I Love Loving You
By: Legacy at Heart
Disclaimer: I own only Kate.
Summary: What if Rory had a twin sister? And what if Jess did not fall for Rory but her twin sister? Starts at Season 2 when Jess comes in and jumps around a little after that.
Chapter 4- A-Tisket, A- Tasket
"So, are you sure you don't want me to make you guys something edible to put in the basket this year?" Kate asked.
"Nope," Lorelai said.
"You're not even going to participate this year," Rory added.
Kate sighed and then looked at a medium sized basket. "I'm participating this year," she confessed.
"Oh thank the Lord! The Gilmore tradition lives on," Lorelai said.
Kate smiled and they continued to shop for baskets. Kate wandered into the back and looked around. She noticed someone behind her. Jess slung an arm over her shoulders. Kate jumped and looked at him.
"Don't do that," she chided.
Jess smirked and Kate smiled at him. "What are you doing here?" Jess asked.
"Buying a basket for the Bid- A- Basket thing tomorrow," Kate replied.
"Of all the things these people do, that is the most degrading thing I have ever heard of. I mean, a man bidding for a woman's cooked- or in your case, a completely inedible- meal is pretty sexist," Jess said.
"I can't say I disagree, but there's something about the way I get to cook for my possible prince charming," Kate said.
Jess felt a twinge of jealously and yet hid it. "That's good for you," he said.
Kate smiled sweetly at him and held up two baskets. "Which one should I get?" she asked.
"If it were me you were cooking for, I would go for the slightly bigger one because I would want to try as much of your stuff as I could," Jess replied, pointing to the one in Kate's left hand.
"Thanks," Kate said putting the other one down.
"You're welcome. Now if you excuse me, I have to interrupt that little tryst over there," Jess said, pointing to Rory and Dean kissing.
Kate blanched. "Ugh, please before I get sick," she said.
"I would rather Taylor catch them though," Jess said.
"Bitter much?" Kate asked.
Jess smirked. "See ya," he said.
"See ya," Kate replied walking away.
The next day, the three girls were standing in the crowd watching the bidding going on and Kate's was the next basket.
"This one looks like a basket from my store," Taylor gloated.
"He so wants his own game show," Kate said.
"He can taste it," Rory agreed.
"Let's start the bidding at twenty dollars," Taylor announced.
"Twenty," Kirk called.
"I got twenty. What about twenty five," Taylor said.
"Twenty five," Dean called. Rory and Kate looked at each other.
"Thirty," another voice called.
Jess put his hand up and Kate whirled around. He was bidding on her basket. She hoped this ever since she saw him a day ago.
"I have thirty. Do I hear thirty five?" Taylor asked.
"Thirty five," Jess called.
"Forty," Dean called.
"What's up with Dean?" Kate asked.
"I have no idea," Rory asked.
"Forty five," Kirk called.
"Fifty five," Dean bid.
Jess rolled his eyes. "Sixty five," he called.
"Seventy five," Dean called.
"Why are you even bidding?" Kirk asked.
"Eighty five," Jess called.
"Ninety," Kirk called.
"Ninety five," Jess countered.
"One hundred," Dean exclaimed.
"Dean," Rory groaned. "He does not have a hundred dollars," she added.
"One hundred and five," Kirk called.
"One hundred and ten," Jess countered.
"One ten going once…Twice…sold to the nice hoodlum in the back," Taylor said.
Jess went up and paid for the basket and went over to Kate. She smiled at him and went away from the group with him.
"I gotta tell you, of all the nutty barn- raising- shindigs this town can cook up, this one wasn't half bad," Jess said.
"Glad you enjoyed it, but Jess, seriously. You just spent a hundred and ten dollars for a date with me, Mr. These- things- are- so- degrading," Kate said.
"Are you mad?" Jess asked.
"Not at all," Kate replied.
Jess smiled at her and they started walking away. Dean grabbed Kate's hand.
"Hey," Kate snapped.
"Don't go with this jerk," Dean said.
"Don't you have a girlfriend?" Jess asked.
"I thought all three of us were going to be having lunch," Dean said to Kate.
"That was never the plan, Dean. Now, I know I told you this at the inn, but you are not my boyfriend, my brother, or my father, so you have no right to say who I can and cannot have lunch with," Kate said.
