Title: Back To The Beginning
(Used to be Third Time's A Charm)

Disclaimer: Oh yeah, we don't own anything…why must you keep reminding us!...

This story is written by Petitos Grasshoppertje and Roxydesigns.

Okay, everyone, we decided, long ago that Chapter One totally sucked! So, in order to make this story better, we rewrote it. Seeing as when we first started this story we were still young and naïve little puppies, and now, 3 months later, we've grown up and we're totally mature and improved our writing skills! So we deleted the entire story, so that we can make it better and change all the chapters so that the story will be better – DON'T HIT US! We just wanted to make it better for your reading pleasures! ...ooh Dirty…

So This is Chapter one, and chapter two will be up once we changed it…and so on...
BTW, we're really sorry for not updating for a long time, Roxydesigns will take the full blame for being an annoying uptight little-…mustn't get sidetracked, on with the story!

So anyway, short summary:

Jess went to California to visit his dad, Rory was sad, and she graduated. It's now three weeks after Jess left, and summer vacation started, but they didn't go to Europe. Jess returns, what will Rory do/say? (Btw, Dean lovers do not read this, dean may come off as a mean person in this story)

Hope you like it:D and remember, the review button is your friend :)

1: Mariano the Mischiefmaker

Rory and Lorelai sit on the couch, watching You've Got Mail. They're just at the part where Meg Ryan is waiting for her mail buddy, and it turns out to be Tom Hanks, the guy she's in love with. Rory quickly shuts off the TV. "Ugh, why do they always have happy endings in movies, it's just not realistic!"

"Yeah…" Lorelai says, still staring at the TV screen.

"I mean, they always tell little kids stories about how the princess got her prince and they live happily ever after! It just doesn't prepare them for real life when they meet the love of their lives and he leaves! Were you even thinking ahead when you read me all those fairytales?" Rory rambles, waving her arms emphatically.

Lorelai turns her head to Rory. "Jess is the love of your life?" She asks incredulously.

"What, I didn't mean - no, he's - Well - he's just…you know, - you're twisting my words!"

"Nu-uh, you were being very specific."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, in life there are numerous reasons a relationship doesn't work out, leaving is just one of them, and you were only talking about leaving, so you can see how I made the connection with Jess." Lorelai reasons.

"What are other reasons for a relationship not to work? It's always the men leaving, look at dad!"

"Hey that's not fair! There are lots of reasons like…uh…cheating, and…fighting!"

"Whatever, I don't wanna talk about this anymore!" Rory says, and averts her head to the TV screen, trying to hide her teary eyes, but Lorelai sees it.

Lorelai sits at a table in the diner, her head resting on her arms as though she's sleeping. Luke comes up to her with the coffee pot to pour Lorelai some coffee. She sits straight and lets out an exasperated sigh. "Finally!" She says, and holds out her mug.

"Hey don't you have a bed at home? I don't want you sleeping on the table, the drool will stain."

"I'm sorry, I was up all night to listen to last night's episode of Why Jess, WHY!"

"What?" Luke asks with a frown.

"Oh nothing, it's just, Rory's still moping around about Jess. I think she actually called him the love of her life." Lorelai says with a sigh.

"She called him what?" Luke asks, and sits down next to Lorelai looking a little dazed.

"Yeah, the love of her life, yada yada yada, nothing new - So how about that pie you were getting me?"

Luke glares at her, but gets up anyway.

Kirk walks up to the counter. "Luke, can you get me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with extra banana slices?"

"No Kirk."

"But - my mother always gets me one!"

"Then go home."

"But I'm not allowed to enter the house for at least another hour. She's having her footbath."

"I don't care Kirk, just order something normal or get -" He pauses when he sees who just entered the diner.

"Get what?" Kirk asks, not knowing why he stopped. "Get what! I don't understand!"

Lorelai, who was listening to Kirk and Luke banter, notices the whole diner is suddenly silent, and looks up. She gasps. "Jess."

"- so then Mama followed him, waving with the bible!-" Lane says, as she and Rory walk through the town square.

"I thought she was against violence in front of the bible." Rory says.

"Yeah…well anyway we won't see him again…so what shall we do?"

"I have no idea."

"I saw this ad for a big book sale in Hartford, we could go there." Lane suggests.

