"Is Jess coming to stay with us?" Lily sniffled, wiping a hand absentmindedly across her nose.
"Use a tissue." Jimmy put the phone down on the kitchen counter and sighed, hiding his red eyes from the girl and rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"Is Jess coming to stay with us?" She asked again, having retrieved a tissue from the box near the couch.
"Yeah, for a little while. He'll be here as soon as he can."
"Good. I like Jess." She paused, then began to cry again; Jimmy took a deep breath before walking to her and hugging her tightly. The house was silent.
- - - - - - -
"Do you need any help?"
"Nope."
"…Do you want me to get you anything?"
"Nope."
Rory rubbed her elbow and watched Jess stuff books into his duffel.
"How long are you going to be there?"
He only shrugged, and picked up The Sun Also Rises and 1984, examined them, then decided to bring them both and stuffed them into the bottom of the bag, next to his Iggy Pop t-shirt.
"You want me to come with you?"
Jess paused for a minute before nodding.
"I'll go pack then."
Rory turned to leave, but before she stepped out the door she walked back to him and wrapped her arms around his neck (a difficult task to do, as he was bent over neatly folding his jeans). He eased his arms around her, packing forgotten.
"I'm really sorry about Sasha." She whispered.
"Me too." He whispered back.
- - - - - - - - - - -
"You got money?"
"Yup."
"Cause I could loan you-"
"I'm good, Luke. " After a pause, he added, "Thanks, though."
"Yeah." Luke nodded and studied Jess's face. He looked tired. Rory just looked worried, twisting the material of the hem of her dress, her free arm looped through Jess's as she volleyed her glance from him, to Luke, and back again.
"We'll call you when we get there, Luke." Rory smiled at him and nudged Jess, who nodded obediently. Luke sighed deeply. He was glad (check that: ecstatic) that Rory was going along with Jess, seeing as she'd probably keep him out of trouble. Of course, dealing with Lorelai's hissy fit that her daughter ("my only daughter." She'd reminded him twice the previous evening) would be off to California during her summer and would be unavailable for movie nights and dealing with the grandparents. Speaking of…
"Hey, where's Mom?"
"She spotted a Starbucks about…ten minutes ago. The rest, as they say, is history."
"Geez." Luke checked his watch and sighed. "You're going to miss your flight."
"Oh, no wait. There she is." Rory looked behind Luke and waved. Luke turned to see her running towards them, her purse in one hand and a…pastry? in the other.
"Hey, I…whoa, really can't run. Hold…on." Lorelai stopped abruptly in front of them, gasping for air.
"Mom, are you okay? You know we can't run! We can't go much past strolling!"
"I know, I know, but I stopped at this Starbuck's and okay, the coffee is totally Happy Diner-esque butthe danishes? Oh my God. I tried to marry one but apparently I'd have to move to West Virginia or something and I'm really not up for relocation." She took a deep breath and smiled. "Okay, I can breathe again. Oh hey, I brought you one. " She held the pastry up, it's wax cocoon crinkling merrily.
"Yay." Rory took a bite and her eyes widened. "Oh wow. We're so moving to West Virginia."
"You can have the cherry. Mr. Raspberry? All mine, thankyouverymuch."
"Nothing for me?" Jess let his mouth droop.
"Actually-" Lorelai dug through her purse and pulled out a magazine. " A little reading material for the ride over."
Jess scanned the cover. "Venice Beach Apartments- Available and Affordable'." He looked up. "Oh, Lorelai. You shouldn't have."
"Mom!"
"What? Just if he's sees something nice-"
"Leaving now." Rory hugged Lorelai and kissed her on the cheek, before hugging Luke, who reciprocated with a gruff little cough.
"Call!" Lorelai reminded as she watched the two get in line with their tickets.
"We will!"
"Tell Lily and Jimmy hi for us! And," She added a little softer, "Make sure to tell us we're thinking about them."
Rory nodded, and rubbed Jess's arm reassuringly as they handed their tickets over.
"Bye A.J.!"
"Bye Gracie!" Rory waved at her mom once more before disappearing into the corridor. Lorelai leaned into Luke, who put his arm around her, trying to be as not awkward as possible.
"Hey, Luke?"
"Yeah?"
"…Can we go get another danish?"
- - - - -
She was eyeing his peanuts.
She'd been eyeing them for the last half hour. He was stuck between just handing them over (he wasn't even hungry) or amusing himself by watching (through his half-closed lids) her hand sneak out, almost touch the bag, then return to her lap, fearing he'd wake up and wonder what the hell she was doing.
After all, the in-flight movie was "Josie and the Pussycats" and he was starved for entertainment.
