Chapter 25

Stars Hallow

The stares that followed them as they navigated the small town had Colin shifting uncomfortably behind the wheel. 'This town gives me the creeps. Why's everyone staring?'

'Maybe its one of those towns where they like sacrifice outsiders so they can have a good crop season.' Tristan eyed the people in the center of town distrustfully. The car swerved as Colin looked over at him with fear in his eyes. 'Dude it's a small town, they're staring because they don't know us.' He said with a snort of laughter.

'That's not funny! You know that shit freaks me out!' He snapped.

His short temper was something he had grown used to since Rory's leaving and even if it was getting irritating part of him understood it. If Colin had started dating his cousin without telling him he would be pissed but would get over it – if Colin had let his cousin run away …. well he would probably beat the shit out of him and then never talk to him again. So he was not going to complain over a little bitching. 'It was a little funny.' He mumbled. 'They're pulling over.' He pointed out the window at Rebecca's car and Colin pulled to a stop behind it.

They shared a look as they met the two women on the sidewalk.

Lorelei was wringing her hands nervously and Rebecca was rolling her eyes. 'Would you stop that?' She grabbed Lorelais hand and shoved it down to her side. 'You're making me nervous.'

Lorelai pulled her fingers through her hair and exhaled a long breath. 'I'm sorry I'm just – jittery.' She looked to Colin who was looking around uncertainly while tapping a rolled up stack of fliers against his leg. 'I guess I'm not the only one. You ok kid?'

His attention slid by her then back toward the group of people standing across the street staring at them. 'Yea uh-huh.'

Both women looked to Tristan who gave a half hearted smirk. 'He has issues with small towns.'

Colin inched forward toward his aunt. 'Is it just me or do they look like they're boxing us in?' He asked a bit breathlessly.

Shaking his head Tristan grabbed the make shift weapon out of his hand, unrolled it and split them in half. 'Worse then a freaking girl.' Both women raised an eyebrow and instantly he began to back pedal. 'I mean'

Rebecca grabbed one stack out of his hand. 'Stop before you hurt yourself – or worse before I hurt you.' She teased while looking around the town for the diner. 'The kid, from earlier, Sean?' Tristan nodded. 'He said Lukes right?'

'Yeah.

She turned to Lorelai but found her already walking across the square.

'Why does it seem like she knows where shes going?' Tristan asked.

Rebecca glanced at him then at Colin who had shoved his hands in his pockets. He walked around

Tristan. 'They used to live here.'

'What?' Instead of answering him, Colin picked up his pace and jogged after his aunt. Tristan and

Rebecca followed behind. 'What's he talking about?'

She looked uncomfortably from Lorelai then back to him. 'You know the story Tristan. Lorelai got pregnant when we were – well your age, she had Chris and Rory'

He was nodding now. 'And she ran away.'

'Yeah. Until they were around four, this is where they were living.' She motioned around the town with her hand. She expected more questions but instead was met with silence. They caught up to Lorelai and

Colin after they were already walking into the diner. Tristan caught the door just as it was swinging shut behind Colin.

There was a boy sitting behind the cash register reading a book and a man standing a few feet away taking an order at the counter. The older man glanced up at them then over at the boy who did not so much as blink at their arrival. With a sigh he gestured to an empty table with his pen. 'Have a seat, I'll be with you in a second.' Turning, he handed a piece of paper to the unseen cook then walked over to the boy and slapped him in the head with his order pad.

'What the hell?' The boy covered his head and glared up at the older man.

'You hear a customer you go and take their order. It's not a hard job Jess. I'm not asking you to find a cure for hunger, I'm just asking you to write an order down on a piece of paper and serve some drinks.

Is that really to difficult for you?'

'Take orders and serve drinks?' Jess replied sarcastically. 'Sounds hard. I don't know how you handle such complex tasks.' He had a smile on his face, obviously proud of himself.

The man took another deep breath and pointed over at them. 'Go.' He shoved the pad at Jess's chest.

