That Burning Feeling, Post 6.18 R/J fic.

[JessRules]

He stared after her, wishing with everything he had that those 20 words would stop chorusing through his head; I’m in love with him, despite all the bad he’s done, I can’t help it, I’m in love with him. He thinks to himself, bitterly, that he wouldn’t have had to go through all of this, if he’d held onto her while he’d had her, if he’d not screwed things up so much, he could still be with her.

There was only one time when he’d felt as crappy as this, when she’d said no (repeatedly) to him when he’d laid all his emotions out for her. He’d let down the stony shield that he usually finds himself hiding behind and he’d opened up to her, but she’d sent him away.

He shook his head, trying to clear it of that memory, but slumped down onto the staircase as others came flooding back to him, and he let them come, not having the strength to repel them.

He’d stopped caring about how pathetic he was quite awhile back. He didn’t care that he was a 22 year old, still moping over a girl that he’d been with for less than a year when he was 17. He couldn’t help loving her, just like she couldn’t help loving Logan; it was just something that came naturally to him.

He hadn’t dated anyone while they were apart, not counting a few drunken one night stands, but otherwise there was no one. When he moved to California, he’d tried to date around, but he couldn’t help being picky, finding every little fault in a girl, then leaving her, because he couldn’t stand those little faults. After a while, he realised he wasn’t trying to find a flawless girl, he was just trying to find one that was like Rory.

Eventually, he gave up all hope in clearing his head of her and went upstairs to bed. He wouldn’t even try to read, for he knew that he wouldn’t be able to concentrate on the text, so he immediately sunk into the mattress and sunk into a restless sleep.

***

The drive back to Stars Hollow was long and tiring. Rory couldn’t help thinking of the look on Jess’ face when she told him she was in love with Logan. It was so full of hurt, she hadn’t even dared look into his eyes, for fear of what she might see.

She tried to concentrate on the road, but tears clouded her vision, though they weren’t tears of sadness, just guilt. She’d done all the wrong things, she’d gone to Philadelphia alone, she’d told him that everything was fixed, she’d kissed him back (why did she kiss him back???) and then she’d gone and said that she was in love with someone else. Someone who had cheated on her. Someone who hadn’t had to guts to break up with her. Someone who travelled the world to do stupid stunts in an organisation named “The Life and Death Brigade”. Someone who wasn’t right for her. Yet she still loved him. How could she still love him? He’d let her drop out of Yale, he’d thrown her a “Felon Party” to congratulate her on stealing a boat, he’d sat there and let his family attack her, he’d, he’d…

She didn’t want to think about him anymore, the subject frustrated her. Her mind wandered back to the kiss; it was a great kiss, it was passionate and yet gentle and sweet and yet again she wondered why had she kissed him back? She knew it wasn’t just to get back at Logan, she cared about Jess too much to just use him like that. I guess a part of me misses him, she thought. He reminded her of life before Logan, life before she turned into someone who she’s not.

He probably hates me, she thinks tearfully, wishing that she didn’t care about what he thought, wishing that for once he could be a hundred percent out of her life, but he’s never going to be. He’s always going to come back and make her question a different aspect about her life each time. A part of her always hoped that he’d come back, but it was overpowered, by the voice in the back of her head, that’s always saying He hurt you, he left, don’t give him a chance to do that again! She was afraid, afraid of being hurt like before, and having to pretend not to be, like before.

It had been easy to put him to the back of her mind after he’d left for California, she’d been in Europe for God’s sake, but this time, she had nothing to take her mind off him, apart from Logan. But he was gone, he was jumping off a cliff with a parachute and two idiots named Colin and Finn (a/n: No offence to Colin and Finn, I love them, really).

In the end, she wearily turned on the radio and weakly sung along to the music for the rest of the drive, letting her mind sink into the melody and out of Jess Mariano.

[syd & vaughn 4ever 47]

that was really good!

[JessRules]

Thanks!

