Okay, you guys are seriously the best reviewers *ever.* I got home from a concert last night at 1:00am, and I decided that I was way too tired to write, but I checked my reviews, and I just got so happy that I wrote the whole frigging thing right then and there. Thank you!

Christine: Glad you like the banter! Sorry it took so long ;) ~!~ Christina: Thanks for the encouragement :) ~!~ Tanzy: Thank you so much for the suggestions! This chapter is dedicated to you! ~!~ Briana: How sweet of you to wish Rory well! Guess you'll have to read on to see how she does ;) ~!~ Prianka: lol, thanks for the chem lesson :) ~!~ Katem-23: Of course I'll make it up to you… maybe not in this chapter but…~!~ MahliaLily: I'm so glad that you can see the scenes in your head, because that to me is what makes a good story :) ~!~ SlayerRyoko: Mmmmm brownies! Lol, don't worry. This story is R/J, but I happen to like Dean so he's not getting shipped off to China ~!~ Kacey123: I'm glad! I really am! ;) ~!~ Meg: I know, I'm mean aren't I? Hopefully I can redeem myself a little bit in this chapter :) ~!~ jewls13: I was going to go on the same trip to Israel! Only it was canceled because of terrorism. And you must live in New York like me, because you mentioned regent exams. Don't they stink? Well anyway, I tried to bring back the tension in this chapter, so I hope you like it better than the last one :) ~!~ Night Angel: Oh no! Am I helping you procrastinate? Heh. Hope this distracts you too :) ~!~ Dodgerluv: Thanks! Hope you love this chapter too! ~!~ Anonymousthinker: Lol, yes. When it comes to avoiding Jess, Rory can be an Olympian ~!~ Faith5321: O my God, you're such a cool reviewer! ;) ~!~ Elizabeth: Woo hoo! I caused uproarious laughter! Yay! ~!~ Karen-Tenou: Lol, don't scare me like that! All I saw at first was 'that's horrible!' :) ~!~ Starbelly: Hey, do you get your name from the Dr. Seuss story? Love that one! And yay for caffeine and !s ~!~ sweetangel251: The hair *is* frightening! And I'm with you on the Dean thing. I would *love* to have a bf like him .~!~ Neurotic Coffee: Heh. I hope your okay with this chapter, because there's angst and denial aplenty ;) ~!~ Melia: Groveling and everything! Wow! I crown you queen of reviewers. And thank you for the kiss comment, because I was nervous about that scene. I never wrote a make-out scene before! ~!~ Jess: Yay! I worked really hard on the banter, so thankee :) ~!~ Tara: I'm assuming you mean Luke and Lorelai? Hang in there. Not this chapter, but soon… ~!~ Dani:Don't worry! It'll be literati, but I can't make it too easy :) ~!~ And to my four anonymous reviewers: Use your names next time so I can thank you personally! I won't bite! Too hard…

A/N: Okay, what I generally heard was that the tension from chapter 2 was preferred to the all out kissing in chapter 3, so you asked for it. And, I don't actually know if Lorelai or Rory like quiche, but it just seemed like they wouldn't, so don't kill me if I'm wrong ;) Anyway, here ya go!

Lorelai opened the door and stepped inside. She let her purse drop to the floor and moved a wet lock of hair out of her eyes.

"Rory?" she called out.

"In here," a voice answered from the kitchen.

Lorelai walked to the kitchen and saw her daughter bent over her school books, looking very stressed.

"So how goes the studying?" she asked cautiously.

Rory looked up at her mother, irritated, before noticing her appearance.

"Mom! You're soaked! I know that it rained, but wasn't there a tent at this party? And what on earth is that?" she asked pointing at the clump of mush clinging to Lorelai's dress.

"That, my dear, is the remains of a paper mache duck. And yes, there was a tent, but that doesn't really matter when the wind blows said ducks out from under the tent, and you are ordered to go chase them."

"You had to chase the ducks? What was the final outcome?"

"Ducks: fifty billion. Lorelai: zero."

"Hmmm. I guess I can cross duck-chasing off of my really long list of this I want to experience in this lifetime."

"Oh, it wasn't that bad. Michel was helping me," Lorelai said with an evil glint in her eye.

