A/N- I don't own these characters. Except for Rubin, he's mine. And Patty and Mr. Richards.But I'm disowning them. I'll keep Rubin, though. He's OK. So here's a new chapter. I know it's short and I'm sorry. If it's weird, it's because I'm trying to go somewhere with the story.

By the way- I love good reviews, and I love constructive criticism...Thanks to everyone who has given me any, it keeps me going. But I do not appreciate flames or people who insult me flat out. It's kinda rude, so if you don't like the story, go elsewhere. Don't take the time to review if all you're going to say is how I've ruined Gilmore Girls, or how you think I'm a hormonal man. I'm not. Thanks, everyone.
In the next few days, Rory was too busy with other cases to think about Jess. She met with Patty a few more times, and set up a meeting with her next door neighbors. Rubin trusted every word she said now, which only made her feel much guiltier. Guilt was something Rory was feeling a lot these days. Rubin took her out to dinner, bought her flowers, and apologized a lot. That didn't help. The evening the Rory had a meeting with Patty's neighbor, it was raining and dark. She got soaked walking from her car to the building, and she took the elevator to their floor. She looked at Jess' door on the way past and she was filled with a sense of longing. Yeah, Rory thought to herself sarcastically, that would be great if I just barged in and kissed him, while Patty watched. That's what she wanted to do. What she did was walk past the door to the next one. This must be it. Straightening her skirt, she knocked briefly on the door.

"Go away!" Came a menacing male voice from inside. Rory cleared her throat.

"Hello? Um, this is Miss. Gilmore.The Mariano's lawyer? We had a meeting." She called. She heard shuffling around, before the voice shouted back.

"Come in!" Rory grabbed the knob and opened the door. The apartment was dark and musty, and Rory felt weird. Not scared, exactly, it was just strange.

"So you're protecting those fucking morons." Said the voice. As Rory's eyes adjusted to the dark, she found that the voice belonged to a middle aged man. He was sitting at the kitchen table. The apartment was messy, garbage and clothes were strewn about on the floor.

"Um, Mr. Richards?" Rory asked nervously. The man nodded, and motioned towards the chair. Rory sat down slowly, trying not to touch anything.

"Ok, sir. Why do you feel that your rights to quiet enjoyment are being violated? Are they really that loud? Maybe we could settle." Rory went on, putting her briefcase on the table and opening it. Mr. Richards smiled cruelly.

"Are they really that loud? You really need to hear them to judge for yourself, but yes they are that loud. She woman, she screams. All night, they go at it, and she screams. I don't know how that kid of theirs doesn't wake up." He said. Rory was freaked out. When this man spoke, he had an insane smile on his face, like that of a serial killer or a psychopath.

"Now, sir. Is it not possible that Mrs. Mariano can't help it? She does have a rather high-pitched voice, but that's not her fault." Rory tried to reason with him.

"It's her fault for doing their obscene acts in the middle of the night. Every night! And it's his fault. You must have met him, you can see how he his. Trouble. That boy's body screams lust." Mr. Richards shouted. Rory immediately blushed, and he noticed. Mr. Richards nodded slowly.

"You've seen it," he said, smiling crazily, "You've seen it, and you've felt it. I can see it in your eyes. You blush. Does she know?" This frightened Rory.

"Mr. Richards, you are out of line. I do not know what you are talking about, but it is not true. And I would be happy if we could conduct this meeting with a small amount of decency." Rory said. Her voice wavered. Mr. Richards just smiled knowingly. Rory continued.

"Now, I think we should settle this before it gets to court. I mean, speaking reasonably, you have no case. No proof, and I just think that maybe."

"Oh, I have proof. I have all the proof I need." Mr. Richards cut her off. He reached beside him on the floor and pulled up a tape player. Rory felt sick.

"You.you taped it?" She asked him, incredibly. He nodded, and started to push the button.

"No!," Rory shouted, "No. I mean, I don't really have to hear it."

"You are their lawyer. You're gonna need to know this stuff." Mr. Richards told her, still smiling that creepy smile. Rory knew he was right. Any other case and she would have to hear it. But not this one. She couldn't. She couldn't hear what Jess did to this woman who was his wife every night. And he wouldn't want her to hear it. She wouldn't want him to hear her and Rubin.But she had to. She had to do this case, and she had to do it well and win it. If she didn't, Rubin would know. And worse, Patty would know, and leave Jess with Brandon. She would never do that to Jess.

"Play it." Rory told Mr. Richards slowly. He reached over and pushed the button. Immediately the room filled with Patty's screaming.

"Oh.Oh, God, Jess, yes! I.Oh, God, I love that! Yes! Oh..Oh! JESS! JESS, JESS!"

"Turn it off." Rory shouted, tears coming to her eyes. Mr. Richards laughed insanely.

"Turn it off!" Rory screamed, leaning forward and pushing the stop button on the tape player. Mr. Richards continued to laugh.

"I see it in your eyes.hurts, doesn't it, Miss. Gilmore? Hits you right here." He pointed to his heart, and stood up. He slowly walked around the table towards Rory, who cringed.

"Did he do that to you?" Mr. Richards asked, softly, coming closer to her, "Did he fuck you good?" Rory shook her head and backed up into the door. The man came until he was nose to nose with Rory.

