Sasha opened up the apartment door to see Jess and Lily sitting on
the couch, both fast asleep; Lily with her arms around him.
Rory walked in behind Sasha, and watched as she woke Jess by gripping his shoulder gently. She whispered something to him and he nodded. Rory watched him stretch a little before lifting Lily into his arms and carrying her off to her room.
Sasha smiled at the younger girl. "Come on. Jess said you can take his room."
"Oh," Rory replied drowsily. "No, it's okay. I can take the couch."
Jess came back in and sighed. "No, I'll take the couch."
She looked up at him, and they stared at each other intently.
"I'm gonna head to bed," Sasha told them. "Jess, you know where the extra blankets are?"
Jess nodded, his eyes never leaving Rory.
Sasha looked from one to the other and walked off. "G'night, kids."
When he heard a door close, he sighed. "You didn't have to come."
Rory shrugged. "You sounded upset."
He didn't reply. Instead, he slowly walked to her and wrapped his arms around her tightly. "Sorry about earlier."
She nodded and hugged him back.
*****
Rory woke the next morning to the sound of the front door closing. She got up and dressed, and walked into the kitchen. Waiting for her on the table was a cup of coffee, a greasy-looking plait of food and a note.
Rory-
Morning. Went to take Lily to school, then to the hospital. Didn't want to wake you.
–Jess
She picked up the note, and turned it over to find a small, legible map, detailing directions on how to get from the apartment to the hospital.
She smiled and sad down to eat.
*****
"I can't believe she did this."
Luke sighed. "Lorelei-"
"Why hasn't she called yet?!" Lorelei cried. She had yet to touch the coffee Luke had set in front of her that afternoon.
"It's only nine AM there, Lorelei."
"She should have called me; she should have asked me for the money. Why did she go straight to my parents?!"
"Maybe because she knows you don't have the money to send her to California and back."
"And my mother is livid!" Lorelei went on. "She had to postpone that party! And you know who she took it out on?! Me! Me. Because my parenting skills suck! Suck, suck, suck! And I'm so worried. What if her plane got hijacked or something?!"
"We would have heard."
"What if she never made it to Jimmy and Sasha's?"
"She'll be fine, Lorelei."
"But what if something happened?!"
Luke sighed. "We woulda heard something."
"Aren't you at all worried?"
"They're fine."
"You're not worried."
"Nope."
"What if Jess had another relapse?"
"You're worrying about Jess, now?"
"...No." Lorelei sighed. "I just wish she would call."
At that moment, Lane came shooting in. "Is it true?"
Luke blinked. "What?"
"Jess freaked out, and ran away again and Rory went on a quest to find him?"
"A... Quest?" Luke asked.
"Miss Patty's words," Lane replied.
"Jess's dad had a heart attack, Lane," Lorelei said. "They went to see him."
"Oh... that's awful," Lane said softly. She snapped a finger at them. "I have to go correct the rumor mill." With that, she ran back out.
*****
Rory walked up to the nurse's desk with her map in hand. "Hi. I'm looking for Jimmy Mariano's room?"
The nurse looked up. "Family?"
"Uh... son's girlfriend?" Rory told her hopefully, trying not to sound too stupid.
The nurse smiled kindly. "143 on the left, Hon."
Rory smiled and thanked the nurse. She walked down the hallway, and passed a waiting room. She stopped when her peripheral vision caught a glimpse of dark hair and leather.
She turned and watched him.
He was slumped in a chair, eyes vacant, arms crossed over his chest. He looked as if he hadn't slept in a few days. She doubted that he'd slept the night before. He'd probably stayed up and just read.
She slowly walked over and sat down next to him.
"Karma's a bitch," he told her quietly.
She got it. Only a few months ago he'd been the one in the hospital bed, and Jimmy had been the one to travel the three-thousand mile distance to be supportive.
"Have you seen him yet?" Rory asked.
Jess shook his head.
"Is he awake?"
Jess shrugged. "I guess."
She kissed him briefly and got to her feet.
*****
"Gramma, Jess called last night," Gloria said as she went through that day's mail.
"Oh?" Sofia asked as she looked over a magazine that had come for her.
"Yeah uhm... Uncle Jimmy had a heart attack."
