A/N: I'm working on getting this fic all done and posted before November is out. Only two more chapters to go after this, so it can't be too hard, right? The reviews so far have been lovely, thanks, peops! Do keep that supportive feedback coming please ;)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Week 4

Day 22

"He still hasn't written to me," Rory whined into the phone. "Mom, I think I screwed up."

"Honey, you didn't screw up!" Lorelai insisted, before reconsidering. "Well, okay, maybe you did a little, but you're young, and you're in a new relationship, screw ups happen."

"I don't want screw ups to happen, I want Jess to not be mad at me!"

"He'll get over it. Honestly, I thought he was more over it than this after we talked but the male ego is a fragile thing, baby. It fractures easy, and it's hell to fix it, but I'm sure in a couple of days, you will get a letter from Jess, okay?"

Rory sighed heavily; "I hope you're right."

"Am I ever wrong?" her mother countered. "Hmm, don't answer that."

The call ended a short while later, with words of love and promises to keep in contact as Rory's trip entered it's second half. Right now she couldn't wait to come home, partly because she missed her mom, but moreover in this moment because she wanted to make things right with Jess. Rory knew the moment she started questioning him about cheating on her that she had done wrong. She had got really upset after their conversion, partly from Jess accusing her of maybe cheating on him, dragging up how their own relationship had started to develop before she officially broke up with Dean. Knowing he was right about that hurt more than anything else.

It had been six days since the phone call she made to him, five since she spoke to her mom on the same topic and found out Lorelai had talked to Jess about things. She wouldn't say exactly what was said out of respect for Jess (which in itself seemed strange to Rory). She had waited and waited for a letter to arrive from her boyfriend, but none came. Rory considered calling the diner, but there had really only been two occasions when she could use the phone without Paris blowing a fuse. Once had been just now when Rory felt a great need to confide in Lorelai. The previous half hour of spare time a couple of days ago had been so late, she was worried about getting Luke on the phone and having a very awkward conversion with him about what had happened with Jess.

Rory moved to her desk and pulled out paper and pen. She had considered writing a further letter to Jess regardless of his lack of reply, but every time she stalled right after 'Dear Jess, I'm sorry'. She wanted to do this in person, or at the very least on the phone so she could properly explain herself and hear his voice again. It seemed she wasn't going to get her wish any time soon, at least that was what she thought until suddenly the room phone rang.

"Hello?" she said after grabbing up the receiver.

The kind lady at reception said there was an external call for Rory Gilmore and would she liked to accept it. Without even checking who it might be, Rory said yes and held her breath in anticipation of hearing Jess' voice.

"Oh, hey, Lane," she greeted her friend flatly.

"Wow, listen to all that enthusiasm," Lane dead-panned. "Really glad I called you, bestie."

"I'm sorry," sighed Rory, pushing her hand back through her hair. "I was kind hoping Jess was calling, that's all."

"Actually I may have good news on the Jess front. I haven't seen that Shane girl hanging around the diner at all since you guys fought last week, and there's a rumour going around that she tried something with him and he totally shut her down."

"Really?" said Rory hopefully, feeling bad about it a second later.

It was so wrong to be relieved, she should have just believed in Jess in the first place. He cared about her, he wouldn't cheat while she was gone. Given the amount of people who would tell her about it, Rory knew he would have to be pretty dumb to try it. He could've got bored of waiting for her and have moved on before she got home again, but Rory hoped that wouldn't happen. She should have had more faith in Jess and known for sure it wouldn't. Man, did she feel bad.

"Rory?" Lane prompted a third time when her friend didn't answer. "You still there."

"Yes, sorry" she apologised immediately. "Lane, I've been so dumb. I never should've accused, Jess, or even suggested he might've been cheating on me. I don't believe it, so why did I even say those things?"

"Because of me," her friend said sadly. "And I'm sorry, Rory, I never should've told you about that girl hanging around, it wasn't fair."

"Lane, you were just looking out for me, and I appreciate it, really," Rory insisted. "This is my fault, and now I guess I'm just going to have to live with the consequences of my actions," she said bravely.

The truth was, it was breaking Rory's heart not hearing from Jess, and she really hoped that her mom was right and a letter would arrive soon. He could be over all this by now, probably wrote to her and the mail just lost it. She hoped that was all it was, but Rory couldn't believe it. Not content with screwing up her first real relationship, it seemed like maybe she had now screwed up the second one too.

Day 23

"What is wrong with you?" asked Paris crossly, realising two thirds of the way through her latest political rant that Rory hadn't heard a single word. "This last week you have had the personality of a wet mop and a face as long as route sixty-six," she said snippily. "What is wrong?"

"I haven't heard from Jess in a week," said Rory sadly. "And I know you probably think I'm pathetic, pining for a guy and all, but I miss him, and I know he's mad at me, and I don't know how to fix it, and..."

"Please, stop!" Paris snapped, her hand held up in the universal sign for halt. "Putting aside your astonishingly bad grammar - five ands in a sentence, Rory? Please! - how can you not know how to fix things with James Dean? I mean, if he hurt you then you dump him, and if you hurt him then you apologise."

