Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: Thanks for the amazing response, guys. I really had no idea that this little idea of mine was going to take off like this. Enjoy the chapter. Reviews are cool.

Chapter 4

"Rory, how are you?" Luke asked, standing as she and Jess entered the diner. Liz and TJ both looked up. Liz smirked as she watched her son stand close to Rory, his hand protectively hovering over the small of her back.

Rory swallowed and attempted a weak smile. Standing had made her dizzy, but she knew she'd be sitting again soon. "I'm OK." She said quietly. "I just want to go home."

"I'm gonna drive her over." Jess said, looking at Liz and TJ. "You'll still be here?"

Liz nodded. "Yeah, sure. Take your time." She smiled at Rory, but didn't say anything. What did you say to the girl who broke your baby's heart, who also happened to be the daughter of the woman who broke your big brother's heart?

TJ, though, had no problem finding a thought. "Man, she looks just like her ma, don't she?"

Everybody stiffened at the comment and Jess shook his head.

"Yeah." Liz agreed, taking TJ's hand. "You do. Have we met officially, Rory? I'm Liz." She stood.

"I know." Rory said, extending a hand and offering another weak smile. "Congratulations on the baby."

TJ stood too and took Rory's hand before she even offered it. "TJ. Man, just like Lorelai. That's not heredity, that's genetic cloning or something…"

Jess sighed at TJ and looked at Luke, who was still standing uncomfortably.

Rory felt extremely uncomfortable in this room full of Luke's family, and could tell that Jess was getting upset on his uncle's behalf. "It's good to officially meet you, but I'm sorry. I just…" She brought her hand up to her head for emphasis.

Jess nodded. "I need to take her home."

Liz nodded. "OK, baby. We'll be here when you get back."

Jess let his hand rest on her back as he gently pushed her forward. Rory immediately leaned into the touch, stepping forward. "Bye Luke." She offered, letting Jess lead her away before Luke responded.

"Sorry." Jess said as the cool air hit them. "I didn't realize you'd never met my mom before."

Rory shook her head. "I knew who she was, but we've never officially met. I…I was never sure if she knew who I was."

"She does. Well, sort of. Lorelai told her we dated, but not how it…ended."

Rory almost laughed at the word ended. It still hadn't ended. Almost four years after their break up, it wasn't over in any classical sense of the word.

Jess nodded to a small black car. It was old, but nice and it looked like he took care of it. "That's my car."

"Now that's what I'd call trading up." Rory said with a small smile.

Jess shrugged and walked over to the passenger door. He opened it and Rory slid into the seat. Rory ran her hand against the dashboard absentmindedly, remembering his old car and how sticky it felt. This one didn't feel like that though. It was smooth.

Jess started the car and said quietly, "You'll be home soon."

Rory sighed. Maybe it was her illness or maybe it was just five years of pent-up frustration about his moods that made her say, "Please don't be mad at me."

Jess shook his head. "I'm not mad."

"Liar." Rory shook her head. "I know when you're mad. I don't want you to be mad at me."

"It's not your fault." Jess said, shaking his head as he put the car into gear and pulled away from the curb.

But it was her fault, and she knew that. She was being selfish, asking him questions that made him uncomfortable just because she was trying to understand how she felt about Logan and about him. It left him in a state of limbo that was completely unfair to him.

"There's just so much I never really thought about before." Rory said quietly.

Jess sighed in response, but didn't know how to answer her. He loved talking to her so openly about everything, but she loved Logan and he was painfully aware of the fact that this wasn't going to end the way he wanted it.

They drove in silence for the rest of the short journey. Jess pulled up to the Gilmore house. Rory slowly unbuckled her seatbelt. Before she could turn towards him to thank him, he was out of the car. He opened her door for her and extended his hand, which she gratefully took. Instead of releasing her hand after she exited the car though, he kept their hands together as he led her to the porch steps.

