Title: You're Beautiful

Disclaimer: I own nothing; the title is from James Blunt song of the same title. No infringement intended.

Summary: Jess sees Rory on the train in New York five years after his last encounter with her. (Set after let me hear your Balalaikas ringing out episode

Ok, this is the warning right now. This does not have proper grammar, and I am sure I misspelled things in here. This is something I do for fun, and so if you are one of those people who want it to be perfect, well I am sorry, it's not. I really appreciate all the amazing reviews from you guys, but I need to let you know.

Thanks and keep on reading and review

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George had left Jess after almost two weeks of coaching. At first he had been resistant to George's 'help'. Jess had confessed one night, after many beers and a long hockey game that he wanted to talk to Sarah's parents, and then hopefully move on. 'You should, and do it soon.' George had said.

Jess had stayed awake at night, just thinking about Sarah. It was his chance to get all of his thoughts together. During the days he would think of Rory and everything about her, but the nights were reserved for Sarah. He didn't know why it was easier to remember her, why in the moonlight, he could remember how many freckles she had on her hand and exactly what the twinkle in her eyes looked like.

He knew he didn't have to justify his actions to anyone, he was responsible for just himself, no one else, but he cared what Elizabeth and Max Strong thought of him. They had become his family, and he didn't want to disappoint them. And most of all, he didn't want them to hate him or think less of his because he was giving up on Sarah.

He sounded and was being ridiculous but grief was the kind of thing that you couldn't tap a time limit on, or how deeply you were involved within it. But he couldn't help but feel guilt that he had the chance to move on, when the Strong's would probably never be able to.

And the phone message that was burning a hole in his mind. He had already messed up with Rory, never responding to her message, and that last one, she sounded so small. It hurt him to think of her like that. He should have at least told her what was going on. But he had messed up, and something inside told him that he didn't have that many more chances with her.

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Meanwhile Rory had called an emergency best friend night, with Lorelai and Lane sitting with her on her couch in her living room and helping her nurse her broken heart. 'I can't believe we didn't think of this sooner.' Lane says and shoves a wooden spoon filled with mint chocolate chip in her mouth.

Lorelai grinned. 'I am so grateful that this baby likes ice cream. When I was pregnant with Emma, every time I tried to eat it, I would get nauseous.' And then she moaned as she had another spoon filled with ice cream.

'I am sure Logan will be sad that he's not here to gab with the gals.' Lane said and I had to laugh. Logan loved to gossip with Lane about the rock stars she came across in her rise to the top.

'He'll survive, he has been dropping by more and more.' I said and Mom rolled her eyes. 'I still can't believe that your friends with him, especially all the stuff he pulled back when you still were together.' Mom said and licked the chocolate syrups that had dripped off of her spoon off of her shirt.

'That's old news, he's been really good with the new stuff.' I said which peaked their interest. 'You know with the Jess stuff, he encouraged me to talk to him. It's not his fault that Jess is getting over major stuff.' Rory says and stabs her spoon in the carton of ice cream.

Rory had tried to act like the slight from jess didn't sting. Even a part of her thought that maybe this was karma kicking her ass for how she treated Kyle. Rory then began to focus on what her Mom and Lane were saying, hoping that her heart would fix itself.

It was stupid of her to assume that Jess would be ready or wanting to reconnect with her. Maybe everything was just in her head. So she tried to smile and listened to Lane's stories about the band and Lorelai talking about her new life as a suburban Mom, and she laughed at their jokes.

But never fully escaping what was going on in her head. Or should we all say who was in her head.

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Jess managed to drive back to Philly a few days after his night of contemplation. He avoided his old house and he tried to ignore the knawing pain of the memories that Philadelphia represented. He didn't think that New York could feel like home, and now it did.

Jess walked up to the front door of Max and Elizabeth Strong's house. At one time, not that long ago, he felt like he belonged there. He had a family, and a great one at that, and then in one day he lost it all. And now he was here to ask them to help him move on.

He knocked and he heard Ellie murmur something as she opened the door and she smiled at the sight of him. 'Jessie this is a surprise' She says and she hugs him right there. 'Hi Ellie, is Max home?' Jess asked and Ellie lead him into the living room.

It was filled with pictures of Sarah and the rest of the family. Pictures of their wedding and the family gatherings that he had been too, in his short time with her. It seemed wrong that he was standing there without Sarah, but the pain he felt the last time he stood in this spot, wasn't there anymore.

It was a couple months after the funeral, and he was telling the Strong's he was moving back to New York. He had told them that he was being haunted by the life he could have had, and that he needed some time. And some time turned into a year and now he had finally managed to emerge from the grief lake he had been swimming in.

'So how is life treating you?' Ellie asked and handed him a glass of water. Somehow she had managed to lull him into a sense of safety, by just being Elizabeth Strong. 'It's ok, I finished the book, and it's being published as we speak. I'll send you the finished copy.'

