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Wow, thank you all so much for the lovely reviews! I got so many and I'm so glad you all liked the first chapter.

Enjoy the second chapter!

When the phone started ringing at three in the morning and awoke Luke from his well needed sleep, the man was more than peeved. It had been three in the morning, and he had work in less than three hours. He sluggishly had made his way over to the phone, and after a brief conversation, he had woken right up. The call had been from New York, and at the mention of his nephew's name he instantly perked up. It had been almost ten years since he had heard from either the boy or his sister. After the custody hearing when Jess was given back to Liz (a terrible mistake on the courts part) the two had run off and gave no forwarding address. Luke had known that would happen, he even testified that he believed if the boy went back to his sister he wouldn't survive, but they put him back in her care anyway.

The call had proved to him even more that the court had made a big mistake. It had been from the hospital: his sister had strangled his nephew in a fit of hysterical rage. She blamed it on the voices, and she kept crying out about it until they had sedated her. He had been assured his nephew was fine, the boy now resting peacefully in his room. He had been told to get up to New York as soon as possible, and that his nephew would be put under his charge since the whereabouts of the father were unknown, and that was what he was doing; speeding down the highway, doing eighty at four in the morning.

He still couldn't believe it. After ten years he'd finally be seeing his nephew again. The boy had been so close to him this whole time; not off in California or across an ocean, but an hours drive from his home. If he had known, he would have been up here years ago to take him away from his crazy sister. They should have never let him back into her care, they should have kept her in that hospital and threw away the key. He knew she would have hated that, but it would have been for the best. He knew she wouldn't stay on the medication without being forced to.

He remembered the first time Liz had gone off her medication. Jess had been two around then, and Liz was only twenty years old. She had moved out to Philadelphia with her boyfriend who she pronounced was "the one" and was living in a shit-hole apartment infested with rodents. His father had a feeling Liz had gone off her medication after he stopped getting calls from her, and he quickly enlisted Luke to go up there with him and see if she and the baby were alright. His father's feeling was right, of course, and they found his sister a mess. "The one" had, like always, left her and she had fallen apart after it. The apartment was disgusting, and Jess sat in a dirty crib, crying madly. His diapers were soaking and Liz had forgotten to feed him. Luke's father had quickly taken the boy up into his arms and shushed him, looking over to Luke to order him to pack up Jess' things and get Liz ready to go. Liz had been placed in the mental ward and put back on her medications while Jess was treated for malnourishment at the hospital. The young boy was stuffed full of IV's and crying for hours at a time. Luke couldn't believe it had happened, and his father had vowed to never let anything like that happen again.

Liz was afraid of their father; the man had a short temper and was very disappointed in Liz's life choices. His father had cared for her very deeply, but he was disgusted with her actions and what she was doing with Jess. She kept her mouth shut until his father died, and then quickly filed for custody back of her child. After that, Jess and Liz disappeared, and Luke wasn't sure if they were dead or alive. He didn't know what would happen to his nephew since she was back off the medication, and he was always worried that one day he'd get a call and find out the boy was dead. Thankfully, the call he had gotten assured him that his nephew was still alive, and he felt a sense of relief fall over him knowing that he was at least breathing. He was afraid to see what Liz had done to him over the years, he knew his nephew was probably full of emotional problems or some sort of mental disorder because of his sister. There was no way his nephew could come out a normal child after living with that woman for so long.

Luke turned into the hospital parking lot and quickly slid into a spot, throwing the gears into park and shutting off the engine with a quick flick of his wrist. He exited the car in a hurry and swiftly made his way inside and out of the cold November air. He knew his nephew was alright and there was no need to rush, but he just had to see it for himself to really believe it: he needed to see his nephew to make this whole thing stop feeling like some dream. He walked straight over to the desk and rested his hands on the counter as he leaned over to peer at the nurse sitting at a computer, looking at him with a sweet smile.

"Hi," she greeted, letting her hands fall from the keyboard and to her lap.

