A/N: Something funky happened with FF.net... don't know... but Ch. 38 is up,
and this is 39...
A/N #2: I don't know where PS 128 is in NY. I pulled it out of my butt. If I'm offending anyone. I'm sorry.
"I'm not kidding!"
He sat on the edge of his bed, clad in his boxers and a huge smirk that spread across his face.
"This isn't funny!"
Rory Gilmore was rushing around the apartment, tripping over the bed sheet that happened to be the only thing protecting her from the draft that weaved itself through the small space.
Jess shrugged and picked up Player Piano from the night stand.
"Jess! I need my clothes! Where are they?!"
He shrugged again and kept reading.
"Jess! I have class!"
"So skip. I'll call in sick to Conner's and we'll spend the day."
"I can't skip!" Rory cried. "How can I possibly skip?! Can you imagine the conversation at Friday dinner?!" She imitated her grandfather. "'So, Rory. How were classes this week?'" Her voice changed back to her own. "'Great, Grandpa. I skipped Thursday and spent the time I'm supposed to use to fill my brain with useful knowledge for the future having amazing well-protected sex with my boyfriend! Isn't that fascinating?"
"Amazing. Huh."
"Oh, my god!" Rory yelled. "That the only part of that rant you actually heard, isn't it?!"
He shrugged and turned a page.
"Jess! Where are my clothes?!"
Yet again, Jess shrugged.
She glared, and proceeded to go through his dresser.
******
Gloria looked up from the video game she was playing and cracked into laughter.
Rory was standing in the doorway, wearing a ridiculously baggy pair of jeans and a Metallica t-shirt that was also too big.
"Oh, my god!" Gloria laughed. "Those clothes! That scowl! Jess and Rory have finally morphed into on person!"
Paris peered out of her room. "D you mind, Gloria? I'm-"She looked Rory over. "Wonderful fashion statement. Very Early hip-hop era."
"Jess hit my clothes!" Rory pleaded.
"TMI!" Gloria yelled. "Oh, god! TMI!"
"T... M... I?" Rory asked.
"Stands for too much information," Paris huffed. "Gloria! Stop being annoying! And turn down the sound on that stupid game!"
"It's not stupid!" Gloria cried, looking offended. "It's Battle Toads!"
"Battle Toads? Battle Toads?!" Paris said. "You go to Yale, and you're playing a game entitled Battle Toads?!"
"It's the pirated arcade version," Gloria offered.
Paris groaned and slammed her door shut.
"How was poli-sci?" Gloria asked, not at all phased by Paris's display.
Rory sighed and sat down on the couch. "I was a little late, but it went alright."
The other girl turned back to her game. "Good... hey, can I borrow that blue long-sleeved top of yours?"
"Sure. What for? Hot date?"
Gloria smirked. "Nah. Grandma wants Jess and I for dinner tomorrow... he didn't tell you?"
Rory shook her head.
"Wow. I thought he'd invite you over."
"Oh," Rory said. "Friday night I have dinners with my grandparents. You know that."
"Oh, yeah," Gloria nodded. She thought for a moment. "Hey! Wouldn't it be fun if we did a joint dinner?"
Rory smiled.
******
"Luke, I am begging you!"
"No, Lorelai," he replied as she followed him around the diner. "I just got Liz and TJ out of my hair."
"Come on!" She begged. "I've never met Jess's family on Jimmy's side... well, except Jimmy! I need an ally!"
"You'll have Rory."
"Who will probably be busy keeping Jess from killing someone."
Luke sighed. "Listen, I've only met Sofia Mariano once."
"Really? When?"
"Ten years ago," Luke replied. "When-"he stopped himself and sighed. "You'll be fine, Lorelai."
"My parents are going to be there," Lorelai told him. "It's a joint Friday dinner. Sofia is cooking and I need an ally! By my date!"
Luke sighed, defeated.
*****
Rory opened the door to find Jess standing there with a small pile of neatly folded clothing, topped with a pair of rolled-up socks.
