A/N: Hey, people are reading my odd little sequel fic, and they like it! Thanks to those that reviewed. Here's the next 'week' for you ;)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Week 2

Day 10

"I'm not saying you have to bow down at his feet, Paris, but the guy was trying to be nice to you, it wouldn't kill you to smile and be polite," said Rory as they returned to their room that evening.

It had been a long day of debates, meetings, and lectures. Rory was beyond tired after being woken so early to head out, and not getting a huge amount of sleep last night anyway thanks to Paris' continued sleep-talking. After a very long day of the same girl's incessant complaining and interrupting of teachers, lecturers, and professionals alike, Rory really lost her temper when a perfectly nice guy paid a perfectly nice compliment to Paris, only to have her snap his head clean off.

"I didn't come here to make nice with sarcastic Princeton jerks!" her friend yelled crossly, forcefully throwing her purse and a pile of literature onto her bed.

"Jamie isn't a jerk!" Rory told her definitely. "He's a nice guy!"

"Whatever," Paris rolled her eyes. "Anyway, should you even be noticing other guys when you have a boyfriend back home? Holden Caulfield is only going to get jealous."

"Jess has no reason to be jealous," sighed Rory, copying her room-mate's eye roll from before. "He was the one who encouraged me to come to Washington, even though it meant leaving him behind for most of the Summer, and he knew there would be guys here. He trusts me."

"Why?" asked Paris seriously, so much so that Rory's eyes went comically wide. "Well, no offence, but it was pretty obvious that you were into Jess before you ever broke up with Dean. If it wasn't for the events that unfolded with the car wreck, I have to wonder if you wouldn't still be with Dean even now. Either way, you were quite obviously fawning over Mariano long before things officially ended with you and Forester. That's going to give a person trust issues. I'm just saying," she shrugged, before disappearing off to the bathroom, her speech complete.

Rory gaped after her for a long while, considering all that Paris had said. She wanted to argue, to chase her down and give her a full run down of reasons why she was very wrong, but she couldn't. The real problem that frustrated Rory more than anything was that she knew Paris was right, utterly and completely correct in her assessment. What Rory perhaps hadn't considered before was that the whole thing might lead Jess to feel he couldn't trust her.

Frowning hard, Rory went to the desk and sat down. She pulled out the letter Jess had sent to her, running her fingers along the lines of familiar handwriting. She had smiled so much reading his comments about Jane Austen, Paris' craziness, and tales of Stars Hollow, but not this time, especially when she reached the end of the letter

Stay out of trouble and don't run off with any wannabe Senators, okay?

Rory nibbled her lip, wondering if Jess really thought she would ever want to do that. Surely he understood that she loved him. He signed his letter off with love, and she had done the same, but that was just the way a person ended a letter, she supposed. Neither of them had actually said those words, the three really important words that meant something very important and special, or at the very least they should. It wasn't that Rory wasn't pretty sure it was love she was feeling for Jess, and she would hope he would say he felt the same, they just hadn't actually said it yet.

The frown was back and felt as if it were here to stay as Rory pulled out a pen and began a reply to her boyfriend.

Dear Jess,

I'm sorry for not writing any sooner. I've had your letter two days and read it at least six times, but I haven't had the time to write back. Everything is so crazy here, it's just one meeting, lecture, and visit after the other. Don't get me wrong, it's actually great. I'm learning a lot and despite my room-mate situation, it's actually kind of fun. Obviously I'd rather have you here to spend my free time with. There's not much free time, but I had planned to spend all that I did have with you in Stars Hollow. Paris is a very poor substitute! Did I tell you she talks in her sleep? And nothing normal either. I'd get it if she was screaming in nightmares or calling Johnny Depp's name in desire, but it's all politics and journalism. Last night alone she yelled the names Woodward and Bernstein, and I'm pretty sure the rest was Bill Clinton's 'I didn't have an affair' speech. It would be funny if it wasn't stopping me sleeping at night.

So, how are things back home? I know you said there was no exciting news to report before but by now something must be going on. Taylor must be stressing over the heat or Miss Patty must have snagged a new boyfriend. Give me all the gossip, please.

Rory stopped writing and chewed on the end of her pen. She hadn't said anything that mattered yet, except for the fact that she missed Jess. It was crazy, they had so much to talk about when they were together, and yet writing to him wasn't coming easily at all. It was different when the conversation was so one-sided. She couldn't get any reaction from the person she was writing to, not for several days, so there was no back and forth, just silence. If Jess were there they would be talking books, arguing good-naturedly and teasing each other. Nodding her head once, Rory continued writing.

