A/N- Hi, I'm back. It's been two weeks. Not bad considering the month of no
updates in between Chapters 15 + 16, right? Anyways, here's Chapter 17.
Chapter Seventeen- Staying Over
Lorelai, who was in Luke's arms, and Emily waited as Rory jogged towards them. "Mom, Grandma, what's wrong?" Rory asked concerned.
Jess slowly walked over to them when he noticed that Luke was there too. Luke, Lorelai, and Emily, all had very poignant expressions on their faces. They hardly noticed the two teens' hair.
When Luke realized that neither Lorelai nor Emily could bring themselves to say anything he answered Rory's question. "Rory, Jess, Lorelai's Dad had a heart attack. He fell into a coma and died. I'm so sorry Rory."
Before Rory could respond Emily said, "I'm sorry, I can't here this again. I have to go." Emily ran off into the direction of Lorelai's home.
"Lorelai, maybe we should." Luke nudged his head toward Emily.
"Yeah, you're right, let's go. Rory?"
Rory shook her head and ran in the other direction. "Rory!" Lorelai yelled. Rory didn't turn back, she just kept on running.
"Jess?" Luke asked.
"I'll make sure she gets home okay," Jess answered and ran after Rory.
Luke and Lorelai got into the truck and headed towards Lorelai's house.
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Jess found Rory at the bridge in the lake fully clothed. Her head was under the water. "Oh my God Rory! What are you doing?" Jess jumped into the water and pulled Rory's head out. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying.
"Jess, relax. I was just washing out the blue dye in my hair," Rory said.
"Oh." Jess paused and looked away. He knew he wasn't great at comforting. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah.. No, I'm not all right! My grandpa's dead Jess! Dead! And all because of a stupid heart attack! He should have lived; he wasn't old enough to die! He took care of himself! He ate half a grapefruit every morning! He shouldn't have died!" Rory leaned forward into Jess's arms, and sobbed quietly.
"Don't worry Rory, it's going to be okay. Everything's going to be okay," Jess comforted Rory as best as he could there, in the lake.
Five minutes later the two heard thunder. Rory's head shot up quickly and she looked around. "What was that?" She asked scared. By now the dye in both their hair was gone.
"Thunder. I think we should go Rory. I'll walk you home." Rory nodded so Jess helped her out of the lake and onto the bridge. Once they were both out Jess put one arm around Rory's shoulders and they began to walk just as the rain began to fall. "Come on Rory, let's hurry!" Jess said. "It's raining hard. We'll get sick if we don't get inside soon."
The two teens ran as fast as they could in the rain until they reached Luke's diner. Jess pulled out his key from his pocket and unlocked the door. "Rory, get in."
She walked in and Jess followed. He closed the door behind him and walked over to where Rory sat on the counter. "I'm going to go get some towels. I'll be back in a minute."
"K," came Rory's quiet voice.
Just as Jess said, he was back in sixty seconds with a towel around his shoulders and one in his arms. "Here you go," he said as he handed Rory the large blue beach towel.
"Thanks." Rory jumped off the counter and wrapped herself in the towel. Jess noticed that as she did this, her hands were trembling.
"Rory, I think you should get those wet clothes off. I have some extra sweats you could wear if you want." Rory nodded and followed Jess upstairs. The door to the apartment was unlocked so Jess opened the door and let Rory in. She went to the couch and waited as Jess went to his bedroom to retrieve the clothes for Rory. "Here," he said as he came back a moment later. "You can change in there," Jess pointed towards his room.
"Thanks." Rory got off the couch and walked towards the room, holding the black Metallica t-shirt and gray sweatpants tightly in one hand.
"I'm going to call your mom and tell her where we are, all right?" Jess called to Rory.
"Okay," came the quiet voice from behind the door.
Jess picked up the phone and dialed the Gilmore's phone number.
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Meanwhile
When Lorelai and Luke reached Lorelai's house, they quickly got out of the car. Emily was sitting on the porch in the rocker staring off into space. Lorelai ran up to her with Luke close behind. "Mom, let's go inside. It looks like it's going to rain, come on." Lorelai helped her mother up and the two of them walked together into the house.
Luke stared after them and decided not to go in. He walked over to where Emily was just sitting and sat down. Ten minutes later he heard the screen door open and watched as Lorelai slowly made her way towards him. She sat down next to Luke on the rocker. "Hey," Lorelai greeted.
"Hey. How's your mom doing?" Luke asked.
"She's in my room, asleep," Lorelai answered.
"That's good," Luke commented.
