~Luke's~
Meanwhile... Jess was sitting on his bed reading and listening to Tool when Luke walked in (well busted in is more like it), "What the hell is the matter with you?"
Jess looked up at his uncle with a bewildered expression on his face, "Excuse me?"
"Rory practically just ran out of MY diner in tears, care to explain?" Luke was almost yelling.
Jess hated it when Luke yelled like this, it had always reminded him of his mom before he moved out, "It's always my fault isn't it?" He laughed bitterly.
Luke's face softened when he saw the sadness in Jess' eyes. He didn't know what to say, "What...uh...what happened?"
Jess was avoiding eye contact, "Nothing."
Luke nodded, not wanting to pry at what was obviously a sore subject, "Okay." He stood there for a second not saying anything, "Maybe you should talk to her, I mean it's obvious she's upset too."
Jess, who was still not making eye contact, just shook his head, "I can't."
"Okay." Luke said, taking the hint and walking out without saying anything else.
~Luke's diner (a week later)~
"Jess I need you to run to Doose's and get some things." Luke said handing Jess a list and some money.
Jess shook his head and pushed the list and money back to Luke, "I'll stay here, you go."
Luke handed the money and the list back to Jess, "I'm cooking back here." He said, pointing to the grill with about four orders on it, "Hurry up." He ordered, turning back to the grill.
Jess rolled his eyes and did as he was told. When he got to the store he tried to avoid any contact with the lousy help they had there and get out as quick as he could. But he wasn't lucky enough to just avoid Dean all together, in fact when he turned around he nearly slammed right into him, "Geez."
Dean just stared at him and stood in his way.
Jess huffed and looked around for another way out, when he turned around to go the other way Dean spoke up, "She's missed me you know."
Jess stopped dead in his tracks and was clenching his jaw (and fists).
"Oh come on don't act all surprised, you knew it was coming."
'That's it.' He thought to himself as he turned around and landed his fist right in Dean's jaw.
Dean landed on his butt in the aisle looking up it jess in amazement.
"Don't act all surprised, you knew it was coming." Jess said, standing over him. He laughed mockingly before turning to walk out of the store.
Dean jumped to his feet and followed Jess out the door, "You think that's it? One bitch slap and you've won?"
Jess turned to face him, "Well that 'bitch slap' sure did land your ass in the floor."
Dean scoffed, "You think you're so tough don't you? The New York projects make you a tough guy? Your parents couldn't afford to take care of you so they move you here to Stars Hollow where you feel like the big tough city guy?"
"Dean stop it!" Came a female voice from behind the small crowd that had already started to gather.
Dean turned around and saw Rory staring at him with a look of disgust on her face, "Rory I..."
She shook her head, "You can't just leave something alone can you? You just have to beat a dead horse just so you'll have something to amuse you and I'm sick of it!" She was now only a foot or so away from him, yelling in his face, "You don't know anything about Jess or why he's here so just shut up." And with that she turned around and looked over at Jess.
Jess looked at her for a second and then averted eye contact.
"What in Heaven's name is going on out here?" Taylor asked, walking out of the store.
Dean, who was still staring a hole in Jess, replied, "Nothing."
Taylor nodded in satisfaction, "Good, let's get back to work." He said, putting his hand on Dean's shoulder and pulling him back inside the store.
The crowd started to dwindle down and soon it was just Jess and Rory standing between Doose's and Luke's, "I'm sorry for getting involved like that." She said, finally breaking the awkward silence.
Jess was looking down at the ground, he wasn't saying anything.
The little hope that had been in Rory's eyes disappeared as she sighed and turned to walk back in the other direction.
Jess stood there for a second not knowing what to do, he couldn't look up into her eyes because his were filling up with tears. He took a deep breath before he finally spoke, "Thanks."
Rory turned around, tears forming in her own eyes as well, he still wouldn't look at her. She stood there, about ten feet away from him, and waited for him to say something.
He took another deep breath and looked up into her eyes, "Not many people would have done that for me."
She forced a weak smile and nodded, "He was being a jerk."
"Yeah well that's what he does best." He said sarcastically.
Rory's face turned more serous, "Listen Jess, I'm sorry for..."
Jess shook his head, "Let's not do this now."
She nodded, knowing that if he wanted to talk about it he would find her, he always had in the past, "Okay." She turned again to walk away.
"Do you want some coffee or something?" He asked.
"I think I could handle a cup or two." She said, hoping this wouldn't turn out like the last time they had talked.
AN: Well what do you think so far? I hope you guys are liking it :) REVIEW!!!
