TITLE: Familiar Feeling

AUTHOR: Annabel

PAIRING: R/J

SPOILERS: Shouldn't be any

DISCLAIMERS: I own nothing (except the characters I've made up for this story)

RATING: PG-13 for now.

A/N: Thank you everyone for reviewing, it means so much to me! I would have updated earlier, but life has been a mess and I've been incredibly busy. Also this chapter was incredibly difficult to write, because and it just didn't seem to turn out as I'd wanted. Oh, and just a few things for the record, the title of the story 'Familiar Feeling' is a song of Moloko, a British band, hence not my invention.

So, in chapter three, in addition to seeing more of Jess and Rory separately, they finally meet again. Hope you like it!

Familiar Feeling

Chapter Three

"Mom, I've been talking to you for an hour. My hand hurts, I haven't been able to do any shopping and most of all I still haven't found Lane a birthday present" Rory whinged as she strolled along the sidewalk with a cell phone attached to her ear.

"Stop with the whining. I just don't understand why you couldn't come here this weekend"

"Because I was there last weekend. Lane and Dave were there, too, remember?"

"Is there some law prohibiting a child from visiting her mother every weekend that I'm not aware of?" Lorelai asked and made her daughter snort.

"Now look who's whining, mom" Rory said as she stopped to look at a shop window. "Besides you know that today is Lane's birthday and we wanted to have a party here"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah" Lorelai mumbled something on the other end of the line. 

"I'm really gonna end this call now, and I wanna remind you that your phone bills have been sky scraping lately, so the next time you're in desperate need of some company, try talking to Luke"

"Hah, that wasn't even funny" Lorelai was doing her best to sound offended, but she soon forgot it when she heard a bell ring through the phone. "Ooh, what was that?"

"What?" Rory asked and looked around in a place she knew she would soon be calling heaven.

"A bell rang" Lorelai insisted and made her daughter shake her head sadly.

"Get yourself a life, mom. I walked into a bookstore, there was a bell on the door" Rory said and let her eyes take in the sight. "In fact this is probably the most incredibly beautiful bookstore I've ever seen"

"Why so?"

"It's got books as far as the eye can see" Rory sighed contently. "So, I'm going to go explore. Bye mom"

"You can't just…" Rory heard her mother trying to yell something, but she simply chuckled when she switched off her phone and dropped it in her bag.

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Jess was leaning his elbows on the counter and occasionally he took a bite of the sandwich in front of him. Tom refilled the coffee cups of a few customers then came to Jess and sat down beside him.

"I'm taking a break!" he told his uncle who was busy running around the coffeeshop.

This was an every day occurrence for Jess and Tom. Jess ate his lunch here since the coffeeshop was only a block away from his own workplace. 

"God, I'm exhausted" Tom sighed and yawned.

"Doesn't Angie let you sleep at night?" Jess asked and he was pretty sure that Tom was beginning to blush. Shaking his head slightly, Jess asked "So, you're going to her place tonight?"

"Yeah" Tom voice sounded disturbingly happy and it made Jess's face frown.

No matter how happy Jess was for his friend, it was clear that Tom's bachelor days were over for good. And since Chris was a bartender he worked almost every night and now that Tom rarely wanted to go out anymore, Jess found his social life going through a change, too.

"Can you imagine that we spent two years in that 'we're dating, but not exclusively' -phase before we finally realised that we're really great together?" Tom was staring ahead dreamily and Jess had to smile, too. "I'm in love, Jess"

"Yeah, I kinda figured" he sighed with his mouth full of food.

Jess was definitely out of luck. Mike was walking on clouds because of his engagement to Kathy and now Tom had completely fallen for Angie. He could have managed one friend in love, but two… It was just a bit too much for him, since he wasn't really the most sentimental guy around. In fact, he was a guy who had never had a relationship which would have been based on more than physical interaction.

"Yeah" Tom sighed again and then shook his head. "But two years? Can you imagine that I've been with her for two years and I never realised how incredible she is?"

