Bursting through the front door Rory tripped over the rug and hit the
floor in a cascade of tears. Rushing through the archway Lorelai looked at
her daughter sitting on the floor white as a sheet and crying. "Rory?
What happened? What's wrong?" Lorelai asked squatting next to her
daughter.
Between her gasps for air, Rory tried to tell her mother what happened, "I.was looking..but he found it..and he scared me..and I didn't know what to do.I couldn't move or think.he was there like he never left..I don't understand..what does he want now?"
"Wait, wait, Rory you need to calm down. Come on," Lorelai helped Rory into the living room and sat her on the couch. "Okay now you need to tell me what the hell happened out there and in full sentences so I know who's ass I have to go kick for scaring you like this," Lorelai commanded sitting next to Rory.
Taking a few deep breaths Rory calmed herself and began her explanation over again. "I was looking for my glove and I didn't hear him come up. He had my glove and asked if I was looking for it because he found it and he scared me and I fell. Mom, I just sat there like a complete idiot staring at him. Then I got up and I ran. I didn't know what else to do, I just ran," Rory exclaimed starting to get hysterical again.
"Whoa, whoa, take it easy. Okay so, I just have one question. Who was out there with you Rory?" Lorelai asked already knowing the answer in her heart.
Rory looked up at Lorelai like a deer caught in headlights and sighed, "Jess."
*Meanwhile at Luke's
"Oh what the hell is that," Luke exclaimed coming down the steps from his apartment. Taking in the sight of twinkling lights and the dancing Santa and reindeer he did what he always did in situations involving the Gilmore girls rolled his eyes as he turned on the diner lights. "Oh my god! Where the hell did you come from?!" Luke exclaimed taking notice of Jess sitting at the counter staring at the spectacle outside.
Turning towards his Uncle Jess smirked. "I guess some things never change around here." Jess turned back to the window.
Walking around the counter to stand in front of Jess Luke looked at him. "Okay, let's try this again. This time I'll ask you like a six-year old k, ready? Wwwhhaatt arrre youu ddoing hherre?" Luke asked drawling out every word.
"Wwelll I wwantted tooo sspreadd myy hhollidayy cchheer aaroound, " Jess answered rolling his eyes.
Exasperated Luke stomped his foot on the floor. "Damn it Jess. Can you for once in your life answer a question without being a smartass? Now what the hell are you doing here?
Sighing Jess looked up at the one person in his family that actually seemed to care. "I don't have anywhere else to go," Jess whispered barely audible for Luke to hear him.
Cutting off his next rant Luke looked at his nephew. He looked like a little lost boy and no matter how much Luke wanted to put him out for what happened in the past he knew he couldn't. "Well, what do you want to do? Move back? Because if I remember correctly Jess we've seemed to have this conversation before and you swore last time that you had changed and hey guess what nothing changed." Taking a breath Luke continued, "I want to help you but I can't do it myself, you need to help too. Okay I'm done. So what do you have to say for yourself?"
"I screwed up, okay. That's what I do; I'm the screw up. I went out there because I thought that there was nothing left for me here and you know what I found out? I'm not the screw up Jimmy is. I thought I could have a relationship with my dad cuz you know that's just a crazy idea for a kid to have about their father. Guess I was wrong. So okay I get it now. All the crap that you and Rory were trying to get through to me, I get it now," Jess yelled in frustration as the last of his resolve dropped.
Stunned by the vulnerability in his nephew Luke just stared. "Well nothing changes you still need to finish high school."
"I already did. When Jimmy was out reliving his high school years I took night classes and took the GED test."
"Oh, okay. So you work at the diner till you figure out what you want to do. Take your time whatever no pressure."
"I umm.actually looked into a community college in Hartford. I don't know what for yet but I was just looking," Jess replied with a shrug.
"No it's a good start. Just let me know. So umm.I should probably open up since it's obvious Lorelai and Rory are up. They'll probably be in in a few hours." Turning Luke looked at Jess. "Umm.it may not be a good idea for you to be here before I can tell Lore.. what? Why are you looking at me like that?" Luke asked seeing the pained look come over Jess' features.
"Well umm.I sort of already ran into Rory and it didn't go so well."
"Oh god. What happened?
"She looked like she had seen a ghost and then she ran."
"Oh..oh.oh.not good. I'm surprised Lorelai hasn't come beating down the door yet. You pissed a lot of people off one being her so you may want to lay low for a while until I can warm her up to the idea of you being back."
Sighing Jess looked at his Uncle. "So how long do you think that will take?"