"Yeah, real good," Lorelai said dully.
Just then it started to rain. The large drops came down quickly. Lorelai and Luke just stared at the down pour for a couple minutes until at the same time both of them looked at each other and spoke.
Lorelai: "Luke, could you stay tonight?"
Luke: "I should get going."
And then, at the same time again:
Lorelai: "You wanna leave?"
Luke: "You want me to stay?"
They laughed quietly for a second then Luke said, "Lorelai, I'll stay if that's what you want. I don't mind."
"That would be really nice Luke, thanks," Lorelai gave Luke a weak smile. The two stared at each other intently for a moment and leaned closer and closer toward each other's lips. Just then, the phone interrupted them as it's ring echoed through the house.
"We better go inside," Lorelai said and got off the rocker.
"Yeah." Luke followed Lorelai inside the house and closed the door behind him.
Lorelai answered the phone. "Hello?"
"Lorelai?" came Jess's voice.
"Yeah. Are you with Rory?"
"Yeah, she's fine."
"Where are you guys?" Lorelai asked.
"We're at Luke's. We were on our way to your house and it started raining so we stopped at Luke's instead 'cause it was closer. We're upstairs now. Rory's changing into dry clothes 'cause hers were drenched, but she's fine. Just a little cold."
"Can you put her on a sec?" Lorelai asked.
"Just a sec." Jess put the phone down and walked toward his closed door. He knocked lightly twice. "Rory?" There was no answer. "Rory?" He repeated. Again, no answer. Jess held the knob and slowly pushed open the door waiting for a cry of protest. There was none.
When the door was opened all the way Jess saw that Rory was lying on his bed covered in a blanket. He sat on the bed next to her and brushed back a strand of hair. She was asleep and looked peaceful so Jess decided not to wake her. He left the room and closed the door softly behind him. He went back to the phone. "Lorelai, you still there?"
"Yeah. Where's Rory?"
"She's asleep. I didn't wake her, but if you want me to I will," Jess said.
"No, no, it's all right. I would come pick her up but it's insane outside. If she does wake up, tell her that I called. I'll come pick her up in the morning."
"No problem."
"Oh, I forgot. Luke is here right now. He's gonna stay over for the night. Do you wanna talk to him?"
"No, it's all right. Bye Lorelai."
"Bye."
A/N- Please REVIEW!!!
Chapter Seventeen- Staying Over
Lorelai, who was in Luke's arms, and Emily waited as Rory jogged towards them. "Mom, Grandma, what's wrong?" Rory asked concerned.
Jess slowly walked over to them when he noticed that Luke was there too. Luke, Lorelai, and Emily, all had very poignant expressions on their faces. They hardly noticed the two teens' hair.
When Luke realized that neither Lorelai nor Emily could bring themselves to say anything he answered Rory's question. "Rory, Jess, Lorelai's Dad had a heart attack. He fell into a coma and died. I'm so sorry Rory."
Before Rory could respond Emily said, "I'm sorry, I can't here this again. I have to go." Emily ran off into the direction of Lorelai's home.
"Lorelai, maybe we should." Luke nudged his head toward Emily.
"Yeah, you're right, let's go. Rory?"
Rory shook her head and ran in the other direction. "Rory!" Lorelai yelled. Rory didn't turn back, she just kept on running.
"Jess?" Luke asked.
"I'll make sure she gets home okay," Jess answered and ran after Rory.
Luke and Lorelai got into the truck and headed towards Lorelai's house.
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Jess found Rory at the bridge in the lake fully clothed. Her head was under the water. "Oh my God Rory! What are you doing?" Jess jumped into the water and pulled Rory's head out. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying.
"Jess, relax. I was just washing out the blue dye in my hair," Rory said.
"Oh." Jess paused and looked away. He knew he wasn't great at comforting. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah.. No, I'm not all right! My grandpa's dead Jess! Dead! And all because of a stupid heart attack! He should have lived; he wasn't old enough to die! He took care of himself! He ate half a grapefruit every morning! He shouldn't have died!" Rory leaned forward into Jess's arms, and sobbed quietly.
"Don't worry Rory, it's going to be okay. Everything's going to be okay," Jess comforted Rory as best as he could there, in the lake.
Five minutes later the two heard thunder. Rory's head shot up quickly and she looked around. "What was that?" She asked scared. By now the dye in both their hair was gone.
