A/N: Again, frickin' amazing readers I have! I love you all so much, it was killing me that it took so long to write this chapter. Seriously, it's 11:35 p.m. and I have to get up at 5:30 for church, and yet I'm up finishing this for all you wonderful people. That's how much I love you all.

I need to address a few things before this chapter.

I never gave actual ages for the characters. At that time, Rory was 16, so I'm making John 17. I want to make him older but not too much. Jess is 16 as well so far.

Next, yes I do realize that Lorelai has no sisters. I think I'm making Grace Chris's older sister. It makes sense since she would still have lived in Hartford before since (I think) Chris and Lorelai grew up in the same town. I'm making a lot of assumptions.

To all of you who are being nit-picky and pointing out little spelling errors and inconsistencies: THANK YOU! I know some people get on your case about it, but I would rather have people do that than have a story less than it could be. So keep that stuff up please. Thanks. And enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I own a Discman, a shelf full of books, and this laptop. I don't own anything related to this show. And even if you do sue me, all you're getting is the Discman and the books because there's no way in hell you're getting my laptop.**

A Whole New World

by Angel Monroe

Chapter 10: Them

Hand in hand, Rory and Jess continued on their way. Only when they were about twenty yards away did John and Steve notice them. At first, the two guys weren't sure what to do. They looked as if they might head in the opposite direction and just leave the couple alone, but they decided not to when Rory greeted them.

"Hey," she called warmly as they approached, a shallow blush in her cheeks. "What are you guys up to?"

"Nothing much," he replied noticing first the smiles on Rory and Jess's faces, and then their intertwined fingers. "I see you two talked."

"Yes we did," Rory replied happily.

"It's about damn time," he smiled. "Another week of you two moping around and I would have been physically ill."

"Thanks for the mental picture," Jess chimed in sarcastically. "Just what I needed after breakfast."

"Anytime," John replied still looking contentedly between the two. "So, where're you headed?"

"He won't tell me," Rory pouted, her puppy dog face coming involuntarily.

"Oh no," Jess said seeing it coming. "I told you before to put that thing away before I have to leave. It's dangerous."

"Sorry," she said smiling again. "I didn't mean to."

"Sure you didn't," he said with mock suspicion. "I can see straight through that innocent pretense Rory Gilmore. I'm on to your tricks."

"Okay!" John cut in. "You both have to stop before I actually do get sick."

"Sorry," Rory giggled again. "Gosh, guys are so touchy."

"Right," Jess said smirking. "And you're such a tough chick?"

"Absolutely," she said with mock conceit. "As long as everything is exactly the way I want it, I can handle anything."

"Right," John concurred. "Anyway . . . so where are you guys going?"

"I already told you," Rory said, "he won't tell me. He even resisted the puppy dog eyes."

"Strong man," John joked raising an eyebrow, "but he'll tell me."

Before John could take Jess aside, Rory cut in, "John, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Um, sure," he said as they walked a few yards away. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to thank you," she said, her eyes shining brightly. "For helping me with Jess and for being so great the entire last three weeks. Thank you."

"You're welcome," he said sincerely. "You're a great kid, and you deserve to be happy."

"And I am," she smiled widely, looking down almost embarrassed.

"Good," he smiled back. "So can I talk to the source of your happiness now?"

"Yes," she replied looking at him sternly, "but no interrogations or fatherly threats. You will behave yourself."

"Yes, ma'am," he said sarcastically.

They went back to their companions, who, at the moment, were laughing and talking animatedly. John asked to talk to Jess, and Jess gave Rory a pleading look as he went past, as if begging to be saved. With them talking quietly, Rory was left with an all but forgotten Steve.

"Hey," she said politely but a little uncomfortably. She hadn't seen him since the party her first night in town, and then only for a few moments.

"Hey," he replied. After a brief pause, "So . . . you and Jess, huh?"

"It seems so," she said smiling a little.

"Good," Steve smiled warmly. "He seems happy."

"I hope so," she replied.

"I think you're good for him," Steve pointed out. "He hasn't been quite as much of a pain in the ass since you got into town."

"Nice to know," she nodded her head, smirking. "Still very sarcastic though."

"You should have seen him before," Steve laughed. "It was seriously disturbing how far he could go without actually giving a straight answer. At least now he speaks somewhat normally."

"Wow," she said thinking about the information she had just received, "I didn't think I had any real effect on him."

