Chapter 14
Watching your back
~~~
"Are you serious Rory? That's so cool!" Lane shrieked into the phone later that night, making Rory hold the receiver away from her ear somewhat.
"You sure?" she asked a bit hesitantly.
"Of course I'm sure. I will say I'm a bit surprised but the main thing is you're gonna be there and that's fantastic. And with Jess. Ooh I can't wait!"
"As friends Lane, don't forget that."
"Pooey!"
Rory laughed, "Pooey?"
"Yeah, it was an immediate reaction okay."
"Obviously." She said, still laughing.
"It wasn't that funny Ror."
"Okay, sorry you're right." But she was still grinning.
"This is really cool." Lane said again.
"I thought we'd already established that."
"Well, you must admit this is big news. Almost as big as Skye coming into town - Oh my G-d, she would be perfect!"
It didn't take a rocket scientist to see where Lane was going with this.
"No way Lane, wipe that idea right out of your head! I mean it." She said austerely.
"It was only a thought."
"Keep it that way."
"I will don't worry, so do you know what you're going to wear?"
"I don't know but its gotta be something new."
"Something special for the big night huh?"
"Lane - " she cut in warningly.
"What? I don't see anything wrong with wanting to look your best."
"Even if it's for Jess?"
"Even if it's for Jess, hell what am I saying Rory? Especially if it's for Jess. His caustic disposition doesn't exactly detract from his magnetism, not one iota."
Rory laughed again, a bit shocked but pleasantly so.
"What would your mom say if she could hear you?"
"Are you kidding? I'd be shipped all the way to Korea again, probably on a more permanent basis."
"Probably," she agreed, "So you better not talk to loud 'cause I'd miss you."
"I'd miss you too."
"Good to know."
"Look Ror, I gotta go," she said when her mom called in the background "but I'll talk to you soon okay. And I'm really happy for you."
"Thanks Lane," I'm happy for me too, "Bye."
She was still smiling when she hung up and Lorelai came into her room.
"So what did Lane have to say about the town princess and the city slicker?"
"Mom, cut it out."
"Okay, seriously what did she say?" she asked sitting down.
"She was psyched."
"Wow! What is the world coming to?" Lorelai asked shaking her head but stopped when Rory eyed her wearily.
"Mom you have to admit he's not that bad."
"I'll admit I've warmed to him but only slightly." She stressed, "okay maybe a little more than slightly." She grudgingly confessed.
"See I told you you'd like him if you gave him a chance."
"Whoa pardna! Who said anything about 'like', I never mentioned the word 'like'. 'Like' was not uttered from these delectable lips. At least not in regard to Jess."
"Why does it sound like you're trying hard to convince yourself and that you're not doing a good job?" Rory challenged her.
"How about Chinese food, sound good to you? 'Cause it sure sounds yum to me." Lorelai said dodging the question, leaving Rory shaking her head.
"Don't change the subject. You can't deny it forever!" she called after her mom who'd gone out with the phone, conveniently deciding it was time to place the order.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was after eleven when Jess made his way upstairs to his and Luke's apartment.
The lights were off and the silence deafening so he got a fright when he saw Luke sitting in the dark, seemingly waiting for him.
"Last time I checked we did pay the electricity bill." He said laying his book on the table.
"The dark can be comforting. No leave it off." He said when Jess wanted to put the switch on.
He jerked back, "Okay, if you wanna go all Dracula on me be my guest."
"How gracious of you."
Jess was going to go straight to bed but something about seeing his uncle sitting in the dark got to him.
"You know the darkness has its disconcerting points too. It allows you to focus on all the sadness and bitterness in your soul." He said trying to make light of it.
"So you've spent a lot of time in the dark."
"Yeah, you could say that." In the figurative sense.
He leaned against the doorframe, drawn to the solitary figure across from him, neither of them said a word.
"Where'd you come from?"
He knew Luke expected him to say 'out' but he was trying to make good on a promise to actually make an effort.
"I was with Skye. I told her about Rory and the Ball."
"What'd she say?" he asked, surprise colouring his voice. "You mean after she got over her laughing attack?"
Even in the shadows he could see a faint smile crossed Luke's face and Jess was glad.
"Yeah."
He sat down opposite him.
"She thinks its great." He admitted a bit shyly.
"It is." Luke said looking at him seriously. "But you should be careful."
"I'm not gonna hurt her Luke," he bit out defensively. "What makes you think I have the power to do that anyway?"
"I've been watching you two, the whole town's been watching the two of you. You know the story doing the rounds even back then but especially now is that you're the reason her and Dean broke up."
"That's an awful lot to have credit for, even for me don't ya think?"
"Don't be a wise ass Jess."
"I'm not trying to be. All I'm saying is that people have the wrong end of the stick."
If they only knew he was the one who could be hurt. One look into her beautiful eyes and he was a goner.
Who was gonna look out for him?
"I know. That's why I'm saying be careful."
