I am honestly shocked at the response I've gotten since I started updating the story. I never actually thought someone would read the story let alone tell me it was good! So THANK YOU. You have no idea how much I appreciate the kind words. I'm not going to lie, this chapter won't be the most satisfying (again) but it is something and considering I have a two year old running around trying to take the computer at every turn I would say that it's a success.

Basically a little more background. I'm trying to set up more of the differences between'Gilmore Girls' Rory and friends and may AU version.

Anyway, on with the story!

Chapter Four.

God dammit.

Slowly waking up after an uneasy night's sleep, Rory attempted to untangle herself from her sheets surrounding her in order to reach her cell phone lying just out of reach. The phone continued to blare 'It's a Small World After All' while she was finally starting to understand why Jess hated the song so much. Luckily, Rory was able to get herself free enough to grab the phone before it started on another chorus.

"I hate you. I hate you. I hate you" Rory grumbled into the phone.

Laughing at her obvious frustration, Jess was not the least bit offended by her greeting. "Is that anyway to say hello to your favorite cousin?"

"Well it's a good reason I'm not talking to…" Rory stopped mid-sentence as she caught sight of the small clock on the night stand. The glowing numbers reading 4:21am. "Fucking Christ Jess! Why the hell are you calling so early?" Throwing her head back on the pillow she suddenly wished she could hurt her dear friend for waking her up.

"Tsk Tsk. Such language out of the lady's mouth." He could hear Rory snorting softly in the background at his comment. Jess tended to poke fun at her every time she cursed since it was such a rare occurrence. Holding the phone between his shoulder and ear, he walked down the stairs to the diner so he could start helping Luke with the breakfast crowd. "For your information it is already time for the morning rush in this medical experiment town and I have been recruited to assist dear ol' Uncle Luke. Lucky me I know."

Shaking her head, Rory could only laugh at Jess while he spoke about the town she thought of fondly. While he had a rough start in Stars Hollow at the age of fourteen, Rory knew that Jess had actually grown to like the town and the people he deemed 'insane' from the start. Of course, that could have been due to the friendship they shared almost instantly.

"Well since you've officially woken me up at this ungodly hour, why exactly are you calling?"

Shrugging even though she couldn't see the action Jess said, "Just wanted to make sure you made it alright."

"Mhm. And you couldn't just ask Luke? You surely knew he called me last night."

"Ah yes, that I am aware of. However, I am also know that you would more than likely leave out any unsavory details so that he didn't have an aneurysm, hence our conversation now."

"And what pray tell would you be able to do if I had happened to run into anything less than reputable?"

"Well hop on the dyna and track down said distasteful person of course."

Laughing, Rory knew that even though there was a teasing tone to his words, she knew Jess would do nothing less if something were to actually occur. They had been nothing but inseparable since they were young teenagers. "Well no reason to worry. I didn't happen to run into anyone that I couldn't handle myself. And Lenny made the trip like the champ he is."

"Of course he did. I did handle most of the build if I remember correctly" Jess said with a cocky smirk, knowing Rory would wipe it off his face with her next statement. He had no problem admitting that she was a much better mechanic than he was. Most people wouldn't believe it looking at her, and he wouldn't have believed she could learn to build, fix, and ride her own motorcycle if he hadn't witness her hard work for himself for three years. The majority of the town had never understood Rory's obsession with Harleys, but a few close friends to her and her mother knew that it was her way to feel connected to the father she had never known and Lorelai refused to speak of.

Scoffing in mock anger, Rory knew Jess was messing with her. "I seem to remember a grumpy young Jess sitting in the garage watching me do most of the work when we learned I knew my way around an engine better than you."

Laughing because he knew it was true; Jess recalled which moment she was talking about. After trying to find their way around the engine Rory had saved up for over two years, Jess was stubbornly trying to convince her that he knew more about it than she did. In the end Jess spent most of his time drawing up the plans for the design than doing any actual hands on repairs.

Quickly reminiscing of a time where life was much less complicated, Rory broke the silence with a somber thought.

"Jess…What if when I see him, he doesn't care? What if he wants nothing to do with me? I know my mom said that he didn't know she was pregnant with me but what if he really did know and that's why he left? I mean, who leaves their hometown to go cross country unless there is something pushing them that way? I would have to say that finding out you're going to be a father is a pretty enormous thing to make someone leave out of nowhere. I don't know if I can do this…what if…."

