AN: Thanks to all my reviewers!! A special thanks for the e-mails I received regarding this story to: Elizabeth, Adrianne Ho, Bridgette, Jenne, Mere, and Jen Whinney.

Be My Someone

Chapter 4: Outpour

Written by: V Lynne

echoinghearts@yahoo.com

~ ~ ~

Seemed all people could talk about on Thursday and Friday was the fact that both of the schools most worthy of being called the 'Studs of Chilton' were suspended until Monday. Rumors flew around about what the actual reason was besides the fight of course, speculation circled and reared its ugly head to land right smack on Jess.

Right like I told the two Neanderthals to fight right in the middle of class, Jess thought walking down the hall to her locker to get her books for after school, at least school is over and I can get far away from here.

Popping open the metal holder of her belongings she grabbed out her history book, placed back her science and math books and shut the door with a click. Shoving the needed book into her bag she didn't see until she rang smack into Terry where she was going.

"Have somewhere to be in a hurry, Gilmore?"

"Anywhere away from you." Jess retorted, to see his lazy smirk appear the one he put on when he wanted to look like the egotistical yet charming pain he was.

"Tell me, did you go over and fix all Davenport's hurts yesterday? I didn't hear you come in last night or leave this morning, maybe you decided that his hurts needed more than a little TLC."

Innuendo knew no bounds. He was sure raking up the jerk points this afternoon, Jess thought sliding her backpack onto her shoulder.

"Maybe I did, what's it to you?"

Obviously that wasn't the come back he was ready for cause for a second he looked unsettled and she put down a imaginary one point for Jess zero to Terry.

"My, my the little girl is finally growing up." Terry mocked, letting her go around him to the double-door exit.

"Too bad you can't learn by example, DuGrey."

Her comment didn't leave time to come up with something witty to say back as she was already out the doors, that were slowly closing themselves after her due to their own weight. Heaving a sigh that he'd get her back later, he headed to the Chemistry lab to finish the detention he and Davenport didn't yesterday.

~

Echoing sounds of 'hip' music drifted into her private sanctuary of the green plant world of the conservatory. In the back of the house, added on by Tristan as a extra at the last minute, was the long stretch of glass paneled luxury mixed with real soil based life forms that lined the walls in expensive planters. Whicker furniture decorated the conservatory and she had one of the padded seat chairs behind her with her painting sitting on its holder, a small glass table held her paint mixtures with her portable c.d. player sounding out the group 'Puddle Of Mudd'.

Singing and moving along with the beat of the music, her feet bare with a pair of jean shorts along with a tie-dyed tank top and over-shirt that was paint splattered and had once belonged to her Uncle's flannel collection. The Spanish tile flooring was cold under her feet but the room was a nice seventy degrees and it was no trouble not to shed clothing if she got too hot.

The painting before her was a mixture of emotions in vivid oranges, reds and blues. When it was finished she was melding it with glass and turning it into one of her many glass emotion pieces that had done so well in art shows the last year. A blowtorch, some painted canvas, glass and hours of patience was all it took to become 'Calliope', the name she always engraved into the bottom corner of the glass when she was finished. Having a secret talent and getting paid for it was a perk that added to her large college fund.

The 'hip' music was coming from Adam's preoccupation with the living room DVD system that wasn't letting out the great sounds that he was sure he could get out of the state of the art system Tristan had installed. She had come home, changed and started work on the latest creation for the past two hours. Wanting to get at least this part of the process finished before in little less than an hour, seeing as how it was six now, the house would be full of teenagers drinking, smoking, and dancing. To make sure she would be gone by that time, with her and her brother's bedroom doors firmly locked so that no 'intruders' looking for a more private place took advantage of her other sanctuary or her brother's. Adam was spending time with his rare in town mother the rest of the night while C.J. had gotten permission by Tristan to spend the night at his friend, Morgan's house unknown to Tristan to come up with more plans for the use of cherry bombs. For a smart kid he was a bundle of trouble, though he had yet to get caught, something not learned by his elder brother or father.

