As they crossed over the border leaving Pennsylvania behind them, Jess turned to Rory to ask her the question that had been troubling him since 2am.

"Why did you do it Rory? It's so not you. Why did you get drunk like that?" he returned his eyes to the road and waiting for her to respond.

"I didn't want to face saying goodbye," she looked at him as she spoke and he turned his head to briefly meet her eyes before shifting his attention back to the road.

"Remember how we talked about trust? I'm about to drop you off in another big city and leave you there and I'm not going to see you again for months - I have to be able to trust that you are not going to go and drown yourself in tequila when things get hard because, you know what Rory? This is going to be hard, for both of us. I need to know that you're going to take care of yourself when I'm not around to take care of you because I need you to come back to me. Preferably in one piece and with a functioning liver."

Jess looked over to see that Rory was nodding at his words and silent tears were streaming down her face.

"I once got on a bus and went all the way across this country to avoid the difficult conversation I knew we'd have to have if I stayed. I didn't want to face saying goodbye. If Jimmy hadn't kicked my ass the first time he found me passed out drunk in the yard I likely would have written myself of every single day just to get the memory of your face out of my head. I've been thankful everyday since that he did because it woke me up to myself. I had to be a better person than that. No amount of alcohol was going to wash you away. It didn't make things easier it just delayed the feelings for a while. I figured I needed to try a different approach. I needed to find a way to make myself worthy of you so I could stop running away from you and start working my way back to you instead. You can't wash me away either Rory. Call it fate, destiny, serendipity, or just chalk it up to happenstance, we keep finding our way back to each other. I'm not going to let you off the hook and just let you go this time Rory simply because you're scared of saying goodbye. I'm scared too but I also have hope that things really are different for us this time. I love you Rory. I'm determined to make this work. The alternative is inconceivable to me. If these last few days together are a genuine indication of your feelings for me then I can't imagine the alternative appeals to you either."

They drove on in silence, Jess had said all he needed to say, it was her turn to talk now. He allowed her time to process his words. They were almost in the heart of the city when she finally spoke.

"I really should start wearing a wire when I'm around you, no one would ever believe me if I told them you could talk so much and so eloquently and so many syllables all at once. Oh and that you're a complete and utter sap," Rory rambled and he smiled because that was usually a good sign.

"I think we need to lay out some ground rules to keep us both free from worry between now and November." Jess chuckled as he heard her rummaging in her bag, no doubt in search of pen and paper to write said rule list.

1. No tequila.

2. Ask don't assume.

3. Always return calls and messages (at a convenient time).

4. No flirting, kissing or any other physical contact etc with members of the opposite sex. (Or of the same sex).

Jess raised his eyebrows at her as she recited that one.

"Hey, don't think I haven't noticed the way people look at you while you're sitting all broody and oblivious sipping your coffee or walking down the street. The lady that took our photo the other day? I was surprised she didn't ask me to print her a copy so she could photoshop herself into your arms and don't even get me started on the arguably handsome hipster we bought coffee from around the corner from your place yesterday."

"You mean Will?!" He laughed incredulously. "He was not flirting with me."

"He totally was," Rory began to laugh too. "He did have very pretty eyes, you don't often see eyes that shade of green."

"Well luckily for you I prefer blue ones," Jess smiled over at her, holding her eyes for as many seconds as he dared before returning them to the road.

Jess parked the car near Rory's hotel and took the list from her hands and added another rule.

5. Never forget how much I love you.

"Let's finish this later," he suggested as he closed the notebook and passed it back to her.

"Later," she agreed.

Jess stayed in Rory's hotel room while she went out to her work function. He pulled out his own notebook and found his pen and picked up the thread he'd been unable to find the night before and began to write. He was still in the same position when Rory returned.

"Hey," he looked up as she entered the room, locking the door behind her. "You weren't gone long."

"Only four hours I guess but it felt longer to me." Rory admitted.

"Four hours? No, it's barely..." Jess looked at his clock only to confirm that it was after 10pm. He'd been sat there writing solidly for four hours.

"I'm guessing you didn't miss me much then?" Rory teased.

"It's just, when I start writing I get into this zone and time gets away without me noticing," he tried to explain.

"I understand Jess, it's like that for me too," Rory assured him. "Do you think you might be ready to come back to reality for a little while?"

"Are you really asking if I'd rather spend the night writing or ravishing you?"

"Something like that," Rory blushed.

Jess closed his notebook loudly and let it drop to the floor as he stood and crossed the room to take her into his arms and kiss her passionately.

"That convincing enough for you?" he asked her.

"Almost," she replied before letting out a sound somewhere between a giggle and a groan as his lips found her neck in an attempt to further persuade her.

The next morning Jess was up and showered early. Rory had a full day on her schedule and Jess wanted to leave on a good note rather than try and drag out their last bit of time together. He was due back at work tomorrow anyway and had a few things he needed to get done in the meantime. He'd put his life on hold for days for this woman and he wouldn't hesitate to do it all over again but it was time he hauled himself back to reality and let her get back to hers.

Rory was still asleep when he returned with coffee and muffins for breakfast. Jess pulled out his phone and dialled the number of the room. Rory answered it on the fifth ring.

"This is your wake up call Miss Gilmore."

"Jess? Is that you?" Rory opened her eyes and looked around in confusion, finally spotting him standing by the door, phone to his ear.

"I bought breakfast," he told her as he disconnected the call and walked over to sit on the side of the bed, passing her the coffee.

"Hmmm, thank you Jess. You really do make an exceptional P.A."

Jess leaned over and planted a sweet kiss on her forehead.

"Rory? I know you've got a full day today and I'm going to leave you to it and head back to Philly soon okay?" Jess anticipated the tears that began to fall from her eyes and he kissed the trails they left on her cheeks. "Hey, please don't cry Rory. We both knew this was going to happen. We even got one night more than we'd originally planned. This is just the beginning remember?"

Rory sniffled loudly and wiped the tears away with the back of her hand.

"I got something for you, don't want you getting bored on the bus," he shrugged shyly as he passed the paper bag to her. "I bought it yesterday but I never got around to wrapping it."

Rory opened the bag and pulled out a book of poems by E.E. Cummings. She turned the pages to find the title page and the inscription she knew he would have put there.

You're carrying mine now, please be gentle with it.

I promise to be gentle with yours.

J xx

Rory couldn't help the fresh torrent of tears that spilled from her eyes as she read his words a second time. Looking up to meet his she saw tears there too.

"Thanksgiving's not so far away." she lied to them both.

"It'll be here before we know it," he continued the charade.

"Call me?"

"You know I will."

"I love you Jess, so much."

"I love you Rory."

He held her in his arms until he didn't think he'd be able to control his emotions any longer.

"I've gotta go now Rory, time I was getting back on the road."

"I know," Rory agreed but she tightened her grip as her body struggled with her brain.

"We never were good at goodbyes," Jess attempted to lighten the mood.

"It's different Jess. Neither of us is running away this time." Rory squeezed him tightly one last time then let him go, her arms dropping to her side, suddenly rendered purposeless.

Jess left her there, wrapped in cotton sheets, hair still rumpled from sleep, coffee cup in one hand, a book of love in her lap. That was exactly how he wanted to remember her from now until November.

A/N now for the hard part.

Thanks to everyone who is still with me. Hard to believe I only started this 10 days ago! I wonder what the next 10 will bring. Thanks for reading and following and favouriting and thanks especially to those who take the time to review. I hate to sound repetitive (and redundant) but it really does mean a lot to me and is incredibly encouraging to me as a novice writer. Happy Monday to you all :) x