Chapter 11- Back on the Road

*I'm thinking of the time

That I saw you last

Time has passed me by too fast

I think of yesterday

It seems so very far away

I wonder if you think of me

I wish you were here with me*

She drove and drove. Day turned to night. She stopped at a rest stop and slept in the back seat of her car, which was surprisingly comfortable. Again she'd drive, and drive. She stopped to get some food, and then she'd drive again. When you only drive for more than 48 hours, at highway speeds, you can get a great distance. Now entering California was the sign that she read at mid-afternoon Monday.

*Hearing your voice is not good enough

I wish I could be seeing you tonight*

At a little after 9 O'clock she reached the unique house that had the same numbers as the slip of paper that Luke had given her. She parked next to the curb and walked up cautiously to the gate. She slipped inside up to the door, the path was filled with plants and she became a little intimidated. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door.

Inside, Jimmy looked confused and got up. He opened the door to find Rory.

"Can I help you?" He asked.

"Yes, ah, are you Jimmy?" She asked looking at the address Luke had written her, which contained Jess's father's name.

"Yeah, who's asking?"

"Oh, I'm a friend of Jess's and I wondered if he was here."

"Yeah, uh let me see if I can get him down here." He looked up the stairs. "Jess?" He hollered.

"What?" Jess screamed down.

The second she heard his voice she smiled. God, she missed that voice.

"There's somebody at the door for you, get down here."

"Fine, I'll be right there." He put down his book on the extra bed. 'Who could it be at this late hour?' He wondered as he tramped down the stairs. Through the screen he saw her. She looked as great as he'd remembered, her hair was a little longer and her makeup very subtle, but she looked wonderful. He smiled.

"Rory. Ah, what are you doing here?" He asked.

"I'll leave you two alone." Jimmy replied.

"Ah, wait. Jimmy, this is, this is Rory." Jimmy smiled

"Okay." He said as he left. "Nice to meet, you Rory."

He approached the door closer.

"Hey" he said, almost instinctively trying to kiss her. He jammed his hands in his pockets instead.

"Hi, I'm a little early, I'm sorry." She replied.

"No, it's, it's ah, great to see you. Would you like to come in?"

"No, could we talk out here?" She asked.

"Yeah." He replied. "Jimmy, I'm goin' out for a while." He hollered.

She stepped off the steps and down to the sidewalk. They walked along side each other down to her car.

"This yours?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"New, huh? Let me guess, graduation present?"

"From my grandparents."

"Typical. Very responsible car. It's air friendly and it's got good gas mileage. Not what I would have gotten you."

"What would you have gotten me?" She asked smiling.

"I'd have picked something classic, a cute sports car of some sort."

"I see." She sat down on the curb. He sat beside her. There was silence for a few minutes. "I've missed you." She said finally.

"So have I." He replied.

"Why did you leave?" She asked sounding hurt.

"I screwed up again, Rory. I had a good thing with you, and I screwed it up. I failed my senior year, I didn't get to take you to prom, which by the way I was almost looking forward to, and I just didn't want to see you disappointed in me, that's all."

"Jess, you know you could have come to me. I was willing to help you. It doesn't matter that you failed senior year, well, it does matter, but you can fix it. Things just got a little out of hand, that's all."

"I know. I should have listened to the warning letters I got. I was just being too much of an egotistical moron to see what I was doing. Now I've ruined the only good---" He put his hands on his head and rested his elbows on his knees.

"You made a stupid mistake leaving, Jess. And you hurt me obviously. I won't disagree with that, but I don't know if you've ruined anything."

"No?" He asked.

"Not anything that can't be fixed." She replied.

He smiled and she did too. They both knew that their still might be a chance.

"That's good to know." He added.

She got up, wiped of her pants and walked over to her car. He followed her.

"I'm gonna get some sleep, okay?"

"Yeah, you need a place to sleep?" He asked.

"I got one right here, it's actually very comfortable." She put a hand on her car.

"You sure, there's several hotels." He offered.

"I've had enough hotels for a while."

"I should have known that." He replied.

"Okay, goodnight." She said and opened the car door.

"Rory", He asked. She turned back around to face him. "There's something I've wanted to do since you got here." He moved forward, close to her. Their bodies were almost touching. He put his hands on her arms, feeling the fabric of her shirt. She looked into her eyes like he had before. Then he wrapped his arms around her. She sank into his embrace resting her head on his shoulder. It felt just like it had before he left. He felt her breathe a little sigh. Stepping back he just looked at her.