There was a long silence between them.
Sofia shook her head. "Stupid boy."
Gloria sighed. "Do you want me to try and find their number?"
"No," Sofia replied. "If he wants to talk to me, he'll call."
Gloria nodded, and picked up a thick envelope addressed to her. She held her breath.
******
Jimmy looked confused.
His son's girlfriend had pulled up a seat next to him. His son's girlfriend who was supposed to be back east at some hoity-toity school in New England getting a degree in whatever hoity-toity people get a degree in.
"He's sitting in the waiting room staring at the wall," Rory told him.
He looked surprised. "I can't believe he's here."
Rory sighed. "I think he wants to see you but... I don't think he knows what to do."
Jimmy shook his head. "I can't believe he's here."
"Sasha called him."
He nodded. "I'd like to see him."
Rory nodded back. "I'll see what I can do."
*****
"Jess isn't in town, Liz."
Liz sighed from her hotel room in Chicago. "Well, where is he Luke? In New York?"
"No..."
"Then where?"
"California."
"California?" Liz asked. "With Jimmy?"
"With Jimmy."
"Wow. That's great!"
"Not so great, Liz."
"No?"
"No."
"Why?"
Luke sighed. "Liz, Jimmy had a heart attack."
She felt silent. What do you say to that?
******
She'd taken him the hand and pulled him to his feet. He hadn't fought. She led him to Jimmy's room and he stopped.
"Come on," she said.
"I can't."
"Why?"
"I'll screw things up more," he told her.
"Jess..."
"I screw up everything," he went on quietly. "I screwed up you and Dean. I screwed up you and me. I screwed myself up." He pointed a finger at Jimmy's door. "I screwed up things with him, too."
She'd never heard him talk like this. It scared her to see him so vulnerable. His eyes seemed to take a helpless look as he stared at the door.
"Things can be fixed," she told him softly. "You're here. He wants to see you."
"I'm part of the reason why this happened," Jess said abruptly. "He's in here because of me."
"What?"
"I coulda just sucked it up and talked to him on the phone, but I..." He trailed off and started to walk off, but she grabbed him by the arm. He stopped and turned to her.
"Please, talk to him."
They stared in silence for a long moment, until he finally nodded, and opened the door.
*****
Her cell phone rang at five that evening on her way home from the Inn. Lorelei pulled her jeep over to the side of the road, and flipped her cell phone on. "Hello."
"Mom. Hey."
"Finally! Do you know how long I've been waiting for you to call me?!"
"Mom, I'm really sorry," Rory replied. "Things have been really hectic. Jess is a mess."
"Uh-huh. You know who else is a mess?"
Rory didn't reply.
"Me! How could you do this? You know how I feel about taking money from my parents?!"
"This wasn't about the money, Mom," Rory replied. "Jess is freaking out. If I wasn't here, he'd probably still be stumbling around Venice Beach, really drunk. Really, really drunk."
"Drunk?" Lorelei asked. "How drunk?"
"He smiled. And giggled."
"Oh, no. That's awful!" Lorelei sighed, trying to get back into mom- mode. "When are you coming back?"
"I don't know yet."
"May I suggest tomorrow?"
Rory sighed. "I don't know. He really needs me."
"Hey, you have a party to attend," Lorelei told her. "If you don't get back here your grandmother is going to fly herself out there and ring your little neck, no matter how much she loves you."
"I know. I'll... yeah. I'll be back tomorrow," Rory told her. "Mom, I'm really, really sorry."
"It's... it's okay, Rory," Lorelei sighed. "Just talk to me. The least you could have done was call me before you went to them."
"I know. I'm sorry."
"I'll see you tomorrow, Babe."
"Bye, Mom. I love you."
*****
"Why do you have to leave so soon?" Lily asked that afternoon.
Jess, after talking to Jimmy, had come out and announced that they had to go pick Lily up from school. And so they had, and were walking back to the apartment.
Rory sighed. "I have some family stuff to take care of," she told the younger girl.
Lily turned to Jess. "Are you leaving, too?"
Jess shook his head. "I'm gonna stay a few more days to help Jimmy get settled in when he comes home tomorrow night."
Lily nodded.
Rory stole a glance at him, but he kept looking ahead.
