Chapter 12

Rory woke up early the next morning with a horrible headache. Feeling as if she weighed a ton, she gradually picked herself up and went into the bathroom. She glanced in the mirror and wasn't one bit surprised that she looked as bad as she felt.

"Great."

She filled up the cup sitting next to the sink with water and set it down. Then she snatched a bottle of aspirin out of the medicine cabinet and took two pills, forcing them down her dry throat with a big gulp of water.

She made her way into the kitchen and Lorelai looked up from the morning paper.

"Oh, good, you're up. The coffeemaker is not agreeing with me today. I think it would be better for our health going to Luke's." She paused. "Rory?"

"Mm," Rory mumbled.

"Want me to get it to go? You can just stay here--I'll bring you back a bagel, if you want."

"Yeah, thanks."

Lorelai smiled. "Okay, I'll be back soon."

"Hey Luke."

Luke looked up as he headed to the stairs leading to his apartment. He came back over to the counter. "Hey."

Lorelai sat down on a stool.

"Where's Rory? Still sleeping?"

"No, she's up. She's not feeling well, though. I'm just going to get two bagels and two cups of coffee to go."

"Okay. Hold on, Jess will get that for you. I have to do something."

Lorelai watched in half amusement, half confusion, as he hurried upstairs, shouting to Jess and nodding at Lorelai as he passed him.

Jess gave Lorelai an acknowledging nod, but he continued giving everyone coffee refills.

The phone behind the counter rang, and Lorelai glanced quickly around. Jess either didn't hear the phone, or he was ignoring it. She hurried behind the counter as the phone finished its third ring.

She quickly grabbed it. "Hello? Luke's Diner."

"Is Jess there?"

Lorelai jumped slightly as the girl on the other line loudly popped her gum into the receiver.

"Yes, he is. May I ask who's calling?"

"His girlfriend."

"Um...excuse me?"

"His girlfriend," the girl repeated impatiently.

"Does his girlfriend have a name?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact I do. Put him on."

"Sure, whatever. Hold on." Lorelai covered the mouthpiece of the phone with one hand. "Jess," she called.

He looked up. "What."

"Jess, you're girlfriend is on the phone."

He raised an eyebrow. "Girlfriend, huh?"

"Yeah, that's what she said."

"Judging from your tone and that look, I'm guessing you're not talking about Rory."

"You're guessing right," Lorelai said coldly.

Sighing, Jess took the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey, what's up?"

"Lex?"

"Yeah?"

Jess turned his back to Lorelai. "What are you doing?" he hissed.

"Calling a friend? I miss you not being around. All the people here are so boring..."

"I mean, what are you doing calling me your boyfriend?"

"I was just joking, chill."

"I'm trying to get with Rory. I don't need you calling and telling everyone I have a girlfriend."

"Rory? That boring chick that followed you here?"

"Yes, and she's not boring. And thanks to you, her mom is giving me the evil eye right now."

"Was she the one that answered the phone?" Lex asked innocently.

"What is your problem?"

"No problem," she said darkly. "But since you're in such a bitchy mood, I'll let you go. Later, love."

Jess slammed down the phone, causing a few heads to turn in his direction as he turned around. Lorelai was gone.

"Did you get coffee?"

"No, hun...Luke went upstairs and Jess...um, was still sleeping," she lied.

"Oh."

"Look, I'll try to get the coffee going again."

"Thanks Mom."

"No problem," Lorelai responded. Her eyes softened. "Are you ready to talk about it yet?" she asked lightly.

"No."

"Oh, okay then." Lorelai racked her mind for something else to say to make her daughter, her best friend, feel better.

"Are you working late today?"

"No. In fact...I'm getting off a little early," Lorelai replied. She opened her mouth to tell Rory about her date with Luke, but Rory cut her off.

"Great. Because I was thinking tonight could be movie night. Only comedies, though. Movies so stupid they're funny." She looked hopefully at Lorelai, who smiled in return.

"Sounds like fun," she said hesitantly. "I'll pick up some movies on the way home from work, okay?"

"Good," Rory agreed with a small smile on her face. She leaned her head on her mother's shoulder, and Lorelai narrowed her eyes, wrapping an arm protectively around Rory.