Jess stopped right before the first stair and turned Rory towards him. She looked up at him with big eyes, scared yet somewhat hopeful that he was going to kiss her. He could tell she was expecting a kiss from the way her bright blue eyes clouded over dreamily. He smirked and brushed her bangs away from her face.

"I meant what I said in Philadelphia." He said firmly, causing Rory to lose her dreamy look and stare at him in confusion.

"I don't deserve this." Jess said, shrugging one shoulder. "I don't. It isn't fair to me at all."

"Jess…" Rory started, but he cut her off by putting his hand on her shoulder.

"I didn't mind taking care of you today. In fact, it was kind of fun, spending a day with you. Even if you were unconscious for most of it. But…it doesn't change anything."

"But…" Rory started again.

"No 'buts'." Jess said with a firmness he'd been practicing for about an hour. "We were friends first, Ror. Maybe that's why we are the way we are, but it's different now. There's something else there, and I can't ignore it. I can't just pretend… I just need to get over it."

Rory's eyes filled with tears as she recognized the words as her own.

"It was you." She whispered, lowering her head to the ground. "The call…"

"You knew it was me." Jess said, lowering his hand from her shoulder.

"Yeah." Rory nodded. "I guess I did."

"I'm gonna go." Jess said. "Feel better."

He walked away without hesitation, leaving Rory at the foot of her stairs. Just as he got to his car, she yelled "Thank you!"

Jess looked up, nodded, then got in his car and drove away.

Rory ascended the stairs and opened the door, simultaneously brushing a stray tear from her eye. She didn't know why she was upset. It didn't matter. He wasn't Logan. Logan was the one she loved. Jess was just the one who knew her.

The only one who knew her. Even when she'd lost herself in DAR luncheons and poolhouse living, he'd known her. He'd found the real her hiding among designer dresses and tiny sandwiches.

Logan, though. Logan in London. Logan who she loved. Not Jess. Not Jess. Not Jess.

Rory walked into the house. "Mom?" She called weakly.

"Rory!" Lorelai called from the kitchen, hurrying in to the room. "Babe, how are you? Oh, you look awful!" She put her hand against Rory's forehead. "Not that warm though."

Rory shook her head and swallowed thickly. "My fever broke about an hour ago."

Lorelai shook her head in amazement. "Let's get you to bed. So, Jess took care of you?"

Rory nodded solemnly and Lorelai shook her head again. "Wow."

"It was nice." Rory whispered. "He knows how to take care of me."

Lorelai's eyes widened. "That's the fever talking. That's the fever talking. That's the fever talking." She repeated the statement to herself several times.

"Mom." Rory rolled her eyes. "It's not like we're back together or something. I love Logan."

"Yeah." Lorelai said, comforted by the thought. "You do."

Rory walked into her room and took her pants off, grabbing her old pajama pants with the cakes and desserts on them. She pulled them on and stretched as she yawned. She wanted to go back to sleep.

"It'd be OK if you didn't, you know. Love Logan." Lorelai said, leaning against the door with her arms crossed. "Or if the distance was too much or something. Logan doesn't have to be the one."

"Mom?" Rory asked, confused.

Lorelai shrugged. "I'm just saying." She pushed herself off the door and kissed her forehead. "It's not always the one you think it is." Her eyes turned wistful and Rory knew she was thinking of Luke.

"Sometimes it is though." Rory said pointedly.

Lorelai snapped out of the reverie and looked at Rory with a small smile. "Jess said you like to play cards when you're sick."

"Yeah." Rory agreed. "I do."

"I didn't know that." Lorelai said quietly. "He knew something I didn't."

Rory looked at her mom, wondering what she was thinking or implying, but she was too tired to think about it anymore.

"I'm going to bed." Rory said quietly.

"Yeah." Lorelai said. "G'night, babe. Rest up."

Rory crawled into her bed as Lorelai closed the door behind her. She curled up into a little ball under the covers and started to drift off to sleep, too tired to think about anything that had happened--about Jess or her fever dreams or mashed potatoes or 'I just need to get over it.' For a moment she was glad she was sick, because she'd never have fallen asleep otherwise.