In writing this chapter, I struggled with the choice between VCR and PVR (or DVR). Nowadays, VCRs are probably non-existent (OK, so I have one, and I have used it in the past year, but I'm a freak). But in 2002, when this episode aired, PVRs/DVRs weren't very prevalent either. So I made an arbitrary choice. You can substitute it if you like.

3.02 Haunted Leg

She needed a breath of fresh summer air
And feel of some breezes to blow through her hair
Before, in the way that these things must go,
The winds of an autumn soon started to blow.

So Rory threw on a summery shirt
And found a good match in a sweet, simple skirt.
She grabbed her book bag, all loaded with treasure,
And, into the sun, stepped out with a pleasure.

The bridge was a place that she couldn't go,
Since that was a place that he'd often show,
So Rory, instead, went straight into town
And, at the gazebo, she sat herself down.

And careful she was to angle her back
So sight of the diner she simply would lack.
These days, certain sights did senses assault
And, into her wounds, they rubbed brutal salt.

She opened her bag of word-laden treats
And chose one containing the writings of Keats.
She sat on the bench and opened the pages
And happily lost all her worries in stages.

The bustling people, all moving through town,
Were simply ignored as she buckled down,
Engrossing herself in what Keats had written
And feeling herself growing more and more smitten.

But then came a laugh which irked her somehow,
A twittering giggle that furrowed her brow.
The words she was reading were madly disrupted.
(They hated to be, when read, interrupted!)

But giggle did Rory not try to assess
Until it became a scolding of "Jess!"
And, suddenly, Rory knew that she had heard
The voice of the blonde, across air transferred.

She knew now that Jess and his girlfriend were near.
A giggle, again, did scratch at her ear.
And now Rory frowned upon her book's page
And felt she a tinge of some kind of rage.

She dared take a peek from where the voice came
And saw how it seemed they were playing a game.
And then she saw Jess speak close to her ear,
Just murmuring something that looked like "Come here."

And, then, fell the girl into Jess's arms,
Succumbing, it seemed, to all of his charms.
Now Rory was watching without a pretext
To see what the two would start to do next.

She watched as his hand, from up in her hair,
Then travelled her spine, to her derrière,
And pulled her against him with kind of a squeeze.
Returned she the favour, as any good sleaze.

She watched from afar as he deepened their kiss.
That they used their tongues the blind couldn't miss!
And painful it was to watch from afar,
Replaying her own kiss, in mind's PVR.

So Rory looked down and propped up her book
But, at that device, she didn't quite look.
Instead, she recalled the kiss that she'd stolen,
With unbridled impulses suddenly swollen.

His lips had felt soft, and he had seemed so,
To contrast the harshness, to others, he'd show.
His body felt solid and tempting and lean
And gently caressing, as though never mean.

He'd seemed so sincere that, she had been sure,
That he had come back to be next to her.
She'd just needed time to make some arrangements,
To right the wrongs done in her past engagements.

She'd actually planned to talk to her mom
In detail more thorough and manner more calm
About all the ways she'd felt about Jess
But angry discussion just made a big mess.

Oh how could it be that one single day
Could crush a good heart to depths of dismay?
Since seeing the couple, she'd been so depressed
And constant reminders were leaving her stressed.

And part of the reason her goat the scenes got
Was all of their kisses just looked really hot
And, from what she'd heard, she thought she could tell
The blonde lacked the wit at which he'd excel.

Complete conversations with hardly a word,
Between them, had Rory regrettably heard.
Did Rory, again, her choice justify
Since Dean's speech, himself, did not stultify.

So now that the scales had slightly been tipped
Her pro/con list, made, she'd angrily ripped.
If Jess cared so little then, from him, she'd turn.
Her heart with a fire of sadness did burn.

Her book was soon closed and tucked in her bag.
If she heard much more, she'd certainly gag.
She snuck off towards the safety of home
Since streets of this town proved unsafe to roam.

And, after their Friday grew even more bitter,
Once Christopher came to drop in on dinner
And words were there thrown as sharp as a stinger,
Did both the girls feel as though put through the wringer!