"Well you do," he replied, his voice soft and kind.

Rory honestly didn't know what to say. She just couldn't believe she had that much effect on Jess. If anything, he had changed her. Since she'd met him, he'd shown her a side of the world she had never known existed outside of the evening news.

She'd grown up in the last three weeks, and though it was hard, she knew it was a gift. She wasn't as blissfully ignorant anymore, but she felt things more sincerely than she ever had. She had felt more loss in that short time span than ever before in her life, but it gave her a completely new perspective on life. Only through the pain and anguish of recent events did she truly understand the gift of happiness and life.

As she thought about this, a pensive expression on her features as she stared off into nothing, she felt a hand take hers. She smiled and turned back to Jess and John who had returned from their conversation seconds before.

"You okay?" Jess asked her, noticing the blank, thoughtful look on her face.

"I'm good," she replied squeezing his hand gently. "Just thinking." She turned, speaking to John and Jess, though her comment was directed to Jess, "So what did John say to you? Do I have to kill him later?"

"I was an angel!" John protested. "I can't believe you would think anything different."

"It was fine," Jess chuckled. "Minor lecturing. Only one threat."

"Fair enough," Rory said.

"So," John turned to Steve, who was watching the entire interaction with amusement, "I think we should be going."

"Yeah," Steve agreed. "I think these two have somewhere to be."

"Bye," Rory said to John giving him a big hug and a sisterly peck on the cheek.

"See you later at home," he said. "And he's been warned numerous times, so if he tries anything, I have full right to dismember him."

"Don't you dare," she laughed. "I kinda like him intact."

"Amen to that," Jess cut in, reclaiming her hand again. "And don't worry; I'll take good care of her."

"Have her home by eleven," John called as he and Steve headed down the street.

"So," Rory said as they watched the two depart, "what now?"

"Now," he replied smiling, "I take you to your surprise."

"Let's go!" she squealed eagerly, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

"Okay," he chuckled, loving how wide and beautiful those eyes were at that moment. "Come on, the subway's this way."

The entire ride, Rory was practically bouncing off the walls. If Jess hadn't put his arms around her waist and held her hands, he didn't doubt that she would have paced the subway car. When the ride was over, she practically dragged him up onto the street.

"Calm down," he laughed as they emerged back onto the city street. "It's not Christmas or anything."

"I know," she smiled back, "but I've been holed up in my room for practically a whole week. I'm dying for movement."

"Well, then," he said leading her down the street, his arm resting comfortably around her waist, "you'll like this place."

"How much further?" she asked anxiously.

"About two minutes," he replied. "Jeez, how strong was your coffee this morning?"

"Fine, I'll stop," she said calming down a little though her eyes still danced with excitement. "So, what did John say to you?" she asked.

"Oh, the usual," Jess smiled. "Be careful. Make sure she's home on time. You hurt her, I'll hurt you. Watch out for scary guys with knives. Just normal stuff."

"Oh," she said looking down, her voice thoughtful. He could tell that there was something she wasn't saying.

"So," he said taking a guess at what she was thinking, "how are you doing with the whole scary guy with the knife incident?"

"I'm okay," she said quietly, not looking up. "I guess it just gets to me a little. I mean, it just makes me mad that I couldn't do anything. I hate that I had to be saved. I hate being helpless."

"You're not helpless," Jess objected, his voice more concerned than anything. He hated to see her upset. "You were afraid and he had a knife. He was twice your size and there was nothing you could do. That's not helpless; that's physical fact."

"But he could have done anything to me," she said softly. "He was gong to . . . and I couldn't do anything about it. If that's not helpless, I don't know what is."

Jess stopped, stepping in front of her so they were face to face. "Rory, you are not helpless," he told her straight out, her eyes finally rising to meet his. "You are smart and beautiful and funny and completely crazy sometimes, but you are not helpless. Last night was something terrible that never should have happened to you, but you have to believe me when I say that you did everything right in that situation. That guy was dangerous and obviously didn't care about right or wrong, so anything you could have done also could have gotten you killed. You cannot beat yourself up about something you had no control of and ended up okay in the end. Okay?"

Slowly she let the edges of her lips turn up into a tiny understanding smile. "Okay," she replied softly. "I understand what you're saying."

"Good," he said pulling her into a protective hug. "You know I won't let anything happen to you, right?"

