Pairing: R/J…sort of
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Season 2, up to and including Lost and Found
Summary: How does Rory react when she learns Jess kept the Dean bracelet from her for over two weeks?
A/N: I wrote this shortly after L & F aired, and I just stumbled across it last night. No idea if I had planned on making it a full length story, but when I reread it, I decided I like it as a stand alone, "What if" vignette. So, this is it. No sequels.
A Piece of You
By Grace
The diner was quiet when Rory came marching in that morning. She didn't smile back at Miss Patty, or respond to Luke's greeting. Instead, she walked straight up to Jess and announced in a low, deadly voice, "We need to talk. Now."
"I'm kind of working here…"
"Luke handled this place just fine before you came along. I'm sure he can manage for the next ten minutes."
Wordless, Jess allowed Rory to lead him into the storeroom. When the door was shut, she turned on him with accusing eyes.
"My mother told me you took my bracelet."
"I didn't take it, Rory. I found it."
"And then you kept it. How could you, Jess? That bracelet means everything to me." He gave a derisive snort. "Oh, really? Do you even know when you lost it?"
Frustrated, she snapped, "Enlighten me."
"It was the day of our picnic on the bridge. It was over two weeks ago, Rory. So tell me, if it means so damn much to you, why the hell did Dean have to point it out before you even realized it was gone?"
She had gone ashen at his pronouncement, and she struggled now to regain her composure. "That's not the point, and you're avoiding the question. Why did you keep it, when you knew it was mine?"
He stared at her in disbelief. "You really don't get it, do you? I kept it because I knew it was yours. I carried it around in my pocket all this time because I knew it was yours. I kept it for the same reason that I borrowed a book from your room without asking; that I rode in a horse-drawn sleigh through this damned picturesque town with you; that I replaced Disney videos with adult films; that I spent $90 to eat disgusting leftovers on a bridge with you. Are things getting any clearer for you here?"
Rory's eyes were filled with tears now, and she stared up at him, unable to speak.
Fed up, he ran a hand through his hair and headed for the door. "Forget it. You obviously aren't getting it. Or maybe you just don't want to get it."
"Jess," her voice was a desperate, whispered plea. "Please, I don't understand."
Knowing it was a mistake, he turned back to face her. "I kept it because it was easier than doing what I really wanted to do."
"What…"
He silenced her by leaning in and pressing his lips to her mouth. It was a gentle kiss, without pressure or demands. He ended it before she had time to decide whether to push him away or kiss him back.
"I know I can't have you," he murmured, "so I kept the only piece of you I could find." Without another word, he walked back into the diner.
finis.