Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls so don't sue me.
A/N- This is my first attempt at writing Lane. So be kind! lol
-Chapter 6-
"I'm really worried about him." Rory told her best friend, Lane, as they walked down the street early Saturday morning the next week.
"Jess is, well, Jess." Lane offered. "He'll be fine." Rory sighed, everyone was so sure of it. Why wasn't she? "What? You don't think he will be?"
Rory shrugged, "I don't know. I just don't think Jess is as tough as everyone assumes he is. And he's not the most open person. He could be really hurting and no one would even know."
"I want to be helpful, Rory, but I don't like him, which makes in kind of hard to be supporting to someone who think he walks on water."
"I don't think he walks on water. I just don't think he's the Spawn of Satan."
"I thought that was Tristan?"
Rory smiled for the first time that morning. "It is, which is why Jess can't be. One person per nickname."
Lane laughed. "Does that mean he could be the Devil's brother? Nephew perhaps?"
"Possibly, but Nephew of Satan just doesn't have the same ring to it as Spawn."
Her friend nodded in agreement. "So we need to keep thinking."
"Yup, and whatever we come up with has to be good."
"Question." Lane said, looking puzzled. "How is Tristan Bible Boy and Spawn of Satan?"
"He got Bible Boy for calling me Mary and the other one is pretty self- explanatory."
"Or cause he looks like God's gift to women." Lane threw in.
Rory grinned a little. "Looks can be deceiving."
"You have a thing for bad boys." She blurted out a few minutes later.
Rory stopped and turned to look at her. "How do you figure that? I've been dating Dean for two years and he's the farthest thing from a bad boy."
"And while you've been dating Mr. Goody Two Shoes Perfect Boyfriend, you've pined for both Jess and Tristan. Both bad boys."
"Have not!" She denied, but felt a slight blush color her cheeks.
"Not that I blame you. At least not on the Tristan front. Bad boys have a certain amount of sex appeal. Look at the music biz. All the hottest stars are bad."
Rory continued walking. "Like Dave?"
"Yes, well, except when he's around my mother. Then he's a good little Christian boy."
Rory laughed a little. "Don't all big time musicians go to church every Sunday in between gigs?"
"Of course!"
Upon hearing footsteps behind them, they slowed to a stop and turned to face the newcomer. "Hey." Dean greeted hurrying to join them. When he did reach them, he leaned in to give Rory a kiss.
"Hey, Mr. Goo." Lane began, but Rory cut her off.
"What are you doing up so early?" She asked and shot Lane a dirty look.
He frowned for a moment, but then answered. "Working the early shift and thought I'd grab a quick breakfast at Luke's. You?"
Rory scowled at the memory. "Mom had some thing at the Inn and decided I should share in the torture of waking up before noon on a Saturday. She's an evil woman I tell you."
Dean chuckled and took her hand in his. "Want to join me for breakfast?" He asked the two girls.
Jess flashed through her mind, but she reluctantly agreed. "Uh, yeah, sure. You know me, I'm always up for food!"
`````
Flinching as the bell above the door jingled, announcing their entrance, Rory quickly scanned the small diner. Jess wasn't there. "Yet," She told herself. "Hey, Luke." She said aloud as they sat at a table in the middle of the room.
"Hi. What are you doing up so early on a Saturday?" He asked the younger Gilmore.
"Plotting ways to get revenge on my mother for making me get up so early on a Saturday."
"Right." Luke nodded, although he wasn't completely sure what she was talking about. "What can I get for you?"
"Lots of coffee to start out with. And then some eggs and bacon." After her, both Lane and Dean ordered and Luke disappeared to place the order.
After he left, Dean turned to Rory. "Hey, I was thinking we could do something tonight."
"Can't," Rory told him, before she could explain he rolled his eyes.
"Another dinner with Jess?"
Rory frowned, "No, plans with Lane."
"Oh," Dean responded. "We could double. You and me and Lane and Dave."
"I don't think so. Tonight's kind of a girl's night."
Luke approached before Dean could reply. "Here you go." He placed their food in front of them. "Oh, and before I forget, Rory, Jess wants to talk to you. He's upstairs."
"Ok, thanks Luke." She answered. Taking a big forkful of eggs and adding a bite of bacon too it, she excused herself. "Be right back," she mumbled with her mouth full.
"He says jump and you say how high?" Dean asked, his voice held an edge of anger.
Rory stopped, after taking only two steps. "Excuse me?"
"He wants to talk, so what? Go up later or better yet, don't go up at all."
"Jess is my friend." She felt like she was repeating herself and knew the comment would only make Dean angrier.
"Yeah, sure, friends."
Crossing her arms across her chest, she demanded, "And what exactly do you mean by that?"