"Hi," Rory said.
"Hi," he replied, holding the pile out to her.
"You did my laundry?"
He shrugged. "Found them in with my dirty stuff."
She rolled her eyes, kissed him, took the clothes, and let him in. "So you came to drop off my laundry."
"Seeing you is an added bonus."
She nodded and they sat on the couch. "So you're having dinner at Sofia's tomorrow."
Jess nodded back. "Gloria opened her mouth?"
"Mhm. And she had a great idea."
"Which would be?"
"Joint Friday dinner. Us, your grandmother, Gloria, my mom and my grandparents."
"No way."
"Too late," she told him. "Already set."
"Aw, jeez, Rory," Jess said. "Thanks a lot."
"What? It'll be fun."
He got to his feet. "No, it won't."
"Why not? Your grandmother is really cool. And my grandmother was okay with it."
He shook his head. "I gotta go."
"Jess!"
He headed for the door, and walked out, running into Gloria.
"Hey," she said, surprised to see him.
He glared and began to walk off.
She glanced into the dorm room and to see Rory sitting on the couch, looking dejected. She rolled her eyes, and ran after Jess. "What's with you?"
"You invited the Gilmores for dinner."
"Yeah. So?"
He didn't reply, just kept walking.
She lunged at him, and put him into a full nelson, hooking her hands together behind his neck.
"Gloria!"
"Speak!"
"Woof!"
"Which translates to...?"
"Get off!"
"Why is it such a crime to have dinner with Rory's family?"
Jess struggled and got out from her hold. He stared at her wildly. "You know what Sofia has?! Not much! That dinky apartment and the old shop underneath that she uses for storage!"
Gloria stayed silent.
Jess went on. "Rory's grandparents have a giant house! Her grandfather owns his own company! Her grandmother organizes and goes to DAR meetings!"
"What the hell is DAR?"
"Fucked if I know!" Jess yelled. "And that's what I'm saying!"
"So this is about money."
Jess shook his head. "We don't need Richard and Emily looking down on us more than they already do."
"Does Rory look down on us, too?"
He stayed silent.
She rolled her eyes.
He rolled his back and turned to leave.
She tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned, the dark expression still on his face. She cocked back her fist and let him have it.
******
"...He just stormed out," Rory sniffed on the phone. "He wouldn't even tell me why it upset him."
She didn't hear her mother's comforting works, though. The door swung open and Gloria walked in, supporting Jess, whose eye was quickly swelling up.
Rory jumped to her feet. "Oh, my god! Mom, I gotta go." She turned the phone off and dropped it.
Gloria smiled. "I got a little carried away." She dragged Jess in and shoved him onto the couch.
"You beat him up?" Rory asked.
Gloria shrugged. "He was being a dickhead." She headed for the mini fridge and gathered up an ice pack.
Rory sat next to Jess and took his chin in her hand. "What hurts?"
"My pride, mostly," he told her.
Gloria walked back over and plopped the ice pack on his swelled eye.
"Ah!"
"How many times do I have to beat you up before you stop acting like a Jack-ass?" Gloria asked him.
He didn't reply.
She shook her head. "He's all yours, Rory." She walked to her room and closed the door.
They sat in silence for a moment, Jess fidgeting with the ice pack.
"Are you mad at me?" Rory asked finally.
"No. Are you mad at me?"
"No."
"Sorry."
"Me, too," She nodded. "We should have talked to you about it."
"We still would have fought," he pointed out.
Rory nodded and took the ice pack from him. She gently put it to his eye and he flinched. "Are you okay with dinner?"
He sighed. "Don't have much of a choice, do I?"
******
Sofia opened the door the next evening to find Gloria, Rory and Jess standing there. Both girls were dressed in skirts and blouses and Jess wore slacks and a nice shirt. And a black.
"Hi, Grandma!" Gloria smiled, walking forward to hug her.
Sofia hugged back, still looking at Jess. "Gloria, have you been punching Jess again?"
