Disclaimer: Okay i have nothing cute to say for my disclaimer so i dont own anything... oh puppies that's cute.. so don't sue me

CHAPTER 2

Quickly getting to his feet he picked her up and began to run towards the town and Luke's. Dripping wet, with a soaking wet unconscious Rory in his arms he was anything but inconspicuous, gaining strange looks from random towns people. Lane saw him from the front of the store, running out after him she asked worried and shouting, "What happened! What did you do!" Jess, exasperated said "She fell into the lake and hit her head! I saw and went and got her out, that's all I did!" Lane looked at him and said "So you're telling me you saved her?" "Yea sure whatever..." Jess replied. Lane stared at him and ran with him the rest of the distance to the diner wanting to say something about the car crash and how he should have saved her then, but then thought better of it.

Finally reaching the diner, Lane opened the door for him, he walked in and screamed for Luke. "LUKE! LUKE!" Everyone in the diner was staring at Jess as he laid Rory on an empty table and told Lane to go check if he was upstairs. When she did he told everyone "Everyone go now meals are free go..." When no one moved to leave he yelled "NOW!" At his angry tone they all did.

Lane came running down stairs with a startled Luke and Lorelai following closely behind. Screaming when she saw Rory unconscious on the table with a nasty gash on her forehead. "Rory!" She yelled running to her daughter's side. She glared at Jess and asked, with a venom that scared even Jess for just a second, "What did you do?" Jess said, calmly at first then growing louder towards the end, becoming impatient and tired of everyone thinking everything was his fault, "I didn't do anything, she fell into the lake and hit her head and I saved her!" "TO BAD YOU COULDN'T DO THAT BEFORE!" She yelled back at him, saying what Lane had wanted to. "What's that supposed to mean?" He yelled at her. "You know what it means." She spat back.

Meanwhile Luke stood examining Rory and trying to do his best to treat the wound on her forehead. "You guys!" he yelled to stop their fighting. "She's hurt, bad. We should get her to a hospital." He informed them. 'Fine!" Lorelai shouted not processing what Luke had said, still furious with Jess. When she finally put the words that Luke said together she looked and him and, almost crying asked him "Wait what's wrong with her. What,... what do we do?" looking to Luke for support and guidance like she had done a million times before. "Come on we'll take Jess' car. Jess pick her up, lets go, you stay in the back with Rory- keep her awake, Lorelai you ride up front with me. The hospital isn't that far away it'll be fine." Luke instructed them. "No!" Lorelai said much to everyone's surprise, "I'll be in back with Rory." she finished. "Fine." Jess said to her "Lets go." They got into the old car and Lane waved goodbye before running back home.

As they drove Jess would glance behind at the girls looking at Rory, looking to the sky, the sun was now gone and dark storm clouds were in its place. Thunder clapped and Rory jolted. "Come on Rory baby stay awake hon." Rory stirred, "Jess?... Jess?" she said quietly still dazed. "Rory babe, it's mom, stay with mommy baby come on." Lorelai began to cry unintentionally, as she feared that Rory would not be okay.

They finally reached the hospital, Jess jumped out and grabbed Rory. Rain began to fall hard on him as he carried her to the automatic doors of the hospital. As they opened for him he ran to the front desk and to a startled reception nurse who immediately called for a doctor and a gurney. Laying Rory down on the blue sheets, all three of them tried to go with her as the doctors and nurses whisked her away. As she was taken back, Lorelai screamed and almost knocked the little woman, who stood between her and her daughter, down said, "LET ME SEE MY DAUGHTER!" The woman let her go but told Jess and Luke that they couldn't go back and had to wait in the waiting area.

Jess paced, Luke sat down, then stood up, then sat down, then stood, then sat back down, and he continued this nervous routine until Lorelai walked out. Luke walked over to her and she fell into him, needing his strength. They stood still in the embrace till Jess asked, "How is she?" Lorelai looked at him then to Luke, stepping out of his embrace she said, "She's okay, she has a nasty gash on her head and a concussion and a big bruise on her eye but she's okay they said she would be okay.." Seeing her nearly break down Luke pulled her into another hug she held on tightly as she cried into his chest.