"I know," she replied loving the feeling of him surrounding her. He was like a favorite sweatshirt that was three sizes too big and made you feel warm and protected every time you wear it. He was her security blanket.

"You know," he said as they began walking again. "I could teach you how to defend yourself."

"Really?" she asked turning to him with a smile. "Could you?"

"Sure," he replied. "I mean, every girl living in Manhattan should know how to defend herself. It's a must."

"I'd like that," she said. "How about the day after tomorrow? Tomorrow I think I'm going to hang out with John and Aunt Grace."

"Day after tomorrow sounds fine," he said nodding his head. "I'll teach you how to throw a decent punch and how to use size against a person. I'll even teach you how to knock a guy out if you promise never to use it on me."

"I'll keep that in mind," she smiled, "but I can't make any promises."

"Very comforting," he said sardonically. "One of these days I'm going to piss you off and wake up three days later in a bathtub full of ice with my kidney already selling on e-bay."

"I've always wondered how a New Yorker makes a quick buck," she quipped.

"Well it's good you have a plan," he said casually, "but please don't try it out on your new boyfriend anytime soon, okay?"

"Okay," she chuckled. Then, "I like the sound of that."

"What?"

"My 'new boyfriend,'" she replied leaning against him.

"Me too," he smile, loving the fact that she was really his. "Me too."

It was such a foreign concept to him, being with someone he actually cared about. Most of the time dating to him had been purely physical. He had never really been into the lovey-dovey stuff like holding hands. Then again, the simple touch of a girl's hand had never sent sparks through him like it did with her. Thinking of this, he squeezed her hand tighter in his own.

Rounding the corner of a large corporate building, Rory's eyes lit up. She giggled with excitement as she stared up at her surprise location. Carnival music and the scent of funnel cakes wafted through the air as they neared the amusement park. She could hear delighted screams and infectious laughter as she watched the smiling patrons go over the edge of a giant rollercoaster.

There must have been thousands of people there: standing in lines, riding rides, playing games. Still, she had never had a big problem with lines as long as she had someone to talk to. Seeing the colossal Ferris wheel, she couldn't help but think back to many past adventures and misadventures she had shared with her mother at places like this.

"So, do you like your surprise?" Jess asked smiling at her reaction.

"It's perfect!" she squealed, leaning over and kissing him on the cheek. "I love it."

"Good," he said pulling her into his arms as they stepped into the ticket line. "You seem like the roller coaster type."

"Oh, I am," she replied putting her arms around his neck as he held her. "I can't get enough of that feeling when your stomach drops and the adrenaline kicks in. It's great."

"Well," Jess said, "today you can go on as many as you want. You pick any rides you want to go on and I'll be there."

"Sounds great," she smiled, thinking how wonderful this guy of hers was. "First thing's first, we have to go on the Ferris wheel."

"Whatever you say," he said as they stepped to the front of the line. He let go of her just long enough to pay the woman in the booth for two plastic bracelets to get them unlimited ride privileges. "Your surprise awaits you," he said as they walked into the park together.

Before they stepped into the line for the Ferris wheel, Jess bought them each a soda and a plate of cheese fries of her. Rory objected at first, not liking the fact that she had no way of paying so he had to, but after picking up the mouthwatering aroma of the fries, she accepted them and promised to take him out sometime. After finishing the fries eagerly, she dragged Jess into the line for the giant Ferris wheel at the center of the park.

"You're not afraid of heights or anything, are you?" Rory asked him as they sat down in the basket.

"Nope," he said putting an arm around her. "Do you really think I'd have taken you here if I was?"

"Good point," she said as they began to move. Pretty soon, they were on the top of the wheel, waiting for more passengers to climb on. "I don't understand how someone could be afraid of something like this," she said looking out to the horizon. From their perch, they could see for miles in that direction. "I can't imagine not being able to see things like this, from way up here where everything seems so small and insignificant. It's beautiful."

"Yeah," Jess said watching the way the summer breeze was playing with her hair, lifting it gently off her shoulders and swirling it around her face, "it is."

Rory leaned her head on his shoulder as they moved around on the wheel. They just sat in their little basket and watched the world spin around them. She loved being up there, away from the worries and problems of the regular world. Up a hundred feet in the air, everything was so fluid and unrestrained. There was nothing but the breeze on her face and the warm body she was leaning against.