[JessRules]

Junior


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Chapter 2 - Mini TJ!

Jess woke up to the annoying beeping sound that can only be associated with an alarm clock. He hit the button that’s supposed to turn it off in frustration, but that didn’t seem to work. He tried again – still no luck. In the end, he just picked it up and threw it (with impressive force) onto the ground. Ha, that stopped it.

He then proceeded to go back to sleep, but that wasn’t an option as then his cell phone started to ring. He scowled, got up and turned it off. Then, when he finally thought it was time to get some sleep, off went the main phone. Shaking his head in disbelief, he got out of bed and went answer the phone.

“Go away.” Was the first thing that came into Jess’ head as he answered the phone.

“Hello, to you, too.” Luke replied, rolling his eyes at his nephew.

“Seriously, go away.”

“Someone’s cranky.”

“Who isn’t cranky at seven in the morning?”

“About half of the world.”

“Well, I’m part of the other half.”

“Fine, I was just calling to tell you that your mom’s pregnant.”

Jess’ jaw dropped, “What? There’s gonna be a mini TJ running around?”

“Nope, a mixture of both Liz and TJ.”

Jess groaned, “That’s even worse!”

“Anyway, I think that Liz would really appreciate it if you came down to Stars Hollow to help her out while she’s pregnant, and to see your little brother or sister when it’s born. She’s gonna really need our help when TJ is, well...TJ.”

Jess hesitated before answering, “Uh, sure I’ll be down there as soon as I can arrange to get the time off work.”

“Really?”

“Look, I’ve been a crappy son so far, the least I can do to make up for it is this.” Jess replied, before adding, “Just try to help me avoid TJ as much as possible.”

“No way, if I have to endure him, then you have to, too.”

“Fine, then I’m gonna suggest to him that he do your portrait on his etch-a-sketch.”

“And when you do, there’ll be a Luke shaped hole in the door.”

“Okay then. I’ve gotta head out to work now.”

“Fine, see you in about a week.”

“See ya.”

After Jess hangs up, he sinks down into a chair and sighs at the prospect of having to see Rory, and how awkward he knows it’s going to be. With another sigh, he pulls himself up and steps into the bathroom to take a shower.

*****

Rory searched the hospital, hunting for decent coffee. She had gotten a call from Colin the day before saying that Logan had been hurt during his stunt but, when she arrived at the hospital, they wouldn’t tell her how serious the injury was. Luckily, Paris managed to get them to tell her and she quickly passed the information onto Rory who was shocked to find out that he had a collapse lung, torn cartilage in his knees, broken ribs and a concussion and, being a Gilmore, the only solution to her panicked state was to get some coffee into her.After circling the hospital three times, tasted several horrible concoctions that they call coffee, she came to the conclusion that she’d just have to cope without caffeine.

After what seemed like hours and hours to Rory, a nurse came up and told her that Logan was awake now. She entered his room cautiously and walked up to where he lay, more bruised and scratched than anything she’d ever seen.

Logan brightened up when he saw her, “Hey, Ace.”

“Hi”, Rory said, uncomfortably, “Uh, how do you feel?”

“Great”, he said, with sarcasm dripping from his voice.

“Where’s Colin and Finn?”

“Probably spotted a cute nurse.”

“Ah. What about your family?”

“I know Honour’s on her honeymoon and she’ll probably try to get back as soon as she can, but I doubt the other Huntzbergers’ll show.”

“What? Why not?”

“Rory, have you met my parents?”

“But what kind of people wouldn’t come to visit their son at the hospital?”

“I didn’t say people, I said Huntzbergers.” (a/n: I know that I’m coping the show, but I love that line!)

“But-“

“Rory, just forget about them, they’re not important.”

“If you say so.”

“I do. I’m sorry about this, you already have enough to be getting on with what with school and the paper, you shouldn’t have to visit your boyfriend in the hospital because he was stupid enough to jump off a cliff.”

