Cry Little Sister

No one to thank for this one. Nope. Not at all.

Oh, who am I kidding? Of course I have to thank SoCalCynic for editing this, once again. Can you believe we went through *8* edits of this chapter? But I think we finally got it right. Seriously, someone get this man some free booze and cookies, stat!

I know it's been a longer wait than usual, so without further ado ... enjoy!

*

Jill watched as Jason and Casey's house shrank in the side view mirror of the car. Rory wove their way through the quiet neighborhood as the sun set, the silence in the vehicle nearly deafening.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Rory finally spoke, his voice almost a whisper. Jill could hear the raw pain in his voice and it made her chest ache in response. She turned to examine him, but he wouldn't look at her, opting to focus on the road instead with his jaw clenched.

"I told you it was complicated," she sighed.

"Then just start at the beginning."

Jill took a few nerve-wracking minutes to try and compose her thoughts and slow her pulse. It was difficult with the man she had been losing so much sleep over sitting within reach. She could sense his impatience so she just took a quick breath and began to speak.

"When I was in high school, I had to work really hard for my grades. There were people in my class that got straight A's without even trying, but that wasn't me. I barely had a social life. I would study for hours a day, and still sometimes I'd have to do extra credit. But I got my 4.0.

"I had to work just as hard to pass the tests to be a nurse in the Army. I guess I'm trying to say that I've never been super intelligent, but I always made up for it with hard work. I fell in love with helping people through medicine, so I applied to a pre-med program and through some miracle, I got in." Jill knew she was rambling, but now that the words were finally coming, she just couldn't stop herself. She had to tell him this; he mattered too much now.

"So a month ago, I show up in Denver, ready to commit to years upon years of nothing but endless textbooks, studying, and papers so that I could be a doctor. There was no way I could be in a relationship; I just wouldn't have the time if I wanted a prayer of passing. And then you showed up ..."

"Sorry," Rory quietly apologized, flashing a sad smile as his eyes stayed on the road. But he did risk reaching over to briefly squeeze Jill's hand before dropping it. That single touch was enough to set her pulse racing again.

Jill took a few deep breaths and continued. "I figured it was just going to be the one night, that there was no harm in bringing a stranger to bed, just once." She paused as she shook her head, then continued in a bittersweet tone, "For meaningless sex." Jill laughed, once, then went on in a quiet voice, "But it wasn't meaningless. We ... connected, and you left me that note, and you showed up at my door at midnight ...

"So I had to think about it again. Surely there wouldn't be any harm in seeing you until I moved into my apartment? School didn't start for another week. You couldn't distract me from classes when they weren't happening.

"But then you took me to Elitch Gardens and we rode that damn Ferris wheel. And we came back to the room and ..." she trailed off, unsure of the words that threatened to fall out of her mouth. "And we ..."

"Made love," Rory supplied for her.

Jill blushed and nodded. "And you left the next morning without saying a word."

"Maybe the stupidest thing I've ever done."

"Why? Why did you just disappear like that?"

Rory considered her question for a long moment as Jill's heart raced even faster the longer it took for him to respond. But his answer was simple enough, and certainly one that she could relate to. "I got scared."

"And then you came back that night ..." Jill had to breathe deeply to stop the tears from coming. "It broke my heart not to let you in the room. But I had to. I couldn't start a relationship with you." She continued in a ragged whisper: "I still can't. But now I don't want to be without you either."

Jill watched Rory's knuckles go from tan to white as he gripped the steering wheel harder. They drove in silence for what felt like an hour before he finally responded tensely. "So what do you want to do?"

"I don't know," she replied softly. "I just feel so overwhelmed by it all."

"I know the feeling," he sighed. They drove in silence for another few endless moments, the atmosphere strained. Jill watched as Rory's fingers continued to tense and release on the steering wheel, his knuckles flashing white. His jaw seemed set when he finally reached his hand over to take hers. "Do you have a problem with me taking you back to my place?"

"Not as long as you can take me home later."

"Later tonight, or later tomorrow?"

Jill couldn't help but laugh. At least he wasn't being presumptuous this time. "I'm not sure yet," she admitted honestly.

"Fair enough."

