(A/N) Hey here's ch.2 hope you like. I don't own characters. blah blah
blah!
****************************************** Last time:
"Was it true?" She asked plainly.
"Was what true?" He asked.
"What you wrote, on the last page." She could hear the tears in her voice.
"Yes. Every word of it." He said genuinely.
"Good." She said as she hung up.
"I love you Rory." Jess said. But all he heard was a dial tone.
******************************************
Chapter 2: Finally Found and Can I get a Towel?
Jess hung up the phone. Why had she hung up? Why had she called? He didn't know what to think at this point. He wanted to call her back but knew he probably shouldn't. But he had to. He had to tell her. He picked up the phone and dialed her cell phone. She didn't pick up. He decided he would just leave a message.
"Hey this is Rory, leave me a message and I'll call you back!"
-BEEP-
"Rory. It's Jess. Um, you hung up before I had a chance to say this. I know I wrote it, and I meant it. But it's not the same. I really don't know if you feel the same way, you'd have every right to hate me. But I guess all I'm really trying to say is I Love You. I'm glad you called earlier, just hearing your voice. I miss you. Ok well the number here is 632-345-0369. I love you so much Rory. I'm sorry I screwed things up. Ok. I guess that's it. So goodbye."
He hung up the phone, the itching feeling that maybe, just maybe, she would take him back was making him feel better already.
******************************************
"Rory, what about Europe? Our flight leaves in less than 2 hours!" Lorelai pleaded.
"Mom, I have to fix this. If you for some reason want to go without me, then go ahead, I wont hold it against you. But I have to go. Mom, I love him. I don't want to lose him for good." Rory said.
"Hon, you don't know anything about California. What about our plans? What about our dream of going backpacking in Europe?"
"Mom, that was your dream. I just wanted to make you happy." Lorelai looked so hurt by this comment. She couldn't even say anything. "I'm sorry mom. I just can't think straight. I have to get there. I need to see him." Rory was on the brink of tears once more and felt horrible that she had made her mother upset as well.
"OK. I know this is important to you. So go." Lorelai gave up. Rory jumped into her arms.
"Mom, I didn't mean to hurt you. I just-"
"I know baby." Lorelai interrupted her. "Now lets get home and get your stuff."
******************************************
Rory had boarded a plane to California at 5 PM. It would be nearly 8 PM California time when she got there. She would have to call Jess as soon as she landed. She watched a movie on the way. It was some kid movie so she didn't pay much attention to it. She fell asleep after a while and when she came to, she only had about 15 minutes left on the plane. She took a swig from her water bottle and began to mentally prepare herself for seeing Jess.
She knew it wouldn't be the same as it was. They would have to start new and go slow. But she was ready. She just hoped he was.
******************************************
Jess was sitting on the couch watching news. He was bored out of his mind and decided to just go to sleep. He didn't sleep for long. He was soon shaken awake by the sound of the phone ringing. He was the only one at home. Sasha and Jimmy had gone to eat and Sasha's daughter was at a friends' house. He answered the phone gruffly.
"Yea?"
"I got your message." Said a sweet voice on the other end.
"Rory! Hey. Isn't it kind of late there?"
"No, it's only a little after 8." She said.
"Rory, its 8 o'clock here which means its-"
"Exactly. Its 8 o'clock here." She cut him off.
"Rory. where are you?" The excitement was building in his chest.
"I'm on the beach. I dunno exactly. this was the bus' last stop. There's a little bookstore right across the street though." She said.
"Rory, are you in Venice?"
"Yep." She said.
"Tell me your not joking."
"I'm not joking."
"Are you just saying that because I told you to?"
"Nope. I'm in Venice Beach, California."
"What's the bookstore called?" Jess asked.
"Uh. Literature Land." She said.
"I'll be there in 5 minutes." He said.
"OK." She said.
"And Rory?"
"Yea?"
"I Love You." He said. They both hung up, the prospect of seeing each other was enthralling.
******************************************
Rory was perusing the bookstore, hoping to find something to give to Jess. But before she had any luck, he walked in the door. She smiled and walked over to him.
When he saw her, his breath caught in his throat. He thought he had lost her forever, but here she was just a few feet away from him. He wanted to hug her, kiss her, he wanted to smell her hair and gaze into her eyes. But he also wanted to keep her this time. He never wanted to lose her again.
