Thanks for the reviews! This chapter will be (drum roll) meeting of father and daughter. We also see some good JJness!
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I can do this. One foot in front of the other. Damn.
Jess stood outside the Gilmore house, hearing sounds of -- what was that, Josh Groban? -- playing in Rory's room.
This was like a parallel universe.
Rory never listened to stuff like Josh Groban.
"You know, in order to actually get in the house to see Jemma, you have to walk," a voice from behind him said.
And there was Lane Kim, standing with Dave Rygalski, holding chips and sodas. Not far behind them were Paris and Jamie.
"H--hey guys," Jess stuttered.
"Look," Lane said, walking to him. "I don't like you. I managed to tolerate you for awhile, but when you left Rory to take care of Jemma on her own, then I really hated you."
"You compliment people so well," Jess replied.
"The only reason I'm going to manage to tolerate you again is so that you can get to know your daughter." Lane looked Jess straight in the eyes.
"Okay, good," Jess said.
"But if you screw Jemma up, I will have your head on a silver platter," Lane added.
"Is Rory there?" Jess asked.
"Yeah. She just got back from walking around with Dean," Lane responded.
"Dean? Great." Jess started walking away.
He was stopped by Paris. "Listen, jack ass, they're just friends. Got it? He's been there for her a lot more than you were."
Jess started to make his way back to the house. He got to the porch and almost turned around again, but instead just rang the doorbell.
"I got it!" He heard Rory say.
Rory opened the door. "Oh. Uh… hey, Jess. Hey guys!"
"Hey, Ror!" Dave greeted.
"We brought chips, dip, sodas, and popcorn," Paris said.
"Awesome. I just got Jemma to sleep," Rory replied. "But, Jess, if you want to see her, she's in my room."
Jess nodded, brushing past Rory and over to her room. He slowly opened the door and saw a crib with a small baby resting in it.
Rory followed slowly behind him, leaving Paris, Lane, Dave and Jamie to set up the food.
When she got to her room, she watched him from outside the door.
Jess stood over the crib, looking down at the small baby with coffee brown eyes.
"Hey, Jemma, I'm your Dad," he said.
Rory smiled slowly, watching him talk to the small baby.
Jemma started fussing, and Jess slowly picked her up.
"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you up," he whispered, gently cradling her. "It's nice to make your acquaintance."
Jemma started sucking her thumb.
Jess smiled at her. "I would have been here sooner, had I known. Your mom doesn't think so, but I would've stayed."
Rory looked at the floor, unsure if she should come in just yet.
"I see you've grown accustomed to the smell of cigarettes already. You're a quick learner." He smiled at her.
Rory smiled, watching the bonding session.
Jemma rested her head on Jess's shoulder.
Jess held Jemma close to him as he made his way over to a rocker by the window.
"I really loved your mom, kid, you know?" he asked. "She was my other half. But I screwed up for good this time."
Jemma gently grabbed Jess's collar, nuzzling against him.
"I'm nothing to be proud of, kid. I dropped out of high school, didn't even see you, and I've been living with my Dad out in California since last March." Jess sighed. "So, hopefully when they have hero day at school you won't be picking me."
Rory let a tear slip down her cheek, and quickly wiped it away.
"What's this stuff your mom has you listening to?" Jess asked. "I'll get you some CD's from the Clash. That'll get a party going."
Rory slowly opened the door. "How about not."
"I didn't know you were listening," Jess stated.
"I wasn't. I wanted to make sure everything was okay," Rory replied.
"It is. I was just telling Jemma a little bit about myself. And about that fact that Josh Groban is not a good artist to start out with," Jess said.
Rory smiled. "He is, though."
"Who says?" Jess asked.
"Paris," Rory responded.
"Sure. How about Tom Petty? He's pretty okay," Jess suggested.
"How about not? Mary Jane's Last Dance? She'll turn out pot crazed," Rory said.
Jess laughed. "Well, she's gonna turn out coffee crazed no matter what. Why not add pot to her list of drugs?"
Rory smiled at him. "Well, what do you think?"
"I think," Jess started, "you've been a wonderful mom. She's going to turn out terrific."
"Thanks, Jess," Rory whispered.
Jess stood up slowly. "It's no problem. Really. And, I'm sure that with Lane, Paris, and Lorelai, she's going to turn out better than if I would have stayed."
