Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Sorry it took me so long to get this up! I was going to post it up on Monday but FanFiction wouldn't let me sign in.
Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and favorite adds! I really appreciate it and I'm so glad you guys like the story!
Well, here is Chapter Five. I hope you guys like it!
Please review!
An eleven year old boy was pushed forcefully against a wall, his mother's newest boyfriend, Tommy, towering over him.
"What'd you say to me, boy?" the man asked, pushing Jess once more, the kid's eyes wide. Jess stood mute, too scared to respond. "You didn't just tell me 'no,' did you?" he grabbed the child's wrist, pulling him off the wall, "Did you?"
Jess shook his head frantically. He tried to break free from the man's grasp, but Tommy just held on tighter.
The man smirked and shook the boy fiercely. "You little liar!" he yelled, smacking the boy in the face, "What'd I tell you about talking back, especially to me?"
Jess shook his head feverishly and shut his eyes. He didn't want to think about what the man said, he didn't want to be whipped again.
"Jess!" Tommy yelled, smacking him again, "What did I say?"
"No," he mumbled, his voice scared and childish, his head still shaking, "I'm sorry!"
"That ain't going to cut it this time, boy," he spat, shaking the child once again, "I'm not your mother. A stupid little apology isn't going to make everything all better, it isn't going to make me just let this slide."
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he apologized again. Tommy hit him hard in the face, causing the boy to stumble back.
"Shut up, kid!" he barked, pushing Jess towards the wall, "It's about time someone taught you some discipline." The man's hands stretched out to grab him, catching him by the hair.
Jess sat quickly up in bed, breathing rapidly. He looked around the apartment, sighing as he noticed Luke sleeping in his bed, relief falling over him. It was a dream, he had to remember that. Tommy was gone, he wasn't in New York anymore. He was with Luke, it was safe, his uncle wasn't like all the other men that had been in his life. Luke was safe, he would never hurt him like all the others did.
Jess pushed the blankets off his sweaty body and stood up slowly, his body shaking. He grabbed a blanket off the top of the pile and wrapped it around himself. He was freezing. He slowly made his way to the kitchen and over to the cupboard. He grabbed a cup and filled it with cold water. The boy took a long swig of the liquid and sighed. He was definitely not sleeping again tonight, he was afraid that if he drifted off the dream would continue where it left off. Jess didn't want to relive that moment ever again. He walked over to the table and sat down, placing the cup a few inches away from him. He ran a hand through his messy hair and looked over at the clock.
"One thirty-eight," he moaned to himself, resting his head on the cool table, "You've got to be kidding me."
He knew he needed rest, but there was no way he would let himself go back to sleep. He turned his attention back to where Luke slept, the man snoring loudly. That was going to drive him insane. He could not listen to the man's loud and frequent snoring all night. With a sigh, Jess stood up from his spot and walked over to his bed, grabbing a book off the large pile sitting next to it. If he was going to stay up all night, why not catch up on some reading? He smirked.
He unlocked the apartment door and headed down the stairs, deciding the diner would be the perfect spot for him to read. Far enough away from his uncle's snoring but not out in the freezing cold. He pulled a chair from off one of the tables nearest to the stairs and sat down. Adjusting the blanket wrapped around his body, he opened the book and began to read. It was going to be a long night.
Lorelai banged on the diner door, the chilly morning air causing her to shiver. Rory stood next to her, her hands stuffed in her coat pockets, a scarf and hat protecting her from the cold. Lorelai had forgotten those two essential items that morning as Rory rushed her out the door, the girl insisting they get to Luke's bright and early for freshly brewed coffee.
Lorelai banged her fist against the glass, "Come on, Luke," she moaned, rubbing her hands together to warm them up. She banged even harder, hoping that maybe this time the man would hear her and let her and her cold daughter into the restaurant before they froze to death.
"Mom," Lorelai looked towards her daughter, the girl pointing towards the corner of the diner, her finger pressed against the glass, "Who is that?" It only took a moment for the person to process. "Jess?" Lorelai followed her daughter's finger to the sight of a figure sitting at one of the tables. The figure's head was resting on the table, his arms covering his face from view. A blanket was wrapped around the skinny form, his black hair and frail arms the only parts of his body visible.
Luke suddenly appeared from behind the curtain, coming to a quick halt as he spotted his nephew sleeping at the table. He moved a few steps closer to the figure and peered closer at his nephew.