All of a sudden, the wheel jolted and came to a stop. Taken by surprise, Rory grabbed onto Jess's hand, a little afraid. "What's going on?" she asked as if he would know.

"I don't know," he replied looking over the side of the basket to get a look at the ground. They were pretty near the top of the wheel, so everything on the ground was a little unclear. "We seem to be stuck."

All around them, they heard people shouting and yelling. One little girl two baskets below them started to cry. On the ground, they could see men scurrying around like mice, frantically trying to fix the problem. Meanwhile, Jess and Rory just sat calmly in their basket.

"Well, this is an interesting turn of events," Rory said casually. "I wonder how long we'll be up here."

"It shouldn't be too long," he assured her. "I mean, I'm sure we'll be fine."

"I'm not worried," she told him. "I mean, I like it up here. And if we happen to plummet to out death, I'll have you to cushion my fall."

"Well at least you have a plan," he said with casual sarcasm. "Never mind that I'll be dead and mangled beyond recognition."

"I'll think of that when it comes," she said leaning against him.

"So," he said putting his arm around her shoulder again, "how shall we pass the time?"

"Well," she said innocently, catching his meaning but deciding to play with him a little, "we could play I-Spy. It'd be one heck of a game from up here."

"We could," he chuckled, "but I was thinking of something else."

"Cards?" she teased him further. "Did you bring cards?"

Jess didn't even try to talk to her. Instead, he leaned down and placed a lingering kiss just behind her ear. Feeling her pulse quicken beneath his touch, he traced his kisses down her jaw line and finally to her lips. She smiled against his lips and he moved to run his fingers through her hair. Then abruptly, he pulled away.

"Why'd you stop?" she asked disappointed.

"You said you wanted to play I-Spy," he said keeping a completely straight face.

"Ha ha," she said pressing her lips to his again.

He deepened the kiss, just loving the feeling of her in his arms. He could feel the blood coursing through her veins, the rise and fall of her chest, the blush in her cheeks as he cradled her face in his hands. When they were together like this, he couldn't tell where he stopped and she began. It was all so wonderfully new.

"Okay," she said finally pulling away, her breathing erratic, "I'm thinking we should stop before I lose all rational thought."

"Okay," he replied leaning his head against hers, "I'll stop, though rational thought has now climbed to the top of my hit list."

She smiled, looking up into his chocolate eyes. The thing that started it all. She could just sit there and stare at them all day. The very first time she'd met him, they were the first thing she'd noticed. Right from the beginning, she'd seen humor and passion in them. She'd seen life and spirit in them. The first time she'd looked into his coffee-colored gaze, she'd fallen for him.

"So," he said as she broke her stare to lean her head on his shoulder again, "when was the last time you were on a Ferris wheel?"

"My town has this annual carnival," she replied smiling at the memory, "and last year my mom and I rode the Ferris wheel twelve times in a row until I finally convinced her that our basket wasn't going to fly off the wheel and turn into a spaceship. It was great, but that one wasn't nearly this big as this."

"A spaceship?" he asked giving her a strange look.

"That's my mom," she said in explanation. That was all that could be said.

"Have you talked to her lately?" he asked looking down. He didn't really want to bring up a bad subject, but he wanted to know if she was doing better with everything.

"I called her a few days ago," she replied softly. "I told her about everything that was going on with you and the kiss and how I ran. She said it figured."

"What did she mean by that?" he asked curiously.

Rory smiled a little embarrassed. "I have a history with running from guys the first time they kiss me."

"Now this I have to hear."

"When Dean first kissed me, my first kiss," she explained, "I was so surprised that I ran away and stole a box of corn starch from his work in the process."

"Look who's a Dodger now?" he cut in and she threw him a look. "Ooh, that hurts," he said trying not to smile.

"Then," she continued, ignoring his comment, "after we broke up the first time, I went to a party and me and this guy from my school accidentally kissed, and I ran away from him because I was upset about Dean."

"Wow," Jess smirked, "now I guess I don't feel so bad."

"Shut up," she said turning her head away though Jess could hear the smile in her voice. "I feel bad enough without you rubbing it in."

"Okay, okay," he relented. Then after a moment, "Does she know yet when she's coming back?"

"Not as of then," she replied. "Her first treatment ended yesterday so she probably knows now, but I haven't called her yet."

