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Disclaimer: Sadly I do not own the characters.

On The Road

Chapter Seven: Another picture of you

Rory closed the bathroom door and locked it behind her she slid down the wall of the bathroom and sat on the floor with her knees to her chest, dialling a familiar number on her cell phone she waited for an answer.

'Mm, yeah?' Came a muffled replied of someone who'd clearly just been woken up. Rory looked at her watch and saw that it was 3.45am.

'Sorry.'

'Rory?' Lane's voice was more awake now as she sat up in her bed and brushed the hair from her face. 'What's wrong?'

'Nothing.'

'Then why the late night/early morning phone call, not that I don't like hearing from my runaway friend but I was kind of sleeping.' Lane replied trying to decipher the reason for her friends call.

'I think I'm loosing my mind.' Rory said playing with the hem of her pyjama top.

'Why's that? Because you ran away with Jess? I questioned your sanity as well.' Lane said.

'No…because I like holding Jess' hand.' Rory said looking down at the floor.

'Excuse me?' Lane was more confused than ever.

'I like holding his hand, it's like it just fits with mine so easily in a way that Dean's never did. Like our hands were just made to fit together.' Rory said rolling her eyes when she heard what she'd said.

'You're losing it, you're right.' Lane said laughing. 'Jess doesn't seem like the hand holding kind of guy.'

'I know but he is and I really like holding his hand, and I like him giving me a hug because it just makes everything ok even when nothing feels ok.' Rory said.

'Oh man, you've fallen for Jess.' Lane said realising what Rory was trying to explain.

'No I haven't!' Rory yelped slightly too loudly.

'Ok so when he's not around do you think about him?' Lane questioned.

'Yeah I guess but that doesn't mean anything, he's basically the only person I know who I have contact with at the moment so of course I'm going to think about him.' Rory defended.

'Uh-huh but you just admitted to liking holding his hand and getting hugs, which by the way also seems un-Jess. In fact are you sure it's Jess you're with and not Dean?' Lane asked.

'Definitely not Dean, he doesn't give me butterflies when he smiles.' Rory let slip.

'Oh you've so fallen for Jess!' Lane squealed.

'No I haven't! He's my friend and that's it!' Rory said firmly.

'Then why are you phoning me in the middle of the night to tell me you like holding his hand?'

'Because I've lost my mind, I can't have fallen for Jess because he's…and I mean I've…and it's not even been that long since we met…and then…with Dean and….I just I've lost my mind.' Rory replied.

'No arguments there.' Lane laughed. 'You know Jess broke up with Shane today.'

'He what!' Rory shouted.

'You heard me, he called her up and broke up with her.' Lane said.

'Rory?' Jess' voice came from the motel room and Rory sprang to her feet, she'd known she was being too loud.

'I have to go.' Rory said in a whisper.

'Say hi to Jess for me.' Lane chuckled hanging up the phone.

'You ok? I thought I heard shouting.' Jess said tiredly as Rory walked back into the main room and sat cross legged on the bed.

'Did you break up with Shane?' Rory asked fiddling with her phone.

'Yeah, how'd you know that?' Jess asked.

'Lane.' She replied holding her phone up and then looking down at the ground. 'Why'd you break up with her?'

'She's not my type.' Jess shrugged sitting back down on the couch, 'So I broke up with her.'

'Oh.' Rory nodded her head slowly.

'Why? Why'd you think I broke up with her?'

'I don't know, that's why I asked. So…how'd she take it?'

'Fine I guess…she didn't cry or anything.' Jess shrugged. 'Lane felt the need to call you in the middle of the night to tell you about my relationship status?' Jess asked with a smirk on his face.

'No…I called her to…um talk.' Rory replied uncomfortably. 'We should get some sleep.'

'I was sleeping until someone decided to make phone calls.' Jess shot back, 'if you're planning on calling Dean to break up with him or something let me know and I won't bother going back to sleep.'

