April 20th

He stormed into his room hotly, slamming the door with a bang. Luke had no right to control his life like this! He was the one who was going to have to go to this school, not Luke, so whether the man thought it was a good idea or not was completely irrelevant.

Then practically being sent to his room like some little kid to 'cool off.' There was nothing to cool off about. They were wrong and Jess was right, there was no other way to swing it. He had been keeping his nose down and getting decent grades again, so why did they think it was okay to just uproot him like this? Just because colleges saw Chilton as a better education on paper didn't mean it was going to magically challenge Jess in ways that he had never been challenged before. School was school no matter where or how fancy you dressed it up and Jess hadn't required such mundane education in a long time.

The boy paced his room full of steam, feeling the need to punch or kick something. He hadn't gotten into a fight in a while now, but his old instincts were still hard to shake sometimes and he found that they sometimes crept up when he let his emotions get too out of control. Conveniently, he was stuck in his room for the time being with no unsuspecting person to unleash his frustrations upon. Knocking over the book leaning against his night stand had felt good, though, and soon more of the things around him started to litter his floor. One kick with a bit too much force, however, ended up causing the legs of his desk chair to give out from underneath, causing a loud crash as it collided with the hardwood floor. He winced at the loud noise, pausing for a few moments with the concern that Luke would rush in to yell at him for the tantrum even he could admit he was having.

When the door didn't swing open, he sighed.

He knew they were discussing him out there like he was some animal that needed observing in order to understand it's behavioural quirks. The conversation had been a complete joke. Sitting him down, pretending like it was going to be some mature discussion between adults until Luke swoops in and delivers the punch line. The man had even bothered to look concerned by the boy's reaction at first. Though, it hadn't taken long before his trademark yelling had commenced. The bark always worse than the bite, Jess had learned early on.

He supposed he could understand the man's frustration. Luke had always cared too much, worried too much. He knew among anything else that after the way their conversation had gone, his uncle was already beating himself up over it. Jess bit back the feelings of guilt that tried to sneak their way to the surface. He was mad at his uncle and he didn't deserve the boy's sympathy. Even if he did know that Luke really thought that his decision was the best option. Even if he was painfully aware that the man was truly only doing it because he loved his nephew and wanted nothing more than for Jess to live his best life.

The man really did make it hard to stay mad at and perhaps Jess could admit that his reaction may have been a tad harsh. Not that he agreed with what his uncle and aunt were forcing upon him, but he was still learning that there were other ways of getting his displeasure across that didn't result in a screaming match or being sent to his room at fifteen.

He sat on the bed with a sigh and picked up his old, ratty, stuffed monkey. He had been gifted the stuffed companion by a nurse when he was four-years-old and had banged his eye on a railing, requiring him to need stitches just below his brow the day before kindergarten. The monkey was nothing special, matted fur worn down from too much love and surely full of germs from never being washed. He himself had never really understood his attachment to the thing, yet still, he never could convince himself to get rid of it either.

Most nights, his monkey had been his only comfort, offering him a soft body to squeeze and to catch his tears when his mom's boyfriends had gotten a bit too rough with him, or his mom had stumbled home at stupid o' clock rambling on in a drunken slur about how his existence was a mistake and everyone would be better off without him. Back then the soft smile and kind eyes of his friend were a reassurance, silently letting him know that he would be okay.

Now, however, the monkey's beady eyes bore into him in a different way. The plastic gaze silently chastising him for being so disrespectful, for disappointing his uncle so greatly. He had messed up royally and his conscience was letting him know it through the silent judgment of his once sole companion. In frustration he threw the stuffed object across the room, misjudging his swing and hurling it into a stack of books on his dresser, causing them to tumble to the floor with a loud crash. As he watched his friend hit the floor a wave of foolishness overcame him for feeling guilty, as if he still believed the object had feelings of its own.

He let out a frustrated growl and pulled his pillow over his head.

He wasn't ready to forgive his uncle necessarily, or in any way give up his battle to stay a student at Stars Hollow High School the following year. Maybe, however, he could prove that he was mature enough to have an adult conversation on the matter. The childishness and the lashing out wasn't going to help him get the results he wanted, and if he noted anything from his parents' faces, it had been exactly what they had been expecting from him.

He would try harder in round two, he decided. If anything the calmer demeanour would aid him in catching the adults off guard and hopefully helping see that he wasn't just some kid who couldn't make his own decisions about his future.

Luke and Lorelai had let Jess stew for a good hour as they themselves worked on the best way to handle their follow-up talk with the boy.

"You need to remember to listen to him, Luke, even if you don't agree with what he's saying. It's only going to make him more frustrated if he feels like he's not being heard."

"I know... I know. It's just... it was so much easier to have these conversations with him when he was younger. He listened to me back then."