Rory stared at her mother.

"You got Michel to help you on the duck hunt?"

"Yeah, it was great," Lorelai began with a grin. "He kept screaming French curses and he professed a fear of ducks."

"Ducks *and* swans?"

"Apparently so."

"Wow. What are his thoughts on Big Bird?"

"Hmmm, he hasn't mentioned it yet, but I'll be sure to ask him next time I see him."

"Please do. Inquiring minds want to know."

"Speaking of inquiring minds," Lorelai said, taking a seat at the table. "Back to my original question of 'how goes the studying?'"

Rory groaned and laid her head down on the table in frustration.

"Hey, none of that!" Lorelai warned. "I don't want your brain oozing out onto the table. Brain is such a pain to clean."

Rory just made a muffled whining sound. Lorelai rested her hand on Rory's head and massaged her scalp for a second.

"Is that getting the brainwaves moving again?"

"I think you're just scaring them away."

Lorelai smiled. Poor kid. She worked so hard and… hey…

"Rory, what's up with your notebook?"

"Huh?"

"It's all wet."

"I dropped it."

"Into what? The Pacific Ocean?"

"No, a puddle."

"And then what, you set up camp and watched them soak for about an hour? Rory, the pages are almost transparent. What were you doing for so long that you didn't realize that your notes were dying a horrible death?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Rory snapped. No, she definitely didn't want to reflect upon what she had been doing while her notes were soaking in that puddle.

"Okay, fine. You look like you need sleep. You almost done studying?"

"Yeah. I'm going to bed in a minute."

"Okay good. See you in the morning," Lorelai said, kissing Rory on the forehead.

"'Night."

Lorelai woke up to an unusual smell: The smell of something cooking. Alarmed and thinking that some madman had broken into her house and started using her kitchen facilities as some sort of odd pre-killing ritual, she rushed down the stairs. What she saw made her freeze in her tracks.

"Max?" she said in disbelief.

Max was standing in her kitchen, oversized chef's hat on his head, holding various kitchen utensils that Lorelai didn't even know she owned, let alone how to use.

"Lorelai," he said smiling.

"What are you doing?"

"I made you breakfast," he proudly stated.

Lorelai smiled widely. "Oh my God, you get the 'sweetest boyfriend of the year' award."

"Was there anyone else in the running," he asked, mock-jealous.

"Only Kirk," she answered jokingly.

"Really?"

"Yes, but he didn't make me breakfast. He gave me half of his Snickers bar once though."

"Damn. I guess I'll have to stay on my toes."

"Guess so. And you're doing a good job so far," Lorelai said, looking around at what was cooking.

From what Lorelai could see, there was scrambled eggs, and what looked like a pie.

"Pie for breakfast? You're the coolest boyfriend ever!"

Max laughed. "It's not pie. It's 'hearty breakfast quiche'" he said importantly.

Lorelai looked curiously at the dish. Well, it might be good. She spied numerous vegetables and other non-pancake-like items in the quiche and began to doubt that possibility.

"What's going on?" Rory called out from her bedroom.

"Max is here! He made breakfast!" Lorelai called back.

Rory stumbled out of her room in her Chilton uniform, looking very surprised.


"Hi," she said nervously.

"Hi Rory. I hope you like quiche."

"Um… well, I've never actually had it before, but I'm sure I'll like it."

"Well, sit down, I'll serve it all up," Max said, gesturing at the kitchen table.

The girls took their seats and watched as max served them both heaping piles of eggs and quiche, followed by coffee.

"Oh, I'll go get the paper!" Max said, running out the door hurriedly.

Lorelai and Rory looked at each other. Lorelai shrugged.

"Dig in," she said to Rory.

They both began to eat. They both cringed.

"The eggs are uh… not so fluffy," Rory said.

"Or edible," Lorelai added. "But there's still hope for the quiche!"

"Or not," Rory said spitting her bite back onto her plate. "What are these vegetables doing in here?"

"Beats me. I think it's a crazy new fad," Lorelai said, making a face.

"Well this calls for some coffee therapy," Rory said, taking a big gulp of the black liquid in front of her.

"Oh my God mom. Never let Max near our coffee maker again."

"Is it that bad?" Lorelai asked, taking a sip of her own. "Oh my God, it's that bad."

