Author's Note: I'm not exactly sure how many chapters this story is going to have. I'm just kind of going with it.

Chapter Four: Love Sneaks Up On You Sometimes

"Okay," Rory said while she settled back into the driver's seat of her car, "Where should I drop you off?"

"Just go back to Stars Hollow."

"Are you staying with Luke?"

"No."

"Are you staying at one of the Inns?"

"No."

"Uhmm okay, where then?"

Jess hesitated, not wanting to tell Rory that he'd be sleeping in his car for the rest of his stay in Stars Hollow. "Just somewhere in town."

"Okay, well you need to tell me where so that I can drive you there." There was a long silence and Jess just stared straight ahead. "Jess? Where are you staying?"

"I'm sleeping in my car. So just drive me back to town and I'll-"

"No you're not," Rory cut him off leaving him with a feeling of defeat. "You can't sleep in your car. I won't let you."

"Come on Rory, I'm not gonna go wake up ol' reliable Uncle Luke and disturb whatever it is he's got going on in there with your mom."

"Then you can stay with me."

Jess was taken back by Rory's suggestion, "At your grandparent's house?"

Rory forgotten her current living arrangements. A sudden feeling of homesickness brushed over her. She could feel the tears building up at the brim of her eyelids but she couldn't cry. Not again. It wasn't fair to Jess.

"Rory?" silence. "Rory?" more silence. "Lorelai!"

Rory came back to reality at the sound of her full name. "Sorry. I just, I forgot about living at my granparents' house. It's all so new to me. So.."

"Don't worry about it. Listen, I don't think that me staying with you at your grandparents' house is the greatest idea."

"Yeah, me either."

There was the silence again. It grew unbearable for Jess. "Okay, Rory. I don't know why you keep freezing me out of your thoughts, but you obviously need to do a lot of thinking. So how about you just drive me to one of the Inns outside of Stars Hollow. If I stay in town I doubt the news of me being back will travel slowly. So just take me to any random one, then go back to your grandparents' house, and I'll call you in the morning." Silence again. "Okay?"

"Huh? Oh.. yeah. Fine." Rory said, still in somewhat of a depressing daze. She shook her head as if that would help and started the car up. "Do you need money? I can give you some for a room."

"No, I've got it. Thanks."

"Okay. Okay."

They began driving and Rory started up some small talk, trying to avoid slipping away into self-depricating thoughts again. They talked about how California had been for Jess and how he'd gotten his act together and went back to school once he moved to New York. He got a steady job at a bank and was saving up for college. He told Rory that she was his inspiration. He said that he felt worthless after that last phone call on her graduation day, and he realized that he needed to make something of himself and stop wasting his life. Rory told him that she never thought of him to be worthless, just stubborn. She told him that she was glad that his life was back on track and confessed that she was proud of him.

They eventually pulled up to a motel about three miles outside of Stars Hollow. "Alright," Jess started, "Thanks for the ride, I'll call you tomorrow."

"Wait, I'll walk you up."

"You don't have to."

"It's the least I can do," Rory said with a reassuring smile on her face.

The two got out of the car and walked toward the main building. After waiting for about fifteen minutes, Jess paid the short, fat, balding man at the desk and was given and room and a key. Rory walked with him up the concrete stairs to the cheaply painted pink door of his room. They stood outside the door awkwardly for a while. Finally Jess broke the silence, "Alright well. Like I said, I'll call you tomorrow." He scooped her up into a caring hug, holding her once again, not wanting to let go. "Get some sleep, I hope you feel better."

"Thanks." Rory said half-heartedly. Then she watched as Jess slid his key into the slot and disappeared behind the door. She started to walk toward the stairs but stopped. She turned around and watched the light appear from the windows of Jess's motel room. She could see his silhouette as he took his jacket off and threw it on the chair in the corner of the room. He walked over to his bed, his back facing her, and rested his head in his hands. Rory didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay here with Jess. She felt safe with him. She watched as the light disappeared from the window. She thought that since he was sleeping, she could just sit outside his room and gather her thoughts. She'd leave before sunrise. Before he could find out that she stayed there all night. Before he could realize how truly weak she was.

Jess lay on the lumpy mattress in his motel room. He looked at the clock on the end table. Three o'clock. He'd been lying there for two hours and hadn't been able to get any sleep at all. His mind was filled with thoughts of Rory. The way he'd treated her, deserted her. He'd screwed it all up numerous times. She'd given him a second chance, and he messed it up. I love her. I love her so much, he thought. He had another chance now, and he promised himself that if she ever took him back, he would never mess it up again.

He hadn't even come to get her back. Didn't even expect to see her. But it happened. If he believed in fate, then he would guess that this was an act of it. No one was expecting him to come back to town. No body even knew why he was there. He liked it that way. He wanted to keep his business to himself. He'd only share it with Luke, and maybe Rory. Maybe. If it came up and he was feeling truthful.

Jess became startled at a sound outside of his door. He couldn't exactly make it out. It sounded like soft sobbing. He got arose from the lumpy mattress and walked over to the large window facing the parking lot. He moved the white lace curtains aside and looked out. She was sitting there, right in front of his window. How long has she been here? he thought, You stupid idiot! You should have watched her get into her car and drive away. But no, here you are again, messing things up. He walked over to the lamp and switched it on. He looked back out the window and saw Rory had looked up in response to the bright light now coming out at her.

She looked at him with big weepy eyes and Jess just stared. She tried to control herself but couldn't stop the tears. He walked over to the door and unlatched all of the cheap locks. He opened the door and embraced her in yet another long hug. She hugged him back harder than she'd ever hugged anyone in her life. Her cries grew louder and he took her into the room, kicking the door closed behind him. He took her over to the bed and sat down beside her, holding her and rocking her back and forth. He felt guilty, but he was very much enjoying this night. Rory was terribly upset, but he'd been able to hold her a number of times. He was finally the one there to make everything better, not screw everything up.

"Shhhhhhh," he soothed her, stroking her hair.

She sat there in Jess's arms crying for ten more minutes. When she finally calmed down she looked up at him. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

"Why were you sitting out there? Why didn't you go home?"

"I can't. I don't want to go back there."

"Okay, so stay here. Stay with me as long as you need to."

"Are you sure? I don't want to impose. You've been so great, you should at least get to sleep."

"Hey, don't worry about it. You wouldn't be imposing at all." And he meant that. He'd actually be disappointed if she didn't stay there all night, crying her problems out in his arms. He put his arm around her and lay her down on the bed.

Rory nuzzled her head onto Jess's warm chest. She could hear his heart breathing. She took comfort in the rise and fall of his chest with every breath he took. Her sobs diminished and she grew sleepy. She looked around the room one last time before her eyelids grew too heavy to keep open.