Defending Bjork

Chapter 24: One Thing Leads to Another

Disclaimer: Still don't own anything. Fancy that.

A/N: Huh. So it seems I lied when I said it might take awhile for the next update. I guess it helps that writing is the only thing that doesn't completely depress me these days. (chuckle) I just want to thank all of you for reading and reviewing. I really appreciate each and every one of you. Special thanks to Leigh and Sarah for the betas. You girls rock! This chapter is dedicated to my crazy gal-pals over at Stars Hollow Org. You all make my life a brighter, funnier, more twisted place, and I love ya for it. (group hug) I heart reviews. –Becka

Lorelai looked over the list in front of her. "Okay, today is Sunday. The dresses have been altered. The flowers have been confirmed. We successfully managed to talk Sookie down from her wedding song psychosis."

Rory sat down across from her mother at the kitchen table.

"Stop that!" Lorelai ordered, gesturing at her daughter's wide grin.

"You have a list."

"Sookie's wedding is very important."

"It's so cute that you have a list," Rory teased. "All of these years of finding my lists and calling me your little freak. Who's the little freak now?"

"I cannot trust Michel with this," she explained.

"Mom, you know you can trust Michel with the wedding. He loves Sookie."

"So do I, which is why this list is an unfortunate necessity."

"Mom…"

"It makes me feel better."

Rory smiled. "Fine. I'll leave your list alone."

"Thank you." She lowered her head again and continued checking items off.

Rory took a sip of coffee. "Is Gus on that list?"

"Who?"

"Tall, good-looking, likes to take you out."

"Why would Gus be on this list?"

"Aren't you asking him to the wedding?"

"No. God, no," Lorelai said quickly. "It's too soon."

"Says who?"

"Says every woman who has taken her new boyfriend to a family get-together and found herself single two days later."

"I think Gus can handle it."

"Rory, my parents are going to be there."

"So?"

"So I wish Gus no harm," Lorelai answered, turning back to her list.

"I think Grandma and Grandpa'll like him."

"You met him for the first time yesterday."

"And I liked him," Rory confirmed.

"You are not Richard and Emily. You want me to be happy; they want him to be a one-eyed ghoul."

"As I recall, he had two perfectly good eyes."

"That will meld into one when seen through their special hypercritical goggles. Not to mention the hair that will sprout from his nose, and the talons that will shoot out of the tips of his fingers."

Rory shook her head and smiled. "You should invite him."

"Nope."

"You have to throw him to the wolves eventually."

Lorelai frowned and looked at her daughter. "You're my date, remember?"

"I know that was the plan, but I can just hang out with Lane. You should have fun."

"Since when is hanging out with you not considered fun?"

"You know what I meant."

"I'm sorry, Rory. I just don't think it's a good idea. I like Gus. I don't want him to run screaming in the opposite direction quite yet."

"Fine," Rory accepted.

"We've only been on three dates."

"I know."

"And he probably wouldn't want to go anyway."

"Or he might. But, you know, either way," Rory said with a shrug. "I mean, you'll be all pretty. He'd be all pretty. There'd be music and dancing and champagne, but you're right; it probably wouldn't be any fun."

Lorelai narrowed her eyes. "Why are you pushing this?"

"He makes you smile," Rory said simply, staring into her coffee cup. "One of us should get to smile."

Lorelai studied her daughter for a moment. "Both of us should get to smile."

Rory glanced up and met her mother's eyes. Then, she reached out and pulled the list towards her. Grabbing the pen out of Lorelai's hand, she neatly added 'Invite Gus' to the end and passed it back over.

Lorelai looked down at the paper and sighed. Then, hesitantly, she conceded, "If it comes up, I'll ask."

Rory grinned and headed to her room to get dressed.

x x x

The cot shook, and Jess's eyes shot open.

Wade kicked it again. "Morning, sunshine."

Jess sat up and looked around. "Where's Vince?"

"Out."

"Huh," Jess nodded. He stood and moved towards the door. Wade stepped in front of him.

Jess chuckled a little and met his eyes.

"We need to talk, Mariano," Wade ordered.

"Yeah? I've missed our heart-to-hearts," Jess quipped.

"Sit."

"I'd rather stand."

Wade folded his arms over his chest and widened his stance. "You aren't welcome here."

"I think that's for Vince to decide."

"I can kick Vince's ass halfway across the country."

Jess shook his head and smirked.

"I let you stay here for a few days 'cuz you helped me out once or twice," Wade explained. "But if I have to look at your face for another second, I might just kick it in."

"Huh."

"I might anyway."