A knock sounded on the glass-paneled door and she saw Adam enter in a pair of khaki slacks and polo shirt, the image of a rich kid. His eyes wondered over to her painting that was now complete and drying.

"Good work, Jess. Another masterpiece by the girl who has it all."

"I think so but I'll let the art critics decide. So tell me of this great big date you have with Mummy-Dearest."

Running the brushes and her hands under the sink, the faucet a gargoyle's face that looked like it was spitting water into a sink of matching gray marble, she turned her face to watch Adam groan at the upcoming night.

"Let's not go into that just yet," Adam eyed her outfit, "don't tell me you are going to play party-girl cause that outfit won't pass."

"Please," Jess snorted, "I wouldn't be here for all the Tea in China. I have to go shower and change into normal people clothes or go out as I am to Nathan's. He wants to work on his swimming average and I offered to time him and lay in the Jacuzzi."

"A sensible girl, no alternative motive." Adam teased.

"None whatsoever," Jess beamed at him, "I have to drop off C.J. and then I have the night to myself."

"Better than my night will be."

"Poor baby," Jess sympathized, "want me to call your mom and say I am kidnapping you and will have my wicked way with you until dawn so there is no possible way that you can attend the parent-child bonding tonight."

"If only you would," Adam professed, "I have no desire to attend the meeting of Husband Number Six."

"Married again?"

"What else is new?"

"Alright," Jess dried off her hands and put away the table and stand so that the painting was leaning against the far wall to dry, "let's go get ready for our night of torments."

Walking out and locking the door after her, Jess caught sight of Terry entering followed by the 'Three Stooges' as dubbed by Hillary. Metal kegs carried by each male entering the dinning room as Adam lifted an eyebrow and Jess shook her head.

"Don't ask. I don't even want to know anything about this party. Just that it's over and cleaned up by the time I come home later."

"So you will be making an appearance in the residence tonight?" Terry questioned.

"After all your drunken buddies leave of course," Jess told him, "you must leave my sleeping habits to me, DuGrey. I don't ask who you spend the night with, or nights depending if you don't get sick of her after one night."

Adam backed away so that the two could argue this out, knowing better to get in the middle of a fight.

"Who are you seducing tonight? The arts professor?" Terry scoffed as Brant, Eric and Zachary made room for the kegs in the kitchen.

"That's right, I've got the hots for the Arts Teacher, with his bald head and bulging gut," Jess sweetly replied, "better him than a guy whose been around the blocks a few too many times and has who knows what living in his pants."

Adam turned a snicker into a cough at that when Terry sent him a marked death-glare.

"I wish you well with Davenport tonight, Gilmore, make a man of him."

"I'll just do that, cause then he'll have no competition at school now will he?"

Adam saw Terry, who had been retreating back to the kitchen pause in mid- step but continue as Jess went up to her room to change and shower.

"You can just feel the love between those two can't you?" Adam mused before going to go get ready to see his loose-legged mother.

~

Relaxing at the Jacuzzi was, Jess couldn't relax mentally. It wasn't that she wanted anything more to do with DuGrey than absolutely necessary it was that he got on her bad side. Turned her into a total shrew without really trying that she beginning to think that maybe she was telling herself that she hated him because in truth maybe she just missed him.

Dunking her head in the warm water, holding up the clock timer and clicking it to stop as Adam came to the edge of the Jacuzzi located at one end of the pool, she lifted her head from the water and saw him through water- blurred eyes.

"Hey, doll face, what's the time?"

"Forty-five seconds. Very good."

"Not good enough," he lifted himself over the divide and sat down across from her, taking the stopwatch and seeing her roll her head about on her shoulders.

"Tense?"

"No. Mentally upset at myself."

"Can't help you there, Jess," Nathan reached out and turned her around so that her back was against his chest, as they sat on the seat in the Jacuzzi, his hands massaged her shoulders lightly so that her head fell down in appreciation that he chuckled.

"Easy to please, that's what you are, Jess."

"Really," Jess quietly asked, "then why can't I ever seem to be happy?"

His hands stopped working on her bunched muscles, using his left hand to force her to face him.

"What's up, Jess?"

"I'll give you two guesses but you'll only need one."

