A/N: Thanks so much for the latest reviews. Nice to know you weren't too upset about Logan interrupting things. I mean, come on, you knew it had to happen, right? Well, here's the continuation - we're off to the China Palace, folks, and then... well, read on to find out ;)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 7

Rory wasn't exactly sure what she was feeling so guilty about. When Logan had showed up at her dorm and found Jess there with her, he wasn't mad. He didn't question what was going on in any serious way. It just wasn't a big deal. That was why Rory was so confused, because somehow, it felt like it should be a big deal. She refused to examine why that would be, for fear of the conclusion she might come to.

Now, sat in the China Palace, with Logan to her right and Jess to her left, she felt weirdly self-conscious. Not least because Finn had already made several jokes about threesomes and Colin kept on casting significant looks across the table too. If not for the other girls in the group, Rory might've given up and walked out by now.

"Are you going to eat that fried shrimp?" asked Juliet with wide eyes.

"I think I am."

"Oh, God, can I watch?"

While Logan told Juliet that she really should just eat something already, and she in-turn explained why she absolutely wouldn't, Rory chewed thoughtfully on her shrimp and looked to Jess who was apparently staring at her.

"What?" she asked, free hand going to her chin, sure she must be dripping sauce or something.

"Nothing," he assured her, shaking his head slightly, then putting all focus back on his own food. "Just would've preferred pizza, that's all," he admitted, shoving a forkful of noodles into his mouth.

"Oh, well..." Rory began, only to be cut off by Logan as he offered her some of his beer and poured it into her glass before she could answer.

"So, you guys were doing movie night before I showed up, right? Anything good?" he asked curiously.

"Almost Famous," Jess told him shortly.

"Kate Hudson!" Finn practically drooled just thinking about her. "That woman is so hot... though not as hot as Rosemary, obviously," he said to the girl next to him, who only rolled her eyes.

"Still not going home with you, Finn," she assured him, her hand all but in his face.

Rory smiled at their antics and turned back to Logan. "We were just starting on The Outsiders when you arrived. Jess has never seen it."

"But I'll bet he read the book already." Logan smiled in a way that wasn't quite as friendly as Rory thought it should be. "Jess has read just about every book you can name, right, man?"

"Every book you can name is going a little far, but yes, I've read a lot," he agreed, balling up a paper napkin and throwing it on the table, before leaning back in his chair. "Apparently, it's something me and Rory have in common."

"Shouldn't that be Rory and I?" asked Colin, chewing thoughtfully.

"Not necessarily," said Rory herself, clearing her throat loudly as she deliberately put her face in Logan's eye-line. "Um, I'm sure we can finish The Outsiders some other time, you know, the movie. You could join us too, if you wanted."

Logan finally looked from Jess to Rory and found her a smile.

"No. thanks, Ace," he told her. "Not really my kind of thing."

"Seriously, Finn, it's not happening!" said Rosemary loudly from the other end of the table, breaking whatever tension had been settling in amongst other members of the group.

"Oh, come on!" Finn called behind Rosemary as she stormed off to the bathroom.

When she didn't stop, he looked to Juliet for help, but she raised her hands in a 'not getting involved' way and Rory sighed.

"Someone should probably go after her," she said, getting to her feet, "and I need to go to the bathroom anyway, so..."

She hurried away, unsure what she was going to say or do when she did catch up to the friend of a friend she barely knew. After all, the most she could really do is sympathise with Rosemary, who clearly did not want to go home with Finn, no matter how many times he complimented her or how nicely he asked. Still, getting out from in-between the guy she was sort of casually dating and the guy she was sort of friends with seemed like a good plan. Rory felt no small amount of relief in extricating herself from the tricky spot.

Back at the table, Colin offered to buy Finn a stiff drink to ease his pain, even though his friend already seemed to have moved on to trying to seduce Juliet instead. The three were distracted enough by each other that Logan was able to slide across into Rory's seat and speak quietly to Jess.

"Something wrong, man?"

"Like what?" Jess asked, shaking his head.