"With everything that's been going on I can't blame you," he said pulling her closer.

"I was going to call her today and ask her about it," she said a little sadly, "but then I'd have to tell her about what happened last night, and I have no idea what I'm supposed to say. I mean, she's got enough to worry about without having to be concerned about my physical safety."

"But she deserves to know," he pointed out. "She would want to know if anything happened to you, and you couldn't keep it from her too long if you wanted to."

"I know," she said reluctantly. "The fact that I was hiding something from her would eat me up. That's just how we were."

"She'll be okay," he assured her. "She'll get worried but you can just explain to her that you have two very capable guys watching your back and you're being more careful now."

"And now I'm going to learn self-defense," she added feeling a little better.

"Yeah," he agreed, "so that should ease her mind a little."

"Yeah," she sighed smiling.

"So," he said changing the subject, "what time is it?"

"I don't know," she said holding up her bruised wrist. "I don't have my watch anymore."

"Oh my gosh," he said smacking himself on the forehead. "How special ed. am I?"

"It's okay," she chuckled. "I'll have to buy another one some time after I get some money out of the bank."

"I can show you some of the cool shops around here," he offered. "There are a lot of little places where you can get great stuff for really cheap."

"Oh, I love those places," she said. "I used to like going to thrift shops and yard sales. They always have the strangest, cutest things. Of course, this is how my mom and I became incurable packrats."

"Yeah," he said smiling at the information, "there's this great place on 22nd where you can get anything from clothes to furniture for practically nothing."

"Do they have books?" she asked, her eyes lighting up.

Jess looked at her with amazement. "Blasphemy!" he cried incredulously. "Jay would be so hurt."

"You're right," she said bowing her head guiltily. "No books at the place on 22nd. Forgive me for even suggesting it."

"I'm going to have to tickle you for that later," he threatened smiling. "Besides, the books there aren't that good. They only get what people throw at them, so they have mostly teeny-bopper Sweet Valley books."

"Okay, now that's blasphemy," she grimaced. "Give me Shakespeare or give me death!"

"Have you finished that Hemmingway I lent you?" he asked her.

Again, she bowed her head sheepishly. "Not yet," she replied. "I was avoiding it by reading almost everything in my library. But I did finish The Chronicles of Faerie. That one was great."

"Yeah," he agreed. "I thought so. I can't wait for the fourth book to come out."

"I know," she said, her eyes lighting up like they always did when she was talking about good literature. "I like how they're bringing all of the characters from the three books together into one story. It sounds like it should be fun."

"So what book did you bring with you today?" he asked. "I know you don't leave the house without a book."

She pulled a medium-sized paperback out of her purse and held it up for him to see.

"The China Garden," he read the title aloud. "I've never heard of that one."

"It's pretty good," she said flipping through the pages. "I've read it twice before. Liz Berry is really good with at fantasy with mystery and romance. It has some of the same kind of old folklore as the Chronicles."

"Sounds cool," he said nodding his head. "Maybe I'll borrow it sometime."

"What about you?" she asked holding her book in her lap. "Did you bring anything?"

"The Oedipus Trilogy," he said pulling a paperback from his back pocket causing the basket to sway gently.

"Sophocles," she smiled, taking the book almost reverently in her hands. Then with a hint of sarcasm, "Gotta love that Greek tragedy. Were you planning on gouging out your eyes this afternoon?"

"Well I didn't know how today would turn out when I left this morning," he said. "Depending on how things went with you, I might have been in a Greek tragedy mood."

"Well I'm glad things went well," she chuckled lightly. "I mean, no offense to Sophocles, but I kinda like your eyes in your head."

"I'll agree with that," he smirked as she handed him back the book.

"So, now what kind of mood are you in?" she asked, and suddenly the wheel began to move again.

"I think I'm in a rollercoaster mood," he replied as they descended to the ground.

As they stepped out of their basket, the operator apologized profusely and gave them each a ticket to jump to the head of any one ride line they wanted. Rory smiled and thanked the man, and then turned to Jess.

"Which ride should we go on?" she asked excitedly. "And I don't even have to wait in the line or anything."

"Well," he said raising an eyebrow at her, "if you think you can handle it, I vote for that one."

He pointed behind her to the biggest coaster in the park. It was spotted with twists and turns, drops and loops. It was by far the scariest coaster Rory had ever seen, and she giggled in anticipation, chewing excitedly at her bottom lip.

