-- Edited -- 

Willow's POV 

I ended up just going back to the diner and helping. It was now closing time, and it was just Jess and I.

We are jamming out to the radio and cleaning when someone walks in.

"We're closed. Learn to read," Jess says.

I look up and he turns around and we both see that it is the guy from the other day.

"You're the loser coffee guy," Jess says, cleaning off a table.

"Well, not as cool Bono, but I'll take it," he says.

"We're-" I start.

"Closed. I heard," he replies.

"Okay, so-" as Jess says, we're still closed, the guy says something I never thought Jess, or I would ever hear.

He had a better chance of seeing as his dad knew about him.

"I'm your father," the guy says.

"What?" Jess asks, shocked.

"I'm your-" he trails off.

"Are you sure?" Jess asks.

"Am I- Yes, I'm sure," he replies.

What is his name? Joe? John? Jim? Jim. Jimmy. His name is Jimmy. Jimmy Mariano.

Jess actually looks a lot like his dad.

"I- I didn't mean to spring this on you. I thought Luke would have told you that-"

"Luke would have told me? Jess questions.

"Well, yeah, he came to see me last night, and he didn't tell you. That's obvious because you're still doing the staring with the frown, and- You look, different," Jimmy finally says.

Well, no shit. You have been gone 17 years.

Jess looks down. I can't see much of his face because I'm behind him, but I can tell he looks sad.

"You want some coffee?" he asks Jimmy.

"Sure."

Jess grabs a mug and the coffee pot and motions to the table he just cleaned. Jimmy sits.

"Thanks," Jimmy says.

"It's old," Jess says as he pours.

"Okay," is all Jimmy says in reply.

I go to the end of the counter and wave to get Jess's attention. I point to the stairs showing that I'm gonna leave and he does something I don't expect.

He shook his head, clearly a non-verbal way of asking me to stay. I go back to cleaning, as silent as I can, still watching them.

They sit, both hunched over and awkward. One will glance at the other and then look away before getting caught.

One of the best parts of the song comes up and the both nod to the beat and as they mouth the lyrics they turn to look at each other.

Wham, bam, thank you Ma'am.

"I gotta go," Jimmy says and shoots up, running out of the diner, leaving the door open.

We finish up and go upstairs. Jess is pissed. I just sit on my bed and read until Luke gets home. Jess is sitting at the table waiting for him.

"Hey, you hungry? I can make you some eggs," Luke says.

"So I hear you went to see my father last night," Jess says.

Here we go. I close my book and look up.

"Yeah, I did," Luke says.

"Were you gonna tell me?"

"He came by?" Luke asks.

"He came by," Jess clarifies.

"I didn't think he'd have the guts."

"So what were you thinking?" Jess asks.

"Jess, I don't like your father very much."

"So because you don't like him that means I can't know he is here?"

"You know he's here."

"No, thanks to you."

"Shouldn't have come from me in the first place."

"So what? You don't think you owed it to me to tell me? Prepare me?"

"No, Jess, I didn't, and with everything else that is going on here with you, I kind of hoped he'd just walk away, but once again, Jimmy makes the wrong move. What a shock," Luke says.

"Oh, who the hell are you to decide what the right move is!?" Jess yells.

"I'm the one who is saving your ass constantly. I'm the one who just wrote a check to Kyle's father so he wouldn't press charges against you!" Luke yells back.

He goes to walk off, but turns back around and starts again.

"I'm the one trying to knock some sense into that thick head of yours about the future!"

"Oh, here we go!" Jess yells.

"You don't take anything seriously! That is why you're going so crappy in school. You're smart enough. You read more than anyone I have ever seen. There is no reason you should be barely graduating," Luke says.

"I'm not," Jess replies.

"You're not what?" Luke asks.

"I'm not graduating!" Jess yells.

"Yes, you are!" Luke yells back.

"No, I'm not!"

"Yes, you are!"

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are. Because we had an agreement that if you were gonna live here you were gonna go to school, and you were graduating!"

"Well, I didn't, and I'm not."