Rory hesitates. "I don't know…" She says.

"What? You love books! It's not like I wanted to go for me, but I thought since you love books…"

"I'm just not in the mood okay." She says feeling irritated.

"Okay." Lane says with a glance at Rory. She knows this is just part of the whole Jess break-up thing. "So, let's go to Luke's before I have to get back home, I'm starved!" Lane exclaims leading Rory towards the diner.

"-She doesn't need you, Jess! She doesn't wanna see you ever again!" Luke says to Jess who still stands in the middle of the diner with all his stuff.

"Luke, I just-" Jess starts but he is cut off by Lorelai.

"Jess, please leave! Just do us all a favour and just leave! It's better that way! How dare you come back and shake up her life all over again."

"Hey!" Jess gets defensive.

"God damnit! This is a diner not a-..a-..a-…just go upstairs Jess!" Luke says pacing back and forth and waving his arms franticly in the air. Jess gives one last look at Lorelai and heads for the stairs.

"Why are you letting him stay here! Why? Are you crazy?" Lorelai says angry at Luke.

"Just….-Let's sit down." Luke says when he sees that all the diner patrons are looking at the spectacle in front of them, and he leads Lorelai towards her table.

"Why?"

"Lorelai no matter how much he did or what he did, he is still my nephew!" Luke says trying to calm Lorelai down.

"Doesn't Rory mean anything to you?"

Rory and Lane entering the diner still chatting.

"-look I do care about her! But you don't turn your back on family!" Luke says to Lorelai not noticing that Rory and Lane entered the diner.

"Hey Luke, mom!" Rory says giving her mother a kiss on her forehead and sitting down. Lane sits down next to Rory.

"Uh- Rory! How ya doing?" Luke asks nervous desperately trying to act normal.

"Good, Luke….are you okay?" Rory asks, noticing how weird Luke acts.

"I'm fine thank you! Thank you!..-So uh how's school Rory?"

"Uh…Luke I graduated….you know, you were there remember?"

"Oh yeah congratulations….so uh what can I get ya? "

"Oh uh Coffee and pancakes please." Rory says.

"Ooh make that two!" Lorelai says.

"Lorelai you ordered already!" Luke says confused.

"Oh yeah well I'm hungry, and I have to work so I need all the extra energy I can get. I'm not really into all those power bars." Lorelai rambles.

"Lane?" Luke asks.

"Yeah I want..-" She glances at the clock. "Oh god I need to get home! I need to go to bible class. See ya later, bye Ror!" Lane says as she runs out of the door. Luke walks to the counter.

"What did you do to Luke? " Rory says accusingly to Lorelai.

"Nothing! What made you think that?" Lorelai says.

"Well he was acting weird, come to think of it you were acting weird too! Oh my god! You two kiss-"

"God Rory no!" Lorelai says holding her hands up in the air.

"So Michel was getting really angry at the kid and he started cursing in French and he chased the old lady around in the dining room." Lorelai says. They were still at the diner finishing their meal.

"Poor woman!"

"Hey Luke have you got some-" Jess says while he comes downstairs, but he stops when he sees Rory sitting in the diner.

Rory is shocked when she sees him and she drops her coffee mug and runs out of the diner.

Jess looks after her and without a second thought he runs after her.

"Rory wait!...slow down!" Jess says while he is running after Rory who is still running as fast as she can. "Rory!...wait!" Jess says between breaths. Seeing it's no use, that she won't listen to him.

"No!" she says still running.

"Rory…." He says and he sprints a little and grabs her wrist to stop her and turn her around. When she stands still he still holds her hand.

"Planning on running away again when I let your hand go?" Jess asks trying to lighten the mood and to postpone the confrontation he is about to get.

Rory just glares at him.

"Okay, bad timing…." He says nodding, while he still holds her hand in his. For a while they are just looking in each others eyes neither of them saying a word. But Rory is the one who looks away after a while.

"Look Ror-" Jess starts.

"Don't bother, I don't need your false apologies!" Rory says starting to get angry.

"Just let me explain! Rory I-" Jess starts but is cut off.

"No Jess I- " Rory says while she at the verge of tears. She starts looking around. "I…I gotta go!" She says. Jess lets go of her hand and she turns around and runs away. But he doesn't want to let her go again. He looks after her and is desperate to stop her. He won't let her run away this time.