Rory looked at Jess. He looked so different from just a week or two before. His eyes looked darker than usual and his face seemed dismal. But as soon as their eyes locked, his face lit up and his eyes became bright. He looked so gorgeous, his baggy pants and tight shirt flattered him and Rory wandered what he looked like underneath all that.
They inched ever closer to one another. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Neither wanted to say anything. They would have stayed like that forever but the door opened and someone asked if the would please move, as they were blocking her way.
"Yea, sorry." Rory said. She and Jess moved aside. "So. hi."
"Hey." He said. "We should probably go right? We can talk when we get to my place. its not far."
"OK." She said. He took her bag from her hand and beckoned her to follow him.
They finally reached the Mariano house. The dogs were barking as usual and Jess just steered Rory into the house. Once inside he took her into the living room and set her bag down on the floor. She looked him in the eyes and pulled out a book from her purse. It was his journal.
"I read it. All of it. I had only read a few pages before but on the plane I read it all." She said. She handed him the book. "I thought about highlighting all the things you did wrong. all the times you lied to me. But then I thought about it. It didn't matter. But I did make a pro/con list in my head." She stopped, noting the look on his face. "Laugh if you must. But I realized the only thing on the pro list made it all worth it."
"The only thing? Am I really that bad?" Jess asked.
"No your not. That's just it. The thing on the pro list was you. Because. I like everything about you. So no matter what I could think of to put in the con column, it couldn't outweigh the pros."
"Rory. If I had to make a pro/con list about you. there wouldn't be anything in the con column. That's why I always act so stupid around you. I'm always afraid I'm not good enough for you."
"Jess. I missed you."
"I missed you too."
"Then why'd you leave in the first place?"
"If you weren't going to forgive me. I didn't have much left in that town."
"But you did! You had Luke, you had school, you had other friends."
"None of that mattered to me anymore."
"Luke didn't matter to you anymore? You know, he blames himself for you leaving. He thinks he wasn't good to you. He thinks that he failed you."
"He does?" Jess suddenly felt incredibly guilty. Rory nodded. "But it wasn't his fault."
"I told him that." She said.
"How'd you know though?" He asked
"I didn't. I just hoped that you didn't really feel that way. It would kill him."
"So. how do I fix this?" he asked.
"I don't know. That's something you have to figure out by yourself." She said.
"OK."
They both sat down on the couch. Rory grabbed his hand and squeezed it. She could tell he was lost. He felt bad about Luke. But mostly he felt bad about her and he didn't know how to fix it. So as he thought about everything that they had just said, Rory laid her head down on his shoulder. She absorbed his warmth that she had missed so much lately. Not long after that, she fell asleep.
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"Rory. wake up." She was shaken awake by Jess who had at some point last night moved her to a mattress and covered her up. "Rory. you have to get ready. I need to introduce you to my dad."
Rory sleepily rubbed her eyes and stretched her arms above her head. She stood up and walked over to him. She kissed him quickly on the lips and leaned into his strong chest.
"I've missed you a lot." She said. He pulled her closer and put his head on top of hers.
"I think you mentioned that last night. But I missed you too." Jess said with a smirk.
They stayed like that for a minute before Jess finally pulled away.
"You should get ready. Showers down the hall, second door on the left. While you do that, I'm going to make us breakfast." Rory looked up at him.
"Since when do you cook?" She asked.
"Since I discovered Pillsbury and an oven."
"Wow, the genius of it all." She said sarcastically
"That's what I thought." He replied. "Now go on. must you torture me? You have to shower. I have to cook."
"That's torture huh? Poor you."
"I'll miss you." Jess said in a high-pitched voice.
"I'll never let go Jack, I'll never let go." Rory said. She laughed, grabbed her bag, and headed off to the shower.
******************************************
So it seemed that everything was getting back on track. Rory didn't really want an apology. She knew Jess was sorry. She knew that he felt horrible about the things he did. That was enough for her. So she decided to be a little more open to him than she was the night before. She had even given him a kiss and she hadn't done that last night. But there was still a long way to go before they could be as close as they were before. But if they played their cards right, everything would be back to normal soon.
Rory washed her vanilla-scented shampoo out of her hair and continued her normal shower routine. She shaved her legs, washed off with vanilla-scented body soap, and when she was finally done she just let the hot water fall on her face and back for a minute. She turned the water off and reached out for her towel. Wait. She hadn't gotten a towel. 'Oh great. wonderful.' She didn't know exactly what to do. She finally decided she would just have to call Jess.
"Jess!" She waited a moment but there was no answer. "JESS!" she called out once more.
