A/N: I guess you're not surprised to see my name here again? Yeah, I have to admit that I dreamt this story recently and I just couldn't wait to write and post it here. I'm a Literati sucker, what I can tell? Hehe. I hope you like this one. It's completely different from the other one. It's a little more drama and it's a little more complicated. The characters are little more dramatic and not easy to write, but I loved them in this way. As the previous story, I put something very personal in this one too. What Jess is going to live here, it was a state close to me before. The territory I'm about to enter hits close to home for me. But I think you're gonna like it despite the drama. I hope for your support as always and please review if you like what you read. That keeps my muse alive!

P.S. English is not my first language, but I'm really trying here. So, if you think that it's hard for you to read - just don't read it! The reason I'm in this alone it's because I have updates every day. I love my readers and I want to pleased them in that way.

Rating: T (maybe M for some chapters, but we'll see);

Story:

Rory comes back to Stars Hollow to try and pick up the pieces of her ruined life. But she is not the only one who want to do that. Jess is there too, but he is not the same.


Chapter 3 Close to you

Luke stared at her for a moment and Rory thought that he would never answer her. But he just sighed and his eyes met hers.

"Alright." He tilted his head. "What do you want to know?"

"What's going on with my mom?" Rory frowned. "She was here last night and this morning."

"Well…" Luke trailed off.

"Don't lie to me!" Rory lowered her voice and leaned forward. "I saw her leaving this place few minutes ago!"

"Hm." Luke coughed. "I think you have to ask her."

"But she'd lie to me!" Rory crossed her arms before her chest. "I think that you both are hiding something from me! What is it?"

"Okay. Fine!" Luke smiled and fixed his hat. "We're dating again!"

"You're dating?" Rory's eyes widened. That was the last thing she expected to hear. "Since when?"

"I'm not sure." Luke shrugged. "Month or two."

"And she's hiding from me? But why?" Rory murmured. "I want her to be happy and I'd support her in everything!"

"I'm not sure." Luke shrugged again. "You have to ask her."

"Sure." Rory still looked confused. "I will ask her."

"Now if you excuse me." He looked at the staircase. "I have some work upstairs."

"You work upstairs?" Rory frowned. "Since when?"

"Well, my accountant is upstairs." Luke fixed his hat again. "You know I hate Math, except when it helps me with the accounts. And now I have help."

"Sure." Rory nodded. "I'm going to the bridge. If my mom calls…"

"I'll tell her." Luke nodded too. "Bye Rory."

"Bye." Rory waved and left the diner.

Her steps left her directly to the old bridge. It was the quietest place in Stars Hollow and she could understand why Jess had spent most of his time here. She sat on the bridge and her legs hung right above the water. She played with a leaf in her hands and just enjoyed the silence. It was nice after the crowded city. It was so different from her life now. But the change was good and she realized that she missed that place. It brought so many memories to her and it was not as painful as she thought. She was happy once. She was happy with Jess and now she could realize that she missed him. She missed the person she could talk to. He was the only one who could understand her. He knew her better than anyone did, or he knew her before. She did not like the person she was now. She was different and she allowed persons like Austin in her life. Jess wouldn't like that and she couldn't stop the memory of his angry face when he asked her what she was doing with her life. It was right after her skipping almost a semester from the University. He was angry about her escape from her true self. Thanks to him, Rory graduated. She had listened to his words and come back to Yale. Now she was one of the famous journalists in the country. She could do whatever she wants. Her name spoke for her and she could choose where she wanted to work. Part of her success was his and she never called to thank him for it.

"Maybe I could call him now." Rory murmured and rolled the leaf between her fingers.

They separated their ways few years ago. She thought that she loved Logan then and she refused to lie to him with Jess. None of them deserved that. But she only lied to herself. It wasn't love she felt to Logan. She just had settled with him and she had realized that in time. Yeah, maybe she could call Jess after all.

Rory got off the bridge and headed to her home. Her mother was there. Lorelai was cleaning the living room. Rory just stood there and watched her mother with amusement. Her mother never did that without a reason. She only did that when she was nervous. Rory coughed and Lorelai looked at her.

"Hey you!" She greeted her and stopped with her activity. "Luke told me you two talked."

