Trust me. I do not own Gilmore Girls... Okay, maybe you don't really have to trust me, it's pretty believable.

"Jesse Mariano."

"I'm sorry sir, I didn't hear that. Could you please speak up?"

Jess grumbled under his breath before obliging and repeating his name at a higher volume, "My name is Jesse Marino."

"... You certainly do not sound like the Alyssa Milano I know of, sir."

"Oh, you mean you didn't read the article in Marie Claire saying I had had a sex change? My name is Jesse Marino," Jess was practically shouting now, attracting stares from the few people that littered the quiet bus station. He turned in further to the public phone booth, attempting to calm himself with a deep breath, "J-E-S-S-E space M-A-R-I-A-N-O." He listened to the scratch of pen on paper as the secretary wrote down his name.

"Mr Mariano?" she checked.

"Yes," he sighed in relief.

"I'm sorry sir but we don't have any listings under that name."

Jess grit his teeth and punched the innocent plastic side of the both in frustration. Rubbing his brow, he managed to get out, "Are you sure? I called weeks ago."

"Sorry, sir. I've checked and double checked. No Jesse Mariano."

"And you've got the right spelling? J-E-S-"

"Yes, sir. There's nothing."

"Thanks." Jess hung up the receiver loudly. He ran a hand over his face, taking a moment before looking back down at the phone book in his hands and dialing the number of the next hotel.

XxXxX

"You can't get her that!"

"Why not?"

"Because then she'll want everything that goes with it."

"What else could possibly go with a new toboggan that you would have a problem with her getting?"

"My naive friend, how much you have left to learn about young teenage girls. Once snow season starts and she gets the taste for speed when she's whizzing down those slopes, she'll feel the need for... well, more speed. And you know what that means."

"I do?"

"Yes. That's right. Rocket power. She'll strap on a rocket to her new toboggan and fly down the slopes at lightning speeds and then, she'll develop a case of intense rebellion and she'll find the one state that it's illegal to strap a rocket onto toboggans and laugh madly while zooming away, around in circles, just for the rush."

Luke searched the woman's blue eyes for a trace of playfulness and upon finding none, sighed and flung up his hands, "Fine, I won't get her the toboggan. What are you getting her anyway?"

"Well, I've thought about it for a while and I think I've finally got the perfect gift," Lorelai Gilmore smiled secretively.

"And?"

"I'm going to get her a toboggan."

Luke stared incredulously at her, "But... I was going to get her a toboggan!"

"Hey, you changed your mind, buddy. It's not my fault you let a good present pass you by."

"You talked me out of it!"

Lorelai let her jaw drop a little in feigned offense, "I did no such thing."

"What did she talk you out of?" Rory Gilmore asked as she sat down next to her mother.

"He wanted to get you a karaoke machine for your birthday, can you believe it?" Lorelai shook her head in disgrace.

Rory wrinkled her nose and looked questioningly at Luke, "But I don't sing. I have never sung. The school choir actually fund raised and paid me twenty dollars not to join when I was in primary school."

"She's still scarred, poor girl. Never sang a note since. We'll never know if she was meant to be an international singing superstar because of that choir. We should sue."

Rory nodded sadly, "We should."

"And you would've brought all those memories back by giving her a karaoke machine for her birthday. How can you be so cruel and heartless?" Lorelai scowled Luke, putting a comforting arm around Rory for good measure.

"Guess I should run a full investigation complete with background checks and interviews with childhood peers before deciding on a gift then," Luke grumbled.

"I guess you should, Mister," Lorelai nodded resolutely.

A phone started ringing from somewhere further inside the building that housed the diner. Luke looked up and sighed, "I've got to get that." He half turned before doubling back and regarding Rory with thoughtfully narrowed eyes, "They really paid you twenty dollars not to join?"

"Mom, he's awakening the painful memories again," Rory whimpered, putting a hand to her forehead in mock grief.

"Shame on you!" Lorelai frowned as Luke rolled his eyes and headed for the phone. He took two steps at a time and finally reached his apartment that sat above the diner.

"Hello?" he answered upon picking up the receiver.

"Hi, Luke," a strained voice replied from the other end of the line.

"Hey, Liz. How are you?" Luke recognized his sister's voice.

"Listen, uh, Jess left," Liz ignored the question, sounding exhausted and emotional.

"Jess as in your son? Little Jess?" Luke frowned.

"He's seventeen and yes, my son Jess," Liz sighed, "I think he might be headed there. I canceled all of his bookings at hotels that I found on his account on the computer. I don't think he'll have anywhere else to go. He won't go and see Jimmy, I'm sure of it."

Luke paced a little, unsure of what to say for a moment. After a while, he finally asked, "So what are you telling me exactly, Liz?"

"I'm telling you that I just finished boxing up his stuff and I'm going to send it there tomorrow. I'm really sorry, Luke. I don't know what else to do, he won't listen to me or Mitch-"

"Who's Mitch?"

"... Mitch. The guy we, well, I'm staying with."

"Oh," Luke said, well accustomed to not knowing his sister's whereabouts or partners.

"So... just look out for him, please?" Liz asked, her voice betraying her already giving up on the issue.

Luke thought for a moment, considering.

"Sure, Liz. I'll look out for him."