Disclaimer: Not mine, never was, no intention of getting it, just having fun and no money involved. Happy?

A/N: First story, not much to say. Just keep in mind Jess is NOT Lukes nephew, he had a good life and he and Rory never met. And that my first language is german and english gives me quite the pain (if you're interessted, you can find the story behind it in my profile-summary. But I wouldn't be offended if you're not interessted. *g*). Hope you enjoy, feedback is love and many, many, many thanks to Kassandra27 for all her support and help and beta-ing. First chapter's to you, Kass! :) Oh, and if you could read it in 1/2 or 3/4, it just looks better. ;) xoxo, LitLove


FALLING IN LOVE


The only way to get rid of a temptation
is to yield to it.

- Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1891 -


FIRST PART


Arrival

And yet one arrives somehow,
finds himself loosening the hooks of
her dress
in a strange bedroom-
feels the autumn
dropping its silk and linen leaves
about her ankles.
The tawdry veined body emerges
twisted upon itself
like a winter wind . . . !

William Carlos Williams


Chapter 1 - Moving Day

A look in the rearview mirror showed Rory that the U-Haul-transporter steered by Luke was still behind her. She was amazed that they had managed so long, after all they were driving in New York City during afternoon rush. But luckily they would arrive soon, only a few blocks left and she could start to unpack, organize, decorate, and furnish her new apartment. This evening couldn't come fast enough.

She was – finally – in the city of her dreams.

Since she was a little girl Rory dreamed about coming here, living here, and starting her career here. Here being the Big Apple, the city pulsating with life. Her life's dream. Over a decade she thought that journalism was the key to that. But in college she realized soon: It would be her old friends and confidantes, the books, which were going to help her fulfill this dream. The one thing always keeping her sane and sober and calm when everything around her seemed too much, too soon, too difficult, was no longer just her escape, but now it was her calling.

So after finishing college and the following MBA studies, she started to work for a small, but renowned publishing company in Hartford. More temporarily than anything else, but still, it gave her the possibility to apply for jobs in several publishing businesses in New York. Most of them answered her straight away and during this following week she would meet up with them for a job interview.

Rory shifted gears and turned the corner, the U-Haul-transporter with Luke and her mother still behind her. Only a few yards later and her car came to a slow halt.

The street was lined with trees and after a long, very cold winter the first green leaves could be seen again. In front of her was a building, raised somewhere around the last centuries turn, with walls of brown stone, steps to the entrance and a rooftop with a garden. Seven floors high and a cute old lady as a landlord, who lived on the first floor and tried to rent her apartments to young singles or couples because she could still remember how hard it was for her to settle in herself, some decades ago. The rent was quite cheap for New York standards. When Rory told her mother about it, the latter one joked around and told her daughter, that she just hoped that Mrs. Gettysburg (another side comment was issued, reminiscing about if either the lady was named after the battle of Gettysburg or the other way around) wouldn't turn out to be the lady from "Duplex".

Rory got out of her car and looked up the building façade. A few rays of sunlight were just beginning to flow through the windows of her new apartment. A smile crept across her face.

Luke and Lorelai stood either side of Rory and copied the young woman's gesture.

"I still can't figure out how you managed to find something such adorable. I mean, look at it! It IS adorable!" Lorelai snaked her arm around her daughter, "you sure you didn't bribe someone?"

Rory grinned: "Positive. No money involved."

"You didn't sell you body to the night either, did you?"

"Lorelai!" Luke shook his head, arms crossed in front of his chest, "inappropriate."

The Gilmore Girls just giggled and skipped away in the direction of the building's entrance. Luke just shook his head again and grabbed the first box, following the cruel some twosome. He was quite convinced that it was left to him to do the major part of moving Rory's stuff.

oOo

Hours later all of Rory's boxes were moved to her fifth floor apartment, 5C, and it was time for the mother and daughter to say farewell. For a flicker of a second Lorelai was about to start to whistle Andrea Bocelli's "Time to Say Goodbye," but then remembered that she never learned to whistle. And saying goodbye was hard enough anyhow.

