I guess people didn't particularly like the last chapter because it didn't get one single review. That's too bad since I was actually pretty excited about that chapter. After all, it dealt with a scene we didn't actually see on the show. I thought for sure someone would comment on that aspect at least. But ah well, perhaps it was my request for four reviews in the last chapter that turned people off. In that case, I'll just ask for one review this time around. Anyone?

2.19

Atropos sat down and propped up her feet.
Indulged in some drama. Had herself a treat.
She tuned into Jess and watched as he slid
Into a school desk. Behind Lane, he hid.

He bantered a bit, though Lane stayed unmoved,
Since, during a test, was talk not approved.
And then did Atropos guffaw as he joked
Of purse-thieving tips which had Lane provoked.

That Jess was a spirit she so loved to watch!
His mind was so fertile with humour topnotch.
She giggled again at the comments he'd made
Until, with a thought, her smile did soon fade.

Atropos jumped up from her comfy couch
To see if her Sisters, for Jess, could avouch.
"How long has it been—my memory fades—
Since we looked at Jess and checked on his grades?"

Then Clotho's jaw dropped, Lachesis raised brow,
And none could recall, as thought they back now.
Then, without a word, they jumped to their files
And what they saw there, did not bring them smiles.

The grades were most dismal. In fact, he would fail!
Atropos dismayed and soon did she wail,
"This clever young boy so rarely attends!
We must make a plan to make some amends!"

So Clotho went 'round and sorted her thread
And, finding the best, to Sisters she sped.
Then with their new weave, his teacher grew worried.
To principal's office, in due time, she scurried.

And that very day a meeting was made
That set Luke out on a scholastic crusade.
He went to his nephew and him he confronted,
Which ended in anger with both soon affronted.

Then Jess barrelled out of oppressive apartment,
Which swiftly felt like a tiny compartment,
And strode with his book into the fresh air
And rushed down the street with no regard where.

Luke went to the window and looked down below
And frowned at his nephew as he watched him go.
Luke knew that his pleading would have no effect.
Luke needed a person whom Jess would respect.

Then Luke had to sigh, a goal to fulfill,
To think of a person who would fit the bill.
He pondered the problem, returned to the diner.
And, there on a stool, was where Luke then spied her.

And saw he her mother who might not approve
So Luke took a moment to ponder his move.
Then, to the store-room, did Lucas go, hopeful.
To see how much cocoa he had at disposal.

With basket of brownies, Luke purchased his way
To see whether Rory would help save the day.
He asked her a question to which she agreed.
To Luke's proposition, she'd kindly accede.

"Look at good Rory," Lachesis entreated.
And all three then looked where Rory was seated.
"See how she sits with glazed-over face
With no other thoughts to her smile erase?

"We already know that she loves this boy.
While Dean is away, will her thoughts deploy?"
The Fates nearly fainted as thoughts came to swirl
As now that Luke's plans included this girl!

But Clotho did speak, their terror to dampen,
"Let's see where this goes and see what will happen.
We know that good Rory is loyal to Dean.
We don't know the dangers, since they're yet unseen."

But quickly they drew on Lorelai's girn
And bade she stop Luke and voice her concern.
Said, "I don't want Rory to burn herself out.
She's got her own studies to worry about."

But Luke had responses which none could deny:
Of Rory's commitment to school, his reply.
So, with that discussion, her mother was swayed,
As Rory daydreamed, her homework delayed.

Back at the diner, Jess flew to aggression
When Luke told his nephew about that night's session.
"I don't need a tutor! I'm not a sob story!"
Said, "Yes you do, Jess, and so I asked Rory."

Though quickly Jess hid behind his disguise,
Luke saw how her name had widened his eyes.
Jess rued, in that moment, he'd taken his stand.
Luke knew, in an instant, he'd played the right hand.

For keeping his secrets this Jess was hard-wired.
To hide his emotions from Luke was desired.
With practiced annoyance, Jess called out then, "Geez!
I'll meet with a tutor if you'll leave me in peace!"

Avoiding Luke's smugness the best he was able,
Jess focussed himself on wiping a table.
Then as, with the rag, Jess scrubbed at some dirt,
He mulled over whether he'd best change his shirt.

Then later that night the Gilmores were seated
Together in diner, 'til elder retreated.
And Rory was left to face clever Jess
With all his diversions to leave her in stress.

And all those diversions were carefully planned
To catch her off-guard, distract her mind and
Impress upon her his slight of hand skill
And bend conversation towards his own will.