"Just don't go with him," Dean pleaded with Kate.
"Well, geez man; she's not shipping off to 'Nam," Jess said. "Besides, your girlfriend is over there," he added.
"You really need to shut up right now, okay?" Dean said.
"Dean, this is ridiculous. I'm not Rory, so that means, I'm not your girlfriend and that adds up to that I don't have to answer to you," Kate said.
Jess smirked and Dean glared at him. "You think that this is so funny," he snapped.
"Well, it's no Lenny Bruce routine but it has its moments," Jess replied.
Kate rolled her eyes and knew she wasn't going to get anywhere.
"Jess, let's go," she said.
"Kate, do you want to have lunch with me? Because if you want to go with Rory, I totally understand," Jess said.
"She wants to go with us," Dean said.
"Excuse me, Edgar Bergen; I'd like Charlie McCarthy to answer now," Jess snapped, starting to lose his cool.
"Just go back to your girlfriend," Kate said to Dean, taking Jess and walking away.
Lorelai watched them go and Rory went to talk to Dean. Lorelai turned back and saw her basket was up for auction now.
"Let's start the bidding at five dollars," Taylor said.
"Five dollars," one guy called.
"That was fast," Lorelai commented.
"Ten dollars," another guy called.
"Don't they know that all that is in there are two stale Pop-Tarts and a Slim Jim?" Lorelai asked.
"Fifteen," another called.
"Wait a minute, they all look familiar," Lorelai realized. Then she went over to Patty. "You brought them here?!" she exclaimed.
"I can't leave you to find yourself a guy," Patty said.
"I can't believe you," Lorelai said. Then she ran to the diner.
"Luke! Where is he? Where is he? I need him! Caesar, where is - agh, agh, thank God," she exclaimed, seeing Luke. "You gotta come with me," she added.
"What are you doing? Hey, hey, I got plates here!" Luke snapped as she pulled him.
"Put the burgers down. Caesar, you're in charge," Lorelai commanded taking the plates from him.
"Now wait," Luke started.
"Do you have money? I need money," Lorelai rambled, pushing the buttons on the register. "Which one opens this thing? Is it that one, not that one," she added.
"Stop messing with that," Luke said.
"Luke, you gotta come out there with me. Patty gave my picture out to all these guys because she thinks I need a man," Lorelai explained.
"You do, one with a nice couch and a deep knowledge of Freud," Luke replied, taking the plates and bringing them to a table.
"You have to come out and bid on my basket," Lorelai blurted.
"Are you serious?" Luke asked.
"Yes," Lorelai replied.
"I have never in my life taken part in one of these crazy group flip outs. I'm not about to start now," Luke told her.
"But - right now - out there – the –." Lorelai couldn't even make a full sentence.
"Just buy your own basket," Luke said.
"I cannot buy my own basket," Lorelai said.
"Why not," Luke asked.
"Because that is pathetic," Lorelai replied.
"And chasing me around my diner begging me to buy your basket?" Luke questioned.
"Also pathetic, but that is a pathetic I can live with, where that pathetic is a truly pathetic, pathetic, and only you can save me from the double pathetic! Please!" Lorelai pleaded.
"I can't believe I'm doing this," Luke relented leaving the diner.
"Thank you," Lorelai said. "Come on, hurry up," she said.
When they got to the auction, it was still going on.
"Forty six fifty," one guy called.
"Forty seven," the other exclaimed.
"Forty seven fifty," the third called.
"Forty eight dollars," the first guy said.
"Forty eight bucks for a couple of stale Pop-Tarts and a Slim Jim," Luke asked.
"Never mind, just bid," Lorelai said.
Luke sighed. "Forty nine," he called.
"Forty nine fifty," the second guy called.
Luke looked in his wallet. "Fifty two fifty," he called.
"I thought we could only go up to fifty dollars," one guy said.
"I have a life," Luke said.
"Fifty two fifty going once," Lorelai called.
"Hey that's my job. Fifty two fifty going once…fifty two fifty going twice," Taylor said.
"Oh please God," Lorelai muttered.
"Sold, and that concludes today's bidding," Taylor said.