Jill felt like she did all those weeks ago at the hotel, after their first night together. She spent the rest of the drive out of the suburbs and into the city staring out the window, not really taking in the changing scenery, weighing her heart versus her head, logic against emotion. She was no closer to a decision when they finally stopped, Rory stating, "We're here," in a whisper.

Jill looked up, startled to be suddenly still. "Wait, I thought we were going to your place?" she queried, not understanding their surroundings.

"We are." Rory's expression matched her confusion. Something seemed to click then, because he started chuckling.

"What?" Jill asked when he made no attempt to explain. He shook his head instead, holding his stomach from laughing so hard. "

What

?" she asked more insistently. Jill hated being on the outside of a joke.

"Don't tell me," Rory managed out between guffaws. "You moved into Jason and Casey's old place."

"Yeah, so?"

"A month. I've been depressed for over a month, and the entire time you've been three floors away?"

"

No

," Jill replied, finally catching on. "You don't live here!" She finally joined him in the humor and the irony of it all. Fate was most certainly a cruel mistress.

"Jason recommended it when I was first traded here years ago. Come on, let's see what you've done with their place."

Jill watched Rory unfold himself from the driver's side of the car, still somewhat in shock by all of the day's revelations.

"You coming or what?"

Her door was open and Rory's had was outstretched towards her. "Yeah, sorry." As soon as her fingers touched his, electricity sparked all over her skin. That was when she knew that she was in trouble.

Rory let them into the building with his key. They rode the elevator to Jill's floor in silence, their fingers still intertwined. It was the most innocent of touches, but after weeks of heartache and longing, the simple feel of his hand enclosed around hers was enough to make her head spin.

Jill let them into her apartment. Rory made a low whistle as he took it all in; she couldn't help but quietly chuckle. It was quite a change from the muted colors that had adorned the walls a month ago.

"It takes some balls to paint a wall orange," he commented innocently. "And a purple couch too?"

"It's aubergine," Jill laughed out.

"It's fucking purple, beautiful." He took an almost menacing step towards her with a hungry expression on his face, causing Jill to unconsciously take a step back. A flash of memory from their first night together ran through her head, when he had briefly frightened her with a similar look after she moved her hands. Warmth crawled over her skin at the memory of what had followed.

Jill let out a short burst of nervous laughter that Rory silenced with a look, taking another few steps her way until she was backed up against the wall. "If you don't want this, you need to tell me now," he warned. He took one final step towards her, sandwiching her between his body and the wall. Rory grabbed onto her head, roughly at first, before threading his fingers in her hair and forcing her to look into his eyes. "Tell me now, while I still have the ability to walk away."

Jill half-considered it for a moment. But who was she kidding? He was all she had wanted, all that she had dreamed about for weeks now. There was nothing in the universe now but him, and her. Jill's voice cracked when she finally responded: "I want you."

"Oh thank God," Rory groaned in relief before crushing his lips against hers, Jill's heart exploding in elation and relief at finally having him again. There was no gentleness to his touch. Jill could nearly taste the desperation and absolute need emanating from him; it echoed her own.

Her head was spinning, her blood humming as they kissed passionately. The intensity of the moment had her moaning into his mouth. Rory swallowed every noise, every whimper as they clung to each other, afraid only of letting go.

His grip on her hair was bordering on painful, but she didn't care. She needed him, every last bit of him. The harder he pulled her against him, into him, the closer she wanted to be.

Jill was trying to breathe, trying desperately to stay conscious, to stay in this moment. But she was so

dizzy

. She tried to break the kiss to direct him to her bedroom, but apparently they just weren't going to make it that far.

Rory's hands were already pulling her skirt up to her waist, just as he had done the last time she wore that dress. But this time when he went to cup her between her legs, he broke their kiss with a rough laugh.

"You're actually wearing panties? Oh my God, I

have

to see this!" he managed to get out between chuckles.

Before Jill could sufficiently recover from the sudden break in their embrace and stop him, Rory was on his knees in front of her, sliding his head up her skirt like a misbehaving, curious dog. The whole thing felt so absurd, yet surreal. She couldn't help but giggle as his fingers brushed the inside of her thighs. But then he started to trace her folds through the satin of her underwear and she groaned at his slightest touch. How could she be so giddy and so turned on at the same damn time?

