Title: A "Fork" In The Road

Author: Alexis

Rating: PG (for now…will not go higher than PG-13) mild language and possible mature, deep themes

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the basic story line. Amy Sherman-Palladimo and the WB and other people I don't know own it.

Pairing: Rory/Jess…maybe??; possibly a little Luke/Lorelai (I haven't decided yet)

Character: Nearly everyone- there may be a few new minor characters (no Mary Sues- I promise)

Spoilers: Contains no spoilers (that I know of i.e. if something I right ends up similar to something in a future episode it wasn't intentional

Summary: Rory must decide if she want to be with Jess as a friend or more than a friend.

Note: This is my second fan fic EVER so please send me feed back and reviews. I need 'Constructive Criticism,' so if you must be harsh.

Note: Anything in italics is someone's thought. (It may also be a stressed word- you'll figure it out) Underlined things are usually, stressed words. AND this is my first time writing in this format so please give me tips. The character's thoughts will be right before or after their dialogue unless otherwise noted.

A/N: OK… forget everything after Season 2's finale…yes Rory and Jess kissed…everything after that didn't happen (Shane does not exist in this)…this is where the story will start: (flash back) Dean sees Rory and Jess kiss…Rory and Dean break up…Rory and Jess talk about the kiss and Rory says it meant nothing…but absence makes the heart grow founder…(the story will start when Rory gets back from Washington and Dean has decided to live in Chicago with his grandmother…so the path is ready for a Literati relationship…will Rory choose down the Romance Road or Friendship Lane…and which will Jess choose)…sorry if this was long or confusing…: ^ )

P.S. Don't worry I won't usually write this much in A/N…if parts of this turn up in bold print …sorry…I don't know how to fix it…Advice?

Chapter 1: Coming Home

~ Rory's POV/ Flashback - Sookie & Jackson's Wedding ~ (thoughts not in quotes)

"What are you doing here?" Rory asked Jess. Oh my god what was he doing here. God why was I happy. I mean I didn't have to be angry but shouldn't have been happy. Jess was not by boyfriend, Dean was…wait...did I just say was…correction: is my boyfriend…I love Dean…right?

"Hello to you, too." Jess had responded.

"Is everything okay?" I was having a panic attack he was being his usual indifferent, emotion- deprived self.

" You look nice."

" Thank you. What are you doing here?" Flattery was NOT going to work with me…not now.

" I moved back."

" What? "

" I moved back."

" But – what – why?" ~Uh…What the heck was that feeling. I knew in my heart why he had moved back…to see me…me! God at that moment I hated love. It was way too confusing. I also hated emotions. Jess was always able to make every felling I had come to view in my heart. Why was that? Could I…love him? God…that's crazy…isn't it? Maybe mom was right, maybe just maybe; I was falling for Jess. But what did I like about him…his love of reading, intellect, heck I like everything about him. He is perfect. I know I was with Dean…but I couldn't hide my emotions longer. I didn't look at him, because I knew, if I did, my heart would take over. I would do something I'd regret, not because I didn't want that to happen, because Dean would find out.

" Just wanted to." Liar.

Then I kissed him. He was shocked, I could feel it. After a short kiss, I looked at him and we kissed again. Then something, someone, disturbed our moment of heavenly bliss.

"Rory?" a man questioned with a tone of anger. I knew it was Dean but I wanted to avoid looking at him for as long as possible.

"Rory?" Dean interrogated angrily. I finally realized my arms were still around Jess, and I began to remove them.

"Dean."

"Would you explain this?"

"Dean, it was a mista…no it wasn't a mistake, Dean, I'm so sorry. I willingly kissed Jess…I am not in love with you, anymore." He looked at me with pain in his eyes. God, what was making me be so brutally honest?! I continued. "I want you to break up with me, I was not fair to you. You were loyal. You deserve to end this. You deserve to be guiltless. You deserve to walk out of this relationship, with no guilt. You didn't do anything wrong."

Dean spoke up now. "Rory how can I be guiltless if I break off 'us.' And I don't want that crap 'You didn't do anything wrong.' I mean Rory, you think this is really all my fault."

I replied angrily, "You're right in a way I think this is your fault. You were an over protective jerk. You wouldn't let me even talk to another guy." At that Dean walked away. I turned to Jess and said "Jess, I'll talk to you later, bye" It was not the total truth…I did feel caged when I was with him…but I was the reason we were over.