Rory couldn’t help silently agreeing, though she lied and reassured him that she wanted to be there, all the same.

They carried on talking for awhile, until visiting hours were over and Rory drove back to Yale. Though, on the drive, she couldn’t stop thinking that she really shouldn’t have to be with the kind of guy to injure himself by doing some dangerous stunt while he was drunk.

[JessRules]

Chapter 3 – The Holy Barbarians

Jess threw the last piece of clothing into his duffel bag before lifting the bag out to his car. Before he left, he went back into Truncheon Books one more time to clear his absence with his partners.

“Okay, so I’m gonna be gone for a while.”

“We know.” Chris said.

“Try not to just throw everything that you can’t be bothered to deal with onto my desk.”

“We’ll try.” Matthew replied.

“What’s with you guys? Usually I’m the monosyllabic one.”

“Well, we were wondering if Stars Hollow is where this,” he looks down at a book “Rory chick lives.” Matthew said.

Jess’ face immediately darkened, “How do you know about her?”

“She wrote a note in this.” Matthew holds up the Holy Barbarians.

“Yeah, she lives there.” Jess said, trying to act as if he didn’t care.

“Was she the girl at the opening who you couldn’t keep your eyes off of?”

“Yup, same girl.”

“So, what’s the deal with you and her?”

“Nothing.”

“Then how come you haven’t been on a date the whole time we’ve known you?”

“Because.”

Chris rolls his eyes, “And you call us monosyllabic.”

“Listen, as much as I’ve enjoyed this conversation, I’ve gotta go now.”

“Fine, but we will find out.”

“Good luck.” Jess says over his shoulder as he leaves.

He goes out of the store and gets into his car, rolling his eyes at his friends’ behaviour. They don’t know what they’re talking about. He thinks to himself, before driving off to the town he’s tried all his life to avoid.

***

Rory wheeled Logan out of the hospital after chatting to the doctor for a bit about bed rest, and tea and every other generic subject to do with Logan’s well-being. She tried to keep her mouth shut while getting him to the car, in case something like “How could you be so stupid as to jump off a cliff drunk?” slipped out of it.

As she was driving him back to his apartment – no, wait, their apartment – she still didn’t speak, and he remained surprisingly quite, so she turned around to check on him, only to find that he had fallen asleep. I’m not surprised, what with all the stuff they have him doped up on. She thought to herself, willing herself not to worry about Logan because she had been for so long now. She’d worried about the pressure his family was putting on him, she’d worried about him not caring about her enough to try to get along with her ex-boyfriend, she’d worried about him not loving her enough to stay faithful to her, or at least to tell her they were broken up before going off and cheating on her with many, many bimbos, she’d worried about him going to London for a year when she graduated and now she was worrying about his physical health.

Then it hit her – she can’t stay in this relationship. He did so many things, so many things to make her nervous, anxious, worried and every other word of similar context. She couldn’t do this, she couldn’t go on being so stressed out all the time because she loved Logan, believe or not, she was in love with him, but that makes it worse, worrying so much about someone she loves, she can’t do it. She felt powered by this discovery, she felt good to be able to feel mad at him for all the things he’d done, even if he wasn’t awake to see it. She even wanted to break up with him right then and there, but then she realised how cold that was – Logan had just gotten out of the hospital after a serious injury, she couldn’t break up with him, she’d have to wait until he was better. What, then ruin the day of his returning to full health? No, she couldn’t do that either. She’d just have to hold out for a while longer and be a supportive girlfriend while she still was his girlfriend.

She finally found herself pulling up outside the apartment building. She lifted him into his wheelchair (he was very deep in a drugged sleep, so he didn’t wake up for any of this) and gently wheeled him into his apartment building and then into the elevator, and eventually into their apartment and into bed. She didn’t really feel like staying put, and she knew that Logan would be conked out for a while, so she decided to drive back to Stars Hollow, as she needed to be there for her mom for awhile, as she knew that she was having a rough time with Luke. She hastily scribbled Logan a note and put it on his bedside table to explain her whereabouts and then went back down to the car.