Lorelai let out a snort, "Is this the same kid who you used to call me in near tears over because of the nightly screaming matches the two of you had over homework? It wasn't easier, Babe, just different."

"Maybe. But, again, I question if we're making the right decision here. Does he really like Stars Hollow High that much?"

"I don't think it's so much about liking his current school. I think he's more afraid of the unknown. As much as he talks about hating the other kids, or being bored with the schoolwork, he has friends there, and he knows what's expected of him."

"He'll still have Rory," Luke pointed out.

"Yes he will, but he will always have Rory, no matter what. What's going to happen to Pete once he changes schools, will there still be time to see each other? Will he still have any free time at all with the amount of work this new school is going to dump on him?"

"What are you saying? I thought you were the one who thought this school was the right choice?"

"I do, Hun. I'm just trying to give you an idea of some of the concerns Jess might have swimming in that big brain of his."

Luke sighed, "I guess he had a right to feel a bit panicked when I dump our decision on him like that."

"Sometimes the smarter the kid, the more their brains like to throw five thousand worse-case scenarios at them with every decision they try to make."

Luke nodded thoughtfully, "I can help him work through those concerns though."

"Yes you can," Lorelai urged, "I have complete faith that if you guys spend more time listening and less time yelling, this situation will work out."

"Do you mind if I go in there alone? He loves you Lorelai, but I find he has an easier time talking when it's just the two of us."

"Don't worry about me, I love that kid like crazy and I know the feelings are mutual," she smiled, "Sometimes a kid just needs his uncle, just like a daughter needs her mom."

Luke affirmed with a nod, "Speaking of daughter, Rory is going to be home soon, I better get this over with."

Lorelai agreed, "Remember, less yelling, more listening."

He heard two raps on the door and let out a breath as he set his book down beside him, "Come in."

"Hey, Bud."

He knew it was Luke, he had hoped it would be Luke. Even being as old as he was, he still craved his uncle's attention after they had any sort of fight. He couldn't stand the feeling that there was still any bad air between the two of them, and though he was still partially angry with the man, he was ready to get the disagreement sorted out so that the guilty feeling that had settled in the pit of his stomach could finally subside.

"Hey."

"Whatcha reading?"

Jess flipped the book over to reveal the cover to his uncle, the man studying it seriously.

"Hmm, I don't think I've ever read that one," he admitted, causing the boy to involuntarily smirk. Small talk was never something that Luke had ever been particularly good at. Jess either, really, though books and music were usually his go to if his conversation companion was well educated in those departments. Luke tried to be and that was enough for Jess to appreciate the effort.

"So..." the man continued, pulling up the now righted chair and placing it in front of his nephew. "You know we are too alike for our own good sometimes."

"A bit."

"Look Jess, I didn't mean to drop that on you back there. It wasn't exactly how I pictured the conversation going."

He shrugged in return, suddenly finding it hard to admit to his own wrongdoings.

"And I did intend for you to have a say... or at least, you know... have you understand things a bit better, discuss your concerns."

Jess didn't know if he should roll his eyes or laugh, but he refrained from doing either for Luke's benefit. It was always so obvious when his uncle had been coached by Lorelai. The man tried, but words were not always his strong point and he didn't hold it against the man, though it was amusing sometimes.

"Well, there's not much point 'discussing my concerns' since I'm going either way, right?" Jess pointed out, not unkindly, but more as a matter of fact.

The uncle watched his nephew for a moment, "I was more hoping that we could work through the concerns together, Bud. I want you to give Chilton a try, but I don't want you going into it with a head full of worry."

"I'm not worried," Jess scowled, hating to sound so weak.

Luke held back his smile, "So you aren't worried about leaving your friends behind? You're not worried about the workload, or losing your free time? I find that hard to believe considering you mentioned at least one of those things out in the kitchen."

"I just... I don't think it's going to change anything, and if it's not going to change anything what's the point of changing everything else?"

Once again, Luke felt amazed by his nephew's words. He swore the boy got half of what he said out of a poetry book or something. If it was a different conversation he might have made a joke about it, but now wasn't the time for that. Instead, Luke just nodded.

"I understand that. I do Jess, but I also want you to understand that you don't know that it won't change anything until you give it a try. I'm not asking you to sign your whole high school career away to this school, I'm asking you for one semester. Five months and if you hate it, then I'll walk right back into Stars Hollow High and transfer you back. Does that really sound so bad?"

Jess remained silent, studying his sock foot and digesting his uncle's words. He sighed.

"You can't be on me 24/7 about getting my homework done or taking my schoolwork seriously."

"Well, you'll need to give it a fair shot, Bud, and that means putting in a good amount of effort. However, I know that school is not your number one priority, and I understand that you can't be living and breathing school day in and day out."

Jess nodded, "And I get to keep my shifts at the diner."