"He wants you." He stated simply.
"Oh please, not this again. Jess doesn't want me! We're friends, ok? You do know what that means, right?" She snapped.
"Guys," Lane cut in, "This isn't."
"Stay out of this, Lane." Dean told her.
Rory glared at him. "Don't talk to her like that."
"Don't tell me what to do."
"Like you do to me?" It slipped out. She hadn't meant to say it, but maybe it was something she had wanted, needed to say for a long time.
Dean paused for a moment. "I don't tell you what to do."
"No? You just did, not two minutes ago, when you told me not to go talk to Jess. You're always telling me not to talk to Jess. Or not to see him or be friends with him. That's not your decision."
Dean stood up and took a step towards her. "You want Jess? Fine, don't let me stand in the way." With that said, he stormed out of the diner.
Rory felt tears welling up in her eyes. This was the worst fight they had ever had and everyone had witnessed it. Squaring her shoulders, she slowly headed up the stairs.
`````
Music pulsated from behind the closed door. Reaching out her hand, she knocked loudly on the door. But as she thought, he couldn't hear it. Finally, she opened the door and stepped inside the small apartment. Her eyes took in the scene and the tears she had been holding back began to fall at full force.
Sensing another presence, Jess looked up and saw Rory standing at the doorway crying. Quickly, he shut the radio off and approached her. At first he didn't know what say, but he put his hand on her arm and waited for her to look in his eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked when she finally did.
"You're packing." She stated, her eyes once again taking in the boxes that he was filling with his stuff.
"Yeah." He replied, as he looked around as well.
Sniffling a little she asked, "Why? Are you going back to New York?"
Leading her over to the bed, he motioned for her to sit. "No, but I am leaving Star's Hollow."
Rory felt the breath rush out of her, and knew there was no stopping the new onslaught of tears. "Where are you going?"
His answer was simple. "California."
"What's in California?"
"My dad."
"But you hate him." She pointed out.
Jess sighed. "But he's my dad and I think I owe it to myself to try and get to know him."
Rory gave him a watery smile. "Good for you." Her voice however was anything but sincere. "Is that what was bugging you after the dinner?"
"Yeah. I was dead set against it when he first suggested it, but I changed my mind."
"What about Luke?"
Jess paused. He'd expected Luke to be happy to see him go, but that wasn't the case. Luke actually wanted him to stay. The feeling was mutual. While he wanted to try to have a relationship with his dad, he knew he'd miss his uncle, he knew he loved him. They were family. "We'll stay in touch."
"He loves you."
He nodded almost sadly, "I know."
They sat in silence for a few moments, but Jess broke it. " I answered you," Jess began softly. "Now you answer me. What's wrong? I know the boxes didn't bring on your tears."
Looking up at him with sad eyes, she nodded. "The tears were there, the boxes made them fall."
"What put them there in the first place."
"Dean." She could see Jess's jaw clench visibly. "We had a fight."
"About?"
Her cheeks grew hot for the second time that morning. With a sigh, she answered him. "You."
Jess blinked in surprise. "Me? Didn't know I had that much effect on your relationship with Bag-Boy."
"Don't call him that."
"Sorry."
Rory nodded. "It's ok, I don't want to fight with you too. Especially if you're leaving."
"I am."
Standing up, she walked a few feet away from him. "Where you even going to say goodbye this time?"
"That's why you're up here now."
"Oh." She turned to face him and looked straight into his eyes. "I'll miss you."
"Huh." Jess felt a little uncomfortable, but was mostly teasing her.
Eyes narrowing into slits, she glared at him, "Jess!"
"Alright, alright! I'll miss you too."
Her expression changed and her glare turned into a small smile. "I knew it!" He laughed slightly, but she grew serious again. "When are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow."
"A time please."
"Eight."
Rory gasped. "As in the a.m. hours?"
"Yes."
She rolled her eyes. "Great, first you tell me you're leaving and then you tell me I have to be up at eight to see you off. You're cruel."
"You don't have to come." He informed her.
Giving him a shrug, she replied, "I'll be there."
For a moment she just stared at him, let herself drown in his eyes and take in every part of him. A need to memorize every detail about him came over her and she gave into it. She wanted to remember the way he looked, the way he was looking at her, the way she might never see him look again. And then the sadness came. It washed over her like a tidal wave. Jess was leaving. He was going away and she didn't know when, or if, she would see him again. The urge to hug him, hold onto him with everything she had swept through her body and it took every once of strength she had in her to resist. He was looking back at her, his eyes intense. What was he thinking? Were his thoughts anything like hers? Would he really miss her? What would her life be like without him? She couldn't remember not having Jess around, even though 16 years of her life was spent without him and not even two with him in it. The thought of losing him hurt. It hurt like hell.
