By Laurie
kickass_grrl@hotmail.com
Spoilers: Every episode before the 2nd season finale, I guess. this is what
would happen during the summer if I could control the universe. Hell that
would be fun!
Summary: Rory is in Washington D.C. and gets a pleasant surprise visit
from a friend.
Rating: only PG 13 (yet)
Content: Kissing, of course
Pairing: Rory and Jess and maybe I'll include some L/L later on. we'll see.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything; it all belongs to Amy Sherman-Palladino
and the WB (Thank God for them!)
Where You Lead
By Laurie
Chapter 2
While the coffee was brewing, he realized how Rory would appreciate what he was doing. The hotel room was filled with that warm and homey smell of Luke's in the morning. He knew how much she missed Stars Hollow, her home and her loved ones. Jess remembered all the efforts she had made to make Stars Hollow feel like home to him when he arrived from the city that never sleeps, and he thought it would only make sense to do the same for Rory. Looking around the room, he smiled, content. He knew he did the right thing, coming to Washington to visit this girl that was reading 5 books at the same time, that had pictures of her parents on her bedside table, right beside an anthology of the British punk scene of the 70's. Open magazines and their cutout pictures were spread all over her messy hotel bed. The huge marble desk had been divided in two. Paris' side had been organized maniacally and she probably measured the space between objects he thought, nodding and smiling. Rory's side was a little bit messy, but in an organized way. Post-Its with irrelevant messages as well as important ones were stuck all over her books and boxes. "To Kill a Mockingbird on TV tonight, tape it" was written on one, "Pick up Luke's heavenly coffee at desk" said another. "Call Dean tonight" said a third one. Jess' heart tightens a little bit. Jess had learned that Rory and him were on a break one day, overhearing one of Luke and Lorelai's conversations, over the counter, but he still felt that Dean would always have an important place in Rory's heart. He wasn't jealous of that but it made him wonder how big his own spot in her heart was. When that thought slipped his mind to be replaced by" Where will I find mugs?", the door swung open.
- I knew I smelled real coffee! Rory shouted.
- I can believe the effect coffee has on you! Gilmore, you are a freak, Paris said, sighing.
- That's exactly what I keep saying. Hey you, Jess whispered closer to Rory to distract her from the coffee maker.
- Hi! I can't believe you did this for me. Jess.
As they stared deeply into each other's eyes, thankful, Paris sighed louder.
- Ok! Over with the love fest in presence of other people. Jess, where has your masculine ego gone? Don't you have pride? You are so whipped! As she quickly slipped the last sentence, she grabbed her book and purse and exited the hotel room. When the door was closed, she yelled: "I wont eat with you tonight, I got myself a meeting with a former Harvard student today. be back at around midnight, ok Stepmother?"
- Whatever, Rory yelled back, giggling.
Turning back her attention to the man that was holding her dangling hand, she smiled genuinely.
- Coffee!
- Oh God! Here it goes. And to think I am the reason for this hysteria.
- Ah, hum! Luke sent this at my request for your information, young man.
- Yes, but I made it. And there is a special way to make Luke's coffee. You did know we put tobacco leaves in it, right?
- Oh, shut up and pour me a cup, diner boy!
- "Comin' right up" Jess replied, impersonating his uncle. But where are the mugs, he asked, breaking off character.
- In that cupboard. So, you want the Grand Tour? It's not really big. Did you see the color of the bathroom, though? It's so pretty! It's turquoise! And I put some seashells beside the bath, and-
- You've been watching Trading Spaces, haven't you?
- Of course I have! Only decent reruns on TV during summer. - You got lucky with that turquoise though. Can you imagine if it would've been brown? I don't think the hotel likes it when clients paint their rooms.
Rory giggled as she took her first sip of the coffee she had longed for so long. She let out a long sigh and sat at the end of her large bed.
- Sweet heavens! I didn't remember how good this tasted!
As she let out a loud moan, Jess looked at her, smiling. She semeed genuinely happy. He felt relieved because he had expected her to be more distant and cold with him, because of his surprise arrival.
- You know, maybe we should talk.
Rory was startled, she looked up from her warm cup of coffee and met his glaze. Rarely he seemed so vulnerable and unsure of himself.
- Okay. About what Jess?
- Well, about us...instantly, he regretted using that word.
- Us, there is an us? Ummm... And as Jess was about to get defensive and find an excuse for his slip-out, Rory smiled.
- Us. That sounds good. Okay. What about us, Jess?
- Well, Dean.
- Yeah?
- You still talk to him? Don't you? I thought you guys were on a break.
- No, we don't talk. We haven't spoken to each other since I left Stars Hollow.
- Rory, Jess started uncomfortably, I saw a note on your desk that said you had to call him, tonight.
- Yes. That's true. I have to call him tonight. Today was the limit I had set for myself. Today is the day I had to decide if I stay with him, or not. And even before you showed, I had made up my mind.
