A/N Hope you enoy this one. In the next couple of chapters Emily will find out. Thank you to all who have reviewed the story and are enjoying it. It does help to know when you have read it.

I own nothing

Ch 33 Tiger

All four stood in front of the Gilmore's mansion the next night. "I still don't see the reason to get dressed up just to eat dinner," Jess had been grumbling since yesterday afternoon when Lorelai and Rory had taken him out to get two suits and a few shirts.

Luke'd had enough and turned to Jess, "Look, I tried to warn you about this but you just thought I was being overdramatic. Well, now you get to suck it up and realize that I'm not an idiot who likes to hear myself talk. It's going to be yes sir, no sir, yes ma'm, no ma'm. Got it?"

Jess saw he had gone just a bit too far, Luke was really not finding humor in the situation. But, being Jess, he had to push it just a little farther, "Yes sir, Uncle Luke." Luke shook his head and sighed as he rang the bell.

Another maid opened the door, Lorelai started to notice that when there was a life change or a particulally bad Friday night they encountered a new maid the next Friday. She leaned over to Rory and said, "Don't bother with her name, she won't be here next week." Rory looked at her and raised her eyebrows.

Richard and Emily were in the living room and Richard approached Jess first, "Well, who do we have here?" He looked expectantly at Lorelai and she realized that her mother hadn't told her father about their guest.

"Well, Dad, this is Jess, Luke's nephew who is living with him for a while."

"Really? Well, that is exciting then, what brings you to Stars Hollow Jess?"

"Well, sir" Jess stressed the sir for Luke's benefit, "my mother decided that she would like to try her hand at making jewelry and selling it at Renaissance fairs. This means that I'd have to travel around with her and it would disrupt my schooling. So Uncle Luke offered to allow me to live with him so I'd have stability in my life. And Aunt Lorelai has agreed to it as well" Luke rolled his eyes at Jess' reference to Lorelai.

"Well," Richard responded, "how do you like Stars Hollow High so far?"

"Actually I'm going to Chilton with Rory, sir."

"Really?" Emily watched as Richard discovered what she had discovered yesterday. "Then you're smart I take it?"

"Very Grandpa, Jess's only been at the school for a week and already has Paris shaking in her shoes." Rory was concerned that her Grandmother was going to jump in with some comment.

"So how long had you been planning on going to Chilton Jess?"

"Well, my mother decided just before Christmas and Uncle Luke offered shortly after that so about two to three weeks."

Emily looked up a bit shocked, "Chilton is very difficult to get into, how did you manage in such short order?"

Luke spoke up, "Well, Jess has a 4.0 and is in the top two percent in the nation in standardized testing, so Chilton was lucky to get him."

Emily had a sudden thought, "Luke, I imagine that with the new house payments and Jess' school tuition, any additional payments would be a strain on your financial situation." She looked quite pleased with herself.

Luke held Lorelai's hand when he felt her start to go for her mom, "Emily, the house is fully paid for, so there're no house payments and Harrington was much more expensive than Chilton, so I'm really saving money with Jess being here." Luke smiled at Emily.

"Harrington the private school in New York City?" Emily was surprised, "That's a very difficult school to get into. You almost have to get placed as soon as the child is born."

"Well, like we said, Jess is very smart. Maybe that's why Chilton accepted him so quickly." Luke offered thoughtfully, avoiding the fact that Jess was a Buech by blood.

At this time the maid announced dinner and the six sat down at the table, Luke and Lorelai on one side, Jess and Rory on the other and Richard and Emily at the heads.

The dinner chatter continued with the everyday information until Emily turned towards Rory, "Rory, how is that little boyfriend of yours? You weren't here last week when you father was because you were on a date, right?"

Jess looked a little shocked, they hadn't talked about Rory having a boyfriend and she must've had him when they were in New York. Rory realized this too and looked like a deer caught in headlights. "Um, we broke up that night Grandma. It just wasn't working out."

Emily looked like she was processing twelve things in her mind in a split second. She answered, "Well, fine." She stood up, "I'm going to see if cook has any more tea, Lorelai come with me."

"Mom, I don't drink tea."

"We'll get the coffee as well." Emily snapped. Lorelai shot a look at Luke before following her mother into the kitchen.

"Lorelai, you can't have that young man living in the same house with Rory. It's unacceptable." Lorelai was floored, in one small evening she saw how Rory and Jess were attracted to each other.

"Why mom?"

"Because, boys are dangerous at that age."

"Mom, I assume you've figured out that Rory has a small crush on Jess, she knows that if anything, even hand holding happens Jess will be sent to a boarding school. She cares enough about Luke if not Jess to not make Luke take this action. I trust her and Luke trusts her and Jess."

"Fine, but mark my words if something happens and you have to deal with a pregnant teenager. Besides it was Jess that I saw had a crush on Rory." Emily snapped and then turned around to go back into the dinning room leaving Lorelai to pick up the tray while she rolled her eyes.

The drive home was very quiet. Luke looked at Lorelai who was driving and she kept looking in the rear view mirror at the two teens who were ignoring the elephant in the back seat.

"So, Jess, how'd you survive your first Friday night dinner? All body parts intact? Did mom leave you enough blood to regenerate this evening, be good as new tomorrow?" Lorelai was trying to lighten the mood and the look of evil from her daughter said she has failed miserably.

"I'm fine Lorelai, thanks for asking. I've a lot of homework to get done by Monday, so I should get right on it when we get home."

"Me too, mom, I should stay at our house tonight since all my reference books are there." Rory didn't want to deal with this and Lorelai realized that no Rory at Luke's meant no Luke. Lorelai pulled into a side road and slammed on the breaks and turned around to face the two young people, her eyes blazing.