A/N- This is my first attempt at writing Lane. So be kind! lol
-Chapter 6-
"I'm really worried about him." Rory told her best friend, Lane, as they walked down the street early Saturday morning the next week.
"Jess is, well, Jess." Lane offered. "He'll be fine." Rory sighed, everyone was so sure of it. Why wasn't she? "What? You don't think he will be?"
Rory shrugged, "I don't know. I just don't think Jess is as tough as everyone assumes he is. And he's not the most open person. He could be really hurting and no one would even know."
"I want to be helpful, Rory, but I don't like him, which makes in kind of hard to be supporting to someone who think he walks on water."
"I don't think he walks on water. I just don't think he's the Spawn of Satan."
"I thought that was Tristan?"
Rory smiled for the first time that morning. "It is, which is why Jess can't be. One person per nickname."
Lane laughed. "Does that mean he could be the Devil's brother? Nephew perhaps?"
"Possibly, but Nephew of Satan just doesn't have the same ring to it as Spawn."
Her friend nodded in agreement. "So we need to keep thinking."
"Yup, and whatever we come up with has to be good."
"Question." Lane said, looking puzzled. "How is Tristan Bible Boy and Spawn of Satan?"
"He got Bible Boy for calling me Mary and the other one is pretty self- explanatory."
"Or cause he looks like God's gift to women." Lane threw in.
Rory grinned a little. "Looks can be deceiving."
"You have a thing for bad boys." She blurted out a few minutes later.
Rory stopped and turned to look at her. "How do you figure that? I've been dating Dean for two years and he's the farthest thing from a bad boy."
"And while you've been dating Mr. Goody Two Shoes Perfect Boyfriend, you've pined for both Jess and Tristan. Both bad boys."
"Have not!" She denied, but felt a slight blush color her cheeks.
"Not that I blame you. At least not on the Tristan front. Bad boys have a certain amount of sex appeal. Look at the music biz. All the hottest stars are bad."
Rory continued walking. "Like Dave?"
"Yes, well, except when he's around my mother. Then he's a good little Christian boy."
Rory laughed a little. "Don't all big time musicians go to church every Sunday in between gigs?"
"Of course!"
Upon hearing footsteps behind them, they slowed to a stop and turned to face the newcomer. "Hey." Dean greeted hurrying to join them. When he did reach them, he leaned in to give Rory a kiss.
"Hey, Mr. Goo." Lane began, but Rory cut her off.
"What are you doing up so early?" She asked and shot Lane a dirty look.
He frowned for a moment, but then answered. "Working the early shift and thought I'd grab a quick breakfast at Luke's. You?"
Rory scowled at the memory. "Mom had some thing at the Inn and decided I should share in the torture of waking up before noon on a Saturday. She's an evil woman I tell you."
Dean chuckled and took her hand in his. "Want to join me for breakfast?" He asked the two girls.
Jess flashed through her mind, but she reluctantly agreed. "Uh, yeah, sure. You know me, I'm always up for food!"
`````
Flinching as the bell above the door jingled, announcing their entrance, Rory quickly scanned the small diner. Jess wasn't there. "Yet," She told herself. "Hey, Luke." She said aloud as they sat at a table in the middle of the room.
"Hi. What are you doing up so early on a Saturday?" He asked the younger Gilmore.
"Plotting ways to get revenge on my mother for making me get up so early on a Saturday."
"Right." Luke nodded, although he wasn't completely sure what she was talking about. "What can I get for you?"
"Lots of coffee to start out with. And then some eggs and bacon." After her, both Lane and Dean ordered and Luke disappeared to place the order.
After he left, Dean turned to Rory. "Hey, I was thinking we could do something tonight."
"Can't," Rory told him, before she could explain he rolled his eyes.
"Another dinner with Jess?"
Rory frowned, "No, plans with Lane."
"Oh," Dean responded. "We could double. You and me and Lane and Dave."
"I don't think so. Tonight's kind of a girl's night."
Luke approached before Dean could reply. "Here you go." He placed their food in front of them. "Oh, and before I forget, Rory, Jess wants to talk to you. He's upstairs."
"Ok, thanks Luke." She answered. Taking a big forkful of eggs and adding a bite of bacon too it, she excused herself. "Be right back," she mumbled with her mouth full.
"He says jump and you say how high?" Dean asked, his voice held an edge of anger.
Rory stopped, after taking only two steps. "Excuse me?"
"He wants to talk, so what? Go up later or better yet, don't go up at all."
"Jess is my friend." She felt like she was repeating herself and knew the comment would only make Dean angrier.
"Yeah, sure, friends."
Crossing her arms across her chest, she demanded, "And what exactly do you mean by that?"
"He wants you." He stated simply.