Luke mustered up a small smile, "Hey. My nephew, Jess Mariano, was brought in here a few hours ago."

The woman seemed to recognize his nephew's name and she typed something into the computer before grabbing the phone, "Yes, he's resting in room 405," she dialed a number into the phone before looking back up towards him, "the doctor told me to call him once you arrived; he needs to talk to you about your nephew's condition."

A moment later, the nurse perked up as the doctor spoke from the other end of the line, and she quickly went to informing him that Luke was there. The woman glanced up at him a few times, and Luke quickly felt his heartbeat raise. The way she was looking at him and what she had said was making him feel like something was terribly wrong with his nephew. He quickly felt panic rush over him, and he was worried about what else Liz had done to him. All he knew was that Liz had strangled him and the police were called by the neighbors.

The nurse hung up the phone and looked over at him, wearing a comforting smile, "The doctor will be here in a moment," she told him, "he'll take you up to Jess' room."

The woman went back to her typing, but Luke did not leave the desk. He just kept thinking the worst, and he was worried sick about his nephew, "He's alright," he asked, causing the nurse to look up his way, "right?"

"For the most part, yes." she told him, giving him a gentle, reassuring smile, "He'll be fine; he just needs to rest," she paused for a moment, eyes falling back onto the computer screen, "It's just--" she looked back over at him, smile disappearing for a brief moment before reforming as her gaze fell on someone behind them, "I'll let the doctor explain it to you," she told him, glancing over his way then right back to the man walking up to them, "Hello, Dr. Richard."

Luke turned from the nurse's desk and was greeted by a tall, browned-haired doctor. The man held a silver chart--Jess', Luke presumed--and slid it under his arm to give himself one free hand. He sent a polite greeting over towards the nurse, before turning his attention to Luke.

"Luke Danes," the doctor said, holding his hand out for the diner owner. Luke grasped it and shook it politely, "I'm Dr. Richard. I treated your nephew," Luke released his hand as the doctor motioned over towards a hallway, "let's get you to your nephew's room, shall we? We'll talk on the way there."

Luke gave a nod and followed the man as he started his way down the corridor.

The doctor quickly started up, "We're monitoring your nephew in case any complications arise, but he seems to be doing quite well. We've got him hooked up to an oxygen tank as well as an IV for the pain."

"The pain?" Luke asked, a little bemused. The boy had been strangled and he didn't believe Liz had hurt his neck or anything. They would have told him that on the phone, right?

"That was something I wanted to talk with you about," Dr. Richard told him as they turned the corner, "your nephew has a fractured rib, plus a hefty load of scars." He paused for a moment, as if he was letting Luke have time to let it all sink in, "We're not sure if your sister caused all of them, but there are definitely signs of abuse, as well as neglect."

Luke knew something like this was going to happen, but the news was still shocking and hard for him to hear. He had prayed that at least Liz would spare his nephew the belt, but apparently that wasn't so. God, this was all his fault. He could have protected his nephew, he should have fought harder for him, he should have gone out and tried to find him. He should have saved his nephew from his unpredictable sister.

"We're hoping that your nephew will press charges, but he seems resistant towards it," The doctor stopped in front of a door and turned to face Luke, "hopefully you can convince him. It would keep him away from his mother for good, I believe."

"I'll definitely try," Luke told the doctor. He paused for a moment, before asking, "Do you know where Liz is, by any chance?" He wanted to know if his sister was at a jail or some mental ward, hopefully back on her medication.

"She was arrested," the doctor told him, "the police said they took her to jail. If your nephew doesn't press charges, she'll be free to go."

The thought of that made Luke's blood boil. His sister needed to stay in jail and away from his nephew. She had tried to kill the kid, and there was no way that she should be free to walk off. He wouldn't let his nephew do that. From now on, he was going to take care of his nephew. He would file for permanent custody and hopefully, after this, he'd get it. He wasn't sure if he would be the best parent--he hadn't been that good when the boy was a kid--but he had to at least try, "I won't let that happen," Luke assured the doctor.

