Ch 6 Weary Goodbye
Paris had left and now Rory was left alone with a hyperventilating Lorelai. Two days had past and Lorelai had yet to step foot into Luke's. Instead she insisted on Al's World of Pancakes. Their Coffee maker was still broken and Lorelai refused to bring it to get repaired. Rory left for Washington in two days and had to get everything in order.
She trudged over to Doose's Market to get some stuff that they needed for their movie night. Lorelai was down at Star's Hollow Video picking out the movie. Tomorrow she would be spending the day in Hartford with her grandparents so that Saturday she would be ready early to get to the bus and meet Paris. Tuesday after Paris left Rory and Lorelai had another fight about Jess being at the party for the short time he was. Eventually they did make up, but it took until Wednesday morning when Lorelai decided to finally tell her about Boston. Of course it wasn't all Rory had hoped for.
Inside Doose's she let the cool air conditioning take over for a second and then grabbed a shopping cart. Shopping for junk food just wasn't the same without Lorelai but without a doubt her mother stumbled into the market with the video, as promised. "What'd you rent?" Rory asked.
"How does Independence Day sound?" Lorelai held the video.
"Nice Try!" Rory shook her head, "You can try to scare me with Aliens taking over the world, but I'm still going."
"I know," Lorelai pretended to look innocent, "I just want to see things get blown up."
"Right," Rory walked on down the aisle and spotted Dean.
"Go on and say goodbye," Lorelai urged, "But don't let him weasel his way into our night together." Rory laughed and walked over to Dean who was stalking shelves.
"You work Thursdays now?" Rory asked.
"School's out," Dean pointed out, "I work as much as I can."
"Well, mom and I are getting stuff for our last night together before Washington," Rory explained, "I came to say goodbye seeing as tomorrow morning I'm going over to my grandparents' for the day."
"How come?" Dean wondered. Rory looked up at him. His eye was still a bit purple.
"Well, my grandparents want the day with me," Rory shrugged, "So I agreed."
"Can I come over tonight then?" Dean asked.
"Mom would kill me," Rory shook her head; "This is the only night we get. Yesterday Lane was over and day before we had a fight."
"Alright," Dean leaned over and kissed her and then whispered, "I love you."
"I love you too," Rory had to force the words out of her mouth. They just didn't seem to come naturally anymore. She looked out the front window to Luke's and suddenly had to talk to Jess. Rory turned on her heels and waved to Dean and she sped out the door. Her head held high, she was determined to do this and not chicken out. When she had forced the words 'I love you' out she realized she wanted to love Dean, he was safe and she felt if she stayed with him nothing could happen. It wasn't true anymore, she didn't really love Dean.
He saw her coming. She looked so determined and he wasn't sure what was going through her head. Jess looked around the empty diner. Tonight had been a pretty quiet night. The supper crowd had passed and Luke had left him to clean up and went upstairs. Jess didn't mind though. When he was alone it was easier to think. The bells on the door chimed indicating that Rory had entered the diner. He looked up at her and smiled a half smile.
Lorelai watched her daughter march out of Doose's as she paid for their junk. She knew where she was going and wasn't too pleased. Jess was over there, she knew it. As much as she wanted to trust her daughter's judgement of Jess she couldn't quite do it. Something in her gut told her not to. Told her he would steal her only daughter away and take her last bit of happiness. Rory had asked why he had come back. She knew as well as everyone else in Star's Hollow why Jess had come back, for her.
Rory paused at the door and looked Jess over. She contemplated leaving and forgetting about this whole thing. They were probably better off not talking about the incident at Sookie's wedding, but Rory had to know if there was something behind that. She examined Jess' half smile, the way he tilted his head and looked at her questionably and she examined his eyes which were full of mystery. An untold story lie in there, a lost boy. "Hi," she said in a hushed tone.
"Hi," Jess mimicked. Silence filled the next few seconds. There was a silent understanding between the two and Jess put down the rag. Rory sat at the table near the door and Jess joined her.
"I'm sorry," she apologized, "I'm really sorry that all this happened. The fight with Dean, the avoiding you and the kiss at Sookie's wedding." Jess didn't speak. He listened and Rory went on, "I'm going to Washington; today's my last day in Star's Hollow until the end of the summer. I'm spending tomorrow in Hartford with my grandparents." Still, Jess said nothing so Rory finished off bye saying, "So that's all I needed to say. That and goodbye." She got up and pushed the door open.
"Goodbye Gilmore," Jess said leaning back in the chair. Rory smiled.
"Goodbye Dodger," she whispered and then added, "For now," before running out the door. Jess watched her run across the street to meet her waiting mother and watched them until they disappeared. He knew there was something about that Rory Gilmore he might never understand, but he sure wanted to try. Now, with his reminder of why he had come back to this place was going and he would have to try to remember that she was the reason. Even if this whole town hated him she was still there. He shook his head. Why did he have to fall for her? He knew why though. She was the only one who cared.
Lorelai tried to say nothing to her daughter. She tried not to start a fight on their last night before Rory went to Washington for a whole summer. More than anything Lorelai wanted to understand what her daughter saw in that boy. Needed to know what was going to happen between her and Dean. As much as she hated to admit it, but her daughter couldn't keep leading Dean on when she had feelings for Jess. Rory might deny it, but Lorelai knew better. She had seen the glow Rory got after the kiss. Yes, Rory had been upset about the whole thing. Deep down though she was doing back flips and cartwheels. The smile on Rory's face now was pure content and Lorelai knew it wasn't because she was thinking about Dean. Jess had stolen her daughter's mind and heart. He was lurking in her every thought. Lorelai knew the feeling well, all too well.
