Chapter 10: Fairytale of New York

"Who's Jess, Rory? Is she a friend you met on your campaign trail?" Emily was thoroughly confused she couldn't think why Rory would have brought a campaign friend to dinner.

Rory hung her head, why did her two worlds have to be so different? She looked at Lorelai to see if she would back her up if she lied. Lorelai raised her eyebrows, Rory sighed. She was on her own on this one.

"No Grandma, Jess is my, well he's my boyfriend."

"Oh Rory how delightful I'm glad you're having fun after that unfortunate incident with Logan." Emily made it sound like Logan and Rory had had one bad date rather than gone out for two and a half years and broken each other's hearts.

"So what is he like, what university did he go to? I bet his writing isn't as good as yours." Emily said cheekily.

Rory was momentarily at a loss for words. "We'll his writing is quite different to mine – he's actually a published author and he runs a publishing house."

"Really Rory? That's wonderful he sounds like an amazing young man."

"He is." Rory was grateful that she had gotten out of that hole!

Lorelai did not like where this was going. Rory had a habit of not being open with people and while that was good in some respects sometimes it meant that she led people on and then things blew up later. Five years ago she would have butted in and told Emily the whole truth but Rory was an adult now.

"I'm very happy for you Rory, will Jess be at the wedding?"

"I hope so."

"Me too, now come and look at what we've drawn up."

Whatever Emily Gilmore's faults one couldn't deny that she was an amazing artist; Lorelai had an eye for design so the two of them had drawn up amazing patterns.

Rory's breath caught in her throat "oh my, Mum, Grandma they're gorgeous"

Lorelai's dress was going to be floor length and pale cream with white lace and a baby blue sash. She was going to wear a tiara rather than a veil at Emily's suggestion. Rory's maid of honour dress was the same blue as Lorelai's sash and was knee length; Sookie's matron of honour dress was floor length and blue. They were going to have a small wreath of daises each around their heads. Rory and Emily looked at each other – they were both so happy for Lorelai her dream was finally coming true.

Luke came in with April close behind him. "Hi everyone." April said, she was happy because she had managed to convince Luke to buy her a new telescope, not that it was difficult: it was common knowledge that April had Luke wrapped around her little finger.

Emily was happy to see them. She had really warmed to Luke since she had met April, despite what Lorelai claimed she loved kids and Rory was grown up now and away most of the time. Then she realised that the groom would be seeing the dress!

"Luke, out!"

"What?"

"We're looking at the dresses for the wedding."

"Oh right sorry." Luke said, embarrassed. He was thoroughly at a loss with all this wedding planning. He and Nicole had just done things spur of the moment and it had been so much easier. However having said that he and Nicole perhaps weren't the best example of a happy marriage.

"Yeah sorry" April added and turned to leave, she didn't want to intrude on the Gilmores' plans.

"No, honey you stay you need to see whether you like your dress."

"My dress?"

"Your bridesmaid's dress." Emily said, taking delight in April's innocence.

"Me? You really want me to be a bridesmaid?"

Lorelai walked over to her step daughter whom she had come to feel very close to, she cupped April's chin in her hand. "I would love you to be in the wedding party April, if you want to. I understand it will be incredibly hard and probably remind you of your Mum and if you don't feel comfortable then just say: I won't be offended."

April turned to Rory. If she was really honest with herself April was terrified of Rory: she was gorgeous and sophisticated and smart. She hadn't been around Rory long enough to know that she also had a heart of gold so she just tried not to get in her face too much.

"You don't mind Rory; you won't think I'm trying to replace you or anything?"

That's exactly what Rory had thought until she realised that she was being completely stupid. She had no right to be jealous of a fifteen year old whose mother was in a coma and was living with her father who she had only known for three years.

"No April, of course not, you should be a bridesmaid."

April squealed and hugged both Lorelais for once acting like the teenager that she was. "Really? This means so much! Oh I'm so excited."

Emily looked on happily, there was going to be a proper wedding in her family at last and she was actually going to have a role in planning it.

XXX

Christmas came and went. Fortunately, in Luke's opinion Christopher and GG where in France visiting Sherrie and her new boyfriend so he didn't have to face him. Christmas day was hard. He spent Christmas Eve in the hospital with April who held Anna's hand and talked to her happily as though nothing was wrong. Luke was almost sure though that the second he left the room April cried because her eyes looked awfully puffy throughout the day. It didn't get any better the next day back in Stars Hollow. Something was up with Rory and Jess. Jess was even less talkative than usual and when little Doula came up to give him a hug he didn't even notice her until Liz nudged him in the ribs. And when he eventually picked up his baby sister he had to force himself to smile. Rory on the other hand was being overly cheerful and laughing unnecessarily at everyone's jokes, except Jess's.