"Rory please listen to me!"

She is still running, so he starts getting after her again.

"Rory! I…I love you!" Jess says still running.

Rory stops abruptly and looks at Jess who also stopped. They look at each other but Rory is once again the first to look away. She thinks about it for a moment, Jess sees she is thinking it all over and making a silent pro's and cons list in her head. Suddenly she turns around and runs away again. Jess is about to follow her, but thinks about it, and he sighs defeated he sees she is headed towards her house so he turns around and heads toward the bridge to try to clear his thoughts.

Lorelai enters the house. She comes home from work, she called Rory to ask if she should take the day of so they could spent the day together, but Rory didn't answer the phone. So she figured she just needed some time alone to progress her thoughts. So she left a message on the answering machine.

"Babe! Babe! Where are you?" She says entering the kitchen.

"In my room." Comes the faint voice of Rory. She looks into the room and sees she is lying on her bed writing on some sort of notebook. When Lorelai enters the room Rory quickly closes the notebook.

"Are you okay, babe?" Lorelai asks sitting down next to her on the bed.

"I'm okay." Rory says quietly.

"So do you uh-"

"I don't wanna talk about it, okay?"

"Okay…so uh you wanna go to the town meeting? So we can annoy the hell out of Taylor?"

Rory thinks about it for a moment. She wants to go out, she needs some fresh air. She sat the whole day in her room. But she also knows that the bridge is off limits coz Jess will certainly be there, and she isn't ready for that. Not after his confession earlier today. She tried to forget him, but when she saw him it all came flooding back. All the memories, their history. She could forget him, yes if she just didn't see him ever again. But he was back and he said the three words she dreamed he would say to her someday. When they were still together she knew he loved her. It was the way he acted around her, well he didn't act around her. He always pulled up an act towards other people, but not with her. When he was with her he was just Jess. Just Jess and Rory, the way he smiled to her, when he thought nobody saw….but when he left she wasn't so sure he loved her. But now he said 'I love you' and he meant it, he wouldn't say something like that if he didn't mean it. But she wasn't ready, she couldn't-. Her thoughts were interrupted by Lorelai who was impatiently waiting for an answer.

"So?"

"Oh, uh…I guess." Rory said knowing that she wouldn't see Jess at a town meeting he hated those stupid town things.

The town meetings main subject was the sudden return of Jess. "This town is in jeopardy!"

As usual Lorelai and Rory come in late.

"How nice of you to join us!"

"Yeah well we had better things to do you know, feed our chicken, go to the gym, but we thought what would the town do without us! So here we are!"

"Well I'm glad you could fit this in your busy schedule, because this certainly will draw your attention."

"Oh yeah? What is it? Are you organizing a coffee festival?"

"We are not in the mood for this Lorelai!" Taylor said.

"Oh no not again! Kirk did your cat leave you again!"

"No Lorelai come on, we've got to take this serious….So back to the point." Taylor says with long sigh. "Our town's little hoodlum, juvenile delinquent is back!"

"Are you talking about our own James Dean wannabe?"

Taylor sighs and rolls his eyes emphatically to show his annoyance to Lorelai. "So where were we people…oh yes, so we have two options: One, we run him out of town, and forbid him to come back, two, we hide all our valuable belongings."

"Taylor you are sick!" Luke says.

"Who are they talking about?" Lindsay asks like a true blonde.

"I don't know honey." Dean says.

Rory crosses her arms, she's beginning to get a good idea of who they're talking about. She came to this stupid town meeting to get her mind off the whole Jess thing, to clear her thoughts. But no, everywhere she turned she was reminded of Jess.

"Well mister Danes, why don't you tell me what you're going to do about this problem." Taylor says to Luke.

Luke glances through the window. "I'm not doing anything, I getting him in here, so that he can get a chance to explain himself." And he opens the door, and pulls Jess in, who was just walking by. He was heading towards the diner and he thought if he did it during the town meeting he could avoid all the nosy town lunatics and especially Rory.

"Hey what the hell?" He yells. "What's the idea!"

Dean jumps up looking mad. "Easy there, white hat." Luke says to him.