*****
"She called?"
Lorelei nodded as she arrived at Luke's for dinner. "She called. Jess is flipping out, apparently."
"Jess?"
"Yup."
Luke sighed.
"He hasn't called you?"
Luke shook his head.
"God, what is wrong with that kid?"
"He'll call," Luke replied.
Lorelei sighed.
******
He leaned against the door of his tiny room, and watched her as she rushed around, gathering up her clothing and books. She was leaving in the morning. He wished that she could stay.
"Have you seen my blue socks?" she asked him, her upper half under the bed. "I can't seem to-"
"I'm staying longer."
She stopped dead. A moment later, she slid out from under the bed and stood up, staring at him. "What?"
"Things are tight here," Jess told her. "Sasha asked me to stay. To help out." He nodded. "I said yes."
She stared more. "For how long?"
He shrugged. "I don't know."
"For good?"
He shook his head. "No. I'll be back."
She nodded. "You always are."
"I'm sorry."
"Why?"
"We were gonna hang out this summer."
"This is important, Jess," she replied. "These people are your family."
He looked down and shrugged.
"Hey, it's not like we're never gonna see each other again," Rory reassured him. "And we'll write... call... send post cards... fruit baskets..."
He smirked at her. "You don't like fruit."
She smiled. "So send me chocolate."
"Why are you so okay with this?"
She shrugged. "Because. I mean... we've been through worse, haven't we? Comas..."
He nodded. "Dean."
She tilted her head and gave him a slightly annoyed stare. "Shane."
"Your mother."
"Hey, now."
He gave her a smirk, but it slowly faded as silence overcame them and they stared at each other. He sighed. "Listen, Rory, I-"
He didn't get to finish. She'd pulled him by the shirt, and was kissing him deeply. He responded with equal fervor and pulled her closer by the waist. She slid her hands down to the hem of his shirt and began to lift it up, when he pulled away from her slightly.
"Rory?"
"Hmm?" she asked softly. She was still holding the hem of his shirt gently.
He stared at her for a moment, before raising his arms up in the air.
She smiled softly and drew the shirt up and off of him before pulling him into another kiss. He slowly began to back her toward the bed. It was a moment before he realized that not only was he backing her toward the bed, but she was guiding him to it as well.
When they reached the bed, he pulled his lips from hers. He sighed. "Rory, are you su-"
She cut him off again, but this time she placed the palm of her hand over his mouth. "If I wasn't, we wouldn't be doing this."
He nodded, and they kept kissing.
******
Jamie walked into Sofia's apartment that evening, looking a complete mess. But this was nothing new.
Gloria looked up from the book she was reading and rolled her eyes. "Where have you been?"
He shrugged. "Here and there."
"What were you doing?"
"This and that."
Gloria sighed, and held up a thick, manila envelope.
"Wassat?"
"It's an acceptance letter."
Jamie laughed. "Yeah? From where? Clown College?"
"Nope."
"Whore School?"
"Fuck you."
"Where's it from?"
She held it out to him and he grabbed it and read it.
"Holy shit."
*****
And all they could do was stare.
She pushed a damp lock of hair out of his eyes and he offered her a small smile.
"You're smiling again."
He shrugged.
"It's a little disturbing."
"Thanks."
"Kind of cute, though."
He shrugged again.
They fell back into silence.
"So..." Rory said quietly. "That was..."
"What?"
She couldn't help but to give him a smile.
"What?" he asked, turning more toward her. "Scale of one to ten."
"I don't have anything to go on," she replied with a slight laugh. "This was the first experience."
"And?"
"And what?"
"And how was it?"
"Well, I'm not jumping out of my skin. And I'm not turned away from you in melodramatic anguish. So what does that tell you?"
"Tells me that it wasn't bad."
"Do you think anyone heard us?"
"I don't want to think about that."
"What if they heard us?" Rory asked.
"Is this the part where you jump out of your skin?"
"I think so. I don't wanna get walked in on right after my first time."
"Try getting walked in on during your first time," he muttered.
"I don't think I want to know."
"Good, because I really don't want to tell you."
They lapsed into more silence.
He stared at her. "Don't go."
She stared back. "Don't stay."
