Revelations

Ch2. Pain and White Flashes of Light

by: Umi [aeris_cloud7@yahoo.com]

disclaimer: I don't own anything, just the plot. Don't sue me!

note- This title has very little to do with the story. Uh... you can connect the words after you finish the chapter. Hint: Pain=Dean, Flashes of Light=Touch. Obscure? YOU BETCHA! Wait until you've finished, then you know the significance of my cheesy title.

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"People, we have to get the articles in by today if we want to put the Franklin out by tomorrow morning!" Paris barked. Few of them trembled, still afraid of her capabilities.

"Rory, are you listening to me?!?" Paris said.

Rory stared out the window, a gasp catching in her breath as a boy who resembled Jess passed by. She turned her head around and met Paris' eyes.

"I said, are you listening to me? Jeez Gilmore, what's wrong with you?"

"Paris... nothing is wrong with me. I just didn't get enough sleep last night. Could you repeat what you were saying?"

"Have you finished your article on teenage angst yet?"

"Yes,"

"Give it to me,"

"No."

"Why not?" Paris asked, very irritated.

"I left it at home..." Rory said quietly.

"Rory! That is not like you. You're supposed to be organized, efficient, like a motor! Instead you've become forgetful and lazy. That's not good for the Franklin," Paris chided.

"I'll go home and get it right now," Rory said.

"You better!" Paris called after her, watching Rory run out of the room.

The car Dean gave her was repaired and still running, not as well as before, but it was decent enough. Running out to the courtyard, she stopped dead in her tracks. The boy she saw had been Jess.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, still keeping her distance.

"I had to see you," he said.

"Despite what I said to you last night? I said we are not going to talk about that," Rory said.

"I didn't come here to talk to you about that. I wanted to take you out to lunch," he said.

"Why?"

"You know why,"

"No I don't. Please excuse me, I need to get a very important article that I left at home," Rory said as she ran past him, her arm brushing his. The fraction of the second they touched made her see white. Jess must have been something paranormal to be able to do that to her. She never felt like that even around Dean.

"I know you felt that too!" Jess called after her. She stopped once more.

"I don't understand," she said, not facing him.

"I know you do. I felt it, I know you did too," he said.

She shook her head and ran to the car, fumbling to open the door. She jumped in, stuck the keys in the ignition and drove. Tears welled in her eyes. How could he possibly know?

Jess still stood there at the entrance of Chilton.

"I know it's in you. When will you see it?" he asked before turning to leave.

Rory reached home faster than usual, ran up the porch steps and unlocked the door only to find both her parents, making out on the couch.

"What the hell?" she said outloud, suddenly clapping a hand over her mouth. This was a good thing!

Lorelai looked at her daughter sheepishly, a cheesy smile spread on her face. "Hi babe,"

"Dad, mom? What is going on? I thought you were still with Sherry," Rory said, looking at her father.

"I, sit down. I'll explain everything," he said, patting the last space on the couch.

"Well, I'm dying to hear what things have lead up to you and mom making out," Rory said excitedly, Jess forgotten.

"Turns out that Sherry's doctor had someone else's pregnancy test and she isn't pregnant. I was kind of shocked, but also glad. So first thing I did was tell her that I couldn't be with her because my heart wasn't in it. Surprisingly, she agreed with me. That happened last week. Since then, we've both been packing and we're going our separate ways. I arrived like... an hour ago," he said happily.

"My god, you and mom have been fooling around for an hour? For shame!" she said, laughing.

"I know, I know. I need to be taught a lesson. I knew I had to be here, with you two, MY girls," he said, placing an arm around each Gilmore girl.

"I am so glad," Lorelai exclaimed. "You know what that means," she said grinning as she stood.

"Margueritas!" Rory said.

"I have to be around here more often," Christopher said as he pulled his daughter up and accompanied Lorelai to the kitchen. She hummed as she gathered the ingredients, whipping up a couple virgin ones for Rory and then adding the alcohol to hers and Christopher's.

"I'm so happy for you two," Rory said, sitting at the kitchen table.

"We both are," Chris and Lorelai said at the same time.

"Oh my god! I forgot why I even came home. Argh, Paris is going to be so mad," Rory said as she set her drink down. The phone rang.

She got up, picked the phone up and answered. "Hello?"

"Did you get lost on your way home?!? Where's the article???" Paris demanded.

"Hey, family stuff okay. Can I just fax it to you?" Rory asked.

"Fine. But you better have a legitimate reason for me at school tomorrow," Paris said as she hung up.

"Who was that?" Chris asked.

"Paris. She freaked because I had to come and get an article that I forgot to bring home, and well you know why she freaked," Rory concluded, sitting back down and basking in the warmth she felt around both parents.

"I just realized today is Thursday," Lorelai said.

"Dinner at grandma's tomorrow," Rory said out loud, smiling from ear to ear.

"My parents are going to be thrilled. They've always loved you Chris, well except when they found out you knocked me up... but it was a good thing, because look at the angel we've made," Lorelai said, lightly chucking Rory under the chin.

"Mom, you're babbling," Rory said.

"Like a brook. Must be the tequila," she said happily.

"I'm so glad to be back," Christopher said.

"We are too," Rory and her mother said in unison.

