Chapter 11 : Forbidden Love

"Scoot over...you're too close," Lane told Jess.

They were on the bus, on their way to Hartford. Since there had only been one empty seat at the time, they sat together. Lane sat by the window, practically squashed up against it, Jess was nearly in her lap, and Rory was holding on to the seat in front of her for dear life, so she didn't fall off the edge of the seat.

"I can't scoot over. You scoot over."

"I can't!"

Rory laughed. She almost fell onto her butt on the floor of the bus, Jess slid an arm around her waist and caught her just in time. He pulled her back up and she started laughing again. Jess had to catch her again, and pull her up again. Then the laughing would start and it happened all over again. It was a vicious cycle. Jess suggested Rory sit in his lap, and that quieted her down some.

Finally a seat in front of them was open, and they all moved to get to it. Lane moved the fastest, even though she was on the inside of the three. She plopped onto the seat and sat sideways so she could talk to them. Jess scooted over, and so did Rory.

"This is going to rock!" Lane cried, throwing her hands in the air.

"That is the general idea," Rory laughed.

Jess shifted his weight on the seat beside her, and suddenly Rory was acutely aware of how close their bodies were. Jess let his hand fall right beside hers, and she stared at it. She wanted nothing more than to just grasp it with her own, entwine their fingers...No! She couldn't let herself do this. She wasn't sure if there was still a Dean or not. And even if there wasn't...it was too soon.

'Then why did you suggest him coming along? He's not the only person with a license...' she thought. Then again, it turned out he didn't have a license at all.

Rory pulled her hand away and Jess sighed. He leaned over Lane's seat and rested his arms over the side.

"So, does this 'rock band' have a name?"

"I'm sure. What is a rock band without the symbolic name?"

Jess grinned and Rory felt a twinge of jealousy.

'Stop!' she told herself. 'Lane doesn't even like Jess like that.'

"This is it," Lane called, standing up as the bus stopped.

The three of them made their way off the bus and started walking to the place across the street.

An hour later, the band was set up and getting ready to play. The steady stream of people filling the large room made Rory, Lane, and Jess glad that they had gotten there an hour earlier.

Lane was practically jumping up and down, and Jess was watching in amusement.

Rory frowned. "I'm going to get a soda. You guys want anything?"

"Sure. Anything's fine," Lane answered, not looking up. Her eyes were on the bass player.

"Me too. Want me to come with you?" Jess offered. He started to stand up, but Rory shook her head.

"No, I'm fine. Just guard my seat."

"Okay."

Rory left to get their drinks, and right away, some girl tried to steal her chair. Jess gave her a look and she ran off.

The band started playing, and the last crowd of people hurried about, trying to find seats.

A guy reached for Rory's chair, and Jess grabbed it back.

"This seat's taken."

"Doesn't look like it to me," the man growled.

Jess started to stand up, again, but Rory appeared before him.

"Here you go," she announced, handing a soda to Lane. She glanced at the man as she sat down and handed Jess his soda.

Jess remained standing until the man stalked off. Then he sat down and let out a breath.

"Let's just stay seated now," he suggested.

"Good idea."

The band started, and Lane forgot all about Jess and Rory, as she focused her attention entirely on the band and the music that they were playing.

"She is really loving this, isn't she?"

Rory glanced at her friend. "Yeah. She doesn't get very many chances to do what she wants, so...when she does, she gets really into it."

"I can tell," Jess replied as Lane started dancing. Rory laughed.

"That was so awesome," Lane exclaimed once the concert was over.

They stayed in their seats, waiting until the mad rush for the door ceased.

"Did you like it?" Rory asked Jess.

"Yes I did," he replied, stressing each syllable.

"Good."

"So what do you want to do now?"

"Uh, get on a bus back to Stars Hollow?"

Jess turned to Lane. "What about you?"

"Yeah, I'm going to go with Rory on that one."

"What a disappointment."

"Jess, are you coming?" Rory demanded as she and Lane started walking to the bus stop and he didn't follow.

