The Orange Soda Will Get You Every Time Pt 3

Hugs to Lydia for the beta!

Dean cornered her in Doose's that afternoon. He smiled. "You like Jess. Again."

"Oh, my god!" Rory cried, almost throwing down her basket, which so far, only held Beefaroni. "What is it with you people?! You hated Jess!"

Dean laughed. "Rory, it's been eight years."

"So?!"

"So, eight years of consistently wonderful sex will mellow a guy out."

Rory wrinkled her nose. "So didn't need to know that, Dean."

"Why should I -anyone- still hate Jess?" Dean asked. "He comes back here once every couple of months to see Luke and spend time with his kid. I rarely see him, and when I do, it's like so what?"

"I'm not dating Jess."

"Why not?"

"Because... because!"

"Fine," Dean nodded. "So you don't wanna date Jess."

"I don't."

"Mhm."

They stood in silence.

She suddenly glared at him. "I hate you."

Dean smiled broadly. "You do not." He nudged her. "But you do wanna date Jess."

"Is this some kind of sick retribution for picking him over you back in high school?"

"Sort of, but only a little," Dean admitted.

She sighed. "Say I do want to date Jess," Rory proposed. "Who cares? He probably doesn't feel the same way, and he's got Dan. He doesn't have time to date."

Dean rolled his eyes. "You're cracked. He's still crazy about you!"

"Eight years later?"

Dean nodded. "Eight years later."

"Gramma!"

Liz laughed as she knelt down and let herself be tackled by her grandson. "Angel!"

"Gramma, Gramma, what are you doing here?!"

She smiled. "I heard my boys were here for the weekend. I wanted to surprise them!"

Dan smiled. "Dad! Dad!" He grabbed Liz's hand and dragged her into the diner. "Dad! Uncle Luke! Gramma's here!"

Both men came out of the storeroom.

Liz smiled. "There they are!" She rushed behind the counter and pulled them both into a hug.

"Hi, Liz," they chorused.

She pulled back and took Jess's face in her hands. "You look great."

Jess rolled his eyes.

"You do! So grown up!" She smiled and turned to Luke. "Big brother."

"Hi, Liz," Luke replied. "Where's TJ?"

"He's pestering the town troubadour," Liz explained. "He's always wanted to play guitar."

"God help that poor man," Jess muttered.

Liz smacked her son lightly on the shoulder. "Nice."

"Gramma, Gramma!" Dan said excitedly, pulling on her hand. "There was a carnival, yesterday, and Dad got me band-aids and Gummy Bears and we met Rory, and-"

"Rory?" Liz turned to Jess. "Lorelai's daughter?"

Jess sighed.

"She's really nice," Dan went on. "And Dad really likes her."

"You do?" Liz asked.

"Jeez," Jess grumbled.

"And Uncle Luke bought me orange soda!" Dan finished.

"Hello, hello!"

Dan turned around. "TJ!"

Jess shook his head. "Please let him tire out soon..."

"Hey, there Partner!" TJ laughed. "What's shakin?"

"I got band-aids!" Dan cried, holding up a finger.

"Hey, Spiderman! Very snazzy!" He looked up and walked forward. "Luke!"

Luke nodded and held out a hand in greeting, but was hugged instead.

"Hey there bro!"

Luke looked wide-eyed at Liz. "...TJ..."

Liz smiled as TJ moved to hug Jess, but failed, when Jess took a step back and held out a hand.

TJ took it. "Jess."

Jess nodded. "TJ."

"So, Rory, huh?" Liz asked.

"We've just been talking," Jess replied. "Dan really likes her."

Liz snickered and lifted Dan into her arms for a cuddle. "My little Angel needs a mommy."

"He does not," Jess defended. "He's got me."

"Everybody needs a mom," TJ interjected. "My mom was very important to me."

"Jeez," Jess and Luke both mumbled.

"Dan, do you want a mommy?" Liz asked.

Dan blushed and nodded a little.

Jess set his jaw and stalked up the apartment stairs.

"Dad!" Dan scrambled from Liz's arms to follow Jess.

Luke shook his head. "Don't push him. He's not good at this stuff."

"I'm worried about him," Liz replied. "He and Dan are all alone. I just want them to be happy."

"Dan should have a mom," TJ added.

"That's Jess's decision." Luke rolled his eyes. "Leave him alone."

"Go back downstairs, Dan," Jess said.

"Are you sad?"

Jess sighed and sat on the top step. "Sit."

Dan sat down next to his father.

"Do you miss your mom?" Jess asked.

Dan shrugged. "I don't remember her."

Jess nodded. "Do you wish you did?"

Dan shrugged again. "I have you."

"Okay," Jess replied. "So what's with this whole... wanting a mom thing?"

"I like Rory," Dan said. "If I had a mom, I'd want her to be my mom."

Jess nodded slowly. Part of him wanted that, too. "Rory and I dated for a little when we were kids."

"Really?!" Dan asked.