Nathan growled, "DuGrey."

"In one. It is me, right, that is the one acting like a complete shrew to him whenever we are within twenty feet of each other. I mean, I'm basically a nice person," his touch on her jaw dropped as she turned and faced him going back across the Jacuzzi to her own space, "or at least I hope I am. Then I get around him and do a completely 180. Do you know what I said to him tonight? I basically said I'm sleeping with you."

Nathan's dark eyebrows rose in surprise.

"He thinks I am. When I didn't go there until near one and got up before anyone he swore I haven't been home and instead had been seeing to your personal 'extensive' wounds."

Nathan was laughing at this by the time she finished that she twisted her mouth up as if asking what was so funny.

"As extensive as my wounds were, Jess, I don't think you are the right person for that job."

"Neither do I," Jess defended, "I mean you are my brother, by blood, and that's just sick," Jess saw him give a mock pout and she rolled her eyes, "not that you aren't sexy as hell but brother dear, you aren't my type."

"No," Nathan decided to tease her a bit, "you go for California blond and blue eyed."

"I do not!"

"Protest a little more, Jess and I think the DuGrey mansion will hear you."

"Oh, shut up. Some help you are."

Pushing herself up, her one-piece blue bathing suit molded to her graceful body, she wrapped a fluffy white towel around her as he pulled himself out, his swimming trunks leaking water all over the poolside.

"I'm just trying to get down to the truth of what is between you and DuGrey, Jess, that's all."

Catching a tossed bathing robe, one of the blue ones he used all the time, thrown at him by a vigorous Jess as she headed into the house pulling on a guest robe and going to the small family room, that was homier than the entire marble estate. Flopping on the cozy couch she yawned, as Nathan flipped on the small flat screen television and sat next to her.

"Nothing is going on between DuGrey and I. The only truth is that we detest each other."

"Why don't you try analyzing why you hate him and then get back to me on that one?"

"Cause I don't want to. I don't want to think about him, look at him, or hear his name. He is nothing to me, nothing."

"But the guy you were once head over heels for."

"Big deal. I was a kid."

"Three years isn't so long, Jess."

"And he hasn't changed. He's still a walking, talking player."

"That may very well be but you can hate how he acts that doesn't give enough reason to hate him as a person."

"Fine, take his side."

"I'm not taking sides."

"I wasn't the one that got into a physical fight with him and ended up suspended and detentionialized until Winter Break."

"He was insulting you."

"You insulted his mother."

"Who are you defending me or him?"

"Neither, I think you are both morons for fighting."

"Thanks, Jess."

"No problem. Can I go to bed now?"

Nathan nodded taking her hand and leading her to the guest bedroom on the second floor, as she took a quick rise off shower and changed back into the outfit she came over in. Nathan was in his room, thinking that maybe Jess needed to be put in a situation that would put her one on one with DuGrey. From all aspects the two of them were so attracted to each other that it was taking on a life of its own cause now they were using the attraction to use against each other. He saw how close Terry stood next to her when they argued or how Jess's body shifted as if seeking Terry's warmth, it was completely chemical and amusing as all hell to watch. As her brother he knew Terry was not the best choice for Jess but it was who she wanted deep down. Who she had always wanted and yet he knew that neither one of them truly knew each other like they had years before. A lot had changed and while you could only look and see it on Terry, Jess's was hidden. Scars were the only lingering physical presence that once she had come close to being gone forever.

As the clock on the wall next to his bed read midnight he decided that he should probably take her home, leave her car here as she was in no mental condition to drive. Gently pushing on her to wake her up her groggy eyes opened and closed three times before she comprehended that Nathan wanted her to go with him to go back to the DuGrey Palace. Almost sleep walking she followed him and nodded off in the car, when he pulled up to the house he opened her door and carried her out. Cars were gone so the party must have ended and as he opened the front door he was met with Terry's raging emotions and a very giddy blond female.

"Wore her out, Davenport?" Terry snarled, as the sight of Jess cuddled against Davenport's chest angered him.

"She's tired," Nathan stated not wanting to get into it with the jealous boy, "point me to her room so she can go to sleep."

