Security Cameras and a New Daddy

~*~

Rory had stayed up all night long trying to figure out what she could do to make Luke believe that Jess didn't steal the money.  She had a lot of trouble figuring out something, but finally came up with an idea.  She was going to see if Luke had any security cameras outside the diner, or even inside.  If he didn't, she didn't know what she would do.

~*~

"Mom!  I'm going to Luke's!" Rory yelled to her sleeping mother upstairs.

Lorelei woke up tiredly and looked at the clock.  "Rory, are you ok?  It's only 6:30!  And you don't even have to go to school!" Lorelei yelled back down in a tired voice.

"I know, but I couldn't sleep, and I really need coffee."

"That's my girl.  When you can't sleep you get coffee.  You make perfect since, just like your dear old mother.  And to say, people call us crazy!  How dare they."

"I know!  Well, I meet you at Luke's around 10:00.  You should have plenty of time to get ready by then.  Bye!"  and then Rory was out the door.  Sure, she didn't want to go because she couldn't get sleep; she wanted to go because Jess was suppose to be leaving early.  She didn't know how early though.  She hoped he didn't leave yet.

~*~

Rory walked into the diner at 6:40 in the morning.  No one else was there yet.  They must have just opened, Rory thought.

"You're here early," Luke said coming out from the kitchen, "Where is Lorelei?"

"She's sleeping.  Look, I need to ask you something."

"Shoot."

"Do you have any security cameras?"

"Yeah… why?" Luke asked curiously.

"Because you have made a HUGE mistake.  Jess didn't steal the money, Dean did."

"What?  How do you know?"

"I saw Dean come out of your side door and walk off into the alley.  Then Jess said that you called him a thief and said he was going back to NY because you couldn't handle him, and couldn't trust him.  He was really upset too.  I need to show you the security cameras, Luke.  I swear to you Jess had nothing to do with the money.  He was framed!" Rory said, desperately trying to get Luke to believe her.

"Ok, they are over here."  Luke went to the cameras that were hidden very well.

"No wonder I've never noticed them before.  They are like completely hidden," Rory said as Luke showed her the cameras.

"Yeah, I didn't really want people to know they were there because people can sometimes do something to them that makes them not work, you know what I mean?"

"Yeah," Rory replied.  Luke got the tape out of the camera and they went upstairs to put it in the VCR.  They watched it for a while and saw a whole bunch of stuff.  Miss Patty was stuffing salt and pepper shakers down her dress, which made Luke angry, and they saw Kirk pick his nose.

"Eww!  Luke, you should have a 'No picking your nose in my diner' sign.  That is just plain disgusting!" Rory exclaimed.  They fast forded a little and then stopped where Luke and Lorelei were heavily making out by the counter.

"Ooo Luke!  I didn't know you had it in ya!" Rory joked.

"Umm, we can keep fast fording a little bit more," Luke blushed.  They finally got to the part where Lorelei and Luke went outside.  They stopped fast fording and watched.  About that time they saw Dean come through the back door and head over to the cash register.  He took out a  whole bunch of money and the quickly left.

"I cannot believe it.  Jess really is innocent," Luke said, feeling very bad about everything he said to Jess.

"Yeah, wait a minute.  Where is Jess?"

"Oh no.  He left like one minute before you got here.  Hopefully he's still at the bus stop!" Luke exclaimed jumping up and running toward the door.

"Oh no!" Rory yelled as she ran downstairs right after Luke.  "What time was his bus supposed to leave?"  Rory asked as they ran down the street toward the bus stop.

"At 7:00" Luke answered.  Rory looked at her watch.  6:58.  She ran as fast as she could hoping that the bus would be late.  When they got there they saw Jess getting onto the bus.

"Jess!  Stop!" Rory screamed.  He turned around to find the owner of the voice.  He saw Rory and immediately ran over to her, dropping his bags on the sidewalk.  He picked her up and spun her around while hugging her.

"You made it!" He said after letting her back onto the ground.

"Of course!  I wouldn't let you leave!"  Rory said, tears in her eyes, happy tears of course.

"Sorry to break up this little moment, but I think I owe you an apology, Jess.  I am sorry for everything I said to you, for making you almost go back to NY, and most importantly, not trusting you.  Please forgive me."  Luke said.

"Your forgiven as long as you let me move back in with you."

"Of course.  Now come one you two.  Let's go back to the diner.  No one is watching it."  When they got back Lorelei was already there playing waitress.

"It's only 7:15.  I thought we were going to meet at 10:00."  Rory said confused.

"Well, we were, but I couldn't go back to sleep so decided to go ahead and follow my crazy daughter here, but when I got here there was no crazy daughter, no diner man, and no diner boy!  So of course, the first thing that popped into my mind, being such the worried mother that I am, is WAITRESS!!!  Hehe," Lorelei said as she went over to everyone.

"Your mom is one strange lady," Jess whispered to Rory.

"I heard that bucko." Lorelei said.  Luke went and yelled at everyone that was in the diner, besides Rory, Lorelei, Jess, and himself, to get out.  When everyone was gone he got Rory and Lorelei coffee and they all sat down in a booth.  They informed Lorelei on everything that happened and she was very shocked to find out what Dean did.  Then Rory told Lorelei and Jess everything that she and Luke saw on the security camera.

"Kirk was picking his nose?" Lorelei asked.

"Mmm hmm.  It was very gross mommy.  My poor little eyes will never be the same," Rory said like a little girl.

"Poor baby!  How could you let her watch something like that Luke?" Lorelei asked jokingly.

"I, she, I didn't know-"

"I was just kidding Luke! Haha joke!" Lorelei said.

"Oh, I know," Luke replied, blushing.

"So… Is Luke going to be my new daddy anytime soon?" Rory suddenly asked out of the blue.

"What?" Luke and Lorelei asked simultaneously.

"Well, from the looks of the security tape, you guys look pretty serious." She answered.

"Well, we haven't really thought about it.  I mean, we've only been going out for a couple of weeks," Luke said.

"You sound like you are considering it," Jess said, getting interested in the conversation.

"Well, maybe in the future.  Not the near future or anything."

"When were you going to discuss this with me?" Lorelei asked suspiciously.

"Oh, I don't know.  I don't even know what I'm saying.  Let's just talk about something else."

"Ok," Everyone replied.

~*~

A/N- ok…. This was a weird chapter and its ending was abrupt, but I promise I know what I'm doing!  Please Review!