Wednesday came slowly, there was no more phone calls from either Rory or Jess. Rory was trying to work, writing for her online journal, but she spent more time rereading her letters to Jess, prepping. Rory went though them all highlighting what she thought were the most important topics to cover when he picked her up; her apologies for the way she had a habit of kissing and running from him, the way she had been so blind, and all the questions that filled her head about why he left her. She slept very little in the five nights before her flight, she couldn't stop thinking of Jess, and really as annoying as it was at times she liked it.

Jess had been walking around on a cloud since Friday's phone call. Matt had been voicing his concerns about Jess leaving on Wednesday to see Rory ever since Jess told his roommates he was picking her up at the airport. Jess knew Matt was just trying to look out for him. Matt was a lot like a brother to Jess. Matt was the closest friend Jess ever had (apart from Rory, but him and Rory were never just friends). Jess knew that if this were five years ago he would never be able to be friends with Matt let alone live with him. It was only in the past two years they became friends outside of work. Jess knew Matt was concerned about his sanity, and if Jess was being honest he was concerned too. Him and Rory hurt each other a lot and he was potentially letting it happen again. Jess hardly slept in the past few nights, because he was scared that he would be hurt yet again.

"Man maybe you shouldn't go. I mean last time you guys… will it was… you were a mess." Matt was giving a final go at convincing Jess to stay home till they could all go together. As Matt continued his rant Jess couldn't help but think thank god he's not a writer. No one could edit better than Matt, but his own thoughts were so convoluted it was impossible to fallow what Matt was trying to say. It was Wednesday afternoon and Jess was in the kitchen ready to leave. "If we were there we'd have your back. We would be able to stop you from jumping in too fast."

Jess gave Matt a questioning look. How the hell would Matt do that?

Chris was sitting at the table editing a poem. "We'll be there Thursday night Matt if things go…" his words trailed off not wanting to jinx Jess. "Jess knows our numbers if he needs us he'll call." Chris said quickly. "And we will be calling, Jess, so you better pick up or we're going to come get you, and I don't care why you aren't answering. We can't have you dying of alcohol poisoning before you finish your book." Chris said in his fatherly voice.

"Oh I finished writing last night. Still some touch ups but for the most part I think it's done." Jess was putting all his emotions of the past weeks into his writing. He thought that it was pretty good, but would never brag about his work to anyone. Jess did his best work when he was emotional, the guys often joked about him and his torchered artist soul.

"What? Shit man, you bet a dead line! Congrats!" Matt said shocked attempting to give Jess a bear hug.

"Damn, if this is down to her, I'm all for this working out." Chris was amazed. Jess smirked it was kind of 'down to her,' but to admit that in front of the guys was a big Hell No.

Matt piped in again remembering he was arguing for Jess to stay, "I don't care about the book, but last time we were a month from kicking your sorry ass out." Jess was aware of the hell he put his best friends through last time.

"Last time I wrote my second book. It really took off I was done of it like two weeks after… her visit." Jess reminded Matt, skipping over the part where she kissed and confessed her love for another man, which hurt him more than he would ever tell. He shook his head he should hate her but couldn't. He could never hate her; he loved her too much to ever hate her. The thought of hating her discussed him, even more than her with being with someone else.

"And the two months after that I was picking you up off the floor of the bar every night. And you never did any shifts in the store." Matt countered.

"It wasn't you every night." Jess joked but he understood what Matt was getting at he couldn't let Rory affect him like that, not again. He mentally couldn't take another heartbreak, if anything else his liver likely couldn't take another rejection. "I will be careful." He said meeting Matt's eyes. Matt nodded his understanding. If there was a chance for Jess to be with Rory again, Jess would have to take it. Matt would respect that. "I'll see you guys Friday morning." Jess turned for the door he wanted to make sure he got to the airport before Rory.

Rory was on the plane home, more then home, it was the plane to her Mom's Wedding to Luke, which also happened to be the plane taking her to Jess. Rory kept pulling out her mirror, to check to see that her hair looked good (down or up she changed it every time she looked at it), she was also examining her outfit, jeans, black tee and her old denim jacket. She wanted to dress up for jess, but dressing up felt wrong Jess never judged her, least of all on the clothes she wore, so she attempted to look as normal as possible, but now she just felt like she looked bland and boring. She hoped her plane would land before Jess arrived at the airport so she could change, into the cute green dress she had in her carry on bag. Her mom would be proud she finally mastered Gilmore day trip packing. Everything she could possibly need in the run of a day was in her carry on.

