Disclaimer:  I do not own these characters.

Chapter 4:  I’ll Do Anything…

            Rory slowly opened her eyes to be greeted by the outpouring of sun.  And two brown eyes staring back at her. 

            “You’re up.”  Jess’s face was just inches from hers. 

            “So are you.”  She stated the obvious.

            “Have been for while, just don’t feel like getting up, dealing with the day.”

            “I know the feeling.”  She didn’t want to get up either.  She knew that she would have to deal with Dean today.  It was inevitable. 

            “But we probably should.”

            “Yeah.” Rory sighed as they both began getting up from the rather comfortable makeshift bed.  “Thanks, Jess.  For last night, I mean.”

            “Not a problem.  How do you feel today?”

            “Better, thanks to you.”

            Jess smiled.  He had made her feel better. 

            The two of them took turns getting dressed and washed up, and then they went down to the diner for breakfast, where Luke was diligently working.

            “Good morning.  Sleep well?”  He had that tone.  The tone that told Rory and Jess he knew about their sleeping arrangements.  But he would have to know; after all, the door was in the living room.  Jess looked away, embarrassed.

            “I can’t fall asleep by myself when I’m upset, and without my mom there, he sort of, well, took her place.”  Rory rambled on, but Luke got what she meant.  He hadn’t even really suspected anything.  Well, nothing more than she had said.

            “Well, it looks like you’re feeling better, so why don’t you sit and I’ll get you some coffee.  Jess, you should sit too.  You don’t need to work right now.”

            Rory sat down at one of the stools and Jess sat next to her.  “Thanks, Luke.”  They chimed in unison and smiled at the coincidence.

            The two of them ate together while talking of the symbolism in Lord of the Flies.  Jess thought Simon represented Christ while Rory strongly disagreed.  Luke was glad to see her back to her normal self.  He needed to give Jess more credit. 

            “There is no way Simon is Christ, or even a representation of Christ.”

            “Was, he dies, remember?”

            “Trivial point.  Still, I see no similarities between them.”

            “You are missing the obvious.  Note Simon’s death.” He countered.

            “Noting…NO similarities.”  She liked fighting with Jess, especially fighting over intellectual topics.  When she fought with Dean, it was usually over Jess, or something stupid like a movie. 

            “I hate to break this up, but Rory, maybe you should be getting home so you’re mother doesn’t worry.”

            “You’re right, Luke.  Thanks for breakfast and for last night.  Bye Luke, bye Jess.”  She smiled gratefully and put on her sweater over the Mest shirt Jess had allowed her to borrow.  Rory walked towards the door and the events of the previous night came flooding back to her.  But it didn’t hurt this time. 

            Jess looked to Luke, with a question in his eyes.

            “Go, but don’t dawdle.  I want you back here in half an hour.”

            “Thank you dear, Uncle Luke.”  Jess ran out of the diner and up to Rory’s side.

            “You don’t have to walk me home.”

            “I know.”

            “Oh.”

            “But I wanted to prove my point.  Now, in the ‘You’ll get back to where you came from,’ line, Simon leaves himself out.  He predicts salvation for them all, except for him.  How do you not see the correlation?”  Rory smiled and listened to his side of the story, interjecting where she felt appropriate.  They continued to discuss the subject matter all the way to the Gilmore house, which actually wasn’t very far.  As they turned the corner onto Rory’s road, she stopped short when she saw who was waiting for her at the door.

            Dean.

            Rory continued walking to her house with Jess just a few steps behind.  Dean lay there, asleep on the steps.  Rory tapped on his shoulder to wake him up.

            “Rory? Rory?  What time is it?”  Dean was getting acclimated after his slumber.

            “Dean, what are you doing here?”

            “I’ve been here all night, waiting for you to get home.  But you didn’t come home last night.”

            “No, I didn’t.  I stayed at Luke’s.”

            “Rory, can I explain now, please?”  Rory looked to Jess and he nodded.

            “Well, I’ll leave you two alone.”  Jess stated and gave Dean a warning stare.  He shoved his hands in his pockets and headed for the bridge.  Rory was going to forgive Dean, he could feel it.  And he hated it.

