Disclaimer: I own nothing, as always!

Thank you all so much for the reviews, I appreciate it so much!

I hope the wait wasn't too long, and if it was, sorry! I was trying to complete my Charmed story chapter (which will go up right after this) so I could update both at the same time.

I hope you all enjoy the new chapter!And please review!

:)

It was always freezing in Omaha, and that day was no exception. An 11-year-old Jess sat outside of the trailer that he called home that month, arms wrapped tightly around him, trying to keep warm. Liz had thrown him outside in a fit of rage, telling him that if he didn't like it there then he could go stay out there and learn what it was like without someone taking care of him. Jess found that laughable. Liz didn't take care of him in the first place, so all he was really learning was how to get pneumonia. His left hand felt awkward and weighed down by the plaster cast that covered it practically up to the elbow. That had been Liz's doing. They had gotten into a fight a few weeks ago when the voices were screaming out lies to his mother. She had started smacking him and pushing him and he had landed on his arm wrong. CPS got suspicious so Liz and Jess rushed out of town later that night. That's how they ended up in Omaha. Three hours of driving in a cramped sedan, no clue where they where going to live, until Liz pulled into a trailer park and decided to make it their new home.

A rush of cold air whipped by, causing Jess to hug himself tighter. It was -12 degrees outside and Liz had thrown him out without a coat. At first he had banged on the door with his uninjured hand, calling for her to just please let him in, proclaiming that he had lied when he said he didn't like living with her, that he would never say it again if she would just let him back inside. It hadn't worked though, and Liz had ignored him. The TV was quickly turned on loud and Jess guessed she had grabbed a bottle of whiskey and settled on the couch.

Jess turned to look at the door, the cold wind tempting him to start banging again. Maybe if he annoyed her enough she'd let him back in. Of course he'd have to take a few smacks, but he could handle that. He wouldn't end up dead in there like he would if he stayed out here.

"Jess?"

The call caused Jess to turn his head and look back in front of him. Jenny, the woman who lived in the trailer next to theirs, was standing a few feet away from him, clinging onto a brown bag stuffed full of groceries. The food reminded Jess that he hadn't eaten since earlier that afternoon, and he was hungry. The sun had made its way below the horizon line about a half and hour ago, so Jess assumed it was around five or six. He couldn't really tell, but all he knew was he wanted to just get inside, where it was warm, and eat something.

"What are you doing out here?" Jenny asked as a cold wind started to howl, blowing her straight brown hair every which way. She took a few steps closer, "And why don't you have a coat?!" The boy was wearing a thin cotton shirt and his face had turned a small shade of red from the bitter cold.

"I'm in trouble with my mom again," Jess explained with a shrug, eyes wandering down to his plastered hand. He hugged his body tighter as a fierce wind blew against his side.

Jenny was instantly infuriated. Jess always seemed to be in trouble with his mother. Ever since the two had moved in a few weeks ago there was always some form of yelling coming from that trailer daily. That woman was a mess. Whenever she saw Liz her hair was messy and uncombed, her skinny body wrapped in some torn up robe. Her eyes were always bloodshot and you could tell she was taking something, maybe cocaine? Jenny wasn't sure. All she knew about Liz was that she worked at a strip club downtown and she was around twenty-seven. She treated her child like crap and Jenny was sure there was something mentally wrong with the woman. She just didn't seem like she was fully there.

"So she locked you out?" Jenny asked, eyes falling on the old, metal trailer behind them and the window that peered inside. She could see flashes of color that dulled and brightened every few seconds from the TV. She didn't understand how a mother could treat her own child like this. She was just sitting in there, watching television, while her young son sat out in the freezing cold.

Jess gave a nod as a response to her question and looked up her way, "I was being bad though, so I deserved it." He felt the need to defend his mother. He knew what Jenny was thinking: that his mother was a terrible person, but that wasn't true. The voices made her like this, it wasn't her fault. That's why he didn't take it personally. His mother loved him, he knew that, but sometimes the voices just got in the way of that.

"No, you don't, Jess," Jenny told the young boy, kneeling down to his eye level. His big brown eyes stared straight into hers for a moment. They looked like they belonged to a child that was aged well beyond eleven, dull orbs looking so worn and tired at his young age. They didn't belong on the face of a child, those eyes should be bright and lively.

