A/N: I don't know if anybody cares to read this, but I really, really wanted to write it. Truth is, I had all the details planned a long time ago, before I ever saw the revival episodes, so any similarities or differences to canon, well, they are what they are ;)
Disclaimer: All recognisable Gilmore Girls characters belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino and other folks who aren't me. Any characters mentioned from previous stories in the Runaways-verse belong to me!
Friday 22nd April 2023
"Tell me again why I agreed to this," said Jess, standing in front of the mirror and tying his tie for the third time - it just was not co-operating tonight.
"Because you're a really great guy, the best husband in the world, and because you love me more than anything," Rory listed, coming over to assist him with his tie issues.
"Yeah? There's gotta be more to it than that," he told her with a smirk.
Rory smiled and took over tying Jess' tie. She almost felt bad about dragging him out to dinner with Paris and Doyle tonight. He would have enough to contend with tomorrow at the reunion, but sometimes arguing with Paris just wasn't worth it. Besides, Rory kind of liked the idea of dinner with just the four of them. She hoped to rein her old friend in a little before the main event so nothing too embarrassing happened with the whole Class of '03 present.
"We really should've started getting ready sooner," Rory sighed as she finished Jess' tie and took a step back to look him over. "You get all dressed up like this and I suddenly wish we could stay in."
"Oh yeah?" said Jess, reaching his arms around her waist and pulling her closer. "'Cause if we just-"
"Mom? Dad?" Tori's calling was accompanied by vigorous knocking on the bedroom door. "Aunt Paris and Uncle Doyle are here!"
Jess stopped two inches short of kissing his wife and sighed.
"Sorry, honey," said Rory, giving him a quick peck on the lips, "but hey, keep that train of thought on standby for later, you might get lucky," she told him quietly before hurrying to the bedroom door.
Jess wasn't sure if he felt better of worse about tonight now he knew what was coming when they got home. It meant something to look forward to, but at the same time, he was going to have endure hours in the company of Paris and Doyle to get to it. At least tomorrow there would be other people at the reunion. Not that Jess would really know anyone, but that could be a good thing. He could hang out alone in a corner, maybe even bring a book along to read. If he must, he could probably make small talk with some of the other spouses that didn't attend Chilton. He could handle it. It was tonight he didn't want to have to deal with.
"You guys look great," said Tori when she saw her parents all dressed up. "Mom, that dress is amazing."
"Thank you, sweetie." Rory smiled, smoothing the fabric. "It's just something from the back of the closet. You should see what Grandma Lorelai has come up with for tomorrow."
"If Grandma Lorelai made it, I already know it'll be great."
Rory headed down the stairs to meet her friends, whilst Jess hung back a moment to talk to Tori.
"You headed over to The Crap Shack now?" he checked. "Because we can give you a ride...?"
"Dad, it's two blocks away and it's not even dark out. Besides, this is Stars Hollow. What's going to happen to me?" she asked with a look.
Jess put his hand under her chin, kissed her forehead and looked at her mock-seriously.
"Don't talk to strangers and look both ways when you cross the street."
"Yes, sir," she promised, the both of them smirking by the time Jess walked away.
Jack was staying over at Alex's place tonight, so that was the kids accounted for. No excuse not to go out, though Jess wished there were. He hit the bottom of the stairs and was greeted by Doyle who shook his hand. Paris barely acknowledged him but that was normal, especially when she was in full flow.
"You can't just assume that a person brought up in a strict Christian home is a suitable care giver. I mean, I've known Lane a while now and I trust your judgement, but to think that religion is enough to ensure a child's safety is ludicrous! Some people rebel in later life. Besides, look at the people who take religion too far, add in their own rules. The world today-"
"Could we maybe put the world to right's after we eat?" asked Jess, trying his best to keep his temper. "I'm not saying you can't have an opinion, Paris. I'm not even saying I disagree with the one you're having, but I'm hungry and I'm pretty sure we have a seven o'clock reservation," he pointed out, gesturing towards the clock - it was already past six and they had to drive to Hartford yet.
"C'mon, honey," Doyle encouraged his wife. "We can continue this in the car."
Paris allowed herself to be manoeuvred outside but she absolutely did continue her rant in the car. Rory had hoped to reminisce about the good old days and hear more about who may or may not be attending the reunion, but that topic didn't actually come up until they were half way done with their starters.
"Out of the forty five people in our class, I managed to get thirty nine to agree to come along," said Paris proudly. "That's a record at Chilton."
"That's my wife," said Doyle proudly. "It would've been forty except one of the class members died between accepting the invitation and the event taking place."
"Oh," said Rory, looking sad. "Who died?"
"Duncan Parker," Paris said, waving away any concerns with the hand that held her fork. "Nobody is going to miss him."
"I hope she means at the reunion and not in life," Jess whispered to Rory whilst Paris tore a strip off an unsuspecting waiter who failed to realise (presumably by psychic power) that she wanted her water glass filled.