The curly-haired girl gave her grandmother a sheepish look. "Maybe a little."
Sofia sighed and beckoned them inside, hugging Rory briefly and then placing a kiss on Jess's forehead. "You're the first here," she told them. "Well... second..."
Jamie was sitting on the couch.
"Mooching more, Jamie?" Jess quipped.
The blond held his arms out. "I just miss you, Jessie!"
Rory snickered as Jess rolled his eyes.
*****
When everyone had arrived, Sofia put the mass amounts of food on the table and everyone seated themselves.
Jess leaned over to Luke. "What're you doing here?"
He pointed to Lorelai.
Jess nodded. "Right. So it's a date."
"What?" Luke snapped.
"Your mom and Uncle Luke are on a date," Jess whispered to Rory.
She leaned over and smiled. "Aww."
Luke glared at Jess.
"Dude," Jamie muttered to Jess. "Rory's mom's a MILF."
"A what?"
"A MILF?"
Jess gave him a confused look.
"It's from that American Pie movie," Jamie explained.
"Oh," Jess rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry. I missed that one for the sake of brain cells."
Jamie sighed. "MILF: Mom I'd Like to- OW!"
Jess had kicked him.
Sofia glared. "No footsy, boys."
Jamie smiled and rested a hand on Jess's thigh, making the him almost fall out of his chair. "Sorry. Just can't help myself."
Half the table snickered, and the other half looked slightly disturbed.
"So... Jess..." Emily said. "Another black eye?"
"Oh, that was my doing," Gloria chimed in.
Luke laughed at his nephew. "You got beat up by a girl."
"Not just any girl," Gloria snapped. "PS 128's boxing champ of 2003!"
Richard smiled. "That's very impressive," he said. "Sofia, this meal is excellent. What is your secret?"
"I'm Italian," Sofia joked dryly with a smirk on her face, earning lights and a smirk from Jess.
Emily smiled. We've never had an Italian cook, actually."
"You don't cook?" Sofia asked.
"She burns water," Lorelai commented.
Emily glared at her daughter. "I never had the opportunity, nor the desire to learn."
"And it turns out it runs in the family," Lorelai added. "Because neither Rory nor I can make a decent meal other than cold cheese sandwiches."
Sofia looked to Jess. "You should teach Rory to cook."
"She never asked to learn," he replied quietly, looking off at nothing.
"Well, it's a very useful skill," Sofia said to Rory. "You should learn."
Rory smiled. "Maybe I will."
Sofia nodded. "It also keeps you from being ridiculed by people who can cook," she smiled.
Rory snickered, and Emily sighed.
*****
After dinner, the group dispersed around the apartment.
Emily sighed and looked around from her spot on the couch next to Lorelai. "It's very cramped."
Lorelai shrugged. "It's nice."
"And very small."
"I doubt Sofia needs a bigger place, Mom," Lorelai replied.
"Grandma's lived here since she and my grandfather got married," Gloria told them, sitting on the floor in front of them. "Two generations of Marianos took their first steps in this place." She pointed to a spot on the carpet, a few feet away. "Over there is where I hit Jess so hard he needed stitches."
Emily looked a little startled. "Such a violent upbringing."
"We didn't mean anything by it," Gloria reassured. "Not back then, anyways. Now, though..."
"Why'd you hit him?" Lorelai asked.
"Cause he was being a jerk," Gloria shrugged.
Richard was studying some of the photos. He picked up a frame and was glancing at what looked to be a much, much older version of Jess, and two small children, both looking to be around the age of seven. The boy was sitting on a counter next to a cash register with a book, and the little girl was being held by the man, who was standing behind the counter.
Sofia walked up and smiled. "That was my husband, Frankie. The little boy is Jess, and the girl is Gloria."
Richard nodded. "It's a lovely picture... what happened to your husband?"
Sofia sighed wistfully and took the picture. "He passed away just before Jess turned sixteen."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Richard said gently.
