A huge thanks to my beta BrokenDaisy.

OK, since I skipped a head a few years last time (and probably pissed off a lot of people. I APOLOGIZE! PLEASE FORGIVE ME! ;)) I decided to start and end each chapter with a memory from Jess' childhood (I may also slip in some memories halfway through the chapters if they come to me). My only excuse for skipping ahead is a short attention span. I am surprised I stick to things as long as I do :D (And don't worry, as long as you keep showing an interest in this story, I'll keep writing chapters)

Anyway, thanks for reviewing, alerting, and favoriting last chapter. You guys are amazing.

So, drop a comment if you want, thanks for reading, and I own nothing.

PEACE OUT

P.S. How do you spell Ceasar's name? Is it Cesar, Caesar? or Ceasar? I'm just curious. Thanks!

Gilmore Girls

1990…

Jess had been in school for over a month when Luke got a phone call from his teacher. She had asked if he could possibly see her sometime in the near future. Luke agreed to see her after school that day, since he had to pick Jess up anyway. She agreed and, after exchanging good-byes, Luke spent the entire day afraid his nephew had done something wrong. He would be surprised if Jess did, but every kid was entitled to their 'off' days.

He left Cesar in charge around eleven, walking the six blocks to the grade school. The whole way he was becoming increasingly more worried about Jess. Maybe his nephew had a set back or something and forgot his numbers or how to read or his colors. Maybe his alphabet, but Luke couldn't see how. Jess knew his alphabet, and thanks to Rory could almost say it backwards. Something else had to be up.

Luke finally made it to the school, hoping he didn't run into Lorelai. If he did, she'd get to talking, and he'd never find out what Jess' teacher wanted; lucky for him, he hadn't run into the dark haired woman and soon found himself standing in the kindergarten classroom.

He spotted Jess sitting at his desk, pouring over a book, while the other kids played while they waited for their parents. Jess' teacher, Miss Zane, was putting away paint supplies but looked towards the door at his arrival.

"Hey, Mr. Danes," she said with a smile, walking towards him. "Let's talk in my office. Carrie," she called to her aid, who had been trying putting away nap mats, "watch the kids for a moment." The younger woman nodded before returning to her task.

Zane led him into her tiny office, gesturing to a bear shaped chair before moving around her desk to sit in her own chair.

"Okay, so, I'm sure you are wondering why I asked you to see me," she started shuffling some papers on the surface of her desk.

"Yeah," Luke responded nodding.

"Jess is fine," she said hurriedly, no doubt detecting the worry in his voice. "He's excelling in his academics and he reads more than most kids; with the exception of Miss Gilmore, of course." Luke smiled at that one. No one read as much as Rory. "But it's his social skills that I am worried about."

"Why's that?" Luke questioned furrowing his eyebrows, frowning.

"During playtime, he'll hover around Rory Gilmore and Lane Kim for a few minutes before returning to his desk to read. During group time he doesn't interact with the other kids, instead doing the work himself. I'm worried he's not excelling socially as he is academically."

Luke was silent for a few seconds, but finally he took a breath and said, very slowly, "Did it ever occur to you, that maybe it just takes him a while to warm up to new people?"

"Yes, but it's been a month, Mr. Danes. He talks to Miss Gilmore because he knows her, and he'll interact with Lane if Rory is with them, but it's just…" she trailed off with a sigh. "Jess is a good kid and so smart. I don't want to see him close himself off from others."

Luke ran a hand through his hair, fighting the urge to yell at the woman. He knew she was just doing her job, but she was acting like having a lot of friends was more important than anything else. It was like she wanted the kids to ignore their hobbies (though for most five and six-year-olds hobbies weren't exactly deeply intellectual), and play around germ ridden children who would just steal each others' toys. Yeah, Luke wanted his nephew to be exposed to that; his dream to worry about the flu turning into something worse.

He shook his head, needing to get out of his mind. It was a testament to just how much he hung around Lorelai, the spout of crazy that he had just conjured.

"Look, Mr. Danes," Zane said quickly, obviously sensing she had struck a nerve. "I am sure Jess will grow out of it. I am just bringing this to your attention now. Okay?" he nodded. "Okay, thanks for stopping by," she continued, holding her hand out for Luke to shake. He accepted her hand before getting to his feet and walking out of the office.