            Rory sat down on step next to Dean and took out the picture from her pocket.  “Dean, a picture tells a thousand words.”  She looked at it despondently. 

            “But this story has got two thousand words.”

            “Well, then, let’s hear it.”

            Dean inhaled deeply and began.  “So I was at the party, and Jake gave me a drink, and I guess from there it went downhill.  I got really wasted and I don’t really remember anything else.  But I do know that when I woke up, that blonde girl was there.  Rory, you have to believe me when I say that it meant nothing and that it’s all just a big mistake.” He looked at her expectantly and she sighed.  His story was believable.

            “Do you know her name?”  She pointed to the girl in the picture.

            “No, sorry.”  He was disgraceful.

            “It’s Shane.  Jess’s girlfriend, erm, ‘friend’.”

            “You’re kidding, right?” Could this be any worse? Rory shook her head.   Dean ran his hand through his hair, trying to concentrate.

            “Were you going to tell me about it?”

            “I was Rory, I was actually going to tell you today.  Before, well, everything happened.”

            “One last question.”

            “Yeah?”

            “Why were you at the diner last night after I thought you had gone home to bed?”

            He took something out of his pocket.  “I found your pager on the sidewalk, I was bringing it to you.” He handed it to her.     

            “Thanks.”  He nodded.  “I understand it was all a mistake, but…” Dean cringed at the ‘but’.

            “But…” He urged her to continue.

            “But I think we should, um, should take a break.”

            “For how long?”

            “Indefinitely.  Maybe someday we’ll get back together.  But maybe not.”

            “Rory…  This isn’t just because of what I did, is it?”

            She slowly shook her head.  “Haven’t you noticed how weird everything has been lately?  It’s been so awkward and we’re just so, I don’t know, but don’t you see what I mean?” 

            He rested his head in his hands.  After a moment, he looked back up.

            “You’re doing this because of Jess, right?”

            “What?”

            “You know what I said.  Don’t play innocent.  You aren’t giving me a second chance because you have feelings for Jess.”  He knew it. 

            “That’s not true, Dean.  Jess has nothing to do with this.”

            “Whose shirt is that?” he pointed at the Mest shirt under her unbuttoned cardigan.  Rory didn’t know what to say, and Dean just walked away.

            It was over.  And not the way Rory wanted it to end.  She wanted it to be amicable.  Not this.  No cheating.  No jealousy.  She wasn’t breaking up with him for Jess.  She was doing it so she could have some peace.  No more stressing over their relationship.  She felt obligated to prove that to Dean, so she vowed to stay away from guys for a while.  But, she told herself, she could still hang out with them, just nothing romantic.

            Rory went inside and searched through the kitchen for some matches.  Upon her success, she lit the picture on fire over the sink.  Then, having already finished her homework, she picked up Lord Of The Flies, Jess’s opinion still playing over in her head.

***********

            “Rory?!? I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you last night.  How are you doing?”  Rory looked up from her book as she heard the door open and her mom shout.

            “I’m in here, Mom.  And don’t worry about it, I’m fine.”  Rory called from the living room couch.

            Lorelai walked into the room and was surprised by what she saw.

            “No tissues, no chocolate, no tears.  What’s going on?”

            “Mom, I’m okay.”

            “But didn’t Dean do something to hurt you?  I’m gonna kill that kid.”  She said the latter part more quietly, but full of hostility.

            “Yes, and we broke up, but I guess I’m just not as upset as I thought I would be.”

            “Obviously.”

            “Don’t be too mad at Dean, though.  It does seem like he was really sorry about it.”

            “But I don’t like anyone who hurts my baby.”  She pouted.  “Are you sure you are okay?”

            “Yeah.  I don’t want to dwell on it.”

            “Alright,” Lorelai was puzzled.  “Well, how about I go get us some coffees from Luke’s and we can hang out, talk if you want.”

            “Ok, sounds good.  Thanks Mom.” Lorelai picked up her coat and left for the Diner.  Was she missing something?  Rory seemed better than before.  Maybe Luke would know something.

