Previously in "I am the Tower Around Which You Orbited: And we did it again"

After a reenactment of the lake scene, Rory and Jess arrive at the Gilmore's, with an agenda, but are interrupted by Dave and the band, looking for Lane.

Chapter Fifteen: Butterflies and Hurricanes

Rory's hand was warm in my palm as we sauntered through the town without much of an agenda for the rest of the evening. Lorelai had come home and she and Rory had gotten Thai from Al's Pancake World, and then Rory called me up, apologising about what had happened earlier. I told her it was okay and that it seemed as though the fates were conspiring against us, causing a meek laugh and a movie at the Black and White and Read.

"You're kidding me, right? I have never even heard of that."

"I highly reccomend it. It's an amazing read."

"Okay, so let me get this straight... you read a book about faeries and you didn't tell me so I could point and laugh? Wow, I feel betrayed."

"Well, Rory, darling, there is a point in every man's life when he must read a modern day never-to-be-classic-because-nobody-bothers-to-read-it faerie tale. Belive it or not, it's a bloodfilled love story trimmed by war and deciet, the faeries are only what make it original."

"Well then, do I get to call you Rathe Robien Rye?"

"When I start wearing all black, dying my hair bright white and grow it down to beyond my shoulders, along with talking in an overly polite faux-British manour and learning how to swordfight, I'll get back to you on that."

"You're no fun anymore."

"I know it. But still, Holly Black is an amazingly underrated author, and Tithe is a must read for anyone, no matter their literature tastes."

"Fine then. I take you up on your offer, despite it being hilarious that you read a faerie tale."

"Hey, it's a love story and about war. It's no plain faerie tale."

"The story of our lives."

"Except your name's not Kaye and, you're not a pixie. I am not a faerie warrior sent to kill you."

"Stop it, you're killing it for me."

"Well, Robien wasn't sent to kill Kaye, I just added that."

"Again, I say 'You're no fun anymore.'"

"What's with all the Monty Python references lately?"

"What? That's the first Monty Python reference I've used in quite a while."

"Maybe. Just yesterday, your mother was talking about a dead parrot, which I only assumed was the infamous dead parrot sketch."

"You must be a blacmange."

"Aha! More references."

"We ought to be committed."

"Don't I know it."

We kissed as we walked forward into the depths of the town at night. This time, it wasn't past ten in the evening, so there were still people wandering around aimlessly, quite like us.

"So glad neither of us have braces," she said.

"You've mentioned that before," I pointed out, kissing her again. She smiled into my kiss and we continued to kiss and walk at the same time.

As I kissed her cheek and ear, allowing for her to have some kind of breath, she said, "We are amazing multi taskers."

"True," I replied, resuming on her lips. She moaned slightly and pushed me off gently.

"Jess, hold on."

"Hmm," I moved to her neck, and she delightfully tilted her head back for me.

"Well, uhm, I actually should've told you this earlier..." The worry in her tone made me stop, so I took her hand in mine and we continued walking.

"Yes?"

"Well, my grandfather wants to meet you. He called us up today and said he'd like to because he thinks Grandma got a bad first impression and he's like to get to know you himself."

I stopped and stared at her. "Interesting," I mumbled as I kissed her neck once and moved on to her lips.

"He's coming here tomorrow," she said under me. Once again, I pulled back, raised my eyebrows and did my best possible "Wha'chu talkin' bout Willis" face. "Say something."

"Interesting."

"You already said that, Jess," she said as I slipped my arm around her waist and kissed her cheek. 'So, say something else"

"What do you want me to wear?" I asked as I led her off to the diner.

"Really, you'll do it?" she sounded excited.

"Sure. Might as well, considering it's you, so I have no choice," I said sardonically.

"Hurray!" she said, kissing me on the cheek as we walked into the diner, arms around each other's waists.

"Rory, favourite offspring of mine..." Lorelai said as we walked over to the counter.

"Mom, chose one. Am I your spawn, offspring, or daughter?"

"Or all three?" she asked, winking. "How was the movie?"

"Interesting," I deadpanned.

