"Oh, I thought you should know that, as of about eighteen hours ago, you became a great source of gossip for the townspeople." Liz informed Luke a few days later as he picked up the plate that she'd been eating a piece of pie off of.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, it seems that you, big brother are what some might call a man about town."

"In English Liz,"

"In English, Sookie told me that after the town meeting last night, Jackson came home in a huff, because he'd just found out that you'd spent the night at Lorelai's. Miss Patty raised the issue after it was brought to her attention by Casey Holder, whose son Johnny's friend Tyler was out walking by Lorelai's building when you were leaving sometime in the wee hours. After I got this distorted little game of Chinese whispers out of Sookie I went and asked Jess, who confirmed that you had been at Lorelai's."

"It was just dinner." Luke replied.

"He said that. But there's more. Would you like to hear the rest?"

"I could use a laugh, why not?"

"I also heard two separate pregnancy rumours – one was that it's yours, and the other says that it isn't, but you plan to stick by her anyway and raise it as if it were your own. You're also getting married according to East Side Tilly but Kirk is adamant that nothing is going on."

"I never thought I'd say this, but Kirk is the sanest person in this town."

"Scary, I was just thinking the same thing. So you taught her how to make lasagne, huh?"

"Yeah, well, she didn't know how to cook anything, and I thought it would be good to have at least that one thing, it's pretty simple. Plus it gave us a bit of a chance to talk as well."

"Well that's good. So the air's all clear now?"

"For the most part. It was kind of fun too."

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself," Liz smiled. "Well, I should probably be on my way home. Spend sometime with my husband, get some work done, wait for my kid to get back from school so I can mother him, you know, the usual."

"Well you enjoy all that, and I'll be here, avoiding the looks of the townsfreaks."

"Oh, before I forget, I thought you should know that TJ and I are planning on going away in a couple of weeks."

"You are?"

"Yeah, just for a couple of days, but I'll tell you more about that later. I should go now though."

"Alright, well I'll see you."

"As far as first weeks go, I think it's ok." Rory said to Jess as she followed him through the cafeteria, collecting a tray each and some food on her second day. "But I don't really like that English teacher," she added as they found a table and sat down.

"Mr. Medina?"

"Yeah, him, I can't explain why just... there was something about him." Her acceptance had come through much quicker than Jess' after the interview and examination process. They just put that down to her family having more money and influence than his

"He's not that bad, really."

"I'm sure he's a good teacher, I just don't like the man all that much."

"You're entitled to your opinion, I guess, but-"

"So, tell me how the wedding plans are coming along?" Tristan asked, sitting beside Rory and stealing some of her fries. The other two turned to look at him confused as Amy, passing by, tossed a disgusted look in their direction.

"What are you talking about?" Rory finally asked him.

"The wed- oh, you thought I was talking about the two of you? God no! I'll never let that happen, you'd keep Jess all to yourself and not share him with me like you should do. No, the wedding to which I am referring is that of your mother and uncle." He explained. "See Jess mentioned the cosy little date you intruded on recently-"

"It wasn't a date." Rory argued, swatting his hand away as he tried to steal more of her lunch. "It was a lesson in culinary arts. And what are you doing telling Lucifer about my private meltdowns?"

"I said nothing about the meltdown. I was just trying to procure for you an impartial opinion."

"And did you?"

"Let the man speak and see for your self," Rory turned her attention back to Tristan; satisfied that he had the floor he began to explain.

"Well the way I see it, they've had their time apart and now they have that elusive second chance. That shot at happiness that only the very lucky manage to find. So if you're asking if I think there will be another wedding in our future, my expert opinion is yes."

"Expert opinion? How are you an expert?"

"Well, there's the two of you and..."

"That's it. Us; we're where your 'expertise' ends." Rory told him, shaking her head before turning to Jess. "He's an absolute moron, how did he even get into this school?"

"Family money." The two boys answered together and she shook her head again.

"I should have known."

"Is there something wrong?" Jess asked on Friday as he and Rory sat on the bus, headed home for the afternoon.

"No. Why would you think that?"

"Because you haven't said a word in fifteen minutes, and I've come to notice that's highly unusual for you unless you're reading, which you're not."

"I'm fine, just thinking,"

"And what, pray tell are you thinking about?"

"Nothing, it's not important."

"Rory?"

"It's just... did you know we have to do fencing in PE?"

"I was aware of that yes."

"It's stupid! I mean, that sport's original purpose was to kill people, and it just seems a little archaic to me that we should be forced to wave a sharp implement at our fellow classmates while calling out French warnings."

"You'd prefer to play football?"

