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02.20 : help wanted
23 : ❝ knock, knock, who's apologising? ❞
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Things had settled down in Stars Hollow. People slipped back into their routines like nothing had changed.

But for Everleigh, everything felt different. Her usual routine seemed dull, and she wasn't even sure what to do with herself. Picking up extra shifts at Luke's wasn't an option either—apparently, he'd gone off on a fishing trip.

Who goes on a fishing trip right after dropping off their nephew? It didn't make sense. None of it did.

Life felt too quiet too. She hadn't realized until Jess left just how much he'd brought to her days. Without him, everything seemed a little too ordinary.

And apparently, everyone else noticed the shift in her, even if she didn't say a word about it. Jess's departure had become almost a forbidden topic. It was as if she refused to acknowledge the reality of life without him.

Whenever Lorelai tried to bring him up, Everleigh would shut her down with a cold shoulder. Which, perhaps, explained why she'd finally agreed to visit Lorelai's house after countless rounds of persuasion.

Everleigh sits stiffly at the kitchen table, arms crossed, staring out the window. The ticking of the clock fills the silence around her. Lorelai sits across from her, holding two mugs of coffee. She tries to keep things casual, but Everleigh's posture makes it clear she's not in the mood for pleasantries.

Lorelai forces a small smile, pushing a mug toward Everleigh. "So, uh... I thought about offering you wine, but then I remembered you're, what, seventeen now? And I'm trying not to be the bad-influence adult." She chuckles lightly, hoping to break the ice, but Everleigh doesn't react. She just stares at the cup. "Okay, no jokes. Got it." Lorelai sighs, taking a sip of her own coffee. "Your dad thought we should talk. He's worried about you."

Everleigh finally looks up, narrowing her eyes. "So, this is for him, not me?"

Lorelai shakes her head. "No. This is about you. He's worried."

"I'm fine." Everleigh shrugs, her voice flat.

Lorelai gives her a long look, clearly not buying it. "Are you? Because since Jess left, you've barely said anything to me or your dad, and you can't exactly go to Luke's." Everleigh's eyes flicker at the mention of Jess, but she stays quiet. Lorelai leans forward, softening her tone. "I know things between you and Jess got... complicated. But you've been distant."

Everleigh's focus darts back to the window, "You don't get it."

Lorelai sighs, "I get that you're mad at me. You think I pushed Jess away—"

Everleigh cuts her off, her voice sharp. "Because you did. You went to Luke, and then Jess was gone."

Lorelai's expression hardens slightly, her tone more defensive. "I didn't force him to leave. I talked to Luke, and Jess made that decision himself. And let's not forget, Rory got hurt—"

"Right." Everleigh scoffs, "Because it's always about Rory. Jess has one bad night, and you send him packing."

"I wasn't trying to send him packing" Lorelai's eyebrows crease together, "I was trying to protect Rory. That car accident—"

"—Was an accident." The teen finishes for her. "Rory made her own decision to get in the car. Jess didn't force her. But you couldn't stand him being around your daughter, so you made sure he wasn't."

"It wasn't like that." Lorelai tries to defend.

"You didn't even think about how this would affect anyone else. You just wanted him gone. The accident happens, and you saw it as a convenient excuse. But what about me?" Everleigh's voice wavers as she fidgets with the mug's handle. "I needed him here, and you didn't care."

Lorelai's shoulders drop at the girl's vulnerability, her voice softening. "I wasn't trying to hurt you. I just wanted to protect Rory."

Everleigh shakes her head, "It's always about Rory, isn't it? But you never thought about what that did to Jess. To me."

    Lorelai opens her mouth, then closes it again, searching for the right words. After a moment, she exhales and settles on, "Jess wasn't good for you either, Everleigh. He was a bad influence. He wasn't exactly helping things between you and Blaze—"

Everleigh rolls her eyes, standing up. "No, Lorelai. Blaze and I had our issues before Jess even came into the picture."

    "Maybe with Jess gone, things can get back to normal. You and Blaze can—"

Everleigh lets out a bitter laugh, shaking her head as she interrupts again. "Things will never be 'normal.' You don't get it. The only person who did get it was Jess, and now he's gone. Because you couldn't stand him being in this freakishly stupid town."

A moment of silence hangs between them after those words leaving her mouth. Everleigh wasn't sure if they carried real weight or if Lorelai was just taken aback by how defensive she'd become. Either way, it wasn't a good look for either of them.

Lorelai sighs heavily, looking down at the mug before trying again. "Look, I was just trying to help, maybe even keep you from making the same mistakes I made."

