Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls or any of its characters/storylines.

*WARNING: Some things have been slightly rearranged for this story. For example, Jimmy and Jess have their talk BEFORE Fran's Funeral.*

Rory touched the doorknob for a second time, but hesitated. What should she say? Jess was her boyfriend, she should be able to say anything to him, but they had never had that kind of relationship. She dropped her head in defeat and turned from the diner's door. "No," she thought. "I'm not going to let him get away with it this time." She turned quickly on her toes and flung the door open with enough force that it hit the wall.

"Good grief, Rory," Jess muttered under his breath.

"That's it? You shut me out; you force yourself on me…"

"I did not force myself on you!" Jess interjects, but Rory keeps on going.

"… and you get in a physical fight with Dean and that's the first thing you have to say to me. 'Good grief, Rory,'" she tried to imitate his voice.

Jess softens his approach. "Rory, calm down." He looks around as if to see if anyone is watching them even though most of the town is at Fran's funeral.

"I will not calm down! You calm down! What do you have to say for yourself? And you better say something. None of this monosyllabic stuff you're so fond of." Rory is still fuming.

Jess looked at her dumbfounded, but tried to hide it with a blank expression. He hated how he had acted at Kyle's party, but what could he say? That he flunked out of school? That Jimmy the Hot Dog King had showed up for the first time in 18 years? That he couldn't even succeed in the simple task of getting prom tickets? That he loved her? He barely had the guts to admit those things to himself, how could he say it to her.

"Fine. You have nothing to say. Neither do I. I'm sick of this Jess. I'm sick of you causing problems and not manning up and dealing with them. I'm going to Europe after graduation, as you know, and don't expect me to write you while I'm there." She rushed towards the door, but Jess hopped over the counter and grabbed her hand.

"Wait."

She turned around and looked at him with a glare that was the very definition of "if looks could kill." "Just, let me explain." She widened her eyes and tapped her foot to show she was waiting for the explanation. "I just… I shouldn't have fought Dean." He figured he would started with the easiest thing first. "I'm sorry." He had made a habit out of never saying those two words. He thought, "live your life with no regrets," but he figured Rory was worth breaking that rule for.

He grabbed her other hand as well. "And I'm sorry I didn't stop when you said to, but I would never do anything like that to you." His eyes were so sincere that she couldn't help but soften her expression a little bit. But just a little.

She nodded once, signifying that she was excepting his apologies, while simultaneously urging him to continue. When he didn't she got angry again. "So you're sorry Jess. Well, that's great. I'm glad, but it's not enough."

"Just give me a second Rory" again his voice came out rougher than he had meant and he purposely calmed himself down before he continued.

He dropped his head, ashamed at what he was about to say. "Rory… I'm not graduating." His heart dropped and he could tell hers did too.

Now it was Rory's turn to soften her voice as concern for him began to overshadow her anger. "I'm sorry, Jess."

"Don't be. It's my fault. I thought I had it under control, but apparently I didn't."

Jess blankly stared out the window behind Rory at the clumps of people chatting outside the church.

"We can fix this. It's not too late. You can take summer classes." Jess shook his head. "You can repeat this year. Maybe even just a semester." Jess shook his head again. "You can get your GED." Jess shook his head a final time. "Yes, you can, Jess."

"I don't want to." He didn't say it in a hostile tone, just in the tone of a sad little boy who was tired and didn't want to deal with it anymore.

"Luke's not gonna let me stay here. He said if I flunk I'm out."

"He wasn't serious about that."

"The yelling makes it pretty clear."

"He was just angry. I'm sure if you talk to him you can work something out. Luke loves you." And somehow when she said that, it made it clear that she loved him as well.

"Yeah. Maybe." Rory touched the side of his face, like she had in Kyle's parents bedrooms and he looked her in the eyes for the first time since he started his confessions. "There's something else," he said.

"Well aren't you just full of information today," Rory said, but without the joking tone that she usually would have.

"Since I'm flunking out," Rory winced ever so slightly at those words, "they wouldn't let me buy prom tickets." And as much as Rory had her heart set on the Stars Hollow High Prom, she couldn't find it in herself to care at that moment.

"The funeral should be starting any second. Do you wanna come with me?" she said with a hopeful glimmer in her eye.

"Nah. I don't really know how to handle those things and it wouldn't be right since I didn't really know her. Could we hook up afterwards?"

"Sure." She nodded. "Promise you'll be here?" She had seen his green duffle bag behind the counter when she walked in and it had scared her.

Jess scooted back to one of the barstools and hopped onto it. "I won't budge from this spot until I see you come through that door." His tone was half mocking half serious.

Rory smiled and was unsure of what to do now. Kissing him just felt strange right now. Jess leaned in though, and kissed Rory on the cheek, a soft kind of affection she wasn't used to from him. In that moment, she couldn't resist and went in for a real and somewhat passionate kiss. When she pulled away she shared a shy smile and he nodded as if to say "bye" and she walked out the door.