A/N: This got kind of long. Sorry.
"Have you told Luke yet?"
He didn't reply, only kept flipping through his Whitman paperback.
"I'm taking that as a big fat no."
He sighed and turned to her.
Rory shrugged. "You already rented the apartment. You're gonna be moving in soon. Don't you think it's time you told him?"
He shrugged back and went back to reading.
She snatched the book out of his hands and he turned his masterful glare on her.
"Give it."
"Tell him."
"Give me my book back, Rory. Now."
"Not until you go downstairs, and tell him."
She loved her weekends in Stars Hollow. Even dinner at her grandparents' house had been strangely on the pleasant side. She and her mother would eat together and watch movie, and she'd go and visit the Dragonfly, and see how things were coming along. She got to see Lane, and they traded new musical findings and gossip. And she got to see Jess.
Jess.
He was scowling at her, wanting his book back, and she was loving every minute of it.
"No," he told her. "I want it back. I was reading that."
She let out a giggle, and got up off of the couch in the apartment above the diner and backed away, still holding the book.
He got up slowly, and took a few steps toward her, but she ran. He gave chase and she zoomed into his bedroom. He managed to trip on a small stack of books on the floor and go sprawling into her. She cried out and turned around to catch him, forgetting that he was heavy. She went sprawling onto the bed with her arms around him, and his head buried in her neck.
She blinked. "This is not where I expected to end up."
He didn't reply, and made no move to get up.
"Jess?" It scared her a little. Had she hurt him? She never could tell whether he was fully healed from his accident or not, despite the fact that it had been a month and half now.
His only response was to kiss her neck lightly, and she shivered a little, but made no attempt to stop him.
He pulled himself up to look at her for a moment before kissing her. First softly, but becoming more passionate as the kiss progressed. She pulled him closer and kissed him deeper, before pulling away a little.
"Jess?"
He shook his head and bent his head down for another kiss, which she cut short. "Jess."
He looked down at her.
"I..." she turned a little red and looked away from him.
He nodded and rolled off of her to lie next to her.
"I'm sorry."
He shook his head. "No. Nothing to be sorry about." He wasn't going to make this mistake again. No matter how off he was feeling. He couldn't drive her away like he did before. It seemed like a lifetime ago.
She nodded. It wasn't that she didn't want him. She just wanted to be ready to want him. She turned to him. "You've been quiet today."
He shrugged.
"Something wrong?"
He shook his head again.
She sighed. "Are you lying?"
He made no movement.
She stared.
That stare. He caved in a little. "I've been thinking," he told her plainly. "I don't have a lot to say today, I guess."
She nodded. "What are you thinking about?"
"Life, the universe, and everything," he told her.
She smiled. "Douglas Adams."
Jess nodded.
"I'm serious, though. What's going on in that brain?"
He shrugged again.
All she could do was stare at him.
Until the phone rang.
Jess sighed and got up to get it. "Hello?"
"Jess, put Rory on."
"Lane?"
"Rory. Now."
Jess raised an eyebrow. "How did you know she's-"
"I have my ways!" Lane snapped. "Do not question my methods. Now please put Rory on."
Jess went back to lie in his spot next to Rory and handed her the phone.
She sat up as she took it from him. "Lane?"
"Guess who's back."
Rory blinked as she gently began scratching Jess's stomach. "Slim Shady."
"Taller and brunette. And Dave."
Rory's eyes widened. "No way."
"Way!" Lane cried. "I just talked to him! And guess what else?"
"I give up," Rory replied, hearing a sleepy sigh from Jess as she kept scratching his tummy.
"He hates California. He's transferring."
"Wow, where to?"
"Here! In Connecticut!"
"That's great!" Rory smiled, and then she began to get a little excited. "Oh! Oh! We can double date and... and be a quartet of dating people!"
"I know!" Lane squeaked. "Why aren't I hearing any objections from Jess?"
