A/N: Okey, so I got my act together, my thesis is ready... for now *yey* and everything else… Well, I'm winging it, it has worked so far. I'm not entirely happy with this chapter, I feel like something's missing, and with any luck, I can work it in later. If I'm really lucky I think something's missing because it is missing, but from the wrong story. Hm, oh well, here it is, chapter 9. Enjoy and review!

Disclaimer: I, the author of this story, do not own any of the characters from Gilmore Girls. That honor belongs to the wonderful Amy Sherman-Palladino. I am not making any money on this (in fact, I wouldn't be surprised it I'm losing money over it…).

9. Sleepless in Philly

On a day like this, Rory ofte found it hard to think straight. When she had parked outside the apartment building, where she and Jess lived, in Philly, she was astounded. She had made it this far without totally freaking out. Yeah, well, mostly. Breaking a daylong engagement and running out on her family was pretty much freaking out in her book. But anything after that wasn't so crazy. "Except, maybe the phonecall to grandma…" Rory thought glumly to herself.

She hadn't been able to let it go, and once she hung up on Emily (after having tried to give a lecture on not hijacking someone's life like that), she panicked, called Jess and told him she was going to Philadelphia, and then switched off her phone. In hindsight, that was probably the best thing she had done all night, all things considering. Rory figured Emily would call Lorelai, and knowing her mom, she had probably tried to reach Rory multiple times already. With her phone on, Lorelai would've convinced her to come home, and they would fix things. Though usually sensible and clearheaded, Rory didn't feel like returning home anytime soon, and how could this be fixed anyhow? "What is with people?" she mumbled under her breath, continuing silently: "They trash my boyfriend, my Jess, and take over my engagement, just so they can usher me down the aisle according to their own sick fashion!"

Rory shook her head.

"I need coffee…" she muttered sourly, as she walked up the stairs and and unlocked the door to the apartment.

But coming home this time didn't feel as good as last time. The apartment was dark and empty when she entered, there were no happy surprises waiting for her, not a sound except for the ones she was making. She quietly made her way to the kitchen, opening the cabinet that held coffee. She rummaged around the cabinet in the dark, until she found the right container. It was a plain tin can, with a note taped to the lid. Rory was thankful she hadn't turned on the lights. The note ("Rory Gilmore's emergency-stash of Luke's coffee. Beware! Deplete at own risk!") had been written and taped to the lid by Jess after Matt had taken the last of the coffeeblend (by mistake, he claimed) a couple of months back. Jess…

Rory couldn't make herself think about him, with moderate success. She figured he must be so upset and hurt. He had given her that beautiful ring, and promised they would have a life together that was their own, and she had thrown that in his face and left. Suddenly, being in the apartment felt all wrong. Jess was ever-present; from the note in his handwriting on the coffee tin can (she knew the note by heart, how the ink had smudged out and the way his R's curved), to his books in his part of the bookshelves and the defined scent of him in the bedroom. She sighed, and put the coffee back into the cabinet and closed it quietly. This was not a time for coffee after all.

She walked out of the kitchen, but stopped halfway throught the livingroom. Everyplace she could sleep reminded her too much of her stupid Stars Hollow freak-out. The bedroom was out of question. The smell of Jess would nestle its way into her head and drive her insane. She glanced over to the couch. No, no couch. Too many movie-mockings, and memories of his return into her life. The mockings would come to her, and she'd lie awake all night reviewing, cataloguing and grading them, while fighting away the memory of 10 things I hate about you. Rory sighed loudly, crossing her arms over her chest, and pouted. She scanned the empty apartment, finally spotting one place she could sleep that didn't directly remind her of Jess. Not too much, anyway, because… "Hey, why don't I want to think about Jess?" she asked herself. Nothing answered, not even a stupid little voice in her head. She furrowed her brow. Then it came to her, full blast. Ring, engagement, freak-out.

"I'm beyond ridiculous." she sighed, regretting not drinking coffee.

She slouched over to the bedroom, quickly pulling out her pillow, the bedcover and her blanket, before going to prepare her solitary bed for the night.

At that same moment, Jess was looking absentmindedly out a window. As soon as Rory had called him, all frantic, he had called a cab and told the driver to take him to Hartford train station. Halfway there, he changed his mind, telling the driver to make a short stop before the station. He could feel the ring burning a hole in his jacket pocket, and he couldn't stand it. When the driver pulled up at the Gilmore's driveway, he was out before the car had come to a full stop.

