Chapter 3: Bridge Therapy
Same Day (Sunday)
Jess walked down the street putting his hands in his vest pockets. He crossed the street and headed towards the bridge, the spot he was sure Rory would be. He came to a bush at the start of the bridge and peered out from around it. There sat Rory, slowly chewing her muffin with her coffee cup in hand. She swallowed and then took a sip of coffee, all the while staring out at the water. Jess smiled to himself as he watched her, she was so beautiful the way her hair fell about her shoulders and around her round face, and her skin so pale and smooth was rosy from the early morning chill. He steeped out and made his way down the bridge, his heart hammering in his chest so loud he was sure she could hear it. She noticed his presence as he approached her. Rory turned and looked up at him and then turned quickly away, focusing her gaze back down at the water again. Jess slid down next to her and gazed out at the water too.
"What are you doing here?" Rory asked trying to hide the nervousness in her voice.
It was one thing to be with Jess in a busy dinner with Luke standing right near by, but it was something completely different being alone, on the bridge they had had lunch, with no one around, all alone, completely and utterly… alone. A chill ran up her spine making her quiver as she realized that she wasn't sure if she was nervous because this scared her or because it thrilled her.
"Well, it's nice to see you too." Jess responded sarcastically trying to gain composure
"I didn't mean it like that… Sorry" she added looking sidelong at him; noticing the sarcasm in his voice, and the crudeness in hers.
Jess simply shrugged and continued to stare out of the water then said,
"So, what are you doing here?" He was very good at responding with a question, turning it on her.
"I came here to eat breakfast…" And noticing the look he gave her she continued "and to think."
"About…" he prompted her on
After a pause "My life and where I fit into it." She responded, opting not to add where he and Dean fit into it too.
"Oh. So, are the ducks providing any great revelations yet?" Jess asked, a smirk forming in the corners of his mouth as he watched her stare at a group of them on the water.
"Humm, not yet," Rory said playing along, "but I'm sure our newly acquired alarm clock is adding in the translation process." She said smiling, placing her empty bag and coffee cup down on her other side.
"Oh, sorry, I guess it was my mistake to assume your mother's motives at the time she purchased the alarm clock were simply because I figured her to be a physco, not because she was trying to help you converse with nature." Jess said, now positively smirking
"Well it's a good thing my mother bought the thing and not me, huh?" Rory responded
"I'm not to sure; I heard mental stability can be translated from generation to generation." Jess fired back.
"Ooooh, and your one to talk considering you're here on the condition your parent's mental stability isn't exactly up to par." Rory said back, but not quite with any realization on the effect her words could have.
Jess' smile vanished and he stared at Rory for a minute, his eyes cold and hard before he turned back to staring at the lake, his jaw clenched.
"Jess…" Rory began, feeling her heart sink knowing she had really hurt him. She reached out and placed a hand on his arm. He flinched at the touch, and shook her hand off as he turned to stare at Rory. He felt his anger slightly ebb away when he saw the look of sorrow and sympathy in her eyes, but she had touched upon a subject he was very vulnerable in, and she had prodded in just a bit too deep, surfacing a question that had been brooding in him for a while. Was he really like his parents, or could he change the pattern of destruction his parents had so adamantly pursued?
Angry, he practically yelled,
"I…am…nothing like my parents." His voice trembling a bit from anger. "How the hell can you possible think you know me enough to say something like that!"
Rory just looked at him shocked, watching his face turn a little red.
"Your right, I'm sor-" Rory began, but Jess cut in, and began shouting again
"Just because my mom can't commit to anything doesn't mean that I can't too. Just because she is a lousy flake doesn't mean I am too; and just because she runs from her problems doesn't mean that I do too, and just because-"
"Jess!" This time it was Rory's turn to cut him off. "I'm sorry." She said, simply but with such meaning in her voice and eyes. "You're right, I don't know you…"
Jess butted in, still in need of venting his anger
"Damn right you don't and for you to think that saying sorry is suddenly going to make it all better-"
Rory instead of trying to say anything again just placed one finger delicately on his lips to silence him and whispered
"Shut up Jess." And he did, but all the while his heart was pumping fast, his anger forgotten as the two just stared at each other; Jess' breathing still a bit fast and heavy. Rory let her finger slid off his lips and let her hand trail down his arm and then slid into his hand, all the while Jess felt goose bumps rise as a chill raced through his body making the hairs on the back of his next stand on end. Softly she interlaced her fingers in with his, her mind racing as she seemed unable to control what she was doing. Jess watched her hand, and then looked back up into her eyes. Not for the first or last time Rory was at a loss of what Jess' eyes were trying to tell her. Her heart was going fast, and any thoughts of Dean suddenly became 'Dean who?'
