A huge, huge, huge thanks to my beta: BrokenDaisy. Her 'cyber kick' was the reason this chapter got done. You are awesome and thanks a bunch :)

And thanks to everyone who reviewed, alerted, or favorited last chapter. You guys are awesome, too.

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

SEE YA!

GG

1992…

Luke looked up when his diner's door opened. Lorelai walked in, a glum look on her face, and proceeded to walk across the floor, plop down on one of the stools at the counter, and rest her forehead against the surface.

"Would you like coffee?" Luke asked curiously, and she nodded but made no attempt to speak. Something was up; Lorelai never missed an opportunity to say something. "Wanna talk about it?" Luke questioned as he pulled a mug from underneath the counter and poured coffee into it.

"Do you know what tomorrow is, Luke?" Lorelai murmured without lifting her head.

"Uh, the fourth?" Luke responded after a quick glance at the cat calendar thumb tacked to the wall. It had been a gift from the woman in front of him, and he hated it, but he wasn't going to let a perfectly good calendar go to waste.

"Not just any fourth, Luke. It is the fourth of July. A holiday and you know what happens on the holidays."

"You go see your parents," Luke supplied for his friend. He should have seen this coming. Lorelai always got this way when she had to go see her parents.

"Yes, I go see Ava and Adolph," Lorelai said and picked her head up.

"Isn't that a little harsh? Calling your dad Adolph?"

"I was referring to my mother, Luke," she retorted taking a sip of her coffee. "And I thought you got me perfectly."

There were days when Luke did understand the eccentric woman, sitting in front of him, quite clearly, and others (like today) where she remained a mystery. He didn't share this sentiment with her though, instead he opted to say, "At least it's only a few hours."

"Hours are like years at the Gilmore house," Lorelai deadpanned and her eyes glassed over, too far away for Luke to reach them. "The memories Luke; those poor memories. They were too young, far too young," she muttered and a faux-shiver ran down her spine.

"Aren't you exaggerating a little?"

"Et tu, Brute?" Lorelai replied putting a hand over her heart. "First my own kid turns against me and now you? Is there no one left in this world that I can trust?" Jess chose that morning to emerge from upstairs, a book clutched in his hands. "Jess," Lorelai exclaimed getting to her feet. "Jess, you are the only one left. Tell your uncle that I am not over exaggerating." She scooped the boy up, his book dropping to the floor, and held him out to Luke.

Had it been a few years ago, Jess would have been freaking out over being manhandled by anyone (let alone a half-crazed Lorelai), but he had grown out of that stage and laughed at Lorelai's antics. "Please, Jess, tell him," Lorelai faux-begged.

"She's not over exaggerating," Jess stated meeting his uncle's eyes.

"Thank you," Lorelai exclaimed and hugged the boy. "I have someone on my side." She swung him in a circle and he laughed. "You are my hero, Jess." She then kissed his cheek and set him back on the floor. As he scrubbed at his cheek, Jess picked his book up and walked towards an empty stool.

"Now you're turning my kid against me?" Luke questioned fixing Lorelai with a steady gaze.

"I just have that affect on people," she replied finishing off the rest of her coffee. "They just love me." She tossed a couple bills on the table, smiling when Luke rolled his eyes, and waved as she headed out of the diner.

GG

Present Day…

Lorelai was being unusually quiet, staring into her coffee cup. Luke watched her for a few minutes before he moved towards her and asked, "You okay?"

"You ever make a decision you wished you didn't but did in order to help someone you cared about?" she replied still watching her coffee.

Luke could list a few of those regrets without even thinking, but he didn't. Instead he said, "Is this about the other day?"

Lorelai was quiet for a moment, but she finally nodded. "I needed money for Rory's school."

"Well, I would have…"

"Thanks Luke, really, but you have your own teenager to pay for, and I think, for you, Jess' needs should come before Rory's." The brunette woman was quiet for a moment and then said, "I wish I hadn't done what I did, but it was for Rory."

"Did you sell yourself?" Luke joked hoping to make Lorelai laugh. She smiled weakly; it had to count for something. "So what did you do?"