"Jesus, that is the sexiest fucking thing I've ever seen. A

thong

? I would have pictured you wearing those hot little boy shorts."

"Will you get out of there?" Jill tried to assert, but she couldn't contain her sudden glee.

Rory flipped back her skirt so that she could see the lascivious grin he was wearing. "I'm sorry, beautiful, I'm just shocked. I thought underwear was against your religion?"

"Lord, forgive me," she joked.

Rory wagged his eyebrows at her as his grin turned even more wicked. "Then we'd better get you praying."

He disappeared back under her skirt and roughly pulled her underwear down. She didn't even get the opportunity to step out of her panties before his hands settled on her hips and pushed her flat against the wall. His thumbs stroked at her until her most intimate parts were revealed to him.

"God, I missed you," he said gruffly as he planted a soft kiss on her.

"Just that part of me, or all of me?" Jill half-laughed, half-groaned.

Rory responded with a long, slow lick up her slit that rocked her off-balance and left her dizzy. "Both."

Jill blew out another breathless laugh, then moaned and whimpered as Rory tasted her again. He lapped at her, slowly first, then more insistently, his large hands pinning her hips to the wall. Her head spun, her knees continued to weaken. She wanted to collapse onto the floor; she felt like she had no strength to stay conscious under his attack, much less stay upright. But Rory's hold stayed firm; Jill couldn't even buck her hips to meet his mouth.

"Oh God," she whimpered as his tongue continued its incessant attack on her core. He was showing her no mercy for her transgressions; she was going to come for him, here and now, whether she wanted to or not. The fire low in her stomach steadily grew into a conflagration. Soon even her fingers, ears, and toes were ablaze. Her legs started to shake, as did her voice: "Oh God, Rory."

He didn't relent when the tremors began, didn't remove his mouth from her core, didn't loosen his grip on her hips. If anything, he gripped her even more tightly as his tongue increased its pace. Jill's head grew fuzzy and her arms and legs grew heavier. "Oh God, oh God," she whined as spots started to cloud her vision.

And then the world exploded as the orgasm racked her body. Stars burst in her vision and there was a dull roar in her ears as the fire coursed through her in waves. Jill's entire body shook and trembled; if it wasn't for Rory's sure grip, she would have collapsed.

Everything went fuzzy. Time stopped.

Next thing Jill knew, Rory was wrapping her arms and legs around him as he pinned her to the wall with his muscled body and slid into her ever so slowly. Jill groaned as reality and awareness returned, every delicious inch of him filling her completely. Another, unexpected orgasm ripped through her, Jill crying out in surprise as the tremors overtook her once more. Rory kissed her roughly, holding her in place as she came down from her high again.

"Jesus, beautiful, you really needed this, didn't you?"

Jill couldn't find the strength to speak. Instead she rested her forehead against his and nodded slightly.

Rory held her steady as he withdrew slightly before plunging back into her with a deep groan, searching her eyes as he did. "I'm sorry, beautiful, but I'm not going to last long." He kissed her forcefully, shoving his tongue into her mouth as he swallowed a growl. "But you're just so fucking

tight

. I promise I'll make it up to you."

Jill couldn't find the words to respond, so she only nodded once more. Their eyes locked.

Rory thrust into her again and again as he kept her pinned to the wall, causing Jill to cry out at the desperation and intensity of it all. The harder he gripped her, the rougher he pushed into her, the more she wanted, and the more she needed. She had to fight to keep her eyes open, to stay conscious, to keep looking into the force of his stare. And then Jill screamed as she came again, fighting to keep from blacking out as Rory pulsed and emptied into her.

She had no idea how long they stayed locked together, waiting for their breathing to slow and rational thought to return. Hell, she had no idea how Rory had sufficient strength to hold her in place, how he had the energy to still be standing. Eventually, Rory slid out of her and helped her get her feet back on the ground, but not without giving her another desperate kiss. They were far from finished; one round wasn't going to be enough to sate either of them.

