A/N: Okay, the first part of this chap takes place the night before Vow Renewal, while the Bachelor-ette party is happening,

Rudy Can't Fail 13

Luke sighed as he watched Babbette and Patty walk up the Gilmore's lawn to the front door. These women just kept coming.

He decided not to worry about it. He had a boat to work on, after all.

He sighed and kept sanding.

"Nice boat."

He jumped in surprise and dropped the sander again. "Jeez!"

Nadia lunged forward and picked up the sander carefully, turning it off. "Sorry about that. I thought you woulda heard me coming."

"Nadia?" Luke asked. "What're you doing here?"

"I was actually here fixing Miss Patty's piano…she's a long-time customer of my dad's."

Luke nodded. "So…"

"So, I finished, and then she tries to get me to come to some…bachelor-ette party…"

"Oh...Lorelai's mom is here, and she and Richard and renewing their vows tomorrow, so…"

Nadia gave nod. "Makes sense…anyways, Rory is in there, so I don't feel right…"

"Yeah, I understand," Luke replied, taking the sander from her. "Jess here with you?"

"No," Nadia replied, looking glum. "He's avoiding me."

"What?" Luke asked. "Why is he avoiding you?"

She sighed and crossed her arms. "Cause…he and Rory got into a fight the other night, and he told her he loves me…and then when she left, I said it back."

He gave her a confused look. "What was Rory doing at Jess's?"

Nadia shrugged. "I guess she was looking for a fight."

"They're idiots," Luke said with a shake of his head. He glanced at Nadia. "So you love Jess."

Nadia nodded.

"I don't know if anyone's ever told him that before," Luke told her.

Nadia stayed silent.

"My advice to you?" Luke asked. "If he's avoiding you, don't let him."

She tilted her head. "Don't let him?"

Luke smirked. "Something tells me you'll know what to do."

Nadia smiled a little and nodded. "I think I get it."

"I knew I pegged you for a smart girl," Luke commented.

Jess sighed as he opened the door to his apartment. He dumped his jacket on the couch, and then headed into the bedroom.

And there was Nadia.

"Hi," Jess said hesitantly.

She didn't look up from the copy of The Sun Also Rises that she held in her hands. "Ssshhh! I'm trying to understand what in hell this crazy man is talking about!"

Jess shook his head. "You're never gonna get it."

"Shush, I said."

"You read Harry Potter books," Jess pointed out. "You're never gonna get Hemmingway."

Nadia lowered the books. "You leave Harry out of this!"

Jess shook his head and started to take off his shoes.

Nadia sighed. "Are you done avoiding me now?"

"I'm not avoiding you," Jess replied.

"You don't return my calls, you pretend you're busy at work, and you won't take a lunch break with me," Nadia pointed out. "I ask you if you wanna get dinner, and you say you're busy. I offer a trip to that crazy thrift store you love and you turn that down, too…"

"I was busy," he muttered.

"You're avoiding," Nadia countered.

Jess sighed heavily, and sat on the bed in silence.

"I meant what I said the other night," Nadia told him.

He didn't reply.

"I did," she went on. "I do."

Still, he didn't reply.

Nadia sighed. "Okay…so, you didn't."

"What?" he asked, turning to face her.

"You didn't mean it when you said you loved me," Nadia replied. "That's fine. You just said it to piss off Rory."

"That's not true," Jess snapped.

"Then why the avoid-y?"

"Because I don't know what the hell I'm supposed to do now to keep things from going to hell!" Jess yelled.

She stared at him for a long moment, before crawling over to sit beside him. "You do nothing."

"What?"

"You and I have worked so far, right? With what we are…how we are?" Nadia asked.

Jess nodded.

"Then why screw with a working formula?"

Jess blinked. "Nothing changes."

She shook her head. "Not really, no. I mean…whether you say it or not, I'm probably going to be telling you that I love you."

He nodded slowly.

"And I might call you pooky-bear."

He glared.

"Or Muffin-butt."

"Muffin?"

"Or Bunny-Baby."

"I'm starting to hate you," Jess commented.

"Aw, but you love me, Muffin-Butt."

Jess smirked a little. "Weird, weird girl."

Nadia smiled, and kissed him. "Yes. Now come explain this stupid book to me before I start eating the pages."

"Don't eat my book," Jess warned.

She dove for the paperback she'd left on the pillow. "I bet it tastes like chicken!"

He groaned and dove after her.