Sitting on a bench in the park, holding a warm cup of coffee between her
hands, Rory watched Jessica on the playground. Lorelai had brought this to
her, of course it was from Luke's, but she refused to go in there. She
took a sip of her addiction and thought about all the people that had
stopped to say hello this morning. Ms. Patty, Taylor, Michelle, and all
the other unforgettable townies of Starts Hollow. All of them pitied her,
she knew they did and she hated it. She didn't need their pity, it
wouldn't bring him back.
"Mommy! Can we have a picnic on the bridge later?" Jessica asked as she came sprinting over to Rory.
Rory winced, more memories, "Why don't we have it at the gazebo instead?" She hated to disappoint her daughter but the lake was out of the question.
"But we never go to the lake!!" Jessica whined. "Pwease Mommy?"
"No. We'll have it somewhere else or not at all." Rory said sternly. But she wasn't able to look her daughter in the eye; she knew she was being selfish.
Jessica's face fell, "Okay, we'll have it in the gazebo." She walked away defeated.
Rory watched her go, I'm sorry Jessica, she thought, I wish I could get over him too.
Flashback
Rory sat waiting on the bridge, her legs dangling over the edge just missing the water. She heard footsteps approaching behind her. She turned around and her heart gave a mighty leap as Jess walked toward her in the moonlight. His hair looked raven black as the moon reflected upon it, but his face was hard; he was still upset with her.
"You wanted to see me?" He asked coolly, not sitting down next to her.
"I need to talk to you Jess, explain things." Rory looked up at him, her face full of hope. "I want you to understand."
"I think I've heard enough already." He said starting to walk away.
"Please Jess." Her voice was pleading, it wavered.
Jess sat down a distance away from her, "You hurt me, a lot."
"I know and I'm sorry." Rory paused, there was a long silence. " I never meant for this to happen. I never expected you Jess."
"I didn't expect you either." He said, his voice detached.
Rory shivered, she was cold, so cold. "I thought I loved him and then you came, and I knew I didn't, I knew." She stared at the water waiting for a response, when none came she said, "You scare me Jess."
Silence, then "I don't want to."
"I know. But this wasn't supposed to happen. I thought I had everything figured out. This wasn't supposed to happen." Tears fell down her cheeks unwillingly.
Jess moved closer and willed her to look at him, "What wasn't supposed to happen Rory?" When she didn't answer he moved closer. He caught her chin in his hand forcing her to look at him. "What is it?" Their faces were so close.
Rory let out a choked sob, "I'm not supposed to be falling in love with you." She whispered it so softly that she didn't think that he heard. But he did and reeled back away from her. Rory brought both of her hands up to her face and cried, she felt so ashamed. 'He doesn't love me' Was all she could think.
She felt the warmness of him seep through her as he pulled her hands away to look at her. He wiped the tears away from her face tenderly. Her heart soared as he leaned over and softly whispered in her ear, "I've already fallen."
Rory was torn out of her reverie when hearing an ear splitting shriek coming from the playground. On motherly instinct Rory ran to the where she heard it from. She found Jessica holding her pinkie and crying her eyes out when Rory reached her.
"Oh, honey what happened?" Rory asked as she reached Jessica and put her arms around her.
"I-I got my pi-pinkie stuck!!" Jessica wailed still clutching her smallest finger . "Let me take a look at it hon." Rory said as she pulled Jessica's hand to her. She gasped when she saw it, it was twisted back painfully. Oh, jeez it's definitely broken. "Don't worry, were just gunna bring you to the hospital and they'll have you fixed up right away. That sound good?" Rory asked her still crying daughter.
"O-Okay." Jessica wiping tears away with her good hand.
Twenty minutes later Rory was pulling into the Emergency section of the hospital. She had called them on the way and they had told her to come here where they could put Jessica in a small cast.
"Okay, we're here." She went around to the other side of the car and helped Jessica out of her seat. They went into the hospital and up to the front desk.