Ellie smiled and she sat down, and he did too. 'So what brings you by?' Ellie says and Jess sighs. 'You know I loved Sarah, I mean love Sarah.' Jess stammers and Ellie smiles. 'I know Jess.' Ellie said.

'It's been hard to write about her and then go to bed alone. It's really lonely and I can't live with just the memories for that much longer and there's something or I should someone who just waltzed back into my life.'

Ellie gave him a weak smile. 'That's great.' She said and leaned forward and gave Jess's hand a squeeze of encouragement. 'I know it's not been long since it uh happened, but I can't do it anymore. I need to…' Jess stopped at the sight of Ellie's eyes brimming with tears.

'God I am an ass, I'm sorry.' Jess exclaimed and moved to get up. But Ellie stopped him. 'No Jess, this is good. Sarah wouldn't want you to be alone and miserable. It's just the final thing, she is really gone.'

Ellie sniffs and Max comes in at that moment. 'Jess Hey, Ellie what's wrong?' Max goes over and tries to console his wife and Jess looks numb at the older couple. He had wanted nothing more than to have this with Sarah. Or even with Rory.

'Jess is here to talk to us, sit down and listen.' Ellie says and Max smiles a secret little smile at his wife and sits next to her, while holding her hand. 'I told Ellie, that I …' Jess starts and stops and looks around and looks very uncomfortable. 'Jess told me that he is ready to move on.' Ellie looks over at Jess and smiles. 'Aren't you hon?'

Jess shifted uncomfortably, waiting for Max to start telling him all the things he feared. That he was a horrible person that he didn't deserve to live. But it never came. 'I think that's a great idea. We never wanted you to be so alone.' Max said and he smiled.

'You made our Sarah happy, and now that's she's gone, you need to be happy. As long as you keep in touch.' Ellie says and Max nods in agreement.

'You mentioned before that someone stumbled into your life? Who?' Ellie asked and Max rolled his eyes. 'My wife, the gossip queen.' Max mutters but smiles at her and she just keeps on smiling. 'My girlfriend from when I was a belligerent fool. She was my editor for the book. She helped me make the book into Sarah.'

Jess just chuckled. 'I don't even know how she did it, she took all the things I wanted or needed to be in there and made it flow. It's beautiful, and it's Sarah, and she helped me.' Max and Ellie smiled at Jess.

They worried about him. He was quiet and sullen when they met him, but soon he became the man they knew he could be. He smiled and was happy, and then just as he got used to it, being whole, Sarah was taken from him. He reverted back so fast that it seemed impossible. He moved far away and on the phone, he sounded like he would never breathe again.

Whoever this woman is, she managed to get Jess to revert back to the man they knew. Max and Ellie thanked god that this woman managed to sneak back into Jess's life, just as he needed her the most.

'You would love Rory, she is this book obsessed coffee drinker, whose mind and tongue work faster than any other human or machine on the planet. She was my first love, made it possible for me to love anyone.' Jess says and looks at them trying to get them to approve of what his heart wanted. To be with Rory again.

Ellie smiles. 'Well I am sure if she is loved by you, that she is amazing. You got to risk things for love.' She says and watches her husband. 'That's how I got this beautiful women beside me.' Max says and Ellie just chuckles. 'Oh shush you big charmer.' Ellie says and kisses Max.

Jess looked at them and waited for any last chance anger on his part but it never came. It seemed strange how easy this was, and he kept on waiting for the other shoe to drop. These were Sarah's parents, they should be angry that he was moving on. Or maybe he was a little angry with himself. Ashamed that he couldn't hold on for longer. It was only two years after all.

Before Jess left, Max stopped him by the front door. 'When you're ready, let us meet this woman who's stolen your heart again.' Jess felt uncomfortable but figured it wouldn't hurt to give them her name. 'I think I can do that.'

He left the house and never looked back, and he couldn't help but feel like he had conquered part of his problem, and maybe he would call Rory when he got back from Philly.

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It had been weeks since she left that message on Jess's answering machine and after two weeks decided that it was over with. Lynette from work kept on bugging her to go out with her brother. 'He's perfect for you.' Lynette would say all day every day at the office. And finally after talking about it with Lane, she decided why not.

'No reason to wait for Jess to wake up.' Lane had said and then started sprouting something about girl power. She had been going through a lot of rocker girl syndrome as of late. 'I'm a role model Rory, and I need to teach girls how to be strong and independent, like your mom did with us?

So Rory got ready to go on her first post jess date. She dressed to kill, as it was a Gilmore rule, and tried to ignore the feeling like she couldn't breathe. Part of her wanted to wait for jess for as long as he needed, but Rory never dealt with being alone well.

So when Duncan came to the door, she was pleasantly surprised that he was handsome and funny and quick witted. Her favorite kind of man. 'So you're the Rory?' He asked as he walked her out of the apartment.

'Yes I am Rory, and you're really Duncan?' Rory asked and he smiled. 'Lynette said you were beautiful, but wow.' He said and led her to the elevator. 'Your not so bad looking yourself.' Rory flirted back and it amazed her how easy it came back to her. The art of flirting.

