Parts of this chapter are based on Spoilers! I won't say which ones, for
those spoiler-sensitive people, but just a warning.
Emily in New Haven
"I've got some bad news," Luke said gravely as Jess walked into the diner the next Friday.
"Jess!"
"She's back," Jess groaned.
Liz smiled and hugged Jess.
"That's not the bad news," Luke said. "Tell him the bad news, Liz."
She smiled. "I signed the two of you and TJ up for dancing lessons at Ms. Patty's!"
Jess blinked. "No."
"Yup."
"That's nice," Jess told her. "I'm not going."
"Yes your are," Liz replied. "I want you to look good at my wedding."
"I'm not planning on dancing at your wedding."
"Neither am I," Luke chimed in. "So this is really unnecessary."
Liz pouted. "Please?"
"Aw god," Jess complained. "The pout."
"Be strong," Luke ordered. "Don't give in."
******
Jess and Luke stood awkwardly in Patty's studio, next to TJ, who looked excited.
"What a neat place," TJ said. "This is pretty neat."
Neither Jess nor Luke replied.
"Ah, cheer up, guys, this is gonna be fun."
"As much fun as a hernia," Luke muttered.
"Kill me," Jess said simply.
Patty walked in and smiled at them. "Hello, boys."
TJ smiled. "Hi."
Jess turned to leave, but Luke grabbed him before he could escape.
*****
Jess walked into his apartment on Sunday evening and flopped down on the couch.
"It couldn't have been that bad," Rory snickered, walking in after him, carrying a couple of pizza boxes.
"Oh, it was."
"How bad?"
"I was forced to dance with Babette."
Rory sat next to him and set the boxes down on the coffee table. "At least you didn't have to dance with Kirk... I don't think Luke will ever forgive Patty for that."
"I don't think my mother will ever forgive Patty for hitting on TJ."
Rory snickered. "Well, that just makes him an honorary resident of Stars Hollow."
"God help him."
She sighed and took out a slice of pizza. "So what's tonight's selection? And if you say Almost Famous, I'm not going to be happy."
He rolled his eyes and handed her the movie.
She looked down at it. "High Fidelity. John Cusak. Not bad."
"Great soundtrack."
"And Jack Black as the comic relief."
"That's different from any other movie he's ever been in?" Jess asked.
"You have a point." She took a bite of her slice of pizza. "So when's the wedding?"
"Jack Black's?"
She smirked. "Your mom's."
"Couple of weeks."
"Wow, that's soon," Rory replied. "They've got everything set up?"
Jess nodded. "For the most part... I have to go to TJ's bachelor party...and... my mom asked me to ask you to come to the bridal shower."
"Oh... wow... Okay, that... sounds like fun...?"
He nodded. "So... movie?"
She smiled. "Pop it in."
He nodded and got up to put it in. He flopped back down next to her and used the remote to turn it on. She curled up against him with her pizza, and the movie started.
There was a knock on the door.
Jess sighed and leaned his head back against the couch.
Rory smirked. "Gonna get that?"
"No."
"Could be important."
He sighed and got to his feet. He walked over and looked out the peep- hole, and blinked.
Rory smiled at him. "What?"
He opened the door, and blinked more.
"Hello, Jess."
"Mrs. Gilmore."
Rory blinked and got to her feet. "Grandma?"
"Hello, Rory," Emily said, walking into the apartment. She looked around, curiously. "Well... this is very nice, Jess."
"Uh... thank you..."
"Grandma, what are you doing here?" Rory asked.
"Well... you left your scarf at dinner on Friday," Emily said, holding out the bundle of wool. "I called your mother and she said you were... here."
"Oh," Rory replied softly, turning red. "Thanks." She walked over and took the scarf. "You didn't have to come all this way. I could have gotten it next Friday."
"I wasn't sure if you had another scarf," Emily told her. "You might need it."
"Well... thank you."
They stood in silence.
"So, what are you two up to tonight?"
"Movie," Jess replied.
"Oh, well, that sounds lovely, what movie?" Emily asked pleasantly.
"High Fidelity," Rory told her. "It's based on a novel."
"How nice."
They stood in more silence.
Emily sighed. "Well...I should probably get going... good night."
Rory walked forward and hugged her. "Thanks, Grandma."
"Have a good day in classes tomorrow," Emily smiled a little and walked out.
Jess closed the door behind her and blinked. "Huh."