"You're the one who gave him a house key so promptly when you got back together."

"It was symbolic," Lorelai said apologetically. "And besides, this was really nice of him, agreed?"

Rory sighed. "Agreed. Does this mean we have to eat it?"

Lorelai nodded sadly. The two girls continued eating, trying to swallow without chewing to minimize the taste factor. Max reentered the house with the newspaper, looking happy as ever.

"So how is it?"

"It's wonderful," Lorelai said. "Although the coffee is a little weak."

A look of disappointment flashed over Max's features.

"You're kidding me! I added three times the amount of grounds as usual!"

Lorelai smiled at him. "Next time play it same and just dump the whole thing in."

Max smiled back. "Next time you can make the coffee and I'll drink juice."

"Good deal," Lorelai said. "Thanks again Max, this is so great."

"Yeah, thanks," Rory added.

"Rory, I can drive you to school if you'd like."

"Oh, sure. Just let me finish getting ready."

"Of course," Max said, clearly pleased with his fatherly gesture.

"Well as long as you're taking care of that, I'm going to throw on some clothes and head off to the Inn."

"Oh, okay," Max said. "See you tonight."

"Right," Lorelai said. "By the way, nice hat."

Max smiled as he watched her run back upstairs.

Lorelai burst into Luke's Diner on a mission. She breezed past Luke, who was serving some customers.

"Hey whoa there! What's going on?" he asked following her when she walked behind the counter.

"No time to talk. I need a donut and a cup of coffee stat, and I can't deal with this 'wait your turn' crap."

"Why are you so late today? And where's Rory?" he asked, handing her the tongs to pick out her donut.

"Oh, she isn't coming. Max made us breakfast."

"Max made you breakfast?"

"Yes."

"So what's with the coffee and the donut."

Lorelai was silent, intently pouring her coffee.

"Didn't he make you coffee?"

"Yes, but he didn't make it right, okay?" Lorelai answered shortly, throwing some bills on the counter. She was about to leave, but Luke was right behind her.

"It wasn't as good as mine?" He said, his mouth suddenly close to her ear. He was too close. She shivered. Luke noticed.

"See that? That was the shakes from caffeine withdrawal. You better get out of my way," Lorelai lied.

"Sure. Withdrawal symptom."

"Yes, withdrawal symptom. Now I'd like to leave with my breakfast if you don't mind."

She started to walk away when Luke spoke.

"It's on the house."

"What?"

"Well, it doesn't seem right to charge you when you're going through those terrible withdrawal shakes," he said simply.

Lorelai looked at him.

"What's up with you? All of a sudden you're Mr. Sly Comment Guy."

He walked closer to her and lowered his voice, still smiling.

"I'm just waiting for you to realize that Max is a mistake. This is just more proof. He can't even make you coffee."

Lorelai glared at him.

"You have problems Luke. This doesn't mean anything. So he can't make strong coffee. My dentist can, does that mean that he's my soulmate? I'm leaving," she turned to leave for a third time.

"Lorelai wait," Luke said, catching her by the arm.

"What?" she said angrily.

"You have something on your shirt. I looks like pie," he said, brushing the crumbs from her shirt.

"It's not pie. It's hearty breakfast quiche," she replied distractedly.

"Max made you quiche?" Luke asked with a smirk.

"Yes," Lorelai growled.

"You hate quiche."

"Goodbye Luke."

And with that she walked out of the diner. Luke just smiled as she walked away.

Rory was sure that she would die. The questions on the paper in front of her seemed to be written in a foreign language. She could get the basics, but all of the acts of the Reagan and Clinton administrations had abandoned her brain.

"Damn Jess," she muttered to herself.

"Damn me for letting him…." She couldn't finish that thought.

She groaned audibly, earning a harsh glare from the teacher. She redirected her attention to the paper in front of her.

Question 36: What was the effect of Schecter Poultry vs. U.S. on the implied powers of the federal government?

Rory didn't bother to read the choices. She skipped that question and moved on to number 37. This was not going to be a good day.

"That man drives me crazy!" Lorelai yelled to no one in particular as she entered the kitchen at the Independence Inn.

