Rory walked upstairs until she got to the landing and stood contemplating the door in front of her. She had never been in Luke's apartment, entered into his private sanctuary of sorts. It was a nice door, glass windows and heavy, hard-looking wood. She reached out and touched it. It was definitely a very manly door, very fitting for Luke and his nephew.

There. She had arrived at the topic that she had been so skillfully avoiding in her mind. Jess Mariano. Even thinking his name made her feel guilty. She didn't know why; she had no reason to feel guilt. They were friends. Maybe it was because Jess wasn't exactly Dean's favorite person. Or maybe because anytime anyone mentioned the name Jess, her ears immediately perked up. It wasn't a conscience thing- it just seemed to happen.

All she knew was that she couldn't stand in front of this door anymore. So she took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

There was no answer. So she knocked again. Nothing. She gripped the doorknob and turned. The door opened and Rory stepped into the room.

She looked around. It seemed like a standard bachelor pad, very dark and manly looking. She peered further into the room.

Jess was half-sitting half-lying on a couch, reading a book. He didn't even look up as Rory walked in.

"Hey" she said, making her way further into the room. "I knocked but no one answered so I just decided to let myself in."

He glanced up at her over the top of his book. "What if I was naked or something?"

"Do you generally walk around naked in Luke's apartment?"

"Luke has very radical ideas of child-rearing" Jess said, returning to his book.

"What are you reading?"

She walked over. "An oven-cleaning manual? Interested in a career cleaning ovens?"

He grimaced. "Luke doesn't have much in the way of books. Or a T.V. And if I go downstairs he will make me wait tables or something."

"Isn't that your job?" Rory asked, sitting down next to him on the couch.

"I just don't feel like working, alright?"

She stared at him for a moment, surprised by the bitter note in his voice. Then she picked up a piece of paper that was lying next to Jess on the couch. "What's this? A love letter from a girl?" She teased as she unfolded the letter. "Well what do you now, our Jess is a regular Casanova."

He just laughed bitterly. "I wish. No, that's a letter from my dear old mum. Can't find the time to pick up a damn phone, but she manages to write me a novel."

"What does it say?"

"She wants me to come home. To New York. Says she has got a new boyfriend and that this time we will be like "a real family." Like, I don't know the Brady Bunch or something. Says she has quit all the stuff she used to do like drink and smoke and be generally irresponsible." He shook his head and threw the letter back on the ground.

" Are you going to go?"

"Why? Tired of me already?"

"No, I just mean…." Rory stammered, caught off-guard.

"I don't know. Every few months she does this. Swears she "has changed" and that now we can all be "a family. Yeah, probably not."

"I don't think you should go." Rory said, looking down at her hands plucking at the threads in a pillow.

"Why not?" He asked, looking at her with a fierce look on his face.

"Because Luke needs you. You may not think so but he does. And so does Miss Patty- she would miss her man candy. Plus, the town would be boring without you."

"That's all?"

"That's not enough?"

He glanced away from her, but not before a faint trace of disappointment could be seen on his face. Then he stood up and said "Well, you had better go. I have things to do, ovens to learn how to clean." His tone was perfectly unaffected- as though their conversation had just been about the weather.

"Yeah, and I have to go see Dean."

"Ah, how is Dawson? Still an upstanding citizen as always?"

"He 's fine."

"Good, glad to hear it." Jess said, looking anything but glad.

Rory walked to the door as Jess sat back down.

"So, I'll see you later?" She asked.

"Can't see how it can be avoided, this town is so small." He replied.

She nodded and opened the door. Then she hesitated. "Jess?"

He looked up.

"Don't move to New York." Then she vanished through the door, leaving Jess staring into the thin air where she had just been.