Just Jess

The Gutters

"It still hurts" Lorelai complained

"Do you need stitches" Sabrina asked as they headed towards Luke's

"Probably"

"Well, then we should go to a doctor"

"No, no doctors. You go into a hospital, you don't come out again."

"Well said, Ida Morgenstern." Rory piped in

"I'm starving. I need pancakes." Lorelai held her stomach

"What exactly were you doing mom?" Sabrina asked

"I was being a self-sufficient woman"

Lorelai had decided to take it upon herself to clean out their gutters, despite hating ladders and heights. She of course ended up falling off and cutting hand on the metal. The girls continued to walk to Luke's as Lorelai joked about different ailments she had and how her hand was now radioactive.

When the girls entered the diner, Luke was no where to be found. To their disappointment they found out Caesar was cooking, they absolutely hated his pancakes. Lorelai took it upon herself to go upstairs and find Luke, leaving Rory and Sabrina in an awkward silence.

The girls haven't spoken to each other since the bridge incident. Lorelai hasn't noticed this at all, the girls have been strategically adding in comments when their mother talks to make it seem like everything is normal.

The two sat at the counter with a seat in between them not even looking at each other. They both stared straight ahead until Sabrina looked over.

"It's a good thing mom is so talkative, huh"

Rory continued to stare straight ahead not saying anything, Sabrina just awkwardly nodded looking back at the wall.

Meanwhile, Lorelai found Luke up in his apartment, which had turned into a total disaster of a mess. Liz, Jess' mother, had finally shipped the rest of his stuff and he decided to unpack it all over Luke's apartment. Lorelai had been complaining about her "near death experience" to Luke in a desperate attempt to get him to cook her pancakes, when Jess finally came out.

"You've been in there for two hours." Luke exclaimed

"Yeah, well my hair just ain't bouncin' and behavin' today."

"There are other people living here too, you know."

"Huh, learn something new everyday." Jess then headed downstairs

"Well, his people skills are really improving." Lorelai chimed in

Jess nervously headed downstairs knowing there was a possibility Sabrina might be down there. He stopped in the middle of the staircase where no one in the diner could see him, but he could see them. He saw Sabrina and smiled, but noticed Rory next to her. He could feel the tension all the way from up here, he decided to go and save her from it.

"Hi." Jess shyly walked behind the counter in front of her

"Hi." Sabrina started turning red

"Cute jacket" Jess remarked

"Yeah, well it's yours" Sabrina wanted to smack her forehead, obviously he knows it's his "uh you probably already know that, probably why you even mentioned it" she nervously played with her fingers

"Yeah yeah I did, so uh you wanna" Jess nodded towards the door

"Yeah, let's"

After the two of them left Rory did the biggest eye roll. Could they be any grosser? She thought

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Later that evening Lorelai, Sabrina, and Rory were walking back from the video store. Lorelai had just sent Sabrina to get some ice cream, when Rory and her spotted Luke watching tv all by himself in the diner.

Rory and Lorelai decided to head in, the tv was small, black and white, with horrible reception. They found out Luke came down here to get away from Jess who was playing the stereo too loud and making a mess. Lorelai suggested Luke should look for a new apartment not just for his sake, but Jess' as well.

"Oh, hey, did you ever hire anybody to do that work for you?" Luke asked right before Rory and Lorelai were about to leave

"What?" Lorelai replied

"The rain gutters."

"Oh, no, not yet. Are you offering?"

"No, actually, I was thinking about Jess."

"Huh, Jess?" Lorelai thought about it, but Rory was just about ready to blow a fuse

"Yeah, he's always looking for a little extra cash. He doesn't make that much here, and, you know, I hate to think of where else he might try to get it, so" Luke explained

"Huh, I'll think about it" Lorelai smiled

"Great, just let me know"

"I will, bye"
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"I can't believe that" Rory furiously exclaimed once they were outside the diner

"Believe what hun?"

"What Luke just suggested"

"What's wrong with that?"

"Well you aren't actually considering are you?"

"Considering what?"

"Letting Jess clean out the gutters"

"Well what's wrong with that?"

"It's Jess, hello?"

"Sweetie, I know Jess isn't the most personable person but I promised your sister I would give him a chance plus, we would be saving so much money"

"But I'm not comfortable with him"

"He'll be outside the entire time, I doubt he'll say a word to you, worst case scenario he'll ask you how your day is"

"But mom"

"People are different once you get to know them. If you'll remember, I wasn't too fond of Luke when I first met him. I mean I called him Duke for two years just to make him mad, but look at us now"

"Your point?" Rory rolled her eyes

"Give him the same chance, for your sisters sake, you remember how much effort she put into getting Dean to like her"

"It's different"

"Not really, Jess is so good to your sister, I'm sure he'll show that side to us someday, maybe this gutter thing can help speed that up"

"Whatever"

"Hey if it makes you feel better, you can call him Tess for a while"

Just then Sabrina walked up with the ice cream, Lorelai shares the good news and Sabrina hugs and thanks her mom for giving Jess a chance.