Blueberry Nights

Chapter Two

Admitting The Truth

A/N- Set during season 2, before the car crash but after the brace bridge dinner. Hope you like it, please review, your feedback means everything.

Three days past before Rory and Jess spoke again, with both seeming far more irritable than usual. Jess was constantly scolding himself for hurting her, and then mentally yelling at himself for letting her get to him. It had never happened to him before that he actually cared what someone thought about him. After three days of Rory barely speaking to him when she came in, and Jess being to proud to talk to her, beyond what was expected for him to take her order, Jess finally couldn't take it anymore, and one afternoon when Rory came in with Lane and her mum after school, he went up to their table with their orders, but instead of his usual silent delivery, he stood there for a few seconds, his gaze resting on Rory.

'Was there something else Jess?' Lorelai asked, annoyed that he was hovering, and trying to work out why. Jess didn't respond directly to Lorelai, instead he spoke to Rory.

'Could I talk to you for a minute?' He asked, his voice quieter, and far less sarcastic than usual, not a hint of anger in his tone, Rory's gaze rested on him and for a minute she thought of refusing, still not over the fight they'd had, but as her eyes locked with his she knew she wanted to hear what he had to say.

'Ok, just for a minute though, I don't want my food getting cold.' Rory said, trying to keep her tone indifferent, even though her heart was pounding, not quite believing he'd been the one approaching her to stop the silence that they'd been accustomed to for the last three days.

'Could we go somewhere quieter?' Jess asked, clearly not wanting Lorelai and Lane, and half a dozen other towns people listening in on the conversation.

'Sure, how about the storeroom, or upstairs, because like I said I don't want my food to go cold so I can't go too far.' Rory replied, Jess simply nodded and led her up to the apartment. Once they reached the apartment, they both stood around awkwardly, Jess not really knowing what to say.

'If you're just going to stand there silently, I think I'll go back down.' Rory said moving slightly, though she had no intention of actually leaving, his gaze rested on hers, and she was surprised to see the look in his dark brown eyes. A mixture of anger and sadness, but mostly he looked vulnerable, she took a step forward.

'Nobody has ever cared before, I guess I'm just not used to it.' Jess shrugged, he took a breath and watched Rory take a seat, obviously she was willing to listen. He sat opposite her on the couch. 'Back in New York, my mum never cared what I did, where I went or if I stayed in school, my teachers branded me as a failure because of where I lived, and because my mum was a mess, they assume that because she can't deal with her life, it means mine is going to fall apart as well. I didn't have friends, and there was nobody I could turn to.' He paused for a second, recognising the sympathy in her eyes.

'I'm not telling you all this to make you feel sorry for me, I just need you to understand, when I got here I was so angry because I hadn't been given a choice about coming here, and after New York this place is a bit of a culture shock.' He smirked as she smiled in agreement, 'I didn't give this place a chance and the people here didn't give me one, nobody has ever cared before so I learned to cope by pushing people away, and not letting myself care what they think, and then…' He trailed off, moving his gaze from her.

'And then what?' Rory prompted, her voice quiet and soft.

'And then you happened, for some reason you cared, and that scared me, it still does, because I'm not sure how to deal with it because it's never been something I've had to deal with, all my instincts are telling me to run, to push you away like I do everyone else, but I don't want to.' He stopped again, this time meeting her gaze.

'Jess, I do care about you, of course I do, you're a really good friend to me, but I'm not the only one who cares, he may not show it in the most conventional way but Luke cares, he wants to make sure you're ok, and do the best for you.' Rory smiled at him. 'Oh and for the record, I care because you're not who you think you are, you're not a hopeless case Jess, so don't give up on yourself just yet.'

'So are we friends again?' Jess asked.

'Yes, I'm glad to because I've been dying to tell you that I finished reading the old man and the sea.' Rory grinned.

'Hemmingway! I'm impressed, and what did you think?' Jess prompted.

'I couldn't put it down, I mean for a book that was so simple, and about a man catching a fish, it shouldn't have been that good but I stayed up till three in the morning reading it.' Rory laughed. 'Though I think you were a big part of that, I wanted to prove to you that I could read it, and I missed talking to you and since you love Hemmingway so much, reading it made me feel like I was a bit closer to you.'

