Jess Mariano: What if?

7

They had the little theater all to themselves, and Kirk was making out with LuLu, so he didn't even mind the large amounts of food that they had smuggled inside.

Luke and Lorelai sat on the couch in the very front, Lorelai laying down and taking up most of it.

Jess and Rory sat conveniently behind them, as Jess sucked on her neck the entire time.

It was taking everything Luke had not to punch the kid.

Eventually both boys noticed the commentary from their dates had died down, and this was because they had both fallen asleep.

"Funny," scoffed Jess. "They scream at me if I so much as blink too long during one of their movies, but they think it's okay for them to snore during something I actually wanted to see? Rude."

Luke was tense. "Well I guess you didn't want to see it that much, as you spent the whole first half giving Rory a hickey."

Jess smirked. "I can multi-task."

Luke turned around in his seat. "You need to stop this. Rory is Lorelai's life. Hell, Rory is my life, too.  In my mind, she's eight years old and reading Harry Potter in the diner for nine hours straight.  I'm not going to sit here and let you..." He trailed off, exasperated.

"Let me what? Kiss my girlfriend that I'm living with? It's not like we're having sex right here in front of you... Even if we were, she's twenty years old, Luke.  She's not your little girl.  God, she was never your little anything.  It's not your decision what we do or don't do.  You aren't her father.  You aren't mine either."

Luke went silent.  When he finally spoke, it was in a low tone.  "I may not be her father, but I've been there for her.  I was there for you too, just not in time.  Maybe if I had raised you, you wouldn't be an immature high school dropout, still trying to push my buttons."

Luke stood, carrying Lorelai in his arms.  "You're not good enough for her.  You'd better find a way to fix that."

With that, he left.  With that, Jess felt like more of a piece of crap than he ever had in his entire life.

"Hey..." Rory whispered sleepily.  "Is the movie over?" She sat up and kissed his cheek softly.

"Yeah," was all Jess said.

"Mom and Luke...?"

"They left a few minutes ago.  I think she's staying over there tonight."

Rory nodded.  "Hey, what's wrong? You look sad."  She gently climbed into his lap so they were face-to-face.

"Nah, just tired, is all."  He wouldn't meet her eye.

"Hey." She kissed him so he would look at her and then pulled away.  "Thank you for agreeing to do this tonight.  It meant a lot.  I love you."

He met her startlingly blue eyes.  "I love you too."  He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

She smiled.  "Oh! And want to know what I couldn't tell you earlier?"

"What's that?"

"Luke is going to ask my mom to marry him.  Isn't that huge? And he asked my permission first.... I can't believe he thought to do that.  Not that he needs my permission, but it meant a lot."

"Wow..." Breathed Jess.  "So that would make him like... Your step-dad.  Weird, huh?"

She shrugged.  "Not really.  When I was little, my dad didn't come around as often as he does now... One time, I didn't see him for so long that I had sort of convinced myself that Luke was my dad.  It was a nice thought.  He's always treated me so well...  My mom, too.  No man has ever treated her like he does."

"Who could ever treat a Gilmore Girl badly? You'd just beat them up."  He smiled softly.

"Not always.  When I was little, my mom always tried to hide her boyfriends from me, but I'd figure it out.  She went through a slew of really bad guys... She doesn't even know I know this, because I could never bring myself to talk to her about it, but there was this one guy when I was about eight.  He was so mean to her.  Actually, he hit her a few times.  She was done with him pretty fast after that, but I can still remember how scared I was to see her bruised.  I actually ran away to Luke's one night, after the guy dropped her off and she was crying in her room.  I couldn't handle it.  I went to Luke's and banged on the door until he woke up and let me in.  He gave me pie and ice cream until I stopped crying, and then we walked home.  I don't know if he remembers that night or not... I don't think I'll ever forget it."

Jess was speechless for a while.  Finally, he said, "I don't think he forgot it either.  Trust me."

Rory cuddled into his chest.

"I'm sorry," Jess whispered.

"For what?"

"For treating you the way I did in high school.  People were right, I was awful to you.  Which is completely stupid, because I was in love with you from that first day that I saw you in your room."

"You weren't awful to me, Jess...." She said softly.

"I was.  I'm afraid that I still am.  I want to be good enough for you, Rory.  I want to be with you forever."

"You are good enough for me... You're perfect." She wrapped her arms around him tightly.  "And I think we'll be together forever."

"I hope so," he whispered.  "I really, really do."