Title: Second Chances

Chapter 1- P.J. Harvey

Author: Nichole Thompson

Summary: Jess never comes to live in Stars Hollow, but Rory meets a mysterious boy on her plane ride to Washington DC after her junior year at Chilton. (explained more in chapter 1) Although their meeting doesn't exactly go well, what happens if they one day get a second chance?

A/N: I just want to say... sorry to all my loving, loyal readers. I love you! I really do! I've just had serious writers block on my Yale with a Twist story. So... forgive me? Please? I promise an update will come soon. By the end of this week definitely. Please be kind and review. Reviews are always greatly appreciated.

A/N 2: Please please please read and review Resolution of the Heart. A joint fic by Claire Kennedy and myself. The first couple chapters are kind of short, but chapters 3+4 will be up Friday… which are longer, and more in depth. We're really hoping for some feedback!


Chapter 1- P.J. Harvey

--- January 27, 2005---

"Logan, no... I can't!" Rory rolled her eyes, attempting to maintain her position on the couch. Logan was trying to pull her off a couch in the library and whisk her away for the weekend… again.

"Come on, Ace, it's just a weekend."

"Some people actually study on the weekends, Logan," Rory protested.

"And I still can't figure out why," he responded dryly.

"Because not everyone can breeze through classes by flashing a smile a business card with the Huntzberger name."

"I'm offended, Gilmore," he said, placing his hand over his heart in mock pain. "I do more than that."

"Oh?" she asked, amused.

"Yes, I write a paper now and then, and I take the finals."

"Logan, I can't just up and leave for New York City. I have things to do."

"You have to relax," he said, holding up a pair of tickets. "Besides, I know the one thing that you will definitely 'up and leave' for."

Rory's eyes widened as she took the tickets from his hands to further inspect them. "PJ Harvey!" she squealed, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"That's right," he said smiling. "One night only; front row seats."

"NO!"

"Yes, and I bet we could even talk her into dinner, or drinks- if you really want to."

"Logan, you've got to be kidding me. I love PJ Harvey."

"I know you do; which is why we have to get going." He grabbed her hand and they made their way back to her room so that she could pack up some weekend necessities.


Forty minutes later the two were in the back seat of Logan's car; Jeff, Logan's personal driver, heading down the interstate. Logan was looking at Rory out of the corner of his eye. They had been friends for a few months, ever since the LDB event. He was beginning to have feelings for her and he hated it, but at the same time, he loved the friendship they had. She was the only girl he could do things with; liking going to a PJ Harvey concert or even having an in depth conversation with.

Rory's phone rang and she answered it immediately.

"Hey mom," she said, smiling.

"Hey sweets, just figured I'd give you a call. Tell you that I covered for you for tonight. But you are stuck at school with the bird flu."

"Mom, you didn't tell Grandma that."

"Yes I did! I told her that a bird flew into your window and bit you on the nose while you were sleeping a few nights ago. Now you are deathly ill with the bird flu virus."

"Funny. So what did you really tell her?"

"That you were going to New York with your new boyfriend."

"NO! You didn't!" Rory wasn't ready to be calling anyone her boyfriend. And anyone definitely included one Logan Huntzberger.

"You're right. I told her that you had a huge paper due Monday."

"Thank you," Rory said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Anything for my favorite daughter."

"You say that to all your daughters," Rory said back. They played this game often.

"Yes, but I only mean it with you!"

"Alright, well thanks Mom."

"Trying to get rid of me already?"

"No, I just didn't think there was anything else to talk about… I suppose I was mistaken."

"You are as a matter of fact. Babette and Maury got a new cat."

"What about Apricot?"

"They still have her, but they got another one, from a shelter."

"Okay, and you had to tell me this because…?"

"It's the one from the newspapers…" Lorelai sounded like she was about to burst into laughter.

"They did NOT adopt Lewis!"

"They DID! Babette is convinced Maury's music will reform the thing."

"I'm never coming home again."

"Then I'm moving to Yale," Lorelai laughed.

"Ok, see ya when I get back from New York," Rory replied, amused.

"Alright, you need to work on your subtlety. I'll let it slide this time. Call me later."

"Ok, love you,"

"Love you too, hun."