"Oh please, not this again. Jess doesn't want me! We're friends, ok? You do know what that means, right?" She snapped.
"Guys," Lane cut in, "This isn't."
"Stay out of this, Lane." Dean told her.
Rory glared at him. "Don't talk to her like that."
"Don't tell me what to do."
"Like you do to me?" It slipped out. She hadn't meant to say it, but maybe it was something she had wanted, needed to say for a long time.
Dean paused for a moment. "I don't tell you what to do."
"No? You just did, not two minutes ago, when you told me not to go talk to Jess. You're always telling me not to talk to Jess. Or not to see him or be friends with him. That's not your decision."
Dean stood up and took a step towards her. "You want Jess? Fine, don't let me stand in the way." With that said, he stormed out of the diner.
Rory felt tears welling up in her eyes. This was the worst fight they had ever had and everyone had witnessed it. Squaring her shoulders, she slowly headed up the stairs.
`````
Music pulsated from behind the closed door. Reaching out her hand, she knocked loudly on the door. But as she thought, he couldn't hear it. Finally, she opened the door and stepped inside the small apartment. Her eyes took in the scene and the tears she had been holding back began to fall at full force.
Sensing another presence, Jess looked up and saw Rory standing at the doorway crying. Quickly, he shut the radio off and approached her. At first he didn't know what say, but he put his hand on her arm and waited for her to look in his eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked when she finally did.
"You're packing." She stated, her eyes once again taking in the boxes that he was filling with his stuff.
"Yeah." He replied, as he looked around as well.
Sniffling a little she asked, "Why? Are you going back to New York?"
Leading her over to the bed, he motioned for her to sit. "No, but I am leaving Star's Hollow."
Rory felt the breath rush out of her, and knew there was no stopping the new onslaught of tears. "Where are you going?"
His answer was simple. "California."
"What's in California?"
"My dad."
"But you hate him." She pointed out.
Jess sighed. "But he's my dad and I think I owe it to myself to try and get to know him."
Rory gave him a watery smile. "Good for you." Her voice however was anything but sincere. "Is that what was bugging you after the dinner?"
"Yeah. I was dead set against it when he first suggested it, but I changed my mind."
"What about Luke?"
Jess paused. He'd expected Luke to be happy to see him go, but that wasn't the case. Luke actually wanted him to stay. The feeling was mutual. While he wanted to try to have a relationship with his dad, he knew he'd miss his uncle, he knew he loved him. They were family. "We'll stay in touch."
"He loves you."
He nodded almost sadly, "I know."
They sat in silence for a few moments, but Jess broke it. " I answered you," Jess began softly. "Now you answer me. What's wrong? I know the boxes didn't bring on your tears."
Looking up at him with sad eyes, she nodded. "The tears were there, the boxes made them fall."
"What put them there in the first place."
"Dean." She could see Jess's jaw clench visibly. "We had a fight."
"About?"
Her cheeks grew hot for the second time that morning. With a sigh, she answered him. "You."
Jess blinked in surprise. "Me? Didn't know I had that much effect on your relationship with Bag-Boy."
"Don't call him that."
"Sorry."
Rory nodded. "It's ok, I don't want to fight with you too. Especially if you're leaving."
"I am."
Standing up, she walked a few feet away from him. "Where you even going to say goodbye this time?"
"That's why you're up here now."
"Oh." She turned to face him and looked straight into his eyes. "I'll miss you."
"Huh." Jess felt a little uncomfortable, but was mostly teasing her.
Eyes narrowing into slits, she glared at him, "Jess!"
"Alright, alright! I'll miss you too."
Her expression changed and her glare turned into a small smile. "I knew it!" He laughed slightly, but she grew serious again. "When are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow."
"A time please."
"Eight."
Rory gasped. "As in the a.m. hours?"
"Yes."
She rolled her eyes. "Great, first you tell me you're leaving and then you tell me I have to be up at eight to see you off. You're cruel."
"You don't have to come." He informed her.
Giving him a shrug, she replied, "I'll be there."
For a moment she just stared at him, let herself drown in his eyes and take in every part of him. A need to memorize every detail about him came over her and she gave into it. She wanted to remember the way he looked, the way he was looking at her, the way she might never see him look again. And then the sadness came. It washed over her like a tidal wave. Jess was leaving. He was going away and she didn't know when, or if, she would see him again. The urge to hug him, hold onto him with everything she had swept through her body and it took every once of strength she had in her to resist. He was looking back at her, his eyes intense. What was he thinking? Were his thoughts anything like hers? Would he really miss her? What would her life be like without him? She couldn't remember not having Jess around, even though 16 years of her life was spent without him and not even two with him in it. The thought of losing him hurt. It hurt like hell.