Disclaimer: Stuff in bold italics is written by Jimmy Eat World and is not mine. Stuff in italics and set off from everything else between lines is taken from various episodes of Gilmore Girls and are not mine. (See if you can guess which episodes!) Title borrowed from Jimmy Eat World. Everything else is mine. No harm, no foul, just writing some stuff.

A/N: So I've had the idea to write a story to Hear You Me by Jimmy Eat World for awhile, but I couldn't figure out how to put it together. Then while I was doing homework the song came on and it all just came to me and I wrote it down. That has never happened to me before. Since that night, this story has gone under many revisions, and I've added bits from actual episodes and some lyrics from the song where they seem appropriate. I hope you like it. Please feel free to review. You can even flame if you want, and say how much you hate it and ask me why the heck I ever thought I could write anything. I don't care. I just like the reviews.

Hear You Me (May Angels Lead You In)

By The27thGilmore

"Goodnight Dodger."

"Dodger?"

"Figure it out."

Jess stepped out of his car and gently shut the door. The night was extra-starry. His shoes squeaked a bit as he walked on the dewy grass. Two years to the day.

When he studied with Rory.

When they went out for ice cream.

When a raccoon ran across the street and he swerved and slammed into a tree.

"You facilitated it, you made it happen, so I guess that means that you're officially a part of our town now."

"Hey, wait a minute."

"Welcome."

"I am not part of this town."

"See you for some tree planting over at the Arbor Day Festival, buddy."

There's no one in town I know
You gave us some place to go.
I never said thank you for that.
I thought I might get one more chance.

The whine of an ambulance still haunted him today. There were so many sirens! His chest hurt like hell, but Rory, she looked like she was sleeping. No one could sleep through that crash, right? Blood trickled from a gash on her head--

Paramedics, neighbours, Luke. A cop asked who was driving.

"I was."

Luke held back a screaming Lorelai, her arms and legs flailing.

"There was an animal, I swerved and I hit the tree and--"

A paramedic gave Jess a quick check-up. Three broken ribs.

And Rory…

They loaded her up into an ambulance, a web of tubes and needles hanging out of her arms. Luke dragged Jess into the truck, his feet nearly rooted to the pavement--

The flickering hospital lights were harsh and glaring, all but screaming migraine.

Lorelai had Rory's hand in a death grip, completely silent. It was the most shameful sound in Jess' ears. Silent Lorelai, because he… he what, killed Rory? maimed her?

"A coma," Luke murmured.

Silent Lorelai, because he put Rory in a coma.

"If she doesn't wake up in seventy-two hours, she likely never will." He paused for a few moments, letting Jess digest it all.

"Let's go," Luke said, grabbing Jess by the arm.

"Wait, I want to see Rory--"

Luke walked quickly, keeping a tight grip on Jess. "You can't. Lorelai can't handle seeing you, not now, not ever. You're going back to New York."

"What?" Jess cried. "There's nothing for me there!"

"There's nothing for you here," Luke said pointedly.

"Rory is something."

"What are your big ambitions?"

"Harvard."

"And after Harvard?"

"I'm gonna be a journalist."

"Paula Zahn?"

"Christiane Amapour."

"You're gonna be an overseas correspondent?"

"Yes, I am."

Luke halted in his tracks and turned around, his eyes so filled with so many emotions that Jess looked away.

"Rory is everything, to everyone, in that town. If you stay, every person who ever knew you will say to anyone within speaking distance, 'That's him! That's the guy who hurt Rory Gilmore,' and you will hear their whispers and you will never get rid of the stabbing pain in your heart every time they remind you. I won't have you feel that pain."

He took a deep breath, and ploughed on. "Go to New York, go back to school. Do it for Rory, so you have something to show, when she wakes up."

Jess went on a bus. That day.

He went back to school, the day after.

What would you think of me now,

Doggedly he attended every class, handed in every assignment, aced every quiz.

so lucky, so strong, so proud?

He barely passed the eleventh grade. After all, he had played stupid all year. Come senior year, Jess stunned all his teachers and aced his SATs. NYU offered him a full scholarship. Jess was no university man, but he had to do something; he had to do it for Rory. After all, it was Rory that got him this far.

I never said thank you for that,

His first year at NYU was drawing to a close when a letter came in the mail. Two years to the day.

Jess

It's been two years, and no change.

Lorelai made the decision.

She's gone, Jess.

Luke

now I'll never have a chance.

Two years to the day.

And she was gone.

He forgot about finals. He forgot about NYU. Two years he wrote paper after paper, exam after exam. All

for Rory.

And Rory was gone.

Two years to the day, the night was extra-starry.

Jess stopped walking, his shoes damp from the dewy grass. Headstones were scattered all around him. Some were large and grandiose. A massive marble angel stood to his far left. Others were smaller, but decorated with mementos of lives once lived. Sun-bleached teddy bears, baseballs, a wedding veil.

He was in an out-of-the-way corner, where a small, homely headstone sat before him.

Lorelai "Rory" Leigh Gilmore

Born October 8, 1984

Died April 30, 2004

I love you, kid

You have no idea

He felt her fury when he bought her basket. He heard her laugh when he ate its contents. Frustration when he wouldn't study, eyes gleaming in satisfaction when she guessed Guns of Brixton.

"Done."

"This isn't Shakespeare."

"It's not?"

"It's the words to a Clash song."

"Ah, now, but which Clash song?"

"Hey, I'm not the one being tested right now."

"Ten seconds."

"Jess."

"Nine, eight, seven."

"Stop it."

"Six, five, four."

"You know you're really starting to…"

"Three."

"Ooh, ooh, Guns of Brixton!"

He touched the headstone gently.

May angels lead you in
Hear you me my friends
On sleepless roads the sleepless go
May angels lead you in

Jess turned around and walked back to his car on that extra-starry night. Extra-starry stars shone down.

He almost felt her there, almost saw her smile, heard her voice.

"But don't you have any plans?"

"Yes, I plan to get out of Stars Hollow."

"And go where?"

"Wherever."

"And do what?"

"Whatever."

"Wherever, whatever."

"I'll live where I live, I'll work when I need money, and I'll see where I end up."

"You could do more."

Like yesterday.

Jess shut the car door behind him, turned the ignition, and drove away. No looking back.

Had he looked back, he would have noticed that the small, homely headstone no longer looked lonely.

--end--