Chapter Two

Like A Fish

"A rebel without a cause, a rebel to the first degree."

-Hilary Duff 'Mr. James Dean'

Jess absently wiped down the counter top, looking up occasionally as a customer would come in.

Luke had taken Lorelai out for dinner, leaving Jess in charge of the diner.

A half an hour went by, and there were no people. The diner was literally deserted.

Jess was rereading Hemmingway's "A Farewell to Arms", when the bell over the door rang, announcing the arrival of a patron.

Jess said without looking up, "What can I do for you?" When he finally looked up, he came face to face with a person who he had met briefly, but knew did not like him…not at all.

"Mrs. Gilmore…" Jess said, in all honesty like a fish out of water.

"Jess." Emily said curtly.

"Is there anything I can get you?" Jess asked, still shell-shocked only slightly.

"No…I wanted to explain something to you. Mr. Mariano, my daughter and granddaughter have not spoken to me since before Christmas. And you fueled all this. Now I have come to accept your presence, because it seems that my Granddaughter isn't going to come to the conclusion I have. Rory is not stupid by any means, but she is like her mother, stubborn and strong-willed. Although not as uncouth as Lorelai tends to be…Rory is head strong, and dead-set in her breakup with Logan. I realize now that she truly does love you. But I want you to understand something, Mr. Mariano, although I have come to accept that you will not be leaving my line of sight for a very long time, it does not mean that I approve of you or your presence. I just wanted to tell you this because in a way we will be related…seeing as Luke is your uncle and is in-fact marrying my daughter. I will be watching you, remember that Mr. Mariano... Good-day." Emily said, turning around and walking out the door. Maybe this would make things right with Lorelai and Rory. She thought as she walked back to her Jag, and got in, driving off.

Rory grabbed her mother's arm and drug her to the door. "What-Rory, wait. I need to plan!" Lorelai said as Rory grabbed her mother's caramel colored wool coat and thrust it towards her. Lorelai took the coat in her arms, and held it to her chest. Looking at her daughter like she had lost her mind.

Rory grabbed her cool long, insulated jean jacket from the coat hanger and slipped into it, pulling her hair out of the back.

"We are going to Luke's. You need to get out of this house, and away from anything that could or would possibly correlate into wedding planning." Rory said. Lorelai pouted, but did not protest, and slid on her coat.

"Let's go." Lorelai said, walking past Rory sullenly. "Mean." Lorelai said as she walked out on to the deck.

"Yes, that is me. Now scoot." Rory said, gently pushing on her mother's back, down the steps, and off in the direction of Luke's.

The Gilmore girls burst through the diner's door fifteen minutes after they had left their house. A rush of cold air followed them through the door, invading the warmth of the diner.

"Lukeeee, Lucas!" Lorelai yelled, Luke appeared from the back seconds later.

"What is it?" He asked, straightening his baseball cap.

"Luke we need a lot of coffee, and now…She is having a nervous break down…again." Rory said, as Lorelai slumped down onto one of the stools at the counter.

"Did she burn a hole all the way through the floor this time?" Luke asked, putting a large mug down in front of his soon-to-be bride, and filled it almost all the way to the brim with the heavenly drink known to man as coffee.

"Almost, there are definite burn marks, the kitchen floor will never be the same." Rory replied, shaking her head slightly to emphasize her point.

Lorelai put down her coffee that she had been drinking through this whole conversation. "I did not leave burn marks on the floor." Lorelai defended.

"Oh really, then how did they get there, other than your consistent pacing?" Rory asked, looking at her mother with raised eyebrows.

"Umm…It was from the neighborhood hoodlums that camped out in our kitchen and burned a fire to keep themselves warm through the night, that's how the burn marks got there." Lorelai said, pleased with her response.

"The only hoodlum in Stars Hollow is Jess, and he is retired…" Rory said, suddenly her eyes narrowed and she turned to Luke.

"Luke, is Jess here?" Rory asked.

"Yeah, he's right upstairs." Luke replied.

"Right, thanks." Rory said, getting off her stool, and going towards the stairs. "Jess!" Rory called up them, taking the steps two at a time.

Luke and Lorelai heard muffled footsteps on the stairs, and than a door opened and seconds later the couple appeared at the foot of the stairs. Jess stumbling out of the stairwell.

"I could have just broken my neck!" Jess exclaimed.

"Well, if the fall hadn't, I would have." Rory retorted her brow furrowed with purposed anger. Although her bright blue eyes betrayed her, only slightly.

Jess looked at her slightly bewildered.

"Jess, I know you were the one that re-pulled the 'body-out-line-and-police-tape' prank in front of Taylor's house, to be more exact the side walk right in front of his house." Rory said, crossing her arms in front of her chest, and looking at her boyfriend with a reprimanding gaze.

"So what? And you have no proof I did." Jess said, smirk his trademark smirk.

"Jess, you pulled the same prank three years ago. People remember, I just didn't think that you were the one who pulled it considering the fact you are 20 years old. But maybe I'm mistaken, can I please see your driver's license and your birth certificate?" Rory said, uncrossing her arms to put her hands on her hips.

"What can I say, I'm a die-hard." Jess replied, his dark eyes gleaming with mischief.

"And a rebel without a cause?" Rory said, raising an eyebrow.

"Exactly."

"I'm surprised Taylor isn't over here right now, saying 'off with his head!' and commanding a deck of cards to pile on top of you."

"I'll be the Mad-Hatter." Jess said, playing along.

"I'll be the Marsh Hare." Rory replied; a grin working it's way onto her lips.

"I gotta get to work." Jess said, casting a side ways glance at Luke. Who was watching the exchange with a bemused Lorelai.

He leaned in quickly and kissed Rory lightly on the lips, pulling back a few seconds later.

"To the salt mines with you." Rory joked, going back over to the counter to join her mother, while Jess walked behind the counter, and went into the back with a nod of his head to Rory.

"See, it was the hoodlum!" Lorelai said.

Rory just rolled her eyes, grinning.