Thank you so much for all your support so far! It really means so much to me! :) Here's the next chapter.

Chapter 3

Jess looked up from the couch when he heard the apartment door open. He watched as Luke came walking in, in a daze. "Hey.." He said.

Luke looked up, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh..deja vu." Jess smirked.

"What?" He said confused.

"Seriously? Are you really getting that old or did you just block it out of your mind that your screwed up nephew is back?" Jess said dryly.

Luke sighed. "I'm sorry." He said going to sit down next to him.

"How was dinner?"

"Uh..we didn't go in the end." He said.

Jess glanced at him. "Are you ok?"

"What? Me?" Luke said.

"Well there isn't anyone else here." Jess chuckled.

"Oh. Right. Yeah I'm fine." He sighed.

"That was convincing."

Luke sighed. "Sorry."

"Seriously, what happened? You're acting weird." Jess said.

Luke glanced at him. "If I tell you, you've got to promise not to tell anyone."

"Yeah ok." Jess chuckled.

"I mean it, Jess." Luke said.

"Ok sure." Jess said. "Geez, Luke, what happened?"

Luke sighed and rubbed his hand through his hair. "Lorelai kissed me." He admitted.

"Wow, way to go, Uncle Luke!" Jess smirked.

"It's not funny." Luke gave him a look.

"Why? Isn't this what you've wanted for ages?"

"It's not that simple."

"Why not?"

"She was upset and I shouldn't have taken advantage of that." Luke said.

"I thought you said she kissed you?" Jess said.

"Yeah but I didn't exactly stop it." He exclaimed. "Plus she's dating someone at the moment. This guy her dad works with. This isn't me! I don't go round kissing other guy's girlfriend! That's not me!"

"Ok calm down." Jess said. "Geez, this has really got you in a state."

Luke sighed. "It shouldn't have happened. Plus Gemma and Rory saw us."

"Oh." Jess said.

"They looked shocked. They'll think I took advantage."

"Oh come on!" Jess scoffed.

"What?"

"They know you well enough to know you'd never do that."

Luke just shrugged. "I don't know." He sighed.

Jess glanced at his uncle. "Do you want something to happen with you and Lorelai?"

"What? Jess, that's not the point. Nothing can happen. She's taken." Luke said.

"Ok..but if she wasn't...would you want something to happen?"

Luke sighed. "I don't know."

"I think you do."

"What?"

"Come on Luke, I realised the first day I came to live with you that you had a thing for you. And she wouldn't have kissed you for no reason. Even she's not that cruel." Jess said.

Luke gave him a look. "She's not cruel at all." He said.

Jess smirked. "To you maybe not."

Luke just rolled his eyes. "So what are your plans? We said we'd talk more when I was back."

Jess shrugged.

"You really want to stay here?"

"Is that so hard to believe?"

"Well when you hate me, kind of." Luke said.

"I don't hate you." Jess sighed.

"Huh." Luke said.

Jess sighed. "How could I hate the one person who actually gives a damn about me?" He mumbled.

Luke glanced at him. "Huh."

"I'm sorry, have we suddenly swapped bodies?" Jess said sarcastically.

Luke smiled slightly. "So, you really want to stay here?"

He sighed. "I don't know. Yeah, for a bit. Just while I sort out what to do."

Luke nodded. "Ok."

"Ok?"

"But there can't be any trouble. Things have to be different. And..." Luke said.

"No hurting Gemma, I know. I remember your lack of faith in me, don't worry." Jess said dryly.

"I wasn't going to say that." He defended.

"Weren't you?" Jess raised his eyebrows.

Luke sighed. "I just want you to be careful. It took her a long time to get back to normal. You really hurt her, Jess. I know you didn't mean to but you did." He said.

"I know." He said quietly. "I was a jerk before but the time away gave me time to think."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, it showed me that Gemma meant a lot to me." He admitted.

"Ok..."

Jess glanced at him. "You know that day that I was meant to leave this time? When you probably heard that I was chasing Gemma through the square?"

"Yeah..."

"I..uh..I told her I loved her." He admitted.

"You did what?" Luke said shocked. "Jess..."

"Before you say anything, I meant it." Jess said. "But...maybe it wasn't the best way to tell her..." He sighed.

"You really told her you loved her?" Luke said stunned. Jess nodded. "Wow...that's...well, that's big." He said.

