Jess's Girl

Tumor

Lucy drummed her fingers on the counter; waiting for her turn to check out her groceries. Her grandpa wasn't feeling that well and she wanted to get him all his favorites as soon as possible.

It was just impossible for her to do that when this woman in front of her was holding up the line. Somehow she didn't think it would be smart to see if she had enough money to pay BEFORE she got to the checkout.

As she watched the lady rummage through her coin purse, Lucy found her frustrations levels rising gradually. She tapped her fingers a little more. Dean, who was the one trying to check the ladies produce, noticed Lucy's drumming. His eyes went from her fingers to her eyes.

She looked up at him. Dean moved his eyebrows up questioningly. Lucy shook her head and rolled her eyes. Almost as if they were having this conversation with their face:

"You okay?"

"Don't ask."

Which he didn't. Until she finally got her turn in line, that is.

"Liked your drum solo there." he commented as he scanned the items. Lucy sighed a long sigh, as if she had been holding her breath all throughout that "fiasco." She looked up at him, "Is it too much to ask that people understand the process? Step one, walk in line, step two scan items, step three bring the right ammount of change-"

Dean chuckled slightly, "She's just a little slow this morning. So is everybody." he shrugged, "It's eight in the morning."

Lucy sighed once more. Dean looked up as he scanned the last item, "Wanna tell me what's really on your mind?" he asked finally.

"I don't want to hold up your line." she said putting the items in the bag herself. Dean's eyes gestured to the now empty supermarket before looking back at her eyes. "I think they'll understand." he joked.

Lucy looked around the store herself to see it empty. She looked back at him before continuing to bag her groceries, "My grandpas sick." she spoke flatly.

Dean nodded, "I'm sorry. He'll get better though right?"

Lucy shrugged, "He's on more meds than I am. When he's not sick it's a miracle but.." she shrugged handing him the cash to pay, "I don't know this time feels different."

"It's natural to feel that way when people get sick. Especially family." he said opening up the register and pulling out change, "I mean I still go nurse practitioner on my sister whenever she gets sick."

"I guess so." she nodded taking the change and then her bags. She walked to Luke's to pick up the next on her list. Omelets.

The door dinged to signal she had arrived and she went directly to the counter. "Hey, I need two omelets and a coffee to go." she asked Luke. Luke looked at her surprised. "Hi to you too." he said and wrote down the order.

She looked at him, "What?"

"You have somewhere to be?" he asked.

Lucy looked down briefly and sighed, "Sorry, I'm just in a rush." she said. "I can tell." he nodded before looking at her, "So what's up?"

She looked at him, "Grandpa is sick." she said, "I'm just worried is all. Just trying to get all the remedies. Even omelets." she shrugged. Luke nodded softly before grabbing her her coffee and handing it to her, "Here. On the house." he said.

"No. Luke I'm going to pay." she looked at him putting the cash on the counter to him. Luke shook his head, "I insist."

"I insisted first." she slid it back to him. She looked at him not breaking eye contact, which he infinitely lost. He gruffed, "Fine." he took it and put it in the ancient register.

Lucy smiled wide and watched him go give her omelet order over to Caesar. Just as he went to scold Lucy about taking hand outs, Jess had come downstairs. He stopped and looked at her before ducking his eyes and hurrying out of the restaurant. Lucy watched him leave, the whole while, before looking back at Luke; knowing he noticed.

"I sense you're not buddy-buddy any more?" he said his head kind of low.

Lucy looked at him and shook her head in slight annoyance, "He told you?"

"Barely. I had to pry it out of him." he said and leaned on the counter looking at her, "Why aren't you talking to him?"

"I thought you didn't want me talking to him." she retorted. Luke sighed, "Years ago, this is now—Since when do you listen to what I tell you?"

"Why is it so bad that we don't talk anymore?" she said, "Not like we ever really did. He'd appear out of nowhere, say a snide remark, and then lurk off to wherever he lurks off to. And that was only on occasion. We were not that close." she said. "So why, why is it so bad that we don't talk anymore?"

"Because you're cutting ties with people all around. I don't see you talk to Rory or Lane anymore. I hardly see you around town-"

"I was told if something was bad for me, then I shouldn't have it. Even as a kid. So why is it, that I cut someone off that is bad for me and everyone is so against that?"

Luke looked at her, "Because you don't believe it." he said simply.

"Yes I do." she said defensively. "You dont." he shrugged, "You don't believe that Jess is bad for you. And you feel guilty." he said and looked at her.

"Guilty." She scoffed.

"Go ahead and deny it, kid, but that's what it is. And everyone can see it as soon as you two are in a room together. Now why you really cut him out I have no clue, but I hope to god you figure it out because honestly Lucy?" He leaned on the counter close to her so he could catch a good gaze with her seriously, "The roles are reversed. Right now it's you being the colossal jerk, and Jess is the one getting hurt. So who am I worried for here Lucy. Jess, that's who. And if I find him spiraling, my fingers going to be pointing to you." He said clearly and calmly.

Lucy tried holding his gaze honestly astonished as to what Luke had just said. Luke was never not on Lucy's side of things, even when she wasn't exactly right.

And since when was he so Team Jess? Just a few months ago he couldn't wait to see him leave.

Luke stopped his gaze to get her omelets and put them in a to go bag. He handed it to her, "Have a nice day." He said although everything else he was portraying said otherwise.

Lucy cautiously took the bag before leaving with her coffee back to her house. She couldn't unknit her eyebrows from the frown they were in. Her confusion levels were rising.

Since when did she become the bad guy? Now that Luke wasn't in her corner she was trying to think of some one she could talk to to back her up. And all she could think of is her grandpa.

That couldn't be right. She had more people in her life. What happened to them?

She walked in to her house and darted straight to the kitchen to set up her grandpas omelets on a nice plate. She did so, and with as much speed and swiftness went to his bedroom. She opened the door. "Grandpa I got you some omelet—"

She dropped everything seeing her grandfather on the floor as if he had fallen out of bed. Unmoving and limp. She quickly hurried to his side and rolled him onto his back to check his vitals and make sure he got air. She immediately called 911.

"911 Whats You're emergency?"

"—Yes my grandfather fell and he's not breathing..!"