The drive to Stars Hollow wasn’t that long, but it seemed long to her. She hated being stuck in a car, alone with her thoughts, she’d been like that too often lately and she despised the feeling. When she reached the “Welcome to Stars Hollow” sign, she was going to turn left, in the direction of her house, but she realised that she’d gone without coffee for over 24 hours (Wow, new record) and was in need of a stop at Lukes to refuel, so she turned right instead.

She pulled out a book (A Long Way Down – Nick Hornby) as she stepped out of the car and she kept her head in the book as she walked in and up to the counter shere she looked up to order. But instead of the gruff, dark brown of Luke, her eyes locked with the mischievous, chocolate coloured eyes of-

“Jess.” She breathed, dazedly.

[Dexterous]

Aw! Cute! Great job!

[JessRules]

Thank you!

[JessRules]

That Burning Feeling

Summary: Takes place after The Real Paul Anka. Jess comes back to support his mom, and see his little brother/sister when it’s born. Literati (‘cos nothing else works).
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 4 – Book Talk
Last Time:

She pulled out a book (A Long Way Down – Nick Hornby) as she stepped out of the car and she kept her head in the book as she walked in and up to the counter where she looked up to order. But instead of the gruff, dark brown of Luke, her eyes locked with the mischievous, chocolate coloured eyes of-
“Jess.” She breathed, dazedly.

“Hey.”

“Wha-What are you doing here?”

“I’m here for Liz.” Jess replied, trying to keep up his stony façade.

“Is she okay?”

“She’s pregnant.” Jess knew that if he let go of his shield, she’d be free to take a blow at him, so he kept it up, stubbornly.

“Liz is pregnant?”

“Uh-huh.”

“You’re going to be an older brother?”

“I guess.”

“God, I can’t picture you as an older brother.”

“Huh.”

“Are you determined to make this hard for me?”

“Coffee?”

“Don’t answer a question with a question.”

“Here you go.” He said, pouring out some for her.

“Why are you even working in the diner while you’re here?”

Jess sighed, giving in and answering her question, “I’m gonna be down here for a while, so I could use the extra cash.”

“Okay.” She replied, timidly.

Silence consumed the conversation as Rory shyly took a sip of coffee. Jess wished this wasn’t so awkward, he wanted to branch out to something, anything, that would make this less weird.

“So, Nick Hornby?”

“Huh?” Jess gestures to the book, “Oh yeah, I just re-read High Fidelity and I was in a Nick Hornby mood.”

“I should read it someday, I hear it’s good.”

“You haven’t read it?” she asked incredulously, “It’s great, a little dramatic, but great, you really should give it a try.”

“I will.”

“So, what are you reading?” Jess retrieves his book from his back pocket and shows it to Rory, “Oh my God, The Fountainhead? You hate that book!”

“I know, but I thought I’d try it again, just in case, I all that’s happening is I’m discovering so many new aspects of it that I hate.”

“Oh well, at least you’re trying.” Rory said taking another gulp of her coffee, “I’ve forgotten how much I’ve missed this, I guess the fact that I haven’t had it in over 24 hours might have something to do with it.”

“You haven’t had coffee in over 24 hours? And you call yourself a Gilmore.”

“Well I have had coffee, but it was hospital coffee, and I don’t count that as proper coffee.”

“Why were you in the hospital?”

“Logan hurt himself.”

“Was he playing with Daddy’s knives again?”

“Nope, parachuteed off a cliff. Drunk.”

“Wow, real keeper, that Logan.”

“Uh-huh.” Rory says, staring down into her empty coffee mug, “I’ve gotta go now.”

“See ya.”

“Yeah see ya.” Rory says, reluctantly before leaving, Jess staring after her.

[syd & vaughn 4ever 47]

that was good. question- is she w/ Jess or Logan?

[syd & vaughn 4ever 47]

nevermind i missed a few post lol.