Sofia smiled. "That's alright. Jess and Gloria took it harder than I did... Jess was very close to Frankie..." She looked around. "Where is that boy, anyways?"
*****
Jess led Rory down into what Sofia had turned into her 'storage' room. It was stuffed full with boxes and shelves.
"Wow..." Rory said looking around.
Jess nodded. "This used to be my grandfather's book store... my grandmother closed it after he died."
"Why?"
"She didn't know how to run it," he replied. "And she just...closed it up, and stuck all her stuff down here."
Rory began to look through one of the many shelves of books. "Most of these are out of print..."
Jess nodded. "Frankie loved really, really, really old books. Ridiculously old books." He began to sift through and pulled out an old hardback. He flipped through it, and then stopped, reading. "Huh."
*****
Jamie plopped himself in-between Lorelai and Emily and smiled at the former. "Hi, there."
Lorelai blinked. "Uh... Hi... Jamie, right?"
He smiled and nodded. "And you're Mrs. Gilmore."
Gloria rolled her eyes from her seat on the floor.
"Yeah... I am..." Lorelai nodded, a little unsure.
Jamie pretended to stretch and placed an around Lorelai, who tensed up. "So... tell me about yourself? What do you do for a living? Favorite color? Do you have a boyfriend?"
Lorelai looked around a little. "Uh... I own my own inn..."
"Wow," Jamie smiled. "That's really, really cool."
"Uh... yeah... I... like all colors!" Lorelai said. "They're great."
Jamie's smile widened and he nodded, moving a little closer to her.
"Jamie, you ignorant slut..." Gloria muttered, obviously amused.
"And... uh..." Lorelai looked around, and spotted Luke. "Him! He's my boyfriend!" She got up and walked over to Luke and hugged him.
Luke blinked, obviously confused. "Uh..." He tried his best to pry Lorelai off of him.
Emily shook her head. "Lorelai, you don't have a boyfriend."
"I do now," Lorelai replied. "Isn't that right, Luke?"
Luke gave her another confused look.
Jamie snickered. "Cute. Very cute."
"No!" Lorelai cried. "Really! We're dating. See?" She reached up and kissed Luke fully on the lips.
Jess and Rory walked in and Jess nearly ran back out. "Oh, god!"
"Lorelai Victoria Gilmore!" Emily cried. "I am appalled!"
"You're appalled?!" Jess cried back. "That's my uncle!"
Lorelai released a very dazed Luke, and smiled. "See? Dating."
Jamie sighed and leaned against the couch.
Rory cracked up into laughter and Jess shook his head and made his way over to his grandmother, who was still speaking to Richard.
Jess held up the book he'd found, and Sofia turned. "Well would you look at that," she commented, and then turned to Richard. "Excuse me for one moment." She hooked a hand through Jess's arm and led him off into a different room.
Rory walked up to Lorelai and Luke, still laughing. "What... was that?"
"That was me trying to ward off Jess's creepy best friend," Lorelai whispered. "Do you think it worked?"
Rory could only shake her head and laugh more.
Luke blinked, still in shock. 'Did Lorelai just...? Did...? What?'
*****
Jess sighed as he leaned against the wall in his grandmother's bedroom. "So?"
Sofia turned the book over in her hands. "Frankie was going to give it to you for your birthday."
Jess nodded. "So it said... why didn't you give it to me?"
"I forgot all about it," Sofia replied. She walked over to him and handed him the book.
"I don't want it."
"Take it."
"No."
"Jess," she said her voice a warning. "Take the book, or I'll let Gloria beat you with it."
He took it.
"It was his favorite."
"I know," he nodded. He opened up the book again and looked down at the note written on the inside cover.
Dear Jess,
Happy Sweet sixteen! Alright, alright, not so sweet, but you get it. You're a smart boy. And you're sixteen! My god, where the hell did all that time go? Ah, well. I hope you're birthday goes well. Try not to stay out too late (even though you will), and don't come home too messed up (even though you will).
I thought about writing something meaningful, but I know you don't go in for that sort of crap, so I won't bother. Love you, Kid.