"May I help you?" Said the receptionist with fiery red hair, smiling.
"Yes, my daughter broke her pinkie. I think I spoke with you earlier, you told me to come here." Rory said.
"Indeed we did speak. I'll have Janet take her to a room, and we'll take a look at that break with a few x-rays." The receptionist called to Janet in the back room. "Janet we have a little girl out here that needs your attention."
"I'll be right there." A voice called from the back room. Two minutes later a short, plump nurse bustled out with a kind smile on her face. "Well, hello there you two." She shook Rory's hand and then Jessica's small, good one. "We'll take you to the x-ray room," She told Jessica, "And you can fill out papers while we take x-rays." She said to Rory.
Twenty minutes later Janet had taken x-rays of Jessica's small finger and Rory had filled out all the necessary papers. Janet led them to a small hospital room. "Here we are, the doctor will be here in just a few minutes. This is where we'll get the cast on, and you can pick any color you want." She told Jessica with certainty. Janet then left them waiting for the doctor.
"You've got a little girl in room 9 that needs a pinkie cast, hon." Janet said to the young doctor in room 3 working on a patient as she passed by.
"I'll be there in 5!" He called back. He finished with his patient there and true to his word in 5 minutes he was on his way to room 9. On his way in he grabbed the papers from outside the door, he walked in as he filed through them. "So you have a broken pinkie, huh?" He looked up and his heart stopped, two familiar pairs of bright blue eyes were staring at him. Mary.
Rory looked up when she heard the familiar voice, startled she just stared at him. Tristan DuGrey! Oh my God! Was all she could think. He looks so much different. So much older. Rory continued to stare.
"So are you just going to sit there and stare at me Rory Gilmore, or are you going to say hello?" Tristan asked calmly even though his heart was thumping so loudly in his chest that he was sure the whole world could here it.
"How did-? I mean, hel-hello, Tristan." Rory stammered.
Tristan offered his hand, "It's been a long time hasn't it?" He said as they shook hands.
"It certainly has." Rory said a little dazed as she pulled her hand away from his strong grip. She studied him, he had changed since she had seen him last, right before he left for military school. He still had the messy blonde hair, but he wore wire rimmed glasses and it looked as though he hadn't shaved for a few days giving him a rough look. The glasses and the scruffy look gave him more appeal than ever before. My God he looks good! Rory thought but she quickly pushed the thought away.
"How have you been?" Tristan asked forcing Rory to come back to the real world.
Rory cleared her mind, "I've been good." Rory remembered the small being that clung to her. "This is my daughter, Jessica."
"Ahhhh, you must be the one with the broken pinkie." Tristan averted his attention to the little girl sitting beside Rory. "Why don't you climb up here." Tristan said indicating to the bed that sat beside the two chairs. When Jessica did as she was told Tristen said, "Why don't I have a look at that?"
"Okay." Jessica said warily as she held out her hand.
"Ouch! That looks like it hurts!" Tristan exclaimed as he studied her finger. He carefully examined it while asking her how it happened.
"Well," Jessica said, "I was swinging on monkey bars and when I got to the other side I got it stuck in a crack. And then when I tried to go down the swide I heard a crack and then it really hurt." She explained proudly. "But I didn't crwy at awll."
Tristan smiled at her, "You didn't? You're one brave little girl!" He gave Rory a knowing look and continued his work. "Okay Jessica, were going to have to put this in a cast." He turned to Rory, "I'm going to have to extend the cast to her wrist so she can't move anything else around. Since she's so young we have to be more cautious, and it's a pretty bad break."
Rory nodded, "Okay, how long will it have to be on for?"
"About 3 weeks, more or less." He opened a cupboard and pulled out a small white fitted cloth which almost looked like a glove. He cut off parts of it and then placed it over Jessica's hand carefully. "Okay, sweetie, this might hurt a little." Tristan took out a box from a drawer, "So how old are you Jessica?"
