Disclaimer: Nope, don't own 'em.

Rating: R

Pairing: Paris/Jess

Dedication: To Naters and Susie because they rock!

Chapter 11: Break Free

Liz chased the strawberry around in the cereal bowl with a spoon, turning the milk into a pale pink. Luke, who had his back to her, was standing over the kitchen sink and she could tell her brother was trying very hard not to snap at her. She grinned, scraped the spoon against the ceramic and chuckled when Luke swore softly. After eating the lone strawberry, she lifted the bowl to her lips and drank the milk in one big slurp.

"Dammit Liz, cut it out!"

She nearly choked on the milk when Luke whirled around looking pissed. He was just so easy. She swallowed and looked at him innocently. "What?"

"I've tried to remain neutral," he started to say as he banged his fist down on the counter and she knew that a rant was coming on. She braced herself against the counter. "I tried to pretend like it was okay that you were here without reason and that Jess was here without caring that you were here. But let me tell you, it's not working."

"Just relax, Lucas."

"I will not relax. Why are you here, Liz?"

She opened her mouth to say something and closed it again. What had she expected? That Luke would never ask about what had driven her back to Stars Hollow? It wasn't in his nature to leave things alone for long and now; apparently, it wasn't in Jess' nature either. "It's a long story."

He folded his arms across his chest. "Well, I've got the time."

She glanced over at Jess bedroom door that was still closed and then back to her brother's face. "Not now."

He nodded slowly and his words came out almost accusingly. "You're not planning on telling him, either, are you?"

What Jess didn't know wouldn't hurt him, right? But she couldn't tell Luke that and she wasn't sure if she was ready to tell her son that a broken-heart had driven her into a town she swore she'd never inhabit again.

Before she could answer, Jess sauntered into the living room. He was still in his pajamas and Liz glanced over at the clock on the wall. Seven. He was never up before he had to be. The three of them frowned at each other suspiciously.

"You're up early," Luke stated as Jess ran a hand through his hair to tame it down.

"Not early enough, though," he said giving Liz a pointed look before sitting down next to her on a stool. "What have you two been arguing about?"

"We're not arguing."

"Just disagreeing," Luke added, as he turned back to the stove to finish making eggs. "What'll you have, Jess?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" Liz asked, taking a sip of coffee.

He ran lifted his brows. "That's what I said."

It was concern that swamped through her. Jess very rarely missed breakfast – or any meal for that matter. But it had been two years; things could have changed. But she'd never know. If she voiced her concern, he would scoff at her and leave before she could say anything else. But she was his mother, as much as he hated it. "You need to have something."

As predicted, Jess gave her a look and the proceeded to ignore her. "I'm going to take a shower."

When he left, Luke turned around again and raised his mug of tea to his lips. "That was good."

"What are you talking about?" she asked with a sigh.

"You actually sounded concerned."

She shook her head and the rubber band holding her hair loosely together loosened. She reached up to tighten it as she retorted, "I was concerned, Luke."

"Could've fooled me." That remark was so uncharacteristic, it hurt even more.

"Why don't you give me a break?"

"You've run out of breaks, Liz." Luke placed his mug in the sink and gave her a critical look. "It's time you grew up."

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

The conversation/argument that he had heard his uncle and his mother having, had only reminded Jess why he needed to get of Stars Hollow for the day. When he had finished showering, his so-called 'family' had already opened the diner for a regular business day. That was another thing that unsettled him about his mother's presence in his daily routine – her willingness to work with Luke in his diner. Thing were too weird at home, school was always unbearable and he was not going to fake being sick and have Liz pretend to be concerned about him while he watched sitcom reruns.

So, he decided to cut school and took off to the first place he thought of: the Gellar mansion.

He knew that there was a possibility of running into Renee Gellar but it was chance he was going to have to take. Maybe he could cut Paris off before she left for school. He wasn't sure what time she left the mansion, but he was going to have to wing it. He pulled into the circular driveway and shut off his engine and waited for some signs of activity.

After five minutes, the large oak doors opened and he was ready to crouch down, just in case Mrs. Gellar happened to walk out. From his first and only encounter with the woman, he had the distinct impression that she was the kind of person who would think that the suspicious car parked in the driveway probably belonged to someone delivering something.

But it was the younger Gellar who stepped out; dressed in her Chilton uniform, ready for school. He smiled as he watched her, straightening out of her skirt and adjusting the strap of her shoulder bag. He was about to get out of the car and walk over when she looked up and saw his car. Then, he decided to remain seated, waiting for her to come to him.

Which is what she did. Except, she stormed over.

He rolled down the window as she came to stand near the driver's side. "Morning sunshine," he greeted her, taking in her suspicious glare.

"Are you stalking me?" she demanded, hands on hips.

He almost laughed as he opened the door and stepped out of the car, to stand in front of her. He'd have a much better chance of convincing her to skip school if he was able to touch her. "No, I'm not stalking you."

"So what do you call this?"

"A getaway."

Paris' brows drew together. "What are you talking about, Jess?"

Jess reached for her hands and held them in his as he talked. "Ditch school with me."

Her eyes widened in astonishment. "I can't ditch school! I have to go to school."