After Liz, TJ and Doula had left Rory went out on to the veranda and sat on the couch that had been there for as long as she could remember. It had been a long day. She wasn't sure why she was holding a grudge against Jess for something as small as not wanting to see the Gilmores – he had never been a fan of them or their wealth. But Rory had thought Jess had changed and wanted commitment, clearly he didn't.

The front door opened to reveal Jess "can I sit down?" He asked. Rory could tell that he wasn't too pleased with her either.

"You can do whatever you like."

Jess flinched, a comment like that was pretty bad coming from Rory. "Listen I know you're not too pleased with me for not coming to your grandparents but to be fair you did put me on the spot. If we would have planned it I would have come."

"Really? I don't believe you."

"Ok well I would have tried to get out of it at first but I would have let you convince me and then I would have come."

Rory rolled her eyes "but the thing is Jess I spent the last couple of weeks considering giving up my dream job just so I could help you set up a new store. And then I find out that someone who I would do that for wouldn't even come to visit my grandparents. I know you don't like them but they have done so much for me."

Jess finally came and sat beside Rory and held her hand. "Ok, Rory I don't want you to give up your career for me and I don't want to be the one to influence you away from that."

"I don't want to be influenced by you either but I can't help it, I love you Jess."

Jess sighed. "You know I love you, right?"

"Yes."

"Then maybe we should take a break for a while."

Rory stared at him, completely shocked. That was not what she had been expecting.

"No!"

"Rory we have to: I'm not ready for this, for your life. I thought I was but I'm not. And you are too talented to give up your dream for me when I can't commit to you. My dream is to make Truncheon as successful as it can be and I don't want to sacrifice that."

Rory was doing her best to hold back her tears: she would not cry in front of him! "Well then Jess, how long do you propose we should take this break for?" Rory asked bitingly.

"I don't know but we need to see how we manage without each other."

Rory had stopped being sad, now she was just plain livid. "Oh I can assure you, Jess Mariano that I am perfectly capable of living without you. I don't need you at all. I'm going to go to Europe after the wedding and kick arse and you are going to spend the rest of your sorry life wishing that you had stayed with one of the best journalists in the country!"

Jess's face was completely emotionless. "Goodbye Rory."

As soon as he turned his back and walked away he broke into a smile. That was the Rory he wanted to see! Her dreams and her moxy were well and truly back.

Rory didn't even watch him drive off. She had no idea where he was going and she didn't care. Jess Mariano was just as selfish as Logan had been. She was going to prove them all wrong – she was going to be better than any of them. She went into her room and opened her laptop with such force that it almost broke and began to write her acceptance letter to the New York Times.

As soon as Jess started driving away he realised that he was in Stars Hollow, on Christmas and there would be absolutely nowhere he could stay the night. He almost laughed with the irony, the first Christmas ever that he felt accepted and wanted he had ended up alone by his own choice. He didn't want to upset Liz so he rang Luke and asked if he could stay by the apartment upstairs. He was certain that Luke would yell at him for bailing on Rory but he seemed distracted on the phone and agreed to Jess staying there without asking any questions at all.

XXX

Lorelai despised cooking but she really enjoyed doing the dishes. She had no idea why but it was a useful thing to like – it got her so many brownie points from Luke. She was just finishing up when Luke walked into the kitchen. His face was completely ashen and he looked exhausted.

"Luke?"

"Anna's opened her eyes."

Lorelai went over to hug him. She felt sorry for Luke. Today had been an emotional roller coaster and Luke was not one for lots of emotion.

"Are you ready to talk to her?"

"I don't know, I don't even know that we should tell April yet. All the doctor said was that she had opened her eyes. I don't know if she can talk, heck I don't even know if she's got her memory back."

Lorelai didn't say anything: she just held him tighter; she couldn't tell him what to do here, this was completely his business.

Luke noticed Lorelai's silence: "you think I should tell April don't you?"

Just as he said that they both heard footsteps coming towards the kitchen.

"You think you should tell me what?" April asked.

If Luke hadn't been in such a mess Lorelai would have laughed and yelled 'busted' like a teenager but Lorelai didn't think that would be too appropriate in this situation. Luke whispered in Lorelai's ear "what should I do?" Lorelai squeezed his hand "put yourself in April's shoes, or well fluffy bunny slippers in this case." Luke laughed at that despite himself. April's slippers were very fluffy, very pink and very noticeable.

"April, come sit with me." Luke pulled up a chair and April came and sat on his knee. April looked a lot younger than her 15 years when she was in her flannel pyjamas and didn't have her glasses on.

Lorelai started to leave but Luke motioned for her to stay, Lorelai was flattered and came and sat at the table.

"April honey, your Mum has opened her eyes."

Two tears ran down April's cheeks. She didn't know whether she was happy or sad. Her world just kept on changing all the time and she didn't know when it would stop, she missed Anna like crazy but then there were times, when, just for a second, this place felt like home.