"Rory? What's the matter?" Jess was standing outside the bathroom door now.
"Um. I forgot to get a towel." She said finally.
"Jeez you scared me. Hold on. the towels are in the closet out here." Jess went and retrieved a towel. He once again stood outside the bathroom door. "Um, Rory. do you want me to bring it in? Or should I leave it out here?" He asked nervously.
"I guess just bring it in. and set it on the toilet." Rory stood at the back of the shower, trying to cover up a little. She shower curtain wasn't clear but if he looked hard he could probably see her. Jess opened the door. And quickly walked over and set the towel down. He left just as quickly and Rory yelled "Thanks!"
"Oh yea. that wasn't awkward." Rory said to herself as she reached around the shower curtain to grab the towel.
She dried off and got dressed. She wore a green tank top, shorts, and some green flip-flops. She let her wet hair hang down at first but decided just to pull it up. She brushed her teeth, put on some deodorant, and a little bit of lip gloss. Finally satisfied with her appearance she packed up her bag, hung her towel on a little hook and left the bathroom.
She set her bag down in the living room before finally entering the kitchen. Jess had made cinnamon rolls and toast. He was already sitting at the table and drinking a glass of orange juice. Rory sat down next to him and said,
"Wow, look at my little chef!"
"I try." He said, avoiding her eyes.
"Hey. um. sorry about the towel thing earlier. it didn't even occur to me while I was still fully clothed." She said.
"Oh that's not a problem. it was just a little awkward." Jess said honestly.
"Yea. I know what you mean. Maybe we can just like. forget about it?" She asked rather than stated. Jess laughed at her uncertainty.
"I don't know why I feel awkward. I was the one with clothes on. I just didn't want you to feel weird about it."
"Well. that's nice of you but I do feel kind of weird about it."
"I'm sorry. I didn't want to make you feel weird."
"No its not you, I just have this thing about like NOT wanting to be seen naked." She said, her face reddening more every second. "Lets eat. That looks really good."
"OK. You want something to drink?" Jess asked her.
"Got any."
"Coffee it is." Rory smiled. He knew her too well. So they ate in near silence, Rory pausing only to look at Jess. She was glad she had come even if it was a little weird.
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(A/N) Ok that's it!! Next chapter- Rory meets Jimmy! REVIEW!!!
****************************************** Last time:
"Was it true?" She asked plainly.
"Was what true?" He asked.
"What you wrote, on the last page." She could hear the tears in her voice.
"Yes. Every word of it." He said genuinely.
"Good." She said as she hung up.
"I love you Rory." Jess said. But all he heard was a dial tone.
******************************************
Chapter 2: Finally Found and Can I get a Towel?
Jess hung up the phone. Why had she hung up? Why had she called? He didn't know what to think at this point. He wanted to call her back but knew he probably shouldn't. But he had to. He had to tell her. He picked up the phone and dialed her cell phone. She didn't pick up. He decided he would just leave a message.
"Hey this is Rory, leave me a message and I'll call you back!"
-BEEP-
"Rory. It's Jess. Um, you hung up before I had a chance to say this. I know I wrote it, and I meant it. But it's not the same. I really don't know if you feel the same way, you'd have every right to hate me. But I guess all I'm really trying to say is I Love You. I'm glad you called earlier, just hearing your voice. I miss you. Ok well the number here is 632-345-0369. I love you so much Rory. I'm sorry I screwed things up. Ok. I guess that's it. So goodbye."
He hung up the phone, the itching feeling that maybe, just maybe, she would take him back was making him feel better already.
******************************************
"Rory, what about Europe? Our flight leaves in less than 2 hours!" Lorelai pleaded.
"Mom, I have to fix this. If you for some reason want to go without me, then go ahead, I wont hold it against you. But I have to go. Mom, I love him. I don't want to lose him for good." Rory said.
"Hon, you don't know anything about California. What about our plans? What about our dream of going backpacking in Europe?"
"Mom, that was your dream. I just wanted to make you happy." Lorelai looked so hurt by this comment. She couldn't even say anything. "I'm sorry mom. I just can't think straight. I have to get there. I need to see him." Rory was on the brink of tears once more and felt horrible that she had made her mother upset as well.
"OK. I know this is important to you. So go." Lorelai gave up. Rory jumped into her arms.
"Mom, I didn't mean to hurt you. I just-"
"I know baby." Lorelai interrupted her. "Now lets get home and get your stuff."