Rory leaned in to nibble at her neck and earlobes, his voice low when he finally spoke. "Why don't we see what you've done with the bedroom, stranger?"

-----

Rory rolled over and glanced at Jill's alarm clock. He had never been so happy to see three a.m. in his life. But he was alone in bed. Jill's side of the mattress was cool to the touch; she had been gone for a while.

A quick search yielded his underwear. He was still adjusting the waistband as he walked into the living room, looking for his angel. Sure enough, Jill was sitting on the couch, leaning over and writing notes with one hand while the other held her place in a textbook.

Rory stood quietly and just watched her for a few moments. She was too absorbed in her school work to notice. He was seeing a completely different side to her. Jill was so intensely focused; her lips were moving slightly as she read. When her brow furrowed in apparent confusion, Rory couldn't help but smile. She had been angelic before; right now she was just plain adorable.

"Hey stranger," he whispered. Jill jumped slightly then looked up and gave him a weak smile. "What are you studying?"

Jill huffed out a sigh and closed her book. "Latin," she nearly croaked out, her voice surprisingly hoarse.

"Isn't that a dead language?"

"Yeah, it is. But it'll help me with medical terminology, and it satisfies my foreign language requirement."

Rory made his way over to the coffee table. It was weighed down with textbooks, novels, and open notebooks that already looked half-full of writing. He fingered through a few of the selections. "Calculus? Chemistry? And why are you reading Socrates and Aristotle?"

"Intro to Poli Sci. Social Sciences requirement."

"Jesus, beautiful, how many classes are you taking?"

When she responded, it was almost defensive: "Seventeen hours, five classes and two labs."

Rory remembered when he was at Cornell, he had barely managed to keep up with twelve hours worth of classes a semester while he played hockey. "No wonder you don't have time for a relationship," he whispered as he sat next to her on the couch.

Jill looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Oh, beautiful," he murmured as he pulled her into his arms. Rory had to fight off a sigh of contentment; she fit so perfectly there. "You have nothing to apologize for."

Jill rested her cheek against his bare chest and inhaled deeply. "Yes, I do. I should have told you everything, that last night at the hotel. I was just so overwhelmed, and ..."

Rory shushed her as he gently freed her hair from its ponytail. He ran his fingers through her luscious curls as Jill sighed. Maybe they were glossing over it all too quickly, but he was just so relieved to have her back in his arms again, to feel whole again. They lay that way for a while until he mustered up the courage to ask the question whose answer he had been dreading.

"So what do we do now?"

Jill sighed audibly. "I don't know."

"Do you want to keep seeing me?" Rory couldn't help but hold his breath while he waited for her answer.

Her voice was small when she finally responded, almost as if she were scared to admit it to both herself and him. "Yes."

Rory couldn't remember the last time he felt so relieved. He didn't know how they would manage, with the season starting in a week and her school being so intense. But somehow, they would make it work.

-----

The next few weeks were the best of Rory's life.

It was a little awkward that first week, especially when he got snapped at a few times for calling and interrupting Jill's studies. But they found a tentative groove without any significant damage to their newfound relationship.

Most nights, Rory stayed at her place; it just seemed more convenient for her that way. He would bring her dinner or cook, then watch television while she studied. Usually, he went to sleep early, and alone. But when she would inevitably crawl into bed around one or two in the morning, he would wake and talk to her, hold her, make love to her. Whatever she needed, he freely gave it.

The season started, surprisingly putting little strain on their budding relationship. When the team was in town, Rory would take his pre-game naps at her place while she would read next to him in bed, sometimes even indulging him in some afternoon delight. Most of the guys on the team refused to have sex on game day; but again, he was the least superstitious of the lot. And they weren't the ones getting to indulge in an angel, sinful as the time was.

They even found some way to talk nightly through the few short road trips that were sprinkled into the first month of the season. The conversations were usually brief and far from erotic or romantic since he was rooming with Jason. But it was somehow enough.

Of course, his relationship with Jason now was somewhat awkward, but Rory did all he could to keep his defensive partner's suspicions low. Thank goodness that Jason was so preoccupied with being named the new alternate captain and the impending birth of his first child. He didn't catch on to Rory's sudden contentment.