The doctor gave a nod, "I'll let you go see him," he told Luke as he motioned for the man to go inside. Luke stepped in and the doctor swiftly followed. His eyes set onto his nephew for the first time in ten years, and words could not describe how he felt. The boy had grown up so much. He was no longer that goofy, mischievous, small little boy that ran around with bright eyes and a lively energy to him. He was now the sixteen year old boy laying down in that bed, dark brown hair a messy mop on his head, resting against his forehead, white sheets covering his pale white skin. He looked as if he was already dead, and the only signs of life that came from him were the constant rise and fall of his chest and the beeping of the heart monitor. The wires and tubes that stuck out of his nose and arm winded up around the bed and trailed up to their own different devices; a monitor, an IV bag, and an oxygen machine.

Luke's eyes suddenly fell onto the nasty red marks on his nephew's neck; the only color he could see other than the purple and blue bruise that covered his cheek. Seeing those marks made things so much more real, and made Luke realize that his sister had really tried to kill her own son. She should have never been allowed to have him again, he knew she wouldn't stay on her medication.

The clank of a chart against the bed frame caused Luke's gaze to wander over to the doctor, "He was exhausted once he got here, so I suppose he'll be out for a while," he informed Luke as he looked over towards the boy, before turning and walking over towards the door, "I'll leave you in here for a while; I suggest you get some sleep as well, though."

With that, the doctor turned and headed out of the door and down the hall, leaving Luke with his long lost nephew. His eyes quickly fell over to the clock and noticed the time, before falling back over to his nephew. It was nearing six, and he should call Caesar to tell the man that the diner would be closed that day. He stared at his nephew, feeling the urge to stay by his side in case he woke up, but he really needed to make the call. The doctor had said he'd be out for a while, and he doubted that the boy would wake up at six in the morning.

He made his way to the door, and with one last look towards the boy, he made his way out and down the hall to the pay phones.

The phone call with Caesar had been short and straight to the point. The man understood and told Luke he hoped the boy would be okay, and Luke told him that he thought he would. The conversation had been a bit awkward at the mention of Jess, but that was expected. It was a tough situation.

Luke was not done after the phone call to Caesar though. He needed someone to sort this out with, and he could only think of one person to call. He punched in the numbers and waited until that familiar voice of Lorelai Gilmore rang through his ears and replaced the dial tone.

"Hello?" the Gilmore's voice sounded tired and half-awake.

He heard a yawn from the other end, before starting up, "Hey, Lorelai: it's Luke."

"Luke," she repeated his name after letting out another yawn, "why are you calling me so early?" she asked, "Oh my god, are you calling to tell me you're finally going to start up a pot of coffee at six instead of eight like I suggested? Cause that would be so marvelous, Luke!"

Luke rolled his eyes at the statement, "I told you I wasn't going to do that. Six in the morning is too early for coffee." he heard her let out a sigh before he continued, "Do you remember Jess?" he asked.

She kept quiet for a moment, before speaking right up, "The little six year old trouble maker who used to hang out with Rory? You're nephew?"

"Yeah," Luke said, "the child of my mentally unstable sister."

"Oh yeah," Lorelai spoke, going quiet, "Did something happen with him? I thought you hadn't heard from them in ten years."

Luke couldn't think of a gentle way to state the facts, so he just was blunt with it, "She tried to kill him."

"What?!" Lorelai was wide awake now, and Luke could hear her shuffling around a room. Her voice turned into a whisper, "What do you mean, 'she tried to kill him?'"

"She strangled him," Luke told her, instantly thinking of those nasty red marks on his nephew's neck from where her hands had been wrapped around it, "I don't know if it was the voices that told her to do it, but she almost killed him."

"Oh my God," Lorelai's voice sounded completely shocked, "what kind of mother would try to kill her own child?" she paused, her motherly concern quickly kicking in, "Is he okay? She didn't--"

"No, no, he's fine," Luke told her. He paused for a moment, "Well, he's alive. I wouldn't say he was really fine, but he's breathing."