"You want to do some things tomorrow?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'd like that. I have so much to tell you."

"Goodnight, Rory." He smiled.

"Goodnight, Jess." She replied. He walked up the sidewalk and back into the house. She got in the back seat of her Prius and fell asleep. It was the best she'd slept in weeks, because she knew that maybe things would turn out all right after all.

Jess went back upstairs. 'She's here.' He thought. 'Maybe it isn't over yet.' He smiled and went to bed.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------

Lorelai sat at her usual table, looking out at the same spot of Stars Hollow as she usually did. She wasn't really looking though. She was thinking. Luke approached and stood beside her wielding a pot of coffee. He just stood there for a second figuring that she would notice him. She didn't.

"Earth to Lorelai" He uttered and she turned to see him there.

"Hey, Luke, I'm sorry. I was just thinking."

"About Rory, right? Do you want more coffee?"

"Yeah, and yes." She replied. He poured more coffee for her.

"She'll be all right, you know that." He started to reach for her hand, but pulled back because he remembered where he was.

"I know, I just wonder about her. How she's doing, what's she's going, and if she's found Jess yet."

"She should have if she made any kind of time. Don't worry about her, she'll be fine."

"Thanks." She replied, suppressing her urge to hug him.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------

Jess got up early that morning. He showered, dressed and went down to see Rory. He approached the car and looked in the window. She lay there sort of curled up, but not very much. She looked peaceful. He rapped on the window. She stirred slightly and noticed him. She rubbed her face a little and moved over to the door, rolling down the window.

"Hey."

"Hey, what time is it?" She asked.

"Oh, it's about seven-thirty."

"Ah." She replied getting out of the car. She stretched a little. "It's more uncomfortable after a few days. Maybe you could point me to one of those hotels."

"Yeah, sure." He replied. She opened the front door and hopped into the driver's seat. He got in the passenger side.

"This is vaguely familiar." She noted.

"Yeah, it is."

"Where am I going?"

"Just start driving." He replied. She did, and they soon reached a hotel. It wasn't anything really fancy, but it would do fine. She grabbed her backpack and went in.

"Hello. How may I help you, miss?" The check-in desk clerk greeted her.

"I'd like a room."

"Name, please?"

"Gilmore, Rory."

"And, how will you be paying, Miss Gilmore?"

"Credit," she said as she handed the woman her emergency credit card.

"All right, you are all set. Here is your key, room 117."

"Thanks." She took the key and scanned the room for Jess. He stood by a pillar, and she walked over to him. "I'm just gonna drop my stuff off, and take a shower quick. I'll be back down in a few minutes."

"All right, I guess I'll be right here." He sat down in a chair and picked up a random magazine.

She followed the signs, and found her room. Unlocking it, she threw her stuff on the big bed, and hurried to take a shower. Ten minutes later she emerged and slicked her hair back in a wet ponytail. She took off her towel, and dressed in her favorite pair of jeans, and a green band tee. She grabbed her wallet and put it in her back pocket. She entered the lobby and found that Jess was looking at some of the paintings that adorned the walls.

"That's a really nice one." She said coming up on him.

"Yeah, I like it."

"It's very vibrant; it has an aire of excitement."

"You ready to go?" He asked turning to her.

"Yeah, whatever you want."

"Let's go." They walked out of the doors and out onto the boardwalk. "What would you like to see?" He asked.

"Everything"

"How we browse around the book stores?"

"Sure," she smiled and he led the way. They wandered around the book stores for hours. Rory picked up a few things that she liked, and Jess did too. He glanced at his watch.

"You wanna get something to eat?" He asked as the walked along the bustling beach boardwalk. "I know this great place to get hotdogs."

"Sounds good to me" She replied. They walked a little ways and approached a stand.

"Two hotdogs, please" he told the vendor. Jess handed one to Rory and held onto his. They found a bench and sat down.

"So, how do you like Venice Beach?" She asked him. "I could ask you the same question."

"Don't avoid my question, Jess."

"Okay, fine. I guess it's all right. The people are kind of weird, but you can get lost in the crowd, and you know how much I like that."

"Yeah, I do. I think it seems nice enough. They have enough book stores that is for sure." He nodded his head, and took another bite out of his hotdog.

"So, how are you and Jimmy getting along? Must be all right, if you took the time to introduce him to me."