Jess waited, challenging him. When, as expected, Wade didn't move, he pushed past him into the other room.

"You screwed my girlfriend, Jess," Wade called, turning to look at him.

Jess met his eyes. "I kissed your girlfriend," he clarified. "There's a difference."

"Only because I walked in on you."

"We were drunk."

"I don't fucking care, Jess. You messed around with her, and you skipped town. No explanations, no apologies. That how you treat an old friend?"

"Leaving wasn't my choice."

"Yeah, nothing's ever your choice, is it?" When Jess didn't respond, Wade continued. "Well, this isn't either. You aren't welcome here. And, old friends or not, you come back, and I will kick your ass."

Jess looked at him and saw he was serious. They'd been friends since they were kids, and it'd come to this. One mistake. One mistake that didn't mean a goddamned thing to him. One mistake that, with time, had led to another and another and another. He wasn't sure there was anything else anymore. That was it.

He left, letting the door click shut behind him.

x x x

He climbed the fire escape, hoping to slip in unnoticed. When he reached the top, he let his head fall against the window. It was closed and locked. Nothing was ever easy.

Climbing back down, he walked around the building and entered through the front door. A few moments later, the apartment loomed in front of him. He pulled the key from his pocket, almost afraid to slip it in the lock. If it no longer fit, he didn't know what the hell he was gonna do.

It flipped open.

He walked inside and glanced into the living room. Immediately, Liz leapt up and hurried over to him. She pulled him into a tight hug, only half-noticing the way he tensed. Moving away, she shoved him gently. "You scared the crap out of me, Jess. Three days! Three days you were gone!"

He rolled his eyes and walked into the kitchen.

"You can't just leave like that. One day, two tops, that I can handle. But you're gone three, and I consider calling the cops."

He pulled open the fridge.

She moved up behind him and pointed inside. "Look at that! No beer! There is not a single beer in that refrigerator."

Jess shut the door and walked past her. "Guess you better get to the store then."

"No, Jess. No way. This is the new me," she stated, posing theatrically.

"Right," he mumbled.

"I'm serious, baby," she promised, grabbing his arm. "Come here. I need to talk to you."

He let her pull him over to the couch.

"Rod is gone," she said, sitting next to him. "I kicked him out. You were right; he was a jerk. I deserve better than that. You deserve better than that."

He fixed his eyes on the ground.

"And the alcohol, all of it, it's gone too. You can check the cupboards. You can check my dresser drawers. You won't find any. I'm gonna make this right, Jess." She paused. "You're home, and I'm gonna make things right. Jess? Jess, did you hear me?"

When he still didn't answer, she sighed. "I know you're mad at me. I shouldn't have said that," she admitted. "About Jimmy. It was wrong. You were just a baby."

"Whatever."

"No, it was my fault. It was. But I'm going to make it right. No more losers. No more booze. Just you and me, making this work," she vowed.

Knowing better, he shook his head slightly; she didn't notice. Resting her hand on his arm, she said his name again. He looked at her. "Okay?" she asked, needing his approval.

"Yeah," he answered. What else could he say?

She grinned and patted his arm reassuringly. "Okay! You know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna make us dinner. A real dinner. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, carrots. How does that sound?"

Before he could answer, she leapt up and hurried to the kitchen. He watched her for a second then stood and went into his room. Lying down on the bed, he stared at the ceiling and listened to the clang of pots and pans as his mother attempted to cook.

He didn't have the heart to point out it was barely noon.

x x x

"Coffee."

Luke glanced up. "There's a surprise."

"I like to keep you on your toes," Lorelai agreed, taking a seat. "Like a pretty little ballerina. I've already ordered the tu-"

"Stop now, and you'll still get the coffee."

She closed her mouth mid-word and ran her fingers over it, pretending to zip it shut.

He smiled a little and poured her a mug. Once it was full to the brim, he moved to set the pot back on the heating pad. When he turned back around, he noticed Lorelai hadn't moved.

"What?" he asked, glancing at the coffee and then back up at her.

She shrugged and pointed at her zipped mouth.

"Go ahead," he allowed.

Her eyes lit up, and she moved her fingers to her lips. Pulling on the invisible zipper, she frowned. It appeared to be stuck. She pretended to tug on it a few times. Luke watched, baffled. After a few more tries, she dropped her arm to her side and shot him a pathetic look.

He rolled his eyes and reached out, pulling the invisible zipper open.

She grinned. "I knew I could get you to do it."

"You are a very sick woman."

"You participated," she reminded him, taking a sip.

"You were scaring the customers."

She smirked. "Right, of course."

