Though I normally excel at pointing out the obvious, I always forget to add the 'I don't own.' Here it is: These are not my characters, this is only partially my world, and this is all just my imagination.

Yes, Jess is a jerk. And Rory slightly ostentatious. What an introduction this will make for…

Jess tensed as the buzzer rang. It was her. Liz had never called back, but he'd had a gut feeling that she was still going to show up. He threw his newspaper (a few days old- he let the papers build up all week, and then spent Saturday afternoon catching up) down, and heaved himself off the fading couch. Approaching the door, he looked out the peephole into a face he hadn't seen in quite some time.

"Baby boy!"

"Liz." He opened the door, but didn't let her in. When she realized there was no invitation forthcoming, she beckoned him out of the building.

"Hurry hurry, Luke's waiting." Jess debated. Did he want to go? No. Did he have any food in the apartment? No.

"I'm only staying for dinner."

"I knew you'd say yes! Quickly now, because you don't want to miss Luke's cooking!"

They took the subway to a glistening building, and walked around it's perimeters to the back entrance.

"Luke's the maintenance worker at this building. He gets quite pissy whenever I call him a janitor, because apparently his main duty is fixin' stuff. He's actually dating a woman in the building, but it's a secret romance, because she's one of the major tenants."

"Does it look like I care who the hell he's dating?"

"His girl's got a daughter about your age- I bet we could hook you two up." Jess stopped walking, and turned around. Liz threw an arm out to stop him, laughing.

"Fine, fine. We'll stay out of your love life, no matter how crappy it may be. Now, stop struggling, and smile. Luke's hosting this little get-together, so you can at least be polite." She removed her arm as he did turn, and shifted the gift bag holding a bottle of cheap wine to the other hand.

"Too late to turn back now," she cackled, obviously finding herself hilarious as she rang the buzzer. He rolled his eyes, folded his arms, and scowled at Luke as he came to the screen door with a kitchen towel over his shoulder.

"Don't tell me this is your new boyfriend." Liz cracked up as she pushed her way past Luke, into the tiny abode. Past occupants had wallpapered the place a white-and-pink floral print, and the carpet was clean but worn.

"Luke, this is my son Jess. You two haven't seen each other since Jess was yay high." She flattened her hand, and held it up to her ribcage. Then brought it up to her bosom. Then down to her waist. "Well, the point is, you haven't seen him in a while!"

"You didn't tell him I was coming?" Jess hissed out of the corner of his mouth. Liz looked blankly to him. The thought had never occurred to her.

"Okay then, we're three tonight."

"Unless Lorelai wants to join us again." Luke sighed. Lorelai hadn't actually joined them, she'd come down to see him, thinking he was alone, and left as soon as Liz swooped upon her with hugs and well-wishes.

"Her and Rory are having a movie night tonight, so I guess it's just us."

"Please Luke? I want Jess to meet her."

"Jess? Do you particularly care whether or not you meet my girlfriend?"

"Nope."

"Now that that's settled, I'll take that wine from you Liz."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Luke wasn't as boring as Jess had immediately assumed. He had some funny stories to tell about the people in his building, and a gruff, to-the-point manner that Jess found refreshing in contrast to his mother. He helped Luke rinse dishes as Liz lounged on the couch in front of the TV, polishing off her desert.

"Why do you put up with her?" Luke looked back at his sister.

"Our Mom died when we were kids, and our Dad not long after. She's the only family I have left, other than you I guess."

"Still, she's unbearable."

"You know her better than me, I just see her every month."

"You probably know her better now. I haven't seen her in over a year."

"You're kidding."

"Nope. Circumstances got to the point where we decided it was best."

"Than why did she drag you over here tonight?"

"She's in maternal mode. It happens."

"I'm really sorry about her. I sometimes feel like she'd be a better person if I'd been a better big-brother."

"Don't worry about it, I'm fine with how things are."

"So what do you do? For a living, I mean."

"I'm an actor." He waited for Luke to say something critical, but he just nodded.

"Got some of those in this building. Anything I might have seen?"

"I've been with the same off-Broadway company for awhile now, so no discography yet. I'm going to be getting into some TV stuff, nothing big. But it'll pay the bills."

"What're you going to be on?" This question was proving uncomfortable to answer. His friends, when they asked, were momentarily shocked and disappointed. Teenie bopper dramas were not supposed to be Jess's forte.

"Jersey Girls. It's just a small, recurring roll though." Luke stopped scrubbing a plate, and looked at him funny.

"What?" Feeling challenged, Jess slipped back into jackass-mode.

"Nothing." The two men finished cleaning up as Liz fell asleep on the couch. While Jess hastily removed her dish from her hands, Luke picked up the yellowy receiver of his curly-corded telephone. He hurriedly spoke a few words, and hung up as Jess returned.

