A/N: I wasn't going to say anything, but this is getting kind of out of
hand. No. Jess and Rory have NOT had sex yet. Will they? Possibly. But not
yet. If it happens, you'll know.
Jess couldn't believe he'd actually agreed to come to the town meeting that weekend. The only plus plus was the big bag of rubber bands he'd bought from Doose's. He shot off one after the other in different directions. Sometimes hitting people, sometimes not.
Beside him was Luke, who was taking great pleasure at seeing the other people glare at Jess, and Rory and Lane who were trying not to laugh. Lorelei, he had learned from Rory, was on a date.
"...In other business," Taylor went on. "there will be no more public displays of affections in Luke's Di- OW!"
A rubber band bounced off of Taylor's head.
He bristled. "Will the hoodlum-"
"Thug," Luke and several other people corrected.
"Thug in the back please either put the rubber bands away, or leave?"
Jess moved to get up, but Luke stopped him.
Jess looked down at him quizzically.
"Don't go. You're my only source of entertainment."
Jess nodded and aimed at Taylor again.
"Try to get his nose," Lane whispered.
Jess nodded, and aimed. He let it fly just as Dean got up to address a new topic. It hit him in the back of the neck, and he whirled around to glare fiery death at Jess.
"Down in front, Jolly Green Giant!" Jess said. "You're blocking my target!"
Dean didn't know what came over him. The smirking little punk had just snapped his last nerve. Years of hatred and resentment drove him to dive at Jess, knocking him, and a couple of chairs to the ground.
"HOLY SHIT!"
Rory was the first to try and pull them apart. "Dean! Stop!"
Luke pushed her out of the way and dragged Dean to his feet.
Lindsay rushed over. "Dean! What do you think you're doing?!"
He didn't reply. He was too busy glaring at Jess, who was being helped to his feet by Lane and Rory. There was blood tricking from the shorter boy's lower lip, but Dean wasn't sure his lip had busted or he'd spit it up. And he didn't register when the two girls lost their hold on Jess, until he was slugged square in the jaw with a sickening crack.
"Jess! No!" Rory cried.
Dean lunged for Jess again, pulling himself away from Luke and hit him in the gut, causing him to go sailing to the ground, with more book dripping from his open mouth.
Luke shoved Dean into Taylor, who'd rushed over, and grabbed Jess up. He started shoving him out the door.
Rory followed, giving a frightened look back at Dean, before leaving with Lane in tow.
******
Lorelei's phone rang in the middle of dinner and she sighed as she answered it. "Hello?"
"Hey, it's Luke."
"Hi! What's up?"
"Jess and Dean slugged it out at the town meeting tonight."
"What?!"
"Jess is coughing up blood, and he's having trouble breathing. I'm on my way out the door to take him to the hospital now, and Rory's coming with."
"Yeah, okay," Lorelei replied. "I'll start heading up there, too."
"What about your date?" Luke asked.
"The fact that the kid can't breath is a little more important, Luke. I'm on my way." She hung up the phone and got to her feet. "I'm so sorry, Jason."
"No, it's okay," he replied. "I'd go, but... hospitals..."
"What about hospitals?"
"I sneeze... it's the disinfectant."
Lorelei nodded, and kissed him goodbye before walking out.
******
Luke sighed as he faced the doctor. "So?"
"He'll be alright. A few days of bed rest should do the trick. And no more rowdy fist fights, of course."
Luke nodded. "Can I see him?"
The doctor gave a nod back, and Luke walked in.
Jess was lying in the hospital bed, hooked up to a couple or monitors.
Luke grimaced and walked over to stand beside him.
"This wasn't my fault," Jess said in a horse voice, staring off at nothing in particular.
Luke gripped his nephew's shoulder, trying to be comforting. "I know. The doctor says you gotta chill out for a few days."
Jess nodded. "Yeah."
"They're probably gonna make you stay the night."
Jess nodded again.
"Rory's in the waiting room."