I did finish Oliver Twist, and your insights made it all the more interesting. Seems to me you have more affinity with Jack Dawkins than I ever knew. You were right about Nancy too, she walked a fine line between courage and stupidity. Staying with a person who hurt her the way Sykes did wasn't smart, but she was clearly head over heels. I guess that kind of love just makes people do the strangest things.

Again Rory stopped writing. She wasn't about to tell Jess she loved him in a letter, though the thought crossed her mind. She wanted him to trust her, and saying she loved him might put his mind at ease about her running off with some other guy. That said, love didn't guarantee fidelity, not even in marriage. People had affairs all the time. Rory had loved Dean and yet fallen for Jess.

The whole topic made her head spin and Rory threw her pen down on the desk, pushing her chair back as she sighed. If she had just stayed home everything would be fine. She and Jess would be spending the whole Summer together and be much more solid in their relationship by the time they had to start spending large portions of time apart at their separate schools and all. The timing of this Washington trip was just terrible, but she knew Jess was right in encouraging her to come. It was a good experience, a chance to learn so much and meet so many important people. She had to be here and yet she felt she had left a part of her heart at home. She missed Jess but also her mom, Luke, Lane, everybody actually. They were all getting on with their lives without her and Rory hated that. She called Lorelai when she could but it wasn't the same, and she didn't even get the chance to speak to Jess properly, it was all just letters. It wasn't enough, not for her, and she worried that it wasn't enough for Jess either. Maybe he would suspect her of cheating. Maybe she should wonder if he was looking for comfort himself.

"That's ridiculous!" she said to herself, shoving her chair back towards the desk and taking up her pen again.

Rory read the last paragraph over and decided to continue on the subject of books. It was a safe topic that she and Jess always enjoyed talking about. Besides, maybe discussing literature would take her mind off other entirely stupid things.

Thank you for sparing me from a lecture on Hemingway this time. I did try to like him, if only for your sake, I just couldn't. Maybe someday I will see the appeal and you will finally understand what I love about The Fountainhead. It all seems highly unlikely, but I guess stranger things have happened.

I meant to ask, have you seen Lane at all? I wanted to call and check in with her, but I'm sure Mrs Kim will answer the phone and read me the riot act for going on a trip unchaperoned or calling when they're eating dinner or something. I just want to know that she's doing okay.

Her cell phone ringing pulled Rory away from her letter. She hoped to see that Jess was calling but found the coincidence both strange and amusing when it was Lane's voice that greeted her instead.

"Hey, that's so weird, I was just thinking about you," she grinned. "Actually I was writing to Jess and asking how you were."

"Because Jess would know how I am?" said Lane curiously.

"I know you guys don't really hang out," Rory agreed, switching the phone to her other hand as she moved to sit comfortably on her bed. "It's just I didn't know when was a good time to call you and check in, and I didn't know if your mother was still reading your mail so writing was out too. I figured maybe Jess would've seen you around and could at least tell me you were alive and well."

"Well, now you know the truth from the horse's mouth - alive and kicking, just like Simple Minds," she said. "Okay, so I called for more than to just let you know I was alive or to check how things were going. I have news."

"News?" Rory echoed curiously. "Good or bad?"

"Well, that all depends. Maybe both."

"Okay... start with the good."

"Well, Jess has been like a bear with a sore head. I saw it myself and Lorelai mentioned it. She seems to think it's because he misses you, which would count as good news, right?"

"It would," said Rory, smiling widely for a few moments before recalling the start of this call. "But you also said there might be bad news."

"It's not definite, and I actually feel a little bad even calling you like this but... well, I'm your best fiend and that means I have a duty to keep you informed of matters that involve you or your boyfriend or both," said Lane at length. "Rory, I think... well, there's this girl that's been hanging around Jess."

Rory wasn't sure how she was supposed to react to that.

"Oh," she said eventually, pushing her hair off her face as she tried to think. "Um, so, he's been talking to a girl. Not exactly a crime. I mean, he works in the diner, all kinds of customers come in, male and female, young and old."

"True," her best friend agreed. "But there are rumours. You know what this town is like and this particular girl, she's... she's the type with a reputation."

"A reputation," echoed Rory, not liking the sound of that.

"We're talking Nell Gwyn, without the oranges... or that many morals," explained Lane. "I'm sorry, Rory, I wasn't even going to tell you because it could be nothing but this girl, she's just... she seems to be around a lot and I don't want to accuse Jess of anything, I'm sure he's an innocent bystander, but..."

"But you thought I should know. I get it, and thank you," said Rory with genuine gratitude evident in her tone. "Um, Lane, I really have to go right now, but hopefully we'll talk again soon, okay?"

