Disclaimer: As always, I do not own Gilmore Girls or anything/anyone
associated with the shows.
-Chapter 2-
"Jess, it's me. Your father."
Everything else faded away after those five words. The man standing in front of him was his father. He was the one person he never expected to see again. Once those words were spoken recognition clicked inside of him. The man took another step in his direction and he subconsciously stepped back.
"Jess?" Rory's soft voice broke through the haze and he focused on her. She had turned around and was now facing him, concern and worry shone in her deep blue eyes. "Are you ok?" He could only nod. None of this made sense to him. The questions began to swirl in his head. Why was he back? What did he want? Was he worth getting to know? Did he deserve a second chance?
"Get out." Luke's gruff voice ordered and Jess saw him take a step towards the other man.
"I'm here to see my son."
Luke shook his head. "You've seen him, now go." When the man attempted to refuse, Luke took him by his arm and led him to the door. "I own this place, and I say it's time to go."
"Fine, but I'll be back. We'll talk later Jess." He yanked his arm from Luke and left the diner.
"Jess." Luke began, but couldn't find the right words.
"Are you alright?" Rory repeated and reached out to touch his hand.
He let her warm touch comfort him for a mere moment, before he yanked his hand away. "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"
"Because you just saw your father for the first time in."
"Years." He finished for her. "Thanks for the concern, but I don't need it."
Lorelei stood and placed her hand on Rory's arm. "We should go."
Rory shook her head. "But."
"Sweetie, I think it would be best if we left Luke and Jess to talk." She handed Rory her coat.
Nodding finally, she gave Jess a small smile. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Sure." He watched her leave before addressing Luke. "I'm going to bed."
"It's early."
"I'm tired."
Luke looked at him sympathetically. "Do you want to talk?"
"About what?"
"You know what."
"Oh, him." Jess replied with a shrug. "I'm sure this newfound desire to get acquainted with his kid won't last long."
Frowning, Luke asked. "What makes you say that?"
Looking down at the floor before answering, Jess spoke in a soft, almost childlike voice. "He didn't want me when I was a kid, why would he want me now?" With that said, he turned and headed up the stairs.
~*~*~*~*~
"You really think everything will be ok?" Rory asked her mother for the fourth time since they had left the diner.
Lorelei nodded as she swung open the front door. "Yes, Jess is a smart, tough kid, not to mention the fact that Luke is not going to let anything bad happen to him."
"He has gotten pretty protective." Rory agreed with a weak smile.
"Like a pitbull." Lorelei gave her daughter a hug, before noticing the blinking light on the answering machine. Clicking the button she listened as the voices wafted through the speakers.
"Lorelei, this is you mother."
"Skip." She muttered and hit another button and listened to the next message.
"Rory, its Dean. I just dropped you off ten minutes ago, where are you? Call me when you get this. I love you."
"End of messages." The electronic voice told them.
Picking up the phone, Lorelei held it out to her. "You gonna call him?"
She pondered it for a minute. "Tomorrow." She decided. "I have some studying to do." The door shut behind her as she entered her bedroom.
~*~*~*~*~
1:28. The digital clock glared at her, daring her to sleep. Closing her eyes, she attempted to doze once again, but when she opened her eyes the clock read 1:30. With a groan she threw the covers back and stood up. With one last glance at the clock, she left her room and went straight to the kitchen. Opening the cupboard door, she frowned. Poptarts, a can of corn, and a loaf of bread were the only things edible. A sigh escaped her lips as she took out the box of poptarts. After placing it in the toaster, she poured herself a glass of orange juice and waited for it to pop up. When it did she took it to the living room and flopped onto the couch. The phone lay on the end table where Lorelei had left it hours ago. Rory picked it up and hit the Talk button, but quickly shut it off. "He's asleep." She told herself, but the next thing she knew she had dialed and it was ringing.
"Hello?" His voice came over the line and she smiled a little to herself.