"Oh! I'm going to be five in a few days!" Jessica said, forgetting all about her pinkie. "That's a whole hand, even with a broked finger!"
"It certainly is!" Tristan laughed as he pulled a small needle from the box and inserting liquid into it. "And then I'll be able to go to school!" Jessica said with a huge smile.
"I used to love school." Tristan said throwing Rory a small smirk. "Jessica, honey why don't you look at your Mommy while you tell me about school." Tristan said as he wiped disinfection on Jessica's finger.
"Okay! Well, there's going to be all these really cwool kids there and." Jessica continued to talk about school while Tristan carefully picked up her hand and inserted the needle, pushing all the liquid into it.
"Ouch!" Jessica exclaimed as he pulled the needle out and tossed it in the garbage.
"Did that hurt much?" He asked.
"Nope. It didn't hurt at all!" Jessica said, smiling.
Twenty minutes later Jessica had a brand new pink cast from her pinkie extending to right below her wrist. "Wow, this is soo cwool! Can I have all my friends sign it?" Jessica asked excitedly.
"You sure can!" Tristan told her. He explained to Rory that he would need to see Jessica again in two weeks to make sure everything was going okay. They said their good-byes and Rory left to pay the bill.
Rory waited at the reception desk as the woman with the red hair filed everything away, "All set, ma'am! See you in two weeks!" Rory thanked her and was about to leave when she heard someone yell her name. She spun around with Jessica in her arms to see Tristan running down the hallway.
"Rory! Wait!" Tristan yelled. He caught up to her, "I wasn't brave enough to ask before." He said with a smile, "But, do you want to go out for coffee sometime? Just to catch up on old times?" He asked hopefully.
Rory hesitated, "I don't know." Should she? It wasn't that big of a deal, they could just talk about high school and stuff, she thought. Rory bit her lip, "All right, why don't we meet the Starbucks in Hartford tomorrow night."
Tristan breathed a sigh of relief and grinned, "How's 7:00 sound? I get out of work at 6:30."
"That's just fine." Rory smiled, "See you then!" She turned around and walked away. Did I just do that!!!????
Tristan watched as she walked away, I'm falling for her.....again.
"Mommy! Can we have a picnic on the bridge later?" Jessica asked as she came sprinting over to Rory.
Rory winced, more memories, "Why don't we have it at the gazebo instead?" She hated to disappoint her daughter but the lake was out of the question.
"But we never go to the lake!!" Jessica whined. "Pwease Mommy?"
"No. We'll have it somewhere else or not at all." Rory said sternly. But she wasn't able to look her daughter in the eye; she knew she was being selfish.
Jessica's face fell, "Okay, we'll have it in the gazebo." She walked away defeated.
Rory watched her go, I'm sorry Jessica, she thought, I wish I could get over him too.
Flashback
Rory sat waiting on the bridge, her legs dangling over the edge just missing the water. She heard footsteps approaching behind her. She turned around and her heart gave a mighty leap as Jess walked toward her in the moonlight. His hair looked raven black as the moon reflected upon it, but his face was hard; he was still upset with her.
"You wanted to see me?" He asked coolly, not sitting down next to her.
"I need to talk to you Jess, explain things." Rory looked up at him, her face full of hope. "I want you to understand."
"I think I've heard enough already." He said starting to walk away.
"Please Jess." Her voice was pleading, it wavered.
Jess sat down a distance away from her, "You hurt me, a lot."
"I know and I'm sorry." Rory paused, there was a long silence. " I never meant for this to happen. I never expected you Jess."
"I didn't expect you either." He said, his voice detached.
Rory shivered, she was cold, so cold. "I thought I loved him and then you came, and I knew I didn't, I knew." She stared at the water waiting for a response, when none came she said, "You scare me Jess."
Silence, then "I don't want to."