He finally looked up at his uncle. "Yeah?"
Luke nodded. "Lorelei is, too."
"Huh."
"You gonna be okay?" Luke asked, pulling up a chair.
Jess nodded again. "Just can't believe I relapsed like this."
"Well, Dean's a big guy."
"I've taken him before."
"Yeah, before you accident. And you got a few good hits in tonight."
Jess smirked. "I did, didn't I?"
"Sounded like you cracked his jaw."
"Good."
"You want me to call Sofia?" Luke asked. "Or Jimmy?"
Jess shook his head.
*****
Lorelei watched her daughter pace around the waiting room.
"I can't believe this happened," Rory ranted. "I can't believe Dean would do this! It was a rubber band!"
"On top of all of the other humiliations," Lorelei pointed out.
"Don't defend him," Rory told her. "Don't defend him when Jess is here, and Dean went home tonight."
Lorelei sighed. "This has been building for a while."
"It shouldn't have come to this."
"But it did."
"It shouldn't have!"
"Rory!" Lorelei cried. "You have to calm down. Pacing and freaking out about what should have happened isn't going to make Jess better any sooner. He needs you to be calm. I need you to be calm."
Rory stood stalk still.
"Rory, sweetie, please."
"He's not allowed to leave me."
Lorelei sighed and got up to walk over to her. She wrapped her arms tightly around her daughter. "Jess is going to be fine."
Rory nodded and hugged back.
*****
By the time Jess made it to his apartment the next afternoon, Rory had decorated. He didn't know how she'd done it in such a slim amount of time, but all of the sudden, he had a couch, and chairs, and a few tables.
He'd been on strict orders of bed rest all week, but hadn't really slept well.
He had been about to drift off into sleep on Thursday evening, but the incessant knocking on his front door made him grumble as he slowly made his way over to open it. "Coming!"
When he opened it, the bespectacled girl on the other side threw her arms around him. "Jess!"
He heaved a little and fought to stay on his feet. "Lily?"
She let got of him and thrust a book-shaped package into his hands. "Happy birthday!"
"Lily, my birthday isn't for another three days."
"So? I'm here now, you might as well open it," she replied, walking into the apartment with her backpack swinging from her arm.
"Do Jimmy and Sasha know you're here?"
"Nope."
"Aw, god. Lily!"
"What? School let out for me yesterday!"
Jess sighed and sat on the couch. He picked up the phone and dialed. "Hi! Jimmy! It's Jess. You missing something?... Think really hard... Y'know? Short? Annoying? Glasses?... Yeeeeeesss. She's standing right in front of me... I don't know how the hell she got here." He sighed. "Yeah, I'll hold onto her. Is Sasha there?... No... okay, I'll call back later I guess... Well, I don't know where I'll be this weekend... I'm not gonna get into trouble, it just depends on how much Luke needs me at the diner... She'll be fine! It's Stars Hollow for god's sake... Oh, I see. You trust me to look after her in Venice Beach, but no here... Then what are you saying? It's not like I'm a known felon... I'm not gonna let anything happen to her, she's like my sister!... You know what? Just stop. Stop acting like you know me, you don't... I am not just like you!... It's not my fault that she's here! I had no idea she was coming! I haven't spoken to her since I left!" He put a hand to his chest and attempted to breath deeply. "You know what? Just have Sasha call when she gets in, because I can't- c-can't do this with you."
Lily watched as her would-be step brother's skin went a sickly white. His breathing was shaky, as was the hand that held the phone to his ear. She rushed over to him, took the phone and hung it up.
"Lily! What the hell?!"
"What happened to you?" she asked. "I thought you were better."
"I got into a fight with a big, ugly guy," he told her. "I just got out of the hospital a few hours ago."
Lily frowned. "I'll talk to Jimmy when he calls back."
"If," Jess corrected.
The phone rang and Lily picked it up. "Hi, Jimmy. It's Lily."
Jess leaned back on the couch and sighed.
