Title: Where Life Leads Us
Author: mocha-queen
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Rory and Jess don't belong to me and neither does much else.
Spoilers: General Season 3
Author Note(s): V-day fic for Starcrossed Valentines Day Fan Fiction contest. And thank you to Kat for the editing and Jewls for the beta.
Summary: Rory/Jess. Future fic.
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Rory walked briskly down the busy New York streets and tightened the scarf around her neck, trying to block out the cool breeze blowing through. February was not known for its heat. She expertly maneuvered her way between the people and other obstacles and slid into a little coffee shop, the bell above the door chiming as she walked in.
"Hey," the old man at the counter greeted her.
She nodded her hello and sat down on one of the stools at the counter. He mechanically filled a mug with steaming coffee and placed in front of her. Rory gave him a slight smile and sipped it, savoring the flavor.
She put the cup down and played with a red, heart shaped doily that was sitting on the counter. Her thoughts drifted back into a world where he was still with her. No matter how hard she tried and no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't stop thinking about him.
The old man interrupted her thoughts. "Any big plans for tomorrow?"
Rory laughed as she replied. "Nope."
"Its Valentines tomorrow, a pretty girl like you should have plans."
She shrugged. "What about you?"
"Taking my wife out to dinner," he answered, smiling.
Rory nodded and finished her coffee. She dropped a few bills on the table and gathered her things.
"See ya tomorrow," he called out.
Rory nodded but her attention wasn't on him, it was on a man passing by the
window. It couldn't be, could it? She could not have just seen Jess walk by.
Last she heard he was still in California. She ran out the door just in time to
see him blend into the mass of people on the sidewalk.
She shook her head, scolding her own insanity. The chances were a zillion to one. Even if Jess had moved back to New York, the chances of him walking by that coffee shop at that time were still slim. She wrapped her arms around her body and nearly ran the rest of the way home.
She flopped down onto the couch of her middle class apartment. Her roommate was out for the weekend, her boyfriend was taking her out for a special getaway. Rory got up and shrugged off her jacket, throwing it on the closest chair. She picked up the cordless phone and paced around the room, she finally stopped to dial but half way through the number she chickened out before she could complete the call.
She wanted to call and tell her mother everything, like she always did, but today was different. She'd been lying to her, for months, even years, Rory had told her mother she was over Jess. But she wasn't. And calling her mom and telling her she'd seen him walking down the street in front of her coffee shop would set off alarms in Lorelai's head.
Rory set the phone back in its cradle and raided the fridge. Unfortunately, it was much like her mother's fridge, virtually always empty.
Sighing, she put her coat back on and went to the grocery store. Somewhere between the cereal and the milk she saw the familiar figure again. Dark hair, jean jacket, black pants and black boots. From behind, it looked liked him, but her curious nature wanted a closer look. She needed a closer look. She dropped the soup can into her cart and quickly ran to where she had seen him, but by the time she got there, he was gone. All that was left was the yogurt he had been standing in front of.
Rory tried to shake the recent events out of her system and finished her shopping. But by the time she got home, Jess was back to plaguing her every thought. What if it really was him? Seeing a Jess look a like twice in one day… what were the odds?
Apparently they were very good, though. Rory had imagined Jess many times before, especially after he left. She thought she saw him everywhere, she'd once even mistaken Luke for Jess, needless to say, that was embarrassing.
Rory climbed into bed and pulled out her worn copy of Oliver Twist from the bedside table. She leafed through the pages till a picture fell out. Her fingers traced over his face and the name 'Dodger' fell naturally from her lips. Snapping out of the memories, she put the picture back in the book, snapped it shut and slammed it in the drawer. She hated how she let him get to her so much, she hated how he still got to her after all these years.
The next day was even worse. It was Valentines and the spirit of love was out in full force. Everywhere she went, pink and red hearts haunted her, pictures of Cupid made her sick, and even the sweet smell of candy made her nauseous. She finally understood how Jess felt about the crazy town celebrations of Stars Hollow.
Trying to escape the lovers on the street, she practically ran to her coffee shop. The old man greeted her as usual, but for once she didn't notice him. All she saw was him. Jess.
She almost turned and ran out of the shop but she couldn't move, she couldn't breathe, and she couldn't speak. Was it really him?
