Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls, so don't sue me! lol
A/N-Anyone know where Jess and his dad are suppose to be living in the spin- off? Thanks.
-Chapter 3-
Jess refused to meet his father's eyes, his gaze, instead, remained rooted to his plate, Silently he slid the food around using his fork, occasionally lifting a bite to his mouth. Finally, the tension got to him and he heard the words come out of his mouth before he could stop them. "Why did you leave? Why didn't you love me and mom enough to stay? And why did you choose now to come back?"
"It had nothing to do with love, son." Jimmy explained. "You meant everything to me. I used to brag about you to the guys I worked with." He smiled a little at the memory. "But I couldn't stay, I wasn't ready to settle down and be a full-time father. And your mom, she was always nagging at me to be better, but I couldn't. It hurt so bad to leave you, Jess. To see the tears running down your little face when I walked out the door."
Jess forced the emotions down; his face revealed nothing. "Why now? What's with the sudden return to my life?"
"I missed you." He replied without hesitation. "I missed my little boy and I couldn't stay away anymore. But you're not a kid anymore, are you? You've grown up without a father."
"I did ok."
"That's not what your mother said. She told me about the trouble you got into, why she sent you here, to Star's Hollow. You needed me and I let you down. I'm sorry."
Jess shrugged and took a large drink of his water. "I've gotten over it, you should to. You walked out of my life once, I'm sure it'll be easier the second time around."
`````
"You should go." Rory said right before Dean leaned in for another kiss. "It's getting late and I really need to study." They were standing on the Gilmore porch, saying their good-byes for the fifth time that night.
"It's the weekend." He told her with a slight groan. "Study tomorrow."
"I can't. I promised my mom, my undivided attention tomorrow. And you know how pushy she can be, calling off a mother/daughter day is not even an option."
Dean sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Fine, call me later though?"
"Ok."
"Ok." He repeated her and kissed her one last time. "Bye."
"Bye." She watched as he made his way down the drive and then turned to enter the house, but was stopped by a voice.
"Rory." Jess said stepping out from the shadows created by a tree.
"Jess, what are you doing here?"
He looked away from her for a moment before answering. "I just, I needed a friend and that's kind of a short list. I know you need to study, but can I come in for a little while?"
"Yeah, sure." She responded and opened the door, motioning for Jess to answer. "What's up?" She asked, sitting on couch and tucking on leg under her as she turned to face him.
"I went to dinner with my dad." He answered, getting right to the point.
Rory nodded at him sympathetically, "How'd it go?"
Jess shrugged a little. "He explained why he took off when I was a kid."
"Oh?"
"It was a bunch of crap. Some garbage he made up to get my sympathy."
"Are you sure?"
He answered her question with some of his own. "How can someone just leave their family?" He paused for a moment and trained his eyes on the floor. "Why didn't he want me?"
Rory felt her heartbreak for him, the sadness and loneliness she heard made her want to reach out to him, but she didn't know what to say. Without thinking, she did reach out and took his hand in hers. He met her eyes and she felt herself getting lost in their chocolate depths. "I'm sure it wasn't you." She said finally, tearing her gaze from his.
Jess jerked his hand from hers. "It's not just him." He rose to his feet and walked a ways away, his back to her. "It's everyone. My mom, Luke, this whole stupid town. No one wants me around." While he didn't see Rory approaching, he could feel her behind him. "No one." He repeated. Facing her again, his eyes bore into hers as he said the words.
Before she could answer the phone rang. With a frustrated sigh, she went to answer it. "Hello?" She tried to push the annoyance out of her voice and hope it worked. "Dean, hi." She said after listening to the voice on the other line. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jess head for the door, but quickly moved in front of him. "I can't talk right now, I'm studying." After another short minute she hung up.
"You didn't tell him I was here." He observed. "Why?"
She raised on shoulder. "It's none of his business who I hang out with. Besides, it would have led to a long, drawn out argument and I didn't want you to leave."
"Why not?"
"I'm not like everyone in this stupid town." She smiled. "I want you around." Before she could talk herself out of it, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. After a moment's hesitation, she felt his arms loosely around her waist. "I'm here, Jess, and I'm not going anywhere. Remember that, ok?" He didn't respond, just held onto her a little tighter.
`````
"It's been too long." Lorelei stated as she and Rory made their way down the street towards Luke's. "We don't see each other nearly enough."
"I know!" Rory agreed. "Everyday is not enough."
Lorelei glared at her. "Are you mocking me, daughter?"
"Not at all." She assured, holding up her hands.
"After everything I've done for you, all I've given up, you still mock and make fun of me. What it this world coming to?" She asked, flinging the door to the diner open melodramatically.