"I was never planning on taking those away from you. You know I don't do that unless you're in trouble or you feel that you need the extra time. You're making up for today's missed shift tomorrow, aren't you?" The man reminded.

Jess nodded absently at the rhetorical question.

"Fine."

"Fine?" Luke repeated.

Jess met his uncle's eyes and sighed, "Fine, I'll do it. I'll try it." He resigned to the fact that he had given into the idea long before his uncle had entered the room.

"You'll do it? And you're not going to give me any grief about this?"

"Well, I'm probably going to give you some grief," the boy admitted honestly.

Luke chuckled, "I guess I can only expect so much from you, but thank you for hearing me out. I'm proud of you for giving this a shot, and I meant what I said. After five months, if you feel no difference, then you can transfer back."

The teen nodded once, "Thanks."

Luke patted the boy's knee once as he stood, making to leave the room when the teen spoke up once more.

"You know, I agreed to the school thing, but taking the bus every day is going to suck. Don't you think Rory and I will need some wheels?" He asked raising his eyebrows and causing the man to laugh.

"You stick it out the five months and decide to stay, we'll talk once you actually pass your driving test."

"You know I'll pass!"

"Yeah, well you're going to have to get used to the bus for a while," the man smiled, "But nice try."

Jess shrugged, "I figured it was as good a time as any."

April 26th

"Why are we here again?" Jess asked as the family stood at the front door of the Gilmore mansion.

"Because it's my birthday and my parents wanted to see me," Lorelai responded, not breaking eye contact from the huge door.

"And since when has that mattered before? You didn't even invite them to the wedding," Jess furrowed his brow.

"Yeah Mom, didn't you say after the last time that we were never going to set foot in this house again?"

"Guys, give Lorelai a breather here," Luke spoke up, noticing his wife already going into panic mode and knowing she didn't need the kids breathing down her neck as well.

"I'm getting older, and when you get older you realize that holding on to grudges gets you nowhere," she stated.

"Seriously Mom?"

"Yeah, you're like the queen of grudges!"

"Alright, let's just get this over with, okay?" Luke spoke up, "Best behaviours everyone," he reminded as he finally knocked on the door.

"I don't think it's us you have to be telling that to," Jess muttered, remembering his last disastrous encounter with the Gilmore elders as the door swung open and a nervous looking maid gazed back at them, "Yes?"

"Salingers, party of... well four."

"Not your best bit, Mom."

"Yeah well, didn't think that one out."

The maid stared at the dumbly, "Salingers?"

"Urgh uh, no, Gilmore, Lorelai, the daughter?"

"Oh yes, right this way Mrs. Gilmore."

"Well Gilmore-Danes now, Mrs. Gilmore is my-"

"Lorelai."

"Mother. Uh, hey Mom, long time no-"

"Yes well, when we weren't invited to your wedding we got the message loud and clear. Rory, I hope you got the birthday and Christmas presents we sent you."

"Oh... yes grandma, I sent you thank you cards, did you get them?" Rory spoke up nervously, remembering the interesting gifts that the girls had swiftly exchanged at the mall each year.

"I did. Of course, we weren't sure who exactly it was sending them. You know without a phone call it's really hard to tell."

"Lorelai, long time no see," Richard greeted, entering the room.

"Hi Dad."

"And this can't be little Rory? She's tall!"

"Of course she's tall, she's a Gilmore. She's practically towering over this boy."

"Jess, Mom. His name is Jess."

"Well you know what they say, girls always grow faster than boys," Luke spoke up awkwardly, cutting through the mother/daughter staring contest.

Emily turned to Luke with a smile that made him uneasy, "Hello Luke, you've been well I presume?"

"Never better actually."

"How's that diner of yours, Luke?" Richard asked conversationally. "Any plans to franchise?"

"It's doing well, but uh, no, I'm more of a single establishment kind of person."

"Hm," Richard's gaze bore into him and the younger man shifted uncomfortably.

"Well, come into the living room for drinks," Emily ushered, suddenly impatient, "No use standing at the door like solicitors."

Rory and Jess glanced at each other through the tension. Neither one of them could quite figure out how the family had ended up back at the Gilmore mansion, but whatever it was must have been important because this visit was not promising to be any better than the last.

"Jess, Rory, could you give us a few minutes? Maybe go hang out upstairs," Lorelai requested as the group shifted towards the other room.

Both teens looked at her with confusion written all over their faces, silently asking what was going on, but both of them knew better than to voice any sort of concern in front of the elder Gilmores.

"Ok Mom, c'mon Jess," the girl pulled the older boy along even though he didn't look quite as eager to leave the room.

"What was that about?" Jess whispered once they were out of earshot.

"No clue."

"Rory, wait, should we not... I don't know, listen or something?"

"Mom asked us not too. I don't know about you, but I think she'd be pretty upset if she found out we did, and I know Luke would be too. If they trust us, they will tell us later."