"He's half-asleep," Rory replied. "He's been really quiet and acting weird all morning. He says nothing's wrong, but I don't know." She looked down at Jess, whose eyes were closed.
"Maybe he's just tired," Lane reasoned. "You did say Luke's been working him like a dog since he and Nicole divorced."
Rory shrugged. "Maybe that's it."
"Well... I'm supposed to meet Dave for lunch... I'M MEETING DAVE FOR LUNCH!"
Jess's eyes opened slightly and squinted, and Rory shushed her best friend. "Do you mind? I have a very sleepy boyfriend, here."
"Sorry," Lane replied, much quieter this time. "I gotta go."
"Gimme a call later," Rory said with a smile.
"Definitely."
As soon as Rory hung up the phone, it rang once more. She picked it up before it could wake Jess, whose eyes had closed all the way again. "Hello?"
"Rory?"
"Hi, Gloria," Rory replied. "What's up?"
"Jess there?"
"Sleeping."
"Already?" the New Yorker asked. "Jesus. He normally doesn't pass out till three."
"Something tells me you know why he's acting so weird today," Rory said, glancing back down at Jess.
"Not me," Gloria told her. "All I know issat he acts weird every year around this time. Gramma knows but she won't tell me."
"Think I got a shot?" Rory asked.
"You are the girlfriend," Gloria snickered. "Ya just might. Hold on."
A moment later, an older woman's voice sounded through the phone. "Hello?"
"Hi, Sofia."
The woman's voice became delighted. "Rory! How are you?"
"Good," she replied. "Jess though. I don't know."
"Hmm," Sofia mused darkly. "I do."
"You do?"
"Yes, I do," Sofia said. "But it isn't my place to tell. Ask him."
"He's asleep," Rory replied.
"Well, then wake him up."
"But he's so cute," Rory argued. She looked down at Jess, who was still out like a light. He really was cute. She smiled a little. 'My Jess is cute,' she thought.
"He hasn't been cute since he was seven," Sofia replied firmly. "I have lunch going. Talk to Gloria."
Rory sighed.
"Nothing, huh?" Gloria asked.
"Nope. Don't know how I'm gonna drag it out of him."
"Well, maybe he'll open up by himself."
"That was the worst joke ever."
"Sorry," Gloria smirked. "Sick sense of humor. Hey, what're you doing today?"
Rory shrugged. "Was gonna spend time with Jess, but..."
"Wanna hang out?" Gloria offered. "I could hop a bus over there."
"Yeah, that'd be coo- wait. You sure you can handle Stars Hollow?"
She heard Gloria snort. "I'm not that much like Jess."
Rory smiled.
******
Gloria walked into the small diner that Rory had told her to meet her at two hours later. The moment she walked in, all attention was on her. Conversations stopped, and everyone stared.
Well, that was off-putting.
"Hey!" she snapped in her thick accent. "What're you lookin' at?"
When no one replied, she shrugged and took a seat at the counter.
Luke saw her and sighed. "What can I get you?"
"I'm lookin' for Rory Gilmore," Gloria told him. "Know her? Seen her?"
"I do. I have." Luke raised an eyebrow. "Who're you?"
She held out a hand. "Gloria Mariano."
The entire diner stopped dead once again.
"Aw, god," Luke groaned. He turned to the doorway leading up to the apartments. "RORY!! JESS!"
No answer.
Luke stormed up the stairs, into the apartment, and into Jess's room, where the couple looked as if they were trying to lick the back of each other's throats. He turned quickly. "My eyes! I'm blind!"
Rory let go of Jess and got to her feet. "Uh... Hi... Luke... uh... sorry..."
"You should be!" Luke cried. "Do you two mind?!"
"It's not like we didn't have a room," Jess snapped. "You just walked into it."
Luke still didn't turn around. "Jess, your cousin is downstairs, asking for Rory."
Jess raised an eyebrow and turned to Rory.
"You were asleep," Rory told him. "She wanted to hang out."
He nodded and just stood there.
"Jess, What's wrong?"