"They're having a town meeting entirely about you, so you can explain to these people why that is." He says to Jess.

"Are you serious?" Jess asks sort of insulted.

"Order! Quiet everyone." Taylor says, slamming his hammer on the table. "Well, well, if it isn't the town hooligan himself."

"I can't believe you people. The kid is here for five seconds, and you're all acting as though he's Charles Manson or something!" Luke says annoyed by all the commotion about Jess.

"There's a good reason for that!" Dean says.

"You stay out of this Dean!" Luke says irritated.

"Okay that's enough people!" Taylor says.

"What's he doing here?" Dean yelled, turning red.

"Quiet! Come on people, sit down please!" Taylor says.

Everybody calmed down except Dean of course, and Jess is still pissed off about all of this.

"So okay since you are here Mister Mariano we could talk about your sudden return to Stars Hollow -"

"-cough- Taylorville -cough-" Lorelai cuts him off.

"Excuse me Lorelai?" Taylor asks.

"Oh that terrible flu…keeps on coming."

"Right…well on with the story…Mister Mariano what are your intentions?"

"Geez, what do you think I want to take yo-" Jess starts.

"Don't answer a question with a question!" Taylor says sighing.

"Just stay out of my-" Jess starts again but is once again cut off by Taylor.

"Okay this isn't going anywhere….so people raise your hand if you think he needs leave our town!"

"Oh my god!" Rory yells standing up. Everybody is surprised to hear her, coz she was just staring at Jess all the time. And every time when he looked in her direction she would avert her eyes and pretend she was looking at the memo board behind Jess.

"I can't believe it! You're acting like he is the evil villain of this town! He only hurt me not you! You all need to stay out of my business! It's my life! God, just back off, I love him and I hate him and I am the one who should be angry at him, not you! We need to figure this out ourselves and it's hard already without all of you! Stop living through my life and get your own life!" She says and sits down again.

Everybody looks shocked when she said that she loves him. "Why are they all looking at me, like I've sai- Oh god!" Rory whispers to Lorelai looking nervous around but avoiding Jess's gaze.
Jess looks at her and tries to reach her eyes but Rory is looking everywhere but him. When she realizes what she just said she stands up again and runs out of Patty's dance studio. Jess runs out after her.

"Don't walk out like that! I was talking to you! Oh god nobody listens! This meeting is adjourned we will wait when they have calmed down so we can talk about this as adult people!" Taylor yells.

"Rory wait!" Jess yells running after her.

"Rory! Come on wait!" Jess says still running after her. But Rory doesn't stop so he sprints a little and places a hand on her shoulder and turns her around. When they look at eachother Jess places both of his hands on her shoulders to be sure she won't run of again. Rory looks at his hands on her shoulders and tries to shake them of. But Jess hold on to her. "You really have a thing for making a guy chase after you."

"Let me go!" Rory says, ignoring his comment and trying to shake him off..

"No, we need to talk about this." Jess says calmly. He looks calm and everything. But he is nowhere near calm. He can't believe Rory just said she loved him. He thought he was mishearing things but when he saw the rest of the town looking at them he knew he heard right.

"No we don't. Let me go, Jess. Please." Rory says.

"Do you love me?" Jess inquires.

Rory shakes her head, starting to deny having implied something like that.

"No, seriously Rory, do you love me?" His hands still remaining on her shoulders, looking at her intensely.

She crosses her arms stubbornly. "I – I don't know…maybe…"

Jess drops his arms, and sighs deeply. "Look, I know you hate me for leaving and…well I don't really blame you for that. But can't you just –" He pauses, and takes another deep breath. "I want to be with you."

"No." Rory says, trying to tell herself that it's not what she wants, but failing horribly at it.

"No what?"

"I don't want that, it's too late."

"You don't mean that." Jess says simply.

"I…I do." She says, hoping she sounds convincing.

Jess takes a step closer to her so they're only inches apart. "Yeah?" He says, gently stroking her cheeks with both his hands. "So you don't love me anymore? So it wouldn't make any difference if I do this?" He says tracing his finger from her cheek slowly to her lip. When he reached her lip he halts his finger and presses his finger on her bottom lip. He leans down and presses his forehead against hers.