"I'm sure she does." Rory nodded, though she didn't look entirely convinced. "So, Paris, have you seen Madeline at all since that time in Florida?"
"Nope, and I can't say I'm sorry. Even catching up with Louise last Summer was fairly painful. I mean, what has she really done with her life? Married rich? Hardly an achievement."
"She's happy." Rory shrugged. "That's something."
"I suppose, but she didn't have a career or a family of her own. A woman should have one or the other. Preferably both, in this day and age."
"Some people don't have your moxie, darling," Doyle reminded her. "Except Rory, of course. She's done amazingly well, considering... Well, things didn't exactly going according to the plan, did they?"
"Not at all," Rory agreed, not at all offended despite how awkward Doyle had made himself feel. "But I honestly couldn't be happier. Personally, I'm glad our ten year reunion didn't happen, I'm not sure I would have been comfortable there," she admitted. "The kids were still so young and career-wise I really didn't know what I was doing. I'm not sure I was ready to face the Senior class then. Now I'm ready," she said happily.
"You're better than any one of them, Ror," Jess promised her, his had squeezing hers on the table. "Always were, always will be."
"You're biased, but thank you," his wife said, leaning over to kiss him.
"God, if you two were any cuter, I'd throw up." Paris rolled her eyes. "After twenty years, that is not normal."
"Oh, come on!" Rory rolled her eyes. "Like you two aren't just as much in love as ever."
Doyle smiled into his food but said nothing because he knew better. He loved Paris more than anything, and was confident she felt the same, but in front of company she wasn't huge on showing affection. Even in front of only her best friends, she wouldn't admit much.
"We should be making a plan of action for tomorrow night," said Paris, changing the subject without pause. "Have you even thought how you're going to handle seeing all these people again? Francie Jarvis? The Puffs? Tristan Dugray?"
"Tristan is coming?" Rory looked startled by the news. "I didn't think you could get a hold of him."
"It took some work but I got the little ass in the end. He'll be there."
Jess wasn't sure what to make of the look on Rory's face right now. He had heard of Tristan but never met the guy. All he could remember was that he was a guy from Chilton who gave Rory the nickname of Mary since she was so innocent and virginal back then. He seemed to recall she had confessed to him in some long talk many years ago that she kissed Dugray once, or he kissed her, back before they ever met. Jess probably never would've thought of that again if not for this moment and the very weird look on his wife's face.
"Did he get married?" she asked Paris curiously.
"I thought I heard that he did, but he's attending alone tomorrow, so who knows?" Paris shrugged, more concentrated on her food than the conversation for now it seemed. "He's probably fat and bald by now."
Rory smiled. She was pretty sure Paris was hoping that the worst had happened to Tristan's looks in the past twenty years. It did happen with some men that had been insanely hot when they were younger, though others aged very well. Rory looked sideways at Jess and smiled at the reminder that she was one of the lucky ones. Time had been very kind to her husband.
"It's so weird to think about," she said then. "I picture all the people from Chilton and they look like they did then. I try to age them up in my head and it doesn't really work," she said with a frown. "Have you seen anybody else since graduation?" she asked Paris.
"Not that I know of, but I was hardly the social butterfly type," her friend told her with a shrug. "Unless I was battling them for valedictorian, I probably didn't take note of their names and faces."
"I'm curious to see Madeline," Rory mused. "Louise hardly looks any different, so I imagine she'll be the same too. You remember Brad Langford?"
"That whiny little idiot who made it on Broadway? Of course I remember him." Paris rolled her eyes. "Maybe by now he's grown into those ears of his. Maybe tomorrow night I'll see if he cries as easy as he used to," she said, eyes glittering with too much fun.
Jess tried not to smirk but found it impossible. There were a few people he wouldn't mind seeing that he was in high school with, but only for similar reasons to Paris' own. He'd love to see if they got less attractive and failed at life where he had succeeded. It might be a little sadistic, but he had to think everybody had that in them about somebody from back in the day. It was natural for people, he thought.
By the time dessert came, Rory and Paris grew tired of predicting what would happen tomorrow night and instead moved on to talk of kids and work. Those topics were at least things Jess and Doyle could join in on, when they could get a word in sideways!
By nine the meal was over and Rory was yawning like a crazy person.
"Oh, I'm sorry," she apologised, covering her mouth. "It's been kind of a busy week."
"Probably best we head home since tomorrow night's going to be a late one," Jess noted, rubbing her arm.
"Probably," she agreed, before looking to Paris and Doyle, "but tonight has been great. I'm glad we got to spend some time together before the reunion. There'll be so many people to see there, I just know we wouldn't have got enough time to talk."
"Always good to see you, Gilmore," Paris agreed with a smile.
Still she persisted in using Rory's pre-marriage name, but on this occasion at least it made more sense. Tomorrow night everybody was going to be calling her Rory Gilmore again, and honestly, just for one night, she wasn't sure she would mind at all.
To Be Continued...