-Grandpa Frankie
A/N #2: I don't know where PS 128 is in NY. I pulled it out of my butt. If I'm offending anyone. I'm sorry.
"I'm not kidding!"
He sat on the edge of his bed, clad in his boxers and a huge smirk that spread across his face.
"This isn't funny!"
Rory Gilmore was rushing around the apartment, tripping over the bed sheet that happened to be the only thing protecting her from the draft that weaved itself through the small space.
Jess shrugged and picked up Player Piano from the night stand.
"Jess! I need my clothes! Where are they?!"
He shrugged again and kept reading.
"Jess! I have class!"
"So skip. I'll call in sick to Conner's and we'll spend the day."
"I can't skip!" Rory cried. "How can I possibly skip?! Can you imagine the conversation at Friday dinner?!" She imitated her grandfather. "'So, Rory. How were classes this week?'" Her voice changed back to her own. "'Great, Grandpa. I skipped Thursday and spent the time I'm supposed to use to fill my brain with useful knowledge for the future having amazing well-protected sex with my boyfriend! Isn't that fascinating?"
"Amazing. Huh."
"Oh, my god!" Rory yelled. "That the only part of that rant you actually heard, isn't it?!"
He shrugged and turned a page.
"Jess! Where are my clothes?!"
Yet again, Jess shrugged.
She glared, and proceeded to go through his dresser.
******
Gloria looked up from the video game she was playing and cracked into laughter.
Rory was standing in the doorway, wearing a ridiculously baggy pair of jeans and a Metallica t-shirt that was also too big.
"Oh, my god!" Gloria laughed. "Those clothes! That scowl! Jess and Rory have finally morphed into on person!"
Paris peered out of her room. "D you mind, Gloria? I'm-"She looked Rory over. "Wonderful fashion statement. Very Early hip-hop era."
"Jess hit my clothes!" Rory pleaded.
"TMI!" Gloria yelled. "Oh, god! TMI!"
"T... M... I?" Rory asked.
"Stands for too much information," Paris huffed. "Gloria! Stop being annoying! And turn down the sound on that stupid game!"
"It's not stupid!" Gloria cried, looking offended. "It's Battle Toads!"
"Battle Toads? Battle Toads?!" Paris said. "You go to Yale, and you're playing a game entitled Battle Toads?!"
"It's the pirated arcade version," Gloria offered.
Paris groaned and slammed her door shut.
"How was poli-sci?" Gloria asked, not at all phased by Paris's display.
Rory sighed and sat down on the couch. "I was a little late, but it went alright."
The other girl turned back to her game. "Good... hey, can I borrow that blue long-sleeved top of yours?"
"Sure. What for? Hot date?"
Gloria smirked. "Nah. Grandma wants Jess and I for dinner tomorrow... he didn't tell you?"
Rory shook her head.
"Wow. I thought he'd invite you over."
"Oh," Rory said. "Friday night I have dinners with my grandparents. You know that."
"Oh, yeah," Gloria nodded. She thought for a moment. "Hey! Wouldn't it be fun if we did a joint dinner?"
Rory smiled.
******
"Luke, I am begging you!"
"No, Lorelai," he replied as she followed him around the diner. "I just got Liz and TJ out of my hair."
"Come on!" She begged. "I've never met Jess's family on Jimmy's side... well, except Jimmy! I need an ally!"
"You'll have Rory."
"Who will probably be busy keeping Jess from killing someone."
Luke sighed. "Listen, I've only met Sofia Mariano once."
"Really? When?"
"Ten years ago," Luke replied. "When-"he stopped himself and sighed. "You'll be fine, Lorelai."
"My parents are going to be there," Lorelai told him. "It's a joint Friday dinner. Sofia is cooking and I need an ally! By my date!"
Luke sighed, defeated.
*****
Rory opened the door to find Jess standing there with a small pile of neatly folded clothing, topped with a pair of rolled-up socks.
"Hi," Rory said.