"Ok, is she going to be ok? Is she going to be, you know herself?"

Luke gripped April's shoulders and said "I don't know. But I am here for you whatever happens."

Lorelai came over and hugged them both "I'm here for you too."

XXX

Luke used to quite like Chicago, in fact it used to one of the only cities that he could tolerate. Now he despised it. Flights had been ridiculously expensive since it was the holiday season so Luke and April had gone, leaving the Gilmore Girls in Stars Hollow. When Luke had come in to wake her up, April looked horrible like she'd cried herself to sleep and she had hardly spoken the whole trip. Luke was at a loss as what to say to her. He knew what it was like to have a sick parent but he had had Liz to worry about and his Dad was there for him the entire time. April had no one but him and as close as they had become recently, Luke had to admit that he and April were not as close as they could be. He wished more than anything that Lorelai could have come.

The hospital was as depressing as ever. When he and April approached it, April gripped his hand like a little girl, like he would be able to protect her. Luke wished he could, the doctor had been so obtuse by refusing to tell them more but he supposed that they all had their reasons. The walk up to the reception went far too quickly, April's hand was starting to shake when they reached the door of the ward.

Luke hugged April "do you want me to go in there with you?"

"No, Dad I think this has to be something I need to do on my own but it means so much that you are here with me. I'm really glad you're in my life now."

"Back at you, April, just yell if you need me. I'll be right here waiting."

April forced herself to smile at Luke; she opened the door to Anna's ward and went in. Her Mum looked a lot different than she did before the coma. Her hair had been cut short to make things easier for the doctors but her bruises had faded and she looked so much more peaceful than April had ever seen her. She sat by her mother's bed and held her hand.

"Mum, it's me April. I don't know if you can hear me but I just want to say that I love you a lot."

April had used that sentence every time she had greeted her mother since she had been in hospital but she had never once got a response.

But this time was different. Anna squeezed April's hand and turned to her. Then she opened her eyes and said "hello...sweetheart." He voice was raspy from so much time not being used and she sounded but she was struggling to get the words out but she had recognised April! April laughed and hugged her mother.

"I'm so glad you're back Mum, how are you feeling?"

"I've been better but I'm just glad you're ok. I'm so sorry honey, I'll never forgive myself for crashing the car – you could have been seriously hurt."

"Mum, that other driver was drunk, you were not in the wrong! And besides I'm fine, we're both fine, aren't we?"

Anna was silent for a second "well honey, the doctors expect me to make a full recovery but I don't know how long it will be before I can look after you again."

"But Mum, I'll look after you! You don't need to worry about me at all; I'll be the best nurse you ever saw I promise!" April was near tears.

"No April! You are not going to waste your time looking after me. I want you to have fun and focus on school, you've got your SATs coming up and you still want to go to Princeton don't you?"

"Of course!"

"Ok, good. Now can you send your father in? We need to talk about some stuff."

XXX

Lorelai was exhausted from driving Luke and April to the airport early that morning and the even worse drive back. The traffic was so bad that she didn't get back to Stars Hollow until after midday. She expected Rory to have been up for hours working on some freelance piece or other but when she got back the curtains were still drawn and the house was completely silent.

"Rory?"No one replied, Lorelai went into Rory's room and discovered Rory still in bed.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm fine." Rory said defensively.

"Uh huh – I'm your mother, I know you quite well remember? – What's wrong?"

Rory sighed. There were some disadvantages to having your mother as your best friend. "Well if you must know, Jess dumped me yesterday." Rory tried to sound stoic but she broke down in the last part of the sentence and Lorelai came over and hugged her. She was going to beat that Mariano kid to a pulp!

"And why did he decide to do that?" Lorelai asked in an icy voice.

"He doesn't want to commit to me apparently."

"Right that's it, you stay here and wallow. I'm going to buy you the massivest pile of junk food and some DVDs. You don't have to do anything today if you don't want to."

"Thanks Mummy."

As soon as she had shut Rory's door, she rang Luke. She knew he would be upset at the moment but she didn't care.

"Where is your nephew?" She demanded angrily as soon as Luke picked up.

"At the apartment above the diner, why?"

"Never mind, I'll tell you when I know more."

Lorelai hung up and drove like a maniac to Luke's. She marched in and powered up the stairs, much to the interest of those in the diner. Ms Patty went up to the counter and shushed everyone so they could hear what was being said. She was out of luck though, Lorelai was so angry that she was past screaming.

Lorelai knocked on the door of the apartment. It opened to reveal a very frayed looking Jess. His eyes were red and he was wearing fat pants and a singlet. He hadn't shaved.

"Lorelai? How are you?" Jess tried to be polite and act innocent but he should have known this was coming. He hoped Lorelai would understand he was doing this for Rory's benefit.

"Cut the crap Jess, we have a lot of talking to do."

Jess sighed and motioned her in.