[JessRules]

Chapter 5 – Why Talk When You Can Shout?

Upon arriving back at the house, Rory, weighed down by her heavy bags (damn books), went to hurl them down in the bedroom, but only managed to get to the kitchen, where she found Lorelai. She wasn’t crying, she didn’t even look upset, she was just sitting there with a blank expression.

“Mom?”

Silence.

“Mom, you okay?”

“I met April.” Lorelai finally replied.

“Mom, that’s great! You should be happy. Why aren’t you happy?”

“I can’t see her anymore, though.”

“What, why?”

“Anna.”

“Okay, I’m gonna need a few more words, here.”

Lorelai just stared at her.

“Mom, talk to me, you’re freaking me out, here.”

“Anna thinks I’m going to get close to April and then just waltz back out of her life.”

“But you wouldn’t be able to do that, you’re engaged to Luke.”

“But, apparently, people get engaged all the time.”

“You’re going to get married.” Rory said, firmly.

“But until them, no April.”

“Well, you don’t have to wait that long, then.”

“I’m not going to get married.”

“Mom, don’t say that!”

“What, Luke’s never gonna want to get married, he wants to get to know April first, and I can’t stand waiting and not being allowed to see his kid, who I quite like actually.”

Rory frowned, “Stay right there.” She said, storming out the door.

After Rory left, Jess buried himself in his work, trying to get her out of his head but, unfortunately, there wasn’t that much work to do, until, of course, in came-

“Kirk, get out.”

Kirk looked offended, “You don’t have the right to refuse service, Luke doesn’t even have the right.”

“Get out.”

“No, I’m meeting Lulu here.”

“Who’s Lulu?”

“My soul mate, my other half, my-“

“Whatever, I’m taking a break before you break into a chorus of ‘You Are My Sunshine’.”

Jess went outside, instinctively heading towards the bridge, but before he could get there, someone crashed into him.

“Watch where you’re-“ he looked up to see Rory.

“Where is he?” she asked, going into the diner.

“Who, Kirk?” he asked, following her.

“Luke, where’s Luke, Jess?”

“He went out awhile ago.”

“And I don’t think much of his stand-in.” Kirk added, indignantly.

“Why do you want to see Luke, anyway?” Jess asked, ignoring Kirk, as per-usual.

“I have a shell of a woman back at home and I wanna see if Luke has anything to do with that.”

Jess groaned, “What’d he do now?”

“It seems he wants to take Anna’s word before Mom’s.”

“Who’s Anna?”

“The mother of Luke’s child, catch up.”

“Rory! Slow down, tell me what’s going on!”

“Geez, relax.”

“Yeah, ‘cos I’m making a scene.” He replied, sarcastically.

“Hey, Luke isn’t the one getting any hurt out of this, Mom’s just skulking around pretending not to care that both Luke and Anna never want her to meet April, Anna says she doesn’t want Mom to meet her until she and Luke are married, and Luke never wants to get married, so she’s kinda stuck, isn’t she?”

“Let me talk to him.”

“What?”

“Let me talk to him, he’s probably worried about Lorelai, so he doesn’t exactly need Gilmore junior coming in and shouting at him.”

“And if you’re talk doesn’t do anything?”

“Then you have full permission to bite his head off.”

“I don’t need your permission.”

“Fine, then you won’t be held back by me.”

“Whatever.”

“Nice Yale vocabulary.”

“Stop it, I still feel mad, you could be my next victim.”

“We wouldn’t want that, now, would we?”

Rory rolls her eyes, “You’ll talk to him?”

“Yes, mam.”

“You’ll be serious?”

“As a heart attack.”

“Wow, you’ve started to resort to repeating comebacks.”

“Huh.”

“Now, that’s a classic one.”

“I didn’t as for your judgement.”

“Well, I didn’t ask for Kirk to be our audience, but things happen.”

Kirk, who had been staring at them, intently, immediately turns back to his food.

