A/N – Here's the Chapter Formerly Known As 12. (Hehehe – sorry, it's 6:39 a.m. CST Monday, January 13, 2003, and, well, I've been up since 9:30 a.m. CST Sunday, January 12, 2003, after having gone to bed at 5:30 a.m. CST Sunday. So, basically, 4 hours of sleep in the last 48…at this point, "you start seeing what I can only describe as the most extraordinary display of blue objects." Okay, not really, but I just watched Minority Report.) This chapter was previously posted as Chapter 12, but is now Chapter 13. (And it's the last re-posted chapter!!!! Everything posted AFTER this chapter, i.e., Chapters14 and beyond, will be completely new material!!!!) The last few lines of this chapter have been revised, so if you've already read it, feel free to either skip it, or scroll all the way down to the end. (My previous author's note has been deleted.) – Jamie
Also – in the previous posting of this chapter, someone reviewed (very meanly, I might add) that my locations are incorrect. So, I'm announcing that this story takes place in an alternate universe. In this alternate universe, Cambridge is approximately 1 hour away from New Haven, New Haven is an hour and a half from Stars Hollow, and New York is 5 hours from New Haven. – J. again.
RECAP: Skips Chapters 1-8, most of Chapter 9, and Chapter 11. The only part from Chapter 9 that's important to this chapter is the fact that Jess was accepted to NYU, but hasn't told Rory yet, because he doesn't know how he's going to pay for it. In Chapter 10, Rory 'fesses up to the grandparents and Lorelai that she's going to Yale, not Harvard. Lane calls, in tears, because while she's been accepted to the Juilliard, Mrs. Kim saw her in New York, and now won't let her go. Chapter 12 – Emily convinces Mrs. Kim to let Lane go to school in New York. Tristan calls Rory, and tells her that he was accepted to Harvard. (That was a very very minor part of Chapter 12, and kind've had to be inferred, but there's more of it in this chapter, I promise.) Lane tells Rory and Lorelai what Emily did. Rory and Lorelai discuss Rory's decision of Yale over Harvard.
This chapter picks up a few minutes after the last one left off – Rory and Lorelai have just arrived at Luke's. (Also, I'm fairly sure this is the last chapter to happen on the same day.)
YOU LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY
Lorelai and Rory opened the door to the diner, and walked to their customary place at the counter. Lorelai began bickering with Luke over whether or not he was going to give her coffee, while Rory looked around for Jess.
"Hey, Luke, where's Jess?" She asked, interrupting the banter.
"Upstairs. Go on up."
She stood, and started towards the stairs, before Luke stopped her, and handed her a cup of coffee. "Here." He grunted.
"Hey, no fair! How come she gets coffee and I don't!" Lorelai whined.
Luke shot Rory a grin, before turning back to Lorelai.
Shaking her head, Rory ran up the stairs. She let herself into the apartment, and saw Jess sitting at the table with someone, drinking a soda.
"Tristan? What are you doing here?"
Tristan turned, and replied. "Oh hey, Rory. I was bored, so I went for a drive. Ended up here. Jess was just expressing his views on how the Two Towers wasn't any truer to the book than the Fellowship of the Ring was."
Rory laughed. "He'll go on for hours about that…I think he has a secret crush on Liv Tyler."
"No I don't! It's all about Galadriel." Jess protested.
"Riiight." Rory teased.
"I think both of you are crazy…Eowyn is definitely the hottest. She's the one who takes down Sauron in the end…sexy."
Rory and Jess stared at Tristan.
"You mean you've actually read the books?" Rory asked, surprised.
"Yeah." Tristan shrugged. "The Hobbit was required reading in junior high – after that, I kinda got hooked."
"You learn something new every day…" Rory joked. "Anyway, sorry I cut you off this morning; Lane was going through a crisis. So you got into Harvard?"
"Yeah. My dad really wanted me to go to Yale, but I got turned down. I'd rather go to Harvard, anyway."
"I'm going there. Yale, I mean…and somehow, I got myself roped into being roommates with Paris."
Jess sat back quietly, watching as the two continued discussing the merits of their Ivy League colleges. I think…that there may be something there. What is it about them? I mean, it's obvious why Tristan would be into Rory, and I guess I can kind of see why she would like him. But…do they really like each other? I can tell Tristan really wants a friend with a brain…not that I blame him; from what Rory's said of the Chiltonites, I'd be lonely, too. She said that he seems to have developed more substance since military school, too, so that's gotta make his life tough. I think that I'm just grateful he's going to Harvard, and she's going to Yale. They won't have a whole lot of opportunity to explore whether or not there's really something between them beyond friendship. But…I think…if Rory decides that she really wants to be with Tristan…well, I'm not going to give her up without a fight, but if she'd be happier with him than she is with me, I'm going to have to respect that. I'm not going to pull a Dean on her. With a start, he realized that both Tristan and Rory were looking at him curiously.
"Earth to Jess…" Tristan said, waving a hand in front of Jess's face.
"Sorry, man…not being Ivy League-bound, I spaced out for a few minutes."
"Jess…you could've gotten into a good school, if you had applied anywhere. Whatever you say, I know you don't want to spend the rest of your life in Stars Hollow, working at the diner."