"I know it's stupid."

Luke glanced at his nephew. "You really love her?" He said softly.

"Yeah...I think so." He said.

"Wow."

"You've already said that."

"Sorry." Luke sighed. He looked at his nephew. "So you really want to stick around then huh?"

"I know she probably won't feel the same but if there's a chance she might, I want to show her I'm serious. I don't want to just disappear again."

Luke nodded. He smiled at him.

"What?" Jess said awkwardly.

"I'm proud of you."

Jess rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah whatever. I'm going to bed."

"Ok."

Jess got up and glanced back at his nephew. "Don't worry too much about what happened with you and Lorelai. Talk to her about it. She might just surprise you." He said before heading to bed.

Meanwhile, Lorelai had walked back to the Crap Shack with Gemma and Rory, no one having said anything. They walked into the living room and were standing there awkwardly. Lorelai sighed. "Can we talk about this?" She said awkwardly.

"What, about you kissing Luke when you're still dating Jason?" Gemma frowned.

"I know it looked bad..."

"It didn't look bad. It was bad, mom!" Gemma exclaimed. "Why would you mess with Luke like that? Why would you do that to Jason? Really, mom, what the hell?"

"Hey! You don't get to talk to me like that." Lorelai frowned.

"Gem, calm down." Rory said softly. "Maybe mom has an explanation for it..."

"How could she possibly have an explanation for it?" Gemma exclaimed. "You know Luke has a thing for you, mom! You know that! And I work at the diner with him and now you've probably messed things up and what does that mean for me? Did you even think about that?"

"Gemma..." Lorelai said quietly.

"No, screw this!" She snapped, storming off to her room.

Lorelai sighed and glanced at her other daughter. "Hon..."

Rory sighed. "She'll calm down." She said.

"I'm sorry. But it wasn't a spur of the moment thing. Well...maybe it was...but I mean it wasn't...urgh...I don't know!" She groaned. "I was upset and Luke was being so sweet to me. It just happened..."

"Luke can be very sweet." Rory nodded.

"And now Luke couldn't get away from me any quicker, Gemma hates me, I'm going to have to tell Jason as well..." Lorelai sighed.

"Gemma doesn't hate you."

"She does. You heard her."

"I'll talk to her ok? And you need to as well. Tell her why." Rory said. "And then I need to get back to Yale."

"Sorry hon, I didn't even ask why you were back." She sighed.

"It doesn't matter." Rory said, before heading to Gemma's room. She knocked on the door before heading inside. "Hey..."

"Hey." Gemma mumbled.

"Look, I don't agree with what mom did either but you need to let her explain. You know what she's like." Rory said.

"Yeah I know what mom's like! She speaks without thinking and she does things without thinking of the consequences!" Gemma snapped. "You know she told Jess I'd moved on?"

"No, I didn't know that." Rory sighed.

"She had no right." She mumbled.

"Gem, I need to get back to Yale but please talk to mom. Let her explain." Rory said.

Gemma sighed. "Fine. But no promises, I'll accept the explanation."

"Fair enough." Rory said. "Can your sister get a hug before she goes?"

Gemma gave her a small smile and gave her a hug. "See you soon."

"See you soon." She smiled.

Later that evening, Gemma was lying on her bed with a book when she heard a knock on the door. She looked up to see her mom peeking in.

"Can I come in?" She asked.

"It's a free country."

"Can we talk? Please." Lorelai said.

Gemma sighed but nodded, sitting up.

"I know you like both Luke and Jason..." She said.

"I just don't want either of them to get hurt. I mean, sure, I found you and Jason a strange concept to get my head around but the more I got to know him, I realised he was a good guy. You go well together." She said quietly.

"He is a good guy." Lorelai smiled softly.

"So why would you kiss Luke? When you know Luke has a thing for you! I love Luke, mom, and I don't want to see him getting hurt either." Gemma said.

"I know." Lorelai said. "And you have the right to be angry ok?"

"Why would you do it, mom?" She said quietly.

"I don't know." Lorelai said honestly. "I was upset because I'd just had a horrible dinner with your grandparents and my gran and I'd had a rubbish day anyway. I broke down to Luke and he was being so lovely to me. I don't know...there was a moment that I was looking up at him and I saw it..."

