Authors Note- Just in case anyone is more than a little confused, in my little world Jess came back to Rory after California, but he left again, and now he's back for a second time, a little confusing but it works. This chapter is a little lame, but it's needed to establish the story, so i'm sorry, but the next chapter is better. Thank you for reading!

Rated: M

Chapter 2 A Suspension in Time

They had left the motel at 3 am after Rory had grilled him about his trip to Wyoming, where he went, what he did. Everything he thought about there. They talked about everything. Seeing him so excited about his new plans, Rory decided, perhaps unwisely to take him back and put her trust in him again. It felt good to have him back. He dropped her off a block away from her house and she walked back. She felt so happy. Elated in fact, her first time was perfect, maybe not the fantasy first time every girl dreams about. It didn't take place in a lacy white bed on a cloud after all, but as far as the real thing goes it was perfect. He was perfect. She loved him and he loved her. He wasn't going to leave anymore.

She tiptoed quietly through her front door, carefully closing it behind her. Just when she thought she was clear and began walking down the hallway to her room, she heard footsteps from behind.

"You're home late." It was her mother. Shit.

"I was out walking." she stated.

"At three in the morning?"

"I just couldn't sleep that's all." she was getting a little defensive, and she didn't want her mom to notice, so she quickly tried to lighten the mood.

"Don't worry mom, I actually do this a lot. I just stayed out a little later this time."

"Was that supposed to make me feel better kid?" she laughed. Rory laughed along with her. She knew she should tell her mom what happened, but she also knew she would receive a lecture about Jess in return, about how she shouldn't give him another chance. It also occurred to her that if Jess left again her mom would have a big I told you so to give her. She didn't want to think that he would ever do that to her again, especially now.

"I think I'm gonna go to bed, I have a ton of studying to do tomorrow." Her mom assented and they went to their bedrooms. Rory didn't sleep till much later that night though, how could she after everything that had happened, everything she learned about Jess.

When he went to Wyoming he had crashed at a friend's dorm in Laramie. He said he got a job at the University Bookstore there. He did a lot of hiking, which was out of character for him, but it's what he needed, to be by himself.

"Trust me, if I ever have the urge to be one with nature again, I'll read The Last of the Mohicans." he had joked when she raised an eyebrow at the thought of him hiking. She laughed at the memory as she slowly drifted off to sleep, a smile on her face.

The next morning, Lorelei and Rory walked to Luke's like always. She wondered if Jess would be there. She wasn't sure she wanted her mom to know about them being together again, but if he was there Lorelei would probably freak out about his coming back to town. She saw what Rory went through when he left. It's not like she could just casually ignore him, her mom would expect a freak out. So, she decided, she would tell her.

"Mom, can we talk for a second?" Oh geez, what had she gotten herself into.

"Of course, is everything ok sweetie?" Lorelei stopped, sensing that this was big.

"I"m fine, but you know when I went for a walk last night?" Lorelei nodded. "Well I wasn't out for a walk or by myself the whole time... Jess is back, Mom."

"What?"

"Jess is back, and we talked last night...well we talked, and we're back together."

"What?!"

"That's not all. We did a little more than talk..."

"What!?! What do you mean you did more? Does that mean you...you know...?"

"Well...yes mom, we went to a motel in Woodbridge. Before you say anything, it was my idea to go there." she quickly added the last part to reassure her mother that it was in fact voluntary and not just pressured, like she was sure to think.

"Well did you...was he...you've been taking your pill right?"

"Yes mom, I have."

"That's a big step. First time...um...well I don't really know what to say."

"Me neither." Rory sighed, well at least she isn't yelling, not yet anyways.

"He left Rory, he didn't even say goodbye, or tell you why he left, and he did it twice.. I just don't want you to get hurt again, and again, and again."

"I know mom, but he said that while he was gone he really thought about everything, and he decided he wanted to come back and finish high school and be with me. You don't just make decisions like that for no reason. I trust him this time. I really think it'll work out ok."