"I don't know, why don't you tell me?" Logan pressed. "You and Rory, hanging out in her dorm. Not what I expected when I got back here tonight. You know it's decent of you to keep an eye on her and everything, but there's really no need."

The smirk on Jess' face then was not the reassurance that Logan had been hoping for.

"You think I was hanging out with her as a favour to you?" he checked. "Get over yourself, Huntzberger. We have some stuff in common, she's someone to talk to, share a pizza with, watch a movie. Come on, what do you think was going on?"

Something about the way he said it made Logan squirm. What did he think was going on? What could he really accuse Jess of here? Sure, there was an obvious answer to both those questions, but he was going to wind up looking like a fool if he gave it.

After all, he had no claims over Rory. They were seeing each other casually. If she also wanted to see Jess, what could he actually do about it? Also, did he want to accuse a guy who had been his friend in some capacity since childhood of actually pulling that kind of crap on him?

"Something going on, guys?" asked Colin as he suddenly seemed to notice the conversation between Logan and Jess.

"Nothing worth mentioning," the latter told him, though his gaze never left his friend's own. "Right, Logan?"

"Right, Jess," he said, nodding once.

"Wow, if you two get any closer, people are going to talk," said Rosemary as she returned to the table. "Honestly, you leave them alone for two seconds..." she said, rolling her eyes as she looked back at Rory who was right on her heels.

It caused a frown on Rory's face as she looked between Logan and Jess, both of whom suddenly looked back at her, each with a smile on their lips. The idea that they both liked her, moreover that she liked both of them, seemed to hit her very suddenly.

Here before her sat a choice, quite literally, one that she hadn't realised she needed to make until now. It seemed that was exactly what lay before her and, quite honestly, she was not at all sure what she was going to do about it

Jess was well aware that he never should've agreed to go out with Rory and Logan and his buddies. It wasn't that he had anything against Colin and Finn or the girls they brought along with either. He certainly didn't have any problem hanging out with Rory, since that had been the plan for tonight all along. Logan wasn't even an issue, not when the two of them had been friends so long. The problem was the combination of all these people, together, at one table.

It was so damn obvious that Logan was getting jealous. He clearly saw something between Jess and Rory, and frankly, it was tough to say he was just being paranoid with a completely straight face. Add to that the fact Rory seemed extremely uncomfortable with the whole situation, the longer the night went on, and Jess was quite happy to call it a day just as soon as he could.

Unfortunately, just when escape seemed possible, the guys started talking about going on someplace else.

"Let's go the Alligator Lounge," Finn suggested with a snap of his fingers.

"Rory, Jess, what do you say?" Logan asked them both. "Zydeco music, real Cajun craziness, you in?"

"Oh," said Rory, shaking her head slightly. "Well I..."

"And the total comes out to seventy-five bucks a head," said Colin before she could get out the rest of her answer.

"Seriously?" Jess checked, looking at the empty plates on the table and wondering how it ever racked up to that amount.

He hadn't anticipated the prices of the alcoholic beverages or the amount Finn was putting away, he supposed. If they were splitting things evenly, seventy-five was probably accurate. It helped a little when he felt Rory squirming in the seat beside him, until he heard Logan tell her it was fine because he had her covered.

"I gotta go find an ATM."

Jess' chair scraping against the tile was way too loud as he stood up and turned to go.

"Hey, don't sweat it, man," Logan insisted. "I can cover you too, it's no problem."

"I'll find an ATM," he said with determination, challenging Logan with his eyes to keep trying - he didn't.

After all, Huntzberger ought to know better than to think Jess would take that kind of charity. He was already staying in the guy's house rent free, that he could handle, but letting his friend buy him dinner was not happening when there was no way he could ever afford to return the favour. At least, not in any fancy restaurant like this.

"You know, what? I'm gonna come with you," said Rory then, standing up beside him. "I don't actually know if I even have seventy-five dollars left in my account, but there's one way to find out."

"Ace, I told you, you're covered," Logan insisted.

"I really think I should at least pay something, in the circumstances," she said, just as forcefully, finding a smile for Logan before she turned to look at Jess. "Shall we?"