*****
It was raining when they pulled in front of Luke's diner the next evening.
Lily hopped out and looked around. "This is it?"
"Yup," Jess replied as he locked the car.
"It's..."
"Small?"
"Understatement."
Jess nodded and walked around the car to the door. "Come on, I see Rory and Lorelei in tonight."
Lily nodded and followed him in. The diner was extremely crowded and looked... well, quaint was the only word that came to mind. It seemed like something out of a television show.
"Have a seat," Jess said. "I'll get you some tea." He disappeared for a moment.
"Thanks," Lily called, sitting next to the older of the two brunettes at the counter.
Jess came back with a mug of tea that he set in front of Lily. He then went over to the brunette girl sitting on the other side of the older brunette and kissed her on the top of the head. "Hi."
"Hi," the younger brunette replied. "Cheating on me?"
Jess smirked. "Rory, Lorelei, this is Lily. Lily, the Gilmores."
Lily smiled and waved.
"What brings you to town?" Lorelei asked.
"She's visiting," Jess replied.
"How come you didn't tell me?" Rory asked.
"Didn't know," he replied. "Did Luke get your orders already?"
"Yeah," Lorelei nodded. "You sure you're up to this tonight?"
"No Friday dinner?" Jess asked them, avoiding Lorelei's question.
"Grandma and Grandpa had a thing," Rory told him.
"Ah. Sounds important."
"Always."
Jess glanced at Lily. "Want food, Four-Eyes?"
"Cheese fries, Holden."
Rory's eyes widened. "She gets it!"
Lorelei stared at Jess. "You're ignoring my question."
"She gets it!" Rory repeated. She leaned over her mother to talk to Lily. "How old are you?"
"Nine."
"And you've read Salinger?"
Lily nodded.
Rory smiled. "Will you be my friend?"
Lily giggled. "Okay."
Jess disappeared into the kitchen again.
"He ignored me," Lorelei repeated.
"What else do you read?" Rory asked.
"Lots of stuff," Lily replied.
"What am I, invisible?" Lorelei cried. "Why is everyone ignoring me?"
"Ayn Rand?"
"Some," Lily nodded. "Jess got me into Hemmingway."
"Evil."
Jess emerged from the kitchen, and set a plait of fries down in front of Lily.
"Thanks," Lily smiled, digging in.
"You exposed her to Hemmingway?" Rory asked him.
He shrugged as he refilled their coffee.
"You're horrible."
"Yeah, but you love me in spite of it," Jess replied quietly.
Rory smiled.
Hey!" Lorelei snapped. "Jess!"
He looked up at her.
"How are your guts?"
He shrugged.
"Well, at least I got a straight answer," Lorelei muttered bitterly.
Lane came running out of the kitchen in a huff. "Your orders will be right out, if Caesar will move his ENORMOUS BUTT!"
"No rush" Rory said.
"Jess! Thank go!" Lane threw her arms around him, and Jess stiffened. "I'm going crazy!"
"Where's Luke?" Jess asked, prying the girl off of him, much to Lily, Lorelei and Rory's amusement.
"Upstairs! Arguing with Nicole!"
"Nicole?"
"Nicole! I don't know what about. HE SHOULD BE DOWN HERE!"
"LANE!" Jess yelled. "Calm!"
She looked as thought she might cry when a few more people walked in and began the long wait for an open table.
"Rory, call Dave," Jess said. "She's beyond our help."
"Who's Dave?" Lily asked. "Who's Nicole?"
Lorelei shook her head. "Don't worry about it."
Rory held her cell out to Lane, who took it.
"Dave? There are too many people here!"
"I've never seen her like that," Rory said.
"You're not usually here on Friday nights," Jess pointed out.
Rory nodded.
The front door opened again, and Dean and Lindsay walked in.
Jess glared.
"Who's he?" Lily whispered to Lorelei.
"That's the guy that Jess got into a fight with," Lorelei whispered back.
