A/N: Long chapter. I am so tired. LoL I would really like some reviews other than the 'Good. Update.' I would really like some constructive criticism and suggestions. I plan to follow the story line with a few major twists.

Anyway, 'til next time!

R&R-

Brianne

Dani walked down the streets of Stars Hollow, later that night, her arms full of groceries. Less than a day there and Luke already had her running errands. 'Well you did offer, but whatever you need to tell yourself.' The stupid little voice in her head remarked. If her arms weren't so full of groceries and at the risk of looking idiotic she would have slapped her head. As she walked past what looked like an old barn with a sign announcing that it was 'Miss Patty's School of Dance', there were two women standing in front talking. Dani only heard a clip of their conversation and tried not to laugh as she listened. "That's Kristin Mariano, Luke's sister's daughter, she impersonated Lorelai, and Luke couldn't even tell the difference. I've also gotten a few phone calls from someone who says he's her mother's boyfriend, Paul." As Dani almost lost the inner battle she fighting with herself, as realization struck her she stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, banging her head on the cans in the bag.

"Oh dear God." She whispered, her head starting the throb.

"Hey Jess." Dani entered the apartment quietly, as if afraid her brother would bite.

"Here." Jess spoke from his bed, smoking and shuffling cards, his tone a monosyllabic one.

"You will never ever guess who has tried to call the local town gossip." Dani whirled around to face him.

"Let me guess." Jess intoned before his sister had a chance to speak, a smirk gracing his features. "Paul. The person who is not bad and is not thinking very dirty thoughts about you." The smirk was even more pronounced now.

"You're a stick in the butt." Dani informed him, putting away the groceries.

"Glad to hear it, want to play some poker?" Jess asked, still shuffling.

"Will you stop shuffling for one freaking minute?" Dani cried, running her hands throw her hair. As the phone rang, she dashed to answer it, throwing a dirty look at her brother. "Luke's." As she waited for the other person to hear her face fell. "Liz, and Paul. Yes, we got here fine. Two this afternoon. Yes, we're fitting in fine. Okay, it'll be here Friday. Whatever." She plopped the phone down, sticking her tongue out at it.

"You are so immature." Jess sighed in his I'm-the-older-brother tone.

"Tell it to my winning hand at poker, buddy." Dani plopped down beside her brother on the 'air mattress' Luke had set up for him. "Jess?" She asked hesitantly.

"Huh?" Jess said, setting down his cards and turning to face his sister.

"I'm sorry." Was all she said, but her eyes told it all. She held him tight when he enveloped her in a hug.

"Me too, Kris." Jess answered, his love for his sister apparent, she just smiled and hugged him one last time before letting him go.

"We have to go get ready for Lorelai's." She reminded her brother. "Wonder how much she will hate me."

"A lot. Your prank was brilliant." Jess laughed, making no effort to move.

"Come on, Jess. Get up." Dani called across the room where she was pulling clothes out of a bag.

"Who's going to care?" Jess asked, still sitting there.

"I don't know." Dani feigned innocence, "How about her daughter?"

"Once again, who's going to care?" Jess repeated, watching his sister pull a brush through her hair.

"I'm sorry, when I said you were a stick in the butt before, I meant a major stick." Dani replied irritably, her head really hurt now. She gingerly touched it, looking at herself in the mirror. "Crap." She hissed as she touched a particularly painful spot.

Later that night- Lorelai's

Luke rang the doorbell of Lorelai's house, Jess and Dani beside him. Jess was grumbling inaudibly under his breath, but stopped when the front door was opened.

"Hey, perfect timing. Sookie's about to break her own record for the most food served outside the Roman Empire." Lorelai smiled.

"Sounds great." Luke grinned. Dani shook her head, silently thinking, 'He has it sooo bad'

Jess almost-sarcastically added, "Sure does."

Dani elbowed his ribs, hissing, "Be nice."

"So, come on in." Lorelai said, ushering them into her hallway. The group walked into her house, Jess and Dani continuing into the living room, Dani stood in the doorway a couple of minutes later than Jess, listening to her uncle's conversation

Luke said, "Sorry we're a little late. We had a little misunderstanding about what time we're actually supposed to leave to come here."

Lorelai smiled. "It's okay, how's it going?"

Luke sighed. "Jess and Dani are both upset and their mother's creepy boyfriend who Jess despises is calling around town trying to get Dani."

"Yikes." Lorelai said, feeling sorry for the young teens.

"Yeah, I guess. Let's go in to the kitchen." Luke sighed, pulling the hyper woman toward the kitchen.

Lorelai began introductions. "Sookie, Jackson, I want you to meet Luke's niece and nephew. This is Jess and Dani."

Sookie looks up. "Do you eat cheese?"

Jess almost broke Dani's 'be nice' rule. "What?" Was all he could say, struggling not to laugh.

"Nice to meet you too." Dani smiled discreetly at Jess.

Jackson tried one of his lemons and starts to rant. "Oh my God, this is the greatest lemon I have ever grown. I mean, this is a great lemon. Sookie, you gotta try this lemon. Isn't it a great lemon?"

Sookie tried the lemon and began to rant as well. "That is a great lemon."

"With special ranting powers," Jess added in an undertone to Dani.