"Yeah, incredible" Jess replied and stuffed the last bit of the sandwich into his mouth.

"Every time I know I'm gonna see her, I get really… I get this strange feeling and I'm not nervous, but just really anxious and when she's there, it's like she's the most incredible thing I've ever seen"

"Huh" it was Jess's regular reply to everything and Tom seemed content with this response. "Anyway, I gotta get back to work"

"So, did Chris call you about tonight?" Tom asked and turned around on his stool.

"Yeah, he did. But I thought you were going to Angie's" Jess said when he pulled on his coat.

"Yeah, but not until later. So, you know what this is about?"

"Not really, some party somewhere" Jess shrugged as he went to the door. "I guess we'll see"

"We'll come over to your place first"

Jess nodded and then stepped out to the chilly air. He took a deep breath and then put his hands in his pockets, finding his cigarettes and lighter. He strolled slowly back to work, lingered in front of the bookstore for a while, enjoying the cigarette and greeting some regular customers on their way into or out of the store. When he finally threw the cigarette away and opened the door to the store, he was grateful to escape the cold.

Rubbing his hands together, he was about to go the backroom to take off his coat when Kathy suddenly jumped before him.

"God, you scared the shit out of me" he snapped at her and made her laugh.

"It's not my fault you're so jumpy! Anyway, I need you"

Jess looked at her questioningly when she grabbed his arm and pulled him with her to the backroom. She was grinning when she gave Jess a visiting card.

"What's this?" Jess said suspiciously as he eyed the card.

"It's the card of the tailor who's gonna make your suit for the wedding" Kathy said as she sat down on the corner of the table.

"What suit?" Jess looked at her.

"Hasn't Mike told you that you're his bestman?"

"Well, yeah, but…" Jess looked at the card and winced when he thought of himself going to a tailor.

"It didn't occur to you that if you're the bestman, you're gonna have to wear suit?"

"I'm not really…" he started, hoping there was a way he could get out of this.

"You are now" Kathy said and smiled contently. "Make an appointment there as soon as possible. All you have to do is go in for fittings, everything else is taken care of"

"But…" Jess looked at Kathy pleadingly, but knowing Kathy, he knew it was useless. 

"It's gonna be so much fun to see you in a tux" Kathy got up and kissed Jess's forehead. "I gotta run now" she said before she swirled from the room and left Jess wiping the lipstick off his temple.

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"Are you sure you won't come?" Rory asked Alicia before she stuffed her mouth full of pizza.

"Yeah" Al said after she'd took a gulp of her soda.

Rory nodded and wiped her mouth before drinking the last drop of coffee from her mug. She got up to refill it and then said that Lane would be disappointed not to see her at the party.

"You'll take my gift to her and she won't even notice I'm not there. And besides, I'm really looking forward to this date" Alicia giggled slightly while she talked. "I haven't been out on a real date in forever"

"True" Rory admitted with a smile. "But now I really need your help. I have to get going in 45 minutes and I still haven't decided what to wear"

"I think you should definitely wear that black dress of yours. You look so hot in it…" Al followed Rory to her room and went straight to her closet. "Are you guys going to a club or something later?"

"Probably somewhere, yeah" Rory said when she looked at the dress Al was holding up. "You don't think that's too… revealing?"

"With your body, this is just perfect. Besides, what's the harm of showing a little skin, right"

"I guess so" Rory said with a smile. "What are you gonna wear tonight?"

Alicia smiled apprehensively when she said that she'd hoped to borrow one of Rory's sweaters.

"Of course you can borrow it" Rory said when Al started going through her closet. "So, what did you get Lane?"

"I got her a…" Al pulled out the sweater and showed it to Rory. "With my black pants?" she asked and after Rory had nodded she continued talking. "I her got the earrings that we looked at the other day"

"Oh, yeah. Those were beautiful, very rock'n roll" Rory said approvingly and then sighed. "Gosh, I should be at Lane's in 45 minutes, since I promised to help with stuff"

"You're doing the punch?" Al asked and got a nod as a reply. 

