fine.'

'You snuck out through the window?'

'It's a really small distance to the ground. I wasn't planning it, it just happened.'

'Just happened? Oh no, Rory, wait… wait, were you safe?'

'Yes! We –'

'Did he hurt you?'

'No! He was great.'

'And you were safe?'

'Yes, completely safe.'

'Did he pressure you into it? Because I swear to God…'

'No, mom, nothing like that. He was sweet.'

'Sweet? Jess? Sweet?'

'Very sweet.'

'The word is losing all meaning to me.' Silence, and then, 'can I still smash his face?'

'No! Remember the cool-mom thing you have going on? Can you go back to that, please?'

Lorelai paced around the room for a moment and then sat down on Rory's bed, as Rory took a seat next to her. Lorelai breathed in and spoke slowly, 'so you two… in the garage?'

Rory groaned and then whispered. 'He's right on the other side of that door. He can hear everything, you know!'

Lorelai sighed dramatically, got up and opened the door. Jess was leaning against the counter, staring at his hands. That little punk, she thought, pretending like his ears weren't pressed up against that door the whole time. 'So, Jess. Rory and I still have some talking to do. Why don't you grab a pop tart and go sit in the living room so I don't attack you with my kitchen utensils?'

Jess tried to retort, but Lorelai repeated, 'Seriously, your face will be getting very acquainted with my ceramic frying pan if you don't move your ass right now.' She glared at him until he moved.

When she was sure he was gone, she closed the door and headed back to Rory's bed. Her mom was giving her a sad look. 'Oh, Rory. I mean, honey, I know this is someone you really like…' Lorelai spoke gently, 'but… he's leaving.'

'I know.' Rory said, trying not to sound defensive, 'but we're not breaking up, we can still make it work.'

'But he's leaving and you're going off to Yale. Did you guys talk about that?'

'Well, we talked about not breaking up. We both don't want to.'

'Right, but did you make a plan? How you're gonna see each other, whether he's coming back to Stars Hollow, who's gonna visit and when, where you'll be meeting, what he's gonna do with his life from now on, where he'll even live…' She trailed on.

Rory was silent.

'It just seems like your lives are going to take very different paths from now on. How will you make that work?'

'I don't exactly know yet, but … we will.' Rory said sulkily.

'And did Jess promise you that? Because that kid doesn't exactly have the best track record for keeping promises, Rory.'

'Mom, stop!'

'Did you consider maybe he just wanted to sleep with you before leaving you for good? Or because he was leaving you for good?'

'He wouldn't do that. I was the one who went out to him. I was there and it wasn't like that!'

'It's just… this was your first time. This just wasn't how your first time was supposed to be.'

'Oh yeah, and how was my first time supposed to be?' Rory stood up, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

Lorelai got up to face her, her eyes flashing, 'Well, first of all, it was supposed to be in a retirement home, and secondly, ideally, it was supposed to be with someone who will stick around!'

'Well, it was with someone I love!'

Lorelai looked taken aback for a second and then slowly recovered, speaking gently, 'Rory, I'm just scared for you, that he might be playing you.'

'No, you don't know him!'

'Rory, -'

'You don't. You're not even trying to see anything good in him!'

'I just don't want you to get hurt. What if he doesn't come back, ever? Now you're all emotionally involved.'

'This was my decision! I wanted this. I was ready and I know he's not playing me.'

'Well, obviously, you weren't ready. The very fact that you slept with a guy who's leaving the very next day proves that. God, I can't believe I let him stay here. This would never have happened if I'd just –' Lorelai's words were cut off by a loud knock on the door. Rory and Lorelai both looked taken aback. Lorelai said pointedly, 'This isn't over, you know.'

'Is that the front door?' Rory said, relieved for the interruption.

'No, I think it's the back door.'

'Who would be knocking at 7:00 in the morning?' Rory wondered, as they exited Rory's room.

Standing by the back door was Luke, waving slowly with a small smile at Lorelai. Lorelai blinked at Luke and then at her daughter.

