Chapter 3
Luke stared at Lorelai, mouth open, not knowing what to say. He knew they were best friends, and he knew they were mother and daughter, and he knew that anything that came between them would cause complete and utter termoil. The only thing that crossed his mind in conscious thought spilled out of his lips..
Luke: ::sputtering:: Were they.. uh, were they..
Lorelai: ::Catching her breath:: They were just sitting there on her bed, in the dark.. ::sits down next to Luke on the stairs::
Luke: Clothed?
Lorelai: ::Nods, whiping her face:: Yeah.
Luke: Lorelai, did you even give them a chance to explain?
Lorelai: It was pretty damn obveous what was going to happen if I hadn't walked in.. or.. what could have happened before I walked in.. Oh my god.. I just lost it.. Jess took off, Rory just sat there, she tried to explain but..
Luke: ::pulls Lorelai against his shoulder, letting her sob. He gently rubs his hand across her upper back, calming her down:: Look, Lorelai, Rory is a smart girl, you know that. I'm sure.. I'm positive that she wouldn't do anything that would hurt you. She wouldn't make any stupid mistakes.
Lorelai: She's me Luke. And I don't know me well enough. ::pulls back from him:: I am having a very hard time trying not to feel like my mother did when I used to climb out my bedroom window and stay out all night. But.. we know how that turned out.. and I don't trust him. Dean would never have shown up in her room in the middle of the night.
Luke: Why don't you go talk to Rory?
Lorelai: Now?
Luke: I'm pretty sure she's not asleep.
Lorelai: ::staring at the floor:: Luke, I don't even know what to say to her. Should I ask her what was going on, and expect her to tell me the truth? Should I take her to a doctor? What if she's.. oh my god..
Luke: ::totally ignoring Lorelai's reason for panic:: She's your best friend, even more than she's your daughter. She's not going to lie to you.
Lorelai: ::anger shows, through her tears:: Then why would she sneak him in here in the middle of the night?
Luke: ::remaining calm, but obveously still stunned:: This is one time that I'm going to have to side with you, Lore - I'm almost positive that the idea was not hers.
Lorelai: The little rat.. What are you going to do to him?
Luke: ::looks down, shaking his head::
Lorelai: ::sniffles:: You know, part of me wants you to pack him up, and to ban him from this town..A big part of me.. ::pauses:: But.. she really cares about him.. he's the only thing she's ever had to hide from me, and I don't want it to be like that. If you send him away again, nothing's going to say she won't go back to New York.. nothings to say he can't get on a bus and come back. These are some big decisions she's making, she's growing up, she's going to be in college in two years, and I don't want her to leave, not knowing her anymore.
Rory: ::standing at the bottom of the stairs:: Mom?
Lorelai: ::suprised:: Ror?
Luke: ::stands up, planning to leave the two to talk::
Rory: ::has tears running down her face:: No, Luke.. stay.
Lorelai looks up at Luke, who then sits back down next to her. Lorelai's face is marked with a pained expression, and before Rory even starts to talk, she is sobbing again. Luke takes Lorelai's hand and gives it a squeeze.
Rory: Mom.. Luke.. this is the truth, the entire and complete truth. ::pauses:: Please just listen to me, Jess just came over here because he couldn't sleep. He woke me up, I didn't know he was coming. He said he wanted to borrow a book, so I let him in - he picked something out, and then we started talking about it.. that was when you walked in.
Lorelai: ::nods::
Rory: That's it. That's what happened. I know he shouldn't have been here. I told him that. I told him he should go, but we started talking, and just when he was getting ready to leave, you came in.. and.. Mom, please.. please don't be mad at him..
Lorelai: ::looks at Luke, then Rory:: So you're saying that absolutely nothing happened?
Rory: ::remebering the kiss, she pauses, just for a second, she winces just a little:: Uh..
Luke looks stunned. He had just been reassuring Lorelai that nothing could have happened between them. He knew Jess, but he knew Rory so much better, he and Lorelai just sat there with their mouths draped open, in shock with the possibility that something major and lifechanging had happened. But it certainly looked, in that moment, as if Rory was going to blow them both away.
Rory: No, nothing. Nothing happened, mom, nothing is going on between Jess and I. We're friends.. good friends.. and nothing happened. ::kneels on the stairs right below her mom and Luke:: Look.. you're my best friend. I am not lying to you.
