Do You See Her Face? (A Jess Mariano Fanfiction)

Hester's My New Hero

Disclaimer: All Gilmore Girls content belongs to Amy Sherman-Palladino.

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Thorns prickled the soles of her feet as she danced around the rows of red tables in the diner, almost through the Sunday morning brunch rush. Jess was handling the coffee, Luke the cash register, and Ella the plates. The hot white ceramic had quickly warmed her hands to beyond feeling their burn. The new year had come and gone with snow, still bunched up in chilly, grayish piles on the sides of the road. She was eager for her break when she could stand out in the cool Connecticut wind. She wondered why a random Sunday in late January was ending up to be one of the busiest days she'd ever experienced at Luke's. Jess was clearly pissed, an angry cloud over his face. She knew he would have preferred to spend his day reading or blasting music in the apartment, or trudging through the streets, scaring small children with one look or whatever it was the townspeople said he did.

Blowing hair from her eyes, she took a second behind the counter, wiping her hands on her apron and glancing up at the big ticking clock. Almost two in the afternoon. Her shift was over at three, and she let out a small sigh of relief. Scanning the diner, she found only a few patrons left, excluding Kirk. He could sit at the counter for hours doing absolutely nothing. Ella had learned just to tune the strange man out.

"You alive, honey?" Jess asked, walking up next to her near the door to the kitchen, making a fresh pot of coffee.

Ella rolled her eyes at the name and shot him a pointed look. He smirked but held his hands up in surrender mockingly.

"Think so." She swallowed dryly, crossing her arms over her chest. There was something so delightful about the end of a brutal rush. The customers were almost always pleasant, but damn were they demanding. "And you?"

"I'll survive."

"That's the goal."

He chuckled and they stood in comfortable silence. Absently watching Luke ring someone up, she listened to the sizzle of various meats and carbs from Caesar's grill behind her. Her pulse slowed momentarily, but her moment of bliss was cut short when she saw a tall, dark-haired man stomp through the doorway. Immediately, her hazel eyes widened with panic. She spun around and Jess looked over.

"Fuck," she muttered under her breath, tiredly, as she rolled her eyes.

"Language," Jess chided her. "What's the matter?"

She clicked her tongue in annoyance and shot him a glance. "My dad just walked in."

Furrowing his brows, confused at her anger, he didn't have time to formulate a quip or a question before she turned away from him again. Ella crossed her arms and took a step forward to stand beside Luke.

Jess shrugged to himself, then went back to the coffee, hoping he wouldn't burn it. He'd catch a lot of hell from Luke if they had to scrub black sludge out of the glass pot. When he faced the front, waiting for the brew to finish, he saw how Ella's demeanor had changed entirely. She stood rigidly, her fingers rolling the chain around her neck anxiously. Luke was chatting with the man, apparently Ella's father, and yelled his order back to Caesar without having to be told. There was a painfully awkward silence before Luke spoke again.

"So, how ya doin' Jake? Holdin' up okay?" he asked.

Jake shrugged, thumbs in the belt loops of his worn blue jeans. "We're fine. I mean, alright. I don't think I could do it without Fiona."

"Right." Luke nodded.

Ella scoffed tensely.

"What was that, Ellie?" Jake asked, accusatory.