December Bells Chapter 3: Call You Up, Ease My Mind

Rory was lying in her bed, wrapped in Jess's arms. She was thinking how safe she felt with him. Not like it used to be. She used to feel like he'd leave her at any moment, which he did twice. But she knew now, how different things were. She could tell just by looking into Jess's eyes. They could break anyone's heart, but they wouldn't break hers again.

Rory felt the comfort and warmth that was Jess's palm, running up and down the side of her neck. She loved it when he did that. Jess shifted his body, ending up with both of his arms around Rory's waist, holding her close to him. She loved that even more. Rory's thoughts and worried about Yale and Logan, and leaving everyone this year for school were all gone from her head. Jess was the kind of person that could do that to you. He could make you forget all of your worries, just by looking at you. She started to remember the first time that she'd met Jess. Yes, he'd been an absolute ass to her mother, but there was just something about him. And when she'd met up with him by the town square that night, and realized that he wasn't just another dumb kid that would pass through her life without leaving any footprints, but somebody that she'd really be able to relate to, it sent shivers up her spine.

She loved the way that her relationship with Jess evolved. With Dean, it was all too fast. He saw her, he liked her, he pursued her. That was it. But with Jess, there was a chase. There was that close friendship that was almost torture for the both of them. Knowing that they couldn't be together because Rory was taken. The fact that both of them knew that they had feelings for each other, that it was mutual, but they acted as if they didn't mean anything to each other. Just friends. Rory was just another person that he could talk to about books, someone to entertain him. And Jess was just the guy that she occasionally laughed with, but drove her boyfriend absolutely crazy.

She loved how Jess made it known to everyone that nothing in the world mattered to him, except for Rory. The times that he came back for her. The things that he said to her. She loved being wanted. And, after a while, that feeling of desire usually dies down somewhat. But with Jess, it was always there. She didn't know why. But it kept her alive.

The two sat there, in silence, for a while. But, there was nothing weird about it. It wasn't an awkward silence, forced on them upon lack of conversation. It was a safe, warm silence. The kind of silence that people look forward to. Then Jess interrupted the silence. He leaned over Rory, turning on her stereo.

"What are you doing?" she asked. But Jess didn't answer her. He simply leaned down & kissed her sweetly on the forehead. He leaned back over to his jacket which was lying on the floor. He went in the pocket and slipped out a CD. "What's that?" Rory asked, still not knowing what he was doing. But she was sure of one thing, he looked good doing it.

"I made you something." Jess said, sliding the CD into the stereo. Soon, the room was filled with a song.

"Imagine me and you, I do

I think about you day and night, it's only right

To think about the girl you love, and hold her tight

So happy together"

Rory smiled. Jess buried his face into Rory's neck, leaning on her. He sat up suddenly and Rory laughed as he began to sing.

"I can't see me loving nobody but you, for all my life"

Rory joined in

"When you're with me, baby the skies'll be blue, for all my life."

Rory lifted her head and kissed Jess. With Dean, things eventually became calm. With Logan, things eventually became calm. Logan was a bit of a chase too, but not as much. The chase was the commitment, not the boy. Her and Logan were pretty much a couple off the bat. There was a occasional flirting, and yes, a little bit of teasing. But it was almost like what Dead had did. He saw her, he liked her, he pursued her. And, Rory could tell that it wasn't the real thing with Logan, because the second that Jess stepped back into her life, she knew she'd end up with him. It was hard to let go of Logan, but it was so much easier to go back to Jess.

With Jess, things were exciting. Things were fun, and at the end of the day, he always let her know how much he cared about her.

Jess looked up at her. "What are you thinking?"

"Oh, nothing." Rory said, blushing at the thought of Jess knowing that she was worshiping him in her mind.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I just.. I like us."

Jess smiled and kissed her again on the forehead. "Okay," he paused, "I have to go to work."

"No," Rory said in a childish way. "Stay for ten more minutes."

"I wish I could. Can't though." He said, twirling her hair between his fingers. "I'm already late."

"You stink." Rory replied, scrunching up her nose and trying to make a face, but she failed. She began to sat up and reached to the floor for her shirt.

"What are you doing?" Jess asked her, curiously.

"Uhm.. I'm getting dressed," Rory said, confused why he was asking.

"You look tired, why don't you go to sleep? You have nothing to do today, right?"

"Well, thank you. I like the tired look."

"I just meant that you should relax. You go back to school soon, and you won't be able to rest."

"Exactly.Yale," she started while she pulled her shirt over her head and zipped the fly on her jeans. "I'm going back to Yale."

"Yes, you are," he chuckled.

"Well, that means that I won't be able to see you as much." suddenly, she felt out of breath. "Which means that I want to spend as much time with you that I can before I have to go back. So, how about I finish getting dressed, and walk you over to Luke's."

"Why?"

"Just because I want to. I'll have lunch in the diner."

"Rory, you really don't have to do that. You can just stay here and relax."

"But I want to!" she said. "Don't you want me to?"

"Of course I'd love you to walk me back to Luke's and then hang in the diner. But, I don't want you to feel obligated to have to hang around with me all of the time because you're leaving soon."

"I don't feel obligated. I just want to."

"Okay then. I'm gonna go to the bathroom. Finish getting ready, then we'll go."

"Okay." She walked over to Jess and kissed his cheek. She watched him as he left her room. She started to feel guilty. She felt guilty that right before Jess came over, she was thinking about Logan. She still felt guilty that she was leaving Jess for school. Don't flatter yourself, Gilmore! He doesn't need you to survive, she thought. She went over to her vanity and fixed her hair and makeup. She opened her jewelry box and took out the necklace that Jess had given her last month. He had just surprised her with it, and when she asked him why he got her a gift, he said simply because he loves her and because he wanted to. She twirled the thin silver chain between her fingers. The charm was a locket in the shape of a heart. When he'd given it to her, he'd placed a tiny picture of the two of them on one side, and on the other, a picture of her and her mother. He'd said "You don't have to keep the pictures in there, I just didn't want it to be empty." But she kept them, because they were perfect.

Lorelai & Rory eventually realized that Luke and Jess had gone jewelry shopping together. They laughed about the images in their heads for hours.