A/N: I forgot to mention at the end of the last chapter that the lyrics to 'Bittersweet Surrender' belong to me (Mwah ha ha)

Chapter 7

Working it out

~~~

The ride home seemed to take twice as long for Rory, she couldn't even read she was too preoccupied. When she finally did get out of the bus she did a double take.

Someone was waiting at the stop for her; at least she assumed he was there for her because she saw no other reason he would be there.

Her pulse went into overdrive.

It seemed so natural and yet so strange for him to be there, she barely remembered a time when someone else used to wait for her to come out of school. But that was a long time ago.

Then she didn't feel what she felt now. Then it wasn't him.

Jess.

"Hey." He said.

A smile lit Rory's face, he looked nervous.

"Hey yourself. What are you doing here?'

"Waiting for you actually." He stuck his hands in his jacket pockets.

"Really?" He had no idea how happy that made her, hearing him say it.

"Yeah. I got a short break so I thought if you don't have other plans, maybe you could come to the diner."

"I always come to the diner after school Jess."

"I know but I meant you'd come so we could hang, talk a bit . if you want."

What about Skye? Rory almost asked him but they were communicating for the first time in a while and she didn't want to ruin things.

"I want."

Jess finally smiled.

Rory loved it when he smiled; she loved it even more when she was the reason he smiled.

They walked to the diner in companionable silence.

Luke looked mighty relieved when he saw them and Rory hid a smile.

She sat down at the counter while Jess went upstairs to hang up his jacket.

"So what you want with your coffee?" he asked when he came back down.

"Who says I want coffee?"

He looked at her in mock horror. "When have you ever not wanted coffee?"

"There was one time when I was reading 'The Sigma Protocol' . no I caved, sorry you got me."

"You read 'The Sigma Protocol'?"

"You sound surprised."

"It's just that I didn't think Robert Ludlum or political thrillers were your thing."

"Neither did I but I must admit the pace and the complexity of the plot enthralled me."

"Yeah, he is the master of that genre."

Rory smiled. It still amazed her that she could actually talk to Jess about all sorts of literature, from Shakespeare to Robert Ludlum.

It was something no one else seemed to understand but part of her was secretly glad, well actually most of her but she still wished the rest of the town would see that there was much more to him. In that regard she had an ally in Skye.

"Back to the point Gilmore - bagel, cinnamon roll, what?"

"Cinnamon roll please."

"Coming atcha." He grinned.

He went to refill some customers' cups after he brought Rory her snack, giving her time to think.

She was glad he'd met her at the bus stop; she didn't like the awkwardness and tension between them even though she knew she was more than partly to blame.

"Penny for them." Jess broke into her thoughts.

"Oh I'd say they're worth at least a dollar."

"Really?"

"Truly."

He smiled at her and Rory felt warm all over.

"Well in that case - " he took out a dollar bill and placed it on the counter.

Rory began to panic, was he serious?

Then he smirked, "Don't worry," he told her. "I wouldn't ask you to reveal your innermost thoughts to me."

She breathed a sigh of relief and sipped her coffee.

"So," he asked leaning in front of her, "What literary tales are they assigning to you at Chilton?"

"Othello."

He nodded in approval. "Deep - jealousy, betrayal, remorse. Nice mix."

"So sad that he didn't trust Desdemona. We have to motivate one basis for his actions."

"Jealousy can be a powerful thing Rory, driving all reason out the window."

Jess was looking at her so absorbedly that she couldn't but wonder if he wasn't trying to say something else.

She swallowed, "Jealousy yes, but so can pride. And I think that was Othello's problem. Pride comes before the fall."

"One can motivate both emotions."

"True," she took a stack of books out her backpack, "let me show you what I've worked on so far."

She noticed too late what was between them. The CD fell onto the counter with deafening clarity to Rory causing her heart to jump to her throat.

Jess picked it up slowly, almost disbelievingly and she saw him visibly pale. He lifted his eyes to her, questioning her. The compelled her to tell him the truth.

"It's Lane's, um I borrowed it because she was going on about how moving the whole album is especially 'Bittersweet Surrender' and 'Rainy Day'."

She didn't notice Jess' hand shaking as he turned the CD over, she was too busy studying his face.

"So what do you think?" he asked quietly, breaking the silence.

She inhaled deeply. "I'm trying to grasp how a seventeen year old could write so deeply."

"She always could express herself extremely well through her music." His voice took on a faraway quality, his eyes clouding with memories Rory felt she had no right to pry into.

No right but a desperate need.

"Seems as if she went through a lot. Experienced a lot."

"She did," they both did, "especially pain."

Rory swallowed hard. "It comes across."

"Music is Skye's therapy." He said, focussing on her again.

"And what's yours?" she hadn't meant to ask out loud.

"You."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She was about to walk into the diner when she saw them talking - really talking.

She watched from outside for a few short moments.

He looked happy, more at ease. Rory seemed to have that affect on him.

Skye turned away with a smile on her face.

Maybe things were going to work out after all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Sorry so short but I wanted to the emphasis to be on Rory and Jess and that they're starting to talk again.