end game [jess mariano]

first

Stars Hollow, a few years later...

on a cloudy day, Josie started her day by walking to luke's and taking a cup of coffee.

"hi luke" she said

"hey! good to see you! do you want some coffee?" he asked

"yes please" she answered. It's been a while since she has worked with luke. He raised her like a daughter or well, the whole town kinda did.
Josie didn't have a house, so in her teenage years she had to sleep in miss patty's dance studio, sometimes in lorelai and rory's house and sometimes again in luke's apartment. She always had a place to stay and everyone offered her food and a warm bed.
Now she's going to Yale, she only returns to Stars Hollow in the weekends and during the breaks.

"How did she manage to go to Yale?"
"who's going to pay the college for her?"
these were the kinds of voices of the people who disliked her. the truth was that she actually made it by herself and with a little help from the whole town.

"luke?"

"what?"

"you know every time i come here i always remember those good times..."

"you talk just like my grandma did" he commented rudely as he was making coffee.

"do you ever miss me around sometimes?" she asked

"no" he answered ironically as he was pouring the coffee in her cup.

"but i think someone else does" he said smiling softly.
She immediately understood and gave him a shocked look and then asked him so many questions.

"i can't answer now, maybe you two can speak later" he said smiling.

"speak? but things changed now, why would he be in Stars Hollow right now? i don't see him in years, he's still older than me, he can travel around the world if he wants, he has other plans and other things to do for sure" she said.

"i won't be that sure"

_______________________

Stars Hollow, early 2000s

it was a sunny day, Josie woke up early in the morning at lorelai's place. She fell asleep on the couch but rory's alarm woke her up at 6am.
Josie had to go to work for an hour and then to school, and after that continued her working shift for the whole afternoon.
When the gilmore girls were awake she head to the diner and help luke. that's where she works when she has nothing to do. Before leaving the gilmore girls' house she immediately grabbed her tote bag and put a book and a red scarf in it.
As soon as she walked out of the door she could see the autumn leaves falling down from the trees, and suddenly her sight was colored with colors of a burning red and a sunset orange around her.
The sun was just rising down the street, where a bright orange sun ray was flashing Josie's face just like a spotlight. She just crossed the road and she walked in the diner's, as soon as she entered Luke was there, wiping down his counter table with a rag.

"hey! where have you slept today?" he asked.

"at lorelai's" she answered.

"ahh, you know you can't live like this. you're only 16, you can still find another family who wants you." luke said.

"but i don't want to find another one anymore. i'm happy like this. i really am." she said softly to luke.