Jess quietly opened the door to his room the next morning. Light
fell in to the room by the cracks between the curtains. He looked at the
sleeping Rory on his bed. Her clothes were rumpled, her hair fell across
the pillow. His heart broke as he remembered the way she'd been last night.
He didn't know what he was going to say, what he was going to do…. "Rory?"
he called hesitantly.
Rory opened her eyes. She looked around, disoriented, at her unfamiliar surroundings. Rubbing her eyes sleepily, she sat up. "What am I doing here, Jess?"
Jess paused, "You don't remember?" He prayed she didn't, he prayed she did. "Last night?"
Rory sat still for a minute. She blinked a few times. Her features became puzzled, and she shook her head.
"We went out. To a club…you and I and Grant…" Jess trailed off. He didn't know how he'd explain this to her.
She looked down at her clothes, and a look of horror spread across her pale face. "What did I? You…"
Jess quickly walked over and knelt beside her. "Rory, I'm so sorry," He told her. "God, I don't know what to say." He reached out and touched her hand gently. She quickly pulled it away. Jess flinched at this reaction.
"Grant? Is he…" Rory started.
"I kicked the asshole out," Jess said, anger rising in his throat, his fists clenching until little half moon marks were carved into his palms. "Rory, I didn't know he was going to do something like that, he never should have. I'm so sorry!" His voice broke, pain evident on his twisted face.
Rory sat there quietly, watching the struggle going on in Jess's eyes. "Can I go home now?" She asked quietly.
"Okay," Jess said sadly. He handed Rory her shoes and a jacket of his. "I'll walk you home?"
Rory shrugged, saying, "No thanks." She put on her shoes, stood up, and walked out of the room.
They walked through the empty diner, Rory far away from the distraught Jess. Luke emerged from the kitchen and looked at the two.
"Are you okay, Rory?" He asked her worriedly, walking over and putting his arm around her shoulders. It didn't register in either of their minds that she hadn't flinched, but it registered in Jess's.
"I'm just going to go home," She said to them. She walked out quickly, saying goodbye to neither of them.
Jess just stood there quietly.
Lorelai entered the diner on a search for coffee. Rory was home, watching movies.
"Rory? Is she okay?" Luke hissed when he caught sight of Lorelai.
The mother nodded mutely. "She's a little shaken, but she's strong. She'll pull through."
She seemed to be saying this as much for her benefit as Luke's, and maybe a little bit for Jess too. He was wiping down the other end of the counter, his ears acutely tuned in to Lorelai's words.
"She's okay?" He blurted out, unable to restrain himself.
Lorelai turned and stared at him. Her expression was unreadable. Jess thought it was maybe, anger, pain, sorrow. But he didn't know. "She'll be fine," Lorelai said to him, gently yet accusingly.
"Is she…" Jess questioned. "I'm so sorry, Lorelai. Tell her I'm sorry."
Lorelai stared at him, and Jess finally identified the feelings behind her gaze. Anger, yes. But pity. "She knows, Jess," Lorelai told him. "But right now, that's just not enough."
She took her order from Luke, granting him a smile, and left the diner without a backwards glance.
Luke looked at the broken Jess. His nephew's head dropped down to his chest, his eyes were closed, his hands were clenched into balls. He was beaten.
Rory opened her eyes. She looked around, disoriented, at her unfamiliar surroundings. Rubbing her eyes sleepily, she sat up. "What am I doing here, Jess?"
Jess paused, "You don't remember?" He prayed she didn't, he prayed she did. "Last night?"
Rory sat still for a minute. She blinked a few times. Her features became puzzled, and she shook her head.
"We went out. To a club…you and I and Grant…" Jess trailed off. He didn't know how he'd explain this to her.
She looked down at her clothes, and a look of horror spread across her pale face. "What did I? You…"
Jess quickly walked over and knelt beside her. "Rory, I'm so sorry," He told her. "God, I don't know what to say." He reached out and touched her hand gently. She quickly pulled it away. Jess flinched at this reaction.
"Grant? Is he…" Rory started.
"I kicked the asshole out," Jess said, anger rising in his throat, his fists clenching until little half moon marks were carved into his palms. "Rory, I didn't know he was going to do something like that, he never should have. I'm so sorry!" His voice broke, pain evident on his twisted face.
Rory sat there quietly, watching the struggle going on in Jess's eyes. "Can I go home now?" She asked quietly.
"Okay," Jess said sadly. He handed Rory her shoes and a jacket of his. "I'll walk you home?"
Rory shrugged, saying, "No thanks." She put on her shoes, stood up, and walked out of the room.
They walked through the empty diner, Rory far away from the distraught Jess. Luke emerged from the kitchen and looked at the two.
"Are you okay, Rory?" He asked her worriedly, walking over and putting his arm around her shoulders. It didn't register in either of their minds that she hadn't flinched, but it registered in Jess's.
"I'm just going to go home," She said to them. She walked out quickly, saying goodbye to neither of them.
Jess just stood there quietly.
Lorelai entered the diner on a search for coffee. Rory was home, watching movies.
"Rory? Is she okay?" Luke hissed when he caught sight of Lorelai.
The mother nodded mutely. "She's a little shaken, but she's strong. She'll pull through."
She seemed to be saying this as much for her benefit as Luke's, and maybe a little bit for Jess too. He was wiping down the other end of the counter, his ears acutely tuned in to Lorelai's words.
"She's okay?" He blurted out, unable to restrain himself.
Lorelai turned and stared at him. Her expression was unreadable. Jess thought it was maybe, anger, pain, sorrow. But he didn't know. "She'll be fine," Lorelai said to him, gently yet accusingly.
"Is she…" Jess questioned. "I'm so sorry, Lorelai. Tell her I'm sorry."
Lorelai stared at him, and Jess finally identified the feelings behind her gaze. Anger, yes. But pity. "She knows, Jess," Lorelai told him. "But right now, that's just not enough."
She took her order from Luke, granting him a smile, and left the diner without a backwards glance.
Luke looked at the broken Jess. His nephew's head dropped down to his chest, his eyes were closed, his hands were clenched into balls. He was beaten.