Lorelai nodded to herself, "He's not going to go back to her, is he?"

"Not if I have anything to say about it," he told her, tone sounding almost angry, "he's not going anywhere near her."

"Good," Lorelai agreed, "she should have never been given him back. It was the worst possible thing to do." She paused for a moment, before starting back up, "Are you going to bring him back to Stars Hollow to live with you?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "he's got no one else."

Lorelai kept quiet for a minute, before speaking up, "You should get back to him," she suggested, "call me if you need anything, alright?"

"Yeah."

"I'm serious, Luke. If you need anything, anything at all, just call me and I'll be there."

Luke's lips curled into a smile, "I will. Thanks Lorelai."

"I'll talk to you later then?" She asked.

"I'll call you as soon as I can."

"Bye, Luke," Lorelai hung up the phone and Luke was met by the dial tone. He pushed the phone back in place and headed his way down to Jess' room. When he turned the corner into the room, his nephew was sitting up in bed, running a hand through his messy hair. He turned to look his way, hearing the small pound of footsteps against the linoleum floor. His eyes looked dull and tired, and he looked at Luke with confusion until a realization hit him.

"Uncle Luke," his voice came out hoarse and the boy quickly placed a hand on his neck. The hoarseness to his voice reminded him that the red marks were still there, and he didn't want to let his uncle see them. He noticed his uncle looked exactly like he had ten years ago; the flannel shirt, the baseball cap, the stocky frame. Everything was still the same except for the few signs of age on his face.

"You remember me?" Luke asked as he made his way over to the chair near the bed. Jess watched from where he sat, looking ready to jolt up if he came too close.

The boy kept his eyes down near the bed and nodded, "The flannel and baseball cap," he tried to keep his sentences short. His throat was sore and the hoarseness of his voice made him uncomfortable, "Remembered that."

"Oh," Luke nodded and watched as his nephew shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. The kid had let his hand fall for a moment to readjust the sheets on his legs and Luke's eyes travelled over to red marks that covered his neck. They stuck out against his skin, and it frightened him that Liz could actually do this much damage to his nephew.

Jess looked over towards his uncle and caught him staring. His hand quickly shot up to his neck and he gently covered the markings, "Quit staring," he insisted as he sent a glare the man's way.

"Sorry," Luke quickly placed his gaze over to the bed, feeling as if he had intruded on some sort of private thing. His eyes slowly travelled back over to his nephew's face, and he watched as the boy tugged at his IV.

"Stop that," Luke insisted, reaching out a hand to grab the boy's hand away from the tube. The kid jumped and backed up against the bed, trying to keep his fear hidden. His breathing had sped up a bit and he tried to kept on a numb mask to hide his true feelings.

"Don't touch me," he insisted with a forceful tone, "I don't like to be touched." The words had hurt his throat as they came out, his tone too fierce for his sore throat's liking. He brought a hand up to his neck again, self-consciously.

"I'm sorry," Luke apologized quickly, hands raised up, "I didn't know."

Jess gave a simple nod and backed away from the frame. He gently laid himself back down, trying his hardest to hide the pain in his ribs as he adjusted his body. Once he was in a pleasing position to him, his eyes settled back on his uncle, who was siting by his side, trying to come up with something to say.

"I'm going to sleep," he informed his uncle with a rough voice, for some reason feeling the need to inform his uncle of his actions. The boy shut his eyes and turned his head away from his uncle, adjusting himself slightly once again.

"Alright," Luke nodded, "'night." He rested his back against the chair, deciding that sleep would do him some good as well. He wouldn't leave his nephew's side though. He'd sleep in this stiff chair as long as the boy was lying in that bed, hooked up to machines and IV's.

Thank you all so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!

I will try to get the next chapter edited as soon as possible, as well as work more on this. I've been procrastinating lately when it comes to my writing, and I really want to get back to writing more. Hopefully reviews can get me back in the mood!

Thank you again for reading, and please review!

:)