"Sorry, did I wake you?"
"Rory? Is that you?" He asked.
She nodded and then rolled her eyes. He couldn't see her. "Yeah, it's me. Were you asleep?"
"No, I couldn't."
"Yeah, me either. Did I wake Luke?" She took a bite of her poptart as she waited for him to answer.
"Nope, I can still hear him snoring."
Rory laughed a little. "Good. It doesn't surprise me that he snores. He seems like the type." She paused. "Are you really ok, Jess?"
"You sound concerned."
"I am."
She heard him sigh. "I'll live."
Rory stretched out on the couch. Her poptart in one hand, the phone in the other. "I know you'll live, but that doesn't mean you're ok."
"Don't worry about me."
"Are you glad he's back?" She heard herself ask. It took so long for him to answer, she wondered if he was ever going to. "Jess? Are you still there?"
"Yeah." He answered. "I just.I don't know how to answer that."
"Then don't." She told him. We can talk about something else."
"Like?"
She quickly searched for a new topic. "What's the deal with turning comic books into movies?" She asked.
~*~*~*~*~
Jess could hear the raised voices as he came down the stairs. Luke was yelling and he didn't need three guesses to know at whom. "You walk out of his life and never even so much as drop him a line, send him a letter, and you expect to simply waltz back in like nothing happened, Jimmy?"
"That's not what I'm doing. I know I have no right to want a relationship with my son, but I do and I'm sorry, but you can not stop me. He's my son, not yours."
Luke only shook his head. "You may be his biological father, but it takes a hell of lot more than that to be his dad."
"Stop it." Jess announced his presence.
"I didn't realize you were up Jess." Luke greeted, looking towards the stairs.
He nodded. "Well, I am."
John looked his son over. "I was hoping we could talk."
"I bet you were, but I'm late."
"For what?"
Jess snapped back at him, "None of your business."
"Jess." Luke began.
"I'll be back in time for my shift." He replied and Luke let him leave.
Grabbing his coat off the rack, he found himself grateful that no one else had witnessed the argument.
~*~*~*~*~
Rory smiled as Jess approached her. "Hey."
"You look tired." He replied and smiled back.
"Yeah, well, a two hour phone call starting at 1:30 in the morning can do that to a girl."
Jess sat down next to her on the bench. "Who knew comic books becoming movies could be so fascinating?"
"Don't forget about the beauty and wonder behind the poptart."
"My favorite was why there was a need for more than one boy band, if any at all."
Rory nodded earnestly in agreement. "At least we solved the puzzle."
"Torture."
Rory looked away before replying. "It was nice. Being able to talk without things being awkward."
"You made them that way." He pointed out.
"You didn't help things along. Spending all your time with your lips plastered to hers."
Jess studied her. "By her, you mean Shane?"
"Who else?"
He couldn't help but smirk. "You sound jealous."
Glaring back at him, Rory answered. "Hardly.
"Because you have Dean." He replied, matter-of-factly.
"Exactly."
"Well then, speak of the devil." Rory turned to see Dean approaching them, looking less then happy.
He stopped a few feet short of the bench. "Am I interrupting?"
Jess draped his arm across the back of the bench. "We were kind of in the middle of something."
Rory, however, stood and moved to stand next to Dean. "You weren't interrupting anything." She saw Dean glaring at Jess, who simply slouched a little and shoved his hands in his pockets while returning the glare with an amused expression. "Hey, if we're gonna make that movie, we'd better get going." Still he didn't move. "Like now." Grabbing his hand, she dragged him away from the bench and Jess.
~*~*~*~*~
"Dinner, Jess, that's all I'm asking. You can pick the place." Jimmy said, later that evening. Jess didn't answer. "Give me a chance to explain."
"Explain? Explain what? Why you left me and my mom?" He shot back.
Jimmy looked at him, ashamed. "Yes."
"This better be one hell of an explanation." Jess replied. He grabbed his jacket and held the door open as he waited for Jimmy to join him.