"Careful with my door." Luke warned as he watched her and Rory sit at a table near the entrance.
"You care more about that door than me, don't you?"
"I have to pay money when the door is hurt, all I have to do for you is this." He poured her a cup of coffee and walked away.
"Good point." Lorelei said. "But one day that isn't going to cut it." She called after his retreating form.
"That'll be the day." He replied, without looking back.
"So, what's on the agenda for today?" Lorelei asked, but then noticed her daughter wasn't listening. Following Rory's gaze she frowned when she saw Jess near the stairs. "Is there a reason you can't take your eyes off of him?" She broke through to Rory who reluctantly tore her eyes from Jess.
"I just feel so bad for him." She explained.
"Yeah," Lorelei agreed, sincerely. "It must be hard for him. Seeing his dad after all these years." She watched as Rory shifted his eyes in Jess's direction once more. "Go." She told her.
"Go where?"
"Over there?" She jutted her finger in Jess' direction. "Talk to him, comfort him, kiss him for all I care, just quit making puppy dog eyes at him from across the room."
"Ewww!" Rory exclaimed. "I was not making eyes of any kind."
"Sure, if anyone one should be ewwwing, it's me. You're grossing me out. Now go, will ya?"
"I thought you didn't like Jess?"
Lorelei glanced back at him one more time. "I don't. He's a wanna-be bad ass, with a smart mouth, but." She trailed off for a moment and her face softened a little. "He's not as tough as he pretends to be and this can't be easy for him. He needs a friend and I don't know anyone else that would be willing to take the job."
Rory smiled at her mom. "He's a good guy." She told her, standing up.
"Yeah, yeah, I know, on the inside. He just never shows it, he's misunderstood, blah blah blah." She teased before Rory walked away.
"Hey." She came up beside Jess. "How's it going?"
"Ok." He replied and turned to pour more coffee for a customer.
"You sure?"
"Yep."
Rory frowned slightly. "Where's Luke?" She glanced around the diner, but didn't see him or his familiar baseball cap anywhere.
"Upstairs."
"Oh."
"Can I get you something?" He looked up at her for the first time since she had approached him moments earlier.
"Me and my mom could use some more coffee." Jess nodded and went behind the counter. "Are you sure you're alright? You're less talkative than usual."
"Things are a little hectic right now. I'm not sure how Luke managed the diner without me." But his voice lacked the usual hint of humor and he groaned when Kirk called him over.
"This isn't right." She heard Kirk say.
"What's wrong with it?" Jess' voice sounded tired and annoyed.
"Well, for starters," Kirk began. "The peanut butter is suppose to be on top, the jelly on the bottom." Jess nodded, reached out and flipped the sandwich over.
"There."
"You didn't let me finish." Kirk informed him. "This is creamy peanut butter, I specifically asked for crunchy."
Jess crossed his arms across his chest. "We only have creamy, Kirk."
"Then I should have been informed of that when I ordered my sandwich and specifically asked for crunchy. I'm not eating this." He pushed the plate away."
"Fine." Jess snatched the plate up and headed toward the kitchen.
"And I'm not paying for it either."
"Kirk, honey," Miss Patty said after hearing the tail end of the conversation. "Go easy on the poor kid. You know about his dad."
"Yes, but I still have the right to have my peanut butter and jelly sandwich made the way I want it."
Luke entered just then. "This isn't Burger King and who eats peanut butter and jelly for breakfast?"
"It helps get me through the day, but now that my sandwich was ruined." he shook his head sadly and got up to leave, without finishing his sentence.
Miss Patty shook her head as he walked slowly towards the door, not even acknowledging Lorelei's greeting. "I should get going to. Tell Jess I hope everything works out for him and his dad. Poor kid." She repeated her earlier statement.
Rory saw Jess standing in the kitchen door, when he noticed she was watching him, he disappeared into the other room. "Can't people mind their own business?" Rory asked, sitting across from her mom again. "Jess' life is his own, what do they know about it. It's rude, talking about Jess like that. "
"Like you're doing now?"
"This is different."
"How so?"
"I was talking about people talking about him, not actually talking about him myself."
"Right, of course. I totally see the difference."
Rory turned her head towards the kitchen. "I just wish I could help him somehow."
"Just keep being there for him. Be his friend, listen when he needs, but don't push, and treat him like you normally would, don't act differently around him." She offered.
"And that will work?"
"Everyone needs someone they can count on. Jess kind of lacks in the family, friends, loved ones, department."
"I think you're starting to like him."
Lorelei shuddered. "Perish the thought! He's a jerk, hun, and if you let him, he'll hurt you. But even jerks need friends in a time like this."