"Thunder. I think we should go Rory. I'll walk you home." Rory nodded so Jess helped her out of the lake and onto the bridge. Once they were both out Jess put one arm around Rory's shoulders and they began to walk just as the rain began to fall. "Come on Rory, let's hurry!" Jess said. "It's raining hard. We'll get sick if we don't get inside soon."
The two teens ran as fast as they could in the rain until they reached Luke's diner. Jess pulled out his key from his pocket and unlocked the door. "Rory, get in."
She walked in and Jess followed. He closed the door behind him and walked over to where Rory sat on the counter. "I'm going to go get some towels. I'll be back in a minute."
"K," came Rory's quiet voice.
Just as Jess said, he was back in sixty seconds with a towel around his shoulders and one in his arms. "Here you go," he said as he handed Rory the large blue beach towel.
"Thanks." Rory jumped off the counter and wrapped herself in the towel. Jess noticed that as she did this, her hands were trembling.
"Rory, I think you should get those wet clothes off. I have some extra sweats you could wear if you want." Rory nodded and followed Jess upstairs. The door to the apartment was unlocked so Jess opened the door and let Rory in. She went to the couch and waited as Jess went to his bedroom to retrieve the clothes for Rory. "Here," he said as he came back a moment later. "You can change in there," Jess pointed towards his room.
"Thanks." Rory got off the couch and walked towards the room, holding the black Metallica t-shirt and gray sweatpants tightly in one hand.
"I'm going to call your mom and tell her where we are, all right?" Jess called to Rory.
"Okay," came the quiet voice from behind the door.
Jess picked up the phone and dialed the Gilmore's phone number.
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Meanwhile
When Lorelai and Luke reached Lorelai's house, they quickly got out of the car. Emily was sitting on the porch in the rocker staring off into space. Lorelai ran up to her with Luke close behind. "Mom, let's go inside. It looks like it's going to rain, come on." Lorelai helped her mother up and the two of them walked together into the house.
Luke stared after them and decided not to go in. He walked over to where Emily was just sitting and sat down. Ten minutes later he heard the screen door open and watched as Lorelai slowly made her way towards him. She sat down next to Luke on the rocker. "Hey," Lorelai greeted.
"Hey. How's your mom doing?" Luke asked.
"She's in my room, asleep," Lorelai answered.
"That's good," Luke commented.
"Yeah, real good," Lorelai said dully.
Just then it started to rain. The large drops came down quickly. Lorelai and Luke just stared at the down pour for a couple minutes until at the same time both of them looked at each other and spoke.
Lorelai: "Luke, could you stay tonight?"
Luke: "I should get going."
And then, at the same time again:
Lorelai: "You wanna leave?"
Luke: "You want me to stay?"
They laughed quietly for a second then Luke said, "Lorelai, I'll stay if that's what you want. I don't mind."
"That would be really nice Luke, thanks," Lorelai gave Luke a weak smile. The two stared at each other intently for a moment and leaned closer and closer toward each other's lips. Just then, the phone interrupted them as it's ring echoed through the house.
"We better go inside," Lorelai said and got off the rocker.
"Yeah." Luke followed Lorelai inside the house and closed the door behind him.
Lorelai answered the phone. "Hello?"
"Lorelai?" came Jess's voice.
"Yeah. Are you with Rory?"
"Yeah, she's fine."
"Where are you guys?" Lorelai asked.
"We're at Luke's. We were on our way to your house and it started raining so we stopped at Luke's instead 'cause it was closer. We're upstairs now. Rory's changing into dry clothes 'cause hers were drenched, but she's fine. Just a little cold."
"Can you put her on a sec?" Lorelai asked.
"Just a sec." Jess put the phone down and walked toward his closed door. He knocked lightly twice. "Rory?" There was no answer. "Rory?" He repeated. Again, no answer. Jess held the knob and slowly pushed open the door waiting for a cry of protest. There was none.
When the door was opened all the way Jess saw that Rory was lying on his bed covered in a blanket. He sat on the bed next to her and brushed back a strand of hair. She was asleep and looked peaceful so Jess decided not to wake her. He left the room and closed the door softly behind him. He went back to the phone. "Lorelai, you still there?"
"Yeah. Where's Rory?"
"She's asleep. I didn't wake her, but if you want me to I will," Jess said.
"No, no, it's all right. I would come pick her up but it's insane outside. If she does wake up, tell her that I called. I'll come pick her up in the morning."
"No problem."
"Oh, I forgot. Luke is here right now. He's gonna stay over for the night. Do you wanna talk to him?"
"No, it's all right. Bye Lorelai."
"Bye."
A/N- Please REVIEW!!!