Still fuming from his 'talk' with Luke, Jess had gone out of his way to be a jackass to Rory. Just to prove there was NO WAY anything would ever be there. And Rory, getting the message early on, responded by just as hostile behavior. The entire cast and crew winced every time they stepped on set. Even the extras noticed the bad air between the two, and steered clear of any place in which both might be.

The episode they were filming involved an overnight school fieldtrip to the Poconos. Tony and Madison had officially decided to become boyfriend and girlfriend in the last episode, after a few more stolen kisses in Tony's bedroom. The only catch was, Madison didn't want people to know yet. Of course this was going to cause controversy. Also here, at this cute little ski lodge (which Max had paid big money to be completely cleared for their shooting), the couple would grow much closer.

"You look so cute!" Lorelai gushed, seeing her daughter's skiwear. "I'm jealous."

"And you can continue to be jealous while you're whizzing around on the ski slopes while I sit on a cold lift and say my lines over and over again." Lorelai had employed the puppy-eyes trick, and convinced Max to let her be an extra in this scene. For someone who'd never been skiing in her entire life, she was determined that it was the most fun sport ever.

"And whiz I will…that sounded really wrong." Both cracked up as Paris walked over.

"Rory, is your hair wet?"

"Uh, no?"

"Good. I'm just making the rounds, trying to assure myself that not everyone is as stupid as Madeline, and we will all make it off this mountain alive."

"Completely dry, Paris."

"Good. Lorelai, what about you?"

"Same, Paris."

"Thank you! Intelligent life forms! I feel much better knowing I'm not trapped in this icy hell with the entire cast of Blue's Clues. Water freezes? Who knew?"

"Okay…we're going far away from wherever you are now…later Paris."

"Goodbye Lorelai, Rory. What the- LOUISE! What the hell are you wearing?"

"Wow…that was way too intense for seven AM."

"I agree. That girl needs sedatives."

"MOVE." Both turned to see Jess, looking somewhat annoyed.

"Sorry Jess, didn't know we were in your way." They moved to the side of the hallway and allowed him to pass through, heading towards the continental breakfast the lodge had laid out for them.

"What a prick."

"I have to make out with him today."

"Have you had all your shots?"

"Guess we'll find out." Linking arms, they joined most of the crew in the dining room.

"People! People! Can we have a little order?" Everyone looked up from their food and their conversations, and grudgingly paid attention to Max. "Thank you. As you know, we'd like to thank High Pines Ski Lodge for allowing us to use their slopes and resort for what will prove to be an excellent episode, perhaps our greatest to date…" He continued to drone on and on, thanking the lodge staff and ordering his own people to be on their best behavior, but Rory tuned him out. Looking over at the table where Jess sat alone, she caught him scowling at her. Returning it, she repressed the urge to throw a donut his way, and forced herself to pay attention to Max. "…thank you for your time, I want everyone involved in the fire scene in the lounge in forty minutes. FORTY. Not 50, not an hour, FOUR ZERO. I mean it, I know it may feel like we're on vacation, but we're here to WORK."

Rory groaned. The fire scene. Tony and Madison getting very friendly on one of the couches in front of the fire. It was a little too early to stomach Jess in that way. But Max was already grumpy enough without her asking him to move the shootings around, so she raised the coffee her mother had just handed her to her mouth, and drained half of it in one gulp.

"Wow. Drinkin' to forget?"

"Somewhat. I have to unzip Jess's pants." Lorelai spit the mouthful of coffee she'd just sipped back into her mug.

"Say again?"

"I thought you read my script, how did you not know that was coming?"

"I more like, skimmed it. I obviously missed that part. Do explain."

"Tony freaks out because Madison pushes him too far. Which in this case means I have to unzip him under the blanket."

"What blanket?" Rory stared.

"When you 'skimmed' it, did you even open it?"

"Em, I don't remember."

"Since they can't show some stuff on TV, they're implying it by throwing a blanket over us, and we have to keep going under there."

"That sucks. Well, actually it sounds pretty good. But not with Jess. Why can't he just be unzipped the whole time and then come out from under the blanket that way?"

"Because he'll be fine when we go under. Gotta go get dressed." She drained the last of her coffee, grabbed another cup for her journey to the dressing rooms, and waved goodbye to Lorelai.

