A/N: I realize that a lot of you are pissed as shit about my characterization of Rory. And I understand. I really do. But please understand where I'm coming from: We saw Rory's face when Dean got married. She didn't look happy, and she didn't approve of the way Dean and Lindsay were living their lives. Rory has a thing about possession. "My Dean" she says. And I have a feeling it would be the same with Jess. Also note that Rory and Dean JUST broke up. Not only would Rory be jealous because Jess isn't hers anymore, but she'd be jealous because he is in a working relationship with someone else. And it's good, and they look happy. Why should Rory be nice? Nadia has with Jess what Rory never really had: A working, honest, fairly open relationship. I love Lit. I'm a lit through and through, but let's be fair: Their relationship on the show was pretty messy at times. So, yeah, Rory was being a bitch in 9.5. But I feel justified. So y'all are gonna have to live with it.

PS: For the person who claimed that Rory would never ever say anything mean? God, I hope you were being sarcastic.

On with the fic…

Rudy Can't Fail #10

"Hi! You've reached Nadia… except not… because… I'm not here. This is a machine. Yeah. Just… leave a message and I'll get back to you… someday soon… if you're lucky."

BEEP!

"Hey, Nadia. It's Jess. Listen, I'm taking off of work today, and I'm gonna be out of touch. I'll call you tomorrow." With that, he hung up.

"Jess!"

He sighed as Liz lunged at him for a hug. "Hi."

"What're you doing…" Liz pulled back and counted on her fingers. "Oh… I can't believe I did it again."

Jess sighed, obviously uncomfortable.

She frowned and threw up her hands in frustration. "I forgot again. My own father, and I just can't seem to remember."

"It's okay…" Jess tried. "It's… okay." He sighed. "Let's just go to Luke's."

Liz nodded, and grabbed her purse from inside. "TJ! GOING OUT!"

Jess heard a positive response from inside before he watched his mother close the front door.

"Let's go, Kid."

Jess nodded, and they walked off.

Liz opened the door to the apartment and looked around. "Luke?"

Jess rushed in after her. "Damn, it's cold out."

"Luke," Liz repeated. She walked back into the bedroom to find a large lump under the covers. "Big Brother…" She smiled and climbed onto the bed. "Luuuuke… Lukey… wake up…"

"Call me Lukey again, and I'll tell Jess every illegal thing you've ever done," Luke muttered from under the covers.

"Too late," Jess informed him, standing in the doorway. "She's already told me everything."

"No wonder you're such a head case," Luke replied, sitting up and throwing the covers back a little. "What the hell are you two doing here?"

"It's November thirtieth," Jess informed him.

"No shit," Luke replied. "Still doesn't explain what you're doing here."

"We thought you shouldn't be alone," Liz smiled.

"Yes, I should," Luke snapped. "Jess, you remember November thirtieth a couple of years ago?"

Jess nodded slowly. "You put me in a headlock."

"Yeah, I did," Luke confirmed. "Now, if you two don't mind, I'd like to be alone."

"I thought… maybe we could go to the cemetery," Jess muttered.

Luke stared at him. "Who are you and what have you done with my asshole nephew?"

Jess rolled his eyes. "Fine, it's a bad idea."

"It is not," Liz chimed in. "It's a good idea." She turned to Luke. "We haven't been in a while."

"No, you haven't been in a while," Luke corrected. "I go all the time."

"Jess hasn't been since he was little," Liz pointed out.

Luke looked to Jess, who was staring down at his shoes. He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "Fine. Fine, we'll… we'll go. Just let me put some clothes on."

They stood close together to try and keep warm, Liz in-between the two boys. They stared down at the two graves.

"We shoulda brought flowers for Mom," Liz pointed out.

"I could go steal some from Babbette's yard," Jess offered.

"Don't make me hurt you," Luke replied.

"It was a nice offer," Liz reassured Jess, wrapping a hand around his arm.

Luke rolled his eyes. "Don't encourage him."

"How's Nadia?" Liz asked, turning back to Jess.

"Fine."

"You tell her where you are?" Luke asked.

"Left her a message," he replied. "Told her I'd be out of touch today."

"That's vague," Luke commented.

Jess scoffed. "Yeah? What'd you tell Lorelai?"

"The truth."

"Well, aren't you special," Jess muttered.

"Cut it out, you two," Liz scolded. "No headlocks this year."

They both muttered.

They spent most of the day walking around the cemetery, and then walked around town until nightfall, when they headed back to Luke's.

"What's for dinner?" Liz asked.

The boys gave her a look.

"Hey! You two are the cookers in the family," Liz smiled. "Get cracking. I'm hungry."

Jess rolled his eyes and made his way to the fridge. He glanced at the counter and stopped, picking up the pair of glasses that rested there. "Hey, Luke, getting old?"

Luke glared. "They're Lorelai's."

Jess smirked.

Luke groaned and snatched the spectacles from his nephew. "I'm gonna go give 'em to her."

Liz smiled. "You're so cute."

"You shut up," Luke told her. He looked to Jess. "You cook."

Both of them snickered as Luke shut the door.

Liz jumped when the door swung open and slammed shut.

"I can't believe her!"

Jess looked up from his plate of pasta. "What's your problem?"

"I just…" Luke paced the living room. "I told her I wanted to scrap that god-damned boat!"

"Boat?" Jess asked.

Liz got up. "What boat?"

"Dad's boat," Luke blurted out. "Mrs. Thompson is moving, and just told me the other day… I got mad… I told her to scrap the boat. Lorelai bought it."

"You were gonna scrap Dad's boat?!" Liz cried. "What's wrong with you?! He loved that boat!"

"What boat?" Jess asked again.

"It's been sitting there for fifteen years!" Luke argued. "No one has touched that boat in fifteen years!"

"It was Dad's boat!" Liz yelled.

"Like you even care!"

"Oh, for Christ's sake!" Jess bellowed. "What boat?!"

Both adults stared at him.

Luke opened up the Gilmore's garage.

Jess stared in at the boat. "Huh."

"Your grandfather used to spend entire weekends working on this thing," Liz told Jess. "He loved it. He always promised to take us out on it when it was done."

Luke sighed.

"Lorelai did a good thing," Liz nodded. "I'm glad she saved it."

Jess shrugged. "It needs a lot of work." He walked further into the garage and hopped into the boat, looking around.

"Be careful, that's old," Luke warned.

Jess nodded, and hopped up and down a little. "Pretty sturdy. He did a good job."

Luke scratched the back of his neck. "I gotta get going, guys." He began to back out of the garage. "I'll see you guys later."

Jess nodded. "It's your turn to call."

Luke didn't hear him.

Liz sighed as she sat carefully on the couch that Jess had decided to crash on for the night. He was too tired to drive back, and she'd offered him a place to stay. He'd reluctantly agreed.

She opened up the photo album in her lap and smiled down at the picture there: A man who looked remarkably like an older Luke, holding a little boy of about four, standing in front of an unfinished boat.

Jess stirred in his sleep a little and Liz leaned back, certain that she wouldn't wake him.