A/N Ok, I'm not gonna lie. This chapter is kind of intense and pretty dramatic. There's not much fluff, it's pretty raw but I think you'll enjoy it . There are a few curse words so just a precaution. I might have the next chapter up tonight as well because I wanted to make up for being absent so long. I still have to edit it and tweak it so if not tomorrow, than sometime this week. Ok that's about all from me, please review when you finish and thanks for reading!

Litfan1824

Rory's eyes shot open to the sound of thunder crashing outside. As she rubbed her eyes, she mentally cursed herself for being such a light sleeper. Gazing around with a confused face, she realized why she was curled next to Jess on the floor of Luke's storeroom. She fumbled blindly for her cell phone so she could check the time. Before she could reach it, she felt a hand gently wrap around her wrist.

"Do you ever sleep during the night?" He asked, half agitated and half amused. Rory gave him a weak smile that he probably didn't see since it was pitch black.

"It's storming, I'm a light sleeper," she whispered. Jess sat up unsteadily as he fumbled for the lamp on the table. Once he reached the string, Rory's apologetic features were cast in a warm glow. He smiled.

"You know, the storm can't get you," he teased. She pushed him over.

"I know, but the noise is…loud," she explained. He laid back down with his hands behind his head, letting out a soft sigh, closing his eyes in thought. Rory watched him carefully, her delicate fingers fiddling with the carpet beneath them. Even though they had patched things up, she still had some questions that would probably upset him. She meant to ask yesterday, but he was so happy that she couldn't bring herself to ask. When he opened his eyes again to look at the ceiling she took a deep breath.

"Jess, can I ask you something?" He still had a dreamy look on his face when he nodded. She gripped his hand lightly, and he finally looked at her. "It's about what happened in New York," she said steadily. She felt his grip tighten for a spilt second, and his expression instantly sobered.

"How'd I know we were gonna have to talk about this," he said, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

"I just want to know…what they meant when they said you-"

"His name was Josh," Jess began, abruptly cutting her off. He didn't want to hear the end of her sentence…he couldn't bear to hear her say that he caused someone's death. "He was kind of a rookie in our group, he had moved into the apartment next to mine so I kind of invited him in. Things were really cool between everyone…and then I screwed up," he choked on his last words. God, he hated talking about it. It pulled him back in whenever it was brought up. He felt Rory give his hand another squeeze.

Breathe Mariano, Breathe.

"It was the night that Wendy and I crossed the line. I had just left, and I was heading back to my apartment when he called me all frantic…he told me that someone was holding him at gunpoint and that he needed my help. I was wasted…and I was tired and pissed off, but I was so scared that I lost control of myself and just ended up finding him and the asshole in an alley two blocks from my house." He took another few breaths, trying to get the ringing of a gun shot, and the sight of a knife out of his mind.

"When I got there, I thought that the two of us could take the gunman down…until his crew showed up. In less than a second I was right next to him with a gun against my head. It was a set up, and I had fallen for it. They used Josh as bait, and we were now both in deep shit. I thought it couldn't get any worse until I realized who the group was. It turns out, I had done business with them a while back, and I kind of…didn't hold up my end of the deal." Jess ran a hand through his hair and felt his hands trembling. Rory's grip was so tight on the other one, his knuckles were white.

Breathe…Breathe…Breathe.

"He told me that if I would…shoot Josh, then I could go free…no strings, no underlying requests…I would just be free. I couldn't though, Josh was like my brother, and I couldn't do it. I thought that if we just cooperated with them, they would let us both go…until one of them pulled out a knife-" Jess' breath caught in his throat. It was hard just to swallow as he recalled the sight of his shaken friend. "The guy pulled out a knife and started to walk towards Josh. He got dangerously close with it and then as I closed my eyes I heard a scream…I knew he was bleeding…I could almost hear each drop hit the pavement, the sound of the blade as it hit his skin." Jess bit his lip in agony…anything to make the sounds stop. He reached up to his face where tears where wordlessly sliding down his jaw. He couldn't stop…he had to finish.

"When the screaming finally stopped, I looked over at Josh. In an instant, I wished that I hadn't," Pause….breathe… "His body was battered, and he was crying…that's when I realized that I was too. His looked at me and I could tell he was sorry…sorry that he ever met me or that he ever hung out with me and my friends. I could see the fear of death in his eyes…I couldn't take it. I lashed out and punched the guy in the face until he fell to the ground. I looked back at Josh and he actually smiled at me for a split second until…" Jess gripped Rory's hand harder, he never felt so needy in his whole life, but right now he needed her.

"A gunshot went off and he had a blank expression on his face, it was like the smile was whacked right out of him...his life was whacked out of him. After that, I suddenly woke up in my room…Troy and my mother were wearing frightened expressions as they relayed to me what happened. Troy told me about how Wendy had gone to Shawn and how all of them were pretty much after me, so to speak. We packed that night, left the next morning and came here. I've never regretted anything in my life more….nothing." He choked back another wave of tears until he looked up and saw Rory with tears of her own freefalling down her cheeks. "I miss him," he whispered before sobs started to hit his whole body. Rory instantly pulled his shaken form closer to her, cradling him in her arms. She held him close to her body, desperately trying to take the pain away from him.

