A/N: I know, I disappeared. I got the flu, couldn't be helped. Thank you all for the continued positive feedback :)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 5

Rory went through a range of thoughts and emotions when she woke up next morning. For a moment she had to consider where she was, back at home rather than the dorm at Yale. Next her mind replayed the events of the day before and she remembered that Jess was here, not just in town, but asleep on the couch just beyond the door and down the hall. They had never slept in the same house before and it gave Rory a strange feeling to think of him out there. She was the one to ask him to stay, and she wasn't sorry about it. They were over the worst of the awkwardness, talked out most of the issues from before, and then Jess had turned around and told her he loved her. It was a surprise at the time, but then this warm glow had started inside of Rory and grown larger until it engulfed her entirely. She had it before, or at least something similar, back when she and Jess were together. Actually, she was pretty sure the feeling began way before that, right here in this very room when he appeared at her door that first day.

A sound in the kitchen pulled Rory from her thoughts. It was still kind of early, especially for a Sunday, so she doubted her mom was skulking around in the kitchen. It had to be Jess, and she wasn't sure whether she wanted to go see what he was doing or not. A quick debate later and she was shoving her feet into some cosy slippers and throwing the comforter around her body to keep out the cold. Shuffling to the door, Rory stopped to straighten out her short hair, took a deep breath and stepped out into the kitchen.

"Hey," she said softly so as not to startle him.

"Hi," Jess replied, hands stilling on the glass and faucet from which he was clearly getting a drink of water. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't," Rory assured him, shaking her head.

It felt strange, not knowing what to say to each other, both suddenly very aware of what they looked like. The weather was cold and the house not much warmer than outdoors might have been. Rory was sure she looked odd with the blanket around her shoulders like a shroud covering yummy sushi pyjamas and fluffy slippers on her feet. Jess just felt so stupid because he couldn't stop shivering in T-shirt sleeves and sweatpants, nothing at all on his feet.

"You're cold," she noted without really meaning to say it aloud.

"Warmer than some nights," he replied, filling his glass with water.

By the time he was done and turned back to look at Rory, she was gone, only to appear again in a moment, carrying another blanket in her hands. She approached Jess and made some vague attempt to wrap the blanket around his shoulders. He put the glass down so he could do it himself, but the two of them were incredibly close all of a sudden. That never failed to make them both feel something. More than just something, everything in a way that neither could ever explain, even with their extensive vocabularies.

"Thanks," he said stiffly. "Um, I could've just..."

He gestured towards the living room where his own bed was right now. The couch had more blankets than a regular person could ever use, since Lorelai and Rory both seemed determined Jess shouldn't get cold. It was weird having people care, especially Lorelai, but even Rory after how things had gone before. Now it was just awkward, standing here in the kitchen, not together, kind of friends, but with this estrangement between them still that seemed insurmountable somehow.

"Rory..." he began to say, but Jess really didn't know where things went from there.

He told her once that the verbal thing came and went with him. It wasn't a lie, but Jess never thought Rory would be a person he had trouble talking to. They were good at conversation in the beginning, about anything and everything, right up until the time they started dating. Things changed then. They still talked, but not in the same way. Making out took over, which neither of them objected to, but maybe if they had also kept talking, if he had explained things better, about his feelings, about school, about his father. If only Rory could have been more honest about her thoughts on Jess, on Dean, on how things were and were not working. All the 'what might've beens' in the world were no use now.

"Jess," said Rory, lips twitching with a hundred words that never made it out of her out.

The truth was, Rory was struggling as much as he was with what to say next, and moreover with an overwhelming urge to kiss him. It was insane, and she knew it, but Jess was always someone she craved, for company, for conversation, and for more physical activities, even before they were really together. Right now, it would be so easy just to fall into one of those moments they regularly got lost in when they were a couple last year, but it seemed ridiculous and wrong to let it happen. That didn't mean Rory didn't want it to. A lot.

"Rory?" called Lorelai as she suddenly descended the stairs.

Jess and Rory leapt apart like shrapnel, in spite of the fact nothing had happened. Perhaps it was just the fact they both kind of wanted it to that had them feeling guilty. Right now, there was no time to really think on any of that.

"Hey, you're both up already," said Lorelai with a smile as she wandered into the kitchen, a robe tied tightly over her PJs. "Seems like a crazy hour to be awake on a Sunday, but somehow I just can't sleep anymore," she considered, looking from one to another of the teens. "Everything okay?"

