A/N – Hey guys! Been awhile, huh? About 6 months, in fact. I've got no real excuse for it so apologies all around. Thanks for all your feedback, it kept me encouraged even if I did slack off. Anyhoo. Without further adieu, here is the long awaited chapter five!

DISCLAIMER: Nope. Not mine. It theirs. Fat lot of good they've done for it too. -sigh- -- also, song name belongs to Death Cab For Cutie. :

Chapter Five -

- I Will Follow You Into The Dark -

Rory's week at Yale passed in a quick blur of Russian literature, and economics. Her mind was on Jess the whole week. She was too scared to call him.

'Too scared to find out he's gone and left again.' She corrected herself.

When her last class for the week finished on Friday afternoon she walked back to her dorm, and deposited her books on her desk.

There were no classes next Monday, making it a long weekend, in honour of some fantastic past Yale professor, who's name Rory couldn't remember even if her life depended on it.

Normally, of course, she would have. Only, as we already know, dear readers, her mind was in another place all week. Back, in Stars Hollow. Where he was.

Maybe. Hopefully.

She was scared. Scared to find he had gone. Scared to find he found another Shane. Scared of what may, or may not happen between the two of them now.

Regardless of this fear, however, Rory knew that if she didn't go back and find out this weekend, it would only get worse.

Back to Stars Hollow it was. Picking up a bag full of various things she would need for the weekend, she walked out to the main room, and wrote on the white board -

"Gone home for the weekend, will be back Monday afternoon – Rory"

XXX

Jess had decided to stay in Stars Hollow. He didn't know when Rory would be back next, but he did know he would have to be there when she got back.

As much as he hated to talk about his feelings and other personal things like that, this was one time where he would have to grow up, and sort this whole thing out for once.

There was something between the two of them. Always drawn back to each other.

His week was spent in the diner, taking orders, cleaning tables, being gossiped about, and receiving nasty glares from Taylor.

When Friday afternoon finally rolled around, he was so jittery with butterflies that he started to feel a little sick and dizzy.

Every time he heard the bell on the door ring, he would look towards the door, full of hope, yet completely petrified.

When the diner finally hit a lull around four he grabbed a book out of his his back pocket and started reading, determined not to look up when the bell over the door rang from then on.

- "One Sunday morning Squealer announced that the hens, who had just come into lay again, must surrender their eggs." -

His body tensed when he heard the jingle of the bells, but stayed true to his resolution. He would not look up.

- "Napoleon had accepted, through Whymper, a contract for four hundred eggs a week. The price of these would pay for enough grain and meal to keep the farm going till summer came on and conditions were easier." -

Someone had sat at the stool directly in front of him.

"So, Animal Farm huh?" Said the someone in front of him, nervously.

He looked up. His insides were doing complete flip-flops. It was Rory.

"Yeah." was his monosyllabic reply. He decided to expand a little. "Feeling in an Orwell kinda mood today."

"Huh.. So.. " Rory started. Jess looked up and caught her eye. He knew she was just as nervous as he was. This was hard for both of them.

"Ugh! This is silly, and frustrating, and immature! We need to talk. There, I said it! You and I, need to talk, soon.. please?" She blurted out, gesturing to the space between them.

"Well what are you doing tonight? Any family commitments?"

"No, Grandpa is out of town for business, and Grandma has some D.A.R event she can't miss."

"And Lorelai?"

"Will understand."

"Huh. Well. I have another hour left, so I'll meet you at the bridge around five?"

"Okay. Good. Five is good, bridge at five. I'll be there."

"How long do you think we'll be? I can bring some food if you like"

"Yes. Food, food at five, at the bridge. Great! Coffee too, please?"

Jess looked directly at her, smirking a little, "As you wish."

Rory smiled at him, and slid off her stool and made her way to the door.

When he heard the ring of the bells, signaliing her exit, he smiled to himself.

XXX

Forty-five minutes later Rory was in her room, grabbing her coat, and a book. As she scanned her shelves her eyes fell on "Nineteen Eighty-Four - George Orwell"

She picked it up and put it in her bag, realising Jess wasn't the only one in an Orwell kind of mood today.

Grabbing her bag, and shrugging her coat on she went out into the lounge and grabbed a post-it and a pen.

"Mom, I'm at the bridge. Will be back later. xx"

Sticking it on the top of the cordless phone, she made her way to the front door. Grasping the handle with her free hand she drew in a deep breath.