"That was..."
"Yup."
"So..."
"Movie?" Rory asked.
He nodded, but neither of them moved.
"Jess?"
He looked up at her quizzically.
"Do you love me?" she asked. She hadn't even known where it had come from. Seeing her grandmother... it made her think. She knew exactly what her grandmother thought of Jess. Emily thought that Jess was using Rory. Emily really doubted that Jess loved Rory, and she was beginning to wonder why, exactly.
He blinked. "You know."
She bit her lip and stood in silence.
"Is this about Emily?" Jess asked.
Rory sighed. "She thinks that... you don't."
"She said that?"
"No, but she doesn't really have to," she replied. "I just... I wonder why she thinks that."
"Because she doesn't like me," Jess replied. "You know she doesn't like me, and she doesn't trust me, and you told me that it didn't matter."
"I just think that there has to be some other reason for her to think that."
"And the obvious answer is that I don't love you," Jess nodded. "Thanks."
"Jess-"
"Save it," he snapped. He grabbed his jacket and headed for the door.
She followed him. "Where are you going?"
"Out."
"This is your apartment."
"Huh." With that, he walked out the door, slamming it behind him.
*****
"Jess, it's been days."
He didn't reply, only kept reading.
Luke rolled his eyes. "You're impossible. She's asked about you a million times!"
"Huh."
They were sitting in a dark, smoky club the next Friday night. Around them, TJ's bachelor party was going on. Strippers roamed around, and the men who had shown up seemed to be having a good time.
"She loves you, Jess," Luke said.
Jess still didn't reply.
"Hey, guys! Having fun?"
Luke looked up and rolled his eyes. "More fun than you could possibly imagine, TJ." He sighed. "I'm gonna go get a drink."
"Can I get a beer?" Jess asked, still not looking up.
"In your wildest dreams," Luke replied as he walked off.
Jess sighed, still reading.
"You know," TJ said. "You read more than any kid I've ever seen."
"Well, aren't I special?"
"I'm gonna start calling you Read."
Jess still didn't look up, completely serious. "That... is the cleverest thing I have ever heard in my entire life."
"You ever gonna put that thing down?" TJ asked.
"Magic Eight Ball says... Not likely."
"Come on!" TJ smiled. "Get up and have some fun."
"This is fun."
"Come on!" TJ smacked the book right out of Jess's hand.
Jess blinked, and stared down at the book, eyebrow raised. He so wasn't in the mood for this.
*****
Rory was sitting on the front porch swing of her mother's house, looking out. Inside, Liz's bridal shower was going on.
"Room for two?"
Rory looked up. "Oh, hey, Liz, what are you doing out here?"
Liz shrugged and smiled as she sat down next to her. "Just thought I'd see how you were doing."
"I'm okay."
"Luke told me you and Jess aren't speaking," Liz said.
Rory sighed. "Yeah... I messed up."
"How?"
"I... My grandmother doesn't like Jess," Rory explained. "She's really suspicious of him, I think, and so, the other night, she showed up, and I just started thinking... why doesn't she like Jess? Why doesn't she think that Jess loves me?"
"So..."
"So I asked him if he loves me."
Liz cringed. "Has he told you before?"
Rory nodded.
"Love... it's a scary thing for Jess," Liz said. "It's hard for him."
"I know, and I shouldn't have doubted," Rory replied. She sniffed a little. "I don't doubt... I just... I like hearing him say it. I want him to say it."
Liz nodded, and put a comforting arm around her. "I'll tell you this: I love my brother. He's one of the only family members I got left. And I love Jess. He's my boy. And Lemme tell ya... neither of them like TJ."
Rory smiled at the older woman.
"But, as you can see," Liz went on, holding up her hand to show off her engagement ring. "That doesn't stop me from loving him."
Rory's smile widened.
*****
Luke dragged Jess out of the nightclub and shoved him into the parking lot. "What is it with you?!"
"He started it."
"Jess! He's TJ!" Luke yelled. "He's too stupid to start anything!"
"He knocked the book out of my hand."
"And so you had to hit back."
"And then he hit me back."
"And then you slugged him in the face, Jess!"
"He was asking for it!"
"No!" Luke yelled. "When someone asks to be slugged in the face, they say 'hey! Slug me in the face!' TJ was not asking to be slugged in the face!"
Jess rolled his eyes.
