BACK AT ONE
Rory couldn't think of what she ever did wrong to get given the choice to either chase her heart or follow her dreams. Why couldn't she do both? Be with the man she loved and also be doing what she loved the most. When did it ever come down to being one or the other? His way or the highway? She didn't understand why there was even a choice in the matter? Would a man that really loved her give her that choice?
'I'm sorry honey…' she broke down before her mother could say another word. Crying so loud in her mother's arms, truly heart broken, and not knowing where to move on from there. She cried in her mother's arms until she couldn't cry any more, her throat was dry, and they were both hungry for some take away food from Luke's Diner.
Luke brought over everything they loved, such a 'life saver, we would have died had you not come to our rescue Luke…' the mother-daughter duo chorus in a mock-despair voice. Luke shook his head in mock disappointment, a huge smile crept over his face, happy to know that both Gilmore girls had each other to fall back on when there was times of distress. He left the two ladies to demolish their hunger.
'Rory's back in town for a while till she figures out what she wants to do now' Luke said in a matter-of-fact voice to his nephew on the phone a few days later. 'She's looking as beautiful as ever, and needing someone to get her back to her chipper self. Know anyone who has the time of day to just that?'
'I'll place an ad out today in the Philadelphia news okay?' Jess said sarcastically, very happy to hear that Rory hadn't accepted the proposal as everyone had first thought. He was stoked to know that she hadn't closed the door to her dreams to chase someone else's, and that she was stronger than she knew she was. He just wished it hadn't been at her expense of getting heart broken pretty bad. He still cared very deeply about her. He didn't want to see her hurting so bad.
'When do you think you'll be able to drop by and give me a much needed helping out around here?' Luke asked, though both knowing that Luke's Diner was doing very well for itself, and he had just replaced Lane for her husband Zach.
'Probably in a couple of days, I just have to clear something up here, and then I am fine to come help out.' Jess was grateful for the encouragement. He wouldn't have known what excuse to use that would be plausible for his return to Stars Hollow.
Rory walked to her favourite spot, near the bridge where she usually liked to read. But this time, instead of reading, she just stood there looking over the bridge. Lost in deep thought about the things that had happened in the past few years. Her time with Dean and their fidelity, her flirtations with Tristan and their shared kiss, her likeness with Jess and his bad boy ways, her three years with Logan and his expectation which were too high. Why had it all been so complicated? What was the pattern that she kept making, and how would she break it?
She needed some kind of distraction that would keep her mind stimulated and occupied from thinking the things that went wrong in her life. She had worked so hard all her life, had great grades, she just graduated from Yale, she had a loving mother who would give her the world, and now she was back at Stars Hollows. How did it end there?
She needed to fill this void that was building up inside her chest, but with what? And it dawned on her. She needed to find Taylor Doose and fast. She had the best idea. Stars Hollow never had a newspaper before. Stars Hollow Gazette.
He watched her from afar. Watching her lost in thought like he'd done secretly so many times before, this time was different. She was hurting, and she had just come out of a serious relationship that had broken her heart into two. She looked as beautiful as ever, maybe even more so than her girlish ways the first time he'd met her. Now she was an adult of twenty-two.
He tossed between walking up to her and giving her one of his comments he was so famous for, but instead he choose not to ruin the moment. His silence was enough for now. Looking at her was enough for now. He would wait for the right moment to approach her, give her some days to settle in, before making his presence known.
He watched as suddenly, like snapped out of a trance, Rory's face beamed so brightly, that she could have eclipsed the sun. She walked excitedly in the direction of the town square. He was happy to see the spark come back into her, and wondered what brought it all on.
He couldn't help but follow her like a magnet, his steps light but hurried, making sure not to attract her attention in anyway. He wasn't ready for confrontation just yet. He saw her walk into Doose's supermarket. Bag boy? Disappointment brought his steps heavier, as he walked past the supermarket towards Luke's.
Rory animated her thoughts to Taylor Doose, who couldn't take 'no' for an answer as he knew the girls troubles and how much she had already gone through. The old man was happy to appeal to the girls interests, and agreed to it all. All they needed was to find funding for it all. Rory said she would deal with it. The man was happy to oblige the girl. He uncharacteristically gave way to whatever she wanted.
She was straight on the phone to her grandfather, appealing to him for the release of her money earlier than it was intended, and was very glad for his support. He had thought it a fantastic idea, and would look after the financial side of things. She just had to tell him exactly what she wanted to do and get back to him for a plan of attack.
She was so excited, she ran all the way to the Dragon Fly Inn.
Huffing and puffing, her mother asked 'where's the fire honey?' In one breathe she told her mother the whole story.
'Whoa slow down honey' her mother laughed excited to see her daughter happier than she had seen for a while. It was a change from the fake smiles she would constantly received from her daughter. The sullen looks when she thought her mother wasn't looking. They hugged each other excitedly and told Sookie the good news. Three women jumped up and down, and Sookie declared she was making Rory's favourite dish as a celebration.
Jess decided to take a walk around town and found himself searching for Rory in all her favourite spots. He needed to see her again, even for a few seconds. His choice to stay hidden, a plan that was still in motion. He was kind of glad and disappointed not to have seen her. He took to driving out of town back to Philadelphia to check on how things were there. He told himself that there was a reason why he didn't bump into her this time around. They just weren't meant to be. There was just something missing in all that.
He argued to himself that he was flaking out on her again. There was no real reason for him to drive all that way back to Philly, it was just an unnecessary waste of petrol really, and he knew he would be back before the weeks end anyway.
He no longer had any barriers keeping him away now. No boyfriend. No studding in a top notch college where he just didn't feel like he belonged. No grandparents for her to get embarrassed about, because he wasn't the right kind of designer suit to bring to dinner. He could just be himself. The Jess Mariano that she knew and loved before. The older and more improved Jess Mariano to be exact.