'What makes you say I'm going to break up with Dean?' Rory asked with wide eyes.

'Because he's called you fifteen times today, paged you twice and left twelve messages on your phone, as well as twenty texts and you've ignored each and every one of them.' Jess shrugged. 'It doesn't take a genius to notice you don't exactly want to be with him anymore.'

'Yeah well I'm not going to break up over the phone.' Rory replied.

'Well then, maybe we should get home sooner rather than later.' Jess said quietly but she heard what he said.

'You just called stars hollow your home! Does that mean you're going to come back and live there?' Rory asked excitedly.

'Goodnight Rory.' Jess smirked laying down again.

'Jess…are you going to go back to school?'

'Nah, stars hollow high isn't exactly the place for me.' Jess replied.

'But Chilton could be.' Rory said tentatively.

'Not likely! Jeez can you imagine me in a uniform.' Jess laughed.

'I think you'd look cute in the Chilton uniform.' Rory blushed. 'You should sit the entrance exams.'

'Why does it matter to you?' Jess asked.

'Because…I care about you…and…' Rory turned her head away and looked out of the window.

'And?' He prompted.

'And…I think it would be nice having you around all the time.' Rory replied. 'Goodnight Jess.'

The next morning Jess was the first to wake and went outside to get some air, it was early but the sun was already beating down onto the streets of St. Louis. He was just about to turn around and go back inside when Rory came up behind him and snaked her arms around his waist.

'Morning.' Rory smiled resting her head on his shoulder. 'It's a nice day.'

'Yeah.' Jess agreed putting his hands over her arms and holding them in place round his waist, he thought briefly how he could get used to this when Rory pulled her arms away and stepped in front of him.

'I need coffee.' She smiled sleepily looking at the ground then back up at him hopefully. His eyes met hers and there was a moment when neither of them could move from the spot. Jess was the first one to break the stare and took her hand.

'Shall we head to the campus then, they'll be plenty of coffee there.' Jess suggested. Rory nodded her head and smiled again.

'I just need to change out of my pyjama's.' Rory indicated the white camisole top and pale blue floral trousers.

'Oh sure.' Jess nodded. 'I'll wait out here.'

Rory stepped back into the room and let out a breath she hadn't been aware she was holding, one look out of the window at Jess and she knew she couldn't carry on like this. Slowly she changed into a pair of jeans and a purple top before brushing her hair and picking up her phone, she sits cross legged on the bed and dials a number which she hasn't dialled in a while.

'Rory?' His voice sounds angry as he answers the phone and in all honesty she can't blame him after how she's been acting towards him recently.

'Hey Dean.'

'Where are you? Are you coming home yet?'

'I can't tell you where I am so please don't ask me, all I'll say is that I'm not in Connecticut anymore, and no I'm not ready to come home yet but listen the reason I called is because we really need to talk.' Rory said keeping an eye on Jess through the window. The sun was shining down on him making lighting up his face as he turned slightly to look at something down the street.

'No kidding! You take off with Jess and then avoid my calls and messages, we do need to talk but you won't answer any of my questions.' Dean said angrily.

'Dean listen to me ok, I really didn't want to do this over the phone but I'm not there and it's not fair to either one of us to carry on this way so we'll have to make do with a phone call.'

'What are you talking about?'

'I don't want to hurt you.' Rory said taking a deep breath. 'But I think we need to break up, I can't be myself around you and the girl you're in love with isn't there anymore, I've figured out so much about myself recently and I just realised that I can't make you happy in this relationship and…I'm not happy.'

'This is Jess isn't it! He's made you break up with me, he's probably right there isn't he.' Dean shouted.

'No he's not here with me, he's outside and this has nothing to do with him ok! This is about me and you and we just don't work anymore. I'm really sorry but it's over.' Rory said breathing a sign of relief as she finally got the words out that she'd been thinking for a long time now.