"Hi," he replied, holding the pile out to her.
"You did my laundry?"
He shrugged. "Found them in with my dirty stuff."
She rolled her eyes, kissed him, took the clothes, and let him in. "So you came to drop off my laundry."
"Seeing you is an added bonus."
She nodded and they sat on the couch. "So you're having dinner at Sofia's tomorrow."
Jess nodded back. "Gloria opened her mouth?"
"Mhm. And she had a great idea."
"Which would be?"
"Joint Friday dinner. Us, your grandmother, Gloria, my mom and my grandparents."
"No way."
"Too late," she told him. "Already set."
"Aw, jeez, Rory," Jess said. "Thanks a lot."
"What? It'll be fun."
He got to his feet. "No, it won't."
"Why not? Your grandmother is really cool. And my grandmother was okay with it."
He shook his head. "I gotta go."
"Jess!"
He headed for the door, and walked out, running into Gloria.
"Hey," she said, surprised to see him.
He glared and began to walk off.
She glanced into the dorm room and to see Rory sitting on the couch, looking dejected. She rolled her eyes, and ran after Jess. "What's with you?"
"You invited the Gilmores for dinner."
"Yeah. So?"
He didn't reply, just kept walking.
She lunged at him, and put him into a full nelson, hooking her hands together behind his neck.
"Gloria!"
"Speak!"
"Woof!"
"Which translates to...?"
"Get off!"
"Why is it such a crime to have dinner with Rory's family?"
Jess struggled and got out from her hold. He stared at her wildly. "You know what Sofia has?! Not much! That dinky apartment and the old shop underneath that she uses for storage!"
Gloria stayed silent.
Jess went on. "Rory's grandparents have a giant house! Her grandfather owns his own company! Her grandmother organizes and goes to DAR meetings!"
"What the hell is DAR?"
"Fucked if I know!" Jess yelled. "And that's what I'm saying!"
"So this is about money."
Jess shook his head. "We don't need Richard and Emily looking down on us more than they already do."
"Does Rory look down on us, too?"
He stayed silent.
She rolled her eyes.
He rolled his back and turned to leave.
She tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned, the dark expression still on his face. She cocked back her fist and let him have it.
******
"...He just stormed out," Rory sniffed on the phone. "He wouldn't even tell me why it upset him."
She didn't hear her mother's comforting works, though. The door swung open and Gloria walked in, supporting Jess, whose eye was quickly swelling up.
Rory jumped to her feet. "Oh, my god! Mom, I gotta go." She turned the phone off and dropped it.
Gloria smiled. "I got a little carried away." She dragged Jess in and shoved him onto the couch.
"You beat him up?" Rory asked.
Gloria shrugged. "He was being a dickhead." She headed for the mini fridge and gathered up an ice pack.
Rory sat next to Jess and took his chin in her hand. "What hurts?"
"My pride, mostly," he told her.
Gloria walked back over and plopped the ice pack on his swelled eye.
"Ah!"
"How many times do I have to beat you up before you stop acting like a Jack-ass?" Gloria asked him.
He didn't reply.
She shook her head. "He's all yours, Rory." She walked to her room and closed the door.
They sat in silence for a moment, Jess fidgeting with the ice pack.
"Are you mad at me?" Rory asked finally.
"No. Are you mad at me?"
"No."
"Sorry."
"Me, too," She nodded. "We should have talked to you about it."
"We still would have fought," he pointed out.
Rory nodded and took the ice pack from him. She gently put it to his eye and he flinched. "Are you okay with dinner?"
He sighed. "Don't have much of a choice, do I?"
******
Sofia opened the door the next evening to find Gloria, Rory and Jess standing there. Both girls were dressed in skirts and blouses and Jess wore slacks and a nice shirt. And a black.
"Hi, Grandma!" Gloria smiled, walking forward to hug her.
Sofia hugged back, still looking at Jess. "Gloria, have you been punching Jess again?"
The curly-haired girl gave her grandmother a sheepish look. "Maybe a little."
