TITLE: Two Nights At The Inn

RATING: PG-13

The characters are not mine I just use them for my own amusement.

Please read and review. Thanks to those who have done so far

Rory walked into the dining room later on that evening and glanced around the room looking for the dark-haired, dark-eyed boy that had haunted her dreams for the last year. He was nowhere in sight. She felt both relief and disappointment at the same time. She had spent ages getting ready, changing her clothes and hair over and over until she had settled on a pretty pink blouse and skirt. She didn't know why she was so keyed up anyway. She had meant it when she had told him she didn't want to be with him. She had. She waved at Luke who was sitting, rather uncomfortable looking, at a table with Babette and Miss Patty. Again she wondered where Jess was as she sat down next to Jackson.

She was just tucking into her meal when she felt his eyes on her. She looked up and felt her heart flutter wildly. He had combed and gelled his hair back, almost like a 50s movie star, and in his black pants and shirt he almost looked like he was in black-tie attire. She didn't think she had ever seem him look so handsome.

"Wow Jess, you scrub up well!" Babette called from her table.

" Mmm, you sure do. Maybe you can come tuck me in later? "Miss Patty agreed suggestively.

Ignoring them Jess looked at Rory and asked if he could join them. She narrowed her eyes at him and was about to say no when Jackson told him that he could. Jess sat and thanked the waiter that brought him his plate over.

They ate in awkward silence until Lorelai came over, "Hey. How's it going?"

"It's going well," Rory told her.

"Very, very well," Jackson agreed.

Lorelai chuckeled as she said, "Jackson, I love the shirt."

"Isn't it great? It's an anniversary gift from Sookie. I gotta tell you I'm a little surprised. I figured, with the test run and everything, she'd be way too busy too remember."

"Aw, what are you talking about? Sookie could never forget her Mushroom Man."

"I'd love her to forget the nickname though."

"The foods great Lorelai," Jess spoke up.

"Yes, it's great." Rory agreed. "Although, I admit I know the chef so I'm a little biased."

"You're a little biased?" Jackson laughed, "I'm sleeping with her!"

"You also grew the vegetables," Jess told him.

"Oh, I did. I can't be trusted at all."

As Lorelai left to speak to Tom, Rory looked at Jess and gave him a small smile. He smiled back. They continued to eat in silence, although it no longer felt awkward. Jackson left after dessert to see his wife leaving Rory and Jess sitting on their own. The waiter came over with coffee and Rory accepted gratefully.

"So you've not swapped caffeine for alcohol now that you're a fully fledged college student?" Jess asked.

"Don't be silly, I'd never swap. I might combine the two but I'd never swap."

"How is Yale?"

"It's good..."

"Just good?" Jess said leaning over the table and taking her hand.

She looked at her hand in his and remembered all the times that hand had held hers. All the times that hand had touched her, making her skin burn, making her loose control. She wouldn't let that happen again. She pulled her hand back and scraped her chair back.

"Jess, I'm not going to sit here and do the catch up thing with you. You can't just waltz back into my life and expect things to be the same as before. Because they're not. I'm not! You most definitely are not. I've already told you no, why can't you accept that huh? What kind of masochist are you?"

She stormed off leaving Jess staring after her, and the rest of the dining room, including Luke and Lorelai staring at him. He stood up, unsure whether to go after her or to give her time to calm down. He looked round to where his Uncle Luke was sitting, his eyes pleading for help, the first time Luke had ever seen that in his nephews' eyes. The boy was always so self-assured that it hit Luke hard to see the helplessness in those eyes.

"Come on." Luke said, taking Jess by the elbow and leading him outside.