A/N: I am trying to try my best to make this chapter a bit longer. Thank you for the reviews people.

Chapter 6

Musings and Maybe's

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Lane was walking to school when she heard someone call her name. She turned to see Jess running to catch up with her.

"Hi Lane."

"Morning Jess." She smiled.

They walked in silence for a bit but then Jess stopped suddenly. She looked at him questioningly.

"What's up?"

"It's about the weekend."

"Can you be a bit more specific?"

"I'm asking you as a favour to me, not that I'm worthy of any, but will you please not let anyone know that Skye is here?"

"Why?"

"She came here for respite and people hounding her won't exactly allow her to enjoy some quiet time will it!"

Lane stared at him.

"What?" he asked her.

"It's just that you actually have knowledge of the English language."

"You doubted this?"

"Can you blame me? Most of your 'complete' sentences consist of 'huh' or 'mmm'"

"I assure you I may not know the English lexis but my vocabulary isn't mediocre."

"Lexis?"

"You know, all the words in a language?"

"Yeah I get that, I just - "

"Didn't think I did." He finished for her.

Lane was starting to feel decidedly uncomfortable.

"Never mind all that okay. I just need to know - will you?"

She was contemplating letting him sweat it out a little but changed her mind when she saw the fierce determination in his eyes. It was the look of a person who'd do anything for someone they cared about. She'd seen it before, when he looked at Rory.

"Sure I will. It'll be fun, not to mention an immense challenge in this town, to keep it between us."

She saw the relief relax his features.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

And with that they made their way to Stars Hollow High to face another Monday. Lane couldn't help but be surprised, she and Jess hardly ever spoke to each other and she's always categorised him as trouble like the rest of the town even though Rory had always said there was more to him. Now she was beginning to wonder if maybe, she had been too hasty in casting him off as no good.

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

Luke was busy in the diner as per any usual Monday when Taylor and Kirk came strolling in.

He mentally prepared himself for some attack on him, or the diner, or Jess or all three.

Turned out to be about Jess.

"Luke a serious matter has been brought to our attention."

"Oh boy." He rolled his eyes.

"Don't roll your eyes Mr Danes, this concerns the whole town and is almost frightening in its severity!"

"Doesn't it always? Isn't it always?" he asked sarcastically as he continued serving customers.

Taylor cleared his throat.

"Anyway, it seems as if we have a temporary resident here in Stars Hollow, who to the best of our knowledge, would not be here if it weren't for your nephew."

So this was actually about Skye.

"So what, now its against Stars Hollow legislation for any of us to get out of town visitors? Is that what you're saying Taylor? . What about Rune or Miss Patty's friend or come to think of it, your brother's brother in law?"

"Now Luke calm down." Kirk added, who hadn't said a word until now.

Luke slammed the coffee pot onto the counter, unknowingly making Kirk decide to keep his mouth shut for the remainder of the conversation.

"We're not saying one cannot have visitors Luke, we're simply saying the type of guests which one may receive may be a bit problematic."

"Have you even seen the 'temporary resident'?"

This question caused Taylor to falter.

"Um, no but from what I've heard she's not the most savoury of characters."

"From what you've heard?" Geez Taylor."

"We're only trying to keep Stars Hollow the way it is."

"Change isn't necessary a bad thing."

"This from the man who only recently gave the diner a spruce over?"

"Get to the point Taylor and fast."

"We don't want the townsfolk thinking we accept these ruffians coming in and destroying what we as a community have built. We do not want to turn our town into reprobate central."

"Reprobate central? Get out!" Luke couldn't help taking this as a personal attack on Jess. And Skye had done nothing wrong, she did not deserve this attitude.

"What?"

"Get the hell out!"

"Well I never, come on Kirk. We're obviously not welcome here."

Taylor and Kirk turned around and only then realised that they had an audience - the temporary resident.

"Oh geez." Luke said when he realised she must have heard most of the conversation.

To her credit though she didn't look the least bit intimidated. Taylor and Kirk, on the other hand looked as if they were caught with their hands in the proverbial cookie jar.

"What? I'm not contagious you know." She told the two men. "But just to be on the safe side you better get out of here. I hear if you stand in the company of a reprobate too long, they start rubbing off on you."

Luke couldn't hold back a chuckle. The girl sure had spunk.

His chuckle turned to laughter as he watched Taylor and Kirk scurry out of the diner.

He watched as she sat down at the counter. She looked a bit more presentable, by town standards, today. Her multi-coloured hair was covered partly by a beanie and she had on a hooded top.

"What can I get you?"

"A coffee and a bagel please."

"Coming right up."

After he brought her order he stood to the side watching her. She looked up at him.

"You don't have to keep me company you know. You don't strike me as a man who specialises in idle chit chat anyway."

"I don't. And I wasn't intending on keeping you company. I just wanted to say sorry."

"For what?" she sipped on her coffee.

"For what you heard, um for what they said." He said uncomfortably.

"I'm fine. I mean I'm only passing through so to speak. Its Jess I'm worried about. He'll always be judged but he's not as bad as people make him out to be."

Luke looked at Skye in a mixture of shock and respect.

"That's 'cause he's always doing things around here to press their buttons instead of leaving them alone."

Skye put down her cup and looked at Luke seriously.

"You're his uncle, you know what crap he had to go through back in New York and you know why he's really here. Partly 'cause Liz doesn't want him back there. You can try to cover it up but he knows and it hurts him. He's only human after all."

"I am trying."

He didn't know why he felt the need to explain himself to a seventeen-year- old girl who he'd only met two days ago. Maybe it was because she was the only real link he had with Jess, a way to find out what was going on in his mind. Jess sure as hell wasn't going to volunteer the information.

"I can see that." She drained her cup and stood up, leaving a couple of bills on the counter.

"Thanks for breakfast. Great coffee."

She was almost out the door when she turned around, "Luke?"

"Yeah."

"Jess - he's used to putting up a front, for protection. Just try to remember that okay."

"Okay."

She nodded and left. Leaving Luke with a lot to think about.

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

Rory sat under a tree during lunchtime; she didn't feel like talking to Paris, Louise or Madeline, to anyone for that matter.

She took out the CD and popped it into her Discman, skipping to track 12 - 'Bittersweet Surrender'.

//Trying to hold back From what we both know Two souls entwined Can we let go? The pain might be too strong For us to ever go on

Tears flowing from me to you We only have one night Will it ever be enough To see us through Bittersweet Surrender Will the pleasure be worth the tomorrows Of hiding the sorrows//

Rory switched if off again. She'd thought she could deal with the emotions the lyrics evoked in the light of day but she was wrong.

If anything they seemed more poignant.

It scared her, knowing that the music could touch her this way. Not just any music - Skye's music. She slipped the cover out of its holder, reading the credits.

12. Bittersweet Surrender Written by S Matthews and J Mari Produced by S Matthews and Kaleidoscope Recorded at Java Studios NYC.

She skimmed the other songs and came across the name, J Mari on three other songs. Probably a songwriter friend, she dismissed, not knowing why she'd expressed an interest in the first place.

She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the tree, letting the sunshine wash over her. She felt herself relax marginally but she couldn't shake the need to know what Skye had gone through or felt to have been able to write such compositions.

Rory promised herself that from now on she would make a concerted effort to get to know Skye better because maybe, just maybe she's the key to figuring Jess out.

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

A/N: Okay this one is slightly longer than the rest but hey at least I'm trying! Please let me know if you still want me to continue.