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They are silent as they walk down the street. Slowing stride, Jess looks over the shoulder at his past. The buildings are black with night now. Jess remembers their nights as being private, the darkness dimming the harshness of day, but now it seems almost spiteful. Turning, he quickly catches up with Rory who is a few paces ahead. Briefly, she glances at him but her eyes have no question in them and Jess doesn't answer. They don't talk as they walk back to the car and it only until Jess asks Rory about dinner and the place to stay tonight that they attempt conversation.

Finding a small Italian restaurant, they order pasta, and as they wait Rory remarks, "An improvement on your restaurant, right?"

For a second Jess is confused and then laughs.

"Right."

That's an understatement. He told Rory he didn't want to see it, yet Jess saw it in his memory all the same. Hardly any distance from where they walked that evening, always with that neglected air to it even when filled with customers. Not that Jess remembers them, his mind is filled with that kitchen, washing dish after dish after dish with Brad, cracking jokes and halfheartedly defending working there and shacking up with Miss Yale, as Brad referred to Rory. Jess wonders where Brad is right now. He knows he worked there six months or so after Jess quit, and then he found a job across state. Where across state? Jess frowns, trying to recall. He can't remember and feels guilty. He and Brad weren't close but they were friends, for that stretch of time. Jess thinks he should at least remember that small fact. He wonders what Brad would make of he and Rory being here today.

"You okay?"

Rory's question makes Jess jump and he shrugs, letting out a small laugh.

"Sorry. All the happy memories showed up."

Rory smiles but it's sad and Jess kicks himself. She's looked sad since they left the apartment, the café she worked at. Why the hell did they go back there?

Rory looks as relieved as Jess feels when they food is brought over. They eat quickly, deliberately not meeting each other's eyes, and don't stay for another drink. Trying to break the discomfort, Jess suggests walking by the river afterwards, but it doesn't help. Rory walks ahead of Jess, in her own world, and pauses, resting her arms on the rail and staring out at the water. She has the same expression as when they walked around the apartment. When Rory stopped by that door Jess knew something was up. He can't figure it out, what it was about that exact spot, and then it hits him. She was by the bathroom, where she took that pregnancy test. Jess hesitates, wanting to go and stand next to her, but sensing it would be a mistake. Rory is alone in her moment until slowly she turns to look at him. Jess waits, holding his words back. I know what it is. Talk to me. Rory gives him a small smile and simply says, "Let's go."

It's not too late when they get to the hotel but Jess is exhausted. Rory's voice is tired as she says she's going to go to bed and Jess nods.

"Same. You take the bathroom first."

Jess puts the television on as he waits, the noise washing over him along with some static. It's practically like when they first moved in together and were so unsure, Rory shyly changing in the bathroom and holding her breath as she lay beside him. How fast Jess's heart would beat! He felt like a virgin too. Those days seem so far, or at least they did. Now it's like someone is playing them on a projection reel, the speed uncomfortably fast. It wasn't as bad before, talking about those months in New York. They had enough distance and now they're too close.

Rory emerges from the bathroom, donned in a tanktop and shorts. She nods at the beds, saying, "I'll take the one by the window."

"Sure."

Jess lingers in the shower, letting the water run into his eyes. Everything feels messed up. He wanted this trip to bridge some distance between them and so far its only widened. Rory turns off the television as Jess enters, shaking her head when Jess says, "Leave it on if you want."

"There's nothing on. Besides, half the channel is static."

"Okay." Jess pauses, looking at her. He was going to make a joke about not needing to use both beds but now it's kind of a relief. "I'll read for a bit."

"I'm just going to go to sleep."

"Will the light keep you up?"

Rory shakes her head, her hair spilling over her shoulders.

"It won't. Goodnight, Jess."

"Goodnight, Rory."

Jess tried and fails to read, looking over at Rory who is lying on her side. Jess can't tell if she's awake or not. Shutting off his light, he lies down and closes his eyes. Jess doesn't know if Rory is awake or not but either way, despite being so tired, doesn't feel anywhere close to sleep. He stares at the ceiling, aware of Rory sighing as she tosses and turns a few times, and finally falls into some kind of slumber before dawn.