Sofia sighed and beckoned them inside, hugging Rory briefly and then placing a kiss on Jess's forehead. "You're the first here," she told them. "Well... second..."
Jamie was sitting on the couch.
"Mooching more, Jamie?" Jess quipped.
The blond held his arms out. "I just miss you, Jessie!"
Rory snickered as Jess rolled his eyes.
*****
When everyone had arrived, Sofia put the mass amounts of food on the table and everyone seated themselves.
Jess leaned over to Luke. "What're you doing here?"
He pointed to Lorelai.
Jess nodded. "Right. So it's a date."
"What?" Luke snapped.
"Your mom and Uncle Luke are on a date," Jess whispered to Rory.
She leaned over and smiled. "Aww."
Luke glared at Jess.
"Dude," Jamie muttered to Jess. "Rory's mom's a MILF."
"A what?"
"A MILF?"
Jess gave him a confused look.
"It's from that American Pie movie," Jamie explained.
"Oh," Jess rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry. I missed that one for the sake of brain cells."
Jamie sighed. "MILF: Mom I'd Like to- OW!"
Jess had kicked him.
Sofia glared. "No footsy, boys."
Jamie smiled and rested a hand on Jess's thigh, making the him almost fall out of his chair. "Sorry. Just can't help myself."
Half the table snickered, and the other half looked slightly disturbed.
"So... Jess..." Emily said. "Another black eye?"
"Oh, that was my doing," Gloria chimed in.
Luke laughed at his nephew. "You got beat up by a girl."
"Not just any girl," Gloria snapped. "PS 128's boxing champ of 2003!"
Richard smiled. "That's very impressive," he said. "Sofia, this meal is excellent. What is your secret?"
"I'm Italian," Sofia joked dryly with a smirk on her face, earning lights and a smirk from Jess.
Emily smiled. We've never had an Italian cook, actually."
"You don't cook?" Sofia asked.
"She burns water," Lorelai commented.
Emily glared at her daughter. "I never had the opportunity, nor the desire to learn."
"And it turns out it runs in the family," Lorelai added. "Because neither Rory nor I can make a decent meal other than cold cheese sandwiches."
Sofia looked to Jess. "You should teach Rory to cook."
"She never asked to learn," he replied quietly, looking off at nothing.
"Well, it's a very useful skill," Sofia said to Rory. "You should learn."
Rory smiled. "Maybe I will."
Sofia nodded. "It also keeps you from being ridiculed by people who can cook," she smiled.
Rory snickered, and Emily sighed.
*****
After dinner, the group dispersed around the apartment.
Emily sighed and looked around from her spot on the couch next to Lorelai. "It's very cramped."
Lorelai shrugged. "It's nice."
"And very small."
"I doubt Sofia needs a bigger place, Mom," Lorelai replied.
"Grandma's lived here since she and my grandfather got married," Gloria told them, sitting on the floor in front of them. "Two generations of Marianos took their first steps in this place." She pointed to a spot on the carpet, a few feet away. "Over there is where I hit Jess so hard he needed stitches."
Emily looked a little startled. "Such a violent upbringing."
"We didn't mean anything by it," Gloria reassured. "Not back then, anyways. Now, though..."
"Why'd you hit him?" Lorelai asked.
"Cause he was being a jerk," Gloria shrugged.
Richard was studying some of the photos. He picked up a frame and was glancing at what looked to be a much, much older version of Jess, and two small children, both looking to be around the age of seven. The boy was sitting on a counter next to a cash register with a book, and the little girl was being held by the man, who was standing behind the counter.
Sofia walked up and smiled. "That was my husband, Frankie. The little boy is Jess, and the girl is Gloria."
Richard nodded. "It's a lovely picture... what happened to your husband?"
Sofia sighed wistfully and took the picture. "He passed away just before Jess turned sixteen."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Richard said gently.
Sofia smiled. "That's alright. Jess and Gloria took it harder than I did... Jess was very close to Frankie..." She looked around. "Where is that boy, anyways?"