******************************************
Rory had boarded a plane to California at 5 PM. It would be nearly 8 PM California time when she got there. She would have to call Jess as soon as she landed. She watched a movie on the way. It was some kid movie so she didn't pay much attention to it. She fell asleep after a while and when she came to, she only had about 15 minutes left on the plane. She took a swig from her water bottle and began to mentally prepare herself for seeing Jess.
She knew it wouldn't be the same as it was. They would have to start new and go slow. But she was ready. She just hoped he was.
******************************************
Jess was sitting on the couch watching news. He was bored out of his mind and decided to just go to sleep. He didn't sleep for long. He was soon shaken awake by the sound of the phone ringing. He was the only one at home. Sasha and Jimmy had gone to eat and Sasha's daughter was at a friends' house. He answered the phone gruffly.
"Yea?"
"I got your message." Said a sweet voice on the other end.
"Rory! Hey. Isn't it kind of late there?"
"No, it's only a little after 8." She said.
"Rory, its 8 o'clock here which means its-"
"Exactly. Its 8 o'clock here." She cut him off.
"Rory. where are you?" The excitement was building in his chest.
"I'm on the beach. I dunno exactly. this was the bus' last stop. There's a little bookstore right across the street though." She said.
"Rory, are you in Venice?"
"Yep." She said.
"Tell me your not joking."
"I'm not joking."
"Are you just saying that because I told you to?"
"Nope. I'm in Venice Beach, California."
"What's the bookstore called?" Jess asked.
"Uh. Literature Land." She said.
"I'll be there in 5 minutes." He said.
"OK." She said.
"And Rory?"
"Yea?"
"I Love You." He said. They both hung up, the prospect of seeing each other was enthralling.
******************************************
Rory was perusing the bookstore, hoping to find something to give to Jess. But before she had any luck, he walked in the door. She smiled and walked over to him.
When he saw her, his breath caught in his throat. He thought he had lost her forever, but here she was just a few feet away from him. He wanted to hug her, kiss her, he wanted to smell her hair and gaze into her eyes. But he also wanted to keep her this time. He never wanted to lose her again.
Rory looked at Jess. He looked so different from just a week or two before. His eyes looked darker than usual and his face seemed dismal. But as soon as their eyes locked, his face lit up and his eyes became bright. He looked so gorgeous, his baggy pants and tight shirt flattered him and Rory wandered what he looked like underneath all that.
They inched ever closer to one another. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Neither wanted to say anything. They would have stayed like that forever but the door opened and someone asked if the would please move, as they were blocking her way.
"Yea, sorry." Rory said. She and Jess moved aside. "So. hi."
"Hey." He said. "We should probably go right? We can talk when we get to my place. its not far."
"OK." She said. He took her bag from her hand and beckoned her to follow him.
They finally reached the Mariano house. The dogs were barking as usual and Jess just steered Rory into the house. Once inside he took her into the living room and set her bag down on the floor. She looked him in the eyes and pulled out a book from her purse. It was his journal.
"I read it. All of it. I had only read a few pages before but on the plane I read it all." She said. She handed him the book. "I thought about highlighting all the things you did wrong. all the times you lied to me. But then I thought about it. It didn't matter. But I did make a pro/con list in my head." She stopped, noting the look on his face. "Laugh if you must. But I realized the only thing on the pro list made it all worth it."
"The only thing? Am I really that bad?" Jess asked.
"No your not. That's just it. The thing on the pro list was you. Because. I like everything about you. So no matter what I could think of to put in the con column, it couldn't outweigh the pros."
"Rory. If I had to make a pro/con list about you. there wouldn't be anything in the con column. That's why I always act so stupid around you. I'm always afraid I'm not good enough for you."
"Jess. I missed you."
"I missed you too."
"Then why'd you leave in the first place?"
"If you weren't going to forgive me. I didn't have much left in that town."
"But you did! You had Luke, you had school, you had other friends."
"None of that mattered to me anymore."
"Luke didn't matter to you anymore? You know, he blames himself for you leaving. He thinks he wasn't good to you. He thinks that he failed you."
"He does?" Jess suddenly felt incredibly guilty. Rory nodded. "But it wasn't his fault."
"I told him that." She said.
"How'd you know though?" He asked
"I didn't. I just hoped that you didn't really feel that way. It would kill him."
"So. how do I fix this?" he asked.
"I don't know. That's something you have to figure out by yourself." She said.
"OK."