He spotted two boys in a scuffle over a Tonka truck and a little girl standing by the building blocks, coughing all over them. Oh yeah, Jess should totally hang around kids like those; it would be Luke's dream.

"Let's get out of here, buddy," he said as he stopped next to Jess' side.

Gilmore Girls

As they walked home, and Luke was able to calm down, he actually gave Zane's worries some thought. Jess took after Luke, no doubt about that, but there was more to it. He was put through some major crap during his first three years, but was slowly starting to get better in the last two he had been living with Luke. And despite Luke's long, drawn out mental rants, he didn't want Jess to avoid the other kids. With luck, he would grow out of it, just like Zane said. It would just take time.

"Can I have chocolate milk?" Jess asked softly when they finally made it back to the diner.

"Yeah, you can have some chocolate milk," Luke responded nodding. He watched as Jess walked across the diner's floor, sitting at an empty table, smiling at Andrew when he greeted him. Yeah, it was just going to take some time.

GG

Present Day…

The lunch rush was just dying down when Jess walked into the diner. Luke was glad his nephew was home to help; he had a lot of dishes to get done. Of course, what he wasn't expecting was the tall kid to be following Jess.

"Hey, can you clear some tables?" Luke asked and his nephew nodded. As the taller kid moved to sit at a table, Jess walked behind the counter and dropped his bag off on the floor, against the wall. "Who's that?" Luke asked nodding towards the tall boy. He wondered if the kid was actually a new friend of Jess' or just a customer.

"His name's Dean," Jess responded grabbing a plastic dish tub from under the counter. "He's new."

"And you two are going to…?"

"I thought he could help out for a while and then we were going to hang out." The dark haired boy shrugged before moving back to the main portion of the diner, collecting dirty dishes from empty tables.

Luke studied his nephew for a while. With the exception of Rory and Lane, he had never brought another kid home. Jess wasn't a very social person. Though, he did interact with the other kids when he had to, but usually he waited until they approached him. Today, with this Dean kid, was a big step for Jess, and it only took sixteen years.

"Hey, don't worry about that," Luke said moving towards his nephew. "Go. Hang out with your friend. You can help me late with the dinner rush."

"Are you sure?" Jess didn't look comfortable leaving Luke alone to fend for himself.

"I'm sure."

"Okay," the younger guy responded slowly, furrowing his eyebrows. "I'll be back before four."

"Okay," Luke replied with a smile. Jess nodded, shooting Luke suspicious looks, before abandoning the dish tub and walking back towards Dean. He said something, Dean nodded, and the two boys left the diner.

They were barely gone ten minutes before Lorelai came into the diner. She had a huge grin on her face and sat down at the counter. Luke, who had been doing some of the dishes with Cesar's help, left the younger guy to the job as he approached Lorelai.

"You're happy," he commented and she nodded.

"I have a reason to be," she replied as her grinned widened.

"I'm afraid to ask."

"I'm not that happy," she retorted and Luke snorted. "The reason I am happy," she started and hammered her hands on the counter in a makeshift drum roll. "Rory got into Chilton!"

"You mean that private school?" Luke questioned frowning slightly. He couldn't remember when she applied for the school, but he knew it was a while ago. He figured rich people places took a while to respond. "Have you told Rory, yet?"

"Yes, she seemed pretty excited about it. And now she can go to Harvard and I can resent her…" Lorelai trailed off, her smile wilting. "And you're obviously not excited about this."

"I am. Good for her," Luke said quickly, giving the dark haired woman a smile. "I guess this is as good a time as any for Jess to make a new friend."

"Jess? Jess Mariano? The youngest recluse in this entire town? Mini Luke?"

"He's not that reclusive," Luke defended his nephew. "I mean, he doesn't socialize a lot, but he does talk to people."

"I know, but I'm just saying, since he started school the only two real friends he's had were Rory and Lane…" And that's when it hit Lorelai, why Luke didn't take the news well. "Oh, I forgot about Jess," she said lightly smacking her forehead with her palm. "He's going to miss Rory."

"He's got Lane," Luke said, but he knew Lorelai was right.

