"Luke, she's gone! Rory's missing!" Lorelai called, running into the diner.

She froze, her eyes locked on the young man standing behind the counter, eating a bowl of ice cream.

"You! Where is she? What did you do to her?" She shouted.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Lorelai." Jess said.

Now he was worried. He had gone to the Gilmore place and looked for Rory, and when he didn't find her there he figured she was somewhere with her mother or Lane. If Lorelai didn't know where she was...

"Don't pretend to not know what I'm talking about! My daughter. You. And what you did to her!" She accused.

"Lorelai..." came Luke's slow, even voice.

"I swear, if you hurt her.." Lorelai began with clenched teeth.

"I didn't hurt her!"

"Oh, yes, I believe that. You're capable of killing Dean but not capable of hurting my daughter."

Jess' eyes grew wide as he looked at Luke.

"You told her? Jesus, Luke." He muttered in disgust.

"Luke? You knew about this?" Lorelai questioned. "I can't believe you knew about this and didn't tell me. My daughter is at risk here."

"Jess wouldn't hurt her, Lorelai." Luke said.

"Jess wouldn't... Luke! He killed a man! He took someone's life. How can you stand there and defend him like that? That damned kid has been nothing but trouble since the day he got here. "

"Lorelai. Calm down." Luke tried.

"I will not calm down! What if he hurt her? What if she's cut up in tiny pieces and hidden in his freezer? What if..."

"Stop it!" Jess dropped his bowl onto the counter.

He paced away trying to clear his mind. Trying to get those pictures out of his head. He hadn't hurt her, he hadn't even known she was gone. But he could see, so clearly, someone else touching her. Someone else hurting her. In his mind he could see Rory Gilmore limp and lifeless.

He'd never been more scared in his entire life.

Where could she be? Where could she be! He certainly hadn't seen her. And obviously, neither had Luke nor Lorelai. Lane? Could she be somewhere with Lane? No, if she were with Lane, Lorelai would know.

He knew she wasn't at the bridge. After he found out she wasn't home he went there and sat for several long minutes. Reasoning why he was there. If it had been a good idea. He still wasn't sure. But now he knew he had to do one thing.

He had to find Rory.

"What about Lane?" He heard Luke ask.

"I called. Luke, she's really missing. I can't find her. It's not like her take off like this. What if someone took her?" Her gaze swept back to Jess.

"Will you stop looking at me like that? I didn't hurt the beloved Stars Hollow princess."

He picked up his bowl and took it into the kitchen to rinse it out. The mundane task didn't calm him.

He leaned against the counter, Luke and Lorelai's conversation seemed to drift away on a breeze that didn't exist.

Painfully, he looked around and remembered the night Dean had died. Who else knew? How long would the cops be fooled by Luke's phony story? Did he have much time? What would happen to the people who knew? Were they in danger? What had he done?

He heard the front door to the diner slam. Moments later, Luke came into the kitchen.

"Well?"

"Not so good. She still thinks you had something to do with it." Luke said.

"I didn't."

"I know you didn't, Jess."

Luke paused and looked at his nephew.

"I don't know where she is Luke. I came here looking for her."

"Alright."

Jess sat back and thought about it. She couldn't have went to see him. Wouldn't have. It would've worried Lorelai too much. And more than that, it wasn't safe. It wasn't safe for her or anyone else to be around him. Someday soon, it was all going to come out. The wood fragments would be found in Dean's head. How had they not already? Speculation, already growing, would fiercely turn on him. And all would know.

He asked look the one question that bothered him the most.

"Do they all know? About Rory?"

Luke nodded and Jess winced. He could see the looks of pity she would get as she walked down the street. Feel how demeaning they were. He could hear the people think that she would never have a stable relationship now. One where she wasn't afraid of being hurt.

How much that would hurt her.

He wanted to rip out their eyes and make them eat them.

Jess shook his head. Had he really thought that? When had he become so violent?

"Catching the bus in the morning." Jess said.

Luke nodded. It was unspoken that if anything about Rory popped up, he was to call him immediately.

The door was locked. The stupid door was locked.

She knocked loudly again. No answer.

"Come on, Jess." She muttered and knocked again.

"Excuse me, young lady, is there a problem?"

The voice had come from the down the hall a bit. It was an older man, in his late 50's. early 60's at best.

Odd, she hadn't heard the door open.

"Um..." Rory for a moment. She couldn't lie on the spot.

"Well, miss?" The older man asked?

"Well, you see, my friend here, he was expecting me." She lied, shuffling her feet.

"And what is your friend's name?" The man asked.

"Jess? Jess Mariano." She said back, unsure if she should have.

"Oh. Fine young man. You must be the furniture delivery. He left a spare key in the office. I'll go fetch it for ya." The man said, cheering.

Wow, throw Jess' name around and it gets action. At least on this floor of this apartment building.

She looked around. It wasn't much. A hole in the wall in the middle of a bad part of New York. Not the best hiding place, she didn't think. Who wouldn't expect a murderer to live in a rundown apartment.

She really hoped he had utilities. She needed a shower.

"Here ya go." The man said, handing her some keys.

He was really trustworthy, she thought. And didn't know if that was admirable or stupid in this part of town.

"Thank you. Do you have any idea where Jess went?"

"No ma'am. Boy comes and goes as he pleases. Gots a right to, don' he? Fixes things up right 'round here. Deserves a day or two to himself. Poor lad." The old man said.

"Between you and I, young lady, I think the man has a soft spot for some girl."

Her interest piqued.

"What makes you think that?" She asked.

"Well, he always comin' and goin' around here. Mutterin' to himself. Lookin' like a lost puppy dog taken away from his Mama too early. Spells love to me. But what do I know? I'm just some ol' man."

"Hm. Interesting." She said. "Well, I really should be going. Nice to meet you and thanks."

"You too, ma'am. You have a good one." He said and went back over to his apartment.

Metal on metal as the key turned in the lock. A soft click as the key slid back out. The turning of the knob. Opening and closing the door.

The soft footsteps as someone walked across the carpeted floors. A click. And then the lights were on.

"Who's there?" She asked, startled.

"That's my line." Jess said, smirking a little.

"Oh my god, Jess, you scared me." Rory jumped up.

They looked at each other for long, long moments. Well, he thought, there she is.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

She stepped forward, inches from him.

"I..."

To be continued....

A/N: Sorry it took so long guys. Really sorry. For those of you who stuck with me, thank you. You don't know how much it means to me. Now, I promise that there will be an update every couple of weeks at the latest. I already know where I want part of the rest of the story to go. Now, go, review me. Come on, you know you want to.