Missing The Bus

A long time before Jess was sent to live with Luke in S2/3, him and his mother moved in with Luke for a few months when Jess was 10, as she had just divorced yet another husband and wasn't coping. In this 'lil fic, Jess and Rory end up missing the bus together, causing Lorelai and Luke a lot of panic, and inadvertently landing the kids in New York. Rory/Lorelai, Rory/Jess, Lorelai/Luke.

Note: 7th Heaven fans may recognise the similarities to an old Ruthie/Peter storyline :)

I don't own Gilmore Girls, or anything even remotely valuable. I don't even own this computer.

Note: I'm not american, so I have absolutely no idea on how long it would take you to get to NYC or anything like that. So you'll just have to let me have a bit of an artistic license ;)

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A sudden jerk woke Rory abruptly. She peered out the gloomy window... right into another bus.

She turned to look at Jess as the bus came to a halt, and was instantly panicked by his pale, tight lipped face.

'Jess...Ww... w... where are we?'

'A bus station.'

Rory felt her stomach turn.

'Which bus station, Jess.'

He turned away from her.

'New York.'

'What!' Rory felt her shoulders shaking, but she wasn't sure wether it was from anger or fear. She checked her watch.

'I've been asleep for over 2 hours! Jess, why didn't you wake me! Why didn't you tell the driver we wanted to get off?' Do you know how far away we are from home!'

Jess still refused to look at her.

'By the time I realized, it was too late. There were no more stops.'

His vagabond spirit had vanished, and she could see he now felt the same regret she had felt hours earlier.

The bus began to empty, and Rory looked around worriedly.

'C'mon, Jess, we have to get off. We'll just have to find a pay phone or something.'

Jess stood in a zombie-like state and followed the other passengers disembarking. As the pair made their way into the depths of the station, Rory tried to find them a phone.

'Excuse me, Sir, could you show me where a...' The man walked right past her.

'Miss, excuse me, could you tell me where...' The lady showed no sign of even hearing her. Rory sighed.

Jess scuffed the toe of his sneaker. 'Forget it, Rory. This is New York. No one is going to help us.'

Rory turned, ready to argue. But as she did, she spotted a pay phone, and began to run towards it, dragging Jess behind her.

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Lorelai had hung up the phone so shakily she had dropped it. Colored five different shades of anger she had left it there, leaving a scribbled note with Michel to give Mia.

She couldn't believe it. A school, the one place where you expect your child to be safe, had left her baby behind. She sped out of the parking lot and headed in the direction of Luke's, trying to steady her hands on the steering wheel. Tears blurred her vision and she blinked them back feverently. Remain calm, and everything would be alright. She pulled up in front of Luke's and stormed in the door of the cafe.

Luke came out from behind the counter.

'Lorelai... You've parked on a yellow line. Again. Now, come on. Move.'

Lorelai stopped and took a deep breath. Luke must have seen something on her face, because he softened and took a step towards her.

'Lorelai? Is everything okay?'

She looked up.

'I just got a call from the school. They tried to get hold of Liz, but her phone went straight to voicemail.'

'She's gone out to Rhode Island for a couple of days to see relatives. I thought it might do her some good to get away. Said I didn't mind watching Jess.' He grimaced. 'What's he done now. Oh, geez, they went to the zoo today didn't they. The animals are all still alive, right. I'm not going to be sent a bill for a replacement Lemur or anything.'

Lorelai shook her head.

'No, Luke, it's not that. The bus arrived an hour or so ago...but the kids weren't on it.'

'What, the whole class? The bus driver on crack or something?'

'Just ours, Luke. Rory. Jess. Not on the bus.'

'You mean...'

'That's right. That sad excuse for a school left my daughter and your nephew at the Zoo. So I suggest you get in my car right now and we go and get them.'

Luke grabbed his jacket and quickly followed Lorelai out to her car. He paused by the passenger door.

'Uh...Lorelai. Why your car.'

'Because I'm not in the mood for having my ass kicked by a snail.'

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Rory reached the pay phone and began to dig in her pockets. To her devastation, she discovered only a couple of coins and a gum wrapper.

'Jess, you said you had money left. Can you lend me some coins or something?'

Jess didn't move, just continued to stare at his sneakers.

'Jess? C'mon I'm not taking another damn bus! We are calling our parents and we are going home! Now!'

He looked up.

'I don't have any money left, Rory. I guess I spent the last of it on my bus ticket.'

Rory bit back the urge to be sick and sat down the floor, her back against the pay phone. Never again would she trust anybody else's timetable-reading or money-counting skills.

She put her head in her hands and began to sob. She hadn't wanted her Mommy this badly since she was 2 or 3. She wondered if her mother knew she was gone yet. The thought of her mom, driving franticly around looking for her when she was stuck here in a strange city only made her cry harder.

Bashfully, Jess knelt down next to her.

'Aw, C'mon, Rory. Don't cry. Please.'

He was silent for a moment, He hated it when he made girls cry.

Suddenly he stood up, and offered Rory his hand, which she obligingly took. 'Lets Go.'

She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand.

'Where are we going?'

He began to make his way out of the train station, leading Rory by the hand.

'C'mon. I have a plan.'

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Next chapter: Lorelai and Luke arrive at the Zoo to find the kids are gone, and what exactly is Jess' plan?