*~**~*~**~*
She could hear the beeping of several machines, and the weight of something on her stomach. Rory silently groaned, and opened her eyes. The room was dark, the only lights coming from the partially open blinds that faced the harshly lighted hospital corridor, and the faint unearthly glow that was coming through the window from the moon. She blinked a few times, before her eyes adjusted to the light, and she looked down, and saw a ruffled head of dark hair resting on her stomach, she smiled slightly and lightly squeezed the hand that he was clutching.
He instantly woke up, lifted his head and turned to face her.
"Rory." He breathed her name as if it was a prayer.
She smiled slightly and tried to speak his name, but only succeeded in irritating her parched throat. Starting to cough, she jolted her injured shoulder and winced.
"Oh, God... Let me get you some water." Jess said frantically, turning to the side table and pouring a cup of water, then putting in a straw. Turning back to her, he held it so she could drink.
"Thanks." Rory said after she had drunk her fill.
"Rory, are you okay, I should get the doctor..." Jess trailed off as Rory shook her head and clutched his hand.
"No, just wait a minute, okay? I want to be with you right now." Rory closed her eyes as she heard Jess sigh, he leaned down and kissed her forehead.
"Do you know what happened, Lor?" He whispered into her hair.
Rory nodded silently, "Traci, she was outside the church..."
"You know her?!" Jess pulled back and looked into his wife's eyes.
"Yea," Rory gave a humourless chuckle, being careful not to move her left side, "she's the woman who was marrying Chris... they already should be married, so I guess that legally, she's my Stepmother."
Jess breathed deeply in, and then out, trying to calm himself before he asked her the next question, "Do you know why she would want to ki—“ He choked n the word. “... Why she would want to ... shoot you?"
Rory shook her head, tears in her eyes, "She didn't."
"She didn't, what?"
"She didn't want to kill me." A tear rolled down her cheek, quickly followed by another, "She wanted to kill...” Rory choked back tears, “She wanted to kill you." She sobbed as all of the emotions that she had felt when she saw the gun that was aimed at Jess earlier that day. Or was it yesterday? She wasn't quite sure. She felt Jess put his arm around her, a solid assurance that he was alive and well. She burrowed her head into his shoulder, moving slowly so she wouldn't injure herself more.
"I love you Lor. We'll talk about all of this later. I'm going to get the doctor now, and call Lorelai and Luke." Jess slowly removed his arm from behind her and got her settled.
"I love you, too, Jess. You know that, right?" Rory looked at him, her blue eyes worried.
Jess nodded, his throat tight, "Of course I do. God, Rory, You are the absolute best thing that has ever happened to me." He leaned down and softly kissed her lips, pulling away a minute later, he said, "I have to get the doctor in here, and call your mom, she'd ki--" He cleared his throat, "Bad choice of words. She'd be mad if I didn't. Will you be okay?"
Rory nodded, and tugged at his hand, "I'll be fine." she said as she pulled him to her and kissed him once more. "I love you."
"And I love you." Jess pulled back and brushed her forehead with his lips, "I'll be back soon."
Rory nodded, and watched Jess walk out of the room. She took a deep breath, and winced as pain went through her left arm as she tried to sit up. She sighed, and waited for the doctor.
*~**~*~**~*
“They’re letting you out already?!”
Rory rolled her eyes, “You make me sound like I’m a half-cocked mental patient. The doctor says that I’m getting better. I’ve been here almost a week, anyway. I’m starting to feel like I actually do belong in the Psych Ward.” Rory grinned at her mother as she awkwardly placed the last of her clothed in a bag, her left arm still in a sling.
“I’m just worried about you, Hun. You still get tired easily. Maybe Dr Archibald should put you on a different pain pill. One that won’t make you want to pass-out.” Lorelai replied worriedly as she put the many bouquets of flowers and plants that head decorated Rory’s bare hospital room in a cart that the hospital had provided.
Rory shook her head, smiling. “I get tired because I’m healing, Mother.”
Lorelai sighed. Rory looked up when she heard her door open, then grinned at the sight of her husband.
“How are you, Baby?” Jess asked as he walked over to her and gave her a long kiss.
“Oh, get a room!” Lorelai said playfully.
Rory arched an eyebrow. “We have one. You’re crowding it.” Jess chuckled.
“Oh, Right. I’ll go call Luke, so he can pick me up. I’m going to let You take the Jeep so you can bring Rory back.”
“Awww… Thanks Mom.” Jess gently teased his Mother-In-Law, holding Rory’s waist from behind.
“Don’t push it, Kid. I can still get that marriage of yours to my daughter annulled. Legally, you haven’t consummated it yet.” Lorelai replied, a mischievous glint in her blue eyes.
“How do you know?” Rory grinned wickedly as she spoke.
“Yea, no-one watched what we did every night in this hospital room…. And we always made sure that we closed the blinds.” Jess winked at Rory, then smirked.
Lorelai shuddered in response. “I really needed to know that... Thank you for **that** image. I’m going to leave gracefully now, before I have to run screaming down the halls to get away from you two mauling each other.”
“Bye, Mom.” The ginning newlyweds chorused.
“Bye.” Lorelai shook her head, and walked out, closing the door behind her.
Jess and Rory waited a few seconds, then they burst out laughing.
“Those were good nights, weren’t they?” Rory mused a minute later as she looked up at Jess.
“He smiled down at her. “Yea, they were.” Looking around the room, he added, “Everything packed?”
Rory nodded, “All we have to do is wait for someone to bring me he discharge papers so I can sign myself out.”
“So….” Jess leaned down and kissed her, “Do you wanna’ re-live those wild nights?”
Rory’s eyes sparkled. “Of course.” She backed herself onto the bed, and pulled him to her by the collar. Running her hand through his hair she shifted so he was beside her as they kissed. Slowly, she slid her hand down his back, then over the large bulge in his pants. Pulling it out, she hand it to him.
“You read first.”
Jess kissed her forehead, and carefully rolled them over so she was slightly leaning against him. Opening the well-worn copy of Oliver Twist, he began to read.
*~**~*~**~*
Didn’t I tell you guys to trust me?
Please, tell me what you think.
I’ll try to update again soon.
~Jayde