Rory began to speak again; her voice barely audible but Jess could hear her perfectly.
"What I was saying was that…" she took a breath but kept her gaze locked with is his "was that I don't know you… but…I'd, I'd love to change that."
She finished and gave his hand a small squeeze. While outwardly Jess portrayed this as having no effect on him, inside his stomach was churning and he felt weak; he had been waiting all his life for someone to say something like that and now he felt as he would do anything to make this girl happy.
Jess simply nodded. "What do you want to know?" he whispered back. He was no longer nervous or upset, but completely relaxed, however, not quite enough to let his guard down; she could never make him do that…or could she? He was seriously beginning to question his abilities to conceal his true feelings from her anymore.
"We'll start simple, what's your favorite color?" she asked, a small smile returning
"Blue." He responded
"Favorite food?"
"Chinese."
"Oh really? I didn't know that." Rory said in surprise
"Well that's the purpose of this isn't it? To find things you didn't know about me?" He responded sarcastically smiling now too, but aware they were still holding hands and that Rory's grasp hadn't exactly loosened, nor that he wanted it to.
"Fine, I guess there is now a 'no after response comment rule' considering you seem to be the question nazi." Rory said
"Oh, yes, don't doubt that I am. However, I will allow an 'after response comment' if it doesn't include any of that 'Oh really' crap. If I told you an answer, than you don't need to ask another question verifying my response." He said with a smirk
"Well Jess, last I checked "Oh really' was used more as a phrase than as a question." Rory fired back
"Agreed. Then shall I just say no more 'thinking out loud phrases'?"
"That works."
"Continue."
"Ok, favorite book."
"You of all people should know how entirely impossible that question is to answer." Jess said frowning at her
"True." Rory said
"Um, ok, middle name." she asked
"Don't have one." He said frankly
"Fair enough." She shrugged
"What is your earliest memory?" Rory asked coming up with questions out of the blue
"Oh…um, I don't know. I can tell you that one of my earliest memories would have to be the I stole a bunch of chocolate chip cookies at a day care center and then went in a closet and ate them all until I got really sick." Jess said smiling
"Ah, what a pity, stealing in your delicate years; you were tainted at a young age." Rory said sarcastically shaking her head "I was sincerely hoping you might have not crushed all of your innocence so early."
Jess laughed and said, "Well, it was definitely long gone before I could even walk."
"I don't doubt that." Rory smiled "So, on your loss of innocence note, when was your first time in a cop car?"
"Who said I've been in a cop car?" Jess asked trying to look serious with an innocent puppy dog face
"Ok, others more gullible, or just plain stupid, may be more fooled by your charm, but it doesn't work on me." Rory said
"My charm?" Jess asked raising his eyebrows and causing Rory to groan
"Or lack of should I say?" Rory said smirking now too
Jess just shook his head sighing
"Next."
"No, no 'next'. You're avoiding my question, when was your first time in a cop car?" Rory prodded further
Jess sighed and looked right at her then turned away and responded so Rory couldn't hear.
"What was that?" she said giggling a little
He turned back to her and said "Five"
"Five!" She squealed, "What did you do, steel a baby's bottle?"
"Something like that." He said, smiling a bit at her amusement upon this admittance
"Elaboration please." She trying to act professional
He took a big breath and began, "Ok, one day I got caught steeling a Power Ranger from Toys 'R' Us,"
"A Power Ranger?" she said giggling again
"Keeping in mind I was five, yes, and continuing" he said looking annoyed in a humorous manor, "not to mention my mom being god knows where, the store manager had to call the cops and they had to come pick me up and take me to the station. I caused them a really shit load of problems though, I refused to say a word, and they couldn't figure out who I was. I actually had to stay the night… but they put me in one of the offices, not a cell," Jess added noting the look of surprise on Rory's face, "and it wasn't until sometime later that next day that my mom called to inform the cops she had lost her kid. They then put two and two together and I went home, but not after my mom got quite a pep talk from the cops. I guess you could say I was a problem from the very start for my mom, I'm actually surprised she put up with me for as long as she did." Jess finished and took a breath, glancing up at Rory's face.
"It took your mom a whole day to figure out you were gone?" She said in amazement
"That's actually record time. When I was seven I spent four whole days in the station until she came to get me." Jess said, looking down
"Oh…Jess I'm sorry." Rory said giving him a small smile and his hand another little squeeze and causing his insides to swirl again. Did she realize the effect that was having on him?
