Aki- I have wanted to right this chapter so much. The last two have been setting up for this one!

Chapter 10

'Yesterday, you asked me something I thought you knew.
So I told you with a smile 'It's all about you'
Then you whispered in my ear and you told me to,
Say 'If you make my life worthwhile, it's all about you'

-McFly, 'It's all about you.'

Jess rushed the door and fumbled with the keys. He finally unlocked it and beckoned her in. "Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

She shook her head not really looking at him, "No, nothing has been more wrong."

Jess placed a hand in the middle of Rory's back and lead her farther into the diner, making her sit down one of the chairs he hadn't put away yet, before pulling up another chair for him and sitting across from her.

"What's happened?" asked Jess. Rory stared at the hands in her lap and didn't answer.

Jess leaned down so he was closer to her, trying to catch her eye. "Come on, Ror, What's happened?" She looked up at him, new tears running down her face.

"What hasn't happened!" she exclaimed quietly, almost hysterical. "Mom's dead, and Luke and me don't even talk…Paris-,"

"What about Paris?"

"She said I was depressing to be around. Paris, said I was depressing to be around."

"The tables are turned, huh?"

"And then there is work and school and the newspaper…"

"What's wrong with those?" asked Jess, unsure.

"I got laid off," Rory sobbed, feeling both angry and pathetic. "They said that I should 'take some time,'" Rory spit put those words spitefully. "And then my advisor has been practically forcing me to drop some courses."

"So?"

"I'll never graduate in time now and then I am basically getting kicked out of the as Yale editor…I mean. I was informally asked to resign so that they don't have to kick me out disgracefully or something."

Jess observed Rory, silent tears flowed down her face, her arms were wrapped about her stomach protectively, but he looked past that. She was makeup-less, and even though her eyes were puffy, she looked beautiful without any makeup obscuring her natural freckles. And the clothes she was wearing, a pale blue sweater and a blue , knee-length, floral skirt, were not super take-on the world Rory, they were simple Star's Hollow, big dreams Rory.

"I thought….I thought," said Jess uncertain and carefully, "That you were doing good in those things lately. I mean, you have barely stayed in Star's Hollow at all the last few days and when you were here you were always busy.

She shook her head morosely. "No, I was doing horribly. I can hardly write, my thoughts just can't come out on paper anymore. I'm so indecisive. I don't know what I think or how I fell or how to act…I have just been trying to keep busy so I don't have to think about it."

"Think about what?" Jess asked, generally curious and interesting. Things seemed to be making a whole bunch more sense.

"Everything. Mom, Luke, what my life has come to…you."

"Me?"

"If Mom hadn't died, you wouldn't be here… If Mom hadn't died, I wouldn't be falling apart, and you wouldn't be the one putting me back together." Rory looked up and two's eyes meet. Blue and Brown.

"So I started trying to go back to my busy life because I didn't have to depend on anyone, but my whole life I depended on my Mom and now she is not here and it seems you have taken her place."

Jess said nothing.

"Don't know why I'm saying this, I better go." Rory stood up and attempted to take a step towards the door, but stumbled, putting her hand to her head as though dizzy.

"No, you don't," admonished Jess, taking hold of Rory's shoulders and leading her towards the apartment steps. "You're going to lie down were I can keep an eye on you."

"Well you seem to have a slight fever," Explained Jess, sitting down next to Rory, who was wrapped up in a quilt, on the couch a good fifteen minutes later.

Rory, who was now a considerable amount calmer, raised her eyebrows. "I would have never pegged Jess Mariano as a doctor type."

He shrugged, "When Liz wasn't at her most…maternal, I learned how to take care of myself.

Rory nodded in acceptance of the explanation. She drew up her bare feet off the floor, her shoes having been abandoned a while ago. She pulled her knees against her chest, cocooning everything but her head under the blanket.
"Your turn," she whispered.

"What?" Jess asked, confused.

"I just made a fool out of myself down there, pouring out my heart. It's your turn. Spill."

Jess held back a chuckle. "What do you want me to tell?"

Rory gave a have shrug, "Something honest, something funny, that will make me smile."

Jess leaned his head back on head rest in thought for a moment before a tiny grin came to his face.

"You have to promise not to tell this to anyone else," demanded Jess, turning to Rory.

"I will hold it in the highest confidence," she reassured him.

"Okay, remember that time I got that shiner that we had that big fight over."

"Of course."

"I didn't get it from a football," Jess admitted slowly.

"Or from a fight with Dean," Rory added wittily

"Or from a fight with Dean…I got it from a swan."

"Excuse me?"

"I was at the bridge and a swan just came up and …beaked me."

"And you didn't provoke it in anyway?" asked Rory skeptically.

"Nope," answered Jess, shaking his head.

Rory leaned back into the couch, "That is the best thing I have heard in a long, long time."

"Yeah, yeah, but you can't tell anyone about it."

"I shouldn't have ever promised," complained Rory teasingly.

"Your turn now," quipped Jess in reply.

"What?"

"I said something, now you say something."

"I said the something that inspired this whole thing."

"Yeah, but we hadn't started the game yet so it doesn't count."

"What game!"

"This game…," explained Jess, calming down, "This honesty game."

Rory gave him a scrutinizing look and then sighed to herself in resignation. "Okay, just give me a minute to think of something." Rory rolled her eyes upward as though staring at the ceiling before nodding to herself and turning to Jess. "I retried Hemmingway, and he is not half bad."

"No kidding," chuckled Jess with a grin.

"Yeah, now don't you have something to say about another certain author?" implied Rory with her eyebrows raised pointedly.

"Nah," Jess said shaking his head, "Rand still sucks."

Rory stuck her tongue out at him. Jess ignored her. And the night went on like that. Except an hour or two later, Rory was Jess were cuddled together on the couch.

"Okay, um," Jess said in sleepy tone, "My favorite ice cream flavor is strawberry."

Rory giggled, "You like pink ice cream."

"Get over it, you again."

Rory turned serious, all sense of humor disappeared from her face. "I broke up with Logan," she said somberly. Jess said nothing. In fact, the only way she knew he heard was because she felt his arm tense were it laid across her shoulders.

After a moment of silence Rory turned her head to Jess, "Can I ask you a question?"

Jess nodded.

"Why are you here?"

Jess didn't know what she meant, but he didn't have to voice that before she started explaining.

"I mean, I know you came here for Luke once you heard the bad news. But it has been awhile, and almost everything is back to normal, why aren't you back in Philadelphia yet."

Jess looked Rory in the eyes are gave her an incredulously look. "Don't you know?"

Rory looked away, slightly uncomfortable.

"Can I ask you a question?" asked Jess.

"It's only fair," replied Rory, still evading his piercing eyes.

"Why did you kiss me?" he asked.

Rory was silent before asking, "You mean the first time?"

"Rory," Jess muttered, but she ignored him as she tried to evade the question.

"Well I had a crush and it was at a wedding so I was feeling all romantic and…," Rory paused, her tone became more sincere as she turned to Jess, "And when I looked into your eyes, even though you didn't say it, I knew you had come back for me."

"And this time, just recently" asked Jess in a whisper.

Rory started deeply into his eyes before answering earnestly, "Basically for the same reason."