Just Another Day
Part 10 - It's over...
Spoilers: If you've never watched the show ever you might be spoiled. ;)
Belongs... not to me. Just a humble fan writing a little extension to the genius of Amy Sherman-Palladino and friends... Don't sue me! Please!
A/N: Well, I know this took forever to get written (or at least, it felt that way), but I had such a problem wrapping it up. I didn't know how to end it between R/D without having Lorelai and Rory avoid Doose's market for the rest of eternity. So, this is it! I'm pretty proud of this chapter, so please don't forget to R&R! Thanks!
As soon as Lorelai and Rory entered the house, the messages were checked where there were two from Dean, and Lorelai headed upstairs. Rory made her way to her room and crashed on the bed.
Her bag was lying on the floor. Her uniform was draped halfhazardly over a chair and the bed Rory was lying on was unmade. It looked like a slightly unorganized teenager's room, but if Lorelai had walked in she would have a made a comment about teenage angst and how Rory had just caught a bad case of the stuff.
Sprawled on the bed, Rory was staring at the ceiling. Her eyes roamed the space, looking for something to focus on and after a couple of minutes, she found a small crack. Then she started to think. Within seconds, she had come to a decision.
She and Dean just hadn't been working lately. They bickered and argued and she knew that if she had to say, "Don't be mad" one more time, she'd start crying or screaming or doing something worse. She hated being sorry all the time. She was constantly walking on eggshells with Dean and was sick of it.
She glared at the crack. It was almost symbolic. A little crack like that could and would eventually spread, grow and destroy. Little rumbles would make the crack only wider.
"Stupid crack," she said aloud. "Why do you have to be there?" She felt like it was mocking her, daring her to do something that she might very well regret.
She peeled her eyes from the crack and instead focused on her bookcase, namely the now ragged copy of HOWL. She knew what every margin said, every word that Jess had marked and written. Dean had never written anything in her books.
She turned the other way and could see the same scene that she had woken up to that morning. The sun was still setting everything sparkling. Everything was peaceful. She saw her baby blue car, and her heart jumped to her throat because there was Dean, sitting against one of the wheels. She leapt off the bed and ran for the door. She paused when she passed her mother was sitting at the kitchen table, coffee mug in hand. The look on her face was pained, but understanding and she only shook her head disappointedly when Rory went to say something. When Lorelai looked up again, Rory held her gaze, almost trying to explain but again, Lorelai shook her head.
"Go," she whispered softly. "He deserves to know. He needs to know."
Rory went to go again, but Lorelai stopped Rory once more.
"You really like him, don't you?"
"I do," was the breathless reply.
Lorelai sighed. One more glance at Rory and-
"Good luck."
Rory nodded and in an instant, was out the door.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The door shut firmly behind her and Rory took a deep breath. For some reason, the worst seemed to be over, but the rest of the job had to be carried out. Another deep breath and she was down the stairs.
When Dean saw her walking towards him, he sprung to his feet. A grin spread ear to ear and it was obvious that he had waited to see her. He jogged over to meet halfway but his smile was dampened when he reached her. Rory's fingers were knotted together and the look on her face only spoke of determination. She looked up at him for just a moment before her eyes were pulled down onto the grass at her feet. Dean grasped t her hands and softly kissed the top of her head. Soon she was enveloped into his arms. She was quickly pulling away.
"Dean, don't," was all she said before looking up again. He took a step away, but didn't let go of her hands. A spark of fear and anger flashed through his eyes and his hands gripped tighter.
"What's wrong, Rory?"
"Nothing, Dean." She tried to smile, but the attempt fell flat.
"Something is definitely going on. I can see it on your face."
"We need to talk," she replied lamely.
"Oh no." Dean backed away and finally let go of Rory's hands. 'We are not 'talking.' 'Talking' is never good. I won't talk." He crossed his arms childishly.
"Dean, please don't be-" Rory caught herself. "You have to talk to me. Or at least, I have to talk to you."
"What about?" He turned away and was glaring at the chuppa.
"Us," replied Rory meekly.
"What about 'us'? I thought we were fine."
"Well Dean, we're not fine. We haven't been for awhile." Rory couldn't help but start to get annoyed. He was acting like a little boy.
"Explain it to me. I obviously don't get what's wrong."
"Everything. We argue all the time and you don't trust me."
"I trust you," he murmured. He turned to face her again.