***********

            “Hey Lorelai, how’s Rory?”  Luke asked as his favorite customer entered the diner.

            “It’s official, they broke up.  But she’s doing surprisingly well considering.  Whatever you did really worked.”

            “Well, it was mostly Jess.”

            “Oh, well be sure to thank him for me.”

            “You’re welcome.”  Said a voice behind her.  Lorelai turned around to see Jess with a coffee pot in his hands.  She smiled at him.  Maybe he wasn’t so bad.

            Jess smiled.  So, she had broken up with him.  He placed the coffee pot on the table.

            “Whoa, Jess, where do you think you’re going?”

            “I’ll be back soon, Luke.  Just remembered something I have to do.”  He darted upstairs before Luke could tell him otherwise.  Now that Rory had broken up with bagboy, Jess had something for her.  He hoped it wasn’t too soon, but this could just be considered a friendly offering, well, depending on how you looked at it. 

            Jess looked through his drawers and after a moment found what he was looking for.  He spent a few minutes adjusting it.  Then he ran back downstairs, passed Luke and Lorelai on his way out, and ran all the way there.

            “Wonder what that was all about?” 

            “With Jess, who knows?”  Luke shrugged.  His nephew was an enigma.           

“So anyway, Luke, two coffees to go, please.”  He grumbled, but obeyed.

            “There you go.”  He handed them to her and she paid.

            “See ya later!” Lorelai called as she walked out the door.  She decided to pick up a good movie on the way home for them to watch.  Never Been Kissed.  They would both enjoy two hours of Michael Vartan.  She walked the short distance back to the house as the sun set before her.

            “Back Rory, with sustenance!”

            “Oooh coffee, my caffinated bliss.”  She greedily took one from her mom.  “What movie did you get?”

            “Never Been Kissed.”

            “Ooh, dreamy Sam.  Good choice!”

            “I know. Let’s get started.”  The mother and daughter walked into the living room and Rory popped the video in. 

            “I’ll be right back, Mom.  I just want to change into something more comfortable.”

            “Ok. But I’m starting without you!”  Rory rolled her eyes.  That only meant she’d miss the previews.  Her mom always had to watch those.  In this household, you could never ‘fast forward’. 

            Rory walked into her room and took off her jeans from the day before and her sweater, leaving on the Mest shirt.  She put on some comfy sweats and her robe.  Then she noticed something on her bed.  Rory went over to pick up the tape, and looked around for a note of explanation.  Finding none, she took the tape out of the flimsy, paper case.  ‘To Rory’ was written on it.  Hmm…

            “Mom, we need to put this in.”  She told her mother as she walked back into the living room.

            “No.”

            “But Mom, we can watch the previews later.  This tape just mysteriously landed in my room and I want to see what’s on it!”  She pleaded.

            “Mysteriously?”  Lorelai was intrigued.

            “Yep.  Out-of-no-where.”  Rory knew that she had gotten her mom interested.

            “Well, alright then, but Mr. Vartan won’t be pleased.”  Rory dashed to take out the movie and put the new tape in.  She snuggled in on the couch with her mom and her coffee and pushed play. 

            “Oh my goodness!” She shouted when she saw what it was. 

            There was a ten-year-old Jess, singing, in his school production of Oliver Twist.

            “Is that Jess?”  Her mom asked, and Rory nodded.

            “Oh, this is too good.  Let me go make some popcorn while you re-wind to the beginning.”  Lorelai left the room in a fit of giggles.  Jess singing.  Cracked her up. 

            Rory watched the screen as a young Jess sang “I’ll Do Anything” to Nancy.  He had done this for her.  And he had fast-forwarded the tape to this part, just because she had asked him to sing it for her yesterday.  It was touching, it really was.  She let the words of the song sink in as the smell from his shirt toyed with her senses. 

Right here with you is right where I belong

I'd lose my mind if I could see you

Without you there is nothing in this life

That would make life worth living for

I can't bear the thought of you not there

I can't fight what I feel anymore