Hi guys, so a lot of you were asking about a second chapter for 'Nice to meet ya, Doll' but I don't think I can take that any further, I always just meant it as one-shot, so I thought I'd write you all this instead.

It's gonna be a series of stand-alone one shots based on different takes on how Nick and Jess could have gotten together in earlier episodes. I've started with a different take on 'Cooler' but after this I'm probably just gonna go back to 'Pilot' and work my way through (gotta do something to get me through the Summer after all.) So enjoy!

Cooler

'What is going on?'

Jess' voice came immediately: 'There's something at the door, and you need to come home.'

'Cooler Jess!' he felt himself growl, 'you are being a cooler right now!'

'Seriously, I think it might be gang related. I've always been worried about my blue curtains. Crips!'

'It's the Crips?' Nick shook his head in frustration. 'Jess, I'm done!'

'Nick please,' he heard her pleading voice down the phone; 'I need you.'

And with that his resolve was gone. He closed his eyes in defeat, sighing as he looked back at the woman who had been so obviously hitting on him all night, currently fighting off the advances of Schmitt.

'I'll be right there.' He said down the phone, before hanging up and turning back around to face Schmitt. 'I gotta go man' he said briefly, trying to keep his expression neutral.

'Do you want us to come with you?' the blonde haired girl asked, flashing him a grin, followed by what he supposed was a pout, but he'd never fully understood the pouting thing.

'No, I'll be okay by myself' he half-smiled, shaking his head slightly and letting his eyes fall to Schmitt- his eyes still focused intently on the currently uninterested girl next to him- and decided to throw him a bone. 'Schmitt used to be fat.' He told her bluntly. 'Really fat actually, Schmitt, why don't know tell her about it?'

Nick could hear the girl whine 'fat makes me so sad' as he walked towards the exit of the bar, and he shook his head, running his hand through his already messy hair before grabbing his phone out of his trench-coat pocket and texting Jess that he was on his way.

'Jess?'

Nick called her name several times as he entered the loft, his irritation rising slightly as he scanned the room and didn't see her. If he had come all the way up here just to find out that she'd already left he would kill…

'ARGHHHHH'

Nick was brought out of his thoughts by the sight of Jess rounding the corner at a run, brandishing a baseball bat in front of her wildly. He screamed on instinct (not one of his manliest moments, he would admit) and held his hands out in front of him in defence until Jess seemed to notice that he wasn't, in fact, an axe wielding murderer, and flung herself towards him, dropping her makeshift weapon on the ground with a resounding thud as she did.

'Jess, what the hell are you doing?' he mumbled against her as her arms tightened around his neck.

'Never leave me alone again,' she pleaded, pulling back from him and looking him straight in the eyes, her own wide with what Nick presumed to be both hysteria, fear, and no doubt insane amounts of caffeine. 'Please, please, please.' She added after a moment.

'Come on,' he muttered, grabbing the baseball bat off the floor and leading her down the corridor, despite knowing that Jess was out of her mind and that there was no way he was going to find anything that could put them in danger. 'Let's go check out the noise you heard.'

Ten minutes later and they were trudging back up the corridor, Nick spinning the baseball bat around aimlessly, an annoyed look plastered on his face as Jess followed meekly.

'I've told you a hundred times Jess, this apartment has old pipes. But you never listen during pipe talk'

'Pipe talk is boring!' she whined, her eyes widening suddenly as Nick spun around to face her.

'I was having a good night Jess!' he burst unexpectedly, running his hands over the stubble on his jaw out of irritation. 'I was having a good night. There was a girl that actually wanted to talk to me! She was actually interested in me Jess! Do you know how hard that is to find?'

Jess hung her head, a sad look entering her eyes. 'Nick…'

'She was interested in me Jess, and I had to leave because you couldn't spend one goddamn night by yourself!'

'Yes I could spend the night by myself!' Jess protested, fully aware at how childish she sounded.