She slid closer to him and wrapped her arms around him, and neither said anything else.
Rory walked in behind Sasha, and watched as she woke Jess by gripping his shoulder gently. She whispered something to him and he nodded. Rory watched him stretch a little before lifting Lily into his arms and carrying her off to her room.
Sasha smiled at the younger girl. "Come on. Jess said you can take his room."
"Oh," Rory replied drowsily. "No, it's okay. I can take the couch."
Jess came back in and sighed. "No, I'll take the couch."
She looked up at him, and they stared at each other intently.
"I'm gonna head to bed," Sasha told them. "Jess, you know where the extra blankets are?"
Jess nodded, his eyes never leaving Rory.
Sasha looked from one to the other and walked off. "G'night, kids."
When he heard a door close, he sighed. "You didn't have to come."
Rory shrugged. "You sounded upset."
He didn't reply. Instead, he slowly walked to her and wrapped his arms around her tightly. "Sorry about earlier."
She nodded and hugged him back.
*****
Rory woke the next morning to the sound of the front door closing. She got up and dressed, and walked into the kitchen. Waiting for her on the table was a cup of coffee, a greasy-looking plait of food and a note.
Rory-
Morning. Went to take Lily to school, then to the hospital. Didn't want to wake you.
–Jess
She picked up the note, and turned it over to find a small, legible map, detailing directions on how to get from the apartment to the hospital.
She smiled and sad down to eat.
*****
"I can't believe she did this."
Luke sighed. "Lorelei-"
"Why hasn't she called yet?!" Lorelei cried. She had yet to touch the coffee Luke had set in front of her that afternoon.
"It's only nine AM there, Lorelei."
"She should have called me; she should have asked me for the money. Why did she go straight to my parents?!"
"Maybe because she knows you don't have the money to send her to California and back."
"And my mother is livid!" Lorelei went on. "She had to postpone that party! And you know who she took it out on?! Me! Me. Because my parenting skills suck! Suck, suck, suck! And I'm so worried. What if her plane got hijacked or something?!"
"We would have heard."
"What if she never made it to Jimmy and Sasha's?"
"She'll be fine, Lorelei."
"But what if something happened?!"
Luke sighed. "We woulda heard something."
"Aren't you at all worried?"
"They're fine."
"You're not worried."
"Nope."
"What if Jess had another relapse?"
"You're worrying about Jess, now?"
"...No." Lorelei sighed. "I just wish she would call."
At that moment, Lane came shooting in. "Is it true?"
Luke blinked. "What?"
"Jess freaked out, and ran away again and Rory went on a quest to find him?"
"A... Quest?" Luke asked.
"Miss Patty's words," Lane replied.
"Jess's dad had a heart attack, Lane," Lorelei said. "They went to see him."
"Oh... that's awful," Lane said softly. She snapped a finger at them. "I have to go correct the rumor mill." With that, she ran back out.
*****
Rory walked up to the nurse's desk with her map in hand. "Hi. I'm looking for Jimmy Mariano's room?"
The nurse looked up. "Family?"
"Uh... son's girlfriend?" Rory told her hopefully, trying not to sound too stupid.
The nurse smiled kindly. "143 on the left, Hon."
Rory smiled and thanked the nurse. She walked down the hallway, and passed a waiting room. She stopped when her peripheral vision caught a glimpse of dark hair and leather.
She turned and watched him.
He was slumped in a chair, eyes vacant, arms crossed over his chest. He looked as if he hadn't slept in a few days. She doubted that he'd slept the night before. He'd probably stayed up and just read.
She slowly walked over and sat down next to him.
"Karma's a bitch," he told her quietly.
She got it. Only a few months ago he'd been the one in the hospital bed, and Jimmy had been the one to travel the three-thousand mile distance to be supportive.
"Have you seen him yet?" Rory asked.
Jess shook his head.
"Is he awake?"
Jess shrugged. "I guess."
She kissed him briefly and got to her feet.
*****
"Gramma, Jess called last night," Gloria said as she went through that day's mail.
"Oh?" Sofia asked as she looked over a magazine that had come for her.
"Yeah uhm... Uncle Jimmy had a heart attack."
There was a long silence between them.
Sofia shook her head. "Stupid boy."