"OK, we're dealing with this and we're dealing with this now! You two have got to learn how to live with each other even though there is tension. Go into your rooms and slam the doors like all teenagers, give Luke and me the silent treatment or here's a novel idea, TALK TO EACH OTHER about what's wrong! But I'm not having my family split up on the few occasions we can actually be together. Does everyone get the message!?!"

"Yes, ma'm," Rory and Jess said together. They are both looking at Lorelai with wide eyes, Lorelai has rarely yelled at Rory and Jess has never heard her raise her voice. No wonder she was able to keep Luke in line, Jess thought.

Lorelai pulled into the driveway at the new house and Rory and Jess went up the stairs as Luke pulled Lorelai to him. "Quite a little tiger you were back there," he chuckled. "How often do you pull that stunt?"

"Remember when I told you that even a parent who'd raised teenagers didn't know how to raise teenagers? That's a very good example, the only thing I was thinking of was that we have a chance to wake up together tomorrow and they're going to blow it. How selfish is that?"

Luke gathered her in his arms and held her, "I'm so glad you did though. I can't go through one more night without you." He kissed her gently and led her into the house. As expected the teens were in each of their rooms so they headed up to bed.

Rory was trying to study and was failing miserably. She needed a cup of coffee so she headed down to the kitchen. As she got there she smelled the coffee brewing and smiled, her mom probably needed a cup as well. She'd take this time to apologize. Just as she was thinking this she turned the corner to find Jess sitting at the table with a cup of coffee in hand.

He looked up and offered her a cup, Rory took it and started to leave the kitchen when Jess said, "Stay, please."

Rory turned around and sat at the table looking at him. She didn't know what to say so she just kept quiet. "Why didn't you say anything before?" Jess asked, "I know you didn't owe me anything, but I thought we're getting along and if I was seeing someone I'd have told you."

Rory was feeling her heart in her throat and she slowly said, "I was afraid."

"Of what? Of me?"

Rory took a swallow of coffee and said, "No, of me. Here I was dating this great guy for almost three months and all I could think of when I was with you was how I didn't care for him the way he cared for me. What kind of rotten person am I? Then last week we went out and he told me," tears started to slip out of her eyes and down her cheeks, "he said he cared for me in a specific way."

Jess leaned over and touched her hand and said, "He told you he loved you?"

Rory looked at him, his touch had been electric and her eyes were wide, "Did Luke tell you?" She was shocked that Luke would have shared this.

Jess chuckled, "No he'd have been a damn fool not to." Rory gasped at this.

"I couldn't say it back and I told him," Rory looked at her coffee cup and the tears began to fall again, "oh God, I told him I was sorry. I let him get so involved that he puts it all on the line and all I can say is 'I'm sorry!' Horrid, horrid person. He was my first."

"First what?" Jess was a bit surprised, he thought Rory wasn't experienced, according to the guys at Chilton.

"First hand holding, first date, first kiss and first boyfriend." Rory said quietly, Jess released a sigh, not what he was thinking, thank God.

Jess squeezed her hand and said, "Rory, you can't dictate the way you feel about someone. It would've been worse if you strung him along. Just like I can't dictate how I feel about you."

Rory's eyes got big, "No, Jess, really, no! You can't have feelings for me. Please don't say that."

Jess was rally confused, "Rory, I thought we get along really well and I kinda thought you felt something for me as well. Am I wrong?"

"I wish you were wrong, boy do I wish you were wrong."

"O-kay, fill me in on the problem?"

"Boarding school and a convent, that's the problem."

"Oh, come on Rory, Luke was kidding, right? They wouldn't send us both away if something happened?"

"Jess, remember my mom when it looked like we wouldn't be staying here for one night? That was not the look of a rational thinker. She and Luke love each other beyond reason and I think if you or I threaten that relationship we'll find many unpleasant consequences for our actions. Yes, I believe that we'd be sent away to school, without hesitation."

"Wow, harsh."

Rory sighed, "I wish I could say it was harsh, but I understand. Mom sacrificed everything she had for me for fifteen years and I mean everything. She didn't date during the entire time I was growing up, I" she sighed again, "I even tried to get her to not date Luke because it would've made my life difficult if they didn't work out. So, I can understand not wanting kids living together under one roof dating. I'm sorry Jess, I really like you, but I can't do this to my mom."

Jess got up to get her more coffee, "So, this is it? Even though I like you we can't date ever?"

Rory smiled, "Well Luke said five years, but mom said until we go to college."

Jess laughed, "Where would Luke have gotten five years from?"

"That's how long he waited for my mom, I guess."

"Wow, really? Why did he wait so long?"

"I don't know, he could've been scared, but I don't think mom was ready for the intensity of their love until then. I think it would've scared her if they hadn't been such good friends before."

"So with precedence set, we become good friends and after high school if it is a natural development we become the next generation of Gilmore Danes?" Jess smiled and Rory's heart melted.

"Sounds like a plan," Rory stood up, "thanks for the coffee, I need to get back to work."

"Sweet dreams."

"You too."

Jess went back to his room to think this through. He wasn't used to self discipline when it came to girls. Something told him that Rory was worth it though. Yep, gonna be a long night.

Luke woke up with a start and looked for Lorelai next to him. This past week when she hadn't been there he hadn't been able to go back to sleep, but tonight she was right beside him. He took her in his arms and she snuggled up against him. He was just drifting back to sleep when Lorelai said, "I'm glad I'm here too."

He smiled and kissed the top of her head, "Go back to sleep and when we wake up I'll make you breakfast."

"Pancakes and eggs and bacon and ..,"

"Yes, but if you continue your list your going to want that now and I want to snuggle with my fiancée."

"'Night babe," Lorelai smiled with her eyes closed.

"It's a very good night," Luke closed his eyes and smiled too.