A/N: Thank you for all your reviews, keep them coming.
Disclaimer: Sadly I do not own the characters.
Summary: Set a little while after Rory returns from Washington. Jess is leaving stars hollow for good but he can't leave without saying goodbye to Rory, so he goes to see her at Chilton with unexpected results.
On The Road
Chapter Two: Making a plan
The sun filtered through the thin green curtains hanging at the window of the motel room, waking Jess who was lying on the sofa opposite the window which was next to the door. He opened his eyes and for a minute couldn't place where he was, he blinked a couple of times before remembering the events of the previous day. Sitting upright he looked over at the bed where Rory was sleeping peacefully, the covers thrown off after a hot and stuffy night in the room where there was no air conditioning, and the early fall nights were more like the long hot ones they'd had in summer. He got up and went into the bathroom to shower and dress before returning to the main room, sitting on the edge of the bed he gently shook Rory's shoulder, she mumbled something incoherent and he smirked at her.
'Rory it's time to get up.' Jess said quietly, she rolled over to face him and opened her eyes.
'Hmm five more minutes and I swear I'll get up.' Rory said closing her eyes against the blaring sun which was shining through the window.
'It's 9am already and we need to head out soon.' Jess said wondering if she'd decide to go back home today or if she was still willing to travel across America with him.
'Saturday.' Rory protested.
'I'll buy you breakfast.' Jess said deciding to bribe her to wake up, she opened her eyes again and eyed him suspiciously before sitting up, her hair falling messily around her face and tumbling over her shoulders, she looked sleepy and had a small smile on her face and Jess could help but smile back as he reached out and tucked a stand of hair behind her ear.
'I look a mess.' Rory said catching sight of herself in the mirror on the back of the bathroom door.
'You look adorable.' Jess said without thinking, she smiled at him shyly and he quickly stood up heading towards the door.
'Ok I'm going to have a shower and get dressed.' Rory said climbing out of the bed and picking up a blue sun dress from one of the clothing bags.
'Sure, uh I'm going to take a look around the town, see what Baltimore has to offer. I'll be back in about half an hour and then we can load the car up again and find somewhere to eat.' Jess said opening the door.
'Perfect.' Rory said closing the bathroom door behind herself.
'Lorelai? Lorelai is it true?' Lane asked running up to Lorelai in the street followed by Dean, Lorelai sighed to herself she should have known they would have heard that Rory had gone off, it was all over town ten minutes after she'd found out herself, in fact she should have been surprised that Rory's best friend and boyfriend hadn't heard the news sooner.
'That depends on which version of the story you've heard because there are at least five going around, the one about her running away to join the pro surfing circuit is my favourite.' Lorelai said flippantly.
'She's run off with Jess, that's the one we heard.' Lane said catching her breath, 'I heard Kirk telling Gypsy this morning and I ran over to Dean's house to see if he'd heard anything about it, he heard that Rory had moved to Kansas to live with some friends she'd met at school.'
'Well it isn't the second one, though I haven't heard that one yet man people are creative.' Lorelai sighed.
'Lorelai?' Dean said his voice heavy with worry.
'She left Chilton yesterday afternoon with Jess, she spoke to me last night and wouldn't tell me where she was or when she would be back. She said that Jess is her friend and there's something wrong with him and he needs her so she's not coming back yet.' Lorelai laid out the facts, 'She got £1000 off my parents and now they are goodness knows where.'
'Jess! He forced her to run away from home?' Dean spat out Jess' name angrily.
'Nope the way she tells it she was more than willing to go, she said she'd call me today so I'll let you both know what I hear.' She responded heading towards Luke's
'Wait Lorelai, you can't just be letting her go!' Dean shouted.
'What else can I do? She's seventeen and I trust her, I want her to come home but what am I suppose to do, if I call the police she'll hate me. I think I just need to trust her and don't bother telling me I'm being stupid because I've heard that from my parents and the bottom line is that if Rory says she needs to do this then I just have to let her.' Lorelai shrugged. 'I'll keep trying to persuade her to come back but my main concern is that she's safe, and as far as I can tell she is at the moment and the best chance I have of getting her back here soon is to stay calm with her.' Lorelai said going into Luke's.
/^\
'Johns Hopkins University.' Rory said pulling on Jess' hand so he would follow her through the gates onto the campus where students were milling around.
'I don't think we'll find anywhere to eat here.' Jess said reluctantly but followed her anyway, he'd known from the minute they saw the building that Rory wouldn't be able to resist looking round the campus of such a good university. He was more than happy to look around since she was smiling excitedly at each new area of education that they passed.
'It's Johns Hopkins! You really think there will be nowhere to eat?' Rory looked at him questioningly.
'I'm sure there will, if we have student ID.' Jess said rationally, she shrugged her shoulders and kept walking until they were standing in front of the impressive looking library, she stopped and stared up at the building.
'Reconsidering Harvard?' Jess asked as they continued round and she took in all the sights, and ordered coffee and a doughnut from a vender.
'No, but I like looking round campus'.' Rory said falling into step with Jess as she threw out her empty coffee cup. As she looked over at Jess she felt a flutter of butterflies as she thought how perfect it seemed walking through a college campus with Jess. He matched her equally in intelligence, challenged her and excited her. She quickly brushed aside the thoughts as they walked back out of the campus and found a café to eat in.
'So did looking round a campus change your mind about attending college?' Rory asked sipping on another cup of coffee as they sat in the quirky café.
