Thank you for all your support for the last chapter! I'm so glad you're enjoying it! Just to say I'm going away tomorrow for the weekend so I won't be able to update until Sunday, sorry! Here's the next chapter! :)

Chapter 16

"I can't believe Luke's actually letting me stay here." Kate said to Jess as they were unpacking her stuff.

"Yeh well that's Luke for you." Jess said.

"You're just like him, you know. I mean I know he's your uncle but you could just as well be father and son." Kate smiled.

Jess smiled at that. "I kind of wish we were." He admitted.

Kate looked up. "So you never knew your biological father?" She asked cautiously.

Jess shook his head. "No. He ran out on me and Liz when I was really young." He said.

"Liz?" Kate asked.

"My biological mom." He said. "But that's all they are to me. Biology. Biology doesn't make a family. In my eyes, Lorelai is my mom." He said.

Kate smiled. "Well I think you've got an amazing family. I still can't believe they're helping me. They have no obligation to." She said.

"Well you and Lorelai sort of have similar stories." He said.

"Yeh." She said. "I didn't know she was 16 when she had Rory. How did she do it?" She asked.

Jess shrugged. "From what I've heard, she lasted a year at her parents' house and then couldn't take it any more. They wanted to control her and bring up Rory the way they wanted to. They hired nannies and Lorelai hated that. So she left and got on the bus. She ended up her in Stars Hollow." He said. "She met Mia who gave her a job and somewhere to live."

"Mia?"

"Yeh she owns the inn Lorelai works at." He said. "You know the potting shed at the back of the inn?"

Kate nodded.

"That's where they lived until Rory was 9." Jess said.

"Wow." Kate said surprised. "They had..."

"Nothing. Yeh." Jess nodded. "But Lorelai worked full time and saved all her money and they finally had enough to buy a house."

"God that's amazing. I'll never be like that..." Kate said quietly.

"Yes you will." Jess assured her. "You'll be an amazing mom. And if you need help, then I'm here and so's my mom and Luke and Rory." He smiled. "You'll be great, Kate."

Kate sighed. "I just can't believe this is all happening. I mean, a couple of weeks ago I had no worries at all. Now I'm pregnant, got no education and have been kicked out of my house."

Jess went over and gave her a hug. "And you'll overcome all of this. When you have that kid, you'll find it all worthwhile. Speak to mom. She'll tell you." He said.

Kate nodded. "Yeh maybe I will."

Suddenly they heard squealing coming from downstairs. "Sounds like they've arrived." Jess smirked.

Kate laughed as Luke appeared at the door. "How's it going up here? Got everything sorted?" He asked.

"Pretty much." Jess said. "What was all the squealing about?"

"Oh I don't know. Sookie got them tickets to this concert or something." He said. "The Bangles or something I think."

"Ok now I understand the squealing." Jess smirked.

"She's trying to make me go with her. Apparently they've got four tickets." He grunted.

Jess chuckled. "Aw I'm sure you'll love it, Uncle Luke."

"Yeh well there's no saying no to her so could you watch Alice tonight?" He asked.

"Oh. Well I was meant to be meeting Tristan..." Jess said.

Luke sighed. "You can't reschedule? I will never live it down if I say no."

"I could watch her." Kate volunteered.

"Really?" Luke asked.

"Yeh I mean I sort of need the practice plus you've been so nice to me. It's the least I can do." She smiled.

"You really don't mind?" Luke asked.

"Honestly I'd love to." Kate smiled.

"Thanks." Luke smiled.

They then heard Lorelai and Rory calling him from downstairs. He rolled his eyes. "I'm being summoned. Come round about 6 tonight?" He said to Kate.

"Yeh that's fine." She smiled.

"Ok thanks." He said and then went back downstairs.

That evening, there was a big change of plan when Paris, Madeline and Louise unexpectedly turned up as Paris wanted to get their assignment. Jess had to ring Tristan as they were all in the group. When Lorelai suggested giving the tickets to them as part of a bonding strategy, Madeline and Louise jumped at the chance of going to the concert. Paris needed a bit more persuading but reluctantly agreed to go. Jess and Tristan opted out as there were only four tickets and it wasn't exactly their taste in music. Lorelai still dragged Luke along with Sookie but they were going to get cheap seats when they got there. Kate arrived at the house at 6 to watch Alice.

Once everyone had left for the concert, Jess watched Kate with his little sister and smiled when he saw them getting along. Alice was fussy when it came to who she liked so he knew it was a good sign when she was happily playing and chatting with Kate.

"So you still fancy going out?" Tristan asked him.

Jess sighed. "To be honest, I'm sort of tired due to that intense study session." He said.

Tristan saw him watching Kate and smirked. "Sure." He said. "Or you want to stay with your girlfriend."

"What? No..." He said looking over at him.

Tristan laughed. "Look it's no problem. We can hang here if you want."

"Really? You don't mind?" He asked.

"No. To be honest, I'm quite tired anyway." Tristan said. "I could go home if you like?"

"No." Jess said. "Stay. We can hang out and play video games or something."

"Really? You don't want to..." He said gesturing to Kate.

"Nah I think it might be good for her to have some time with Alice by herself." Jess said. "Come on, the games are in my room."

"Ok cool." Tristan said.

"We're going upstairs. You going to be ok?" Jess asked Kate.

