Life: 2.0

Chapter 5: Things Happen

Author: knowhere

Rating: R

Disclaimer: Nothing.

AN: I think many of you will be happy to hear that this story just keeps on growing. I've already added a chapter that wasn't planned because it seemed to help with the flow of the plot. And then that chapter was split into two because it just kept writing itself and I was reading reviews and ideas popped into my mind and my characters just started to "do" more things...

So, see how reviews are good? ;) They make me lengthen the story!

In addition, I've decided to give an extra sort of "thank you" to reviewers. Not only will I answer any questions you might ask or comments you make in your review, but those who leave signed-in reviews will also get what I like to call "Chapter notes." They're my end feelings and reasonings as to why I might have written a certain scene versus something else, and any other miscellaneous comments I might have to say. I think people enjoy them. It ends up being almost like a (sorta) dialogue between me and you. I did that in the past for Ebb/Flow but I think it might be more easily accessible if I send them through PMs/emails instead of using the forum.

So, in short, any signed review will not only receive a reply but also a little something more. :) Hope you enjoy it!

Summary: Literati. Life doesn't always turn out like you expect. Jess and Rory meet as adults when their lives are at a transition period. Life, love, and everything else: Version 2.0. AU.

"I spoke to Gabe the other night. About us." Jess leaned against the handle of the lawn mower, the hair at his temples curling because of the sweat. She thought he never looked better. He was wearing a dirty white t-shirt streaked with grass stains and a pair of cutoffs that had a ripped pocket. A pair of grungy sneakers was on his feet and she wondered if he stole them from Gabe.

When she spied him pushing his heavy lawn mower up and down from her spare bedroom upstairs, she decided to go talk to him. Ask him if he still wanted to go to her grandparent's dinner with her tonight. And to warn him that he should probably put on a suit and tie if he wanted to blend in.

He had smiled when she waved to him from the side gate entrance and she watched him finish up the lawn for a few minutes. "How did he take it?" She was worried about that. As Gabe's teacher, she had come to understand the quiet boy in the back of the class. He didn't participate much in class but when he spoke up, his thoughts were always insightful. And as a woman who was interested in his older brother, she was also concerned about the impact that would have on Gabe.

Jess's laugh was a little rusty. "Fine."

That was something her teenaged students always told her. "Yeah right."

"He didn't take it that well."

"I bet."

"No, it's not like you're thinking. He likes you."

She squinted. "What?"

Jess reconsidered his words. "Wait. Not like what you're probably thinking. He's afraid of what will happen if we stopped seeing each other."

"Oh."

"I talked to him, worked things out." He ran his hand through his hair, tousling it further. "It's kind of funny if you think about it. He doesn't want me dating you because he doesn't want to see you hurt."

Rory smiled softly. "Are you planning on hurting me?"

He grinned and leaned forward, raising a hand to touch her but recoiled it when he probably noticed how dirty he was. "You never know. Sometimes accidents happen and people get hurt."

Her own eyes glazed over as she pondered his words. His one statement seemed to sum up her entire relationship with Logan. He hadn't meant to hurt her, but things just happened.

"Hey," He cupped her cheek. "Where did you go?"

She shook her head. "Sorry. Just thinking."

"About me?" He smiled his charming lopsided grin.

No. But she didn't want to hurt his feelings. Plus, his grin was so boyish she didn't have the heart to cut off his flirting. "Have I scared you away yet or do you still want to come with me tonight?"

"Suit and tie, huh?"

She paused. "Yeah. You do have one, right?"

He grinned. "I think I've just been insulted."

"Sorry." A flush spread across her cheeks and burned. "I didn't mean it like that. You know, you should probably disregard anything and everything I say tonight. My grandparents don't exactly bring out the best in me."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah." She flung her hands up and out. "I get pretty crazy around them. Once, I had this date to another one of these functions and they started to grill him right at dinner. And for some reason I just started to—oomph."

Jess leaned forward and captured her lips mid sentence. He caught her off guard and she couldn't react for a few seconds. He tasted warm and earthy, and she could smell the scent of fresh cut grass all around them. Her hands fluttered up to hold him in place and she explored he planes and hollows of his face blindly.

