A/N: Okay, so I've had a CRAZY weekend. If you'd like to know the details, ask me, but let's just say I was out all weekend and had absolutely no time to write anything. But, I'm trying here people. Give me a break.
Disclaimer: Don't own…
On with the story…
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Chapter 9: Put Your Trust in a Stranger
Nobody's POV
Tabitha continued her way hurriedly into the diner and up the stairs. She had trouble actually finding the stairs, but once she found them, the rest was gravy.
She traveled up the stairs, skipping every other one until she came to the door labeled William's Hardware Office. She slowly walked towards it and opened the door.
She simply smiled at what she saw.
--
Lorelai took a step towards Dean dangerously with her fists clenched tightly.
"If you step within a mile of my daughter I will kill you. Do you understand me? You'll be hearing from my lawyer about a restraining order also. I don't recommend staying in town either, everyone hates you now. You will be completely shut out of all normal activities. Kiss your job, your friends, and anything else you have in this town goodbye," she said as she stepped closer and closer to him until they were toe to toe.
"That's what you think," Dean said with a cynical smile, "But what you don't know is that I will always be around. I will always be in the back of your heads until you die," as he said this he stepped forward forcing Lorelai to step back.
"You little…," Lorelai trailed off as she lunged at Dean.
--
"Jesse Anthony Mariano, get over here and give your best and oldest friend a hug!" Tabitha exclaimed as she entered the apartment to see Jess and Rory curled together on his bed.
"Tabitha?" Jess questioned disbelievingly as he started to rise from his bed.
She dropped her messenger bag, threw her hands on her hips, and jutted one out, "In the flesh."
Jess flashed a big, genuine smile and jumped up from the bed to run over to Tabitha, "Tabitha Gracie Delores! Just what exactly are you doing here?" He asked as he wrapped her up in a tight hug. She hugged him back as they both inhaled the familiar scent of one another. They relaxed into each other and buried their faces in the other's shoulder.
"I came to see you; I know it's hard right now. I know you need me and I know she needs someone," she stated as she pulled back and glanced at Rory who was seated on the bed with a horribly confused face gracing her features.
"That's why I'm here, remember?" Jess reminded her.
Rory's POV
Who is she? Why is she hugging Jess? Why does she think either of us needs her? Someone needs to clue me in or my face is going to get stuck like this.
She was five foot two with long, jet-black curls and startling green eyes.
"But baby," she just called him baby, "if you're falling apart on your own, how are you going to be there, completely, for her?" She was gently stroking his cheek with the back of her hand as he held her tightly in his embrace.
His hands rested comfortably on her lower back, dangerously close to her butt, almost sliding into her back pockets. She had one hand rested on his cheek and the other on his chest, her back arched as she leant away to look at him.
"Hey," she directed towards me cheerily with an enthusiastic wave and a bright smile.
"…Hi," I replied a little hesitantly.
"I'm Tabitha, Jess and I go way back," she was still smiling as she said this.
"Tab and I went out for…what was it, three, four years?" Jess put in.
"Four, because we started, like, the summer of seventh grade and broke up when you moved," Tabitha told him.
"Right, right," Jess agreed with a nod of his head, "Well anyway, Tabitha, this is Rory."
"I figured as much. Jess has told me all about you," her smile dropped slightly at this and I couldn't help but wonder if Jess had told her about Dean.
--
Luke wrapped his arms around Lorelai's waist before she could fully jump at Dean.
"You son-of-a-bitch!" Lorelai screeched.
Lorelai wriggled out of Luke's grasp and stood directly in front of Dean seething with anger, her hatred seeping through every vain in her body as he raised his hand and came down hard on Lorelai's face. He had slapped her.
Luke jumped in and shoved Dean backwards a few steps. Lorelai raised the back of her hand to the corner of her mouth. It was leaking blood and she stood up quickly in shock.
"Luke, you're no match for me," Dean grunted as he took a right hook that bounced off Luke's muscled shoulder.
Luke made eye contact with Dean as they circled each other, "Oh yeah, why's that?"
Dean stopped and lifted his head back. The evil shimmered in his eyes, the dangerous being he had become was emerging, and it was almost visible, "Because I've got at least twenty years on you," Dean muttered and Luke lunged. He toppled Dean to the ground as Dean squirmed, Luke pinned him by his shoulders.
"You may be twenty years younger than me, but I'm twenty years wiser," Luke said as he rammed his head into Dean's. Dean let out a painful scream as Luke turned to Lorelai. "Go with Rory," Luke yelled and Lorelai ran.
Luke turned back to Dean, and as soon as he faced him completely, Dean brought his hand back to punch Luke in the jaw. Luke caught Dean's hand with his left and punched him with his right while twisting Dean's right arm. Once the punch was delivered, Luke stood and brushed off his pants.
"Yeah, twenty years of experience with punks like you," he said and started towards the diner with his hands in his pockets. He turned on instinct to look when a sound came about. Dean was running full force at Luke. Luke had a mere second to react. He jumped to the side just as Dean was about to hit him. Dean ran and tripped over the curb onto the sidewalk with a thud. He groaned in pain as Luke stood staring emotionlessly down at him.
--
Rory's POV
"Oh really, what exactly has he told you?" I asked.
Tabitha looked at me searchingly and I felt as though she were looking through me, "Enough," she answered shortly turned back to Jess. She placed both hands on either side of her face and brought it close to her own, "Are you at least okay?"
Jess nodded and took a deep breath, "Yeah, I'm okay."