'Now.' Still smirking, Jess made his way over to them. 'Welcome to Lukes. What can I get for you?'

Before anyone could say anything he held up a hand. 'Please speak slowly.' He spoke loud enough for the man to hear him.

Rebecca narrowed her eyes and Lorelai knew she was about to say something rude so she cut her off and grabbed the fliers. 'We're not here to eat.'

Jess leaned in. 'I don't blame you. Let me tell you – some of the things I've seen back there '

'OK thats enough.' The man appeared beside him almost magically and Jess smirked. 'I'm sorry my nephew is under the mistaken impression that he's funny. Tell them you were joking.'

'I was joking.' He parroted sarcastically.

'I'm Luke. Can I get you some coffee or something?'

'Uh no. I mean yes.' Lorelai stumbled for a second then shook her head and stood up. 'Sorry, I'm Lorelai Hayden.' Luke finished filling her mug then shook her outstretched hand and Rebecca smirked when he held it a bit longer then necessary. 'We're uh, we're looking for my daughter – Rory.' Her voice broke and she covered her mouth. It was the first time she had had to say that to anyone, according to Tristan, it had been the boy's job to hand out fliers.

When Colin noticed that she was shaking he stood and helped her back into her chair where she promptly picked up her coffee. He held his hand out to Luke. 'Colin McCrea sir. Rory's cousin.' He picked up a flier from the table and handed it to Luke. 'She ran away two weeks ago and it's just come to our attention that over the past week, the help line' He pointed to the number on the flier. 'has been getting a call from this diner everyday. We were wondering if you or anyone who works here has seen her.'

Luke stared at the flier with concern. 'No I'm sorry. I haven't even been here this past week, I actually just got back' He stopped and looked at Jess who was back behind the counter pretending to work. He looked back to Colin. 'You're sure the calls are coming from here?'

'Yes sir.'

Tristan nodded in Jess's direction. 'Your nephew knows her.' They all looked at him then back at Luke who had a worried look on his face. 'When she told you her name he walked away and has been unstacking and restacking coffee cups ever since.'

Lorelai stood up and walked over to Jess who had just begun to unstack the coffee cups again. Luke followed her. 'Jess.' He turned to face his uncle making sure to avoid Lorelai's tear filled gaze.

'What?'

Luke held the flier out to him. 'Do you know this girl?'

Without glancing at the picture he shook his head. 'No can't say I do. Who is she?'

Luke sighed. 'Jess.'

'She's my daughter. And she's sick right now, so if you know anything, please.' Jess looked down at his shoes as Lorelai spoke softly so everyone in the diner would not hear.

'Sick?' Luke asked worriedly.

She took a step closer to them. 'My daughter has a problem with drugs.'

With an understanding nod something in Luke's eyes changed. 'Give us a second please?' Lorelai could only nod as he pulled Jess by the collar of his black t-shirt to a room in the back.

Despite her attempt at being discreet, it seemed that everyone was staring at her. Silently she walked back to the table where Colin and Rebecca were having a quiet conversation and Tristan was watching her with a worried look on his face. 'What happened? Was I right? Did he know her?' He asked before she was even back in her seat.

'I don't know.' She sat down and wrapped her hand around her mug.

'What did he say?'

'That he didn't but his Uncle didn't seem to believe him.'

'She's here.' All three looked around and he shook his head. 'No not here, but here in this town. And that guy knows where.'

Ten minutes passed before Luke came back alone. He walked directly over to their table. The look on his face told them that Tristan had been right. Lorelai put her hand over her chest to steady her pounding heart as she stood up to meet him. 'My apartment is upstairs.' He looked around the table as Rebecca, Colin and Tristan rose as well. 'Maybe it would be better if we took this up there.' All Lorelai could do was nod in response before they followed him.

