Just a dream ~ Jess Mariano

~chapter 8~

"First day of grade 12!" Emma awoke to the next morning to rory jumping on her bed. Thanking the heavens leah was such a heavy sleeper. " lorelai gilmore get off my bed" emma groaned at her overexcited sister already dressed In her uniform. "Oh my wonderful loin fruit off to grade 12,howd she sleep kiddo?" The matriarch asked padding into the room donned in slippers and a robe. "Only woke up once!" Emma smiled shoving her sisters shoulders and she stood up slowly. "Goodbye my little cherub auntie rory is off to brave the world and the evil paris" rory growled playfully as she scooped up a giggly leah. "Hey you watch it! I like her" emma laughed pushing her bangs out of her face looking for an outfit for herself and leah. "Come see grandma and let your mama get ready huh?" Lorelai smiled rubbing her nose against her granddaughters as she snatched the clothes from emma and hurried down the stairs. "So are you nervous?" Rory asked slowly. "Kinda not looking forward to the stares but oh well!" Emma groaned sliding her leggings and dress over her body letting her waves out of the Bobby pins. "Hey screw them, get jess to throw a book at them" rory laughed teasing her older sister about the broody boy. To be fair emma wasnt as excited to see him either after his blow up yesterday but she knew for a fact dean was going to be stuck to her hip.
As the 3 gilmore girls left the house they spilt up, emma and leah heading to babettes lawn who was eagerly waiting them her arms wide open with Maury grinning ecstatically beside her. Which unbeknownst to them made emma feel much better about being away from her daughter. "Hey babette, Maury!" She waved handing the diaper bag and leah to babette and the spare key to him just incase they needed anything extra. "You have my number right?" Emma clarified looking nervously at them and they both nodded completey enamoured with leah. "Go to school dear final year it's going to be amazing!" Babette smiled as emma kissed her daughters forehead waving and blowing kisses to her as she hurried down the driveway her bookbag over her shoulder.

"Hey emma!" She heard jess call from the diners steps where he waited eagerly with a tea in hand. "Jess please not right now" she sighed biting back to the tears and fears of worry for leaving leah already. "Hey what's wrong?! Wheres leah?" He asked approaching her quickly a hand on her back as much as she wanted to hit him he made her feel calmer. "Shes with babette till the I get home." She sighed her voice tight. "Come sit huh? Its gonna be ok babette adores her" he whispered reassuringly as he placed the tea in her hand as he sat her slowly on the bench. "I just feel so bad leaving her there." Emma huffed sipping her tea. "I know but hey you're making a better life for her" he reassured the female making her nod. "Listen hey I'm sorry I exploded on you" he whispered tracing his finger over the rim of his cup. "Its ok I get it,me and dean have been through alot not even romantically but just in general" she stated setting her stern gaze on his, he nodded. "I totally respect that,luke says I need anger management but not a chance" jess laughed shaking his head. "Ya never know might need it" emma said nodding agreeing with the helicopter uncle. "Nuh uh hate talking about my issues. C'mon let's go to school you can show me around the ol alma matter." He joked taking her cup throwing it out and slinging his arm around her shoulder grabbing her bookbag in the process. "Such a gentleman" emma giggled.

By time 3 came Emma was exhausted. She spent majority of her day getting the looks and stares from some kids but in all fairness no one said anything to her which was good. Upon closing her locker a couple kids rushed passed her probably eager to get home not like she could blame them. "Hey em! How was the first day?" Dean asked coming up and tapping his rogue pencil against her forehead making her purse her lips. "Rude it was fine dean couple stares but nothing crazy but I gotta get home to emma before work, I'll call you later?" She asked glancing up to him as he smiled at her looping an arm around her placing a quick kiss to her head as he nodded and left,probably to go get his little sister. She shook her head as she hiked the bag over her shoulder and headed outside. Upon entering the courtyard she heard a commotion in front of the steps where a big group had congregated. "Fight fight!" She rolled her eyes who would seriously be fighting on the first day bunch of Neanderthals. Come to think of it jess was supposed to walk her home and was no where to be found. Hurrying over to the group she found jess just in time for dean to grab him and pull him out of the fight with Cody Jenkins a cruel kid who was stars hollow MVP.

"Get off me!" Jess growled shoving dean as he looked at the group wildly. It scared emma. Jess could be so volatile, so explosive was it safe for him to even be around leah? Luke had issues with anger and he was grouchy but he always took care of the gilmore girls. "Jess come on" she huffed grabbing his arm in her grasp, flinching as he spun towards her as the group descended. "Emma!? I'm sorry I didn't mean to scare you." He winced suddenly grabbing her upper arms and bending his head down to look at her. He was such a different person than he was before he made her feel safe and calm, little did she know he had that effect on her as well. " its the first day and your already fighting come on you're better than that. Better than cody Jenkins" she sighed shaking her head and pulling a wipe from the packet in her bookbag(talk about mom things lol) and wipe the blood away from his nose making her smile lightly at her. "I was defending your honor you should be proud" he chuckled wincing as she put abit more pressure on the cut. "My honor?" She questioned looking at him her doe eyes wide and questioning. It made him wrap his arms around her hips loosely as he pulled her closer,hoping she wouldn't flinch away again. "That guy was being a jerk saying stuff. I took care of it" he shrugged trying to avoid her calculating look. "Well I guess your my knight in leather huh?" She laughed trying to ignore the painful tug at her heart and the self conciousness of ppl saying bad things at her as she leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Well your welcome dear lady" he winked removing his hands from her warm hips as he puffed the collar of his leather jacket his famous one sided smirk making her blush. "Come on james dean come see leah with me!" She laughed excited to get back to her chubby daughter. "Sure I don't have to work at Luke's tilk 5" he shrugged his shoulders taking her bookbag from her and throwing his arm around her waist this time. Protectively hoping he could protect her and keep her away from the harsh realitys of high school.

The two spent almost 2 months doing that, hed meet her at Luke's with tea,walked her to school bookbag and all, walk her back home spend time wi4h her and leah and than they'd both go to work at 5. Jess who didnt enjoy the ambiance of sleepy stars hollow but as long as he had her by his side hed brave anything for her and leah? Hed positively walk through fire for her. She was 7 months old and her favorite past time was sitting up and listening to him read to her or sleepy afternoons where they would curl up in the rocking chair and she would fall asleep on his chest. Jess was a bad boy no doubt about it. But he wanted to change. He wanted to be a better guy, a better figure in life, succeeding for both leah and emma. For once he wanted to be like Luke. Luke was practically a father figure to both girls ,knowing excatly what to do when they were sick or sad. Hed support them in any venture. He wanted to be someone emma and leah could depend on like lorelai and her girls relied on luke. But luke has been in love with lorelai for ages and her only noticing she replicated thise feelings now. He didnt want her to wait until they were well into their 30s before their great love story would happen. He felt passionate about this family which was very un-Holden caulfield- esque of him as rory would say. But he was all in completey. It's been almost 5 months of knowing them,leah was almost 10 months now He wanted to ask emma just once maybe a date could be possible?