A/N-Anyone know where Jess and his dad are suppose to be living in the spin- off? Thanks.
-Chapter 3-
Jess refused to meet his father's eyes, his gaze, instead, remained rooted to his plate, Silently he slid the food around using his fork, occasionally lifting a bite to his mouth. Finally, the tension got to him and he heard the words come out of his mouth before he could stop them. "Why did you leave? Why didn't you love me and mom enough to stay? And why did you choose now to come back?"
"It had nothing to do with love, son." Jimmy explained. "You meant everything to me. I used to brag about you to the guys I worked with." He smiled a little at the memory. "But I couldn't stay, I wasn't ready to settle down and be a full-time father. And your mom, she was always nagging at me to be better, but I couldn't. It hurt so bad to leave you, Jess. To see the tears running down your little face when I walked out the door."
Jess forced the emotions down; his face revealed nothing. "Why now? What's with the sudden return to my life?"
"I missed you." He replied without hesitation. "I missed my little boy and I couldn't stay away anymore. But you're not a kid anymore, are you? You've grown up without a father."
"I did ok."
"That's not what your mother said. She told me about the trouble you got into, why she sent you here, to Star's Hollow. You needed me and I let you down. I'm sorry."
Jess shrugged and took a large drink of his water. "I've gotten over it, you should to. You walked out of my life once, I'm sure it'll be easier the second time around."
`````
"You should go." Rory said right before Dean leaned in for another kiss. "It's getting late and I really need to study." They were standing on the Gilmore porch, saying their good-byes for the fifth time that night.
"It's the weekend." He told her with a slight groan. "Study tomorrow."
"I can't. I promised my mom, my undivided attention tomorrow. And you know how pushy she can be, calling off a mother/daughter day is not even an option."
Dean sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Fine, call me later though?"
"Ok."
"Ok." He repeated her and kissed her one last time. "Bye."
"Bye." She watched as he made his way down the drive and then turned to enter the house, but was stopped by a voice.
"Rory." Jess said stepping out from the shadows created by a tree.
"Jess, what are you doing here?"
He looked away from her for a moment before answering. "I just, I needed a friend and that's kind of a short list. I know you need to study, but can I come in for a little while?"
"Yeah, sure." She responded and opened the door, motioning for Jess to answer. "What's up?" She asked, sitting on couch and tucking on leg under her as she turned to face him.
"I went to dinner with my dad." He answered, getting right to the point.
Rory nodded at him sympathetically, "How'd it go?"
Jess shrugged a little. "He explained why he took off when I was a kid."
"Oh?"
"It was a bunch of crap. Some garbage he made up to get my sympathy."
"Are you sure?"
He answered her question with some of his own. "How can someone just leave their family?" He paused for a moment and trained his eyes on the floor. "Why didn't he want me?"
Rory felt her heartbreak for him, the sadness and loneliness she heard made her want to reach out to him, but she didn't know what to say. Without thinking, she did reach out and took his hand in hers. He met her eyes and she felt herself getting lost in their chocolate depths. "I'm sure it wasn't you." She said finally, tearing her gaze from his.
Jess jerked his hand from hers. "It's not just him." He rose to his feet and walked a ways away, his back to her. "It's everyone. My mom, Luke, this whole stupid town. No one wants me around." While he didn't see Rory approaching, he could feel her behind him. "No one." He repeated. Facing her again, his eyes bore into hers as he said the words.
Before she could answer the phone rang. With a frustrated sigh, she went to answer it. "Hello?" She tried to push the annoyance out of her voice and hope it worked. "Dean, hi." She said after listening to the voice on the other line. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jess head for the door, but quickly moved in front of him. "I can't talk right now, I'm studying." After another short minute she hung up.
"You didn't tell him I was here." He observed. "Why?"
She raised on shoulder. "It's none of his business who I hang out with. Besides, it would have led to a long, drawn out argument and I didn't want you to leave."
"Why not?"
"I'm not like everyone in this stupid town." She smiled. "I want you around." Before she could talk herself out of it, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. After a moment's hesitation, she felt his arms loosely around her waist. "I'm here, Jess, and I'm not going anywhere. Remember that, ok?" He didn't respond, just held onto her a little tighter.
`````
"It's been too long." Lorelei stated as she and Rory made their way down the street towards Luke's. "We don't see each other nearly enough."
"I know!" Rory agreed. "Everyday is not enough."
Lorelei glared at her. "Are you mocking me, daughter?"
"Not at all." She assured, holding up her hands.
"After everything I've done for you, all I've given up, you still mock and make fun of me. What it this world coming to?" She asked, flinging the door to the diner open melodramatically.
