*Disclaimer: I don't own the series Gilmore Girls or the characters. Except for Bryan. (who's out of the picture after this chapter) All I own is my imagination en the plot.

*A/N: Heya my partners in crime! Well you're not my partners in crime yet. But right after I post this chapter I have a plan to murder Bryan and you guys are welcome to join me. Bring whatever weapon you want. Okay, seriously though, I hope Bryan got what he deserved. Hit the review button and give me your opinion on this chapter. What's your favorite part ? (and what weapon are you taking with you ?) ;-) Thanks for all the reviews! You guys rock even more than the rock in rock&roll!

*~*~*:-)*~*~*Bye, smile :-)

When Jess reached Bryan's apartment, the ambulance had already arrived and even the cops had made an appearance. For some reason he always felt uncomfortable around the police. Maybe cause he used to get in trouble so much when he was younger. As he made his way up the stairs to the main entrance, the door flew open and two paramedics carrying a stretcher came out of the building. As Jess past them, he couldn't help to throw a glance at the person that was lying on the stretcher. A relatively normal-looking guy with brown hair. Nothing unusual about him, except for the bullet wound in his chest that was. Jess wondered if this could be Bryan ? He didn't look like your usual wife-beater, but then again they never did. He hurried up the steps, hoping that the cops hadn't talked to Rory yet. They would just freak her out more. She wasn't used to talking to cops, now he had some experience in that department. When he reached the apartment, the place was practically crawling with cops. He slipped in to the apartment unnoticed and found Rory sitting in a corner of the living room, trying to make herself invisible. Which was working, cause not a single cop had stopped to talk to her yet. Jess ignored the looks that he was getting from the police officers and walked over to Rory. He kneeled down in front of her, feeling genuinely sorry. She never deserved this.

J: ''Rory ?''

Rory didn't look up and kept her face buried in her arms.

R: ''I didn't mean to. I didn't mean to............I didn't mean to.''

Jess reached for her arm and pulled her into a comforting embrace. To his surprise Rory didn't try to stop him, she just rested her head against his chest and kept crying.

J: ''It's going to be okay.''

R: ''No it isn't. I killed him.''

Her cries got louder and Jess pulled her even closer. Ever since he saw Rory again, he had been thinking about how much he wanted to hold her in his arms again. And now that he was, he wished that he didn't have to. Not like this.

J: ''You didn't kill him. He's already on his way to the hospital.''

He caught a cop looking at him and sighed. Guess it was time to talk to the cops. He gently pushed Rory away from him and met her eyes for a second.

J: ''I have to go talk to the police now, okay ?''

Rory nodded and made herself as small as possible as soon as Jess had let go of her. She observed Jess as he talked to a police officer. She couldn't believe how calm and in control he seemed of that conversation.

When Jess saw Rory watching him, he shot her a comforting smile and ended the conversation as quickly as the officer would let him. He kneeled in front of her again, glad that she wasn't crying anymore.

J: ''You have to go down to the police station for a little while.''

Rory shook her head and got a panicked look in her eyes.

R: ''I don't want to.''

J: ''You have to. All you have to do is tell them how he treated you for the past year and show him the bruises.''

Rory was quiet for a while, as if she was weighing the importance of his words against the fact that she just shot somebody. Finally she looked up at Jess again.

R: ''Are you coming with me ?''

Jess smiled at her. Just the fact that she wanted him to come with her made him think back about the time that they spend together in Stars Hollow. But when he realized what he was doing, he abruptly put a top to his flow of thoughts. This wasn't the time.

J: ''Of course.''

R: ''Thanks.''

Jess helped her up and he guided her towards the door, down the stairs and to his car. Knowing that Jess would be with her was enough for her to think that everything would turn out okay. Some of her optimism returned. It was just a spark, but at least it was there.

*~*~*

While Rory was locked up in room, talking to one of the officers, Jess patiently waited. He was too busy sorting out his thoughts to even notice the sound of time ticking away. And if he wasn't sorting out his own thoughts, he would be busy dealing with worries about Rory. He knew that the cops would probably let her go, because it was self-defense, but what if they didn't. Just as he was trying to find an answer to that question, a door opened and interrupted him. He looked up, already knowing that it was Rory. He silently studied her as she slightly smiled at the officer and politely shook his hand. After that she turned around and made her way over to him.

J: ''Hey.''

R: ''Hey.''

Rory smiled at him and a smirk appeared on his face, wiping away all the traces of worry and doubt that had been on his face before. It was alright. He could see it in her eyes. Back at the apartment something had been missing in them, something that was hard to explain. But one look at her glistering eyes told him that she wasn't putting up an act. He still wanted to hear it from her though.

J: ''How did things go ?''

R: ''They said that it was self-defense and since I have the prove to show it.........''

For a minute her eyes darkened and turned into pools of sadness, so deep that you couldn't tell where the sadness ended and she lowered her eyes. But when she looked up at Jess again the pain and agony was gone.

