Gilmore Girls Season 8

Episode Two: If Only | Part Four

A few days had passed since Emily's health scare.

Emily insisted she was fine, but everyone was still on edge.

Jess went back to stay at Luke's while Rory stayed at her house. Rory was glad she never took a break at work, it made the remaining week she had left in Stars Hallow much more appreciated.

She stared at her phone as she was shocked who her last call was from. Logan. Logan and Rory did not exactly end on the greatest terms as she refused his proposal on the day of her graduation from Yale.

Rory decided to call him back to figure out why he called.

Silence had sat in Luke's apartment as Jess and Luke sat on the sofa after Jess told him what had happened during the madness that occurred with Emily.

"Wow," Luke sighed, unsure of what to tell his nephew.

"Yeah," Jess took a drink from his beer.

"So, Liz knew this entire time and didn't even let on?"

"Yep."

"And, the hospital...?"

"Didn't care as long as the parents and attorneys decided."

"How old were you when she found out?"

"Six."

"Damn."

"I know."

Jess took another drink out of his beer.

His head had been spinning the entire past few days and he had been trying to keep every piece of sanity he had left tied together for Rory. The old Jess would have thrown a fit and run away from his problems, but Jess knew he wasn't going to keep Rory around by sticking to his old habits... He wasn't going to keep anyone around he concluded when he got his life back in check.

Jess had been switched at birth.

The resemblance between his father and him was real... turns out Jess' father had gotten two women pregnant at once. He stayed for the other woman instead of Liz. The hospital made a mistake when they saw the last name "Mariano" on the baby's wristbands when they were born. Jess had another half-sibling and the reason he never felt related to his mother was now valid.

When Jess and his unknown half-sibling were six, Liz and the other woman had already had their suspicions but found out through the hospital when they called saying they had made a terrible mistake. Liz and the other woman decided it would be in the best interest of the children to keep them in the same home instead of flipping their lives. They talked to their attorneys, got it approved by the judge and carried on. It fueled Liz's hatred towards Jess' father and turns out that the other woman kicked Jess' father out when she found out, too. Jess still was hesitant on whether or not he wanted to speak with his half-sibling... He figured his life had been flipped enough without adding more drama, but should he meet the half-sibling? And his real mother?

"You gotta tell Rory sometime." Luke said.

"I know... In fact, I'm gonna go over and tell her now. I'm in a sharing mood apparently today." Jess chuckled, getting up and grabbing his jacket.

"You know I'm still your uncle, blood related or not." Luke gave him a sad smile.

"Unfortunately." Jess laughed.

Jess walked slowly to Rory's house and let himself in the door as he had many times before in the past week. Lorelai was sitting on the couch, reading a magazine and smiled, waving at Jess.

"She's on the phone on the back porch. Wanna wait in here with me? Or there's Chinese food in the kitchen if you want it." Lorelai offered.

"Our first bonding food." He chuckled.

"The egg rolls really just tied our friendship together." She smirked.

"And a few awkward years later..." Jess laughed even harder, walking to the kitchen to get food.

Jess grabbed his food and went to go sit by Lorelai as he waited. Rory finally came through the door.

"Guess what just happened." Rory came into the living room and widened her eyes when she saw Jess sitting on the sofa with her mom.

"What?" Lorelai said, Jess watching how strange her reaction was.

"That exclusive with Obama was given to me." Rory beamed.

"Hon, I know you're advancing quickly with your career, but you can't sleep with president candidates." Lorelai laughed and mouthed a "sorry" to Jess.

"As deeply saddened as I am by that, don't think I have to worry." She laughed.

Jess chuckled as he finished eating his Chinese food.

"Wanna go get some ice-cream or go for a walk?" He looked at Rory.

"Sure, let me grab my jacket." She smiled, going to her room.

"What if I wanted ice-cream..." Lorelai said sadly. Jess laughed.