Author's Note: As amazing as the final Harry Potter book was, it is still so melancholy because of my like 9 year investment in this series, so I'm writing to kinda forget about the book for a bit, it just makes me sad.

And ouch, two reviews? Guys, even if you hate the chapter, tell me, tell me what you hated. Tell me what I should work on.

I hated my whole tour idea, so Jess is just back. Nothing else. Sorry. :-/ It wasn't going in any direction.

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Rory bit her lip as she decided between coffees. She finally settled on what she thought would be the stronger one, paid for it, and left the secluded coffee shop amidst the traffic of New York.

Between Emily's sudden collapse at her DAR meeting to her mom and Luke fighting, and the deadline for her portfolio coming up faster than she could believe, Rory was caving under everything. She had snapped back at Mavin last week, just for asking if she wanted cream in her coffee, and Paris had called to congratulate Rory on being in the Times, but Rory had yelled at her.

But the worst part of this whole situation was the fact that she and Lorelai were in some fight. "Some stupid little fight," she thought as she drank the bitter coffee. Neither remembered the exact details, but Rory remembered something about yelling at her mom for her lack of ability to communicate with Luke. Lorelai had lashed back, angrily, and the pair had gotten into a large argument that had been going on for a week and a half now. They'd had stupid fights like this before, but since they didn't live in the same house anymore, making up took longer. They weren't forced to be together so much. The anger just bubbled.

And Emily had been in the hospital, they called it congestive heart failure. Simply put, her lungs had been filling up with fluid. Rory had driven back and forth between Hartford and New York more times than she cared to count in the past 4 days, and the whole situation was worsened by the fact that she wasn't speaking to her mom, neither would budge.

And then there was the whole Jess situation. She hadn't spoken to him for over a month now, but their last phone call was incredibly awkward, and Rory didn't want to remember him by an awkward phone call. She had contemplated calling him a few times, but she didn't need to have yet another worry.

She checked her phone, and there was a message from Lorelai. Lorelai's voice was not bubbly and warm like usual, instead, it was stiff and cold. But at the end of the message, Rory gasped.

"Rory, I just thought you should know that Grandma's doing fine and she likes our visits. I also thought I would let you know, however, that they intend to keep her in the hospital for a few weeks, at the minimal. That's all."

Rory fell down onto the sidewalk, clutching her handbag but letting her coffee spill on the sidewalk. Tears stung her face and the unusually cold wind hipped her hair all around. Her behavior was certainly not unusual for New York, in fact, it was quite normal.

"Rory?"

Jess walked up behind her, and sat down next to Rory. He looked into her blue eyes questioningly.

"Oh, h-hey, Jess." Rory stood up and wiped the tears from her face, she felt embarrassed at the sight of someone she knew.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, really. Just stupid stuff."

Jess grabbed her arm as she attempted to walk away. He pulled her back so she was facing him, and repeated the question.

Rory took a deep breath. "Well, my grandma's going to be in the hospital for a month, I have nothing done for my portfolio and it's due soon, I've snapped on both Paris and Mavin, my mom and Luke are fighting, and on top of all that, my mom and I aren't even speaking."

Jess gave Rory a hug, engulfing all of her. She cried softly into his dark black shirt and caught a whiff his familiar cinnamon smell. This whole time he continued to whisper small words of encouragement in her ear. Rory felt a tingle go down her spine everytime she felt his breath on any part of her skin. Her heart started thudding in her chest, as if it remembered this particular feel, his touch. She tried to shake off these feelings cascading through her, but she couldn't. Her tears mixed into his shirt and into her hair, and he continued to stand there, comforting her better than anyone else could have at that moment.

Finally, with a dejected sniffle, she stood up straight and looked at him, embarrassed by the wet part of his shirt. He glanced at her, worried.

"Do you want some coffee or something? Seeing as how yours is spilled?"
Rory nodded, and they walked down the crowded street. He turned into a small coffee shop and ordered them both large coffees. They sat down at a small table and sipped the coffees in silence for a few moments.

Simultaneously, they both began to speak.

"Rory."

"Jess."

Both stared at each other for a few moments. Finally, Rory spoke. "Jess, I just wanted to thank you for everything. For just, God, everything you've done these past few weeks. And before that, for getting me back into Yale and everything. Just, you've done more than you'd believe. I hate sounding sappy like this. But ever since you left my senior year I never truly forgave you. Until now."

Jess sighed. "So, what, do we, do from here?"

"I have no idea."

"Rory, I want to be completely honest with you. I will never be fully over you. Ever. You were different from anyone else I'd ever dated. I just wanted to tell you…and I don't really care if you reciprocate the feelings in any way, I just wanted to tell you."

Rory looked up at him. She looked into his chocolate brown eyes and heard everyone's voice in her head. Lane, her mom, everyone. She took a deep breath.

"Jess, I can reciprocate. The feelings I mean. But I can't let myself fall down crazy yet. Give me time. Please. If you can't, then we'll leave again. I know I've messed with your head before, but I can't do this now. I can't."

Jess sighed. He stirred his coffee and glanced at his hands. "Why?"

Rory's hands began to shake. She set her coffee down and couldn't look Jess in the eye. She looked up and down, wishing, hoping, she would wake up from a terrible dream. But she didn't. "I-I…"

Jess continued to stare at Rory, refusing to believe this jibberish she wasn't saying.

"I can't Jess. I'm sorry. Not now. I just, can't."

Jess looked at Rory coldly. "Why?"

Rory took a deep breath. "Because Logan called me."

"The blonde dick?"

"The one and only."

"Was he slobbering drunk? Did you hear about six girls in the background? Was he off squandering Papa Hamburger's fortune?"

"Jess, shut up."

"Rory. The guy is an ass. And you're a goddamn fool to stay with him. Or go back. Whatever. I don't even really give a damn anymore, Rory. If I'm going to continue to be a distraction for you, when you need it, then I refuse. You turned down his damn marriage proposal, and now you're running back to this bastard."

Jess stood up and walked out. By the end of his spiel, he had been yelling, so the whole coffee shop turned and saw Rory's tears slipping out of her eyes, for the second time in less than an hour. She hated Jess. She hated Logan. She was mad at her mom, she was mad at Emily for being in the hospital. She was torn. Jess, who had waited so patiently, or Logan, who had called out of the blue last night? Rory had no idea.

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Jess walked around aimlessly. The nerve. Rory had completely led him on, like last time. And then she ran back to that, that… Jess couldn't find words to describe him. He always broke Rory into pieces, and then tore her apart. He was a fool. Jess had never hated a particular man more than Logan.

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Rory walked into the Plaza and asked for a room number. Once she had walked up to the sixth floor, and knocked on room 632. A blonde head opened the door.

"Rory?"

Tears slipped from her eyes.

"I can't do this anymore."

He opened the door wider. Rory stepped in, her eyes red with the tears of someone she had never had.

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Author's Note: The blonde ass returns! Sorry, I despise Logan. But he had to come back, or so I felt.

And yes, I did base a lot of the ending off Partings, but trust me; it will have very different results.

This might be too drama-y, but it has to happen. Rory and Jess have had many roadblocks in this form of their relationship, but fear not, lovely Lits, they are almost…okay. Scout's honor.

And so, please review. Tell me what you think, good and bad.