Title: Submission

Summary: After being raped by her boyfriend Rory flees to New York, where she meets a junkie named Jess.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Gilmore Girls.

Last Chapter:

"I'm Jess Mariano"

"You're a junkie"

He just smirked.

"I was kinda hoping for your name...but yeah...if you want to label me"

She smiled back a little.

"I'm sorry...it's just a thing I do...when I get nervous...I start babbling and I just blurt out things that I don't mean to and I..."

She hid her face behind her hair.

"I'm doing it again aren't I?"

Jess just nodded.

"I saw you crying"

Rory bit her lip. Her first encounter with someone in New York and she made a lousy impression.

"Yeah...I was...lost"

Jess nodded again, not because he believed her but because it was the polite thing to do to pretend that he believed her.

"Huh"

Rory felt the need to explain.

"I was going to New York to visit a friend...but I got lost and now it's late and I don't have money for a hotel and I never thought it would be this expensive and now I don't have anywhere to sleep so now I'll have to sleep in the park and get robbed by a total stranger...or you could be the one robbing me for all I know"

Jess grinned.

"I'm not a stranger...you know my name"

Rory smiled back at him despite of the situation she was in. He was right, he wasn't a stranger anymore. For some reason she felt a bit more at home than she had done a couple of minutes ago. She felt safe with him even though his fiery eyes reminded her of Jordan.

"So...you have no place to stay?"

He looked at her like he had suddenly invented the wheel.

"Why don't you stay at my place?"

Chapter 7:

"Stay at your place?"

Rory echoed. She looked up at Jess and checked him out once again, this time to make sure if she could trust him. For some reason she felt like she could. It was something in his eyes. Compassion. He felt sorry for her, even though he didn't know what happened to her. He wanted to help her, and it wasn't because he wanted something back.

"Yeah. I got a place. It's not that big...but I can fit one more person in"

Rory smiled at him again. The sarcastic tone in his comments lightened the mood and she was thankful that he hadn't asked her what was wrong. Yet. She doubted that he would be able to contain himself from asking her, and that was one of the reasons that she didn't immediately jump to his offer.

That...and the fact that she hardly knew him.

That he could be a rapist too.

That he was a junkie, and he could be looking for money.

Her brain kept screaming objections but she didn't listen to them. The past few days she hadn't been like she was before. She wasn't sweet innocent Rory Gilmore anymore. The only way she would be able to survive what had happened was if she changed. If she turned from a naive and timid little girl to a New York girl. Confident. Bitchy. And she knew that he could teach her all that. He could make her change.

"Sure...sounds great"

She smiled confidently, pushing the objections she had to the back of her mind. Even if she tried to reason with herself she couldn't really find any other option. So instead she took up her bag, jumped up and smiled brightly.

"Let's go then!"

Jess slowly got up, surprised by the sudden change in attitude. His somewhat suspicious nature had him thinking that maybe she had fooled him. Maybe she hadn't been sad and was just another junkie looking for easy access to a house. Maybe if he woke up she would be gone and had stolen all his stuff.

She didn't look like a junkie, but he wasn't one to take risks. Out of the blue he grabbed her arm, just to take a look at possible needlemarks in her elbow. He hadn't expected her to react like that.

She froze.

Then she started screaming.

And kicking.

And yelling.

She tried to get him off of her as soon as possible, and with doing this she landed a fine hard blow in a very delicate part of his body. He felt a pain searing through his body and had no other option then to let go of the girls arm he had been holding. There were sparkles and black marks in front of his eyes for a few seconds as he watched her run away, into New York night.

What the hell was that about?

He breathed heavily. Man that girl could definitely defend herself.

She acts like she's been raped or something...

To Jess Mariano, sadly, rape was one of the daily things of life. Almost all the girls he had known had either been raped or sexually abused. Some by familymembers, which led them to doing drugs, something he couldn't blame them for. Some by people on the street, while they were looking for money for drugs. People knew that they were easy targets. Nobody would believe a junkie if they said they had been raped.

In spite of the pain still lingering in his groin he decided to head after her. If she really didn't know New York she would be endangering herself. He couldn't let that happen. Not to a girl this beautiful and sad.

If I ever find the one who did this I'll kill him...

He didn't know why he cared so much. He just knew that maybe this was his change to do something good in life. Maybe she had been put on that bench for a reason. If he could help her, protect her, make sure she didn't end up like he had seen so many other girls ending up, maybe then this whole shit had been for a reason.

RORY'S POV

When he touched me I freaked. I instantly remembered Jordans grasp. The way he loved to hurt me. When I looked at Jess all I could see was him. Jordan. His eyes, his face, twisted with anger and satisfaction. I panicked. I heard someone screaming, I think it was me but I'm not sure. I do know that somehow I managed to kick him in the groin. Hard. He released his grip for a couple of seconds which gave me the opportunity to run away.

So now I'm here. Wherever here is. There's dark alleys leading to more dark alleys and part of me wishes I hadn't run away. What if there are bad guys here on the street? This isn't Stars Hollow you know. It's New York. Rape is probably something that happens to almost all the girls. Oh god, what if it's going to happen again? Then it would be my fault...because I ran away from the only guy that possibly would protect me. But maybe he wasn't going to protect me either. Maybe he just wanted to get me to his place so he could try to rape me too.

I am so confused. I just don't know what to believe anymore.

I feel tears streaming down my face, mingling with rain, because yes of course it has started to rain. Like this day could get any worse. In no time my clothes are soaked and I am shivering because the wind is going through my clothes. And to top it all off I think I'm walking in circles. I'm sure I have seen this building before but I can't remember how to get back to that bench. If only I could. It's not much, but at least it's a little safe. Safer than walking here in New York, at night, all alone.

REGULAR POV

Rory turned around, looking closely at the building surrounding her, hoping to find some clue to the way home. She didn't. When she felt fresh tears welling up in her eyes she mentally cursed herself. This was no time to break down and cry. She should bring herself to safety first. Breaking down could always be rescheduled.

"Hey!"

She didn't answer the person calling for her, instead she started to walk faster and faster, not doubting the fact that whomever was on the streets this time of night couldn't be up to something good.

"Hey girl!"

Not listening...I'm not listening...

She started to walk even faster, which made it look like she was half running and half walking. It looked ridiculous and it wasn't very easy to do, so within minutes she was back to just walking as fast as she could.

"Are you deaf or something?"

He was beside her now. She kept her eyes fixed on the pavement, walking on until he grabbed her arm and they both came to halt.

"Don't"

She looked up. Jess. It was Jess. She sighed, feeling relieved though she wasn't sure why.

He let go off her, a genuine look in his eyes that said he was sorry for hurting her.

"I lost you there for a on...you're soaked. Let's get you to my place and we'll have coffee"

He held his hands up in midair to show his good intention.

"I swear, I'm not gonna hurt you"

I've heard that before.

Rory just smiled and let him take her home.

Review please!!!

A/N: Sorry I've been majorly lacking in updates but I was just stuck with a big writersblock and not much time to write. I really didn't know what to write for this chapter until I found a small part I had drabbled a long time ago, so here it is. Please tell me what you did or didn't like, it really inspires my writing!