Title: A Future Foretold
Rating: Pg-13
Summary: Happy future of Jess and Rory.
AN: Well, this is it. Since I've read every single piece of fan fiction devoted to Jess and Rory, I thought I would try and give it a go myself. Please enjoy, lots of effort and revising went into this, I didn't just whip this up an hour ago with thought or modification. So, relax all you Lit fans and enjoy.
My hair whips around my face as I pull my coat closer to my body. It is the dead of winter and Mother Nature's promise of snow makes me smile; I always did enjoy the winter wonderland season. I walk quickly passing people who are rushing home trying to beat out the threat of rain. It's nine o'clock and I know that he'd still be up in his office with masses of articles spread all around his desk. As I push the door open to the prestigious magazine company that specialized in world news, I head straight for the elevator. I step into it and smile warmly as the elder operator that pushes the appropriate floor for me. At the chime I get out and head left—to the department especially for European news. The route I take is all routine so I'm lost in my thoughts.
It brings a small smile of pride to think that I contributed to his success. I'm so happy for him that he's doing something with his life that he actually enjoys. Many people slave away at their jobs from nine to five hating it and yet for the both of us that isn't true. After my long-awaited graduation from Yale, life in the big city wasn't as glamorous as I imagined. I bounced from job to job trying to find the one that clicked with my ability to write; but it was a totally different story for him. He graduated from Hartford College and caught the eye of the head editor of Worldly News, and he received his dream job while I still tried to find the right one for me. However, after a year of interviews after interviews I found the job that excited, challenged, and inspired me.
As these thoughts are running through my mind I barely notice that the young adolescent is trying to capture my attention. Snapping out of it I ask, "I'm sorry, I just spaced out there for a second, what was it that you're saying?"
The late-teen replied, with a condescending tone that intended to insult, "I said, are you lost?"
"Oh no, I'm not. I'm just here to see Jess Mariano."
Impatiently she replies, "Well, he doesn't have any appointments listed for this time of day. Why don't you call tomorrow and schedule one? Mr. Mariano is a very busy person and whatever story you're tying to sell isn't that important that you must see him this late."
I'm ready to fire back a response for being so impolite but the door swings open revealing Jess with his nose stuck in several sheets of paper. Without looking up he asks softly, "Kate, what happened to that Paris article about the Louvre that Johnson gave me this morning?"
Kate begins to open her mouth to reply, Jess catches a glimpse of me and exclaims excitedly, "Rory! Hey, whatcha doing here? I was just about to call you." With the article and Kate forgotten, he runs over to me and engulfs me in a fierce hug that makes my head swim.
I slip back into my thoughts and pull out of out of his arms as I say, "Well I thought I'd surprise you. I knew you'd be trying to turn the draft into a finished product so I wanted to see you before you came home really late. Happy to see me?"
With a smile that only occasionally came out, Jess looks to me and kisses me so sweetly that it makes my knees buckle and whispers, "I'm always happy to see you."
Ushering me into his office he closes the door but not before telling Kate to forget about the article until tomorrow.
I settle into one of the chairs that face his desk in his spacious office as I notice that he has yet another bowl of fruit set out. Major companies from all over Europe that seek exposure send baskets of imported food to try to get Worldly News to write a story on them. I take an apple from the basket as I inquire, "Who's Kate? I thought your secretary's name was Beth."
As Jess rifles through some of the mess on the desk he absentmindly replies, "Yeah Beth was but then she got a better offer from a new magazine that's opening downtown so she quit. Kate's the newbie; it's kind of a hassle to have to show her the ropes but still have so much crap I've got to sort through. Hey, have you eaten?
"Yeah, I grabbed some pizza on the street after I left the building when I was on my way here. What about you?"
The sarcasm dripped from his voice as he replies with a smirk, "Well, other than that very fulfilling bowl of cold mush I had for lunch…um, no I haven't eaten yet."
With a slight disapproving shake of my hear I offer, "Well how 'bout we get out of here and grab a hot dog or something on the way home?"