- You have?
- Yes. I'm not in love with Dean anymore, Jess. If I'm true to myself, and to him, I have to stop this thing right away. I know he feels the same, but we are just too afraid to end our relationship. This was our first love, but I'm now ready for other things, whatever life has in store for me. A diner boy maybe, or a young James Dean minus the motorcycle.
- Are you sure?
- Terrifyingly so. She grabbed him at the waist and brought his body over hers and kissed him passionately. After a moment, she stopped.
- I still have to call him tonight you know.
- Yeah, he trailed off. You want some privacy?
- Actually, I would appreciate if you stayed with me, while I talk to him. To give me some courage.
- Sure, no problem.
Rory picked up the phone on the end table, settled in a comfortable position on the bed while Jess nestled his head on hear stomach. As she dialed with her right hand, he left hand slid through Jess' dark, silky hair.
- Hello? Said a familiar and tired voice on the phone.
- Dean. Hi, it's Rory.
- Oh, hi, how are you?
- I'm doing well, you?
- I'm okay. Why are you calling?
- Dean. This is so hard. I don't think we should be together no more. We shouldn't be a couple. I'm so sorry it took so long for me to realize this.
- It's okay Rory, Dean paused for a moment. I didn't want to let go either. I guess this was inevitable.
- Yes. I'm really sorry, you know. It just doesn't feel right anymore.
- I know, it's okay honey, hum, Rory.
- Yeah. Ok. Thank you Dean. I'll see you in a while.
- Okay, Good Bye. Rory hung up and dropped her head backwards. She sighed and a teardrop fell on her cheek. Jess wiped it off with his fingers, only brushing the surface of her delicate warm skin. She smiled to him.
- I think I should call my mother. She needs updates.
- Are you going to her that I'm here?
- If I'm logical and tell her that I broke up with Dean and that you came here to see me in the same conversation, you can expect to be hung to a tree when you return Stars Hollow.
- Right. Well I'll go take a shower while you call her, ok?
- Ok, thank you.
She looked at him getting up and silently make his way to the bathroom. When she heard the bath water running, she started dialing.
-Howdy, you have reached the Gilmore residence. Neither Rory nor myself are home for the moment. Yes, you could leave a message, but we might laugh at your poor performance at doing so in your back. So why don't you call back? Huh? Just kidding. Okay, this is the beep.
- Oh, great, the machine. Mom, this is Rory, your daughter, remember, the one who inherited your cynical sense of humor and nice tooshy. Hum, I just called to say that, well I broke it off with Dean. He agreed, we'll be all right, and. that's it. I'll call you later. Love you.
Where You Lead
By Laurie
Chapter 2
While the coffee was brewing, he realized how Rory would appreciate what he was doing. The hotel room was filled with that warm and homey smell of Luke's in the morning. He knew how much she missed Stars Hollow, her home and her loved ones. Jess remembered all the efforts she had made to make Stars Hollow feel like home to him when he arrived from the city that never sleeps, and he thought it would only make sense to do the same for Rory. Looking around the room, he smiled, content. He knew he did the right thing, coming to Washington to visit this girl that was reading 5 books at the same time, that had pictures of her parents on her bedside table, right beside an anthology of the British punk scene of the 70's. Open magazines and their cutout pictures were spread all over her messy hotel bed. The huge marble desk had been divided in two. Paris' side had been organized maniacally and she probably measured the space between objects he thought, nodding and smiling. Rory's side was a little bit messy, but in an organized way. Post-Its with irrelevant messages as well as important ones were stuck all over her books and boxes. "To Kill a Mockingbird on TV tonight, tape it" was written on one, "Pick up Luke's heavenly coffee at desk" said another. "Call Dean tonight" said a third one. Jess' heart tightens a little bit. Jess had learned that Rory and him were on a break one day, overhearing one of Luke and Lorelai's conversations, over the counter, but he still felt that Dean would always have an important place in Rory's heart. He wasn't jealous of that but it made him wonder how big his own spot in her heart was. When that thought slipped his mind to be replaced by" Where will I find mugs?", the door swung open.
- I knew I smelled real coffee! Rory shouted.
- I can believe the effect coffee has on you! Gilmore, you are a freak, Paris said, sighing.
- That's exactly what I keep saying. Hey you, Jess whispered closer to Rory to distract her from the coffee maker.
- Hi! I can't believe you did this for me. Jess.
As they stared deeply into each other's eyes, thankful, Paris sighed louder.
- Ok! Over with the love fest in presence of other people. Jess, where has your masculine ego gone? Don't you have pride? You are so whipped! As she quickly slipped the last sentence, she grabbed her book and purse and exited the hotel room. When the door was closed, she yelled: "I wont eat with you tonight, I got myself a meeting with a former Harvard student today. be back at around midnight, ok Stepmother?"