"You rock," Lorelai said to Luke as he got the basket it.
"Thank you," Luke replied.
"You're welcome," Lorelai said.
"So what do we do now?" Luke asked.
"I guess we eat," Lorelai answered.
"This," Luke questioned.
"Yeah," Lorelai replied.
"First I have to buy it; then I have to eat it?" Luke said.
"Hey, the basket of botulism does come with my company," Lorelai said.
"Huh. You don't eat with your mouth open do you?" Luke said.
"Women don't eat at all. We just look at food and jump on the treadmill," Lorelai pointed out.
"All right, let's go," Luke said following Lorelai.
"So where are we going?" Kate asked Jess as they continued to walk.
"You'll see," Jess replied.
"Man of mystery, I like that," Kate said.
Jess smirked and Kate smiled at him. He intertwined their hands together and Kate's smile got bigger.
"Why are you only nice to me?" she asked.
"Excuse me?" Jess replied.
"An hour ago you were totally screwing with Dean and now you're totally nice to me," Kate clarified.
"You see, it's the screwing with Dean that's an important step to getting here so that I can be nice to you," Jess replied after a minute.
"Okay," Kate said.
"You have no idea about what I said," Jess said.
"Not one bit of it," Kate said. "Nor would I believe it," she added.
"Now, I'm hurt," Jess said. Kate laughed and Jess smiled back at her.
"Wow," Kate said.
"What?" Jess asked.
"You have a nice smile," Kate replied.
Jess tucked a hair behind her ear. "So do you," he replied.
Kate blushed and Jess smirked. Then he stopped.
"And we're here," he said.
"We're going to eat here?" Kate asked.
"I like it here," Jess replied sitting down in the middle of the bridge.
"Wow a place in Stars Hollows that you actually like," Kate said.
"Yeah I have some good memories of this place. See over there, that's where Luke pushed me in," Jess said pointing to the beginning of the bridge.
Kate laughed and Jess opened the basket. "Wow, this is pretty impressive, Gilmore," he said.
Inside was a large variety of tasty non-perishable foods that Kate made herself. They included soups in thermoses, sandwiches, crackers, a salad, several containers of still warm food, croissants, fruits, brownies, cookies and water and coffee.
"You covered all the bases," Jess said.
"I know," Kate replied, taking some food.
Jess took a bite of the sandwiches. His eyes lit up. "This is really good. You really made this?" he asked.
"Yes, of course I did," Kate replied.
"Okay so what is this sauce," Jess asked.
"Chili sauce with jelly," Kate replied.
"You have to be joking," Jess said.
"Nope," Kate said. "Now since I reveled one of my secrets, I'm going to have to kill you," she added.
"You won't kill me," Jess said.
"And why is that, Mr. Mariano?" Kate asked.
"You'll miss me too much," Jess replied. Kate smiled and nodded.
In town, Lorelai and Luke were sitting in the gazebo.
"We're supposed to be sitting on the ground," Lorelai complained.
"Where did you get that?" Luke asked.
"Every picture you ever see of people at a picnic they are eating on the ground," Lorelai explained.
"And every time I see a picture of people having a picnic on the ground I think "What the hell are you, people doing eating on the ground? Get up...get some beach chairs you cheap skates!"" Luke said getting up.
"Hey, where are you going?" Lorelai asked.
"I am going to the diner, I'm going to get us some edible food, and I'm gonna bring it back here for us to eat," Luke replied.
"That is so not the point of today. I made this. I'm insulted. I will now proceed to pout," Lorelai told him.
"I'll bring back some brownies," Luke said to her.
"Ooh, the pouting has left the building," Lorelai said.
"Thought so," Luke said. Ten minutes later, Luke was back with the food from the diner and they were eating.
"Who did you want to get your basket?" Luke asked.
"What?" Lorelai asked.
"I mean, before you knew Patty was gonna put you on the Dating Game, you did pack this disgusting lunch and bring it out here, so who did you want to get it?" Luke clarified.
"Well, last year Roy Wilkins bought it and I got my sprinklers fixed for half price," Lorelai started.
"Uh huh," Luke said.
"And this year my rain gutters are completely clogged, and I thought if I could get the Collins kid to bite, I'd get that taken care of," Lorelai finished.