When she finally got inside of the Hartford airport Jess was sitting on a chair reading. Well kind of, he lifted his head too often, and his eyes didn't seem to be scanning the page like they would if he was actually reading.

Guessing she wouldn't get to change into her dress before seeing him. She stood and stared at him for a long moment. He looked the same for the most part; that same wild dark hair that could never be completely tamed, it was shorter now but still the same. He appeared to be a bit more muscular, his black shirt hung closer to his body. She glanced back up to his face she realized that he had noticed her and was staring back with those chocolate milk eyes.

She took a step towards him. He stood setting his book down, "see something you like?" Jess smirked in his trade mark way. Then she was running into his arms. He spun with her momentum as he caught her mid air. When they finally stopped turning Rory pulled Jess in tighter resting her head next to his neck her feet still off the ground. She then realized Jess had a smell, how did she forget this it was one of the best smells in the world. He smelled like books, coffee, smoke, and something she couldn't place. Jess tightened his grip a little, she felt him inhale and relax. They both after a while became aware of others in the airport staring at them. They dropped the tight embrace in favor of a friendly hug. That lasted longer then friends would hug.

Then a thought occurred to Rory where was her stuff? She had dropped it on the floor people were likely tripping over it, or stealing it. She pulled slightly away from Jess. "My bags I think I dropped them." Rory said biting her lip, her cheeks flashed a bit on red. 'That was embarrassing' she thought, she had just tackled Jess in the middle of an airport.

He had hugged her back that was a good sign, Rory thought. She knew that they were never in the same place at the same time, but she knew she loved him and with her time on the road she also knew she was willing to wait for him. But she wouldn't push him, she couldn't.

Rory retrieve her bags from the floor where she dropped them.

Jess took Rory's carry on and slung it over his shoulder and reached for her luggage back, but Rory shook her head. "I can take Billy, he has wheels." She smiled. It was such a Gilmore thing to do to name a bag. Jess and Rory left the airport they walked close together. It took all Jess's will to not sling his arm over her shoulders when they walked this close together. Rory greeted him warmly but last time he had got the message wrong he couldn't chance it. He didn't know if he was ready for this up coming talk.

They made light chat about Rory's flight. When they reached the parking lot Jess saw Rory looking around. "Where is your car?" Jess pulled the keys from his pocket clicking the horn button. Rory jumped when the blue Toyota Corolla next to her came to life, with a roadrunner type 'meep-meep'. Jess laughed at her reaction. Popping the trunk he set her carry on in then reached for Rory's luggage bag 'Billy'.

"You drive this?" Rory laughed.

"Yeah the guys wont pay my mileage in the gas guzzler. I do a fair bit of traveling these days." Jess smirked.

"So, it the company car?" Rory lifted an eyebrow mocking this professional version of Jess. Jess just rolled his eyes and unlocked the door with the touch of a button.

"Aw it has a clicker and everything!" Rory jokingly cheered.

Jess genteelly bumped her with his shoulder. "Hey, if you don't like it you can thumb it home." He teased.

"You know this car is growing on me." Rory rushed to her side and hoped in.

"Thought it might." Jess mumbled to himself. Getting into the car he asked a question that was concerning him since arriving at the airport two hours ago. "Stars Hallow is it?" Jess wondered. Now that he had picked Rory up she could get him to drive her straight home, hotel requirement gone.

"I thought that we could still go to my hotel room, I told my grandparents that I would have lunch with them there tomorrow, and we need a private place to talk. Somewhere where the whole town wont be lessoning in." Rory was looking out the window so her eyes gave nothing away but Jess could see her cheeks blushing. "I also have some apologies to say." Guilt was the only expression she wore, what did she feel guilty about he wondered. The kiss and run he had accepted as a from of painful pay back for what he did in high school.

"Okay." Jess nodded. "What are you apologizing for?"

"A lot of stuff, I think I'm going to need some liquid courage to get everything I want to say out, and I need to say it all or it will never be said, and well grow apart even more, and never see each other until were old, and don't recognize each other." Rory ranted.

Jess couldn't imagine a time that he would not recognize Rory. "Guess it's lucky I picked up some beer before coming to the airport then." Jess said with a smirk.

an: this will likely be edited and changed to flow more