- Whatever, Rory yelled back, giggling.
Turning back her attention to the man that was holding her dangling hand, she smiled genuinely.
- Coffee!
- Oh God! Here it goes. And to think I am the reason for this hysteria.
- Ah, hum! Luke sent this at my request for your information, young man.
- Yes, but I made it. And there is a special way to make Luke's coffee. You did know we put tobacco leaves in it, right?
- Oh, shut up and pour me a cup, diner boy!
- "Comin' right up" Jess replied, impersonating his uncle. But where are the mugs, he asked, breaking off character.
- In that cupboard. So, you want the Grand Tour? It's not really big. Did you see the color of the bathroom, though? It's so pretty! It's turquoise! And I put some seashells beside the bath, and-
- You've been watching Trading Spaces, haven't you?
- Of course I have! Only decent reruns on TV during summer. - You got lucky with that turquoise though. Can you imagine if it would've been brown? I don't think the hotel likes it when clients paint their rooms.
Rory giggled as she took her first sip of the coffee she had longed for so long. She let out a long sigh and sat at the end of her large bed.
- Sweet heavens! I didn't remember how good this tasted!
As she let out a loud moan, Jess looked at her, smiling. She semeed genuinely happy. He felt relieved because he had expected her to be more distant and cold with him, because of his surprise arrival.
- You know, maybe we should talk.
Rory was startled, she looked up from her warm cup of coffee and met his glaze. Rarely he seemed so vulnerable and unsure of himself.
- Okay. About what Jess?
- Well, about us...instantly, he regretted using that word.
- Us, there is an us? Ummm... And as Jess was about to get defensive and find an excuse for his slip-out, Rory smiled.
- Us. That sounds good. Okay. What about us, Jess?
- Well, Dean.
- Yeah?
- You still talk to him? Don't you? I thought you guys were on a break.
- No, we don't talk. We haven't spoken to each other since I left Stars Hollow.
- Rory, Jess started uncomfortably, I saw a note on your desk that said you had to call him, tonight.
- Yes. That's true. I have to call him tonight. Today was the limit I had set for myself. Today is the day I had to decide if I stay with him, or not. And even before you showed, I had made up my mind.
- You have?
- Yes. I'm not in love with Dean anymore, Jess. If I'm true to myself, and to him, I have to stop this thing right away. I know he feels the same, but we are just too afraid to end our relationship. This was our first love, but I'm now ready for other things, whatever life has in store for me. A diner boy maybe, or a young James Dean minus the motorcycle.
- Are you sure?
- Terrifyingly so. She grabbed him at the waist and brought his body over hers and kissed him passionately. After a moment, she stopped.
- I still have to call him tonight you know.
- Yeah, he trailed off. You want some privacy?
- Actually, I would appreciate if you stayed with me, while I talk to him. To give me some courage.
- Sure, no problem.
Rory picked up the phone on the end table, settled in a comfortable position on the bed while Jess nestled his head on hear stomach. As she dialed with her right hand, he left hand slid through Jess' dark, silky hair.
- Hello? Said a familiar and tired voice on the phone.
- Dean. Hi, it's Rory.
- Oh, hi, how are you?
- I'm doing well, you?
- I'm okay. Why are you calling?
- Dean. This is so hard. I don't think we should be together no more. We shouldn't be a couple. I'm so sorry it took so long for me to realize this.
- It's okay Rory, Dean paused for a moment. I didn't want to let go either. I guess this was inevitable.
- Yes. I'm really sorry, you know. It just doesn't feel right anymore.
- I know, it's okay honey, hum, Rory.
- Yeah. Ok. Thank you Dean. I'll see you in a while.
- Okay, Good Bye. Rory hung up and dropped her head backwards. She sighed and a teardrop fell on her cheek. Jess wiped it off with his fingers, only brushing the surface of her delicate warm skin. She smiled to him.
- I think I should call my mother. She needs updates.
- Are you going to her that I'm here?
- If I'm logical and tell her that I broke up with Dean and that you came here to see me in the same conversation, you can expect to be hung to a tree when you return Stars Hollow.
- Right. Well I'll go take a shower while you call her, ok?
- Ok, thank you.
She looked at him getting up and silently make his way to the bathroom. When she heard the bath water running, she started dialing.
-Howdy, you have reached the Gilmore residence. Neither Rory nor myself are home for the moment. Yes, you could leave a message, but we might laugh at your poor performance at doing so in your back. So why don't you call back? Huh? Just kidding. Okay, this is the beep.
- Oh, great, the machine. Mom, this is Rory, your daughter, remember, the one who inherited your cynical sense of humor and nice tooshy. Hum, I just called to say that, well I broke it off with Dean. He agreed, we'll be all right, and. that's it. I'll call you later. Love you.