Rory stood blankly at the door for a few minutes, before Bethany came up beside her.
"Can I go in first? I havn't seen him since last night."
Rory shook her head out of the daze the was in and replied, "Yeah, go ahead. I'll wait out here."
The little brunette smiled and walked into the little room. Rory heard muffled voices and thought she was going to be sick. She can't handle all of this in one night. It's too much. She sat herself down in a chair next to his room and subconciously began to open the box of photos.
The first picture made her crack a smile. She was expecting some of him and she was afraid to see what he looked like now, but it was Bethany smiling brightly at the camera holding up a stuffed animal or a doll..she couldn't tell. She flipped the photo upside-down and began to go through them thoroughly. Rory assumed the first couple batches were rolls from Christmas time. She lifted up the last one of Bethany to see another picture of herself, similar to the one she saw at the coffee shop. Sitting on a bench with a book in her hands.
After a few more of her, there were some of Stars Hollow and the townspeople. A tear slid down her face as she saw the place she grew up in. Memories flashing by every second. After staring at a picture of Luke's Diner for a minute, the next one made her smile even more. It was Dean and her sitting on her mother's front porch on the swing/bench. Dean's arm was safely wrapped around her and she was leaning against him so peacefully with a smile.
Rory put the box next to her and held the photograph close to her body. She set her head in her hands and began crying silently. A time must have passed that she didn't know because there was a little tap on her shoulder. Without looking up she said pre-maturely, "Do I have to go in?"
The little girl giggled, "You sound like me when I don't want to go to the dentist."
Rory smiled, "It's not that I don't want to..I don't know what to say to him."
"I didn't tell him you're here yet. I just told him he has a visiter." there was silence so she spoke again, "please, Rory?" she asked.
Finally looking face-to-face with the child, she wiped her own tears and said, "Okay."
With a smile on her face, Bethany hugged Rory, "Thank you!"
Rory picked up the box of photos and stood up. She walked to the door, but turned back to Bethany, "Wait, where are you going to go? Where's your aunt?"
"Oh, she probably went to get something to eat. I'll stay here."
"Oh. Okay. Well, if she doesn't come back in 5 minutes, tell me or your dad, okay?"
"I will."
Rory sighed, faced the door and went in as slowly as she possibly could. There was a curtain in front of his bed so she didn't see him quite yet. His voice startled her, but it sounded exactly as it did before.
"Beth? Bethany? Where's this 'surprise visit' you have?"
Rory walked up to the curtain and pulled it aside, revealing herself. 'He looks exactly the same..even better.' Rory thought to herself. Dean had a puzzled and frantic look on his face. He didn't speak, so, knowing what he was thinking, Rory spoke for him.
"Yeah, Dean. It's me."
"Rory?" he choked out.
Rory nodded slowly and sat down in a chair next to his bed where he was laying.
"Your..uh, daughter called me and met with me earlier and said that she thought you needed to see me." Rory said with a smile that made Dean smile too.
"Beth's quite the schemer. Don't know how she pulled it off."
"She's a great kid...Well, from what i've seen today."
"She is."
"So how have you..been?" Rory asked trying to relax the mood.
"I've been better. What about you?"
"I could say the same for myself."
After a moment of silence, not awkward silence, just peaceful quietness. Looking away, Dean said, "So I guess you're wondering how Beth's my daughter?"
Not wanting to admit it, "Well, a little."
Dean sat up in his place and spoke clearly, "When I moved back to Chicago after college, I met up with my ex-girlfriend Beth. We went out for a while and then she tells me she's pregnant. I wasn't too worried about it since we weren't that young, but she was really upset about the situation. After Bethany was born, Beth just left. Dissappeared without notice. So, i've been taking care of her ever since."
"I'm sorry about Beth..."
"Don't be. Raising a daughter has been the best thing that's happened to me." and adding as an after-thought, "besides you."
Rory looked down at her hands.."So, you live in New York?"
"Yeah, we just moved here from Chicago."
"Wow."
"I took Beth to see Stars Hollow a couple of weeks ago and she loved it."
"Really? Is that where these pictures come in to play?" Rory asked grinning. She handed the box to him.
"Yeah."
Dean set the box aside and looked Rory dead in the eye. "I can't stop thinking about you."
Rory's heart skipped a beat and started to pound in her chest from his words.
He continued, "You had such an affect on me. Aside from family, you were the first person I ever loved, and i'm sure you were the ONLY person I ever loved. I don't know if you have a family now or if you're married or dating or what but I just need you to know that I love you and I don't think i'll ever stop loving you."
Rory had tears streaming down her face and she held his hand tight smiling. She leaned in and gave him a strong hug. The touch was like old memories being rekindled in Rory's heart. She pulled back, and still close to him, whispered, "I love you, too." and with a laugh she added, "you idiot."
This made both of them laugh lightly. Dean pulled her closer and they embraced in a long kiss that wasn't even enough to make up for all of the lost years. They heard the door creak open and little footsteps signaling that Bethany came in.
The little girl stared at her daddy and Rory with a smile, "It's been five minutes and Aunt Audrey isn't back.."
Dean and Rory looked at each other and smiled. Dean sighed, "Bethany, I would like you to properly meet Rory Gilmore. The love of my life."
Rory closed her eyes and let out a laugh. She hasn't been so happy in so long and it was all finally coming out. Bethany happily skipped over to the bed and sat up in Rory's lap smiling. "I like her, Daddy."
"Good."