The door behind them suddenly slammed open, banging hard again the wall.

"Jess!" Liz's raspy voice practically cracked as she screamed his name, voice filled with anger.

The young boy snapped his head back quick, eyes going wide as he spotted his mother. Her features were contorted with anger, and her eyes were sending a rage filled glare his way. There was a half empty whiskey bottle in her hand, and she gripped it tightly, her knuckles white. She reached out and grabbed his uninjured arm, forcing him up swiftly and violently.

Liz brought her son close to her and ordered "Get in there!" She thrust the boy into the trailer and watched as he stumbled, almost tripping on his own feet, before he turned and looked her way.

Liz was sending that same glare that had been directed towards him only moments ago to Jenny, but this time filled with so much more hate. His mother had only sent looks like that his way when the voices were chattering nonstop in her head, filling it completely with lies about how he was a naughty boy and needed to be punished. They were sometimes telling the truth though, he did do bad things. He could be a very bad boy, like he was being now. He shouldn't have talked to Jenny, his mother didn't like her very much. He was such a stupid little bastard, just like Liz called him.

"You don't talk to my kid, you got it?!" Liz yelled, pointing a stiff and stern finger Jenny's way.

Jenny looked Jess' way, spotting the boy standing slightly behind his mother, watching the scene with fear-filled eyes. He was so scared of his mother, she could tell that. No kid should be afraid of their mother, and Jess did not deserve to be treated the way he was. From the few times she had talked with him, she had found out what an amazing kid he was. He loved to read, and was reading books like Moby Dick and Oliver Twist at only eleven years old. He was very intelligent and would always be telling her weird facts that she never even knew of, all while wearing this shy little smile on his face. He had a little sense of humor and seemed to resort to sarcasm occasionally, which she found rather amusing. Why didn't Liz see this? Why did she treat him so terribly when she had a kid like that?

Jenny's eyes met Liz's and she sent a challenging glare her way, "You have no right to treat him the way you do!" Her voice was filled with the same anger that Liz's had been filled with, and Jess had never seen Jenny so mad before.

"I can treat him anyway I want to!" Liz retorted, voice scratchy and loud, "He's my kid! Now, leave us the hell alone!" Liz stepped back and slammed the door as hard as she could. She took a swig of whiskey before turning Jess' way, dull eyes filled with anger.

"I told you not to talk to her, Jess!" she exclaimed, raising her hands up and throwing the bottle his way. Jess quickly ducked and covered his head, causing the bottle to collide into a wall some ways behind him and break into pieces, the whiskey dripping down the white paint, staining it with trails of brown.

"I'm sorry mom," he apologized with sincerity. He really liked Jenny, and he knew he shouldn't have been talking to her, but she was so nice to him. He wished Jenny was his mom instead of Liz, she didn't scare him or hurt him. No, he didn't mean that, he loved his mom, he really did!

"Sorry isn't going to cut it, Jess," she screamed, charging her way towards him, hand raised. Jess quickly covered his head with his arms, hoping to block her hit, but instead felt her hand grip the plaster on his injured arm as well as the cold, bare arm and shake him, "Mommy tries to help you, she tries to teach you a lesson, but you just won't listen to her!" she pushed him into the wall and looked around the room, spotting her old leather belt lying on the ground. She quickly grabbed it and gripped it tightly, "Maybe you'll start listening to mommy now!" She raised the belt up in the air, the leather whipping back in the air, and Jess' eyes widened.

"No!" Jess let out a loud and horrific scream as his eyes shot open and he sat up in bed, "No, stop!" His voice cracked at the deafening loudness of his scream, hurting his throat as it escaped his lungs. He kicked off his sheets and backed up again the frame.

Luke had shot up in bed, eyes wide and heart racing, when he heard the horrific scream. Luke instantly knew who it had been and within seconds the sheets were ripped off his legs and his bare feet were slapping against the cold floor as he made his way over to his nephew swiftly. In the dim moonlight Luke could see Jess' wide, fear stricken eyes clearly. It was equally new and frightening--Jess always looked so numb and seeing his whole face shine off fear was so rare and odd. Sweat covered his face and his breathing was quick and panicked, his chest rising up and down frantically as his eyes darted around the room.

