Disclaimer first chapter.
Talks Chapter 22
They swam with the dolphins. It was a program set up by the hotel. The dolphins were in a pool and you were allowed to go out into the pool with a life jacket on and an instructor. Rory timidly pet one of them, slightly afraid of the animals. Rory smiled, thinking of what her mother would say right now. Rory could just see Lorelai saying excitedly, "I wonder if dolphins can understand me? EEEEEEEEE! Look! They get it!" Jess slipped up behind her. "What's that smile for?" "Nothing. Nothing at all." They got out of the small pool and walked to the beach.
The sun was setting, the waves lapping at Rory and Jess's feet. He was holding her hand tightly. "I'll talk now." Rory turned her full attention on Jess. "I was so shocked to find my Dad here. I had given up hope of ever seeing him again. He wants to talk to me, Rory. I'm afraid. I'm afraid that if I do, I'm going to find out that I'm the reason he left. I've manage to dilude myself into believing that it's all Liz's fault." "I know it's hard, Jess." "You don't know. That's the thing. You have people who love you. Everyone loves you." Rory stopped walking and turned to him. "I've been lucky to have my mom, my grandparents, Luke, the town of Stars Hollow. I know that. But my dad was pretty much nonexistent in my life until I turned 16. It wasn't that he didn't love me, he was just busy. My Hayden grandparents hate me. I've met them twice. Once when I was born and one time with my mom, dad, and Gilmore grandparents. They see me as the mistake that held their son back from Princeton. They blame me and my mom. It's all our fault. To them, I am nothing but some illegitimate child who is a nuisance. They don't want to know me. I know it's not the same, but I do understand." "You're not a mistake, Angel." Rory gazed at the teal water. "I know. Neither are you." Jess took her in his arms and held her, both lost in their own thoughts.
Jess met with Rob that night. Rory had disappeared. Jess guessed to read in one of the hammocks on the grounds. Rob came up to the room. "Hi, Jess." "Hi." Jess replied. Rob sat in the chair, "So, you're married." "To Rory Gilmore. She's 18, too, and amazing." "She seems to be. How did you meet her?" "She lives in Stars Hollow. Uncle Luke lives there. Liz sent me to live with him when I was 17. She couldn't deal with me getting into trouble. It interrupted her social life." Jess finished bitterly. Rob nodded. Both were quiet. Finally, Jess asked the question that had burning a hole in his brain. "Why did you leave?" "I couldn't deal with it anymore. Your mom was always drunk and out. I couldn't keep a job. I just left." "Without a good-bye." "I..." "I was six years old! I couldn't undersand why you never came home. I was so sure you would come back. You didn't call, you didn't even send me a post card. Just dropped off the face of the Earth." "I'm sorry, Jess. I know there's nothing I can do to change it, but I couldn't raise a kid." "Well, neither could Liz. I raised myself." "Jess, I was irresponsible. I couldn't take care of you, I couldn't take care of myself." "Right. You were more important than your own kid. It was a good thing I went to Luke. He's the closest thing to a Father I've ever had. Unfortunately, it was 17 years too late." "I'm sorry, Jess." "Yeah, right. It doesn't matter anymore. I have Rory. That's all that matters." "Did you graduate? Your mom and I married when we were 17. I never graduated." "I did." "Wow." "Yeah. I had to work at it, but I brought my grades up." "You were always a smart little boy." Jess looked away. "Dad, I think you should go now." Rob nodded. "Maybe you, me, and Rory can go out to eat sometime." "Maybe." Jess shut the door and awaited Rory's return.
Jess had waited nearly an hour and Rory still hadn't returned. He figured she probably got caught up in her book. That would be just like her. He retrieved his own and began to search for Rory. He found her tranquilly rocking in a hammock, reading Oliver Twist. He glance at his own book and smiled. He walked quietly up to her and she jumped when he spoke. "Gosh! You're worse than Paris! Don't sneak up on me!" "Oh, so now you're comparing me with the slightly possessed Paris?" Rory grinned. "Whatcha need?" "I came to find you." He crawled into the hammock beside her. "I talked to my dad." "That's great." "I guess. He wants us to go to dinner with him." "How about tomorrow? I'd like to meet him, you know without my p.j.'s." "You look beautiful in anything you wear." "Liar. Now, I was just getting to the good part when you so rudely interrupted." "Well, excuse me. I bet I know which part." "Oh? What part am I on?" "The part where Oliver lives with his grandparents, even though they don't know they're related." "The exact place. How'd you know?" Jess opened his book. "It's the exact same place that I am in." Rory smiled as Jess started to read his own book, she soon commenced hers.
Rory was getting ready for dinner. They were going to eat at the Restaurant on Kiluhua. Rory put on a short sleeved dress, some blue heels and pulled her hair half way up. "You look gorgeous." "Yes, I know. Are you ready?" "As ready as I'll ever be." Rory shook her head. "Okay. Let's go."