Jess slipped by them and went to see Rory. He wandered down the hallways looking for her. Finding the room, he stopped there, looking at her still form in the overly clean hospital bed. He just looked at her, meanwhile Luke held Lorelai in the waiting room. She cried and said through irrational tears, "I could have lost her, Luke, she could have died..." "Lorelai don't think that. She's fine. She's fine" He said soothingly. "I know. I know," pulling away from his chest slightly and looking into his eyes, "Thank you Luke. Thank you for being here and helping me and Rory.." She said before going back into the hug. Luke rubbed her back and said "Of course,-" "And I don't just mean now, today, I mean all these years you've always been here for us. Thank you Luke." She finished, Luke still holding her. Luke smiled to himself and said "No problem." in response.

Jess stood outside the door for a few minutes and then decided to go in, pushing the door open slowly. He walked over to the side of her bed as the door swung shut. He sat down and just stared at her. She stirred and opened her eyes now seeing him at her side. "Jess.." she said quietly. "Yea?" he responded to her thinking he sounded completely idiotic. "Jess," she reached for him, "thank you." She said and half smiled, still a little out of it. He smiled taking her hand he said, "Any time." "Jess.." she said with now closed eyes, "I love you."

To say the least this statement took him by surprise, hell, it floored him. From her, he would love nothing more then to hear those three little words, but he was shocked into submission, a million thoughts running around which was very out of character for him. He stood quickly and said "Um I'm gonna go get your mom and Luke they'll probably want to see you." He walked quickly out the door and down the hall, his mind still racing from what Rory had said. He didn't realize he had reached Luke and Lorelai till he ran into them literally. "Oh, uh sorry," he said, then realizing who hw had bumped into, "Oh Luke, Lorelai, she's uh, she's awake." he finally got out before walking away from them.

The pair watched Jess for a moment before walking back to see Rory. Before they entered the room, the doctor stopped them, "Excuse me, Mrs. Gilmore?" "Oh yes?" Lorelai responded. The doctor smiled and told her "When you and Mr. Gilmore get a chance I would like to discuss Rory's condition and treatment and discharge plans.." 'Mr. Gilmore?' she thought for a moment then understanding what the doctor had implied so she said "Oh okay alright." not thinking that the relationship between her and Luke was important at the moment. "Well we can do it now," she told the doctor. "Alright..." the three stood in the hallway out side of Rory's door as the doctor explained Rory's condition and the discharge instructions. "Thank you," Luke said when the doctor had finished explaining. "Yea thank you." Lorelai repeated. Once the doctor had left the two entered Rory's room.

"Jess?" Rory said softly eyes still shut. "No hon, it's mom and Luke." Lorelai told her softly, walking closer to her. "Mommy.." Rory said, reaching out for her. Lorelai came to Rory's side and hugged her lightly, holding back tears. "Babe, you really had me worried there, all of us," "I know, I'm sorry, if Jess hadn't seen me fall in I don't know what would have happened." Rory said. "Were you with Jess?" Luke asked. Rory answered "No, I was sitting alone and I sneezed and fell in and hit my head, that's all I remember, but he wasn't with me, no." Lorelai sat on the edge of Rory's hospital bed and held her hand. She smiled at her daughter, who returned it weakly. "I'll be right back alright." Luke announced. Lorelai nodded.

Jess stood out side in the rain, staring at the dark sky and the freak thunderstorm, thinking of what Rory had said to him 'I love you' echoed in his mind. He took a deep breath and suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around quickly to see Luke behind him. "Luke." he said "Jess." was Luke's response. "What do you want Luke?" Jess asked facing the outside once again. "I just wanted to tell you that it was good that you were there to get Rory out of the water." Luke told him. "Yea whatever." Came Jess' reply. "Okay well i'm gonna go back inside, we talked to the doctor, he said that we can take Rory home in a little bit they just want to make sure everything's alright and she's good to go, so we'll be here a while longer." Luke told Jess the plans, then turned to go back into the hospital. Jess stood there still thinking of Rory's words, as her voice resounded in his mind. He decided to brush it off as her semiconscious ramblings and ignore it, thinking that that would be the best way to go.

Four hours had passed before they were permitted to leave. Rory sat in the front seat of the car while Luke drove. Lorelai and Jess shared the back seat. "Hey Jess." Lorelai said. At Jess' glance at her, acknowledging that he heard her, she continued, "Thanks, for helping Rory." Jess looked at her with a shocked expression but said nothing. The rest of the car ride home was silent.

A/N Thank you to everyone who reviewed - LukeNlorelaifan, Summer, Sarah, purplelollipop17, lilyLOVESwb, Jeez, smile1, Chels46, Biscuit, Gilmore-Buffy-Fan13, bored247 and especialy Lonnie, thank you for the honest review... and thank you all for the reviews they make me feel loved!