“God, what’s with this town?”

“Not the town…just Kirk.”

“Hey!” Kirk responded through a mouthful of sandwich.

“Your customer’s waiting.”

“Don’t make me go back and serve him.”

“Bye Jess.”

“Cruel woman.” He retorted as Rory walked out. He stared after her for awhile before, reluctantly, turning back to Kirk.

[JessRules]

That Burning Feeling
Summary: Takes place after The Real Paul Anka. Jess comes back to support his mom, and see his little brother/sister when it’s born. Literati (‘cos nothing else works).
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 6 – 26 messages
Previously: Rory goes home to find Lorelai completely shattered and, after getting a bit of information, dashes, furiously, to Lukes. Instead of Luke, she finds Jess there and explains to him why she’s so angry. Jess says he’d rather talk to Luke, since it’s probably hurting him, as well, but if he didn’t listen, Rory had full permission to bite Luke’s head off.
Rory came back to a sleeping Lorelai. She sighed and draped a blanket over her shoulders. She looked in the fridge for any leftover food to find that Lorelai had eaten whatever had been in their.

“She can’t cry, she can’t laugh, she can’t do that much,” Rory muttered to herself, “but she sure can eat.”

She sat down next to Lorelai and wearily put an arm around her. She pulled out her cell phone with the other arm. She turned it on and went to check her messages.

“You have 26 new messages.” Said the mechanical voice of the voicemail.

“Gee, did I get popular overnight or something?” she said to herself as the first message started to play.

“Hey Ace, any reason why the second I fall asleep you rush off to your hometown? Anyway, I kinda need you back here, not being able to walk and all, so could you please come down or at least call me back?”

“Oh God.”

“Hey Ace, it’s me again, why’d you turn your cell phone off anyway? Getting sick of me already, huh?”

The other 24 messages were pretty much of the same context but each one seemed to make Rory guilty in a different way. She was torn between her Mom and Logan and, in the end, she had to choose her Mom, since she was the most distressed right now and Logan had Colin and thing, but she could only stay for the weekend before heading back to Yale and then she’d look after Logan. Perfect she thought to herself Looks like my plans are made for the next two weeks or so. Oh well, she’d just have to yell at Luke some other time, that is, if Jess didn’t do his job right.

In the end, she resignedly decided to call Logan. She dialled the number, more out of routine than pleasant familiarity.

“Hello?” came the scratchy voice of Logan. She could tell she’d woken her up.

“You sure had fun with my answering machine, didn’t you?”

“There’s no way that it compares to the real thing.”

“Was it really necessary that you clog up my answering machine? I left you a note.”

“A cryptic note saying that you were going to Stars Hollow. That’s all it said, no reason, no motive, just your location.”

“That’s all you needed to know, actually, you didn’t really need to know anything.”

“Ace-“

“Sorry, I know I should be there for you, but right now I need to be there for my mom. I’ll call Colin and Finn to go look after you”

“I think I’d be safer alone.”

“They’ll be over in a minute, until then, get some rest.”

“Bye, Ace.”

“Bye.” She said, hanging up.

She retreated back into her own bedroom, thinking. She ended up lying on her bed, feet in the air, reading Howl, but it wasn’t the printed text she was engrossed with, it was the neat, italic handwriting in the margins. She knew it was a cliché of monumental proportions, but she couldn’t stop thinking about him.

He was back in her life for what? A good nine monthes and she was stuck. She just wanted to run away, get away from Stars Hollow and away from him. She wanted to hide behind the arms of Logan for a while longer even if he got her stressed out. She was beginning to think that maybe she should go back on her decision to break up with Logan, he had been a good distraction while she wasn’t at Yale, after all…

She didn’t know what to think, who had hurt her the most? No, that was no way to decide between them. She shouldn’t even be deciding between them, Jess probably doesn’t even want to be with her anymore. But what if he does? She was going to need something big, she was going to need something important…

She was going to need a Pro/Con list.


