Scene from a living room couch
"She looks prune-y."
"Thanks."
"Well, she does. I'm sure it'll go away though."
Jess nodded as he held his infant daughter in his arms. Across from him, his step-sister was watching curiously, book in hand.
"So… you named her Alice?" Lily asked.
Jess nodded again. "Yup."
"Lewis Carroll? Where's Wonderland?"
"I think the name fits Stars Hollow well, don't you?"
Lily wrinkled her nose. "What, that Taylor guy is the Queen of Hearts?"
Jess's mouth twisted into a smirk.
"And that Kirk guy as the White Rabbit?"
"And Lorelai and Sookie as the Mad Matter and the March Hare," Jess added.
"Who're you?"
"Cheshire Cat."
"The Cheshire Cat fathered Alice…" Lily mused. "That's disturbing." She leaned a little closer to look at the baby. "She's kinda cute…"
Jess looked down at the baby and then at Lily. "She doesn't look like you so she's in the clear."
"Hey!" Lily snapped. "Jerk."
He smirked again.
"Where's Rory?"
"Sleeping."
"Again?"
Jess rolled his eyes. "You try having a baby sometime."
"You first."
He scrunched up his face at the fourteen-year-old. "That isn't biologically possible."
"So?"
"Weirdo."
Lily smiled. "Yeah."
They sat in silence.
"Wanna hold her?" Jess asked.
"Okay," Lily shrugged. She slowly got to her feet and sat next to him on the couch.
He turned to her and carefully placed the baby in her arms. "Watch her head."
Lily nodded, and smiled a little at Alice, who looked up at her curiously. "Hi. I'm Aunt Lily. I'll be teaching you every dirty word, and every horrible habit you'll ever need to know to annoy the crud out of your dad."
Jess groaned.
Lorelai walked in then, and tapped Jess on the shoulder.
He glanced up at her curiously.
"You're hogging the baby."
"She's my kid," Jess protested.
"Well, she's my grandkid, and you're hogging her," Lorelai said.
Jess scratched the back of his head. "Would you like to hold the baby, Lorelai?"
"Yes, please," Lorelai replied.
Jess sighed and took the baby from Lily.
"Hey!" Lily cried. "I wasn't done corrupting her!"
Jess handed Alice over to his mother-in-law. "Lorelai will finish for you, trust me."
Lorelai snickered and sat next to Lily. "You wanna help corrupt more?"
Lily smirked. "It would be my pleasure."
Jess shook his head and got to his feet.
oooooooo
Rory sighed and opened her eyes as she felt the mattress dip. She turned over and smiled at Jess as he slid onto the bed next to her. "Hi."
"Hi," he replied, lying close to her. "How are you feeling?"
"Still drained," she replied, resting her head on his shoulder. "But better. Where's Alice?"
"Your mom and Lily are playing with her." Jess kissed her forehead and closed his eyes.
"Now look who's drained," Rory smiled.
"It's been a long day," he muttered.
"It has," she agreed. "How's Alice?"
"Perfect," he said almost inaudibly.
Rory sat up slowly and stared down at him. "Jess?"
He opened his eye and looked up at her calmly.
"I've never seen you act like this."
He shrugged and turned onto his side to avert his eyes.
She sighed and lay back down, facing the ceiling. "I won't tell. You know I won't."
Slowly, he turned onto his back again. "I've never felt like this before."
Rory smiled and wrapped her arms around him.
"Jimmy wants to stay."
Rory blinked and sat up a little. "What? Stay where?"
"Here," Jess replied. "With us; to help take care of Alice."
"Jimmy knows nothing about babies," Rory pointed out.
Jess nodded. "And we do?"
"There are so many people who live locally that want to help," Rory said. "And can we fit another person into the apartment."
"I don't know," Jess replied.
"Do you want him to stay?" Rory asked.
"I don't know that, either," he muttered.
"Has he talked it over with Sasha?" Rory asked. "And what about Lily? Jimmy is practically her father…"
"It's something everyone needs to think about," Jess nodded. "I just…I don't know…I think…to him, this would be his way of making up for not being there for me…"
"Is it to you?" Rory asked.
Jess shook his head. "That ship has sailed. There's nothing he can do to make up for that…"
Rory tightened her hold around him, just as a knock sounded on the door.
"Come in," Rory said.
The door opened, and Lily walked in. She crawled onto the bed and squeezed in-between them.
"Excuse you," Jess said.
"Hi," she replied.
"Where's Alice?" Jess asked.
"Lorelai still has her," Lily replied. "She ran off with her to go bother Luke."
Rory snickered. "Oh, boy."
"So, why are you in here?" Jess asked.
"Because we need to talk about Jimmy," Lily nodded.
"You, too with this, huh?" Jess asked.
Lily sighed impatiently. "He wants to be here."
"Do you want him to be here?" Rory asked.
Lily nodded. "I do. I think he should be here for you, and Alice. I think he owes you that."
"He doesn't owe us anything," Jess retorted.
"He owes you about eighteen years," Lily muttered with a roll of her eyes.
Jess glared.
"You know it's true," Lily went on. "He owes you big-time."
"Drop it."
"You should give him a chance," Lily said quickly. "I'm shutting up now."
"Good," Jess snapped.
Rory looked from one to the other and sighed. "We'll think about it, Lily…We're trying to take this one step at a time."
"So what's your next step?" Lily asked.
"Kicking you out of this room," Jess replied.
Both girls reached over to smack him.
"Ow," he complained.
"You deserved that," Rory told him. She yawned and sat up. "I'm gonna go find Mom."
Jess nodded, and watched as his wife get up and walk out of the room.
Lily watched her step-brother for a few moments, before shoving him off the bed.
"OW!"