Disclaimer~ I do not own anything involving Gilmore Girls. They belong to
Amy Sherman-Palladino and the WB.
Author's Note~ This is my first attempt at writing Gilmore Girls. Be kind while I attempt to get my bearings and figure out where I want this to go. I apologize for it being a little dialogue heavy.
Feedback~ Yes please!
Decisions- Berry
Part 1~ Denial
Early Evening~The Gilmore Porch
~~~~
Rory stared at Jess incredulously, "How can you possibly argue that Sylvia Plath's poetry is shallow? That is like saying that Austen is superficial."
The pair was just returning from a poetry reading at the Stars Hollow library and had not stopped debating since it ended.
"Well, I don't know that I would go as far as saying she is superficial, but..."
Rory cut him off, "DO NOT finish that sentence."
"What Rory you can't take a challenge to your opinion?" Jess was grinning like a cheshire cat.
"It's not that, but you're talking about Jane Austen. Have you even finished the copy of Mansfield Park I loaned you?"
"No, I haven't finished it yet. I keep falling asleep trying to read it." Jess just couldn't help luring Rory into a debate.
Rory was absolutely baffled, "You have got to be kidding me. How can you, the guy who loved every page of Wuthering Heights just as much as I did, not get through Mansfield Park. You, Jess, are a walking paradox. You appreciate Bronte, but not Austen."
Jess could not take his eyes off of Rory as she rambled on. She was always beautiful, but never more than when she was riled up about literature. He just sat and smiled at her.
Rory was caught off guard by Jess staring at her, and she lost her train of thought. Why did that always seem to happen?
"What are you staring at me for?"
"Because you are so cute when you are all worked up."
Rory smacked Jess in the arm, "You are such a pain. Please at least try to finish the book."
"I can't say no to you," Jess teased.
"No one ever can," Rory mused, "See you later."
"Yeah, later."
~~~
Inside the Gilmore House
~~~
"Hey mom, I'm home," Rory yelled as she walked in shedding her jacket.
Lorelai was sitting on the couch looking extremely suspicious and staring at the television that wasn't turned on.
"What's up with you Mom?"
Lorelai quickly answered, "Nothing, nothing, why would anything be up?"
"Then why do you look like you just got caught with your hand in the cookie jar?"
"I don't know, why are you so worried that I look like I think that I just got caught with my hand in the cookie jar?"
"What? You have a gift of being able to change the subject with confusion."
Lorelai laughed maniacly, "Aha, I win again... So, how is Jess?"
Rory looked at her mother suspiciously, "Fine. Why?"
Lorelai played off her best nonchalance, "Oh, I don't know. You two just seemed pretty intense out on the porch."
It all fit now.
"You were eavesdropping on me and Jess."
"No. There was no eave involved. I was, uh, couch dropping."
"Why on earth would you do that? It's not like Jess and I are interesting to listen to."
"You would be surprised," Lorelai hinted.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing. Nothing at all... So Rory, how are you and Dean doing?"
Rory did not like what she thought her mother was implying.
"Dean is great. We are great. We could not be happier."
"Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?"
"No one. Dean and I are fine. I am going to bed."
With that Rory marched into her bedroom and slammed the door.
Lorelai smiled slightly, "Me thinks the lady doth protest too much."
~~~
Next Day~ Chilton
~~~
Rory was standing at her locker pleading with it to open for what seemed like the twentieth time that day. She felt someone walk up behind her.
"Hey Mary."
Rory turned her attention away from her subborn locker to face Tristan Dugray. She was confused by his sudden presence.
"Aren't you supposed to be in military school?"
"Yeah, well my mom talked my dad into giving me one more shot. I got home yesterday. So, did you miss me?" The classic Tristan Dugray smirk was firmly planted on his face.
"Yes, Tristan I have cried myself to sleep for the past three months because I just can't live without you."
Tristan smiled at her obvious sarcasm, "I figured."
"So, how strict is this one more shot going to be?" Rory asked as they started to walk to class.
Tristan looked a little green, "Just about as strict as humanly possible. If I screw up even a little bit, I'm back in North Carolina, and trust me that is SO not where I want to be."