"Wait here." he growled at the driver, as he jumped out.

He was at the door in two seconds, banging away at it loudly. The maid, Anna-something-or-other opened, and he glared at her, probably a bit harsher than entirely necessary, and stomped in without a word. He made his way to the livingroom, figuring Richard and Emily would be there, sipping some stupid drink. He was half-right. Emily was sitting at a small table, going through some papers, and her head snapped up when she heard him coming.

"What on earth?" she began, sounding so indignant, Jess felt his blood boil.

He fought to keep down the urge to take a swing at her (and fully revert to the 17-year old asshole he tried to surpress), instead pulling out the ring, and throwing it down on the table.

"I god damn hope you're happy now!" he said in a hard voice, before turning on his heel, stomping out of the house and into the cab.

It didn't take long to get to the trainstation, and he boarded the first train he could get on. As soon as he had slumped down in his seat, he zoned out, trying to calm down. He tried thinking about nothing at all, but to no avail. His thoughts kept wandering, always stranding on the picture of Rory pulling the ring off of her finger. He felt a wave of sadness hit him everytime that picture popped up in his head, and he almost missed his train change in New Haven because of it, but made it with a few seconds to spare. Now he was somewhere between New York and Philly, looking out the window, trying to sort out the inferno of thoughts in his head. One second, he felt he was absolutely right going after Rory, she couldn't think straight, she was upset, and she needed him. The next second he was scolding himself for going. She had left for a reason; to be alone. Why was he such a Luke, trying to butt in and fix it? At the last part, he groaned, reprimanding himself for reverting back into that 17-year-old asshole-self that kept popping its ugly head up all the time.

Two and a half hours later, he stepped out into the chilly Philadelphia air, finding it oddly comforting to be home, because that's what this city was to him. New York had never really been a home for him, just a place where he happened to live at the time, and Stars Hollow… He had tried to see it as a home, but it never became more than a place forced upon him, with a mutual dislike tainting the days. Stars Hollow was Rory's home, not his. California had only been a stop on the way, his father lived there, it was a couch he crashed on, and a plate of food every day. But once he got to Philadelphia, something had clicked. "This city… The city of Brotherly Love…" Jess thought, and snorted at his own sappiness. There was just something about it, it didn't try to be anything else than it was, and no one tried to kick him out here.

He didn't bother taking a cab, thinking the walk would give him time to think about what to do next. Rory was probably at the apartment, but the closer Jess got to it, the more he felt he should let Rory be, at least for the night. He could go to her first thing in the morning, or whenever he woke up. This only meant one thing. "They are so going to hate me…" he smirked, when he stood outside Truncheon five minutes later, and started banging on the door.

And he was right. After banging for an eternity, Chris opened, wildeyed and armed with a bat.

"Mariano, what the hell?" he wheezed, looking at him suspiciously.

"Postpone the inquision for now, pal." Jess told him. "I need to borrow your couch for the night."

"I could ask why and get a glare, or I could wait 'til tomorrow, or, well, technically later today, and bust your balls for this big time." Chris yawned, holding the door open for Jess to enter.

Jess nodded thanks, quietly moving through the store, up the stairs and into the apartment, with Chris behind him. Chaos met Jess when he entered the apartment.

"Wow, seems you two have been pigging it out since I left."

"Ballbusting bro, ballbusting." Chris muttered in answer, manouvering around the clutter and going into what used to be Jess' room, closing the door.

Jess smiled, thinking he was safe, as Chris' memory was like a Swiss cheese. Full of holes. He went over to the couch, a scrangly-looking thing the guys had bought at a fleamarket, as he and Rory had taken the old one. Slumping down on the couch, he made a mental note to appreciate the sofa standing in his and Rory's apartment more often. It wasn't like he was gonna get much sleep for the remaining hours of the night, but at least he could have spent the night not sleeping on a couch that felt like a couple of boulders covered in funky-smelling cloth. He made plans for later. Going over to the apartment, talk to Rory, get her to open up, or at least open the door. Perhaps he should call Luke and Lorelai. Perhaps...

He floated into a blurry dream of rings, blue eyes and Emilys at the end of an aisle. Jess could only hope the strange dream was a good omen.

A/N: Yeah, so sort of a filler chapter, I promise the next chapter will be crunch-time. Polemic will ensue, coffee will be made, and where did Rory sleep? ;) Review (again... :p ) please!