"Stop saying that," Rory complained playfully. She took a seat at a table with her mother and I went behind the counter to get coffee for her.

"How was your day, Jess?" Lorelai asked, her politeness a clear facade.

"Dull. Aside from hanging out with Rory, it was essentially just dull."

"Good, good." I poured coffee into Rory's mug as she and her mother began their witty bantering about something or other.

The bell on the door chimed and suddenly, there was a young girl about my age sitting at the counter. Luke looked at me to get her order as he was taking orders from several of the most indescisive tourists in the world.

The girl sitting at the counter was tight-skinned and bony with fried black hair that covered her face. She had bright green eyes that flared at me when I came over, and her long fingers played with the torn-up ends of her sweatshirt sleeves. Her torn black-and-white striped stockings were lose on her long, thin legs and her skirt seemed to be held up by two peircings sticking out from under her sweatshirt on her stomach.

"What'do ya want?" I asked her. She flipped her hood over her head and pointed at the coffee pot in my hand with one of her long-nailed fingers. She curled herself up so that she took up so little space I could've fit her in my wallet.

I poured her a cup of coffee and she stared at it, not touching it. "Anything else?"

She opened her mouth and a small, squeaky yet husky voice protruded. "Brownie." I nodded and got her a brownie. Again, she didn't touch it, she only stared, pulling her sleeves further past her fingers.

I walked over to where Luke was standing. "Basketcase. I suggest you keep away," I whispered to him as I walked by, holding the pot for the Gilmores' refills.

"Saviour."

"I try," I said, and gave Rory a quick kiss before being swept off to do my job. I walked over to the girl sitting at the counter, and, surprisingly, there was nothing on her plate, not even crumbs, and her coffee cup didn't even contain dreggs. "Wow, you eat fast." She smiled meekly, showing two overly-pointy canines. She quickly averted her gazed and looked down at her shoes. I was extremely confused.

Then, as she pulled a penknife out of her pocket and started toying with it when I recognised her. "Aerin, right?" She looked up at me quickly and nodded her head. "We have been in detention together," I said, not entirely sure why I was saying it, and she again nodded her head. I smiled oddly at her and went back to my work.

Even though she was still facing the counter, I could feel her eyes following me wherever I went. Rory and Lorelai left, and Luke and I said rushed good-byes. Rory threw me a look saying to call her as soon as work finished, most likely about Richard coming to Stars Hollow the next day.

Aerin, the weird girl still sitting at the counter, was suddenly gone, leaving only a plate and mug, some money, and the bell dingling. I was overly confused about her, but went back to my work.

As soon as essentially everyone had left the diner, I announced that I had to get something from Doose's.

The walk seemed longer than the walk should have been. Just as I arrived, out walked the man of my dreams.

"Jess."

"Dean."

"What're you doing here?"

"Oh, now, you shouldn't pick fights. Didn't your mother always tell you it was a bad idea?"

He scoffed. "Get out of my way."

"Going home? What, need directions?"

"Just stay out of my face, Jess, or I'll bloody yours up more than I already have."

"Don't jest. I could very well do the same to you," I said, pointing that at the several fading bruises lingering on his face. "Besides, I've got someone to care for my vast injuries. And, let's see, as far as I can tell, you're still single."

He turned on me and punched me hard on the nose. "Wow, got some pent-up rage I see," I laughed, tending to my bleeding nose. He huffed and shook his head. I caught him off-guard with a kick to the balls, causing him to keel over. "Eye for an eye."

I opened the door to the market when Dean spoke. "For your information, I do have a lady to tend to my injuries. Granted, she may not be as easily won over and impressedas Rory, and she isn't a total idiot because she's with me, but I still don't have to ask her to tend to me." Okay, now he was insulting Rory. Without warning, I turned and pounced on him, throwing him back into the pavement.

"Never insult her, ever again."

"Then stay out of my way," Dean said, pushing me off him, into the wall of the store. We both got up at the same time, rushing each other. His weight threw me off and I bashed into the wall of Doose's yet again. I could feel blood running down the back of my neck. I hooked his right in the chin and he greeted it with a punch in the gut. I fell over and he kicked me in the stomach again. I could feel blood rushing to my head as I attempted to get up.

