"What are you doing here, Jackson?" Lisa asked as he stepped towards her, grabbing both of her wrists together behind her back. She winced as he whispered in her ear.

"Just finishing the job, Leese."

Jess kept his weapon poised at Lorelai, his face cold and unmoving as Rory, Luke, and Max lined up on the opposite wall, against the fridge. Max was sickeningly reminded of an execution.

"Jess," Luke said solemnly. "Put that down."

Jess swiveled it to his uncle.

The women all inhaled sharply. Luke swallowed and closed his eyes.

"Well, hey, Uncle Luke," Jess said coyly. "How are things? How's the pile of garbage you call a diner? How's the girlfriend? Oh wait. Shouldn't you be springing the questions on me? That was all you were ever good for."

"Why am I a villain because I tried to save you from screwing up your life, Jess?"

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Dean slung his bag over his shoulder and made his way back into the house. He was almost sad he missed seeing Lorelai and Rory reunite. That would have been a beautiful sight for sore eyes.

He heard voices in the kitchen. Jess's voice. His temper rose but he just silenced his stride and listened. Jess's back was turned, but Dean could see over his head. He knew Jackson was in the kitchen but couldn't see him or Lisa, which meant they were over by the sink. Rory, Max, and Luke were lined up by the fridge and they saw him. Rory's eyes began flowing over but he just held a finger to his lips. Lorelai was tied to a chair in the center of the room.

"...never there for me, Luke."

"I'm sorry, Jess. Don't do something you'll regret."

"Do you think this is all about you?" Jess snapped. "Its not. Right now, its about me, Jackson, Rory, and Lisa. If you three want to stand in the way, I'll have to kill you."

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Jackson brushed Lisa's hair away from her eyes as he tightly held her on the other side of the room.

Her eyes filled with tears as he pressed her to his body. He was too close, tooclosetooclosetoo...

She knew Jess had a gun. But when Jackson withdrew a knife, she was shocked.

"Come on, Lisa," he began guiding her past Jess to Rory's bedroom. She cried out and fought against him. "Time to make amends..." As she stepped on his foot he dug the knife sharply into her chest, drawing blood. Max made a strangled noise but Jess's weapon prohibited movement.

He didn't have to worry anymore as Dean flew on Jess, both falling to the floor. The gun scuttled away as fists began to fly.

Max lunged at Jackson, throwing all caution to the wind. Lisa ducked and scrambled away as Jackson stabbed blindly at his attacker. She searched for the fallen firearm while Luke hastily began untying his girlfriend. Rory ran to call the police.

Luke finished untying Lorelai and Lorelai flew at Jess and Dean on the floor, a vase held high in her hands. She shakily threw it at Jess's head and he fell unconscious. Dean rose, bloodied.

Jackson and Max continued in their dance of death, Max blocking off Jackson's stabs with an umbrella. Finally he missed and Jackson drove the knife into Max's upper leg. He swallowed and fell, and Jackson lunged to get the phone from Rory. She screamed and he toppled her to the floor.

"See, Rory, I always win," he sneered as she flailed beneath him. "I killed off your little friend Mr. Medena. Now tell me, who's one-up?"

Lisa ran to Max's side. Granted, an organ hadn't been hit, but he was still losing blood fast. And consciousness.

"Lisa," he gripped her hand. "I love you..."

"No, Max," she said trying to be firm, but her quavery voice betraying her. "Come on now, you'll be fine. Just stay awake."

"Leese..." his eyes began to shut. She cried and gripped his hand tighter.

"I love you, Max."

Luke flew atop Jackson, ripping from Rory. She tumbled away as Lorelai found Jess's gun on the floor. Luke and Jackson sprang apart when she cocked and aimed it at Jackson. After that it was so quiet the only sounds heard were the rapidly approaching sirens.

"What are you going to do, Lorelai?" Jackson sneered quietly. "Shoot me?"

She nodded but her hand shook.

"Doesn't matter if you do," he threatened. "I won't die. I will come back for Lisa. Oh, don't worry about Rory. Jess is as good as dead after this." Luke swallowed hard. "So what, Lorelai? Do it. I dare you. But I doubt you have the gumption."

Lisa ran to her friend's arm. "Lorelai-"

"Sh."

"Do it."

"I-I..ca-"

"See, Leese, she can't," Jackson sneered. A gunshot rang out in the room and everyone turned to look at Lorelai. Her face was ghastly white and her jaw fell agape as she dropped the gun to the floor. Officers stormed the room.

Jackson lay, trembling slightly on the floor when Lisa walked over to him.

"I don't know why I'm saying goodbye," she whispered to him. "You know, maybe if you weren't an asshole...we could have had something. Bye, Jack."

Then she walked away. Walked back to Max.