"That had nothing to do with it." He replied. 'God, he obviously did that because he cared enough that his father should who this girl was, the most important girl in his life.'

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------

Lorelai sat at the counter with Luke. The diner was completely empty. It was that annoying time between lunch and dinner, where nobody was around. She had folded a napkin into a paper football and was trying to persuade him to be the goal post.

"Come on, I'm bored. Just do it, Luke? For me?" She made a pouty face.

"Oh, don't use that against me. It's not gonna work." He replied smiling at her. She kept pouting and he gave in and put his hands up.

"Yay! Lucas is a goal post! Lucas is a goal post!" She chanted and made her shot. It went completely the opposite direction, well not completely, just a large amount to the right. But then it swung back for some reason, made it right into the goal and hit Luke in the head.

"Are you all right?" She giggled.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Can we stop playing this game, please?"

"Fine, what do you wanna do know?"

"I don't know."

"I don't know either."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------

It was dusk now, and they walked along the beach near the water. Nobody else was out now. Which was strange for this town, but fine with Jess. "It's really pretty here, I wish Stars Hollow has sunsets and oceans like this."

"Well, that's what you get living on the coast. Didn't they teach you that in your school?"

"Yes, I just think some are things beautiful that's all."

"I agree." He replied looking at her. "Rory, this whole thing isn't me at all. I don't do this stuff with girls. I don't like walking on the beach and I don't usually say what I am feeling. I certainly don't say what I am about to, very often." He paused for a minute, and she brushed a hair from her face. "I haven't stopped thinking about you since I got here. I left, because I'm good at that. I'm so glad you're here, and that I got to spend some time with you. You are or you were the best thing in my life. I'm a screw up Rory, and you deserve better, but I'm selfish. I missed you."

"I'm here, for now. I missed you too, and I am not too good for you. You don't see yourself like I see you. I see a guy with a bright future if he will accept it, and stop having a pity party. I don't mean that as bad as it sounds, but that's all I can think of to say."

"I see."

"You can come back, you know." She added.

"Luke wouldn't take me back, again."

"I think he could be persuaded to."

"Why?"

"My mom and he finally got together."

"For real?"

"Yeah, just call me the little matchmaker. Plus he'd like the help again."

"I don't know. I would have to go back to Stars Hollow High, and face the same principal, and the junior class. That would really suck."

"Well, it's your decision. It is only 22.8 miles away though."

"Yeah, I know."

"Well, I have to get back there soon. I have school starting up, and stuff to take care of."

"I know." He replied.

"Will you come back, Jess, for me?" She looked at him with a presence about her. She really wanted him to come back. He really wanted to come back.

"It isn't just that easy." He replied.

"Why not, Jess. Stop making it harder than it is. Do you want to be with me or not, I need to know whether I should move on or if I have a boyfriend again." She started to cry and she turned around and walked the other way. He ran after her and stopped her.

"Rory, are you absolutely sure you want me to come back?"

"Why wouldn't I? I told you I loved you didn't I?" She wiped a tear from her eye.

"What will all those Yale men think of you dating a guy like me?"

"I don't think they'd care if I did."

"All right, I'll come back."

"You will?" She smiled.

"Yes, and by the way. You have a boyfriend again, if you want him for the jerk he is."

"Of course I do." She smiled.

"I have something for you." He said taking the necklace he had bought a week ago, out of his pocket. He held it up to show her.

"It really pretty, Jess." He stepped behind her, and clasped it around her neck. Moving back to the front of her, he straightened it a little. "I saw it here a while ago, and it reminded me of you."

"It's nice, thanks." She smiled and he stepped forward, wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her hard. She kissed back. They parted to get air, after a few moments of intensely kissing. He took her hands.

"I've wanted you to do that, since before I got here." She replied shyly.

"And I've wanted to do that, since before you got here." He smiled. "I love you, Rory."

"I love you, too." She paused. "You know, you aren't usually like this, but you should be more often. It's really sweet."

"Maybe I'll work on that. Have to do something to keep your attention with all those Yale men swarming around you."

"Don't worry, I won't fall for anyone else."

"If you say so." He smiled and laughed a little.

"You should smile more too." She added. He lifted a hand, touched her face, and kissed her again. And as the sunset faded, neither of them wanted to let go.

A/N: Lyrics credits are "See You Tonight" by The Eyeliners. Intense, huh? Lol! Well, better be going. Good night---ah, morning :P