Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls.... I can dream though, right?

A/N: Hey guys. I'm so sorry it took so long to update. I've had this chapter written in my notebook for a week or two, I just haven't gotten around to typing until now. Thank you sooooooo much for all the reviews! They were great! Keep them coming please. The more I get, the more anxious I am to update faster so please! All right, on with the story.

Ch. 7

Rory pressed the elevator button. She waited a few seconds and then pressed it again, impatiently. Where is the freaking elevator when you need it. Ugh. She was getting ready to go to the stairs when the elevator doors opened and Mike appeared.

"Hey Rory."

"Hi Mike."

"Where to? Lobby?"

"Um, no actually. Hey Mike, do you know what floor Jess Mariano lives on?"

"Yep, third floor."

"Ok then, I need to go to the third floor."

"Um, all right. Are you ok? I mean, after what happened in the elevator the other night..."

"I'm fine Mike. Thanks for asking, though."

"Alright, well, here we are."

"Thanks. Hey, do you know what number he is?"

"Um, I believe he's 302."

"Ok, bye."

"Bye."

Rory got off of the elevator and waved to Mike until the doors closed. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. This is it. I'm going to talk to him. Maybe, hopefully, it will go well and everything will be good. Great even. Or maybe I wasted five years on nothing. Maybe he is a jerk now. Maybe the book was a lie. Maybe he had a girlfriend. Ah, stop thinking Rory. She opened her eyes and looked to see what direction she needed to go. She started walking slowly towards Jess' apartment. Be calm, Rory. She stopped at his door and hesitated, taking a deep breath. You can do this. Just lift you arm and knock. After thinking about this for a few moments, she finally did the action. She waited nervously as she heard footsteps inside.

"Just a sec!" She heard Jess call out. She looked down at her hands and waited. Moments later she saw the door handle start to turn and she took one more deep breath. The door opened and jess said, surprised, "Oh, Rory, hey."

Rory looked up and took in the sight before her that was Jess. He was standing there, right there, close enough to touch, with no shirt on. Wow he looks good. Say something. Something clever. Something that will make his heart stop. "Hey... Jess," she add as an afterthought. Brilliant, Rory.

"Uh, what's up?"

"Not much. I, um, was just reading and thinking and I decided I needed to come talk to you."

"Ok, some on in. Make yourself at home, I'll be right back." With that, Jess walked off. Rory inched into the apartment, wondering what it would be like if it was her home. If she lived with Jess. Let's not go there, she thought as she looked around. She looked at the furniture and decided to sit on the chair. She was just sitting down when Jess walked back in the room, this time clad in a shirt. Oh man. Rory was disappointed. Oh well, at least I got a little peak.

"Thanks for coming over." Jess' words snapped Rory back to reality.

"Thanks for getting my undies back," Rory replied.

"Um..." Jess looked utterly confused.

"Sixteen Candles. Sorry, couldn't help it."

"Oh, ha, ok. So um, why'd you come over? Oh yea, you wanted to talk. Uh, what about?"

Rory noticed how nervous Jess sounded. Like me, she thought. "Well, I was at home thinking and then I was reading and thinking and it just hit me that I needed to come talk to you."

"What were you reading that made you realize that?"

"Um, just a magazine."

"Oh, it was..."

"Yeah. So I'm just doing what you requested. I found you."

"Yeah, you did." Jess started to walk over to where Rory was sitting.

Rory jumped up and walked to the other side of the coffee table. "Whoa, what are you doing?"

"What?" Jess asked, baffled. "I just figured that since you came over here to talk or find me or whatever that you wanted to get back together."

"Well yeah. I mean no. I mean, maybe, but either way, I came here to talk about some stuff. You can't just expect me to just forgive and forget like that."

"Ror, it's been five years, I just figured..."

"Yeah, you figured I would've forgotten all about you just packing up and leaving five years ago. But you're wrong, I didn't forget. I've thought about it and you every damn day of the last five years."

"You thought about me?"

"And now, you think you can just kiss me and that'll make me forget the pain I experienced for five freaking years? I mean, you have no idea what it was like to go to Luke's that morning and find out you were gone. And you didn't just hurt me. You hurt Luke, too. Whether you believe it or not, he really did love you. And for you to not call me or him every... Jess, you can't just expect to be able to make it all go away with a kiss."

"Rory, can I please talk now?"

"Yeah, whatever."

"Seriously, listen, ok? I'm sorry. And I know saying that or kissing you isn't just going to make it all better. You just don't understand why I had to leave."

"Try me."

"Ror, please, you won't understand."

"Try me. Seriously. You never know."

"Fine. Rory, I loved you so much," she winced when he said loved, "and I still do." She felt better. "But you were always more than I deserved. I mean, you were all headed to Harvard and I barely graduated high school. You deserved a better, smarter guy and I just wanted you to have the chance to have what you deserved. I would've told you bye, but if I had, I wouldn't have been able to leave. But now I realize that we were meant to be together and I made the worst decision ever of my life. I will do whatever it takes to be able to be with you again."

"Jess it hurt so bad, though."

"I know and I'm sorry. I need you, though. Please, what do I need to do?"

"Jess, ugh, I don't even know." Rory put her head in her hands, thinking. She then looked Jess in the eyes. Her face softened when she saw the sincerity in his eyes. "Jess, look, I can't just take you back and forget about it just like that. But maybe, if you want, we could just be friends for a while and just hang out and see how things go. I mean, it's better than nothing, right?"

"All right," Jess replied. "We can be friends. Whatever you want."

"Thanks. I really just want to be friends and see where that takes up. I'm not ready to just forgive and forget and date again. Maybe I will be sometime. I don't know. It still kind of hurts. Maybe--"

"Ror, you're rambling." Jess smirked.

"Oh, sorry," Rory said, her checks flushing. She went over to Jess and hugged him. Jess hugged her back, sad at the thought that the only time he might ever get to hold her again would be as a friend.

Maybe. Maybe not.

A/N: Soooo, what'd ya think? Good? Bad? Ugly? Review please! And I'll try to update faster. Thanks!