Disclaimer: I own nothing! I think we all know that by now.

Wow, it feels like ages since I've updated this story. I'm so sorry about that! I am trying to focus on my Charmed story, I have a definite plan for that story, but this one is still in the works. I do want to get on with writing it though, because I love this story. I have so many ideas for it, I just need to sort through them.

I thank you all for the lovely reviews, they inspired me to get out another chapter.

I hope you all like it, and please review! Feedback is appreciated greatly! :)

A cold breeze slid its way across the lake, catching Jess in its path, causing the boy to let out an involuntary shiver. He had managed to get out of the apartment during the mid afternoon, when most of the town's residents had either given up on trying to get a glimpse at him or had gone off to work. A few customers had been down there when he emerged from the stairs, but most just gave him a studying look as he quickly slid out the door. Luke had been in the kitchen at the time, and Jess didn't feel like going to get the man to inform him of his venture outside; it would have given those few townsfolk more time to stare at him.

He took a drag from his cigarette while turning the page of his book, eyes following the words steadily. During his wanderings, he had found a somewhat secluded bridge a little ways off from the diner and quickly settled down there to read and smoke. It was away from all of the town's residents and allowed him to get the privacy and alone time he had been craving since he first woke up in the hospital. Being around all of those doctors and nurses ... all of those people had seen the scars and bruises and knew what she had done to him, and that was just too much for him. No one was supposed to know, this was supposed to be a secret he would take to the grave, but now it felt like the whole world knew. He was ashamed and embarrassed and just wished that the scars and marks on his body would disappear. He wished that she had never hurt him, he wished that no one had found out. No one was supposed to know, but now everyone did.

Jess exhaled a misty cloud of smoke, his eyes still scanning over the words on the same page he had been on moments ago. He just couldn't get his mother to escape his thoughts. It was like now that he was away from her, all he could do was think about her and what she had done to him. He thoughts went over every memory he had of her, traveling across each of the many cities and states they had settled in. He remembered the first move, when he was six, to Texas. He always complained about the heat, and would always ask her why they had to move so far away from Connecticut. She was struggling with keeping on the medication, and she always yelled about how she hated Luke, and how she couldn't believe her own brother had tried to take her child away from her. The first time she hurt him was a few days after the move. He had kept whining about how hungry and hot he was, and Liz just snapped. She grabbed one of her thick fake leather belts and whipped him until he could no longer sob.

Jess took a frantic and long inhale, running a hand through his hair as he released the smoke from his lungs. He stared back down at the book, still opened to the same page, and let out a sigh. It was crazy, his whole life was just so insane right then. Things like this are not supposed to happen. His own mother was not supposed to try to kill him. Now, he was living in some crazy little small town with his unprepared uncle. It wasn't fair that he was thrown on him like this. It wasn't right to throw an abused teenager into the hands of an unprepared small town diner owner.

The faint tap of footsteps against wood caused Jess to snap out of his thoughts and look up towards the sound. He was met by the bright blue eyes of a brown haired girl who wore a soft, beautiful smile. She was wrapped up in a warm coat, arms hugging her torso due to the cold. The girl slowed her pace a little as she noticed the bruise on his cheek, the smile fading at the sight of the nasty, dull, purple and pink stain. He quickly turned his gaze off towards the lake, cigarette going straight to his lips.

The bruise had thrown Rory off for a moment, the nasty looking thing shocking her and reminding her that this was much more than just a new neighbor. He had a story--a terrible cruel past--that had thrown him into the arms of his uncle and this small town. He was no ordinary new resident, things were different for him. She made herself look past the bruise though, picking up on some of the familiar features she remembered about him from when he was a kid. His hair was still that dark, deep brown it had always been, but now it was longer and the old jelled look his younger self had had was gone. Those perfect brown orbs still were there to stare back at her, but she remembered them being so much more brighter than they were now. They had gone dull over the years, but they were still beautiful. She had to admit, Jess had grown up to be rather attractive, and she suddenly remembered why she had liked him so much when he was little. With a mixture of those lovely locks, those bright brown eyes, and that trademark smile (that she had yet to see) he was quite the looker.

The girl regained her smile and started up with a greeting, "Hey," she took a few steps towards him. Jess looked up her way as he took a drag, "You must be Jess," she continued, giving him the warmest smile she could.

"Good guess," he replied simply and dryly, tapping the ash off of the end of his cigarette.

"I'm Rory," she introduced herself happily, "I don't know if you remember me, we used to be friends when you lived here ten years ago."