"How's the wedding coming along?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Great! It's going to be beautiful."

He nodded. "Good, Sookie deserves it."

"She does, doesn't she?" Lorelai agreed. "Hey, are you go—"

"Luke! Lorelai!" a voice called urgently.

They turned to look, and Kirk ran up to the counter, clearly panicked.

"Is this normal?" he asked, shoving his arm out.

They both looked at it.

"They took the cast off," he explained. "And now look at it. Look at my arm!"

"It's kind of white," Lorelai offered.

"Kind of white?" Kirk asked. "It looks dead, and it's all shrunken. The cast shrunk my arm. And look at it! It's hairy and pruney and… it doesn't feel right. I think the nerves are dead. My God, I'm going to lose my arm."

"You're not going to lose your arm, Kirk," Luke reassured him.

"It's like they put a giant Band-Aid tourniquet on it. They're gonna need to amputate."

"Kirk, calm down," Lorelai soothed. "People get casts all the time."

"I think the doctor did it wrong," he said, peering down at it.

"It'll be fine," Lorelai promised.

"What about Sookie's wedding? No bridesmaid is going to look twice at the guy with the shrunken, tourniquet arm," he lamented.

"Your jacket will cover most of your arm," Lorelai reminded him.

"That furry animal ruined my life!"

"Happens to everyone," Lorelai stated, sending Luke an amused look.

"How about a donut?" Luke offered.

Kirk turned to look at him. "You'd do that for me?"

Luke put a sprinkled donut on a plate and handed it over.

"You are a good man, Luke Danes," Kirk stated, taking a bite. He seemed to be contemplating something for a second and then abruptly, he cheered, "Makeup! Maybe makeup would add some color. I always knew that employee discount would come in handy."

Without another word, he hurried out the door.

"I'm suddenly reminded just how normal you are," Luke observed.

"A little perspective is always a good thing," Lorelai agreed, glancing down at her watch. "Shoot, I gotta get to work." She grabbed her purse and downed the rest of her coffee. As she turned to go, he grabbed her arm and handed her a Danish.

She grinned. "You are a good man, Luke Danes. Sweet, one might even sa—"

Reaching out, he guided his fingers across her lips, zipping it shut. "Go to work," he ordered.

Beat at her own game, she pouted and left.

x x x

"I hate Mondays," Rory whined as soon as she walked into the Inn kitchen.

"You love Mondays," Lorelai corrected. Seeing that her daughter was about to topple under the weight of her backpack, she hurried over and helped her take it off. "I'm not loving the scoliosis that school is determined to give you though."

"Finals," Rory explained. "And politics."

"Politics?" Sookie asked, eyeing the younger Gilmore.

"I hate Mondays," Rory repeated.

Lorelai frowned. "What happened?"

"I'm never prepared to deal with Paris on Mondays. I'm still woozy and relaxed from the weekend. Not a care in the world, and then… BAM! She pounces and doesn't let go."

"Uh-oh," Lorelai mumbled.

"She's like a puppy with a chew toy."

"Do you make squeaking noises?"

"I think I might've," Rory moped.

"So what's the crime this time?"

"I'm running for vice-president."

"What?" Lorelai exclaimed.

"Honey, that's great," Sookie cheered. "You'll be like a little Alice Gore."

Lorelai gave her a look. "Not helping, Sook."

"Oh, sorry."

"So how did this happen?" Lorelai asked, turning back to her daughter.

"She pulled out the friend card."

"Which we've learned can be trumped by the 'Paris is crazy' card."

"Yes, but then she pulled out the Harvard card," Rory added.

"That girl is always playing with a stacked deck," Lorelai lamented.

"Wait, catch me up, why do we not want to be vice-president?" Sookie asked.

"Rory wants to write politics not do politics."

"See, exactly," Rory agreed. "That's what I told her."

"Well, maybe you'll lose," Lorelai offered.

"With Paris's determination? Doubtful."

"Well," Lorelai began again, trying to think of something else to say. "Vice-president is just for show, right? The president does all of the work. Maybe it won't be so bad."

"I have to go to Washington."

Lorelai's eyes widened. "Wow! Chilton really is the real deal. Do you get to live in the White House?"

"It's for six weeks in the summer."

"You get to live in the White House for six weeks?" Lorelai asked.

"No, a dorm room."

"Oh, bummer."

"Maybe this is a good thing," Sookie chimed in.

Both Gilmores looked at her curiously.

"You can get away. Clear your head," Sookie explained.

Rory frowned.

"Maybe she's right, hon," Lorelai agreed. "Maybe some time away is just what you need."

