What? An update? It can't be!

But it IS!

After only…

…

…

Um, time is relative, right? The good news is that there's only one more chapter after this, and now that I remembered about this fic, I'll write it so soon! I promise! REALLY!

…

Please don't hurt me.

章三 (SHOO SAN)

Jess was late coming home. When he finally strode through the door a little after eleven o'clock, Luke was waiting for him.

"Where've you been, Jess?"

Jess ignored him. He flopped onto his bed and opened a book.

"I asked you a question," said Luke.

"And I chose not to answer it."

"Did you return the necklace?"

"Mm-hm."

"Really."

"Yeah."

Luke raised his eyebrows. "And…?"

Jess shrugged.

"Jason's not pressing charges?"

"No," said Jess. "I guess he was just happy to have it back."

"Hm. So, if I call him up, he can tell me all about it?" said Luke.

"Yeah, go right ahead."

Luke went to the phone on the wall. He picked it up and pretended to punch in a number.

Jess looked up from his bed. "By the way, I'm pretty sure he's closed."

"That's okay," said Luke. "I have his home number—Hi, Jason?"

Jess jumped. "Hey, okay, okay, I have it!"

Luke hung up the phone. "Why didn't you return it?"

Jess scowled at him. "Because I don't want to go to jail."

"You snuck it out. Can't you sneak it back in?"

"I… could…"

"You're not still planning on giving it to Rory!"

Jess frowned into his book. "I just wanted to get her something nice."

"Make her a card," said Luke. "It'll mean more than a stolen necklace."

Jess made a face.

"You need to take it back," said Luke.

"I'm not going to."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not."

"Then…" Luke crossed his arms, did his best to look authoritative. "You're grounded."

"Excuse me?"

"Until you change your mind, you are grounded. You will not leave this house except to go to school, and you will come straight back afterward, work in the diner, and do your homework."

Jess was staring at him incredulously. "What makes you think I'm going to listen to you?"

"Faith."

"You're an extremely trusting person."

"Kind of makes you want to do the right thing, doesn't it?"

"No."

"Well, until you change your mind, you're grounded. Your punishment begins now and ends when you return the necklace."

"Guess I'm gonna be 'grounded' for a while."

"That's your decision," said Luke. "Now, I want you to put down that book, turn off the light, and go to bed."

Jess rolled his eyes and continued reading.

"I said go to bed, Jess."

"Fuck off."

Luke snatched up the paperback book. It made a very satisfying THWACK! against the side of Jess's head.

"Ow!"

"Watch your mouth!" Luke reached over to turn off the lamp on Jess's bedside table. He was no more than three steps away when the light clicked back on. He reached over again and unscrewed the bulb. "Good night, Jess."

"I can't believe you."

"Gonna bring that necklace back tomorrow?"

"No."

"Well, we'll see."

The next afternoon, Luke waited for Jess to come home after school, as he had been directed, but he didn't get back until close to eight o'clock. Luke had just made it through the dinner rush and was drying glasses behind the bar. There were only a couple of stragglers still in the diner.

"You're four hours late," said Luke as Jess passed the bar.

"Oops," said Jess.

"Did you return the necklace?"

"Nope."

"Did you forget you're grounded?"

"Nope."

Luke heaved a sigh. "Well, I didn't want to have to do this," he said, "but if you're not going to respect my rules, I don't have much of a choice. As of now, your Rory privileges are officially revoked."

"My Rory privileges?"

"You will not see her until the necklace is returned."

"Right," said Jess.

"Think I'm kidding?"

Jess's eyes narrowed. Luke thought he detected just the slightest trace of apprehension. "You're full of it."

"Not even a little bit."

"I'm going to see her now."

"Best of luck."

With a noise bordering on a snarl, Jess whirled around the way he had come and ran out the door.

He was back in less than ten minutes, and he was livid. He slammed his palms on the countertop and shoved his face into Luke's. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

"Your legal guardian."

"You have them in on this, too!"

"Lorelai agreed to help me out, yes."

"I know what you're trying to do, and it won't work!"

"We'll see," said Luke.

"It won't work!"

"Please don't raise your voice to me, Jess."

Jess's lip curled. "You're an asshole."

