Ch 8 Welcome Back
Nine hours later Rory got off the bus in Stars Hollow. Her mom was there to greet her right away. They hugged and then jumped into the jeep to head on home. When they got to the house Rory breathed taking in the air of the house. She was home after six weeks in a dorm in another state. She was tired of sitting down she decided to get reacquainted with her little town. "Mom!" she called out, "I'll meet you at Luke's later, ok?"
"Sure, sure!" Lorelai replied, "Nothing's changed though. Everything remains where it was."
"I know!" Rory laughed, "But after six weeks you tend to forget." Shutting the door behind Rory looked out at the road. The first place she wanted to go was the bridge. It was probably the quietest spot in Star's Hollow. When she got to the bridge she looked out at the lake slowly running its course. Rory's life was like that river. It knew where it was going until there's a fork in the water and it has to choose what direction it wants to go. Rory had reached that fork. "My life's like a river," she sighed talking to herself.
"Good analogy," a voice from behind her said. Startled Rory spun around to see the intruder. "Good to see you too."
"Jess," Rory sighed in relief, "What're you doing here?"
"In Star's Hollow or here in general?" Jess wondered.
"General," Rory replied.
"I saw that you standing here," Jess explained, "Thought I'd come and see you."
"Oh," Rory nodded. There were a few minutes silence when Jess leaned in and kissed her. Rory got caught up in the moment and returned the kiss. Finally, Jess slowly pulled away cupping Rory's face in his hands. Rory started to say something but he put his finger to her lip. Then, he dropped his hands and walked away.
When he got to the end of the bridge he turned and said, "Welcome back." Then he was gone.
"You stole my line," Rory shook her head laughing. As much as she wanted to feel guilty about the kiss she couldn't. This time Jess had actually kissed her. To Rory that kiss meant that Jess returned what she felt about him or at least what she though she felt about him.
Rory remained at the bridge for a little longer before realizing she should probably go and meet her mother at Luke's. Stopping herself from getting all giddy and running Rory made her way calmly over to the diner. When she got there she noticed her mother sitting at their usual table. "When did you decide to cut off your strike of Luke's?" Rory asked sitting down.
"Al's cut off my supply of their very awful coffee," Lorelai explained, "And Luke and I agreed to forget about what happened."
"Not so easy is it?" Rory knew the feeling. She had tried endlessly to forget her kiss with Jess.
"NO!" Lorelai exclaimed, "I just keep wondering what it meant."
"Do I need to put a big neon sign above his head?" Rory asked laughing, "The guy's in love with you!"
"I could say the same about someone else I know," Lorelai said.
"Are we still talking about you here?" Rory wondered.
"No, we're talking about you," Lorelai cleared it out for her, "and you leading Dean on when you really have fallen smitten with Jess. Aren't you?"
"Smitten, that's a new word," Rory said, impressed trying to dodge the question.
"AH, don't dodge the question!" Lorelai warned.
"Mom, please," Rory begged, "I don't want to talk about it."
"Rory," Lorelai began, "As much as I hate..."
"Despise," Rory cut her off, "hate is a strong word."
"Hate," she continued, "Jess I can see that you like him and see something good in him. So, as your mother I'm telling you to break it off with Dean because you don't love him anymore like he should be loved."
"I know," Rory sighed.
"Now, speak of the devil," Lorelai stated looking over at the door, "Hello Dean" Lorelai waved Dean over who obediently came.
"You're home," he smiled at Rory, "Why didn't you call?"
"I just got in," she replied meekly, "Dean, let's go for a walk."
"Okay," Dean shrugged. Rory felt incredibly guilty. He didn't know what was coming. She looked over to her mother before leaving who gave her and encouraging smile. Then, she left.
The walked a little over to the gazebo where Rory dropped his hand. Dean looked at her questionably and a little worried of what this meant. "I thought a lot this summer," Rory started, "About us."
"Us," Dean repeated the word.
"Yeah," Rory nodded then went on, "And as much as I don't want it to be true I don't think we can go on together anymore."
"Rory, what are you talking about?" Dean asked worriedly.
"I think it's time we went our separate ways," Rory held back the tears, "For good."
"Does this have anything to do with Jess?" he asked angrily.