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Bored. It was the only word Rory could think of to describe how she was feeling. She had been held up in an empty house all day with only a copy of Oliver Twist to entertain her. She was starting to feel like a caged animal. At Jess's place there had been TV and music, coffee, food and more then one book to distract her. But then his Uncle came back and she was exiled back to the broken down crap shack she was sitting in now. She hated the silence. She had spent a few days the week before the week at Jess's in this house sitting in silence, rethinking what she had done. Imagining what her Mom and Dad, family and friends must be going through. She had spent that time feeling angry and guilty and both emotions would eventually bring her to tears. She would cry until she could not cry anymore and then she would fall asleep in a fit of complete exhaustion. Sometime's, Jess would be there when it happened and he would hold her until she stopped, eventually he would try to convince her to go home but it would not work. She had seen the news report, copied the number down for the help line. It took her a day to work up the courage to call it, when Paris answered she had just barely hung up before bursting into tears and the same thing had happened the day after that and the day after that with Madeline and Louise.

She could feel the tears stinging her eyes when Jess' code knock reverberated off the walls. With a grateful breath she jumped to her feet and ran to the door. 'Thank God! I'm starving! What'd you' She stumbled as she came to a halt, began to back pedal as Jess avoided eye contact by staring down at his shoes and a teary Lorelai took a tentative step toward her.

'Sweetie.'

She shook her head and shot an accusatory look at Jess. 'You called her?' He looked up at her, his mouth hanging open but no words came out. 'How could you?'

He shook his head hurriedly. 'No. Well yes but not the way your thinking. I found the number written on a piece of paper in the apartment this morning and I called it but as soon as I heard what it was I hung up.' Her back hit the wall and he took a step toward her. 'But Ror, come on, maybe it's a good thing that they're here. You couldn't run for'

While she struggled to breathe she looked to her Mom, her hand clutching her side.'They?'

Lorelai tilted her head slightly toward the door. 'Becca, Colin and Tristan are outside.'

At the mention of Tristans name she felt her heart clench and tears flooded from her eyes. 'Oh God.' She bent over trying to catch her breath. 'No no no no no. He, they can't be here.' She slid to the floor and Lorleai walked over to kneel in front of her.

'Rory, honey, look at me.' When she didn't she lifted her face with her hands. 'They're here because they've been so worried about you.' The tears she had been fighting began to fall. 'We all have been. God Rory, I – I thought you were' She looked her over and all the strength she had fell away and she broke down, her hands falling into Rory's lap.

Rory looked over at Jess helplessly and he shook his head before turning and walking out of the house shutting the door behind him. She knew why he was upset with her and in that moment, looking at her Mother, she was angry with herself. Swallowing her own tears she put her hand over her Mom's. 'I'm so sorry.' With another sob Lorelai pulled her into her arms.

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Tristan saw Jess come out of the house alone and he advanced on him. Before he could reach the porch Jess shut the door and held up his hand to stop him. 'Hold on there Romeo.'

'Get the hell out of my way.' He went toe to toe with him and Jess smirked.

'Look I'm not trying to play who's is bigger with you man.' He took a step back and Tristan continued to glare. 'I just figured she needed some time alone with her Mom.'

Tristan's eye's narrowed. 'You figured?' He laughed spitefully. 'What you think you know what's best for her now or something?'

Without faltering Jess side-stepped him and pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. 'Hell, by all means go on in.' As he made his way down the steps he tried not to feel smug over the fact that Tristan didn't move. He leaned against the porch and lit his cigarette, watching as Tristan descended the stairs and walked over to Colin who was leaning against his car. Rebecca walked over and held her hand out to him. At first he thought she was taking them from him then he saw her hand shaking and he handed one over along with his lighter.

She looked ashamed as she brought it to her lips. 'I don't normally condone letting a minor smoke, nor do I normally bum one off him. So try to keep your smart-ass comment's to yourself.' He smirked as she lit it and inhaled. 'So you know Rory from California?' He nodded. 'You were in the same rehab or what?' Again he nodded. 'Do you still use?' He paused then shook his head. 'Did you suddenly lose the ability to speak?'