Lorelai: So nothing even remotely romantic occured between you?
Luke shifts, feeling really uncomfortable being present in the conversation - his mind has shifted to locating Jess, but Lorelai's hand is in a death grip on his and he's left with no choice but to endure the conversation.
Rory: I kissed him.
Luke: ::snapping back into the conversation:: You did what?
Lorelai: ::looks at Luke, suprised that he spoke, and then she turns back to Rory:: Answer the man.
Rory: Yes. ::blushing, she looks at the floor, and sits back against the lower step:: At Sookie's wedding..
Lorelai and Luke together: Jess was at the wedding?
Rory: ::nods:: He came to tell me that he moved back.. and I kissed him.
Lorelai: But Dean was there..
Rory: Dean wasn't there, he was talking to people. I was with dad and he walked away to take a call and..
Lorelai: I don't know what to say.. The situation looks bad, Rory, you can only imagine how I felt walking in there and seeing you two.. ::pauses:: Is that it? At the wedding? Should I be going out and getting a World's Best Grandma sweatshirt for myself?
Rory: ::looking completely aghast:: NO! ::pauses:: Please don't be mad.. mom.. I'll never see him again, I'll never talk to him again.. please, mom. You can lock me in my room forever, you can send me to boarding school.. you can make me live with Gramma..
Lorelai: Rory, STOP.
Both Luke and Rory look at Lorelai, not knowing what to expect.
Lorelai: Do you care about Jess? Do you like him - as a friend, or anything more than that?
Rory: ::nods slowly::
Lorelai: There's only one thing to do.. ::releases Luke's hand::
Rory: ::looks up at her mom, expecting the worst::
Lorelai: Go get your shoes on.
Rory: My shoes?
Lorelai: You and Luke need to go find Jess.
(Fifteen minutes later)
Luke and Rory are standing outside the Gilmore's front door. It's pretty obveous that neither of them are quite sure what to make of the situation. Rory is embarresed and uncomfortable with Luke's knowledge of her feelings for Jess. She's standing there, in the cool darkness of Stars Hollow in her pajama pants and a t-shirt and sneakers, and Luke looks tired, and worried and uncomfortable all at once. They left Lorelai sitting on the couch in the living room, staring off into oblivion.
Rory: So.. um.. where should we look?
Luke: I have a pretty good idea. He didn't come back to our place by the time Lorelai had called me, so I can only assume he's at the bridge.
Rory: ::nods::
The two start walking in silence until they get to the bridge. Sure enough, they find Jess sitting on the dock, his feet hanging over the edge - the book in his lap and a cigarette in his hand. Luke and Rory stop at the foot of the bridge, and Jess looks up.
Jess: I didn't know they'd send out a search party so soon.
Luke: ::looks at Rory:: Well alright. We found him. I'm going to leave the two of you here to talk. ::uncomfortable pause:: When you're done, both of you come to the diner - I'll make pancakes, alright?
Rory: ::nods:: Thanks Luke.
Luke takes a look back at Jess, motions towards the cigarette, and Jess takes a final drag before tossing it into the lake. Luke turns and walks away. Rory, unsure of what to say, or do, sits down a few feet from Jess, cross-legged on the uneven wooden boards of the bridge.
Jess: Where's your mom?
Rory: At home.
Jess: So you told them nothing happened.
Rory: ::nods slowly::
Jess: And that we'll never see each other again?
Rory: I gave my mom that opportunity, but she told me to come with Luke and to look for you.
Jess: ::looks down into the water::
Rory: I don't know where to begin Jess.. I told them we were just friends.
Jess: ::nods::
Rory: But.. friends don't..
Jess: Yeah. I know. ::takes another cigarette out of his pack, glances at Rory, offering one in her direction. She waves him off, and he lights it, taking a long drag:: So now what?
Rory: ::looks into the water:: I don't know.
Jess: She hates me.
Rory: You snuck in my room in the middle of the night, and she found us there, not knowing what was happening. I don't think that helped. ::pause:: But then she told me to come find you.
Jess: ::Takes another drag:: What was happening back there?
Rory: I..
