Chapter 13

Jess sighed, walking towards the doors with Matt and Chris on the day Luke and Lorelai were going to arrive. "Now, please just try to remember that this is the woman that Luke's in love with," Jess reminded them, "You guys like Luke."

"We love Luke!" Matt exclaimed, "Remember when he helped us move?"

"Or that time he called you a dumbass?" Chris smirked.

"All great memories," Jess laughed, "But seriously guys. Just give her a shot, okay?"

"Fine," they assented, and Jess walked toward the front door. He pulled it open to find Luke and Lorelai waiting on the other side.

"Jess!" Luke hugged his nephew, smiling widely, "How are ya?"

"Just peachy," Jess smirked, "Hello Lorelai."

"Jess," she smiled, walking up. She reached out to shake his hand and then, thinking again, she leaned forward and tentatively hugged him.

"Well hi to you too," he smirked and she glared, earning a hearty laugh from Luke, " And these are my friends and coworkers here at Truncheon, Matt and Chris."

"So you must be the famous Lorelai," Matt smiled politely, reaching out to shake her hand.

"Famous or infamous?" Lorelai replied, returning the handshake and reaching out to shake Chris' hand as well. The two men looked at each other in amusement.

"That has yet to be determined," Chris smirked, unable to help himself.

"Jess, looks like you found your kind," she grinned, "So where should we put our stuff?"

"I'll show you upstairs, and then give you the grand tour. Matt, Chris, pizza and beer tomorrow?"

"Jess, are you sure that's the best dinner plan when you have…company?" Matt gestured awkwardly at Lorelai, who immediately cracked up.

"Oh Matt, you have no idea what you're in for." She clasped her hand on his shoulder, following Jess up the stairs. Jess turned and smirked at Matt and Chris who were still standing dumbfounded in the wake of Lorelai Gilmore. She tended to have that effect on people.

"Welcome to my humble abode," Jess announced as he opened the door, "Mi casa es su casa. Your guys' bed is over there. I'm sorry it's kind of small."

"It's not like it's a twin, we'll be fine," Lorelai smiled, "Plus, we sleep really close, right hon?" She winked dramatically at Luke.

"Oh geez," Luke mumbled, setting the duffel bag on the bed.

"Nice place, Jess," Lorelai said honestly. She could truly say she found it fascinating to be somewhere that was only Jess's, and permanently so.

The apartment unsurprisingly was very masculine. There was lots of dark wood everywhere, and although there was nothing particularly expensive in terms of furniture, everything looked to be of decent quality. The navy bedding and couch upholstery, the miscellaneous punk rock posters on one wall, all of those things belonged to Jess. The place was clean and tidy, though a little mussed.

Mostly though, Lorelai noticed the books. At least two of the walls were covered by back-to-back bookshelves, all brimming to the top with books stacked on top of one another. Most of the books, she noticed, were paperbacks. They were organized in some way that didn't seem to make any sense, with Hemingway next to Ayn Rand and Bukowski next to Jane Austen.

"Luke helped me with those last time he was here," Jess offered, gesturing at the shelves, "Before that they were all just stacked up everywhere."

"Why do you need so many books?" Lorelai asked, confused, "You have an entire store full of them downstairs."

"Yeah, but these are mine. And I like having them around. It still amazes me that I've never lost one considering how much I've traveled with the damn things," Jess said, going up to a shelf and carefully picking up a copy of Daisy Miller, "I had at least half of these when I came from New York to Star's Hollow. Liz sent a lot of my stuff later but I managed to stuff most of the books in my bag I brought with me. I wouldn't really trust her with them. Back then," Jess quickly added, noticing the small change on Luke's face. "Anyway, what do you guys say to burgers? There's a place a couple blocks from here. I'll show you around downstairs and then we'll go."

"Sounds great," Lorelai smiled, "Just let me grab something." She started fishing through her bag. "Where…where…there it is!" she grinned, clutching a piece of fabric, "Just give me one sec. Where's the bathroom?"

"That way," Jess gestured, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She grinned and ran in. A few minutes later she walked out, wearing a tee shirt emblazoned. "6 Weeks Till Spring". "Really?" Jess glared, "And just when I thought we might be able to tolerate one another."

"Well I can't make it quite that easy for you," Lorelai cheekily replied, "Come on. Show me this bookstore of yours and then we'll take off."

After showing Lorelai around Truncheon while Luke continued to complain about the structure of the building and insurance premiums and all sorts of things Jess forced Matt to deal with, they finally headed out to go to dinner. As Jess started leading them to the restaurant, Lorelai couldn't help but marvel at the changes. Not only did Jess have a place to live, but it was his place to live, it was a nice place to live, and he was solely responsible for it. He ran a business with two other guys, equally sharing in the work and profits, dutifully putting in the hours to achieve the kind of success he wanted at something he was really good at. He was independent and motivated and had direction.

Some very quiet voice inside Lorelai's head reminded her gently of how similar this all sounded, how a young rebel getting their shit together was a subject with which she was intimately familiar. A jolt of something went through her. Was it possible? Could it be…respect?

Jess was putting Luke's needs and interests before his own, clearly trying to make up for the time he'd lost. At that moment, Jess turned and met her gaze. She stared for a moment before she broke away, feeling more confused than ever. She sighed, putting the troublesome thoughts out of her head and refocusing on her desperate need for fries. The terrifying idea that Jess was a decent human being was just too much to take on without sustenance.

Jess looked away from Lorelai, having noticed her reverie a few moments before he'd interrupted it. It was definitely too much to think that she might be able to forgive him for who he'd been and what he'd done. He'd ruined her early relationship with Luke. He'd broken her daughter's heart. He could have killed her. But something in the way Lorelai watched him made clear that she was reluctantly, hesitantly opening her mind to the idea of a different Jess. Someone she didn't know or hadn't tried to, that she might be able to create a relationship with that wasn't entirely based on suspicion. And for now, that was enough to make Jess agree, at Lorelai's request, to stop for a "walking coffee" on the way to the "sitting down coffee", much to Luke's dismay.