"Hey, do you want to go on a run with me really quick? Someone's sink just busted, and fixing it is a fascinating process."

"I'm sure."

"Just come up with me for a few minutes, and then we can take turns bouncing coasters off Liz until she wakes up." This last idea appealed to him, so he reluctantly followed Luke down his hall to another door that led into the Employees only section. From there, they took the back staircase up a few floors, and Luke knocked on a door.

"Maintenance." A woman came to the door, clad in flannel pajamas and fuzzy slippers in the shape of pink bunnies.

"Thank God you've come, Mr. Fix-it! My sink is broken, and I don't know what I'll do without running water in my kitchen!" She had an overly-dramatic air about her that grated on Jess, and Luke simply ignored. He entered and headed for the kitchen, trailed by the woman.

"Who's the kid?" she asked as soon as Jess was out of earshot. He hung back around the door, regretting coming up with Luke. He still didn't really know why he'd agreed in the first place.

"My nephew, but he's going to be working with Rory."

"When?"

"On Jersey Girls, he said he got a part."

"So you wanted to bring him up here to…?"

"To meet Rory, make him feel welcome and less nervous, stuff like that. He didn't exactly sound excited when he told me about it."

"Well, honey, he's just in the background. I'm not sure meeting one of the stars is the best thing for him." Lorelai spoke soothingly, knowing Luke obviously had the best intentions at heart for his nephew.

"I guess you're right. I just felt sorry for him, and I wanted to do something- his mom's kind of a flake."

"Wish him luck on the show. Maybe it'll be a springboard to greater things."

"Yea, thanks. Seeing how there's nothing wrong with your sink, I guess I'll get going now." He stooped to pick up his toolbox as a scream sounded from down the hall.

"Rory!" He and Lorelai yelled simultaneously as they sprinted towards the bathroom from which the shriek had some. She was standing on the toilette lid, her hair wet, and her small body wrapped in a towel.

"What's wrong?" Lorelai demanded as she burst into the room, ready to defend her baby.

"Spider!" Lorelai jumped back, startled.

"Luke!" Sighing, Luke walked towards the mirror, where a spider hung from one of the light bulbs shining above it. He calmly plucked the thread holding it in mid-air with his fingers, and headed towards Rory.

"Get away from me!" Making a mental note that the Gilmore Girls were deathly afraid of spiders, Luke explained his plan to flush the small arachnid. Jumping down from her perch, Rory fled the room as Luke saved the day.

"My hero," Lorelai drawled, approaching him slowly as he wiped his hands on his jeans.

Rory ran into the living room, where an unknown young man was leaning against the front door, looking bored and out-of-place.

"Who are you?" she gasped out, feeling frightened by the presence of a stranger- and slightly embarrassed at her towel-clad appearance.

"Oh, uh, Luke's nephew. He talked me into coming up here with him." The surprise of a wet girl, fresh from the shower, running into the room suddenly left him, and he smirked as his gaze traveled her bare legs.

"Stop it, perv!" Her mortified expression disappeared, and was replaced by one of disgust.

"I'm just standing here."

"God, what is it with men? All of you are sick, horny bastards."

"Well, aren't we a Suzy B.?"

"Excuse me Lothario, but I live here. That means that if I want to run naked into my front room, I should be able to without any uncouth men standing there staring at me!"

"Technically, you're not naked yet."

"What is your problem?"

"You're easy to provoke."

"Get out."

"I'll go when Luke goes."

"LUKE! You're leaving NOW!" Confused, Luke and her mother emerged, looking guilty.

"He's a jerk, I want him to leave." Shooting Jess a look, Luke got his toolbox, and nearly shoved him out the door.

"What's your problem?"

"Second time in the last minute I've been asked that. It doesn't do wonders for the self-esteem, my friend."

"I brought you up here to meet her, and you wind up getting her madder than I've ever seen her." He smacked Jess on the back of the head, furious.

"Why did you want me to meet her anyway? You'd better not be in on Liz's stupid plan to set me up with your girlfriend's kid. And I know that was your girlfriend," he added to Luke's protests.

"I brought you up here because she's on the same show as you, and you might like to meet her before you start." Jess stopped.

"What was her name?"

"Rory."

"That was Rory Gilmore?"

"In the flesh."

"Shit." She'd looked a teensy bit different without makeup- he hadn't recognized her.

"Get your Mom, and go." Luke left him at Liz's motionless (partially inspired by the wine) body, and stomped off to go wash the last dish. He'd tried to do something nice for this kid, this kid who Liz had obviously failed to parent. And his nephew had insulted sweet little Rory somehow. He was steaming.

Jess left his mother on the couch, and let himself out. This might not bode well for his first day on the set…