'You're really going to throw what we have away for him!'

'No I'm throwing it away for me, because what we have isn't the same as it used to be and I need to move on. I loved you I need you to know that.'

'Loved?'

'I'm so sorry.' Rory said as he picked up on her deliberate use of the past tense, there was silence for a moment and Rory knew it had hit him, she didn't feel the need to explain that she'd loved him but never been in love with him, he didn't need to hear that.

'So it's really over?' Dean asked.

'Yeah.' Rory nodded her head even though he couldn't see her and without another word the call was over, taking her relationship with it. She felt a wave of emotion pass over her and tears form in her eyes but then she spotted Jess outside and a smiled graced her face. Getting up she grabbed her bag and threw her phone inside, then walked out into the sunshine and slipped her hand into Jess'.

'You ready?' Jess asked looking at her smiling face.

'Yeah.' She nodded her head and put one arm round his waist, he was surprised for a moment because they'd only ever walked hand in hand and now she was moving onto walking with their arms round each other, he decided to test the waters and put his own arm round her back, snaking it's way round her waist, she didn't pull away just moved closer and linked their hands over their stomachs before setting off down the street.

'So I need to get another picture.' Rory said as they reached the campus and she asked a passing student to take the picture, she went back to Jess' side and wrapped her arms around his shoulders turning to face him as he put his arms round her waist. She smiled up at him as the picture was taken, the girl smiled at them both and commented on how they made a sweet copy, and once again to Jess' surprise she didn't correct the girl's mistake. As the girl walked off he looked at Rory who was getting ready to explore the rest of the campus.

'Are you ok?' Jess asked.

'Uh-huh, come on let's go.' Rory said lacing her fingers through his, he wasn't about to argue so he just followed her.

'Oh Jess could you answer that please, I need to run to the bathroom it's probably my mom, just tell her I'll be a couple of minutes.' Rory said dashing off to find the bathrooms in the diner they'd stopped in for lunch before they were heading to their next destination in Texas. Jess groaned but picked up the phone and pressed answer.

'You broke up with Dean over the phone!' Lorelai yelled.

'Not that I remember.' Jess smirked. 'Why what's he been saying about me?'

'Don't get all smart with me ok. Where's my daughter and why are you always answering her phone?' Lorelai said annoyed at having got hold of Jess once again.

'She's in the bathroom she told me to tell you she'd be out in a minute, and I'm always answering her phone because she always asks me too.' Jess shrugged.

'And that works?' Lorelai scoffed.

'Seems so.' Jess said wishing Rory would hurry up. 'So her and bag boy are no more.'

'Seems so.' Lorelai said repeating his evasive answer.

'Huh.'

'I don't know what you're up to but I swear if you hurt my daughter I will rip you apart limb by limb.' Lorelai said through gritted teeth.

'Duly noted.'

'Isn't she back yet?'

'Nope.'

'Ok then before she gets back you can earn some points back with me, which by the way you desperately need since you're currently at around -100, and you can tell me where you are.' Lorelai said hoping he'd tell her the information her daughter was reluctant to give.

'Sorry no can do, I'm not interested in earning points with you because I don't really think I need them, besides where we are now isn't where we'll be in an hour so it would be a waste of time anyway.' Jess said.

'There you go being annoying again, you know you actually seem to like Rory so if you want her to be your friend then it can't hurt to get some points with me.' Lorelai pushed.

'Ah but Rory already came on this trip with me even though I had negative points with you, so maybe you don't know her all that well.' Jess said as Rory finally appeared and took the phone mouthing a thank you to Jess.

'Hey mom.' Rory smiled.

'I really hate Jess.'

'Why what happened? I was only gone for a couple of minutes.' Rory shot Jess a quizzical look but he feigned innocence and made her smile as he slipped down in his seat and smirked at her.

'He just thinks he's so smart.'

'He is smart.' Rory replied unhelpfully.

