"Hey. Refill?" Rory had sat at the counter at Luke's reading a dog-eared copy of Lolita and drinking a large cup of coffee for most of that rainy evening. She and Jess had been the only occupants of the diner for some time, and though they had barely exchanged two words aside from their initial pleasantries it had been a companionable silence instead of a hostile one. She nodded at his words, and held out her mug without looking up from the worn pages. "Lolita, huh? That's pretty intense stuff there, Gilmore." He grinned, and she looked up smiling back.

"The last big assignment for my Lit class this semester is to take a book that we," she stopped to rifle through her notebook, and pulled out a worksheet. "Respect, admire but not exactly like, and then argue it's pro's. It doesn't sound like much fun but I-"

"Like making pro and con lists." He finished for her, his eyes downcast as he wiped down the counter. The mug wavered between her lips and the counter, and she looked up him, her blue eyes wide.

"Yeah," she responded after a moment, smiling. "Yeah, I do." He nodded, and continued wiping, his mind, seemingly, on other things. A while later, after furiously scribbling notes in her notebook, within the margins of the novel and on her hands, Rory stopped and took a deep breath. She looked down at her watch, and bit her lip after looking at the storm wailing right out side. "Oh man, I should get home." She sighed, and turned away from him. "But how to get home? Don't have a car. Walk. In rain. Cold rain." She shivered and swiveled to face him, batting her eyelashes. "Jess, can you drive me home? I know it's annoying, and out of your way, but it's raining. I really don't like it when it rains." She gestured outside, even going so far as making rain like motions with her fingers. Jess leaned against the wall, his arms crossed, biting back a grin.

"Where's bagboy tonight?" He asked, watching her petite shoulders shrug. "Don't think he'd take too well to me driving you home." She nodded and cringed, sighing as she drummed her fingers on the counter.

"Probably not. But he's away. And you have a nice, warm, semi functioning non-wet car. And if you weigh the possibilities," she bit into a French fry from the plate he'd set in front of her. "Getting a ride from you, and dying of pneumonia? There's no contest about which one he would like less." Jess nodded, unable to keep his grin from spreading, and nodded.

"You make a good point, Gilmore. Let me just close up, and I'll drive you home." She grinned brightly, and as she turned to neatly put her things in her backpack the bright fluorescent light caught her hair, and made the brown locks sparkle. Jess' breath caught as he looked at her, and she smiled back unaware. Without warning the storm outside grew worse, the lights flickered, and suddenly there was only black.

"Have I mentioned how much I don't like storms?" She asked, her voice shaky. She suppressed a shudder, and rubbed her arms. "I really really don't like storms. At all. Ever." Jess nodded, He started to say something but a crash of lightning exploded in the sky, and Rory jumped a foot, her face paling.

"Maybe we should get you home." Rory turned and looked at him, a look of horror on her face.

"Home? As in my house? In this? I don't think so." She sat back down on the stool and crossed her arms. "Uh uh. No way." Jess looked at her helplessly, then down at his watch.

"Rory, it's not that bad. And it's only water."

"Water with electric charges, and death. And the loud noises. Lets not forget the really," she stopped as a clap of thunder was heard overhead, and closed her eyes. "Loud noises." Jess couldn't help smiling a little, and looking at him, Rory couldn't help smiling back. She faced forward and sighed, opening her notebook and transferring the notes from her hand onto a fresh page. After a bit, the rain let up and Rory let out a sigh of relief. Looking down at her watch, she bit her lip.

"I guess I should go. It's getting late. My mom'll be worried." Jess nodded, and continued wiping down the counter. "So…bye!" She exclaimed as she stood, but lingered by the door looking back at him, waiting. His words stopped her just as she was walking down the steps.

"Rory, wait!" Rory stopped, and breathed a sigh of relief, a fleeting smile flitting across her features. "It's totally wet and gross out, why don't I give you a ride?" She hid her smile well, but the light shone in her eyes. She nodded, and walked back into the diner.

"That'd be great, thanks." She stood by the door, and waited as he turned down all the lights.

"So, this is me." She mumbled somewhat awkwardly as Jess neared her house. He laughed as he pulled into the driveway, and she smacked his arm. "Thanks for the ride, Jess. You really didn't have to." He shrugged and flashed his trademark grin, and Rory felt herself slipping.

"No prob, Gilmore." She got out of the car slowly, and walked up the porch stairs, noticing a note taped haphazardly taped to the door,

Babe,

Emergency at the inn. There's pizza in the microwave and Chinese in the fridge. Don't hesitate to call, and I'll be home when I can.

Love, Mom

Rory crumpled the note and sighed. It was still raining, and as minuscule as this part of the storm was, it still made her uncomfortable. She really hated being alone during storms. She turned to see Jess in his car, still looking at her, and a look of hope flitted across her features. Without word or gesture, he was at the bottom step in a matter of moments.

"Rory." She nodded wearily, rubbing her hands against her eyes and looking like a lost little girl.

"Guess I'm all alone for tonight." She mumbled, biting her lip unconsciously, and holding up the crumpled note. "There was an emergency at the inn, and mom had to be there." Jess nodded, taking the note from her upturned hand and throwing it aside.

"Rory."

"I mean, I guess, I'm not alone. Babette and Mory are right next door, and I mean, it is only water, right?" Her voice was trembling, and the scuffing of her sneaker on the wood was getting louder and louder. Without warning, without notice, with no indication of what was going through his mind, Jess's hands were framing her face, his lips on hers. The next moments were a blur, how they had gotten in the house, in her bedroom, she couldn't later remember. All she could sense were his hands on her skin, how it burned, his lips on hers, the sweet whispered nothings that filled her ears. No regrets filled her mind, only the gentle but persisting knowledge that Jess was the one.