Everleigh laughs dryly,"You're not my mother, Lorelai. You're just some woman my dad's seeing."

The words cut through the air like a blade. Lorelai's face tightens, blinking rapidly at the teen's outburst. "Excuse me?"

"You know what? Forget it." Everleigh doesn't hesitate, her voice cold. "It doesn't matter. I'm done talking."

Without another word, she turns on her heel, storming out of the kitchen and leaving Lorelai sitting there, stunned and speechless. The sound of the front door closing echoes in the quiet house.

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She had to admit, her last words to Lorelai weren't her finest. In fact, they'd been downright rude. But Everleigh couldn't seem to keep her emotions in check these days, adding to her frustration.

    Everleigh bursts through the glass doors of Doose's Market, her mind racing. She barely glances up as she steps outside, weighed down by the mess of the day. Just as she turns to walk away, she collides with Rory.

    "Whoa! G.I. Jane, watch where you're going!" Everleigh quips, her tone sharper than she intended.

    Rory's eyebrows knit together the instant she realizes who ran into her. "What's wrong with you?"

    Everleigh rolls her eyes, brushing past her. "Apparently a lot."

    "My mom has been nothing but nice to you," Rory presses, making Everleigh pause and turn back. "When your dad's been away, she's the one looking out for you—even if you didn't ask her to. She keeps an eye out for you."

    "I didn't ask for it," Everleigh shoots back, crossing her arms defensively.

    "You didn't have to. That's who my mom is," Rory retorts, her tone firm. "She cares about people. She looks out for them."

    Everleigh hesitates, glancing away before muttering, "What do you want from me, Rory?"

    "I want you to apologize to my mom. What you said was awful, and she doesn't deserve that." Rory's voice tightens, and after a beat, she adds, "She loves your dad, you know. What you said really hurt her."

    "She sent Jess packing because of—" Everleigh gestures sharply at Rory's cast. "The accident."

    "It wasn't his fault; it was mine," Rory replies, her gaze dropping to the cast, then meeting Everleigh's again. "So don't put this on my mom."

    "Whatever. He's gone." Everleigh's voice is cold. "Guess everyone can be happy now—hooray."

    "He was my friend, too," Rory says softly. "But he means more to you than to me."

    Everleigh's arms cross tighter, her face hardening. "Don't know what you're talking about."

    "I know you and Blaze broke up," Rory continues, her gaze steady.

    Everleigh lets out a bitter laugh. "And I wonder who told you that."

    Rory's expression flickers with discomfort, breaking eye contact. "Look, my mom really cares about you. And I know you like having her around, even if you won't admit it."

Everleigh stays silent, just watching Rory, debating whether to press her about what she knows regarding her breakup with Blaze. But the energy it would take feels exhausting.

(Part of her, felt too scared to know how close Rory and Blaze actually were.)

Finally, Everleigh sighs. "Yeah, well... I'm not her charity case so she can feel good about herself."

    "She doesn't see you like that," Rory insists, stepping closer. "But you can't keep lashing out at her—or anyone—just because you're hurting."

    "What do you know about how I feel?" Everleigh snaps, glaring at her.

    "Maybe not everything," Rory admits, scratching her forehead. "But I know what it's like to push people away because you don't want to deal with what's going on."

    "What's done is done." Everleigh turns on her heel, walking away.

    "You have to apologize to my mom!" Rory calls after her.

    Everleigh doesn't stop, her voice carrying as she shouts back, "I don't want to talk about this anymore."

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Everleigh wanders through the bookstore, her mind distant as her fingers graze the spines of books. The floor creaks softly beneath her, and the murmur of the store is little more than white noise. She rounds the corner of an aisle absentmindedly and crashes into someone. The impact sends her stumbling back.

A hand catches her arm, steadying her.

"I really should start paying attention where I'm goi—" Her words falter as she looks up, her heart sinking.

Blaze.

For a second, his grip remains firm before his eyes meet hers. Instantly, he lets go, stepping back. His face hardens, his voice sharp. "Out of all places. Really?"

"I didn't know—" Everleigh starts, struggling for words. "I wouldn't—"

"Do you need anything?" Blaze interrupts, raising a brow, his tone indifferent.

"No." She sighs heavily, feeling the weight of the conversation already pressing down on her.

"Okay then." Blaze nods, turning to leave, but she instinctively grabs his arm.

"Blaze, I'm sorry." Her voice is small, but her grip is firm.

He tenses, turning back to face her. His eyes narrow as she releases him. "Sorry for what exactly? That you're not in love with me, or that you ran straight to Jess after we were done?"

    Her eyebrows knit together, "I didn't run straight to Jess."

