Author: JavaJunkieAngel

Title: Down To You

Summary: When a new guy comes to Stars Hollow, he hits things off with Lorelai. They seem like the perfect couple, and Luke is happy for them. Ha! Yeah right.

Pairings: L/L L/D (undertones) R/J (a little bit) L/?

Spoilers: Yeah just some I hope they don't ruin the story. It's only like a couple for like episodes 18 and 19.

Author's Note: Thanks to all the people that gave me comments so far, you guys rock! Here's the next chapter, and Rory and Jess are in this one - yay! A Lane and Dave relationship is going to be later in the story.
* * *

The next day, Rory and Lorelai were walking to Luke's when Taylor's Soda Shop sign fell right in front of them. Luckily no one got hurt, but Lorelai did get mad.

"Taylor!" she yelled

"Sorry, just a minor technicality."

"Sorry? You say sorry after a huge sign fell and almost killed us?" Lorelai asked

"Mom, it's okay." Rory said trying to calm her mother down. They continued walking and opened the door to Luke's. They sat down, Luke came over to their table and just as he was going to ask them what they wanted Lorelai blurted out, "I almost got killed."

Luke stood there, confused. Rory noticed this and explained, "One of Taylor's signs for the soda shop fell right in front of us while we were walking."

"Ah, and the part where she thinks she cheated death comes in?" Luke answered

"Sometime between the sign falling and when we came in."

"Okay, well what do you want to eat?" Luke asked

"What? That's all you're going to say? Not something like 'Gee Lorelai it's a shame that you almost died'"

"First of all I don't say 'gee'. Second of all it was an accident so technically you didn't cheat death, one of Taylor's construction guys probably accidentally dropped it or something."

"So, you don't care about me?" Lorelai asked

"Um-well yeah, I do care about you since you are my friend a good friend that I've know for um-a long time. So Rory what can I get you?"

"Well nothing since my bus is already here. Bye mom, Luke." Rory said heading out the door.

"So, what will you have?" Luke asked to Lorelai

"Um, nothing yet since I'm meeting someone here, but in the mean time a nice big cup of coffee would make me feel a lot better about the fact that you don't care about me."

"Okay, I'll get your coffee and I didn't say that I didn't care about you."

"Yes, you did."

"No, I didn't. What I said was that I did care about you okay? If you don't mind I'd like to get back to serving customers and end this strange conversation." Luke said walking away from the table. A couple of moments later, Jess walked down the stairs to the diner. He looked tired and stressed out. He went behind the counter and poured himself a cup of coffee. Luke came out from the kitchen and was surprised to see him. "What are you doing?" he asked Jess.

"Getting coffee." Jess said in a sleepy tone.

"Shouldn't you be in school?"

"What's the point? I'm not graduating anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean when I when I went to buy a prom ticket, the stupid guy told me the prom is for graduating seniors only. Are you done asking me questions or do I have to keep on standing here before you realize that I don't want to talk."

Luke just stared at him blankly before continuing his walk to Lorelai's table. He sighed and gave Lorelai pancakes and coffee. "I didn't order the pancakes." Lorelai said.

"You're going to be hungry waiting." Luke said stubbornly.

"So, how did your little episode with Jess go?" Lorelai asked digging in to the pancakes. Luke sat down next to her and replied, "He's not graduating and even though he's not admitting it I know he's upset."

"Oh, well I thought you kind of knew he wasn't graduating."

"What do you mean?"

"Well he never goes to school and when he is he's causing trouble."

"Yeah I know but Liz called the other night and she sounded so happy that Jess was graduating and that she needed to know when the ceremony was so she can make arrangements and be there."

"Oh, well what did you tell her?"

"That I didn't know and when I did know I'll call her."