"I know. But this wasn't supposed to happen. I thought I had everything figured out. This wasn't supposed to happen." Tears fell down her cheeks unwillingly.
Jess moved closer and willed her to look at him, "What wasn't supposed to happen Rory?" When she didn't answer he moved closer. He caught her chin in his hand forcing her to look at him. "What is it?" Their faces were so close.
Rory let out a choked sob, "I'm not supposed to be falling in love with you." She whispered it so softly that she didn't think that he heard. But he did and reeled back away from her. Rory brought both of her hands up to her face and cried, she felt so ashamed. 'He doesn't love me' Was all she could think.
She felt the warmness of him seep through her as he pulled her hands away to look at her. He wiped the tears away from her face tenderly. Her heart soared as he leaned over and softly whispered in her ear, "I've already fallen."
Rory was torn out of her reverie when hearing an ear splitting shriek coming from the playground. On motherly instinct Rory ran to the where she heard it from. She found Jessica holding her pinkie and crying her eyes out when Rory reached her.
"Oh, honey what happened?" Rory asked as she reached Jessica and put her arms around her.
"I-I got my pi-pinkie stuck!!" Jessica wailed still clutching her smallest finger . "Let me take a look at it hon." Rory said as she pulled Jessica's hand to her. She gasped when she saw it, it was twisted back painfully. Oh, jeez it's definitely broken. "Don't worry, were just gunna bring you to the hospital and they'll have you fixed up right away. That sound good?" Rory asked her still crying daughter.
"O-Okay." Jessica wiping tears away with her good hand.
Twenty minutes later Rory was pulling into the Emergency section of the hospital. She had called them on the way and they had told her to come here where they could put Jessica in a small cast.
"Okay, we're here." She went around to the other side of the car and helped Jessica out of her seat. They went into the hospital and up to the front desk.
"May I help you?" Said the receptionist with fiery red hair, smiling.
"Yes, my daughter broke her pinkie. I think I spoke with you earlier, you told me to come here." Rory said.
"Indeed we did speak. I'll have Janet take her to a room, and we'll take a look at that break with a few x-rays." The receptionist called to Janet in the back room. "Janet we have a little girl out here that needs your attention."
"I'll be right there." A voice called from the back room. Two minutes later a short, plump nurse bustled out with a kind smile on her face. "Well, hello there you two." She shook Rory's hand and then Jessica's small, good one. "We'll take you to the x-ray room," She told Jessica, "And you can fill out papers while we take x-rays." She said to Rory.
Twenty minutes later Janet had taken x-rays of Jessica's small finger and Rory had filled out all the necessary papers. Janet led them to a small hospital room. "Here we are, the doctor will be here in just a few minutes. This is where we'll get the cast on, and you can pick any color you want." She told Jessica with certainty. Janet then left them waiting for the doctor.
"You've got a little girl in room 9 that needs a pinkie cast, hon." Janet said to the young doctor in room 3 working on a patient as she passed by.
"I'll be there in 5!" He called back. He finished with his patient there and true to his word in 5 minutes he was on his way to room 9. On his way in he grabbed the papers from outside the door, he walked in as he filed through them. "So you have a broken pinkie, huh?" He looked up and his heart stopped, two familiar pairs of bright blue eyes were staring at him. Mary.
Rory looked up when she heard the familiar voice, startled she just stared at him. Tristan DuGrey! Oh my God! Was all she could think. He looks so much different. So much older. Rory continued to stare.
"So are you just going to sit there and stare at me Rory Gilmore, or are you going to say hello?" Tristan asked calmly even though his heart was thumping so loudly in his chest that he was sure the whole world could here it.
"How did-? I mean, hel-hello, Tristan." Rory stammered.
Tristan offered his hand, "It's been a long time hasn't it?" He said as they shook hands.