    Blaze lets out a dry laugh. "Oh, please. Everyone's talking about your little moment at Luke's. And let's not forget how much his leaving has affected you. Trust me, people notice."

    Everleigh opens her mouth, but the words stick in her throat. Blaze shakes his head. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

    "Blaze, I—"

   "Whatever," he snaps, bitterness lacing his tone. "I'm meeting up with Rory."

    At the mention of Rory and the way he said it, threw her off guard. It was almost as if there was an undertone meaning behind it. She couldn't help but say, "She's got a boyfriend."

    Blaze shrugs, barely glancing at her. "So? Didn't stop Jess. Look where we are now."

    Everleigh scoffs, her mouth falling open, baffled by the jab. His honesty stings more than she anticipated. Part of her felt betrayed when she knew she shouldn't feel that way. They weren't together anymore but the feeling was still there.

    "Dean's our best friend," Everleigh says, her voice rising. "How can you even say that?"

    "Because I don't have to protect your feelings anymore," he retorts harshly.

    Her face tightens with disbelief. "Are you serious right now? You're willing to throw away years of friendship for some girl?"

    "I did." His words land flatly, the weight of them hitting her square in the chest.

     The simplicity of his statement makes her take a step back. She knows exactly what he means—he's talking about them. For a moment, she's frozen, her mind too quiet to form a response.

    "I get it," she finally snaps, pointing at him, her voice cutting through the air. "Be mad at me all you want. Be as horrible as you need to, but don't you dare hurt Dean. This mess isn't just on me, Blaze. We both failed here. "

     Before she can continue, Kirk appears from a nearby aisle, clipboard in hand, looking concerned but characteristically oblivious.

    "Excuse me," he says, glancing between them. "This is a bookstore, not a wrestling ring. Can you keep it down? I'm trying to maintain peace for the patrons who don't want their novels interrupted by a domestic dispute."

    Everleigh rolls her eyes, exasperated. "Don't worry, Kirk. We'll keep it quieter than your last dating disaster."

    Kirk blinks, taken aback. "I thought that was a great date!" he says, confused.

     Blaze sighs and turns to Kirk with a tight smile that seems genuine to everyone but Everleigh. "Sorry about that, Kirk. I'll make sure she doesn't ruin anything else."

    The words sting, bitterness barely concealed. Everleigh's glare sharpens, her fists clenching at her sides.

    Kirk, oblivious to the tension, nods enthusiastically. "Good to see some mature problem solving here."

     As Kirk disappears down the aisle, Everleigh stands frozen, Blaze's words echoing in her ears. Her anger bubbles over, and she glares at him. "You know what?" she snaps, stepping past him. "Life would've been easier if I never met you."

    Blaze barely flinches, but the coldness in his voice as he responds cuts deeper than she expects. "Glad the feeling's mutual."

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    Nothing in her life was going easy. Not a single thing.

    Jess left before they could make up.

   Blaze... he wasn't the person she once knew.

  Things between Rory and Blaze was coming clearer each day. It made her feel sick.

   The only thing she could probably do right was to apologise to one person who didn't need hurting. At least not the way she left things or what she said.

    That would also explain Everleigh standing on the porch, staring at the door. The weight of her words from earlier presses heavily on her chest. She takes a deep breath, her hand hovering near the door, but she can't bring herself to knock. She's been standing there for what feels like an eternity, rehearsing the apology in her head.

    Her heart races, but her feet feel rooted to the spot. Every time she raises her hand to knock, she freezes. The memory of her hurtful words to Lorelai plays over and over in her mind. "You're not my mother, Lorelai. You're just some woman my dad's seeing." The words hang in the air, suffocating her with guilt.

    She lowers her hand, takes a shaky breath, and steps back, shaking her head. Maybe she should just go. Before she can turn away, a sudden sound startles her—a creak from the porch beneath her feet.

    Everleigh stiffens, her heart leaping to her throat. The porch light flickers on. She hears the front door unlock, and there, standing in the doorway, is Lorelai.

    For a moment, Everleigh is frozen, staring back at her, wide-eyed like a deer caught in headlights. Lorelai is surprised but quickly masks it, folding her arms casually. "Everleigh?" Her voice isn't harsh, just... curious.

    Everleigh's mouth opens, but no words come out. Her rehearsed apology evaporates, leaving her speechless. Finally, she stammers, "I... uh... I was just..." She gestures vaguely to the door, trying to pull herself together. "I was going to knock, but..."

    Lorelai raises an eyebrow, leaning against the doorframe. "What's the plan here—waiting for the studio audience to cue you in?"