Lorelai banged on the glass once again, causing Luke to avert his gaze from the boy over to her. She pointed to the handle and Luke nodded his head. He made his way over to the door and unlocked it. Turning the handle and opening the door, he let the two girls in.
"Jess is--" Luke motioned over to the slouched figure at the corner table with his thumb.
"A classic Sleeping Beauty," Lorelai cut in, nodding her head and glancing over at the boy quickly, "Yeah, I see that, but what I'm really wondering is why."
Luke shrugged, the man completely oblivious as to what was going on with his nephew. Lorelai didn't have much of a clue either, but the events at the bridge gave her some suspicion.
"He's going to be sore when he wakes up," Rory commented, looking over at Luke and her mother. She had already moved to Jess' sleeping form and was studying him carefully. Lorelai and Luke made their way over to the table and stood next to Rory. Rory noticed a book lying open on the table. She carefully grabbed the book, making sure not to stir her friend, and turned to the cover. Her heart raced.
"A Tale Of Two Cities," she read aloud, a smile forming on her lips, "Good book." She looked back at the boy. Her smile vanished. "Is he okay...?"
Lorelai studied the boy's sleeping form. She noticed he was fidgeting uncomfortably, his head frantically moving to rest on the other cheek. Whatever was going on in his sleep was not pleasing to the boy. She looked back over towards her daughter, the distress in Rory's eyes apparent. There was something about her whenever she was around Jess. Lorelai couldn't explain it. Nonetheless, watching the boy herself, the mother came up with her own conclusions. The boy's fidgeting form brought back flashes of what had happened the other day. She didn't want to think about that, she didn't want to think about the way the kid flinched, the fear in his eyes.
"Should we wake him up?" Luke finally asked, looking to Lorelai for an answer. The man was unsure of what to do. He knew he had to open the diner, and one person working all the tables would not be good for the morning rush. He sighed. All the same, the kid was definitely in need to sleep. If the boy had stayed up all night the same way he had the night before, then Luke didn't want to disturb the boy's well-needed rest no matter how tumultuous it looked.
"Yeah," Lorelai merely nodded, keeping her gaze away from the boy, her eyes focused on the ground. "Go ahead, Prince Charming."
Luke nodded and laid a hand on his nephew's shoulder. "Jess," he spoke softly, nudging him gently, "Jess?"
His nephew shot up, eyes wide. Jess quickly pushed his chair back and stood up, his back hitting the wall. Luke had woken him up from another nightmare, this one about Ron again. Luke's hand had oddly been laid in the same place as Ron's was in the dream, the man shaking him by the shoulders roughly. It had been the time Ron had heard him call the man an asshole. It hadn't been the best idea, at least not for him.
"Jess, calm down," Luke tried soothing the boy, confused as to why his nephew had reacted that way, "It's just me." He didn't understand why Jess had jumped back to his touch, nor why the boy seemed so...scared. It frightened Luke and oddly reminded him of last night. The way his nephew had looked, the vibes he gave off. He was giving off the same vibes, this time much more stronger though.
Jess looked over to Luke then quickly over to the two Gilmores. He let out a sigh and forced himself to try and relax. It wasn't real, he reminded himself, it was just a dream. He would never see Ron again. He was with Luke, Luke would protect him. He ran a shaky hand through his disheveled hair and looked towards the ground. He was still a bit jumpy, the dream just not wanting to leave his mind. He tried to hide how shaken he was from the diner's occupants, especially Luke. He didn't want to worry the man.
"You startled me," Jess finally spoke, his voice mumbled and uncomfortable. His eyes stayed focused on the floor, trying to avoid eye contact with his uncle and the two Gilmores. He couldn't let them see how startled he truly was, he couldn't let them see how scared he still felt. His usual mantra never seemed to work, it never fully calmed him down. He tried to come up with a smart response, settling on, "What is this? A welcoming party?"
"Jess, you looked a lot more than startled," Lorelai stated, concern in her eyes. She wondered if Luke knew what Jess had confessed to her the day before. Knowing Jess though, the man probably knew nothing, and the man was probably as clueless to what had caused his nephew to jump as Rory was. Lorelai wasn't completely sure, but she had a good idea. The memories of his traumatic childhood were haunting him.