Jackson offered a lemon to everyone. "Try it, it's a Meyer."

Lorelai tried to explain. "Jackson grows fruit and then scares people with it. Rory, they're here."

Rory called. "Coming." As she turned off her computer, she noticed Jess and Dani in the doorway. "Hey."

Jess walked into Rory's room, leaving Dani by the doorway. "Hey."

Dani followed her brother, shaking hands with Rory. "What's up, I'm Dani."

Rory grinned at the younger girl. "I'm Rory. It's nice to meet you."

Jess wandered over to her bookshelf. "Yeah, I figured."

"Jess. What did I say earlier?" Dani scolded, not noticing Rory's giggle at her antics.

Jess was glancing through her bookshelf, noticing the titles. "Wow, aren't we hooked on phonics."

Rory smiled, the smile of someone who had lost herself in a world of books, many a time, Dani recognized. "Oh, I read a lot. Do you read?"

Jess sent a warning look at Dani, telling her not to say anything, she crossed her eyes at him behind Rory. "Not much." He took at a book of the shelf and flicked through it.

Rory glanced at the title briefly. "I could loan you that if you want. It's great."

"I know." Dani commented, unable to stop herself.

"Have you read it?" Rory asked, eyes lighting up at the thought of someone who had read something that she had.

"Um, no." Dani shook her head, watching the light go out of Rory's eyes. "A friend has and recommended it to me. More like insisted actually." She laughed.

Rory looked back at Jess. "Anyway, you're welcome to borrow it."

"No thanks." Jess set the book down.

"Well, if you change your mind…" Rory offered.

Lorelai hovered in the doorway, watching the three teenagers. "Okay, we really need to get Jackson away from the lemons now, so we're moving the feast in the living room."

"Be right there." Rory told her mom.

"Um, I'm going to go get some food." Dani said, jerking a thumb towards the door.

"Okay, I'll be there in a minute," Rory responded.

Jess looked at her windows after Dani had left. "So do these open?" He asked.

Rory answered, "Oh, yeah, you just have to unlatch them and then push." She demonstrated.

"Great. Shall we?" Jess asked, opening one.

"Shall we what?" Rory asked confused.

"Bail." Jess said simply.

"No." Rory said firmly.

"Why?" Jess asked.

"Because it's Tuesday night in Stars Hollow. There's nowhere to bail to. The 24-hour mini-mart just closed twenty minutes ago." Rory explained.

"So we'll walk around or sit on a bench and stare at our shoes." Jess said, desperately needing to get out of the house, now.

"Look, Sookie just made a ton of really great food, and I'm starving and though it may not seem like it right at this moment, it's gonna be fun. Trust me." Rory tried to reason with him.

"I don't even know you." Jess said, watching her reaction.

"Well, don't I look trustworthy?" Rory asked.

"Maybe." Was Jess's answer.

"Okay, good. Let's eat." Rory said, walking in to the kitchen. "You want a soda?"

"Oh, I'll get it." Jess said, quickly devising a plan.

Rory shrugged. "Okay." She grabbed a soda and walked into the living room, where the group was talking and laughing. Jess made sure no one else was in the room and grabbed a beer and went out the back door.

Dani frowned noticing that Jess wasn't with Rory when she walked in, but decided to let it slide for a few minutes.

"You know ham was originally made out of rice?" Sookie asked.

"What?" Jackson asked.

"Mm hmm." murmured Sookie, loading her plate.

"Sookie…" Lorelai warned.

Luke suddenly noticed Jess was gone. "Hey Rory, where's Jess?"

"He's getting a soda." Rory explained.

Lorelai handed Luke a plate. "Here."

Luke looked at the plate. "I'm sorry, you must've mistaken me for you."

"Ooh, too much?" Lorelai asked, making no move to take any off.

"Oh, I forgot the garlic bread." Sookie realized.

"I'll get it." Lorelai offered.

"I'll go check on Jess." Dani volunteered, suddenly afraid of what her brother might have done or would do or say.

Dani followed Lorelai into the kitchen and looking around for Jess and not seeing him, she walked out the back door, not noticing Lorelai following her and staying just inside of the doorway.

"Jess, it's freezing out here." Dani said, seeing her brother standing by the porch railing, a beer in his hand. Noticing the beer, she snatched it from his grip. "Jess what are you doing with a beer? You can't just take a beer, just give me that!" After she had the beer, she mumbled, "Idiot."

"Excuse me?" Jess asked, coolly.

"You are such an idiot!" Dani cried. "You aren't even trying! Mom sends us away because you are getting in to a lot of trouble! Skipping school, underage drinking, smoking, faking murder scenes, banana peels on people's doorsteps, the list could go on forever, Jess. Just try to give it a chance. I'm going inside, saying goodbye and I'm going home."

"Whatever." Was Jess's response.

Lorelai couldn't help the gasp that let her mouth that the list of what this kid done as Dani came into the kitchen, she couldn't help but admire the way the girl had stood up to her brother.

"Hi everyone." Dani reentered the living room, "I'm really tired, it's been a long day so I'm going home."

She pushed open the apartment door and saw the answering machine was flashing, indicating that she had a message. She listened to the message, it's first word giving her chills. It was Paul's voice.

"I'm coming to get you."