She felt a raised line of an old scar just to the side of his left eye and she wondered how he got it. Maybe when he was a kid and he fell off a bike. Or maybe was a crazy story about his twenty-first birthday and involved too much alcohol and testosterone. Whatever it was, she wanted to know. She wanted to know all about this man who was such an interesting mix.

He was protective and strong and compassionate in his own weird way. He might bumble his way through parenting his brother, but in the end, the important part was that Jess tried. He did his best. She could tell by the way he tried to come home on time every night from work just to fix dinner. She saw them working on homework in the backyard after he had fired up the barbeque and made hamburgers.

But she also saw a man who was lost. Jess was a man who was stepping into shoes that seemed too big. He didn't pick his current lifestyle but she discovered that Jess wasn't blaming anyone. He accepted his life and went headlong into the situation, guns blazing with a goal in mind. She admired that.

Jess peppered sweet little kisses across her eyelids, cheeks, and lips and she felt her knees go weak. She stepped into his body and nuzzled his neck, delicately biting the curve. She felt him shiver and she smiled against his skin. They stood there, silently absorbing the new feel of each other.

"I'm gonna go get a pizza." A hesitant voice broke them apart.

Rory jerked but Jess kept his hold on her. She saw Gabe standing by the sliding door, a baseball cap pulled low over his eyes and Wesley on a leash by his feet. "I'm taking Wes along for the walk. Is that okay?" Wesley barked at the sight of her, tilting his head in what appeared to be doggie confusion, wondering why she was so close to the noisy neighbor.

She nodded, feeling a new blush spread across her face. "Sure. Thank you."

"I felt bad for not walking him when I was sick."

Jess nodded. "Where are you going?"

"That pizza place around the corner. The one by the theater."

She felt Jess's arms slip from her waist and he spoke to his brother. "You need some money?"

Gabe shook his head. "I'm good."

"You have your phone with you?"

"Yeah. See you later."

For some reason, she was galvanized into action. "Gabe? Can I talk to you for a moment?" Both guys turned their heads in her direction and she was met with Gabe's nervous expression and Jess's slightly amused one. She tightened her fists in her pockets and then shook them out to relax.

"I'm going to get something to drink." As Jess passed by he gave her a wink and muttered under his breath, "Good luck."

She chuckled wearily. "Want to sit down?" She gestured to the pair of lawn chairs on the patio next to the barbeque.

Gabe shrugged and reached down to unsnap Wesley's leash. The little dog bounded over to explore the newly shorn grass, sniffing around the tree that grew on the side. Gabe plopped down next to her but didn't make any eye contact.

Rory paused to get her bearings straight and angled her body to face him better. "I know your brother spoke to you about…" She didn't know quite how to phrase it. "About me and him."

"Yeah."

"And I just wanted to say that I understand it's sort of awkward, what with us being neighbors and you being my student and all, but I'm," she cleared her throat, "we're going to do our best not to make things any weirder."

"Thanks."

"Gabe, can you look at me please?" Rory touched his arm lightly and then drew away.

He turned, his face placid.

"Your brother cares about you. A lot. And I don't want to see you hurt either. But the thing is…"

"I know Jess likes you," Gabe inserted.

"Yes, well." She bit her lip not knowing quite how to respond to that bald statement.

"He likes a lot of women," he added sullenly.

Rory tried not to laugh. "Jess is an adult."

Gabe went on as if he didn't hear her. "He dated a lot in New York."

"Okay."

"They weren't as nice as you," he finished softly.

"Oh Gabe." Rory leaned towards him.

He rested his forearms on his thighs. "He's going to screw things up."

"Why would you say that?" Rory's heart clenched a fraction. This was one really sensitive kid. "What if I end up hurting your brother instead?"

He turned sharply. "Are you gonna?"

"Well, no, I have no plans of doing any such thing, but it might come to that. Things happen in a relationship; sometimes without good reason or on accident." She noticed that her words were strangely echoing Jess's previous ones.