"Sure, yeah."

"Fine, Mom."

They more or less spoke over each other in muttered tones with eyes that looked everywhere but at each other. Lorelai wasn't sure what to make of that. She found it strange enough when Rory told her Jess would be staying one more night on their couch, though she never argued the point. The kids had gotten to a place where they could happily converse together again, and that couldn't be a bad thing. Now Lorelai was only left to wonder if friendship was all Rory and Jess had in mind. She supposed it had to be, after everything, and especially with him going away again today, and yet, Lorelai wasn't so sure she believed that. The lure of an ex could be awfully strong sometimes, and more than once Lorelai had wondered if Rory ever really did get over Jess. There had been little in the way of closure when the end came, and since then, Rory just hadn't really dated at all. Maybe this was what she had been waiting for, or rather whom. Maybe Jess was still in her heart, no matter how much Lorelai wished it were untrue.

"So, who's up for breakfast at Luke's? My treat?" she offered Rory and Jess both.

They agreed and quickly rushed off to their respective rooms to get dressed. Lorelai watched them go and didn't know whether to be amused or concerned. Whether she liked it or not, things were so not over with those two. Not even close.

Luke looked surprised to see Jess come into the diner with the Gilmore girls, but he said nothing about it, only asked how everybody was this morning and got a varied selection of positive responses. Lorelai was determined she was paying and that both Rory and Jess were to have anything they wanted. Piles of pancakes, bacon and eggs were brought to the table and the three ate together, Lorelai doing most of the talking and on the most generic topics possible, mindful of causing any kind of fight or more awkward looks across the table.

Eventually, when the food was almost gone and the coffee grew cold in the cups, Lorelai felt the need to broach the subject of Jess' extended visit. With a friendly smile she asked how long he would be staying.

"I mean, the couch is yours if you need it another night or two," she offered kindly. "I'm not trying to chase you out, but I figured-"

"I should leave today," Jess interrupted her without thinking. "I have work and... I should go."

"Okay then." Lorelai nodded. "Well, I don't really know what the right thing to say here is, but it was nice to see you, I guess," she considered. "Really, I'm glad you two cleared the air, and you and Luke also," she admitted, her hand briefly landing on Jess' arm.

His eyes went from her fingers on the leather of his jacket up to her face as he returned the smile she gave him. If nothing else came out of this trip, he and Rory's mom had kind of built a bridge, and that wasn't nothing. Lorelai meant a lot to both Luke and Rory, and Jess didn't hate knowing that she could stand to be in the same room with him now. He made his apology and she graciously accepted him into her home. It was a positive, as was making things better with both Rory and Luke themselves. Definitely not a wasted trip, but Jess knew what he said before was true. He needed to get back to New York, to his job and his crappy apartment. He wasn't sure why he needed to, he only knew that he did.

Lorelai spoke of getting over to Sookie's place and then on to the inn. Rory was quick to invite herself along, hovering at the door when she suddenly seemed to realise this might be it, that Jess might be gone by the time she got back.

"It was good to see you, Jess," she told him with a genuine smile, the like of which he had at one time wondered if he would ever see again from her.

"You too, Rory," he assured her, smiling right back.

"Take care of yourself," she said seriously, and then she was gone.

Jess was still staring after her when Luke approached the table. He didn't notice his uncle was there until he spoke.

"I was surprised to find you were still here this morning."

"Me too. I saw Rory last night, when I was coming to see you, actually. She asked me to stay, so I did."

"You were coming to see me? Why?"

"You know why," said Jess with a look, pulling an envelope full of money from inside his jacket and waving it at Luke. "This look familiar."

"No," his uncle replied, not quite convincingly.

Jess smirked. He got up and followed Luke when he headed back to the counter.

"You're a lousy liar," he told him, shaking his head. "Thanks, Luke, but I can't..."

"Yes, you can," Luke insisted, waving the gesture away when his nephew tried to give him back the cash. "You take it, Jess, I want you to. Actually, I'd rather you were someplace safe and decent where you wouldn't need that money, but hey, you're an adult now, it's not my place to tell you where you should be or what you should be doing. I'm not sure it ever was my place, actually," he said sadly. "But, y'know, your mom and T.J. left last night. If you wanted to stick around, I don't know, just for a little while, catch up with Rory, spend a few nights in a warm bed, eating real food?" he suggested, one hand adjusting his baseball cap. "Your old bed is still up there and I always need help here in the diner. Y'know, if you wanted to?"