The Gilmore girls were finally complete.

"So what are we going to do for dinner?" Christopher asked.

"I don't know, order out I guess. Babe, what would you like?" Lorelai asked.

"Hmm... can we PLEASE order Indian food?" she pleaded.

Lorelai wrinkled her nose, but agreed.

"Thank you mom!" she said, throwing her arms around her mother. She went to her father and did the same as well.

"Thank you for coming back, daddy," she whispered in his ear.

"Anything for my girls," he whispered back.

"Conspiring against me huh? Well don't, because I," Lorelai said.

"You what? Nothing," Christopher said as he captured her lips with his, earning a squeal of happiness from Rory.

They ordered their food, laughing and smiling so genuinely in the first time. Rory checked her watch, grimacing slightly as she shifted, her stomach too full of good Indian food. It was 9:30.

"I want to go for a walk. I need to let all this goodness digest," she said, standing up.

"Try to come home late. You're father and I need some quality time!" Lorelai exclaimed.

"Oh my god mom, I just ate!" Rory said, enjoying how well both her parents looked with each other. She waved, grabbed the keys and her cell phone before leaving.

Night time in Stars Hollow was quiet, but not overtly so. She watched a bunch of leaves swirl across the sidewalk and passed Doose's. Luke's was still open, but she saw no sign of Jess inside. Trying to forget about him, she crossed the street and walked towards the gazebo. Sitting inside, she breathed in the fresh air, closing her eyes.

"You're lucky we live in such a safe town. Hoodlums like me could have easily taken advantage of you," Jess said, staring down at her.

"Jess, you're not a hoodlum," she said, eyes still closed.

Jess smiled, Rory trusted him. He sat next to her, not too close but just enough to be near her.

"What are you doing out at this time?" he asked.

"It's not that late," she said.

"I know, but you're usually studying, talking on the phone, with Dean," he said softly.

"That's not only what I do,"

"I know," he said. They sat in silence. Rory felt a sudden urge go through her, so sudden that it made her eyes snap open. For reasons unknown to her, she reached out blindly in search for Jess' hand. She found it, squeezed it lightly and left in there. He squeezed back, surprised but glad.

"Why are we holding hands?" he asked her.

"Solace," she explained.

"For what? You're not troubled," he answered.

"Yes I am. Everything is just too much. Overwhelming. I think my parents are getting back together," she said.

"Isn't that what you've always wished for?" he asked.

"Yes! I've been waiting my whole life for my father to come back. And now he has, but it's so weird. I don't know why. And then there's you," she said.

"What about me?" Jess asked.

"I'm so confused. I know what you meant when you said that thing to me at Chilton today. I did feel it," Rory admitted.

"Like bright white light," they both said in unison.

"Everything is synchronized today. Like swimming," Rory said, slightly amused.

"Remember that Sting song? Synchronicity," Jess said.

"Irrelevant. Haha, I missed you," she said, turning to face him.

"I think you established that the last time we spoke. Did I mention I did too?" he asked, searching her eyes.

"Quit looking at me like that," she said.

"Like what? Like I want to kiss you? Because I do," he whispered, reaching out to caress her cheek.

"Then do it," she answered, leaning in towards him.

Their lips were fractions of an inch apart and Jess had to say something.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"For what?"

"For coming to your senses," he said before capturing her lips in a chaste kiss.

"I would never imagined this," Dean said loudly, breaking up their innocent kiss.

"Dean, I," she stuttered.

"No, don't explain it to me. I knew it! And I still trusted you. Why with him? WHY?" he asked angrily.

"I don't know!" she lied. "It, I'm sorry Dean!" she apologized, not sure why she reverted to fibbing.

"Don't apologize to me. It's over Rory. I knew he was bad news the first day he came to Stars Hollow. I don't understand why you couldn't see it," he said sadly.

"I, Dean, please don't," she tried to say. There was no point, he had broken up with her, attempting anything was futile.

"No, I'm sorry Rory. We're done," he said before turning to leave.

"Watch your back Mariano. I'll kill you if you hurt her," he called, not turning to face them.

Rory's eyes fell to the wood slats of the gazebo floor. Tears burned her eyes, her hands balled up into tight fists. She let the tears come, heart-wrenching sobs came up. She was bent over, her hot tears spilling onto the old wood of the gazebo. Jess sat there, staring. He was compelled to comfort her, but had no words to say. It was his fault?

He thought that it was enough. Grabbing a hold of her shoulder, he placed her back into a seated position then stood her up. He wrapped his arms around her, pressing light kisses into her hair, a hand running up and down her back.

"It's okay. Shh... I'm sorry Rory," he whispered into her ear.

"You, you didn't do anything wrong. I'm not upset over Dean," she managed to choke out between sobs. "I'm so lost," she said.

"You're not lost. I found you," he said.

"Don't leave me," she said.

"Never," he kissed her cheek, tenderly wiping tears off of face.

A.N. - So??? Characters better this time? I sure hope so! Anyways, please review. Thanks. I know that whole "Bright white light" thingy with Rory and Jess was kinda creepy, but I dunno, when you're in love, you feel and see things differently. So don't get creeped out! And... if my characters remain OOC, I guess I'll just leave them that way. They're not over the top weird.