Jess felt like rejoicing right there in the diner as he watched Kirk’s retreating back. He wanted to savour every moment he could get in the diner, before going home, so he left about ten seconds before closing time. Well, what did Jess expect, it is Stars Hollow, after all.

He sleepily started closing up, waiting for Luke to get back. He felt like laughing at Luke’s stupidity. He’d pined over Lorelai for eight years and he had her, at last, and she wanted to marry her, but he’s going to give it all up for April. Geez, it wasn’t as if he wouldn’t see April when he and Lorelai were married, he’d probably see more of her, in fact, Lorelai would want her over all the time and April would willingly come.

Jess knew that April would love Lorelai, she was everything a kid likes, quirky, colourful, how could Luke and Anna not see that?

Just then, Luke himself walked in.

“Hey.”

“Hey, thanks for helping out today, I don’t really trust Caesar, he’d probably go and re-introduce the cold banana.”

“Nah, he was trying to get me to serve a cold pie.”

“That sounds disgusting.”

“Kirk liked it.”

“Well, Kirk’s…Kirk.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Returning to your monosyllabic ways?”

“What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Huh?”

“You have Lorelai, you’re engaged, why are you so determined to screw this up?”

“You sure dive right in, don’t ya?”

“You’re lucky you got me and not Rory.”

“What?”

“Yeah, Rory came by earlier looking for you and, let me tell you, Gilmores can get pretty mad, you just wait until the Grandparents find out.”

“There’s nothing to find out!”

“There will be, Lorelai’s starting to crack, and she’s the strongest person I know. According to Rory she’s just been sitting around, staring into space, she won’t even cry.”

“Well Lorelai’s usually a bit of a drama queen.”

“God, you’re more of an idiot than I thought you were.”

“What did I do now?”

“Why won’t you just set a date? You’ll still have your kid after you’re married, but you might actually want to let Lorelai be in the same room with her once in a while and listen to her instead of your ex! God, you let Anna control you, you’re careful to tiptoe around, trying not to make her upset, completely oblivious to the fact that you’re hurting your fiancé so much, you don’t deserve a Gilmore!”

“You wanna talk about letting exes control you? Fixed any sprinklers lately? Cleaned any drain pipes? Rory only has to snap her fingers and your hers, talk about pathetic!”

“Shut up, don’t try and steer the subject away from the fact that their’s a broken woman back at the Gilmore house and you made her like that! Don’t you care about her, don’t you care about her at all? If not her, then Rory, you know she’s like a daughter and this is killing her, seeing her role model in life, the strongest, most dependable person she knows fall apart, can you imagine what that would feel like?”

“I didn’t do anything apart from try to be a father to my kid!”

“And you’re still gonna be a father when you’re married, that’s not gonna change!”

“It is, Lorelai’s gonna be in her life and she’s gonna forget about me, I’m completely boring compared to Lorelai, you’ve seen her, she’ll waltz into April’s life and April will forget all about me!”

Jess’ face softened a little, “Do you really think that little of April?”

“No, but-“

“She likes you, she’s not just going to ditch you when she meets Lorelai.”

“I dunno-“

“Just think about it, that’s all I can say.” Jess said, resigned to his uncle’s stubbornness, “I’m gonna call it a night, shouting really takes it out of a person.” He said before heading upstairs.

Luke sat down, dazed.

[JessRules]

That Burning Feeling

Summary: Takes place after The Real Paul Anka. Jess comes back to support his mom, and see his little brother/sister when it’s born. Literati (‘cos nothing else works).

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 7 – Locating Luke

Previously: Rory decides to stay with Lorelai until she has to go back to Yale, instead of going and taking care of Logan. Jess has a talk with Luke.

“I don’t care who you hooked up with, I need you to get over there now!” Rory cried, frustrated.

“Rory, love, I’m trying to help you, but you have to understand I’m needed over here.” Finn said.

“Barbie doesn’t need you, Logan does!”

