Rating: PG for mild violence and a bit of swearing
Spoilers: None
Note: This is my first GmG fic and I don't own any of the characters. I'd appreciate a review or two!!
Rory climbed out of bed and yawned opening her window shades. She blinked at the bright, glistening snow that lay around the front yard and in the trees. Today was her first day of Christmas break and it felt amazing to be free from all of the work that was Chilton. She stepped into the shower and allowed herself to be engulfed in the steam until the water turned cold. She dried her hair and got dressed jogging down the stairs to find that her mother had already left for the inn. There was a note tacked to the fridge that said
Rory-
I heard about this amazing used book sale in Hartford from some dork at work. Its today. I left you the jeep just in case you want to go. Love Mom
Rory grinned. This was exactly what she needed to unwind. A trip to the bookstore where she could find some exciting books to engulf her in. She picked up the phone and dialed her Mothers cell. "Speak," said a charismatic voice on the other end of the line.
"Mom, its me."
"Hey, did you get my message?"
"Yeah, I did. Thanks for the heads up I'm going to drive out to Hartford in a few ok?"
" Ok, sure Rory I'll see you later tonight. Don't let the evil dorks get you alright?" Rory just laughed and hung up the phone. She grabbed the keys off the hook by the door and got in the car.
When she reached the bookstore there were already a crowd of people standing out side the store talking and holding flimsy bags containing books. Rory elbowed through the crowd and opened the door. She immediately hurried to the shelf on the left side. After about half an hour Rory had picked up at least ten books to buy and she was only at the middle shelf in the cluttered, dusty bookstore. After a few more minutes of looking she decided to go to the cash register when she spotted a row of books that she couldn't resist. She wandered down the aisle and found a really neat looking book that she immediately pulled from the shelf. Someone on the other side of the row had also picked up a book. She glanced through the hole and the guy glanced back. It was Jesse.
"Hey," he said flipping absently through a dusty book.
"What are you doing here?" She demanded picking up her books.
"The same thing that you're doing here," he replied coolly without looking up from his book. Rory walked down her aisle and paid for her books. Jesse followed, only purchasing the book he had been looking at previously.
"Do you want a ride?" She asked shifting her book bag from one hand to the other. He raised an eyebrow.
"Why would you want to give me a ride?" Rory shrugged.
"I would feel guilty leaving you to take the bus."
"I wouldn't want you to feel guilty," Jesse replied smirking at her. "I guess you leave me no choice but to accept your gallant offer of a ride."
"Okay lets go then." They walked over to the car and got in. Rory grabbed a CD and popped it in.
"PJ Harvey." Jesse commented with no trace of sarcasm. "Nice choice."
"Thanks," she replied concentrating on the road. They road the rest of the way back to Stars Hollow in silence.
The next day Dean was walking home from the store when he saw Jesse and Chuck Presby fighting again this time, in the park. Taylor was advancing quickly on them so Dean took a chance and dove between the boys. He pulled Jesse off Chuck and a few seconds later Jesse hit him in the face. "Damnit!" Dean exclaimed. "What the hell did you do that for?" Jesse looked at him blankly and jogged off down the block and out of sight. Dean was late for his date with Rory so he left the park and headed to her house.
Rory heard the doorbell and jogged down the stairs. She opened the door and saw Dean standing there with a bloody nose. "What happened to you?" She asked letting him in and jogging to the kitchen to get some ice. Dean sat down on the couch and put the ice on his nose.
"Jesse punched me."
"Why would he do that?" Asked Rory in disbelief.
"I tried to break up one of his fights again."
"Who was he fighting?"
"Chuck Presby."
"Chuck Presby's a jerk." Rory said angrily.
"Listen Rory," Dean began taking a deep breath "I don't want you hanging around him anymore."
"You can't tell me who I can or cannot hang out with Dean."
"Why not? I'm your boyfriend and I don't think you should be hanging out with people like Jesse."