"What is wrong with you? What, you do this just to spite me?" Luke asks.

"Forget it. It's done."

"Jess!" I yell.

"What's your life now? Wal-Mart full time? That's your great future? That's your great future? You're gonna take the plunge and buy yourself a second blue vest?" Luke asks.

"Maybe. Why not? What's wrong with it? I mean, it's no diner!"

"Hey! I own this business, kid! I built it! This is mine! I'm not at the mercy of some boss, waiting and hoping to be chosen employee of the month for a couple extra hundred bucks, and a plaque. I'm always employee of the month! I'm employee of the year, of the century, of the UNIVERSE! You should be so lucky to have a job like mine."

I've got tears running down my face and I have moved to the end of my bed. I know this will end badly, but how bad is the question. Luke takes a breath and calms down. Jess is still just scowling a hole into Luke's soul.

"Okay... Here is what we're gonna do. You're gonna live here one more year. You're gonna quit working your job. You're gonna take 12th grade over again, and you will graduate," Luke says and Jess is shaking his head the whole time.

"No!"

"I'm not playing with you here. You quit your job. You go to school."

"Just go with it Jess!" I yell.

"I am not going back to school!"

"So that's it?" Luke asks.

"No! Jess."

"Yeah, that's it!" Jess yells.

"Then you gotta go," Luke says.

"No!" I jump up, crying.

Luke just walks away and leaves us there. Me crying and Jess breathing hard. I can't lose him. I need him. 

--

Jess spent the next hour comforting me, that it would all be fine. I thought that meant he was staying, he would listen to Luke, but when I woke up the next day, I knew I was wrong.

I refused to leave the apartment, or even get out of my bed. I did at some point get up and move to Jess' bed. Curled up clutching the bear Luke had bought me when I first got here.

Luke's POV

I went over to Lorelai's telling her about Jess. I went to the side door and saw her and Rory sitting at the table. I motioned her to come out.

"Okay, um, little tip. The whole stalking thing works infinitely better when you don't actually smash your face in the window," Lorelai says.

"I need to talk to you," I say.

"Come inside."

"Rory is in there!" I whisper yell.

"Since when are you scared of Rory? Cause seriously Luke, I think you can take her," Lorelai jokes.

"I just need to tell you something. Can she hear us?" I ask.

"Through the walls? No, I put some kryptonite in her waffles. We're good," She replies.

"Come over here," I say, pulling her away from the door.

"You are freaking out the freaks this morning."

"Jess is gone," I state.

"What?"

"And I don't think he is coming back," I add. 

"What do you mean gone? Like gone gone?"

"Exactly like gone gone."

"But when?" she asks. 

"Last night, this morning, I don't know. I went up there to get some money from the safe, and I noticed that all of his stuff was gone."

"Oh, Luke, I'm so sorry. How is Willow?" she asks.

"She is refusing to get out of bed, but I'm through with him. He is 18. He can do whatever the hell he wants. He's on his own. I'm through."

"Luke..."

"No, it's a relief. That kid was driving me crazy, and he got his sister starting to. Let him make his own way from now on. Let him see how far that smart mouth of his gets him without someone watching his back. I could not be more relieved. I'm just worried about Rory, I assume she doesn't know and Willow because she knows and she is a mess."

"She hasn't said anything, and I feel bad for Willow," Lorelai says.

"I can tell her, if you want me to."

"No, it's okay, I can do it. I just have to figure out when. She has got a lot of things on her mind right now."

"Well, don't wait too long. She'll notice eventually."

"Yes, okay. Well, thanks for coming over. Sent Willow some love for me. I'm here if she needs me."

"No problem, and I will."

I turn away and go to walk off, but stop.

"Luke?" Lorelai calls.

I sit on her railing and look at her.

"I failed him."

"You did not fail him. You supported him. You defended him. You gave him a chance, and if he chose not to take it, there is nothing more you could do."

"Yeah... Well, I should go."

"Do you have any idea where he went?"

"Yeah, I-I got a pretty good idea."

I walk down the porch steps and head home.

Now what am I going to do about Willow?