"I already told you that nothing is wrong," he snapped. "Stop asking, because you're just going to get the same answer."
Rory stared, looking kind of hurt, as Jess pushed past Luke and stormed out and down the stairs. He couldn't deal with any of this today. Today of all days. He couldn't really blame them, as much as he wanted to. They didn't know.
He saw Gloria and she smiled.
"Hey."
He didn't reply. He only kept on storming. He stormed right out the door.
Gloria watched him and rolled her eyes. "Dickhead."
Rory slowly walked down into the diner and sat next to Gloria. She looked kind of numb.
"Hey."
Rory nodded. "He's mad."
The other girl sighed. "He'll get over it. Chances are he'll apologize, too."
Rory shrugged.
Luke walked down and gave a sympathetic look to Rory. "Coffee?"
Rory nodded.
*****
Jess really wished it were raining. But it was clear and sunny in Stars Hollow.
He couldn't wait to leave.
He knew he'd been acting strangely all day. It wasn't Rory's fault. He'd pick up a peace offering somewhere along his walk (most likely at the book store) and apologize to her before the day was through. It was, after all, only around one in the afternoon. He did feel genuinely bad for lashing out at her. All she'd done was care. It was something he still found hard to get used to.
"Hey, stranger."
He stopped dead in his tracks at that voice. "You have got to be kidding me."
"No joke. Wanna have a look?"
"No, I really don't, Leslie. Go home."
"But I came to see you."
"Well, you seen me," he told her, still not turning around. "Now go home."
"Is that any way to treat an old friend?"
He finally turned around, and glared at her. "We're not friends. And we're never going to be friends. Not after all the shit you pulled."
She smiled. "Stop pretending like you didn't like it."
"Huh," Jess growled out. "Lemme think. Did I like being cheated on? No. Did I like getting stabbed with a kitchen knife? Fuck, no. Did I like it that you pushed me into getting high? Double fuck, no. Now go home."
"The kitchen knife was an accident," Leslie sneered. "You know that. And I never pushed you into anything."
"Like hell you didn't!" Jess yelled. "How did you get here, anyways?"
"I followed Gloria on the bus," the redhead replied simply.
Jess gave her a bewildered look. "You psycho! What's wrong with you?!"
By this time, people had stopped to stare, including Lorelei and Sookie.
"Danger, Will Robinson," Sookie said quietly to Lorelei. "I smell unwelcome ex-girlfriend."
Lorelei nodded.
Leslie just stood there staring.
"We're finished here," Jess told her, pointing a finger. "We're finished for good. Go home. I don't ever wanna see you again."
"Why, because you're with Little Miss Innocence now?" Leslie scoffed.
Jess's look became even angrier. "You leave her out of this."
"Who do you think you're kidding, Jess?" Leslie laughed.
Jess walked off.
Leslie walked after him. "Don't walk away from me!"
"I walked away from you three years ago!" Jess cried, spinning to face her again.
By this time, Luke, Rory and Gloria had walked out of the diner to see what all of the yelling was.
"I loved you!" Leslie yelled.
"Bull shit!" Jess raged back. "Leave! Go home!"
Gloria shook her head from next to Rory. "I can't believe her. What's she doing here?"
Leslie took a step toward Jess, and he stepped back, giving her a warning look.
Rory didn't know what she was doing, but she couldn't just stand back and watch. She began to walk forward.
Luke stared at her in shock. "Rory?"
Lorelei spotted Rory. "What is she doing?"
Rory walked over and stood in front of Jess, who was all of the sudden, very bewildered.
"Hi," Rory said to Leslie. "Is there a problem?"
"Yeah, and you're it," Leslie snapped. "Move. We were talking."
Jess tried to step around Rory, but she stopped him with a gentle hand, and then turned back to Leslie. "Honestly, I don't think he wants to talk anymore. Or didn't you notice that he was yelling the words 'go home'?"
Jess tilted his head and stared at Rory's back. She was sticking up for him? After the way he'd treated her?
