Author's note: Sorry for the very late update, been busy with school lately. Hope you guys like this chapter, reviews will be greatly appreciated. It helps a lot in improving my writing and content of the story :) Enjoy!

A/N:

Terinmkane, Thank you for your review, I'm so glad you like the story! I'll try to update at least one chapter a week. Hope you'll continue liking the story!

junienmomo, thank you for the review! yea after watching the show, Luke remains my best choice for Jess, they are in a lot of ways similar actually. Liz should really be out of the picture for Jess's sake. Hope you'll continue liking the story!

Nancy, thank you for the very detailed review! I am very grateful for your review. I agree, Jack is a terrible person, but then Luke saves the day again. To me, Luke always seem to be scared and worried that he is not capable of raising a kid properly, but he is the figure that most kids would want to have. Put food on the table, knows handy stuff, like sports, care about you through his actions, etc. Most of all, I'm glad there were parts where it was touching or hard to read for you because that was what I was aiming for. :p More will be uploaded soon, I promise. Hope you'll continue liking the story.

Chapter 3: Jack's Arrival

AUGUST 1992

"Jess, you gotta wake up, your mom's gonna pick you up in an hour or two." Said Luke while patting Jess's back.

"Do I have to leave, Uncle Luke?" Jess asked while stretching his arms, trying to get up.

"Yea you do. School's starting tommorrow. You have to go back to New York alright. School is more important than anything, remember that." Luke lectured Jess while pulling off Jess's blanket.

"That is not true. You go to school to learn stuff to find a job to make money. So that means money is the most important thing in the entire world, not school." Argued Jess, who was now up and throwing on a Ramones T-shirt and shorts.

"I have no time to argue with you right now, Jess. It's crazy downstairs. Start packing all your stuff and head down for breakfast ok?" sighed Luke who had a bad grumpy morning.

'Hi Luke, is um.. um.. is Jess here?" the trembling boy asked Luke.

Not many kids are as lucky as Rory, who was able to talk to a perfectly smiley face Luke, therefore kids tried to avoid any contact with Luke.

"Yea he's upstairs he'll be down soon."

"Can you just give him this before he leaves Stars Hollow? I gotta go."

The kid Johnny handed Luke a Paul O'Neill baseball card and left the diner.

Meanwhile, Jess came down holding his backpack and everything.

"Hey, your friend came in to give you this. You lucky runt." Said Luke with a small smile, ruffling Jess's bouncy hair.

"A Paul O'Neill Card?! Oh man!' Jess was wide eyed and happy, couldn't stop looking at the card.

"Go sit down at the corner table, I'll bring you up some chocolate chip pancake and orange juice." Said Luke who's getting back to taking orders from other customers.

Jess sat down at the corner table and carefully placed the card inside his bag. He was tempted to read the new book Bridge to Terabithia, Rory gave him as a farewell gift. However he had decided to read it when he'll be on his way back to New York. Jess looked at his uncle, one hand pouring coffee and the other hand giving out breakfast to customers, he thought to himself how much he would miss Luke and how happy he is that Luke is actually his uncle.

4 hours later

"Uncle Luke, when is mom gonna be here?" Jess frustratedly asked.

The diner was at busy hour so Luke got his hands full.

"They'll be here in a minute, don't you worry. Your mom is definitely gonna pick you up today." Luke assured the boy. Jess nodded his head and went back to his table, looking out at the was getting bored and sleepy while waiting for Liz, he fell asleep, resting his head on the table.

It was 2pm then, Luke's diner died down, he carried theboy upstairs to his bed. And suddenly a car horns loudly. Luke looked out the window and saw a car parking right outside his diner. He laid the boy down on his bed and went down.

Knock, knock.

'Hey I'm Jack, I'm here to pick the kid up.' Said the man in his leather jacket and jeans, smoking a cigarette, he was a little shorter than Luke.

Luke opened the door and punched him right in the face.

'What the fuck dude!' shouted the guy who was whincing at the pain.