Nodding once, he followed her to the door and out into the darkness and fresh air. It felt good to make an escape, better still to be making it with the only person in the group Jess had ever hoped to spend the evening with. Of course, his happiness was tempered by the realisation that it was probably his fault that Rory was going to empty her bank account to zero tonight.

"You know, you could've taken Logan's offer," he told her as they strolled down the sidewalk together, Jess' hands shoved deep into his pockets.

"So could you," she countered, shrugging her shoulders. "He's your friend too."

"Sure," he agreed, smirking a little, "but I'm pretty sure me and Logan don't have the same kind of relationship as you and Logan," he told her with a look.

Rory went puce. "You think he's paying for me because we're sleeping together? Because that's not-"

"Hey, I never said that," Jess cut in fast, hands now up in some kind of surrender, or maybe even self-defence given the look on Rory's face. "But you guys are clearly something to each other," he said vaguely, since quite honestly, he didn't know or want any more details than that. "I'm not asking, or judging. I really try not to get involved where Logan and his long string of women are concerned."

He kept on walking then, hoping Rory would follow, hoping more than that, that she wouldn't catch up to him enough to see the look on his face. Jess was wincing at his own words, knowing he never should've said them. Sure, Rory had to know what Logan was like with the opposite sex, but it certainly wasn't Jess' place to inform her if she wasn't.

Of course, she had just blurted out the fact that she wasn't sleeping with the guy. At least, not yet. Jess didn't hate knowing that, though he wondered why he really saw it as a victory. He doubted it had anything at all to do with him.

"Jess!" Rory called as she hurried after him, her hand catching him by the elbow and pulling him to a stop beside her. "Logan and me..." she began, trailing off pretty fast.

"It's none of my business, Rory," he reminded her.

"I know," she agreed, "but for the record, what me and Logan have, it's just casual. We agreed to that, both of us."

She emphasised it in such a way as to make Jess sure it wasn't entirely her choice to be so casual. That she knew it was that or nothing at all and she liked Logan enough to accept it. Someone like her deserved better, he was sure. Better than Logan and his sometime-maybe attitude. Better than Jess too, actually; he knew that too.

"When we find this ATM," he said then, "I'll pay whatever you don't have, okay?"

She opened her mouth to argue, but Jess didn't give her a chance.

"You paid for the pizza we never ate and all the snacks and everything at your dorm, so we'll call it a wash, okay? Isn't that what friends do?"

He didn't mean to smile when he said it, but it was the only way to cover the pain in his chest when he had to use the dreaded F word. It was worth it to see Rory smile back at him and nod her head like she meant it.

"Thank you, Jess," she told him. "You really are a good friend, you know that, right?"

"Just don't tell anybody else, okay? I'm pretty picky about who I'm this nice to," he told her, not even really joking, though he was sure she would take it that way.

"Duly noted." She nodded as they reached the ATM at last and she started the process of withdrawing whatever loose change she had left in her account. "You know, I really didn't want to go on to some other place tonight anyway. If you wanted, we could both cry off, go back to the dorm and finish The Outsiders? Oh," she said then, looking down at the money in her hand. "Except we'll have to walk because I absolutely cannot afford a cab."

Jess shook his head and took his turn at the ATM. He was glad to see Rory wasn't looking as he too all but emptied his account into his own hand. By the time he paid his share and most of Rory's, plus a cab back to Yale, he really was out of cash. So much for saving up so he could get out of Connecticut before too much longer. He could only hope Joe remained as thoughtful and generous as ever, he supposed, but Rory was worth it.

"Let's get this bill paid," he suggested, heading back in the direction of the China Palace with Rory.

"So, the movie?" she asked as they walked along.

As tempting as it was to say yes, Jess couldn't quite bring himself to do it. Did he want to spend the night curled up on a couch with Rory, watching a decent movie, and letting nature take its course? God, yes, but as much as Jess did a good jerk act sometimes, he really didn't want to be that guy, not to Rory, not even to Logan.