"No you don't. You never have. All last year with Tristin." She managed to bite back a comment about the kiss they had shared. "You don't trust me around Jess at all. We've never done anything! We're just-" She stopped. The 'friends' she had planned to say wouldn't come to her lips. Her mind urged her to say it before it was too late. The thumping of her heart was louder than sense though and silence hung in the air.
After a few minutes of standing and avoiding each other's eyes, Dean's shoulders fell in defeat. The determination he had seen when she had first come outside hadn't really diminished. For a hopeful second he thought he could change her mind, but in his heart, he knew it was too late. A crazed moment of anger and pure destructiveness had gone by too, but he knew it wasn't worth the ramifications. Nothing would change the new look in Rory's eyes anyway.
"You're right," he finally said. "I've never trusted you. If I had, I might not have lost you."
Rory took a brave step forward and put her hand on Dean's arm. She took a long look at him. And softly, very softly, she whispered.
"Yes, you would have lost me."
Dean's eyes blinked in surprise. He took a step back again, but Rory wouldn't let him go away mad not if she could help it. She rushed to pull him into a hug and held him as tight as she could until she felt the response of his arms around her too.
Out of the bushes walked Jess. He had his hands tucked neatly away in his pockets and he ambled onto the Gilmore property only until he noticed Rory and Dean. He stopped mid-step and tiptoed towards the jeep. He ducked behind it to watch.
His eyes were only pulled away from the scene when he saw something moving in one of the living room windows. Lorelai's face peeked out between the curtains and telltale tears had moistened her face. Without looking back at Rory and Dean who were just pulling away from each other, Jess could feel heartbreak in the air.
He watched Lorelai turn back into the house when Dean kissed Rory for the last time. Then Dean left, leaving Rory standing in the middle of the yard, arms hanging limply at her sides. Tears were in her eyes, but the freedom shone brighter and brighter as Dean walked farther away.
Jess quickly snuck back through the bushes with a frown on his face. She was happy now. She was free from obligation and love. He, on the other hand, was miserable. He had finally seen how beautiful Rory was without the influence of a relationship and he couldn't possibly take that away.
He pulled out the bracelet and looked at it once more. His grasp loosened on it until it slipped through his fingers and fell onto the ground. Then he walked away.
A/N #2: Ok, wow! I just the love the ending of that... Going away now... Don't forget to R&R!!!
Part 10 - It's over...
Spoilers: If you've never watched the show ever you might be spoiled. ;)
Belongs... not to me. Just a humble fan writing a little extension to the genius of Amy Sherman-Palladino and friends... Don't sue me! Please!
A/N: Well, I know this took forever to get written (or at least, it felt that way), but I had such a problem wrapping it up. I didn't know how to end it between R/D without having Lorelai and Rory avoid Doose's market for the rest of eternity. So, this is it! I'm pretty proud of this chapter, so please don't forget to R&R! Thanks!
As soon as Lorelai and Rory entered the house, the messages were checked where there were two from Dean, and Lorelai headed upstairs. Rory made her way to her room and crashed on the bed.
Her bag was lying on the floor. Her uniform was draped halfhazardly over a chair and the bed Rory was lying on was unmade. It looked like a slightly unorganized teenager's room, but if Lorelai had walked in she would have a made a comment about teenage angst and how Rory had just caught a bad case of the stuff.
Sprawled on the bed, Rory was staring at the ceiling. Her eyes roamed the space, looking for something to focus on and after a couple of minutes, she found a small crack. Then she started to think. Within seconds, she had come to a decision.
She and Dean just hadn't been working lately. They bickered and argued and she knew that if she had to say, "Don't be mad" one more time, she'd start crying or screaming or doing something worse. She hated being sorry all the time. She was constantly walking on eggshells with Dean and was sick of it.
She glared at the crack. It was almost symbolic. A little crack like that could and would eventually spread, grow and destroy. Little rumbles would make the crack only wider.
"Stupid crack," she said aloud. "Why do you have to be there?" She felt like it was mocking her, daring her to do something that she might very well regret.
She peeled her eyes from the crack and instead focused on her bookcase, namely the now ragged copy of HOWL. She knew what every margin said, every word that Jess had marked and written. Dean had never written anything in her books.
She turned the other way and could see the same scene that she had woken up to that morning. The sun was still setting everything sparkling. Everything was peaceful. She saw her baby blue car, and her heart jumped to her throat because there was Dean, sitting against one of the wheels. She leapt off the bed and ran for the door. She paused when she passed her mother was sitting at the kitchen table, coffee mug in hand. The look on her face was pained, but understanding and she only shook her head disappointedly when Rory went to say something. When Lorelai looked up again, Rory held her gaze, almost trying to explain but again, Lorelai shook her head.
