A/N: Wow! Can't believe I'm actually on chapter 10. Couldn't have done it
Without ya.
Chapter 10
Answers within
~~~
Skye's words were still ringing in Rory's mind the next morning and all through school.
Paris had chastised her for not concentrating but for once Rory didn't care.
She barely made it through the day and when the time finally came to go home, she wasted no time in getting out of Chilton's hallowed halls.
For the first time in forever Rory didn't go to Luke's as soon as she got off the bus, instead she went to the source of her confusion.
She needed answers and there was only one place she was going to get them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Rory."
"Can I come in?"
"Sure."
Skye wasn't that surprised to see her.
She knew she's piqued Rory's curiosity the night before and curiosity could be a powerful thing. Especially when it came to the people you cared most about.
She began picking up the music sheets that were strewn across the bed.
"Am I intruding? I'm sorry, I should've called."
"Don't be crazy, this is just some stuff I'm working on, nothing major. I'm not on a streak at the moment. Have a seat."
Rory sat down, looking perturbed. Skye might have laughed if it were anyone else.
"So," she asked after no questions were forthcoming, "as much as I'd like to believe you're here because of my magnetic charm, we both know that's not the case. So why don't you tell me what is." "Last night - " Rory began
"Yeah?"
"Last night you said something and its been stuck in my head."
"No offence Rory but you're gonna have to be a bit more specific."
"You said he's let me closer than I realise. What'd you mean?"
"Exactly that."
"Skye come on!"
"Okay," she walked to the window staring out of it. "What do you think is a little may be according to your standards. But to Jess that same little might be everything."
Rory didn't say anything for a moment.
"So you're saying what he lets me see of the real him is a real big deal to him?"
"Yes. I know it's frustrating but you have to be patient."
"He doesn't make it easy." Rory slumped onto the bed.
Skye watched her thoughtfully for a few minutes.
"Why is it so important that he opens up to you?"
Rory bolted upright.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me."
"I - I care about him."
"You sure that's the real reason, that you care?" Skye asked emphasising the last word.
"What do you mean?"
Skye laughed.
"You sure ask a lot of questions Rory."
But then her expression turned serious. "You came here for answers but the truth is the real answer is inside you."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lane saw Jess at his locker after school. She contemplated turning around but decided against it.
She had to start somewhere and sometime, it might as well be now.
"Hey Jess, funny seeing you here."
She mentally kicked herself, great ice- breaker.
Jess shrugged, apparently not taking offence. "Hey Lane."
"So - " she started uncertainly.
"Yeah?"
"Are you going the diner?" And now we're onto asking the obvious.
"Yes Lane."
She was beginning to think that maybe this wasn't such a good idea.
"Well then I guess I'll see ya."
She started walking away, silently berating herself.
"Hey Lane!" he called after her.
"Yes?"
He walked up to her. "You wanna walk with me? That is if you don't mind the town turning on you 'cause you're walking with its menace."
She felt oddly happy at his invitation and she didn't realise it showed.
"I think I can handle it."
"Cool, so let's go."
She still felt a bit weird after last night. She was dying to know what happened between him and Rory, she hadn't had a chance to speak to her and asking Jess was completely out of the question.
"What if the big bad wolf finds out?" he asked when they were outside the building.
She smiled at his description of her mom.
"No one's ever called her that before. I think I'll be able to manipulate the circumstances to my advantage to a certain degree."
"Nice." Jess nodded approvingly.
"You would appreciate that tactic, being Stars Hollow's own James Dean."
"This town's too narrow minded, it needs a little diversity."
"And you took it upon yourself to provide just that."
"Well somebody's gotta do it."
"It's not the town that's narrow minded Jess, it's some of the people in it. Some."
"Like your mom?"
"Yeah and Taylor and Kirk and Dea-" she broke off.
He looked at her peculiarly, "You can say bag boy's name Lane. I mean he is your friend isn't he."
"Yeah, its just - " she was not prepared for the way the conversation was going.
"You don't have to explain yourself to me." He said dejectedly.
For a brief moment he looked so sad and she recalled what Skye had said.