"Yeh you go. We'll be fine. Won't we Alice?" Kate smiled at Alice.

Alice nodded happily.

"Ok, see you later then." Jess smiled, ruffling Alice's hair as he passed.

Meanwhile at the concert, Rory and the others had found their seats. "Wow this is an amazing view!" Rory said.

Paris nodded. She glanced at Madeline and Louise who had their backs turned to the stage and were talking to two boys sat behind them and rolled her eyes.

"What are they looking at?" Rory asked.

"One guess." Paris said.

Rory looked and saw the boys. She turned back round.

"Was I right?" Paris smirked.

"You were right." Rory said.

As the concert started, Rory smiled when she saw Paris getting into it. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all. However, during Eternal Flame, Madeline and Louise leaned over and announced they were going to a party with the boys they had met. Rory tried to stop them but she failed.

After the concert, Rory and Paris were stood at the front of the arena to wait for her mom, Luke and Sookie. "I can't believe Madeline and Louise would just leave like that." She said.

"They've done it before." Paris said.

"Nice." Rory said sarcastically, realising Paris had probably experienced it before.

"Yeh well..." She shrugged.

Rory sighed. "Well I guess we wait here for my mom to find us." She said.

"Ok." Paris said.

They stood there awkwardly for a minute before Rory looked at Paris. "Look, Paris, about Tristan..." She said.

"It's fine." Paris said.

"No. I know you like him. I just want you to know I didn't deliberately try to steal him from you or anything. I mean at first I thought he was the most annoying person on earth." Rory rambled. "I just...I fell for him. Genuinely."

Paris looked at her. "It's fine." She said quietly.

"Paris.." Rory said not believing her.

"No really." She said. "I realised as soon as Tristan saw you for the first time that he'd fallen for you. It was different." She shrugged.

"Different?" Rory asked.

"Different from what he's like with other girls. He never tries as hard as he did with you. He must really like you." Paris gave her a small smile.

Rory smiled back. "Yeh well the feeling's mutual."

"Good. Because mess him around and I'll have to kill you." Paris smirked.

Rory smirked. "Consider me warned."

Paris was quiet for a moment. "Rory...I know I haven't exactly been welcoming to you since you arrived at Chilton.."

"Understatement of the century." Rory laughed.

"Yeh well I'm not very good with people. I'm not very sociable. I'm..." She tried to say.

Rory understood what she was trying to say. "It's fine." She smiled.

Suddenly, Lorelai and Luke appeared.

"Where's Sookie?" Rory asked.

"She left after the concert ended. Jackson called." Lorelai smirked.

"Enough said." Rory said quickly.

"Where are the other girls?" Luke asked noticing only two of them.

"They left." Rory said quietly.

"What?" Luke said.

"They met these guys and they left. There was a party or something." Rory said.

"Didn't you try to stop them?" Luke asked.

"She did. But Madeline and Louise don't listen to anyone when they have something in their mind." Paris said.

Lorelai sighed. "Where's this party?"

"Around the corner I think." Rory said.

"Come on." Luke said leading the way.

"Are they seriously going to try and find them?" Paris asked Rory quietly.

"Yep and I don't rate their chances if Luke finds them." Rory sighed.

They found the block and flat pretty quickly and knocked on the door. A guy opened it.

"That's one of the guys!" Rory told Luke and her mom.

"Ok step aside skippy." Lorelai said as her and Luke went in and spotted Madeline and Louise immediately.

"Miss us?" Luke said sarcastically.

"Out. Now." Lorelai said sternly.

"How naive are you?" Luke exclaimed. "Why do you think it would be ok to go to a random party with two random guys? And to drink stuff you don't know? You could have been drugged or hurt!"

Lorelai put a reassuring hand on his arm. "He's right. It's stupid to go somewhere without knowing where you're going! They could have been perverts or something. I can't wait to talk to your parents. I think we might talk all night long." She said.

"Yeh and next time you pull something like this, if you're stupid enough to do it again, it will not be infront of our kid ok?" Luke said angrily.

"Yeh." The two girls said meekly.

"Good, now let's motor." Lorelai said.

As they went to leave, Paris turned to Rory. "I think I may love your parents right this moment." She smirked.

They all headed home and Luke offered to give Kate a ride back to the diner.

"Oh no it's fine. I can walk." She said.

"It's dark. You shouldn't walk alone in this. I'll give you a lift." Luke said.

"I shouldn't argue with him. He won't budge." Lorelai smiled giving her a wink.

Kate laughed. "Ok, let me just grab my coat." She said.

She then got into the truck and Luke drove her back to the diner. "So Alice was ok?" He asked.

"Oh yeh, she was great." Kate smiled. "No problems."

"Good." Luke smiled.

Kate sighed. "How am I going to do this?"

Luke glanced across at her. "You'll just do it. You'll have to."

"I'm scared." She admitted.

"That's natural." Luke assured her. "But you've got lots of people round you to help and support you. We're not going anywhere."

Kate gave him a small smile. "Thanks."

Luke parked next to the diner and they both got up. However, as they went towards the door, Luke saw a figure standing on the doorstep. "Can I help you?" He asked.

"About time!" The woman said turning round.

Luke froze. "Rachel..." He said.

"Long time no see." She smiled. "How's it going?"

I know it's mean to leave you on a cliffhanger but I need something for you to come back for on Sunday! ;) Please review and let me know what you think! :)