Jess had to be crazy, but it took all of five seconds for him to smile and nod his head.

"I guess I could help you out for a few days, or whatever," he said, smile turning into a smirk because they both knew how dumb this was, what a big deal it would be for him to be here again after everything.

"I'd appreciate that," said Luke, smiling also. "Welcome home, nephew."

"Jess Mariano said 'I love you'? He actually said those words to you?" asked Lane, so enthusiastic in her hand gestures and such that Rory was almost convinced the car was going to tip over from the force of her best friend's motion.

"That's what he said," she agreed, eyes on the road as she signalled the turn and headed on towards Stars Hollow. "Believe me, nobody was more shocked than I was. It was crazy enough that he just showed up, and on my couch of all places, but then to say... what he said. I don't know what to think anymore."

"I'm still a little bowled over by him and your mom becoming buddies," said Lane thoughtfully. "I mean, I know everybody gets along with Lorelai, she's awesome, but her and Jess, that relationship did not start well, and as far as I remember never really improved much."

"Not really," Rory agreed. "They both tried, when me and Jess were together, but it was kind of tough. Apparently he apologised for the way he was, and they built a bridge or something. Honestly? I kind of like that he came back, that we all got a chance to make some peace. I don't want to be awkward any time he come around, afraid of what's going to happen, y'know?"

"I get it, I do," Lane agreed completely. "And I'm glad too. If he made his apologies to Lorelai, to you..."

"And to Luke," supplied Rory.

"Right, and to Luke, well, then everybody is happy. Jess did good. One big old tick in the positive column for him."

Rory smiled at Lane's analysis of the situation. It was nice knowing that Jess was on so many people's good side now. Rory never wanted things to get as bad as they did, and as much as she could blame Jess for a lot of that, she had to carry some blame too. Now things were back on an even keel, and Rory felt like she could breathe a little easier. Of course, the awkward meeting in her kitchen this morning was a reminder that things were still not one hundred percent resolved, but Rory chose to put that part to the back of her mind for now, on account of the fact Jess would be gone from Stars Hollow by the time she got home with Lane.

"So, when we get back, you are going to talk to your mom, right?" she asked her friend. "You know Mrs Kim is missing you so much."

"I don't know," Lane considered. "Part of me thinks I should, but the other larger part is conflicted with the first part."

"Well, you know our couch is yours for as long as you need it," said Rory, repeating words already spoken an hour before at Yale. "I'm sorry about you getting kicked out of the dorm. I'd love for you to stay..."

"But I don't actually go to Yale and your room-mates are feeling kind of weird about my presence," said Lane easily. "It's cool, Rory, I get it. Your mom is so great for saying I can crash at your house for a while, though I assume that particular offer was on hold for as long as Jess was on your couch. No offence to your ex, but I'm not sure I need to be Mariano's snuggle bunny."

Rory laughed loudly at the phrasing, she couldn't help it. Then she blushed thinking of time spend squeezed onto that same couch (as well as the one at Luke's place) with Jess' arms around her. Sure, they never slept together there, or anywhere, but they had been very, very close for a while.

The ringing of a cell phone got both girl's attention. Rory was just pulling onto the drive and managed to scramble for her purse in time to answer it before the caller hung up. She was surprised to see the name displayed on the screen of her phone as she accepted the call.

"Hey, Luke," she greeted him. "What can I do for you?"

"It's not Luke."

Rory's eyes went wide.

"Jess," she said, causing Lane to lean over from the passenger side, trying to listen in on the call. "Um, I thought you'd be gone by now. Not that I'm saying I'm not glad you're still here, unless something is wrong, then that's bad. Er, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he told her, with a smirk she could hear somehow. "I just wanted to let you know that Luke offered to have me stay a little longer, sleep in my old bed, work my old job. I don't know how long I'll be around, but I thought it was only fair to let you know."

"Oh, well, thank you," said Rory with a smile of her own. "I guess I'll see you around."

"I guess you will."

The call ended in moments and Rory continued to stare at her cell for a full minute afterwards, as if she expected it to tell her some further information about what just happened. Obviously it didn't.

"Wow," said Lane eventually. "So, Jess is staying."

"Apparently," Rory agreed, barely nodding her head.

"And how do we feel about that?"

"Honestly?" her friend replied, meeting her gaze. "I have no idea!"

To Be Continued...