Gloria sighed. "Do you want me to try and find their number?"
"No," Sofia replied. "If he wants to talk to me, he'll call."
Gloria nodded, and picked up a thick envelope addressed to her. She held her breath.
******
Jimmy looked confused.
His son's girlfriend had pulled up a seat next to him. His son's girlfriend who was supposed to be back east at some hoity-toity school in New England getting a degree in whatever hoity-toity people get a degree in.
"He's sitting in the waiting room staring at the wall," Rory told him.
He looked surprised. "I can't believe he's here."
Rory sighed. "I think he wants to see you but... I don't think he knows what to do."
Jimmy shook his head. "I can't believe he's here."
"Sasha called him."
He nodded. "I'd like to see him."
Rory nodded back. "I'll see what I can do."
*****
"Jess isn't in town, Liz."
Liz sighed from her hotel room in Chicago. "Well, where is he Luke? In New York?"
"No..."
"Then where?"
"California."
"California?" Liz asked. "With Jimmy?"
"With Jimmy."
"Wow. That's great!"
"Not so great, Liz."
"No?"
"No."
"Why?"
Luke sighed. "Liz, Jimmy had a heart attack."
She felt silent. What do you say to that?
******
She'd taken him the hand and pulled him to his feet. He hadn't fought. She led him to Jimmy's room and he stopped.
"Come on," she said.
"I can't."
"Why?"
"I'll screw things up more," he told her.
"Jess..."
"I screw up everything," he went on quietly. "I screwed up you and Dean. I screwed up you and me. I screwed myself up." He pointed a finger at Jimmy's door. "I screwed up things with him, too."
She'd never heard him talk like this. It scared her to see him so vulnerable. His eyes seemed to take a helpless look as he stared at the door.
"Things can be fixed," she told him softly. "You're here. He wants to see you."
"I'm part of the reason why this happened," Jess said abruptly. "He's in here because of me."
"What?"
"I coulda just sucked it up and talked to him on the phone, but I..." He trailed off and started to walk off, but she grabbed him by the arm. He stopped and turned to her.
"Please, talk to him."
They stared in silence for a long moment, until he finally nodded, and opened the door.
*****
Her cell phone rang at five that evening on her way home from the Inn. Lorelei pulled her jeep over to the side of the road, and flipped her cell phone on. "Hello."
"Mom. Hey."
"Finally! Do you know how long I've been waiting for you to call me?!"
"Mom, I'm really sorry," Rory replied. "Things have been really hectic. Jess is a mess."
"Uh-huh. You know who else is a mess?"
Rory didn't reply.
"Me! How could you do this? You know how I feel about taking money from my parents?!"
"This wasn't about the money, Mom," Rory replied. "Jess is freaking out. If I wasn't here, he'd probably still be stumbling around Venice Beach, really drunk. Really, really drunk."
"Drunk?" Lorelei asked. "How drunk?"
"He smiled. And giggled."
"Oh, no. That's awful!" Lorelei sighed, trying to get back into mom- mode. "When are you coming back?"
"I don't know yet."
"May I suggest tomorrow?"
Rory sighed. "I don't know. He really needs me."
"Hey, you have a party to attend," Lorelei told her. "If you don't get back here your grandmother is going to fly herself out there and ring your little neck, no matter how much she loves you."
"I know. I'll... yeah. I'll be back tomorrow," Rory told her. "Mom, I'm really, really sorry."
"It's... it's okay, Rory," Lorelei sighed. "Just talk to me. The least you could have done was call me before you went to them."
"I know. I'm sorry."
"I'll see you tomorrow, Babe."
"Bye, Mom. I love you."
*****
"Why do you have to leave so soon?" Lily asked that afternoon.
Jess, after talking to Jimmy, had come out and announced that they had to go pick Lily up from school. And so they had, and were walking back to the apartment.
Rory sighed. "I have some family stuff to take care of," she told the younger girl.
Lily turned to Jess. "Are you leaving, too?"
Jess shook his head. "I'm gonna stay a few more days to help Jimmy get settled in when he comes home tomorrow night."
Lily nodded.
Rory stole a glance at him, but he kept looking ahead.
*****
"She called?"