"You have no idea what he wants," Leslie said with a glare. "Now move, before I make you."
Again, Jess tried to move forward. No way would he let Leslie lay a finger on Rory. She stopped him again, putting her hand to his shoulder.
"Leslie," Rory went on. "I don't wanna fight you."
"Because you know I'll win," the other girl said in a superior tone.
"Well... yeah," Rory nodded in agreement. "That and... if that happened, I'm pretty sure that Jess, my mom, Luke, Sookie, Gloria, and some other people who are watching right now would kill you. Dead. A lot."
Leslie just stared, completely bewildered.
"I have a posse."
It was all Jess could do to not burst into uncontrollable laughter. Rory Gilmore had said the word "posse" to his drug-addicted skank of an ex- girlfriend. He could see Gloria put a hand over her mouth in an attempt to keep her giggles quiet.
"Please leave," Rory said politely with her head held high.
*****
"You said posse," Jess repeated as he pushed another mug-full of coffee towards Rory.
It was far past nightfall in the closed diner, and Gloria and Leslie had both taken a bus back to New York. Gloria had hugged Rory and Jess profusely before leaving, promising to tell his friends back in the city about the day.
"How many times are you going to point that out?" Rory asked, taking a sip from her mug.
"As many times as it takes for me to believe it," he told her, leaning over the counter to get a little closer. He cleared his throat a little. "Listen... about earlier... I'm... I'm sorry."
She smiled at him. "Apology accepted."
He nodded. "And... thank you for..." he didn't finish. He didn't want to admit to being saved from one girl by another.
Her smile widened and she kissed his cheek. "You tell Luke yet?"
He shook his head.
"Tell me what?" Luke asked as he walked into the door, carrying a few boxes.
Rory glanced at Jess, who was looking at Luke.
"What's in the boxes?"
"Late Shipment," Luke replied. "Tell me what?"
Jess nodded. "Need help unloading?"
Luke looked at him with slight shock. "You're offering?"
"Uh... Yeah. I got something to tell you..."
"Have you told Luke yet?"
He didn't reply, only kept flipping through his Whitman paperback.
"I'm taking that as a big fat no."
He sighed and turned to her.
Rory shrugged. "You already rented the apartment. You're gonna be moving in soon. Don't you think it's time you told him?"
He shrugged back and went back to reading.
She snatched the book out of his hands and he turned his masterful glare on her.
"Give it."
"Tell him."
"Give me my book back, Rory. Now."
"Not until you go downstairs, and tell him."
She loved her weekends in Stars Hollow. Even dinner at her grandparents' house had been strangely on the pleasant side. She and her mother would eat together and watch movie, and she'd go and visit the Dragonfly, and see how things were coming along. She got to see Lane, and they traded new musical findings and gossip. And she got to see Jess.
Jess.
He was scowling at her, wanting his book back, and she was loving every minute of it.
"No," he told her. "I want it back. I was reading that."
She let out a giggle, and got up off of the couch in the apartment above the diner and backed away, still holding the book.
He got up slowly, and took a few steps toward her, but she ran. He gave chase and she zoomed into his bedroom. He managed to trip on a small stack of books on the floor and go sprawling into her. She cried out and turned around to catch him, forgetting that he was heavy. She went sprawling onto the bed with her arms around him, and his head buried in her neck.
She blinked. "This is not where I expected to end up."
He didn't reply, and made no move to get up.
"Jess?" It scared her a little. Had she hurt him? She never could tell whether he was fully healed from his accident or not, despite the fact that it had been a month and half now.
His only response was to kiss her neck lightly, and she shivered a little, but made no attempt to stop him.
He pulled himself up to look at her for a moment before kissing her. First softly, but becoming more passionate as the kiss progressed. She pulled him closer and kissed him deeper, before pulling away a little.
"Jess?"
He shook his head and bent his head down for another kiss, which she cut short. "Jess."
He looked down at her.
"I..." she turned a little red and looked away from him.