'Well next time we have a fight you can read To Have and Have Not.' Jess smirked.

'Don't say that, there won't be a next time.' Rory shook her head, a strand of hair falling across her face. 'Ok I should go and eat before my mum and Lane send out a search party, but I want to catch up properly, it may have only been three days but knowing you, you've probably ready at least three books by now. So, how about I drop by tonight for some more blueberry pie, and we can talk.'

'Sounds good, see you tonight.' He half smiled as she walked out, going back to her place at the table.

'Everything ok?' Lane asked as her friend rejoined them. Rory nodded her head, swallowing a bite of burger before speaking.

'Yeah, everything's good.' Rory replied.

'I'm shocked, I didn't know Jess could talk for that long! You guys were up there for nearly twenty minutes.' Lorelai said raising her eyebrows.

'Mm well we had a lot to talk about.' Rory smiled, pleased that she would be able to talk to Jess again.

'Ok well while you were up there talking to oh sarcastic one, me and Lane have been pulling together plans for tonight, we're thinking slumber party, plenty of junk food, movies, invite Sookie over and have a fun girlie night in, thoughts?' Lorelai asked.

'Sounds good, though I'll have to run out for a while because I have plans, but I shouldn't be gone for too long.' Rory said, eating more of her burger.

'Plans? I didn't know about plans.' Lorelai looked confused.

'Yeah thirty minutes ago you were asking what we were going to do tonight, despite it being a school' Lane put in.

'Thirty minutes ago I didn't have plans.' Rory replied.

'Ah Jess plans.' Lorelai sighed, rolling her eyes.

'What's that suppose to mean? I'm just coming over to talk to him for a bit.' Rory defended.

'Wow he's really talkative these days.' Lane mumbled, Rory looked between her two best friends.

'Is there a problem with me talking to Jess, I didn't know we were all meant to give him the silent treatment.' Rory replied pushing her empty plate away from her.

'We're not, it's just you haven't been speaking to him at all for three days, whatever he said up there must have worked wonders.' Lorelai said slightly worried.

'We were in a fight, we worked it out and now we're not in a fight, come on how many times have I done that with you, or Lane, friends fall out and then make up again, what's the big deal?' Rory asked folding her arms over her chest.

'Nothing, no big deal, I'm just curious as to what he said to make you forgive him so suddenly.' Lorelai replied.

'Who says that it was Jess who needed to be forgiven, it could have been me who caused the fight.' Rory shot back a little more edgy than she'd intended.

'And was it?' Lane asked.

'It was both of us, and neither of us, just a misunderstanding, and a few comments taken the wrong way, escalated because we both overreacted, it was nobody's fault and now it's over and forgotten about.' Rory said looking down at the table.

'Fine, shall we get going then, start a movie now since you'll be going out later.' Lorelai asked. Rory smiled slightly and stood up.

'I'll go pay.' Rory replied moving over to the counter. Jess smirked at her.

'They giving you a hard time?' Jess questioned.

'You heard huh?' Rory rolled her eyes.

'Parts as I was serving, I wasn't listening in.' Jess responded. Rory smiled at him and handed over the money.

'Yeah well there having a bit of trouble seeing how we can talk so much, which I suppose is valid since you can barely string a sentence together around anyone else.' Rory replied.

'The verbal thing comes and goes.' Jess replied with a smirk.

'So I've heard.' She smiles raising one eyebrow.

'Or maybe you're just special.' He adds, the words not really registering till they'd left his mouth, he hadn't meant to say that but somehow as he watched her lean against the counter, smiling and playing with a stand of her hair, the words just slipped out. Before Rory could respond she was called.

'Rory? You coming?' Lorelai called impatiently.

'I'll see you tonight Dodger.'

A/N- Hope you liked it, please review and tell me what you think. By the way the reaction Rory had to The Old Man and The Sea was my reaction when I read it, I actually did stay up that late reading it, truly a brilliant book.