It was shockingly simple advice, making it almost impossible to argue with, at least Rory thought so. It was really as easy as saying she was sorry. Jess was a reasonable person in a lot of ways, if she just called him up and apologised, he was bound to forgive her. He was probably feeling bad for what he said too, even though it was true and pure retaliation which Rory could completely understand. She shook her head.

"Wow, I have been so stupid."

"I'm the stupid one," said Paris as she got up, rolling her eyes for good measure. "Now I'm going to be forced to leave the room for fear of throwing up my lunch if I have to hear you and your boyfriend making up via phone," she said, picking up her jacket and heading for the door. "You have exactly thirty minutes and then I will be back. The smoochy noises better be over by then, okay?" she asked sharply, and yet there was a hint of a smile playing at her lips as she hovered by the door.

Rory smiled genuinely at her friend.

"Thanks, Paris."

With a single nod of her head, Paris then left and immediately Rory grabbed up the phone and dialled. She would call the apartment number and hope she got Jess. If she got Luke, so be it, she would just ask him to put Jess on the phone, and if he couldn't be reached, well then, she was going to stay on the line until somebody found him! Rory was all prepared for any of these situations and was therefore stunned into momentary silence when she realised Jess himself had picked up the phone.

"Hello?" he tried a second time when no answer came.

"Hi," she said eventually.

"Rory," he breathed her name, and relief washed over her.

Jess didn't sound mad exactly and he wasn't yelling or hanging up on her. These were all good signs as far as Rory could tell.

"Hi," she said again, feeling dumb, but the rest of her vocabulary seemed to have left the building the moment he picked up the phone.

"Yeah, you said that already," Jess told her, sounding vaguely amused.

"Yeah, well, words are kind of an issue lately," she admitted. "I started at least fifteen different letters to you, but... I don't know, it wasn't working. I needed to talk to you, but I worried about calling..."

"Why?"

"Because... Jess, I'm so sorry. Really, I am."

There it was, the apology, it was out there and it ought to make things better. A whole new wave of relief came over Rory when Jess replied; "Me too."

"You are?" she checked.

"Yeah," sighed Jess, and she could just picture how awkward he looked right now, like he always did when he had to be genuine like this. "I, er... I maybe over-reacted a little."

Rory smiled at that.

"Maybe," she agree, "but I shouldn't have accused you."

"And I shouldn't have accused you either," he countered. "That wasn't cool."

"No, but I started it."

They seemed to have reached an impasse, albeit a shockingly comfortable and agreeable one. They had both been wrong in their behaviour, misguided and stupid when they accused each other of cheating. It wasn't going to happen, they cared too much for each other to screw this up, and they both ought to have known it. Now they did, now they were back on the right track.

Jess knew he should just let the whole thing drop now. Rory apologised, he did the same, case closed. Unfortunately, the full disclosure bug seemed to have bitten since their fight and he wanted to ensure they had a clean slate here before they moved forward.

"Her name's Shane, by the way," he told Rory.

"As in 'come back'?" she asked acidly.

Jess smirked.

"Yeah, something like that," he agreed. "We were just hanging out. I was bored, she was there, but nothing happened," he promised her faithfully. "She did... she kind came on to me the other day, but I told her I wasn't interested. I swear, Rory, nothing happened, and I haven't seen her since."

As much as it caused a hot flow of anger to bubble up inside of Rory to hear that some slutty girl had tried to put the moves on her guy, she did love that he told her about it and explained everything. He didn't have to do that, though Rory supposed it was better she hear this from Jess and nobody else. If Shane herself or some busy body in town decided to give Rory their own version at a later date, that could cause more problems. This way was better, now she had the truth from a person she trusted.

"I believe you," she promised, "and I haven't even thought about another guy that way, I swear."

"I believe you too," he said with a smile she could see so clearly in her mind. "So we're good?"

"We're good." Rory grinned herself at that. "I've missed talking to you," she told Jess, as she moved to sit more comfortably on her bed, leaning back amongst the pillows. "Tell me everything that's happening in Stars Hollow."

Jess picked up the phone and pulled it as far as the cable would go so he could recline on his bed as they chatted.

"Well, it's been pretty hot lately," he told Rory thoughtfully. "Yesterday there was a run on snow-cones. Machine broke, people went crazy, Taylor tried to call in the National Guard."

"Seriously?" she giggled at the mental imagery he was conjuring.

Maybe Jess was exaggerating a little, but it was so good to hear Rory laugh like that. It really had sucked this past week not hearing from her, but his stupid male pride wouldn't let him be the first to give in. He had started letters to her too, maybe even more than she had begun to him, but she didn't have to know that, not right now anyway. Things were better now, all figured out, and they could just talk about stupid stuff until one or the other of them needed to go. This past week had not been fun, but they'd made it past half way in their time apart at least. Twenty three days down and only nineteen to go.

To Be Continued...