DISCLAIMER: The only things I own are Tess and myself. Other characters and settings all belong to "The genius" (a.k.a Amy S-P).

A/N: New chapter. Lol…that's about it! I decided to give everyone a break from the love triangles and such, so this is just a normal, fun chapter. No one kisses anyone. Unless I made Michel kiss someone. And that is wrong on so many levels ;). Some reviews would be nice =)

Oh, and can anyone tell me where the Inn is situated? Is it on the outskirts of Stars Hollow, or near the middle?

CHAPTER 7: I'LL BE YOUR BEST FRIEND…

At the Inn

Tess scrambled to the front desk of the Inn, and promptly dropped a big pile of folders on it.

"Thanks for the help Michel." She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

He merely sneered. "You are welcome."

Tess reprimanded herself in her head. *Be nice to him. It's the only way you'll get him to co-operate with you*

She cleared her throat. "So, Michel, how was your day?" she asked, with a straight face.

He eyed her suspiciously. 'What do you want from me?"

She batted her eyelashes innocently. "Nothing. Well, I was kind of wondering if you could help me alphabetize these folders."

He snorted. "Yes, of course I will help you. Right after I achieve world domination." He turned his heel and started to make his way to the kitchen.

She shuddered. "Don't even joke about that." Tess managed to stop him halfway to the kitchen.

"Come on Michel, please? I already have to finish a ton of other stuff, and I don't want to disappoint Lorelai."

He considered it for a second. "What is in it for me?"

Tess shuffled her feet. "I'll be your best friend..." She sung.

He just stared at her. "What kind of offer is that?" He brushed past her and headed for kitchen door.

Tess had one last move. "Ok then…how 'bout I give you this piece of Sookie's world famous blueberry pie?" she asked, picking it a plate with it from the top of the pile of folders.

Michel almost laughed. "You see this? ", he asked, pointing to the kitchen, "this is the kitchen. There is plenty of pie in here."

Tess grinned triumphantly. "I have the last piece of it.'

He narrowed his eyes. "So what? It is only pie." He said nervously.

"I happen to know that you would kill for a piece of blueberry pie."

Michel frowned. "And how do you know that? You don't seem like stalker material. I mean, I'm not Brad Pitt."

Tess rolled her eyes. "Ain't that the truth. Why would I stalk you? That's way too creepy."

Michel waited impatiently for the answer to his question.

Tess shrugged. "I talk to your mother."

He groaned loudly.

Tess shrugged innocently. "What? Gisele is a lovely woman. And man, does she have some stories about you!"

Michel glared at her. "You are an evil evil little girl". He snatched the plate from her hands and walked behind the desk. He looked at the folders suspiciously.

"What are these?"

"Uh…" she was cut short by the image of Jess in the corner of her eye. Michel noticed at that time as well.

"There is a young hoodlum here to see you." He said, nodding in the direction of Jess.

Tess nodded. "Alphabetize the folders please…I'll be back in a bit." She said quickly, and walked away quickly.

Michel groaned. "Wait! I am not doing these for you!" His cries were ignored. "And once again, I am left with the dirty work" he muttered. "I hate this place" he managed to say through a bite of the pie.

Tess finally reached Jess. She faced him and folded her arms across her chest. Things had been frosty between them, to say the least.

"Jess."

"Teresa."

Tess almost laughed. "The last time I heard someone call me that was when I pushed of the monkey bars and broke your arm in the 4th grade."

Jess' face remained expressionless. "Give this to Lorelai."

Tess took the package cautiously. "What is it?"

"Coffee. Breakfast. She didn't stop by the diner this morning for her usual dose so Luke sent me here with it. It was my good deed of the century. Goodbye."

"Bye." Tess said sarcastically. She figured she should take it to Lorelai before it got cold. She briskly made her way through the Inn, until she reached Lorelai's office door. She knocked on it softly.

"Come in." said the voice inside the office.

Tess walked in, placed the package on Lorelai's table, and took a seat.