Lily nodded.
"Dave?" Lane said into the phone. "I gotta go. I'll call you later." She hung up and stared with the rest.
Jess rolled his eyes. "I'll get check on your orders," he said to Rory and Lorelei. He disappeared into the kitchen and all eyes turned to Dean, sans Rory, who refused to look.
Dean sighed. "Rory? Can I talk to you outside?"
Rory nodded slightly, slid her coat on and headed for the door. Dean followed.
Lindsay sat down alone.
Jess came out from the kitchen, and spotted Rory and Dean outside, and sighed. "I gotta use the bathroom." He climbed the stairs up to the apartment.
The diner stayed silent.
"Alright!" Lane cried. "Back to your food, people. Show's over."
Lorelei got up, and followed Jess up the stairs.
*****
"About what happened..."
"Don't apologize," Rory interrupted him. "It's not gonna make this better this time."
"I wasn't going to," Dean replied. "I'm not sorry, Rory."
"Well, you should be!" Rory cried. "You landed him in the hospital!"
"He deserved it."
"It was just a rubber band!"
"It was so much more than that," Dean told her. "It was the fact that you picked him over me. It was all the resentment that's been building up since he got here the first time! It's everything, Rory!"
"And that makes it right?"
Dean fell silent, and Rory walked off.
Lily exited the diner, just as Rory was walking off. She looked up at Dean, and then rushed off after Rory.
*****
"Jess?"
No reply came as Lorelei slowly walked into the apartment. She found Jess sitting on the couch, looking tensed up. His breaths were coming out short and shaky, and she could tell he was having a hard time.
With all of the craziness that had happened, between the fight last weekend, the fight with his father the night before, and now Dean showing up and Rory agreeing to talk to him alone, it wasn't doing Jess any good. It wasn't that he felt particularly upset, but the stress of it all was becoming too much.
Lorelei walked over and sat next to him. "Jess?"
He didn't reply, just kept trying to breathe more.
"Deep breaths, Jess," Lorelei said calmly. "It's okay."
He nodded and tried to breathe more slowly.
Jess couldn't believe he'd actually agreed to come to the town meeting that weekend. The only plus plus was the big bag of rubber bands he'd bought from Doose's. He shot off one after the other in different directions. Sometimes hitting people, sometimes not.
Beside him was Luke, who was taking great pleasure at seeing the other people glare at Jess, and Rory and Lane who were trying not to laugh. Lorelei, he had learned from Rory, was on a date.
"...In other business," Taylor went on. "there will be no more public displays of affections in Luke's Di- OW!"
A rubber band bounced off of Taylor's head.
He bristled. "Will the hoodlum-"
"Thug," Luke and several other people corrected.
"Thug in the back please either put the rubber bands away, or leave?"
Jess moved to get up, but Luke stopped him.
Jess looked down at him quizzically.
"Don't go. You're my only source of entertainment."
Jess nodded and aimed at Taylor again.
"Try to get his nose," Lane whispered.
Jess nodded, and aimed. He let it fly just as Dean got up to address a new topic. It hit him in the back of the neck, and he whirled around to glare fiery death at Jess.
"Down in front, Jolly Green Giant!" Jess said. "You're blocking my target!"
Dean didn't know what came over him. The smirking little punk had just snapped his last nerve. Years of hatred and resentment drove him to dive at Jess, knocking him, and a couple of chairs to the ground.
"HOLY SHIT!"
Rory was the first to try and pull them apart. "Dean! Stop!"
Luke pushed her out of the way and dragged Dean to his feet.
Lindsay rushed over. "Dean! What do you think you're doing?!"
He didn't reply. He was too busy glaring at Jess, who was being helped to his feet by Lane and Rory. There was blood tricking from the shorter boy's lower lip, but Dean wasn't sure his lip had busted or he'd spit it up. And he didn't register when the two girls lost their hold on Jess, until he was slugged square in the jaw with a sickening crack.