Duncan and Rory had a wonderful time on their date. Apparently Lynette had informed her brother of the obvious love of coffee that Rory had. He took her to a restaurant with a coffee list instead of a wine list and they sat and talked about books and basically everything.

It was the kind of date that you brag about to your friends, and when he kissed her on the cheek when he dropped her off, it didn't feel like a blind date, but something under her own will.

'I had a great time Duncan.' Rory said with her eyes shining and with the promise of a future, and that's when she heard a voice behind her. 'Rory?' and both Rory and Duncan looked behind them and saw a sad looking Jess and the safety in the date was obliterated.

'Jess.' Rory says and Duncan just watches his date look relieved and sad at the same time. 'I think maybe I should go.' He says and Rory nods. 'Yeah, maybe that's best. I will call you.' She goes on her tipsy toes and kisses his cheek. 'Thank you Duncan.'

He looks at Rory and Jess one last time and leaves reluctantly, disappearing in the elevator. Rory sighs and looks back at Jess. He looked the same, well at least since the last time she saw him after their dinner in the restaurant. Handsome and rebellious in that delicious way, that made her fall in love with him when she was seventeen.

'Jess what are you doing here?' Rory looked, fully aware that she was displaying her shock and uncertainty on her face. Rory opened her apartment door and Jess followed her in. It was homely and very much like the house he had spent a lot of time in, back in Stars Hallow.

'I just got back from Philly, I was there for awhile.' Jess said and Rory just nodded. 'I got your message, but I needed to do something before I could respond.' Jess says and walked around the apartment following Rory. He didn't even realize it, and Rory didn't either. Her mind was out of sight, and she was currently trying to get over the fact that she had a normal date, only for it to end at a laughable point.

'Oh.' Rory stated and unzipped her dress and it fell to the floor, she didn't even think that maybe she shouldn't be undressing in front of Jess, or the fact that he had never seen her naked. The farthest they had gone was Jess's hands on her belt buckle.

Jess doesn't say anything but he makes a gurgling sound and suddenly Rory feels more powerful than before. She knew she was beautiful, and she knew that Jess would appreciate it. It didn't make her cocky or self-conceited, just aware. She knew that if things turned out well, she could have sex with Jess, and that scared her.

'Rory what are you doing?' Jess managed to say and he tried not to look at the panty-clad woman in front of him. 'I'm getting changed, you're in my bedroom.' Rory stated and put the pink silk nightgown over her head and put the pink fuzzy slippers that meow on her feet and put her hair up in a ponytail. 'I'm tired Jess, so whatever you need to say on how you aren't ready, just say it so I can go to sleep.'

Jess swallowed and tried not to focus on Rory's exposed flesh and tried to banish the teenage fantasies of his past. 'I think we should go out on a date.' Jess said and Rory laughed. 'So did I weeks ago, I tried to move on Jess.'

Jess thought that this was laughable. He spent weeks trying to get over his guilt and trying to own up to his feelings, and in those weeks, Rory had moved on. 'So you're done?' Jess asked, with a hint of anger in his voice. How dare Rory dictate their relationship. 'No, I just thought you weren't interested.' Rory said and narrowed her eyes at Jess as she starts combing her hair roughly.

'I know I didn't respond to your messages.' Jess said and Rory gave him a look that made him shrink down. He knew that she may have taken his lack of reply as disinterest, but he didn't expect anger. 'But I needed …' Rory snorted. 'You needed to do something, yeah I got that Jess, so now that your back, you just expect me to run into your arms and be grateful that you are finally getting around to me.'

Jess crossed his arms over his chest and his body language started to reveal his inner feelings. How mad he was getting. 'Look, I had to go tell Sarah's parents I was moving on, I needed to let them know.' Jess spits and Rory gasps and she just nods. 'This is why I shouldn't listen to my head.' Rory says and she sits on her bed, almost touching where Jess was, but made it feel like they were miles apart.

Jess sighs. 'We are not good with this communicating thing.' Jess says and the anger has seemed to exit his body at the sight of a desolate Rory. 'I just didn't know if you would ever come back.' Rory whispers and Jess goes and sits next to her takes her hand in his.

'Remember when I said I would let you know when I was ready?' Jess starts and Rory nods her head. 'Well I think I am.'

Rory smiles and sighs. 'Well I guess we need to go on a date then?' She says and Jess could tell that she was actually really sleepy, and he felt like he was under her spell, and felt his eyes droop and his breathing deepened, and all he wanted was to fall back with Rory in his arms and sleep.

'Do you think you can..' Rory starts and indicates the bed and Jess gets up and takes off his jacket and slides on the bed, beside her. 'Let's just sleep. We'll talk about it tomorrow.'

Rory smiled and turned off the light and they snuggled under the covers and she sighed with contentment. She had missed sleeping with someone and it felt so good for Jess to be there.

'Night Jess.' Rory whispered in the dark and Jess was quiet for a few minutes and he whispered back, sure that she was asleep. 'Sleep well.'