A/N: So sorry for the long wait everyone, i won't bore you with details but life has been crazy. As soon as it slowed down i sat and started writing this for you! Updates should be more consistent again
This was the second time in as many hours that Lorelai was rushing to Luke's, prepared to give one of the Danes boys a loving but firm piece of her mind. This time, she was going for Luke. When she made it back to the house, her daughter was suspiciously in a much better mood than she was the night before. Then again, there was a new deep sadness and worry in her eyes that she tried to hide too, that she'd have been able to hide if they weren't two halves of the same person.

That was when Rory told Lorelai that she had talked to Jess on the phone last night. Lorelai wasn't kidding the night before when she said her daughter had a tell, but she decided to deal with that later. For her sanity, she needed to believe that whatever conversation happened between them last night after Lorelai went to bed was on the phone. Especially with the news Jess gave Rory, which had to be first on the To-do list to handle.

Jess couldn't go back to New York with his mother! Not even considering how much that's broken Rory's heart, Jess didn't deserve to be put through that again. Not after all the progress he's made over his months in Stars Hollow, the friends he's made, the family he's gotten close to. No, he couldn't, Lorelai knew it'd just end up in heartbreak for everyone. Especially because Liz had been off the drugs for what weeks? Maybe a month or two? Luckily, Addiction hadn't been a big thing in Lorelai's life. Sure, her family drank, but it'd never been a problem before. But she had known a few people over the years who suffered from addiction, and one thing she learned from them was that relapse never went away, it might get easier to avoid, but it was always possible, especially in the first few months, hell, first year. And from what she heard from Jess, that's exactly what Liz did: cleaned herself up, gave the kid hope, and then went back to drinking and partying.

Nope, he had to stay, there was no way around it. She cared for Jess, and she wasn't going to stand by and watch him make the decision that was best for his mom, not him. She was a grown woman, and Lorelai hated her a little bit for putting so much pressure on her kid, making him need to be an adult much too early in his life. So she was going to Luke's. She was going to give Luke a piece of her mind, how could he be supporting such a thing? Luke wasn't one to talk about his feelings, but Lorelai knew as clear as day that he loved Jess, that he thought of him as more of a son than a nephew. How could he be so willingly giving him up? Sending him to the wolves?

So that was why, when she came into Luke's that morning, she wasn't walking, she was stomping and going by the looks on the people's faces that she passed, she had fire in her eyes, she was sure the face she was making was scaring people. Whatever, she didn't care. In fact, it worked in her favor with the yelling she was planning on doing. She felt a sense of pride when Luke looked up from the counter, his eyes widened, and he even took an involuntary step back.

Lorelai didn't slow her stride as she walked into the diner, her heels clicking purposefully on the floor. She jabbed a finger toward Luke's face. "You. Outside. Now. We need to talk."

Luke blinked, caught mid-pour with a coffee pot in hand. "Uh, okay… sure?" He sounded uncertain, and honestly, that almost made her laugh. Almost. But laughing would ruin the righteous fury she had going.

She spun on her heel and marched right back out the door without a backward glance. She didn't need one. She knew he'd follow. Luke barely had time to set the coffee pot down before trailing her, tugging his baseball cap lower as if that would help him prepare for whatever this was.

As soon as the door closed behind him, he glanced at her with a mix of curiosity and exasperation. "Okay, you gonna tell me what this is about? Or is this one of those things where I just stand here until you finish yelling?"

Lorelai was pacing the sidewalk like a caffeinated hurricane, her arms flailing for emphasis as she muttered to herself. He found himself watching her more closely than he probably should've—her eyes had that spark, the one that lit up every time she was on a mission. It was maddening. It was distracting, beautiful.

"How are you so calm?" she finally snapped, stopping mid-stride to face him. "I mean, I shouldn't be surprised—you're always calm. Grumpy, but calm. But this? This! How can you just—"

"Lorelai, what are you talking about?" he interrupted, his brow furrowed.

She planted her hands on her hips, her frustration bubbling over. "You don't know?!"

"Know what?" His voice climbed an octave as he yanked off his cap, fiddled with it nervously before jamming it back on his head.

"Liz! She's trying to get Jess to move back to New York. Today!"

"What?!" His jaw dropped, and for a moment, he looked genuinely floored.