Jess studied her for a moment, taking repetitive drags of his cigarette while doing so, before turning his gaze back towards the lake and responding, "I remember you."

After getting a better look at her, Jess had picked up on some of the key features that stuck out when he thought of the younger version of her. The eyes had been the real key to jog his memory, but her resemblance to her mother--who he had run into earlier--had helped a little bit as well.

Rory just stood for a moment, a sudden awkward silence filling up the air between them. Jess seemed rather content with it, throwing away his finished cigarette and quickly replacing it with a new stick as Rory stood awkwardly above him, looking off towards the lake, then to her shoes, then back at Jess again. Her eyes fell onto the book that sat open in his lap and she thanked God for placing that object there and giving her something to break the long palpable silence with.

"What are you reading?" she asked, kneeling down next to the boy to try and get a good glimpse at the book.

Jess quickly dog-eared the page and shut it, flipping it over to the cover so that he could show her the title, "Oliver Twist," he told her as he watched her examine the old, worn cover. He had had this book for a long time--he first got it at ten, he believed--and it had quickly turned into one of his favorites. It had been stuffed into many back pockets and trampled on in many old cars, but the pages were still intact and he would make sure it would stay that way. It had been one of the books he had saved from his mother and the fate of being burned to a crisp in the fire back in Omaha.

A bright smile had appeared on Rory's face and she adjusted herself on the bridge, taking a seat next to Jess and letting her feet dangle off of the edge like his, "That's one of my favorites," she informed him. Jess' eyes still sat on the book, his hand reaching up towards his mouth to pull out the cigarette and let a cloud of smoke escape his lungs.

"I remember when we were little we both used to go to the library and check out hundreds of books from the kid's section," she spoke up, thinking back fondly at the memory, "my mom would take us, or even sometimes Luke, and we would run off towards the kid's section the second we were through the door," she let out a small giggle, "we'd always fight over who got to read them out loud. We'd be screaming all the way home, and whenever Luke was there he'd always just stand awkwardly by wondering what the hell he should do, looking completely embarrassed that he couldn't control two little kids"

She looked up towards Jess and spotted a small smile forming on his lips, the cigarette sitting in between them. She could tell he remembered, and that caused her smile to grow even wider. She was happy that he still remembered those memories of his childhood, because from the look of that bruise, she didn't expect he had much good ones past six years old.

Jess had almost forgotten about those trips to library. A lot of his good memories seemed to be pushed aside by the bad ones. He hated how the mind always seemed to remember the more traumatic events in life than the happy ones. The library trips with Luke and Rory had always been fun and was a great example of how awkward Luke was when it came to dealing with kids. He and Rory would be screaming and berating each other at the top of their lungs and all Luke could do was come up with the weak, "You both can read it," answer, which would cause Rory to roll her big blue eyes and exclaim that, "you can't read the same book twice in a row!" The screaming would continue, and Luke would look completely clueless and embarrassed as they walked their way back to his grandfather's house.

"I take it you still like to read, then?" Jess asked, looking up towards the girl as he took a drag.

Her smile beamed on as she replied, "Of course," she pushed a strand of hair out of her face as she continued, "I'm reading Choke right now; I just bought it a few days ago."

Jess looked off towards the lake as he took another drag, "That's a good book," he told her, staring down at the book in his lap, "I've read it over twenty times," Rory went a little wide-eyed at the hefty amount, "it's one of Chuck Palahniuk's best, next to Fight Club."

Rory was about to respond, lifting her gaze over towards her old friend, but stopped herself once she caught glimpse of the mark on his neck that was peering up over the collar of his jacket. The skin was dark and bruised over, the mark wrapping around his neck and ending near the back. That had hit her far worse than the bruise had, and for some reason she couldn't help but stare, knowing full well what had caused it and who it was from. His mother had had her hands right there when she was trying to steal the life from him, she had held on so tight, tried so hard to kill him, that her fingers had left imprints on his smooth skin. That was a horrific thought; your own mother trying to kill you.

Jess had caught her staring and sent a glare her way, "You want to see them too?" he asked, hands going up to the collar of his jacket, "Fine," he unzipped his jacket and pulled down the collar, "pretty, huh?" he asked her, venomously.

He was sick of this town and their nosy little eyes, all trying to get a glimpse at him and those lovely bruises that weighed on his neck like a collar; a constant reminder of who held control over him. He would never lose his connection to his mother, he would never forget all of the things she'd done to him, because they were all scattered over his body to remind him.