"Jess," he placed his hands onto the boy's stiff shoulders, causing Jess' gaze to fall his way, "it's alright. It was just a dream."

Jess started shuffling back as his hands shot up and started prying Luke's off of his shoulders, "Stop it, Luke!" His gaze met Luke's, the fear that had been there moments ago turning to sheer panic, "Stop touching me!"

Jess managed to pry Luke off of him, the panic that had fallen over him quickly disappearing as Luke's hands flew back, hovering in the air with nothing to do. An awkward feeling feel over the two as Luke just watched his nephew run a shaking hand through his hair and let his breathing regain some normalcy.

"Jess."

The call caused his brown eyes to snap back up towards Luke, this time with no fear or panic. Just nothing. His eyes were blank, expression matching. He had closed his emotions off again, and now Luke was staring at his nephew the way he usually saw him--with his defenses high. He honesty didn't know what to say, he didn't know what to do, because whenever he tried to comfort Jess it didn't work. He couldn't lay a comforting hand on his shoulder or even reach out towards him without his nephew instantly flinching back and reminding him of his dislike to touch. What else could he do? Words didn't work. Jess didn't believe things were going to be alright, hell, Luke even knew it too. Liz had tried to kill his nephew, she hurt him when she was supposed to be taking care of him. Things weren't going to be alright, and nothing he could say or do would make that change. It made him feel so helpless; he wanted to help his nephew so bad, but the kid wouldn't even let him touch him.

"I--I just--" Jess started, stuttering out the syllables before swinging his feet over the side of the bed and standing up, "I need some air." He rushed over to the door, grabbing his cigarettes and lighter that sat on his dresser along the way, before grabbing his coat and swiftly sliding out the door.

Luke listened to each step as his nephew made his way down the stairs and into the diner, where swiftly the faint sound of a bell could be heard ringing as Jess shut the door behind him.

Jess was outside smoking, mind still lingering on whatever horrific dream he had just had, while all he did was just sit in the apartment, clueless on how to help. He had never felt so bad before, he had never felt like he was so useless. There was nothing he could do when all he wanted to do was something--anything--that would make his nephew feel a little bit better. This wasn't fair to Jess, Liz should have never done this to him. Jess was a wreck and it was all his mother's fault. No, not just Liz's. He could have done something, he could have fought harder or tried to find them instead of sitting in his little diner making burgers while Jess was living with that nut case. He could have helped his sister, he could have gotten her into a hospital and forced her to stay on her medication. He loved both his sister and nephew, but that just didn't seem to be enough. He should have done something sooner, before Liz had beat down his nephew so much that it seemed almost impossible for him to get back up.

"Jess ... mother ... years ..."

Luke was talking, key phrases in choppy sentences was all Jess could hear as he stared out at the tall skyscrapers, each lined with windows to the very top. He was trying to avoid listening, trying to pretend he wasn't there. He didn't want to be a part of this conversation. Skyscrapers were nice. He liked skyscrapers. He wondered how many windows each one had. Maybe he'd count. It was such a contrast to what he'd been seeing in Stars Hollow, all of these tall buildings. He missed the city, and though this wasn't exactly New York, it still was the same in some aspects. Hartford didn't have nosy small town neighbors who send you curious stares and whisper about you when you pass by. Instead, it had lawyers, like the chubby, graying man who sat in front of him and Luke. He didn't know which one was worse; the neighbors or the lawyer ... the neighbors, no doubt.

"Court ... custody ... police reports ..."

The lawyer's voice now. He wished he was outside, he wished he could just run out the door and never come back. He wished he could pretend that none of this had happened. Maybe he should run away. That would solve his problems. If no one knew where he was, then no one could try to fight for the custody of him. He would no longer be Luke's problem--which he felt terribly bad about, it just wasn't fair to his uncle--and he would never have to be beat by his mother again. He would be able to survive out there. If he had survived Liz, he could survive anything. He would just survive off of scraps of food from dumpster (he had done it before) and sleep in old buildings or in the hallway of an apartment building (he'd done that too). He knew how to survive out there, Liz had forced him to learn it well. He could wash in the public library bathroom or sneak into a YMCA and get himself a quick shower. It would be okay, he'd end up okay. He had to end up okay, because it wouldn't be fair if he didn't. He had taken 10 years of Liz's crazy antics, was almost killed by her, so he deserved to end up okay. But life wasn't fair, life was just bullshit.

