Thanks for the feedback! Chapter with Jess and Charlotte.

Jess leans back in his chair. Rory's at work, Richie and Charlotte are at school and Annie's being spoiled by her grandparents in Stars Hollow. It's a whole three hours before Jess has to pick up the older kids and he's enjoying a quiet afternoon at Truncheon. Closing his eyes for a moment, Jess is snapped back to reality by his cellphone ringing and answers with a silent groan. So much for peace.

"Truncheon books."

"Is this Jess Mariano?"

"Speaking." Jess looks at the phone and sits up as he notices that it's the elementary school. "Is something wrong?"

"It's concerning your daughter, Charlotte Gilmore. We initially tried calling Rory Gilmore but couldn't contact her."

"She's in meetings," Jess says impatiently. "What's wrong? Is Charlotte sick?"

"She was in a fight."

"What?" Jess blurts out. "You're kidding."

"I can assure you I'm not kidding," the administrator answers, sounding decidedly unamused. "She hit a boy in her class during recess."

"Why?"

"She's refusing to say. I need you or your wife to come to the school."

"On my way," Jess says, hanging up the phone and springing out of the chair. This does not make any sense. Pausing, Jess picks up the phone to call Rory but puts it back down. Her phone's most likely on silent and the entire situation is still too much for Jess to fathom. Charlotte has a temper but she never uses her fists. Grabbing his jacket and keys, Jess figures he'll try and get the facts first before calling Rory. No need to freak her out yet.

It doesn't take long to reach the school but Jess messages everyone in Truncheon to say he might be out for the day. Jess is ushered into the office where Charlotte and the boy she supposedly hit are sitting by the desk, squirming away from each other. Charlotte's hair is tangled and she wears a frown on her face along with some dirt, her arms crossed over her freshly torn shirt. The boy has dirty streak on his cheek but otherwise looks no worse than Charlotte. At the sight of her father Charlotte sinks a little in her seat but her expression is no less defiant. Jess raises his eyebrows at her but Charlotte still scowls.

"Mr Mariano," says the teacher, making Jess jump. She walks out from the corner and extends her hand, which Jess shakes, before asking, "Do you know why you've been called down here?"

"I was told Charlotte was in a fight," Jess says quizzically. "Kind of fuzzy on the details."

"So am I," says the teacher grimly. "I was on recess duty and looked over to see Charlotte push Billy over. By the time I got to them she was on the ground and I saw her hit him. There would doubtlessly been more of a fight if I hadn't separated them. I asked them what happened but neither will tell me, and Charlotte won't apologise. She knows we use our words, not our fists."

At that Charlotte scowls more deeply and shakes her head when the teacher asks, "Do you want to tell your father what happened?"

"Hey," Jess says, kneeling beside her. "It's okay. You can tell me what happened. You want to tell me outside?"

"No," Charlotte says and, although she's angry, Jess can hear a hitch in her voice. Biting his lip, he straightens up and says, "Look, my daughter doesn't hit people. Something must have happened."

"She knows we have a no violence policy."

"I'm sure," Jess says, trying to keep his voice even. "But something must have happened."

"Neither of them are saying a word. I've told Charlotte if she apologises she can go back to class and we'll talk about it later but she's refusing."

"I'm not sorry," Charlotte says bluntly. Her words are tight and she hunches herself in the chair. The teacher sighs.

"Billy, can you tell us what happened?"

The boy shakes his head and simply says, "I want to go home."

"Your mom's on her way. Go back to class for now."

Billy gets up, sniffling, and slams his way out of the office. Charlotte folds her arms and stays silent when asked again and the teacher turns to Jess.

"If she won't apologise and explain she's suspended for the afternoon."

Jess looks at his third grader. Charlotte is staring at the desk, her cheeks red, but through her anger Jess can see an exhaustion. It's an exhaustion he's familiar with, a sensation he particularly associates with school, and Jess knows Charlotte is done for the day.

"I'm taking Charlotte home," he decides. "I think it's best for everyone if she starts over tomorrow."

The teacher stares in surprise. "You don't want her to apologise?"

"I want her to give the full story and I don't think she's going to right now. If she comes home with me I can find out what happened."

The teacher looks at Charlotte, looks at Jess and says, "If you think that's best."

"I do. Come on, Charlotte."

Father and daughter don't say a word on the drive back. Jess glances over at Charlotte from time to time but she stares out of the window, her jaw set, and Jess leaves her be. As they get into the house Jess grabs two sodas from the fridge, hands one to Charlotte and opens his before asking, "You feel like talking about it?"

"No."

Charlotte glares at him, clenching the can so tightly Jess is worried it'll burst. There's a look of worry buried in the defensiveness and mildly Jess says, "Okay. How about some lunch?"

"Lunch?" Charlotte echoes suspiciously and Jess says, "Yeah, lunch. I'm thinking sandwiches. Go wash up so soil's not seasoning the bread."

Slowly, Charlotte disappears upstairs and Jess sets to making the sandwiches, mind still whirring. After Charlotte emerges with a washed face Jess hands her a plate and sits opposite her. Charlotte takes a small bite before eating more hungrily. She seems a little more relaxed, though she hasn't changed her ripped shirt, and Jess blinks. Aside from not being a girl, it almost feels as though Jess is observing his younger self sent home from school. He always felt that he was holding his breath until he was back in the empty apartment. Shaking himself, Jess lifts his own sandwich and eats half before asking gently, "You want to tell me what went on?"

"No," Charlotte says again, but she sounds more tired than angry and Jess leans forward.