"Mom always said that things happen for a reason. Even the shitty stuff. And in the end, it's how you handle the bad stuff and savor the good things that makes it all worthwhile."

Rory smiled softly at those insightful words. She was beginning to apply that same concept to her past with Logan but hearing it so eloquently from a fifteen year old hit her in a whole new light. "She sounded wise."

"I…I won't say anything to anyone about you guys dating if that's what you're worried about."

Rory shook her head emphatically. "No, that's not what I was worried about. Well, yeah, I'd like to be discreet about things, but that thought never crossed my mind. I didn't think you'd go around blabbing your brother's business." Rory took a minute to just stare into space. "I guess what I want to say is that I'm not trying to steal your brother away from you or anything like that. And I'm not looking to replace anyone in your life either. I'm just…interested in Jess and here for the time being."

"I know."

She nodded, knowing that this was as far as the conversation was going to get. And it was enough for now.

"You guys okay?" They turned to see Jess lounging with his shoulder propped up against the door.

"Yeah." Rory stood up. "I better go get ready for tonight." She faked a look of horror. "I've got to squeeze myself into that dress and that takes prep work."

Jess chuckled and when she passed by him, he moved so that she would brush up against him. "I can't wait to see you all girly; fussing over your hair and your lips all sexy with gloss." He whispered softly into her ear. "I'm gonna kiss off your lipstick tonight when I say goodnight."

Rory barely suppressed her shiver at his words. "Okay then."

He grinned. "See you at six."

"Thanks again for coming."

"No problem." He concentrated on the road but took his eyes off momentarily to smile at her. She looked beautiful.

As she opened the door when he went next door to pick her up, he couldn't find his words. His tongue had stuck to the roof of his mouth and he was glad that it was dark in the car otherwise he'd embarrass himself if she chanced a glance down at his lap.

Her hair was swept up in some fancy twist that made him marvel at how women could tame and manipulate something so simple as hair into a work of art. There were a few tendrils left by her temples and teasing at the curve of her neck. He wanted to step behind her and nuzzle that spot, sweep the hair away from her skin just to breathe in her scent.

She must've sprayed on some kind of perfume that was sultry and earthy. He would never have guessed that his sweet neighbor would choose a scent so luscious. He pictured her putting on something light and floral, maybe vanilla or jasmine. But she currently smelled like expensive fine wine. Something to be savored throughout the night and then bottled up tightly and opened for special occasions only. She made him think of long nights and slow lovemaking. The kind that involved the whole body with lots of soft moans and sighs.

Her dress was some strapless concoction that dipped in the middle and parted to cup her small breasts. It was pale lavender that fanned out just below her knees. If she twirled, Jess could imagine a dancer, spinning around a ballroom as she had everyone's eyes glued to her. It was beaded and in the passing streetlamps, it caught the light and shimmered in the dim glow. She took his breath away. He had been with women much more beautiful and sophisticated in the past, but Rory was special and it fascinated him to no end. There was something so elemental that connected him and made him sit up and take notice. It was nothing that he had ever experienced before.

"You're going to be singing a different tune at the end of the night." She smiled wanly.

"It can't be that bad."

"Yes it can."

He chuckled at her melodramatics. "I'll consider myself fully warned." Reaching over the center console, he took her hand lightly into his and felt that satiny smoothness beneath his rougher palms. "Tell me about your family."

She took a moment and he glanced over and saw her twirling a stray strand of hair between her fingers. "My mom had me when she was sixteen and caused an uproar in the Gilmore clan. My parents got married because they were going to have a baby but they had a hard time. Dad was supposed to go to England for college and my mom was supposed to study business, but they put that on hold. So Dad went to work for his father doing some insurance work and my mom stayed home with me." She gripped his hands tight and he knew without needing to look at her that the story was going to go downhill. "But they started to resent each other. Dad, because he didn't get to travel and study what he wanted to. He didn't want to work in the family business. And Mom resented Dad for getting her pregnant in the first place. She's kind of a free spirited type," she glanced over at him.