"I should probably call it a night," he told her, without actually looking her way. "I mean, I'll come back to Yale with you since my car is there, but then..."

"You should call it a night," Rory echoed, smiling at him. "I get it."

Jess was pretty certain that she didn't actually, though there was something about her expression that was both disappointed and almost a little impressed that made him wonder if that were true. After all, Rory Gilmore was an intelligent young woman. Maybe she did know about his noble act here tonight. Maybe she even liked him all the better for it.

Of course, when they got back to the China Palace, the guys had already paid the bill and Logan didn't seem all that keen to take Rory and Jess' share from them. Colin, however, was more forthcoming, despite his own fortune that everybody was well-aware of.

Then there was all the convincing Finn was trying to do when it came to the Zydeco place, but Jess had practice in telling him and the rest that no meant no, even if girls like Juliet and Rosemary gave in too easy sometimes.

"How about you, Ace?" Logan asked Rory. "Sure, you don't wanna tag along?"

"No, thanks. I'm kind of tired actually," she had told him, before walking away with Jess.

"I'll make sure she gets back to her dorm safe," he told Logan with a self-satisfied smirk that he ought to have felt more guilty about.

On the cab ride back to campus, he actually did feel a little bad. Jess was seriously considering making a real apology to Logan later for stepping on his toes. Of course, that all changed not long after he and Rory got back to Yale.

"So, tonight really didn't turn out how I thought," she said as he walked her safely back to her dorm, as promised, "but it was fun, for the most part."

"Can't argue with that," Jess agreed, leaning against the wall by her door as she tried to locate her key.

"And thank you, again, for lending me the money for the restaurant," she added, finally coming up with that key. "I know what you said, but I really do want to pay you back."

"No hurry," he assured her.

"So, that means you're going to be around for a while, right?"

Jess hardly wanted to let himself believe she sounded hopeful when she said that. They already established tonight that she was seeing Logan, albeit casually, and that the two of them were friends only, hadn't they?

"Rory..."

"What I said about me and Logan being casual," she said fast. "I meant that, and yes, I know, you two are friends and you're living in his house and everything, but I just think... well, we're all adults, right?"

He meant to walk away. Jess absolutely meant to just turn around and leave before he did something so stupid, but he couldn't. What she was saying, what it had to mean, he couldn't bear to just let the chance slip away. Leaning forward, he let his lips find Rory's own and he kissed her, just once, just to see how she reacted.

"Jess..." she said softly, and not another word as she pushed forward and initiated another kiss.

He didn't waste the opportunity to really show her how he felt, her back ending up against the door as her arms went up around his neck and fingers tangled in his hair.

By the time they parted, they were both breathing pretty hard, and Jess was all too aware that Rory's bedroom was within stumbling distance once the door was open.

"Wow," she gasped, shaking her head a little. "Um, I didn't... That was so not a plan."

"Tell me about it." Jess sighed. "I should probably go."

"Probably," she agreed, though her arms were still locked around him yet.

Then she was kissing him again and he was kissing her back until suddenly she was slipping out from between him and the door. She looked a little stunned at her own behaviour as she put a couple of feet of distance between them.

"I really need to... Um, maybe you really should go, for now," she said, glancing up to meet his eyes. "I'm not trying to send mixed signals, I swear, I'm just not..."

"Hey, it's fine," Jess promised her, knowing exactly what she meant.

She wasn't that kind of girl. God knows how she and Logan got into the holding pattern they seemed to be in, but Rory was not the kind to leap into bed with just anybody. Jess was okay with that. Mildly disappointed to be heading home so soon, maybe, but for her, he would deal.

"I could call you tomorrow?" he suggested, even as he started backing up down the hall.

"That'd be good," she replied, nodding her head and smiling.

"Okay, then. Goodnight, Rory."

"Night, Jess," she replied, raising one hand to wave goodbye.

Jess waved back then turned around and walked quickly out to the parking lot before he said or did anything else really stupid. Now he really did owe Logan an apology, though it seemed unlikely he would pay the debt, given the explanation it would require. Maybe it would be better just to let it go for now.

To Be Continued...