Jess shook his head as he continued walking once more, "We're fifteen. Aren't we a little old to be asked to leave the room so the 'adults' can talk? I don't know Ror, something about this whole night just doesn't sit right with me."

"You think it feels right to me?" Rory asked as she steered the two into her mom's old room, "Something's definitely up, but I'm not really sure what you think we can do about it."

"I don't know. I just think we deserve to know what's going on."

"Lorelai, what is going on?"

"What is the meaning of this Lorelai?"

"Mom, Dad, could you just sit down, Luke and I have something, I mean it's actually good news-"

"Oh my God are you pregnant?"

"Mom! No! Not that it wouldn't be totally fine if I was, I am married and thirty-one after all."

"Yes, married, so we've been told."

"Look, whatever crap we've been through in the past, that's in the past now. This is good, but we need your help. Rory and Jess got into Chilton."

"Rory got into Chilton! That's wonderful!"

"I always knew she was a smart girl," Richard concurred.

"Yes, Rory and Jess got into Chilton, actually Jess had his position personally reserved because his grades were so exceptional."

"I can't imagine he could have done much better than Rory. It would take a lot of brains for anyone to beat her smarts," Richard scoffed.

"Well imagine it because he did Dad, and that's great! Rory's more than happy for him and she got in too. They're both smart, insanely smart."

"Well, I'm sure you didn't come all this way just to have dinner with us and tell us how much smarter some random boy is than our granddaughter," Emily spoke, upset.

"He's not some random boy Mom! He's my stepson!"

"Step-nephew more like."

"Stepson, step-nephew, same difference! Luke adopted him and Luke and I are married so he's my kid too and I would appreciate it if you started treating him that way!"

Emily rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Lorelai, why are you here?" Richard got back to the point.

"It's my birthday. I'm sorry that I thought my parents would want to celebrate with me."

"If you would ever come near us maybe we wouldn't be so shocked," Emily spoke up.

Lorelai sighed, going in circles was her parents forte.

"Come on Lorelai, why are you here?" Richard pressed again.

She exhaled long, looking to Luke who looked every bit as uncomfortable as she was. He opened his mouth to help her out, but she quickly shook her head and answered her father. "Rory and Jess got into Chilton."

"Yes, we've established that" Richard nodded, "And..."

"And Chilton's, well... expensive."

"So, you need money," the older man finally established.

"We have some, in savings and Luke's dad left us a very generous bit, but-"

"But, you need money."

Lorelai didn't expect it to feel this degrading asking her parents for the money. She knew it would be bad, the worst thing she's ever had to do even, but this was even worse than anything she could have imagined.

"Obviously you think we don't deserve it. We didn't invite you to the wedding and we haven't talked to you in a while, but please think about it as for your granddaughter and, well technically grandson, even if you don't want to think of him that way. This isn't for me, or Luke, this is for Rory and Jess."

There was a long pause before Richard looked at her with a smile, "I'll get the chequebook."

Lorelai smiled wide and Luke was just about to open his mouth to thank the man profusely, but their happiness was cut off quickly by the sound of Lorelai's mother cutting through the room.

"Not so fast Richard."

Even Richard seemed shocked by his wife's words, speaking up instantly, "Emily it's Rory."

"I know, and I absolutely agree we want to help our granddaughter in any way we can, and even the boy if only because Rory was so defensive of her friend the last time she was here, but I have a request first."

Lorelai groaned, knowing full well that Emily had her right where she wanted her and not at all shocked by the woman milking the situation.

"I want a weekly dinner. A meal with you and Rory, once a week."

Lorelai sighed hard, giving her husband a look, but he only shrugged, as if he thought it was getting off pretty easy.

"Mom..."

"Now Lorelai, I think this is a very reasonable request, especially considering we will be a big part of Rory's academic life now. We want to see how our money is benefiting her!"

"Mom, stop, I was only going to say that Luke and Jess are a part of our family now too, and if you want a meal with me and Rory, you will have to have all of us. All or none Mom."

The woman stared her done, long and hard, "Fine." She finally agreed, "We will give you the money and you will give us Friday night dinners."

"Friday?"

"I think Friday works out best for everyone. There's no school the next day so the kids won't have to worry about homework or getting up early, and I have no DAR functions that night," she explained.

Another sigh and an encouraging nod from Luke's direction made her give in, "Fine. Friday night dinners it is."

"Wonderful!"

"I'll get the chequebook."

A/N- Honestly I didn't want to add in Friday night dinners because I don't particularly like writing Emily and Richard, but I felt like I sort of had to. We'll see how much I can get around adding them to the chapters haha. Anyway enjoy! And leave a review if you can, no matter how short or long I love to hear them!

(Also I wrote my first This Is Us one-shot! It's called Brothers and Fathers. If you watch the show and want to check it out and/or leave a review I would appreciate it!)