"That bad, huh?"
"Yeah." Tristan got a distant look in his eye.
Rory noticed that Tristan looked sincerely down just thinking about military school. She decided she needed to break the silence.
"So, don't screw up, and you won't ever have to go back.'
"That is so easy for you to say, Mary."
"Wow that is a record for you Tristan. You went from human to jackass in 2 seconds flat." Rory sped up and left Tristan behind her.
Tristan caught up with her, "Hey sorry, you know that I like to give you a bad time, but I don't mean it. We were getting along pretty good before I left. I would like to keep it that way."
Rory thought for a moment. "Okay, but you are on the same contract with me as you are with your parents. We will try to be friends. If you screw up, we go back to Mary and Jackass. Got it."
Tristan grinned, "Got it."
~~~
Afterschool~ Luke's
~~~
Rory walked in and went straight to the counter, "Hi Luke, coffee please."
"No, it will stunt your growth."
"That doesn't bother me. Short and perky is better than tall and grumpy."
Luke shook his head and poured her coffee, "You and your mother are so impossible to say no to."
Rory smiled, "I know. She taught me well. Thanks Luke."
Rory took her coffee and sat down at a table. Jess came in and plopped down with her.
Rory noticed his pissy expression, "You look happy."
"I had a crappy day at school."
"You always have a crappy day at school," Rory commented.
Shaking his head in agreement, "Yeah, but today was especially bad."
"Why? What happened?"
Just as Jess started to explain his day, Dean walked in and interrupted.
"Hey Rory."
Rory looked up and smiled, "Hi Dean."
Jess smirked. "And hello to you too, Dean."
Dean glared at Jess, "Could you leave my girlfriend and I alone? I need to talk to her."
"Actually Dean, Jess was just about to tell me about his horrible day."
Jess smiled at Rory. "It's okay Rory, I wouldn't want to get in the way of your couple time."
With that, Jess got up and left. Dean sat in his empty seat.
Rory looked at him expectantly, "So, what did you need to talk to me about?"
Dean looked confused for a moment, "Oh, nothing in particular. I just wanted him to leave us alone."
Rory was visibly irritated.
"It's no big deal Rory."
"Dean, Jess and I are friends. I don't appreciate you treating him like a nuisance."
"I just wanted you all to myself. Remember, you are MY girlfriend."
"How could I forget."
Then under her breath Rory whispered, "When you keep reminding me."
"What did you say?"
"Nothing. Do you want to go see a movie?"
"Yeah, sure."
~~~
Later that evening~Gilmore House
~~~
Lorelai walked in carrying grocery bags.
"Hey honey I'm home."
Rory bounced in from her bedroom.
"Hey Mom. How was your day?"
As they began unpacking the groceries, Lorelai told Rory about her day at work. When they were done putting the groceries away they walked into the livingroom.
"... then Sookie threw the entire bowl of tomato puree on Michel. You should have seen his face."
Rory laughed, "I can only imagine. Wow, your day was a lot more eventful than mine."
"What no earth shattering events to tell Mommie about?"
Rory contemplated, "Not really. Tristan Dugray is back at Chilton."
"I thought Evil Tristan got sent to military school."
"He did. His mom convinced his dad to give him a second chance."
"Is that a good or bad thing? Is he torturing you already?"
"No we're fine. We have a comfortabler insulting banter between us. Kind of like you and Luke."
"Well that's good. Don't let him become your coffee supplier though. I had complete control of my friendship with Luke before he became my coffee pimp. Now, he owns me."
The doorbell rang. As Rory got up to answer it, she reassured her mother.
"Okay. I'll remember that."
When Rory opened the door, Jess was standing there with her copy of Mansfield Park.
"Did you finish it?"
"Yeah."
"Do you want to come in to debate, or should I come out?"
"Why don't you come out?"
Rory stepped out on the porch and shut the door behind her. They sat down on the top porch step.
She braced herself and asked, "So what did you think once you finished it?"
"Pretty much the same thing I thought the whole time I was reading it."
"Which was what exactly?"
"It's cheesy."