"Yes and no," Rory replied, "But it really doesn't matter because in Washington two people helped me realize that it was time it ended. Dean, I can't look you in the eyes and say 'I love you' anymore. I haven't been able to for a while."
"You talked about this with strangers in Washington before with me?" Dean was nearly shouting.
"Not strangers, Paris and..." Rory wasn't sure if she should mention Tristan.
"And..." Dean urged, "Don't hold back on my behalf."
"Tristan," Rory gulped.
"Tristan was in Washington?" Dean walked off, but returned for her answer. Rory nodded. Dean shook his head in disbelief and ran his hand through his hair.
"I'm sorry Dean, but right now it doesn't really matter," Rory sighed, "Because we can't go on like this anymore. It's just your over protective and jealous of anyone I become friends with when they're guys."
"Tristan and Jess like you Rory," Dean argued, "It's different."
"No, you should've trusted me," Rory shook her head.
"Welcome back," Dean grumbled as Rory returned to the diner.
Once back at the diner Rory returned to the table with her mother who didn't ask any questions about what had happened between the two of them. She knew Rory would tell her when she was ready. Babette and Ms. Patty were at the next table talking in hushed voices that neither of them could help but overhear. "It's true!" Babette was saying, "I was on my way over here when I passed by the bridge and that's when I saw it." Rory gulped.
"Saw what?" Ms. Patty was asked. Rory held her breath hoping it wasn't her and Jess.
"That Jess kissing some girl," Babette replied excitedly, "I didn't see who she was because I rushed off to find someone and tell. Looks like he found someone. Shame he was a looker too." Then, they noticed Rory sitting there.
"Hello," Ms. Patty greeted, "Welcome back."
"Yeah doll," Babette smiled, "we all missed you around here." Rory looked over to her mother who was giving her a look that meant trouble. Lorelai had put two and two together on that one.
"I'm going to get coffee," Rory murmured getting up and going over to the counter.
"You do that," Lorelai agreed, "but then we have to talk a little about Washington and stuff." It wasn't the Washington Rory dreaded talking about it was the stuff. Rory knew what that meant, that a fight between the two was probable going to occur when they were on their own.
Nine hours later Rory got off the bus in Stars Hollow. Her mom was there to greet her right away. They hugged and then jumped into the jeep to head on home. When they got to the house Rory breathed taking in the air of the house. She was home after six weeks in a dorm in another state. She was tired of sitting down she decided to get reacquainted with her little town. "Mom!" she called out, "I'll meet you at Luke's later, ok?"
"Sure, sure!" Lorelai replied, "Nothing's changed though. Everything remains where it was."
"I know!" Rory laughed, "But after six weeks you tend to forget." Shutting the door behind Rory looked out at the road. The first place she wanted to go was the bridge. It was probably the quietest spot in Star's Hollow. When she got to the bridge she looked out at the lake slowly running its course. Rory's life was like that river. It knew where it was going until there's a fork in the water and it has to choose what direction it wants to go. Rory had reached that fork. "My life's like a river," she sighed talking to herself.
"Good analogy," a voice from behind her said. Startled Rory spun around to see the intruder. "Good to see you too."
"Jess," Rory sighed in relief, "What're you doing here?"
"In Star's Hollow or here in general?" Jess wondered.
"General," Rory replied.
"I saw that you standing here," Jess explained, "Thought I'd come and see you."
"Oh," Rory nodded. There were a few minutes silence when Jess leaned in and kissed her. Rory got caught up in the moment and returned the kiss. Finally, Jess slowly pulled away cupping Rory's face in his hands. Rory started to say something but he put his finger to her lip. Then, he dropped his hands and walked away.
When he got to the end of the bridge he turned and said, "Welcome back." Then he was gone.
"You stole my line," Rory shook her head laughing. As much as she wanted to feel guilty about the kiss she couldn't. This time Jess had actually kissed her. To Rory that kiss meant that Jess returned what she felt about him or at least what she though she felt about him.
Rory remained at the bridge for a little longer before realizing she should probably go and meet her mother at Luke's. Stopping herself from getting all giddy and running Rory made her way calmly over to the diner. When she got there she noticed her mother sitting at their usual table. "When did you decide to cut off your strike of Luke's?" Rory asked sitting down.