He nodded and rolled off of her to lie next to her.
"I'm sorry."
He shook his head. "No. Nothing to be sorry about." He wasn't going to make this mistake again. No matter how off he was feeling. He couldn't drive her away like he did before. It seemed like a lifetime ago.
She nodded. It wasn't that she didn't want him. She just wanted to be ready to want him. She turned to him. "You've been quiet today."
He shrugged.
"Something wrong?"
He shook his head again.
She sighed. "Are you lying?"
He made no movement.
She stared.
That stare. He caved in a little. "I've been thinking," he told her plainly. "I don't have a lot to say today, I guess."
She nodded. "What are you thinking about?"
"Life, the universe, and everything," he told her.
She smiled. "Douglas Adams."
Jess nodded.
"I'm serious, though. What's going on in that brain?"
He shrugged again.
All she could do was stare at him.
Until the phone rang.
Jess sighed and got up to get it. "Hello?"
"Jess, put Rory on."
"Lane?"
"Rory. Now."
Jess raised an eyebrow. "How did you know she's-"
"I have my ways!" Lane snapped. "Do not question my methods. Now please put Rory on."
Jess went back to lie in his spot next to Rory and handed her the phone.
She sat up as she took it from him. "Lane?"
"Guess who's back."
Rory blinked as she gently began scratching Jess's stomach. "Slim Shady."
"Taller and brunette. And Dave."
Rory's eyes widened. "No way."
"Way!" Lane cried. "I just talked to him! And guess what else?"
"I give up," Rory replied, hearing a sleepy sigh from Jess as she kept scratching his tummy.
"He hates California. He's transferring."
"Wow, where to?"
"Here! In Connecticut!"
"That's great!" Rory smiled, and then she began to get a little excited. "Oh! Oh! We can double date and... and be a quartet of dating people!"
"I know!" Lane squeaked. "Why aren't I hearing any objections from Jess?"
"He's half-asleep," Rory replied. "He's been really quiet and acting weird all morning. He says nothing's wrong, but I don't know." She looked down at Jess, whose eyes were closed.
"Maybe he's just tired," Lane reasoned. "You did say Luke's been working him like a dog since he and Nicole divorced."
Rory shrugged. "Maybe that's it."
"Well... I'm supposed to meet Dave for lunch... I'M MEETING DAVE FOR LUNCH!"
Jess's eyes opened slightly and squinted, and Rory shushed her best friend. "Do you mind? I have a very sleepy boyfriend, here."
"Sorry," Lane replied, much quieter this time. "I gotta go."
"Gimme a call later," Rory said with a smile.
"Definitely."
As soon as Rory hung up the phone, it rang once more. She picked it up before it could wake Jess, whose eyes had closed all the way again. "Hello?"
"Rory?"
"Hi, Gloria," Rory replied. "What's up?"
"Jess there?"
"Sleeping."
"Already?" the New Yorker asked. "Jesus. He normally doesn't pass out till three."
"Something tells me you know why he's acting so weird today," Rory said, glancing back down at Jess.
"Not me," Gloria told her. "All I know issat he acts weird every year around this time. Gramma knows but she won't tell me."
"Think I got a shot?" Rory asked.
"You are the girlfriend," Gloria snickered. "Ya just might. Hold on."
A moment later, an older woman's voice sounded through the phone. "Hello?"
"Hi, Sofia."
The woman's voice became delighted. "Rory! How are you?"
"Good," she replied. "Jess though. I don't know."
"Hmm," Sofia mused darkly. "I do."
"You do?"
"Yes, I do," Sofia said. "But it isn't my place to tell. Ask him."
"He's asleep," Rory replied.
"Well, then wake him up."
"But he's so cute," Rory argued. She looked down at Jess, who was still out like a light. He really was cute. She smiled a little. 'My Jess is cute,' she thought.
"He hasn't been cute since he was seven," Sofia replied firmly. "I have lunch going. Talk to Gloria."
Rory sighed.