'I swear Rory he better be just your friend.' Lorelai said angrily. 'This is getting crazy now, you need to come home.'

'Mom…can't you just trust me?' Rory asked.

'You know I thought I could but I know that you're hiding something about your feelings for him and I can't tell if you're just his friend or if it's something deeper and I can't tell if you're trying to fool everyone else or yourself.' Lorelai shook her head. 'I have to go. Oh by the way your dad decided to drop the whole custody thing thanks to Luke yelling at him and reminding him that you'll be 18 soon and then he'll not have any legal right over you anyhow.' Lorelai added.

'Oh that's great, thank Luke for the yelling.' Rory said. 'Bye mom.'

'Bye.'

Rory and Jess finished up their lunch and walked out to the car hand in hand, ready to drive toward Texas. As they reached the car Jess walked her to the passenger door, leaning close to her as if to open her door for her he caught her between the car and him and smiled slightly. Her eyes met his and he leaned in and kissed her gently, she reciprocated and let her arms hug her closely. Slowly he pulled back and rested his forehead against her, opening his eyes to look into hers he pecked her lips and smirked.

'Word on the street says you broke up with your boyfriend.' Jess whispered.

'How did you…?' Rory asked slightly dazed from Jess kissing her just seconds before, her heart was racing as he leaned in a little closer again.

'Your mom let it slip, but I feel I should warn you that she told me I had negative points with her, I believe it was somewhere round -100.' Jess smirked.

'That's too bad.' Rory smiled.

'Why's that?' Jess asked.

'Because I really want to kiss you again but if my mom finds out you may lose even more points.' Rory said seriously.

'Good thing I don't care for points then.' Jess smirked as he kissed her again.

'Yeah really good thing.' Rory agreed fully.

'You look worried about something.' Jess remarked as Rory stared at her ringing phone that was in her hand, she'd paused outside the doors of the library on the Texas college campus they were looking round, the phone halfway to her as she stared at it.

'It's my dad.' Rory said sitting down on the wall nearby and letting the phone continue to ring.

'Ah you're still worried about his threat to take your mom to court.' Jess said taking a seat next to her.

'No it's not that, mom said he's backing off and I believe that it's just…' Rory trailed off and as if reading her thoughts Jess put his arm round her shoulders and spoke again.

'You're still mad at him for even suggesting that Lorelai is a bad mom.' Jess replied, Rory nodded her head.

'She's done everything for me, whenever I needed anything she'd make it happen, she's not just my mom she's also my best friend and him going after her like that when this is something I did, it had nothing to do with my mom and he just twisted it and hurt my mom.' Rory replied pressing the ignore button on her phone.

'Seems to me you need to have it out with him.' Jess said. 'And that if I stand a chance of being your boyfriend I'm going to have to start earning some of those points back because clearly your mothers views matter to you.' Jess replied catching the smile on her face when he said the word boyfriend.

'Her opinion does matter to me but I'm not about to let her views change my mind about you. I've been fighting my mom on this issue pretty much since you got to town and it never stopped me hanging out with you, even before I knew you all that well and it would have been easy to back off and keep the distance, I was just…magnetized towards you.' Rory explained. 'But I'd appreciate it if you'd make an effort.'

'Ok but I draw the line at earning points with your dad or grandparents.' Jess smirked at her. 'Oh and you didn't stand a chance of keeping your distance from me.'

'Oh yeah? Why's that?' Rory asked curiously.

'Because from the second I met you I just knew I had to have you in my life.' Jess replied in a moment of honesty.

'You're sweet.' Rory smiled leaning forward and kissing him lightly.

'Don't spread that around when we get home.' Jess said lightly.

'Home? You're coming home with me then.' Rory smiled.

'Well I can hardly let my girlfriend go back to that crazy town alone, who knows what'll happen.' Jess smirked, Rory laughed and flung her arms around him.

'Thank you!' Rory said excitedly.