The couple met Rob at 7. They sat down and ordered their food. Rory was already on her second cup of coffee. Rob was tired of the silence, so he broke it. "So, tell me how you guys fell in love." Rory and Jess exchanged adoring glances. "It all started when he moved to Stars Hollow. My mom invited him and Luke over for dinner. My mom's best friend was cooking and we wanted to show him that not everyone in Stars Hollow belonged in an insane asylum. Somehow, my mom believed that him coming over to our house would prove that. Anyways, Jess came in my room and saw all of my books. He said he didn't read very much and then wanted us to ditch dinner. I didn't. Jess stole a beer our of our fridge and went outside on the porch. My mom went out to talk to him, but he decided to be his usual charming self. He yelled at her. But then, a week later, I met up with him on the street. I found out he had stolen one of my books and written margin notes in it. Turns out that he read all the time. I named him Dodger then, from Oliver Twist. Jess was always playing pranks and doing these awful magic tricks." "She didn't like the magic tricks. Well, I was flunking out of my Junior year in high school, so Uncle Luke asked Rory to tutor me, so she tried. We went for a drive and I crashed her car. She fractured her wrist. I went back to New York after that." "Well, he never said goodbye and I missed him so much, so I cut school to go to New York. Then, by my mom's best friends wedding he had come back to Stars Hollow. Hey, you never told me why you came back." "You and Luke were the only two people in the world that cared about me. As much as I hated the Barney quality of the town, it had you. So, Rory kissed me at the wedding. She broke up with possessive Frankenstein later. We continued being friends and then we eloped. We graduated high school. Soon it's off to college. Rory's going to Harvard. I'm going to New York University." "Oh, that's a lovely story. You two seem to connect." Rob commented. "We do." "When are you leaving, Jess?" "In a couple of days." "I don't want to lose touch with you. I missed your high school graduation and both of your weddings. I don't want to miss your college graduatoin or seeing my grandkids." Rory choked a little. "Grandkids? Not in the near future." Rob laughed. "I don't expect it anytime soon." Jess squeezed Rory's knee under the table.
The next two days were spent swimming, reading, shopping and going to a luau. Rory had bought Lorelai a ukelalei and Luke a beach hat. They also got Rachel and Lorelai a grass skirt and cowrie shell necklaces. Chistopher recieved a hawaiian c.d. and Sherri even got a little Hawaiian God statue. They were soon on their way home, much to their delight and despair.
Talks Chapter 22
They swam with the dolphins. It was a program set up by the hotel. The dolphins were in a pool and you were allowed to go out into the pool with a life jacket on and an instructor. Rory timidly pet one of them, slightly afraid of the animals. Rory smiled, thinking of what her mother would say right now. Rory could just see Lorelai saying excitedly, "I wonder if dolphins can understand me? EEEEEEEEE! Look! They get it!" Jess slipped up behind her. "What's that smile for?" "Nothing. Nothing at all." They got out of the small pool and walked to the beach.
The sun was setting, the waves lapping at Rory and Jess's feet. He was holding her hand tightly. "I'll talk now." Rory turned her full attention on Jess. "I was so shocked to find my Dad here. I had given up hope of ever seeing him again. He wants to talk to me, Rory. I'm afraid. I'm afraid that if I do, I'm going to find out that I'm the reason he left. I've manage to dilude myself into believing that it's all Liz's fault." "I know it's hard, Jess." "You don't know. That's the thing. You have people who love you. Everyone loves you." Rory stopped walking and turned to him. "I've been lucky to have my mom, my grandparents, Luke, the town of Stars Hollow. I know that. But my dad was pretty much nonexistent in my life until I turned 16. It wasn't that he didn't love me, he was just busy. My Hayden grandparents hate me. I've met them twice. Once when I was born and one time with my mom, dad, and Gilmore grandparents. They see me as the mistake that held their son back from Princeton. They blame me and my mom. It's all our fault. To them, I am nothing but some illegitimate child who is a nuisance. They don't want to know me. I know it's not the same, but I do understand." "You're not a mistake, Angel." Rory gazed at the teal water. "I know. Neither are you." Jess took her in his arms and held her, both lost in their own thoughts.