I think that's the end. I'm not sure because I was going to make something else happen but I think it would be too sad for even myself to handle. I'll keep you posted :)
"Can I go in first? I havn't seen him since last night."
Rory shook her head out of the daze the was in and replied, "Yeah, go ahead. I'll wait out here."
The little brunette smiled and walked into the little room. Rory heard muffled voices and thought she was going to be sick. She can't handle all of this in one night. It's too much. She sat herself down in a chair next to his room and subconciously began to open the box of photos.
The first picture made her crack a smile. She was expecting some of him and she was afraid to see what he looked like now, but it was Bethany smiling brightly at the camera holding up a stuffed animal or a doll..she couldn't tell. She flipped the photo upside-down and began to go through them thoroughly. Rory assumed the first couple batches were rolls from Christmas time. She lifted up the last one of Bethany to see another picture of herself, similar to the one she saw at the coffee shop. Sitting on a bench with a book in her hands.
After a few more of her, there were some of Stars Hollow and the townspeople. A tear slid down her face as she saw the place she grew up in. Memories flashing by every second. After staring at a picture of Luke's Diner for a minute, the next one made her smile even more. It was Dean and her sitting on her mother's front porch on the swing/bench. Dean's arm was safely wrapped around her and she was leaning against him so peacefully with a smile.
Rory put the box next to her and held the photograph close to her body. She set her head in her hands and began crying silently. A time must have passed that she didn't know because there was a little tap on her shoulder. Without looking up she said pre-maturely, "Do I have to go in?"
The little girl giggled, "You sound like me when I don't want to go to the dentist."
Rory smiled, "It's not that I don't want to..I don't know what to say to him."
"I didn't tell him you're here yet. I just told him he has a visiter." there was silence so she spoke again, "please, Rory?" she asked.
Finally looking face-to-face with the child, she wiped her own tears and said, "Okay."
With a smile on her face, Bethany hugged Rory, "Thank you!"
Rory picked up the box of photos and stood up. She walked to the door, but turned back to Bethany, "Wait, where are you going to go? Where's your aunt?"
"Oh, she probably went to get something to eat. I'll stay here."
"Oh. Okay. Well, if she doesn't come back in 5 minutes, tell me or your dad, okay?"
"I will."
Rory sighed, faced the door and went in as slowly as she possibly could. There was a curtain in front of his bed so she didn't see him quite yet. His voice startled her, but it sounded exactly as it did before.
"Beth? Bethany? Where's this 'surprise visit' you have?"
Rory walked up to the curtain and pulled it aside, revealing herself. 'He looks exactly the same..even better.' Rory thought to herself. Dean had a puzzled and frantic look on his face. He didn't speak, so, knowing what he was thinking, Rory spoke for him.
"Yeah, Dean. It's me."
"Rory?" he choked out.
Rory nodded slowly and sat down in a chair next to his bed where he was laying.
"Your..uh, daughter called me and met with me earlier and said that she thought you needed to see me." Rory said with a smile that made Dean smile too.
"Beth's quite the schemer. Don't know how she pulled it off."
"She's a great kid...Well, from what i've seen today."
"She is."
"So how have you..been?" Rory asked trying to relax the mood.
"I've been better. What about you?"
"I could say the same for myself."
After a moment of silence, not awkward silence, just peaceful quietness. Looking away, Dean said, "So I guess you're wondering how Beth's my daughter?"
Not wanting to admit it, "Well, a little."
Dean sat up in his place and spoke clearly, "When I moved back to Chicago after college, I met up with my ex-girlfriend Beth. We went out for a while and then she tells me she's pregnant. I wasn't too worried about it since we weren't that young, but she was really upset about the situation. After Bethany was born, Beth just left. Dissappeared without notice. So, i've been taking care of her ever since."
"I'm sorry about Beth..."
"Don't be. Raising a daughter has been the best thing that's happened to me." and adding as an after-thought, "besides you."
Rory looked down at her hands.."So, you live in New York?"
"Yeah, we just moved here from Chicago."
"Wow."
"I took Beth to see Stars Hollow a couple of weeks ago and she loved it."
"Really? Is that where these pictures come in to play?" Rory asked grinning. She handed the box to him.
"Yeah."
Dean set the box aside and looked Rory dead in the eye. "I can't stop thinking about you."
Rory's heart skipped a beat and started to pound in her chest from his words.
He continued, "You had such an affect on me. Aside from family, you were the first person I ever loved, and i'm sure you were the ONLY person I ever loved. I don't know if you have a family now or if you're married or dating or what but I just need you to know that I love you and I don't think i'll ever stop loving you."
Rory had tears streaming down her face and she held his hand tight smiling. She leaned in and gave him a strong hug. The touch was like old memories being rekindled in Rory's heart. She pulled back, and still close to him, whispered, "I love you, too." and with a laugh she added, "you idiot."
This made both of them laugh lightly. Dean pulled her closer and they embraced in a long kiss that wasn't even enough to make up for all of the lost years. They heard the door creak open and little footsteps signaling that Bethany came in.
The little girl stared at her daddy and Rory with a smile, "It's been five minutes and Aunt Audrey isn't back.."
Dean and Rory looked at each other and smiled. Dean sighed, "Bethany, I would like you to properly meet Rory Gilmore. The love of my life."
Rory closed her eyes and let out a laugh. She hasn't been so happy in so long and it was all finally coming out. Bethany happily skipped over to the bed and sat up in Rory's lap smiling. "I like her, Daddy."
"Good."
I think that's the end. I'm not sure because I was going to make something else happen but I think it would be too sad for even myself to handle. I'll keep you posted :)