"Don't worry about it…I stopped worrying long ago." He said
Rory sighed and lied back, pulling Jess down with her as she didn't let go of his hand. They both just lied there content, staring up at the sky and the clouds. Jess turned his head, shifted his position and looked at her before speaking
"Now that my interrogation is complete," he sighed "for now" he added as Rory raised her eyebrows at him, and then nodded in approval at the last addition, "its time for yours." Jess finished
Rory rolled on her side propping herself up on her elbow and faced him, looking into his eyes intently
"Jess…"
"Rory…" He said giving her the same look, only sarcastically
"Fine." She sighed, but now not at all amused
Jess frowned but persisted, determined to unravel her thoughts
"Why were you so distant today at Luke's?" Jess cut right to the chase
Rory released her hand from his and sighed again, much to Jess' dismay.
"Look, do we really have to talk about this now?" She said trying to divert the conversation
"This seems like a good of time as any." he said rolling over on his side propping himself up too facing her; which resulted in a very small space separating the two. Rory felt her heart go off again as she could feel his breath on her face. She wiped her sweaty palm on her jeans before meeting his eyes. Just like in the dinner, she had to look down again as her breath was caught short. He lay, waiting patiently as she searched for the right words. A loose strand of hair hung down around her face and Jess moved his hand up and brushed it gently behind her ear, his fingertips softly caressing her cheek. The two just stared at each other, before Jess broke the silence
"So what happened?"
"Ok," she said opening up to him "my mom and I got in a really big fight, she accused me of lying so I stormed away and spent the night at Lanes." Rory said deliberately cutting it short and leaving out parts of the story.
"Humm," Jess said unconvinced, "so what did she accuse you of lying about?" Jess asked
Now she was stuck.
"Well, um, she thought I was lying about why Dean and I were, are, having problems." She said a little nervous now, knowing she was fully proving her mother's side of the argument right now lying there with Jess
"And what did she think the real reasons for your problems were?" He asked in a coxing voice
"Uh…you." She said quietly not meeting his eyes
"And," Jess continued his heart betting remarkably fast, but somehow right in tune with Rory's "is that true?"
Rory swiftly brought her eyes to meet his. She opened her mouth to respond but was cut short by something that made her very blood freeze.
"Rory? What the Hell!" It was Dean.
Please review and tell me what you think. Sorry I'm not supper fast at updating, schools really bogging me down. Thanks -Breanna
Same Day (Sunday)
Jess walked down the street putting his hands in his vest pockets. He crossed the street and headed towards the bridge, the spot he was sure Rory would be. He came to a bush at the start of the bridge and peered out from around it. There sat Rory, slowly chewing her muffin with her coffee cup in hand. She swallowed and then took a sip of coffee, all the while staring out at the water. Jess smiled to himself as he watched her, she was so beautiful the way her hair fell about her shoulders and around her round face, and her skin so pale and smooth was rosy from the early morning chill. He steeped out and made his way down the bridge, his heart hammering in his chest so loud he was sure she could hear it. She noticed his presence as he approached her. Rory turned and looked up at him and then turned quickly away, focusing her gaze back down at the water again. Jess slid down next to her and gazed out at the water too.
"What are you doing here?" Rory asked trying to hide the nervousness in her voice.
It was one thing to be with Jess in a busy dinner with Luke standing right near by, but it was something completely different being alone, on the bridge they had had lunch, with no one around, all alone, completely and utterly… alone. A chill ran up her spine making her quiver as she realized that she wasn't sure if she was nervous because this scared her or because it thrilled her.
"Well, it's nice to see you too." Jess responded sarcastically trying to gain composure
"I didn't mean it like that… Sorry" she added looking sidelong at him; noticing the sarcasm in his voice, and the crudeness in hers.
Jess simply shrugged and continued to stare out of the water then said,
"So, what are you doing here?" He was very good at responding with a question, turning it on her.
"I came here to eat breakfast…" And noticing the look he gave her she continued "and to think."
"About…" he prompted her on
After a pause "My life and where I fit into it." She responded, opting not to add where he and Dean fit into it too.
"Oh. So, are the ducks providing any great revelations yet?" Jess asked, a smirk forming in the corners of his mouth as he watched her stare at a group of them on the water.
"Humm, not yet," Rory said playing along, "but I'm sure our newly acquired alarm clock is adding in the translation process." She said smiling, placing her empty bag and coffee cup down on her other side.
"Oh, sorry, I guess it was my mistake to assume your mother's motives at the time she purchased the alarm clock were simply because I figured her to be a physco, not because she was trying to help you converse with nature." Jess said, now positively smirking
"Well it's a good thing my mother bought the thing and not me, huh?" Rory responded
"I'm not to sure; I heard mental stability can be translated from generation to generation." Jess fired back.
