Previously in "I am the Tower Around Which You Orbited: I'll Hide from the World"

"Since, all of a sudden, you're the one who cares about your future and yet all you can think of is life after Rory. Do you love her?" I just stared at him blankly. I did. I loved her. I stepped back away from the door, and opened my mouth, about to say something, but thought better of it. "Jess?"

"I love her."

Chapter Nine: Sometimes the beauty starts to die

I waited at the bus stop, trying to read through "A Midsummer Night's Dream." My face barely stung anymore, but I had about two extra bruises donning it. There was very little to do now except wait for Rory to come home. However, she had newspaper duty today, so she'd be a little later than I had hoped.

I gave up on the play and started humming "Anarchy in the UK," wondering what to do with myself. How much longer until Rory came back?

Just then a bus pulled up, and I stood up, hoping to catch Rory. She stepped off the bus, her nose in a book. I couldn't tell what it was from here. She looked up and saw me. I smiled, but her eyes got really wide.

"What happened to you, Jess?" she exclaimed, reaching out to stroke my face. I recoiled and just tried to smile. "You got in a fight with Dean?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"'Cause he threatened me for little or no reason, and I told him off. He pushed me into a wall and I just lost it, I guess. I'm worse off than he is."

She touched my cheek gently. "Poor thing." She took my hand and led me off. "So is that why you were waiting at the bus stop?"

"No. Kind of, but not the main reason."

"Then what was the main reason?"

"I have a surprise for you."

"Really? This wasn't enough of a surprise."

"You knew it'd happen eventually."

"Well, yeah, but I still don't get why you couldn't have just walked away."

"Rory, anyone setting me up for a fight deserves what they have coming for them. I can't help it."

She stopped me. "Jess, where are we going?" Although she had originally done the leading, I was the one pulling her along now.

"It's a surprise."

"You're sure you can't just tell me? I don't like suspense all too much. Makes me giddy. Especially with a lack of coffee."

"One would think the opposite would do that."

"Yes, but one obviously isn't a Gilmore."

"True." She kissed me lightly on the lips, but I wouldn't let her get away. I wrapped one arm around her waist (A/N – Is it just me, or in every candid picture of Alexis and Milo, he has his hand around her waist? ), making her whole body turn to face me. I put our interwoven hands on her chest as we pulled away from the kiss. She smiled and played with my fingers with her free hand.

"I really should be meeting my mother at Luke's."

"She can wait five minutes, can't she?"

"Fine. Take me wherever you wish." We took a familiar turn and we were there.

"The old bridge?"

"Yeah…"

"What's all this about?"

"I told you it's a surprise." I let go of her hand. "Wait here." I walked out to the middle of the bridge. "Okay, come here."

"What's all this about?" she repeated, but I put my finger to her lips.

"Push me in."

"What?"

"Push me in. Be like Luke. Push me in."

"I'm extremely confused."

"Just do it." She put her hands on my chest, and the reaction in my body was immediate heat. I walked backward to the edge, her hands still on my chest. "Push me in," I commanded.

She pushed hard, but I grabbed her hand as I fell backward, pulling her in with me. She screamed with delight as she fell in. the both of us caused a tremendous splash, but I continued holding her hand nonetheless.

We came up, soaking wet, laughing. I kissed her hard on the lips and she opened her mouth to let my tongue in. I wanted to know every crevice of her mouth, and it seemed as though she wanted to know every nook of mine.

She stepped backward, until she had her back on the bridge. I kissed her vigorously, and she held my torso close to hers. I pulled her in to me more, feeling the heat in our bodies rise as we got tighter together.

I ran one of my hands up her leg, underneath her soaking wet blue plaid Chilton skirt. She hesitated, but didn't pull away.

Her chest pushed up into mine, and it was all I could do to stay from falling back into the water. I wasn't sure if she could tell what she was doing to me or not, but at the moment, all I could think was 'Should I pull away and say what I need to say or never be able to let go?' Well, obviously, I had to let go at some point in time. Why the hell I thought making her fall into a lake with me was a good idea, I have no clue.

She wrapped one of her legs around mine, and brought herself up to my height, lifting a little bit out of the water. If she couldn't tell what she was doing to me before, she definitely could now. She tensed a bit as she felt it, but didn't stop.

She brought her fingers up to the back of my head and tangled them in my sopping hair, clinging on. I wrapped my arms around her lower back and pulled her as close to me as I could. I didn't want to pull away, but I was afraid of what might happen next.

I was afraid of Rory. No, I was afraid of myself. I thought I might scare her away. A thought that constantly runs through my head. Only then could I pull my head away. She seemed slightly disappointed and slightly glad at the same time.

"That may not have been the best-laid plan."

"It wasn't all bad," she said, only seeming to notice her soaked clothes for the first time. "Crap. Lorelai is going to kill me."

"Perhaps it would be best for you to run home and change."

"Perhaps it would." She kissed my cheek, avoiding a bruising area, and waded out of the water. I pulled myself up onto the bridge and followed her as she ran off.

I'm not entirely sure how we got to the Lorelais' house from the old bridge without being seen, but we made it.

She bounded up the back steps and into the house, with me not too far behind. I ran inside, smiling, when I noticed Rory standing there, shocked. I looked over her shoulder and saw what she was staring at.

"Hi, Mom."

THE END of chapter nine

okay, so, I am not entirely sure what height the bridge is. see, in "Nick & Nora/Sid & Nancy" Jess is about up to his waist in water after Luke pushes him in, and the bridge doesn't seem too far off the water, but I could be completely wrong here. I probably am, seeing as I am a lot, but if I am, just pretend I'm not. :)