"What did you get her?"

"Oh, just s stack of cds and a book on punk. She pretty much told me what she wanted so I didn't have to think about it, although finding the stuff was a lot tougher"

"So, you think she'll like the earrings?"

"Yeah, she will. And if she doesn't, I wouldn't mind having them myself"

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It was around ten when Jess and the guys were standing in the corridor of some apartment building, waiting for someone to answer the door. There were loud noises coming through it, music, people talking and laughing. Jess saw Chris yawning and Tom checking out his watch and he figured they wouldn't stay at the party for long. And why would they anyway? Chris was the only one who knew someone there and they'd only been asked to go because apparently the party needed some single guys.

Finally, the door opened and a guy stood in front of them with a grin on his face. After introducing himself as Dave, he greeted the guys with handshakes and pulled then into the apartment, just as a female voice shouted

"Rory! We're out of punch, will you fix some more?"

"That's Lane" Dave said laughing and pulled and Asian-looking girl to his side. "Lane, these guys are Jess, Tom and Chris"

"Hey, great to meet you!" she squealed and hugged them all quickly. "Thanks so much for coming guys. We have loads of single girls here for you" she winked and made the guys chuckle.

Jess scouted the apartment, only to find it absolutely packed with people. He was pretty sure that they would never fit into it, but then Dave said that they should go to the kitchen.

"A good choice, that's where the punch it" Lane said with a giggle and led the way.

The guys followed Lane and Dave, leaving Jess as the last of the gang. He was immediately bombarded by some girls who seemed to be checking him out rather indiscreetly. Giving them an awkward smile, he made his escape to the kitchen, only to see something he wasn't expecting to see.

It was one of those moments when he wanted to pinch himself to make sure he was awake. Although he wasn't sure if he wanted to be awake since this was really… He didn't even know the word, because there wasn't a single thought in his mind, not now when he was staring at the girl who was standing by the punch bowl with a bottle of vodka in her hand. She was wearing a black dress, a beautiful dress which made her… well, beautiful. And her hair was tied up on a bun of some sort and her cheeks were flushed, probably because of the alcohol. And she was looking at him, and the expression on her face probably mirrored the one on his.

"Do you guys know each other?"

Lane's voice brought him out of the stupor and he realised that he was staring at the girl and everyone else in the room was silent. And then his brain started to work, with maximum speed. It really wasn't possible that she was standing there, in city as big as New York was, how was it possible? And if it was she, then this was really embarrassing. He was staring at her like some idiot and she probably didn't even remember him. Although considering the look on her face, she seemed to remember him. But should he say that they knew each other, did she want him to say that they knew each other? Should he say why they knew each other…

"We've bumped into each other" her words made their way into his brain slowly and when he now looked at her, he saw that she had a tiny smile on her face.

He realised that he'd been holding his breath and after he inhaled, he felt his whole body loosening up and he seemed to get his brain into its normal mode again.

"Yeah" he said quietly and by now, the humour as well as the shock of the situation was starting to reach him.

So, he sighed slightly and suddenly he felt strangely comfortable looking at her, while she was looking at him with her head slightly tilted and curious expression on her face. And then he did what came naturally, he took a step forward, keeping a safe distance and he reached out his hand.

"I'm Jess" he said and he noticed her breathing in when she took his hand.

"I'm Rory" she replied and he had a hard time concentrating on what she said when her hand felt so small while it was enveloped by his.

Jess took a step back again, allowing Tom and Chris to introduce themselves, too. Now, the girl, or Rory, seemed to notice that she was still holding the bottle in her left hand and she put it down on the table.

"So, where have you guys met?" and so Dave asked the question, bringing Jess back to the reality that he had almost managed to forget. 

The girl, it was hard to think of her as Rory looked at him and seemed to be hesitating. Jess felt curious eyes looking at them, until Tom broke the silence.

"At the bookstore?"

The girl lifted her eyebrows and looked at Jess questioningly. Jess glanced at Tom who seemed somewhat unsure of whether he'd blown the whole thing up, but when the girl nodded, both guys sighed in relief.