"Have fun cupping Jess today," Louise called as she passed her and Madeline's table.

"Bite me."

"Oooh, Rory's testy this morning."

"Louise, you know I despise Jess. Why would you say something like that?"

"Because sooner or later, you'll both come around."

"Bite me…again." Leaving her feeble insult hanging between them, she walked faster until she was out of the dining hall.

"Hey sweetie," Terri greeted her, maneuvering around the piles of clothing she'd stacked up in the suite allocated to Wardrobe. "Big day, huh?"

"Don't remind me. Just give me my stuff so I can get this over with."

"Don't know why you'd wanna…he's one hot tamale if you know what I mean." Rory gave her a look. "No…okay. You've already got your snow pants and jacket. Do you remember what we picked out for underneath? I can't find anything in this room, I miss my trailer."

"Jeans…black and white shirt I think."

"Bingo! Go put these on for me real quick." Rory obeyed and moved behind the oriental-inspired screen, stepping into the form-hugging faded blue-jeans and strips of black and white cloth masquerading as a shirt. Adding the Ug boots Terri had just tossed her way, she surveyed herself in the mirror.

"I forget, did we decide to make the jeans tighter?"

"NO." In reality, she couldn't remember either, but she was having enough trouble breathing in the shirt, thank you very much.

"Sexy. Here- your earrings and bracelets. You can put the outer stuff on again." Thanking Terri, she looped the hoops through her ears and slid on the silver bracelets. Adding the heavy snow pants and parka to the outfit, she swish-swish-swished down the hall to the rooms where Hair and Makeup had temporarily set up shop.

Half an hour later, she was pinkie-waving to her mother as she walked on set, her hair teased and her makeup freshly applied. Jess was reclining on the couch in front of the fire, flipping through pages of what appeared to be Playboy. He looked foolish doing it, because the ski cap hiding his mussed hair made him look much younger than he really was, and as he looked up and met Rory's eye, the playful spark in his eye almost made her smile. She'd never noticed his eyes before. She'd looked into them while filming, of course, but never actually saw them as part of Jess, instead of just a pair of fudgy-brown eyes.

"People, let's try and get through this once uninterrupted, and then we'll work on the details. Jess, put that thing away, no one wants to see it." Every male on the set was craning their necks towards the couch where he sat, determined to stir up trouble everywhere he went. Obediently, though, he put it in one of the pockets covering his heavy pants, as Rory looked at him with obvious disgust.

"What? Afraid you won't be up to par when I feel you up in a few minutes?"

From the position she'd taken on the arm of the couch, she kicked out at him in a sudden flame of antipathy.

"Hey! There will be no kicking on my set!"

"He started it!"

"What the hell was that for, woman?"

"You can't be serious, do you not remember what you just said?"

"It was a joke…well, not really." Lorelai emerged from the silent, gaping crowd to pull Rory away just as her daughter slapped Jess with the back of her hand.

"I used to like it here! All these people were so nice to me, and I had so much fun working here. And ever since you joined the cast, my job has been nothing but miserable." Lorelai tried to drag her away as she continued yelling. "You weren't ever supposed to BE here! Max let you off easy because he thought we'd be just darling together, but if he hadn't, you'd be on the streets now!"

"Rory, calm down," Lorelai growled as she continued pulling. In an uncharacteristic act of kindness, Paris joined her in removing a now-crying Rory from the set.

"I. HATE. YOU!" she screamed, venting all the frustrations which had been building up inside since she'd met Jess as she was pushed into a room down the hall.

Jess just stared after her, his cheek still stinging.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Pacing back and forth in the deserted dining hall, Jess's mind was racing. He'd thought they were on the same page with this whole I-hate-you-you-hate-me thing, he'd assumed they were going to continue trading insults until his character left the show.

He hadn't expected her to snap.

He hadn't expected her to attack him.

And he certainly hadn't expected her to be closed up in one of the lodge's rooms, demanding one of them be let go.

In fact, what he HAD expected was a nice little necking session. As much as Rory grated on his nerves, she was cute enough that Jess wouldn't turn down any sort of physical situation with her. That comment of his had really blown it, though. Way to go, Mariano.