"Yeah, my reaction exactly. Rory told me Jess mentioned it last night. She wouldn't give me all the details—because, you know, teenager code of silence—but she said he's conflicted. And, Luke, you know what that means. He's thinking about it."

Luke groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "Why the hell wouldn't he tell me? Damn it, I saw her packing up, but I just thought… I don't know, that things were going back to normal."

"Luke, focus!" Lorelai stepped closer, her voice softening just slightly. "Jess doesn't tell anyone anything except Rory, and even then, he probably communicates in grunts and Shakespearean or Clash quotes."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Okay. So, what? Is he going with her?"

"No! Well, I don't know! He doesn't even know!"

Luke was pacing now, too, muttering under his breath. "I'm gonna talk to her. No, I'm gonna yell at her. Then I'm gonna kick her out before Jess gets home."

"Whoa, slow down, Yosemite Sam." Lorelai stepped in front of him, placing a hand on his arm to stop his pacing. Her touch lingered for just a second longer than necessary, and Luke felt it like a jolt. "I get it. Believe me, I get it. But if Jess thinks we're forcing this decision, he'll pack his bags just to spite us. You know he will."

Luke's shoulders slumped, and he let out a long sigh. "Yeah… you're right. Damn it."

"We'll talk to Liz," Lorelai said gently. She didn't move her hand from his arm, and he didn't pull away. "We make her see this isn't about what she wants—it's about what's best for Jess. And once she gets that, she'll tell him herself that staying here is the right thing to do."

Luke nodded, though his gaze dropped to her hand, still resting on his arm. "You really think she'll see reason?"

"She's his mom, Luke. Deep down, she wants what's best for him. We just have to make her see it."

He sighed again, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah. Okay. Fine. We'll try it your way."

"Good. Because your way was about to turn this into a whole 'Cops: Stars Hollow' episode, and I really don't have time to explain to Rory why you're in a holding cell."

"Ha. Ha," Luke deadpanned, but there was a glint of amusement in his eyes.

Lorelai smiled, her hand finally dropping from his arm. "See? We've got this."

He looked at her for a beat longer than he should have, the intensity in his gaze softening. "Yeah. We do."

For a moment, neither of them said anything. The air between them felt charged with something unspoken, but before it could settle, Lorelai broke the silence.

"Besides," she teased, stepping back, "if all else fails, I'll just dazzle her with my charm."

Luke snorted. "Oh, yeah. That'll work."

"Damn straight, it will."

She gave him another firm nod of her head before she made her way back inside, her stomp and heels clicking back in full force. God, she was a force to be reckoned with. He gave himself a mental shake of his head. Now wasn't time for his foolish Lorelai dreams and fantasies he liked to ponder about in his free time, this was important, this was about Jess. So he followed behind her, walking just as purposefully. Every step he took, he became more and more angry at his sister, how could she be so selfish? Why did he even call her in the first place? He should have known something like this would happen. The realization that this was his fault made his anger grow even more.

Jess stood leaning against his car, watching all the preppy rich kids leave the hallowed halls of Chilton. He wanted to roll his eyes, part of him wasn't sure what he was doing there, he obviously didn't fit in, he felt like he was fooling himself. He and Rory fit in Stars Hollow, but she had this whole other part of her life where he didn't fit at all. A part of her life that was only going to get bigger when she inevitably got into all the different Ivy Leagues. Schools like this one were training the children of the rich and elite how to get into those schools, teaching them how to become the next generation of rich assholes. And Rory was one of them, no matter how little he liked thinking about it. Obviously, she wasn't the same as them; she was smart, beautiful, and came from a rich family, but she was also funny and real, and she didn't care about class and money. But how could he expect that to stay the same the more immersed she got into this world? Maybe he was just fooling himself. Maybe it'd be better just to go back to his studio apartment with his mom in New York, to stop indulging in this dream he had of a better life. A dream he had never even considered before he met her.

He sighed and shook the thoughts away, fuck he needed a cigarette. He ignored the no-smoking sign and lit up. He worked hard to push those dark thoughts away, but it wasn't easy, he was so internally focused he let himself jump in fright when someone snuck up behind him. He was usually better at hiding those reactions that he gained from years of his mom's shitty boyfriends.

"What are you doing here, Mariano? Did the concept of truancy suddenly lose its appeal?"