"Go," she whispered softly. "He deserves to know. He needs to know."
Rory went to go again, but Lorelai stopped Rory once more.
"You really like him, don't you?"
"I do," was the breathless reply.
Lorelai sighed. One more glance at Rory and-
"Good luck."
Rory nodded and in an instant, was out the door.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The door shut firmly behind her and Rory took a deep breath. For some reason, the worst seemed to be over, but the rest of the job had to be carried out. Another deep breath and she was down the stairs.
When Dean saw her walking towards him, he sprung to his feet. A grin spread ear to ear and it was obvious that he had waited to see her. He jogged over to meet halfway but his smile was dampened when he reached her. Rory's fingers were knotted together and the look on her face only spoke of determination. She looked up at him for just a moment before her eyes were pulled down onto the grass at her feet. Dean grasped t her hands and softly kissed the top of her head. Soon she was enveloped into his arms. She was quickly pulling away.
"Dean, don't," was all she said before looking up again. He took a step away, but didn't let go of her hands. A spark of fear and anger flashed through his eyes and his hands gripped tighter.
"What's wrong, Rory?"
"Nothing, Dean." She tried to smile, but the attempt fell flat.
"Something is definitely going on. I can see it on your face."
"We need to talk," she replied lamely.
"Oh no." Dean backed away and finally let go of Rory's hands. 'We are not 'talking.' 'Talking' is never good. I won't talk." He crossed his arms childishly.
"Dean, please don't be-" Rory caught herself. "You have to talk to me. Or at least, I have to talk to you."
"What about?" He turned away and was glaring at the chuppa.
"Us," replied Rory meekly.
"What about 'us'? I thought we were fine."
"Well Dean, we're not fine. We haven't been for awhile." Rory couldn't help but start to get annoyed. He was acting like a little boy.
"Explain it to me. I obviously don't get what's wrong."
"Everything. We argue all the time and you don't trust me."
"I trust you," he murmured. He turned to face her again.
"No you don't. You never have. All last year with Tristin." She managed to bite back a comment about the kiss they had shared. "You don't trust me around Jess at all. We've never done anything! We're just-" She stopped. The 'friends' she had planned to say wouldn't come to her lips. Her mind urged her to say it before it was too late. The thumping of her heart was louder than sense though and silence hung in the air.
After a few minutes of standing and avoiding each other's eyes, Dean's shoulders fell in defeat. The determination he had seen when she had first come outside hadn't really diminished. For a hopeful second he thought he could change her mind, but in his heart, he knew it was too late. A crazed moment of anger and pure destructiveness had gone by too, but he knew it wasn't worth the ramifications. Nothing would change the new look in Rory's eyes anyway.
"You're right," he finally said. "I've never trusted you. If I had, I might not have lost you."
Rory took a brave step forward and put her hand on Dean's arm. She took a long look at him. And softly, very softly, she whispered.
"Yes, you would have lost me."
Dean's eyes blinked in surprise. He took a step back again, but Rory wouldn't let him go away mad not if she could help it. She rushed to pull him into a hug and held him as tight as she could until she felt the response of his arms around her too.
Out of the bushes walked Jess. He had his hands tucked neatly away in his pockets and he ambled onto the Gilmore property only until he noticed Rory and Dean. He stopped mid-step and tiptoed towards the jeep. He ducked behind it to watch.
His eyes were only pulled away from the scene when he saw something moving in one of the living room windows. Lorelai's face peeked out between the curtains and telltale tears had moistened her face. Without looking back at Rory and Dean who were just pulling away from each other, Jess could feel heartbreak in the air.
He watched Lorelai turn back into the house when Dean kissed Rory for the last time. Then Dean left, leaving Rory standing in the middle of the yard, arms hanging limply at her sides. Tears were in her eyes, but the freedom shone brighter and brighter as Dean walked farther away.
Jess quickly snuck back through the bushes with a frown on his face. She was happy now. She was free from obligation and love. He, on the other hand, was miserable. He had finally seen how beautiful Rory was without the influence of a relationship and he couldn't possibly take that away.
He pulled out the bracelet and looked at it once more. His grasp loosened on it until it slipped through his fingers and fell onto the ground. Then he walked away.
A/N #2: Ok, wow! I just the love the ending of that... Going away now... Don't forget to R&R!!!