"Sure, I've got to escape the news madness anyways. Come on Ror, let's get out of here."
---------------
I'm awake in the middle of the night to find Jess spooned up against me. I'm starving which isn't the most outrageous notion since I only had that one piece of greasy
New York pizza from that grumpy vendor, who was too busy talking to the guy next to me about the Mets instead of bothering to count out the correct change for me. I very carefully untangle myself out of Jess's arms trying not to wake him as I wince at the slight cold as my bare feet hit the wood floor. I'm rummaging through the fridge, smelling containers of old Chinese take-out, when I feel a pair of arms circle my waist.
"Geez Jess! You scared the crap out of me. You could have at least made some sort of noise to let me know you were coming."
"Now what would be the fun in that?" A smile plays across his lips; he's amused with himself that after all these years he's still able to get me like that. As he tightens his arms around me he asks, "What are you doing up so late? I woke up and you weren't there next to me."
"Aww, you worried about me?" An affirmative noise came from him as he buries his head in the crook of my neck. I'm distracted from my hunt for a midnight snack because Jess is pressed up against my wearing nothing but his boxers. His bare chest is warm against my back and his familiar scent surrounds me. Pulling my thoughts and feelings into a fixed place as Jess starts to lightly kiss my neck I ask, "You want something?"
A seductive smile begins to show as he lifts his head to look at me. "Oh yeah, I want something."
"I meant to eat, Jess." Trying to look put-off I fail terribly and laugh as Jess shuts the fridge door and proceed to lead me back to the bedroom. As he kicks the door closed we tumble onto the bed tangled up in each other's arms.
---------------
I wake up to a strange beeping noise and to find Jess fumbling for something. "Jess, what are you doing?"
Frustrated he answers, "My damn pager. Who would page me at four-thirty in the morning? I don't even have to be at work until eight. Someone needs their ass to be seriously kicked if this isn't an emergency."
I smile slightly at his back seeing him retreat into such a childish anger. I'm just about to console him when he exclaims that he has found it under the bed. "Why would it be there?" I ask, "Don't you keep in on top of the bedside table?"
His bad mood lifts as he pointedly replies, "Yeah, but someone must have knocked it off last night after that little rendezvous we had at the fridge." He's smiling at the recent memory as I blush slightly. With as he slams the phone back onto the cradle grunt he says, "I can't believe that some idiot would page the wrong number thinking that this is his doctor to tell me that his wife is in labor."
He climbs back under to covers to scoot closer to me as I sleepily mumble, "Just forget about it."
I snuggle up to him and drape an arm and a leg over his body as I yawn feeling safe and content as Jess tucks my head under his chin and on his chest. He kisses my forehead and whispers, "'Night Ror."
---------------
I stare at my article about a supposed illegal arms deal in the Middle East as my intercom buzzes and my assistant Roger's voice booms through and says, "Miss Gilmore, someone's here to see you." Thinking it's my editor wanting to see a finished piece, I try to look busy and not like I've been staring at my desk for the last half hour thinking about Jess and last night. As the door opens I talk immediately, "Oh Joe, I was just giving the article a finishing touch but…"
"Trying to fool your editor into thinking that you're actually busy, huh?"
I snap my head towards the voice as
I see him casually leaning against the door as he gives me his trademark smirk
with one eyebrow lifted. "Jess!" I pop out of my chair and throw my arms around
him as he crushes the two of us together. "What are you doing here?" He doesn't
answer my question; instead he leans down and gives me a sudden passionate
kiss. Breathless I happily reply, "Doesn't matter why you're here; that kiss was
worth it."
"Why I'm glad that you actually enjoy my presence and not just my body." He teases.
Slapping him lightly I say, "You
know I love it when you're around. I'm just surprised to see you at eleven o'clock in the afternoon."
"Well my early meeting went so well with the chief editor that he gave me the rest of the day off. So, I wanted to come to see my favorite Times writer…and from what I hear from those college interns from downstairs, she's pretty hot."