If Jess thought he could do this to her daughter and get away with it, he had another thing coming.

"Where did Lorelai go?"

Jess glanced up at Luke as he wiped the counter. "I don't know, home I guess."

"Did you get her coffee?"

"Nope."

"Jess, I told you--"

"I got a phone call. Lorelai left before I could get anything for her," Jess snapped.

"She just left? Without coffee?" Luke asked, clearly surprised.

"Yeah."

"Did she get it herself while you were turned around?"

"No, the cups were behind me."

"That's weird. Did she say anything?"

"No. Are we done here--can I go?"

Luke threw his hands up. "Sure. Go right ahead."

Jess grabbed his jacket and left the diner. He didn't know where he was going, but he had to do something. He couldn't be in the diner one more minute. On instinct, and quite possibly out of habit, he stopped a few minutes later, looking up at the familiar Gilmore girls' house.

He was about to walk up to the house, find Rory, and apologize about how he acted, when the door opened. Lorelai stood there, and as soon as she saw him, her eyes turned cold and guarded. She walked over.

"I don't know what you did, but I highly suggest you stay away from here for awhile."

"You can't just--"

"Oh, but I can. Stay away from Rory."

Lorelai walked over to her car and let herself in. She glared at Jess once more before speeding off.

Even though Jess wasn't exactly the one to follow orders, he sighed and kept on walking. Past the Gilmore house.

Rory frowned, looking out the window. What was Jess doing here? She had an overwhelming urge to go run out to him, but she waited for him to make his way up the walkway. He stopped short when Lorelai came up to him.

'Uh oh,' Rory thought, leaning forward for a better look.

Lorelai said something and Jess's eyes narrowed. He started to say something, but she cut him off. Then she got into her car and drove off. Jess looked up at the house again, but turned around and walked away.

Rory stood up to chase after him when the phone rang. She contemplated on just not answering, since it couldn't be her mom, as she had just left about one minute ago.

A minute later she picked up the phone as curiosity got the better of her. "Hello?"

"Rory?"

Her face fell. Dean. What could he possibly want?"

"Yes?"

"Uh, hi."

"Hi."

"Can you meet me at Luke's? I want to talk."

"Luke's?" Rory sighed. "Dean, I don't think--"

"Please."

He sounded so helpless, so hopeful...Rory found herself agreeing.

* * * *

"So."

"So," Dean echoed, looking down at his lap. Then he looked back up at her, almost expectantly.

What? Rory wanted to ask. Why is he looking at me like that? He's the one that asked me to come here, he's the one that should be talking. I'm just here to listen.

"What did you want to talk about, Dean?" she asked in exasperation.

She kept glancing up at the staircase leading to the apartment upstairs, hoping against hope that Jess didn't come down and find her with Dean. So far, so good.

Although, she wasn't totally sure Jess was even upstairs. Maybe she should be watching the door, too. She just wished Dean would get whatever it was he wanted to say, off his chest and be done with it.

He apologized for the party, and she looked at him in surprise, her eyebrows raised. So he actually realized how jealous he had gotten--over nothing? She accepted his apology, and he smiled at her, relaxing.

A nervous look came across Dean's face just then, and Rory's face fell slightly.

Please don't be doing that I think you're--

"I know I haven't always been the perfect boyfriend, but I think we can--"

"There's no 'we' anymore, Dean," Rory said softly, but firmly.

"But Rory--"

"Huh."

Rory's head snapped up just in time to lock eyes with Jess right before he headed outside. She groaned, turning to Dean.

"I have to go, sorry. I forgive you, but I can't...be with you anymore. I'm so sorry."

Dean just nodded. He looked a little mad, but his voice was void of emotion. He sighed and told her to go after Jess.

Rory leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, before hurrying out of the diner.

"Jess!"

Jess heard Rory behind him, but he didn't slow down. In fact, he picked up the pace a little. After a minute of running, Rory finally caught up to him.

"Stop!"

He ignored her, walking over to the one place in Stars Hollow that he didn’t completely hate, and sitting down. He dangled his feet over the water, enjoying the peacefulness.

That didn't last long.

Rory shoved Jess off the bridge and into the water. He came up, coughing and gasping for air. He glared at her. Rory, her hands on her hips, glared back. Then she turned and walked away.