Better in cones

Chapter Four

'Jess?' Rory called out, walking behind the counter and into the kitchen. As he saw her he smirked casually and handed her a spoon, indication for her to stir the pancake batter.

'You do know Luke would throw you out for being back here.' Jess said going to make the French toast.

'You do know how dangerous it is letting me stir something.' Rory shot back, stirring the mixture faster. Jess looked over at her overly fast movements and put his hand on hers to slow it down. Causing her to take a sharp intake of breath and look up at him.

'So you came in here for a reason? Or is my company just that good?' Jess asked after she'd been silent for a few minutes. He was now pouring the mixture into the pan to cook it, and she was sat on the counter watching him.

'I came for information, that you may possess. My mum wants to know where Luke's gone to, she thinks it must be serious if he's left you alone here.' Rory smiled at him, he threw her an amused look before flipping the pancakes over, by throwing them up in the air. 'You're quite the expert at that.'

'Lots of practice. So the only reason you came out here was to ask me about Luke, for your mum?' Jess asked, putting the now cooked pancakes onto a plate.

'Yeah, why what'd you think I came in here for?' Rory asked taking a bite of her French toast.

'No reason. Well to answer your question is yeah it is pretty serious but I'd prefer if your mum didn't know, not now at least. I'm sure Luke will fill her in when he gets back.' Jess replied, his mood darker than when she'd first come in. Picking up on this Rory hopped off the counter and went over to him, standing close.

'You ok?' She asked him, he was about to reply that he was fine but caught the caring look in her blue eyes and gave in, letting his guard down.

'Not really. It's my mum that Luke's gone to see, In New York. She's in the hospital, I guess her last boyfriend left her with some bruises and cracked ribs to remember him by.' Jess replied darkly. Much to his surprise, Rory wrapped her arms round him.

'I'm sorry Jess, that can't be easy to deal with.' She sighed, feeling Jess relax a little as he let her hug him.

'Not really, I mean she's dated jerks before but this guy...None of them ever hit her before, me ye...' Jess stopped himself mid word, he hadn't meant to say that, Rory pulled back and looked at him in shock.

'They hit you? Jess why didn't you tell anyone?' Rory asked, her hands holding onto his wrists lightly, as if afraid if she let go he would make a run for it.

'It's nothing, I shouldn't have said anything.' Jess shrugged, pulling away from her, and grabbing Lorelai's food. 'Here do you want to take this out?'

Rory nodded taking the plate, still a little in shock from what Jess had told her, before leaving the kitchen she let her hand rest gently on his wrist again, his eyes turned to meet hers.

'I'm glad you're here Jess.' She smiled, then walked back into the diner with her half eaten food, and her mothers.

'That took a while.' Lorelai said annoyed at having to wait so long, Rory fixed a smile on her face, not wanting to let onto what she'd heard in the kitchen. Dropping into her seat, she slid her mums plate in front of her. 'So where's Luke?' Lorelai continued.

'Out of town.' Rory replied sipping her coffee.

'Yeah I know that part, but where, and doing what?' Lorelai pressed for details. Rory's eyes drifted to Jess who had come out from the kitchen and was refilling peoples coffee.

'He's just out of town, I don't know anymore.' Rory replied as Jess came to their table, Lorelai looked at her strangely, as Rory's attention fixed itself onto Jess as he refilled their mugs.

'You busy this afternoon?' Rory asked.

'Working, why?' Jess replied, going back to monosyllabic replies now that he was around other people.

'Just wondered if you wanted to hang out.' Rory shrugged in reply. Tapping her fingers against the table.

'Sorry.' Jess apologised, watching her carefully. She looked disappointed, had she really wanted to spend time with him? Noticing this he wrote something down on his order pad, without letting Lorelai see, pulled it out and casually dropped it onto Rory's lap. She looked up at him and smiled slightly, reading the note, making sure her mum couldn't see.

If you want to hang out, come by the diner later and you can hang in the kitchen, then maybe grab some dinner, or go out somewhere. Your choice. J.

She smiled, and folded the note up, slipping it into her pocket. Just as he went back into the kitchen her mum grabbed her attention.

'Right lets go, mommy's got to get to work. What are your plans for the day?' Lorelai asked as they paid the bill and left the diner.

'Not much, bit of homework to do. Read a bit, maybe watch a film' Rory replied evasively.

'No human contact?' Lorelai asked, Rory brushed aside a strand of hair. Knowing her mum was asking if she was going to see Jess, and knowing the lecture she'd get if she said she was.

'I might see if Lane's around.' Rory replied, feeling a little twist of guilt in her stomach.

'Ok sweets, well if you get bored swing by the inn and I'll put you to work.' Lorelai smiled before the girls went their separate ways. Rory headed to Lane's house, wanting to at least have told her mum part truth, going into the store she saw Mrs Kim.

'Hi Mrs Kim, is Lane at home?' Rory asked politely.

'She is, why?' Mrs Kim asked.

'I just wanted to talk to her for a while.' Rory replied.

'Very well, she's in her room.' Mrs Kim nodded, letting Rory go up the stairs to her best friends room, as she entered the room was empty, knowing her friend well she walked over to the closet, knocking with the secret knock they'd developed when they were kids.

'Rory hey! I'm so glad you're here, I feel like I haven't seen you in ages, where have you been?' Lane hugged her friend.

'Just around, I've been hanging out with Jess a bit.' Rory replied, looking at her friends reaction, it was clear that Lane didn't like Jess either.

'Oh Jess. I didn't know you two were friends.' Lane said, switching the cd. Rory fiddled with the case it had come from.

'He's just different from anyone else I know, we can talk about books for hours and never run out of things to say.' Rory shrugged, suppressing the smile that was playing on her lips.

'Talk for hours? I've never heard him say more than three sarcastic words strung together before.' Lane replied, trying to be supportive of her best friends new friendship, but finding it hard.

'He isn't as bad as everyone thinks, he's smart and interesting, he totally gets me and it's like I've known him my entire life. We just...I don't know but yesterday in New York was so brilliant.' Rory stumbled over her words. Lane looked at her quietly.

'Dean won't like this, New York Rory? Going to New York with Jess.' Lane was worried about her friend, she'd taken a strong dislike to Jess, and it appeared that Rory had taken a strong liking to him.

'Lane I've had this lecture from my mum already, I really don't want to hear it again.' Rory stood up and left the closet, closely followed by Lane.

'I'm just worried about you. Rory are you falling for Jess?' Lane asked the question that had been playing in her head for a few weeks.

'No! Lane me and Jess are friends, why is it nobody can see that. I'm with Dean, I love Dean...' Rory looked annoyed. 'I have to go.' Rory replied running out of the house, Lane watched from her bedroom window as she ran straight towards Luke's.

A/N- Hope you like it, please review and tell me what you think.