Just a dream ~ Jess Mariano

~chapter 9~

"Mama" leah giggled clapping her hands excitedly. The pudgy little girl sat proudly on the floor playing with some blocks making lorelai bound into the room so quick she made jess run from the door. "What's wrong with her?!" He said panicked as he peered over lorelai's shoulder as she stared worriedly into the playpen. "Leah darling tell grandma what you just said huh?" Lorelai said softly thinking she might've been hearing things. Leah ignored her babbling at her toys held tightly In her chubby fist. "What are we all staring at the baby for?" Rory asked chuckling dean at her heels it was 730, jess had the night off and he promised emma hed spend it with leah doing her bedtime routine and have her bathed and put to bed before 8. "Mama!" Leah yelled again smirking up at her rory your top 2 teeth sparkling. "No freaking way?!" Rory smiled excitedly. "No oh no this bad jess grab the baby!" Lorelai shrieked passing the shocked teen her jacket as they hurried down the street to Weston's bakery in a gaggle group of hurried 3 teens a baby and the matriarch of the Gilmore girls a worrying Luke following down the road confused about the group rushing. "Emma!" Jess entered the bakery his voice nervous. "One sec jess just almost done icing this cake for the brewers anniversary." She called back wiping her hand on her forehead. "Actually babe your gonna have to come here now!" Lorelai called back making emma freeze. "Mom?" She said confused hurrying out of the back room worriedly hoping nothing is wrong with leah. Leah was safely pressed against jess's chest. "MAMA!" she yelled wiggling excitedly in the teens arms. "No way?! Good girl! I am mama!" Emma squealed bounding towards the little girl as she spun her. "Mama!" Leah giggled smiling toothfily at rory. "Yes that mamas twin sister aunt rory, can you she auntie" Emma egged the little girl on as the group smiled brightly at the two.  "Mama!" Leah giggled making everyone laugh in response.

1 week later

"Jess can you pass me that toy under the coffee table?" Emma asked as she began picking up Leah's toys that evening as everyone was out. Rory and dean were on the rocks so she was out at a party with lane. "Oh yeah sure here you go!" He replied placing the toy down that he was already playing with leah,who's attention was more focused on the tv. Some puppets  teaching kids how to say some words. "Da!" Leah suddenly yelled making the two look over at her expecting her to be looking at the tv but instead she was pulling herself up grabbing at jess's messy black hair that was beginning to get longer. "That's jess baby! Can you say jess?" Emma said looking between the two. "Da!" Leah yelled again her chubby fingers tugging at his shirt collar instead. He stood there kneeling on his knees infront of the little girl to shell shocked to move but the wheels and cogs in his head was turning rapidly. "Sorry jess shes working on syllables. Jess dear not da" emma corrected looking at leah panicking. Jess's heart constricted. Did leah look at him like a father figure? Could he be a father figure? Of course she cant?! He couldn't be a father could he? What kinda example could he set? He didn't have his head on straight like dean and in the last 2 months no matter how hard he tried he was failing his classes and he was distancing himself from the girls not wanting to disappoint emma, no matter how much she was helping him. "I uh I gotta go..see you later leah" he whispered standing quickly and grabbing his leather jacket and bounded out the past a very confused lorelai as she held the door open,for him her keys jangling in her hand as he rushed past. "Uh bye speedster." She chuckled. "Dada!" Leah called bursting into tears making Emma pick her up quickly to bounce and calm her. "Whatd I miss girls?" Lorelai asked calmly rubbing her granddaughters back as she held her chubby hands out to the door when jess once stood.

"She called him da just like that?" Rory asked shocked an empty tub of ice cream sat on the table between them. It took both younger gillmore girls to relax the littlest one after jess leaving. "Yep I'm telling you Rory he looked just about petrified." Emma sighed rubbing the ice cream off her lips. "But why? I mean I get her calling him da hes all shes known for the past few months. But why would he run?" Rory said looking at her fingernails, her inner journalist kicking in. "Emma!" A frantic knock at the door sounded making emma furrow her brows as she stood. "Omg its dean" Rory said frantically looking around the room in a hurry. "Go to the bathroom hurry" emma hurried into the back room closing the door before smoothing her shirt and answering the door for dean. "Hey dean" she nodded stepping out on the porch with him. "Rorys not here is she?" He asked his eyes scanning the windows,making emma panic for a second. "Uh no shes in hartford for the weekend. Can I help you with anything?" She asked him confused slightly wondering why he had seemed so on edge. "Listen I know it's not really any of my business-" he started beating around the Bush as he scuffed his shoes on the patio. "Dean.. it's me just tell me" emma whispered placing a hand on his arm. "Its..rory...and jess..." he whispered not wanting to look up at the girl he loved. "Yeah they're friends I know that." She laughed shaking her head knowing Dean's downfall was his possessiveness and jealousy. "No..no we broke up because she...she wanted jess." Dean confirmed finally glancing up to her eyes making the girls eyes narrow as she took in the information. I mean really jess wasnt hers but it's completey against sister code. Could she believe dean. Did she want to? It would have made sense jess has been so distant. "I'm sorry em I didnt want you to find out this way" he sighed wrapping his arms around the girl. "Its ok dean, not your fault." She smiled ignoring the tugging at her heart strings. "Hey I gotta go pick up my sister from ballet. She wants to stop over to see leah tommrow? Are you off?" Dean asked getting the girls attention. His arms still wrapped around her waist. She nodded not wanting to tell him of course she was off, saturday was jess's day he usually took leah when she was working. She closed her eyes hugging him goodbye with a kiss to her forehead he smiled at her.

Jess was in front of the driveway watching the entirety of the reaction, he felt heartbroken..but mostly angry. How did he know that hed slip up for a couple weeks and then daddy dean would step in trying to play mr.mom. He had inwardly growled as he looked around the compound seeing rory's car parked by the gate. Maybe hed see what rory was doing? He knew deep down he shouldn't be playing with either of the girls but now the hate filling his soul made him toss the cheeseburger and fries(her favorite)into a nearby garbage can angrily as he stomped his way back to Luke's to call Rory.

"Hes gone rory!" Emma called entering back in seeing her sister stepping out of the room car keys in hand as she smiled. "I'm going with lane for abit dont wait up." Rory hurried out of the house starting the bug and hurrying out of the house. Making emma glare suspiciously as she watched her sister go. She sat back into her spot on the couch as her tummy grumbled,not wanting to see either teens for awhile.

Little did she know she would see them in a half hour time,her mom and Luke aruging as they began tearing into the house,making emma only here snippets of "accident" "rory and jess" and it had made her blood run cold.