She tossed and turned. Maybe he was right. Maybe she had gotten herself too involved. She sat up and lifted the covers off. She stood in the mirror for a while. She was different. She figured it had something to do with losing her virginity, but did she expect to stay the same? Did she expect to look the same, act the same, be the same old Rory? She had assumed that all would be how it was. She grabbed her jacket and a novel and headed outside. She left a note on her bed incase her mother pulled on of her midnight snack attacks.

It was a lot cooler than she had expected. She pulled her jacket tighter around her body, walked out onto the bridge and stood next to him. He was sitting on the edge, feet dangling with an unlit cigarette in hand. She sat.

"Are you going to smoke that or mind meld with it?" She couldn't help but smile.

"It depends." She took the cigarette from between his fingers and replaced it with her hand. She laced her fingers one by one between his.

"So where's the part for your car?" She asked tossing the cigarette in the water. His turn to smile. The two watched the small stick of toxin float away.

"Gypsy said she was going to leave it somewhere. Guess she forgot."

"She's bad that way." She responded. Jess used the same hand that was wrapped with Rory's and drew circles on her thigh with his finger.

"I'm just going to have to take my business else where." He repeated.

"Looks that way." She said simply.

"So."

"So."

"Here we are."

"Yeah here we are." She paused.

"So what's your decision on smoking that depending on?" She asked, giggling to herself at the cigarette in the water.

"On what's going to happen." Silence.

"What's going to happen when?" Pause.

"Now." He leaned in and kissed her. Hormones went wild. He couldn't believe she still gave him that feeling. She was his drug and he couldn't help but be addicted to the unnatural high she made him feel. He would do anything for her. He loved her.

When they broke apart their eyes locked. Rory bit her lip then gave him an innocent smile which would have made him weak in the knees if he wasn't sitting down.

"I love you, Jess." Her eyes were her lie detector test and they told Jess she wasn't lying.

"I love you too Ror." He told her, careful not to lose eye contact. She kissed him forcefully. He wrapped his arms around her waist. She placed one hand behind his neck and one on his chest. They maneuvered themselves to a lying position in the center of the bridge. Jess was on top of Rory. He kissed and suckled beneath her ear, slowly trailing soft 'Iloveyou' kisses down her neck using his tongue now and again. As he reached the collar of her top he carefully tugged the supple fabric of her shirt so that he could make it to the tip of her shoulder and return back up the path he started. Rory could hardly stand it. Why must he tease her unmercifully? All she could do was touch and feel. She slipped her hands beneath his shirt and felt the muscles in his abs. 'Strong' she thought. Little did she know she didn't have to do much to get Jess aroused. He bit her neck lightly. A quiet moan escaped her lips.

"Je-." His lips found hers. Rory slipped her tongue in his mouth. His hands found their way up her shirt. He groped her torso, leaving her with feelings in ways one cannot explain. His fingers caressed the sensitive skin above her navel. They gradually found their way to her bra. He slowly began tracing a long the bottom of her bra. Rory's breathing became more erotic. He kissed up her cheek. One by one he made his way to her ear lobe capturing it between his lips.

"Jess, we can't, not here."

"Why not?" He panted purposely in her ear. Why must he torture her?

"Someone will see us." He kissed "the spot" on her neck that she loved. She arched her back. Her chest, hips and stomach pressed up against Jess' body. She felt like she was about to explode. The sparks of pleasure Jess gave her was too much for her body to handle. She rolled them over and straddled him. She slid her hands along the sides of his body beneath his shirt, something that seemed to constantly be in the way. Rory leaned down and kissed him softly before giving him the same treatment he gave her. She kissed down his neck and collarbone. She bit him a little harder than intended and earned a passionate groan. Her hands had a mind of their own and they managed to find his belt buckle. She toyed with it while, teasing, playing seemed like taunting and mocking from Jess' standpoint. His hands were on Rory's hips. He began whispering in her ear.

"You know we could be naughty." His breath was hot on her ear. "We could do dirty things. Right. Here. It wouldn't hurt anybody." She was unable to control her feeling of ecstasy She nibbled his ear as a result. "You like to bite don't you. Wanna know what's even more fun than biting? I could show you. If you want me to." She stopped and whispered in his ear.

"You know what's even MORE fun than that?" She purred. "Leaving you, craving more." She stood up with a huge smirk on her face. The look of shock that bestowed upon his features empowered her. Jess' need for her made Rory feel sexy, something she never dreamt of as one of her attributes. She wasn't one of those girls who mastered flirting and flaunting. Nor did she spend hours doing her hair or make up or sitting in front of a mirror for that matter. She had never thought consecutively about a boy who wasn't merely a fictional character in one of her novels, until Dean. And even then she never thought of her self as lustful. That type of behavior was meant to be read about in a book not lived by Rory Gilmore. But for some reason, tonight she was at a different stance. She was beginning to accept this once forbidden nature, and be one of those girls, not only because Jess made her feel that way, but because she wanted to be that way. "Come on you can walk me home." She responded with a grin knowing her 'boy toy' would follow her like a puppy.