"You don't feel a thing right now?" Jess asks her. Rory looks at his lips and tries her best to stay calm. She frantically shakes her head, not finding her voice to say no to him.

Jess places his hands on her hips and Rory shivers. He pulls her a little closer.

"Now tell me that you don't love me anymore and that you don't want to be with me anymore." Jess whispers.

Rory stays silent and looks into his eyes holding back her tears and biting on her bottom lip.

"Say it, Ror.." Jess says looking into her eyes.

"Jess…" She whispers, slightly trembling by his closeness. God how she missed this, how she missed him. Now if she could only lean in, touch those lips with her own, make it completely perfect. So instead of trying to deny her love for Jess, she gives in, and shakes her head. "I…I do love you."

That's all Jess needed to hear for him to lean in and crush his lips into hers, running his hands through her hair. Rory kisses him back. They totally forget that they are still standing in the middle of the street. They only think about each other and how much they missed this.

"Saving a record shoving-your-tongue-in-someone's-throat-time?" a voice interrupts them.

Jess slowly pulls away from Rory, and sighs deeply, really not feeling like dealing with him right now. "Well, well if it isn't bagboy. Wow, you've gown bigger. Have you drunk your milk like mama told you to? Like a big boy!" He says.

Dean ignores him and turns his attention to Rory. "Wow Rory, I never thought you were that kind of girl."

"What are you talking about Dean?" Rory says annoyed.

"Well I never thought you would be the kind of girl who lets her boyfriend treat her like dirt and when he leaves and comes back immediatly give in. I just thought you weren't that kid of girl. My mistake! ." Dean says, throwing his hands in the air.

Jess is furious, but Rory just stands there shocked, close to tears. Tears that were minutes ago tears of joy. She's starting to rethink her actions. Maybe he was right, was she that kind of girl?...No! Jess was more than that. Their relationship was more than that.

"Don't talk about things you know nothing about!" Jess says, wanting to punch Dean but thinking he'd better not do that. Rory wouldn't be that pleased about him if he punched Dean. .

"You never talk to her like that again! Or-!" Jess say, taking a threatening step closer to him.

"What's the matter, haven't had enough of the last time I kicked your ass?" Dean asks.

"Oh you mean when I wiped the floor with you?" Jess replies.

"Stop it! Just stop it!" Rory yells.

"Stay outta this Rory." Dean says.

"No, you stay out of this Dean! Me and Jess are none of your business, so why don't you just stop acting like a jerk and leave! Go home Dean! Leave us alone!"

Dean looks mad at her, and then at Jess, but then he turns around and walks off.

Jess turns to Rory. "Jesus, what a jerk! Are you uh...okay?"

Rory puts a small smile on and simply nods.

They stay silent for a moment. Both thinking about their kiss before the rude interruption of Dean. "So uh...are we back together now?"Jess asks a little nervous.

Rory looks up at him biting her bottom lip. She places her arms around his neck and kisses him softly.

"I take that as a yes.." Jess says after she pulled away.

"Yeah, I think so too."Rory says looking at him. Jess nods and smiles.

"But Jess.."

"Yeah?"

"This is your last chance...okay no more leaving without telling me. Or treating me like...like...and you have to talk to me, open up! Otherwise this won't work." Rory says looking hurt.

Jess looks at the ground and nods.

"And I want to know why you left in the first place."

"Yeah...but not here...okay?" Jess says gesturing around them. Rory looks around her and sees they are still standing in the middle of the town. She nods and takes his hand and leads him towards the bridge.

Jess and Rory are standing on the porch of the Gilmore house. They've spent the whole night on the bridge. Mostly talking, but of course there were a few kisses. Only a few though, well, let's say fifty/fifty.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow?" Rory asks Jess while Jess holds her close to him.

"Yeah, I'll ask Luke if I can stay with him for a while. It's just temporary, I'm looking for my own place." Jess says softly stroking her hair.

"Oh, well I hope Taylor will cooperate, I mean he will do anything to make sure you won't get an apartment in Stars Hollow. And he can do that, I mean he owns half of the apartments here in Stars Hollow." Rory says.

"Yeah, but I don't want to look for an apartment here anyway."

"What?"Rory asks looking sligtly hurt. "...you're going back to New York?"