"Ah and that's why you're cleaning." Rory nodded.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Lorelai frowned and passed by her on her way to the kitchen. Rory followed her.

"You are nervous about it?"

"Nope."

"It's ok, mom." Rory touched her arm and Lorelai looked at her. "I just want you to be happy. If Luke makes you happy, I'm fine with it."

"Yeah." Lorelai forced a smile. "Thanks, hun."

"I want to find Jess." Rory switched the subject abruptly. "Do you know where I can find him?"

Lorelai dropped the glass she held on the ground. Rory jumped away from the broken glass and stared at her mother with confusion. She knew that Lorelai did not like Jess, but her reaction on his name was more than strange now.

"Damn!" Lorelai cursed and Rory crooked her face. Her mother refused to curse before her. Not that Rory hadn't heard her before, but Lorelai was very careful with her words. "I'm sorry, hun." She turned around and took the small dustpan and the brush from the counter. "Let me take care of this."

"So." Rory coughed. "You know where Jess is?"

"No." Lorelai knelt on the floor and avoided her daughter's eyes. "I don't know where he might be."

"I thought that you and Luke talked about it." Rory shrugged. "Maybe he could tell me."

"Why do you want to see him?" Lorelai got off the ground and turned to the trashcan. Rory heard the shrill sound of the broken glass. "I thought you two didn't talk much."

"I just want to see him. That's all." Rory frowned. "Why's the big deal?"

"You haven't seen him or talked to him since two years." Lorelai put the small dustpan and the brush on their places. "Why's the rush now?"

"I thought I could talk to him." Rory shrugged. "Maybe we could catch up?"

"You and Jess?" Lorelai turned to her. "Are you kidding me?"

"No. Why?" Rory frowned. "We were friends once."

"You were never friends, Rory." Lorelai shook her head. "You know that better than me."

"Mom!" Rory hissed.

"What? This is the truth!" Lorelai shrugged. "I was in denial for a long time. I can see clear now and I can tell that you two were way more than friends. You were too close to be just friends!"

"Wherever!" Rory waved with her hand. "I want to find him."

"Why?"

"What?"

"Why now?" Lorelai frowned. "After all this time."

"I don't know." Rory shrugged. "I guess I miss him?"

"You miss him?"

"Maybe I could call in his bookstore in Philly?" Rory murmured. "His friends might know where he is now."

"There is no bookstore." Lorelai frowned. "Not anymore."

"What?" Rory looked surprised.

"They failed a year ago." Lorelai avoided her eyes again.

"I thought that you didn't know anything about Jess." Rory frowned.

"I know only this." Lorelai shrugged.

"I'll talk with Luke anyways." Rory bit her lower lip.

"Okay." Lorelai frowned. "But I can tell you that he doesn't know anything!"

"We'll see!" Rory snapped and walked out of the room.

Lorelai looked after her daughter. Her face faded when she left the room. That sudden need of finding Jess could literally shake her world. It wasn't something that Rory would want to know and Lorelai wished she could protect her. But she also knew that Rory wouldn't give up until she found him. She was too stubborn to let it go. Lorelai took the phone and dialed Luke's number. He answered after the second ringing.

"Lorelai?" He panted. "How it went?"

"She bought it." Lorelai made short pause. "But she wants to see him."

"No!" Luke snapped. "He's not ready."

"She wants to find him, Luke." Lorelai sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "She wants to talk to him! Maybe she could help him pass through this! Why are you so stubborn?"

"Because she already hurt him once and if she does that again…" Luke didn't finish.

"She won't hurt him, Luke!" Lorelai squeezed the receiver. "Jess can't be hurt more than now! He could only get better."

"Or getting worse." Luke murmured.

"He's getting worse?" Lorelai froze. "What happened? I thought…"

"I can't talk now." Luke sighed with despair. "Can you come later?"

"Sure." Lorelai bit her lower lip. "I'll come and you take care of yourself, okay?"

"Yeah." Luke answered and hung up the phone. Lorelai did the same. She sighed and looked through the window.

"What's wrong with Jess?" Rory's voice surprised her. Lorelai blinked furiously and took a deep breath before turn around. Her daughter looked angry. "What are you hiding from me, mom?"


P.S.

Thanks for your support and for your comments! I appreciate that!