"I'd prefer to be like girls at other schools and fake my way out of the class every other week. Or, better yet, I'd like to be given the option to drop physical education altogether and avoid that stupid locker room."

"Did something happen?"

"Well, you're girlfriend was there,"

"My... what?"

"Amy."

"Uh huh,"

"Yeah and you know, the people at that school are crazy! Both of the Fatal Attraction variety and... Paris. But seriously, she's nuts. I thought she was going to kill me, just chop off my head with her pointy sword, which I don't think would go over too well with the PTA."

"I'm sure you're over-reacting."

"Oh no, I'm not. Ask one of the many girls in the class with a ridiculous name. I'm not so sure that my coming to this school was a very good idea."

"It was. It was a vey good idea. How about I talk to her?"

"Yeah, that sounds fun. First sign of trouble, I go running to my boyfriend. Can you say pathetic?"

"Well she doesn't have the right to act like that. Don't worry about it, I'll sort it out."

"No. Jess, it's fine. I can certainly handle my own, I just didn't really want to do anything in front of all those other girls, but I can take care of it. I'll be fine. I thought I should give you a heads up though, so you know why we end up stealing a car and going on the run from the law next Wednesday."

"Oh, is that what we're doing next week?"

"If things turn out the way I think they will, it's a definite possibility."

"Ok, sure. Thanks for the warning."

"You're very welcome."

"Rory tell us all about your first week," Emily requested as they all sat down for drinks later that night. "Did you make many new friends?"

"Not exactly,"

"What does that mean? Not exactly?"

"Well, I think I made an impression, but I'm not sure that it was all that great. And aside from Jess and Tristan, on a good day, the friends list is... Jess and Tristan,"

"Surely there were some others, girls in some of your classes that you hit it off with?" Richard suggested

"I'm behind in just about all of my classes, the girls that aren't busy hating me because of who I'm dating, dislike me purely because I exist, and that stupid skirt is made from some kind of material that's itchy and uncomfortable!" The other three at the table sat stunned as Rory finished her rant. They were all silent for a moment before Lorelai opened her mouth.

"But at least it looks cute," she replied. Rory glared a little before she smiled.

"I guess, although I'm still a little iffy about looking like I'm in a Britney Spears video. I half expected the other kids to start doing some ridiculous choreographed dance all down the hall on Thursday. I was pretty low on caffeine though."

"If that happens you have to call me, ok?" Lorelai requested "Or find an AV geek to get it on video for you."

"Who is Britney Spears?" Emily asked, looking a little lost. "And why would you be in one of her videos?"

"She's this lip-synching pop princesses who dresses in... never mind. It's not important. That's pretty much it though, that's my week. So somebody else talk. Grandma, what did you do this week?" Rory turned to the older woman.

"Well, I over-saw a charity auction, I spoke with my decorator about redoing the guest rooms, and as I do every week, I met with my chapter of the DAR. We're planning a gala for next Tuesday and I'd love for you girls to attend if you're free." Emily explained before standing up and leaving the room.

"Are we supposed to follow her?" Rory asked.

"I don't know, Dad?"

"Hmm? No, I wouldn't think so. I'm sure she'll return momentarily." He replied.

"What if she gets mad?"

"Now, Rory I want you to take a look at these and pick out a colour scheme." Emily told her, re-entering the room with a paint chart.

"Uh, Grandma-"

"I'm just updating the decor, and I thought that it might be nice to have a room done up in your tastes so that, in the event that you ever feel like staying over, you can have a room that's all yours."

"That's really nice Mom, but-"

"Mrs. Gilmore, dinner is ready." The maid announced at the door.

"Thank you Josephine." She nodded and stepped back out of sight.

"Thanks Grandma!" Rory smiled. "I'll take a look after dinner."

"Excellent." Emily nodded and stood up, leading the way out of the room.

"What is my mother thinking?" Lorelai demanded as she pulled out of the driveway of her parent's house. "She knows you don't want to live there, because, by the way, you told her. And anyway, if you did decide that you wanted to move out of Luke's you'd be coming to live with me, right?"

"Well, yeah. Probably, if I ever decided I don't need a constant supply of pie."

"Of course. But now she's making you a room? Why?"

"She's just being nice. It's not that big of a deal. I'll probably never use it anyway. Unless there's a snow storm or something and I'm trapped there, but I told her I don't want to move in, and she knows that. I'm sure it's just a gesture."

"I still think she's crazy."

"Well, they say that insanity is hereditary."

"I resent that! We haven't yet received proof that I am in fact her child. I maintain that I was switched at the hospital, day three, five seventeen am."

