Hey thanx for your reviews sorry this chapter's been so long coming, I've had severe writer's block so this chapter's nice and long it mainly focuses on Kym and her story, as to why she decided to appear in Stars Hollow.

louisvuitton: Sorry I know the last chapter was a bit short, but I wanted to get the intial Rory/Jess interaction out of the way so I could get on to developing Kym as a character.
Utopist: Glad you like it so far and yes the kiss at Sookie's wedding did happen, as did all of season 2.
Ericana: This story is def. going to be Rory/Jess but Kym's just going to make things a bit more interesting and cause some serious friction.

Jess hesistated before he knocked on the door of Kym's shabby little apartment. He leant against the wall under a single, flickering light and took a deep breath. Gypsy had indeed ushered him upstairs after confirming that Kym was indeed going to be working for her, refusing to give him any more details.

'Oh come on Gypsy,' he had moaned in annoyance to the woman obscured from view by the lifted bonnet of a car.

'It's her business Jess, now go away I've got work to do.'

'But she's working for you, seriously?'

'No I'm really collecting young girls to start my own red-light district.'

'Thanks Gypsy.'

Jess smiled briefly as he stood outside the door, overcome with nerves, something that didn't usually happen to him. He knocked twice on the door.

'Kym, it's Jess!'

'Door's open!' She called back. Jess opened the door and looked around. The apartment consisted of one large room that looked like it hadn't been cleaned for decades. Dust-covered magazine photos of cars were pinned haphazardly to one wall which a single bed had been pushed against. There was a cooker, sink and fridge in one corner and Jess decided it would be best not to look around that area if he wanted to keep his breakfast down. There was a wardrobe, a moth-eaten couch, a small TV and a battered table with two chairs. There was another ajacent room that he assumed was the bathroom, door closed, but light could been seen at the bottom. Kym's bag lay discarded on the floor.

The bathroom door swung open and Kym bounded out. Jess swept his eyes over her in one fluid movement; she was still wearing her large 'Clash' tee-shirt but had exchanged her jeans for a denim mini skirt, showing off her toned legs, presumably for his benifit. Kym grinned cheekily.

'Hey.'

'Hey,' he replied cooly. She took no notice of his tone of voice and swept past him before slumping on the couch.

'What are you doing here Kym?' Jess asked, folding his arms.

'I thought I made that clear,' she said with a small smile.

'By punching my girlfriend in the face you mean?' he elaborated smoothly. Kym's eyebrows were raised.

'Wow commitment,' he said nothing. 'You don't care about her.' She remarked knowingly, digging out a cigarette from her bag.

'You don't know that,' Jess replied, slightly shocked that she'd managed to see straight through him in aproximently twenty odd minutes.

'I know you,' said Kym. 'Barbie's not your type, she's too ordinary, and obviously thick. You're just passing the time,' she hesitated and studied his face, her eyes widening as she did so. 'Unless there's someone else and she either isn't interested or is already taken and won't leave him for you, and Barbie's just some lame attempt to make said girl jealous?'

Jess felt as if he'd been slapped by how accurate her guess was and he seemed to explode.

'You don't know anything! You just show up with no warning and screw up everything in under half an hour, not that this town wasn't already screwed up, but still! You don't know me as well as you think you do Kym, you're the one who cheated on me, so you don't get to judge me!' He took a shaky breath and carried on with less anger. 'But then everyone else here's already decided I'm just a juvenile delinquint, I'm a bad influence and she doesn't give a damn about me.'

Kym was completely unfazed by his outburst, or his affirmation of her guess. She knew that he'd fallen, bad, for some girl and that things weren't going his way as soon as they locked eyes in the diner. She could also tell that he wasn't happy in Stars Hollow.

'How long have you wanted to let everything out?' Against his will, Jess let out a short laugh.

'A long time, this town's driving me crazy.' he sat down on the sofa next to her.

'It's not healthy to bottle things up, you just need someone to press your buttons occasionally,' she gave him a genuine smile and he remembered why she'd been so hard to get over.

'Thanks.'

'Don't mention it.'

They sat in silence for a moment, Kym lighting her cigarette and taking a few drags. She offered it to Jess and he declined.

'Um.. how's Barbie's face?' Jess looked at her andwas surprisedat the change he saw.Gone was the tough New Yorker and in her place sat a nervous, almost sheepish young girl who had had to grow up way too fast.

'Shane's ok. Besides she started it.' She relaxed visably at his words.

'Good.'

'So, why are you here?' Jess asked for the second time. She shrugged.

'Felt like it.' She made to get up but he pulled her back down by her wrist. Kym winced at the sudden movement and her hand instinctively went to her ribs. Concern filling his dark brown eyes, Jess reached over and carefully lifted up her top, just enought to reveal the beginnings of a very large, deep purple, swollen bruise. He looked into her eyes and she shifted away from him.

'It's nothing.'

'Kym what the hell is going on? Who did this to you?' He demanded trying to remain calm. He knew that Kym was very strong, and had always won street fights against girls, so the only way she could have got a bruise like this was from a man, and men hitting women was something that Jess would not put up with under any circumstances. Kym sighed, knowing that she'd have to tell him.

'Mum's new boyfriend.'

'He's been hitting you?'

'No, this was the first time,' she corrected in a tired voice. 'He's been beating on mom but mainly Jay for weeks now and everytime I haven't been there to stop it,' Jess remembered her little brother Jay, sweet kid, granted a bit annoying, but he sure as hell didn't deserve that. Kym's mom was an alcoholic who went through boyfriends like Rory went through books. Kym continued. 'I found him hitting Jay with a baseball bat and when I tried to pull him off, he turned on me, saying I was a useless bitch and shit like that.' Jess could see that she was trying to remain calm but the emotions in her eyes spoke otherwise. 'I pushed him off me, so he left to go to the local bar. I packed a bag for Jay and one for me, leaving a note for mom tellingher toloss him,and leftJay at my aunt's before I came here.' Jess, unsure of what to do, placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. She shrugged him off.

'I'm fine, I'm more worried about Jay.' A sudden thought dawned on Jess.

'But you already had this job lined up with Gypsy, what aren't you telling me?'

'Well I'd been planning to leave for awhile, I just didn't expect it to be so sudden. I've flunked out of school, and what with Jay and mom being hit all the time I'd decided to leave, get a job, a place of my own, and I was sitting in my room when I saw a picture of you and me on my wall, so I thought I'd come see you. I looked up any job vacancies here in Stars Hollow and Gypsy took me on.' Jess nodded.

'So,' she said. 'Changing the subject completely, tell me about this girl you like.' Jess laughed.

'I forgot I told you that.'

'Well you did, so 'fess up!'

'Her name's Rory,' he admitted. 'She was in the diner.'

'Oh the brunette?' She didn't wait for an answer. 'Her mom was so cool!'

'Yeah sure, very cool,' Jess replied his voice dripping with sarcasm which she chose to ignore.

'So is she not interested or does she have a boyfriend?'

'A boyfriend, complete idiot, named Dean.' He answered bitterly.

'And she won't leave him for you?'

'Yeah, I've tried and last year she kissed me, but then ignored me for the entire summer and she's still with him. The girl doesn't know what she wants.' Kym gave him a sympathetic look. He allowed his facade to drop for one second and looked into her eyes.

'I don't know what to do.' She put an arm around his shoulders and leant against him slightly.

'Tell you what, how's about you forget it for now and instead show me around Stars Hollow?' He smiled reluctantly.

'If you insist.'

'Oh I do!' She leapt up, dragging him with her by the hand. She grabbed her denim jacket and pulled him out the door.