"Saw what?"

"I don't know...I guess I saw the look that Sookie always goes on about, the 'look the guy in the eyes, it's right there' look." She said. "And before I knew it, I was kissing him. I know it was wrong but it just happened. I didn't plan it, it just happened."

Gemma looked up at her mom. "So what are you going to do? What does this mean? Do you want to get with Luke?"

"No! I don't know! I just...I don't know." Lorelai sighed. "My mind's all over the place right now."

"I guess I understand that feeling." Gemma conceded.

Lorelai glanced at her. "I'm going to fix it ok? I don't know how yet but I will. I promise." She said.

"Ok."

"Are we good?" She checked.

Gemma sighed. "Yeah we're good. I'm sorry I shouted. It was just a shock, that's all."

"I know, sweets. And I'm sorry I put you in that situation."

Gemma just nodded.

"I will sort it, I promise."

"Ok." She said quietly. "I think I'm going to call it a night now."

"Ok hon. Night." Lorelai said softly.

"Night."

Lorelai left the room and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She really didn't know what she was going to do. Her and Jason were good. She thought they were good. But then the kiss, the kiss was amazing. Her mind was in such a muddle and she didn't know what to do. She sighed and headed to bed, hoping everything would be a lot clearer in the morning.

The following morning, Gemma was at the diner for her morning shift. Despite the initial awkwardness between her and Luke and after she'd assured Luke everything was fine between them, they'd quickly got back to their bantering and fun boss/employee relationship they always had whilst working together.

"Ok, so that was Caesar..." Luke said getting off the phone. "He's not well so can't come in so I'm going to have to cook today." He told her.

"Ok." Gemma smiled.

"Will you be ok out here by yourself?" He asked just as Jess suddenly appeared from behind the curtains. "Oh geez..." He said.

"Hey..." Gemma said surprised.

"Hey..." Jess said just as surprised.

"I forgot to tell you both..." Luke said awkwardly.

"What, that Jess was here?"

"That Gemma was working here?"

"Yeah pretty much." He said.

"Well...I was just seeing if you needed any help but maybe I should head back upstairs..." Jess said.

"Yeah...maybe..." Luke said.

"No, wait!" Gemma said surprising them both.

"What?" Luke said.

"Well you said yourself you have to cook today because Caesar's not in and this place does get busy during rush hour. It would be good to have some help." She said. "I mean...if you don't mind?" She glanced at Jess.

"Oh..uh..no, I don't mind." He said hesitantly.

"Ok good."

"You sure you're ok with this?" Luke said. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"It's fine, Luke." Gemma assured him. "Honestly."

"Ok." Luke said. "You do what she says."

"Yes sir." Jess said giving him a mock salute.

Luke rolled his eyes. "Any trouble from him and you call for me ok? You're the boss out here."

"We'll be fine, Luke." Gemma laughed. "Now go get cooking because everyone's waiting for their breakfast!"

Luke smirked and disappeared into the kitchen.

"Ok, I'm going to go take some orders. Can you clean some tables and then refill the coffee jug?" She told Jess.

"You're going to enjoy this, aren't you? Being the boss." Jess smirked.

"Oh no, I'm really going to enjoy this!" Gemma grinned. "Now chop chop!"

"So much work." He mumbled but went off to do what she had asked.

Lunchtime soon came and they were having a rest, getting ready for the big rush that usually came in about ten minutes time.

"So who would you say was the best boss round here? Me or Luke?" She asked Jess, smirking.

"Think very carefully before you answer that." Luke said passing them.

"Sorry Luke, but it has to be Gemma." Jess smirked.

"Yesss!" Gemma exclaimed, triumphant, thrusting her fist in the air.

"There's no competition to you." Jess said.

Gemma glanced at him and smiled slightly. "Glad to hear that."

"Yeah?" He said, glancing at her, smirking slightly.

She smiled and ducked her head slightly. "Yeah." She said softly.

"Good." Jess smiled.

She suddenly saw him stand up straighter. "What is it?" She said.

Jess nodded towards the door and Gemma looked up to see her mom standing there, looking shocked, glancing between her and Jess.

"Oh...hi mom..." She said.

So I hoped you liked it! Please keep the reviews coming as I do love reading what you all think! Thank you so much again for your all support, it really does mean so much to me. :)