Title: Like Jess, Like Eliza
Author: Hadlee May
Summary: See first chapter
Disclaimer: I only own the plot and Eliza
AN: Here's chapter 5. I took me a while to write this, and it lacks description, and length (compared to the last chapter), and it also took me about two days to get around to posting it, but it's it. I'm beginning to edge towards Rory/Logan, though I wont leave this alone for long, it's the first story I've written that has gotten good reviews. That, and I'm starting this new story, a Roswell/Gilmore Girls cross over, post the breaking of jess's heart for the last time episode. I haven't worked out the kinks, and I've spent a lot of my time on it. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Review if you must, even if it's a flame.
Chapter 5
"But Dad!!" Eliza whined as she followed him out of their tiny two bedroom apartment. Jess looked at his five year old out of the corner of his eye, watching her attempts at letting her stay home progress. She'd gone from just simple asking, to temper tantrum, sweet talking, and now whining. Smiling, he wondered if he had been like this when he'd started Kindergarten. His smile grew wider. He was probably worse.
"Eliza, you have to go to school." He feigned seriousness for a moment. The look on her face was damn near enough to make him cave. He concentrated on taking her hand and keeping his glance towards their destination, even though it was out of his line of sight. I She has to go to school, Jess. She doesn't have a choice. He reminded himself of the line Luke had used on him last night over the phone. The old man knew as well as he did that it was getting increasingly hard to deny Eliza what she wanted. She was spoiled rotten. He and Luke silently blamed Lorelai, who still, even with the two hours of separation, showered her continuously, with basically everything a girl could want.
"But why, Daddy? I want to stay with you." Jess sighed.
"Because, Eliza, if I had to be tortured with thirteen years of schooling, then so do you." He explained, leading her out of the apartment building and down the sidewalk. School was only two blocks away. "Besides, it's a law. You go to school or else I get arrested." Eliza thought this was funny and talked about it the entire two blocks towards the building of education.
"I don't like it." She told him as they walked up the long walk way to the double doors.
"Me neither, kid." He told her. At twenty five, the place (or any place like it) gave him the willies. He'd hated elementary school as a kid, always having to watch your back…and your lunch box. "Come on, I bet your teacher's going to be nice." He said with a smile.
Eliza said nothing only following his lead, her grip on his hand tightening, and her other hand holding tightly to his arm, getting as close as possible to her father's body.
Since the move to New York, Eliza hadn't been comfortable in her surroundings. Even though she'd been nearly four at the time. Unlike Stars Hollow, New York wasn't kind and gentle. In New York, it was a safety precaution to be inside before nine if you were under the age of eighteen, or if you weren't kin to the streets. In Stars Hollow, he'd been able to let Eliza run. He could leave her unattended in the diner and wouldn't have to worry about somebody kidnapping her, or hurting her.
It was only in moments of having to leave her for five hours that he regretted their move to New York. At the moment, he would have given anything for the feeling he got when he knew she was safe.
"Here it is." Jess spoke as the neared the classroom door, which was open, a young woman standing outside the door, greeting the kids as they walked in, having short conversations with the parents, who, like Jess, looked reluctant to let their children go. Even for less than half the day. "Come on, let's get this over with." He told her. Eliza pouted, burying her face into his jacket.
"Hi." The teacher greeted with a large grin. "And who might you be?" She got down low, to look at Eliza who didn't acknowledge her speaking to her.
'This is Eliza Mariano." Jess playfully shoved Eliza's face away from his jacket, only to be greeted with one of her famous Rory Gilmore look-a-like pouts. He almost caved, the always in the back of his head, there's always home school . He shook his head. "I'm Jess."
"It's nice to meet you, I'm Ms. Angela. I bet your sister is excited about her first day of school." Ms. Angel glanced at Eliza who shook her head defiantly.
"Actually, Eliza's my daughter." He corrected.
"I should have known, she looks like you." Angel covered herself quickly. Jess smirked.
"I gotta go, Eliza, Mr. Kratz will be a head case if I'm too late." He kneeled down. Eliza whimpered. "I'll be back to pick you up at one, then we'll go the book store and you can help me shelve books, okay?" He reasoned, and she perked up at the mention of her father's place of work. She nodded quietly. "Good. Kiss." He told her and she happily obliged. Jess smiled. "I'll be back, kid." He stood up. She gave him one last hug before allowing the teacher to lead her into the classroom.
Jess walked out of the school quietly, his hands in his pockets. Every once in a while, he would look back at the school and wish he could go back and get her already. She'd been all his since the day she'd been born, and with the exception of landing her on Lane or Lorelai and Luke occasionally, he'd never been without her.
He wasn't sure that he was going to be able to handle the next thirteen years going like this. "Maybe I should look into home-schooling" He spoke aloud as he entered the book store, only two minutes late.
"You're late." Mr. Kratz, gray hair being the only clue that the man was well over his sixties.
"Eliza's first day of school." Jess explained. It wouldn't let him off the hook, but Mr. Kratz would understand enough to leave him, if only for the moment, alone. The old man chuckled.
"There's always home school." Jess laughed at this.
"I've been thinking home school all morning, Mr. Kratz."
Five hours had gone by slowly, spent mostly by stocking shelves and dealing with customers he had no desire to deal with.
But he felt relieved when Mr. Kratz let him leave to go pick up Eliza. "Be back in at least an hour." He shouted at Jess as he rushed out of the store.
Eliza was waiting outside the classroom, her book bag on the floor beside her, leaning against the wall, a book in her hand. Jess smiled. "I told you I'd be back." He spoke. Eliza squealed, dropping her book and running to Jess, throwing her arms around her father.
"How was school?" He asked as he gathered her stuff off the floor and led her out of the school, smiling as he listened to her tell him about the her first day of kindergarten.
Later at night, while he was cooking dinner for the two of them, he talked casually of the day with Luke.
"So you're done with your thoughts about home school?" Luke questioned from the toher end.
"I doubt the thought will never be too far from my mind. I missed having her around."
"You could always come back to Stars Hollow, you know. That'd give you time to home school her. The job at the diner is always open." It was Luke's attempt at bringing Jess back, even though he knew what his nephew's answer it would be.
"I can't, Luke. You know that." And he did. "Listen, I gotta finish dinner, Eliza's got an early night, what with the second day of school tomorrow." Jess said. Luke bid farewell and Jess hung up. Eliza was still excitedly talking about school, and while smiling at all the things she enjoyed, Jess couldn't help but not be excited about it. It was going to be just as hard tomorrow as it had been today.
AN2: Okay, that was it. Wanna tell me what you thought of it? Review! It's much appreciated. I got a question, though. What's the next big thing in a girls life (that's not far off from 5) that I can write about. I'm seriously considering a broken arm, but I can't think, for the life of me, when, where, how. J It's always nice to get some help. I don't have much time to think, since I'm a co-mod for a communitiy on live journal. (actorhush It's an icon contest community (using pics of actors and actresses) if anyone's interested. I'm happy about it. LoL. I'm trying to convince the mod (the real one, I'm only helping because of my vast free time) Yeah. Well, tell me what you think.
Please REVIEW.!! : ) PLease, Please, Please!!!