"Jess I'm so sorry, I should have made you bring it up I…I hate seeing you like this please…" she begged for him to be better, for all of his past demons to disappear. As his emotions calmed, he took her face in both of his hands.

"I needed to tell you Rory because I need you. I don't want to keep things from you," he whispered. She pulled him towards her in a kiss full of sympathy and apologies. She laid them down so they were side by side again. She wrapped her arms around his form as tight as she could; she wanted to be as close as possible. After making sure his breathing was even, she drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Rory woke up to a really great kiss. She let a smile escape before she opened her eyes. When she did, she saw Jess smirking at her.

"See, if you slept more during the night you could wake up at this time on your own," he joked. She smiled, overjoyed to have her Jess back.

"Jess…I'm so happy to have you back," she declared, completely elated. She pulled him down on top of her as he chuckled.

"I never left," he whispered into her hair. She nodded.

"I know but last night was-"

"-is in the past. I don't know about you, but I'm more interested in the present," he said with a raised eyebrow. She gave him a sad smile while running her fingers gingerly along his jaw. She realized that last night would not be brought up again under any circumstances. She understood that it was a moment in time meant only for her to know about. It was in the past, and it was forgotten. Frankly, she liked it better that way. She leaned up and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

"Does the present include pancakes and coffee and bacon?" She asked like a little kid. He laughed.

"I don't know, do you think Lorelai and Luke are up and ready to let us out?" Rory's smile fell as she realized they were still in the storeroom.

"Well I'm hungry, and when a Gilmore is hungry, lives are lost," she declared as she stood up and marched to the door. As she started to throw her fist against the door, it swung wide open so that Rory had to instantly retract her hand before she punched Luke right in the nose. Jess was rolling on the floor laughing as Luke tried to recover from almost being knocked out by a seventeen year old girl. Once he looked in and saw Jess in a fit of laughter, he glanced at Rory.

"What's his problem?" He asked while pointing a thumb in the direction of her boyfriend. She smiled at Luke and then smiled lovingly at Jess as he continued to laugh.

"He doesn't have a problem, he's perfect." Luke rolled his eyes.

"I guess that means that you two are back together?" He questioned. She simply nodded her head, barely noticing when Luke left to go tell Lorelai.

"I love it when you laugh," she teased. He winked.

"Seriously, if you had actually punched Luke, I think I would've had to be taken to the hospital." Rory laughed.

"Well we're free, shall we get breakfast?"

"How about I make us breakfast to go, and then we go to my house," he suggested. Rory rolled her eyes.

"Geez, I know you're just dating me for my body but could we be less obvious about it?" she joked. He walked up behind her and snaked his arms around her waist to rest on her stomach.

"Never," he answered as the two of them walked out into the diner.

"Lorelai! We actually did it, they're back together!" He jumped into the apartment. Lorelai looked at him like he had two heads.

"Why are you so excited?"

"This is what you wanted, how can you not be excited?"

"I am, trust me I'm thrilled…but stunned at your reaction that's all," she said with a smile. "Wow, they're back together…" she said as she jumped into Luke. The two of them jumped up and down like they were the teenagers.

"I seriously thought our plan wouldn't work," he confessed when they parted.

"Oh I knew it would work, it always does! Gosh, so where are they?" Luke looked confused.

"I don't know, I think they said something about breakfast, but then again since they're together they might be doing God knows what at your house." Lorelai gave him a look.

"Well, let's go into the diner, I bet they're in there," she replied while pulling him out the door and downstairs. When they came out from behind the curtain, they stopped and watched as Rory sat carelessly kicking her legs against the counter while Jess poured her a cup of coffee. He must have just said something really funny because her head suddenly flew back in hysterical laughter. Lorelai smiled when she noticed Jess laughing with her. "They are so beautiful together," she whispered.

"We're beautiful together too," he replied. Lorelai turned to look at him and placed a loving kiss on his lips.

"That we are." They both grinned before finally walking into the diner, bringing the two out of their reverie.

"Mom! I seriously can't believe you locked your only child in a storeroom!" Rory cried as her mother sat next to her. Luke immediately went behind the counter to continue cooking.

"Well I love you guys, it was for your own good," she stated. Rory and Jess shared a look. They both decided to just let them take the credit for their reconciliation.

"Well then I guess we should thank you for helping us see what we couldn't," Rory lied. She gave Jess another look, when she noticed that he was failing to hold back his laughter.

"What's so funny Romeo?"

"Nothing, I'm just happy," he said with a shrug. Rory gave him a broad grin.

"I think he loves me," she sang in a high-pitched voice. He leaned over the counter to give her a quick, but mind-blowing kiss.

"Yea, I do," he said with a smirk.