'Then why did ya have to call me?' he asked, his brow furrowed in anger.

'Because I needed you!'

'Needed me? Jess, do me a favour? Next time ya need someone to come and save you from imaginary monsters and gangs, ring your perfect boyfriend Sam, not me!'

'He's not my boyfriend anymore!' Jess shouted out after a second, throwing her hands up in the air in irritation before finishing with 'I broke up with him tonight; I'm not with Sam anymore.'

His brow furrowed. 'You broke up with him, why?'

'Because I rang him and he said it was stupid, and that he was too busy to come and help me.' Jess' eyes widened, and she stepped forward slightly, her head tilting marginally to the side. 'But you came.' She stated as if it was all that mattered. 'You would always come help me.'

Nick stalled for a second, his features immediately losing the look of frustration they had held a few moments earlier. He sighed, his shoulders slumping and he again ran a hand up his jaw, his eyes closing in what seemed like defeat, although Jess couldn't fully read his expression. She thought she heard him mutter something about 'rewards', but he seemed to recover his composure after a while and he shook his head in exasperation.

'I can't do this Jess,' he muttered 'I'm gonna go back to the bar and hope that everyone is still there,'

'No, Nick!' Jess spurted as he reached the door, and she saw his shoulders instantly drop, as if being here with her was making him lose his strength.

'Please don't leave me here by myself,' she pleaded with him, her eyes wider than he had ever seen them.

'Jess…'

'Please Nick,' she begged again, her voice sounding breathy to her own ears as she edged closer to him, her eyes falling to his mouth as she advanced. 'Please don't leave me.'

Nick's lips parted under the intensity of her stare, his brow furrowing in confusion as his face turned distinctly turtle-like.

'Jess?' he repeated her name again, his voice hoarse.

'Please Nick,' she said softly, moving closer to him once again and seeing his Adam's apple rise and fall as he swallowed hard. 'Please, Please, Please?' she said again, her voice sounding more confident than she was feeling.

To her relief, she didn't have to ask again. Nick stepped forward away from the door to meet her, his arms wrapping immediately round her waist to pull her to him, her own going to his chest, one hand clutching onto the collar of the trench coat he was still wearing. His eyes found hers, searching for confirmation that this was indeed what she wanted. He found them large and wild looking, and as she moved her hands around his neck, her fingers finding the skin underneath his coat, he tightened his grip on her, moving one arm to her hip, and brought his lips down upon hers.

He kissed her ardently, drawing her lips against his as he pushed up against him, her arms going frantically from his neck, to his chest, his face, then back to his neck again. He felt her breath tickle his chin as he pulled back, his eyelashes heavy, and saw her eyes filled with repressed desire.

'We shouldn't…' he muttered unconvincingly, his forehead rested against hers as he fought to regain his breath.

'Please.' Jess said in the barest whisper.

Nick lifted both his arms up in response, letting his hands cup her face tenderly as he brought his lips back to hers again, engaging her in another slower, more sensual kiss. A moan passed Jess' lips, causing Nick to groan involuntarily. 'You're killing me,' he murmured, his voice shaking with need, before letting his lips meet hers again, kissing her hungrily.

He spun her around quickly so that her back was facing the door and backed her onto it, pushing the entire length of his body against hers and moved his lips to her neck, sucking and biting lightly. He heard a squeak burst from her lips and looked back up into her eyes once again, noticing the hint of doubt that lingered there-faint, but most definitely there.

'Jess, are you sure?' he asked of her, his voice cracking slightly and his eyes sincere. 'I could just make you a cup of coffee…'

'Please.' She breathed out once more, and Nick felt his hands going to cup her face again.

'You need to stop saying that,' he smiled slightly; 'You know that I'd give you anything you asked for.'

Jess tilted her head at his admission, wonder filling her features and Nick noticed that all doubt left her eyes instantly, 'You really would, wouldn't you?'

He rested his forehead against her own, letting his eyelashes brush lightly upon her skin. 'You drive me crazy.' He said as a way of explanation.