As much as he wanted to ban from his mind
The thought of her lips—and eyes, blue and kind—
He never did think he'd seen someone finer.
He wanted to take her outside of the diner.

So fin'lly his games and all his diversion,
Did lead her to make the slightest conversion.
Though disbelief rang, his coercive tones
Did manage to sway her to go out for cones.

From there, the two piled into her blue car.
They drove into Woodbridge where ice-cream cones are.
And into the parlour, the two tempted fate:
As he held the door, it felt like a date.

When they drove away she put work aside
To turn on some tunes and savour the ride.
The first song they heard was Cool Places by Sparks,
As, 'tween them, they felt electrical arcs.

The two fell into a true conversation
That bantered about with little cessation.
As Elastica sang a naughty Car Song,
She told him turn right and knew it was wrong.

The two rode along into the dark night,
With streetlights for stars, twinkling bright.
She watched as the lights crept over his body
And couldn't help noticing he was a hottie.

Then Total Coelo gave Rory a rush.
Their song about Cannibals made her cheeks blush.
Since, as she was speaking some thoughts on a whim,
He'd witnessed her eyes devouring him.

The smirk ere he spoke gave Rory the chills.
"Hey Rory, you honing your newscasting skills?
'Cause if you keep up all your staring like that,
I think my description you'll sure get down pat!"

"It wasn't a stare!" she blurted her stance,
"'Twas only a glimpse, indeed just a glance!"
She laboured to think of something to say
To banish embarrassment swiftly away.

But no explanation would come to her mind.
The words in her throat, her tongue couldn't find.
Some stories of friendship she set out to sculpt.
But, knowing the truth, then good Rory gulped.

To make it all worse—her shame set to swirl—
The White Stripes then sang In Love with a Girl.
The boyfriend therein was lax about cheating.
Her Dean surely wasn't. He'd freak at this meeting!

And Dean was away and so unaware
That she was with Jess, in tempting affair.
Her head set to shriek, with thoughts so unclean,
What am I doing? I'm cheating on Dean!

Then Rory skipped forward to hear the next song
But found Why Can't I? was also quite wrong.
(Since no other singer could so sweetly swear
A word with an F like darling Liz Phair.)

While Bow Wow Wow's Candy did, at conscience, gnaw,
Damn Sophie B. Hawkins was the final straw!
So quickly her fingers did fly to the dial!
She turned it right down and Jess grew to smile.

Why on this earth had she made such a mix
With all of these songs' suggestive lyrics?
She might as well add one more to the queue:
The classic by Adams that's called Run To You!

"You don't like that one?" he asked with a smirk.
And sometimes she thought he was really a jerk.
She saw in his teasing he knew all the verses.
He knew her discomfort had stemmed from her curses.

But Jess remained calm since he knew the score.
He saw their potential to be so much more.
He knew how he felt whenever they met
And knew how her absence could appetite whet.

It pleased him to note her thoughts were not pure.
Though she'd never state it, he was rather sure
That, also, she saw they fit like a glove.
If he's Kurt Cobain, then she's Courtney Love.

He kept manner light, but truth on his mind.
He smirked as he told her the thoughts he opined:
"It isn't my fault you're refusing to see
That, deep down, you know, you should be with me.

"I see how you blush at evocative song.
You think about me. Just tell me I'm wrong."
He went on to tempt with conjecture undue.
But, though unconfirmed, his words were so true.

The Fates smacked their heads and cried in distress
To hear the impatience of hot-headed Jess!
This talk should stop now, before things got worse
And all their good plans were rendered inverse!

Her lips drew apart, though Rory stayed mute.
Then he watched the road and she followed suit.
And then they both saw it at just the same time:
A dim-witted varmint. Jess swerved on a dime.

Her car hit a pole. Her hand hit the dash.
She cried out in pain as bone did then bash.
His coherent thoughts met stumbling block
As no thoughts cut through his turbulent shock.

And after the horror and twisting of metal,
It all became still, like dew on a petal.
In briefest of moments the car had been crashed
And, with it, his hopes of them had been dashed.

Jess turned to her then with worry and fright.
Said, "I am so sorry. Are you still all right?"
Then Rory looked outward, enthralled in nocturne,
And for the small creature she voiced her concern.

Said Jess, "It was fine. It ran over there.
Or maybe it hopped. I think it's a hare."
But, as our Jess spoke, he gathered a gist
Since Rory just sat and coddled her wrist.

"God Rory!" he cried, "What's wrong with your arm?
Has something been broken? Has it suffered harm?"
And Jess fixed upon her a frenetic stare
That spoke of his worry and of a good scare.