"Nah...I was more thinking of New Haven.." Jess says smiling. Rory looks at him relieved and kisses him.

"Well I better get going..I think you're mother has seen enough.."Jess says nodding his head to the window where the curtains are still moving slightly because Lorelai spied on them. But when she noticed they were almost done she sprinted towards the couch. She sat down pretending to watch tv.

"Yeah...goodnight.."Rory says giving him one last kiss before getting inside.

"Hey hun, didn't hear you come in. Where were you, Lane's?" Lorelai says looking innocently at the television screen. The tv was on Dr. Phil.

"Stop pretending you were actually watching that!" Rory says accusingly plopping down next to Lorelai on the couch.

"Oh yeah...look Carola wants to look like Barbie and-" Lorelai starts.

"Mom, it's a guy!"

"Oh I said Carl wants to look like Ken right?"

Rory crosses her arms and just looks at Lorelai.

"Fine! I didn't watch this!"Lorelai says quickly turning of the tv. "So you're uh...uh .."

"I'm back together with Jess, yeah.."Rory says nervousily fumbling with her hands.

"Uh-uh.." Lorelai says looking at Rory.

"I know he left me and all, and I know you think he will hurt me again. But I don't think he will mom! I trust him, he's changed."

"Yeah like a person can change in three weeks!" Lorelai says raising her eyebrow.

"Mom! I believe him. I was miserable for three weeks. I don't want to be the kind of girl who's happiness depends on the guy she is with, but I love him mom! I really love him and I want to be with him. I need him. And he loves me too!" Rory says hoping her mother will understand her.

"Did he tell you he loves you?" Lorelai asks her.

"Yeah, yeah he did." Rory says with a big smile.

"Wow."

"Yeah...so will you...look we're together again. And I want him to come over without any bloodshed...I just want you two to get along with eachother. You are the most important people in my life. And I just want to be in the same room with the both of you. Without stupid remarks, tension or evil glares."

"Hun, I just don't want you to get hurt again."

"I know...but can you promise you will try to be kind to him."

"...well." Lorelai starts but when she sees Rory's pleading face.

"Well, If it's that important to you. I will try to act normal. As long as I don't have to touch him or anything. I mean I won't hug him and welcoming him into the family." Lorelai says with a look of disgust on her face. Rory smiles.

"I mean it Ror! The only physical contact that will occur between Jess and I, will be our fingers accidentally brushing when he gives me FREE coffee at Luke's."

Rory smiles and throws her arms around her mother and hugs her as tight as she can.

"So now tell me everything.." Lorelai says when Rory releases her. Rory nods and starts telling her mother everything that happened between her and Jess leaving the making out part at the bridge out of it.

Jess walks towards the diner after he brought Rory home. He stops to take a deep breath before he opens the diner door. When he steps in he sees that Luke is closing and everybody else has left. Luke is there cleaning the counter, he looks up and stops what he's doing. After just staring at each other for a while Luke says: "I don't think so!"

"Why not?" Jess says insulted.

"Because you're too much trouble!"

"Just let me stay a little while, I will be gone before you know it!"

Luke stays silent. So Jess tries again. "I'm looking for my own place, can I stay here until I've found something?" Jess asks.

Luke thinks for a moment. "Until you find your own place, or you decide you're leaving again. And you'll help in the diner again, and you tell me where you're going every time you go out."

Jess nods. "Okay…" he says.

"And if you hurt her again..I will-"

"You have to get in line for that one." Jess says heading towards the stairs.

"Where do you want to look for a apartment?" Luke asks.

"Somewhere near New Haven." Jess says when he slips through the curtains.

"Rory is crazy." Luke mumbles under his breath.

"Yeah she is.." Jess mumbles when he opens the apartment door.

Hey people, so, that's it. The new and improved chapter one. We hope you liked it better than the original, and we also very very much hope you don't completely hate us for deleting the entire story! It will be back, and better than before! Without the amateuristic stuff...okay, we're still amateurs, but we're slightly better amateurs than before...

Ahem, anyway chapter two will be up...sometime...in the uhm, future...And please, when you review (or should we say IF), please don't tell us wesuck and you'll hate us forever coz Petitos Grasshoppertje will cry...Just kidding:P All kinds of reviews are welcome! hint hint...