"Al's cut off my supply of their very awful coffee," Lorelai explained, "And Luke and I agreed to forget about what happened."
"Not so easy is it?" Rory knew the feeling. She had tried endlessly to forget her kiss with Jess.
"NO!" Lorelai exclaimed, "I just keep wondering what it meant."
"Do I need to put a big neon sign above his head?" Rory asked laughing, "The guy's in love with you!"
"I could say the same about someone else I know," Lorelai said.
"Are we still talking about you here?" Rory wondered.
"No, we're talking about you," Lorelai cleared it out for her, "and you leading Dean on when you really have fallen smitten with Jess. Aren't you?"
"Smitten, that's a new word," Rory said, impressed trying to dodge the question.
"AH, don't dodge the question!" Lorelai warned.
"Mom, please," Rory begged, "I don't want to talk about it."
"Rory," Lorelai began, "As much as I hate..."
"Despise," Rory cut her off, "hate is a strong word."
"Hate," she continued, "Jess I can see that you like him and see something good in him. So, as your mother I'm telling you to break it off with Dean because you don't love him anymore like he should be loved."
"I know," Rory sighed.
"Now, speak of the devil," Lorelai stated looking over at the door, "Hello Dean" Lorelai waved Dean over who obediently came.
"You're home," he smiled at Rory, "Why didn't you call?"
"I just got in," she replied meekly, "Dean, let's go for a walk."
"Okay," Dean shrugged. Rory felt incredibly guilty. He didn't know what was coming. She looked over to her mother before leaving who gave her and encouraging smile. Then, she left.
The walked a little over to the gazebo where Rory dropped his hand. Dean looked at her questionably and a little worried of what this meant. "I thought a lot this summer," Rory started, "About us."
"Us," Dean repeated the word.
"Yeah," Rory nodded then went on, "And as much as I don't want it to be true I don't think we can go on together anymore."
"Rory, what are you talking about?" Dean asked worriedly.
"I think it's time we went our separate ways," Rory held back the tears, "For good."
"Does this have anything to do with Jess?" he asked angrily.
"Yes and no," Rory replied, "But it really doesn't matter because in Washington two people helped me realize that it was time it ended. Dean, I can't look you in the eyes and say 'I love you' anymore. I haven't been able to for a while."
"You talked about this with strangers in Washington before with me?" Dean was nearly shouting.
"Not strangers, Paris and..." Rory wasn't sure if she should mention Tristan.
"And..." Dean urged, "Don't hold back on my behalf."
"Tristan," Rory gulped.
"Tristan was in Washington?" Dean walked off, but returned for her answer. Rory nodded. Dean shook his head in disbelief and ran his hand through his hair.
"I'm sorry Dean, but right now it doesn't really matter," Rory sighed, "Because we can't go on like this anymore. It's just your over protective and jealous of anyone I become friends with when they're guys."
"Tristan and Jess like you Rory," Dean argued, "It's different."
"No, you should've trusted me," Rory shook her head.
"Welcome back," Dean grumbled as Rory returned to the diner.
Once back at the diner Rory returned to the table with her mother who didn't ask any questions about what had happened between the two of them. She knew Rory would tell her when she was ready. Babette and Ms. Patty were at the next table talking in hushed voices that neither of them could help but overhear. "It's true!" Babette was saying, "I was on my way over here when I passed by the bridge and that's when I saw it." Rory gulped.
"Saw what?" Ms. Patty was asked. Rory held her breath hoping it wasn't her and Jess.
"That Jess kissing some girl," Babette replied excitedly, "I didn't see who she was because I rushed off to find someone and tell. Looks like he found someone. Shame he was a looker too." Then, they noticed Rory sitting there.
"Hello," Ms. Patty greeted, "Welcome back."
"Yeah doll," Babette smiled, "we all missed you around here." Rory looked over to her mother who was giving her a look that meant trouble. Lorelai had put two and two together on that one.
"I'm going to get coffee," Rory murmured getting up and going over to the counter.
"You do that," Lorelai agreed, "but then we have to talk a little about Washington and stuff." It wasn't the Washington Rory dreaded talking about it was the stuff. Rory knew what that meant, that a fight between the two was probable going to occur when they were on their own.