Jess: ::cuts her off:: I know, that you're used to a pretty-boy who's going to be predictable - who's going to understand when you want a night alone to do laundry, or who expects you to cook him dinner and clear your calendar for him.. but I'm not like that. I never will be. I'm just going to show up, whenever. And I'm not going to call you 4,000 times a day and make sure that you're clearing your schedual for me just to see you.
Rory: I wouldn't want you to be.
Jess: Good, because I won't ever be like that.
Rory: So what is it that you want?
Jess: What I want doesnt matter. I don't make the rules around here.
Rory: ::Aggrivated, she looks at him:: And I do? ::He doesnt answer:: ARGH! How did I even end up in the middle of this mess?
Jess: ::Ranting:: Is this a pop quiz? Because if it is, I know the answer. That would be ::pause:: my fault. I'm the one breaking the rules, ruining the town moral - corrupting the town princess - I'm the one causing all the problems in this town. I'm the devil incarnate. Isn't that what everyone thinks?
Rory: I am not a princess. I have a mind of my own.
Jess: Then use it. ::takes another long drag off his cigarette, pausing in his speech:: What do you want to happen?
Rory: First off, I want you to put that out.
Jess: ::raises an eyebrow, looks into the water and drops the cigarette into the lake:: I quit. ::looks at her:: And now?
Rory: I want to know how you feel.
Jess: ::raises his eyebrows:: You first.
Rory: ::sighs:: I don't think I really know. I thought I loved Dean.. but.. if I loved him.. I don't know what to call this. What to say to you..
Jess: ::Nods:: That's how I feel too. ::stands up, and reaches out for her hand:: You ready to go to Lukes?
Rory: ::takes his hand and pulls herself up:: You think he'll have coffee made?
Jess: I'm sure. And I'm betting there will be donuts too.
Rory: ::points over the trees:: The sun's starting to come up.
Jess: Yeah. It is.
Jess stands there holding her hand, and looking at Rory for what seems like forever, and she looks out over the trees. Finally, Rory glances at him, and their eyes meet. They exchange an awkward smile, and they walk back towards the diner, holding hands. The sun is just beginning to rise of Stars Hollow as they pass the Gazebo.
(More to come)
Luke stared at Lorelai, mouth open, not knowing what to say. He knew they were best friends, and he knew they were mother and daughter, and he knew that anything that came between them would cause complete and utter termoil. The only thing that crossed his mind in conscious thought spilled out of his lips..
Luke: ::sputtering:: Were they.. uh, were they..
Lorelai: ::Catching her breath:: They were just sitting there on her bed, in the dark.. ::sits down next to Luke on the stairs::
Luke: Clothed?
Lorelai: ::Nods, whiping her face:: Yeah.
Luke: Lorelai, did you even give them a chance to explain?
Lorelai: It was pretty damn obveous what was going to happen if I hadn't walked in.. or.. what could have happened before I walked in.. Oh my god.. I just lost it.. Jess took off, Rory just sat there, she tried to explain but..
Luke: ::pulls Lorelai against his shoulder, letting her sob. He gently rubs his hand across her upper back, calming her down:: Look, Lorelai, Rory is a smart girl, you know that. I'm sure.. I'm positive that she wouldn't do anything that would hurt you. She wouldn't make any stupid mistakes.
Lorelai: She's me Luke. And I don't know me well enough. ::pulls back from him:: I am having a very hard time trying not to feel like my mother did when I used to climb out my bedroom window and stay out all night. But.. we know how that turned out.. and I don't trust him. Dean would never have shown up in her room in the middle of the night.
Luke: Why don't you go talk to Rory?
Lorelai: Now?
Luke: I'm pretty sure she's not asleep.
Lorelai: ::staring at the floor:: Luke, I don't even know what to say to her. Should I ask her what was going on, and expect her to tell me the truth? Should I take her to a doctor? What if she's.. oh my god..
Luke: ::totally ignoring Lorelai's reason for panic:: She's your best friend, even more than she's your daughter. She's not going to lie to you.
Lorelai: ::anger shows, through her tears:: Then why would she sneak him in here in the middle of the night?
Luke: ::remaining calm, but obveously still stunned:: This is one time that I'm going to have to side with you, Lore - I'm almost positive that the idea was not hers.
Lorelai: The little rat.. What are you going to do to him?
