Chapter Four - Kirk and Rory...Sitting In A Tree?

Lorelai, was in a way thankful that Jess had come, not that she begrudged putting Liza up. She just didn't want to have to deal with the problem at hand. Plus they hadn't told Scarlett that she was getting a room mate for however long Liza decided she was staying for. Lorelai poured herself some coffee and sat down at the table.

"Good morning sunshine!" Lorelai chirped as Scarlett came out of her room and sat opposite her mother.

Smiling, Scarlett eye balled her mother trying to find the right words to tell her mother what she saw last night.

"What? Have I got something in my teeth?" Lorelai said rubbing her teeth with the sleeve of her sweater.

Scarlett laughed slightly shaking her head. "Mom can I ask you something?"

"Sure you can sweetie, anytime. You know that."

Scarlett shifted in her seat, opening her mouth to say something then changed her mind. "Ummm, if you ever….Well…..if you…"

Lorelai looked over at her daughter, seeing how uncomfortable she was. "Is something wrong? Something going on that I should know about." All Lorelai could think about was that Scarlett was in trouble. She's 13, about the same I was when I started bunking school and sneaking out of my room. Oh god! What if I'm a rubbish parent and I'm pushing my daughter out the same way Emily did! What if Scarlett's pregnant? Hold on Gilmore! She's your daughter not Emily's! Get a grip, let the poor girl talk'

"Mom, yesterday…"

Scarlett was interrupted by Luke as he came in the front door. "Hey Lorelai." He called from the hall.

"Carry on sweetie." Lorelai said to Scarlett, who looked as pale as anything.

"Well…"

"There are my two favorite girls." Luke said as he bent down and kissed both of them. "I've brought us a guest." Luke stood to the side revealing Liza stood behind him.

Scarlett's eyes widened in horror, how could her father, her role model, her everything, even think about bringing in that girl from the diner.

"Scarlett you remember Liza don't you?" Luke said nudging Liza forward.

Scarlett felt the color returning back to her cheeks, she smiled slightly nodding her head. "Yeah…yeah of course I remember Liza how could I ever forget!"

"Really? Because I would have never recognized you, the last time I saw you, you had that crazy river dance hair." Liza laughed nervously looking around.

Scarlett took a big deep breath secretly thanking herself that she didn't blurt the whole thing out, making a complete fool of herself.

As usual the bridge was deserted, Rory sat on the edge dangling her feet over, she then felt two hands cover her eyes.

"Guess who?" The voice asked.

"Kirk I've told you, not in public. Our relationship is supposed to be a secret." Rory said seriously.

"I swear, more and more like your mother everyday."

Rory turned to face Jess. "Why thank you." She said leaning forward to kiss him.

Jess sat next to her holding her hand. "I've missed this." He said.

"I've missed this too." Rory said referring to the moment they were having. But Jess meant this place, the bridge it was one of his favorite places to get away from the madness that was Stars Hollow. But he just nodded his head in agreement with Rory.

"My Mom knows you're here."

Jess sighed. "Yeah I figured it wouldn't be long before she found out, I thought she'd have been at me with the village and their torches driving me out of town buy now though."

"Please don't." Rory looked up at him.

"Don't what?"

"Make my mother out to be some sort of monster. You know the reason she finds it hard to trust you. I want her to like you." Rory kissed him, taking a deep breath, breathing all of him in. "Please don't give her any reason not to like you, don't get into any trouble."

"I don't plan on being here long enough for anything to happen." Jess went to kiss Rory but she pulled back. "What's wrong?"

"What do you mean you won't be here long enough? How long are you planning on staying for Jess?"

"Rory you know I can't stay around here, this place is suffocating. It belongs in a Brady Bunch episode." Jess said defending himself. "Come back with me to California. You've as good as got a job at that newspaper place you worked at, and I'm earning money working with Jimmy we can make a real go of things. I promised we would."

Rory took hold of Jess's hands. "But when you said that I didn't think you meant across the other side of the country. You know I can't leave here. Not yet anyway."

Jess pulled away. "Yeah and you know I can't stay here. Jeez Rory, I thought you understood. Jess got up and started to walk, heading back into town. Rory quickly grabbed him by the arm stopping him in his tracks.

"I do understand. We'll figure something out." Rory reassured him.

"I know we will Rory, I know…its just…it can't be like before." He looked away at the still water, so peaceful, calm. Everything he wanted to be.

"Don't you dare leave without saying goodbye. Don't You Dare!" Rory demanded, her voice cracking, eyes threatening to spill over with salty tears.

"I won't leave you. I may leave this crazy town someday, but I won't leave you Rory." Jess held her close.