The female beside Terry clutched to his arm and then as he kissed her fingers to get her to let go, she sighed and let him direct the other very handsome boy upstairs.

Taking out the key ring that Jess kept her bedroom key on, Nathan handed it to Terry who opened her bedroom door and allowed Nathan to place her on her bed. Her hands lingered on Nathan's shoulders longer than Terry could stand but then he saw Jess move in her sleep and call out something incoherent. Nathan was saying something soothing to her and she fell back to sleep. Leaving her room, the absolute femininity of it too much for Terry's over-active emotions, that he saw Nathan give him an almost amused look before leaving the house.

Heading back down the stairs, he forgot all about the ditzy girl who was patiently waiting for him and with a few sweet words and promises he sent her away. Not ready to deal with physically satisfaction at the moment as he turned off the lights, the house back to order as he ended the party early now remembering why he had hated the things in the first place and at the top of the stairs heard shouting. Immediately he ran into Jess's room to see her thrashing about on her bed. Her shouts grew louder and he sat beside her on the bed, catching her flailing arms in his hands and saw her face torn up in agony that he reeled back wondering what it could be that would upset her so.

"………please, no…." was the only words he was able to make out as he whispered softly into her ear that she was okay.

Finally the thrashing subsided and she woke up with blinking eyes, pulling out of his grasp instantly she gulped in air as if the whole thing had denied her the essential air of life. Sitting up she glanced away from him.

"What is it, Jess?" Terry asked concerned that she had to keep tears out of her eyes at the use of her first name in so long that wasn't said in spite.

"Nothing but an old nightmare."

"No old nightmare could have you that freaked out."

Jess drew a pattern in the rumpled blankets surrounding her. Her eyes met his and he was taken aback by the depth of pain he saw linger there.

"I was in a car accident," Jess told him softly, not knowing why she was telling him only knowing that she had to, "when I first got my license. I had C.J. in the car with me and someone ran a stoplight crashed right into the driver side of the car. I threw my body, still locked in the seat belt, over him just as a piece of metal imbedded itself in my back that would have entered C.J.'s lower body and killed him," silent tears rolled down her face, "I was in the hospital for two months to have them remove the metal and keep me from being crippled, it ended right along my spine that the doctors told me that if it had been an inch closer I would be crippled for life. I spent every day for six months, the first two to get most of my moving my legs back in order, and the rest of the time making sure there wasn't any complications to the surgery. I walk fine, no limp or relapse but I dream that I hadn't moved that split second and C.J. was sitting there, bleeding to death and I could do nothing but watch and blame myself. Nothing," her eyes looked up at him with anger, "do you have any idea how that feels?"

"But you saved him, Jess, C.J. is alive because of you."

"And the whole time I was going through the therapy and the surgeries I blamed him. That it might have been better to let him die than to go through the agony of knowing my motor functions would never work perfectly again. They told me in the hospital that I'd never walk again. I'd be lucky if I could crawl with the lack of upper body strength I had. I would see C.J. walk into the hospital room, walk and I wanted to take it all back. But I got through it, I'm fine and C.J. is fine but I don't feel fine. I feel ashamed of myself for thinking that losing my baby brother would be worth keeping myself out of a wheelchair."

Jess sobbed into her hands, "now, tell me Terry, doesn't that make having nightmares punishment for what I could have done?"

Not being able to stand seeing her like that he drew her unwilling body to him and let her cry into his blue button down shirt. Her body racked in sobs of misery and self-hatred that he couldn't think of what to do or say. Words came out that he had no idea where they came from.

"You are human, Jess, you wanted to live. You wanted to be like everybody else and there is nothing wrong with that. But you did sacrifice yourself to have C.J. and he's alive and well thanks to you. The metal could have paralyzed you but it didn't and you proved the doctors wrong. It's something to be proud of not ashamed of. I doubt I could have done what you did and you can't keep beating yourself up about it because this torture on yourself isn't healthy and you ARE fine. You can run, jump, walk, crawl, and annoy the hell out of me."

The last part caused her to laugh into his shirt.