"Hey. You can tell me. It's just us."

Charlotte bites her lip and Jess adds, "I'm not going to get mad at you."

"My teacher got mad."

"I'm not your teacher."

Charlotte pauses and asks quietly, "Do I have to tell you?"

"You don't have to tell me," Jess says carefully, "but I bet you'll feel better if you do. Or Mommy."

Charlotte's eyes fill with tears and Jess goes around the table to her, wrapping her in a hug.

"It's okay to tell me, kiddo," he promises. "You don't have to tell me right now, but you can tell me. It's okay. I love you."

Charlotte cries into his shoulder and Jess holds her for a moment, kissing her curls. You have to be patient with Charlotte. Rory is the same, she'll talk when she's ready, and to push makes her quieter. Like mother, like daughter. Charlotte is silent for a moment before lifting her face and saying tearfully, "Billy said you aren't my daddy."

"What?"

"In class we made family trees and I made a leaf for you and a leaf for Logan, and Billy said it's dumb. He said I can't have two dads and I said yes I can, because Logan's my father but you're my dad, and he said I'm stupid. He said if Mommy had me before you were there then you aren't my daddy so I pushed him in the mud. And then he said I was stupid again so I hit him and I'm not sorry!"

Jess stares in disbelief, starting to want to find the kid and hit him too. Instead he kisses Charlotte's cheek and says, "I'm your dad."

Charlotte sniffles, nodding, and Jess goes on, "You can have a dad who's not your father. I'm definitely your dad."

"I know," Charlotte says in a wobbly voice. "Some kids in my class have two dads or no dads at all."

"There you go. All families are different."

"Why did he call me stupid?"

"He didn't get it," Jess says. "And that's something he should feel bad for, not you. Charlotte, I've been your dad ever since you were born and they put you in my arms. I loved you from the second your mom told me she was having you."

Charlotte smiles but she seems troubled as she asks, "Daddy…what if Logan wanted to be my dad?"

Jess squeezes her hand, saying gently, "Then you'd have another dad, but it wouldn't stop me being yours. Nothing in the world could stop me being your daddy. You're my girl."

Charlotte smiles but she still seems uncertain and quietly she asks, "Does Logan want to be my dad?"

"He's lucky to have you for a daughter," Jess says slowly, his heart aching. She shouldn't have to deal with this. "I know he loves you. He can't be a dad right now."

"That's okay," Charlotte says, sounding more herself again. "You're my daddy."

"That's right," Jess says and then Charlotte is hugging him tightly, her body relaxing as the anger falls off. "I love you, kiddo. You're stuck with me for life."

Charlotte wrinkles her nose, making Jess laugh, and then she sighs.

"I don't want to say sorry."

"Billy shouldn't have said that stuff to you," Jess says. "He was wrong. But you know you can't hit people."

"I don't care! I'm not sorry!"

Charlotte has that defiant look in her eyes again. For all that she's not his biologically, it really is like looking in a mirror. Jess is hurtled back to days where he punched kids at school, not even trying to hold back. He'd be teased for being poor, for his mother being a slut, for having to make his own way home every day. Jess hated all of them, even the kids who didn't tease him. He didn't trust anyone until he met Rory. Observing his daughter, Jess thinks of what, if anything, would have got through to him back then. No one tried getting through until Luke and by then it was mostly too late.

"Charlotte," Jess says, looking into her eyes. "Sometimes people are jerks. Sometimes they say and do really mean things and it's not okay, and sometimes you want to hit them. That's okay, but you've got to stop yourself from the hitting part. You can't hit someone for saying mean stuff."

"Why not?"

"Because you could hurt them. If someone is being mean to you then tell me or Mommy."

"It's not fair! It's not fair that he's a jerk and I'm the one saying sorry."

"I know," Jess says gently. "But I can tell your teacher what happened. She'll make Billy say he's sorry."

"I don't want her to know," Charlotte says tearfully and Jess nods. He understands. He pulls Charlotte into another hug and says, "You should feel sorry for Billy. He doesn't understand the difference between a father and a dad but you do."

Charlotte nods slowly and Jess adds, "You can say you're sorry you hit him. How about that? And I can tell the teacher you were provoked."

"What does that mean?"

"That Billy made you mad."

"Oh," Charlotte considers. "Okay then."

"That's my girl."

"Is Mommy going to be mad?"

"Mommy might be sad but not mad at you. I can explain when she comes home."

"Okay," Charlotte says. "Did Mommy ever hit anyone in school?"

Jess bites back a laugh at the image of Rory in her Chilton uniform swinging a punch at someone, and then recalls Rory telling him about the fight she had during her community service. Crazy world we live in.

"Not in school," he says, leaving off the caveat. "But I got in fights when I was your age all the time. Not something you should imitate."

Jess lifts her into his lap, for all that Charlotte is eight years old, and says, "We've got another couple of hours before I have to go get Richie, and your little sister's in Stars Hollow. What do you say to a movie?"

"And popcorn and candy?"

"Twist my arm," Jess teases and at her confused frown, explains, "That sounds good. Go pick something."

Charlotte runs to the television and Jess grins, going to set the snacks up. An afternoon watching a movie with his daughter sounds perfect. He thinks back to the angry kid he was, alone on the playground or in the apartment and wishes he could tell him how it'll be. You'll write, you'll love, you'll be a dad. All the silent connections Jess couldn't see, believing he was alone in it. Going over to the couch, Jess pulls Charlotte to him and kisses her curls. He wasn't alone and neither is she. They are linked with love.