"She didn't want to be tied down," he concluded.

"Yeah. They eventually split up when I was three. That made my grandparents really angry. They were confused why Mom and Dad didn't try harder to stay together for my sake. They're old school. They didn't think my Mom could be a single parent. So she took me and we moved around a lot for two years. We went from cities to the suburbs, but we ended up in this small town and she cut all ties with her family."

"It was just you and her growing up then?"

"Yes. My Dad fizzled out of the picture soon after. It was too much for him to handle, I guess. Mom did her best. She started working at this inn doing odd jobs and moved up to management years later. And she owns it now."

He stroked her fingers with his, playing with her palm and tracing her lifeline. "Sounds like it turned out okay. Your mom reconnected with her parents?"

"That happened when I went to college. We needed help paying for it and Mom swallowed her pride and asked them."

"You love your parents, Rory?"

Her brows furrowed and he knew he had caught her off guard. "Everyone loves their parents."

He shook his head. "You think that because you love them out of duty. But not everyone loves them out of choice."

"Did you love your parents by choice?"

Jess nodded and thought about his own parents. "Yeah, I did. I was a handful growing up," he chuckled, "I was moody and hard to control. But they loved me and gave me room to discover who I was. When I went off and did my own thing and blew off school, my parents took the time to find out what I was passionate about. They helped me turn my love for reading into something I could do with my life."

"Sounds like they really loved you."

"Yeah."

"I love my mom," she swallowed. "She sacrificed a lot to be with me. In many ways, we're very close. Best friends. I can tell her anything and she will understand and not judge me."

"You two grew up together."

"Yeah."

"I'm sensing a 'but' to your statement," he gently prodded.

"Sometimes I wonder if she looks at me and sees her own personal prison."

"Why would you think that?"

She moved one shoulder in a shrug. "She wanted to travel and do all that stuff. She never wanted to settle down at such a young age. I guess she would've wanted a family eventually, but not at sixteen. When she should have been partying and celebrating her twenty-first birthday, she had a sick five year old with an ear infection instead."

Jess could hear the pain in her voice. He didn't doubt that she loved her mom. It was clear in her words and how her eyes seemed to go soft at the memories, but there was still pain. A hurt that only she could understand as a child knowing that she was unplanned and that her parents had put their lives on hold because of her.

"I'm sure she doesn't regret any moment though. You've turned out rather nicely."

She smiled for the first time since they started discussing her family. "You're so charming."

"I try."

A beat passed by and there was a brief lull in the conversation. "So…Gabe said that you see a lot of women."

Jess just about choked on his own spit. "What?" He was ashamed to hear that his voice cracked like his brother's did on a daily basis.

She laughed heartily. "He was warning me off by informing me that you have quite the harem."

"I need a muzzle for that damn kid."

She was laughing so hard she swiped at an escaping tear. "Oh man, I don't want to ruin my makeup."

He stopped at a red light and leaned over for a quick peck on the cheek. "Did I mention that you look great tonight?"

"I got that vibe when I saw your tongue hanging out as soon as I opened the door."

Jess was caught. "Damn. Here I thought I was being so cool about it too. I'm serious by the way; you look beautiful."

"Thank you. Don't dodge the question, slick."

He felt like he was potentially stepping into a metaphorical land mine; but he wanted to be honest with her. "I admit that I have a bit of a dating record."

"That's such a polite way to put it."

Jess laughed. "Okay, I've seen a lot of women in the past. Nothing that was serious to the point of thinking about marriage, but I've had some steady girlfriends too. But I was never unfaithful. When I first got custody of Gabe, I didn't change anything my life. I tried to fit him into my lifestyle and I found out soon enough that it was hurting him. That's why I haven't seen anyone for a while now. I realized that not only will I be dating a woman, but I'm dragging her into Gabe's life as well. It also wasn't fair when I would inevitably break up with them. It wasn't fair to Gabe to get to know someone and have them in his life and then loose them suddenly," he added softly with a nagging guilt in the back of his mind, "I realize that now. Plus I never used to choose women who had any kind of a maternal side."