"Bye, Ror."

As I heard the wedding music play I slowly walked back to the Inn. I was overjoyed, I now knew Jess cared for me like I cared for him.

~ End Flash back/ POV ~

[Rory is at her desk in the hotel in Washington D.C. Paris is out. Rory takes a paper out and begins to write a letter to Jess.]

Dear Jess,

How are you? I'm fine. Paris is driving me insane, though. How's Stars Hollow? How's Luke? How's the diner? Read any good books lately? I've just finished reading The FountainHead again. And yes I plan on reading some Hemmingway this summer.

Rory now realized she was rambling, while she was writing. She decided she should start writing what she really wanted to say.

I know I haven't talked to you since after our kiss, but I was scared to. I know that sounds really stupid and lame, but it's true. I wanted to tell you that it meant allot to me. I really care for you Jess. I don't know if it's love, cause frankly I have no idea what love is anymore. I hope we can talk when I get back.

--Rory

[5 weeks Later; Rory and Lorelai are on the phone]

"You're coming back tomorrow!" Lorelai shrieked.

"Yeah," Rory said with fake enthusiasm.

"Have you changed?"

"Yep…I blonde, 35, and 6'2''."

"Then wear a name tag, so people will recognize you."

"Mom…I have to talk to you," Rory said solemnly.

"Next time…. Pizza's here. I gotta go!"

"Bye," Rory responded upset.

"Bye."

Rory let out a deep sigh.

Rory's POV~

I have to go home. To Jess, Dean, and the town that knows about the "dilemma." And to my mom, whose heart was not only broken, but shattered by my father. I never thought I want to be spending more time with Paris. Yet, this is a critical situation. And she's not that bad anyway. I can't wait to see Lane, I wonder how the drum-thing is going. God Rory shut up pay attention; you have a speech to perfect.

[Cut to a hall in D.C…. Paris and Rory are at a brunch before they catch their plane back to Hartford]

"So…" Paris trailed off.

"I had a really good time Paris," Rory responded

"Yeah…me too."

"So how was last night?" Rory asked referring to Paris and Jamie's date.

"Good."

"What did you do?"

"Well…we ate dinner and we talked…and…"

"What?"

"He kissed me good night and said he wanted to go out with me again."

"Paris…that's great!"

"Yeah…but it's kind of a long distance relationship.

"Don't worry about. All you need to do is get a magic umbrella and rename yourself 'Mary Poppins,' then you'll be able to visit him whenever the winds change."

"Right," Paris responds sarcastically.

[Cut to airport]

"Rory," Lorelai exclaimed as she saw her daughter get off the plane.

"Mom!" Rory shrieked as she ran to her mother.

"Hi…I missed you so much!"

"Hartford and Stars Hollow…the only 2 places I will go."

"What about Harvard."

"Tell Grandma to move the campus," Rory replied sarcastically.

"We'll work on that. Gifts?"

"Yep…in my suit case, you'll have to wait 'till we get home."

"Wahh," Lorelai cried.

"Let's go, little girl."

"Okeedokee."

[Cut to Gilmore Residence…Rory's back]

"Mom!" Rory shouts from her room.

"Yeah?"

"Where is my pillow, comforter, black dress and shoes?"

"You gotta good eye."

"No gifts 'till I get my stuff back," Rory threatened.

"Fine," Lorelai said while she gave Rory her things back.

"Here," Rory said as she gave her mom a bagful of gifts.

"A key chain, a T-shirt, a mug, shredded money. Explain." Lorelai said as she held up the bag of shredded money.

"It's money that had flukes so they shred it then sell it as a souvenir."

"So if I put the pieces together I get rich."

"Not quite."

"Cheap gift."

Phone rings:

Man: Rory?

Rory: Who is this?

Man: Your father.

Rory: Good bye.

Chris: Rory…wait.

(Rory hangs up)

"Who was that?" Lorelai asks.

"Telemarketer."

"Don't lie to me."

"Dad."

"Oh… well we better go."

"Where?"

"Well, I have to go into Hartford, and you have to get reacquainted with Star's Hollow."

"Bye."

"Bye."

(Cut to diner)

"Luke is Jess upstairs?" Rory questions.