"Good to see you too, Paris. I'll have you know I did have to skip some classes to make it here on time, so don't worry. But what about you? Don't you have some extra-credit after-school club to run? Maybe a hostile takeover of the French Club?"

"Very funny. I prefer to use my powers for good, not standing around looking like a James Dean knockoff waiting for Rory."

"Knockoff? Harsh. I was going for 'iconic.' But thanks for noticing."

Her lips twitched, but she quickly masked it by crossing her arms. "Iconic implies a certain level of effort. You look like you woke up five minutes ago and thought, 'Eh, good enough.'"

"Funny. That's exactly how I pictured your morning routine, except with a PowerPoint presentation on conquering the Ivy League." He took a drag from his cigarette, smirking.

"If ambition makes you uncomfortable, that sounds like a personal problem. Some of us have plans beyond sulking in bookshops and making sarcastic remarks."

"Sarcasm is a talent, Paris. You should try it sometime—it might make you tolerable."

She scoffed, stepping closer. "Stop fooling yourself, Mariano. I'm one of your favorite people, and you know it."

He shrugged, fighting the smirk threatening to creep onto his face. "Says the girl who keeps sending me book recommendations even though I've never asked for them."

"What are you talking about? You respond to every email."

"Yeah, just to tell you how shitty your taste in literature is."

"And I know by now that's how you show you care."

"You wish."

"I know. Now, put that cigarette out. There aren't many people who can talk books with me as well as you—maybe not even Rory. I can't have you dropping dead because of cancer sticks."

"Aww, Paris, is this your way of showing you care? I'm touched." He deadpanned, taking another drag.

"Screw you, Mariano." She stomped over, ripped the cigarette from his fingers, and ground it under her heel with finality. "No, that's how I show I care."

She shot him a haughty look before walking away, her head high. Jess stood there, stunned, staring at the smoldering remains of his cigarette. For once, he didn't have a retort. He wasn't sure if it was because she'd bested him or because she might actually have a point.

When she was far enough away, she turned back around, "I'm sending another round tonight, I want your honest opinions when you get through with them!"

Rory smiled, she watched most of that interaction. She wanted to rush to her boyfriend and hug him, happy to have him here at Chilton with her but she waited, knowing that they never admit it but he and Paris were actually friends. She jumped a little when someone spoke behind her, almost into her ear, "Woah, does Paris have a boyfriend? Didn't think she'd go for the bad boy type. You and her are too straightlaced, huh, Mary?"

"Tristan! What do you want? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Rory asked but didn't wait for an answer, now that Jess was alone again, she just wanted to get to him.

"Just making conversation. I was shocked to see Paris flirting with a guy."

Rory stopped in her tracks and sharply turned to face him, "They weren't flirting, they're friends."

"Not what it looked like to me. Plus, how would you know? Do you know the drop out too? Does someone have a crush? I've got news for you, Mary, guys like that don't go for girls like you." He said it in a tone that sounded like he was trying to be helpful, but it just got Rory mad. "Plus, I'm sure your boyfriend wouldn't be too happy to find out about that."

Considering the fact that Jess was her boyfriend, and had been for a while, she smiled as she turned around and said over her shoulder as she was making her way to Jess, "I'm sure he wouldn't mind at all."

She continued making her way to Jess, this time, they made eye contact, and she smiled. She wanted to groan when Tristan spoke, making it clear he was following her again. "Oh really, perhaps I should call him and let him know about the moon eyes you're making at someone else."

"No need," She said almost at Jess, "He's right here."

She wasn't sure where Tristan went after that because then she was in Jess' arms, and he was kissing her, so nothing else really mattered. After she pulled away, she wasn't sure if it was seconds or hours later, or somewhere in between, she whispered, "You came."

"I told you I would."

"Yeah, I just feel bad because it's such a long drive and so much gas just to turn around and go home again."

"Worth it." He smiled his smile she was pretty sure she was the only one lucky enough to see. She was surprised when, a moment later, he jumped a little, scared, and he was looking over her shoulder, "Jesus, man, we're not selling tickets, I think it's about time to move on and stop staring."

She turned to see that Tristan was still there, staring at them. Her eyes widened, surprised and a little upset if she was being honest. "Tristan, what are you doing?"

He smiled suavely, sure of himself, as he held his hand out, "Just wanted to meet the new boyfriend, Mary. Though, I have a feeling we won't be able to call you that for much longer with this guy."