Rory looked away and mumbled a quick, but sincere, apology, "I'm sorry," she listened for the sound of a zipping coat, waiting for him to cover up the marks again, "I just caught a glimpse."

"Would you like to take a picture, like the doctor's wanted to do, so you can show the whole town?" he inquired with anger, "They all seem so interested in me, and this would save them all of the hassle of trying to spot me and get a glimpse."

"I know the town's nosy," she stated, her eyes still off towards the ground, "but it's not their business, and they all know it. You don't have to show them anything, you don't have to tell them anything, because it's personal and private, and they will just have to deal with it." Rory truly believed everything she was saying, and she really hoped Jess would hide those bruises again, she felt like she was invading his privacy seeing them, and she didn't like to be nosy like the rest of the town. True, she had been at the diner wanting to get a glimpse at him, but just of him, not of the bruises.

She heard the quick zip of Jess' zipper and looked back over at him after she was sure he had adjusted the collar of his jacket enough that the marks were out of sight. Jess took a puff of his cigarette and looked down towards the water, "Sorry," he apologized, "I just don't like all of these people in my business."

"I know," she replied, "the town is just a little too nosy sometimes, about everything." She watched as he exhaled the smoke from his lungs after an inhale, his eyes shutting for a quick moment, taking in the calming feeling he was receiving from the simple movement, "It's a small town, you know. They thrive on gossip and the hope of a new neighbor that they can spy on."

Jess' lips curled up into a small smile and he flicked his cigarette off onto the bridge, "You seem different than the rest." He pointed out, looking up her way with those light brown eyes. He had noted that she didn't seem as nosy as the rest, not trying to stare at him or his bruises. Her and his uncle were alike in that way; they tried to mind their own business and keep their curiosity to themselves. Luke had never once asked him about the abuse so far, like he had expected, and he was thankful for that. He liked his uncle, and he was happy that the man was still practically the same man he had used to be all those years ago. Though he was awkward with the whole parenting thing, he beat Liz tenfold.

Speaking of his lumberjack uncle, he had a feeling that Luke had caught on to his vanishing act and would be starting to form a search party. The sun had neared the horizon line now, filling the sky with swirls of orange and pink, and he'd been gone for hours. His uncle seemed a little ... overprotective right now--the diner owner had made his way up the stairs about twenty times that morning to check up on him as much as he could--and Jess thought he'd ease the man's worries by coming home now instead of staying out on his own for a few more hours. His usual wandering in New York sometimes would last till the early morning of a new day, but he wasn't in New York anymore, and he wasn't living with his crazy mother either.

Jess grabbed his book off of his lap and stood up, stuffing it back into it's rightful place in his back pocket before looking back down at Rory, "I've got to get back to the diner," he explained, holding out a hand for her to help her up.

She accepted with a smile and grasped it gently, letting Jess lift her up and back to standing.

"I hope to talk to you again soon," she spoke up as she brushed the wrinkles out of her jeans and stuffed her hands in her pockets, "I'd like to be friends again; we were really close when we were little."

"Yeah," Jess nodded and smiled as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, letting out an involuntary shiver as a cold wind blew against them.

She gave him one last wave goodbye before turning to head in the opposite direction, trekking her way off the bridge and out of his line of sight. He turned and started his way to the diner, hands still stuffed deep in his pockets.

He wouldn't show it, but he was actually rather pleased with meeting Rory again. She had grown up to be quite attractive, he had to admit, and she still seemed to be rather sane (unlike most of the town) and enjoyed some of the old things they used to. He hadn't really been thinking about meeting up with old friends and starting a normal life again in Stars Hollow--his mind had been other places lately--but he liked the idea. Normal hadn't been a word in his vocabulary in ages, and he really liked the new addition.

He turned the corner onto town square, where residents made their way around wearing grins and seeming to have no worries or cares. They seemed so content taking their stroll down the sidewalks of the center of town, making their way to their homes or to one of the stores. They lived lives that involved simplicity and happiness, working a nine to five job or attending school, then heading on home to their nice, happy little families to have a home-cooked meal and tell each other about their normal, perfect days. That was what normal was to these people, that was what normal was for most people, but as he walked, catching onto the curious glances of strangers who didn't recognize him but at the same time did--realizing that he was indeed the nephew of the diner owner and the son of the infamous crazy Liz--he didn't know if he could fit into this version of normal. His whole life had been so abnormal that he didn't know if it was even possible. He couldn't ever fit in, not after all that he had been through. He'd always be this screwed up kid, he'd always be the freak. Those curious glances would always be sent his way, he'd never be looked at like another random passerby on the street. He would always be seen as different, he would always stand out.