-Chapter 2-
"Jess, it's me. Your father."
Everything else faded away after those five words. The man standing in front of him was his father. He was the one person he never expected to see again. Once those words were spoken recognition clicked inside of him. The man took another step in his direction and he subconsciously stepped back.
"Jess?" Rory's soft voice broke through the haze and he focused on her. She had turned around and was now facing him, concern and worry shone in her deep blue eyes. "Are you ok?" He could only nod. None of this made sense to him. The questions began to swirl in his head. Why was he back? What did he want? Was he worth getting to know? Did he deserve a second chance?
"Get out." Luke's gruff voice ordered and Jess saw him take a step towards the other man.
"I'm here to see my son."
Luke shook his head. "You've seen him, now go." When the man attempted to refuse, Luke took him by his arm and led him to the door. "I own this place, and I say it's time to go."
"Fine, but I'll be back. We'll talk later Jess." He yanked his arm from Luke and left the diner.
"Jess." Luke began, but couldn't find the right words.
"Are you alright?" Rory repeated and reached out to touch his hand.
He let her warm touch comfort him for a mere moment, before he yanked his hand away. "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"
"Because you just saw your father for the first time in."
"Years." He finished for her. "Thanks for the concern, but I don't need it."
Lorelei stood and placed her hand on Rory's arm. "We should go."
Rory shook her head. "But."
"Sweetie, I think it would be best if we left Luke and Jess to talk." She handed Rory her coat.
Nodding finally, she gave Jess a small smile. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Sure." He watched her leave before addressing Luke. "I'm going to bed."
"It's early."
"I'm tired."
Luke looked at him sympathetically. "Do you want to talk?"
"About what?"
"You know what."
"Oh, him." Jess replied with a shrug. "I'm sure this newfound desire to get acquainted with his kid won't last long."
Frowning, Luke asked. "What makes you say that?"
Looking down at the floor before answering, Jess spoke in a soft, almost childlike voice. "He didn't want me when I was a kid, why would he want me now?" With that said, he turned and headed up the stairs.
~*~*~*~*~
"You really think everything will be ok?" Rory asked her mother for the fourth time since they had left the diner.
Lorelei nodded as she swung open the front door. "Yes, Jess is a smart, tough kid, not to mention the fact that Luke is not going to let anything bad happen to him."
"He has gotten pretty protective." Rory agreed with a weak smile.
"Like a pitbull." Lorelei gave her daughter a hug, before noticing the blinking light on the answering machine. Clicking the button she listened as the voices wafted through the speakers.
"Lorelei, this is you mother."
"Skip." She muttered and hit another button and listened to the next message.
"Rory, its Dean. I just dropped you off ten minutes ago, where are you? Call me when you get this. I love you."
"End of messages." The electronic voice told them.
Picking up the phone, Lorelei held it out to her. "You gonna call him?"
She pondered it for a minute. "Tomorrow." She decided. "I have some studying to do." The door shut behind her as she entered her bedroom.
~*~*~*~*~
1:28. The digital clock glared at her, daring her to sleep. Closing her eyes, she attempted to doze once again, but when she opened her eyes the clock read 1:30. With a groan she threw the covers back and stood up. With one last glance at the clock, she left her room and went straight to the kitchen. Opening the cupboard door, she frowned. Poptarts, a can of corn, and a loaf of bread were the only things edible. A sigh escaped her lips as she took out the box of poptarts. After placing it in the toaster, she poured herself a glass of orange juice and waited for it to pop up. When it did she took it to the living room and flopped onto the couch. The phone lay on the end table where Lorelei had left it hours ago. Rory picked it up and hit the Talk button, but quickly shut it off. "He's asleep." She told herself, but the next thing she knew she had dialed and it was ringing.
"Hello?" His voice came over the line and she smiled a little to herself.
"Sorry, did I wake you?"
