Author's note:

Hello all! I'm back from my vacation and ready to update again on a more regular basis. I thank all of you for your patience. It will be rewarded.

Reviews will be appreciated!

Disclaimer: Still own nothing and nobody ecxept Kat.

On with it...

Back in Stars Hollow Rory and Kat were stuffing some more of Rory's clothes into her bag. On top of the full bag she carefully put the most important piece of clothing. All part of Kat's plan. They had decided that just to confront Jess with her presence could turn out ugly. He needed to be surprised, or rather, compromised in a way that made it impossible for him not to spend time with Rory. And the plan her new friend had worked out might just do the trick. Providing Jess remembered he owed Kat a huge favor. Well, he didn't, but he would give in anyway. Kat could be a manipulative bitch if she chose to be.

Lorelai had shown her approval by calling the Hartford airport to get her daughter a ticket and by giving her only child some pocket money and the aforementioned piece of clothing.

Their flight would leave early evening, which, considering the time difference, would get them there the same early evening. Luke would come over later to take them to the airport.

After discussing Jess's comeback to Stars Hollow at the diner, they had decided to include Luke into their plan, seeing as how he still was Jess's uncle. If the boy could be persuaded to come home, he needed a home to come back to. Luke had just grunted his approval after he learned about the progress his nephew had already made at the west coast. He didn't show it, but Rory could tell he was as happy as she was. And that he didn't mind at all having the delinquent back in town. If only, or so he stated, to spike Taylor.

A knock at the door indicated the diner man had arrived. Lorelai opened the door and yelled for Rory to hurry up. She and Kat dragged her heavy bag out the door to put it in Luke's trunk. Rory ran back inside to hug Lorelai goodbye. If everything went well, she (or they) would be back before Christmas eve.

"Bye mom. And thank you so much for understanding."

"You're welcome. And good luck, honey. Bring the little criminal home."

Rory reluctantly let go of her mom and got into Luke's truck. They had to make a little detour to pick up Kat's stuff at the inn, but half an hour later, they were finally on their way to the airport. On their way to see Jess.

It took Kat some convincing before Rory dared to step on board. A sudden rush of panic had temporarily frozen her body, but after gentle coaxing and a firm grasp of her wrist, Kat managed to get her in the right plane. Now, high up in the sky on their way, she relaxed a little. This plan would work, it had to.

The California air was still warm, even though it was mid December already. Kat gratefully wriggled herself out of her thick sweater to reveal a Metallica t-shirt Rory remembered all too well. Kat saw the way she looked and shrugged.

"Not his, Rory. I know he has the same one. I told him I liked it and he found the same one for me as a birthday present. I don't wear your boyfriend's clothes."

"He's not my boyfriend."

Kat shrugged again. "Not yet. Just not yet."

She grinned at Rory. "Come on, my car is at the parking lot here somewhere.

At long last they found Kat's car and started driving.

"I'll take you to your hotel first and then I have to get back to campus. To prepare Jess for plan A of getting you guys back together. I'll call you on your mobile phone later."

Rory just nodded, still a bit sleepy from the flight and nervous about their plan.

The hotel was nice enough, though not exactly the Ritz. But her room had a spacious bathroom and a balcony to overlook the sea. Rory was happy enough. She said goodbye to Kat and gratefully stepped into a hot shower before ordering junk food from room service. After that, she zapped around the cable tv until she fell asleep.

Back on campus, Kat haphazardly parked her car, dropped off her stuff at her dorm room and got over to Jess's room. He opened after two knocks, wearing nothing but his boxers, his wet hair indicating he just got out of the shower. For a split second Kat wanted to forget about Rory in her hotel room and nail the guy then and there.

Jess just grinned. "Coming in, Kat?"

She stepped in. "Just cover yourself, have you no decency?"

He shrugged. "Never knew I needed it around you."

While putting on his shirt, he asked her about her family emergency. "You okay?"

"Thanks for your concern, Mariano, but the guy wasn't even real family, so the funeral wasn't that bad. I did however meet an old friend of mine and I brought her back with me for a small vacation."

Jess shrugged again and rooted underneath his bed for his pants. Once he found them, he turned back to their conversation.

"Nice."

"She is."

Silence. "Jess?"

"What?"

"Can you do me a huge favor? You still owe me for the time I lied for you to Professor Andrews."

"Depends."

"Well, this friend is only out here for a while, and I really want to show her a good time here, and so now there's this Christmas dance here on campus…"

"Kat, stop it. No."

"What, you don't even know what I want to ask!"

"I can guess, and the answer is still no."

"She's really nice!"

"I bet she is. But, no."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because, I don't want to! I don't feel like dressing up, pretending to be a nice guy, just to have yet another chick running after me. I don't want it, I don't need it."

Kat got really mad now. "You know what, Mariano? I don't need you to anymore. Hell, there must be plenty guys out there who don't even have to pretend they're nice! I just thought you were my friend, or were you pretending that as well?"

"Of course I wasn't. But you're…you're Kat. I don't have to pretend around you. I feel comfortable around you."

"Then you know you can trust me, right?"

"I guess."

"Then trust me when I tell you that you won't feel sorry for doing this. She really is a nice girl and I'm not asking you to sleep with her after all. Just…just one date okay? Just this dance and I promise I'll make it up to you. You'll thank me later."

Kat smiled. Seeing Jess standing there she could tell he had already given in.

"Fine. Just this once. One date. No more. If only to get you off my back."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, you won't regret this! Let me just call her."

Kat hugged him quickly and grabbed her cell phone to call Rory. She gasped when she realized that calling her in Jess's room and accidentally mention her name in his presence wasn't such a great idea.

The ringing of her phone distracted Rory from her fond dream. Silently cursing she rummaged in her bag until she found the beeping noisy intruder also known as her phone. Her mood changed when she saw the caller id on the small screen. Hopefully Kat had some good news.

"Hi."

"Hi Rory…don't worry, I'm outside his dorm room where he can't hear me. But to cut to the chase; he has agreed to take you to the dance."

Kat grinned as she heard her friend let go of the breath she was holding all this time.

"What did you tell him, you know, just in case…"

"I told him you were an old friend and that I ran into you after the funeral, which was my excuse to seek you out in the first place. So I told him you were here for a small vacation and I asked him to be a nice guy and take you out."

Rory chuckled. "What kinds of medieval torture did you apply to my poor guy before he gave in?"

Now Kat smiled. "He wasn't too eager. But he owed me a favor and a Mendosa never forgets to collect."

"I see…Kat?"

"I know you're nervous, Rory. Just put on that fabulous dress and go for the kill. Poor guy won't know what hit him."

"Thanks, Kat. For everything. If I can ever pay you back…"

"I'll take your firstborn."

"Haha. Not even remotely funny. Well, I guess I'll see you just before the dance."

"Day after tomorrow. See you!"

Kat hung up and went straight back to Jess's room. "She's delighted to meet you, Mariano."

"Just my luck, huh?" He murmured.

"Now, I still have some things to do, so if you don't mind…" He quickly ushered his friend out. Kat just flashed him a grin and happily stalked off to her own quarters.

Author's note:

That's all for now. Wanna know abou the dance? I'll make you a deal: you review...I'll update.

See you next time!