Blushing, I tease right back, "I think I'll just have to find out who these guys are so I can have some dates lined up the next time the magazine sends you somewhere and you leave me for a week."
Instantly with his comeback, "Then I'll have a lot of guys I'll need to beat up when I return."
"Why I didn't know you cared so much."
He smirks, pretending to give it serious consideration, "I guess if I'm dating, and not to mention living and sleeping with you I better be a little protective. I mean, what's a bodily harm of guys who hit on you, right?
Laughing I state, "Okay, back to being serious now; you have plans for today?"
With a nod of his head Jess mumbles almost incoherently, "Um, yeah I've got this new writer in my department and I think he's got potential so I'm going out to lunch with him to see what he's really made of."
I kiss him quickly and say, "Wow he must be really good, you've never done that before. Alright, then I'll se you for dinner."
Wrapping his arms back around my waist he inquires, "I'll also stop by to get some groceries; anything else besides the necessitates?"
"Those chocolate chip cookies that are really soft." My mouth starts to water at the thought of those amazing cookies.
"Okay, later then. I'll give you a call if I run late."
---------------
It's about seven as I step through the door and the one thing that I notice is that all the lights aren't on, but there are about a hundred candles scattered around the apartment. At the dinner table Jess is sitting there in a suit with my favorite dinner all laid out. I gasp as I take everything in and I walk slowly to him, careful not to disturb the scene. "What's all of this for? Oh my god, I forgot our anniversary—that's it, isn't it?" It's my worst fear when it comes to us; that I'd forget an important date. Even though the cliché is for the man to forget, I must admit Jess has an impeccable memory when it comes to important relationship events.
Chuckling softly he says, "Calm down Rory. You didn't forget anything. Come on and sit."
He leads me gingerly over to the table by my hand and I tentatively sit down. "Why are you doing this?"
"What, I can't do something nice for you? Will you please stop spazzing and asking about a million questions and just sit down and enjoy?"
"Uh, huh."
As we both finish the very delicious dinner a lull comes over in our conversation.
Jess seems very nervous tonight, but I don't want to mention it—I don't want him to think that I'm not enjoying his efforts to make me happy or something.
Jess takes a sip of his water and he reaches under the table to grab something. "Rory, we've known each other for a while now, right?" I nod my head and he continues.
Clearly very nervous now he starts to speak softly in that tone of his that soothes my soul,
"Alright, well I've been doing some thinking these days—major thinking. I think I'm unhappy with the current status of our relationship."
Becoming increasingly panicky I blurt out, "Did you do all of this just so you could butter me up and then break up with me?"
"God Rory, sometimes you really are crazy, you know that? You're not making this easy; just listen. Please. Like I've said, I'm unhappy with our relationship status. So…" He trailed off and I'm riveted to my seat waiting for him to continue but he hands
me a package instead. "Open it Rory."
I carefully unwrap it and I see that Howl is lying in the center of dark blue tissue paper. He starts to speak but I'm mesmerized by the worn book that I bought many years ago in the Stars Hallow Bookstore. It's also the first book that Jess wrote notes in the margins for me.
"More then eight years ago when I borrowed your book I knew that you were special. I just knew that you were one of a kind and that I'd do anything to capture your attention. I'm unhappy about us because I don't want to keep calling you my girlfriend. You mean so much to me; so much more than that loose term, so…open up the book."
I tenderly open it up to the first page where there's an 'I love you' bookmark as
Jess comes over to my side of the table and starts to kneel by me. I notice that there's something attached to the tassel of the bookmark. I peer closely and I notice that it's a simple white gold ring with a solitaire diamond perched upon the top.
Tears come to my eyes as I finally realize why Jess mumbled the fact that he had to go out for lunch, why he went to the supermarket for dinner, and why he's so nervous right now. I look up to meet his eyes and he looks deep within me and simply says in one intense sentence, "Rory Gilmore, will you spend the rest of your life with me?"
