Author's Note: This story follows "A Stranger in a Small Town" in my little sequence of summer fanfiction. Please, read it, and the two stories leading up to it ("Yes, I know" and "Before She Goes") before reading this.

Disclaimer: The characters and settings belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino, but the story is original and mine.

S

Although Luke noticed when Lorelai never came into the diner for breakfast, he didn't say anything. He didn't say anything when she didn't come in for lunch or afternoon coffee, but he did notice.

But that evening, when she didn't come in for her usual hamburger, he knew something was wrong.

"Hello, Luke!" Miss Patty said as she came into the diner. He brought a mug and coffeepot over to her table.

"Hey, Patty, you usually know what's going on," Luke said as he poured the coffee. "Have you seen Lorelai around?"

Miss Patty frowned. "Oh, you didn't know?"

"Know what?" Luke asked quickly, suddenly worried that Lorelai or Rory were hurt.

"She left town," Miss Patty explained, but forced herself to continue when Luke didn't leave the table. "With that dark haired man."

"She left town…with that guy?" Luke asked slowly.

"I heard from Sookie that she'll only be gone a week," Miss Patty added, hoping Luke wouldn't continue to look so shocked. "Are you going to be alright, dear?"

"Oh, yeah. I was just, you know, wondering," Luke said, backing away. "Can I get you anything?"

"A piece of apple pie."

He half smiled. "You got it."

When Luke came up into the apartment that evening, he saw Jess sitting at the kitchen table, writing in a notebook and holding a book open with his other hand.

"Studying?" Luke asked harshly as he opened the fridge.

"That what this is?" Jess asked with a hint of sarcasm, glancing over at his uncle.

"What is this?" Luke said disgustedly, pulling out a Tupperware dish. "I thought you were going to clean the fridge."

Jess dropped his pen on his paper. "I come down to work in the diner, and you tell me to get up here and study. I study and you tell me to do chores. What do you want me to do?" he asked tiredly.

Luke took a deep breath to keep from yelling. "I want you to go to the market and get us some decent food." He watched Jess stand up and walk towards the apartment door. "And you better be back in twenty minutes!"

Jess shot a glare towards Luke. "What's your problem today? Did you girlfriend leave town or something?" Jess had slammed the door behind him before Luke could respond.

Jess had seen Dean bagging groceries at the checkout when he walked into Doose's, but pretended not to notice or care. He really didn't care. Dean was just another tall, jersey-guy that embodied the mediocrity of suburbia. The only difference was that he was Rory's jersey-guy.

Jess was surprised that Dean hadn't confronted him about the car accident yet, but figured Rory had talked him out of it. At times, Jess felt like going up to Dean and bringing it up but knew that wouldn't resolve the situation. Whatever 'the situation' was.

As Jess was deciding which cereal to buy, he could see Dean walking over in the corner of his eye. "Can I help you?" Jess asked without looking at Dean.

"You're in my way," Dean said flatly. Jess glanced over and saw him holding a box of goods to be stocked. "Do you mind?"

"Not really," Jess replied, examining the nutrition content of Wheaties.

"Why can't you just act like a decent person for once?" Dean snapped.

Finally, a confrontation, Jess thought and turned to look at Dean. "I'm not hurting anyone, you know. I just want to have a well balanced breakfast."

"You're such a jerk," Dean said, shaking his head.

"Well, I'm not the one throwing out insults in the breakfast aisle," Jess noted.

"I think you shouldn't come in here again. I'm sure Taylor would agree with me."

"Fine. I'll just pay for these and be on my way." Jess walked past Dean.

"Have you heard from Rory?"

Jess stopped and turned back around. "No…why?"

Dean looked somewhat mournful as he spoke. "I haven't either." They shared a brief look, which hinted at an understanding. But without another word, Dean was stocking the shelves and Jess was paying for his groceries.

Luke was standing behind the counter when Jess walked in carrying grocery bags. He looked at his watch. "You took thirty six minutes."

Jess rolled his eyes as he walked towards the apartment stairs. "Gee, I just had a heck of a time finding some ripe peaches."

Once Jess was upstairs, Luke sighed tiredly and began putting up chairs. He was not cut out for parenting. Perhaps he would be if the responsibility of disciplining a seventeen-year-old criminal hadn't been thrust upon him. It was probably easier to start off the way most people did, with an infant, and figure it out as they went along.