"You SO did not just call Jane Austen cheesy."
"I SO did."
"Mansfield Park is NOT cheesy. It is classic."
"Yes, classic cheese."
"I want you to reread it," Rory said matter-of-factly.
Jess looked half horrified, half amused, "Hell no. It took me a week to read it the first time. I am NOT reading it again."
"Please, read it again. Focus on how she develops Fanny and Edmund. Then come back here and tell me it's cheesy."
Jess surrendered, "Fine."
Rory remembered their earlier conversation that had been cut short.
"So, do you want to tell me about your bad day now?"
Jess shook his head, "Nah, I'm over it."
"Sorry that Dean was such a jerk to you."
"I'm used to it Rory. Besides he kind of has a right to be."
Rory was visibly confused,"Why?"
Jess laughed at her innocence. Or was it ignorance?
Rory was even more confused. "What? Why does Dean have a right to be an ass to you?"
Jess locked his eyes on Rory's. "Do you really not know why?"
Rory shook her head.
Not taking his eyes from Rory's, Jess explained, "We have something you and he will never have."
Rory dropped her head.
"What are you talking about?"
"Do you and Dean EVER have the kind of conversations that you and I do?"
Rory didn't want to answer.
Jess slid closer to her on the stair step, so their sides were touching. Rory's mouth went dry.
"Well, do you?"
Defeated Rory answered, "No."
Jess slowly entwined his fingers with Rory's. She flinched at the contact, but didn't remove her hand from his.
"Dean knows that he can never be everything for you."
"And I suppose you think you can, " Rory whispered.
"I know that I can."
Jess tilted Rory's chin up and slowly moved closer.
"Jess don't."
"Stop me."
"I can't"
Jess smiled and softly kissed Rory's lips. She wanted to stop him but she couldn't. When she didn't hesitate to kiss him back, Jess deepened the kiss, entangling his fingers in her hair.
Suddenly Rory regained her senses and broke the kiss.
"You need to go."
"Rory..."
"Go now."
With that, she retreated into the house.
~~~
AN~ I have the next chapter done, but I won't bother posting it if no one is interested. Is anyone???
Author's Note~ This is my first attempt at writing Gilmore Girls. Be kind while I attempt to get my bearings and figure out where I want this to go. I apologize for it being a little dialogue heavy.
Feedback~ Yes please!
Decisions- Berry
Part 1~ Denial
Early Evening~The Gilmore Porch
~~~~
Rory stared at Jess incredulously, "How can you possibly argue that Sylvia Plath's poetry is shallow? That is like saying that Austen is superficial."
The pair was just returning from a poetry reading at the Stars Hollow library and had not stopped debating since it ended.
"Well, I don't know that I would go as far as saying she is superficial, but..."
Rory cut him off, "DO NOT finish that sentence."
"What Rory you can't take a challenge to your opinion?" Jess was grinning like a cheshire cat.
"It's not that, but you're talking about Jane Austen. Have you even finished the copy of Mansfield Park I loaned you?"
"No, I haven't finished it yet. I keep falling asleep trying to read it." Jess just couldn't help luring Rory into a debate.
Rory was absolutely baffled, "You have got to be kidding me. How can you, the guy who loved every page of Wuthering Heights just as much as I did, not get through Mansfield Park. You, Jess, are a walking paradox. You appreciate Bronte, but not Austen."
Jess could not take his eyes off of Rory as she rambled on. She was always beautiful, but never more than when she was riled up about literature. He just sat and smiled at her.
Rory was caught off guard by Jess staring at her, and she lost her train of thought. Why did that always seem to happen?
"What are you staring at me for?"
"Because you are so cute when you are all worked up."
Rory smacked Jess in the arm, "You are such a pain. Please at least try to finish the book."
"I can't say no to you," Jess teased.
"No one ever can," Rory mused, "See you later."
"Yeah, later."
~~~
Inside the Gilmore House
~~~
"Hey mom, I'm home," Rory yelled as she walked in shedding her jacket.
Lorelai was sitting on the couch looking extremely suspicious and staring at the television that wasn't turned on.
"What's up with you Mom?"