Stopping on the stairs that led to the apartment above the diner, Jess knew he needed to stop Rory before she convinced herself that she made a wrong decision in leaving Stars Hallow to find her father. Jess knew exactly what she was feeling, understood the uncertainty in her mind, he understood all too well.

Before she could utter another "what if", Jess interrupted her sentence, "Ror, you have to stop worrying about this. I know you're scared to see him but you know your mom wouldn't lie to you about whether or not he knew about you. And you know she wouldn't have loved someone that would leave at the first sign of trouble, at least not without a good explanation. He had to have had some kind of reason to leave, not many people can leave behind a Gilmore unless it's absolutely necessary." Letting out a sigh, Jess thought about what Rory had done for him when he was going through the same thing she was now. She never left his side, travelling across country to Los Angeles to find his own father, she was the only reason he was able to keep it together when he father showed no interest in having a son. Of course it was even better when she torn him a new one with words he likely didn't understand and a quick kick to a man's most precious area. The point of the ride may have been a bust but the journey had made them closer than they already were, if that was possible. Now he only wished he hadn't agreed to let her do this alone, but it was nearly impossible to say no to the Gilmore Blues.

Thinking about what Jess was saying Rory knew he was right and as much as she hated to admit it, he usually was. He was one of two people in her life time that truly knew her inside and out so it was no surprise that he knew just what to say to make her realize she needed to keep going until she found him.

"Yeah, you're right. I just really don't know what to say when I get there. I doubt he'll welcome me with open arms, calling me daughter and taking me out for ice cream. His criminal record gives the impression that he isn't exactly the warm and cuddly type."

"You never know, he could just be a perfect gentleman in the body of a slightly terrifying and severely misunderstood man."

"Hmm, if you're right about that then I owe you a new book Mr. Mariano."

"Can you make it a First Edition Hemingway? I'm trying to finish up the collection."

"Like I would ever spend good money on Hemingway, or did you forget who you're talking to?"

Chuckling, Jess could tell Rory was finally calmed down enough that he could let her go. Luke was going to kill him for being late for the morning rush anyway. Of course he could just tell him that Rory needed to talk to him and all would be forgiven. Lord knows she had Luke wrapped around her little finger.

"Alright, as much as I love our wonderful little argument about your denial of Hemingway and his genius writing, I should probably get down to the diner before Luke storms up here to push me down the stairs himself."

Looking at the clock again she realized that they had been talking for almost thirty minutes, a new record for the boy that once only spoke two words maximum at a time.

"Thank you Jess, you really are my favorite cousin, best friend, ex-boyfriend, and author all rolled into one" Rory whispered into the phone, feeling like she could use a couple more hours of sleep before facing the mystery man.

Running his hand through his already messy hair, Jess smiled to himself. Rory was the one of the only people he could rely on to always be thankful for the little things he tried to do. They had their fair share of good times and plenty of rough patches in the last ten years of their friendship but no matter what she was there. There to help him through a writer's block by throwing outrageous plot ideas at him until he could tie something together and find his muse again, to banter with him on slow days in the diner, to show him that he did have potential and teach him how to use it, and to just sit next him while reading on the bridge. She was always there and there was no way he was going anywhere either.

"Yeah yeah, get back to sleep so you don't look like a zombie when you meet your dad."

"Funny Jess, just know that if I do look like a walking disaster it's your fault for waking me up so early." Turning off the lamp and bringing the covers around her while snuggling back into the bed she was prepared to go back to sleep. "Thanks again Jess. Love you."

There was nothing romantic about the statement, just an innocent "I love you" between two friends that had been through so much together, their romantic relationship had been short and fleeting when they both realized they were much better suited as friends than anything more. Although, it still made him smile hearing the familiar sign off from her.

"Love you too Ror. I'll call you tonight."

Already half asleep, Rory mumbled a "k" before Jess laughed at her ability to fall asleep in an instant and hung up.

Her mind relaxed at last, Rory's last thought before succumbing to her dream world was of the man her mother loved with crazy black hair and eyes that matched her own.