But Rory was quick to defuse the bomb.
She kept a strong face. She felt strangely calm.
"It doesn't hurt much but isn't the same.
I don't want to move it, for fear it is lame."

Then Jess felt a chill way down to his bones
And instantly spotted the public payphones.
"Just please stay right here! I'm getting you help!"
He jumped from the car and issued a yelp.

She watched as he ran across the slick street
To where waiting phone would his quarter meet.
And calmly she waited 'til came he to say,
"I've made a phone call and help's on the way!"

Jess couldn't relax 'til medics got there
And someone much better could see to her care.
He'd proven again he couldn't be trusted
When all that he touched was broken and busted!

Then when, through the night, some sirens drew near
And then, to their sight, the medics appeared,
A much calmer Jess helped her with the door
And held her quite tight as she stepped off the floor.

And, as they went past, she saw fender's scar.
And asked of her Jess, "But what of my car?"
"I'll call for a truck to tow it to Gypsy
And wait for them here to see it goes swiftly."

Her eyes grew more wide, as she got on track
And figured it out that Jess would stay back.
It's too much, she thought, to think of that pith.
She asked of her Jess, "But won't you come with?"

And Jess shook his head and held firm his ground,
As medics accosted and swarmed all around.
It all was too fast for Rory to deal.
This dreadful disaster had left her off-keel.

The last that she saw, as closed they the door,
Was Jess on the street, chilled straight to his core.
And when he was gone, cut off from her sight,
Then that's when her tears sprung forth from her fright.

Jess drew shaky breath to gather some air.
Since now that the best would see to her care,
A calmness came on him. With ambulance gone,
He turned to the car, to face it dead-on.

The fender was gnarled and hopelessly smudged
So, to the payphones, he mournfully trudged.
And after the car was towed by the truck,
He wandered around and chastised his luck.

And all at the lake was quiet and still
Except for his heart which shivered in chill.
He sat on the bridge and feared aftermath.
He was Kurt Cobain, and heartbreak his path.

Before very long, his uncle appeared.
Then, to a tongue-lashing, Jess readily geared.
Some words Jess laid out, sprung forth from dismay,
That he had made sure that she was okay.

Luke heard how his voice was barely a croak.
So Luke just took pity. No anger he spoke.
Instead he just stated, "I know that you did."
And, down to the bridge, Luke solemnly slid.

Then lowly Jess spoke, as though in a daze.
The words trickled out from earth-shattered haze.
And onward he spoke, with little to care,
As though, in his thoughts, no uncle was there.

"I care about her. But now it's too late.
All of our friendship will fade into hate.
And now I can't feel as I did before
To think that, perhaps, we could have been more.

"That's why we went out. The stupidest scheme.
'Twas all a vain plot to win her esteem
And win her away from her perfect boyfriend.
But that little goal has been put to an end."

And Lucas sat stunned, as he'd never heard
Admissions from Jess. Not one single word.
But what he'd said now... well that was an earful!
Jess spoke in a tone just shy of tearful.

The two sat a while, with few words to say,
'Til Jess freely offered that he'd go away.
Then Luke, as his fam'ly, said he would stick by him.
But Jess had a mind to promptly deny him.

I enjoyed choosing a selection of songs for this chapter, as their suggestive lyrics seem perfectly suited to the Jess Love. I will admit I've put myself in Rory's shoes here. Wouldn't we all like to do that?

My favourite aspect of this chapter was the contrast between Rory's and Jess's evolving reactions after the accident. At first, Jess was freaking out that he was the only one there to help her (and he has no confidence in his ability to help) while Rory remained calmly stunned. Then, when the paramedics arrived, Jess relaxed since she would have the professional care she needed, while Rory, on the other hand, started to freak out at the idea of being separated from him. I think there's something poetic about her subconsciously needing to be with him while, on the other hand, due to his lack of self esteem, he is feeling that he should keep himself away from her. Did that come across? What do you think?

I imagine that some of you would think that it was out of character for Jess to admit to Luke that he has a crush on Rory. But in the shell-shocked moments after an accident, I think it's perfectly plausible for Jess to be acting out of character. Also, he has to have said something to Luke at some point because when Jess moves back to Stars Hollow, Luke already knows he's come back for Rory. ("They're still together, Rory and Dean. Just leave it alone Jess.") Luke is not the most perceptive man, so I figure Jess would have had to say something to tip him off.

Please let me know what you thought of this chapter. I would appreciate it ever so much!