So I know I told you that I was going to keep this fic going into recovery and all that. Sorry, it wasn't in the stars. This is **sniff sniff** the last chapter of this story. I just got to a place where I said, "That's the perfect place to end it." So here it is. The end. Finale. Hope you enjoyed the ride.

**Disclaimer: I own a Discman, a shelf full of books, and this laptop. I don't own anything related to this show or any of the movie references I use. And even if you did sue me, all you're getting is the Discman and the books because there's no way in hell you're getting my laptop.**

Hospital Visits

by Angel Monroe

Chapter 11: Kiss Me

Rory sat at the edge of the darkness, willing herself to stay still. It wrapped around her, urging her to jump. Tugging at the hem of her dress. Lulling her into the abyss.

Time and space were empty now, the absent whim of an age-old understanding. There was nothing solid, nothing substantial, except the white ledge she was teetering on and the darkness that implored her to join it.

It was a seductive offer, to just fall into nothingness. She could imagine the feeling when her stomached would drop out, like going over the edge on an amusement park ride. She would scream and scream until nothing mattered but the inner feeling of freedom and the weightlessness flowing through her.

A seductive offer indeed. One that could almost conquer her, if not for something huge and nameless calling her back. Back to the light. Back to love.

When Rory awoke the next morning, she knew someone was there even before she opened her eyes. She felt a hand around hers and a weight on her stomach. The sound of a gentle breathing reached her ears over the ever-present heart monitor.

Still, what she saw when she opened her eyes was a bit of a shock. Jess Mariano was asleep, his head leaning on her stomach and his eyelids fluttering softly as if he were wrapped in a pleasant dream. His hair lay flat against his head, hiding his eyes. It was odd to seem him in such a way. He looked childlike, uninhibited. He looked almost innocent.

"Jess," she whispered with a smile in her voice, brushing a strand of hair out of his face. "Jess, wake up."

He stirred, and his eyes opened to meet hers.

"Hey," she smiled.

"Hey," he replied in a like whisper, his voice cracking a little with sleep. Then, as if believing that it was only another dream, he closed his eyes again.

"Jess," she chuckled softly.

Again, his eyes opened, but this time they were filled with something a little more panicked. Sitting up quickly, he looked around.

"How did I get here?" he asked, confused.

"I was hoping you could tell me," she replied with amusement. "They're your legs."

Jess sat in utter confusion for a moment before breathing out, "I fell asleep."

"Well that explains it," Rory nodded teasingly.

"I just meant to stop by for a moment," he continued. "Last night, when everyone had gone home, I came back to visit for few minutes."

"Why didn't you come during the day when I was awake?" she asked. "I'm sure I would have been a little more entertaining."

"I didn't want to take my chances," he replied. "Your mom's been here a lot, and I still don't know where I stand with her, and I heard that Dean visited you yesterday afternoon."

"You don't have to worry about my mom," she assured him. "She knows about you sneaking in the other night, and she's okay with it."

"Really?" he asked skeptically. "Is she on happy pills or something?"

"No," Rory laughed. "She just doesn't see you as a threat anymore."

"Huh," he mused. "I don't know how I feel about that."

"And," Rory continued, chuckling, "you don't have to worry about Dean anymore either."

"Okay, that I know can't be true," he reasoned.

"Believe it or not," Rory replied. "Dean agreed not to kill you unless I give him expressed permission."

"That makes me feel a lot better," he said wryly. "So you just turned your boyfriend into your hired hit man."

 Rory looked down at her hands, remembering the conversation from the previous day. "Actually," she mumbled, "I just turned my ex-boyfriend into my hired hit man."

Jess's head jerked up at the statement. "You broke up?" he asked sympathetically, his eyes meeting hers. No matter what he did or didn't want with her, he still hated to see her in pain.

"Yeah," she replied calmly. "We decided that it was time for a change. He and I need to figure a few things out on our own before we can decide if we want to be together."

"Do you think you will?" Jess asked his hands, his voice falsely uninterested. "Get back together, I mean."

"I don't know," she replied, keeping her eyes on him. "As I said, I think I have to figure a few things out. I mean, Dean's a great guy, but we don't have much in common. I don't know if that's enough for me anymore."

Jess was silent for a moment, deep in contemplation. Finally, his voice was soft and serious, "What is it that you want, Rory?"

"I don't know," she replied slowly with the same earnest tone. "To be happy. To live without worrying about whether or not I'm hurting the people I love. You know, it's harder than you would think, being happy."

"I know," he replied. "You never know if the next move you make will bury you. You never know if the next time you go out for ice cream, you could end up almost killing the only person in the world who seems to care."

"You didn't almost kill me," she objected. "A deer did. And I don't just seem to care."

Jess looked up at her again, holding her stare for a moment more than he thought he could before turning away. "What are we doing here, Rory?"

"Having a deep and meaningful conversation," she replied with mock gravity.

"No," he smirked a little. "What I'm asking is . . . how long are we going to keep dancing like this?"

"Well," she said with a spark in her eyes, "we seemed to have reached an intermission with the whole hospital thing, but as soon as I'm back on my feet, I'm sure I'd love to start up again."

"Are you ever serious?" he asked with a disbelieving chuckle.

"Not when I can help it," she answered. "And since when are you?"

"I don't know," he smiled, rubbing the back of his neck. "It just seems like someone here should be."

"I don't think so," she shook her head childishly. "I think that life is too short to spend it worrying about everything. Almost dying makes that a lot clearer. Like I said, I just want to be happy."

"So what can I do to make you happy?" he asked, and both could see the double meaning behind the words.

She was quiet for a moment, weighing her words in her head. It was a chance. It could make or break her, depending on his answer. It was a leap, but she had to take it and just pray that he wouldn't let her fall.

"Kiss me," she replied softly.

For a few seconds, Jess just sat, completely awestruck. It was that easy. Kiss me. That's all it took. He didn't need to be told twice.

Standing out of his chair, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. He kissed her like it was the end of the world, like she was his lifeline and all he had to do was hold onto her. He kissed her like the rest of eternity had fallen away. He kissed her like she was finally his, and she kissed him the same.

**Short. Sweet. To the point. There was just nothing more to say.

So, I really hope you enjoyed it. I couldn't have done it without the inspiration of every one of my wonderful, fabulous, adorably generous reviewers. So there we go. Please wait until the car has come to a complete stop; exit is to your upper left. Oh, and do stop by the review button on your lower left if you're feeling particularly generous. Thanks. Hope to see you all again soon. O:)**