Luke sighed. "Go home, Jess."
He nodded and walked off.
Emily in New Haven
"I've got some bad news," Luke said gravely as Jess walked into the diner the next Friday.
"Jess!"
"She's back," Jess groaned.
Liz smiled and hugged Jess.
"That's not the bad news," Luke said. "Tell him the bad news, Liz."
She smiled. "I signed the two of you and TJ up for dancing lessons at Ms. Patty's!"
Jess blinked. "No."
"Yup."
"That's nice," Jess told her. "I'm not going."
"Yes your are," Liz replied. "I want you to look good at my wedding."
"I'm not planning on dancing at your wedding."
"Neither am I," Luke chimed in. "So this is really unnecessary."
Liz pouted. "Please?"
"Aw god," Jess complained. "The pout."
"Be strong," Luke ordered. "Don't give in."
******
Jess and Luke stood awkwardly in Patty's studio, next to TJ, who looked excited.
"What a neat place," TJ said. "This is pretty neat."
Neither Jess nor Luke replied.
"Ah, cheer up, guys, this is gonna be fun."
"As much fun as a hernia," Luke muttered.
"Kill me," Jess said simply.
Patty walked in and smiled at them. "Hello, boys."
TJ smiled. "Hi."
Jess turned to leave, but Luke grabbed him before he could escape.
*****
Jess walked into his apartment on Sunday evening and flopped down on the couch.
"It couldn't have been that bad," Rory snickered, walking in after him, carrying a couple of pizza boxes.
"Oh, it was."
"How bad?"
"I was forced to dance with Babette."
Rory sat next to him and set the boxes down on the coffee table. "At least you didn't have to dance with Kirk... I don't think Luke will ever forgive Patty for that."
"I don't think my mother will ever forgive Patty for hitting on TJ."
Rory snickered. "Well, that just makes him an honorary resident of Stars Hollow."
"God help him."
She sighed and took out a slice of pizza. "So what's tonight's selection? And if you say Almost Famous, I'm not going to be happy."
He rolled his eyes and handed her the movie.
She looked down at it. "High Fidelity. John Cusak. Not bad."
"Great soundtrack."
"And Jack Black as the comic relief."
"That's different from any other movie he's ever been in?" Jess asked.
"You have a point." She took a bite of her slice of pizza. "So when's the wedding?"
"Jack Black's?"
She smirked. "Your mom's."
"Couple of weeks."
"Wow, that's soon," Rory replied. "They've got everything set up?"
Jess nodded. "For the most part... I have to go to TJ's bachelor party...and... my mom asked me to ask you to come to the bridal shower."
"Oh... wow... Okay, that... sounds like fun...?"
He nodded. "So... movie?"
She smiled. "Pop it in."
He nodded and got up to put it in. He flopped back down next to her and used the remote to turn it on. She curled up against him with her pizza, and the movie started.
There was a knock on the door.
Jess sighed and leaned his head back against the couch.
Rory smirked. "Gonna get that?"
"No."
"Could be important."
He sighed and got to his feet. He walked over and looked out the peep- hole, and blinked.
Rory smiled at him. "What?"
He opened the door, and blinked more.
"Hello, Jess."
"Mrs. Gilmore."
Rory blinked and got to her feet. "Grandma?"
"Hello, Rory," Emily said, walking into the apartment. She looked around, curiously. "Well... this is very nice, Jess."
"Uh... thank you..."
"Grandma, what are you doing here?" Rory asked.
"Well... you left your scarf at dinner on Friday," Emily said, holding out the bundle of wool. "I called your mother and she said you were... here."
"Oh," Rory replied softly, turning red. "Thanks." She walked over and took the scarf. "You didn't have to come all this way. I could have gotten it next Friday."
"I wasn't sure if you had another scarf," Emily told her. "You might need it."
"Well... thank you."
They stood in silence.
"So, what are you two up to tonight?"
"Movie," Jess replied.
"Oh, well, that sounds lovely, what movie?" Emily asked pleasantly.
"High Fidelity," Rory told her. "It's based on a novel."
"How nice."
They stood in more silence.
Emily sighed. "Well...I should probably get going... good night."
Rory walked forward and hugged her. "Thanks, Grandma."
"Have a good day in classes tomorrow," Emily smiled a little and walked out.
Jess closed the door behind her and blinked. "Huh."
"That was..."
"Yup."