"Nothing, huh?" Gloria asked.
"Nope. Don't know how I'm gonna drag it out of him."
"Well, maybe he'll open up by himself."
"That was the worst joke ever."
"Sorry," Gloria smirked. "Sick sense of humor. Hey, what're you doing today?"
Rory shrugged. "Was gonna spend time with Jess, but..."
"Wanna hang out?" Gloria offered. "I could hop a bus over there."
"Yeah, that'd be coo- wait. You sure you can handle Stars Hollow?"
She heard Gloria snort. "I'm not that much like Jess."
Rory smiled.
******
Gloria walked into the small diner that Rory had told her to meet her at two hours later. The moment she walked in, all attention was on her. Conversations stopped, and everyone stared.
Well, that was off-putting.
"Hey!" she snapped in her thick accent. "What're you lookin' at?"
When no one replied, she shrugged and took a seat at the counter.
Luke saw her and sighed. "What can I get you?"
"I'm lookin' for Rory Gilmore," Gloria told him. "Know her? Seen her?"
"I do. I have." Luke raised an eyebrow. "Who're you?"
She held out a hand. "Gloria Mariano."
The entire diner stopped dead once again.
"Aw, god," Luke groaned. He turned to the doorway leading up to the apartments. "RORY!! JESS!"
No answer.
Luke stormed up the stairs, into the apartment, and into Jess's room, where the couple looked as if they were trying to lick the back of each other's throats. He turned quickly. "My eyes! I'm blind!"
Rory let go of Jess and got to her feet. "Uh... Hi... Luke... uh... sorry..."
"You should be!" Luke cried. "Do you two mind?!"
"It's not like we didn't have a room," Jess snapped. "You just walked into it."
Luke still didn't turn around. "Jess, your cousin is downstairs, asking for Rory."
Jess raised an eyebrow and turned to Rory.
"You were asleep," Rory told him. "She wanted to hang out."
He nodded and just stood there.
"Jess, What's wrong?"
"I already told you that nothing is wrong," he snapped. "Stop asking, because you're just going to get the same answer."
Rory stared, looking kind of hurt, as Jess pushed past Luke and stormed out and down the stairs. He couldn't deal with any of this today. Today of all days. He couldn't really blame them, as much as he wanted to. They didn't know.
He saw Gloria and she smiled.
"Hey."
He didn't reply. He only kept on storming. He stormed right out the door.
Gloria watched him and rolled her eyes. "Dickhead."
Rory slowly walked down into the diner and sat next to Gloria. She looked kind of numb.
"Hey."
Rory nodded. "He's mad."
The other girl sighed. "He'll get over it. Chances are he'll apologize, too."
Rory shrugged.
Luke walked down and gave a sympathetic look to Rory. "Coffee?"
Rory nodded.
*****
Jess really wished it were raining. But it was clear and sunny in Stars Hollow.
He couldn't wait to leave.
He knew he'd been acting strangely all day. It wasn't Rory's fault. He'd pick up a peace offering somewhere along his walk (most likely at the book store) and apologize to her before the day was through. It was, after all, only around one in the afternoon. He did feel genuinely bad for lashing out at her. All she'd done was care. It was something he still found hard to get used to.
"Hey, stranger."
He stopped dead in his tracks at that voice. "You have got to be kidding me."
"No joke. Wanna have a look?"
"No, I really don't, Leslie. Go home."
"But I came to see you."
"Well, you seen me," he told her, still not turning around. "Now go home."
"Is that any way to treat an old friend?"
He finally turned around, and glared at her. "We're not friends. And we're never going to be friends. Not after all the shit you pulled."
She smiled. "Stop pretending like you didn't like it."
"Huh," Jess growled out. "Lemme think. Did I like being cheated on? No. Did I like getting stabbed with a kitchen knife? Fuck, no. Did I like it that you pushed me into getting high? Double fuck, no. Now go home."
"The kitchen knife was an accident," Leslie sneered. "You know that. And I never pushed you into anything."