Lorelei nodded as she arrived at Luke's for dinner. "She called. Jess is flipping out, apparently."
"Jess?"
"Yup."
Luke sighed.
"He hasn't called you?"
Luke shook his head.
"God, what is wrong with that kid?"
"He'll call," Luke replied.
Lorelei sighed.
******
He leaned against the door of his tiny room, and watched her as she rushed around, gathering up her clothing and books. She was leaving in the morning. He wished that she could stay.
"Have you seen my blue socks?" she asked him, her upper half under the bed. "I can't seem to-"
"I'm staying longer."
She stopped dead. A moment later, she slid out from under the bed and stood up, staring at him. "What?"
"Things are tight here," Jess told her. "Sasha asked me to stay. To help out." He nodded. "I said yes."
She stared more. "For how long?"
He shrugged. "I don't know."
"For good?"
He shook his head. "No. I'll be back."
She nodded. "You always are."
"I'm sorry."
"Why?"
"We were gonna hang out this summer."
"This is important, Jess," she replied. "These people are your family."
He looked down and shrugged.
"Hey, it's not like we're never gonna see each other again," Rory reassured him. "And we'll write... call... send post cards... fruit baskets..."
He smirked at her. "You don't like fruit."
She smiled. "So send me chocolate."
"Why are you so okay with this?"
She shrugged. "Because. I mean... we've been through worse, haven't we? Comas..."
He nodded. "Dean."
She tilted her head and gave him a slightly annoyed stare. "Shane."
"Your mother."
"Hey, now."
He gave her a smirk, but it slowly faded as silence overcame them and they stared at each other. He sighed. "Listen, Rory, I-"
He didn't get to finish. She'd pulled him by the shirt, and was kissing him deeply. He responded with equal fervor and pulled her closer by the waist. She slid her hands down to the hem of his shirt and began to lift it up, when he pulled away from her slightly.
"Rory?"
"Hmm?" she asked softly. She was still holding the hem of his shirt gently.
He stared at her for a moment, before raising his arms up in the air.
She smiled softly and drew the shirt up and off of him before pulling him into another kiss. He slowly began to back her toward the bed. It was a moment before he realized that not only was he backing her toward the bed, but she was guiding him to it as well.
When they reached the bed, he pulled his lips from hers. He sighed. "Rory, are you su-"
She cut him off again, but this time she placed the palm of her hand over his mouth. "If I wasn't, we wouldn't be doing this."
He nodded, and they kept kissing.
******
Jamie walked into Sofia's apartment that evening, looking a complete mess. But this was nothing new.
Gloria looked up from the book she was reading and rolled her eyes. "Where have you been?"
He shrugged. "Here and there."
"What were you doing?"
"This and that."
Gloria sighed, and held up a thick, manila envelope.
"Wassat?"
"It's an acceptance letter."
Jamie laughed. "Yeah? From where? Clown College?"
"Nope."
"Whore School?"
"Fuck you."
"Where's it from?"
She held it out to him and he grabbed it and read it.
"Holy shit."
*****
And all they could do was stare.
She pushed a damp lock of hair out of his eyes and he offered her a small smile.
"You're smiling again."
He shrugged.
"It's a little disturbing."
"Thanks."
"Kind of cute, though."
He shrugged again.
They fell back into silence.
"So..." Rory said quietly. "That was..."
"What?"
She couldn't help but to give him a smile.
"What?" he asked, turning more toward her. "Scale of one to ten."
"I don't have anything to go on," she replied with a slight laugh. "This was the first experience."
"And?"
"And what?"
"And how was it?"
"Well, I'm not jumping out of my skin. And I'm not turned away from you in melodramatic anguish. So what does that tell you?"
"Tells me that it wasn't bad."
"Do you think anyone heard us?"
"I don't want to think about that."
"What if they heard us?" Rory asked.
"Is this the part where you jump out of your skin?"
"I think so. I don't wanna get walked in on right after my first time."
"Try getting walked in on during your first time," he muttered.
"I don't think I want to know."
"Good, because I really don't want to tell you."
They lapsed into more silence.
He stared at her. "Don't go."
She stared back. "Don't stay."
She slid closer to him and wrapped her arms around him, and neither said anything else.