"Watch it," said Luke. "We've got paying guests."

Jess seethed for a moment. His fists clenched on the countertop. "You can't do this to me," he hissed.

Luke tilted his head. "No, I think I can."

"I'm not returning the necklace."

"Then the punishment stands," said Luke. "Go do your homework."

"Bite me."

Luke began stacking clean plates in the cupboard. "You can make this easy, or you can make it hard. Return the necklace and start acting civilized, and you're home-free. Keep up the attitude, though, and the necklace might not be enough."

"I'm not taking it back."

"That's entirely up to you," said Luke. "Now are you going to stand here and keep arguing, or are you going to do your homework?"

With a last, furious look, Jess stormed around the bar and up the stairs, slamming the door behind him.

The next few days were turbulent. Jess and Luke were constantly on edge. The customers began to see it in the way Jess scrubbed a blob of spilled ketchup to death, the way Luke poured coffee like he was trying to drown a small animal. They rarely spoke to each other, except in orders barked by Luke and curses and threats that poured in response from Jess's mouth. He got out of diner duties more than once because Luke didn't want to subject his paying customers to that class of language.

Jess paid for it, though. He was removed from the front of the diner and directed instead to take out the trash in the five bins distributed around the kitchen and bar—and then wash out the bins, something that had likely not happened for a good couple of years.

Two hours later, when Jess returned grimy-handed and smelly, he conceded in a barely concealed growl that he would put a cap on the language if he could be allowed to go back to bussing tables and pouring coffee. By Friday, Luke had him under his thumb, obediently (if not exactly cheerfully) carrying out orders without having to be told twice. It was a definite improvement over his recent behavior, and Luke felt infinitely better to have him in the diner where he could keep an eye on him.

Besides avoiding the threat of menial, disgusting chores, it was clear what Jess was trying to do. He hoped that, by getting into Luke's good graces, his punishment might be lifted. He hadn't seen Rory in over three days, and the stress was starting to get to him.

Late Friday afternoon, Jess was taking inventory of the food behind the bar when Luke spotted Lorelai and Rory on the sidewalk outside. Lorelai put a hand on Rory's shoulder, stopping her before they reached the diner door, and they waited there expectantly.

"Jess," said Luke. "Go upstairs."

Jess turned around, confused. "Wha—?" His eyes went to the door, and they got wide. "Oh—are you serious?"

"You're done for the night," said Luke. "Go do your homework."

"Can't I at least say hi?"

"Nope."

Jess gave Luke a pleading look. He looked at Rory. He looked back at Luke. He looked at Rory. Then he pushed off of the counter and made a break for the door.

Luke was expecting this. He snagged the back of Jess's shirt, yanking him backward, and then caught his ear and gave it a little twist.

"Ow—ow!" Jess struggled briefly until he realized that was only making it worse.

"I said go upstairs, Jess," said Luke. He propelled him up the stairwell and released him into the apartment. "You're not coming back down for the rest of the night."

"This is completely unfair!" Jess was visibly angry, but there was something else—he looked wounded.

"Did you return the necklace?"

Jess ignored the question. "Why didn't she come in?"

"Because she's a good kid who listens to her mother."

"You're not my father," Jess spat.

"Right," said Luke. "If I were, there would definitely be no hostility."

"You can't do this to me."

"Yes, I can," said Luke. "Do your homework. I don't want to see you back downstairs."

"And what if you do?"

Luke raised his chin a little and looked Jess up and down. "Then you'll get the hiding of your life," he said.

Jess's expression was one of mingled disbelief and horror. He looked about to say something, but apparently he wasn't sure whether or not to believe Luke because he opened and closed his mouth a couple of times and no sound came out.

"Do your homework."

Jess swallowed hard, stomped to the table, and dropped into a chair, defeated.

Back downstairs, Lorelai and Rory had come in and seated themselves at the counter. Luke poured them each a mug of coffee, thanked Rory for her diligence, and then proceeded as normal for the remainder of their visit. Jess stayed put all night.

When Luke came up at the end of the night, he found Jess poring over his History textbook, lips pressed tightly together, scowling.

"You might want to think about taking care of that necklace sooner than later," said Luke. "Your girlfriend looks like she misses you."