Jess met with Rob that night. Rory had disappeared. Jess guessed to read in one of the hammocks on the grounds. Rob came up to the room. "Hi, Jess." "Hi." Jess replied. Rob sat in the chair, "So, you're married." "To Rory Gilmore. She's 18, too, and amazing." "She seems to be. How did you meet her?" "She lives in Stars Hollow. Uncle Luke lives there. Liz sent me to live with him when I was 17. She couldn't deal with me getting into trouble. It interrupted her social life." Jess finished bitterly. Rob nodded. Both were quiet. Finally, Jess asked the question that had burning a hole in his brain. "Why did you leave?" "I couldn't deal with it anymore. Your mom was always drunk and out. I couldn't keep a job. I just left." "Without a good-bye." "I..." "I was six years old! I couldn't undersand why you never came home. I was so sure you would come back. You didn't call, you didn't even send me a post card. Just dropped off the face of the Earth." "I'm sorry, Jess. I know there's nothing I can do to change it, but I couldn't raise a kid." "Well, neither could Liz. I raised myself." "Jess, I was irresponsible. I couldn't take care of you, I couldn't take care of myself." "Right. You were more important than your own kid. It was a good thing I went to Luke. He's the closest thing to a Father I've ever had. Unfortunately, it was 17 years too late." "I'm sorry, Jess." "Yeah, right. It doesn't matter anymore. I have Rory. That's all that matters." "Did you graduate? Your mom and I married when we were 17. I never graduated." "I did." "Wow." "Yeah. I had to work at it, but I brought my grades up." "You were always a smart little boy." Jess looked away. "Dad, I think you should go now." Rob nodded. "Maybe you, me, and Rory can go out to eat sometime." "Maybe." Jess shut the door and awaited Rory's return.
Jess had waited nearly an hour and Rory still hadn't returned. He figured she probably got caught up in her book. That would be just like her. He retrieved his own and began to search for Rory. He found her tranquilly rocking in a hammock, reading Oliver Twist. He glance at his own book and smiled. He walked quietly up to her and she jumped when he spoke. "Gosh! You're worse than Paris! Don't sneak up on me!" "Oh, so now you're comparing me with the slightly possessed Paris?" Rory grinned. "Whatcha need?" "I came to find you." He crawled into the hammock beside her. "I talked to my dad." "That's great." "I guess. He wants us to go to dinner with him." "How about tomorrow? I'd like to meet him, you know without my p.j.'s." "You look beautiful in anything you wear." "Liar. Now, I was just getting to the good part when you so rudely interrupted." "Well, excuse me. I bet I know which part." "Oh? What part am I on?" "The part where Oliver lives with his grandparents, even though they don't know they're related." "The exact place. How'd you know?" Jess opened his book. "It's the exact same place that I am in." Rory smiled as Jess started to read his own book, she soon commenced hers.
Rory was getting ready for dinner. They were going to eat at the Restaurant on Kiluhua. Rory put on a short sleeved dress, some blue heels and pulled her hair half way up. "You look gorgeous." "Yes, I know. Are you ready?" "As ready as I'll ever be." Rory shook her head. "Okay. Let's go."
The couple met Rob at 7. They sat down and ordered their food. Rory was already on her second cup of coffee. Rob was tired of the silence, so he broke it. "So, tell me how you guys fell in love." Rory and Jess exchanged adoring glances. "It all started when he moved to Stars Hollow. My mom invited him and Luke over for dinner. My mom's best friend was cooking and we wanted to show him that not everyone in Stars Hollow belonged in an insane asylum. Somehow, my mom believed that him coming over to our house would prove that. Anyways, Jess came in my room and saw all of my books. He said he didn't read very much and then wanted us to ditch dinner. I didn't. Jess stole a beer our of our fridge and went outside on the porch. My mom went out to talk to him, but he decided to be his usual charming self. He yelled at her. But then, a week later, I met up with him on the street. I found out he had stolen one of my books and written margin notes in it. Turns out that he read all the time. I named him Dodger then, from Oliver Twist. Jess was always playing pranks and doing these awful magic tricks." "She didn't like the magic tricks. Well, I was flunking out of my Junior year in high school, so Uncle Luke asked Rory to tutor me, so she tried. We went for a drive and I crashed her car. She fractured her wrist. I went back to New York after that." "Well, he never said goodbye and I missed him so much, so I cut school to go to New York. Then, by my mom's best friends wedding he had come back to Stars Hollow. Hey, you never told me why you came back." "You and Luke were the only two people in the world that cared about me. As much as I hated the Barney quality of the town, it had you. So, Rory kissed me at the wedding. She broke up with possessive Frankenstein later. We continued being friends and then we eloped. We graduated high school. Soon it's off to college. Rory's going to Harvard. I'm going to New York University." "Oh, that's a lovely story. You two seem to connect." Rob commented. "We do." "When are you leaving, Jess?" "In a couple of days." "I don't want to lose touch with you. I missed your high school graduation and both of your weddings. I don't want to miss your college graduatoin or seeing my grandkids." Rory choked a little. "Grandkids? Not in the near future." Rob laughed. "I don't expect it anytime soon." Jess squeezed Rory's knee under the table.
The next two days were spent swimming, reading, shopping and going to a luau. Rory had bought Lorelai a ukelalei and Luke a beach hat. They also got Rachel and Lorelai a grass skirt and cowrie shell necklaces. Chistopher recieved a hawaiian c.d. and Sherri even got a little Hawaiian God statue. They were soon on their way home, much to their delight and despair.