115So this new idea came to me recently and as I feel like This is Life may possibly be coming to an end, I thought I might get the first chapter up for this. Basically this is set during season five so Liz and TJ have got married, Luke and Lorelai are together, but also Liz and TJ have already had Doula in this. A brief summary is that TJ has tragically died in a car accident and that has sent Liz into a downward spiral and back to her old ways. Jess goes to visit and is shocked by what he finds and makes the split decision to take Doula with him. This follows him and Luke as they decide how to handle the situation. But nothing's ever easy especially now Luke is with Lorelai and she isn't exactly Jess' biggest fan. And then throw in Rory to the mix and there's a whole lot of unresolved emotions there.
Sorry it's a short chapter but it's sort of a set up chapter! The next will be longer, I promise. Hope you enjoy! :)
Chapter 1
Luke opened the door to his flat and was shocked to see Jess standing there late in the evening and was even more surprised to see him carrying a baby carrier with Doula in. He hadn't seen Jess since Liz and TJ's wedding which was six months ago now and although they parted on good terms, he wasn't sure when he would next see his nephew. "Jess?" He said concerned.
"I need your help." Jess said.
Jess frowned as he waited for Liz to answer the door of the house. He rang the doorbell again but still there was no answer. He was starting to get annoyed that no one was obviously in and he had made the long trip to come after Liz had begged him to spend some time with them when he suddenly heard some crying coming faintly from the house. He frowned again and knocked on the door this time. There was still no answer so he got the spare key from under the plant pot and let himself in. "Liz?" He called but was met with no answer. He followed the crying through to the living room and was shocked by the sight. All over the floor and the counters were empty bottles and cans of wine and beer. And as a 1 year old Doula was sitting in a little playpen, crying her eyes out, his so called mother was lying on the couch passed out drunk. Jess felt himself getting angrier and angrier but he went over to Doula and picked her up, comforting her gently. It was then that he saw Liz starting to stir, opening her eyes and looking at him in surprise.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Jess said angrily.
"Jess?" She slurred slightly, obviously not having slept all the drink off. "Jess!" She said happily. "You're here!"
"What the hell is happening here?!" He repeated.
"What do you mean? I just had a little drink." She said.
"A little drink? Look at the place!" He exclaimed.
"I'm allowed to have a drink and let my hair down every so often." Liz said defensively.
"Not when you have a kid depending on you! Anything could have happened to her!" Jess said angrily. "Where the hell is TJ anyway?"
"Dead." She said bluntly, crossing her arms against her chest.
"What?" Jess said shocked.
"He was in a car crash a month ago. He died the same day in hospital." Liz said matter of factly.
Jess was shocked. He hadn't been expecting that. "Why...why didn't you tell me? Or Luke?"
"Because I'm fine! I'm coping!" Liz exclaimed.
"You're obviously not! It's the afternoon and you're blind drunk!" Jess snapped. Doula started crying in his arms again as the shouting continued which made Jess comfort her a bit again. He looked back at Liz. "Look, you need to snap out of this. I'm sorry about TJ. Even though I thought he was crazy, I know you loved him. But this isn't the answer." He said trying to stay calm for Doula's sake.
"Who are you to tell me what to do and how to live my life?" Liz snapped getting defensive again. "If I want a drink, I can have a drink! I'm an adult." She said her voice getting louder. "Besides I've got Liam to support me!"
"Who the hell is Liam?" Jess exclaimed just as the flush of the toilet was heard from down the hallway and a few seconds later, a burly man appeared. Jess narrowed his eyes and his mind flashed back to all the men his mother had got with when he was younger. "I can't believe you!" He shouted angrily at Liz. "Screwing me up wasn't enough for you, huh? You have to do it to Doula as well?!"
"Hey don't talk to her like that!" Liam narrowed his eyes at Jess.
"I'd really recommend you not talking to me right now." Jess said menacingly.
"No he's right! You have no right talking to me like that! I'm your mother and I deserve some respect." Liz snapped angrily.
"Yeah well respect is earned!" Jess snapped. "You may have screwed up my life but there's no way in hell that I'm going to let you screw up her life as well. We're leaving." He said spotting Doula's baby carrier. He went over and put her in it. "Drink yourself to oblivion, Liz. Because I'm done with you. For good." Jess said venomously before picking up the baby carrier.