With a shrug Jess dropped the butt on the ground and put it out with the toe of his shoe. 'Nope.'

'Then what's with being reticent boy all of a sudden?

Again he shrugs while stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets. 'You told me to keep my comment's to myself.'

She had to bite back her amusement. 'And you can't speak without being a smart-ass?'

'That's what I'm told.'

Now she smiled while tossing her own cigarette to the ground. She gave him a skeptical look as she put it out. 'I like you a little more then I did an hour ago.'

Now he smirked. 'Well aren't I a lucky boy.'

Rebecca shook her head, she could see why Rory was friends with him, he reminded her of Lorelai. 'You've got a smart mouth, and you play the unfazed tuff guy pretty well.' She glanced at the porch where he and Tristan had been standing moment's before. 'But you took care of my god-daughter when she needed you and I saw the look on your face when you let down your Uncle. Do you know what that tell's me?'

He didn't look so unaffected anymore as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. 'No, but I'm pretty sure you're going to tell me.'

Unfazed by his attitude she smirked at him while taking the pack of cigarettes from his pocket and placing them in her own. He stood up straight with a look of indignation on his face, but didn't say a word. 'You've got mush in ya kid. Warm gooey caramely mush.' His chest puffed out and her smirk turned to a smile. 'Rory needs somebody to look out for her. These guy's' She tilted her head backward at Tristan and Colin. 'don't get me wrong they've got her back - we all do, but she needs somebody who understands what she's going through. I think maybe you might too.'

Jess was quiet for a moment then he looked over her shoulder at Colin and Tristan who were staring at him like they wanted to pummel him. 'Her boyfriend and cousin aren't exactly my biggest fans.'

She gave a short unamused laugh. 'She was gone for two weeks hiding out here with some guy they never met, they'd have every right to come over here and beat the crap out of you right now.'

'And here I thought you were on my side.'

Rebecca shook her head. 'There is no your side or their side. There's only what's in Rory's best interest and that would have been for you to call when she showed up here - and say something, not call and hang up for a week until somebody finally figured it out.'

'What are you talking about? I only found the number this morning on a paper at home and I hung up because I wanted to talk to her again, try to convince her into going back on her own.'

Rebecca shook her head in confusion then looked at the door to the house. 'It was her.'

'What?'

'You said she's been staying at your house until last night right? She probably saw the number on the news and has been calling and hanging up all week.' He looked back at the door, guilt washed over his face. Rebecca sighed. 'She wanted to come home, she was just to scared.'

Jess looked back to her and instinctively stuck his hand into his pocket searching for his cigarettes. When he came up empty he began shifting nervously from foot to foot. 'I really did try to convince her to go back.'

She searched his eyes for a second then nodded. 'I believe you but next time don't talk just call. If what she needs is to get away for a little bit I'm sure that's something her Mom can deal with. Not knowing whether her kid is dead or alive? No, not after Christopher.' Pure shame filled his eyes and he looked away.

'You're right. I'm sorry.'

Not wanting to go down that road of conversation she only nodded before glancing over her shoulder then back to him. 'And don't worry about Colin he'll get over it, he'll appreciate what you did for her.'

'What about Romeo over there?" He lifted his chin at Tristan who shifted forward with a defensive look on his face. Rebecca followed his gaze and laughed and shook her head.

'Now he's a different story.' He lifted an eyebrow in question and she straight out laughed at him. 'You've been shacked up with his girlfriend for the last two weeks.'

Jess shook his head automatically. 'It's not like'

Rebecca cut him off with a shake of her head. 'Hey I believe you. He probably know's it too, it's the principle of the matter. She ask's him to run away with her and then disappears, when we do find her she's living with some guy? Friends or not what would you do in his shoes?'

Jess thought about it for a moment then smirked. 'Probably beat the shit out of the guy.' She gave him an exactly look.