'Nope, college isn't my think.' Jess shook his head.
'You're wrong, a place where intelligent people go to study and find out more about themselves is just the place for you, you'd fit into any college easily.' Rory replied. 'Just imagine it, you could get an apartment close to campus in a quirky area, because I cannot see you in a dorm, and then you could come to classes and learn about books and writing and all this amazing stuff.' Rory smiled widely.
'Sounds like it's perfect for you.' Jess quipped.
'Sounds like it's perfect for us.' Rory shot back. 'You're just as smart as me and deep down I know you like the idea of being a creative student, sitting up late in some coffee house with books and papers all around you.'
'New subject.' Jess said tapping his fingers on the table, Rory relented and bit into her pancakes.
'Ok, where are we headed today?' Rory asked.
'I thought we'd head into Virginia.' Jess said finishing his breakfast. 'How about you look at the map you've been hiding since coming out of the shop across the street and see if there's anywhere you'd like to stop at.' Jess smirked.
'You saw that?' Rory blushed pulling out the map.
'Yes, and you don't need to hide the map I'm more than happy to make a plan.' Jess said seeing her smile brightly and unfold the map with care.
'Right let's see, ooh I know we could go look around the campus of the University of Richmond, it's around 3 hours from here.' Rory said pointing to it on the map.
'Is that what this trip is now, visiting various colleges?' Jess raised one eyebrow at her.
'That's not a bad idea, that way I can make extra sure that Harvard is the best place for me and maybe I can sway you to change your mind about college.' Rory said mapping out a route to the college.
'Fine you want to visit campus after campus then that's what we'll do, but I doubt you'll change my mind so don't hold your breath.' Jess said seeing her smile again. 'Shall we make a move? If we leave now we'll be there by 2 and we can get some lunch.' Jess said getting up followed by Rory who folded her map carefully and headed back to the car.
'Rory?' Lorelai said picking up her cell phone as it rang loudly later that afternoon.
'Hi mom.' Rory spoke with excitement in her voice and Lorelai relaxed a little reassured that she was ok.
'Are you ok honey?' Lorelai asked.
'I'm great, me and Jess have a plan for our trip now and it's going to be amazing. You wouldn't believe where I've been this morning or where I am now, it's amazing but don't worry I bought a camera, a bunch of the cheap disposable ones actually and I am taking pictures of everything.' Rory said smiling as Jess flicked through a brochure about the University of Richmond where they were currently standing.
'A plan for your trip?' Lorelai shook her head. 'Honey you've got school on Monday, how long is this trip going to last?'
'I don't know yet, but I called Chilton and told them that I wouldn't be in next week and they agreed that I could do my work online, so Jess bought a laptop so I could use it since he didn't have one it'll be his but I'll be using it to do my work.' Rory explained.
'How did you get the school to agree to that?' Lorelai asked.
'Uh well Jess spoke to them and pretended to be dad and convinced them that I couldn't come in.' Rory said trying not to laugh.
'I see.' Lorelai pressed her lips into a thin line trying not to yell at her daughter. 'You must be burning through that money you got from your grandparents, what with laptops and cameras.'
'Not really, the cameras were all cheap ones and Jess bought the laptop out of his savings which he packed before leaving, I've been using the money for food and the motel last night.' Rory replied knowing her mom wasn't happy with any of this.
'You shouldn't be doing this Rory, everyone is worried about you.' Lorelai said tiredly.
'Well they shouldn't be because I'm fine, I'm just on a vacation.' Rory shrugged 'Things have been tough at home with school and Dean and just everything was getting too serious especially with school so I think it's good to take some time out.'
'Right, well call Dean and Lane because they're both freaking out a bit.' Lorelai said. 'Are you sure you want to go on this trip?'
'Yeah I am and I'm sorry I just ran off but it was kind of spur of the moment.' Rory said guiltily.
'Let's just call it teen rebellion shall we, it had to come sooner or later though I have to admit I would have preferred if you just dyed your hair, or stayed out late or blasted music from you're room while shouting about how unfair life was.' Lorelai replied.
'I know, and this isn't rebellion I promise it's just a little unplanned vacation.' Rory said trying to explain it as best she could.
'You know I get the whole running away thing because hi been there, but I never thought you'd be running away from me.' Lorelai said sadly.
'Mom I'm not running away from you, this isn't anything to do with you and me because you're still my best friend but it's like I said Jess needs me and in a weird way I need him too, because he makes me realise who I am, I don't put on an act with him because he just completely gets me and doesn't judge.' Rory smiled looking over at Jess who was carrying their food over to them.
'You sound happy kid.'
'I am mom.' Rory smiled again. 'Listen I have to go but I'll call you tonight, I love you.'
'Love you too.' Lorelai sighed and hung up the phone.
'Was that your mom?' Jess asked.
'Yeah I thought I'd let her know I'll be gone for at least the week.' Rory said unwrapping her burger.
'You going to stick around then?' Jess asked glancing sideways at her from where they sat on a wall in the campus of the college.
'Uh-huh.' Rory smiled jumping up and asking a passing student if they'd take a picture of her and Jess in front of the college, since Rory was determined to get a picture of the two of them in front of everyone they visited.
'You're crazy.' Jess said putting his arm lightly around her waist as the student took the photo. Rory smiled widely at the camera and thought that she probably was but she didn't care because she was having so much fun.
A/N- Please review and tell me what you think.