"Don't you dare take my baby!" She screamed.
"Watch me." Jess snapped before storming out of the house.
"TJ's really..." Luke said in shock after he had listened to his nephew's recollection of what had happened that day.
"Yup." Jess said quietly as he sat on the couch in the flat staring down at Doula. He slowly glanced up at Luke. "I didn't know where else to go. I just knew I had to get Doula out of there." He said.
"No, you did the right thing. I'm glad you came to me." Luke said, still trying to get his head round everything. "So your mom..."
"Has reverted back to old Liz." Jess said bitterly. "Meaning booze and men are the most important things to her."
"Men?" Luke said shocked.
"Oh yes, it looks like she's moved on from TJ very quickly." Jess said dryly.
"Geez..." He said. He thought for a moment. "Ok, so how about you stay here for the night and then I'll contact Liz tomorrow and try and talk some sense into her?" He suggested.
"You won't be able to." Jess said. "Not when she's like this."
"I'm sure I can make her see that what she's doing is wrong and that she needs to focus on Doula and focus on being a good mom to her." Luke said.
"I thought you were smart." Jess snapped angrily.
"What?" Luke said surprised by the hostility in his nephew's voice.
"Don't you think that when I was 10 and she was seeing these guys who beat her black and blue and then turned on me as well, I didn't try to beg her to stop the drinking and the drugs and move away just her and me so we could start again? Don't you think that when I was 12 and she accidentally took an overdose, I didn't beg her to go clean? I begged her my whole life, Luke, to change who she was! I begged her to change for me! But she couldn't care less! And nothing you say will change anything! She's back to being her true self and I'll be damned if I let Doula go through what I had to go through as a kid. I won't let that happen! I won't!" He exclaimed angrily.
"Ok I'm sorry!" Luke said shocked by his outburst. He watched as his nephew tried to regain his composure. "I'm sorry." He said quietly.
Jess let out a shaky breath. "No, I'm sorry." He said after a moment. "It's not your fault Liz is a carwreck. I shouldn't have taken all that out on you."
"It's ok." Luke said. He sighed as he sat down next to him and glanced at his niece. He then glanced at Jess. "We'll come up with another plan ok?"
Jess nodded slowly. "I'm not letting her screw up Doula like she screwed up me." He said quietly. "It's not happening."
"I won't allow that either." Luke assured him. "But we need to think about this logically ok? Why don't we get some sleep and we can talk about this in the morning? This little one must be exhausted."
"And probably hungry as well. Who knows when Liz would have fed her last." Jess said.
"So food then bed." Luke nodded. "You hungry?" He asked.
"A bit." Jess admitted.
"Then let's eat and then we can get some rest." He said.
"Ok." Jess said letting out a breath. "I'm just going to..uh.." He said gesturing to the bathroom.
"Oh of course!" Luke said.
"Hey Luke?" Jess said as he turned round just outside the bathroom.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks." He said sincerely.
Luke gave him a small smile. "We'll sort this out together ok?" He assured him.
"Thanks." Jess nodded. He turned to go into the bathroom.
"Jess?" Luke said stopping him.
"Yeah?" He said turning around.
"You're not a screw up." He said softly. "You may have made some mistakes in your time but you're not a screw up."
Jess just nodded awkwardly.
"I'm proud of you." Luke told him.
"Thanks." Jess said self consciously before disappearing into the bathroom.
Luke walked to the cupboards in his kitchen, leaning on the counter for a moment. He let out a big breath and tried to get his head round everything that had happened and everything Jess had told him. He knew Liz had struggled in the past and he knew it hadn't been pleasant for Jess but he hadn't known the extent of it. He had also thought Liz had finally got through it and had found happiness. TJ may not have been his choice for his sister but he knew TJ had made Liz very happy. He couldn't believe that was all lost now and it seemed like she had gone spiralled back down to how she was before. He couldn't blame Jess for getting Doula out of there but he knew this would only be the beginning. He didn't know what was going to happen but he knew he had to be there for Jess and Doula. They needed him.
So I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Let me know what you think and whether you'd like me to continue with this. :) If you fancy following or reviewing, it would be greatly appreciated! :)
