A/N: I apologised if it's been done before, but this was a hella difficult episode to work with. It's been rewritten enough times to kill a small, or large, animal. Anyway, this is my style.

Season Two

Nick & Nora, Sid & Nancy 2x05 - Jess's POV

Presenting Lorelai Gilmore 2x06 - Rory's POV

The Ins and Outs of Inns 2x08 - Jess's POV

The Bracebridge Dinner 2x10 - Rory's POV

Richard in Stars Hollow 2x12 - Rory's POV

A-Tisket, A-Tasket 2x13 - Jess's POV

Lost and Found 2x15 - Rory's POV

There's the Rub 2x16 - Jess's POV

Dead Uncles and Vegetables 2x17 - Jess's POV

Teach Me Tonight 2x19 - Rory's POV

Lorelai's Graduation Day 2x21 - Rory's POV

I Can't Get Stared 2x22

The list will change with the addition of the rest of the actual stories. This will probably be done rather quickly, as it's just a distraction from my other stories. Anyway, onto the story:

Time To Reverse

Teach Me Tonight, Episode 2x19

OOC Chapter

Rated K+

"That's your car?" Jess asked her, and she could almost taste his excitement. It was funny how he seemed to be able to spread his feelings with a single glance.

"Yes it is," she replied back, evenly. He'd been wasting their time al night. She had a feeling that whatever came out of his mouth now would probably just be another waste of time.

"Okay, I'll tell you what. Let's go get some ice cream, and when we get back? I'll study," he told her, sitting down inches from her and leaning towards her dangerously. She pulled away a little bit, not liking her body's reaction to his nearness.

"There's a diner, there's ice cream here," she objected, frowning at him.

"But we don't have any cones," he countered.

"Cones?" she asked in disbelief.

"I need cones," he repeated, very seriously.

"Well, so, if we go get ice cream-," she started.

"In cones," he interjected, drawing out the word 'cones'.

"-then, you'll be a perfect student for the rest of the night," she finished.

"That's right," he confirmed, still looking very serious.

"I could not believe you less," she informed him, smiling at his antics. "I'll drive, you can read Othello. Won't that be fun?"

"You have no idea how much," he droned, and grabbed the book from the table, following her out to the car.

-gGg-

It was a mistake, a stupid mistake that she regretted the instant that she'd made it. They'd gotten the ice cream, and they were about to go back to the diner, when he suggested that they drive around a bit more. That strange part of her, the one that was attracted to him, thought that it would be a good idea, so she turned right. As they were talking, flirting, an animal jumped out into the road, and she'd had to swerve to miss it. Unfortunately, she'd smashed the car into a pole, and was now sitting in the emergency of the hospital, waiting for news on Jess.

Her cell phone was in her hand and she turned it over again and again. She hadn't been injured at all, but he'd been unconscious when she'd come to. Taking a deep breath, she opened up the phone and called her mother's number.

"Hallo?" Lorelai greeted cheerfully.

"Mom?" Rory asked, attempting to keep her voice from breaking.

"Oh Rory, great! Tell me, was it the China Ball, the China Doll or the China Wall that had the really good shrimp balls?" Lorelai inquired.

"I think it was the China Doll," Rory answered lifelessly, glad for the little reprieve from the task ahead of her.

"Okay, these can go," Lorelai muttered, and Rory heard the sounds of paper being rustled. "You'll be so proud of me. I'm organizing the 'Take-Out Drawer'. I'm weeding out all the dogs, and I'm putting happy-face sticker on the dishes that have been huge successes, to make our ordering more efficient. Where are you?"

"I need you to be calm," Rory began, knowing that this was the beginning of the end.

"Calm about what?" Lorelai asked instantly. Rory knew where the suspicion was coming from. Her mother didn't want her anywhere near Jess… and maybe it hadn't been such a bad idea after all. Maybe then he wouldn't be hurt.

"Calm about what I have to tell you," Rory said, her voice breaking a little bit as she curled into the phone.

"What… where are you?" Lorelai demanded again, and Rory felt tears slipping down her cheeks.

"I'm alright," she assured her concerned mother and looked around the hospital's waiting room.

"Well, of course you're alright, why wouldn't you be alright?" her mother insisted, and she felt more tears slipping down her cheeks.

"Because… we got in an accident," Rory finally got out around the tears.

"What? What accident, what do you mean you got in an accident?" her mother half-shouted.

"Jess and I went for ice cream, and we were just driving, and it was dark, and this dog or cat or possum, I don't know, it was small and furry and it ran out into the middle of the road, and I swerved to miss it," Rory blurted out.

"Oh my God, are you okay? Where are you?" Lorelai panicked, and Rory could hear the jingle of car keys.

"I'm in the hospital," Rory sniffled.

"Are you okay?" her mother continued.

"I'm fine, but… Jess isn't," Rory sobbed. "I have to go, a nurse is coming."

"Rory, Rory wait!" her mother shouted, but she closed the phone.

"Are you Rory Gilmore?" the nurse asked her, she looked harassed.

"Yeah," Rory nodded, trying not to be too scared.

"Jess Mariano's friend?" she continued to specify.

"Yes," Rory hissed, and tried not to allow her fear to swallow her.

"Follow me, please," the nurse said, turning on her heel and marching towards the emergency rooms that she'd seen him disappear down.

Rory followed wordlessly. At least if she was being hauled into the room, it was a good sign. It meant that he didn't need surgery or some other thing. Still, she attempted to keep her fear for his well-being pressed down, thinking happy thoughts. Like his smile, and his voice, the Clash lyrics, how he reacted to her car. When they turned into a room, which had about five people in it, including Jess, she couldn't help but smile. He had a decent bruise on his forehead, and his arm was wrapped up in cloth, but he was scowling and glaring at the other people in the room. Life was good.

"Hey," she greeted, attempting to smile past her tears.

"Hey yourself," he returned, but his voice was gravelly.

"Are you okay?" she asked him, moving past the nurse to sit at his table.

"I'm in a hospital bed," he evaded. "But I'm alright now. What about you?"

"I'm fine. I'm so sorry," she told him, grabbing his unhurt hand gently and attempting to hold back more tears.

"It wasn't your fault," he shrugged, but cringed. "Remind me not to do that."

"I called my mom… so she and Luke will probably be here soon," she told him, wiping her tears off her cheeks.

He nodded numbly, and they just stared at each other for a few minutes. His hand was warm in hers, comforting and peaceful. Everything in this moment was perfect. She felt like the puzzle pieces that she'd been attempting to sort out between her, Dean and Jess were finally in place. She knew that this is where she wanted to be.

"I shouldn't have suggested ice cream," Jess grumbled, shocking her out of her staring.

"But it was good," she objected, and he smirked at her a little bit. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"The doctor says it's a fractured wrist, maybe a bruised rib or two. I'll be fine," he shrugged off again, and flinched. "You were supposed to remind me not to do that."

"Sorry," she said softly, and they resumed their staring contest. After a few more minutes of this, she rose to her feet and they moved towards each other carefully, avoiding his injuries. Their lips met and Rory felt that she was wrong. The last moment hadn't been anywhere near perfect.

"Come here," he insisted, dragging her up onto the bed and lying down. She curled into him, careful of his injuries, and hid her face in his shoulder. She closed her eyes and breathed in his scent. It was comforting. Even in the stale, misused air of the hospital, he retained his smell. He reminded her of home, comforted her. She felt the adrenaline drain from her system. It was replaced by exhaustion, which she gladly succumbed to, falling asleep on the bed with him.