A crowd of hungry-for-entertainment Stars Hollow residents had gathered around us, some of them just looking on, Kirk attempting to get between us. Dean threw him off as I came at him, full force, knocking him over into the pavement again. I punched him three times in the face and he kicked me off. I pounced on him again, only to be pulled off by rough hands. Dean was helped up by an on-looker and held back, as I struggled to get out of the hold I was in.

"We're going home," Luke said huskily in my ear, clearly pissed off.

As Luke dragged me away, I sent a last glaring, hatefilled stare at Dean which he gladly returned. I brought my hand up to my face, feeling blood oozing from my nose over my mouth and chin, splattering on the ground. I could also feel small trickles of blood in my hair, rolling down my neck.

Luke threw me down onto a chair and wouldn't let me get up. "What the hell is the matter with you?" I just turned my head. He took my chin in his hand and forced me to face him. "Why on Earth did you even think that fighting Dean a second time was a good idea? At all?"

"He punched me first."

"Did you instigate it?"

"Hardly."

"Jess..." he said, glowering at me. I ran my hand through my hair and winced as I touched the torn, bloddied skin at the back of my skull.

"I said one thing. That's all. He punched me, I kicked him so hard that he can't have children anymore. He insulted Rory..." I began, but Luke cut me off.

"He insulted Rory?"

"Yeah."

"Dean insulted Rory?"

"Yes."

"I cannot grasp that concept."

"Hard to believe, ey? If I may continue, that's when he threw me against a wall and the beating ensued."

"Jess, for both you and Rory's sake, I suggest you stay as far away from Dean as possible."

"Naw, really? I hadn't thought of that."

"Jess, this is no time for a sarcastic disposition."

"I have to call Rory."

"Fine. I'll be upstairs."

"Fine." Luke trudged up the stairs to the apartment and I walked over to the phone behind the counter, dialing a familiar number.

"Swan Hu's House of Fried Dough, how may I help you?"

"Lorelai?"

"Oh, hey Jess. I'm assuming you're looking for Rory."

"You assume correctly."

"You do know that Richard is coming to Stars Hollow tomorrow."

"Yes."

"Last time that happened, it ended in complete disaster."

"Mhm. Can I just talk to Rory?"

"Fine. Rory, dearest, it's a tiemshare caller asking if you want to invest in them."

"Hello?"

"Hi, Rory."

"Hey Jess. What took you so long?"

"I kinda got thrown against a wall."

"Metaphorically or ..."

"Physically."

"Dean?"

"Yeah."

"I really wish you two could get along."

"He insulted you. For being with me. So I attacked him. But he threw the first punch."

"My... god. Jess, I'm so sorry."

"I'm just pissed that he had the nerve to say anything bad about you. Your mother's the only one allowed to do that, you came from her womb."

"Don't be. You probably goaded him," she said playfully. She was right.

"Anyway, on darker subjects - Richard in Stars Hollow. Again."

"Yes. So, uh, he'll be coming tomorrow around four-ish, so you and I can spend a couple hours together in the morning and then the four of us - Lorelai included - can meet up with Richard at our house, and then we end up eating pre-made Sookie food for some sort of mid-afternoon snack and then he'll leave and you'll put a lasting impression on him and all will be right with the world."

"What about my brand-new and somewhat old injuries?"

"I'll say that someone decided to try and kill you at midnight, but failed miserably."

"Don't think that'll work."

"Well, I'll come up with something. Maybe consult Lane, she knows these things best."

"Lane is a compulsive liar."

"Only to her mother."

"True."

"Okay then, well, I shall see you tomorrow."

"Same time as always?"

"I dunno, I may go to church first."

"Don't joke."

"Goodnight, faerie boy."

"Goodnight, enchantress." She hung up and I stood there, still holding the reciever up to my ear. Luke came parading down the stairs with a first aid kit and mop.

"Don't want you bleeding all over the floor."

THE END of chapter fifteen

This is the beginning of the end...