Dandelion- Jess Mariano

♡Chapter 16: Gutters ♡

For the next few weeks, Parker stays at the Gilmore house, although if you saw the house, it would seem like she was never even there. She would leave before Rory and Lorelai got up, and go to work, then school, and then work again, before getting back home after they had both gone to sleep.

She had gone through a few things with them, like staying at Sookie's for a while because of a termite infestation, their grandfather visiting, (although she barely saw him because he was more interested in Rory and her books.

She barely saw Jess either, because they had no classes together, and Luke would make sure whenever Parker was working, Jess was upstairs or somewhere else that they could not interact.

But today was the bid a basket event. Rory and Lorelai had been talking about it nonstop, and now the whole town was buzzing about it. So she was dragged along as the two went to get baskets, and she got one as well. She thought, 'why not, at least I'll be able to eat food on my own if nobody bids.'

So she went back to Luke's and asked him to fill it for her, and he did. She then went out to the center of the town, where everyone had been gathering. She stood with Rory and Lorelai, unaware of Jess standing in the back with a pocket of cash.

They stood there watching as Sookie and Jackson argued about him not picking her basket, and as happy couples bid on each others. Then, her sister's turn came up, and her boyfriend quickly bid on, it and Lorelai went away with the two of them to joke around and talk. She looks back up and realizes it's her basket.

As soon as Taylor announced it, there was a yell from the back. "$5!" Parker spun around, hearing the familiar voice, and smiling at him thankfully. Taylor started the countdown, but then another yell was heard.

"$10!" The voice yelled. Both Jess and Parker turned to see who it was. It was Chuck Presby, the same guy Jess had fought before.

"$15!" Jess yells out.

"$20!"

"$30!"

"$35!"

"40!" Jess yells, and Chuck looks at the cash in his hand, and giving up when he realizes it's not enough.

Jess smirks and Taylor finishes the bid, handing the basket to Jess in distaste. He turns around and smiles at Parker, putting an arm out for her to take.

"Milady" he says, and she laughs.

"Weirdo" she says as they walk off together. They walk to the same spot they loved to hang out on the bank of the river, sitting in the shade of some of the trees.

"I missed you." She said quietly.

"What?" He said, because he didn't hear her when she said it.

"Oh nothing, sorry." She says, silently kicking herself. "I got Luke to pack the food for me" she says, laughing.

"Oh thank god" he answers, "I was so worried you had made it, and I'd be poisoned"

She punches him in the arm at that. "Hey!" She says and they both laugh. Over this time, they catch up about everything and nothing all at the same time, him telling her about how Luke keeps accidentally making up the bed for her at night and how they both still use her conditioner because it smells better. She tells him about the occasional Friday night dinner she has to go to and how she still uses the cologne she stole from him because she thinks it makes her cooler.

They both just seem to let go of all of their tensions and anger towards the world when they are together, and they both just laugh and smile at eachother.

It goes like this for the next few hours, until it gets dark and Luke and Lorelai came looking for them. Luke and Lorelai see them from the other side of the bridge, seeing them happy.

"Did we make the wrong choice?" Luke asks Lorelai as he sees them.

"What do you mean?" She looks at him curiously.

"Maybe we shouldn't have separated them." He says, looking down. "This is the happiest I have seen either of them in weeks. Usually they just frown and grumble about things."

Lorelai doesn't respond for a while as they look at the two together. "Maybe we should just leave them for now, they'll find their way back. Maybe we just let them be happy for a while." She finally says, and Luke nods, walking away with her.

___________

For the next few weeks after that, they are separated again, and they both go back to the way it was before. Until this weekend, when Lorelai got a cut on her hand from the rain gutters on the house.

Lorelai walks into Luke's diner with a bandaged hand, putting on a show for the diner of how she got cut. Then, Parker lightly suggests to Luke that Jess should clear the gutters, and he takes that idea. He offers Jess's services to Lorelai, and she cautiously accepts.

Parker was anxiously waiting for Jess to arrive, and once he came to work on the gutters, she climbed through the window in Lorelai's room to get on the roof with him. She rambled on to him about her father's new girlfriend and how Rory had lost her boyfriends bracelet. He just sat there, smiled, and worked occasionally nodding or laughing along.

"Don't you have better things to do than annoy me on the roof?" He says jokingly. She feigns hurt and begins to climb down, trying to hold back her laugh.

"Fine then I'll just go" she laughs at him. He grabs her arm before she goes, and gives her a look, which she knows is his way of asking her to stay. She climbs back up and they stay there together.

Then, Lorelai comes out, hesitates for a moment when she sees her, and then invites them in for lunch.

They both walk in, and have a good time until Jess has to leave again. Parker walks with him to the door, and then spontaneously hugs him as he leaves.

He doesn't do anything for a moment, taken aback, but then he wraps his arms around her and pulls her closer. Finally, Lorelai comes around the corner and they jump apart, breaking the moment.

He then gives her one more glance and walks out the door.