Filling the coffee pot Luke looked over at his nephew. "I probably won't live to see it and you probably won't live that long to see it either."
Dropping his head into his hands Jess muttered "Well that's just great."
Between her gasps for air, Rory tried to tell her mother what happened, "I.was looking..but he found it..and he scared me..and I didn't know what to do.I couldn't move or think.he was there like he never left..I don't understand..what does he want now?"
"Wait, wait, Rory you need to calm down. Come on," Lorelai helped Rory into the living room and sat her on the couch. "Okay now you need to tell me what the hell happened out there and in full sentences so I know who's ass I have to go kick for scaring you like this," Lorelai commanded sitting next to Rory.
Taking a few deep breaths Rory calmed herself and began her explanation over again. "I was looking for my glove and I didn't hear him come up. He had my glove and asked if I was looking for it because he found it and he scared me and I fell. Mom, I just sat there like a complete idiot staring at him. Then I got up and I ran. I didn't know what else to do, I just ran," Rory exclaimed starting to get hysterical again.
"Whoa, whoa, take it easy. Okay so, I just have one question. Who was out there with you Rory?" Lorelai asked already knowing the answer in her heart.
Rory looked up at Lorelai like a deer caught in headlights and sighed, "Jess."
*Meanwhile at Luke's
"Oh what the hell is that," Luke exclaimed coming down the steps from his apartment. Taking in the sight of twinkling lights and the dancing Santa and reindeer he did what he always did in situations involving the Gilmore girls rolled his eyes as he turned on the diner lights. "Oh my god! Where the hell did you come from?!" Luke exclaimed taking notice of Jess sitting at the counter staring at the spectacle outside.
Turning towards his Uncle Jess smirked. "I guess some things never change around here." Jess turned back to the window.
Walking around the counter to stand in front of Jess Luke looked at him. "Okay, let's try this again. This time I'll ask you like a six-year old k, ready? Wwwhhaatt arrre youu ddoing hherre?" Luke asked drawling out every word.
"Wwelll I wwantted tooo sspreadd myy hhollidayy cchheer aaroound, " Jess answered rolling his eyes.
Exasperated Luke stomped his foot on the floor. "Damn it Jess. Can you for once in your life answer a question without being a smartass? Now what the hell are you doing here?
Sighing Jess looked up at the one person in his family that actually seemed to care. "I don't have anywhere else to go," Jess whispered barely audible for Luke to hear him.
Cutting off his next rant Luke looked at his nephew. He looked like a little lost boy and no matter how much Luke wanted to put him out for what happened in the past he knew he couldn't. "Well, what do you want to do? Move back? Because if I remember correctly Jess we've seemed to have this conversation before and you swore last time that you had changed and hey guess what nothing changed." Taking a breath Luke continued, "I want to help you but I can't do it myself, you need to help too. Okay I'm done. So what do you have to say for yourself?"
"I screwed up, okay. That's what I do; I'm the screw up. I went out there because I thought that there was nothing left for me here and you know what I found out? I'm not the screw up Jimmy is. I thought I could have a relationship with my dad cuz you know that's just a crazy idea for a kid to have about their father. Guess I was wrong. So okay I get it now. All the crap that you and Rory were trying to get through to me, I get it now," Jess yelled in frustration as the last of his resolve dropped.
Stunned by the vulnerability in his nephew Luke just stared. "Well nothing changes you still need to finish high school."
"I already did. When Jimmy was out reliving his high school years I took night classes and took the GED test."
"Oh, okay. So you work at the diner till you figure out what you want to do. Take your time whatever no pressure."
"I umm.actually looked into a community college in Hartford. I don't know what for yet but I was just looking," Jess replied with a shrug.
"No it's a good start. Just let me know. So umm.I should probably open up since it's obvious Lorelai and Rory are up. They'll probably be in in a few hours." Turning Luke looked at Jess. "Umm.it may not be a good idea for you to be here before I can tell Lore.. what? Why are you looking at me like that?" Luke asked seeing the pained look come over Jess' features.
"Well umm.I sort of already ran into Rory and it didn't go so well."
"Oh god. What happened?
"She looked like she had seen a ghost and then she ran."
"Oh..oh.oh.not good. I'm surprised Lorelai hasn't come beating down the door yet. You pissed a lot of people off one being her so you may want to lay low for a while until I can warm her up to the idea of you being back."
Sighing Jess looked at his Uncle. "So how long do you think that will take?"
Filling the coffee pot Luke looked over at his nephew. "I probably won't live to see it and you probably won't live that long to see it either."
Dropping his head into his hands Jess muttered "Well that's just great."