"Very practical," Luke said.
"I thought so," Lorelai told him.
"So the participation in this thing was purely for home improvement reasons?" Luke clarified.
"Yes. And I don't know it's a nice concept," Lorelai replied.
"What is?" Luke questioned.
"Just having someone who you love or have some kind of crazy crush on bid on your basket and then share a romantic lunch, it's a nice concept," Lorelai stated.
"Well, I'm sure someday you'll manage to find the right guy and drag him out to this thing and make him by your stupid basket and then you'll be sitting out here with him," Luke said.
"Yeah, someday," Lorelai said.
"You know what?" Luke said.
"What?" Lorelai asked.
"This is nice," Luke replied.
Lorelai smiled. "Yes this is," she stated.
Jess looked at Kate who just answered his question. "Ten," he asked.
"Yeah but I didn't get a word of it so I had to read it again when I was fifteen," Kate explained.
"I have yet to get through it," Jess said.
"You should, The Fountainhead is a classic," Kate said.
"Yeah but Ayn Rand is a political nut," Jess countered.
"Just promise me you would try it," Kate said.
"I promise that you I will try to get through The Fountainhead if you," Jess trailed off.
"If I give the painful Ernest Hemmingway a go," Kate sighed.
"He only has nice things to say about you, Jess replied. Kate rolled her eyes and Jess laughed. "It's true," he argued.
"No man has a lot of nice things to say to me," Kate said, in a faint far off voice.
"I doubt that," Jess said. "I mean, look at me. I hardly like anyone and all I've been saying is nice things to you," he added.
Kate smiled and moved closer to Jess. "And for that I'm eternally grateful," she said.
Jess smiled as they sat out on the bridge and talked. When they got up to leave, he found a locket. He looked at Kate-who didn't see- and then picked up the necklace and put it in his pocket.
Later, they were walking up the steps of the Gilmore house, still talking. They stopped at the door. Jess handed Kate the bag from the bookstore and Kate gave him The Fountainhead.
"I had fun today," Kate said.
"I did too," Jess said. There was a beat of silence and Kate smiled at Jess.
"Good night, Dodger," she said.
"Good night, Gilmore," Jess replied. Kate smiled and watched him walk away. She shook her head and went into the house. Lorelai was in the living room with Rory.
"How was your date?" Lorelai asked.
"It was not a date. But…it was great," Kate replied. "Who got your basket, Mom?" she asked.
"Pull up a chair and I'll tell you," Lorelai said. Kate sat down and Rory grinned at her.
"Luke got my basket," Lorelai said.
"No," Kate said.
"Yeah, I had to chase him down to do it but I got it," Lorelai said.
Rory and Kate smiled at each other as they listened to the wacky story.
At the diner, Luke was downstairs and Jess was in the apartment. Jess pulled out the Fountainhead and started to read. An hour later, he understood nothing and was cursing Kate under his breath when the phone rang and picked up the phone.
"Hello?" he asked.
"Hi," Kate replied. Jess looked at the phone, smiling.
"Jess, are you still there?" Kate asked.
"Yeah, I'm still here," Jess replied.
"What are you doing?" Kate asked.
"Nothing, you," Jess replied.
"Nothing," Kate replied.
Jess smirked. "Why did you call?" he asked.
"I … um, I wanted to…" Kate trailed off.
"I'm glad you called," Jess told her.
"Yeah," Kate asked.
"Yeah," Jess replied.
"Why," Kate asked.
"Because maybe you can explain what the hell this crazy woman is talking about," Jess replied looking at the book in his hand.
"Ah, the Fountainhead," Kate said.
"Yes," Jess said. "Your fault and you will pay," he added.
"I promise. Commit to it one more time and if it still is awful for you, I will make it up to you," Kate told him.
"Oh yeah," Jess quipped.
"Yeah," Kate replied, biting her lip.
"Okay. I'm gonna hold you to that," Jess replied. He looked at the locket in his hand.
"Goodnight, Dodger," Kate repeated her words from earlier.
"Goodnight, Gilmore," Jess said hanging up. Smirking to himself, he continued to read.
Kate smiled and looked at the phone. Then she pulled out her book and began to read.
Chapter 4-Done