"We should have known" Lane said giggling when she brought her punch cup to her lips. "So, you two just bumped into each other at a bookstore?"

"I work there" Jess said quickly and the girl eyes turned to him sharply.

"You work in a bookstore Jess? God, you must be Rory's ideal man!" Dave cried out and made Lane laugh. "Well, it looks like Rory has finished the punch so get to it guys"

Tom and Chris didn't have to be told twice and when they headed toward the punch bowl, the girl took a few steps back and glanced at Jess who followed the others and soon had a glass in his hand.

"I love this punch, I could drink it uncontrollably" Lane said when she sat down and sipped her drink.

"You do drink it uncontrollably" Rory said with a smile and Dave said he'd been just about the say the same thing.

"Ha, ha, very funny" Lane said with a grin. "So, you like it guys?"

Jess took a big gulp of the punch, hoping to feel more together as soon as it would start affecting him. Meanwhile he turned to look at Rory who was leaning on the fridge with a questioning look on her face.

"It's good" he told her and got a smile as reply.

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It was 1am when Rory was sitting on a barstool next to Lane, sipping some water from her glass and listening to Lane complaining about Dave. They'd left the apartment approximately an hour ago, and while most of the people had gone off clubbing, some had decided to head for the bar where Chris worked, which was lot a calmer place meant more for drinking than dancing. However, Dave had been exhausted and he'd decided to stay in. 

"It's my birthday, and he can't stay awake!" Lane whined and leaned against the counter.

Rory nodded slightly with an amused look on her face. Lane was really, really drunk, while she herself had drunk very little after… Well, after Jess and the other guys had shown up at the party. Rory realised that her thoughts were nowhere near Lane and after shaking her head slightly, she concentrated on her friend again.

"Lane, you know very well that you have probably the greatest guy on the planet" Rory said and got her reply when Lane started to giggle girlishly.

"Yeah, I know" she said when she eventually sighed and looked incomprehensibly happy. "You know, things have never ever been this good for me and Dave. Cause I really, really, really am crazy about him"

"That you are" Rory replied and laughed. "And Dave's crazy about you"

"Yeah. He's ideal, perfect, incredible…"

"Yeah, he is" Rory sighed and did her best to look bitter and jealous.

"Do you girls mind if I join you?" his voice startled her and when she turned to see him, she saw a smirk on his face.

"We don't mind at all" Lane said loudly and took her drink from the counter. "But, I think I'll leave you two alone to…" Lane began the process of getting of her stool, but the task seemed easier said than done.

"Here, let me help you" Jess came to her and after putting his arm around her, he practically lifted her down and made sure that she able to stand. "Maybe you should thinking about heading home, too" he suggested cautiously and his remark made Rory smile.

"You're cute" Lane told him before she wandered off and left the two more sober one alone.

"I think I'll get her home soon" Rory said when she'd been left alone with Jess. "It' usually around this time when she's totally exhausted and just wants to get to bed"

He nodded with a smile and as he sat down on the stool next to her, Rory smelled the mixture of cologne and cigarettes floating around her. She took a deep breath, hoping that he wouldn't notice it and when he looked at her, she smiled a bit timidly.

"So, you work at a bookstore?" she said and made him smirk.

"Yeah. Look, I'm sorry about the whole thing… I mean, Tom figured that you and I had… you know and he thought it best to save us from any awkward revelations"

"It's okay. I mean, the truth was somewhat…"

"Awkward, too" he said and smiled rather uncomfortably. 

Yeah, the truth was somewhat awkward, no doubt about it. But Rory didn't really want to think about it now and therefore she brought the discussion back to a subject where she always felt comfortable.

"So, which bookstore?" she asked and made him look slightly more relaxed, too.

"Oh, just a small one that's actually not far from here…" she listened to him telling her about the store and after he'd told her where it was, she nearly fell of her stool. 

"Oh my God, I was there, just today!"