Luke: ::looks down, shaking his head::
Lorelai: ::sniffles:: You know, part of me wants you to pack him up, and to ban him from this town..A big part of me.. ::pauses:: But.. she really cares about him.. he's the only thing she's ever had to hide from me, and I don't want it to be like that. If you send him away again, nothing's going to say she won't go back to New York.. nothings to say he can't get on a bus and come back. These are some big decisions she's making, she's growing up, she's going to be in college in two years, and I don't want her to leave, not knowing her anymore.
Rory: ::standing at the bottom of the stairs:: Mom?
Lorelai: ::suprised:: Ror?
Luke: ::stands up, planning to leave the two to talk::
Rory: ::has tears running down her face:: No, Luke.. stay.
Lorelai looks up at Luke, who then sits back down next to her. Lorelai's face is marked with a pained expression, and before Rory even starts to talk, she is sobbing again. Luke takes Lorelai's hand and gives it a squeeze.
Rory: Mom.. Luke.. this is the truth, the entire and complete truth. ::pauses:: Please just listen to me, Jess just came over here because he couldn't sleep. He woke me up, I didn't know he was coming. He said he wanted to borrow a book, so I let him in - he picked something out, and then we started talking about it.. that was when you walked in.
Lorelai: ::nods::
Rory: That's it. That's what happened. I know he shouldn't have been here. I told him that. I told him he should go, but we started talking, and just when he was getting ready to leave, you came in.. and.. Mom, please.. please don't be mad at him..
Lorelai: ::looks at Luke, then Rory:: So you're saying that absolutely nothing happened?
Rory: ::remebering the kiss, she pauses, just for a second, she winces just a little:: Uh..
Luke looks stunned. He had just been reassuring Lorelai that nothing could have happened between them. He knew Jess, but he knew Rory so much better, he and Lorelai just sat there with their mouths draped open, in shock with the possibility that something major and lifechanging had happened. But it certainly looked, in that moment, as if Rory was going to blow them both away.
Rory: No, nothing. Nothing happened, mom, nothing is going on between Jess and I. We're friends.. good friends.. and nothing happened. ::kneels on the stairs right below her mom and Luke:: Look.. you're my best friend. I am not lying to you.
Lorelai: So nothing even remotely romantic occured between you?
Luke shifts, feeling really uncomfortable being present in the conversation - his mind has shifted to locating Jess, but Lorelai's hand is in a death grip on his and he's left with no choice but to endure the conversation.
Rory: I kissed him.
Luke: ::snapping back into the conversation:: You did what?
Lorelai: ::looks at Luke, suprised that he spoke, and then she turns back to Rory:: Answer the man.
Rory: Yes. ::blushing, she looks at the floor, and sits back against the lower step:: At Sookie's wedding..
Lorelai and Luke together: Jess was at the wedding?
Rory: ::nods:: He came to tell me that he moved back.. and I kissed him.
Lorelai: But Dean was there..
Rory: Dean wasn't there, he was talking to people. I was with dad and he walked away to take a call and..
Lorelai: I don't know what to say.. The situation looks bad, Rory, you can only imagine how I felt walking in there and seeing you two.. ::pauses:: Is that it? At the wedding? Should I be going out and getting a World's Best Grandma sweatshirt for myself?
Rory: ::looking completely aghast:: NO! ::pauses:: Please don't be mad.. mom.. I'll never see him again, I'll never talk to him again.. please, mom. You can lock me in my room forever, you can send me to boarding school.. you can make me live with Gramma..
Lorelai: Rory, STOP.
Both Luke and Rory look at Lorelai, not knowing what to expect.
Lorelai: Do you care about Jess? Do you like him - as a friend, or anything more than that?
Rory: ::nods slowly::
Lorelai: There's only one thing to do.. ::releases Luke's hand::
Rory: ::looks up at her mom, expecting the worst::
Lorelai: Go get your shoes on.
Rory: My shoes?
Lorelai: You and Luke need to go find Jess.
(Fifteen minutes later)
Luke and Rory are standing outside the Gilmore's front door. It's pretty obveous that neither of them are quite sure what to make of the situation. Rory is embarresed and uncomfortable with Luke's knowledge of her feelings for Jess. She's standing there, in the cool darkness of Stars Hollow in her pajama pants and a t-shirt and sneakers, and Luke looks tired, and worried and uncomfortable all at once. They left Lorelai sitting on the couch in the living room, staring off into oblivion.