"Ooooh, and your one to talk considering you're here on the condition your parent's mental stability isn't exactly up to par." Rory said back, but not quite with any realization on the effect her words could have.
Jess' smile vanished and he stared at Rory for a minute, his eyes cold and hard before he turned back to staring at the lake, his jaw clenched.
"Jess…" Rory began, feeling her heart sink knowing she had really hurt him. She reached out and placed a hand on his arm. He flinched at the touch, and shook her hand off as he turned to stare at Rory. He felt his anger slightly ebb away when he saw the look of sorrow and sympathy in her eyes, but she had touched upon a subject he was very vulnerable in, and she had prodded in just a bit too deep, surfacing a question that had been brooding in him for a while. Was he really like his parents, or could he change the pattern of destruction his parents had so adamantly pursued?
Angry, he practically yelled,
"I…am…nothing like my parents." His voice trembling a bit from anger. "How the hell can you possible think you know me enough to say something like that!"
Rory just looked at him shocked, watching his face turn a little red.
"Your right, I'm sor-" Rory began, but Jess cut in, and began shouting again
"Just because my mom can't commit to anything doesn't mean that I can't too. Just because she is a lousy flake doesn't mean I am too; and just because she runs from her problems doesn't mean that I do too, and just because-"
"Jess!" This time it was Rory's turn to cut him off. "I'm sorry." She said, simply but with such meaning in her voice and eyes. "You're right, I don't know you…"
Jess butted in, still in need of venting his anger
"Damn right you don't and for you to think that saying sorry is suddenly going to make it all better-"
Rory instead of trying to say anything again just placed one finger delicately on his lips to silence him and whispered
"Shut up Jess." And he did, but all the while his heart was pumping fast, his anger forgotten as the two just stared at each other; Jess' breathing still a bit fast and heavy. Rory let her finger slid off his lips and let her hand trail down his arm and then slid into his hand, all the while Jess felt goose bumps rise as a chill raced through his body making the hairs on the back of his next stand on end. Softly she interlaced her fingers in with his, her mind racing as she seemed unable to control what she was doing. Jess watched her hand, and then looked back up into her eyes. Not for the first or last time Rory was at a loss of what Jess' eyes were trying to tell her. Her heart was going fast, and any thoughts of Dean suddenly became 'Dean who?'
Rory began to speak again; her voice barely audible but Jess could hear her perfectly.
"What I was saying was that…" she took a breath but kept her gaze locked with is his "was that I don't know you… but…I'd, I'd love to change that."
She finished and gave his hand a small squeeze. While outwardly Jess portrayed this as having no effect on him, inside his stomach was churning and he felt weak; he had been waiting all his life for someone to say something like that and now he felt as he would do anything to make this girl happy.
Jess simply nodded. "What do you want to know?" he whispered back. He was no longer nervous or upset, but completely relaxed, however, not quite enough to let his guard down; she could never make him do that…or could she? He was seriously beginning to question his abilities to conceal his true feelings from her anymore.
"We'll start simple, what's your favorite color?" she asked, a small smile returning
"Blue." He responded
"Favorite food?"
"Chinese."
"Oh really? I didn't know that." Rory said in surprise
"Well that's the purpose of this isn't it? To find things you didn't know about me?" He responded sarcastically smiling now too, but aware they were still holding hands and that Rory's grasp hadn't exactly loosened, nor that he wanted it to.
"Fine, I guess there is now a 'no after response comment rule' considering you seem to be the question nazi." Rory said
"Oh, yes, don't doubt that I am. However, I will allow an 'after response comment' if it doesn't include any of that 'Oh really' crap. If I told you an answer, than you don't need to ask another question verifying my response." He said with a smirk
"Well Jess, last I checked "Oh really' was used more as a phrase than as a question." Rory fired back
"Agreed. Then shall I just say no more 'thinking out loud phrases'?"
"That works."
"Continue."
"Ok, favorite book."
"You of all people should know how entirely impossible that question is to answer." Jess said frowning at her
"True." Rory said
"Um, ok, middle name." she asked
"Don't have one." He said frankly
"Fair enough." She shrugged
"What is your earliest memory?" Rory asked coming up with questions out of the blue
"Oh…um, I don't know. I can tell you that one of my earliest memories would have to be the I stole a bunch of chocolate chip cookies at a day care center and then went in a closet and ate them all until I got really sick." Jess said smiling
"Ah, what a pity, stealing in your delicate years; you were tainted at a young age." Rory said sarcastically shaking her head "I was sincerely hoping you might have not crushed all of your innocence so early."