"Let's go," she said pulling him through the park with thrilled anticipation.

***Nine o'clock when the park is closing***

"That was the best amusement park ever!" Rory exclaimed as they began their journey home. "We have to go back some time, my treat."

"I don't know if I could handle another trip here with you," he teased her. "I didn't know when I brought you that you'd drag me from one end of the park to the other seventeen times before the end of the day. I might need some time to recuperate."

"Oh come on," she said poking him in the ribs. "Don't wimp out on me now. And it wasn't seventeen times. More like twelve."

"And that's much better," he pointed out sarcastically.

"But I had fun," she said sweetly, her eyes wide and filled with mock innocence. "Did you have fun?"

"Yeah," he laughed putting his arm around her waist as they got on the subway, "I had fun."

"Good," she said with satisfaction. "Then we should go back sometime."

"Yeah," he relented, "we'll do that. Hey, are you hungry?"

"You even have to ask?" she asked, looking at him like he had three heads. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well," he said thinking, "I could always cook for you at my place again. Saves me the bill."

Rory grinned widely. "Really?" she asked, marveling at how sweet he was being. "You would do that?"

"No problem," he said nonchalantly. "I mean, I hate fancy restaurants and most of the good vendors around here close at nine anyway."

"Sounds great," she replied resting her head on his shoulder.

As they ascended the stairs leading up to the street, Jess noticed how quiet Rory was being. "You okay?" he asked her. "You're kinda quiet."

"I'm good," she said smiling. "I'm just thinking."

"About?"

"Everything," she replied distantly. "I wonder how everyone at home is. I wonder how my best friend Lane is doing without me. I just wonder if everyone is having as good a time as I am."

"I hope so," he said. "I mean, what do they do for fun in a one-horse town? Watch paint dry?"

Rory poked him in the ribs again. "It is not that bad!" she objected. "I mean, sure, there's nothing to do after nine, but it's home."

"Yeah," he said just as distantly. "It must be nice."

"It was," she said, "but this is nice too." Leaning back against him as they walked, she reached up and stroked his cheek gently, placing a chaste kiss on his other cheek. "You know," she almost whispered, "I don't know how I would have gotten through the last few weeks without you."

"I do what I can," he said with a small smile.

They walked along in a comfortable silence for a while until they got to his apartment building. Letting the two of them into the apartment, Jess went to the kitchen and checked to see what they had.

"How about spaghetti?" he asked pulling pasta from the cabinet and a jar of sauce from the refrigerator.

"Sounds great," she said standing beside him. "What can I do?"

"If you want, you can do the noodles while I do the sauce," he replied taking two pots out of the lower cabinet. "You just fill the pot with water, add some oil, and put the noodles in when it starts to boil."

"I think I can handle that," she said confidently.

"Are you sure?" he asked her smirking. "I could always write it down for you."

"Very funny," she said glaring at him. "If you don't want my help, I can always go home ya know."

"I'll stop," he said reluctantly as he set up the sauce. "You just called the apartment your home," he pointed out.

Rory stopped, thinking about it. "Yeah," she said pensively. "I guess I did."

"You're becoming a New Yorker," he teased her. "Next thing you know, you'll be driving my runaway car."

"What are we robbing this time?" she asked evenly.

"I'm not sure," he replied in the same kind of voice. "There's a liquor store on 44th that looks appealing. All I need is someone to drive."

"Well, glad to be of service," she chuckled. "I don't know. It just slipped out. I'll always have a home in Connecticut, but I guess I'm getting used to it here."

"I'm glad," he said, his eyes connecting briefly with hers. "I mean, I hate that you have to be without your mom, but I like having you here. Makes things interesting."

"And I like being here with you," she said leaning over and giving him a quick peck on the lips.

Just then, they heard the key in the front door's lock.

"Shit," Jess said, his eyes wide with a hint of panic. "Rory, run into my room and stay there until I come get you."

She hesitated for only a moment before sprinting towards his bedroom door. Unfortunately, she wasn't quick enough. Before she could turn the handle, she heard an unfamiliar voice behind her.

"Who the hell are you?" a scruffy feminine voice asked.

Rory turned to see a woman in her late thirties with straight, dark brown hair and stunning green eyes. She would have been quite beautiful if she wasn't scowling as she was, her face prematurely aged from excessive partying and the poison of hard liquor and nicotine coursing through her veins. Her clothes were about two sizes tighter than appropriate for a woman her age and definitely what one would call scandalous.