*****
Jess led Rory down into what Sofia had turned into her 'storage' room. It was stuffed full with boxes and shelves.
"Wow..." Rory said looking around.
Jess nodded. "This used to be my grandfather's book store... my grandmother closed it after he died."
"Why?"
"She didn't know how to run it," he replied. "And she just...closed it up, and stuck all her stuff down here."
Rory began to look through one of the many shelves of books. "Most of these are out of print..."
Jess nodded. "Frankie loved really, really, really old books. Ridiculously old books." He began to sift through and pulled out an old hardback. He flipped through it, and then stopped, reading. "Huh."
*****
Jamie plopped himself in-between Lorelai and Emily and smiled at the former. "Hi, there."
Lorelai blinked. "Uh... Hi... Jamie, right?"
He smiled and nodded. "And you're Mrs. Gilmore."
Gloria rolled her eyes from her seat on the floor.
"Yeah... I am..." Lorelai nodded, a little unsure.
Jamie pretended to stretch and placed an around Lorelai, who tensed up. "So... tell me about yourself? What do you do for a living? Favorite color? Do you have a boyfriend?"
Lorelai looked around a little. "Uh... I own my own inn..."
"Wow," Jamie smiled. "That's really, really cool."
"Uh... yeah... I... like all colors!" Lorelai said. "They're great."
Jamie's smile widened and he nodded, moving a little closer to her.
"Jamie, you ignorant slut..." Gloria muttered, obviously amused.
"And... uh..." Lorelai looked around, and spotted Luke. "Him! He's my boyfriend!" She got up and walked over to Luke and hugged him.
Luke blinked, obviously confused. "Uh..." He tried his best to pry Lorelai off of him.
Emily shook her head. "Lorelai, you don't have a boyfriend."
"I do now," Lorelai replied. "Isn't that right, Luke?"
Luke gave her another confused look.
Jamie snickered. "Cute. Very cute."
"No!" Lorelai cried. "Really! We're dating. See?" She reached up and kissed Luke fully on the lips.
Jess and Rory walked in and Jess nearly ran back out. "Oh, god!"
"Lorelai Victoria Gilmore!" Emily cried. "I am appalled!"
"You're appalled?!" Jess cried back. "That's my uncle!"
Lorelai released a very dazed Luke, and smiled. "See? Dating."
Jamie sighed and leaned against the couch.
Rory cracked up into laughter and Jess shook his head and made his way over to his grandmother, who was still speaking to Richard.
Jess held up the book he'd found, and Sofia turned. "Well would you look at that," she commented, and then turned to Richard. "Excuse me for one moment." She hooked a hand through Jess's arm and led him off into a different room.
Rory walked up to Lorelai and Luke, still laughing. "What... was that?"
"That was me trying to ward off Jess's creepy best friend," Lorelai whispered. "Do you think it worked?"
Rory could only shake her head and laugh more.
Luke blinked, still in shock. 'Did Lorelai just...? Did...? What?'
*****
Jess sighed as he leaned against the wall in his grandmother's bedroom. "So?"
Sofia turned the book over in her hands. "Frankie was going to give it to you for your birthday."
Jess nodded. "So it said... why didn't you give it to me?"
"I forgot all about it," Sofia replied. She walked over to him and handed him the book.
"I don't want it."
"Take it."
"No."
"Jess," she said her voice a warning. "Take the book, or I'll let Gloria beat you with it."
He took it.
"It was his favorite."
"I know," he nodded. He opened up the book again and looked down at the note written on the inside cover.
Dear Jess,
Happy Sweet sixteen! Alright, alright, not so sweet, but you get it. You're a smart boy. And you're sixteen! My god, where the hell did all that time go? Ah, well. I hope you're birthday goes well. Try not to stay out too late (even though you will), and don't come home too messed up (even though you will).
I thought about writing something meaningful, but I know you don't go in for that sort of crap, so I won't bother. Love you, Kid.
-Grandpa Frankie