Chapter 4

"Hey Jess."

"Luke…"

"Hey, can you close up for me tonight… we have to get home before Loralai has a cow", Luke said slowly.

"We", Jess asked.

"Yes, we", Luke's gaze landed on Lori.

Jess was so preoccupied with his thoughts he hadn't even seen the little girl. A girl with dark blonde hair and blue eyes he'd seen before.

Jess just shrugged. "Sure Luke… who's the kid?"

"My granddaughter…" he said softly.

"Wait I knew you had a kid, but I thought she was nineteen now… she had a kid when she was fourteen?!"

"What? No! April doesn't have any kids. She's studying at school…" Luke sighed.

"So who are her parents", Jess pressed.

"Rory", Luke answered, "Rory and Logan."

"Husband", Jess asked.

"Ex boyfriend", Luke answered.

"Huh."

In that moment Luke saw the new and improved, mature Jess slip away and the young, irrational, rebellious, world-hating teenage Jess emerge. Luke allowed him to walk up the stairs to the office without another word. He didn't want Jess to find out about the situations they were living like this. He'd leave Jess alone for tonight and get home to his wife. He had a whole night of playtime with his granddaughter. But first he needed to teach her all about secrets.

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Jess stood in the middle of the office with the door wide open, half expecting Luke to come up and lecture him, but at the same time knowing he wouldn't. He hadn't realized just how much had changed. The town looked the same, but its inhabitants were not. Even Kirk was married to a girl! Jess had to stop staring wide eyed at the woman who would choose to spend her life with Kirk. He couldn't remember her name, it didn't take, but he remember it started with an L. That wasn't important though. Well not half as important as Rory becoming pregnant and having a kid. And she is raising that kid alone without a husband. Jess never expected to be "the one" for Rory. He knew he was never good enough for her. But he never expected her to end up pregnant and single. He wasn't going to judge, because Rory never judged him. Even when she should have, she never did. He owed her that much. Jess could over hear Luke talking to a "Lori". So that was Rory's daughter's name, Lori. It was probably short for Loralai. Jess smiled at the thought. He somehow knew if Rory was ever going to have kids, she'd name the first girl after the dynasty that is Loralai Gilmore. He strained to hear what Luke was telling the little girl because he was speaking so softly.

"And what are we not going to tell grandma…"

"That Jess is here…"

"Because it's a…"

"A SECRET!"

"Shh Lori", Luke said, "not so loud. Jess is sleeping."

"Sorry…"

Jess smiled at the little girl. He knew if he had the chance to get to know her he'd love her. But he could also see that Loralai and Rory had no idea he was in town, and Luke had no intention on telling him. He began to wonder if it was a bad idea that he came in the first place. When he heard the door to the diner close downstairs he grabbed his suitcase and started packing everything he owned. He'll leave Luke a note and lock up with the spare key Luke always left on the threshold.

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Luke and Lori walked into the house and Lori went straight for Rory's old room. It was now her room. She ran in and noticed a big lump already sleeping on the bed. Lori tip toed back to Luke who was in the kitchen.

"Grandpa", Lori whispered, "someone is in my bed…"

"What", Luke whispered and grabbed the ladle from the kitchen drawer, "stand behind me Lori."

He tip-toed slowly into the room, and raised the ladle above his head. He noticed who the "lump" was. It was Rory sleeping on her old bed, in her old room.

Luke picked up Lori and carried her out of the room, closing the door behind him.

"Come on Lor, it's just your mom, and she's tired so you can sleep with grandma and me."

"Yey!"

They shut off all the lights and made their way upstairs to the master bedroom to go to sleep.

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Rory awoke suddenly in her bed. She looked around and was distorted as to where she was. Eventually she realized she was in her old room at her mother's house. Rory looked at the digital clock next to her bed and realized it was just past one in the morning. She panicked when she noticed Lori wasn't in the room with her. She shot out of bed and ran up the stairs to her mom's room. Once she opened the door and looked inside she saw her mom and Luke with a small six-year old in the middle. Lori was holding on to Luke tightly, so Rory figured that must be how they fell asleep. Now that she was calm again, she walked back downstairs, but couldn't go back to sleep. Her heart was still racing. Rory slipped on her slippers and decided she'd go for a walk to clear her head. She remembered to take her cell phone incase her mother woke up and got worried.

Rory walked out the front door of the house and just walked. She walked through town, past the high school, past Mrs. Kim's antique shop, past Gypsy's car shop. Wherever her feet would take her, she allowed them to lead her.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Rory and Jess see each other in chapter 5! I promise!