There's more to Jess, period.
"It's just that I feel weird around him since Rory and he broke up."
"Were you close?" more light-heartedly
"We spoke to each other, he was cool."
"Was? Why the past tense?"
"Well we don't speak anymore."
"'Cause of the weirdness?" he asked kicking a stone.
"On my side yeah but I don't know why he stopped. I guess Rory was the only link between us. You've seen how we are in class."
"You mean when I'm there." "Jess -" she so wished she hadn't said that.
"It's okay Lane. It's only what everyone else thinks."
"But you don't care."
"No."
He didn't sound so sure to Lane but she wasn't gonna push it. She never would have thought she could have a conversation with Jess. One where he wasn't monosyllabic.
She was starting to realise that Rory and Skye were right in defending him. There was more to him than met the eye.
"Jess can I ask you a personal question?"
"Sure you can ask, I can't guarantee an answer though."
At least he was honest.
"Were you and Skye ever closer?"
"We've never been closer than we are now Lane."
Her eyes widened, misunderstanding what he said.
"Emotionally I mean. If you want to know if we had a physical relationship why don't you just ask?"
He seemed to be enjoying making her feel ill at ease.
"Maybe it's none of my business," she said even though she really wanted to know.
"Maybe you're right."
She got the hint that that line of questioning was over but she felt that a friendship of sorts with Jess was just beginning.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rory was not feeling like speaking to anyone until she had some time to think about her visit to Skye.
The real answer is inside you.
She walked around the grounds of the inn to clear her mind.
It wasn't working her mind kept wondering . to Jess. To the time when she discovered they shared a love for literature.
To the time when she he'd asked her if she'd thought the fake murder scene was funny.
To the time when he introduced Skye to them.
To when he was waiting for her at the bus stop.
Most of all she kept on thinking of the desolate expression on his face when she found him on the back porch the night before.
And suddenly she realised that by asking Skye all those questions she was actually trying to get herself to admit that she had one big question and that she had the answer, deep inside she had the answer.
Only question left was what was she going to do about it?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: So I hope this one was better than the last. Let me know what you think PLEASE.
Without ya.
Chapter 10
Answers within
~~~
Skye's words were still ringing in Rory's mind the next morning and all through school.
Paris had chastised her for not concentrating but for once Rory didn't care.
She barely made it through the day and when the time finally came to go home, she wasted no time in getting out of Chilton's hallowed halls.
For the first time in forever Rory didn't go to Luke's as soon as she got off the bus, instead she went to the source of her confusion.
She needed answers and there was only one place she was going to get them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Rory."
"Can I come in?"
"Sure."
Skye wasn't that surprised to see her.
She knew she's piqued Rory's curiosity the night before and curiosity could be a powerful thing. Especially when it came to the people you cared most about.
She began picking up the music sheets that were strewn across the bed.
"Am I intruding? I'm sorry, I should've called."
"Don't be crazy, this is just some stuff I'm working on, nothing major. I'm not on a streak at the moment. Have a seat."
Rory sat down, looking perturbed. Skye might have laughed if it were anyone else.
"So," she asked after no questions were forthcoming, "as much as I'd like to believe you're here because of my magnetic charm, we both know that's not the case. So why don't you tell me what is." "Last night - " Rory began
"Yeah?"
"Last night you said something and its been stuck in my head."
"No offence Rory but you're gonna have to be a bit more specific."
"You said he's let me closer than I realise. What'd you mean?"
"Exactly that."
"Skye come on!"
"Okay," she walked to the window staring out of it. "What do you think is a little may be according to your standards. But to Jess that same little might be everything."
Rory didn't say anything for a moment.
"So you're saying what he lets me see of the real him is a real big deal to him?"
"Yes. I know it's frustrating but you have to be patient."
"He doesn't make it easy." Rory slumped onto the bed.
Skye watched her thoughtfully for a few minutes.
"Why is it so important that he opens up to you?"
Rory bolted upright.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me."
"I - I care about him."
"You sure that's the real reason, that you care?" Skye asked emphasising the last word.
"What do you mean?"
Skye laughed.