He suspected that she wanted to go to school. He shook his head in disbelief and pulled her a little closer, a smirk playing on his lips. "I bet you have a perfect attendance record."

"All fours years of high school," she replied automatically, a little proudly, but then her features darkened a little. "I was out for a week in third grade because I had the chicken pox. I couldn't go because I was contagious."

He patted her hands in mock understanding. "That must've been hard."

"Don't tease me."

"Then come with me. You're not going to miss anything for one day." He tugged her close so that her body softly collided with his and then bent his head to whisper in her ear. "It'll be fun, Par. I promise."

He got the satisfaction of feeling her shudder against him before her body tensed in an obvious attempt to fight his effort at persuasion. His lips curved. That only made him more determined. "I can't."

"Yes," – he nipped her earlobe with his teeth - "you can."

She sighed softly and pressed herself to him. Good, her defenses were weakening. He brought his arms around her waist, pulling her closer as he rang his tongue gently over the shell of her ear. He was pretty sure he heard her whimper. "I don't have a test today."

He let his lips travel down the side of her neck. "There you go."

"I could get notes from Rory."

He brought his lips to the corner of her mouth. "She'll be happy to give them to you."

"I could always forge my mother's signature."

He cupped her face in his hands and lifted his mouth off of hers. "That's very sneaky, Gellar. I didn't know you had it in you." He dipped his head again and this time kissed her on the lips, to make sure that she didn't change her mind.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," she said as he broke the kiss.

He grinned and turned to open his car door. "It'll be an adventure."

"Uh, no way am I taking any chances in that death trap you call a car, Jess. Defective seatbelts, no airbags and don't get me started on the gas tank! And if I'm right, I'm sure there's substances within that seat that have been in there since Torrington High's prom night of 1983. I don't want to share the same car where Bitty McCarlsberg became a woman. If we're going to do this, we're taking my Mercedes."

He would have reminded her that he had the car cleaned inside out but she was amusing when she ranted. And hot. As she tugged him to his car, he pretended to sulk. "You take the fun out of everything."

"Live with it," she barked back and he realized that she was steamed because he had coerced her into skipping school with a kiss.

Imagine the possibilities, he thought with a satisfied grin. 

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Oh my God! What am I doing? Paris thought to herself as she sped down the high way, hands tightly gripping the steering wheel of her car. What could have possibly possessed her to skip school to frolic with some…boy? Well, not just some boy. It was Jess, after all, with his mysterious good looks and soft, smirking mouth. And she was pretty sure that it was in momentary lapse of sanity induced by the feeling of his lips on hers that made her do something so impulsive.

She was going to kill Rory for this. A slow, painful, torturous death.

Why Rory? she asked herself, fuming. Because brunette had introduced her to temptation.

"Relax, will you?" Jess commented from the passenger seat.

She glanced at him, sprawled luxuriously against the leather interior of her car without a care in the word. The stupid, sexy bastard. Through gritted teeth she answered, "I am relaxed."

"Then release your death grip on the steering wheel."

She did and blood flowed back to her whitened knuckles. Okay, maybe she was a little on edge. But could he really blame her? No, he couldn't. Because he was to blame. Showing up at her home, kissing her into submission. What was she? Some weak-minded, sex crazed, hormone driven teenager? God, she had been hanging around Madeline and Louise too much. "My mother is going to kill me."

"There's nothing you can do about it now, Par." He shrugged and played with the radio, grating on her nerves. "Tomorrow you can go to school just as you normally do."

He said it so easily. Of course, for him, it was that easy. She sighed, changed lanes and leaned back against the seat. She was going to take his advice and relax. "So, why this impromptu little trip, Jess?"

He shifted a little uncomfortably. "I just felt like it."

"Try again," she stated, instinctively knowing that there was more to his story than just a whim.

"I didn't feel like hanging around Liz for the day, okay?" he snapped and ran a hand through his hair. After a beat, he apologized. "Sorry."

"That's okay," she answered. She was interested in what went on with his mother to make him run out of Stars Hollow but she knew better than to push with Jess Mariano. He'd just push back. "So, do you want to tell me where we're going?"

"No, but I'll give you directions." He turned off the radio when the new Justin Timberlake song started and started rummaging through her glove compartment. "Do you even own a CD?"

She glared at him witheringly. "Yes, I own CDs. They're in my other car."

"Oh right, your other car. I forgot. Okay take the exit."

"Jess, I hate surprises."

"Tough." He turned to her and smirked. "The last time we went out and you didn't know where we were going, we had fun didn't we?"

She smiled thinking of the carnival and then sighed. "Lots of fun."

"Well, there you go. Paris, you don't have enough fun in your life."

"That's not true!" she protested although inwardly, she knew he was right. "I have fun."

"Yes, if you call going through an education with the determination of a tornado, fun. The I'd say you're having a blast."

She hated criticism, especially from him. "I value good education."

"I respect that," he answered and she knew he meant it.

A blush crept up her cheeks. "You do?"

"Yeah. But I think you need to cut loose once in awhile," he added as an afterthought.

She glanced at him as they entered a town that she was sure she hadn't ever seen in her entire life – and it wasn't even that far from Hartford. Cutting loose?

She could do that.