"Jess! No!" Rory cried.
Dean lunged for Jess again, pulling himself away from Luke and hit him in the gut, causing him to go sailing to the ground, with more book dripping from his open mouth.
Luke shoved Dean into Taylor, who'd rushed over, and grabbed Jess up. He started shoving him out the door.
Rory followed, giving a frightened look back at Dean, before leaving with Lane in tow.
******
Lorelei's phone rang in the middle of dinner and she sighed as she answered it. "Hello?"
"Hey, it's Luke."
"Hi! What's up?"
"Jess and Dean slugged it out at the town meeting tonight."
"What?!"
"Jess is coughing up blood, and he's having trouble breathing. I'm on my way out the door to take him to the hospital now, and Rory's coming with."
"Yeah, okay," Lorelei replied. "I'll start heading up there, too."
"What about your date?" Luke asked.
"The fact that the kid can't breath is a little more important, Luke. I'm on my way." She hung up the phone and got to her feet. "I'm so sorry, Jason."
"No, it's okay," he replied. "I'd go, but... hospitals..."
"What about hospitals?"
"I sneeze... it's the disinfectant."
Lorelei nodded, and kissed him goodbye before walking out.
******
Luke sighed as he faced the doctor. "So?"
"He'll be alright. A few days of bed rest should do the trick. And no more rowdy fist fights, of course."
Luke nodded. "Can I see him?"
The doctor gave a nod back, and Luke walked in.
Jess was lying in the hospital bed, hooked up to a couple or monitors.
Luke grimaced and walked over to stand beside him.
"This wasn't my fault," Jess said in a horse voice, staring off at nothing in particular.
Luke gripped his nephew's shoulder, trying to be comforting. "I know. The doctor says you gotta chill out for a few days."
Jess nodded. "Yeah."
"They're probably gonna make you stay the night."
Jess nodded again.
"Rory's in the waiting room."
He finally looked up at his uncle. "Yeah?"
Luke nodded. "Lorelei is, too."
"Huh."
"You gonna be okay?" Luke asked, pulling up a chair.
Jess nodded again. "Just can't believe I relapsed like this."
"Well, Dean's a big guy."
"I've taken him before."
"Yeah, before you accident. And you got a few good hits in tonight."
Jess smirked. "I did, didn't I?"
"Sounded like you cracked his jaw."
"Good."
"You want me to call Sofia?" Luke asked. "Or Jimmy?"
Jess shook his head.
*****
Lorelei watched her daughter pace around the waiting room.
"I can't believe this happened," Rory ranted. "I can't believe Dean would do this! It was a rubber band!"
"On top of all of the other humiliations," Lorelei pointed out.
"Don't defend him," Rory told her. "Don't defend him when Jess is here, and Dean went home tonight."
Lorelei sighed. "This has been building for a while."
"It shouldn't have come to this."
"But it did."
"It shouldn't have!"
"Rory!" Lorelei cried. "You have to calm down. Pacing and freaking out about what should have happened isn't going to make Jess better any sooner. He needs you to be calm. I need you to be calm."
Rory stood stalk still.
"Rory, sweetie, please."
"He's not allowed to leave me."
Lorelei sighed and got up to walk over to her. She wrapped her arms tightly around her daughter. "Jess is going to be fine."
Rory nodded and hugged back.
*****
By the time Jess made it to his apartment the next afternoon, Rory had decorated. He didn't know how she'd done it in such a slim amount of time, but all of the sudden, he had a couch, and chairs, and a few tables.
He'd been on strict orders of bed rest all week, but hadn't really slept well.
He had been about to drift off into sleep on Thursday evening, but the incessant knocking on his front door made him grumble as he slowly made his way over to open it. "Coming!"
When he opened it, the bespectacled girl on the other side threw her arms around him. "Jess!"
He heaved a little and fought to stay on his feet. "Lily?"
She let got of him and thrust a book-shaped package into his hands. "Happy birthday!"