"Yeah…welcome back." Luke answers gruffly.

"Luke…have you and mom made up."

"Yes…why?"

Rory takes a mug out of her backpack, and gives it to Luke. "Please…Sam's hurt."

"Sam?"

"The coffee maker." Rory gives Luke the puppy-dog face.

"Fine."

(Cut to outside Luke and Jess's apartment)

(Rory walks up to the door. Walks away. Walks up to door and raises her hand to knock it. This goes on for about 2 minutes. Until…Jess open's The door.)

"Hello, Rory, " Jess says.

"Hi."

"Come in." (Rory goes in)

"So…" Rory trails off.

"How was Washington?" Jess asked her.

"Good."

"Good"

" Did…you…ah…get…my… um…my…letter?"

"I did."

"Good."

"Good."

"Good."

Jess walks closer to Rory, and brings her in for a soft sweet kiss.

"Bye, Jess." Rory says, after they break away from the kiss.

"Bye, Rory."

(Cut to gazebo)

Rory sees Dean and another girl in the gazebo…they're kissing.

Rory's POV~

Shouldn't I be more upset? God, I must really never have loved Dean. Wait do I love Jess. What the heck is love, any ways?

Rory was torn away from her thoughts by a friendly shout.

"Rory!" Lane shouted.

"Lane."

"How are you?"

"Great."

"You're back!" Lane shouts.

"Why so peppy?"

"Long story."

"Tell me."

"It's the 'Never ending story.'"

"I've got time."

"You'll be listening for awhile.".

"Lane!" Rory says.

"I'm ready!"

"For what?"

"To be in a band!"

"Really?" Rory asked her ecstatic friend,

"Yeah," Lane said frantically nodding. "I put up an ad for a band in need of a drummer."

"Great."

"Lane!" Mrs. Kim shouted.

"Bye," Rory told Lane.

"See ya!"

As Rory continues walking through the town she spotted familiar faces and places: Miss Patty's, Dosess's, Taylor, the mayor, Kirk, Stars Hollow High, the library, the music shop…and…the bridge. Lot's of memories happened on that bridge, and her favorite, so far, was the first.

~ Rory's Flashback/ POV~

RORY: Ten.

JESS: Ten?

RORY: Yeah but I didn't understand a word of it, so I had to reread it when I was fifteen.

JESS: I've yet to make it through it.

RORY: Really? Try it. The Fountainhead is classic.

JESS: Yeah, but Ayn Rand is a political nut.

RORY: Yeah, but nobody could write a forty page monologue the way that she could.

JESS: Okay, tomorrow I will try again, and you will. . .

RORY: Give the painful Ernest Hemingway another chance. Yes, I promise.

JESS: You know, Ernest only has lovely things to say about you.

RORY: Why are you only nice to me?

JESS: Excuse me?

RORY: An hour ago you were totally screwing with Dean and now you're totally nice to me.

JESS: You see, it's the screwing with Dean - that's an important step to getting here so that I can be nice to you.

RORY: So it was a plan.

JESS: What?

RORY: The whole bidding on my basket, it was a plan.

~ End Flashback ~

(Next morning at Gilmore Residence)

"Rory!" Lorelai exclaimed from the kitchen.

"What?" Rory grunted. It's 5: 30 in the morning. Why, is she beckoning me now?

"Hurry it's an emergency," Lorelai shouted as she ran into Rory's bedroom and ripped the covers off her teenage daughter.

"What? What's wrong?" Rory inquired panicky.

Lorelai responded by saying, "He's dead."

"Who?!" Rory screamed terrified.

"Sam!"

"Wait, you wake me up at 5: 30 in the morning telling me some one is dead. When, in reality, our coffee maker is broke" Lorelai nodded. "Mom, you idiot, why would you do that?"

"The funeral is Friday," is all Lorelai said and gave Rory a puppy dog face.

"Let me look at him."

"Why your no handyman?"

"Cause, last time this happened, it was not plugged in."

"I never did that to him!" Lorelai says as Rory holds up the plug.

"See?" Rory plugs the machine in. "Magic!"

"I'm bored let's go to Luke's."

"It's 5: 45."

"It should be open now."

"He doesn't have coffee yet," Rory fibbed.

"How do you know?"

"Jess told me," Rory again lied.

"Jess…?"