"Liz ... schizophrenic ... medication ... help ... abuse ..."

Luke was talking again, and the mention of abuse caused Jess to stiffen up. They were on to that already. Great. He was starting to fall more into the conversation, starting to come back from his daydreaming and starting to feel more like he was trapped inside the office of some lawyer. A lawyer who would lead his mother to hate him even more. No, he needed to stop thinking about what was happening right then. He needed to drift off again. Count the windows, watch the cars, think about another way to get out of this whole situation. He could pretend he was crazy--he felt like something was mentally wrong with him already, he could just go off of that. But the thought of being institutionalized just didn't appeal to him. Liz had told him about it once. She said it was terrible and frightening and you were always drugged up. He didn't like the idea of being some numb, drugged up shell of a person. Maybe faking insanity was a stupid idea. Running away was the best option, but it honesty didn't appeal to him either.

Dammit, his life really sucked.

"Jess ... "

He didn't even know if it was even worth it. Life was shit, and it wouldn't be getting any better for him. Liz had turned him into a freak, an outcast. He was different, and he could never be normal like anyone else. He would never get over what she did to him.

"Jess ... "

His eyes snapped over from the window to his uncle, who had been the one repeating his name. He was brought back from his daydreaming and now he could feel the stiff chair he sat in, could feel the heater blowing near his feet, could see the books that lined a shelf, the degree that hung on the wall behind the lawyer's desk, flaunting off the fact that he went to Harvard.

"Your uncle told me you didn't consent to a physical examination while you were in the hospital," the lawyer (whose name Jess had forgotten rather quickly) spoke up, causing Jess' gaze to drift his way. He paused, waiting for Jess to give some sort of reply, but was met by silence and the boy's dull, blank gaze. He adjusted himself awkwardly in his seat before continuing.

"We need some sort of evidence that proves your mother really abused you," Luke watched his nephew carefully, trying to pick up some sort of emotion or clue that would tell him if Jess was even listening at all, but got nothing. Jess just kept his numb gaze focused on their lawyer. "Along with a testimony, pictures of what she did to you would help us make sure your uncle will get full custody."

"Jess," Luke cut in, causing the boy to turn his head and look his way. There was still no emotion on his face, and those eyes just kept that dull stare. It was frightening at times to see Jess like that. He just looked so dead, like he'd given up on feeling anything at all because feelings just only made things worse, "You don't have to do this, no one is forcing you, but if you decided to get a physical examination, it would really help."

Jess just sat for a moment, gaze drifting back over to their lawyer before landing right back on Luke. Everything suddenly felt so much more real. They were talking to a lawyer about getting him away from his mother. For good. Only a few days ago he was still living with her, watching her stare up at stained ceilings and snort lines of cocaine. A few days ago his life was the normal life he had been leading for ten years and now everything had been turned upside down. His uncle--who he had not seen for ten years--was sitting right next to him, he was in Hartford, not New York, and his mother had almost succeeded at killing him. And everyone knew it. They all knew what she had done to him, and not just a few nights ago. His secret was out in the open, where it should have never wandered, polluting the air around him. Oh God, they were with a lawyer, they were going to go to court, he was going to have to tell a whole courtroom about what his mother had done to him. He couldn't handle it.

Jess suddenly stood up and started his way to the door. "I need a smoke," he informed the two men on his way to the door, expression still blank and eyes never wandering back over to look towards either one of them. He exited the room, leaving the door open behind him, and swiftly made his way outside. Within seconds, he had a cigarette hanging loosely between his lips and was fiddling with his lighter.

"Jess!" Luke called, pushing his way through the door and out to the bustling streets. He watched as his nephew slightly turned his head to look back his way before turning his gaze right back onto his cigarette and holding up his lit lighter to the end of the stick, "You don't have to do it, I wouldn't ever force you to do it Jess."

The boy gave a nod as he took his first drag, eyes wandering off towards the street and the tall buildings in front of them, "I know that." He told his uncle, turning his gaze towards the ground as he stared at his cigarette that dangled between two fingers, "I just can't do this whole thing. I don't want to get her in trouble."