But, even if Jess still had no respect for Luke, he wasn't behaving as recklessly as before. He was doing well in summer school, even if Luke had to walk him to the high school every day to make sure he actually went inside. And Luke had to admit, it was hilarious to watch Taylor watch Jess, waiting for him to screw up, and then throw a fit when Jess kept minding his own business.

Luke decided that he wasn't doing a terrible job with Jess. But also, in the back of his mind, Luke acknowledged that this change had less to do with Luke's superior parenting skills and more to do with a girl. Still, Luke would take what he could get.

Jess closed the refrigerator door once all the groceries were inside. He glanced back at his notebook, and sat back down to continue writing. The phone rang, and Jess reached over casually to pick up, without looking up from his paper.

"Yeah?"

There was a pause. "Um, hi."

It was a woman. Quickly, the first person Jess thought of was Rory. He realized that it wasn't Rory's voice, but hearing a girl on the phone made him wonder if she was ever going to call. Doubtfully, if she hadn't called her own boyfriend by now.

"Is Luke there?" the woman asked with uncertainty.

Jess quickly became disinterested in whoever it was. "He's downstairs. Do you want me to get him?"

"Um, I don't—I'm sorry, who is this?"

"Who's this?" Jess asked rudely.

"This is Rachel, I'm an old friend of Luke's."

"Luke doesn't have friends, even old ones."

She laughed lightly and quickly. "Well, I'm someone he used to know."

Jess looked up when he saw Luke come in the apartment door.

"Hey, what did I say about the phone?" Luke asked harshly.

"Relax, it's for you," Jess responded as he held out the phone. "Someone named Rachel." Jess noticed Luke's jaw drop a little, and he paused before taking the phone. "What?" Jess asked.

Luke took the phone and covered the mouthpiece. "Nothing. Go to you room."

"I'm working here!" Jess exclaimed, indicating his books.

"Jess!"

"Fine." He gathered his things quickly and walked into his bedroom, slamming the door.

Luke shook his head a little, then remembered Rachel was on the line for him. He put the phone to his ear.

"-you still there?" he heard her voice asked.

"Rachel, hi," Luke said.

"Hi. Is it too late?"

"Too late?" Luke repeated, wondering what she meant.

"To call."

"Oh, no. I was just closing the diner."

"Yeah, I figured you'd be home…who was that?"

"Oh, my nephew, Jess, you remember."

"Oh, right. Wow, how old is he now?"

"Almost eighteen."

"Boy, that makes me feel old," Rachel laughed, and Luke smiled. Hearing Rachel laugh was so comforting. "Is he visiting?"

"Um, no, he's kind of living here."

Rachel hesitated. "Really?"

"Yeah, Liz thought he needed to get out of the city. It's been okay."

"That's…nice of you. To take him in."

"I guess," Luke admitted, but then there was a pause. "So-"

"I know this is totally out of the blue, but I've been thinking about you a lot recently," Rachel blurted out. "Is Lorelai there?"

Luke scoffed a little. "Why would Lorelai be here?" He quickly remembered why Rachel had left. "Oh."

"So she's not there?" Rachel asked again.

"No. We're just friends."

Rachel sighed. "You never told her?"

"There was nothing to tell."

"You were always a terrible liar."

"Is there something I can do for you?" Luke asked impatiently.

"Well, I was thinking of…stopping by for a few days before I leave for Brazil. But I wanted to check with you first."

"You want to stop by?" Luke repeated.

"Yes. Luke, we're still friends, right?"

"Yeah," he answered slowly.

"And I would like to see my friends before I leave the country. I mean, if you don't want to see me-"

"No, you should stop by," Luke interrupted.

"Alright. I will." They paused. "So, I'll see you tomorrow, I guess."

"Great."

"Bye Luke."

"Bye." He hung up and stared at the phone for a moment. The conversation had seemed so surreal. He hadn't thought about Rachel in awhile. He found it best to put her out of him mind when she wasn't around. But after the last time she left, he figured she wouldn't be back.

Luke shook his head, and went to cleaning up the apartment a little. He smiled briefly as he picked up laundry and CDs, wondering what Rachel would think of the recent changes.