Disclaimer: Nope, I own nothing. The money I make does not come from my stories. Maybe one day though...

A/N: Thanks for all the really positive reviews I've been getting! I've been trying a new sort of style for this story, and I'm glad it's being well-recieved. And now, the third installment of Chasing Fate!

Chasing Fate--Chapter 3

His pants were on the floor across the room.

That was the only thought running through Jess's head as he lay curled up on his mattress, warm and content under the comforter. Before he could actually leave the room to answer the phone call that--for some reason beyond his comprehension--was for him, he'd have to get out of his warm quasi-bed and put on his pants.

"Jess!" Jimmy banged on the door again. "Phone!"

"Alright!" Jess grumbled, rolling off the bed and onto the floor. He stared up at the ceiling for a second and then pushed himself off the hard, wooden floor with his hands. He adjusted his boxers and pulled on his jeans. He sleepily pulled up the zipper, but made no attempt to button them. He looked around, his eyes half-closed with sleep. A dirty, once white T-shirt crossed his line of vision and he put it on, not realizing it was inside out.

Jimmy was sitting in the kitchen and he had his feet on the table. A book hid his face and the phone sat next to his legs. He lowered the book and motioned to the phone with one foot. It sat on the table next to him. "She called twice yesterday too. Make her stop before Sasha kills me, kay?"

Jess raised his eyebrows. "She?" He asked, confused.

Jimmy closed his book, put it on the table, and stood. "Liz." He said simply, walking out of the room.

Jess sighed. "Geez." He mumbled, picking up the phone. "Seven in the morning, Liz." He said, collapsing into the kitchen chair.

"Sorry, kiddo, I always forget about the time difference!" Liz chirped cheerfully.

"I know." Jess said. "What do you want?"

"Now is that anyway to talk to your mother?" Liz demanded with a hint of teasing in her voice.

Jess sighed impatiently. "Liz…" He said, annoyed.

"So how's California?" Liz asked, ignoring his annoyance.

"Hot." Jess said shortly. After a second, he added, "Not bad."

"Good." Liz said sincerely, "Glad to hear it."

"Is this really why you called three times, Liz?" Jess asked impatiently. With his mother, there was no telling whether or not she was calling on a whim just to chat.

"No!" Liz said, as though it was obvious. "Though is it really so silly to want to talk to my son?"

"Geez." Jess said, exasperated. "So many comments, so little desire to prolong this conversation."

"Well someone isn't a morning person." Liz teased, not losing her happy tone.

Jess sighed. "Isn't this long-distance for you, Liz?"

"Nope!" Liz exclaimed. "It's long-distance for Luke!"

Jess felt his jaw clenching. "You're in Stars Hollow." He stated.

"Yeah." Liz said. "There's a Fair in Woodbury, so I'm visiting the brother."

"Huh." Jess said, opening the book that Jimmy had left on the table. He began to read lazily as Liz babbled about Renaissance Fairs and Luke. Suddenly though, the name 'Rory' broke through the haze of Liz's drivel.

"Wait, what are you yammering about?" Jess interrupted her in the middle of a sentence.

"Rory." Liz said, and Jess could practically hear the smile in his mother's voice. "You weren't listening to me, young man."

"Don't play mommy right now, Liz." Jess said, feeling his muscles tense. He closed the book and pushed it away. He couldn't read right now. "What about Rory? How the Hell do you know Rory?"

"I don't know Rory." Liz responded. "Though I'd like her, according to Luke."

"You would like her." Jess said quietly. Then he sighed again. "What about Rory?" A wave of almost-panic washed over him. "Something happen to her?" He asked as casually as he could.

"Oh, knock off the James Dean act, kiddo. I know you're sweet on her." Liz declared, proud of the knowledge.

Jess clenched his teeth together. Thank you Luke. "That's over." He said simply.

"She wants to talk to you." Liz said. "I have your address and everything, just wanted to get my baby boy's go-ahead before I gave it to her."

"You wanted my permission first?" Jess questioned, disbelievingly. Out of all the new information reeling quickly through his mind, that fact surprised him the most.

"Yeah. I figured you left for a reason, might as well see if you wanted to talk to the girlfriend. Ex-girlfriend. Whatever. Just a formality, I guess. So, address to the chicky, right?" Liz finished.

"No." Jess said shortly.

"No?" Liz asked, confused.

"No." Jess repeated. "I don't want to talk to her."

"Oh…" Liz said, still confused. "Alright."

"I mean it, Liz." Jess said sternly.

"Hey, I called and asked for a reason. No worries, kid" Liz said, brightly.

"Alright." Jess said. "Well-."

"Do you believe in fate, Jess?" Liz asked, cutting off whatever he was about to say.

"Nope." Jess said, getting ready to hang up.

"Do you believe in anything?" His mother asked with a sigh.

Jess actually thought about this question for a moment. There was a real answer, but it was long, complicated, and not something he was going to share with his mother.

"Nope." He said, again. "Bye, Liz."

Jess hung up the phone. He grabbed an apple from the bowl and put his legs up on the table. He took a bite of his apple and thought long and hard. Rory wanted to talk to him. "Huh." He mumbled to himself through a bite of apple.

Sasha walked into the kitchen. She playfully slapped Jess on the back of his head as she walked over to the sink, prompting him to put his feet back on the floor. "Herbal tea, doll face?" She asked, filling the kettle.

"Yeah." Jess said, taking another bite of his apple.

"That was your mother?" Sasha asked.

"Yeah." Jess said again.

Sasha put the kettle on the stove and sat down at the table. "What'd she want?"

"My permission to give my ex-girlfriend my address here." Jess said, still chewing on a piece of apple.

"Wow." Sasha said. "That's all sorts of out of the blue."

Jess nodded, and Sasha smiled at him. "You said no."

Jess looked up at her. "How do you do that?"

Sasha shrugged, wearing a wide grin. Jess had learned not to question her all-knowingness over his time with her and Jimmy. She was an outgoing woman, but the one thing she liked to remain quiet about was her uncanny ability to read situations and people.

Jess sighed and put the apple down. "Do you believe in fate, Sasha?" He asked curiously.

Sasha nodded. "Yeah, I do. Everything happens for a reason. Like me meeting Jimmy, or you tracking us down and coming here. Fate. Through and through."

Jess nodded, taking in Sasha's words.

"What about you, doll face?" Sasha asked, studying him. "Do you believe in fate?"

Jess shrugged. "Guess I'm on the fence."

The kettle started to whistle and Sasha stood. "You'll see, doll. When you least expect it, bam! Fate's slapping you in the face."

"Better fate than some girl." Jess said.

Sasha poured hot water into mugs with tea bags in them and placed one in front of Jess. "You miss the girl." Sasha said simply.

Jess just shrugged and dipped his tea bag up and down in the hot water.

"So…why'd you say no if she wants to talk?" Sasha demanded, not bothering to dance around the subject.

Jess shrugged again. He knew the answer. He didn't know what to say to Rory, didn't know how to force himself to talk to her.

Sasha smirked and stood, holding her mug. "I swear, kid." She said knowingly. "Once you finally figure out what you want to say, we'll never be able to shut you up." She walked out of the room.

Jess took a sip of his tea and shook his head. "How the Hell does she do that?"