A/N- Legitimately no time for an author's note since I'm up at like 6 AM to get ready for airport. Enjoy this. As always, read, review, recommend if you feel like it. I don't own Gilmore Girls or any of its characters or concepts, only ten very sleepy fingers.


Chapter 41

After a few hours, Rory sheepishly walked downstairs and handed Luke her coffee mug. He looked at her in amazement.

"I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, "It's just…the books…"
"Not that," Luke said impatiently, "I just can't believe you lasted that long on only one cup of coffee." Rory grinned.

"I remembered where you keep it," she replied and left Luke shaking his head as she headed to the Dragonfly to meet her mom for lunch.

"Sookie!" Rory exclaimed upon entering the dining room. The woman was as gorgeous and happy as ever. She immediately ran to hug her.

"Hi, sweetie!" Sookie cooed, finally letting go and pulling back, "Look at you! Every time I see you it's like you just keep getting prettier."

"Sookie," Rory blushed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She knew for a fact she must look like a mess given her recent lazy streak. She couldn't even remember where her eyeliner was, and she hadn't seen it in two weeks.

"Stop being humble, you're gorgeous," Sookie gushed. Suddenly, little eyes peeked out from behind the door frame.

"Um…Sookie?"

"Davy! Martha! Come over here and say hi to your Auntie Rory!" Sookie hollered, not even turning around. The two children cautiously approached.

"Hi, Aunt Rory," Davy said tentatively. Martha smiled shyly before ducking to hide behind her mom's legs. Sookie let out a sigh.

"She's been so shy lately, I just don't know what to do with her," she lamented, "Oh, you'll have to see Annie later. She's with Lane right now. I swear, that girl has been a godsend. Looking after twin boys and then my girl four days a week? I have no idea how she does it."

"All the cash probably help," Lorelai teased as she walked up to them, "Plus Kwan and Steve play so well with Annie. You know they'll be fighting over her next year."

"If they aren't already," Sookie added, giggling.

"Hi, hon," Lorelai hugged her daughter, "God, people suck today. Can we get a patent on a destupidifer?"

"Yes," Rory affirmed, "The second you figure out how to make it."

"I'll put that on tomorrow's list." They walked towards the dining room, the tower of food Sookie had prepared waiting on the center table.

Meanwhile, back in Philadelphia, Jess was having a slightly less tranquil day.

"I swear to God, if you do not fucking get your shit together, I will cut you! I am so done with this, Peter!" Matt was screaming into his phone, so loudly that customers were staring at the office door even though it was shut. Jess groaned, burying his face in his hands.

"Chris, I hate to do this to you man, especially since I'm taking off early, but I have to get Matt under control. You know I'm right."

Chris looked over at the office door and sighed deeply. "Yeah, I know. I've got everything if you can handle Evans later. Just bring your stuff with you and drag him out, the customers are gonna have a field day if he keeps this act up and there's no use in you coming back after you've left." Jess nodded and offered him a weak smile, which Chris faintly returned.

Heading upstairs, Jess tried to stop the rage that was aching his head. Anger wasn't going to work with Matt. It never worked with Matt, because it was his thing. You can't fight fire with fire. But he needed to do something. The last few days especially had been hell, with Matt constantly arguing with his writers. Usually they all had the policy of staying out of each others' relationships with the writers, but it was becoming disruptive to the entire office and honestly, Jess was getting worried about the long term. The Peter whose head had just received a very thorough bashing-in was one of Matthew's three biggest clients. He knew that Matt didn't like Rory but God, why was he making such a goddamn big deal? And moreover, letting it affect his own life. His work. There needed to be a boundary drawn. Jess grabbed the bag on the bed next to his. He'd packed it mere seconds after he'd spoken with Rory, and no, he did not give a fuck. He needed sleep, damnit! Once he'd slung it over his shoulder and tucked a few more paperbacks in, he walked downstairs, refusing to stop until he had grabbed Matt and was out the door.

"Get up," Jess demanded as he opened the office door. Matt narrowed his eyes, turning around in the chair.

"Excuse…"

"Get the hell up. Now. I'm not messing around," Jess warned, his eyes aflame with anger, "This is business. We're taking a walk."

"You can't just stick Chris with…"

"Chris isn't the problem right now. He'll be just fine, and in fact, we voted, so you have to come with me," Jess cut him off again, "Now lift your ass out of that chair and follow me out of this building like the civilized man I know you can pretend to be."

Still glaring, Matt stood up, grabbing his wallet and phone off the desk and following Jess out of Truncheon, slamming every door he could on his way.

As soon as they were outside, Jess grabbed the phone out of his hand. He knew those skills would come in handy again someday.

"What the…"

"No calls until we talk," Jess said, point-blank, as he walked up the street, Matt on his tail, "Chris and I heard you earlier and although we usually have enough respect for one another to give leeway, right now you need to cool off, or we could actually lose important business. So cool off. We're gonna go have a beer, and once we're done, you're off till Monday."

"Since when are you the boss here?"

"That's what's great about this," Jess smirked, keeping up his rapid pace, "Since Truncheon is a three-man operation that's run as a complete democracy, when Chris and I vote, you have to listen to us and can't cry fascist. Convenient, isn't it?"

"Smartass," Matt mumbled, following Jess into the bar on the corner.

When they walked in, Jess gestured to the bartender tiredly, who immediately brought two pints.

"Thank you," Jess exhaled gratefully, and the woman smiled.

"I'll keep 'em coming," she added as she walked away. Matt sighed deeply.

"Look, don't even bring up the Rory thing again. She's not even here."

"Exactly, and still you look like you're trying to play Atlas," Jess responded calmly, taking a gulp of the brew, "Look, I'm not here to accuse you. It hasn't worked. And neither has trying to get you to just do this for me. So I'm at a loss and I'm drinking."

"I'll drink to that." They clinked their glasses sarcastically. Jess motioned for the waitress to bring him some water. After a period of silence, Matt spoke.

"It's not that I don't want to, Jess," he said, his voice low, "You do so much for Chris and I. We all do, for each other. It's part of the deal. So it's not that I just don't give a shit."

"It's that you give too much of a shit," Jess finished for him, quickly drinking the water.

"Exactly," Matt looked into his glass, "I feel like we're just having the same exact conversation again and again."

"Maybe we aren't good with words." At that Matt cracked a legitimate smile.

"Look, I'll try harder. Really. Just…you know what you're doing, don't you? I know you say it's just a friend thing or whatever the hell it is you're playing it to be but I know you, Jess. I just want to be sure that whatever your reasons are for doing this, you know it's the right thing to do."

Jess nodded slowly. "Absofuckinglutely."

"Then I guess I'll just have to pick up day drinking and read some Emily Post."

"Whatever it takes, Matt. Whatever it takes."