"Rory? Is that you?" He asked.
She nodded and then rolled her eyes. He couldn't see her. "Yeah, it's me. Were you asleep?"
"No, I couldn't."
"Yeah, me either. Did I wake Luke?" She took a bite of her poptart as she waited for him to answer.
"Nope, I can still hear him snoring."
Rory laughed a little. "Good. It doesn't surprise me that he snores. He seems like the type." She paused. "Are you really ok, Jess?"
"You sound concerned."
"I am."
She heard him sigh. "I'll live."
Rory stretched out on the couch. Her poptart in one hand, the phone in the other. "I know you'll live, but that doesn't mean you're ok."
"Don't worry about me."
"Are you glad he's back?" She heard herself ask. It took so long for him to answer, she wondered if he was ever going to. "Jess? Are you still there?"
"Yeah." He answered. "I just.I don't know how to answer that."
"Then don't." She told him. We can talk about something else."
"Like?"
She quickly searched for a new topic. "What's the deal with turning comic books into movies?" She asked.
~*~*~*~*~
Jess could hear the raised voices as he came down the stairs. Luke was yelling and he didn't need three guesses to know at whom. "You walk out of his life and never even so much as drop him a line, send him a letter, and you expect to simply waltz back in like nothing happened, Jimmy?"
"That's not what I'm doing. I know I have no right to want a relationship with my son, but I do and I'm sorry, but you can not stop me. He's my son, not yours."
Luke only shook his head. "You may be his biological father, but it takes a hell of lot more than that to be his dad."
"Stop it." Jess announced his presence.
"I didn't realize you were up Jess." Luke greeted, looking towards the stairs.
He nodded. "Well, I am."
John looked his son over. "I was hoping we could talk."
"I bet you were, but I'm late."
"For what?"
Jess snapped back at him, "None of your business."
"Jess." Luke began.
"I'll be back in time for my shift." He replied and Luke let him leave.
Grabbing his coat off the rack, he found himself grateful that no one else had witnessed the argument.
~*~*~*~*~
Rory smiled as Jess approached her. "Hey."
"You look tired." He replied and smiled back.
"Yeah, well, a two hour phone call starting at 1:30 in the morning can do that to a girl."
Jess sat down next to her on the bench. "Who knew comic books becoming movies could be so fascinating?"
"Don't forget about the beauty and wonder behind the poptart."
"My favorite was why there was a need for more than one boy band, if any at all."
Rory nodded earnestly in agreement. "At least we solved the puzzle."
"Torture."
Rory looked away before replying. "It was nice. Being able to talk without things being awkward."
"You made them that way." He pointed out.
"You didn't help things along. Spending all your time with your lips plastered to hers."
Jess studied her. "By her, you mean Shane?"
"Who else?"
He couldn't help but smirk. "You sound jealous."
Glaring back at him, Rory answered. "Hardly.
"Because you have Dean." He replied, matter-of-factly.
"Exactly."
"Well then, speak of the devil." Rory turned to see Dean approaching them, looking less then happy.
He stopped a few feet short of the bench. "Am I interrupting?"
Jess draped his arm across the back of the bench. "We were kind of in the middle of something."
Rory, however, stood and moved to stand next to Dean. "You weren't interrupting anything." She saw Dean glaring at Jess, who simply slouched a little and shoved his hands in his pockets while returning the glare with an amused expression. "Hey, if we're gonna make that movie, we'd better get going." Still he didn't move. "Like now." Grabbing his hand, she dragged him away from the bench and Jess.
~*~*~*~*~
"Dinner, Jess, that's all I'm asking. You can pick the place." Jimmy said, later that evening. Jess didn't answer. "Give me a chance to explain."
"Explain? Explain what? Why you left me and my mom?" He shot back.
Jimmy looked at him, ashamed. "Yes."
"This better be one hell of an explanation." Jess replied. He grabbed his jacket and held the door open as he waited for Jimmy to join him.