Tabitha nodded also and then reached up on her tippy-toes to kiss his forehead, nose, and then his chin before giving him another hug. She then detangled herself from his embrace and turned to face me with her hands clasped together in front of her.
She gave me a slight smile and started drifting her way towards me—that is, until someone yelled my name from the stairs.
--
Nobody's POV
Lorelai burst through the door out of breath and with a bleeding lip. Rory immediately ran to her side as fast as she could go with her back pain as Jess held Lorelai around the waist, holding her up. She was exhausted from the run up there: Gilmores don't run.
"Mom what happened?" Rory exclaimed as she laid a hand on Lorelai's shoulder.
Jess looked at the wreck that Lorelai was in as they waited for her reply. Tabitha whispered something to him, "Rory's mom?" Jess nodded as Lorelai looked at Rory.
"Dean…hit me…Luke," she said and before another breath was exhaled Jess was descending the stairs. Lorelai slouched on the couch as Rory and Tabitha connected eyes. They nodded slightly at each other and together, they hurried out the door and down the stairs, Tabitha helping Rory along when the pain was too much.
--
Jess' POV
The minute the words left Lorelai's mouth, I was gone. I ran out the door as it jingled and saw Luke standing above a crumpled figure on the ground. He was simply standing there waiting for the figure, who I realized was Dean, to stand up. I stepped in front of him and that broke his gaze. I told him to go check on Lorelai and he nodded then left us. Dean finally got to his feet and stared down at me.
"What do you want?" He spat blood on my face and I glared.
"Fighting again are we bagboy?" I asked as I heard the door jingle again, but I didn't dare look.
--
Rory's POV
Jess stood with Dean as Luke passed us on his way into the diner. Tabitha narrowed her eyes and threw her long braid over her shoulder angrily. I turned back to the diner to see Luke and my mother sitting at the counter. It was mass chaos and I had no clue what to do.
I guess Tabitha did.
"STOP!" I heard her yell and saw Tabitha running to the Jess and Dean Situation. She grabbed a hold of Jess' arm and tried to tug him away. I just started shaking. Dean looked over at me with that look. The look that he'd given me just days before. My stomach dropped and my breathing sped up. I gasped my chest as my lungs constricted. I let out a painful little noise as pain shot through my back and arm at the same time. I fell against the wall of the diner and slid down.
"Tab, back off!" Jess yelled and almost snarled at her. She huffed and stood with her arms crossed over her chest indignantly.
"Jess!" I called as best I could and the next thing I knew, someone was wrapping their arms around me, holding me close to them and rocking me. It wasn't Jess—I could still see him, it wasn't my mom—I hadn't heard the diner door open, no, it was Tabitha and I thanked her greatly for knowing exactly what I needed. She looked at me with knowing eyes and soothed me like the expert she was.
--
Nobody's POV
Jess looked towards where Rory was sitting. She looked scared and Jess swore. He turned and looked at Dean. Dean snuffed and Jess just went for the pressure point in his shoulder. Before Dean could react, Jess pressed and Dean fell like a sand castle washed away by waves.
"Jess," Tabitha said and started running towards Rory. Jess ran up to the diner door and then called for Luke to make sure Dean didn't go anywhere. He then ran after Tabitha and saw that she was sitting rocking Rory as she sobbed. Jess kneeled down next to them and took Rory into his lap as he had done many times that week. Tabitha gave Jess a look.
"I'm going to…"
"Go," Jess said as he handed Rory off to her. Tabitha kept her arm around Rory's mid-back and walked her upstairs. Jess sighed and looked back at Dean and Luke. Luke had him pinned down and Lorelai was currently on the phone with the police.
--
Tabitha helped Rory to the couch, walked into the small kitchen and grabbed a glass of water.
"Thanks," Rory said as she took the water. Tabitha shrugged and sat next to Rory.
"Don't mention it," she said and pulled her hair out of the braid. She ran a hand through it and Rory saw her sharp emerald eyes shine in the moonlight. Rory just looked back to her glass and took a drink.
"You okay?" Tabitha asked, bringing her head back and looking at Rory through the hair that swept into her face. Rory nodded and gulped. "You can talk to me," Tabitha almost cooed. Rory just shook her head.
"No, you don't understand. Everyone, even Jess is trying to be there for me," Rory started and Tabitha smiled a soft, slow, elegant, white smile. She liked that Rory was so accepting, "They want me to talk about it, but I don't want to! Not with them! Not with people who know me, it's just not something I'm comfortable with yet," she yelled and jumped up, despite the pain, and started to pace. Rory pulled her fingers together and apart in a nervous habit that Tabitha knew all too well. "Dean did things to me that people who love me shouldn't. Did you know that he took a baseball bat to my back!?" Rory's eyes flashed with the every emotion that Tabitha had mirrored in her own eyes before. Tabitha sat quietly sipping her water, letting Rory get it all out.
"He hit me," she said sitting next to Tabitha with small tears. Tabitha put her drink down and turned to Rory.
She nodded slightly, "Tell me," Tabitha said softly and Rory didn't hesitate.
"His father…" she started and trusted Tabitha with her pain. That night Rory Gilmore trusted a stranger, and it was probably the best thing she could've done.
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A/N: Finally the loser co-writer help's some! Thanks for all the reviews. Sorry I've been such a slacker, but I've started school and switched rooms with my sister, so I've been all over the place. Just know that this chapter was completely 50/50!!!
Ellie
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