'In a bad way?' Jess asked, her voice teasing.

'In every way, Jess.'

And then his lips were on hers again, a new fervor to the kiss that wasn't there before. It was almost desperate, full of need. He linked her hands in her own, bringing them up above her head, pinning her to the door and let his hands circle her wrists, then move their way down her arms, massaging slightly as they went, until they finally found her sides, then her waist. He pulled her to him even more, ensuring no space was between them, and found his hands tightening around her waist, finding a way underneath her top, and he rubbed his thumbs in circles against her skin.

'I can't breathe,' he heard her murmur, and he loosened his grip on her, leaning back to look her in the eyes as she smiled slightly and shook her head, running her hands up his arms letting her fingers deftly feel the slight muscles there. 'I'm around you,' she corrected, 'and sometimes I can't breathe.'

'Good god Jess,' she heard him groan before pulling her to him again, and he started to move with her this time, pushing and pulling her down the hall towards their rooms, their tongues engaged in a battle with each other as they went, teeth being scraped across lips and nails being dug into skin. He began to maneuver her towards his room, before remembering the plates of half-eaten food lying around and the fact that he hadn't changed his sheets in a while and thought better of it, pushing her backwards towards her own.

They entered through the open door and Nick kicked in shut behind him, lips never breaking from Jess' as he attempted to move them both towards the bed. His feet soon became tangled up in piles of clothes however and he tore his lips away to take in the room, which had piles of clothes and junk everywhere- it was very un-Jess like.

'I was organising my stuff,' Jess shrugged her shoulders in a way of explanation, and smiled up at him.

Nick shook his head slightly and went to move towards her again, but spotted something out of the corner of his eye that made him stop in his tracks.

'What is…' Nick paused slightly and raised an eyebrow at Jess, an amused look on his face. 'You drew my face on a melon?'

'What else was I supposed to draw your face on?' Jess retorted, wrapping her arms round her body, suddenly missing the contact.

'Nothing, don't draw my face.' Nick shook his head, and then noticed for the first time the strange attire that Jess was sporting. 'And what are you wearing Jess?'

Jess glanced down at her body, it only just occurring to her that she was still wearing her over-sized tutu, apron and her make-shift scarf bandanna from earlier. She pulled off the number that she had safety-pinned to her shirt. 'I may have been playing the Olympics game.' She muttered, looking up and seeing the warm smile that made its way to Nick's lips.

'The Olympics game?' He smirked.

'I was Kenya.' She stated in a matter of-fact tone. 'I won the silver.'

Nick chuckled deeply, taking the step forward so he was directly in front of her again and lifting his hands up to her hair, removing the bandanna and throwing it to the floor while smiling at her affectionately. 'Jess, you are so wonderfully weird.'

She shrugged lightly, her cheeks turning a faint shade of pink. 'It is what it is.' She said simply, and then, dropping her chin to her chest, he heard her mumble 'Does that mean you're gonna go back to the bar?'

In response he pressed a kiss to her forehead, and as her eyes fluttered closed he planted a gentle kiss on each eyelid. 'Please Jess,' he smiled at her, echoing her words from earlier. 'Please' and he pecked her lips, 'please,' and then another kiss, 'please.'

And with his final kiss Jess started to answer again, bringing her arms back up around his neck and pulling him towards her until the back off her knees hit the edge of the mattress and she lay back on the bed, ensuring she brought Nick down on top of her. He supported himself on one of his forearms, using his free hand to explore her body, letting his fingers move through her hair, down her cheek, her waist, her thighs, before finally landing comfortably on her stomach, where is proceeded to rub circles through her shirt.

'Jess for God's sake, take this goddamn apron off!' he groaned, itching to feel her skin.