"That's not true, Jess," Rory objected. "You're going to be a good father. I trust it."
"I'm going to be here for her every step of the way. No matter what," Jess said.
Rory hugged Jess. "Thanks, Jess. I --"
"Okay, we've got Dirty Dancing, How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days… and a Rory hugging a Jess," Lorelai said, coming into the room.
Jemma started crying.
"And now we have an unhappy baby. Hey, Jess, I think you're starting to rub off on her. She hasn't been happy at all this week," Lorelai quipped.
Rory shook her head. "Here, I'll take her."
Jess protested. "No. I'll take care of her. You go watch a movie with your mom."
Rory nodded. "Okay. Call me if you need me."
"I will," Jess replied.
Rory and Lorelai left the room, and made their way to the living room as Luke was walking through the front door.
"Lukey!" Lorelai squealed, jumping into Luke's arms.
Luke hugged Lorelai, kissing her quickly on the lips. "Hey."
"Guess who's here!" Paris said.
"Who?" Luke inquired.
"His name starts with a 'J' and rhymes with less," Lane stated unhappily.
"Jess is here?" Luke whispered.
Rory nodded. "He's settling Jemma down right now."
Luke made his way back to Rory's room, stopping outside the door, listening to Jess -- who was singing.
"Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?" Jess sang. "You've been out riding fences for so long now."
Luke smiled, walking away from the door to be faced by Rory.
"What is that?" Rory asked.
"That is Jess, singing to his daughter," Luke replied, smiling.
Rory nodded, smiling back at him, and making her way to the living room.
Luke looked to his right, and Lorelai was sitting at the kitchen table.
"Wow. The Tin Man really does have a heart," Lorelai said.
Luke sighed. "Lor…"
"I'm sorry. That was bad. Bad Lorelai," Lorelai scolded.
Luke chuckled. "He's trying."
"I know. I'm happy for that." Lorelai sighed. "But I don't want him leaving again. It'll hurt Rory and Jemma."
"I don't think he plans on leaving, now. He's singing to her," Luke stated, making his way over to the table to sit by Lorelai.
"I'm glad you're mine," Lorelai stated.
"Me, too," Luke replied, kissing her.
Jess stood up, and made his way over to Jemma's crib.
He kissed her forehead. "Night kid. Love you."
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
I can do this. One foot in front of the other. Damn.
Jess stood outside the Gilmore house, hearing sounds of -- what was that, Josh Groban? -- playing in Rory's room.
This was like a parallel universe.
Rory never listened to stuff like Josh Groban.
"You know, in order to actually get in the house to see Jemma, you have to walk," a voice from behind him said.
And there was Lane Kim, standing with Dave Rygalski, holding chips and sodas. Not far behind them were Paris and Jamie.
"H--hey guys," Jess stuttered.
"Look," Lane said, walking to him. "I don't like you. I managed to tolerate you for awhile, but when you left Rory to take care of Jemma on her own, then I really hated you."
"You compliment people so well," Jess replied.
"The only reason I'm going to manage to tolerate you again is so that you can get to know your daughter." Lane looked Jess straight in the eyes.
"Okay, good," Jess said.
"But if you screw Jemma up, I will have your head on a silver platter," Lane added.
"Is Rory there?" Jess asked.
"Yeah. She just got back from walking around with Dean," Lane responded.
"Dean? Great." Jess started walking away.
He was stopped by Paris. "Listen, jack ass, they're just friends. Got it? He's been there for her a lot more than you were."
Jess started to make his way back to the house. He got to the porch and almost turned around again, but instead just rang the doorbell.
"I got it!" He heard Rory say.
Rory opened the door. "Oh. Uh… hey, Jess. Hey guys!"
"Hey, Ror!" Dave greeted.
"We brought chips, dip, sodas, and popcorn," Paris said.
"Awesome. I just got Jemma to sleep," Rory replied. "But, Jess, if you want to see her, she's in my room."
Jess nodded, brushing past Rory and over to her room. He slowly opened the door and saw a crib with a small baby resting in it.
Rory followed slowly behind him, leaving Paris, Lane, Dave and Jamie to set up the food.
When she got to her room, she watched him from outside the door.
Jess stood over the crib, looking down at the small baby with coffee brown eyes.
"Hey, Jemma, I'm your Dad," he said.
Rory smiled slowly, watching him talk to the small baby.
Jemma started fussing, and Jess slowly picked her up.
