Hello everybody. Thank you for all your reviews, I've found many of them very helpful. I've spell checked and re-uploaded all the chapters. If you haven't noticed…*laughs*… I really need a beta. Anybody who would like to beta this fic say so in your review and make sure you leave your email address, so I can get back to you. Oh, and I just want to make this clear, I never meant to imply that the fic was over. *shrug* I'm not that frequent when I update, so just because I didn't post a new chapter in a certain amount of time, doesn't mean it is over. I'm sorry if I did mislead some of you. Again, really sorry. *blush*

*Inspired by Maroon 5*

Chapter 4 – She Will Be Loved

"Luke? Please!" Lorelai sweetly begged while tugging at Luke's shirt.

"No."

"I want a new mug!"

"No. That's a perfectly good mug. A great mug, in fact. That is a great mug, now drink from it."

"But I used this one yesterday!"

"So?"

"So…" she pondered as she ate a piece of her pancake, "I want a variety. Notice how everyday I come in here I eat something different. I never order the same thing two days in a row. It adds to my unsystematic lifestyle, and if you, Lucas Danes want to take that right away from me, then I will have to cease eating from this establishment." Lorelai finished satisfied while Luke stood looking at her crossing his arms. "There are about a hundred mugs up there, pick another one!"

"If I give you a new mug, will you be happy?"

"Yes, Luke. You can even pour the coffee from yesterday's mug into today's mug." she said smiling with victory.

"Fine." Luke gave her a new mug with blue and yellow stripes. As Lorelai took the mug and studied it, she made faces of disappointment. "What? What now, Lorelai?"

"I used this two days ago."

"Lorelai…"

"No, it's okay, I'll settle with this one."

"I'll get you a new one."

"You treat me good." She smiled brightly and watched Luke as he gave her a new mug with fresh coffee.

"Yeah well I do it for my own sanity as well."

Rory walked downstairs and sat down in the chair across from Lorelai.

"What took you so long?" Lorelai asked curiously.

"Oh. I was just talking."

"Hm."

"Mom. You are going to have to trust me, okay?"

"Hm."

"Mom?"

"No wait, I'm not done. Hm, hmmm… hmm… hm." Rory narrowed her eyes. "Hm."

Rory raised an eyebrow in irritation. "Are you done?"

"Okay, Rory, we didn't really talk about this too much yet, and I don't think this is the best place to do it."

"Okay." Rory responded expecting more.

"Give me some time and we'll talk about this later."

"So you can get the rope out and tie me to a chair to make me watch videos on reproduction?"

"Exactly."

As Jess went outside the diner he looked at Rory and motioned his head to come with him.

"I'll see you later."

"Don't do anything I'd do!" Lorelai shouted as the bells on the doors chimed and Rory was gone.

"Relax." Luke said as he rested his hand on Lorelai's shoulder.

"I don't like it." She shook her head.

"I know, but you can't stop her."

"I know. And I don't like it."

Rory and Jess went out to the lake where they had been accustomed to sitting and being alone. It was their hidden spot in Stars Hollow. Nobody could see them, or spy on them. Plus it was outside, and no matter what weather, beautiful.

"Rory?" Jess said as Rory leaned her head into Jess's chest watching the water move according to the direction of the stick she held that stirred the water.

"Yes?"

"Do you love me?"

"Sure, I love you Jess."

"Is it unconditional?"

"Of course."

"Okay."

They both paused for a moment.

"Aren't I supposed to be asking you these questions?"

"What?"

"You know. Will you still love me if I had no arms? If I shrank down to the size of a pea pod? If I blew up to the size of a hippo?

"Oh."

"Jess?"

"Hm?"

"Would you?"

"If you had no arms I'd turn the pages of your books for you. If you shrank down to the size of a pea pod, then I would carry a magnifying glass with me all the time." Jess smirked. "If you blew up to the size of a hippo, we could go into the freak show business."

"You were doing well until that last remark."

"What? We could get rich. Of course we'd have to sleep in separate beds. But not bunk beds, especially if you sleep on the top."