Lane seemed a little put-out that the call was ending so quickly, but she didn't argue. She apologised again for the mixed news and then rang off. Rory shut off her cell and put it down on the bed, just staring at it for a few moments. So a girl was hanging around the diner, perhaps specifically around Jess, that didn't mean anything. That didn't mean she had to like it though.

With a frown, Rory went back to the desk and re-read what she had been writing to Jess. She picked up the pen and contemplated the next paragraph. She considered starting over, or maybe just writing that she talked to Lane so now she didn't need Jess to tell her the status of her friends well-being. Neither appealed to Rory somehow. A part of her just wanted to pretend Lane never told her about some easy girl named Shane hanging around.

I hope you're having at least a little fun without me. I know you always say you don't exactly have a lot of friends in Stars Hollow, but there must be some people around that you can hang out with when you're bored, right? I'm sure there are.

Thirty two days until I'll be there again, and right now that seems like forever.

I miss you.

Love,

Rory.

PS I'll try to call you Saturday between your shifts.

Day 13

"I don't like that girl," said Luke, almost growling into his words.

Lorelai frowned as she turned on her stool and watched a blonde of about Rory's age parting company with Jess right outside the diner door.

"For a reason?" she asked curiously. "I mean, all I can see from here is a slightly less than age appropriate shirt, blonde hair, and... oh, a cigarette," she shook her head. "You're worried she's going to get Jess smoking again?"

Luke opened his mouth to answer but that was the moment when Jess walked in. Immediately Luke clammed up, even going so far as to paint on a smile as his nephew walked up to the counter.

"Here's your tomatoes," he said, dumping a brown paper bag onto the counter without much care. "By the way, Taylor knew you were only buying from him because your supplier messed up today and he was not happy about playing second fiddle," he advised.

"Taylor's never happy about anything," replied Lorelai, rolling her eyes. "You'd think he'd be glad just to have made a sale. With so many people on vacation for the Summer, the town isn't exactly teaming with customer type people."

"Yeah, well, he's not," Jess told her. "Just thought you'd wanna know," he said to Luke, fists tapping a random rhythm on the counter top before he swung around Lorelai's stool and headed for the stairs up to the apartment.

"He didn't smell like smoke," she said in a low voice the moment Jess was out of sight. "I think he's sticking to the whole abstaining of nicotine thing. Besides, he made that promise for Rory even more than he made it for you," she reminded Luke. "You think he would mess that up?"

"Rory's not here," shrugged Luke, checking Jess really was gone before leaning over the counter towards Lorelai. "And it's not just smoking that I'm worried about Jess getting into again. That girl out there, the blonde with the very forward ways, she's been hanging around... a lot."

Lorelai smirked.

"Well, Luke, people of the male and female persuasion are allowed to be friends," she reminded him. "Besides, as much as I didn't take an instant liking to your nephew, I have to admit, seventeen year old me probably would've been all over those dark looks and moody scowl," she told him.

Luke looked completely weirded out by that comment, and when Lorelai's mind dwelled too long on it she realised maybe it had been inappropriate the say. Still, she knew it was true. It certainly made sense of Rory's attraction to Jess, what with mother and daughter being so similar in many ways. Jess sure wasn't bad to look at and Lorelai meant what she said. She was sure as a teen she would've liked him and wasn't shocked at all that he had admirers.

"I just... I don't want Jess to get bored or lonely and do something dumb," said Luke pointedly.

"Or moreover, do someone dumb," replied Lorelai with a look of her own. "C'mon, Luke, give the kid some credit. One thing I know for sure about Jess is that he adores Rory. Those two are almost creepily committed for teenagers who only started dating like a month ago. I'm sure Jess has no designs on Miss Teenage Rampage, and even if she did like him that way, don't you trust him to tell her no?"

Luke mulled it over a moment, thinking of how Jess had grown up a little these past weeks since the car wreck, how happy he seemed when things worked out with Rory, and how sad he was since she was gone. Maybe he was worrying over nothing.

"Yeah, I guess," he sighed. "I'm sorry, I'm probably being ridiculous."

"No, you're being the wonderful caring man that only wants to protect both Rory and Jess from heartache," she told him, putting her hand over his on the counter and smiling softly at him. "One of many things to love about the wonder that is Luke Danes."

He didn't know how to respond to that, he hadn't known how to take any of the significant looks and particular touches that had started to pass between them ever since that same car accident that eventually brought Rory and Jess closer together. Luke wanted to jump in, both feet, no fears or concerns, but he couldn't quite be sure that he wasn't just misreading the signs from Lorelai. When she suddenly declared she had to go and left with a smile and a wave, he realised he had just missed yet another chance to ask her about the shift in their relationship that seemed so unidentifable. Maybe tomorrow.

To Be Continued...