A movie night proved a needed distraction.
So, later that evening, they put it to action.
So, off to the store, they chose to depart.
Did each girl now need to soothe her sore heart.

A menu was posed and given assent
So, into the store, young Rory was sent
To gather the candy that they'd feast upon,
Since junk food was vital to having their fun.

As Rory was silently filling her basket,
The action of working did tighten the gasket
Of sadness and anger that dripped from her heart
And led her to calm, some semblance, in part.

She rounded the aisle but then she stopped short.
The sight of the boy, her stride, did abort.
And then, in her path, was placed solid arm.
Her calmness, at once, did suffer a harm.

She traced the fine arm along to his face
And bade that he not impede her good pace.
His eyes, trained on hers, were questioning, scarred.
His lips were drawn grim, defiantly hard.

And suddenly words were spilled from her mouth.
She mentioned food spoilage. From there, it went south.
As now his grim lips drew into a scowl,
The tones of their voices grew even more foul.

Then, as the two argued where any could see,
So torn Rory was 'tween hold fast or flee.
The rise of his shoulders she wanted to shove
When heard she the name of Jess's new love.

His speech ranted surly. His questions came curt.
And, if she had listened, she'd know he'd been hurt.
And that was a clue Lachesis would hide
By tucking her thread deep, deep, down inside.

Her loom was the place where staged she their show.
The Fate used it wisely so, therefore, although,
Through each verbal twist their sparring was dealt,
She barred them to hear what each other felt.

Glimpsed Rory his hand. He leaned on the counter.
Her thoughts, over words, became ever louder,
Since Rory could picture, in vivid attack,
That beautiful hand on Shane's awful back.

His meaningful words, her vision did mask,
As planned by the work of the Fate on the task.
While Jess asked her whether she'd tried to reach out,
She, uncomprehending, just started to pout.

His purchase forgotten, Jess stormed from the place
And Rory, from him, did likewise then race.
She emptied her basket onto the checkout
And stood with an anger replacing all doubt.

The night air was cool but how did he smoulder!
He jammed hands in pockets and stiffened his shoulders.
His stride was unbroken. His feet hit their mark.
He found himself storming into the town park.

The night's air was dark and murky and cool
And shadows from trees reached out like some ghoul.
His storming did cease at base of a tree
Where no other soul, in dark, could him see.

And there on the ground he sullenly knelt,
Not really admitting how shaky he felt.
His heartbeat he bade to slacken its pace.
His features he set into a stone face.

The girl did affect him, he loathed to admit.
But more of that feeling he wouldn't permit.
It wouldn't be right to give out free reign
To that which he felt and which could cause pain.

His plans, he had proven, had been overzealous:
He'd only been trying to make Rory jealous.
But never had someone remained so immune
And never had Jess been, to that, so in-tune.

Arrangement of feelings did Jess then permute.
Was anger, for love, a good substitute.
Since childhood, he'd kept his heart safely guarded,
Especially in times when he'd felt most bombarded.

So now, with the state of Rory's disgrace,
He threw all his efforts into a new chase.
He hated how Rory put him in this state.
He'd focus on Shane onwards from this date.

I'm in a quandary. I've written a few future chapters that deal with adult situations (petting and/or sex). When I wrote them and for a long time after that, I felt very comfortable with them under a T rating. I felt that, with the poetry format, they are not completely explicit. Upon recent reconsideration however, I'm wondering if they are still explicit enough to warrant an M rating. The show itself deals with sex so I can't not deal with it in some way. The question is how explicit can I safely get?

I really don't want to bump up the rating on this story. If I have to, I will rewrite/censor the chapters for this story but post the originals in a separate story. To decide though, I will need your opinion about whether these upcoming chapters are too explicit. Maybe I'm overreacting for nothing. Any takers for Beta reading?

I don't want to bump up to M because this story gets so few hits as it is. And furthermore, I get even fewer reviews! (None for the last chapter.) Of course every author on this site basically lives for reviews. So, as you can see, reducing the likelihood of this story getting reviews is not in my best interests.

That was a hint, BTW. Please review! Thanks for reading! Let me know if you would be willing to Beta read.