Meanwhile... Jess was sitting on his bed reading and listening to Tool when Luke walked in (well busted in is more like it), "What the hell is the matter with you?"
Jess looked up at his uncle with a bewildered expression on his face, "Excuse me?"
"Rory practically just ran out of MY diner in tears, care to explain?" Luke was almost yelling.
Jess hated it when Luke yelled like this, it had always reminded him of his mom before he moved out, "It's always my fault isn't it?" He laughed bitterly.
Luke's face softened when he saw the sadness in Jess' eyes. He didn't know what to say, "What...uh...what happened?"
Jess was avoiding eye contact, "Nothing."
Luke nodded, not wanting to pry at what was obviously a sore subject, "Okay." He stood there for a second not saying anything, "Maybe you should talk to her, I mean it's obvious she's upset too."
Jess, who was still not making eye contact, just shook his head, "I can't."
"Okay." Luke said, taking the hint and walking out without saying anything else.
~Luke's diner (a week later)~
"Jess I need you to run to Doose's and get some things." Luke said handing Jess a list and some money.
Jess shook his head and pushed the list and money back to Luke, "I'll stay here, you go."
Luke handed the money and the list back to Jess, "I'm cooking back here." He said, pointing to the grill with about four orders on it, "Hurry up." He ordered, turning back to the grill.
Jess rolled his eyes and did as he was told. When he got to the store he tried to avoid any contact with the lousy help they had there and get out as quick as he could. But he wasn't lucky enough to just avoid Dean all together, in fact when he turned around he nearly slammed right into him, "Geez."
Dean just stared at him and stood in his way.
Jess huffed and looked around for another way out, when he turned around to go the other way Dean spoke up, "She's missed me you know."
Jess stopped dead in his tracks and was clenching his jaw (and fists).
"Oh come on don't act all surprised, you knew it was coming."
'That's it.' He thought to himself as he turned around and landed his fist right in Dean's jaw.
Dean landed on his butt in the aisle looking up it jess in amazement.
"Don't act all surprised, you knew it was coming." Jess said, standing over him. He laughed mockingly before turning to walk out of the store.
Dean jumped to his feet and followed Jess out the door, "You think that's it? One bitch slap and you've won?"
Jess turned to face him, "Well that 'bitch slap' sure did land your ass in the floor."
Dean scoffed, "You think you're so tough don't you? The New York projects make you a tough guy? Your parents couldn't afford to take care of you so they move you here to Stars Hollow where you feel like the big tough city guy?"
"Dean stop it!" Came a female voice from behind the small crowd that had already started to gather.
Dean turned around and saw Rory staring at him with a look of disgust on her face, "Rory I..."
She shook her head, "You can't just leave something alone can you? You just have to beat a dead horse just so you'll have something to amuse you and I'm sick of it!" She was now only a foot or so away from him, yelling in his face, "You don't know anything about Jess or why he's here so just shut up." And with that she turned around and looked over at Jess.
Jess looked at her for a second and then averted eye contact.
"What in Heaven's name is going on out here?" Taylor asked, walking out of the store.
Dean, who was still staring a hole in Jess, replied, "Nothing."
Taylor nodded in satisfaction, "Good, let's get back to work." He said, putting his hand on Dean's shoulder and pulling him back inside the store.
The crowd started to dwindle down and soon it was just Jess and Rory standing between Doose's and Luke's, "I'm sorry for getting involved like that." She said, finally breaking the awkward silence.
Jess was looking down at the ground, he wasn't saying anything.
The little hope that had been in Rory's eyes disappeared as she sighed and turned to walk back in the other direction.
Jess stood there for a second not knowing what to do, he couldn't look up into her eyes because his were filling up with tears. He took a deep breath before he finally spoke, "Thanks."
Rory turned around, tears forming in her own eyes as well, he still wouldn't look at her. She stood there, about ten feet away from him, and waited for him to say something.
He took another deep breath and looked up into her eyes, "Not many people would have done that for me."
She forced a weak smile and nodded, "He was being a jerk."
"Yeah well that's what he does best." He said sarcastically.
Rory's face turned more serous, "Listen Jess, I'm sorry for..."
Jess shook his head, "Let's not do this now."
She nodded, knowing that if he wanted to talk about it he would find her, he always had in the past, "Okay." She turned again to walk away.
"Do you want some coffee or something?" He asked.
"I think I could handle a cup or two." She said, hoping this wouldn't turn out like the last time they had talked.
AN: Well what do you think so far? I hope you guys are liking it :) REVIEW!!!