"It certainly has." Rory said a little dazed as she pulled her hand away from his strong grip. She studied him, he had changed since she had seen him last, right before he left for military school. He still had the messy blonde hair, but he wore wire rimmed glasses and it looked as though he hadn't shaved for a few days giving him a rough look. The glasses and the scruffy look gave him more appeal than ever before. My God he looks good! Rory thought but she quickly pushed the thought away.
"How have you been?" Tristan asked forcing Rory to come back to the real world.
Rory cleared her mind, "I've been good." Rory remembered the small being that clung to her. "This is my daughter, Jessica."
"Ahhhh, you must be the one with the broken pinkie." Tristan averted his attention to the little girl sitting beside Rory. "Why don't you climb up here." Tristan said indicating to the bed that sat beside the two chairs. When Jessica did as she was told Tristen said, "Why don't I have a look at that?"
"Okay." Jessica said warily as she held out her hand.
"Ouch! That looks like it hurts!" Tristan exclaimed as he studied her finger. He carefully examined it while asking her how it happened.
"Well," Jessica said, "I was swinging on monkey bars and when I got to the other side I got it stuck in a crack. And then when I tried to go down the swide I heard a crack and then it really hurt." She explained proudly. "But I didn't crwy at awll."
Tristan smiled at her, "You didn't? You're one brave little girl!" He gave Rory a knowing look and continued his work. "Okay Jessica, were going to have to put this in a cast." He turned to Rory, "I'm going to have to extend the cast to her wrist so she can't move anything else around. Since she's so young we have to be more cautious, and it's a pretty bad break."
Rory nodded, "Okay, how long will it have to be on for?"
"About 3 weeks, more or less." He opened a cupboard and pulled out a small white fitted cloth which almost looked like a glove. He cut off parts of it and then placed it over Jessica's hand carefully. "Okay, sweetie, this might hurt a little." Tristan took out a box from a drawer, "So how old are you Jessica?"
"Oh! I'm going to be five in a few days!" Jessica said, forgetting all about her pinkie. "That's a whole hand, even with a broked finger!"
"It certainly is!" Tristan laughed as he pulled a small needle from the box and inserting liquid into it. "And then I'll be able to go to school!" Jessica said with a huge smile.
"I used to love school." Tristan said throwing Rory a small smirk. "Jessica, honey why don't you look at your Mommy while you tell me about school." Tristan said as he wiped disinfection on Jessica's finger.
"Okay! Well, there's going to be all these really cwool kids there and." Jessica continued to talk about school while Tristan carefully picked up her hand and inserted the needle, pushing all the liquid into it.
"Ouch!" Jessica exclaimed as he pulled the needle out and tossed it in the garbage.
"Did that hurt much?" He asked.
"Nope. It didn't hurt at all!" Jessica said, smiling.
Twenty minutes later Jessica had a brand new pink cast from her pinkie extending to right below her wrist. "Wow, this is soo cwool! Can I have all my friends sign it?" Jessica asked excitedly.
"You sure can!" Tristan told her. He explained to Rory that he would need to see Jessica again in two weeks to make sure everything was going okay. They said their good-byes and Rory left to pay the bill.
Rory waited at the reception desk as the woman with the red hair filed everything away, "All set, ma'am! See you in two weeks!" Rory thanked her and was about to leave when she heard someone yell her name. She spun around with Jessica in her arms to see Tristan running down the hallway.
"Rory! Wait!" Tristan yelled. He caught up to her, "I wasn't brave enough to ask before." He said with a smile, "But, do you want to go out for coffee sometime? Just to catch up on old times?" He asked hopefully.
Rory hesitated, "I don't know." Should she? It wasn't that big of a deal, they could just talk about high school and stuff, she thought. Rory bit her lip, "All right, why don't we meet the Starbucks in Hartford tomorrow night."
Tristan breathed a sigh of relief and grinned, "How's 7:00 sound? I get out of work at 6:30."
"That's just fine." Rory smiled, "See you then!" She turned around and walked away. Did I just do that!!!????
Tristan watched as she walked away, I'm falling for her.....again.