"Mr. Richards, this is inappropriate." Rory began, her voice shaky. She reached behind her to grab the doorknob, but he grabbed her arm.

"Maybe you could describe it to me," He asked, "Tell me what could be so good that a person would scream so loud that it would keep me up all night.could you tell me that, MISS GILMORE!" Mr. Richards demanded.

"Mr. Richards, let go of me!" Rory screamed at him. He smiled cruelly. Suddenly, there was pounding on the door behind Rory.

"Mr. Richards? Rory! Rory, are you in there?" Jess' voice shouted. Mr. Richards backed away from Rory, still smiling. Rory stepped away from the door and yanked it open, running into Jess' arms.

"Rory? What are you doing here? Are you ok? What did he do to you? WHAT DID HE DO?" Jess demanded, looking over at Mr. Richards, who had gone back to sitting at the table.

"Nothing." Said Rory, shakily through her tears, "Nothing.I just.I need.my briefcase." Jess walked over to the table and picked it up, eyeing Mr. Richards suspiciously.

"Lover to the rescue." He commented, still smiling. He turned and directed his comments to Rory.

"Is that how they're paying you?" He asked cruelly.

"Take me out of here, Jess." Rory said to him quietly, when he came back over to her. They left the apartment, slamming the door. Behind them they could hear Mr. Richard's insane laughter floating through the door. Jess pulled her into his apartment.

"Jess, I have to go home." Rory said, trying to pull away from him towards the elevator.

"No. Patty's at an overnight seminar, and you are too shaky to go home. You are going to come inside and tell me exactly what happened." Rory was too shaken to argue. A few moments later, Rory was seated on the couch, wrapped in a blanket with a mug of hot chocolate. Brandon played on the floor. Rory glanced at the clock. It was around eight. Jess walked over and picked Brandon up. He yawned.

"Getting tired, buddy?" Jess asked him, hugging him. Rory smiled. When Jess talked to Brandon, he got this weird, soft voice. It was cute.

"I'm just gonna put him to bed, now." Jess told Rory. She smiled.

"Goodnight, Brandon." Rory said cheerily.

"'Night, Wowy." Brandon said shyly, burying his face in Jess shirt. Jess laughed and carried him into his bedroom. A few moments later, he returned, and sat on the couch by Rory. He looked deeply into Rory's eyes.

"Now, what did he do to you, Rory? I came over because I heard you screaming. If he hurt you, I swear to God, I'm going over there and I'm."

"He didn't! Jess, he didn't hurt me. He just said some things about me and you, and.I dunno, I was just all worked up, he played me the tape, and I thought I could handle it, but I couldn't, and I just.freaked. He's scary, he's a psychopath." Rory told him, upset.

"What tape?" Jess asked, confused. Rory blushed.

"Nothing, I'm.I'm just upset. I don't want to see him until court, and then I never want to see him again." She insisted.

"Rory, what tape?" Jess asked, more firmly. Rory looked away from him.

"Jess, he.he taped you.Patty." Rory trailed off. Jess' eyes narrowed. He stood up, but Rory grabbed his arm and pulled him back down.

"Don't!" She said, "you can't! He's gonna try to use it as evidence, but if we just hang on until then, keep our cool, we can call it invasion of privacy. Turn the charges around. If he doesn't win, you could sue him." Jess looked at Rory, and shook his head sadly.

"God, Rory. You really are a lawyer, aren't you? Thinking about law and our case, when you should be worried about your safety. Jeez, you're so.unselfish." He told her, sadly. Rory sank back on the couch.

"Am I, Jess? I think that I'm pretty selfish. I mean, look what I'm doing to your marriage? I'm not thinking of what's best for you, if Patty were to find out.and look what I'm doing to Rubin! He trusts me completely now, thanks to you, by the way. What did you say to him that day?" Rory asked.

"Nothing. I denied that we knew each other before. And Rory, don't say that. You are thinking of what's best for me. YOU are best for me. Don't you dare think that what we're doing is hurting me! If it was, or if I cared, I wouldn't be doing it. I love you, Rory. Not being with you kills me. And that's the end of this conversation." Jess finished firmly, pulling Rory to him and kissing her. She kissed him back, and she could feel the passion building. Rory looked at the clock and pulled away, breathing hard.

"Jess, I've got to go home." Rory told him softly. He nodded, keeping his eyes closed.

"I know." He breathed, "I know. Go home." He opened his eyes and smiled.

"Go home, and relieve your sexual tension with Rubin. I'll just stay here. Alone. All night, by myself." Jess said, faking a pout. Rory smiled, standing up.

"I really am sorry." She told him.

"Yah, yah. I'm not talking to you." Jess told her. A smile played on the corner of his lips as he folded his arms. Rory walked to the door.

"Bye." She said softly, opening it. Jess came over, grabbed her arm and pulled her to him, kissing her hard. When he broke away, she looked up at him.

"I thought you weren't talking to me?" She asked, coyly.

"I said I wasn't talking to you, not that I wasn't kissing you." He replied, "Bye."

"Bye." She said softly. He kissed her shortly, one more time, before she left.

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