They were both quiet, Jess itching for his pack of cigarettes and Rebecca's mind running a mile a minute wondering what was going on inside. A thought occurred to her, was Rory high? She looked to Jess with scrutiny in her eyes. 'You said you don't use anymore?' He shook his head, this time without pause. 'How long?'

He shifted uncomfortably, Rebecca was entirely to curious for his comfort. 'You ask a lot of questions.'

She looked embarrassed for a beat then shrugged. 'I need to know who it is my god-daughter's hanging out with. Is your avoidance of the question your way of saying your really not clean?'

'No.'

'Then?'

With a sigh he shifted again. 'Two years. Can I have my cigarettes back?' The desperate look in his eyes had Rebecca handing them back to him without thinking. Automatically he lit one and inhaled deeply. 'Thanks.'

'Is Rory?'

He pulled his hand through his hair nervously. 'Is Rory what?' He glanced over her shoulder again and inwardly groaned as Tristan and Colin made their way over.

'Is she using right now?'

He glanced from the two guy's to Rebecca and back. Colin came to a stop on her right and Tristan on her left. Colin's eyebrows drew together in worry when Jess didn't respond right away. 'Well? Is she?'

Jess sighed and shook his head. 'Not now, no.'

Tristan and Rebecca exhaled simultaneously and he pulled his trembling hand through his hair. Colin on the other hand didn't look as relieved as them. His eyes stayed trained on Jess. 'But she was right?'

Seeing the look on Jess's face, he sighed in defeat and dropped his head back. He tried to fight the tears that burned in his eyes at bay. He walked a over and sat on the stairs, layed his arms out on his knees and bowed his head. They all watched him for a moment then Rebecca and Colin turned back to Jess. 'She got here a few day's after running away, asked me for some money - told me she was clean and that her Mom and doctor wouldn't believe her, but I knew. I mean I've seen that look too many times not to. I called her on it and she denied it so told her I couldn't get the money till morning and I brought her here. Once she started to come down, she couldn't really deny it anymore. I stayed with her through the night and well I won't get into it but eventually she told me what had really happened.' He turned to Tristan who was not looking at them but who he knew was listening. 'I know its not much man but she was telling you the truth about the pills. She said it was only twice.'

Colin gave him scrutinizing look. 'And you believe her?'

Jess flicked his gaze over to him. 'No offense man but she came to me for a reason.' Colin looked like he had punched him in the gut. 'It's because the only person an addict can be completely honest with, is somebody whose been right there at the bottom just like them. There's no need to lie, so yeah I believe her.' When Colin didn't say anything else he continued 'It was just the pills the two times, but when she was on her own...' He trailed off and looked at Rebecca whose hand was over her mouth. 'Anyway she asked me what day it was and I told her Wednesday, that's when she told me she'd been gone since Saturday. Apparently she had went back to the guy she used to buy from and had been held up there getting high for three day's straight. When she ran out of money he kicked her out and some girl she didn't know gave her a ride here.' He sighed while stubbing out his cigarette on the ground. 'I kept her here while she came down and then took her back to my place and have been trying to talk her into calling her Mom since.' He looked back up at Rebecca. 'I told you I tried to convince her to go back and I did, but not right away. As far gone as she was then, she couldn't go back like that. She wouldn't be able to come back from you guy's seeing her that way.'

They were all silent for a long time, everyone lost in their own thought's. The silence was only broken when Tristan rose and stepped in front of Jess. Rebecca and Colin watched them carefully. 'Thank you.' Jess only had time to nod before the front door to the house opened and Rory and Lorelai stepped out.

AN: As promised Chapter 25! Sooo it's done and I"m just realizing that while I always planned on Jess being apart of this story, I didn't include him in the picture on my live journal ... oops! I can fix that if you guys want. Oh and for any Jess lovers out there, trust that I am a fan as well and he I only have positive plans for him =) Ok so I hope you all enjoy 3 peace and in case I don't see you before then, Merry Christmas!