Better in cones
Chapter Sixteen
'Ok well Jess...he sustained very serious injuries during the attack, he suffered multiple blows to the head and chest, though he doesn't appear to have any brain damage which is a very good sign, he is awake but he has got a broken arm, two broken ribs, a lot of bruising and cuts.' The doctor said, Luke let out a sigh of relief.
'He'll be ok?' Rory asked, her eyes wide with hope, shining brightly because of the tears that she wouldn't let fall. The doctor smiled at her reassuringly.
'Yes, he'll be fine. You're the girlfriend I'm guessing.' He replied.
'Yes I am, only he doesn't know it yet.' Rory said, catching the surprised reaction from her mum. 'I was about to tell him when that guy appeared.'
'Well then, why don't you go on in and tell him now, if his Uncle doesn't mind you being the first in there.' The doctor said before walking away, pleased that after a stressful day in the ER that he'd been able to give out some good news.
'Is that ok Luke?' Rory asked, she didn't want to get in the way since Luke was family and she was just the soon to be girlfriend.
'Of course it is, he'll want to see you much more than he'll want to see me. Go on in.' Luke said sitting back down.
'Thank you.' Rory smiled, nervously she made her way over to his room, opening the door and going inside.
'Hey, are you ok?' Jess asked a worried look across his bruised face, she suppressed a laugh, sitting on the edge of his bed alongside him.
'You're the one who got attacked, shouldn't I be asking you if you're ok?' Rory said taking his hand.
'I blacked out a bit, and so I wasn't sure if he'd hurt you, I could hear your voice.' He said, looking her over, she seemed fine just a little shaken. Tears welled up in her eyes.
'Are you ok?' She asked, her voice shaking with everyone, he lifted up his good arm and brushed away her tears.
'Don't cry, I'm fine, it looks worse than it is.' Jess said.
'You don't have to act all tough around me Jess, you can tell me how you really are.' Rory said holding eye contact with him, she knew he was holding something back.
'Physically fine, the doctors gave me a bunch of drugs to make sure of that.' Jess replied.
'And emotionally?' Rory asked, he was finally opening up to her. He looked at her and realised that he could trust her with the information, so taking a deep breath he held her hand, letting her entwine their fingers together.
'I thought that now I was here, I'd left all the abuse and anger in my past, I carried a lot of it with me when I came here, but then I met you...You made me want to be a better person, I moved past all the anger, and although I knew I would always carry the abuse with me, I thought things would finally get better. Then I heard his voice, and although I won't ever admit it to anyone but you, I was scared. Everything that happened in New York flashed before my eyes and it was strange because usually all I could think about when things like this happened was getting out, protecting myself, but this time all I kept thinking even when he was kicking me, was where's Rory, is she ok. I couldn't stand the thought of putting you in danger, and I realise now that if you're with me then you're going to be in danger. I can't do that to you, so I'm going to go back and live with my mum.' Jess said, Rory pulled away from him, standing up.
'No! Jess you can't leave, I'm fine I wasn't hurt it was you that got hurt, you protected me.' Rory cried out, he hated making her hurt like this, but he felt he had no choice if he truly cared about her then he couldn't put her in danger.
'Rory, you don't know what my life was like before I came here, things like this weren't uncommon, how can I protect you from that unless I leave, one of my mums ex boyfriends has found me already so what happens if someone else does, and I can't stop them hurting you, what if you don't get away. I would never forgive myself if anything ever happened to you. I don't want you to get hurt.' Jess said firmly, though the pain of saying it was evident on his face, he watched as Rory's tears increased.
'This hurts Jess! You leaving hurts, I love you! You can't leave.' Rory begged him. It was the first time she'd ever told him she loved him, and all the time she had imagined it, never had it come out when she was yelling, with tears staining her face.
'Rory I love you, more than you'll ever know, that's why I have to leave, I can't mess up your life by pulling you into mine, I thought that it would be ok because everything from my past in New York was left behind, but I can't be with you if I know there is a risk of you being hurt. Your mum tried to warn you, everyone did when I first came, that I was trouble, that I was dangerous. Well today it all came true. You deserve better than me.' Jess said though it killed him to give her up, he shifted a little so he was sat up straighter, groaning as a wave of pain went through his chest where his ribs had been broken.
'I came in here to tell you that I loved you, that I didn't want to wait anymore, that I wanted us to be a couple, that's what I was going to tell you this afternoon before all this, I don't want you to go.' Rory sobbed, she was at his side again, begging him to reconsider. With great effort he leaned forward and kissed her.
'I love you, I'm sorry that I have to go, but I do have to, you'll find someone better than me.' Jess said. 'I don't deserve you.'
'Don't I get a say in that?' Rory asked weakly, he sighed resting his forehead against hers.
'Rory...'
'No, don't! Jess don't go, you don't need to go. This was a one off.' Rory said barely above a whisper.
'If I could be sure that it was then trust me I wouldn't leave.' Jess said kissing her again. Then wiping away her tears. 'You deserve better than my life.'
'But I don't want to fall for anyone else, I love you.' Rory cried. 'Please just don't leave.'
'I'm sorry.' Jess whispered, breaking his own heart along with Rory's, he watched as she fled from the room unable to listen to his goodbyes anymore. She ran to the waiting room into her mothers arms, and sobbed against his chest.
'Honey what is it? He's going to be ok.' Lorelai said wrapping her arms protectively around her daughter, Luke stood next to them, looking at Rory with concern, she was like a daughter to him, so seeing her like this was hard. She sobbed loudly.
'He's leaving, he's going back to New York. He said he wants to protect me and the only way to do that is for him to leave because he's no good for me, that if he stayed I would be in danger.' Rory cried, 'He said he loved me but he couldn't stay, that I deserve better.'
'Oh hun, I'm sorry.' Lorelai pulled her daughter closer. For once she actually agreed with Jess, maybe it was for the best that he left, it wasn't his fault that Rory had been there, he had protected her from harm, but it had been on Lorelai's mind that there could be a next time. However much she thought that Jess leaving would be better for Rory in the long run, all she could see now was her baby girl sobbing, her heart broken.
'I don't want him to go.' Rory cried. 'I love him.'
'Come on, let's get you home. What you need is junk food, some movie's and a bucket of coffee, you've had a tough day.' Lorelai tried to persuade her daughter. But Rory shook her head.
'No! Mum I don't want to wallow.' Rory said pulling away.
'Tell me what you want hun.' Lorelai asked, though she could guess what was coming next.
'I want Jess to stay.' Rory said simply, turning to Luke. 'Can you talk to him, he might listen. Luke he can't go back there he isn't safe, this isn't the first time one of Liz's boyfriends had beat him up.' Rory let it slip, then felt bad, Jess had told her that in confidence and she was pretty sure from the look on Luke's face that he hadn't known.
'This wasn't the first time?' Luke said in shock, Rory shook her head.
'I shouldn't have said anything, Jess didn't want anyone knowing, he trusted me with that.' Rory said shamefully.
'You did the right thing telling me.' Luke said reassuring her, but at the same time trying to deal with the fact that his nephew had grown up in an abusive atmosphere, and he hadn't know, he hadn't been able to help.
'He can't go back there, he'll be in more danger there. He thinks he's helping me, but I need him here. I need him to be ok, and he won't be if he goes back to live with Liz.' Rory said desperately.
'Let me talk to him.' Lorelai said, walking into Jess' room before anyone could stop her.
A/N- Hope you like. For all of you who are hating me because I haven't got Rory and Jess together yet, I'm sorry but when I get an idea in my head I have to write it, and I got this one, but I promise they will be together eventually. Please review.