"Yeah…Jess, my friend…Luke's nephew, town hooligan. Need more info?"

"No. Friend?"

" Yes. What's with the inquiry?" Rory asked suspiciously.

"Well…if they changed the time they start making coffee; then it was after you've got back, and you've only been here for one day, so you must have talked to him."

"So…he's my…my…"

"Your what?" Lorelai said interrupting her daughter.

"I told you my…friend."

"That's it?"

"What?" Rory questioned, pretending to be confused, yet she knew what her mom was getting at.

"That's it you two are just friend?"

"Yes…good…really good friends," Rory corrected

"Quick question, how did you go from "friendish" to "really good friends" in a couple months?"

"I have gotten to know him better." Rory states as she grabs her coat and starts to leave.

"One more question."

"What?"

"Where has Dean been? AND what happened to him at the wedding?"

"I don't know."

"Yes, you do."

Rory was ready to confess now. So with out looking at her mom she said, "I kissed him."

"Who?" Lorelai asked cluelessly.

"Jess."

"What? When?"

"At Sookie's wedding," Rory answered reluctantly.

"What? He wasn't at Sookie's wedding."

"Yes he was," Rory corrected.

"And…?"

"And he said he came back…and I kissed him…and I kissed him again and Dean saw it…"

"Wait a second…Dean saw you and Jess kiss?"

Rory nodded and continued her confession. "Yes…and we broke up."

"And you and Jess are…?"

Rory sighed and figured it would be best to break all the news at once "…together…I think"

"You think?"

"I have to talk to him…again."

"Fine. Rory, let's go."

"Are you OK?

"Yeah, I'm done right chipper," Lorelai answered sarcastically as she began to walk towards Luke's.

"Mom?"

"What Rory? You expect me to be happy that you're dating Jess? Or that you didn't tell me that you kissed the town jerk? Or that you broke up with you first boyfriend?" Lorelai shouted angrily.

"I'm sorry."

"What do you have to be sorry for?"

"For…not telling you."

To the Gilmores's disadvantage Miss Patty and Babbete overheard their conversation.

(Cut to diner)

As Lorelai & Rory enter the place goes silent.

"What did Luke get rid of the bells when someone comes in everyone becomes so quiet you could hear a pin drop?" Lorelai jokingly asks Rory. The two coffee-fanatics take a seat at the counter, and began to wonder who blabbed. At this everyone starts making noise, hoping the Lorelais would not notice their noiselessness.

Kirk walks over. "Hi Kirk," Rory greets.

"Hello Rory and Lorelai. Rory, I'm covering Miss Patty's gossip column this week, so I was wondering if you will answer a few questions?"

"Err…," Rory answers unsure.

"Are you, Lorelai Leigh Gilmore dating Jess Mar…i…on…yo?" Mispronouncing Jess's last name.

"Um…." Rory replies as Kirk runs out of the diner the second he sees Miss Patty.

15 minutes later the diner falls silent again…Jess has arrived and everyone is wondering what will happen next.

Lorelai breaks the deafening silence by saying, "Um…Rory we have to go." And the two rush out of the diner as fast as lightning.

(Outside diner…walking through the streets of Stars Hollow)

"Thanks for that," Rory tells her mother.

"Well…you're welcome…and that attitude and anger is back on."

"Fair enough."

(Cut to bridge that evening)

Rory and Jess are talking…amongst other things.

"So did you read it yet?" Rory asked referring to The FountainHead.

"I tried…it was torment…now you have to make it up to me," Jess responded.

"Well…one day."

"So did you lie or did you really read Hemmingway?"

"I did not lie," Rory said truthfully.

"So did you really read Hemmingway or a book with a similar title to his?"

Rory retorted in fake astonishment, "I would never."

"'A Goodbye to Limbs,' maybe."

"Stop."

"So what did you read?"

"A Farewell to Arms."

"Are you sure, 'cause those titles can be very confusing."

"Yes, I'm sure," Rory said as she hit Jess teasingly. They both begin kiss each other.

A voice breaks the peace, "Rory…?"

Rory was so surprised by the owner of the voice.

It was….

A/N: This chapter was basically an intro and the next will be shorter and intro-like as well. Please review…and tell me if I should continue…and who YOU think the owner of the voice is. And tell me if the formatting is good…I can change it if needed. More to come : ^ ).