"Lily, my birthday isn't for another three days."
"So? I'm here now, you might as well open it," she replied, walking into the apartment with her backpack swinging from her arm.
"Do Jimmy and Sasha know you're here?"
"Nope."
"Aw, god. Lily!"
"What? School let out for me yesterday!"
Jess sighed and sat on the couch. He picked up the phone and dialed. "Hi! Jimmy! It's Jess. You missing something?... Think really hard... Y'know? Short? Annoying? Glasses?... Yeeeeeesss. She's standing right in front of me... I don't know how the hell she got here." He sighed. "Yeah, I'll hold onto her. Is Sasha there?... No... okay, I'll call back later I guess... Well, I don't know where I'll be this weekend... I'm not gonna get into trouble, it just depends on how much Luke needs me at the diner... She'll be fine! It's Stars Hollow for god's sake... Oh, I see. You trust me to look after her in Venice Beach, but no here... Then what are you saying? It's not like I'm a known felon... I'm not gonna let anything happen to her, she's like my sister!... You know what? Just stop. Stop acting like you know me, you don't... I am not just like you!... It's not my fault that she's here! I had no idea she was coming! I haven't spoken to her since I left!" He put a hand to his chest and attempted to breath deeply. "You know what? Just have Sasha call when she gets in, because I can't- c-can't do this with you."
Lily watched as her would-be step brother's skin went a sickly white. His breathing was shaky, as was the hand that held the phone to his ear. She rushed over to him, took the phone and hung it up.
"Lily! What the hell?!"
"What happened to you?" she asked. "I thought you were better."
"I got into a fight with a big, ugly guy," he told her. "I just got out of the hospital a few hours ago."
Lily frowned. "I'll talk to Jimmy when he calls back."
"If," Jess corrected.
The phone rang and Lily picked it up. "Hi, Jimmy. It's Lily."
Jess leaned back on the couch and sighed.
*****
It was raining when they pulled in front of Luke's diner the next evening.
Lily hopped out and looked around. "This is it?"
"Yup," Jess replied as he locked the car.
"It's..."
"Small?"
"Understatement."
Jess nodded and walked around the car to the door. "Come on, I see Rory and Lorelei in tonight."
Lily nodded and followed him in. The diner was extremely crowded and looked... well, quaint was the only word that came to mind. It seemed like something out of a television show.
"Have a seat," Jess said. "I'll get you some tea." He disappeared for a moment.
"Thanks," Lily called, sitting next to the older of the two brunettes at the counter.
Jess came back with a mug of tea that he set in front of Lily. He then went over to the brunette girl sitting on the other side of the older brunette and kissed her on the top of the head. "Hi."
"Hi," the younger brunette replied. "Cheating on me?"
Jess smirked. "Rory, Lorelei, this is Lily. Lily, the Gilmores."
Lily smiled and waved.
"What brings you to town?" Lorelei asked.
"She's visiting," Jess replied.
"How come you didn't tell me?" Rory asked.
"Didn't know," he replied. "Did Luke get your orders already?"
"Yeah," Lorelei nodded. "You sure you're up to this tonight?"
"No Friday dinner?" Jess asked them, avoiding Lorelei's question.
"Grandma and Grandpa had a thing," Rory told him.
"Ah. Sounds important."
"Always."
Jess glanced at Lily. "Want food, Four-Eyes?"
"Cheese fries, Holden."
Rory's eyes widened. "She gets it!"
Lorelei stared at Jess. "You're ignoring my question."
"She gets it!" Rory repeated. She leaned over her mother to talk to Lily. "How old are you?"
"Nine."
"And you've read Salinger?"
Lily nodded.
Rory smiled. "Will you be my friend?"
Lily giggled. "Okay."
Jess disappeared into the kitchen again.
"He ignored me," Lorelei repeated.
"What else do you read?" Rory asked.
"Lots of stuff," Lily replied.
"What am I, invisible?" Lorelei cried. "Why is everyone ignoring me?"