"She was just leaving," Jess cut in quickly, walking briskly to Rory's side, intent on getting her out of this situation unscathed.

"You the flavor of the day?" she asked, her voice a little slurred. She had obviously thrown back a few that night.

"Um . . ." Rory had no idea what to say to that.

"Please don't do this," Jess said. His voice held both a request and a warning.

"Don't what?" she asked almost incredulously. "Don't talk to the little tramp you brought into my house?"

"Rory, please go into my room," Jess said, his eyes not leaving his mother. "I'll be in in a few minutes."

"Just what I thought," Liz said with a satisfied smile. "Little tramp."

About now, Rory thought she might cry or scream or maybe kill this woman in front of her. 'How could this woman have possibly raised Jess?' she asked herself. 'This woman should be mud wrestling on Jerry Springer, not raising a kid.'

Without a word, she went into Jess's room and shut the door. Through the thin walls, she could hear bits and pieces of the conversation. Jess was trying to calm Liz down, make her sleep it off or something. Liz just went on and on about how she wasn't going to deal with it when he knocked up some stupid bimbo. After about a minute, Rory couldn't stand it anymore and climbed out onto the fire escape. She wouldn't leave without Jess; it was already too dark and she didn't want him to worry, but at least out there, she couldn't hear the argument as well. Out there, she could turn to the summer air and the dim gray stars for a distraction.

After about fifteen minutes, she heard the bedroom door open and close. She heard Jess call her name, and she poked her head in through the window.

"I'm here," she said giving him a small, tired smile.

"I'm so sorry," he said coming out onto the fire escape with her. "I'm sorry about what she said. She doesn't know what she's saying most of the time."

"It's okay," she said softly. "Now I know why you never wanted me to meet her. Is she always like that?"

"Pretty much," he admitted sadly. "She's worse when she's around one of her boyfriends. Right now she's just drunk."

"I'm sorry," she said. "I don't know what I'd do without my mom. I can't imagine what it'd be like if I had a mom that acted like that."

"You learn to live with it," he said dryly. "It does wonders for one's skills in sarcasm."

"So what happened in there?" Rory asked hesitantly.

"She's drinking a beer in front of the TV," he replied disdainfully. "I guess dinner will have to take a rain check."

"That's okay," she said softly. "I'm getting pretty tired anyway."

"Then I'll walk you home," he said standing and offering her his hand.

"Thanks," she said taking it and following him down to the ground.

They walked in silence until they reached her door. "Do you want to hang out here for a while?" she asked. "You could avoid going home and just hang with John and me."

"You said you were tired," he pointed out.

"But I wouldn't mind staying up to keep you company," she replied.

"Rory, I can handle my mom's insanity," he told her. "I'll be fine."

"Okay," she said finally. "But you know you can come see me any time you want to get away. In fact, I insist."

"I'll keep that in mind," he smirked. "Well, goodnight."

"Goodnight Jess," she whispered, though she didn't know why.

Their eyes met intensely, neither wanting to look away. It was the end of the first day of them. It could only end one way. Wetting his lips unconsciously, he leaned forward as she moved to meet him. Their lips met softly, gently, almost timidly at first. Neither was in a hurry, both eager to leave the real world behind in favor of a much more ideal reality. As they lost themselves in that moment, the kiss became more passionate, more eager. They didn't want the night to end. They didn't want the kiss to end. They just wanted the world to move on around them as they stayed there in that moment for the rest of their lives.

Finally, they pulled away from each other reluctantly when air became a necessity.

"Goodnight Rory," Jess said again still holing her face in his hands. "I'll call you tomorrow."

"Okay," she said nodding her head lightly. Only after a deep breath and one last quick peck, she stepped away from him. "Goodnight."

"Sweet dreams," he whispered, the first time she had ever heard him say it though he'd said it many times before.

"Sweet dreams," she replied smiling at the sentiment.

With one more fleeting glance, she unlocked her door and entered the apartment. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice the woman sitting on the couch with her aunt and cousin. When she finally looked up, she was struck dumb.

"Mom?" she said hesitantly, not sure whether the familiar brunette was real. "Mommy?"

"Hey babe," Lorelai said standing up. "I'm home."