"As opposed to now?"

Jess heard her soft question and smiled to himself. He wanted her to know that even though they might be taking things slow and starting casual, he wasn't just using her or lumping her in with the masses. He wanted her to understand that he saw her differently and that was important to her. "Having Gabe has made me realize that I'm sick of sleeping around with random women. When I'm ready, I want someone with a potential for something more. Gabe needs that and I'm not getting any younger either." He didn't quite understand as to why he was telling her all of this, but he just wanted to be honest and upfront with Rory.

"But you've had some long-term relationships?"

He thought about it and his memories of Ann came to the surface. "A couple. Not long as in lasting for several years, but somewhere around there."

Jess could tell she wanted to ask. "And your last real relationship?"

"It didn't end well." He sucked in a breath and blurted, "She cheated on me."

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well. What can you do, right?" He shook his head, remembering the helplessness and the anger when he caught Ann. She confessed that it all started out innocently enough. She met the guy, had mutual friends, they hung out in a group, but things slowly escalated from there. Soon, she was making excuses to not see Jess and he finally caught wind of it. But when he confronted her, Ann had sectioned off a part of the blame to him. She said that he wasn't invested into the relationship and that he couldn't give her what she needed.

"Must've been hard."

It was. "It would've been better if she had just broken up with me. That I can handle. But it was the lying that made it worse." If Ann hadn't wanted to be with him, fine. He could live with that. In fact, it wasn't like they were looking towards marriage or anything. But it was the fact that she had gone behind his back that hurt him the most.

Rory quieted down and he didn't make the effort to revive the conversation. He had revealed way more than he had intended but it wasn't as if he could take things back.

"What about you and your last relationship?" He glanced quickly at her as he exited the highway. She didn't answer for a minute and he snuck another peek at her. "Rory?"

"Um, like I said before, it ended badly." There was an odd catch to her tone and he wanted to ask about it but the little machine on his dashboard beeped. He pulled up to a massive gate and the GPS signaled that they had arrived at their destination. Her attention was diverted and taken up with the house beyond and the cars that were neatly parked out in front.

"We're here." She didn't sound excited.

"Yup." He unbuckled his seatbelt. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

Jess got out of the car and opened her door for her. "It'll be fine. I know; don't listen or take to heart anything you say and I've already been warned that I will be grilled and scrutinized by your family."

"And everyone else," she added woefully.

"Right." He reached for her hand and interlocked their fingers together.

"Hey," she lightly tugged on his hand.

He stopped and looked back. "Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"You've already thanked me enough," he punctuated the statement with a teasing smirk. "I'll be looking for payment at the end of the evening in a form of a kiss."

She returned his smile. "I meant for telling me about your past. Thank you for being upfront."

He nodded. "I figure that if we get all that out in the open, at least we're honest about what's happened. Everyone has a past and bring their own baggage, but I don't want you to be surprised by the luggage that I carry."

"That's very refreshing."

Jess chuckled under his breath. "Believe me, I suck enough at relationships, casual or otherwise, and I might very well screw things up entirely. I might as well be truthful about the shit I've done."

She stepped close to him and brushed her lips against his. With her heels, it brought her just under eyelevel to him. He kept her fingers laced together but wound it around her back so that her arm was mildly twisted behind. He let her direct the kiss. She shyly explored his mouth with hesitant licks and he enjoyed every moment of it. He felt like he was kissing for the first time again. Bringing up the other hand to ride low on her back, his fingers just brushed the curve of her bottom. Jess felt her pull back and he allowed it, lazily petting her with his fingers, sifting the soft fabric of her dress beneath him.

"That doesn't count for the kiss you're going to owe me tonight."

She giggled. "You drive a hard bargain."

He reluctantly released her but kept a hold on her hand when he went to ring the doorbell.

AN: Show some love...reviews make for a happy writer!

And signed-in reviews will be responded with the additional Chapter Notes as a "thank you" from me! The notes are pretty detailed and I think you'll enjoy getting an "insider look" at the story if you're interested. :)