Jess giggled at Nick's less than subtle words and sat up, letting him reach around her neck and untie the garment, throwing it behind him when he had managed to free her off it. Nick pressed his open mouth to the silky skin on her neck, his tongue circling the pulse that throbbed in her throat as his hand slid slowly from her hip to the dip of her narrow waist, up over her rib cage and brushed the soft curve of her breast as if committing her every curve to memory with his touch.

He heard her moan quietly and used it as an invitation to raise her arms in the air, pulling off her shirt when they were fully raised and throwing it in the same direction the apron had gone. He leaned back slightly, taking in the image of her kneeling before him, in nothing but a skirt and bra. 'You're beautiful, you know that right?' he asked, still slightly in awe. He was still trying to process the fact that she was actually letting him kiss her, touch her, be with her. He had never thought himself so lucky in his entire life.

Jess blushed slightly, her breaths coming and hard and shallow, and moved her head towards his, bringing him into an ardent kiss and pulling him down on top of her once more.

Nick swore he heard the whisper of the word 'please,' pass her lips, and at that he was lost.

'Seriously Jess, you're gonna have to move that thing, it's creeping me out!'

Jess lifted her head off Nick's chest to look in the direction Nick's arm was waving and spotted the 'melon Nick' she had made earlier.

'It's not doing anything!' she protested, biting back a laugh at the serious look gracing Nick's features.

'It's staring at me!'

'It's a melon Nick,' Jess reasoned, lifting her head up and looking him in the eyes, a smirk rising to her lips. 'It's not looking at anybody.'

Nick shook his head slightly, removing his eyes from his melon doppelganger to the doe-eyed girl next to him.

'It's quite possibly the weirdest, creepiest thing you've ever made Jess.' He grinned down affectionately at her.

'Weirder than the felt portrait I made of you, Schmitt and Winston?'

Nicks mouth curved down into his turtle-face. 'It's probably a tie.' He conceded. 'That was a disturbing picture.'

She beamed up at him. 'It was life-like!'

'It absolutely, one hundred percent was not life-like Jess!' Nick protested, running his fingers absentmindedly through her hair.

'Well I liked it…'

Their discussion was cut short by the sound of the loft door opening, the voices of Schmitt and Winston flittering through the loft. 'You said band of brothers!' Winston's voice came clearly, making Nick's mouth tilt upwards at the memory of earlier. 'You said band of brothers but you only help yourself man, no wonder Nick left!'

'Nicholas left because of Jess, Winston!' Schmitt's voice came next. 'It had nothing to do with me!'

Nick chuckled into Jess' hair at his two best friend's argument and shifted as Jess raised her head to look up at him, a meek smile on her face. 'Hey,' she said, her eyes wider than usual, 'I'm sorry if I ruined your guys night.'

Nicks eyebrows creased. 'You're kidding right?'

Jess' face remained unchanged and he realised instantly that she-of course- was not kidding. He should have known that she wouldn't understand what this was for him- how important she was to him. It was just like Jess to think she may have ruined his night, when in fact she'd made it better than he could have ever imagined.

'Jess, please tell me you realise that this,' he motioned between the two of them, 'what happened tonight, that's not all this is for me.' He watched as Jess' eyes narrowed slightly and continued. 'I mean… It was good; don't get me wrong, I just mean that I want more than just sex. I mean the sex was good, and we should definitely do it again… you know, if you want.' He paused and ran his hand across his beard, halting his ramblings. 'What I mean Jess, is that I wanna take ya out. Ya know, for food or something.' He finished lamely, his smile turning to a slight grimace, as if his speech had caused him physical pain.

Jess' expression remained unchanged for a few moments. 'Food or something?' she echoed after a short silence, a grin breaking out slowly across her face.

Nick's expression turned playful. 'Please Jess,' he said, tilting his head town kiss her lips firmly. 'Please, please please?'

She giggled, moving herself closer to him and resting her head back on his chest, a smile planted on her face. 'Well,' she said after a moment of stillness, her eyes closing briefly as Nick began to run his fingers down her spine. 'Since you asked nicely, I think food sounds like a good idea.'