"He's only friends with Lane through Rory," Lorelai pointed out. Again, she had a point. "But, hey, you said he met a new friend. What's he like?"

"Tall, brown hair," Luke supplied shrugging.

"That's it?"

"I saw him for two minutes."

"I am so glad Jess isn't a girl," Lorelai commented shaking her head.

"Shut up," Luke retorted turning to put freshly washed mugs away.

The two fell silent. Luke continued to put dishes away while Lorelai took an envelope from her purse. She opened it, taking out the paper inside. She let her eyes scan the words, a smile on her face. A smile, that seemed to wilt the further she got down the letter.

"Crap," she whispered.

"What?" Luke questioned giving her a worried look.

"I-I have to go," Lorelai said getting to her feet. She absentmindedly waved, still looking at the letter. Luke wondered just what she had read, and hoped it wasn't anything he had to worry about.

GG

"Is your dad always that way?" Dean asked as he and Jess walked around the block.

"What way?" the shorter boy asked, wondering if his friendship with Dean was going to end before it even started.

"Awkward?"

"Oh," Jess replied shrugging. "Sometimes. I think he's still trying to get the hang of raising a teenager."

Dean smiled, getting a better grip on his backpack. "My parents are the same way. Except I'm the middle child, so they kind of have a reference point; though they raised my older sister, so I guess I'm new territory since I'm the only boy" Dean let his words die on his lips, obviously sensing he shared a little too much. "So," he said suddenly, "where's your mom?"

"Um, my mother died when I was little and I never really knew my father." Jess was uncomfortable talking about his past and really wished Dean would let it go.

"So, that wasn't your dad?"

"Luke? No. Well, he's more like my dad then…" Jess trailed off awkwardly. "He's my uncle," he mumbled cramming his hands in his coat pockets.

"He seems cool," Dean hurriedly said, finally sensing Jess needed a subject change.

"He's not, really," the shorter boy assured the brunette, giving him a small smile. "He finds half the town functions a waste of time, he's always arguing with Taylor Doose, and he likes to go camping a lot in the summer."

"Taylor Doose?"

"He owns the market," Jess responded pointing at the grocery store across from Luke's diner. "He likes to complain to my uncle about not having any decorations up or not participating in 'town things', and if my uncle does something Taylor doesn't like…" Jess spotted Taylor standing at the counter in Luke's place, the younger guy inches from his face talking to him. "Kind of like now."

The two boys rushed back to Luke's, just in time to hear the end of the argument, "…and if I see one of your flyers up I will rip it down, tear it up, carry every piece over to your store, and throw them in your face."

"You could have just said 'no,'" Taylor huffed.

"I did say no. Several times," Luke replied in an impatient tone.

"Fine, Luke, but one day you'll have to face it. You live in this town, too," the older man said as he walked out the door.

"Yeah, well it needs normal people," Luke yelled after the older man's retreating back.

"Is he still trying to hang one of those Hayride flyers up?" Jess asked curiously and his uncle nodded. "When will he learn?"

"Never," Luke replied shaking his head. He finally noticed Dean, still hovering around Jess.

"This is Dean," Jess said hurriedly, gesturing to the taller kid, figuring he should have done that a lot sooner.

"Luke," his uncle responded nodding his head. Dean nodded back, obviously still a little floored from the argument he just witnessed.

"I should head home," he said and Jess nodded. "See you in school tomorrow."

"Bye."

Once Dean was gone, Jess headed towards the counter to get his order book. The dinner rush was in half an hour and he knew Luke was going to need his help; especially when both he and Cesar began working the grill.

They worked in silence, Jess having a feeling his uncle was keeping something from him. He didn't know why, he hardly spent any time around the older man during the rush, but a sixth sense told him Luke knew something he didn't.

After the diner was closed, and Cesar had gone home, uncle and nephew started cleaning up. While doing the dishes, Jess peeked over his shoulder at his uncle, and asked, "Did something happen?"

"What? With Taylor?" Luke questioned half listening. He was going over the books.

"No, I mean…" Jess trailed off, rinsing the last glass. He dried it and placed it with the other drying dishes. "I get the feeling you know something I don't."