It dawned on Jess then that maybe someone in this town did have his back after all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Short I know, Sorry!!!! But its more of a filler until the other stuff happens. Don't forget to click on the purple button ;)
Watching your back
~~~
"Are you serious Rory? That's so cool!" Lane shrieked into the phone later that night, making Rory hold the receiver away from her ear somewhat.
"You sure?" she asked a bit hesitantly.
"Of course I'm sure. I will say I'm a bit surprised but the main thing is you're gonna be there and that's fantastic. And with Jess. Ooh I can't wait!"
"As friends Lane, don't forget that."
"Pooey!"
Rory laughed, "Pooey?"
"Yeah, it was an immediate reaction okay."
"Obviously." She said, still laughing.
"It wasn't that funny Ror."
"Okay, sorry you're right." But she was still grinning.
"This is really cool." Lane said again.
"I thought we'd already established that."
"Well, you must admit this is big news. Almost as big as Skye coming into town - Oh my G-d, she would be perfect!"
It didn't take a rocket scientist to see where Lane was going with this.
"No way Lane, wipe that idea right out of your head! I mean it." She said austerely.
"It was only a thought."
"Keep it that way."
"I will don't worry, so do you know what you're going to wear?"
"I don't know but its gotta be something new."
"Something special for the big night huh?"
"Lane - " she cut in warningly.
"What? I don't see anything wrong with wanting to look your best."
"Even if it's for Jess?"
"Even if it's for Jess, hell what am I saying Rory? Especially if it's for Jess. His caustic disposition doesn't exactly detract from his magnetism, not one iota."
Rory laughed again, a bit shocked but pleasantly so.
"What would your mom say if she could hear you?"
"Are you kidding? I'd be shipped all the way to Korea again, probably on a more permanent basis."
"Probably," she agreed, "So you better not talk to loud 'cause I'd miss you."
"I'd miss you too."
"Good to know."
"Look Ror, I gotta go," she said when her mom called in the background "but I'll talk to you soon okay. And I'm really happy for you."
"Thanks Lane," I'm happy for me too, "Bye."
She was still smiling when she hung up and Lorelai came into her room.
"So what did Lane have to say about the town princess and the city slicker?"
"Mom, cut it out."
"Okay, seriously what did she say?" she asked sitting down.
"She was psyched."
"Wow! What is the world coming to?" Lorelai asked shaking her head but stopped when Rory eyed her wearily.
"Mom you have to admit he's not that bad."
"I'll admit I've warmed to him but only slightly." She stressed, "okay maybe a little more than slightly." She grudgingly confessed.
"See I told you you'd like him if you gave him a chance."
"Whoa pardna! Who said anything about 'like', I never mentioned the word 'like'. 'Like' was not uttered from these delectable lips. At least not in regard to Jess."
"Why does it sound like you're trying hard to convince yourself and that you're not doing a good job?" Rory challenged her.
"How about Chinese food, sound good to you? 'Cause it sure sounds yum to me." Lorelai said dodging the question, leaving Rory shaking her head.
"Don't change the subject. You can't deny it forever!" she called after her mom who'd gone out with the phone, conveniently deciding it was time to place the order.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was after eleven when Jess made his way upstairs to his and Luke's apartment.
The lights were off and the silence deafening so he got a fright when he saw Luke sitting in the dark, seemingly waiting for him.
"Last time I checked we did pay the electricity bill." He said laying his book on the table.
"The dark can be comforting. No leave it off." He said when Jess wanted to put the switch on.
He jerked back, "Okay, if you wanna go all Dracula on me be my guest."
"How gracious of you."
Jess was going to go straight to bed but something about seeing his uncle sitting in the dark got to him.
"You know the darkness has its disconcerting points too. It allows you to focus on all the sadness and bitterness in your soul." He said trying to make light of it.
"So you've spent a lot of time in the dark."
"Yeah, you could say that." In the figurative sense.
He leaned against the doorframe, drawn to the solitary figure across from him, neither of them said a word.
"Where'd you come from?"
He knew Luke expected him to say 'out' but he was trying to make good on a promise to actually make an effort.
"I was with Skye. I told her about Rory and the Ball."
"What'd she say?" he asked, surprise colouring his voice. "You mean after she got over her laughing attack?"
Even in the shadows he could see a faint smile crossed Luke's face and Jess was glad.
"Yeah."
He sat down opposite him.
"She thinks its great." He admitted a bit shyly.
"It is." Luke said looking at him seriously. "But you should be careful."
"I'm not gonna hurt her Luke," he bit out defensively. "What makes you think I have the power to do that anyway?"
"I've been watching you two, the whole town's been watching the two of you. You know the story doing the rounds even back then but especially now is that you're the reason her and Dean broke up."
"That's an awful lot to have credit for, even for me don't ya think?"
"Don't be a wise ass Jess."
"I'm not trying to be. All I'm saying is that people have the wrong end of the stick."
If they only knew he was the one who could be hurt. One look into her beautiful eyes and he was a goner.
Who was gonna look out for him?
"I know. That's why I'm saying be careful."
It dawned on Jess then that maybe someone in this town did have his back after all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Short I know, Sorry!!!! But its more of a filler until the other stuff happens. Don't forget to click on the purple button ;)
