A/N- Not much of a note tonight. Chapter kind of speaks for itself. Hope you all enjoy. As always, please read, review, and recommend to others if so inclined. I do not own Gilmore Girls or any of its characters or concepts, but ASP is responsible for the impossibly high standards I've set for my own love life.


Chapter 52

A week later, life was the same. It would almost be boring if it didn't feel so perfect, and if both Rory and Jess weren't so afraid of it crumbling. They both knew the chips would have to fall eventually but for now they were so enjoying this break. Which is what made it all the harsher when something had to come and interrupt their quiet corner of the world.

"Hello?" Jess answered his phone rapidly, not even bothering to look at the caller ID. They'd been swamped all day at Truncheon and he was waiting on calls from several writers and Jess was desperate to handle those things quickly so he could get back to the chaos in his living room, so to speak. Usually, he might have been more careful, but today was just one of those days.

"Liz?" his face curled up into an expression of pure disgust. Rory spun around rapidly, just in time to see Jess' expression before he turned on his heel and rushed up the stairs. "Hold on, I'm at work, just a minute…"

"What do you want?" he spat as soon as the door was shut, "I'm busy."

"You're busy, you're busy, you're always busy, Jess!" Liz complained into the phone. He could hear TJ mumbling something in the background and rolled his eyes. "Every time I try to talk to you you're working or out or something else. Can't you make time to talk? Don't you run the place or something?"

"Not that you'd know, never having held down an actual job yourself," Jess snarled, "But real work actually takes work. Which I'm missing right now, and the money I get from working pays my rent. So unless you'd like me to be homeless…"

"God, always so dramatic," Liz cut him off, "And I don't like your tone. I have worked! I have a job now, the same one for three years."

"Yeah, playing arts and crafts at summer camp for adult schizophrenics," Jess retorted, "Pretty sure you don't have to punch in a time card with the guy who sells the turkey legs. Listen, is there something you needed or did you just call to place your bi-yearly guilt trip?"

"Honestly Jess, I have no idea why you act like this!" Liz pleaded, "I know that I didn't do everything right as a mom…"

Jess scoffed audibly. He was starting to shake with anger and his whole body felt covered in ice. It was a familiar feeling.

"…But all that stuff is in the past. I'm doing really good now! Me and TJ and Doula…you haven't seen Doula since she was a baby, Jess! And she's getting so big! Don't you want to know your sister?"

"When she's old enough to visit me, I'll send her a train ticket," Jess responded, "Not her fault she was born into her family. But if she takes after TJ I can't be held responsible for her accidentally getting shipped off to Wisconsin."

"TJ has never been anything but wonderful to you!" Liz argued, "He is really a great guy, which you'd know if you ever gave anyone a second chance."

"Did all the years of abusing your brain cells take a toll on your ability to count?" Jess said, his voice dangerously low, "Because if you think you're at chance two, you've either undergone some sort of amnesia or are back to your old tricks."

"I've been clean for years, since way before Doula was born," Liz responded, clearly hurt, "I haven't even picked up a joint in the last six months! And I meant about TJ, anyway."

"Well, then, guess I was wrong. You're a sterling example of sober living. Amnesia it is," Jess snapped, "Also, I have no problem with TJ other than the fact that he was clearly dropped on his head a few too times as a baby, which makes him your perfect match."

"God, you can be so cruel!" Liz said. He could hear her choking back sobs, but he didn't feel anything. He hadn't for years. It was just another way for her to try to get to him that he'd learned to ignore years ago. "And arrogant. Just because not everyone is born a genius like you and reads a thousand books a year…"

"Again with the counting. You should really get that tested," Jess cut her off again, "And if you think I'm arrogant, you know me even less than I thought you did. Which I didn't think was possible, so congratulations. You've exceeded my expectations. Look, did you have a point here or are you just calling to get into the same damn fight we have every time you make the mistake of picking up a phone?"

"I was going to invite you to Doula's fourth birthday party," Liz answered hysterically, "But then you act like this and do these things and now…"

"What?"

"You can't come. TJ doesn't want you to, and I don't want her around such a destructive influence."

"DESTRUCTIVE INFLUENCE?" Jess exploded. Suddenly Rory appeared behind him, grabbed the phone from his hand and hung up the call.

"Look, I'm sorry," she began, as Jess turned around and she saw the anger in his eyes, "I know that was out of line. But the customers were starting to hear, and in addition to that, it seemed like you were about to say something you'd regret."

"I don't need a babysitter or a PR person, but if either of those are the eventual occupations you decide to pursue after stockgirl I'll happily provide a reference," Jess snapped, "Lovely girl, eyes made of seaglass, gets involved in everyone else's business where they don't ask her to and where she isn't wanted."

"Well, at least the superficial ones will want me," Rory shrugged, unaffected, "I don't really care what you say to me right now. I truly am sorry if I upset you. But it was the right call, and even though I have no authority to tell you this, you might want to go cool off for a while and then come back, because I really doubt you're going to be working effectively like this."

Jess sighed deeply and sunk onto his bed. Rory perched next to him. Tentatively she reached out for his hand and immediately he pulled away. Stricken, she stood up and immediately he got up to face her, watching her carefully.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, trying to get her to meet his eyes, "I just…need some space. To cool off. You're right. It's not you. Just…"

"I get it," Rory nodded, avoiding his gaze, "Go. I'll cover things and see you in a bit."

He rolled his eyes, walking towards her. When he was a couple inches away, she dared to meet his eyes and found that they were startlingly close to her own. Suddenly she felt his hands on her wrists, then joined with his.

"Rory," he said quietly, "It's really not you. Trust me."

"I do," she promised, unable to look away from the arresting sense of understanding that was so clear to her in his eyes. And without warning, Jess leaned in and softly, purposefully pressed his lips to hers.