"When'd you get so much older than me?" Jess asked, pulling back and wiping at her eyes.

"I am older than you, Jess. Haven't you noticed?" Terry teased gently.

"I've noticed and so has about a million other girls in the world," Jess assured.

"Yeah, well," Terry stood up next to her bed, unused to having people poor out their hearts to him and especially unused to a emotionally despaired Jess, "think you can sleep without waking the dead now?"

"I'm sure I'll let you know."

He nodded and as he went to her door he saw her observing him with something akin to wonder.

"Night, Jess."

"Night, Terry."

~

You'd think, Jess thought as she yanked her hairbrush through her hair causing tears to sting her eyes that she lighted up on her innocent hair, that after last night he would at least be a little more human but oh, no not him.

It would be too much to hope that he'd act like a decent, well-broad up guy wouldn't it? Of course it would. And now I'm here standing in front of my mirror arguing and answering myself in my head, how pathetic am I?

Tossing her hairbrush on her desk, she grabbed her shoes and slipped them on as she balanced precariously by holding one hand in the air and then walked out of her room back down to the Battlefield from earlier. The Battlefield that included his mother, two photographers and one very smug, perfumed and sexy dressed girl.

After waking up that morning she had taken a much needed shower and rested her head against the steam warmed tile shower wall, while evening her still ragged breath from the emotional outburst of pouring out her fear to the one person who could damage her greatly with the knowledge she gave him.

But I guess you weren't thinking now were you, Jess reprimanded herself.

Going downstairs in a simple violet short-sleeved shirt and a patterned violet and white skirt that came to mid-thigh. Her hair pulled up into a simple ponytail and no shoes on. Why bother when she was hanging around the house all day?

Mrs. Fitz had been up early working on the disaster of the kitchen, the only evidence of last night's party and had breakfast all ready and waiting. A sleepy eyed Adam was next into the dinning room with faded jeans and a dark green pull over. Jess had to twice yell at him from across the table to keep him from doing a head dive into the eggs.

The second time she yelled Terry had entered the room with a very alert look on his face that put her on instant guard at him being a morning person when he had gone to bed the same time she had and although the shower had helped she still felt like a walking zombie.

"Why are you so alert?" Jess asked, "it's too early for you to have driven over a small child so that can't be it."

"Perky, aren't we?"

"No, we," Jess referred to Adam and herself, "aren't. Tell me your secret you had to have done something to be so bright eyed and bushy tailed this morning. I want in."

"He must have gotten laid." Adam mumbled in between swallows of eggs and bacon.

"Is that right?" Jess wondered.

"So interested in my love life now? Why is that? Don't have one of your own though I did see a guy bring you into the house and you looking not too into it then as well. Wear you out, did he?"

"Why you…."

As she reached for her glass his hand covered hers, causing instantaneous sensations to swim in her head at the contact.

"Let's not have a repeat this morning, Gilmore."

Oh, so it's back to Gilmore this morning, huh? Her mind raged, well, two can play that game.

"But I'm rather fond of repeats, DuGrey. Get to relive the moment again and again."

"Not so early, you guys. Do you have to fight?"

"Of course," Terry simply put it, "we wouldn't be us if we didn't verbally battle every chance we got, now would we?"

"You are absolutely right, DuGrey, we wouldn't be."

Jess continued to finish her breakfast and as she gulped the last of her milk she heard the doorbell ring.

"Make it stop." Adam groaned.

"The doorbell, Hangover-Boy." Jess informed him and jumped to get it.

"We do have people hired to do that you know!" Terry called after her.

"Bite me!"

The sticking out of her tongue directed at the back of Terry's perfectly combed head was put on hold as the people behind the door stared at her. Embarrassed she slid her tongue back in her mouth and smiled.

"Morning."

"Good morning."

Jess seemed at a loss on what to say now that she had greeted the people standing there, or rather the two guys dressed in silk suits. Both holding cameras so she would guess they were photographers.

"Jessica, darling!" the accented female voice came and Jess felt slim arms enfold her into pure white and then backed off so that the blond with hazel eyes and a model's walk came in followed by the two photographers and then a 'Mini-Me' of Claudia D'Anton dressed to kill in pure red leather following.

