A/N: Things take a dark turn in this chapter, content warning for violence and abuse
It was a busier than usual Friday lunch, the rush lasted past two o'clock, and Luke didn't have time to think about anything except filling coffees and serving up burgers and sandwiches.
Just as things were starting to wind down Lorelai appeared at the counter, "Luke, quick, coffee please!"
"Slow down, junkie," Luke placed a cup in front of her and filled it from the steaming carafe, "here's your fix."
"Ahhhh" Lorelai sniffed the brew and took a deep sip. "I have to be back in a few minutes to run an afternoon tea for the Woodbury Kennel Club and their dogs. There's no way I'll make it through the Schnauzer scones and Pomeranian petits fours without a hit of the best coffee in town."
Luke rolled his eyes. "Sounds unhinged."
"Completely," Lorelai nodded emphatically, taking a huge gulp of her coffee. "How'd it go at the doctor?"
"Good, I think. He confirmed it's the flu and gave us some meds. Said I need to keep an eye on him to make sure it doesn't develop into bronchitis. I was actually about to go check on him when you came in."
She quickly downed the rest of her coffee. "Don't let me keep you then! I gotta get back, thanks for the coffee!" She slapped a couple of bucks on the counter and swung her coat back on in one fluid motion. "See you later!" She flashed him a brilliant smile as she dashed out the door.
Jess rolled from his left side to his right, trying to find a comfortable position. His legs and back and shoulders ached so fiercely that he couldn't get situated enough to sleep, and if he did, the coughing would start again, which would make his throat burn and his head ache so badly he forgot about how much everything else hurt. Somewhere Between Heaven And Hell was humming along on the stereo. Even at a low volume the music made his headache worse today, but what was he supposed to do, be alone with his thoughts?
He heard Luke coming up the stairs from the diner and he peered blearily over the blankets as his uncle came into the room.
"Oh, hey, I thought you'd be sleeping. How are you feeling?"
Jess just shook his head.
"Yeah, I figured, you look like hell. You want anything to eat?"
Scowl and head shake.
"Popsicle? Ginger ale? Tea?"
Another head shake.
Luke sighed and decided to change tactics. He sat down on the edge of the bed and felt Jess' forehead, smoothing the wild curls back away from his nephew's face while Jess glowered at him. He slid the thermometer under Jess' tongue.
"You don't have to.." Jess mumbled around the thermometer, eyes not meeting Luke's.
"Don't have to what?"
"This. Take care of me. I'll be okay."
Luke put a hand under Jess' chin and lifted it so he could look him in the eyes. Jess' brown eyes opened, bloodshot and fever bright, and met his gaze. "I do have to, because I'm your guardian, because you need someone to take care of you right now, and most importantly because I want to. If you're sick, or hurt, or in trouble I will be there because I want to be. Because you're my family, got it?"
Jess nodded, looking away again, the muscles in his jaw tensed with emotion. He swallowed hard against the lump in his throat. Luke gave his shoulder a firm, reassuring squeeze through the blankets. The thermometer beeped.
"Geez, kid, you must be miserable." Luke mumbled looking at the reading of 102.8 on the little gray screen. He busied himself in the kitchen and came back with a steaming mug of tea and a plate of buttered wheat toast. He put the toast and tea on the bedside table and brought over two more pillows from the closet. He pulled Jess up to a sitting position and quickly put the pillows behind him, propping him up.
"Okay, there's toast and tea. Eat if you can, if not that's fine, but tea is mandatory. Tylenol's on your bedside table if you need it. I'm going to finish cleaning up before the after school crowd."
"Deal," Jess nodded wanly, "and…thanks…" he gestured vaguely, "…for, you know.."
"I know. You're welcome. Get some rest."
Jess held the warm mug between his hands and closed his eyes, breathing in the steam as he heard Luke's footsteps fade.
His chest felt heavy and his eyes burned. He didn't deserve this kind of care. He knew he had been awful to Luke since he arrived in Star's Hollow, but he had ruined things in New York and now he was stuck. He hadn't been able to protect his mom, hadn't been able to help her, that's why she sent him away, wasn't it?
Two days before Liz put him on the bus at Port Authority he had come home in the middle of one of Liz and Rob's screaming matches. Rob was a small timer she met at the bar where she sometime picked up shifts. The latest in her long history of hideous choices. They were both drunk and there's a good chance there had been coke involved, if either of them had been flush enough to pay for an eight ball. Jess tried to stay out of the apartment as much as possible, but it was particularly bad weather for October and he was hoping to crash in his own bed that night.
When he walked in the door, Rob had immediately focused his attention on Jess.