"Ayn Rand?"
"Some," Lily nodded. "Jess got me into Hemmingway."
"Evil."
Jess emerged from the kitchen, and set a plait of fries down in front of Lily.
"Thanks," Lily smiled, digging in.
"You exposed her to Hemmingway?" Rory asked him.
He shrugged as he refilled their coffee.
"You're horrible."
"Yeah, but you love me in spite of it," Jess replied quietly.
Rory smiled.
Hey!" Lorelei snapped. "Jess!"
He looked up at her.
"How are your guts?"
He shrugged.
"Well, at least I got a straight answer," Lorelei muttered bitterly.
Lane came running out of the kitchen in a huff. "Your orders will be right out, if Caesar will move his ENORMOUS BUTT!"
"No rush" Rory said.
"Jess! Thank go!" Lane threw her arms around him, and Jess stiffened. "I'm going crazy!"
"Where's Luke?" Jess asked, prying the girl off of him, much to Lily, Lorelei and Rory's amusement.
"Upstairs! Arguing with Nicole!"
"Nicole?"
"Nicole! I don't know what about. HE SHOULD BE DOWN HERE!"
"LANE!" Jess yelled. "Calm!"
She looked as thought she might cry when a few more people walked in and began the long wait for an open table.
"Rory, call Dave," Jess said. "She's beyond our help."
"Who's Dave?" Lily asked. "Who's Nicole?"
Lorelei shook her head. "Don't worry about it."
Rory held her cell out to Lane, who took it.
"Dave? There are too many people here!"
"I've never seen her like that," Rory said.
"You're not usually here on Friday nights," Jess pointed out.
Rory nodded.
The front door opened again, and Dean and Lindsay walked in.
Jess glared.
"Who's he?" Lily whispered to Lorelei.
"That's the guy that Jess got into a fight with," Lorelei whispered back.
Lily nodded.
"Dave?" Lane said into the phone. "I gotta go. I'll call you later." She hung up and stared with the rest.
Jess rolled his eyes. "I'll get check on your orders," he said to Rory and Lorelei. He disappeared into the kitchen and all eyes turned to Dean, sans Rory, who refused to look.
Dean sighed. "Rory? Can I talk to you outside?"
Rory nodded slightly, slid her coat on and headed for the door. Dean followed.
Lindsay sat down alone.
Jess came out from the kitchen, and spotted Rory and Dean outside, and sighed. "I gotta use the bathroom." He climbed the stairs up to the apartment.
The diner stayed silent.
"Alright!" Lane cried. "Back to your food, people. Show's over."
Lorelei got up, and followed Jess up the stairs.
*****
"About what happened..."
"Don't apologize," Rory interrupted him. "It's not gonna make this better this time."
"I wasn't going to," Dean replied. "I'm not sorry, Rory."
"Well, you should be!" Rory cried. "You landed him in the hospital!"
"He deserved it."
"It was just a rubber band!"
"It was so much more than that," Dean told her. "It was the fact that you picked him over me. It was all the resentment that's been building up since he got here the first time! It's everything, Rory!"
"And that makes it right?"
Dean fell silent, and Rory walked off.
Lily exited the diner, just as Rory was walking off. She looked up at Dean, and then rushed off after Rory.
*****
"Jess?"
No reply came as Lorelei slowly walked into the apartment. She found Jess sitting on the couch, looking tensed up. His breaths were coming out short and shaky, and she could tell he was having a hard time.
With all of the craziness that had happened, between the fight last weekend, the fight with his father the night before, and now Dean showing up and Rory agreeing to talk to him alone, it wasn't doing Jess any good. It wasn't that he felt particularly upset, but the stress of it all was becoming too much.
Lorelei walked over and sat next to him. "Jess?"
He didn't reply, just kept trying to breathe more.
"Deep breaths, Jess," Lorelei said calmly. "It's okay."
He nodded and tried to breathe more slowly.