The Shimmering Stories of Stars Hallow

Author's Note: This story takes place around Season Three. Literati & Possible JavaJunkie, Enjoy. ♥

Thank you for all of the lovely reviews, it's really inspiring. And, oh yes, literati-lover4ever, Jess wet is love, like sprinkler scene during Eight O'clock at the Oasis, well I'm sure you know the feeling ;).

This chapter is a bit shorter, but I wanted to end it where I did.

Disclaimer: I still own nothing.

On with the story…

Jess and Rory walked hand in hand, slowly towards the diner and slowly towards their inevitable doom. As they reached the stoop, they found Lorelai sitting quietly, sipping coffee in a to go cup, another cup sat by her side. She was starring of towards the gazebo and didn't notice, or pretended not to notice, the two approaching. Jess let out a small cough to get her attention. Lorelai got up and looked at the two of them. No one spoke for a moment. "Umm… hi mom. Rory shyly spoke. Lorelai bent back over to grab the other coffee and handed it to Rory.

"Jess, I believe Luke wants to talk to you." She nodded towards the door of the diner and Jess nodded back. He began to walk towards the door but Rory grabbed his shoulder, turning him around, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek as well as small smile, indicating that everything would be okay. After he stepped inside and the door closed, Lorelai went to stand next to Rory and put her arm around her shoulders. They both began to walk in the direction of home as Lorelai let out a small chuckle as she felt her daughter shiver.

"What are you laughing at?" Rory asked, looking at her mother strangely.

Lorelai chuckled again, "Why are you and your boyfriend wet?" She smiled.

"We fell into the lake." Rory stated, annoyed.

"Oh." Lorelai paused. "So, where've you been?"

"Well," Rory began; "last night I um… kind of…" she looked at Lorelai who shot her a glare. "Okay—I snuck out—to see Jess. We weren't doing anything—just reading. I guess—well we did, fall asleep and I woke up this morning and totally freaked out about it… I didn't mean to stay out all night I promise."

"If you're going to sneak out, write a note or something!" Lorelai said, seriously. She shook her head, looking at her daughter.

"So you're giving me permission to sneak out whenever I want, as long as I leave a note?" Rory jokingly asked. Seeing here mother's expression she added, "Sorry mom…" she trailed off.

"I know you are sweetie, I just don't want you," there was a pause, "turning out like me." A look of sadness overcame Lorelai's face but it quickly disappeared once Rory gave here a comforting smile. Lorelai released a small smile at her daughter, signifying that she wasn't mad at her. "So it was perfectly innocent? Nothing dirty?" She teased.

"Yes, completely nothing dirty." Rory stated, nodding her head to exaggerate her point.

"Sneaking out without leaving a note isn't exactly angelic of you." Lorelai smiled.

Rory rolled her eyes, wrapping her arm around Lorelai's back. "Yeah except for that." Rory took a sip of her coffee as they continued toward their house.

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Jess silently closed the door to the diner, taking a quick peak outside at the two Gilmore's walk off, wishing the conversation he was about to have with his uncle would end as cheerfully as theirs most likely would. He was freezing from being wet, so maybe asking Luke if he could take a shower would delay the much dreaded conversation.

Luke came out of the storage room to see Jess soaking wet and shivering like a maniac. He stared at him, looking at the dismantled state he was in. "Take a quick shower and change, be back in ten minutes." He said sternly. Jess thought it would be best if he was back in the ten minute time period he was granted. No, not a minute more, it would just make Luke madder. He ran upstairs, gathering some clothes speedily as he made his way to the bathroom for his shower.

He emerged back downstairs in only eight minutes. He didn't see Luke so he just quietly sat at one of the tables scattered among the diner. A few moments later, Luke appeared from outside. He had his arms full of groceries from Doose's. Luke set down the paper bags on the counter next to the donut display and walked over to the table Jess was sitting at and took a seat. "Jess," he began, Jess' eyes darted up to look at him, "it's bad enough that you get yourself in trouble, but you can not go off and get Rory into this mess!"

Jess rolled his eyes, he breathed in, "It wasn't my idea to sneak out, it was Rory's." He said this in a voice that at a slight tone of sarcasm to it, although he was being serious—it wouldn't matter anyway, he could tell Luke didn't believe him. "I'm serious!" He added, as a weak attempt to get his uncle to believe him. "Look, we weren't planning to stay out or anything, we were just reading and we fell asleep." Jess said in a tone of seriousness.

Luke just sat there, arms across his chest, listening to his nephew's explanation. "Lorelai was pissed." He stated solemnly.

"Oh sorry!" Jess said in a mocking tone. "Wouldn't want the woman you've had your eye on forever to be mad at you."

Luke shot him a horrendous glare. "I don't like her in that way."

"Okay, whatever you say Uncle Luke." Jess got up from his seat, heading towards the coat rack where he grabbed his jacket and put it on.

"Where are you going?" Luke asked, knowing he would get the same response he always got when he asked his nephew this question.

"Out." With that, Jess walked outside into the mid-morning sun.

Luke followed him outside, stopping when he reached the sidewalk. "You're closing the diner for the next two weeks, be back by five!" He shouted.

"Fine!" He heard Jess yell back. Luke reentered the diner with a nod of approval at his own parenting skills.

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Jess had to see Rory to find out what happened in the fight between her and Lorelai. They probably didn't even have a fight, he thought—Lorelai trusts Rory, she has no reason not to. He began walking towards the Gilmore residence but his journey was stopped short. To his dismay, Dean was walking towards work at the market, green apron in hand. Although Dean was the one who broke up with Rory at the dance marathon a few weeks ago, he still wanted her back. Jess tried to just ignore him and walk away quickly, but his plan quickly failed as Dean stepped right in front of him.