Hey, guys! I haven't written fanfiction in two years. I was going to update my story "Life Itself" but I figured I'd start from scratch and get back into writing first. My writing skills have improved so much over two years so reading my old stories has been a good laugh. This might not be the most original take on this scene but I have some other ideas for future chapters. Enjoy!

Oh, and I own nothing... except for Milo... in my dreams.

Jess had enough. This guy sitting across from him was a bigger jerk than he had ever been, which he thought was nearly impossible. How could Rory be with a guy like this?

"I've had it." Jess pushed his seat back angrily and gave Rory a look of disappointment before leaving the restaurant. Rory caught that glance and looked back at Logan who wore an expression of utter confusion. Why he was confused, she had no idea. He WAS a jerk, why wouldn't Jess just walk out?

Rory bit her lip and stood up.

"Where are you going, Ace?"Logan jumped in his seat.

"Don't follow me."

Rory put her jacket on and ran through the doors, hoping he hadn't left already. She looked around her and sighed when there was no sign of Jess there. She flipped open her phone to call him until she heard a deep voice from behind her.

"You passed." Jess was sitting on the bench behind her. She was surprised that she had missed him when she came outside searching for him.

"Passed what?"

"The old Rory would've followed me. I guess the new Rory isn't as bad as I thought."

"What does you mean by new Rory? I'm exactly the same, Jess."

Jess snorted. "What's going on with you?"

"Nothing? I'm fine." Rory was starting to get defensive, she didn't come outside to be tested. She simply wanted to apologize for her boyfriend being a jerk.

"You're not fine. Come on, Rory. What's up? Luke told me that you're not speaking to your mom, which would explain why you're living at your grandparents house, I guess. You're not at Yale. This isn't you."

Rory didn't know what to say. The only other person to point out her mistakes was her mom, and she refused to talk to her because of it. She couldn't say that she didn't regret leaving Yale, but after being so confident about taking some time off, she couldn't just go back. She never expected things to get out of hand.

"I don't know what's up with me. I just wanted some time off from Yale."

"To be with that jerk?"

"He's not a jerk! He's been having a bad day, he's not always like this."

"Rory, we used to make fun of guys like that. He's not your type. Hell, I think you'd be better off with Dean than you would be with blondie in there!"

Jess was starting to yell and Rory didn't know how to react. When they had dated, she was usually the one doing all of the encouraging. She stood there silently and stared at the ground.

Jess sighed. "Was he okay with you leaving Yale?"

Rory bit her lip but wouldn't say anything.

"Was he?"

Nothing, she was still staring at the ground.

"Rory, tell me. Did he fight it at all?"

Rory felt tears forming in her eyes which made it harder to look at him because she didn't want him to see her cry. Then he would know that he got to her. "No."

By the tone in her voice, Jess could tell she was crying. She began sobbing and although he was angry with her, he couldn't help but feel bad for her. He put his arms around her and placed one hand on the back of her head and kissed it. She cuddled up to him and cried into his jacket, taking in all of the familiar smells of her past.

After a few seconds of standing there, Jess led her over to the bench. To sit down she was going to have to detach herself from Jess's body but he could tell she wasn't ready. So he gently moved her over to his side and so that they could sit down. He still kept his arm around her back so that she felt comforted by his touch.

"I don't know what I'm doing with myself. I left Yale because my boyfriend's father said he didn't think I'd make it as a journalist. I let one insensitive, arrogant, moron pull me apart and allow me to lose everything. And Logan just let me leave. My mom told me to stay but I wouldn't listen. I took the easy way out, I never take the easy way out!" She continued to ramble and rant until Jess tried to shush her and calm her down.

"Take a few breaths. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to freak you out."

"No, you're right about all of it. My mom was right. I can't believe I let this happen. And I can't believe Logan. What kind of boyfriend just lets his girlfriend leave college? I mean, he didn't even warn me of anything. If me and you were still together, you wouldn't let me leave." Jess squirmed uncomfortably. Obviously he still had feelings for her. He'd always had and feared that he always would. "I don't know what to do!" Rory wiped her eyes and tried to slow down her sobs. Jess tried to help by rubbing her back.

"Calm down! We all make mistakes. God knows I have. But you're right, if we were still together, I wouldn't let you leave Yale. But that doesn't matter. Make things right."

Rory stopped crying and forced a small smile at him. "I want to try."

Jess smiled back at her. "Well, I've seen you tackle some pretty intense stuff so I think you can handle it."

"Thanks, Jess. I'm sorry about all of this."

"It's no problem. I just want you to do what you've gotta do. And I'm gonna do what I've gotta do."

"Write the great Amercian novel?" She mocked.

"Well, I'd like to try. As I said before, don't get too jazzed about the whole writing a book thing until you actually read it."

"I'm sure it's great. Looks like someone needs to give you a reality check too so you'll realize how talented you are."