Lorelai quickly answered, "Nothing, nothing, why would anything be up?"
"Then why do you look like you just got caught with your hand in the cookie jar?"
"I don't know, why are you so worried that I look like I think that I just got caught with my hand in the cookie jar?"
"What? You have a gift of being able to change the subject with confusion."
Lorelai laughed maniacly, "Aha, I win again... So, how is Jess?"
Rory looked at her mother suspiciously, "Fine. Why?"
Lorelai played off her best nonchalance, "Oh, I don't know. You two just seemed pretty intense out on the porch."
It all fit now.
"You were eavesdropping on me and Jess."
"No. There was no eave involved. I was, uh, couch dropping."
"Why on earth would you do that? It's not like Jess and I are interesting to listen to."
"You would be surprised," Lorelai hinted.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing. Nothing at all... So Rory, how are you and Dean doing?"
Rory did not like what she thought her mother was implying.
"Dean is great. We are great. We could not be happier."
"Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?"
"No one. Dean and I are fine. I am going to bed."
With that Rory marched into her bedroom and slammed the door.
Lorelai smiled slightly, "Me thinks the lady doth protest too much."
~~~
Next Day~ Chilton
~~~
Rory was standing at her locker pleading with it to open for what seemed like the twentieth time that day. She felt someone walk up behind her.
"Hey Mary."
Rory turned her attention away from her subborn locker to face Tristan Dugray. She was confused by his sudden presence.
"Aren't you supposed to be in military school?"
"Yeah, well my mom talked my dad into giving me one more shot. I got home yesterday. So, did you miss me?" The classic Tristan Dugray smirk was firmly planted on his face.
"Yes, Tristan I have cried myself to sleep for the past three months because I just can't live without you."
Tristan smiled at her obvious sarcasm, "I figured."
"So, how strict is this one more shot going to be?" Rory asked as they started to walk to class.
Tristan looked a little green, "Just about as strict as humanly possible. If I screw up even a little bit, I'm back in North Carolina, and trust me that is SO not where I want to be."
"That bad, huh?"
"Yeah." Tristan got a distant look in his eye.
Rory noticed that Tristan looked sincerely down just thinking about military school. She decided she needed to break the silence.
"So, don't screw up, and you won't ever have to go back.'
"That is so easy for you to say, Mary."
"Wow that is a record for you Tristan. You went from human to jackass in 2 seconds flat." Rory sped up and left Tristan behind her.
Tristan caught up with her, "Hey sorry, you know that I like to give you a bad time, but I don't mean it. We were getting along pretty good before I left. I would like to keep it that way."
Rory thought for a moment. "Okay, but you are on the same contract with me as you are with your parents. We will try to be friends. If you screw up, we go back to Mary and Jackass. Got it."
Tristan grinned, "Got it."
~~~
Afterschool~ Luke's
~~~
Rory walked in and went straight to the counter, "Hi Luke, coffee please."
"No, it will stunt your growth."
"That doesn't bother me. Short and perky is better than tall and grumpy."
Luke shook his head and poured her coffee, "You and your mother are so impossible to say no to."
Rory smiled, "I know. She taught me well. Thanks Luke."
Rory took her coffee and sat down at a table. Jess came in and plopped down with her.
Rory noticed his pissy expression, "You look happy."
"I had a crappy day at school."
"You always have a crappy day at school," Rory commented.
Shaking his head in agreement, "Yeah, but today was especially bad."
"Why? What happened?"
Just as Jess started to explain his day, Dean walked in and interrupted.
"Hey Rory."
Rory looked up and smiled, "Hi Dean."
Jess smirked. "And hello to you too, Dean."
Dean glared at Jess, "Could you leave my girlfriend and I alone? I need to talk to her."
"Actually Dean, Jess was just about to tell me about his horrible day."
Jess smiled at Rory. "It's okay Rory, I wouldn't want to get in the way of your couple time."
With that, Jess got up and left. Dean sat in his empty seat.
Rory looked at him expectantly, "So, what did you need to talk to me about?"
Dean looked confused for a moment, "Oh, nothing in particular. I just wanted him to leave us alone."