"Well look who it is, the prodigal son finally returns," Rob put his arm around Jess' shoulders.
"Save it, Rob, I'm not in the mood." Jess shook the arm off.
"Now wait just a minute, boy," Rob grabbed his shoulder more forcefully this time, "I know you wouldn't disrespect me like that. Now, where's your share of the rent for next month?"
"Not happening, that's going straight to the landlord, I know better than to give it to you."
"I said, where's the rent money! I'm not in the mood to play games you worthless little asshole"
"Come on, Rob, lay off him," Liz said weakly, grabbing the arm that wasn't gripping Jess' shoulder.
In a split second, Rob let go of Jess and shoved Liz to the ground. Jess threw himself on Rob, catching him by surprise and knocking him back against the wall. He got in one or two good blows in that moment of surprise, but Rob was six inches taller and probably had fifty pounds or more on Jess. He held his own as well as he could but he was on the ground with a boot in his rib, tasting blood within half a minute.
Rob picked Jess up off the floor and slammed him against the wall. "You think you're a big man, do you?" Jess could smell the whiskey and see the veins standing out in Rob's red face, twisted into a sneer. "You ain't shit. You can't protect her, and she doesn't want you to. You think you're a badass but you're just a little piece of shit that knows too many big words for his own good, you little James Dean wannabe prick."
Jess spat in his face and Rob threw him to the ground, kicking him again in the right side.
Liz had gotten to her feet by this point, "Robbie, baby come on, I'm sorry. I should have told him not to come home tonight."
"Yeah, well, I don't need this shit, call me when you miss me, I'm sure it won't take long." Rob stalked out of the apartment, slamming the door behind him.
Liz sank to the couch crying. Jess had laid on the floor gasping from the final kick for a few moments before he could finally breathe again. When he was able he crawled over to sit by her on the couch. "I'm sorry, mom, I'm sorry" he murmured over and over with his arms around her. His mouth tasted metallic and he was shaking from the adrenaline wearing off. Eventually Liz passed out and Jess covered her with a blanket and limped off to collapse in his own bed.
The next day he didn't open his eyes until noon. He took his time getting out of bed, gingerly feeling out his blackened right ribcage and the bruises spreading across his stomach. His back and head ached from being slammed into the wall repeatedly but he didn't think it was anything too serious. In the kitchen, Liz was up already, singing along to The Dead and making pancakes.
"Pancakes?" Jess asked skeptically.
"Yeah buddy, pancakes, and bacon, and eggs. I went all out for us today"
Buddy, it had been awhile since she'd used that one. Jess narrowed his eyes. "What's the occasion?"
"I've got big news bud," she put two plated heaping with breakfast food on the tiny table and gestured for him to sit.
"Okay…" he sat in his usual spot. This manic happiness after last night's events was really unsettling.
"Remember your Uncle Luke?"
"Sure…" Jess shoveled a forkful of scrambled eggs into his mouth. He had always liked his uncle, he remembered him as gruff but kind, and he had always cooked for Jess in the diner and bought him books when he had visited. He vaguely remembered a fishing trip from sometime around second grade.
"Well, he wants you to come live with him in Connecticut."
"What are you talking about?"
"Yeah, it'll be great, you'll be able to hang out and read and talk to other smart kids, they have a great school and you won't have to work hard after school to help with rent. I think you'll love it."
"Why would I go to Connecticut? How will you get by without me?"
"Oh, don't be silly, Bud" he winced at her third use of the pet name, "I'm going to move in with Chantel from work. She needs a roommate and you need to get out of this dump."
"I don't want to go. You need me, my friends are here, my job, my whole life. I'm not going anywhere." He pushed the plate away.
"Come on, buddy, don't be like that. I want you to go. I want you to be in a better place, I don't want this for us."
"I don't either, just drop that dirtbag and we'll be fine, just you and me, like the old days."
"Oh, come on, don't talk about Rob like that. I know he's got issues, but he loves me." Jess snorted, "Look, I just, I need you to go, okay kid. I don't want to fight about it, you just, you just have to go, okay?" Her voice cracked a little and he could tell she was on the verge of tears.
"That's what you want?"
She couldn't look him in the eyes, "I do. I don't want you here, it's too much for me. I bought you a bus ticket." She slid it across the table to him.
"Okay," Jess felt utterly bewildered. It had always been the two of them against the world. Okay, maybe not always but in between the bad times, they had always had each other. He knew if he had won the fight last night this wouldn't be happening. If he hadn't been too weak to protect her, but he was too weak, too slow, to small. He was nothing but a burden and he had to go.