     Everleigh gives a nervous, guilty smile, rubbing the back of her neck. "Yeah... about that..."

     Lorelai's expression softens, sensing the apology coming. She steps aside slightly. "Want to come in?"

     Everleigh hesitates for a moment before nodding. "Yeah... if that's okay." She walks inside, her nerves still tangled but knowing she has to make things right.

   Lorelai closes the door behind Everleigh, the room feels strangely quiet. The tension from their last argument still lingers in the air, and Everleigh, now standing awkwardly in the living room, feels small and out of place.

     Lorelai gestures to the couch. "Sit," she says gently, trying to ease the tension. Everleigh hesitates for a second but complies, perching on the edge of the couch, her hands wringing nervously in her lap.

     Lorelai sits in the armchair across from her, studying Everleigh's expression carefully. For a moment, neither of them says anything. The silence is thick, almost uncomfortable.

    Finally, Everleigh takes a deep breath and blurts out, "I'm sorry."

    Lorelai leans back, her eyebrows raised slightly, waiting for more.

    Everleigh looks down at her hands, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. "What I said earlier... it wasn't fair. I was mad. And I didn't think. I mean, I did think, but I didn't think about what I was actually saying, and—" she stops herself, letting out a frustrated sigh. "I didn't mean it."

     Lorelai listens intently, her expression softening. She's not used to seeing Everleigh so vulnerable. "The part about me being 'just some woman' your dad's seeing?"

    Everleigh winces at the words, shame creeping into her face. "Yeah... that part." She glances up briefly, then back down. "That was really mean. You're not just... I mean, you've been in my life for a while now. I love having you around and coming to you or talking to you about anything. — I'm not really great when it comes to my dad's love life and sometimes I overstep. And it wasn't fair to put all the blame on you for Jess leaving. At the end of the day, he made that decision himself. I was just... hurt."

    Lorelai tilts her head, trying to understand. "I get that you're upset about Jess. But this thing between you and him... it's complicated, right?"

    Everleigh looks up, her eyes filled with unspoken emotion. "Yeah... Well sort of. — I don't know. I just know having Jess around made things feel okay and he listened to me with no judgment or anything. But when he left..." Her voice falters, and she quickly looks away, "I thought I was fine, but I'm not. I feel lost. And I took it out on you because you're easy to blame."

    Lorelai sighs, her own defenses dropping. "I never wanted to hurt you, Everleigh. I was trying to protect Rory, and yeah, maybe I overstepped. But I didn't want to see you get hurt either."

    Everleigh nods slowly, the tension in her shoulders easing just a bit. "I know. It's just... everything felt like it was falling apart. Jess is gone, and Blaze... he's... just Blaze. And then I felt like I had no control over anything, so I lashed out."

    Lorelai gives her a sympathetic look. "I get that. Sometimes, when life spins out of control, you look for someone to blame. It's easy. But it doesn't fix anything."

    Everleigh swallows hard, her voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't mean to take it out on you."

    Lorelai leans forward, her tone soft but firm. "I know. And for the record? I'm not your mom, I'm not trying to be. But I do care about you. And if you need to be mad, fine. But let's not pretend I'm some outsider here, okay?"

    Everleigh nods again. "Okay."

    Lorelai gives her a small smile, "Also, you're way too good at making me feel guilty. It's a gift."

    Everleigh laughs softly. "Sorry."

    Lorelai waves it off with a grin. "Don't be. I kinda deserve it sometimes."

    The two share a quiet moment, a sense of understanding settling between them. Lorelai stands up, moving to the kitchen. "Coffee?"

    Everleigh smiles, the first real smile of the night. "Coffee's good."

    Lorelai nods and begins preparing the coffee. From the kitchen, she calls out, "And, hey—next time, if you're going to stand on my porch for ten minutes, at least knock. It's really creepy."

    Everleigh laughs again, this time more relaxed. "I'll keep that in mind."

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Meanwhile, in another household, Lydia feels bold—bolder than usual—and she's extremely proud of herself.

Her hand trembles slightly as she presses the call button, though her confidence remains intact. She settles on the bed beside Jo, who anxiously tugs at the edge of her sweater. The dial tone echoes through the quiet room, thickening the air between them. Jo glances sideways, clearly unsure, while Lydia sits perfectly still—too still, her determination unwavering.

Finally, after a few rings, the other person picks up, but Lydia speaks before they can. "You have to come back."

There's a pause, then a voice on the other end: "Lydia?"

Lydia rolls her eyes, though her grin remains. "No, this is Patrick. Yes, it's Lydia. Who else could it be, Jess?"