Jess laughed and said, "Well, it was definitely long gone before I could even walk."
"I don't doubt that." Rory smiled "So, on your loss of innocence note, when was your first time in a cop car?"
"Who said I've been in a cop car?" Jess asked trying to look serious with an innocent puppy dog face
"Ok, others more gullible, or just plain stupid, may be more fooled by your charm, but it doesn't work on me." Rory said
"My charm?" Jess asked raising his eyebrows and causing Rory to groan
"Or lack of should I say?" Rory said smirking now too
Jess just shook his head sighing
"Next."
"No, no 'next'. You're avoiding my question, when was your first time in a cop car?" Rory prodded further
Jess sighed and looked right at her then turned away and responded so Rory couldn't hear.
"What was that?" she said giggling a little
He turned back to her and said "Five"
"Five!" She squealed, "What did you do, steel a baby's bottle?"
"Something like that." He said, smiling a bit at her amusement upon this admittance
"Elaboration please." She trying to act professional
He took a big breath and began, "Ok, one day I got caught steeling a Power Ranger from Toys 'R' Us,"
"A Power Ranger?" she said giggling again
"Keeping in mind I was five, yes, and continuing" he said looking annoyed in a humorous manor, "not to mention my mom being god knows where, the store manager had to call the cops and they had to come pick me up and take me to the station. I caused them a really shit load of problems though, I refused to say a word, and they couldn't figure out who I was. I actually had to stay the night… but they put me in one of the offices, not a cell," Jess added noting the look of surprise on Rory's face, "and it wasn't until sometime later that next day that my mom called to inform the cops she had lost her kid. They then put two and two together and I went home, but not after my mom got quite a pep talk from the cops. I guess you could say I was a problem from the very start for my mom, I'm actually surprised she put up with me for as long as she did." Jess finished and took a breath, glancing up at Rory's face.
"It took your mom a whole day to figure out you were gone?" She said in amazement
"That's actually record time. When I was seven I spent four whole days in the station until she came to get me." Jess said, looking down
"Oh…Jess I'm sorry." Rory said giving him a small smile and his hand another little squeeze and causing his insides to swirl again. Did she realize the effect that was having on him?
"Don't worry about it…I stopped worrying long ago." He said
Rory sighed and lied back, pulling Jess down with her as she didn't let go of his hand. They both just lied there content, staring up at the sky and the clouds. Jess turned his head, shifted his position and looked at her before speaking
"Now that my interrogation is complete," he sighed "for now" he added as Rory raised her eyebrows at him, and then nodded in approval at the last addition, "its time for yours." Jess finished
Rory rolled on her side propping herself up on her elbow and faced him, looking into his eyes intently
"Jess…"
"Rory…" He said giving her the same look, only sarcastically
"Fine." She sighed, but now not at all amused
Jess frowned but persisted, determined to unravel her thoughts
"Why were you so distant today at Luke's?" Jess cut right to the chase
Rory released her hand from his and sighed again, much to Jess' dismay.
"Look, do we really have to talk about this now?" She said trying to divert the conversation
"This seems like a good of time as any." he said rolling over on his side propping himself up too facing her; which resulted in a very small space separating the two. Rory felt her heart go off again as she could feel his breath on her face. She wiped her sweaty palm on her jeans before meeting his eyes. Just like in the dinner, she had to look down again as her breath was caught short. He lay, waiting patiently as she searched for the right words. A loose strand of hair hung down around her face and Jess moved his hand up and brushed it gently behind her ear, his fingertips softly caressing her cheek. The two just stared at each other, before Jess broke the silence
"So what happened?"
"Ok," she said opening up to him "my mom and I got in a really big fight, she accused me of lying so I stormed away and spent the night at Lanes." Rory said deliberately cutting it short and leaving out parts of the story.
"Humm," Jess said unconvinced, "so what did she accuse you of lying about?" Jess asked
Now she was stuck.
"Well, um, she thought I was lying about why Dean and I were, are, having problems." She said a little nervous now, knowing she was fully proving her mother's side of the argument right now lying there with Jess
"And what did she think the real reasons for your problems were?" He asked in a coxing voice
"Uh…you." She said quietly not meeting his eyes
"And," Jess continued his heart betting remarkably fast, but somehow right in tune with Rory's "is that true?"
Rory swiftly brought her eyes to meet his. She opened her mouth to respond but was cut short by something that made her very blood freeze.
"Rory? What the Hell!" It was Dean.
Please review and tell me what you think. Sorry I'm not supper fast at updating, schools really bogging me down. Thanks -Breanna