Again I don't own it. And procrastination is a bitch.
Also it's quite a reminiscent chapter. I especially wanted to show something of their early trip to the book store. And how things panned out for them there. We know much of the other ins and outs. And I wanted to show subtley that both of them have nice memories of the other that they return too that don't have to involve physical events. Just time spent in each other's company.

Walking calmed her down these days, especially if reading wasn't doing the trick. So she grabbed her purse and moseyed across town. Nerves were getting the better of her in the knowledge he was coming to town. Her feet were leading a path she found familiar though she walked with no particular destination in mind. It was a clear warm summer's day and the town was bustling with people. The general town's folk had gotten used to her home over the past few weeks, but the usual raised hand and kind hello did content her for the time being.

She wandered away from the centre of town and recognised the route she was taking. Remaining unaware of which organ was winning the internal Rory Gilmore tug-of-war; head or heart. She walked across the bridge and found herself sitting instead of with her legs over the water, sat in the exact spot of the bid-a-basket competition. Clearly just nostalgia, she thought.

The rest of that day had been known to only her and Jess. That was the day that things truly changed for her. They went to get pizza and he didn't even have to ask what she wanted.

One with everything?

Yeah…

She remembered feeling so nervous that night. Fear of the unknown with this boy who wasn't her boyfriend. Yet she felt incredibly comfortable. He took them on an unusual route about the town eating pizza and conversing abuot books. Exchanging the odd witty comment. It impressed her he already knew the town so well; he barely raised his head in the direction they were going. She caught him constantly looking at her when he thought she was distracted. Something she had never gotten used to. Surrounded by dusty volumes the air was thick in the book shop – their final destination. She remembered heading straight for a corner she was very familiar with where the little-thought-of books were kept. Literary works she would come back to again and again.

She hadn't heard him approach behind her. He kept his voice low.

"Find anything?"

She jumped and he grinned. Not his usual smirk but the same one he'd given her when on the bridge earlier that day. Her heart was skipping.

"Didn't mean to startle you." He stood next to her looking out of the corner of his eye at the books she already had collected in her arms.

"Good selection."

"Thanks." She replied dumbly. Not really knowing what else to say in response.

"You know they have the best books hidden here. Like books that should be classic but no one thinks their classics."

"I know what you mean; a few volumes in this section definitely have the Mariano seal of approval." He paused.

"Sometimes I forget that I have to give them back." This comment confused her for a second but he continued.

"Y'know. I like writing in the margins, thoughts and such. But their for me. I don't want some ancient biddy coming along and reading my thoughts on Kerouac or …."

"You wrote in my book." She stated simply, trying to catch his eye.

"Well…. You're a special case I guess." He turned to look at her, their eyes set - blue to brown. This truth was unexpected and she found herself wondering as the naïve young girl she was whether he'd ever written in another girl's books before.

His intense stare was making her feel …uncomfortable or flattered she wasn't even sure. She had to say something. Distract herself.

"I don't think old biddys will want to read Kerouac. So I think you're safe."

He smiled, "You're probably right." They had spent the entire afternoon together rather than a short lunch with her basket. She was surprised by how nice the time had been but found herself glad he'd bid on her basket. All thoughts of Dean's existance in that moment were forgotten.

"Come on. We should head off otherwise we'll both be in trouble." It sounded forced but sincere.

After paying for the books they left each other with once last glance outside the book shop.

Now a grown woman she realised it had been longing on both their parts. All those stolen glances and held gazes across the counter and tables and the streets of Stars Hollow. But again, they were young. She recalled again what he had said – you're a special case, I guess.

Those words had flooded her mind. Why would Jess have thought her special? He had been the bad-boy of town, perhaps he had just wanted to turn the girl from the straight and narrow off the right path.

I did that myself in the end. She admitted bitterly.

She realised that she'd been sat dwelling on the past for far too long. She needed coffee and fast. She had to brave it. So she headed in the direction of Luke's. But before she packed his book back into her bag, she made a small note in the front.

I only wrote in the margin of yours.

Jess had packed for the occasion, begrudgingly borrowing a full suit from his housemate and hanging it in the back of his car. All 3 early copies of his book were sat on the passenger seat. He hoped his current car was inconspicuous enough to get him through town and into Luke's without the light speed travel time of gossip for him to hide in the diner at least til the punters came by for dinner.