"This is time away with Paris," Rory reminded them. "Time, in a small room, with Paris."

"Okay, so not really relaxing," Sookie amended. "But different."

"I guess," Rory admitted.

"Ooh!" Lorelai clapped. "Do we get to make campaign buttons?"

"I suppose so. The election is Friday."

"Ooh, I could make cupcakes to give out!" Sookie exclaimed. "Or is that bribery?"

"Oh, and posters," Lorelai cheered.

As they began plotting the campaign, Rory slowly let herself get caught up in their excitement. After all, maybe they were right. Maybe she did need a change of scenery.

x x x

Two arms snaked around her waist and pulled her close. "I heard a rumor I might find you here," he whispered in her ear.

Lorelai smiled and turned to face him. "Mr. McCullough."

He wrinkled his nose. "Sounds kind of stuffy, doesn't it?"

"Afraid you're stuck with it."

"True enough," he admitted. He placed a quick kiss on her lips and glanced around the Inn. "So what's going on today?"

"Sookie and Rory are in the kitchen designing campaign cupcakes."

"Someone running for office?"

"Rory is going to be the next Alice Gore."

Gus nodded. "Good for her."

"I thought so."

"So do they need some help?"

"You offering?" she asked.

He shrugged. "My restaurant kind of runs itself these days."

"I'm sure they'd love the help."

"Great. When do you get done here?"

Lorelai glanced at her watch. "About an hour."

"Then come retrieve me from the kitchen in an hour," he stated. She smiled, and he headed in its direction. As he stepped away, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him back.

He looked down at her hand and smiled. "Yes?"

"Question?" she said, adopting a serious face.

He met her eyes. "Shoot."

"How do you feel about weddings?"

He paled slightly, not quite understanding her question. "Well, uh, I think they're, uh…" He gave her a quizzical look.

"Oh crap!" Lorelai exclaimed, suddenly getting his discomfort. "Rephrase! How do you feel about attending weddings? Other people's weddings? Sookie's wedding, specifically."

He relaxed. "God, I thought you were proposing."

"No! No, no, no!" Lorelai asserted.

He laughed. "How about we start over before one of us gets offended?"

"Yes. Good," she nodded. She looked up at him. "Gus?"

"Yes?"

"How would you feel about being my date to Sookie's wedding?"

"Sunday, right?"

She nodded.

"I think my calendar's free."

"My parents are going to be there," she said abruptly.

"This isn't good?"

"Very, very not good," she confirmed. "As far from good as humanly possible."

"Ah."

"But I still want you to be there."

"Then I'll be there," he promised.

She smiled and kissed his cheek. "God, you are so going to regret saying that."

"I don't know," he disagreed. "I can be quite charming. I think I can handle them."

Lorelai frowned. "We'll see about that. Now go make cupcakes while you still have some depth perception."

"What?" he laughed.

"Nothing," she waved off. "Never mind."

He smiled and gave her another quick kiss. "You are very strange, Ms. Gilmore."

"I'll find you in an hour."

He nodded and headed off towards the kitchen. Once he was gone, Lorelai rubbed her fingers against her temples and sighed, knowing her parents were gonna eat him alive.

x x x

She'd made pot roast. She'd made tacos. She'd made a very complicated spaghetti casserole. It had been nearly four days, and Liz was starting to scare him. In the morning, she had a bowl of cereal, toast, and a glass of orange juice waiting for him. Last night, she'd attempted to make brownies from scratch – 'attempt' being the operative word. She hadn't had a drink since he'd come back from Vince's. He almost didn't recognize her.

But what scared him even more than her behavior was the fact that he was starting to take her seriously. Maybe, just maybe, this time it would be different.

x x x

"How do I look?" Lorelai asked, twirling around.

"One hot mama," Rory assessed. "You know, it's bad form to upstage the bride at her rehearsal dinner."

"Oh, no chance of that," Lorelai dismissed. "Sookie has that bridal glow. Nothing can beat that."

"That's true," Rory agreed.

"Okay, so we stop at Luke's for coffee on the way to Sookie's?"

"Luke's isn't on the way to Sookie's."

"It is if you take the scenic route."

"The scenic route that goes the opposite direction, stops at Luke's, winds around town, goes back past our house, and ends up at Sookie's?" Rory asked.

"That's the one."

"I'll grab my jacket."

A few minutes later, they were out the door and headed towards the diner.

"So, we're just two single gals hittin' the town tonight?"

"We are," Rory agreed. "We clean up nice."

"You're right; we do," Lorelai smiled.