R: ''...........I don't get any charges.''

She sat down next to him, clasping her hands together in her lap.

J: ''What about Bryan ?''

R: ''He's going to jail as soon as the hospital says it's okay.''

J: ''Good.''

Rory nodded, not quite sure what to say. Bryan deserved this. He deserved to go to jail. He wouldn't be able to hurt her anymore, or anyone for that matter.

R: ''Yeah, good.''

Jess got out his cell phone and handed it to Rory. She took it with a confused look in her eyes and before she could ask him he already answered her.

J: ''Call your mom.''

Rory looked at the phone. Right, her mom. Of course she needed to know about this and everything that had happened the past couple of months.

J: ''I'm going to get us some coffee.''

R: ''You drink coffee ?''

Jess shrugged.

J: ''It's kind of a necessity when I'm spending time with you.''

Rory smiled at his comments and watched him walk away with his hands in his pockets. Right there and then he reminded her so much of the 17-year-old Jess that came to take her order almost every day. Even when he wasn't working he would take her order. She took a deep breath and dialed her mom's number with a small smile brightening up her face.

*~*~*

When Jess came back with the coffee, Rory was just ending her conversation with her mom and by the looks of the smile on her face, things went pretty well.

R: ''I love you too mom.''

Rory hung up and aimed her warm smile at Jess when she saw the coffee.

R: ''Coffee.''

Jess smirked as he handed her one of the cups of coffee.

J: ''It's not as good as what you're used to, but it'll do.''

Rory handed him back the cell phone as she took a sip of the warm liquid that could always calm her down no matter how she felt. They sat in silence for a while. Rory drinking her coffee and thinking about everything that had happened to her in the last 24 hours and Jess doing the same. Only his mind was filled with thoughts from the past. His past to be exact. His past in New York and his past in Stars Hollow, where he met this remarkable girl with an even more remarkable heart and personality. He smiled at the silence between them. It reminded him of a glass window. They could open and close it whenever they wanted. It brought good memories to the surface. Most of them laid their scene at the bridge. The coffee on the other hand reminded him of the diner where he had spend the remain of his time. But all his memories lead him back to one person. To the brown-haired girl, woman by now, with her sincere, blue eyes that broke right through his careless and rough boy attitude. She was the only person that he would open up too, she was the only one who knew all the sides of his personality and she was the only person who didn't care how many mistakes he made or how many flaws he had.

R: ''Jess, could you drive me to Stars Hollow ?''

Jess turned his head and locked eyes with Rory.

R: ''My mom thought that it would be best for me if I spend some time away from........well everything. I haven't seen her or Luke for a while so I agreed.''

J: ''For once I agree with Lorelai.''

R: ''So, you'll take me ? If you don't want to I'll completely understand, I mean I can take a buss or something.''

J: ''Rory, I'll take you.''

R: ''Are you sure ?''

J: ''Yeah, it's no problem. Besides I kind of want to see Luke too.''

R: ''I'm sure he would want to see you too.''

J: ''So, shall we ?''

R: ''Yeah, but can we drive by the hospital first ?''

J: ''Why ?''

R: ''Please ?''

J: Fine.''

He started to head for the door with Rory close behind him. Even though she didn't tell him, he knew that she wanted to check on Bryan. A part of him wanted to stop her, but the other part of him understood that she had to do this. Besides after this Bryan would never lay eyes on Rory ever again.

*~*~*

When they reached the hospital, Jess agreed to wait for Rory in the waiting area while she went to see Bryan for one last time. When Rory reached Bryan's room, she stopped and looked at him through the transparent glass. By the looks of it he was asleep. Rory took a deep breath and quietly went into the room. Her gaze almost immediately went to the white bandage that was wrapped around his chest. She still couldn't believe that she was the one who caused it. Hesitantly she took a couple of steps towards him until she reached the small table that was standing next to the bed. She didn't say anything as he took of the ring that he had given to her on their third date. It was a silver ring in the shape of a square. In the middle was a plain, white stone in the shape of a heart. Nothing special, but back then it meant everything to Bryan. And even when he started to hit her, she hadn't taken it off. Maybe cause part of her still believed that he loved her. But now she realized that what he had been doing wasn't love. She carefully placed the ring on the table and looked at Bryan's face one last time. If he hadn't been this violent he could have been the perfect boyfriend. Cause she had actually loved him the first two months of their relationship. She shot him one last look and left the room as quietly as she entered it. She found Jess sitting in the waiting area. As soon as he saw her, he got up and walked over to her. They exchanged a smile and that was all it took to reassure Jess that everything was okay. They started to head towards his car.

R: ''You know we have to drive by my place first to pick up my stuff, right ?''

J: ''That did cross my mind.''

He smiled at her as they continued to walk. Suddenly he felt Rory's fingers entwine with his. Without saying a word they kept walking.