"How the hell did you get this number?" Jess's voice is rough, distant, but his curiosity mixes with annoyance.

"I don't kiss and tell," she says, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear as if she's done this a hundred times before.

"I'm hanging up," Jess mutters.

"Wait!" Lydia sits up straighter, her grip tightening around the phone. "She misses you."

Jo's eyes widen. She waves her hands in the air, silently begging Lydia to stop, her anxious energy radiating off her. Lydia glances at her briefly, then shrugs, unbothered. There's a long silence on the other end, the kind that makes the room feel heavier. Then, finally, Jess speaks. "What?"

"Eve," Lydia says softly, her voice losing some of its bravado. "She misses you. And I'm confident enough to know the feeling's mutual. So, you have to come back."

Almost instantly, Jess responds back. "Is that your taken on things?"

"Jess, come on." Lydia rolls her eyes again, the grin returning as she picks at the frayed hem of her jeans. "You know I'm not dumb. You like her."

"Huh," Jess's sarcasm cuts through the phone. "I didn't know you were such an expert on these things. You don't exactly scream the type."

"Ouch, that hurt more than it should've," she replies, matching his tone with ease.

"Lydia..." Jess sighs, the sound dragging through the line, weary. "What's your point?"

Lydia drums her fingers against her cheek, pretending to ponder as she watches Jo's increasingly panicked expression. "She's going to be at Washington Square Park tomorrow, and if you want to be with her, this is your only shot."

There's another long pause. Lydia imagines Jess pacing, the wheels turning in his head. For a moment, she feels a burst of pride, thinking she's got him, but then his voice cuts back in. "She made it clear she's in a relationship."

"She broke up with Blaze ages ago but didn't have the guts to tell you," Lydia says, knowing full well Everleigh would kill her if she ever found out. The silence from Jess drags on, the air in the room growing thicker with every second. Lydia frowns. "Jess?"

After another beat, Jess finally responds. "Okay."

In Jess's language, that's as good as a promise. Lydia's grin widens as she turns to Jo, grabbing her arm in excitement. "Cool. See you back in Stars Hollow."

"I'm not com—"

She hangs up before he can finish, tossing her phone onto the bed with a satisfied smile.

Jo blinks at her, still in shock. "Are you sure this was a good idea? I mean, now I feel bad for Blaze."

Lydia laughs dryly, leaning back on her palms. "Don't. He's an ass after the stunt he pulled."

Jo's brow furrows. "What did he do?"

Lydia hesitates, chewing on the inside of her cheek. "Okay, but you can't tell anyone," she warns, lowering her voice. "Especially not Babette or Morey. God forbid Patty finds out."

Jo nods quickly. "Noted."

"Blaze kind of has a thing for Rory."

Jo winces. "Oh, yikes."

"Right? They've been spending more time together than he ever did with Eve. Or Rory with Dean, for that matter. Dean's suspicious, and now we all know about Eve." Lydia shakes her head, the memory irritating her. "It didn't help that Blaze kept blaming everything on Jess, and Eve never even questioned how close he was getting with Rory. Especially after the whole Agnes thing. Since the breakup, Blaze and Rory are together all the time. I don't think I've seen Dean with Rory in ages."

"Agnes was the best friend, right?"

"Yeah, the one who kissed Blaze."

Jo nods slowly, piecing it all together. "Okay, now I see your point. That's not fair."

"Thank you." Lydia nods, satisfied with the agreement.

Jo chews inside of her cheek, pondering over the whole situation and turns to Lydia. "But are you sure setting up Everleigh and Jess is a good idea?"

Lydia's grin returns, full of mischief. "Oh, I'm positive. If those two stubborn fools won't admit they like each other, I'll give them a little nudge myself."

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originally i was not going to write this episode but ever since i had that idea of everleigh throwing that line, "you're not my mother, lorelai. you're just some woman my dad's seeing." it just expanded my ideas for this chapter. —hehehe. i do love a good angst.

important!!! so the next chapter obviously is the one everyone is probably waiting on and it's the new york trip along with lorelai's graduation. so we all know in the show rory skips school to see jess however, i am changing that. rory will not skip school she will attend lorelai's graduation but that also doesn't mean there won't be drama :)

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REFERENCES:

          ☕️ everleigh: "Whoa! G.I. Jane, watch where you're going!"

movie — G. I. Jane (1997)

[ so in the film the main character is a strong, resilient woman breaking barriers in a tough environment. everleigh was just using that sarcastically, to poke fun of rory who never backs down ]  

—

☕️ lorelai: "What's the plan here—waiting for the studio audience to cue you in?"

pop culture reference — tv host

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