Forty-five minutes of intense deliberation went by before Rory just snatched the peanuts from his hands and tore them open.
"Hungry?" He asked and smiled at her blush.
"Maybe."
"Hm."
Jess leaned back, adjusting himself, listening to the child behind him cry and feeling his knees crunch as the man in front of him insisted on reclining his seat further and further back until Jess was scrunched up completely in his chair, his ankles practically touching his ears.
"I thought you were asleep."
"Nope. Can't sleep on planes."
"I can sleep anywhere." She said a little proudly, chewing happily on a peanut. He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"You're pretty."
"You're full of it." Rory blushed despite herself, and tugged at a dark curl hanging over his eye.
"Thanks for coming."
"Mm-hmm." She murmured. He leaned in to kiss her.
"Can I get you a beverage, sir?"
Annoyed with being interrupted, he pulled away.
"How 'bout a nice tall glass of kiss my-"
"Two cokes, please." Rory interjected, squeezing his hand tightly.
The stewardess clenched her teeth in some awkward version of a smile, her painted lips stretching ear to ear.
"Two cokes it is." She poured them, spilling half of it on Jess ("So sorry." She'd offered half-heartedly as he scrubbed as his pants with a napkin, grumbling all the while), and hurried off.
"I hate people."
"I know. Hey." He looked at her and she kissed his cheek. "This is sweet of you. Flying out to California. Helping Jimmy. "
"I'm doing this for Lily. Jimmy shouldn't be in charge of children." He sighed and brushed his lips against her forehead. Rory let her head lay on his shoulder. Jess wrapped an arm around her and watched the clouds lazily pass them. He thought about Lily, stuck with Jimmy as a father.
No wonder they had called him.
- - - - - - - - - -
Many, many hours and eight bags of peanuts later (Jess didn't trust the airline food, though Rory enjoyed the mystery meat covered in mystery sauce on a bed of mystery vegetables), they were there. California. It was very, very
"Hot."
"Huh?"
"It's hot. This place, it's like Death Valley. With oranges."
"You think it's hot?" He smirked and tugged on the strap of her tank top. "I was wearing my leather jacket and jeans when I first came down here."
"Well that right there shows I'm more evolved than you."
"Did you or did you not put syrup on a cupcake this morning?" She stuck out her tongue. "Oh, yeah. Way more evolved."
Jess was suddenly distracted by a car zooming by, screeching to a halt, and then reversing and stopping right in front of them. Rory scrambled to save her toes from the wheels.
"Jesus…" Jess stood up and grabbed Rory's hand, pulling her upright.
"Hey, Jimmy." He said to the man who was hurrying out of the car.
"Ah, God, sorry guys, I didn't…it's been a long week and I didn't see you and then I did…"
"Great." Jess sighed and picked up their bags. "Where's-"
He was suddenly almost knocked over by blur that somehow had wrapped its arms around his waist without his noticing in the last five or so seconds.
"Lily."
She looked up at him with watery blue eyes. "I read The Fountainhead."
Without looking, he knew Rory had raised an eyebrow. "I told her how bad it was." He explained vaguely, and then crouched down to Lily's level. "Did it suck as much as I said it would?"
She nodded, and Jess turned to Rory triumphant.
"You're misleading the youths of America, Mariano.""You're poisoning your mind, Gilmore."
Jimmy seemed to finally realize that there was someone there with Jess. He awkwardly put out a hand. "Hey, there. I'm Jimmy."
"Rory." She supplied as she shook his hand, smiling nervously.
"You're Jess'...girlfriend?"
"Um, yeah." She avoided Jess's glance. She knew he would be looking at her. What were they anyway?
"Oh, that's good."
"Very."
Jess spoke up finally. "Should we go or are we waiting for the house to come to us?"
"Oh, right. Right. Well, let's go." Jimmy sort of smiled, and walked back to the car.
"Come on, Lily." Jess looked down to see her on the curb with her nose shoved into Lady Chatterley's Lover.
"Hey!" He snatched it up. "Get your butt in the car. Then you can have Nicholas Nickelby."
"But I was reading-"
"You're not reading that."
"Why not?"
"It's too long. Car. Now."
Lily put it down and walked to the car, arms crossed over her chest. She sat in the front, next to Jimmy, and dug under the seat until she pulled out a book and began to scan the pages. Jess stuffed their things in the trunk, and got in the back with Rory, throwing an arm around her.
"Lady Chatterley's Lover?" She smiled and he sighed.
"It's a classic."
"Right. It may be smut, but it's classic smut."
"Right." She grinned at him, and he just shook his head, letting the smile appear for the briefest of moments before he saw Lily in the front seat. He didn't really feel like smiling anymore.