“Must I do everything around here?”

“Whatever, just go!” Rory said before hanging up. She’d forgotten how tiresome Colin and Finn were.

She sighed and turned back to her mother, who’d woken up awhile ago but refused to eat.

“Come on, Mom, you have to eat something.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Do you want to go to Als?”

“Do you want me to get food poisoning?”

“How about Westons?”

“I guess I could go in for some coffee.”

“That’s the spirit, come on.” Rory said, slowly ushering her mother outside and into the car.

Rory kept glancing cautiously at her mother as she drove the short distance to Westons. She hoped Jess had done well, she didn’t quite trust him, she didn’t trust anyone with her mother, she was very over-protective of her.

She had always loved Luke, loved him like a daughter loves her father, so this hatred towards him was new, and she wasn’t sure she liked it. She knew she could never really hate Luke, but this is as close as she’d ever gotten, because anyone who could do that to her mother, anyone who’s capable of causing her so much pain, wasn’t good in Rory’s eyes.

She nervously glanced over at Lorelai again.

“I’m not going to explode or anything, you don’t have to keep looking over.” Lorelai said, agitation etched in her features.

“Sorry, I’m just worried about you, you’re barely speaking and that’s never happened before.

Lorelai just looked on, silently. Rory sighed and turned back to face the road as she pulled up in front of Westons.

As soon as they’d ordered, Rory got up to leave.

“I’ll be back in a minute, I’ve just got to check on something.”

“What, you drag me out here and now you’re gonna bail?”

“I’ll be back in a minute.” Rory assured her Mom before leaving.

Jess hadn’t seen Luke once since the evening before, he’d had to open up the diner and take care of everyone’s orders on his own. I’m going to kill Luke. Jess thought to himself as he stepped away from a very flirtatious Miss Patty. But he didn’t have to time to think much longer, as the bell above the door suddenly gave a loud ring and he found himself being dragged into the storage room by an extremely caffeinated brunette.

“Now, was that really necessary?”

“Did you do it?”

“Do what?”

“Don’t play dumb, did you talk to Luke.”

“Yes.”

“And?”

“And…He took off.”

“What?”

“I haven’t seen him since the talk.”

“He’s skipped town?”

“His stuff’s still there.”

“Where did he go?”

“Do you think I’d be looking after this place if I knew where he was? Or do you think I enjoy dealing with Kirk, or being pinched in the ass by Miss Patty?”

Rory tried to suppress a giggle, but failed.

“Oh, it’s not funny.”

Rory burst out laughing.

“I think I preferred you when you were mad.”

“Hush, you.”

“Is that an order?”

“I just want to know where Luke is.”

“I know you do.”

“Did you try his cell?”

“Of course.”

“Did you try Anna’s place?”

“Why would I do that?”

“Because he likes Anna, and that’s the only place I can think of.”

“Why don’t you try?”

“I’ve gotta get back to my Mom, and she doesn’t know I’m doing any of this and if she did she’d be extremely mad.”

“Okay, I’ll call.”

“Thanks, bye.”

“See ya.”

Rory walked out, ignoring the stares of the townspeople.

Jess quickly came out and reached for the phone and his uncle’s address book. He flipped through it and found “Anna Home” at the back. Jess rolled his eyes at the futile attempt to hide the number from Lorelai before dialling.

The voice of a woman who Jess assumed to be Anna picked up, “Hello?”

“Hi, is there a Lucas Danes there?”

Anna hesitated, “Who’s asking?”

“His,” Jess racked his name for a title, “Food delivery company. This is urgent, I need you to pass me over to Luke.”

“How’d you get this number.”

“It’s, uh, on his contacts list. Can you please just put Luke on.”

Anna hesitated once again, “Sure, uh, hold on a minute.

[syd & vaughn 4ever 47]

those were good. aww poor logan! i love colin and finn!

[JessRules]

Thanks! I love Colin and Finn, too! I'm afraid that I won't be able to get the character right for them...