"So..."
"Movie?" Rory asked.
He nodded, but neither of them moved.
"Jess?"
He looked up at her quizzically.
"Do you love me?" she asked. She hadn't even known where it had come from. Seeing her grandmother... it made her think. She knew exactly what her grandmother thought of Jess. Emily thought that Jess was using Rory. Emily really doubted that Jess loved Rory, and she was beginning to wonder why, exactly.
He blinked. "You know."
She bit her lip and stood in silence.
"Is this about Emily?" Jess asked.
Rory sighed. "She thinks that... you don't."
"She said that?"
"No, but she doesn't really have to," she replied. "I just... I wonder why she thinks that."
"Because she doesn't like me," Jess replied. "You know she doesn't like me, and she doesn't trust me, and you told me that it didn't matter."
"I just think that there has to be some other reason for her to think that."
"And the obvious answer is that I don't love you," Jess nodded. "Thanks."
"Jess-"
"Save it," he snapped. He grabbed his jacket and headed for the door.
She followed him. "Where are you going?"
"Out."
"This is your apartment."
"Huh." With that, he walked out the door, slamming it behind him.
*****
"Jess, it's been days."
He didn't reply, only kept reading.
Luke rolled his eyes. "You're impossible. She's asked about you a million times!"
"Huh."
They were sitting in a dark, smoky club the next Friday night. Around them, TJ's bachelor party was going on. Strippers roamed around, and the men who had shown up seemed to be having a good time.
"She loves you, Jess," Luke said.
Jess still didn't reply.
"Hey, guys! Having fun?"
Luke looked up and rolled his eyes. "More fun than you could possibly imagine, TJ." He sighed. "I'm gonna go get a drink."
"Can I get a beer?" Jess asked, still not looking up.
"In your wildest dreams," Luke replied as he walked off.
Jess sighed, still reading.
"You know," TJ said. "You read more than any kid I've ever seen."
"Well, aren't I special?"
"I'm gonna start calling you Read."
Jess still didn't look up, completely serious. "That... is the cleverest thing I have ever heard in my entire life."
"You ever gonna put that thing down?" TJ asked.
"Magic Eight Ball says... Not likely."
"Come on!" TJ smiled. "Get up and have some fun."
"This is fun."
"Come on!" TJ smacked the book right out of Jess's hand.
Jess blinked, and stared down at the book, eyebrow raised. He so wasn't in the mood for this.
*****
Rory was sitting on the front porch swing of her mother's house, looking out. Inside, Liz's bridal shower was going on.
"Room for two?"
Rory looked up. "Oh, hey, Liz, what are you doing out here?"
Liz shrugged and smiled as she sat down next to her. "Just thought I'd see how you were doing."
"I'm okay."
"Luke told me you and Jess aren't speaking," Liz said.
Rory sighed. "Yeah... I messed up."
"How?"
"I... My grandmother doesn't like Jess," Rory explained. "She's really suspicious of him, I think, and so, the other night, she showed up, and I just started thinking... why doesn't she like Jess? Why doesn't she think that Jess loves me?"
"So..."
"So I asked him if he loves me."
Liz cringed. "Has he told you before?"
Rory nodded.
"Love... it's a scary thing for Jess," Liz said. "It's hard for him."
"I know, and I shouldn't have doubted," Rory replied. She sniffed a little. "I don't doubt... I just... I like hearing him say it. I want him to say it."
Liz nodded, and put a comforting arm around her. "I'll tell you this: I love my brother. He's one of the only family members I got left. And I love Jess. He's my boy. And Lemme tell ya... neither of them like TJ."
Rory smiled at the older woman.
"But, as you can see," Liz went on, holding up her hand to show off her engagement ring. "That doesn't stop me from loving him."
Rory's smile widened.
*****
Luke dragged Jess out of the nightclub and shoved him into the parking lot. "What is it with you?!"
"He started it."
"Jess! He's TJ!" Luke yelled. "He's too stupid to start anything!"
"He knocked the book out of my hand."
"And so you had to hit back."
"And then he hit me back."
"And then you slugged him in the face, Jess!"
"He was asking for it!"
"No!" Luke yelled. "When someone asks to be slugged in the face, they say 'hey! Slug me in the face!' TJ was not asking to be slugged in the face!"
Jess rolled his eyes.
Luke sighed. "Go home, Jess."
He nodded and walked off.