She gasped, and she was sure if her hands weren't still wrapped around his neck, Jess would have attacked Tristan on the spot. He lurched forward with his hands fisted anyway, "What did you say?!"

"I think you heard me. I know I didn't use any big words, so I'm sure even someone of your background should be able to understand."

Jess tried to softly but firmly get Rory off of him so he could kick this guy's ass, but she wouldn't let go. He's lived his life not starting fights, he'd been hit enough and dealt with enough violence from people that should have protected him, so he didn't see the point of doing it to others, but he saw red when this asshole said such things about Rory. He was so mad the sides of his vision were almost fussy, and he was only focused on the tall blonde dick in front of him.

Rory saw what was about to happen and couldn't let it. Tristan's dad gave enough money to the school that he'd just be let off with a warning, but Jess, they'd probably call the cops on him. Her hands were still laced around his neck, and she let go just enough so she could move her hands to his face, trying to angle it so he'd look away from Tristan and at her, "Hey, Jess, Jess, look at me…"

Even though his face moved how she wanted it to, his eyes stayed focused on Tristan. "Hey, ignore him, he's an asshole…" His eyes slowly left Tristan and moved to her, "Let's just go, okay? I still haven't gotten to drive in the car yet; I want to go."

It was a silently charged few moments, but eventually, he took a deep breath and nodded. She leaned up and kissed him once. "Good, let's get out of here. I'm hungry."

He smirked a little, "Big surprise there."

She gasped as if offended, "You better not be commenting on a respectable lady's food intake. That's grounds for a breakup."

He laughed, having completely forgotten about that other guy as he walked her around the car to the passenger side. "Respectable ladies, huh? I think I'm in the clear then."

"Jerk.." Was all he heard her laughingly say as he shut her door and started to make his way around to the driver's side.

He looked up and saw the guy staring at him with a smug smile like he knew something Jess didn't. He had the urge to punch him again when the douche winked at Jess before turning and walking away. He got in the seat and took a deep breath, that guy was clearly into Rory, thankfully, Rory made it clear she couldn't care less. Still, it brought back those worries he was having before Paris distracted him.

He wasn't surprised to see that Rory was already digging through his center console and glove compartment, looking for his stash of music. She found it under her seat, a shoe box filled with cassettes; his car was way too old to have a CD player. "Ah-ha!"

He tried to snatch it from her, but she was quicker, moving it away," Hey, I got shotgun, that means I get to choose."

"Since when?"

"Since always!"

"Huh, I don't remember reading any rules like that."

"That's because it's an unwritten one."

He stared at her for a few long moments, "Whatever, you're just lucky you have decent taste in music."

"I have amazing taste in music, you mean."

He shrugged, "It's alright."

She scoffed, "That's funny coming from Mr. Stuck in the 80s."

"Ouch! Be careful; you'll break my fragile little heart."

She laughed, "Aww, poor baby."

He smirked at her as he put the car in drive and left the school. It wasn't long before he reached over the center console and took her hand in his. It was comfortable on the way home; they weren't really talking, just listening to music, and Rory sometimes sang along. Jess held back a laugh; she did not have the best singing voice, and he realized how gone for her he had to be because he found it cute instead of annoying. He wasn't ready to go back home yet to see his mom or make any life-altering decisions. Plus, if he did go with his mom, he knew he for sure wasn't ready to be away from Rory. So, instead of getting on the highway to go back home, he took a turn and went to a bookstore in Hartford.

The hand that wasn't holding Rory's was fiddling restlessly on the steering wheel; she knew Jess was dealing with a lot, so she didn't say anything about the detour. Plus, books and extra time with her boyfriend, who would complain about that? They walked into the store hand in hand, but it was as if they'd done this hundreds of times before, as soon as they walked through the door, they dropped their hands and went their own ways, Rory to the New Additions section, since she'd been here thousands of times before, and Jess over to the clearance section.

Rory was very careful about her selections at this bookstore. Hartford was a high-income area, a place where more people were living like her grandma than her, so it certainly wasn't the most affordable bookstore. Still, she had fun, reading a few pages of each book that looked interesting to her and deciding if she wanted to put it on her Books-to-buy list. It was about an hour into their perusing when she realized she and Jess had been so in their own world that they hadn't said a word to each other the whole time. And she wondered why they didn't have dates like this more often. Normally, when they hang out, it is at her place, his, or the bridge, so this was a fun change.