"Careful with my door." Luke warned as he watched her and Rory sit at a table near the entrance.
"You care more about that door than me, don't you?"
"I have to pay money when the door is hurt, all I have to do for you is this." He poured her a cup of coffee and walked away.
"Good point." Lorelei said. "But one day that isn't going to cut it." She called after his retreating form.
"That'll be the day." He replied, without looking back.
"So, what's on the agenda for today?" Lorelei asked, but then noticed her daughter wasn't listening. Following Rory's gaze she frowned when she saw Jess near the stairs. "Is there a reason you can't take your eyes off of him?" She broke through to Rory who reluctantly tore her eyes from Jess.
"I just feel so bad for him." She explained.
"Yeah," Lorelei agreed, sincerely. "It must be hard for him. Seeing his dad after all these years." She watched as Rory shifted his eyes in Jess's direction once more. "Go." She told her.
"Go where?"
"Over there?" She jutted her finger in Jess' direction. "Talk to him, comfort him, kiss him for all I care, just quit making puppy dog eyes at him from across the room."
"Ewww!" Rory exclaimed. "I was not making eyes of any kind."
"Sure, if anyone one should be ewwwing, it's me. You're grossing me out. Now go, will ya?"
"I thought you didn't like Jess?"
Lorelei glanced back at him one more time. "I don't. He's a wanna-be bad ass, with a smart mouth, but." She trailed off for a moment and her face softened a little. "He's not as tough as he pretends to be and this can't be easy for him. He needs a friend and I don't know anyone else that would be willing to take the job."
Rory smiled at her mom. "He's a good guy." She told her, standing up.
"Yeah, yeah, I know, on the inside. He just never shows it, he's misunderstood, blah blah blah." She teased before Rory walked away.
"Hey." She came up beside Jess. "How's it going?"
"Ok." He replied and turned to pour more coffee for a customer.
"You sure?"
"Yep."
Rory frowned slightly. "Where's Luke?" She glanced around the diner, but didn't see him or his familiar baseball cap anywhere.
"Upstairs."
"Oh."
"Can I get you something?" He looked up at her for the first time since she had approached him moments earlier.
"Me and my mom could use some more coffee." Jess nodded and went behind the counter. "Are you sure you're alright? You're less talkative than usual."
"Things are a little hectic right now. I'm not sure how Luke managed the diner without me." But his voice lacked the usual hint of humor and he groaned when Kirk called him over.
"This isn't right." She heard Kirk say.
"What's wrong with it?" Jess' voice sounded tired and annoyed.
"Well, for starters," Kirk began. "The peanut butter is suppose to be on top, the jelly on the bottom." Jess nodded, reached out and flipped the sandwich over.
"There."
"You didn't let me finish." Kirk informed him. "This is creamy peanut butter, I specifically asked for crunchy."
Jess crossed his arms across his chest. "We only have creamy, Kirk."
"Then I should have been informed of that when I ordered my sandwich and specifically asked for crunchy. I'm not eating this." He pushed the plate away."
"Fine." Jess snatched the plate up and headed toward the kitchen.
"And I'm not paying for it either."
"Kirk, honey," Miss Patty said after hearing the tail end of the conversation. "Go easy on the poor kid. You know about his dad."
"Yes, but I still have the right to have my peanut butter and jelly sandwich made the way I want it."
Luke entered just then. "This isn't Burger King and who eats peanut butter and jelly for breakfast?"
"It helps get me through the day, but now that my sandwich was ruined." he shook his head sadly and got up to leave, without finishing his sentence.
Miss Patty shook her head as he walked slowly towards the door, not even acknowledging Lorelei's greeting. "I should get going to. Tell Jess I hope everything works out for him and his dad. Poor kid." She repeated her earlier statement.
Rory saw Jess standing in the kitchen door, when he noticed she was watching him, he disappeared into the other room. "Can't people mind their own business?" Rory asked, sitting across from her mom again. "Jess' life is his own, what do they know about it. It's rude, talking about Jess like that. "
"Like you're doing now?"
"This is different."
"How so?"
"I was talking about people talking about him, not actually talking about him myself."
"Right, of course. I totally see the difference."
Rory turned her head towards the kitchen. "I just wish I could help him somehow."
"Just keep being there for him. Be his friend, listen when he needs, but don't push, and treat him like you normally would, don't act differently around him." She offered.
"And that will work?"
"Everyone needs someone they can count on. Jess kind of lacks in the family, friends, loved ones, department."
"I think you're starting to like him."
Lorelei shuddered. "Perish the thought! He's a jerk, hun, and if you let him, he'll hurt you. But even jerks need friends in a time like this."