"I'm going to catch the next one," he told her with a smirk.

"This is the next one. There isn't another bus tonight."

"Huh."

"Jess, come on!" Rory cried as the bus came into view.

"Nah, I'm fine."

Rory and Lane made it to the bus stop just as the bus stopped. Lane got on and Rory called to Jess one last time. The bus driver waved for her to get on, but at the last moment, she stepped off the bottom step and waved back at him to go without her.

Lane stared at her friend with wide eyes from the window of the bus as it flew by.

Rory walked back over to Jess. "What now?"

Lorelai walked up to the front desk at the inn. Michel didn't even glance up.

"Yes?"

"How's it going, Michel?"

"Fine until five seconds ago, why?"

Lorelai shrugged. "I'm bored. I've got nothing to do, and I'm not supposed to be here. It's my day off."

"So go home. You are the boss, you can do that. May I leave too?"

"No, you may not. And I'm not either. Just because I am so good at what I do that I got done early, doesn't mean I can go home. Well, it does, but if I go home, I'll be even more bored. Rory's not there."

"Bummer. Are you done now?"

Lorelai made a face. "Oh, get back to work."

"Gladly," he replied, going back to his paperwork.

Lorelai glanced around. 'What else can I do...'

Just then, the phone rang and Michel answered it.

"On the second ring, I'm impressed. You're improving, Michel," Lorelai said.

He frowned at her. "Independence Inn, Michel speaking." He paused. "I do not understand what you just said. Yes, she is right here. Hold please." Michel handed Lorelai the phone. "It is that flannel man from the diner."

"Thanks Michel," Lorelai said, taking the phone. "Luke?"

"Lorelai. Have you seen Jess?"

"No, but I think Rory said he was going with her and Lane to their concert."

"I thought it started at three? It should be over by now."

"No, it started at six, and it's only...nine-thirty. It might still be going on."

Luke sighed. "So Rory's not back?"

"I guess not. I told her to call me at the inn if I wasn't home when she got back."

"Okay. Well I'm going to get going."

"Yeah, me too. Bye Luke."

"Bye."

Lorelai hung up the phone, biting her lip. Didn't Rory say that this was just a local band giving a concert? That meant there shouldn't have been more than five or six songs. So, even if the concert was in Hartford, they should be back by now.

"Michel, did anyone call for me?"

"Yes."

"Who was it?"

Michel gestured toward the phone. "It was the flannel man from the diner."

"No, I know Luke called. Did anyone else call for me today?"

"No."

"Alright, thanks Michel," Lorelai sighed.

Just as she was starting to worry, the phone rang again.

"I got it," Lorelai told Michel. "Independence Inn, this is Lorelai. How can I--"

"Lorelai, good. It's Lane."

"Lane? What's wrong, is Rory okay?"

Alarms started going off in her head, and as her maternal instincts surfaced, she pictured Rory lying in a ditch somewhere, unconscious. Lorelai started shaking, but to her immense relief, Lane told her Rory and Jess were both fine.

"Thank god. Put her on."

"I can't," Lane said slowly.

"Why not?"

"She's in Hartford."

"And where are you?"

"I'm in Stars Hollow at a pay phone. I haven't gone home yet. I wanted to call you first, and my mom probably wouldn't let me use the phone this long."

"So what are you saying, you left Rory in Hartford?"

"No, she left me in Hartford."

"What?"

"I mean, I got on the bus to Stars Hollow, but Jess wouldn't get on. So Rory ended up staying in Hartford."

"Okay...so she can catch the next bus."

"That was the last bus."

"I'm on my way."

Lorelai hung up the phone and looked at Michel.

"Michel, I have to go."

"Oh. Goodbye."

"Don't you wanna know why?"

"Not really."

"You're no fun. I wanted to use the 'It's none of your business' line," Lorelai sighed.

"Maybe next time."

She smirked at him, grabbing her purse behind the desk and hurrying out of the inn.