"Jess--" Luke started, but was cut off by his nephew before he could get another syllable out.

"There has to be another way," his brown eyes shot up towards Luke. The cigarette was back between his lips quickly and the boy took a quick drag before taking it back out. His eyes wandered right back over to Luke, this time showing an emotion Luke thought he'd never see, "Please, Luke," his eyes and voice both betrayed the boy, and Luke could see and hear how desperate the kid's plea was, "Find another way ... I--I don't want her to hate me anymore."

The tone in Jess' voice when he said that last sentence really struck Luke. All that kid wanted was for his mother to love him, just like a mother should, and this whole thing was tearing him apart. He wanted to get away, but he didn't want her to hate him for it. He was so reluctant to do anything that would save himself from having to end up back with her because he didn't want to hurt her in the process.

"I'll try," Luke agreed, watching as Jess took another drag, his eyes wandering off towards the street once again. He watched as the cars all came to a halt, one after the other, as the light near the intersection turning red. He was thankful Luke had said that, he didn't want to get the law involved in this. He didn't want anything to be stamped on his mother's record that would make her look bad. He didn't want to see her go to jail. She already had a hard enough time finding a job and living as it was, that would just make it worse. She would never forgive him if he did that to her.

"If there's no other choice though," Jess started up, looking over towards Luke, "I'll let them take the pictures." As much as he hated the idea of his scarred and bruised body being documented for others to see in photographs, he'd let them do it. He knew he needed to get away from her, and they didn't really have a case without his testimony or the pictures. If there was no other choice, then he'd have to do it. He knew he couldn't go back with her after what she had done to him.

"Alright," Luke nodded and watched as Jess took another drag, his eyes wandering back over to the street. The light had changed and the cars were rolling by again, turning or heading straight across the intersection. People walked by them, not stopping to take a second glance their way. They minded their own business, and Jess liked that.

As much as Jess wanted to stay with his uncle he didn't know if he could handle living in a town where everyone knew what had happened. They knew his mother, they remembered him from when he was younger. How was he supposed to make a fresh start and move past everything if everyone around him knew about it? He wanted to stay where they were. He could get used to living in Hartford. He had moved around so much he could get used to living anywhere. Though it wasn't his beloved New York, he could manage, he could survive. The city just suited him better, but looking over towards his uncle--dressed in flannel and jeans, a baseball cap covering his head--he knew the city didn't suit him. It wouldn't be fair to make Luke live here because of his greedy need to. He didn't really get to chose where he was going to live, he never had the choice before, so why was he starting to think so now. He couldn't ask his uncle to make a move to a city like this. His whole life was in Stars Hollow, just like Jess' life had been back in New York ... And Nebraska ... And Texas ... And California. His life was everywhere. He had never had a permanent place to call home. Parts of him were scattered all of the country, bits of his nomadic childhood stained throughout. He could deal with another move, another place to call his temporary home, but Luke already had one.

"Come on," Luke spoke up, causing Jess' gaze to fall over towards the stocky man, "Let's get back to Stars Hollow."

Jess was hesitant for a moment, sucking on the cigarette that sat between his lips as his eyes wandered back to his surroundings. He looked up towards the peaks of the tall buildings, scanned over the unfamiliar woman who passed by, the homeless man that sat across the street, begging for spare change, the passing cars and the buildings that lined the streets. He didn't want to leave, this was where he belonged, but he had no choice. He belonged in Stars Hollow now. He lived in a small town where everyone knew his name and his past. Like every move he had ever made in his life, he had no say or choice in it, he was blindly obedient and followed without protest. He was just a kid, he didn't get the choice. But living with Luke wasn't like living with Liz, and the next stop on their never-ending trip wouldn't still leave him in danger and would be permanent. He somewhat accepted that security; that he would be safe and wouldn't be uprooted quickly, but he wanted the anonymity of the city. He didn't know how much he could take from the nosy residents of Stars Hollow.

Jess finally gave a silent nod in response and began to follow his uncle to his car, just like he had done with Liz so many times before. No protests, no reluctance. He just followed.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and thank you all so much for reading! Hopefully you review as well! :)

I will try to get the next chapter up soon (it needs to be written first, of course)!

Well, thanks again for reading and (hopefully) reviewing!

:)