Taking a break from correcting a test (I have the opportunity to bring it up to a 66 if I find all the answers very soon. And, in case anyone ever reads my notes and knows why this would be relevant, it's a chemistry test. Just keeping you up to date on my scholarly life.) to post this little beauty, because I figured you guys had waited long enough. I love this chapter, teehee, it was interesting to write.

The two people who emailed me comments, Kelley and Alex, thanks!

tado: …LOL, I love my new name! The Cliffhanger Queen! Oh wait, that's bad.

elena: I agree; the first part of my story was completely overdone, and I wince every time I read something similar and realize, once again, how cliché I am. I'm trying to go down a different path for the latter part of the story, and I hope you guys like it.

Jess's breath was strangled and hot as it raked her neck, her fingers getting lower and lower on his abdomen. He was well-built, but not in the way of body-builders and jocks. His muscles flowed together softly under his skin, trying to hide from observing eyes. But you could tell they were there, just waiting to lift something heavy or perform some effortless feat. And the best part was, they looked naturally tone. Jess either had been born the sexiest man on the face of the earth, or he pulled off looking like it very well.

He'd pushed her down, or maybe she'd pulled him over her. Whatever the case, she was lying on his bed in his shirt and a damp bikini, while his capable fingers pulled at the shirt. He arched his back so he could hover over her as he pulled the shirt off her small frame. Sinking back into her, he planted butterfly kisses on her collar bone, deepening each one until he was openly sucking on and biting her skin.

Normally at this point, Rory was more than content just to lay back and let the guy work his magic. But this was Jess. Her Jess. No amount of time, no past (distant or recent) relationships, nothing, could change that.

She entangled her hands with his thick, dark hair. Fleeting thoughts, not having any connection to each other, ran through her head as she forced him to look up at her. The only one she'd remember later, just because it was so amusing, was that she never realized how hot Italian men were- the dark hair and eyes, a complexion many shades of olive, and a perfect bone structure. Even her mother knew that, having been engaged to Max Medina at one point.

She lowered him to her mouth, and they struggled for control. Eventually Jess won, lacing their fingers together and restraining her arms above her head. She smiled confidently at him as he shifted his weight so he was grinding down on her, and kissed her again.

When he let one of her hands slip through his grasp, she immediately brought it up to his hair again, increasing the pressure on the back of his head. She controlled the pace and intensity of the kiss this way while his free hand slid down her side, taking it's sweet time getting there.

He reached her thighs, and raised himself up on an elbow so he could slip his hand in-between their parallel bodies. She moaned into the kiss, both from his tongue and his hand's progress, and he lightly stroked her through the fabric of her bikini.

Hungry for Jess, she whimpered to be manhandled as he slipped a finger around the material. Wet, warm, soft skin greeted him.

"We never did this before," he said, his voice husky.

"Well, you already know I didn't spend the past six years holding out for you, but I wanted you to be my first so badly."

"Why Dean?" he asked sadly, resting his forehead on hers as he inserted another finger into her swimsuit bottom. The two digits teased her, rubbing here and pinching there.

"Because he was there. Because I was frustrated with everything and I wanted to break something. His marriage was right there, ready to be broken. It was too easy."

"And after Dean?"

"Some other guys. None of them mattered."

"Dirty girl," he teased lightly. She couldn't defend herself because he yanked her panties down at that moment, exposing his whole hand to her secret garden.

"Please. When I was still hand-holding with Dean, you were screwing Shane above your uncle's diner. With customers there."

"Shane?" he asked, actually inserting a finger into her body. Snug, but not tight enough to cut off circulation.

"That blonde girl who worked at the beauty supply store. The one you used to make me jealous." She spoke quickly, because she was losing all trains of thought.

"Ah, you mean the distraction. I forgot her name." Another finger in. Rory had wondered if they'd have this conversation, bringing up Shane and Dean. She'd never imagined having it under these circumstances.

"What have you been up to, bad boy?" she asked flirtatiously. He shrugged as best as he could while on top of her, beginning to kiss her ear.

"Trying to get over some chick."

"Oh yea? How's that going for you?"

"Well, it was going great until I went insane." The pressure from his fingers, combined with the knowledge that this was JESS MARIANO driving her crazy, made a sweet, sticky substance seep out of her core, coating his fingers. The blood that had been steadily rushing to his lower regions made him wildly in need of shedding his pants. Sensing this, or rather feeling it, Rory slid her hand down his spine after leaving his tangled hair, and began to tug at his waistline.

Somewhere in the house, "Monkey Gone to Heaven" by the Pixies sounded in the background of their heavy breathing and occasional moaning. Jess looked up from his multiple tasks of kissing her ear, caressing her insides, and taking his pants off.

"What the fuck?" he asked, confused. She sighed, wishing her damn phone would die right that second so the moment wouldn't be ruined. She'd picked that song for her ringtone just because it was one of her favorites, but it also held good memories. The time she'd skipped school and gone to New York to see Jess, he'd taken her to a record store. It had played mainly unsigned and underground bands the entire hour they'd been there, and this song was the only one she'd actually known.

"It's my phone," she said with a sigh. He looked questioningly at her, silently asking if she wanted him to get off so she could answer it.

"I don't want to, but it might be my mom," she said apologetically. He let out a deep breath, and rolled off her. She pulled her panties up and grabbed his shirt from where it had fallen as she hurried to the guest room. As she pressed the 'Talk' button, she heard the shower turn on from the direction of his room.

"Excellent timing," she answered sulkily.

"Uh, did I interrupt something?" came Lorelai's bewildered voice from Connecticut.

"Hey mom, what's your issue?"

"Did I interrupt something?" the phone asked, a little more forcefully this time.

"Kinda."