Luke's Diner

"I caught Michele eating carbs!" Lorelai exclaimed to Rory. She was seated with her at the counter in the diner. "I saw him put butter on his 'carb-less bread'. I even checked it! Three carbs per tablespoon!"

"Your kidding! Did you tell Sookie?" She asked taking a bite out of her muffin while secretly watching Jess.

"Yes, and she said that it would explain why the butter not only keeps disappearing but why it is never put in the same spot in the refrigerator. I can't wait to see the look on his face when I tell him what I saw. I am SOO mocking him!" She took a large gulp of coffee then turned her attention to a young brunette that had just walked into the diner.

"Who's that?" She whispered to Rory. Rory turned around and instantly realized she was staring at Jess. He was wiping a table and didn't notice her. When he finally looked up he seemed to be in shock. His eyebrows shot up, but Rory noticed the faintest smile on his face which made her infuriated.

"Haley?"

"I'm surprised you remember me." She said beaming from ear to ear. She had a beautiful smile.

"How could I forget!" He walked from around the table and hugged her. Rory grew tense. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you again." She was wearing a denim mini skirt, a pink graphic tee and black Jimmy Choo shoes. She had one of those big bags you see Nicole Richie carrying around and sunglasses half the size of her face perched upon her head.

"What about that modeling job in L.A.?"

"I was actually doing something in New York. I asked for time off to see you and little did I know you moved. Your mom told me you were out here and I thought what the hell." Jess glanced over at Rory. "I really missed you." She said with a devilish grin.

"Actually I'd like you to meet someone." Rory stood up realizing this was her cue. Haley turned around. Instantly her big, beautiful smile faded and was quickly replaced by a forced, fake one. Rory held out her hand and plastered on a smile just as fake as Haley's.

"Haley I'd like you to meet my girlfriend Rory Gilmore."

"Haley Martin." She said giving Rory's hand a light shake. "I love that name Rory, very creative. And is this your sister?" She asked extending a hand out to Lorelai.

"Mother, name creator, I'm Lorelai." She replied.

"I love your shoes." She said eyeing Lorelai's outfit.

"Thank you." Lorelai responded, seeing straight through the kiss up. "I'm sorry how do you two know each other?"

"We dated for how long Jess? Three years was it? Oh I've known him since we were in diapers. We didn't start dating though until we were about eleven. By fourteen we had been on and off so often we decided to just be friend. Remember when you were fifteen and everyone thought you had gotten your girlfriend McKayla pregnant?" Rory and Lorelai went wide eyed.

"Anybody want coffee?" Jess said ducking into the storage room.

"Anyway it turns out she cheated on him with Rodney Mathews." Haley took a seat next to Rory.

"Jess, you never told me that story." Rory said somewhat upset. He came back out from the storage room.

"Not one of my shining moments." He merely replied pouring her more coffee. He got a cup for Haley and gave her coffee too.

"So I hear right after I left you went bad boy." Haley commented after taking a sip of her drink.

"I guess you could say that." He said wiping down the counter.

"More bad boy than my bad girl act?"

"Now no one can beat the Queen."

"True." She said with a laugh from memory lane.

"We've got to go meet my mother and Miss Celine." Lorelai said to Rory. She could tell that Rory was steamed by Jess' ex-girlfriend. Without a word Rory got up and proceeded to leave the diner.

"So I'll see you tonight?" Jess offered lamely knowing Haley offended her. Rory pulled out another counterfeit smile before turning around to face Jess.

"Yeah, I'll…I'll see you tonight." She returned before leaving.

"Look I know just coming her may not have been the brightest thing for me to do, but I wanted it to be a surprise." He didn't say anything. "I've gotta get back to New York for a photo shoot so I guess I'll stop by at around five-ish? That won't cut into your date with Rory will it?"

"Nah, the dates not 'til seven."

She smiled genuinely at the sight of Jess, who she thought she'd never see again. Leaving him was one of the hardest decisions to make in her life but if she ever was going to be a model she had to leave her love behind.

/The Car Ride\

Rory sighed, staring out the window, watching all of Connecticut pass her by.

"Rory, hun, she'll be gone in a few days."

"It only takes a few days to realize you love someone." Lorelai also sighed realizing anything she could say to her daughter wouldn't help.