"Ah, Claudia, what are you doing here?" Jess asked as their voices traveled and both Adam and Terry made there way from the table to the foyer.

"To see Terry of course and to visit. Ernesto, Anthony, and Lizette this is Jessica Gilmore, my ex-husband's goddaughter."

"You are, how should I say this, a vision, Mademoiselle Gilmore."

"Thanks, I think." Jess was lost as to these people as she felt a comforting hand on her shoulder by Adam as Terry became the instant charmer and manipulator he was famed for.

"Maman," Terry greeted kissing her powdered cheek, "what brings about this surprise?"

"We were in the neighborhood and I couldn't wait to see you on Winter Break so I decided to spring for an early visit," a matchmaking spark came into Claudia's calculating eyes, "and of course Lizette missed you."

So absorbed in his mother's presence he missed the goddess in red waiting off to the side. Her salon-styled waves of spun gold were still shoulder length and invited a guy's touch to sink his fingers into them and her eyes were slightly tilted with that exotic look it gave her brown eyes dressed at her best in clinging red leather that accented every female attribute she possessed. The model known as Lizette de Vec was standing in his foyer.

"Lizette," Terry kissed her cheek as she whispered in to his ear, "Bonjour, lover."

Adam and Jess watched the whole exchange with a certain removed approach to it all.

"Did you know that Claudia was going to be here?" Jess asked softly.

"Had no idea. Man, Tristan is going to be ticked."

"Tell me about it."

"Where is your father, Terrance? Does he not greet his ex-wife?" Claudia demanded.

"Dad's not here, Maman. He won't be back until this afternoon sometime."

"Well, if I must wait," her tone spoke of her impatience at having to be made to wait, "you will see to my things will you not?"

"Of course, Maman."

Mrs. Fitz heard the commotion and came out to see the vivid picture of the tanned, elegant blond who had some of her looks passed to her son. Along with the dark haired photographers and the girl in a shade of red the elder woman had never seen.

"Mrs. Fitz could you call Alfred and James to see my mother's things to the guest suite."

"Yes, Master Terry."

The photographers seemed disoriented and then they both seemed to follow Jess's nervous gestures with their eyes. Adam nodded for her to follow him and they went into the living room where Claudia and Lizette were interrogating Terry to why he had not called. Lizette, Jess thought, was a bit on the barely tolerant side as she put a hand on Terry's chest and tapped with a manicured hooker-red nail at his explanation about school.

"At least you have some female living here with all you males," Claudia proclaimed, "Jessica is indeed just the sort of female that needs to keep you in line."

"Oh, she does that alright." Adam muttered and Jess, standing next to him, elbowed his side.

"You are Jessica," Lizette drawled in her heavy French accent, standing in front of Jess and about two inches taller thanks to the spiked heels.

"That would be me."

"I pictured you differently from mon amour's description, heavier and more plain."

Jess tossed a gonna-kill-you look at Terry.

"Well, he's never spoke about you." Jess replied truthfully.

Surprise widened the heavy darkened brown eyes.

"Non?"

"No, sorry, seems your 'mon amour' had other females on his mind these past couple of weeks. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be getting ready for my public, they are awaiting my presence in Stars Hollow."

Making an exit out of the room, Adam following with a goodbye to his cousin's mother they went upstairs.

"Can you believe him?" Jess asked, "the nerve to paint me like that and to bring that piece of walking pornographic fantasies into his father's home."

"He didn't know, Jess," Adam defended.

"Sure he didn't. I'm going to my grandmother's."

"Jess, wait…"

Ignoring Adam she went to her room and slammed the door shut.

Now on her way to Lorelai's Jess couldn't believe this. Not only had she poured her heart out to Terry and he was nice but then he does a complete 180 and acts like she is beneath him cause the entire time his 'girlfriend' was asking questions he had not done one blasted thing to help her from the confusing situation it put her in. Well, he could just deal with his mother on his own.

~ ~ ~

Another chapter….short….with more details in the next chapter…

January 10, 2002