A/N: I'm a Literati sucker, what I can say? Hehe. I hope you like this story. It's completely different from the other one. It's a little more drama and it's a little more complicated than the others. The characters are little more dramatic and not easy to write, but I loved them in this way. I put something very personal in this story. What Jess is going to live here, it was a state close to me before. The territory I'm about to enter hits close to home for me. But I think you're gonna like it despite the drama. I hope for your support as always and please review if you like what you read. That keeps my muse alive!
P.S. English is not my first language, but I'm really trying here. So, if you think that it's hard for you to read - just don't read it! The reason I'm in this alone it's because I have updates every day. I love my readers and I want to pleased them in that way.
Rating: T (maybe M for some chapters, but we'll see);
Story:
Rory comes back to Stars Hollow to try and pick up the pieces of her ruined life. But she is not the only one who want to do that. Jess is there too, but he is not the same.
Chapter 25 Learning
He felt weak and it was so visible on his face. Rory knew him well enough to read that tiredness in his eyes. His steps were little insecure as he walked between her and Luke. Her heart ached when she the thought about all those curious faces when they got back in the diner. But she was willing to protect him. Maybe she could take the attention over her. Maybe she could figure something out.
"I can handle with the people." Luke murmured as if he had heard her thoughts. "You help Jess upstairs."
"Okay." Rory answered him and then looked at Jess. "What do you think?"
"Whatever." He shrugged and she held back a curse. Jess acted as if he did not care, but Rory knew that was far from the truth. He was just tired.
"Okay." Luke frowned as he saw the small crowd peered through the window of the diner. "Damn these sharks!"
"I know." Rory frowned as well and grabbed Jess' elbow when Luke opened the door. Jess tried not to lean on her too much, but his weakness was obvious now. "You have to be strong just a little while." She whispered to him and saw his nod.
"Ah." Taylor stepped before them and frowned at Jess. "I didn't know your nephew is back in town, Luke."
"That's because it's not your business, Taylor." Luke pushed him aside. Rory just glared at Taylor and helped Jess upstairs. She heard that Luke started yelling something, but her primary care now was Jess. She carefully put him to sit on the bed and helped him with his boots. He sighed and Rory looked up at him. His eyes looked at her and for the first time she saw something like a smile there. Her heart warmed a bit.
"Thank you." Jess murmured until she helped him with his jacket. "I just needed some fresh air."
"I know." Rory murmured and walked in the bathroom. She came back with some clean towel for his wet hair. The snow started melting and he could catch a cold. When she finished and ran her fingers through his now dry hair, Rory finally smiled and looked at him. "Now you're good."
"Hm." Jess mumbled with half-closed eyes. Rory just sighed and pushed him back on the bed. She threw a blanket over his body and he was already sleeping.
Luke showed up in the room few minutes later. He looked angry, but his face relaxed a bit when he saw his nephew sleeping on his bed.
"So?" Rory asked him. She was sitting close to Jess. "How it went?"
"Taylor and Kirk gave me enough for a lifetime!" he snorted out. "But it's ok! I can handle this! How is Jess?"
"He fell asleep in the moment his head touched the pillow." Rory shrugged. "I told you he is not ready!"
"I knew it." Luke frowned. "That's why he had to stay here!"
"He told me he wanted a fresh air." Rory tilted her head. "We talked a bit."
"Hm."
"Yeah." Rory bit her lower lip and looked at him carefully. "Can I ask you for something?"
"Sure." Luke dragged one of the chairs and sat on it.
"Jess told me you locked up the windows. Is it true?"
"I didn't want him to get hurt." Luke's face faded. "I locked up the door as well, but then…there wasn't any point of it. He was in his catatonic state and his doctors told me that he's hopeless…"
"But you refused to listen to them?" Rory smiled lightly. "You fought for him?"
"He is my nephew, Rory." Luke looked at her seriously. "Sure, I have a daughter too, but she has her own life now. She never was as closer to me as Jess was. He is like a son to me and I hope he understands that."
"I'm sure he will." Rory turned around and looked back at Jess. "He will get better, you know?"
"I know." Luke forced a smile. "But is it bad that I want it as soon as it possible?"
"Nope." Rory could not stop looking at Jess. "It's not bad."
"Before you came back here… I almost gave up." Luke admitted quietly. "He was going worse and worse every day. But… then you showed up and… I just wanna say that I'm thankful, Rory!"
"You are welcome." Rory whispered and stroked Jess' hair. He did not wake up, but his sleep now was normal and without nightmares like it used to.
That was her first Christmas spent in Stars Hollow after her return. She did not complain though, she was exactly where she wanted. Jess was here and he was okay. She did not need anything more. She did not complain. That was her place.
She spent the night with him. Luke had to get back downstairs. He was always busy around the holidays, but Rory did not want to leave Jess alone. She just curled up beside of him and touched his face. He murmured in his dream and she felt his hand slid over her waist. Rory smiled and suppressed her smile. Her eyes closed and she sighed with pleasure.
When she woke up in the next morning, Jess's hand was still on her waist. But she was under his blanket and her head rested on his other arm. He had formed something like a cocoon for her and without even knowing it.
"Are you awake?" Jess murmured in her hair.
"Yeah." She blinked shyly and tried to release herself.
"No, no! Stay!" His hand grasped her waist, but his words were the thing that stopped her. Rory tried to relax again. "It feels… good." He mumbled and she smiled on his chest.
"Yeah." She whispered. "It does feel good."
"Where is my uncle?" Jess asked after few minutes. "I thought I heard him here last night."
"He was." Rory nodded.
"I was too tired." Jess shrugged. "I thought it was just a part of my imagination."
"Nope. He was here and he had to go downstairs. Holidays, remember?"
"Yeah." Jess sighed. "I do remember. He probably fell asleep in the kitchen."
"Huh?"
"He usually does that." Jess murmured. "I know him. When he is tired he just has to sit somewhere."
"Uh-oh." Rory murmured.
Luke showed up just in the moment when Jess walked out of the bathroom. Rory was sitting on the table and turned around to see him. He crooked his face, placed the tray with the breakfast on the table, and rubbed his neck with a curse.
"Remind me to never fall asleep over the table again!" He murmured as he left the room.
Rory looked at Jess and they both smiled lightly. He sat on the chair close to her and nodded at the table.
"Luke trusts you."
"What?" Rory frowned and followed his look. She saw the phial with Jess' pills on the tray. "Or maybe he trusts you?" She looked back at Jess, but he shook his head with a sad smile on his face.
"He shouldn't and he knows he shouldn't!" Jess threw her a strange look. "You shouldn't trust me either!"
"Why?" Rory touched his hand. "I thought you're feeling better now."
"Better is a far away from the good when you were in the Hell!" Jess murmured and took his plate. He looked at Rory and she sighed when she took the phial.
"You have to fight, Jess." She lowered her voice when she placed two pills in his hand. Jess took them without water and looked at her carefully.
"I'm still learning how to do that, Rory." His fingers touched her face and she winced.