"I went to The First National Bank of Gilmore," Lorelai replied and Luke was certain his jaw had hit the floor. Never, in the thirteen years he had known her, had Lorelai Gilmore gone to her parents for money.

"So, the dinner…?"

"Yep," Lorelai replied not even asking how Luke knew about that. Anyone within a table or two of her and Rory last night knew about the dinner. "Every Friday night until I either pay them back or die. I'm aiming for the first one, but I think the second may actually win."

Luke wanted to say that he was certain her parents would be gone by the time she died (or he hoped she didn't die in the near future), but he had a feeling, despite Lorelai's attitude towards them, she'd have a problem with that. So, he opted to say, "It could be worse. You could have dinner with them every night."

"Luke," Lorelai exclaimed exasperated. "Why don't you say that a little louder? My mother probably heard that all the way in Hartford during her DAR meeting."

"I'm sorry?"

"It doesn't matter," Lorelai said getting to her feet. "As long as Rory gets into Chilton, I'll do whatever it takes. And even if I have to drag her there, by her hair, she's going to Chilton." Before Luke could ask her what that meant, Lorelai had already tossed some ones on the counter and walked out of his diner.

GG

"I can't believe she's switching schools," Dean commented following Jess out of their math class. "Right before we could become friends." Jess nodded vaguely, walking towards his locker. "I mean, she'd want to be friends with me, right?"

"If you're decent enough, Rory won't care," Jess replied softly, switching out his morning books with his afternoon books.

"She's seen Rosemary's Baby, and got me a job at Doose's. Did I tell you I got a job…?"

"Okay, if we're going to be 'friends,'" Jess started, whirling around to face the taller kid, finally fed up with Dean's constant talk about Rory. It had started that morning and had continued, even though they only had one morning class together. In fact, Jess was getting a little sick of talking about Rory. "I need to know you aren't just using me to get to Rory."

"What?" Dean was taken aback by Jess' outburst. "Why would I…?" his green eyes widened. "Oh jeez, did you think…? No, I really want to be friends. I just…" Dean ran his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry I keep talking about Rory. I'll stop." Jess nodded, turning back to his locker. "Do you wanna hang out after school?" Dean asked curiously after a few seconds of silence.

"I have a shift after school," Jess replied zipping his backpack up. "But I guess we can do homework or something afterward."

"Okay," Dean said nodding. "I don't start Doose's until Monday."

The two boys were quiet for a moment, neither looking at each other, but finally Jess took a breath and said, "Doose's? Really?"

"Taylor said he needed someone tall."

"Yeah that does kind of sound like Taylor." The two boys laughed, just as the bell rang.

"So, homework tonight? After your shift?" Dean started towards his classroom, walking backwards. "What time do you get off?"

"Eight," Jess replied and Dean nodded.

"And no Rory talk. See ya then."

"Yeah," Jess said swinging his backpack over his shoulder. He watched Dean disappear into his classroom for a few seconds before continuing towards his own class. Did he want to be friends with Dean Forrester? That was the million dollar question.

This was exactly why he read all the time. Books were easier to wrap his head around. The characters were already mapped out, the scenes already written down, the resolutions planned down to a T. People were a lot harder to understand when they weren't among the pages of books.

GG

1996…

Jess' entire class had been invited to Lindsay Lister's birthday party. Jess hadn't wanted to go, but Luke encouraged him to spend a few hours with children his own age. So, he brought a book and his walkman and walked to Lindsay's house.

The entire time he sat in the corner, music blaring, ignoring practically everyone. A few times, Rory and Lane sat with him, the only two people he actually liked at the party, but they mostly left him to his reading.

He enjoyed books. People couldn't hurt him in books and he didn't have to talk to books. He'd never been very good at the whole 'talking thing' and he doubted that was going to get any better. He'd be safer to just stick with the classics: a few hours with Dickens, maybe an afternoon with Bukowski, or a night with Kerouac. Anything had to be better than these screaming kids surrounding him.

With a sigh, he stood up. He waved good-bye to Rory and Lane and started the short walk home. He went to the party like Luke suggested, tried hanging around kids his own age, but he was much better off in a quiet, secluded part of the apartment, pouring over his books in piece. With the exception of Rory and Luke, they were the only things that understood him. And he liked it that way.