Luke looked up, something flickering across his face, but it was gone just as quickly as it appeared. He shrugged and said, "Are you sure?"

"Come on, you can tell me. I won't tell anyone."

Luke sucked in a breath, slowly let it out, and said, "Remember when Rory applied to that school a few months ago?"

"Chilton or whatever it was called?" Jess' stomach sank. He knew exactly where this was going. "She got in, didn't she?" he asked and Luke nodded after a brief hesitation. It was quiet for a few seconds, Jess thinking over the news, before he sighed and said, "Good for her."

He then ducked back into the kitchen, collecting an arm full of clean dishes, and began putting them away.

"That's it?" his uncle asked in disbelief.

"Yeah," the younger guy responded with a shrug, placing a few mugs under the counter. "I mean, it's what she's always wanted. And now she can go to Harvard."

"But you're going to miss her, right?"

"Well, yeah, but it's not like she's moving away. She's only going to Hartford."

"But you two have been inseparable since you were three."

Jess was quiet for a few minutes, moving back into the kitchen to collect more clean dishes. Luke had a point, they had been friends a long time, but sometimes separation was good for the soul. And, like he said, he'd be able to see Rory after school and on the weekends. She wasn't moving away. "I'll be fine," he finally said after his second load of dishes were put away. "Besides, I have Lane."

"And Dean," Luke supplied.

"Yeah, him too, I guess."

"He seems like a decent kid."

"I wouldn't know. I just met him today."

Luke continued speaking, but Jess tuned him out. He flashed back to earlier that day, when he, Rory, and Lane were entering the school. Dean had been watching Rory, making Jess wonder if the taller kid was just trying to be his friend to get the scoop on Rory Gilmore.

Well, Deano, she's changing schools. Good luck with your crusade, Jess thought finishing off the rest of the dishes. "I've got homework," he said before scooping his bag up off the floor and rushing up the steps.

Once in the confines of the apartment, instead of opening his math book, Jess just sat on the couch and stared at the blank television screen. He knew Rory was just trying to better her education; knew that her dream had been to go to Harvard. She used to talk about it when they were younger, too young to even be thinking about college. And Chilton wasn't far, hardly an hour away. She'd be back after school; he'd see her just as much as he used to (save for school hours).

Deep down, he knew all this, but it still hurt nonetheless. It felt as if she were abandoning him or something, but he knew she wasn't; he was just being stupid.

With a sigh, he pushed himself to his feet and sat at the kitchen table, taking his math book from his bag. It was better to do algebra than to think about Rory leaving. Anything was better than thinking about that.

GG

1990…

"Hey Jess, do you wanna eat snacks together?" Rory asked appearing at his side. The little boy looked up from his book into her bright, blue eyes. He had tried to find a crayon to match them, but he hadn't been successful yet.

"Sure," he said with a smile. She smiled back and she and Lane sat across from him, just as their teacher began handing out their snacks.

"Are you and Luke reading Oliver Twist again?" Rory asked as the three kids began eating their graham crackers and milk.

"We're reading Treasure Island now," he responded around a mouthful of cracker.

"I wish my mom would let me read books like that," Lane commented glumly. "All we read is the boring Bible."

"Hey," Rory said brightly, her blue eyes widening. "When we get older we should open a bookstore."

"And music store?" Lane asked curiously.

"And music store and we won't sell anything but good books and music. I mean, with my Harvard degree that should be easy, right?"

"I like that idea," Lane commented with a huge smile on her face. Two of her teeth were missing, but Jess could see them slowly growing back.

"What do you say, Jess?" Rory asked meeting his dark eyes. "Wanna open a book/music store with Lane and me?"

"I guess," he said shrugging. If he got to spend lots of time with Rory, he'd do anything. Rory was his best friend. "But no stinky, boring Jane Austen."

"Hey, she's a good author."

"Is not."

"Is too."

"Is not."

"Is too."

They continued to bicker like that, back and forth, until snack time ended. Jess knew there was no heat in their arguments, they always argued like that, and sometimes Lane would butt in if she knew what they were talking about.

But no matter how many things they argued about, or how many times they disagreed, Jess knew Rory would always be there. She wasn't going to leave him. He could count on her.