"It's rude to talk about Michel when he's right in the room," Sookie said, knowing very well who Lorelai was referring too.

"Haha, very funny. Excuse me while I go write that one down so I can use it in future situations to impress my friends," Michel sneered, leaving the kitchen.

"Not Michel. Luke," Lorelai said, ignoring Michel.


"I know."

"How do you know?" Lorelai asked.

"Because it's always Luke."

"Oh."

"What happened now?"

"This morning he just went on this whole big rant about how the fact that Max can't make my coffee means that we don't belong together."

"Mmmhmmm," Sookie said, grinning deviously.

"What? Why did you make that noise?"

"What noise?" Sookie said, feigning ignorance.

"That 'I know something Lorelai doesn't know because she's dense as cheesecake' noise."

"Well," Sookie began knowingly, "Come on Lorelai, he's obviously hinting at…" She trailed off.

"Hinting at what?" Lorelai asked in confusion.

"Well, he says that Max isn't the guy for you because he can't make coffee the way you like it. And who *can* make coffee the way you like it?"

"My dentist," Lorelai answered immediately.

Sookie rolled her eyes. "And who else?"

"Rory."

"Lorelai!"

"What? What are you getting at?"

"Lorelai, Luke makes your coffee."

"And…"

"Oh God, you're hopeless."


"What?" Lorelai whined. But Sookie had walked away to check on the soup.

It had been a long day. Rory held her coffee up to her nose and inhaled the scent.

"You are a God," she said, looking up at an unimpressed Luke.


"Where's you mother?" he asked bluntly.

"Out with Max."

Luke grunted and walked away. Rory was too busy drinking her coffee to notice. She had been needing this all day. Max was a nice guy, but if she had to go without her coffee another morning, she was going to steal his key when he wasn't looking. She took another sip of her coffee and began to relax. She had her coffee, she was out of school, and Dean was going to be there shortly. The day was finally looking up.

Then she saw him. He was walking over to her. This was not what she needed right now.

"Rory, how'd your test go?" Jess asked, concern in his voice.

"Not well," she answered shortly.

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"You should be," she said angrily, knowing that she wasn't being fair. She stood up and moved towards a table next to the wall, away from him.

Jess made a noise of disbelief. He followed her and grabbed her arm before she could sit down.

"Listen, I'm sorry about your notebook, but you definitely had a part in its destruction."

"Keep it down!" Rory said, looking nervously around to make sure none of Luke's patrons was listening to their conversation.

"Oh, that's right," Jess said wryly. "Can't let anyone know about our little escapade."

"Leave me alone," Rory said, trying to pull away from him.

"You know what Rory, I'd really like to do that. I would," Jess said, not loosening his grip, "but it seems that you just can't leave *me* alone, and that's what's driving me crazy."

"Jess—"

"Rory, what's your game here? You can't have the dependable but boring boyfriend and have random make-out sessions with me whenever you feel like it, and then tell me not to tell anyone. It's unfair to both me and Dean."

"Like you even care about Dean," Rory hissed.

"And you've shown me just how much you care about him, right?" he replied, eyes flashing.

Rory looked down, ashamed.

"Rory, it's okay to lose interest in Dean. Very okay in fact. But if you do decide that he isn't for you, you've got to let him know. Just… you have to quit doing this to me," he finished tiredly.

Rory's back was against the wall and Jess was standing in front of her, blocking any escape. She looked up at him. His eyes were desperate, pleading. She had to look away. She looked past him, over his shoulder at the door. The little bell over it rang and it opened. She almost died. Dean entered the diner and looked around.

Jess leaned in close to her ear and whispered to her.

"It's your choice Rory, but you have to actually make a choice. Me or him. What do you really want?"

His breath was tickling her ear. She couldn't see his face, he was too close. He was pressed against her, holding her to the wall. His head was resting in the crook of her neck, lips touching the skin there. She couldn't tell, but his eyes were closed. She just kept looking over his shoulder, trying not to feel him, trying not to think.

Now Dean caught her eye. A look of fury came over him and he yelled her name. He started towards them.

"Choose," Jess repeated, voice low and serious.

Wasn't that a *great* place to leave off? Lalala… I honestly have no clue yet what I'm going to have Rory do here, so give me suggestions when you review!