Rory is OOC, like really badly she ran away from me. I apologize ahead of time to anyone who started reading this thinking I would follow her character.
Second if anyone has been skydiving and can help with the details or experience I would seriously appreciate it. Google only goes so far and it is something that is on my bucket list.
Third I have no idea if Xtreme Wonders is a real magazine or not.
Fourth I live for reviews! So please with white chocolate and hot chocolate on top review! Thank you for reading!
Australia 2012
Tap. Tap. Tap. Her foot was bouncing, and she couldn't understand why this was making her nervous. It wasn't the first time she had done something incredibly stupid according to her mother. Some would be more than just a little shocked at what she was doing now, some times it even surprises her but she wouldn't change it for the world. 'Deep breath in. Hold. Release' she reminded herself.
"Gilmore!" A deep voice hollered "You're up!"
'Deep breath in. Hold. Release' she repeated before standing and walking over to the gentleman that hollered for her.
"You sure about this?" he asked looking her over, "there's nothing wrong with backing out, you don't have to do this."
Same words had been repeated to her before in what seemed like a life time ago even though this wasn't the first time she had done this activity.
Smirking she approached the open hatch, "Yeah I know, but In Omnia Paratus."
He gave her an odd look before shaking his head, "Never would have pegged you as LDB."
She shrugged, it wasn't the first time she had been told that either when she recited the words she lived by. 'Deep breath in. Hold. Release' A fateful day that ended up causing her whole world to shift and her long time dream to change. She looked out towards the wide open space in front of her and shifted her weight slightly before she stepped closer.
"Almost to the point. Do you need a refresher?" he asked his voice still held some doubt that she was actually going to do this. Most did.
"I am good." She said simply bracing herself while going through the steps in her head. 'God if he could see me now' She thought 'Deep breath in. Hold. Release'
"Jump!" The instructor yelled. She smirked and jumped out of a perfectly good airplane. Checking her altimeter she estimated her timing to pull her chute, but for the moment she just enjoyed the view and the free feeling she felt every time she jumped. Taking a deep breath in she held it before releasing and letting out a whoop! Checking her altimeter again she angled herself down some one hand remaining on the string for her parachute. It was the best feeling in the world and one her readers loved to experience through her, checking the altimeter she threw the string releasing her parachute and braced for the slight jerk that happened and took ahold of the guiding cords. The valley she jumped over was beautiful and vast hopefully they were closer to the meadow she scouted instead of the river that ran through the valley, it was white water in some spots. Five thousand feet of just floating back down to the ground, five thousand feet of pure beauty, taking her breath away. This was living, this was the true meaning of In Omnia Paratus. A seven story scaffolding was just the start of something new for her, skydiving though was something she lived for and was always excited when her boss told her to pack a bag and her 'plane' sneakers.
Checking the distance from her to the ground she lifted her legs up debating on if it would be easier to slide into the meadow or run, a total disregard to the Gilmore Girl rule about running. The results, the results were worth it she thought a once in a lifetime experience turned into something more for her.
Landing was some times easier said then done and this one looked like running was the better choice. Bring her legs back down she calculated when to start and guided the parachute how she wanted. This area was incredible and perfect because trees were a bloody nightmare to maneuver around. The first touch of ground she started to run leaning back to help slow the parachute the rest of the way down before feeling the slight tug and fell back with the stopped chute. Looking up into the sky that she just came out of smiling.
"Rory Gilmore ladies and gentlemen makes another successful landing." She yelled laughing, feeling the natural high. She started undoing the harness and the parachute it was never fun trying to get the chute off while the wind was trying to drag it with. It was a lesson she learned the hard way the first time. As she folded her parachute back up and placed it in her bag she heard the rumble of a jeep engine. Time to go. Glancing around her she smiled, while no she wasn't an overseas correspondence like she thought she wanted to be, she was living every minute instead of not living at all.
The ride back to airstrip was as gorgeous as the dive down her guide Javier was knowledgeable in the culture and history of the area and hoped the article brought people to this little area of serenity. It was spectacular to stop in his village and try their cuisine though she really didn't want to know what she was actually eating. The women gave her an handwoven dress while the men went hunting. Her weaving skills were seriously lacking she learned. She laughed with the children while trying to play soccer. Yeah she may jump out of planes, but her hand eye coordination did not improve one iota. Leaving them was a slight pang of grief for her, as it usually was when she found little villages that needed to be put on the radar for those trying to hide from the radar. Javier brought her back to the airstrip where her rental car was, she thanked him profusely for showing her the village and being a very good guide and promised to make sure to refer him for further business. Waving goodbye she walked towards her car. Hopefully the article did justice to what she had experienced. Rolling her shoulders she unlocked the rental and tossed her bag towards the passenger seat, and grabbed her cell to call her mom.
"This is the Honor Scouts house of thrills. How can we thrill you today!" her mom answered causing Rory to laugh.
"And here I thought I was housing the trills Mom"
"Mini Me! How was the flight?"
"Beautiful! Oh my god Mom if I seriously didn't love you and Stars Hollow I could live out here. Javier, my guide took me into his village and while I don't know what I ate it was delish mom, and the women gifted me with a handwoven dress it's gorge mom I will send you a picture."
"I cannot believe I lie to your grandparents for you while you are out of the country traipsing over true man's country. Sooo what Javier cute?"
"Married with two daughters." She laughed at her mom's antics.
"Damn. Oh well I guess I will have to keep trying to find Mr. I love the fact my wife skydives for you."
"Really Mom? Mr. I love the fact my wife skydives? Isn't that a mouthful to say?" She asked grabbing her sun hat from the backseat and sunglasses.