The drive hadn't settled his nerves. If anything a frustration had begun to simmer inside of him about half way through the journey. He'd realised after all this time he'd constantly been chasing. When she was with Dean, he'd never had the upper hand. Even with their intense compatibility he was still second best. He had been to Logan too. Used to get back at him. He'd never been hurt like that. Even his mother had never cut wounds that deep. Their whole story played like a re-run in his head. Him chasing the unattainable. He had run of course. When he didn't know what else to do. Embarrassed of what she would think of him; her Ivy League school status weighing heavy on him as he saw her get off the bus the day he left. He'd been weak then. When he had made something of himself he thought it would be enough. But maybe not. He passed the tree stump of the accident (which had been cornered off for a month according to Luke after it had happened) and it all came back as if she were in the car with him.

"Or I could turn right and we'd just be driving in circles….for a while"

"Turn right."

"As you wish." He couldn't hide the grin on his face. The music continued at a low volume filling the silence that had fallen. He'd extended a hand to her twice now, and he didn't think she would accept it twice. The tension was building on every occasion they had found themselves alone in each other's presence. But she'd wanted him to keep driving.

"Honestly Jess," she began a little unsure at first "You're really not going to go to college?"

He frowned. He wanted to drop that. College wasn't part of his future. Whether she liked it or not and she just had to accept that. He'd graduate High School and then go wherever the wind took him. She started again, interrupting any argument he might have had-

"Everyone says you're clever Jess. But applying yourself is difficult. I get that. Sometimes I go hours where nothing seems to go in but then it just clicks. Take statistics in maths for instance…"

"I just don't want to. It's not my scene. All those high and mighty frat boys and parties with jelly shots and bad music thrown by people who believe they are more attractive and intelligent than they really are and truly believing that their music collection is something to be desired. Besides, the thought of writing my own book is ….."

Again he'd shared something with her that no others had been privy too. He wished at that moment he could retract the statement and nearly turned left as they'd completed yet another lap round to Luke's but she didn't laugh. He turned right again.

"You want to write?"

"Maybe. I just need enough inspiration and I think one day I could."

"That's really quite admirable Jess," Rory was smiling at him and he found it hard to keep his eyes on the road. He found himself wishing they could stop for a while and just sit rather than him only half concentrating on the road because a beautiful girl was sat on the seat beside him. If he'd been used to such a thing as compliments he might not have flushed. He thanked every rock'n'roll band at that moment that is was dark enough that she wouldn't be able to perceive his embarrassment. No-one had ever used his name and the word "Admirable" in a sentence together before. As pathetic and self-centred as that sounded but because it was Rory, he knew she was being entirely sincere.

"Th-thanks."

Silence fell again, but a comfortable, almost ambient atmosphere took over. He broke it suddenly, arrogance getting the better of him.

"So what about dearest Dean. He going off to college? Gonna follow you to a similar market to work while you study with the greats?" she winced. He'd pushed it too far.

"If you must know yes." She folded her arms defensively across her chest.

"Bet its community college right next door…" he mumbled.

"So what if it community college, at least he's going and has some direction."

"A minute ago you just said writing a book was admirable…and that I had a good sense of direction."

"Not when you're 57 its not."

"You know that's not what I meant anyway." She added. She was trying and failing to hide an amused expression appearing on her face. But as he glanced at her again her expression had changed to one of wide eyes and shock as she yelled,

"JESS! WATCH OUT!"

He swerved.

It all came back to him so easily when travelling to this little town. He pulled up infront of Luke's. I think I left my heart here all those years ago. He thought sombrely. He'd begun to get poetic again, which lead him to reach for his cigarettes.

"Jess!" he was sadly interrupted from his addiction by the appearance of his Uncle, the door of the diner swinging behind him. "Come in! Come in! It's a nice lull before the evening storm" he grinned wrapping an arm around his nephew's shoulders.

"Now come on! Leave your stuff, there is plenty of time for that later," said Luke directing him towards the door as he had reached to open his car again to begin unloading some of his possessions.

"I moved back."

"Wh-why?"

"I just…..wanted too."

He was about to curse but then Luke unwrapped his arm and stood staring at the counter. Jess turned himself and all his dreams seemed to collide together in an awful yet inevitable eventuality. Long curly brown hair floated down the back of a delicate looking woman drinking coffee. She was wearing a summer dress and a book was open beside her. Luke coughed from what seemed like a great distance away. The woman turned and for the first time, in the vast diner he had pictured in his mind repeatedly, almost religiously; she wasn't a faceless entity anymore.