Lorelai didn't know what to or say. She could tell that Luke seemed upset that Jess wasn't graduating because he didn't want his nephew to be a failure, especially since Rory's graduation was coming up. "Don't worry you'll figure something, in the mean time I hate to say this but don't be so hard on Jess. I mean it's hard for him to adjust and start a new school and graduate and expect to do all of that and maintain time for a girlfriend." Lorelai added. She sighed, 'Wow that was the most I've ever said about Jess.' She thought.

"Wow, I think that's the most you've ever said about Jess." Luke said. Lorelai looked at him, "That was what I was just thinking. Freaky." Lorelai commented. Luke left the table and then Charlie came in the diner. He was wearing a suit and tie, 'Probably having to do some teacher thing.' Lorelai thought as he came walking towards the table.

"Hey." Lorelai said as Charlie sat down.

"So, you started without me?" Charlie said laughing when he saw Lorelai was eating pancakes.

"Oh, I got hungry and - and" Lorelai started.

"No, I was just joking." Charlie finished as he sat down next to Lorelai. Luke walked towards Lorelai's table and stopped when he saw who Lorelai was waiting for, Charlie. 'I can't believe that he's the one she's waiting for. I mean they only met yesterday and already they're acting like a couple.' Luke's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Lorelai's voice. "Luke!"

"Yeah?" Luke called. He walked over to her table and tried to not look at Charlie and Lorelai.

"Another order of coffee and pancakes please."

"Okay, and you?" Luke asked to Charlie.

"Um, bacon and eggs with toast please."

Luke wrote down the orders and went into the kitchen.

Meanwhile in Chilton, Rory was sitting in class when the teacher announced, "The school will hold another essay contest, since the one that was held for the bicentennial didn't go quite as planned." The teacher started, "The subject will be on graduating and expectations. This contest will also give the headmaster a better look on who should be the valedictorian based on the quality on the essay and the student." The bell rang and everyone stood up to leave. Paris and Rory walked out together, somehow Paris seemed mad.

"I can't believe she mentioned the bicentennial mishap. I mean that was a long time ago and she just had to mention it for the entire class to remember. I mean it's not like I did anything to her do humiliate her or anything. Those idiots at the Harvard admissions don't know what I did just to get in. I worked my butt off day after day and they still didn't accept me. " Paris said.

"I agree, total idiots." Rory said, trying not to mention that she got into Harvard.

"So what about you?" Paris said she stopped walking and faced Rory.

"What about me?" Rory asked

"Did you get into Harvard?"

"Um - well."

"Well did you?"

"Well, I sort of did."

"What do you mean you sort of did? No one sort of gets into Harvard."

"Paris I don't really want to talk about this." Rory said walking away.

* * *

"Hey." Rory said to Jess at the bus stop. He looked up from his book, stood up and pulled Rory for a kiss. "Hi." Jess responded after they broke apart.

"Do you like the book?" Rory asked. "It's confusing and I hate how the author writes about the Great Depression."

"Yes, but it's also a good book and it's by one of my favorite authors."

"I'll look at it again."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

They leaned in for a kiss and shared a passionate one for about another minute. Rory stood up and so did Jess they headed for the diner and saw that Lorelai was already there.

"I wonder why you waste time by telling us that coffee is bad for us and red meat can kill us." Lorelai asked Luke.

"Well maybe because coffee is bad and that red meat can kill you."

"Yeah well you stay fit, eat well, and die anyway." Lorelai said smiling.

"I never really thought of it that way. Nice quote."

"Hey mom." Rory said to Lorelai.

"Hey sweets."

"How was your day?"

"Same old same old."

"Oh."

"What about you?"

"Paris knows that I got into Harvard."

"Oh, you told her?"

"No, she brought it up and I didn't know what to say, and she figured it out."

"Hope she's taking it well."

"You and me both."
A/N: Wow, long chapter. The book that Jess and Rory were talking about was a fake book just something that I thought of while writing this. The quote that Lorelai told Luke -- eat well, stay fit and die anyway was my friend's. Reviews will be nice! LOL