Later that day Luke was at the Diner getting together his fishing equipment.

"Hey Dad." Scarlett chirped as she and Liza entered the Diner. "What'cha doing?"

"Im getting ready for the prom, what do you think of my dress?" Luke asked dryly.

"Oh Dad. You kill me." Scarlett said rolling her eyes, as she and Liza sat up to the counter.

"Don't do that, you look like your mother."

"So your into fishing Uncle Luke?" Liza asked.

Scarlett quickly answered before her father could. "Do not get him started on that unless you plan on staying here all night."

Liza laughed. "I actually quite like fishing, I used to go all the time with my friend and her Grandpa."

Luke smiled, maybe he'd found himself a fishing partner. "I'm going later if you wanted to join me?"

"For real?" Liza asked excitedly. "I can come?"

Luke nodded. "On one condition. You call your Mom and TJ and you apologize for running away."

Liza huffed and got up from her seat, making her way upstairs to call her Mom.

Kirk, who had been eavesdropping, joined in on their conversation. "Did I just hear you say that you were going fishing."

"Yes Kirk, you did." Luke sighed.

"Fishing is a dangerous sport, my Great Uncle Ronald lost his finger."

Luke raised an eyebrow. "What did he do? Catch a piranha?

"No, the fishing wire wound around his finger, cutting off all circulation. Also with all the blood loss he got light headed and almost lost his footing and drowned."

Luke tried to hold in his laughter. "I'm sorry for your Uncle. Is he okay now?"

"No, he died a couple of years ago, he was hit by a bus."

"Oh my God. Kirk I am so sorry." Luke said his tone of voice instantly changing.

Kirk shook his head. "No, its okay, he murdered his first wife. My Mother said he deserved it."

Scarlett eyeballed her father. "Umm Dad I'm going to go so...umm...can you tell Liza that I'll see her later?" Scarlett quickly left the Diner in a hurry.

"So Luke, do you want Kirk Jr and me to come with you on this fishing trip of yours. I mean just to make sure that nothing happens to you.

Luke simply shook his head, he never had, and never would understand Kirk.

Kirk silently got up nodding at Luke, before going, leaving Luke in tears of laughter.

"What's so funny?" Lorelai asked as she came into the diner.

"Oh nothing." Luke said his laughter subsiding. He reached over kissing his wife. "Oh just so you know I'm taking Liza fishing later so we probably won't be back until about 8ish. So did you want me to make something for dinner and put it in the fridge?"

Lorelai shook her head. "Nah, it's okay. Rory was feeling a bit homesick for Al's, so we'll probably just order from there."

"I am more than willing to cook for you every night, yet you still say no. How your not bankrupt yet I shall never know." Luke smiled.

"What can I say?" Lorelai smiled. "Anyway I only came in for a hit."

Luke poured her some coffee, Lorelai kissed him took her coffee and left.

"So what did your Mom say?" Luke asked as he and Liza were walking alongside the lake.

Liza shrugged her shoulders. "Not much, except that she really wants me home. But TJ is a complete nut job, I mean way worse than Mom. And I can't forgive him for what he said Uncle Luke."

Luke stopped setting up his rod. "What did he say?" Luke tried to sound casual, not intrusive.

"Well…."

They then heard a huge thud behind them, and someone groaning in pain.

"What the hell was that?" Luke got up looking into the greenery behind them.

"Captain Kirk, are you okay?" A little voice asked, running over to where the thud happened.

"Affirmative, I'm fine." Kirk got up, binoculars tangled around his neck and arm.

"Kirk what the hell are you doing?" Luke asked, a slight angry tone in his voice.

Kirk got up brushing himself off, giving Kirk Jr. the 'Live long and prosper' sign.

Liza snorted, she knew Stars Hollow was a haven full of colorful characters, but never in her wildest dreams did she imagine someone like Kirk.

"Answer me Kirk." Luke said.

"Well…I thought that….well that I would still come out and make sure that you would be okay." Kirk straightened out his binoculars.

"Captain Kirk. Captain Kirk. I think I'm coming out in hives!" Kirk Jr. Said in a panic.

Kirk lifted up his sons arm taking a closer look. "Oh man, Lulu's going to kill me. She told me not to bring you." Kirk gathered together his things and started to make his way back to town. "Sorry Luke but you're going to just have to be careful I've got to get rid of Kirk Jr's hive before Lulu finds out."

Kirk and Kirk Jr left in a hurry, leaving Luke and Liza stood in fits of laughter.

Please Review, if I don't get much feedback from this one this'll probably be the last chapter! Thank you! (",)