- - - - - - - - -
Rory dialed the number to her house and waited for Lorelai to pick up. And after it rang six times, she did.
"I just tripped down the stairs and stepped on a pile of Cheetos, forever discoloring the heels of my favorite boots. Speak now."
"Hi Mom."
"Hey sweetie! Oh, hold on." Rory heard her mother's frustrated grumbling and then a slam.
"Did you shove your boots in the oven again?"
"No."
"Really?"
"Maybe."
"Is it still unoccupied? I thought what with the tomatoes and other organic foods you'd become some sort of Martha Stewart.""With much better hair."
"Oh, much."
"So, do tell. How was your flight?"
"Nice. Very long."
"Did you and Jess join the mile-high club?"
"Ew, Mom-"
"I'm only teasing. Good in-flight movie?"
"There are no words.""How's California?"
"Hot. Tan. Lots of hemp necklaces."
"Buy me one."
"It's on my to-do list."
"How's Jess doing?"
Rory sighed.
"He's okay, I guess. I think he really liked Sasha…a lot more than he likes Jimmy, at least."
"What happened to her?"
"She was taking a walk later at night, and this drunk driver…well he was swerving everywhere…Jimmy said it was very bad."
"Oh my God. Poor Jimmy. Poor…kid. What's her name again? Laura?"
"Lily. She's really sweet, quiet. Smart. Basically ten year old me."
"Aw. I liked ten year old you. There was none of this boy nonsense."
"Don't be mean about Jess right now. He's being really great coming out here."
"I know, I know. Luke said the same thing an hour ago when he started making me a bookshelf."
"…For all your reading material?"
"God, no. I need somewhere to shove crap when people come over."
"And Luke voluntarily gave up his day to make you a shelf for random crap? He's so whipped."
"Isn't he, though? Nah, he came over and we were eating and-"
"Whoa, whoa. Luke was there? You and Luke, eating together? At our house?"
Lorelai answered warily. "Yes…"
"Aw."
"What?"
"You've got a Luke."
"I don't have a Luke. We're just...I don't know. It's weird. I think he asked me out."
"What? Luke asked you out and you didn't tell me? Mom!"
"I know, I know. I just…wasn't sure if he really asked me out or if it was a fluke or what and I-"
Rory looked up and Jess wandered in the room, looking very sleepy.
"Mom, I gotta go, Jess just came back. Tell me all about it tomorrow. Love you."
She hung up. Lorelai pulled the phone away from her ear and listened to the distant ring tone, observing it with a puzzled expression. Luke walked in, wiping his hands off on his jeans.
"Something wrong?" He asked, readjusting his hat. Lorelai looked up.
"Huh? Oh, no. Everything's good." She gave him a tight smile. "Everything's good."
- - - - - - - -
It had been a very, very long day.
They'd ordered pizza for dinner. Pepperoni, onions, green peppers, extra cheese. No one was really hungry, save for Rory, who inhaled two pieces and a Coke before feeling like a pig and glanced at Jess, who was smirking at her before getting back to his own slice. She thought she heard him chuckle but she might have been imagining it.
They'd made the awkward dinner conversation, topics including (but not limited to): Yale, Jess's job, Liz's earrings, and Luke and Lorelai's impending romance, which Jess found hilarious. Lily hadn't said much that evening, but Rory wasn't surprised. She thought she'd heard crying from the hall closet. She'd never wanted to be near her own mom more than she did that day.
But now it was night, and she was curled up on a blow-up mattress, praying desperately that Jess would come in because she wanted to know he was okay.
The door opened, whining all the way. Jess's muttered curses floated to her ears like music. Love is so weird.
"Damn door's loud."
"I noticed." She smiled, and he walked cautiously towards her, swamped in darkness. He laid down next to her as gently as possible. Rory almost fell off the mattress.
"Probably should have taken those bricks out of my pockets before lying down, huh?" He whispered to her, and she laughed.
"Books, not bricks. Hardcover, I'll bet."
He didn't answer, only putting his hands on the sides of her face and bringing her close to him, kissing her softly. She told him she loved him when he pulled back. He just kissed her again.
That boy sure has a way with words.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
She woke up to a face-ful of crazy hair.
"Jess." She nudged him, but he didn't say anything, only grunted and rolled over.
"Fine. Sleep. I'll raid the fridge." After kissing him on the cheek, she tried to detangle herself from his arms. Not an easy task, but five minutes later she'd successfully removed herself and rolled off the mattress and onto the floor without waking him up.
Tip-toeing to the kitchen, Rory was surprised to see Lily sitting at the table, looking through the paper.
"Hey, Lily."
She looked up, fiddling with her glasses.