"You sure ask a lot of questions Rory."
But then her expression turned serious. "You came here for answers but the truth is the real answer is inside you."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lane saw Jess at his locker after school. She contemplated turning around but decided against it.
She had to start somewhere and sometime, it might as well be now.
"Hey Jess, funny seeing you here."
She mentally kicked herself, great ice- breaker.
Jess shrugged, apparently not taking offence. "Hey Lane."
"So - " she started uncertainly.
"Yeah?"
"Are you going the diner?" And now we're onto asking the obvious.
"Yes Lane."
She was beginning to think that maybe this wasn't such a good idea.
"Well then I guess I'll see ya."
She started walking away, silently berating herself.
"Hey Lane!" he called after her.
"Yes?"
He walked up to her. "You wanna walk with me? That is if you don't mind the town turning on you 'cause you're walking with its menace."
She felt oddly happy at his invitation and she didn't realise it showed.
"I think I can handle it."
"Cool, so let's go."
She still felt a bit weird after last night. She was dying to know what happened between him and Rory, she hadn't had a chance to speak to her and asking Jess was completely out of the question.
"What if the big bad wolf finds out?" he asked when they were outside the building.
She smiled at his description of her mom.
"No one's ever called her that before. I think I'll be able to manipulate the circumstances to my advantage to a certain degree."
"Nice." Jess nodded approvingly.
"You would appreciate that tactic, being Stars Hollow's own James Dean."
"This town's too narrow minded, it needs a little diversity."
"And you took it upon yourself to provide just that."
"Well somebody's gotta do it."
"It's not the town that's narrow minded Jess, it's some of the people in it. Some."
"Like your mom?"
"Yeah and Taylor and Kirk and Dea-" she broke off.
He looked at her peculiarly, "You can say bag boy's name Lane. I mean he is your friend isn't he."
"Yeah, its just - " she was not prepared for the way the conversation was going.
"You don't have to explain yourself to me." He said dejectedly.
For a brief moment he looked so sad and she recalled what Skye had said.
There's more to Jess, period.
"It's just that I feel weird around him since Rory and he broke up."
"Were you close?" more light-heartedly
"We spoke to each other, he was cool."
"Was? Why the past tense?"
"Well we don't speak anymore."
"'Cause of the weirdness?" he asked kicking a stone.
"On my side yeah but I don't know why he stopped. I guess Rory was the only link between us. You've seen how we are in class."
"You mean when I'm there." "Jess -" she so wished she hadn't said that.
"It's okay Lane. It's only what everyone else thinks."
"But you don't care."
"No."
He didn't sound so sure to Lane but she wasn't gonna push it. She never would have thought she could have a conversation with Jess. One where he wasn't monosyllabic.
She was starting to realise that Rory and Skye were right in defending him. There was more to him than met the eye.
"Jess can I ask you a personal question?"
"Sure you can ask, I can't guarantee an answer though."
At least he was honest.
"Were you and Skye ever closer?"
"We've never been closer than we are now Lane."
Her eyes widened, misunderstanding what he said.
"Emotionally I mean. If you want to know if we had a physical relationship why don't you just ask?"
He seemed to be enjoying making her feel ill at ease.
"Maybe it's none of my business," she said even though she really wanted to know.
"Maybe you're right."
She got the hint that that line of questioning was over but she felt that a friendship of sorts with Jess was just beginning.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rory was not feeling like speaking to anyone until she had some time to think about her visit to Skye.
The real answer is inside you.
She walked around the grounds of the inn to clear her mind.
It wasn't working her mind kept wondering . to Jess. To the time when she discovered they shared a love for literature.
To the time when she he'd asked her if she'd thought the fake murder scene was funny.
To the time when he introduced Skye to them.
To when he was waiting for her at the bus stop.
Most of all she kept on thinking of the desolate expression on his face when she found him on the back porch the night before.
And suddenly she realised that by asking Skye all those questions she was actually trying to get herself to admit that she had one big question and that she had the answer, deep inside she had the answer.
Only question left was what was she going to do about it?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: So I hope this one was better than the last. Let me know what you think PLEASE.