"Eh, I don't know about talented but I'll take worthy." He smiled at her and she smiled back. They sat there staring at one another without using words, words would ruin the moment.

Then she broke the silence. "Well, I guess I have to get rid of him."

"Sure." Jess nodded.

"Um, can I ask you something?"

"Go for it."

"Do you ever wonder how things would be right now if we had lasted?"

"Every day. I regret screwing things up every day. I regret letting you go."

"I regret letting you go, too."

Jess cleared his throat. "Well, if you're going to end things with blondie in there, do you think we could, I don't know, do something together? Someday... soon?"

Rory smiled. She had wanted to see him again after today. He made her realize so many things that she had been denying for a long time now. He was right about the old Rory and the new Rory. For someone who was headed down the wrong path, he surely knew where he was going now and that's exactly what she wanted him to know three years ago when they were together.

"Sure. I'd really like that."

"Good, me too."

They continued to smile at one another like idiots but they didn't seem to notice anyone else around them, so they really didn't care.

"Well, I better go. Logan probably thinks I left or something."

"Yeah, true." Jess exhaled loudly. "Okay, so I'll call you."

"How long are you gonna be in town for?"

"For as long as I have a reason to be in town. Work doesn't need me right now."

"Good. I'll see you later."

Jess stood up. "Bye, Rory," he said and walked away.

Rory watched him until she could no longer see him. Now she knew what she had to do, so she walked back into the restaurant to see a drunk Logan swinging down yet another shot. Once he saw her, a goofy smile appeared on his face.

"Hey, Ace!!!! How's bookboy doing???? You know, maybe he can write a book about this particular experience."

"He's fine."

Logan stood up and opened his arms to embrace Rory but she moved away before he could put his arms around her.

"Don't."

"What's wrong with you now?"

"You were a jerk."

"He's a big boy. Don't worry about it."

"I can't do this anymore."

"Do what???" Logan was started to get irritated. The whole night she had given him an attitude and now that he had a few drinks in him, he was starting to feel less tolerant.

"Be with a jerk. I mean, I want someone who is going to support me and encourage me to do well in life."

"What are you talking about? Are you blaming me for you leaving Yale? Moving into your grandparents house? Don't you dare blame me for that. You made those choices, I let you do what you want. It was YOUR choice, not mine."

"I know all of that. But you didn't TRY to get me to realize what I was doing."

"Whatever, I let you do what you want. Plus I have my own problems to worry about."

"Oh, that's right! Your poor life. Let's hear about it. Let's hear about your horrible life where everything is handed to you."

"Got a week?"

Rory laughed. "You've got to be kidding. You have so many opportunities available to you that anyone would dream of having, including me."

"All I see is one door open and I'm being pushed through it. Come June my life is over."

"Whatever, Logan. I'm done with this. I'm leaving."

"You're not thinking right, Rory. I know this. Tomorrow you're gonna feel differently and we'll just forget about all of this."

Rory shook her head. "No, we're not. You're the one who isn't thinking right, it's a little hard to do when you're drunk. Which you are 90 of the time. Bye, Logan."

Without even waiting for his response, she walked back out into the freezing cold and knew what she had to do. She had to make things right with her mom, get back into Yale, move out of her grandparents house, and start over with Jess.

Lorelai opened her microwave and pulled out the bag of popocorn that had just popped. Flinching at the heat that touched her fingers, she dropped it quickly on the counter which made it bounce off and hit the ground. Paul Anka walked over and sniffed the bag but growled at the smell.

"Okay, popcorn is going on the dislikes column." Most people would think she was kidding, but she wasn't. Paul Anka was like a human, only ten times pickier. She walked over the refrigerator and added "popcorn" as number forty-two on the list of what Paul Anka liked and disliked.

She looked back over at him and shook her head. "You are just getting weirder and weirder, man."

Lorelai took a bowl out of the cabinet and set it on the table. The bag had cooled down by now so she could pick it up without burning her fingers but before she could do so, the phone had rang. She ran into the living room and picked him the phone from its cradle. "Hello?"

"Mom?"

"Rory!?!"

"I'm going back to Yale!"

"Oh, yay!" Lorelai jumped up which made Paul Anka bark. "Hey, shhh you."

"Who are you talking to?"

"Paul Anka!"

"Sure you are. Anyway, I'm fixing everything."

Lorelai had forgotten that Rory didn't even know who Paul Anka was, or not this one at least. "Aw, good, kid. Where are you?"

"Outside!"

Lorelai ran over to the window to see that all too familiar car pulling into the driveway, just like old times. She ran to the door and down the steps as Rory hoppped out of her car. Both throwing their phones to the ground, they embraced one another in possibly the strongest hug ever.

"I'm so sorry!" Rory cried.

"No, I'm sorry!"

"I was so stupid!"

"No, you weren't!"

"I love you, mom!"

"Oh, you have no idea, kid. You have no idea."

I hope to continue with this if you guys like it. Comments are welcomed and ideas are even more welcome. :)