"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you up," he whispered, gently cradling her. "It's nice to make your acquaintance."
Jemma started sucking her thumb.
Jess smiled at her. "I would have been here sooner, had I known. Your mom doesn't think so, but I would've stayed."
Rory looked at the floor, unsure if she should come in just yet.
"I see you've grown accustomed to the smell of cigarettes already. You're a quick learner." He smiled at her.
Rory smiled, watching the bonding session.
Jemma rested her head on Jess's shoulder.
Jess held Jemma close to him as he made his way over to a rocker by the window.
"I really loved your mom, kid, you know?" he asked. "She was my other half. But I screwed up for good this time."
Jemma gently grabbed Jess's collar, nuzzling against him.
"I'm nothing to be proud of, kid. I dropped out of high school, didn't even see you, and I've been living with my Dad out in California since last March." Jess sighed. "So, hopefully when they have hero day at school you won't be picking me."
Rory let a tear slip down her cheek, and quickly wiped it away.
"What's this stuff your mom has you listening to?" Jess asked. "I'll get you some CD's from the Clash. That'll get a party going."
Rory slowly opened the door. "How about not."
"I didn't know you were listening," Jess stated.
"I wasn't. I wanted to make sure everything was okay," Rory replied.
"It is. I was just telling Jemma a little bit about myself. And about that fact that Josh Groban is not a good artist to start out with," Jess said.
Rory smiled. "He is, though."
"Who says?" Jess asked.
"Paris," Rory responded.
"Sure. How about Tom Petty? He's pretty okay," Jess suggested.
"How about not? Mary Jane's Last Dance? She'll turn out pot crazed," Rory said.
Jess laughed. "Well, she's gonna turn out coffee crazed no matter what. Why not add pot to her list of drugs?"
Rory smiled at him. "Well, what do you think?"
"I think," Jess started, "you've been a wonderful mom. She's going to turn out terrific."
"Thanks, Jess," Rory whispered.
Jess stood up slowly. "It's no problem. Really. And, I'm sure that with Lane, Paris, and Lorelai, she's going to turn out better than if I would have stayed."
"That's not true, Jess," Rory objected. "You're going to be a good father. I trust it."
"I'm going to be here for her every step of the way. No matter what," Jess said.
Rory hugged Jess. "Thanks, Jess. I --"
"Okay, we've got Dirty Dancing, How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days… and a Rory hugging a Jess," Lorelai said, coming into the room.
Jemma started crying.
"And now we have an unhappy baby. Hey, Jess, I think you're starting to rub off on her. She hasn't been happy at all this week," Lorelai quipped.
Rory shook her head. "Here, I'll take her."
Jess protested. "No. I'll take care of her. You go watch a movie with your mom."
Rory nodded. "Okay. Call me if you need me."
"I will," Jess replied.
Rory and Lorelai left the room, and made their way to the living room as Luke was walking through the front door.
"Lukey!" Lorelai squealed, jumping into Luke's arms.
Luke hugged Lorelai, kissing her quickly on the lips. "Hey."
"Guess who's here!" Paris said.
"Who?" Luke inquired.
"His name starts with a 'J' and rhymes with less," Lane stated unhappily.
"Jess is here?" Luke whispered.
Rory nodded. "He's settling Jemma down right now."
Luke made his way back to Rory's room, stopping outside the door, listening to Jess -- who was singing.
"Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?" Jess sang. "You've been out riding fences for so long now."
Luke smiled, walking away from the door to be faced by Rory.
"What is that?" Rory asked.
"That is Jess, singing to his daughter," Luke replied, smiling.
Rory nodded, smiling back at him, and making her way to the living room.
Luke looked to his right, and Lorelai was sitting at the kitchen table.
"Wow. The Tin Man really does have a heart," Lorelai said.
Luke sighed. "Lor…"
"I'm sorry. That was bad. Bad Lorelai," Lorelai scolded.
Luke chuckled. "He's trying."
"I know. I'm happy for that." Lorelai sighed. "But I don't want him leaving again. It'll hurt Rory and Jemma."
"I don't think he plans on leaving, now. He's singing to her," Luke stated, making his way over to the table to sit by Lorelai.
"I'm glad you're mine," Lorelai stated.
"Me, too," Luke replied, kissing her.
Jess stood up, and made his way over to Jemma's crib.
He kissed her forehead. "Night kid. Love you."