'Rory, go and take Jess upstairs.'

Lorelai carefully unlocked her door and stepped outside to meet Luke. 'Hey, you. What are you doing here? How come you're not at the diner?'

'I need to talk to you.' Luke said, more than a little agitated, 'Do you think Rory can hear us?'

'Through the walls? No, I put some kryptonite in her waffles. We're good.'

Luke was still looking around uncomfortably. He motioned for Lorelai to follow as he moved away from the door.

Lorelai followed hesitantly, 'You're freaking out the freaks this morning.'

'Jess is gone.' Luke announced unceremoniously.

'Oh.'

'And I don't think he's coming back.' Luke continued, 'He's really gone. Took all his stuff too.'

'Luke, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?'

'Yeah, forget it. I'm through with him. He's eighteen, he can do whatever the hell he wants. He's on his own, I'm through.'

'Luke…'

'That kid was driving me crazy. Let him make his own way from now on. Let him see how far that smart mouth of his gets him without someone watching his back. I couldn't be more relieved. I'm just worried about Rory. I assume she doesn't know.'

Lorelai was silent, considering very carefully what her next words should be.

Luke went on, 'I can tell her if you want me to.'

Lorelai stammered, 'No, it's ok. I'll handle this, don't worry.'

He looked away from her, and his tone changed, 'I failed him.'

Lorelai shook her head firmly. She will not allow Luke to blame himself for this. 'You did not fail him. You supported him, you defended him, you gave him a chance, and if he chose not to take it, there's nothing more you could do.'

'I should've made sure he was going to school. Should've kept a closer eye on him… Now, God only knows what he'll do with his life…'

Lorelai sighed. 'Luke, would you take him back? I mean, if he ever came back, would you?'

'I don't know. Honestly, part of me thinks it might do him some good to see some consequences for his actions, you know? But, I don't know, he's still so lost.'

'I think you did the best you could. It's up to him now to make his own way.' Lorelai tried to comfort him. She decided to keep her mouth closed about the whole Jess situation. If he was leaving anyway, then there was no need for another Jess-Luke confrontation. It's for the best that he doesn't find out, she convinced herself.

Lorelai rubbed her neck, as she went back to the house to finish her dreaded conversation with Rory. Approaching the living room, she heard Rory's frantic voice and paused at the end of the hallway.

Rory's back was facing Lorelai and she had her hands on Jess's cheeks. Her voice was cracking, '—get your GED and then things will go from there.'

'No, Rory. He make it clear I had to go.' Jess's voice was barely above a whisper.

Lorelai didn't want to eavesdrop. She really wasn't the kind of parent that snoops around and listens to her kid's private conversation, but this time, she was frozen. Besides, a part of her thought it was the only way to really protect Rory. If Rory couldn't see what's good for her, then Lorelai would.

'You could get your own apartment… somewhere close, just temporarily…' Rory was saying, pleading again.

Jess shook his head gently. 'I don't think I can afford to.'

'What about a job?'

'No one's gonna let me work here. This whole town hates me.'

'New York's pretty close… Just try again with your mom…'

'Rory… Being with my mom isn't good for me.'

'I don't want you to go.' Rory's voice was very close to tears.

Jess wrapped his arms around her waist, 'I don't know what else to do.'

Lorelai hung her head and retreated very carefully back to the kitchen. From the kitchen, she announced her presence again, 'Hey, Rory. You need to get to school. You taking my car?'

Rory's shaky voice came up, 'I'll be out in a minute.'

'Well, it's already 7:30. You're gonna be late.'

Rory reappeared into the kitchen, trying to hide her face. 'Can he stay until I get back from school?'

Lorelai sighed, 'I'll extend the offer.' Then she added, 'and I promise not to scare him.'

Rory entered her room, leaving Lorelai to wonder how she would deal with this miserable dark-haired boy.

A/N: Reviews make me really happy! Please please review and tell me your thoughts! :)

A/N: Special thanks to Nancy! Your reviews are awesome and they really keep me going :D