"So," Rory began. "How's the list coming along?"

"Just fine, thank you."

"All items crossed off?"

"For the most part," Lorelai nodded.

"She's playing coy, folks," Rory crooned.

"What are you talking about?"

"Did you ask Gus?"

Lorelai looked at her out of the corners of her eyes and grinned. "I might have."

"And he said?"

"He ran screaming from the room, as predicted."

"I told you he'd say yes."

"Well, he doesn't know what he's getting himself into."

"It'll be fun," Rory declared. "I like Gus."

"Eh, he's all right," Lorelai smiled. They walked into the diner. "Now this guy, this guy I adore."

"Everyone adores Luke," Rory said decisively.

He looked up at the sound of their voices and, for a moment, was taken aback.

"Hey Luke," Lorelai greeted, shimmying onto a stool.

Rory sat down beside her. "Two coffees on the double."

He swallowed. "You look nice," he directed at Lorelai. Then, quickly, he glanced at Rory and amended his statement. "You both look nice."

Rory grinned. "Told you we clean up well."

"Hey, I wasn't arguing," Lorelai defended, raising a hand.

"What's the occasion?" Luke asked, trying not to stare.

"We decided a trip to Luke's deserves our Sunday best," Lorelai quipped.

"Sookie's rehearsal dinner," Rory supplied.

"Ah, right, of course." He paused, gathering his thoughts. Slowly, he turned around to fill their order. He hesitated; what the hell was their order? He turned to face them. "You wanted?"

"Two coffees," Rory carefully stated.

"Dinner starts in five minutes," Lorelai added.

Rory looked at him worriedly. "Are you feeling okay, Luke?"

"Me? Yeah, I'm fine." He nodded and quickly got to work filling up two take-out cups. As soon as he handed them over, they thanked him and headed for the door. As the bell signaled their departure, Rory glanced back one last time, wanting to make sure Luke was really okay. Despite the fact that a customer was currently trying to give him an order, his eyes were trained on her mother. Suddenly understanding, Rory smiled and trailed out the door after Lorelai.

Once they were outside, she nudged her mother with her elbow. "I think Luke was staring at you."

Lorelai glanced back at the diner and scoffed. "Don't be silly. He probably just forgot to blink. You know Luke."

"Yeah, I know Luke," Rory agreed, knowing full well what she saw.

Even so, she let the issue drop.

x x x

Grocery bag in hand, Jess strolled up the street towards the apartment building. As had become habit, he'd spent his Saturday reading in Washington Square Park. On his way back, he'd spotted a corner grocery store and, on impulse, decided to cook dinner that night. Even though he wouldn't admit it, a part of him wanted to thank Liz for all of the effort she'd been putting forth the past week. On the surface, however, he just wanted to eat a meal that wasn't either completely burnt or dangerously undercooked.

Juggling the bag, he pulled his keys from his pocket and headed through the doors and up the stairwell. When he opened the door to the third floor, the strong smell of marijuana immediately hit him. He didn't give it much thought, as it happened once or twice a month. He walked past the few doors on his way to their apartment. As he got closer, the smell got stronger. A small knot started to form in his stomach. He turned the key into the lock and pushed the door open.

The room was slightly smoky. Hesitantly, he walked in and glanced around. On the coffee table were a half-empty bottle of whiskey and an ashtray containing several joints.

"Jess?" Liz called, stumbling out of her bedroom.

He looked at her and immediately saw a man behind her, his arms wrapped protectively around her waist.

"Hey baby," she slurred. "Look who I ran into."

Jess's jaw tightened as he met Rod's gaze.

"Jess," Rod said tersely, his tone contrasting with the wide smile on his face.

Jess set the grocery bag on the counter and immediately headed for the door.

Liz disentangled herself from Rod's embrace and hurried after him. "Jesse, don't be mad," she called after him. "He missed me. He isn't going to live here; we're gonna take things slow."

Jess glared at her.

"Don't look at me like that! Don't you want me to be happy?" she pleaded. "I want you to be happy."

Feeling like an idiot, he glanced at Rod again and then at his mother. He must've been crazy.

He didn't even bother to slam the door when he left. It was a lost cause.

x x x

It was pitch-black outside when he returned home. He unlocked the door and headed upstairs, not sure what exactly to expect. When he reached the apartment door, he hesitated and then knocked.

He barely had time to take a deep, labored breath before it was pulled open.

The man squinted at him. "Jess? What are you doing here? It's the middle of the night."

Instantly, he relaxed.

Meeting his uncle's concerned eyes, he spoke. "I want to come back."