"I don't like it but, I'm gonna trust you on this kid, be careful though, maybe take it a little slower for a while, just test the waters, make sure he's not gonna skip out on you again?"

"I will, now let's go eat."

"You promise?"

"Yes!" Rory rolled her eyes at her mother, and soon they were back in their friendly moods.

They walked into the diner and both their eyes traveled immediately to the counter looking for him. There he was serving breakfast with an attitude. Rory walked up to the counter boldly and leaned over for a kiss. She received one. A great kiss too, not just a peck, but a full on kiss, a little racy for a public place, but she loved it nonetheless. Babette would be proud, she thought.

"Hey lovebirds" quipped Lorelei when she made her way over to the counter. Jess looked a little surprised that she wasn't attempting to castrate him on the spot.

"Can I get a cheese omelette with a side of bacon and chocolate chip pancakes, ooh and some hashbrowns too. Don't forget tons of coffee." ordered Lorelei.

"Same please." Rory bounced away after her mother, throwing a little swing in her hips just for him. Jess brought out their order a few minutes later.

"Here you go." he said placing their three plates each down on the table, making several trips back to the counter.

"Ah you remembered!"squealed Rory.

"Well naturally the omelettes and pancakes don't get along so they go on different plates, and of course, if the pancakes get their own plate, the hashbrowns will get a complex, so a third plate it is."Jess rattled off deftly.

"That's my man." Rory said seductively.

"Hey, hey, mother on the premises!"

"Sorry mom." Rory laughed. She looked to Jess, "Meet you at the bridge at two?"she asked.

"Sure thing."

It was ten past two and Rory was in a panic. She knew she was being ridiculous, he probably had to finish inventory or something. She needed to stop obsessing. But, what if she freaked him out, what if she was moving too fast, she had been the one to say I love you first, and acting like they were steady boyfriend/girlfriend at the diner this morning, maybe it was all too much for him, maybe he didn't really want that, maybe...

There he was walking towards her, all doubt washed away as he sauntered over and sat next to her on the bridge, pulling her into his arms.

"You're late."she smiled up at him.

"Nah, you're just early, everyone knows that when you say 2 you mean 2:15." He said with a smirk. "By the way, I was a little surprised at your mom's reaction to me. She didn't try to kill me or anything. What did you say to her?"

"I just told her the truth."

"The whole truth?" he asked tentatively.

"Yes, she knows we had sex Jess."

"She knows?"

"She knows."

"Wow." he exclaimed, "That's...well...what did she say?" he asked unsure of how he was supposed to react.

"She just asked if I was taking my pill regularly, just to be sure, and then she gave me a talk about how I should be careful and all that." she left out some of the gorier details. "No big deal."

"Let's talk about something else." he suggested. "You still a hater of Hemingway?"

"My opinion has not changed in the past week. And besides, I never hated him, I just don't have a great respect for his writing, I mean really. You've read the guy, is there another subject in his memory bank than a café or a wine shop? Come on, I realize wine was a big part of the guys life, but really, something must have taken place that wasn't in a café or a wine shop."

"Oh you are so missing the point! This guy went through rough times after World War I. I mean in The Sun Also Rises he captures, without really ever directly mentioning the actual war, the crazy amount of devastation that they all went through, how they can't ever have normal relationships, or pick back up their normal lives, it's insane, this guys perceptibility of what goes on in the human mind after something so catastrophic..."

"Woah there Jess, calm down. You know I love when you do that, but if I wanted to argue the genius of Hemingway I'd go to school. And today is Saturday, so let's have none of that, alright?" she laughed at how worked up he got when someone criticized Hemingway. She loved that about him. They sat like that for the rest of the afternoon. Talking about meaningless things, it was nice, a suspension in time.

I hope people like this so far, let me know if you think I should keep going or just give it up as a lost cause. Review please!