'Hi there Jack! Have I not introduced myself, I am Luke, Liz's older brother and Jess's uncle! It's my pleasure to meet you, buddy!' Luke sarcastically replied the man.

' Yea I fuckin know, Luke! Why the hell did you punch me!'

' Don't think I don't know what you did to Jess. He told me everything, if I hear anything about you laying a hand on my nephew again, you would dream of that punch just now because it will just be the beginning to what I will do to you next time I see you!" shouted Luke furiously.

Jess was up by all the noise downstairs. He looked out from the window of the apartment and saw Jack's car, he picked up his things and slowly walked downstairs.

'Well I'm Liz's boyfriend and I take care of the family in my own way, whether you like it or not.' The grumpy man growled and pull Luke's collar.

Luke shoved the man to the wall,

'you listen to me, you son of a bitch. I've got nothing to lose, I will come down to New York and kill you with my bare hands if you abuse the boy.' Luke punched him twice on the stomach with one hand while keeping one hand on the man's neck.

'Uncle Luke!' Jess saw the whole scene, ran and hide behind Luke's legs.

Luke immediately released the man when he heard Jess's voice, he didn't want to scare Jess.

'Jess get the hell out of here, your mom's waitin at home.' The guy said while grabbing Jess by the arm forcefully.

Jess resisted, 'Let me go! Let me go!'

Luke pulled the boy off from Jack.

'Jess, your mom misses you, you have to go home.'

Jess couldn't hold it anymore, he started tearing up and hugged Luke tight,

'but this is my home.'

Luke was shocked by Jess, he didn't know what to say. He hugged Jess back and finally found the words to say.

'Jess, I'm here. I'm always here. Call me if anything happened, anytime, eventhough if it's 3am, I'm always there for you. But you really have to go, there's school tomorrow and there's mom worried and missed you sick.'

Jess gave up, he tried, he really would rather stay with his Uncle who really cared from him than his mom who gave birth to him, but never really cared about him more than her boyfriends. He wiped his tears and toughened up.

'Okay.' And he ran out the diner, slamming the door. He didn't even look at Luke or said goodbye, he just hopped in to the car. Jess was angry at Luke, he couldn't believe Luke would let him leave with this asshole after all he has seen. Luke ran out the door, wanting to just say goodbye to his nephew, but the car sped up and was gone.

Luke returned to the diner, clearing the counter tops, trying not to think about whether he did the right decision or not.

'Luke! What the hell! You know that bastard is going to hit the boy again! You know Liz is not capable of taking care of a growing boy!'

'So what! It's Liz's kid, not yours! Stop being so nosy!'

'But Jess wanted to stay too! Did you not see it, idiot?'

'Liz is family, so is Jess. You know this is not gonna do the boy any good!'

'What the hell, Luke!' Luke slammed his hand on the counter before he rushed to his truck. He turned the engine on and speed his way up to the route going to New York. He was on 160, way over the limit, but this is the last chance to make things right. He had to do it.

Finally, he saw Jack's car, he raced until he was right next to Jack's car. He beeped the car, which caught Jess's attention, Luke waved at him to roll down the window. 'Jess! I'm sorry I let you down! But I am here now! Tell that guy to stop and yield to the side.. I gotta talk to him.'

Jess nodded, he was smiling with tears, finally, his Uncle Luke is back.

The two cars stopped at the side, Jack got out of the car and Luke talked to him. Luke called Liz up and convince her that Jess will be better off with him and that's what Jess wanted as well. To his surprise, Liz agreed without any hesitation, she didn't even want to say goodbye or talk to her son at all. Luke told Jess to get his stuff and into his truck. Jack left right after without saying anything.

'Thank you.' Jess said quietly.

' Jess, you know.. I'm not good with kids, I don't know how to raise a kid and I don't know if what I'm doing is the right thing or not. I am worried and I hope I'm good enough

for you.' Sighed Luke, giving Jess a weak smile.

' You're more than good enough Uncle Luke. You're the best.'