"Well so what? If Jess really loves you, than that girl can't change anything."

"I guess." Loves? Did she just say loves? "Wait you said loves. Does this mean?"

"I didn't really think about it." Rory's face dropped in disappointment. "But I guess I did mean it. I don't know Rory. This is the test. If he is still with you after she leaves than maybe…maybe he does really love you." She paused. "And I'm okay with that. I mean you're still my daughter and I love you too but there comes that time when you're going to be in love with someone other than me and your dad and well… Dean. And I'd love for you to be my baby forever but I heard the nice professors at Yale frown upon that." The radio hummed softly so that its only time of notice was during the silent pauses like this one.

"So that's it? You're going to accept me and Jess just like that?" Rory bit her lip.

Lorelai sighed. "Yeah, I am. I trust your judgment. Although I don't trust him with you physically, I do trust him with your heart and I don't expect him to leave it broken anytime soon." She tightened her grip on the steering wheel. "He loves you Rory." The sound of the radio quickly filled the silent car as the trip to Hartford continued.

The Apartment

A shirtless Jess stood in front of his dresser fixing his wet hair in the vanity. The stereo was on but turned way down. The last person he expected to walk through the door of the diner was Haley. She had once been the one to him. When she told him she had to leave him, he began spiraling out of control. It had always been Jess and Haley. Ever since they were kids they had always been best friends. Everyone thought the two were made for each other… but they also thought Haley was born to model or act. He turned from the mirror just in time to see Haley walking in the apartment.

"Knock, knock." She said quietly, carefully closing the door behind her.

"Hey." He said without another word. She walked over to where he was standing. She was thin and very light so she didn't make a sound.

I wanted you to know I love the way you laugh

I wanna hold you high and steal your pain away

She reached out and traced his tattoo with her finger, resisting the urge to kiss him feeling. Their passion for each other was slowly beginning to rekindle. "What does it say?" She asked.

I keep your photograph and I know it serves me well

I wanna hold you high and steal your pain

"It says… I love Rory Gilmore." He knew he had to let her down carefully because she had to let him go and he didn't want to hurt her, but in the process he knew he needed to let her go as well.

"Oh." She said barely audible. She stared at them in the mirror. What was supposed to be the perfect couple, broken.

'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome
And I don't feel like I am strong enough

The only thing that stood in Haley's way to fix it was Rory Gilmore.

'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome
And I don't feel right when you're gone away

Her hand slid around his back to the other side of him, her finger tips never releasing the touch she had on him.

You've gone away, you don't feel me here, anymore

She wasn't ready to let him go then, and she's not ready to let him go now.

The worst is over now and we can breathe again

I wanna hold you high, you steal my pain away

She will never get over him.

There's so much left to learn, and no one left to fight
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain

Her hand was now resting on his chest, feeling his heartbeat.

'Cause I'm broken when I'm open

All Jess could do was watch.

And I don't feel like I am strong enough

Haley allowed her left hand to join the other. She slipped off her high heels and stood on her toes as she began to form a hug form behind him. She was rather short for modeling but it didn't matter.

'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome

She watched them in the mirror. That was all she could do, watch and wait.

And I don't feel right when you're gone away

She closed her eyes briefly and began swaying to the song. Tears pooled in her eyes.

"'Cause I'm broken when I'm open, And I don't feel like I am strong enough." She sang. Her voice was gratifying. He missed hearing her sing.

"'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome, And I don't feel right when you're gone away."

"'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome, And I don't feel right when you're gone away." Haley released a single tear that fell on Jess' bare shoulder. She kissed him on his cheek, unable to look him in the eyes. He hated seeing her so upset. "I have to go. See you tomorrow?" She whispered. He nodded. He watched her silently walk to the door. She paused before leaving.

You've gone away
You don't feel me here anymore

Flashback

They stood hugging each other tightly. She kissed him hard not caring who saw. She had gotten a modeling job like she always wanted. After working in New York for 6 months her agent wanted to move her to L.A. permanently. She was excited to get to do more serious work, but she wasn't ready to leave Jess behind. Tears poured unmercifully down the sides of her face. She had to board the plane soon, but she couldn't let go of Jess, at least not yet. They sorrowfully pulled out of the embrace. He wiped the tears from her eyes with his thumbs. She smiled then bit her lip. "I love you." She whispered. Even he had watery eyes. "Please don't cry."

He smiled. "I love you too." She kissed him one last time. They slowly came out of their hug. She squeezed his hand lovingly. Before turning away and boarding her plane. They were only 16 and yet in love enough to be married.

End Flashback

Jess found a shirt and got ready to meet Rory.