On the other side of the room, mirroring his pacing, was Max. Visions of cancellations and being made a laughingstock in front of his small screen colleagues danced in his head, making his temples hum loudly and his neck ache.

"Was I really not supposed to be here?" Jess asked Max, bridging the threshold between them their pacing spots. Max sighed.

"No, you were, we just gave you an easy run through the auditions. After seeing what you can do, there's no doubt in my mind we made the right choice…well, acting-wise. This little fiasco is going to be the death of me, I swear." He looked up from the floor, as if suddenly seeing who he was talking to. "You."

"Huh?"

"You're the reason my show is ruined."

"Boy, you don't beat around the bush, do you."

"If you hadn't been purposely antagonistic, we wouldn't be in this position!"

"Sure, blame me. Rory was the one who struck me twice, but I'm the bad guy."

"Oh, believe me. Little miss I'd-never-do-anything-to-hurt-anyone is going to be getting a wakeup call once I figure out what to say. The nerve of her to ask for me to cut one of you!"

"Guess I should pack my bags." Jess wasn't under any illusions that pristine Gilmore was going to be the one to go- the show needed her. It'd done fine before he ever entered the picture.

"Don't be stupid, neither of you are leaving. There's going to be serious consequences for both of you, and we're going to have to formulate some new rules, but I'm not letting anyone go."

"And Rory will agree to stay on with me here?" he asked, somewhat sarcastically. 'I've never seen her that mad before, it was kind of scary…or hot…but now is not the time to think like that.'

"Lorelai will help me," he said confidently.

"I sure do hope you're right, because-"

"Shut up. You're still in hot water, but I need some time to think right now." Nodding, Jess left to wander around the lodge.

Nothing was really getting done, the entire crew was basically just sitting around whispering amongst themselves. As Jess stalked by, they all momentarily quieted, then the whispers started up twice as furious once he was out of earshot. Seeing everyone on an indefinite break, their equipment nearby but untouched, Jess vaguely remembered an old acting coach.

Kait was a skilled actress who used to be an actor. She could play any part in any play with little rehearsal, and she pulled it off so well everyone told her she could win Oscars and Emmys if she only took that path. Instead, she coached down-and-out actors, which some might say was a waste. In her eyes, it was the highest calling to take someone who had the stuff, and show them how to use it just right.

The company Jess had been with before he did Oedipus had specialized in original works, written by various artisans in and around Hell's Kitchen. They'd been trying to work out the kinks in the intangible In Dying and in Living. Their director had hired Kait to help them make the show a success, and she'd arrived at their rehearsal space, day one, with the intensity of a drill instructor. No smartassing, no goofing off, no bloopers. She'd turned them from a bunch of ruffians wanting to perform into actors and actresses, all of whom went on to more substantial rolls in the business. Jess had probably come the farthest, being on one of TV's most popular shows. But how far had he fallen in the process?

There had been a guy Jess despised with every fiber of his being back then. His name was Finn, and he was a stuck-up, rich bitch, Australian, dreamy boy asshole. The two hated each other with a passion. Under Kait's guiding hands, they'd pulled off playing half-brothers and lifelong best friends. That woman had pushed everyone to the very limits, until he couldn't remember if he was Jess Mariano or Elijah Daniels. She'd been impossibly tough, and everyone hated her back then, but Jess couldn't even begin to say what areas of his life her influence hadn't touched. If he could ever see her again, he'd try to tell her what an impact she had made on him as an actor, and as a person. Sadly, after being raped and beaten by her boyfriend, Kait had died last year. Jess, and the entire former cast of In Dying and in Living had attended the funeral to pay the purest of respects.

Kat would not have tolerated what was now going on behind the set of Jersey Girls. She would have smacked Jess, slapped Rory back, and locked them in a room together for 24 hours with no food, water, or bathroom facilities. It was how she'd gotten through to Jess and Finn, among other serious threats and punishments. And here Jess was, disregarding the lessons of his most beloved teacher, interfering with the entire dynamic of the show.

'Sorry, Kait,' he thought, making up his mind then and there to stop this childish behavior. He stopped wandering aimlessly, turned around, and set his destination for Rory.