Rory seems as glad as Jess is to check out of the hotel in the morning. Feeling a little brighter, Jess throws himself into the plan Rory has for the day. She seems cheerier too, the bright sunshine lifting their spirits, and Jess enjoys checking out the exhibitions he and Rory chose before coming. He feels a lot lighter than the day before but when they leave the sadness settles again. Whenever Jess came to New York he would usually think about the time Rory visited him, back when she was at Chilton. That was a good day, a memory of a time before they hurt each other. These other memories are heavier and it seems Rory is thinking the same. She has that haunted look in her eyes again. Jess manages to make her smile when he asks about how carefully she's outlined their next day, but it fades as they get into the car. It's a sombre ending to their time in New York.

Jess feels more relaxed as they drive out of the city and Rory seems more at ease too, smiling as she catches Jess's eye. It's as though they've both released a breath. They drive in silence, but it's an easy quiet, and suddenly Rory says, "I drove along here with Mom once."

"You did?"

"Yeah. Well, probably more than once, but I'm thinking of when we took a roundtrip. It was right before Mom called off the wedding to Max and she and I came out here instead. We stayed at this crazy b and b."

"Didn't think b and bs were your mom's speed."

"They weren't – still aren't. But we stayed there anyway and then next day we drove to Harvard. Mom took me all around campus and it was the best day."

Rory laughs in memory, making Jess smile, and nods as he comments, "That sounds like fun."

"It was. It really was. Do you remember that picture of me on the mantel, at Mom's house, where I'm sitting at a desk?"

"Yeah."

"That was taken that day. We went into someone's dorm room and Mom insisted on taking my picture at Harvard."

"Breaking and entering, huh?" Jess teases, grinning as Rory laughs. It's good to see her laughing.

"A life of crime already. That was before I met you."

"I know."

"No, Jess, I mean it was right before I met you. It could only have been a few weeks or so."

"Huh." Jess isn't sure what to say to that. He remembers that picture, holding it for a moment on the night he met Rory, wondering who the girl in the photo was. He'd almost forgotten that.

"Did you miss New York a lot, when you came here?" Rory asks, breaking Jess from his reverie. "I know you didn't want to move."

"I missed some things," Jess says briefly. He thinks back to that time, hanging out with the kids down the block and drinking bad beer until Jess was dizzy, not even trying to hide it from Liz because what did she care? Apparently she cared a little as Liz less than delicately informed him he was moving to live with his uncle, whom Jess had seen only a handful of times before. Jess didn't miss his friends that much but he missed the anonymity of the city, the freedom. He was glad he met Rory though, and he smiles at her. "Some of Stars Hollow was okay."

They drive to their next destination which has a kind of funky museum both have aimed and failed to visit before. It turns out to be a little hit and miss and, as they exit, Rory comments, "That was rivalling the Cheshire Cat."

"Huh?"

"Where Mom and I stayed," Rory explains. "It was just as quirky."

"Well, at least we can cross it off the list."

"Yup. Hey, how about finding some lunch?"

"Sounds good."

It's a wildly different meal to the night before. They laugh as they eat, reminiscing about Stars Hollow and the days when they got to know each other. The light is back in Rory's eyes. She eats a fry, drinks some wine and suddenly says, "I didn't know yesterday was going to be so weird."

Jess frowns and Rory elaborates, "Going back to the apartment. It was harder than I expected."

"Me too," Jess says simply. "It's okay."

"It was so much more bare than I remember."

"I don't blame you for dating Logan after living there."

Rory laughs a little ruefully, eating a few more fries.

"I was thinking that I didn't blame Mom for freaking out. And Luke."

"I get that," Jess says. He eats some fries too, drinks some beer and Rory still looks solemn as Jess looks up.

"Going there was weird. It got me into kind of a funk."

Jess nods, giving her a gentle smile, and Rory lets out a long breath.

"I shouldn't have gone there. It was stupid."

"Hey," Jess says softly. "Not stupid."

Rory shrugs heavily and Jess dares to take her hand. He lightly squeezes it and Rory smiles, squeezing it back. Jess is wondering whether to bring up that moment in the apartment which upset her so much when Rory announces, "I don't want to talk about it anymore."

"Okay," Jess says, a little disappointed but honestly relieved. "We won't."

Rory lifts her glass and, as Jess does the same, she smiles and says, "Here's to new starts."

"To new starts," Jess echoes. He clinks his glass with hers, drinks heavily and welcomes the warm sun on his skin. A clean slate is best.