They both sat down on the couch. Rory grabbed his hand and squeezed it. She could tell he was lost. He felt bad about Luke. But mostly he felt bad about her and he didn't know how to fix it. So as he thought about everything that they had just said, Rory laid her head down on his shoulder. She absorbed his warmth that she had missed so much lately. Not long after that, she fell asleep.
******************************************
"Rory. wake up." She was shaken awake by Jess who had at some point last night moved her to a mattress and covered her up. "Rory. you have to get ready. I need to introduce you to my dad."
Rory sleepily rubbed her eyes and stretched her arms above her head. She stood up and walked over to him. She kissed him quickly on the lips and leaned into his strong chest.
"I've missed you a lot." She said. He pulled her closer and put his head on top of hers.
"I think you mentioned that last night. But I missed you too." Jess said with a smirk.
They stayed like that for a minute before Jess finally pulled away.
"You should get ready. Showers down the hall, second door on the left. While you do that, I'm going to make us breakfast." Rory looked up at him.
"Since when do you cook?" She asked.
"Since I discovered Pillsbury and an oven."
"Wow, the genius of it all." She said sarcastically
"That's what I thought." He replied. "Now go on. must you torture me? You have to shower. I have to cook."
"That's torture huh? Poor you."
"I'll miss you." Jess said in a high-pitched voice.
"I'll never let go Jack, I'll never let go." Rory said. She laughed, grabbed her bag, and headed off to the shower.
******************************************
So it seemed that everything was getting back on track. Rory didn't really want an apology. She knew Jess was sorry. She knew that he felt horrible about the things he did. That was enough for her. So she decided to be a little more open to him than she was the night before. She had even given him a kiss and she hadn't done that last night. But there was still a long way to go before they could be as close as they were before. But if they played their cards right, everything would be back to normal soon.
Rory washed her vanilla-scented shampoo out of her hair and continued her normal shower routine. She shaved her legs, washed off with vanilla-scented body soap, and when she was finally done she just let the hot water fall on her face and back for a minute. She turned the water off and reached out for her towel. Wait. She hadn't gotten a towel. 'Oh great. wonderful.' She didn't know exactly what to do. She finally decided she would just have to call Jess.
"Jess!" She waited a moment but there was no answer. "JESS!" she called out once more.
"Rory? What's the matter?" Jess was standing outside the bathroom door now.
"Um. I forgot to get a towel." She said finally.
"Jeez you scared me. Hold on. the towels are in the closet out here." Jess went and retrieved a towel. He once again stood outside the bathroom door. "Um, Rory. do you want me to bring it in? Or should I leave it out here?" He asked nervously.
"I guess just bring it in. and set it on the toilet." Rory stood at the back of the shower, trying to cover up a little. She shower curtain wasn't clear but if he looked hard he could probably see her. Jess opened the door. And quickly walked over and set the towel down. He left just as quickly and Rory yelled "Thanks!"
"Oh yea. that wasn't awkward." Rory said to herself as she reached around the shower curtain to grab the towel.
She dried off and got dressed. She wore a green tank top, shorts, and some green flip-flops. She let her wet hair hang down at first but decided just to pull it up. She brushed her teeth, put on some deodorant, and a little bit of lip gloss. Finally satisfied with her appearance she packed up her bag, hung her towel on a little hook and left the bathroom.
She set her bag down in the living room before finally entering the kitchen. Jess had made cinnamon rolls and toast. He was already sitting at the table and drinking a glass of orange juice. Rory sat down next to him and said,
"Wow, look at my little chef!"
"I try." He said, avoiding her eyes.
"Hey. um. sorry about the towel thing earlier. it didn't even occur to me while I was still fully clothed." She said.
"Oh that's not a problem. it was just a little awkward." Jess said honestly.
"Yea. I know what you mean. Maybe we can just like. forget about it?" She asked rather than stated. Jess laughed at her uncertainty.
"I don't know why I feel awkward. I was the one with clothes on. I just didn't want you to feel weird about it."
"Well. that's nice of you but I do feel kind of weird about it."
"I'm sorry. I didn't want to make you feel weird."
"No its not you, I just have this thing about like NOT wanting to be seen naked." She said, her face reddening more every second. "Lets eat. That looks really good."
"OK. You want something to drink?" Jess asked her.
"Got any."
"Coffee it is." Rory smiled. He knew her too well. So they ate in near silence, Rory pausing only to look at Jess. She was glad she had come even if it was a little weird.
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(A/N) Ok that's it!! Next chapter- Rory meets Jimmy! REVIEW!!!