Lorelai held her daughter in her arms and pressed her tightly against her body.

"I could move in with you," she suggested for the eighth time by now and squeezed Rory even tighter.

"And what about the Inn? ," Rory reasoned smiling.

"Sookie?"

"And who's taking care of Sookie and Michel not driving each other insane?"

Lorelai held her daughter at arm's length and pouted: "I hate it when you're rational and right."

"At least one of you has to be," Luke countered, while putting his empty cup of tea in the sink.

Rory giggled and Lorelai glared at her husband: "Confess diner boy, you wouldn't want to have it any other way."

A smile appeared across his face when he said: "And you know that." With a last nod and a pad on the shoulder Luke bid Rory farewell and retreated silently, giving the two women a few moments alone to say their final goodbye.

"Take care of yourself, you hear me? Promise me to not make any spontaneous nightly walks through Central Park and stuff like that, understood?" Lorelai whispered, no longer fooling around, but drop dead serious, her arms once again around her daughter.

"I promise, Mom." Rory nodded her agreement and put her head on her mother's shoulder.

"I love you, kid! And if you need anything you can call me anytime, anywhere. Remember, I'm just a little over two hours away."

"Only when you're lucky and don't get stuck in New York traffic." Rory tried to lighten the mood.

"Excuse me? You've seen me drive!"

The spell was broken and the seriousness had passed. A last hug, a last "I love you" and Lorelai was gone.

oOo

Cozy was the perfect description of her new home.

If you stepped through the door you found yourself in perhaps a six foot by six foot large "hall" in which her shoe drawers and the clothes rack found their space. From this space, a round arch led into a spacious living room from which a short hallway led on into the bedroom and bathroom. The kitchen was also separated by an arch from the living room, but was almost equal in size.

The kitchen was new and shiny, and fully equipped (a gift from Emily and Richard, she just couldn't say no to it), including a kitchen-island and a bar. Rory LOVED her new kitchen. She always felt the need to run her hands over the smooth, new countertops, and every time she did she giggled like a teenager. Lorelai and Luke had given her the perfectly matching dining table with chairs. "An original Luke", her mother had winked, and again the young woman had to ask herself how her stepfather was able to work on the furniture all these months without her noticing or even suspecting that something was going on.

Christopher had sponsored the lemon-yellow couch, which was so comfortable that your only wish was to never get up again. On the opposite wall was a huge shelf where the TV found its place, next to the books, which were next to more books, and next to even more books. All her treasures, from the adventures of her childhood to the romances of her youth and the extremely challenging literature which she read during her time as a student at Yale. Tolstoy beside Dickens and the Brontё sisters lined up to the Mann-brothers and hundreds of their comrades and friends.

And she hoped that they brought her luck, because if all went well maybe she would be the one who discovered the next Tolstoy.

This stuff shot through her head, while her eyes wandered, and she once again took everything in. It was 48 hours after she had moved into her new home, and virtually all the boxes were unpacked and everything was put away.

Rory had just unpacked a vase, when there was a knock at the door. Surprised, she put the item back on the table. She knew no one here in New York, except her landlady. Nevertheless she purposefully headed towards her apartment door.

Only moments later she was faced with a willowy blonde Wonder Woman, with homemade apple pie in hands and a bombastic smile on her lips. She welcomed her to the building and introduced herself as Daphnée from 5D.

Two hours, four mugs of coffee, three pieces of apple pie, and lots of laughter later, the blonde woman bid her farewells with the words that she was looking forward to seeing her new neighbor again soon. Rory nodded her approval and promised to visit within the next couple of days with a ton of donuts.

When Rory was alone again she continued her work of unpacking, she sighed once happily, and noted with pleasure that her start in New York couldn't have been any better. Now she only had to convince the various publishers that Rory Gilmore was the perfect choice for their company.

TBC