And he knew, as hard as he tried, he would never be normal.

Jess caught a glimpse of his stocky uncle barging his way out of the diner as he started his way across the park. Luke looked infuriated, an expression filled with worry and anger creasing his features. His steps were long and hard as he made his way over to the boy, each foot producing a loud and sturdy slam as the sole collided with the pavement.

People turned their gaze the diner owners way and watched as he met his nephew right in front of the gazebo. Jess looked up into his eyes for a brief second as Luke crossed his arms before quickly diverting his gaze after catching onto the rage that was shining out of them. His bruised neck seemed to let off a tingle and remind him of what happened last time he made someone angry, and the boy quickly zipped up his jacket more. He decided to meet his uncle's gaze again, expression tough and challenging. He would not show his fear. A part of him kept reminding him that Luke would never hurt him like Liz, but another part of him forced him to keep on his mask. It was safer that way.

"Where the hell have you been, Jess?" Luke started off with a harshness to his voice. When Jess didn't open his mouth to speak, just kept staring him down, Luke went on, "You can't just run off without telling me where you're going!" he raised his arms in the air, "I need to know where you are Jess."

"I didn't have to tell Liz where I was going," Jess defended, his eyes traveling away from Luke's as he saw his anger rise a little. He spotted the few townsfolk that had stopped to watch them, sitting down on a bench or slowing their speed to keep their curious eyes casted on the scene unfolding in front of them.

"Well, you're not living with Liz anymore, Jess!" Luke told the boy, adding a silent 'thank God' to the end of that sentence in his head.

Jess' eyes travelled back over to the audience that he and Luke had before quickly looking back towards his uncle.

"You told me to go out to smoke," he kept his tone hushed, but harsh, as his eyes quickly travelled back to his uncle for a brief moment before darting over to a man who was peering over a newspaper, watching them, "And you're making a scene Luke. Can we please do this inside?"

Luke's gaze followed Jess' and he suddenly spotted the audience that seemed to have taken up watching them bicker. The anger in his eyes suddenly died down a little and a hint of annoyance spread across his already creased features. When he looked back towards his nephew, the boy's eyes practically pleading with him to get them both inside, he gave a nod.

"Yeah," he told the boy, stepping aside and letting his nephew start ahead of him, arm instantly going to pat the boy's back in a sort of protective motion. Jess flinched away at impact, sending a look his uncle's way that showed a bit of annoyance, trying to remind him yet again that he did not like to be touched.

They started their way across the street and Jess stuffed his hands in his pockets, eyes scanning over the passerby's and scenery once again. He was hoping to get inside without any interruptions and with each step forward and closer to the diner door he felt more and more at ease. Then he spotted her. The plump, flamboyant, woman with an assortment of necklaces and bracelets, who strode her way towards them with an elegance and a look of pity. Luke had caught sight of her striding her way towards them shortly after Jess, and the two shared a look.

"Oh Luke!" Miss Patty cried as she made her way up to the two Danes'. Jess' eyes quickly darted to the diner door, which was only a few more long strides away. He was contemplating making a run for it, leaving Luke out there to deal with the flamboyant lady, but was suddenly discouraged when the plump woman stepped in front of his view of the door, blocking his only means of escape.

Her eyes quickly fell right onto the boy, and Jess quickly caught onto the sorrow that seemed to radiate off her eyes. She was staring at his bruised cheek as she let out an "Oh my." Her eyes quickly darted down to his neck, knowing where the real evidence of Liz's crazy had been marked.

"Jess," Luke started up in a rush, noticing Patty's gaze had fallen to his nephew's covered neck. Jess looked over at him, "This is Miss Patty," he introduced, motioning over to her with his hand, "she runs the dance studio across the street."

"Huh," Jess turned and gave a nod at that, his eyes traveling back over to the woman.

"You poor boy!" She exclaimed with such pity, "What happened to you was just so terrible, sweetie!"

She opened her arms up, ready to embrace him, and took a step forward right as Jess took a swift step back.

"Patty," Luke started, "we really need to go. I've got to get back to work and--"

"Oh dear, alright," she let her arms rest again and Luke caught onto his nephew's faint sigh of relief.