"Jess, why were you sleeping down here?" Rory cut in. Jess took a deep breath and looked up shyly at the girl. He really hadn't wanted Rory to see him like this, his apathetic mask removed, revealing emotions that he hated to show. He didn't want her to see him so defenseless.
"I was reading," he stated, eyeing his book in Rory's small hands. His uncle quickly glanced over to the book then back to the boy, "And I-I guess I just fell asleep." Jess shrugged and ran a quick hand through his hand.
"Dickens is hard to get through," Rory acknowledged. "You have to be especially alert if you're reading A Tale of Two Cities." She was quiet for a moment, looking down. She couldn't shake her worry. She cared too much. "Are you...are you sure you're okay, Jess?" she finally asked.
Luke didn't give him time to answer. "Why were you reading down here in the middle of the night?" Luke asked, crossing his arms. This was worrying the man more and more: Jess was not acting like himself at all. He needed to know why, he had to know why. He couldn't take seeing his nephew so distraught like this, it was killing him.
"Because you snore too loud," Jess apathetically stated, grabbing his blanket from off the ground. "I'll go get dressed and help you down here. I'm fine." Rory handed Jess his book and the boy rushed up the stairs, leaving the three others behind.
"Well," Rory started, a little hurt, looking over to her mother, then to Luke, "That was...interesting. Should I talk to him?"
Rory's question remained unanswered, Lorelai looking over at her friend, the same worried expression plastered on his face as on hers.
Jess hurried around the diner, placing plates on tables and filling coffee mugs. He had to drink about five cups of coffee to get him awake enough to even keep balanced. Waking up that morning after sleeping in a stiff metal chair had caused his muscles to go sore. He was thankful that he hadn't screamed when he woke up; he was having another nightmare when Luke woke him. The absence of the scream, however, couldn't hide his jumpiness. Of course, Lorelai and Rory just had to be there to witness it, those two clung to the diner like leeches.
"Jess," a small voice greeted him from behind. The boy nearly jumped up, turning around to see Rory behind him, adorned in her school uniform. He frowned, turning around. "Can we talk for a minute?"
"I'm kind of busy..." He looked over to the other Gilmore, who was waving her coffee mug, watching her daughter like a hawk.
"It'll only be a minute, I promise," the girl swore, looking toward the window. "My bus is coming anyway. Please Jess?"
He sighed and set the pot down, he couldn't deny Rory, not when she looked at him with those pleading blue eyes. He followed the girl outside. From across the room, Lorelai and Luke's eyes met.
Standing outside the diner, Rory shifted her feet nervously, loafers brushing the sidewalk. She frowned, trying to find the words to say. Jess simply tried to stay awake for them. The last thing he wanted at this point was a heart-to-heart with her--the only person next to Luke that he gave a damn about in this town.
"Jess," she finally announced, her voice quiet. "What's going on? The way you looked this morning--you were shaking in your sleep. My mother and Luke, they've never acted like this. They're--I'm worried, that's all. This isn't you."
"Well, there's nothing to be worried about," he nonchalantly admitted, trying to appear apathetic. It was no easy feat. Staring into her big blue eyes, he found it harder to lie. He could do it to Luke easy, but to someone like Rory? He held back a sigh. She couldn't know the real him. He had to try.
"Are you sure?" she inquired, looking toward where the bus came. Jess smiled to himself. He had never been so thankful to see a bus in his entire life.
"Yeah, I'm sure," he assured her. "Now off to school! We can discuss this Dickens later--"
"Wait, Jess," she started, eyes nervously shifting from the bus stop to him. "If something is wrong, you know that you can tell me. I'll listen or...if you can't tell me, at least tell Luke. He's really worried."
Jess sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets, "Everything's fine," the boy shook his head. What was it going to take to convince her--let alone Luke--that he was alright?
"Just promise me you'll talk to him if something's wrong." Rory stared into her friend's brown eyes, trying to find some hint of the emotions she had seen from him that morning, some clue as to if he was actually alright or not. Nothing. She saw nothing. His apathetic mask hid his true feelings too well.
"Nothing's wrong," he interjected. Her stare was becoming increasingly painful for Jess to bear. He just wanted this conversation to end. This had to be the first time that he'd ever wanted to blue eyed girl to leave him be. "Besides," he added, "don't you have a bus to catch?" He motioned to the bus stopped across the street.
