A/N: Thanks for the reviews, please keep them coming . otherwise I won't be motivated to continue. Tempting Fate: thanks for the suggestion, hope this makes reading easier.
Chapter 2
Hello Stranger

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The Independence Inn, it was cool - in that small town, everyone knows everyone else's business kinda way. okay so maybe the last part wasn't such a good thing.
She'd had to dodge a whole lot of questions and she'd only been here a night.
Then again she couldn't really blame the townsfolk, she wasn't exactly dressed like any of them and even though the look suited her profession just perfectly, here she stood out like a sore thumb.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lorelai was enjoying her dream when she felt cold air on her legs. She opened her eyes to find Rory fanning the duvet cover.

"Up please."

"Leave me alone." She turned onto her side, hoping she would take the hint.

"Come on Mom." More fanning.

"Rory do know what time it is?"

"Time for coffee." This caught Lorelai's attention.

"At Luke's?"

"Indubitably."

"Well aren't you just a regular Einstein?" she asked as she swung her legs over the bed.

"Its in the genes." Rory grinned.

"Aah flattery will get you everywhere." She playfully swatted her daughter's bottom.

Twenty minutes later they were on their way and Rory was skipping next to a grumpier Lorelai.

"So what gives?" she asked Rory.

"What do you mean?"

"It's 07:45 on a Saturday freakin' morning and you haven't had any coffee and yet you're jumping around, smiling like an idiot."

"Mom!"

"Did you have caffeine from a secret stash or something?"

"No."

"Then what's the reason?"

"There's no reason Mom, I just woke up this way that's all."

"Sure." Lorelai shook her head disbelievingly.

Something was up with Rory but she knew she'd spill when she was ready. Lorelai just hoped she didn't have to wait too long.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I told you Taylor I didn't take the sign off the wall!"

"But you were placed in the vicinity by eye witnesses." The old man stood shaking his finger at Jess. Real scary stuff.

He had been getting the third degree for the last ten minutes but it felt more like a lifetime. It was times like these that he wished he were back in NY. 'Cause if you did something wrong, people didn't give a crap.

Taylor was still laying into him when Rory and Lorelai walked in a couple of minutes later and he rolled his eyes at her. She stifled a laugh as she walked up to the counter to order the coffee while Lorelai sat at a table.

That gave him idea, time to spice things up a little. He had nothing to lose right? Taylor already thought he did it (which he did but what the hey) but with this idea of his he could see whether Rory really meant it when she said that she would be his friend.

"That's not possible Taylor." He said calmly.

"Why not?"

"I was with . I was with Rory last night." He winked at her, loving the look of absolute shock on her face.

"Um yeah, I was . I mean he was. We watched movies and stuff." She shot him a look of incredulity. "Taylor, Jess couldn't have done whatever you think he did." Well, well she sounded so sincere. Jess was actually really impressed with her performance.

Apparently so was Taylor 'cause he shook his head and left, mumbling on the way out.

Jess turned to Rory, "Did you see that? He left without so much as an apology."

Rory sighed, "What did you do?"

"What makes you think I did anything?"

"Jess! I just lied for you the least you can do is tell me what I lied about."

He put his hands up in surrender. "Okay, if you must know I just took a sign off the wall."

"A sign?"

"Yeah, a sign Rory. You know one of those board thingies with various types of writing on them which people use for display purposes."

"I know what a sign is."

"Good to know. Look can I get you anything or did you just come here for my scintillating company?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, causing a faint blush to colour Rory's cheeks.

"Two coffees, a bagel and an omelette." She said pointedly ignoring his last remark.

"That all?"

"Yeah, what else you offering?" Jess found himself on the receiving end of a look-over and he suddenly felt very hot. But then logic set in and he realised she was just paying him for putting her on the spot with Taylor. Damn!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was with Rory last night.

The words played in her mind over and over, the implications of those simple words brought thoughts to mind that she hadn't thought capable for herself. It never once crossed her mind when she with Dean.

[But you're not with him now are you?]

What else you offering?

She felt like her face was on fire when she finally sat down opposite her mom. What on earth had she been thinking? He probably thinks I'm a total idiot.

And why shouldn't he, she was not in the habit of ogling eyes, especially not in the middle of the diner for goodness sake!

"Are you okay?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah, sure."

It struck her then, she had lied to Taylor. For Jess. Why? What's wrong with me? I am an accomplice to his crimes. Jess and Rory crime duo of Stars Hollow. Oh my gosh. She had to stop this; she was panicking for no reason.

Besides it was called casual flirting, it meant nothing, she'd only retaliated because she had wanted to pay him pack for that stint with Taylor. Yes, that's exactly what happened. She kept telling herself that but her heart was saying something else entirely.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was just after 9 o'clock when Jess felt it again, the same feeling as yesterday.

He had just turned to clean up behind the toaster when he heard the chimes, indicating someone entering the diner. The feeling intensified but he didn't know what it meant exactly until he heard:

"What's a girl gotta do to get some lovin' around here Mariano?"

His head whipped around so fast, he felt dizzy. What he saw caused him to gape in shock.

"Oh my G-d!"

TBC. (more reviews = more chapters!)

A/N: I know this probably really sucks right? The whole Jess/Rory/Taylor part especially but I wasn't quite feeling that moment. I'd appreciate your comments anyway. Do you guys think the mystery person is good thing or bad thing? Let me know!!