Rory: So.. um.. where should we look?
Luke: I have a pretty good idea. He didn't come back to our place by the time Lorelai had called me, so I can only assume he's at the bridge.
Rory: ::nods::
The two start walking in silence until they get to the bridge. Sure enough, they find Jess sitting on the dock, his feet hanging over the edge - the book in his lap and a cigarette in his hand. Luke and Rory stop at the foot of the bridge, and Jess looks up.
Jess: I didn't know they'd send out a search party so soon.
Luke: ::looks at Rory:: Well alright. We found him. I'm going to leave the two of you here to talk. ::uncomfortable pause:: When you're done, both of you come to the diner - I'll make pancakes, alright?
Rory: ::nods:: Thanks Luke.
Luke takes a look back at Jess, motions towards the cigarette, and Jess takes a final drag before tossing it into the lake. Luke turns and walks away. Rory, unsure of what to say, or do, sits down a few feet from Jess, cross-legged on the uneven wooden boards of the bridge.
Jess: Where's your mom?
Rory: At home.
Jess: So you told them nothing happened.
Rory: ::nods slowly::
Jess: And that we'll never see each other again?
Rory: I gave my mom that opportunity, but she told me to come with Luke and to look for you.
Jess: ::looks down into the water::
Rory: I don't know where to begin Jess.. I told them we were just friends.
Jess: ::nods::
Rory: But.. friends don't..
Jess: Yeah. I know. ::takes another cigarette out of his pack, glances at Rory, offering one in her direction. She waves him off, and he lights it, taking a long drag:: So now what?
Rory: ::looks into the water:: I don't know.
Jess: She hates me.
Rory: You snuck in my room in the middle of the night, and she found us there, not knowing what was happening. I don't think that helped. ::pause:: But then she told me to come find you.
Jess: ::Takes another drag:: What was happening back there?
Rory: I..
Jess: ::cuts her off:: I know, that you're used to a pretty-boy who's going to be predictable - who's going to understand when you want a night alone to do laundry, or who expects you to cook him dinner and clear your calendar for him.. but I'm not like that. I never will be. I'm just going to show up, whenever. And I'm not going to call you 4,000 times a day and make sure that you're clearing your schedual for me just to see you.
Rory: I wouldn't want you to be.
Jess: Good, because I won't ever be like that.
Rory: So what is it that you want?
Jess: What I want doesnt matter. I don't make the rules around here.
Rory: ::Aggrivated, she looks at him:: And I do? ::He doesnt answer:: ARGH! How did I even end up in the middle of this mess?
Jess: ::Ranting:: Is this a pop quiz? Because if it is, I know the answer. That would be ::pause:: my fault. I'm the one breaking the rules, ruining the town moral - corrupting the town princess - I'm the one causing all the problems in this town. I'm the devil incarnate. Isn't that what everyone thinks?
Rory: I am not a princess. I have a mind of my own.
Jess: Then use it. ::takes another long drag off his cigarette, pausing in his speech:: What do you want to happen?
Rory: First off, I want you to put that out.
Jess: ::raises an eyebrow, looks into the water and drops the cigarette into the lake:: I quit. ::looks at her:: And now?
Rory: I want to know how you feel.
Jess: ::raises his eyebrows:: You first.
Rory: ::sighs:: I don't think I really know. I thought I loved Dean.. but.. if I loved him.. I don't know what to call this. What to say to you..
Jess: ::Nods:: That's how I feel too. ::stands up, and reaches out for her hand:: You ready to go to Lukes?
Rory: ::takes his hand and pulls herself up:: You think he'll have coffee made?
Jess: I'm sure. And I'm betting there will be donuts too.
Rory: ::points over the trees:: The sun's starting to come up.
Jess: Yeah. It is.
Jess stands there holding her hand, and looking at Rory for what seems like forever, and she looks out over the trees. Finally, Rory glances at him, and their eyes meet. They exchange an awkward smile, and they walk back towards the diner, holding hands. The sun is just beginning to rise of Stars Hollow as they pass the Gazebo.
(More to come)