"Ok, that's fine. You just keep telling yourself that," Rory replied, sitting back and glancing down at the paint chart in her lap.

"Really? She's making up a 'Rory room'?"

"Yes! Am I the only one that finds this wrong? I mean, she's redoing a bunch of rooms, but I bet, if I were ever trapped there in a snow storm, I'd have to stay in my old room, staring at the same Tears For Fears posters on my wall, and the creepy porcelain dolls that people insisted on buying for me those first four years of my life, that I've never been allowed to touch, by the way. To this day they've sat high up on a shelf, far away from me."

"Well, it is a little..."

"Patsy Cline?" Lorelai suggested.

"What?" Sookie looked up, confused, as she picked up a peach and squeezed it.

"Crazy."

"Oh, yeah. And nice, too, if you think about it,"

"But it's not like it really matters." Lorelai replied, reasoning with herself. "I don't think Rory's going to be ready to leave Luke's anytime soon."

"Oh! That reminds me, I'm so happy for you!"

"Why?"

"Because Rory's doing so well at Chilton, and you and Luke-"

"Sookie calm down!" Lorelai instructed. "Rory's only just finished her first week, and I told you, that thing with Luke..."

"But he was smiling!"

"When?"

"Last week, the night after the town meeting, I ran out of flour and I called him, to see if he had any. He brought it over and we talked for a bit and he was smiling."

"That could have been because of anything." Lorelai argued. "Maybe he heard a funny joke on the radio, or-"

"No, it was because of that night! And I don't want to start sounding like Carrie, babbling on about 'the night' all the time, but it was, I'm certain."

"I'm really sorry to interrupt your girly gossip, sweetie," Jackson began, leaning against one of the counters, growing very bored. "But I do have other customers to go see," he explained. "So, about the peaches?"

"They're terrible! Full of water."

"Fine! I guess that I'll just-"

"No, leave them, I guess I can find something to do with them, make a cobbler, or ooh! I could help you make a pie." She told Lorelai, excitedly. "I could teach you how to do that, and then you could invite Luke over and dazzle him with your skills. Wouldn't that be great?"

"Why did I come in here?" Lorelai muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Coffee, twenty minutes ago." Jackson replied.

"Ahh, right." Moving to the coffee maker, Lorelai poured herself a cup, before heading back to the door. "Ok, well, thank you for the chat, Sookie, and the reminder, Jackson. I'll see you both later."

"I have a recipe here somewhere, just give me-"

"Gotta get to work, Sook, say goodbye to your husband,"

"Goodbye to my- Oh. Bye honey!"

"I definitely like this private school girl thing," Jess informed Rory later the next week as they walked down a hallway, heading to their next class.

"Oh you do, do you?" she asked, glancing over at him. "Because I seem to remember a certain girl practically throwing herself at you with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer not too long ago, and she wore a remarkably similar ensemble,"

"I said I like this school girl." He clarified. "Don't get me wrong, as a whole, the concept is great, but this one in particular..."

"Alright, alright, I get your point." She pushed him towards the class room door. "Sit down and be quiet, would you?" she requested, following him inside and taking the seat beside him.

Rory pulled back from Jess a little, breaking the kiss to check their surroundings that afternoon, "No one is sorrier to break this to you than I, but it's time that we get off the bus now."

"But we were having such a nice time." He replied, continuing to kiss her. "Couldn't we continue to Woodbury?"

"I'd love to, but no. I really don't think so. I have to get over to the inn to help Mom and you're destined for the diner. And also, in the few spare minutes we get while at our oh-so glamorous jobs, we, must somehow finish the monstrous amounts of homework we've received today."

"Well that sucks." He sat back and looked outside.

"Yes it does," Rory agreed, taking his hand and pulling him towards the door as the bus came to a stop. "But at least we've had these last forty-two minutes of adult-free time."

"Yeah, see I actually didn't think this through. I think, you going to Chilton will be a bit of a problem for me."

"How so?"

"Well, it's the uniform actually." He explained.

"You liked the uniform this morning. What happened between then and now?"

"I did like it, still do in fact, but that's kind of the issue. I hadn't realised I'd like it so much."

"Are you trying to tell me that I look so irresistible in this awful outfit that you can't concentrate on anything but me?"

"E-essentially... yes. That's what I'm trying to say."

"Oh the power... I can completely control your mind." Rory replied thoughtfully. "But, maybe I should just take it off." she shrugged, Jess' eyes widened and he swallowed around a lump that had formed in his throat. "I'll just go change and then be on my way." she continued as they walked into the diner and she headed for the stairs. Jess bit back his reply and started for the kitchen.