Jess grinned. "Actually…I'm going back to New York. I was accepted to NYU."
"Really!?! That's great!" Rory squealed, launching herself at him, and engulfing him in a hug.
He hugged her back. "Yeah – I didn't tell you at first, because I wasn't sure how I was going to pay for it, but I got a few scholarships, and a couple of grants, and then, when Luke found out I was accepted, he took out a loan on the diner for the rest."
"Jess! I'm so happy for you!" She kissed him.
Tristan leaned back in his chair, watching the two. It'd be great to have a girl like Rory so excited for me. Who am I kidding? It'd be great to have Rory so excited for me. But…I know she cares about Jess a lot, and she's happy with him. Maybe my time will come, what with Jess in New York, me in Cambridge, and Rory in New Haven. I'll be a lot closer to her than he will be. At the very least, I'm going to have to keep an eye on her. I mean, he and I are becoming friends, so it's only right to look after his interests. I have no ulterior motive…I really don't.
Jess and Rory suddenly remembered that Tristan was still there, and broke apart.
"Hey, do you guys want to go see a movie, or something?" Rory asked.
"Sure."
"Why not?"
Rory waited as Jess and Tristan grabbed their coats, and the three teens ran downstairs.
After a cursory farewell to Lorelai and Luke, they were off.
Lorelai watched her daughter climb into Tristan's car, and sighed, before turning back to Luke.
"My mother convinced Mrs. Kim to let Lane go to the Juilliard in New York." She said softly.
"Really. That's good. Jess is going to school in New York, too."
"Jess is going to college?" Lorelai asked, surprised.
"Yeah. I think it had something to do with him not wanting to sit around here, waiting for Rory to come home on weekends."
"Wow…maybe you were right, and she is a good influence on him."
"He's a good kid. He's just had some problems."
"Yeah." Lorelai drained the last dregs of coffee from her cup. "Well, I should get going."
"Yeah."
"Bye."
"Bye."
Lorelai walked out of the diner, lost in thought. I wonder what possessed my mother to even attempt to convince Mrs. Kim to let Lane go? More than that, I wonder how she succeeded! Wow…Lane's going to New York, so is Jess. Rory's going to be in New Haven…this town is going to be so empty, without the kids. By now Lorelai was just wandering, and not really paying attention to where she was going, until she ran into Dean…literally.
"Oof. Oh, sorry, Lorelai, I didn't see you." Dean said, recovering quickly.
"Me too. I didn't see you, either, I mean. In fact, I haven't seen you in a long time. What've you been up to?"
"School, mainly."
"Oh. Are you going to college next year?"
"Yeah, I just found out yesterday. I was accepted to a tech school back in Chicago."
"That's cool…what are you going to study?"
"It's a work-study program; I'll be apprenticing with a mechanic in the afternoons and on weekends, and studying for my master mechanic's certificate in between. I should be able to open my own shop in a couple of years."
"Good for you, Dean."
"Thanks…I heard Rory's going to Yale."
"Yeah, she got a full scholarship. She's really excited."
"Well…tell her congratulations for me."
"Will do."
"See you later."
"Bye, Dean." Lorelai stared after him regretfully. Even Dean's leaving. This town's population is going to get a whole lot smaller. Taylor will have to post a new sign. Which means he'll want a fund-raiser. Which means a new festival, which means junk food. Junk food. Hmm…Rory's gone to a movie; that means if I eat quick, I can get some gummy bears! Hehehe. With that thought, Lorelai turned, and headed towards Doose's Market.
Later that evening, after the movie, Jess was walking Rory home.
"So…you're going back to New York, huh?" Rory finally broke the silence.
"Yep."
"Wow." She said, flatly.
Hearing her tone, Jess stopped, and turned to face Rory. "Hey…what's wrong?"
"I'm not sure…it's just…I kind've thought you'd be here, y'know? Like, we'd be able to see each other on weekends and stuff."
Jess looked at her thoughtfully. "Rory…I couldn't just sit around here, waiting for my Ivy League girlfriend to come home, while I was doing nothing with my life."
"I know…it's just…New York is so far away." Rory murmured, tears threatening in her eyes.
"Hey, c'mere." Jess replied softly, pulling her into a hug. "It'll be fine, I promise. Neither one of us is leaving for months. And, when we do leave, we can still talk to each other every day. Plus, I don't think there's a law that says I can't come home on weekends, too."
Rory pulled away from him slightly, staring into his eyes, a slight smile forming through her sadness. "It won't be the same."
Jess sighed, and stepped away from her completely. "It never is, Rory. Things, people, places…everything changes with time. But, growing up doesn't mean we'll grow apart."
Rory looked down at her shoes, before whispering, "I know…"
Jess smiled comfortingly. "I promise, Ror…we'll make it work."
When Rory didn't respond, Jess sighed, and started walking again. After a moment, she followed, and the two continued their journey in silence.
A/N – This chapter was brought to you by Hallmark – When you care enough to send the very best, and by Visa – It's everywhere you want to be.
Okay, not really – though lordy I wish we were sponsored! Would mean lots more money than I have right now… This chapter was REALLY brought to you (for free, I might add) by me, Just Jamie.