Miss Patty looked back at the young teenage boy once more, eyes filled with pity, before adding, "You turned out to be quite handsome, sweetie." She gave Jess a smile before turning and starting her way back across the street, where Luke spotted Babette waiting eagerly on a bench, ready to hear about everything that happened during their brief encounter.

When the two safely got into Luke's diner, Jess swiftly made his way through the diner and up the stairs, trying his hardest to ignore all of the stares he received on the way.

He really hated Stars Hollow, he didn't remember hating it this much before, but that day had really showed him how much he should hate it. Everyone was just so freaking nosy, they couldn't keep to themselves. He really missed New York. No one was like that there--except for the few social workers he'd encountered--most people just minded their own business and if they saw you with a bruise, they didn't question it or start bothering you, they just pretended like they hadn't seen it at all. He couldn't believe he was thinking this, but a part of him really wanted to be back with Liz. He could have lived with that for a few more years, he would have survived. It was easier to deal with being abused than have everyone know you were. It was embarrassing and he was ashamed of it. Everybody knowing just made things so much unbearable.

Jess slid into the apartment and went straight towards the couch, pulling out his book from his back pocket along the way. As he plopped down and opened the book to his dog-eared page, Luke made his way in and shut the door.

"Jess," Luke started, making his way to his nephew and sitting down beside him, "I think we need to establish some rules."

Jess' gaze fell onto his uncle and he let the book shut with his thumb in between the page. The kid didn't speak a word of protest or praise to Luke's idea, instead he just watched and waited for his uncle to go on with curiosity.

"First," he started, "you need to tell me where you go when you go out." Jess rolled his eyes at this, and Luke continued with his reasoning, "I need to know where you are, Jess. You're my responsibility."

"I didn't have to be," Jess responded, fingers taking up to fiddling with a cigarette he had pulled out from his pocket, a craving suddenly hitting him at the mention of rules.

It was Luke's turn to roll his eyes now. If he hadn't taken Jess back in that kid would have probably ended up dead by his mother's hands. He wasn't going to fight with Jess about that now, and besides, the whole subject was still rather touchy and Luke didn't really like to think about it.

"Well, you are, so you have to tell me where you're going," he told the kid, watching as the cigarette shot up to his lips and the boy went to grab his lighter.

"Here's another rule," Luke started quickly, catching Jess' gaze as he grabbed the stick out of his mouth, "you smoke outside if you're going to smoke, but we are going to try to stop this; it's bad for you."

Jess crossed his arms and let out an annoyed huff as he rested his back against the back of the chair and slouched in his seat, "I don't need to hear a lecture on the harmful consequences of smoking, Uncle Luke."

"I'll save it for another time then," he told his nephew as he slammed his hands against his thighs and stood up, "now, I've got to get back to work; the dinner rush will be starting soon. I'll bring us up some food soon, and you will eat it all this time," Luke ordered. He had found his nephew's half-eaten pancakes laying right on the table, seeming to be untouched after he had left to go back to work.

"I wasn't hungry," Jess said, defending his earlier actions as he opened his book back to the page he was on.

"Well, be hungry when I get back up here," Luke told the boy before turning and starting his way to the door and swiftly exiting to make his way down the stairs and back to work, leaving Jess to his reading and thoughts.

He had rules now, that was just so ... weird. Rules were different for Jess. He had never really had them before--well, other than the few he made up on his own like don't get Liz mad after a whiskey binge or don't give her attitude or the voices will cue in. Those had been made in order to survive though, and a parental figure had never give him rules before. These rules were just so ... normal. It was somewhat of a comfort, having rules, but then again, somewhat of an annoyance. He had to follow said rules, and he wasn't one for following rules like that. He would not give up smoking and he still didn't feel the need to tell his uncle where he was going when he left. It was a small town for Pete's sake, what was going to happen to him? He'd get hugged to death by the plump dancing instructor?

Though he thought the rules were dumb, they still had that odd comfort to them. Someone actually cared where he was going when he wandered out for a bit. That was a weird feeling, something he'd have to get used to.

Could he, though?

Could he actually start living like a normal teenager, with rules and normal worries and cares? Could he really have the type of life that everybody else had, where he would just be an average kid living with his uncle who owned a diner?

The answer was simple:

No.

Thank you all for reading and hopefully reviewing!

I will try to work on both this story and the Charmed one, but it may be hard.

In the meantime: please review! They do help me to force myself to write more instead of go play video games, haha.

Thanks again for reading, and i hope you all liked the chapter!

:)