"Yes, but..." Rory shut her eyes, collecting herself. "I'm not going until you promise me," she playfully slammed her loafer, smirking. Jess chuckled. She looked back at him, expression changing. "I'm serious, Jess Mariano--just promise me."
"Fine, fine, I promise," Jess shrugged. "Now go to school. I wouldn't want to be the reason for your first tardy. Anyway, I've gotta get back to work."
"I'll hold you to it..." she tauntingly threatened, walking away. The girl smiled as she turned her head away from the boy. She felt a bit relieved after their conversation, but she still couldn't help but be worried about her friend.
"Like hell you will," Jess mumbled to himself, watching her rush towards bus stop. He shook his head and reentered the diner, grabbing the pot off the table where he had left it. Lorelai, who had watched the interaction, shut her eyes. Rory didn't know what she was dealing with. She had to take matters into her own hands.
"Jess, could you refill my mug?" she called, causing the boy to look over at her from his place a few steps away. He maneuvered around tables and walked up to the woman, filling her cup. He had been trying to avoid her all morning--Rory was one thing, Lorelai was another. He couldn't look the mother in the eyes after she saw him so emotional, his defense down.
"Thanks," the woman smiled, fingering the handle of the mug. Jess mumbling a quick 'you're welcome' in return, making sure to keep his eyes low to the ground, to avoid any unwanted eye contact. He turned around to quickly walk off, feeling that maybe he was in the clear.
"Jess, wait," Her call caused his heart to fall, the boy stopping in his tracks. He kept his back to her, thinking that maybe if he didn't force his body to turn to face the woman, she'd just leave him alone. "Jess!" Lorelai called again. Jess reluctantly turned around and crossed his arms, "Sit." she motioned to the chair across from her, giving the boy a friendly smile.
"I've got to work," he stated, motioning to the partially empty diner with his free hand. He really wanted to avoid this conversation he knew Lorelai wanted to have, he couldn't handle it right then. He was exhausted and worn out. The last thing he needed was another Gilmore.
"Luke can handle it for a minute," she told the boy, giving him a smile, "I promise it won't be long, I just need to talk to you."
Jess sighed and reluctantly made his way over to the table. He sat down in the chair across from the woman and placed the coffee pot on the table between them. He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, "What did you want to talk about?" he asked with a sigh.
"I saw Rory talking to you. She doesn't know what's going on with you. None of us do. But yesterday," she spoke shyly, "At the bridge--Jess, I'm sorry that you had to deal with that. I mean, it must have been so hard, does Luke know?"
"Know about what?" Jess asked, leaning forward a bit in his seat. He had decided to act as if nothing had happened. He really hadn't told her anything in the first place. He never spoke the phrase 'I was abused' aloud. He wanted them to stay clueless.
"About, you know...?" she didn't want to say it aloud, the town was full of eavesdroppers and Lorelai knew that the boy would not want this information being spread.
"No, I don't know, what?" Jess asked, spitting the last word out with a viscous tone. He hadn't told her anything. She was just assuming something had happened. Even if in reality something had happened, she didn't have any right to know about it. She was just some crazy inn keeper who lived in a small town, it wasn't her business.
"About your mother's boyfriends hitting you," she whispered, leaning closer to him to make sure no one else would hear.
"I never said that," Jess stated, his voice fierce, "You can't just assume that."
"Jess, it was pretty apparent in your facial expression." she informed, placing her hands against the edge of the table, still leaning towards him, "I could tell, I know it happened. It's nothing to be ashamed of, Jess. It wasn't your fault."
"You don't know anything," Jess spat. He stood up, pushing his chair back forcefully and grabbed the coffee pot from off the table. He began to walk off, gripping the handle of the pot tightly, trying to keep his anger in check.
"Jess--" Lorelai called, stopping the boy in his tracks. Dammit, he thought, wouldn't the woman just drop it already? Why did everyone around here have to be some goddamn concerned about him? First Luke, then Rory, now even his worst enemy was shedding tears for him!
"Drink your coffee and leave me alone," he growled as he walked off. Lorelai watched as he headed over to a table across the room to serve another customer.
Thank you so much for reading! I hope you guys all liked it!
I'll try and update as soon as possible. In the meantime, please review!
I really love to here what you all think about the story and my writing and I really appreciate it!
:)