When they finally left the bookstore, each clutching a new book from the clearance section, they made a quick stop at a fast-food place before heading back to Stars Hollow. The ride had been mostly quiet, a comfortable silence broken only by the engine's hum and occasional remarks about their book finds. But as they passed the "Welcome to Stars Hollow" sign, Rory felt the weight of the question she'd been holding in since the night before. She glanced at Jess, whose one hand on the wheel was drumming idly.

"So… have you decided anything yet? About your mom and New York?" Her voice was soft, cautious, but still cut through the quiet.

Jess didn't answer right away. Instead, his fingers stopped drumming, and he stared straight ahead, his jaw tightening slightly. The silence stretched long enough that Rory began to regret asking. She glanced out the window, feeling the weight of the unspoken words between them. When did the music stop playing? Had she turned it off? The blinker's steady tick-tick seemed unbearably loud in the void.

Finally, Jess inhaled deeply, the sound pulling her attention back to him. He opened his mouth as if to speak, then closed it again, his lips pressing into a thin line. Rory's stomach twisted. Why was it so hard for him to say? Surely, if he was staying, it wouldn't take this much effort. No, this hesitation meant something else—something she didn't want to hear.

"My mom and I," he began, his voice low and deliberate, "we've never had the kind of relationship you and your mom have. That whole psychic, telepathic connection thing you two have going on? Yeah, not really in our wheelhouse. It's more like… a tornado and the one house it always seems to hit."

Rory didn't laugh, but her lips twitched, still, her heart was aching for him. "Jess…"

"She's still my mom," he continued, ignoring her soft interruption. "And, yeah, she's made some… let's call them choices. But when things go bad for her, I'm the one she leans on. And I get it. I'm her kid. That's my job, right? To be the fallback guy? Except…" He trailed off, his grip tightening on the wheel.

"Except?" Rory prompted gently.

"Except it's exhausting," he said, the words coming out in a rush. "And it's never enough. Every time I think maybe this time will be different, it's just the same damn cycle. And now she wants me to pack up and go back to that with her? Like I'm some kind of consolation prize for her screwing things up again?"

Rory blinked, trying to process the tangle of emotions in his voice. "So… you're going?" she asked hesitantly, hating how small her voice sounded.

Jess shook his head, letting out a bitter laugh. "No. I can't. I won't. She's gotta figure her stuff out without dragging me down with her again. But…" He sighed, leaning back against the seat. "That doesn't make it any easier, you know? Feels like I'm leaving her to drown."

Rory's chest filled with a mix of emotions—relief, guilt, and overwhelming gratitude. He was staying. He wasn't leaving her, wasn't leaving Stars Hollow. But seeing the weight he carried, the way his decision tore at him made her heart ache.

"You're not a bad son, Jess," she said softly, her hand finding him on the console between them. "You're not leaving her. You're just… choosing yourself for once. And that's okay. You deserve that."

He glanced at her then, his expression a mixture of gratitude and vulnerability. "Yeah, well, don't start planning the parade or anything."

Rory squeezed his hand, a small smile breaking through the tension. "Don't worry. I'll keep the confetti to a minimum."

For a moment, the heaviness lifted, replaced by a quiet understanding. Rory didn't press him further, and Jess didn't pull away. The rest of the drive passed in silence, but this time, it wasn't uncomfortable. It was something else entirely—something solid. For the first time since his mom came bursting into town and back into his life, she felt like she could breathe and know Jess was going to be okay.

No one said another word until the turn to her house was coming up. "So, uh, you got homework? Who am I talking to? Of course, you have homework. Do you want to come to Luke's and get some dinner while you study?"

"While we study, you mean. I'm sure you have some work to get done, too, right?"

"…Sure," he said unconvincingly.

Rory had been holding her tongue about Jess and his schooling, or lack thereof, for a long time, and she bit her tongue yet again. She didn't want to be the nagging girlfriend, but she was worried about him. She knew she had to talk to him; she just didn't know how or when, and she doubted that while he was dealing with the stuff with his mom, it was the best time. She held in a sigh.

"Sure, let's go to Luke's, I'm hungry." She agreed, deciding not to let that bother her tonight. No, she was just going to be happy he was staying.