"Well Mommy can't be the only one constantly worried about you since you won't let me tell the grandparents you are a fantastic crazy adrenaline junky journalist."
"They wouldn't understand why I didn't go into overseas correspondence after the campaign Mom. I love what I am doing now and I get steady breaks to come home. It works for me, but hey I have to go getting ready to head back to the luscious hotel Andrew booked for me."
"I am shaking my head at you right now, kid. That boss of yours spoils you."
"That's because I am the only one who will jump out of a perfectly good airplane." She laughed "I love you mom good night"
"Love you too, kid. Good afternoon" Lorelai laughed. It was nice that they had a system worked out when Rory was overseas and depending on where she usually called her mom when she was getting ready for bed. She felt guilty that Lorelai was lying to her grandparents still because Rory didn't want to tell them she was an extreme sports reporter, though her column did well and the backing she had was hard to keep up with when it came to what they would like to see in the column. 'Okay tell grandma and grandpa what I do for a living when I get home' She thought which would work because she had two weeks off for Christmas and New Year's anyways as good of time to tell them she figured.
The drive back to the hotel was insane, traffic was going to piss her off and she needed coffee asap. This was not a good picture and she swore the next person to honk their horn at her while traffic was at a crawl she was going to ram. This was the one part about coming to Australia she didn't like the traffic was worse then New York. Taking a deep breath she checked her GPS to see how much further the hotel was and if it was worth stopping and getting a coffee to deal with the traffic jam at this rate she could just walk and come back and probably still be sitting. Creep crawl more horn blares and there is her exit! Yes! Finally after what seemed like hours she was pulling into the hotel parking lot. 'Coffee here I come!' She found a decent parking spot at the Tropic Paradise Inn. Looking at it over the top of her glasses she shook her head, her mom had a point Andrew did spoil her. This place looked like it cost a fortune to stay and she was here for another three days since she was going to check out the surfing and kite-boarding while she was here. Shaking her head again she headed towards the entrance then the front desk.
"Checking in ma'am?" the woman behind the desk asked looking at her.
"Check in. Under Gilmore." Rory answered grabbing her purse to grab her passport and driver's license.
"I am not finding it," The lady said slightly leery.
Rory looked at her before taking another deep breathe she should have just stayed at the village with the way the rest of the day was going, before grabbing her phone and pulled up the conformation receipt of the reservations. "Here is the conformation information. My boss made the reservations since I am here on business." Rory was desperately trying to keep that famed Gilmore patience about her.
"One moment ma'am" the lady said turning back to the computer screen. Rory fought off the temptation of tapping her foot in annoyance. The lady did a few more key strokes "I am sorry ma'am I am still not locating your reservation."
Rory resisted the urge to bang her head against the lady's fancy desk and cry, "this is so not how I pictured the rest of my day going" Rory muttered then looked at the lady "okay so since you lost my reservation is there anyway you can refund my company the money and then find me an available room somewhere else?"
"Ma'am we did not lose your reservation." the woman said snidely, "your boss apparently did not make the reservations here."
'Really? Really?' She thought, "Is this not the Tropical Paradise Inn?"
"Yes"
"Then no I am not at the wrong place you lost my reservations and now you are trying to place the blame on me and my boss even though I clearly have the conformation receipt from this hotel staying my reservation is for today a late check in through Friday." Rory state through gritted teeth, trying to remember to breathe.
"Reporter Girl?" a voice echoed through the lobby with the normal thick Australian accent that the owner had sounding confused and unsure.
Rory sighed gently 'Finn' she thought. She hadn't seen Finn since that fateful day when Logan purposed and she told him not right now and no when he tossed out the all or nothing ultimatum. 'Of course I would run into his best friend.' This was shaping up to be a nightmare ending to what started as a really good morning. Turning around she faced Finn, she knew she had changed since college her normal brown tresses was dyed black with streaks of red and a deep blue going through the mid-back length. She was wearing a tank top that revealed her back and showed off the tattoo she had a crossed her shoulders and since her mom had conned her into the perks of skinny jeans she knew her ass was show cased topped of with a pair of neon pink tennis shoes that she felt was perfect for skydiving.
"Finn Morgan as I live and breathe" She answered smiling walking away from the annoying front desk attendant and over to him "flying solo?"
He pulled her into a bone crushing hug laughing "it's been ages! And no I am not, the other two are somewhere around here." He pulled back some and looked her over "damn luv you grew up from the adorable little college girl, and you have tattoos never thought there would be a day where Rory Gilmore had a few tattoos."
Rory laughed good heartily "I thought my grandma was going to have a heart attack" she looked him over he looked liked he did in college "you haven't changed much however Finn with the exception of I heard rumors that you and Rose finally agreed on a date."
"Ah yes, my playboy ways have been cast aside for one woman that would seriously have my balls if I stepped outta line in one way or another" he laughed hugging her again "now what has you at my family's hotel luv?"
"My boss Andrew I swear likes to spend the budget on me when I go out of country and set me up here, but the blond front desk attendant is not able to find my reservation and has the nerve after seeing my conformation receipt to tell me he made a mistake because I am not in the system" she huffed still annoyed.
Finn raised an eyebrow, "she didn't offer to refund the money since it was a mistake on our end?"
Rory shook her head, "she told me my boss must have made a mistake and there was nothing she could do. I was had such an awesome morning and now I am about to pull a mom because traffic was horrible and I am in serious need of the largest coffee I can find, because I am going to lose it."
"Out of the famed Gilmore patience?" Finn chuckled at the look Rory shot him "I will handle it Luv just a moment" and walked over to the lady, Rory watched as she paled considerably when Finn took over the computer to find Rory's reservations. Rory decided Finn could handle things while she went and hunted down some coffee.