"Hey Lorelai."

She finally looked up from whatever she was doing. "Hey kid. What's this?" she asked, pointing to the package on her desk.

"Luke sent some food."

Lorelai giggled. "He's a softie at heart." She eyed Tess curiously. "Is there anything else you wanted?"

Tess sighed and looked at her hands, which were safely in her lap. "Uh, yeah. We need to talk."

Lorelai frowned. "Is there someone else?" she paused. "Wait a second, we're not dating."

Tess laughed despite herself. "It's not that."

Lorelai stared at Tess for what seemed like 10 whole minutes, and promptly began her head on her desk.

Tess looked frightened. "Lorelai, what are you doing?"

She looked up for a second. "You want to quit!"

"No I don't."

Lorelai looked confused. "Then what did I just loose 100 brain cells for?"

Tess shrugged. "You tell me."

Lorelai took a deep breath and shut her eyes. "I have a migraine."

Tess finally mustered up the strength to tell Lorelai what she what she had been thinking for a while.

"Well, here's the thing. I really enjoy working here, but you are very understaffed. Now, normally, I could handle all the work that gets piled on me but I'm on holidays…I'm supposed to be relaxing right? I also realise I'm contradicting myself since I'm the one that wanted the job in the first place…but I didn't realise taking it would make me want to enter early retirement…and I haven't even 'officially' joined the workforce yet!"

Lorelai remained silent. Tess decided to plough on.

"So what I thought was that you could hire someone else to help me. Now, I also also realise that you might not have the funds to do this, but I would gladly give this person half of my salary, and I will totally take care of the actual 'hiring someone' process. It would be a big help if you could allow me to do this…please think about it…you wouldn't have to lift a finger!" she managed to say without taking a breath.

Lorelai sat there for a moment, taking in all the psychobabble she had just heard.

"I think it's a great idea."

A look of relief washed over Tess' face. She jumped up and gave Lorelai a hug…as best as she could from the other side of the desk anyway. "You won't regret this!"

"I sure hope not." Came Lorelai's muffled reply. When Tess finally pulled away Lorelai gave her a big smile and said, "Now be gone lowly employee!"

Tess frowned at her. Lorelai smiled sheepishly.

"I've always wanted to say that."

Tess laughed and walked out of Lorelai's office with a big smile on her face. She intended to go and write up the ad for a new employee immediately, but she saw Michel motioning her over.

"What is it my furry French friend?"

"You are particularly stupid today." Was his response.

"And…?"

He pointed to Rory, who was sitting patiently on the lounge, her face buried in a book. "You may be stupid, but you are also very popular today."

"She's here for me?" she asked, confused.

"Apparently. Frankly…I don't give a damn." Michel said briskly and turned his heel, walking as far away as possible.

Tess walked around the desk and gave Rory a warm smile.

"Hey Rory…you wanted to see me?"

Rory's face popped out of the book. She gave an uneasy smile. "Uh, yeah."

Tess sat on the couch opposite Rory. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to…thank you."

Tess looked mystified. "For what?"

Rory was obviously uncomfortable. "For helping me out last night…you don't even know me that well…it was very sweet of you."

Tess laughed. "Oh, no problem! I was glad to help…I have a wild group of friends back home, we get into situations like that a lot. Except…we know its alcohol. You were just an innocent punch drinker. "

Rory couldn't help but laugh. "Well, thanks anyway. I will never be an innocent punch drinker again. I have the headache of all headaches."

Tess wrinkled her nose. "Hungover huh?"

Rory groaned in response.

"Hey?"

"Yeah?"

Tess glanced at Rory quickly. "If you were to write an advertisement for a job opening…how would you go about it?"

After much discussion and a little compromising, this was the final rough copy of the ad—

Person needed for job opening at The Independence Inn.

Must be intelligent, sociable and a fast typist.

Must be available Monday to Friday, for 2 hours each morning.

This is just a summer job. Applicants please contact us at 555-independance.