"Nice." And they kissed, as they had so many times before. They concentrated on the other's lack of problems, which as far as they knew, was what kept them going.

As Rory got home, Lorelai was on the couch watching TV.

"I'm home."

"Hi sweetie."

"What's this, no torturous metal devices, no machine guns, I don't see any videos."

"Sit down, Rory."

"Okay." As Rory sat down on the couch, Lorelai went into her purse. She pulled out a bottle of pills.

Rory stared. She wasn't expecting this.

"Okay, now if you are going to do this. Keep these in your purse. Now I know you are going to be safe, but in the morning when you wake up, take one of these, and then call me. I really mean it this time. Call me."

Rory didn't blink. She was speechless.

"Rory? Promise me. You will call me that morning."

"Okay, Mom."

"I know you are growing to be quite an adult and I was your age, not too long ago. I don't want you to rebel."

"Mom, I would never…"

"I know. I know. You and I are a lot different than me and my mother."

"Lots. Lots and lots different Mom. And don't forget it. I'm still me, Mom."

"I can't help but feel like I'm losing you. Not now, but when you go to college, start a new life. I'm happy for you, but I can't help but feel like I'm going to be alone."

"I will come home every weekend."

"You will?"

"Yes, I'll come home on Fridays and stay till Saturday night."

"Okay."

They both smiled at each other.

"We're good?"

"Yeah, we're very good." Lorelai squeezed Rory's hand as she left the couch and went into her room.

Rory turned on her stereo and lied down on her bed staring at the ceiling, just like she had that morning, with the same uneasy feeling. Weird how the days events hadn't done anything to change her feeling of eeriness.

I don't mind spending everyday
Out on your corner in the pouring rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile
And she will be loved
She will be loved

She heard a tap on her window, and as she opened it, she saw Jess.

"There must be some invisible magnet that pulls people towards this window."

"Could be."

Rory smirked. He has no idea what I'm talking about and yet it's like he knows everything.

"Come in Jess Mariano."

Tap on my window knock on my door
I want to make you feel beautiful

They both sat down on the bed.

"Rory?"

"Yeah?"

It's now or never. "I can't take you to prom."

"What?"

"I'm not graduating."

"You're not…" she couldn't comprehend the words that came from his mouth.

"Luke won't let me live with him unless I go to summer school."

"And…?"

"I'm not going, Rory."

I know I tend to get insecure
It doesn't matter anymore

It was like somebody had shot Rory's heart and it shattered into a million pieces. Her throat grew heavy and she couldn't speak.

"Why?" Rory started to cry. "Why can't you give up your dignity for once, huh?"

"Rory, I cannot go back there. School isn't for me, and you may not understand that, but I do. I can't get anything there that can benefit me, because if I go to summer school and graduate, it doesn't leave me anywhere other than where I am now."

Rory knew she couldn't argue with him. If she'd learnt one thing about him, it's that she couldn't change his mind. She couldn't fight him.

"Rory, that's not my life. That's yours."

"Well where does that leave us? Are you leaving?" She wiped some tears off her cheek.

It's not always rainbows and butterflies
It's compromise that moves us along

"Only for a little while."

"Jess." she let out as she fell back and hit the bed. Jess grabbed a tissue and wiped her eyes.

"I'm coming back, after I get enough money to get an apartment. I'll get an apartment in Hartford. I'll see you whenever you want, and you can stay over. This will work out."

"Okay. And what if it doesn't?"

"It will."

She breathed. "Okay."

"Promise me you'll wait for me. Don't go running off with somebody else the second I leave here."

"Jess. I would never do that."

"I know, but you never know."

"Jess."

"I will be back." He started to leave.

"You're leaving now!"

"Rory." Why do you have to make this so hard?

My heart is full and my door's always open
You can come anytime you want

"No. You cannot come in here and tell me you are leaving."

"Well what do you want me to do Rory?"

"I…" Rory thought. "I want you to stay the night."

Jess's eyes widened. How could she…did she mean…it didn't matter. He couldn't let her down again. "Okay."

I don't mind spending everyday
Out on your corner in the pouring rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile
And she will be loved
She will be loved