"Like hell you didn't!" Jess yelled. "How did you get here, anyways?"
"I followed Gloria on the bus," the redhead replied simply.
Jess gave her a bewildered look. "You psycho! What's wrong with you?!"
By this time, people had stopped to stare, including Lorelei and Sookie.
"Danger, Will Robinson," Sookie said quietly to Lorelei. "I smell unwelcome ex-girlfriend."
Lorelei nodded.
Leslie just stood there staring.
"We're finished here," Jess told her, pointing a finger. "We're finished for good. Go home. I don't ever wanna see you again."
"Why, because you're with Little Miss Innocence now?" Leslie scoffed.
Jess's look became even angrier. "You leave her out of this."
"Who do you think you're kidding, Jess?" Leslie laughed.
Jess walked off.
Leslie walked after him. "Don't walk away from me!"
"I walked away from you three years ago!" Jess cried, spinning to face her again.
By this time, Luke, Rory and Gloria had walked out of the diner to see what all of the yelling was.
"I loved you!" Leslie yelled.
"Bull shit!" Jess raged back. "Leave! Go home!"
Gloria shook her head from next to Rory. "I can't believe her. What's she doing here?"
Leslie took a step toward Jess, and he stepped back, giving her a warning look.
Rory didn't know what she was doing, but she couldn't just stand back and watch. She began to walk forward.
Luke stared at her in shock. "Rory?"
Lorelei spotted Rory. "What is she doing?"
Rory walked over and stood in front of Jess, who was all of the sudden, very bewildered.
"Hi," Rory said to Leslie. "Is there a problem?"
"Yeah, and you're it," Leslie snapped. "Move. We were talking."
Jess tried to step around Rory, but she stopped him with a gentle hand, and then turned back to Leslie. "Honestly, I don't think he wants to talk anymore. Or didn't you notice that he was yelling the words 'go home'?"
Jess tilted his head and stared at Rory's back. She was sticking up for him? After the way he'd treated her?
"You have no idea what he wants," Leslie said with a glare. "Now move, before I make you."
Again, Jess tried to move forward. No way would he let Leslie lay a finger on Rory. She stopped him again, putting her hand to his shoulder.
"Leslie," Rory went on. "I don't wanna fight you."
"Because you know I'll win," the other girl said in a superior tone.
"Well... yeah," Rory nodded in agreement. "That and... if that happened, I'm pretty sure that Jess, my mom, Luke, Sookie, Gloria, and some other people who are watching right now would kill you. Dead. A lot."
Leslie just stared, completely bewildered.
"I have a posse."
It was all Jess could do to not burst into uncontrollable laughter. Rory Gilmore had said the word "posse" to his drug-addicted skank of an ex- girlfriend. He could see Gloria put a hand over her mouth in an attempt to keep her giggles quiet.
"Please leave," Rory said politely with her head held high.
*****
"You said posse," Jess repeated as he pushed another mug-full of coffee towards Rory.
It was far past nightfall in the closed diner, and Gloria and Leslie had both taken a bus back to New York. Gloria had hugged Rory and Jess profusely before leaving, promising to tell his friends back in the city about the day.
"How many times are you going to point that out?" Rory asked, taking a sip from her mug.
"As many times as it takes for me to believe it," he told her, leaning over the counter to get a little closer. He cleared his throat a little. "Listen... about earlier... I'm... I'm sorry."
She smiled at him. "Apology accepted."
He nodded. "And... thank you for..." he didn't finish. He didn't want to admit to being saved from one girl by another.
Her smile widened and she kissed his cheek. "You tell Luke yet?"
He shook his head.
"Tell me what?" Luke asked as he walked into the door, carrying a few boxes.
Rory glanced at Jess, who was looking at Luke.
"What's in the boxes?"
"Late Shipment," Luke replied. "Tell me what?"
Jess nodded. "Need help unloading?"
Luke looked at him with slight shock. "You're offering?"
"Uh... Yeah. I got something to tell you..."