Paris had left and now Rory was left alone with a hyperventilating Lorelai. Two days had past and Lorelai had yet to step foot into Luke's. Instead she insisted on Al's World of Pancakes. Their Coffee maker was still broken and Lorelai refused to bring it to get repaired. Rory left for Washington in two days and had to get everything in order.
She trudged over to Doose's Market to get some stuff that they needed for their movie night. Lorelai was down at Star's Hollow Video picking out the movie. Tomorrow she would be spending the day in Hartford with her grandparents so that Saturday she would be ready early to get to the bus and meet Paris. Tuesday after Paris left Rory and Lorelai had another fight about Jess being at the party for the short time he was. Eventually they did make up, but it took until Wednesday morning when Lorelai decided to finally tell her about Boston. Of course it wasn't all Rory had hoped for.
Inside Doose's she let the cool air conditioning take over for a second and then grabbed a shopping cart. Shopping for junk food just wasn't the same without Lorelai but without a doubt her mother stumbled into the market with the video, as promised. "What'd you rent?" Rory asked.
"How does Independence Day sound?" Lorelai held the video.
"Nice Try!" Rory shook her head, "You can try to scare me with Aliens taking over the world, but I'm still going."
"I know," Lorelai pretended to look innocent, "I just want to see things get blown up."
"Right," Rory walked on down the aisle and spotted Dean.
"Go on and say goodbye," Lorelai urged, "But don't let him weasel his way into our night together." Rory laughed and walked over to Dean who was stalking shelves.
"You work Thursdays now?" Rory asked.
"School's out," Dean pointed out, "I work as much as I can."
"Well, mom and I are getting stuff for our last night together before Washington," Rory explained, "I came to say goodbye seeing as tomorrow morning I'm going over to my grandparents' for the day."
"How come?" Dean wondered. Rory looked up at him. His eye was still a bit purple.
"Well, my grandparents want the day with me," Rory shrugged, "So I agreed."
"Can I come over tonight then?" Dean asked.
"Mom would kill me," Rory shook her head; "This is the only night we get. Yesterday Lane was over and day before we had a fight."
"Alright," Dean leaned over and kissed her and then whispered, "I love you."
"I love you too," Rory had to force the words out of her mouth. They just didn't seem to come naturally anymore. She looked out the front window to Luke's and suddenly had to talk to Jess. Rory turned on her heels and waved to Dean and she sped out the door. Her head held high, she was determined to do this and not chicken out. When she had forced the words 'I love you' out she realized she wanted to love Dean, he was safe and she felt if she stayed with him nothing could happen. It wasn't true anymore, she didn't really love Dean.
He saw her coming. She looked so determined and he wasn't sure what was going through her head. Jess looked around the empty diner. Tonight had been a pretty quiet night. The supper crowd had passed and Luke had left him to clean up and went upstairs. Jess didn't mind though. When he was alone it was easier to think. The bells on the door chimed indicating that Rory had entered the diner. He looked up at her and smiled a half smile.
Lorelai watched her daughter march out of Doose's as she paid for their junk. She knew where she was going and wasn't too pleased. Jess was over there, she knew it. As much as she wanted to trust her daughter's judgement of Jess she couldn't quite do it. Something in her gut told her not to. Told her he would steal her only daughter away and take her last bit of happiness. Rory had asked why he had come back. She knew as well as everyone else in Star's Hollow why Jess had come back, for her.
Rory paused at the door and looked Jess over. She contemplated leaving and forgetting about this whole thing. They were probably better off not talking about the incident at Sookie's wedding, but Rory had to know if there was something behind that. She examined Jess' half smile, the way he tilted his head and looked at her questionably and she examined his eyes which were full of mystery. An untold story lie in there, a lost boy. "Hi," she said in a hushed tone.
"Hi," Jess mimicked. Silence filled the next few seconds. There was a silent understanding between the two and Jess put down the rag. Rory sat at the table near the door and Jess joined her.
"I'm sorry," she apologized, "I'm really sorry that all this happened. The fight with Dean, the avoiding you and the kiss at Sookie's wedding." Jess didn't speak. He listened and Rory went on, "I'm going to Washington; today's my last day in Star's Hollow until the end of the summer. I'm spending tomorrow in Hartford with my grandparents." Still, Jess said nothing so Rory finished off bye saying, "So that's all I needed to say. That and goodbye." She got up and pushed the door open.
"Goodbye Gilmore," Jess said leaning back in the chair. Rory smiled.
"Goodbye Dodger," she whispered and then added, "For now," before running out the door. Jess watched her run across the street to meet her waiting mother and watched them until they disappeared. He knew there was something about that Rory Gilmore he might never understand, but he sure wanted to try. Now, with his reminder of why he had come back to this place was going and he would have to try to remember that she was the reason. Even if this whole town hated him she was still there. He shook his head. Why did he have to fall for her? He knew why though. She was the only one who cared.
Lorelai tried to say nothing to her daughter. She tried not to start a fight on their last night before Rory went to Washington for a whole summer. More than anything Lorelai wanted to understand what her daughter saw in that boy. Needed to know what was going to happen between her and Dean. As much as she hated to admit it, but her daughter couldn't keep leading Dean on when she had feelings for Jess. Rory might deny it, but Lorelai knew better. She had seen the glow Rory got after the kiss. Yes, Rory had been upset about the whole thing. Deep down though she was doing back flips and cartwheels. The smile on Rory's face now was pure content and Lorelai knew it wasn't because she was thinking about Dean. Jess had stolen her daughter's mind and heart. He was lurking in her every thought. Lorelai knew the feeling well, all too well.