"Hello."
Rory stood in the doorway awkwardly for a moment. "You want me to get you some breakfast?"
"I'm fine."
"Are you sure? I make a mean pop tart."
Lily looked up at her again, and seemed to decide that she wasn't any harm and nodded slowly.
"I like pop tarts."
"Oh, good! Well, I'll make some." Rory looked around for a minute, realizing she had no idea where they kept their pop tarts.
"I'll get them." Lily hopped up and started going through their pantry.
"Cherry or Chocolate-Marshmallow Swirl?"
"Hm…both."
Lily grinned at her. "Both it is."
- - - - - - - - -
Jess woke up on the floor next to a blow up mattress. In a different room. In a different house. Where the hell was he?
Then he heard Lily and Rory talking in the next room.
OH. Right.
He stumbled into the kitchen, yawning and almost tripping over a potted plant.
"Hey, sleepy." Rory piped up, nibbling on a pop tart. Lily sat next to her, completely absorbed in the funny papers.
"You've got her reading comics? You've been here, what, a day?"
"I work fast. And every ten year old needs Calvin and Hobbes along with Chaucer and Orwell."
"Of course. What the hell are you eating?"
She blinked innocently. "Pop tart sandwich." Holding it up, she added, "It's held together with peanut butter and marshmallow fluff."
"You worry me sometimes."
"No need to be jealous, you can have a bite if you want."
"I'll pass. You want coffee?"
He was met with a blank stare.
"Someday I promise I won't ask stupid questions." Jess turned to get the coffee can out of the cabinet.
"It's all I ask." She smiled and stood up, kissing him quickly.
"You two are gross." Lily informed them without looking up.
"We know."
Jimmy wandered into the kitchen.
"Looks like the gang's all here." Jess muttered.
"Morning, Jess. Rory. Lilly-billy."
"I need a cigarette." Jess was out the door before anyone could say anything. Rory turned to Jimmy.
"He's not really a morning person."
"Is he an anything person?"
She bit her lip. "He's pretty nice when he's asleep."
Jimmy nodded, then walked out the door.
- - - - - - - - - -
"Jess?"
"That's what they call me." He exhaled, letting the smoke escape from his mouth.
"The uh, the funeral...well it's um, tomorrow."
Jess turned, now giving his attention.
"I just thought I'd, you know. Give you a heads up. In case you didn't bring anything black other than that leather jacket." He tried to smile at Jess, but ended up looking like he wanted to cry.
"Yeah." Pulling the cigarette from his mouth, he crushed It on the ground and stood there, searching for words. "I don't know…if I've said it already, but I'm really sorry about Sasha."
"Me too, kid." Jimmy sighed and leaned against the house. "God damn, me too."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Rory saw why Jess needed to be down here. He was, at the moment, comforting Lily. Lily hadn't wanted to go in the funeral in the first place because that would make it REAL, and after seeing the coffin she knew she would rather be anywhere else but there. And Jimmy didn't know what the hell to do, he wasn't a parent. He was the hot dog king. Enter Jess, oddly enough good around kids (or Lily, at the very least) and was now hugging her to him. Rory stood by, watching. She didn't want to interrupt.
He walked to her a few minutes later.
"Hey."
"Hey." She spoke quietly.
"Are you okay?" she asked, adjusting his tie and smoothing his shirt with quick little motions. He shrugged, and let her hug him to her.
"Lily okay?"
Jess sighed. "She will be, I guess." He stepped back. "We should go."
"Yeah." He took her hand and they walked back to the car.
- - - - - - - - -
Lily heard Jess call her name. She took one last look at the tombstone, and turned away.
Bye, mommy.
(A/N): Sorry for the massive lack of updates. I've had a massive lack of creativity, and I've been particularly annoyed with the show as of late due to shudder all this Narco crap. Anyone else watch the bed scene in the season premiere and keep thinking "how ADORABLE would this be if they replaced Dean with Jess?". I mean, honestly. I did not need to see a shirtless Dean. Ever. And did anyone feel absolutely terrible for Lindsay?? Sweet, pot-roast-making Lindsay. I feel so much more sympathy for her than Rory- totally ruined HER character, geez. Anyhoo, this chapter's not so good, firstly because there was a LOT of skipping around, but mainly cause I'm not good with tragedy, especially when I really like the character and am tempted to say, HAH! TRICKED YOU GUYS! IT WAS A DREAM! SASHA'S OKAY! So hope you didn't hate it too much and I promise the next chapter will be much more appealing (and longer, for goodness sakes..oh, and more Luke. Lots more Luke.) since we've got all this awfully depressing funeral stuff out of the way (sniffle) Review, if you please.