When they made it back to the diner it was quiet, eerily quiet. They were late; the sun was already setting, but after checking the clock on the wall, Jess realized the diner should still be open for another hour, but it was clearly closed and had been for a while. Everything was shut down, and Caesar was gone. He shrugged and decided to worry about that later. For now, he went into the back and started up the stove and deep fryer for burgers and fries.

By the time he made it out with the food, Rory was already deep in her studies, had two tables pulled together and books opened on both of them, an opened notebook, and different color pens along with a highlighter for optimal note taking. Jess smirked, he might not subscribe to standardized schooling and everything school stands for, but he loved how seriously Rory took it, how excited she gets. He found it incredibly cute, even if he'd never say it out loud. He nudged a few books to the side and put the plates down before pulling the new book he bought today out, sitting down, and opening it to the first page.

They ate in relative silence; the only sounds were the periodic flipping of pages and the occasional sip from their sodas. Rory kept glancing at Jess's book. She knew it wasn't on his school's reading list; she'd been there when he bought it on a whim. She also knew he had to have homework—he was in the same grade as her, after all. Stars Hollow High might not be as rigorous as Chilton, but it wasn't a slacker school, either. She opened her mouth to say something, but the diner door swung open, distracting her.

Luke and Lorelai walked in mid-conversation, their voices carrying even as they stepped inside.

"But are you sure we did the right thing?" Luke asked, holding the door for Lorelai.

"Absolutely. It's not like we could just sit back and—oh, hey, kids!" Lorelai's voice shifted instantly to cheerful. "It's late. Where've you two been all day?"

Jess and Rory exchanged a look, the kind that said they both knew their parental figures were up to something. Rory took the lead.

"Jess picked me up from school, and then we went to the bookstore."

"Ah, the bookstore. If either of you ever goes missing, that's where I'll send the search dogs first," Lorelai quipped.

Jess raised a suspicious eyebrow but wordlessly got up to refill their drinks. Rory, however, pressed further. "Okay, what's going on with you two?"

"Us? Nothing! Absolutely nothing. In fact, I'm the poster child for 'nothing weird happening.' What about you, Luke?" Lorelai shot back at her typical rapid pace.

"Me? Uh… no. Nothing. Speaking of, Jess—where's your mom? Seen her?" Luke asked, pivoting awkwardly.

Jess returned, setting the sodas on the table before sliding into the chair next to Rory. He gave a nonchalant shrug. "Nope."

"She's leaving tonight, right?" Lorelai asked too casually.

"Guess so."

"What do you mean, 'guess so'? She wouldn't leave without saying goodbye," Luke said firmly.

Jess leaned back, his jaw tightening. "Wouldn't she? She's done it before."

Rory gently placed her hand on his knee, grounding him as she saw his tension build.

Lorelai tried again. "Okay, but she's not missing anything? Like… stuff she might need to take with her?"

Jess's sharp gaze cut to Rory. "You told her."

"She's my mom! I had to talk to someone," Rory defended quickly.

Lorelai raised her hands in mock surrender. "In my defense, it's kind of my job to know everything."

Jess sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Fine. Yeah, she asked me to go with her. But I'm not. I decided this morning."

Luke frowned. "So, what? She just left without a word?"

"Sounds like Liz," Jess said flatly, his voice edged with bitterness. He tensed again but relaxed slightly when Rory gave his knee a supportive squeeze.

Luke and Lorelai exchanged a brief glance. They clearly had more to say but held back, sensing Jess's mood. Luke changed the subject. "Alright. Who's up for dessert?"

"Luke, come on. Dessert is non-negotiable," Lorelai said.

"With coffee," Rory added.

"Obviously," Lorelai agreed.

"You're gonna keel over one day, you know that?" Luke muttered, already heading toward the coffee machine.

"Keel over happy," Lorelai shot back. "Pie and coffee in hand. That's the dream."

Rory laughed as Jess smirked. A few minutes later, they were all seated at the table again, pie and ice cream in front of them, the books pushed aside. The tension from earlier melted away as they talked about nothing in particular, the conversation meandering from Lorelai's latest escapade to Luke's grumbling about the latest weird thing Kirk was up to.

For the first time since Liz came back to town, Jess felt himself relax, surrounded by the strange, chaotic normalcy of people who actually cared.