"Who are people like Jesse?" She yelled back at him
"People who get into trouble."
"That is just like you Dean," she yelled "you just assume, you don't even know him."
"I don't want to know him, I just want you to stay away from him."
"Well I'm sorry Dean, I will not bow to your commands. I want you out of my house, wait not just out of my house, out of my life." Rory knew that if she stayed any longer she would cry so she bolted out of the house and began to walk. She walked for hours and ended up in front of Luke's diner at ten o'clock. The door was locked and closed but she saw Jesse sitting at a table in the empty diner. She knocked on the door and he came over and opened the door. He looked surprised that she was there but he let her in. "Why did you punch my bo…Dean, again?" she asked trying to sound reasonable. Jesse just looked at her.
"He got in the way."
"Oh," replied Rory "and what exactly did he get in the way of?"
"I was fighting Chuck Presby."
"Why?"
"Cause he's a jerk."
"Well did he say anything that made you punch him?"
"Yeah," Jesse replied.
"Well, what did he say?" she pressed sitting down at the counter across from him. He put on a pot of coffee and raised an eyebrow.
"Are you sure that you want to know?" he asked taking two cups out from under the counter. Rory nodded skeptically.
"He called you a slut." Rory's mouth dropped open.
"Seriously?" she asked in disbelief. Jesse nodded pouring the coffee into two cups and adding the right amount of cream and sugar to each. She gripped the warm mug and took a few sips. "That's why you were fighting him?" Jesse rolled his eyes.
"Why else would I be fighting him?" Rory was silent for a few minutes.
"Did you punch him?" she asked glancing up at Jesse, who nodded. "I got in a fight with Dean. He told me he didn't want me to hang out with you anymore. I told him he couldn't control me." They were silent for a few minutes Rory sipping her coffee. When she finished the coffee she slid off the stool. "Thanks, I guess I'll see you around."
"I'll walk you," he said grabbing his vest. Rory smiled meeting his eyes. They walked silently through the packed snow. When they reached Rory's house he stopped walking and she began to walk to the door. "Hey Rory," he called. She turned around "PJ Harvey is going to be in Hartford on Thursday for an outdoor concert. Do you want to go?" Rory almost fell off the porch.
"I think you already know the answer to that question," she said beaming at him. He smiled, a real smile, not just one of his smirks. She watched him walk down the street and only when he was out of sight, did she turn and walk into the house.
On Thursday night she picked him up and they drove to Hartford. When they reached the park Jesse told her to stop at there wasn't anyone around but the snow had begun to fall softly on the ground. "Where is everyone?" she asked him.
"Follow me," was all he said grabbing her mittened hand. They waked through the park for about five minutes when they came upon a gazebo. The place was deserted except for a lone figure sitting in the gazebo. When they reached the gazebo Jesse waved up at the lone figure. It was PJ Harvey. "I called in a favor," he whispered to her. They stood in the middle of the park, hand in hand for an hour just listening to the music. When the concert was over Rory was in shock. She had just been given a private concert by the greatest female indie rocker of all time. PJ Harvey packed up her guitar and waked over to them.
"Thank you so much," Rory stammered shaking hands with the star.
"Anything for my favorite cousin," she replied punching Jesse in the shoulder. Rory turned to Jesse in disbelief.
"She's you cousin?!?" Jesse laughed. They left driving back to Stars Hollow at around ten o'clock. Rory babbled the entire way "I can't believe she was your cousin, I never knew that!"
"There's a lot that you don't know about me," he replied laughing as Rory swerved around the highway to avoid hitting a raccoon.
"Next thing you're going to tell me is that Bill Gates is your second cousin." Jesse smiled mischievously.
"You never know."
"If he is, you should tell me because I have a MAC." By the time they reached Stars Hollow it was almost eleven. Rory drove to her house and they walked down the street together, towards the diner. When they reached the Diner, Rory stopped "I had a good time, thanks." Jesse smiled. "Anytime, Gilmore. Anytime."