"Yeah... it didn't go so well, then," Jess told him.

"Maybe... maybe it'll go better now that you're old," Dan suggested.

"Hey!" Jess laughed. "I'm not old."

"Yes you are. You're one hundred," Dan giggled.

"Am not," Jess said, nudging him gently. He sighed. "I really loved Rory back then."

Dan smiled. "Do you love her now?"

"I don't know."

"Maybe?"

Jess nodded. "Maybe."

"Dad, will you read to me?" Dan asked.

Jess smirked and pulled a book from his back pocket, and Dan climbed into his lap.

"Oh, wow. Family reunion?"

Luke looked over as Rory walked into the diner. "Can you shoot me?"

She smiled. "Hi, Liz. Hi, TJ."

"Rory! Sweetie!" Liz said excitedly. She rushed over and hugged her, catching the younger woman off guard. "How are you?"

"Uh... Good," Rory stammered. "I'm good. And you?"

Liz smiled even wider. "I'm good, too."

Rory nodded. "Good... good... Are Jess and Dan here?"

"Upstairs," Luke replied. "Go on up."

Rory smiled at him. "Thanks." She hopped up the stairs, leaving Liz to beam after her.

Rory opened the door to the apartment and looked around. "Jess?"

"Ssssh," he hissed from his old bedroom.

She walked into the kitchen and watched Jess tuck Dan into the bed. She smiled. "Too much excitement?"

"Understatement," Jess replied, walking out to her. He blinked at her. "What are you doing here?"

She blinked and then seemed to snap to reality. "Oh, I found a couple of your books at my mom's house, and I thought I'd bring them to you." She pulled the old paperbacks out of her bag and handed them to him.

He inspected them, turning them over and flipping through the pages briefly. "Huh... thanks."

She smiled. "No problem."

They stood in silence for a moment, until Jess smirked.

"What?" Rory asked.

He looked around a little. "Nothing."

Rory glanced around, and then blushed a little. "Oh..." She grinned. "How many feet apart are we?"

"I don't know," Jess mused. "You're the one with the fancy education. Can you still eyeball an even foot?"

She automatically walked toward him and, looking down at their feet. "That's..." she looked up, and was all of the sudden very aware of how near she was to him. "About right..."

He stared at her intently. "Huh. Some things never leave you, I guess."

Rory nodded, as they moved a little closer together. Her eyes began to close. "Some things..."

He leaned in to kiss her.

"Dad?"

Jess stopped and took a step back. "Yeah, Dan?"

"There's a goblin under my bed."

"A goblin?" Jess still stared at Rory.

"Auntie Lily says they drink your brains and eat your blood," Dan said, his voice shaking.

"That's it," Jess said firmly. "No more weeknight calls to Venice Beach." He walked into the bedroom.

When he walked back out after reassuring Dan, Rory was gone.

In her place was Luke.

"What'd you do to Rory?!"

Jess squinted. "What?!"

"She ran outta here like a bat outta hell!" Luke cried. "What'd you do to her?"

"Nothing! God!"

Rory burst through her mother's front door. "MARCO!"

"POLO!" Lorelai cried from upstairs.

Rory ran up to her mother's room and stood in the doorway, her eyes wide. "I wanna date Jess."

Lorelai smiled widely and picked up the phone and dialed. "Lindsay! Hey! She wants to date Jess." Lorelai's smiled widened. "Thanks, babe. Bye." She clicked off the phone.

Rory looked perplexed. "What did you just do?"

Lorelai got up and started rummaging through her closet. "Come on, Babe. We need to find you a dress."

"What? Why?"

"Because you're going on a date tonight."

"Hey, Patty."

"Oh, Lindsay, hello, Sweetie," Patty smiled as Lindsay walked over to the dance studio.

"I saw what happened with Shane this morning at Luke's," Lindsay said.

Patty sighed. "I just don't understand it. Jess is so uncooperative."

Lindsay smiled. "Well... you know... I know someone that Jess will absolutely adore."

"We do remember we're married, don't we?" Patty asked suspiciously.

"Not me," Lindsay snickered. She whispered in the older woman's ear.

Patty shook her head. "It was awful the first time around."

Lindsay shrugged with a smile. "But eight years later, you never know."

Patty smiled, too.

"Oh, Jess! Good you're still here!"

Jess nodded as Patty walked into the diner. "That I am. What do you
need, Patty?"

"I've found you a girl."

Jess sighed. "Aw, Jeez..."

"No, this one is perfect, Sweetie, I promise!"

He shook his head.

"One blind date," Patty pleaded as she followed him around the tables.

"I don't do blind dates," Jess informed her.

"Oh, but she's so sweet, and smart, you'll adore her!"

"What about Dan?" Jess asked.

"Leave him with Luke!" Patty suggested.

Jess sighed.

"This is the last one," Patty stated. "I swear."

"You promise?"

Patty nodded with a smile and headed for the door.. "Be at the studio
by eight. And look good... not that that's difficult..."