Rory was visibly irritated.
"It's no big deal Rory."
"Dean, Jess and I are friends. I don't appreciate you treating him like a nuisance."
"I just wanted you all to myself. Remember, you are MY girlfriend."
"How could I forget."
Then under her breath Rory whispered, "When you keep reminding me."
"What did you say?"
"Nothing. Do you want to go see a movie?"
"Yeah, sure."
~~~
Later that evening~Gilmore House
~~~
Lorelai walked in carrying grocery bags.
"Hey honey I'm home."
Rory bounced in from her bedroom.
"Hey Mom. How was your day?"
As they began unpacking the groceries, Lorelai told Rory about her day at work. When they were done putting the groceries away they walked into the livingroom.
"... then Sookie threw the entire bowl of tomato puree on Michel. You should have seen his face."
Rory laughed, "I can only imagine. Wow, your day was a lot more eventful than mine."
"What no earth shattering events to tell Mommie about?"
Rory contemplated, "Not really. Tristan Dugray is back at Chilton."
"I thought Evil Tristan got sent to military school."
"He did. His mom convinced his dad to give him a second chance."
"Is that a good or bad thing? Is he torturing you already?"
"No we're fine. We have a comfortabler insulting banter between us. Kind of like you and Luke."
"Well that's good. Don't let him become your coffee supplier though. I had complete control of my friendship with Luke before he became my coffee pimp. Now, he owns me."
The doorbell rang. As Rory got up to answer it, she reassured her mother.
"Okay. I'll remember that."
When Rory opened the door, Jess was standing there with her copy of Mansfield Park.
"Did you finish it?"
"Yeah."
"Do you want to come in to debate, or should I come out?"
"Why don't you come out?"
Rory stepped out on the porch and shut the door behind her. They sat down on the top porch step.
She braced herself and asked, "So what did you think once you finished it?"
"Pretty much the same thing I thought the whole time I was reading it."
"Which was what exactly?"
"It's cheesy."
"You SO did not just call Jane Austen cheesy."
"I SO did."
"Mansfield Park is NOT cheesy. It is classic."
"Yes, classic cheese."
"I want you to reread it," Rory said matter-of-factly.
Jess looked half horrified, half amused, "Hell no. It took me a week to read it the first time. I am NOT reading it again."
"Please, read it again. Focus on how she develops Fanny and Edmund. Then come back here and tell me it's cheesy."
Jess surrendered, "Fine."
Rory remembered their earlier conversation that had been cut short.
"So, do you want to tell me about your bad day now?"
Jess shook his head, "Nah, I'm over it."
"Sorry that Dean was such a jerk to you."
"I'm used to it Rory. Besides he kind of has a right to be."
Rory was visibly confused,"Why?"
Jess laughed at her innocence. Or was it ignorance?
Rory was even more confused. "What? Why does Dean have a right to be an ass to you?"
Jess locked his eyes on Rory's. "Do you really not know why?"
Rory shook her head.
Not taking his eyes from Rory's, Jess explained, "We have something you and he will never have."
Rory dropped her head.
"What are you talking about?"
"Do you and Dean EVER have the kind of conversations that you and I do?"
Rory didn't want to answer.
Jess slid closer to her on the stair step, so their sides were touching. Rory's mouth went dry.
"Well, do you?"
Defeated Rory answered, "No."
Jess slowly entwined his fingers with Rory's. She flinched at the contact, but didn't remove her hand from his.
"Dean knows that he can never be everything for you."
"And I suppose you think you can, " Rory whispered.
"I know that I can."
Jess tilted Rory's chin up and slowly moved closer.
"Jess don't."
"Stop me."
"I can't"
Jess smiled and softly kissed Rory's lips. She wanted to stop him but she couldn't. When she didn't hesitate to kiss him back, Jess deepened the kiss, entangling his fingers in her hair.
Suddenly Rory regained her senses and broke the kiss.
"You need to go."
"Rory..."
"Go now."
With that, she retreated into the house.
~~~
AN~ I have the next chapter done, but I won't bother posting it if no one is interested. Is anyone???