"It's now or never, Gilmore." She mumbled to herself.

She turned the handle and stepped onto the porch closing the door behind her. She made her way down the porch steps and onto her front lawn.

The walk to the bridge was a short one, and before she knew it, she was on the dirt path going through the trees. Glancing up she saw her turn-off about 10 feet ahead.

Holding her breath as she turned the corner, she saw him sitting there, reading a book, legs dangling over the side of the aging wood. She didn't know whether to breathe a sigh of relief or not.

She took a tentative step foward, now on the bridge. Jess heard the sound, and felt the soft thud. He didn't look up; instead his eyes paused at one particular word on the page as if it was the most interesting thing he had ever seen.

Reaching him, she sat down.

"So, I see you bought food.." She started hestiantly.

"Well I've learnt from past expeirence its never wise to deprive a hungry Gilmore girl of her food."

"A wise man indeed."

"I try."

At this, Rory looked up to find Jess staring intently at her.

"So, we didn't come here to make small talk about your eating habits, as interesting and somewhat terrifying as they are." Jess stated, raising his eyebrow slightly at her.

"Yeah, I guess we didn't. So. Lets talk" She put her hands in her pocket feeling slightly insecure and looked back down into the water. She began doubting doing this in the first place. Was it really wise to bring up the past like this? Dredge up all those memories which she had tried hard to bury and forget? Looking up at Jess again, having him here in such close proximity. Hell, having him in Stars Hollow, was enough to do that already. No. Talking had to help in some way.

"Well," He prompted her in a gentle voice.

"Why did you leave Jess? Was it me? Was it something I did? Was it something I didn't do?" There they were. The words she had been wanting to ask him since he left all those months ago.

Exhaling loudly Jess put his book down and turned towards her. He knew this would be hard. But he had to do it.

"I'm gonna be completely honest here, but you have to hear me out fully before you respond, okay? Because what I'm gonna say could sound bad."

Rory's stomach filled with butterflies. The horrible kind, when you're about to become privy to something you didn't really want to hear in the first place. She swallowed, ignoring the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat, and nodded. "Okay, I agree."

"It was partially you." She looked up at this. "I was failing highschool, Rory. That's why I couldn't take you to the prom. They were going to make me repeat the year. Luke was gonna kick me out. And there you were, the beautiful, perfect town princess off to Yale, after a summer in Europe. Don't get me wrong. I was head over heels for you; you were the one good thing in my life. But I couldn't bring you down with me. As much as I hated myself for leaving you like that, I would have hated myself more for dumping all that on you, right then. Right when you had all this awesome stuff ahead of you. I couldn't do that to you.."

"Oh.. But you could have.. It would have been okay Jess!"

"No! It wouldn't have! I didn't wanna go back to that school. Besides, Jimmy made an appearance around then."

"Jimmy..?"

"My father."

"Oh wow. So thats why you chose to go to California?"

"Yeah"

Rory giggled a little bit at this, "You know, that must have been a funny sight. You in your leather jacket in sunny California."

"There were a few strange looks thrown my way."

"So, why are you back?"

"At first it was to get my car off Luke. Turns out he was the one who stole my car. And to collect the rest of my books and stuff. And to be completely honest, to see you. I wanted to find out if you had moved on. If you were back with Dean.. that sort of thing. I didn't really plan on meeting with you face to face though."

"Oh, oh okay."

"So have you?"

"Have I?"

"Moved on? Your mom said you had."

"She did? She would have been saying that out of anger. There hasn't been anyone else. How about you?"

"No."

"Huh." Rory said, with a smile playing at the corner of her lips.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, its time for, The Million Dollar Question." Jess said sarcastically, then changed to a serious tone. "What do we do now?"

"Are you planning to actually stick around?" Rory enquired.

"Stars Hollow.. Maybe not. But locally, yeah. If there's a reason for me too."

"Define what would count as a reason." Rory said, inching closer to Jess, catching his eye.

He moved closer too, a smirk beginning to appear.

They were mere centimeters apart. Her eyes flickered momentarily to his lips.

"This." He said simply, before advancing the last few centimeters and kissing her.

Rory responded, and brought her hand up to his cheek. He pulled away resting his forehead against hers.

"Hey that's cold!"

"Shh!" She replied, with a smile on her face.

She moved to kiss him again, and their lips met. It felt like sparks were flying. She was tingling all over.

Everything was going to be okay.

A/N – Ahh. A weak ending, but do not fret. There will be more to come. : R&R xx