Rory hung up the phone and looked at Logan, who seemed to be thoroughly amused by her conversation with Lorelai. He was eagerly awaiting the day he would meet her; she seemed almost as fascinating as he found Rory to be. Rory took a deep breath and turned her thoughts back to New York City and PJ Harvey. Logan glanced over at Rory when he heard her sigh. He smiled as he looked at her; she was seemingly deep in thought. He knew better than to interrupt when she had that look in her eyes.

For Rory, PJ Harvey brought up a lot of thoughts of Chilton, for no other reason than Tristan presenting them to her the last day of her sophomore year. The times spent at Chilton weren't the best of her life. Her sophomore year had been torture; Paris hated her, Tristan annoyed her, and the only good part was going home to Stars Hollow. The only good part was her escape from the society life back to her charming oddball little town. Her junior year at Chilton wasn't quite so terrible. She and Paris became friendly, and even Tristan wasn't quite an ass. The only dilemma was- that was where problems with Dean started. Junior year finished with Paris and Rory winning President and Vice-President of the student council; which meant a summer in Washington DC.

She took a deep breath and remembered exactly how that summer started; with a plane ride and an encounter with a mysterious young man about her age.


--- July 13, 2002---

She was sitting nervously on the plane. Her mother had requested the aisle seat, so that she wouldn't have to climb over anyone in the event she had to use the bathroom. She was nervous and pulled out a book; hoping reading would settle her nerves. Sadly she was looking forward to the six weeks away from Dean. They had been arguing all the time lately; over everything and nothing all at the same time. Most of the arguments stemmed from Tristan. Dean was convinced that Tristan liked Rory, no matter how many times she tried to tell him they were just friends.

Sometimes it was still hard for her to believe; she and Tristan were friends. He had taken her advice about ditching Duncan and Bowman. The night of their Romeo and Juliet production the two suggested breaking into Bowman's dad's safe. Tristan heard Rory's warning in his head and decided against getting into any more trouble with the guys. He told her that night that she was stuck with him from then on- since it was her suggestion that he not hang out with the trouble makers. She had rolled her eyes and shrugged it off at first but she soon came to realize how serious he was. He had somehow changed; not completely, but to her at least, he was finally tolerable.

That left the problem of Dean; he hated that she was friends with Tristan and it was a constant focal point of their arguments. As much as she hated to admit it- she couldn't help but think that maybe it would be better if she and Dean broke up.

"That's me," a male voice said, breaking her from her thoughts.

"Oh, sorry," she said standing up. Her eyes met the young mans for a brief moment. They were dark and guarded, filled with mischief and passion. He lightly brushed against her as he made his way to his seat. He looked unhappy; she wondered if he was always so miserable. He looked like one of those 'misunderstood' teenagers. She smiled, wondering how misunderstood he could really be.

Rory tightly clutched the armrest as the plane took off. She could feel her stomach churning. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him smirk, obviously amused by her anxiety. As if by some 6th sense he turned away, glancing out the window. Did he know she had seen him smirking at her? It didn't matter anyway; although she was annoyed that a stranger would find so much pleasure in her discomfort. She pushed it from her mind and focused her attention on Kafka.

"Interesting choice," he said, pulling out a deck of cards. She responded with silence, attempting to ignore him. He shuffled the cards several times and put them face down on his tray. He picked up cards and replaced them in a new pile. She was curious, despite herself, although she made a conscious effort to keep her eyes on her book.

"Something to drink, miss?" the flight attendant asked, stopping her cart by Rory's seat.


"Huh?" Rory looked at Logan, questioningly.

"Do you want something to drink? There's Pepsi and champagne back here, or we can stop and get something."

"Oh… ummm… a Pepsi, I guess."

"Everything alright, Ace?"

"Yeah, I was just thinking," she said, trying to rid her mind of the mystery boy's face.

"Thinking about what?" Logan pried.

"Just a trip I took to DC a few summers back," she said, looking confused as to how she came to think about that in the first place. Oh right, PJ Harvey.

"Anything interesting happen?"

"Umm… not really. I mean, I sat next to some punk teenager, but nothing really of consequence."

"Well, here we are," Logan announced as the car stopped.

"Logan, we are not staying here…" Rory said, looking at the Waldorf-Astoria.

"Yes we are. This is going to be one weekend you won't forget."