"Oh my God, Rory! You've been there what, two days?"

"Hey, at least he's not married."

"I knew this trip was a bad idea, you just went to California to sleep with Jess! Why even bother wasting the money on a bus, which by the way I wasn't too thrilled about the idea of you traveling cross-country on, when we've got the Dragonfly Inn right here in Star's Hollow?"

"So you called just to make sure Jess and I were at least an arm's length away from each other?"

"Rory…" Her mother's voice sounded dejected. She knew Rory wasn't always the angel she appeared to be, but she was particularly scared for her daughter this time. Jess had left some serious emotional damage in his wake last time. She'd rather Rory be sleeping with some random, faceless guy than Jess.

"I know you're disappointed in me. And it hurts, a little. But this feels so right, it's like we never really left off. Like we've been waiting for the perfect time to find each other." Rory sounded so excited about this notion that Lorelai didn't have the heart to scold her.

"Sweetheart, be safe. You know exactly what I mean this time, no hypothetical-ness. And be smart. I don't trust him. And I know that doesn't really matter to you as much as I wish it did, but I just want you to keep it in the back of your mind that he's got some baggage."

"I know he has baggage. So do I. We talked about it; we're still in the process of talking about it. Please don't make me resent you for not supporting my decision."

"Well, I'll try not to. Listen, before you get back to whatever you and Jess were doing, like I don't already know, I was calling originally to ask what you wanted me to say to my parents tonight."

"Oh yea, it's Friday."

"Do they not have those in California?"

"No, they do. At least I think so. I haven't seen a calendar yet, but I somehow don't think it's legal anywhere in the US to go directly from Thursday to Saturday."

"So, now that we know what day of the week it is, I need ideas."

"Just tell them the truth. They always find out anyway, and then everyone is mad at each other because we lied to them."

"So I waltz in to Casa Gilmore, clear my throat, and announce 'Mom, Dad, Rory is not going to be joining us tonight because she's in bed with this guy who used to treat her really badly. Oh, and did I mention they're in California? Okay, let's eat.'"

"No, just tell them that I'm in California for personal reasons. When they ask what those reasons are, say I'm, well, I don't know if what I'm doing exactly has a name for it."

"It has a name alright. Fucking Jess." Rory could hear the noise in the background, presumably the diner, grow quiet. Lorelai's crude language and sudden increase in volume had shocked everyone within hearing distance.

"For your information, miss I-know-everything, he is in the shower while I'm talking to my mother. Real hot stuff. We haven't had sex yet, and thanks to your impeccable timing, who knows if we'll get our perfect moment back?"

"I'm calling every five minutes."

"I'm turning my phone off."

"I'm telling my parents that you're away on business."

"Please don't. Just tell them whatever, I don't care how in-depth you go."

"Maybe I'll shrug my shoulders and tell them to call you. And then I won't have to call every five minutes."

"Hanging up now,"

"Wait! One more thing. You know you can tell me anything, right?" Rory raised her eyebrows.

"You want details?"

"No no no, I want updates on how things are going. And maybe someday when we're old and cranky and sitting at bar drinking cheep rum, I'll get the details."

"Will do. Now can I hang up?"

"You don't need my permission; you're grown," Lorelai responded nostalgically.

"Love you," Rory said as she hung up, not giving her mother a chance to detain her further. Lorelai was trying to be cool; 'trying' being the key word. As much as she loved her mother, she could never understand what Rory was going through. Even when she'd been in love with Christopher, they were connected by Rory. Jess had been completely out of her life for more than six years. She honestly never thought she'd see him again. It was fate. Rory trusted that there was someone for everyone, and maybe Jess was her someone. Maybe they were meant to be together.

As Star's Hollow buzzed about Lorelai's phone call, Rory took Jess's shirt off again and walked back into Jess's room. She followed the sound of the running water into the bathroom where she knocked lightly on the foggy door. He poked his head out, soaking wet.

"May I help you?" he asked, in an inquiring tone of voice.

"My mom just blurted out to all of Star's Hollow what we were doing."

"It'd be a shame not to finish it now, don't you think?"

"My thoughts exactly. May I join you?" A sly grin lit up his dripping features, and he held the door open as she slithered out of her suit, watching every movement closely.

She ducked under his arm to enter the steamy shower, and looked down immediately. He'd already taken care of himself, she noticed with a pout. He pulled her close and kissed her as the water penetrated her already damp hair, re-soaking it.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding on for dear life. His hands rested on her ass, pulling her bottom half in closer. They were completely touching in every place possible, each feeling a familiar stirring begin within themselves again.

He bent his head and whispered in her ear.

"I'm sorry."

So much was contained in that statement. Everything from he was sorry Lorelai interrupted them, to he was sorry he was putting through having to sort out her feelings for him yet again, to he was sorry that he'd left her. She didn't know if he was talking about any one in particular, but it took only one look into the depths of his dark brown eyes to know that he was truly sorry- for all of it.

He maneuvered so that she was pressed up against the wall, with his back to the shower door. Moving up against her, he recreated the moaning sounds escaping from her mouth, even adding some of his own as she kissed him again. He glided a finger back into her, recreating their earlier position, only vertical. He added another at her kiss of approval, and withdrew only when they both were ready for the real thing.

"Condom," she commanded quietly, remember her mother's various pleas to be safe. He pulled their bodies apart and almost jogged back into his room to grab something from his bedside table, before coming back. He tore the package and grabbed the object, rolling it on before climbing back in the shower. He noticed his name drawn lovingly on the foggy glass, but did not remark on it. Instead, he kissed her tenderly and lined them up, before doing what he'd never been able to in his past life. He made love to Rory Gilmore, standing up in the shower of his California home.