Jess looked at her somewhat surprised and she told him how she'd gone last minute shopping for Lane's birthday and bough a book for her from the store.

"I was working today, but I didn't see you" he said pensively. "But maybe I was in the backroom, or having a break or something… So, what did you get Lane?"

"The history of the punk movement" Rory declared happily, since the book had been a real discovery. "But really, the bookstore is… absolutely beautiful" she found she words she was looking for and then smiled broadly. "It must be great working there, I mean, I know I'd love it since I'm completely obsessed with books"

"Yeah, I know what that's like" he smiled when he said that and for some reason it made Rory want to smile uncontrollably. "I know the guy who owns the store, have known him for all my life, so it's almost like a home for me. I used to hang around there as a kid and I finally knew every book in the store so he sort of had to hire me"

Rory laughed and nodded feeling like she knew exactly what he was talking about.

"So, what do you do?"

"I'm a journalist" she said and saw him lifting his eyebrows like he was impressed.

"Where?"

"The New York Times" this time her reply was slightly more timid, because for some reason she didn't feel so comfortable talking about her work with him.

"Ivy League graduate?" he asked her with a smile and again she felt somewhat self-conscious when she nodded. "Yeah, I thought so" he chuckled slightly. "I didn't even go to college"

"Why so?" Rory asked with her head slightly tilted and her eyes carefully observing him and his expressions.

"You know, never had the motivation, never had the money…" he trailed off and then smiled a bit. "I've never been into school. But this New York Times thing must be a dream come true for you"

Rory nodded, thinking that she couldn't have said it better herself. She'd always dreamed of being a journalist, a foreign correspondent actually, and she had a very good chance of accomplishing just that.

"You know, I'm pretty impatient and all so my life has been pretty unplanned. I like to do things in a spur of moment kind of way, spontaneously…" Jess talked pensively.

Rory had never been spontaneous. She'd always planned, she'd always had dreams and she'd gone after them and made then true. She had never even thought about being impulsive, let alone reckless and now that she was listening to Jess, she felt… strange.

"I just spent three months in California with Tom and Chris, we got back… Well, when you and I first met, I'd just got back to New York the day before" Jess's words made Rory nod slightly and before she had a chance to say anymore, Lane came back to her and put her hand on Rory's shoulder.

"I'm tired" she yawned and made Rory look at Jess with a grin. "Can I come over to your place tonight?"

"Yeah, sure" Rory replied laughing and then stood up. "You're gonna stay?" she asked Jess, who then shook his head.

"Well, since Tom's already headed home and it looks like Chris has met his match for the night, so I think I'll be heading home, too. I'll hail you a cab" he said and then helped a coat onto Lane before they all went out.

They were all standing on the sidewalk, beside the taxi Jess had got for the girls when he said he hoped that Lane had had a fun birthday.

Rory was standing a bit further away while Lane and Jess were talking, and in the darkness he seemed somehow really… Rory remembered what she'd thought of him when she'd first seen him in her kitchen. Intriguing, new and definitely mysterious like right now, in the middle of the night.

"Would you mind, if I hugged you quickly?" Lane asked and giggled slightly, when Jess pulled her into his embrace and then placed a kiss on her cheek. "I'm so glad that Dave asked you guys over" Lane said to him before she tumbled into the taxi.

"So, it was nice to see you again, Jess" Rory said and smiled when she stood by the cab's door.

"You, too, Rory. I hope I'll see you at the bookstore sometime"

Despite the coldness of the street and the fact that she was practically shivering, she felt her cheeks getting hotter and she hoped he wouldn't be able to see her blushing in the darkness. Quickly she got

into the cab and wished him goodnight. It took her great willpower to stop herself from turning to look at him when they drove off, but luckily Lane distracted her when she laid her head on Rory's shoulder.

"I had fun" she yawned and Rory hoped she wouldn't pass out before they got to her place.

"Yeah, me too" Rory said and closed her eyes when she leaned her head on Lane's.

A/N: Reviews, reviews, reviews, please!