He gave her the trademark smirk and she fell back in love with him all over again. Gone were the feelings of hate and anger she had for him leaving. With that one penetrating look, all her old feelings for him rushed back.
After regaining her motor skills, she slowly made her way toward him and sat in the armchair directly across from him, a table separating them in between.
The old man put her usual mug of coffee in front of her, but she didn't notice. All that was on her mind was Jess, but even then, she could barely fathom that.
He spoke. A simple word, but music to her ears, a long lost song that had been played over and over again in her head, but it was always a million times better when it was played live.
"Hey."
She was speechless. She knew "hi" was a good start and she should reciprocate the conversation, but she couldn't. Education was definitely overrated. No matter how much she knew or how much she had studied, she wouldn't have been prepared for this.
"I guess you don't want to talk….." he sighed and stood. "This was stupid. I'll just go."
She finally found her voice. Kudos to Jess for a good scare tactic. She wasn't about to just let him go again.
"No. Wait. Don't go." Her voice was weak and shaky, but at least she got something out.
He sat back down and stared at her. He understood it was hard on her, but it was just as hard on him.
Moments of silence passed them by, voids waiting to be filled.
She finally spoke up. The question that had been nagging at her ever since he left.
"What happened between us?"
He didn't respond. He wasn't expecting this to be the first thing she would ask. The dust settled once more then he spoke up.
"I moved to California."
He only wished that the answer was really that simple.
"I know, but…" She sighed, trying to figure out what she was really trying to say. "You left and that was it."
"What did you expect?" His voice was harsher than he meant it to be.
She wondered why she started the conversation with that. Why did she think it would have been so easy?
"I don't know," she stammered. "I don't know what I expected, but I know what I wanted."
He sighed. He knew what she wanted, it was the same thing as what he had wanted. It just didn't work out. You can't always get what you want.
"Things just happened, Rory. What do you want me to say?"
"I don't know," she cried. "I… I still think about you," her voice soft.
It wasn't meant to make him feel anything; she just needed to admit it to him.
He closed his eyes. Talking to her was harder than he expected, not that he had expected it to be easy.
"I think about you, too," his tone matched hers. "I don't know how this go so out of hand."
She was confused. What did he mean by that? She knew how it got so out of hand.
"You left," she said. "You left and we said we'll wait and see what happens between us. And nothing happened. You never called me and I never called you. But I never got over you, and that's why it's so hard."
He looked down. He should have called, but he knew he wasn't entirely to blame.
"I'm not over you, either."
She leaned back to take in this new piece of information. She never thought that she had the same effect on him as he had on her.
Silence settled again.
"Now what?" she asked, feeling bold but still afraid of the answer.
He shrugged. "Now we talk."
She laughed softly. "Talk?"
"Talk," he nodded. "How's Lorelai?"
"Hasn't changed," she smiled. "She's still the same old Lorelai, I swear, she'll never grow up."
He smiled and took comfort in the fact some things never change. "And Luke?"
"Luke's Luke," she responded, but she knew he already knew the answer, the two guys had been known to talk on occasion. "He and mom got together. Finally."
"I was beginning to think we'd have to put them in a life or death situation to make them admit their feelings."
"It was almost life or death," she smiled. "Mom found Luke's old trekkie stuff and to make sure she didn't tell, he kissed her."
They continued on about the antics of the town and what they were up to now in life. Seconds turned into minutes, minutes into hours, and by then it was back to normal. The usual banter filled the room and the witty comebacks returned. That is until she brought up another draining question.
"Why did you come looking for me?"
"I didn't," he started, then stopped. He didn't see the point in lying to her. "I moved back a few months ago and Luke told me you lived around here. I missed you, Rory, and I needed to see you."
"I saw you outside here and at the grocery store, you weren't stalking me?" she smiled sweetly, but it was a completely serious question.
He shook his head. "Nope, just a coincidence. I assumed things hadn't changed and you stopped for coffee. I just hadn't worked up the nerve to actually talk to you."
She nodded. "I'm glad you did."
He gave her a genuine smile. "Me too."
Jess stood up and she followed suit. "I should go," he said.
She nodded, sadly. She didn't want him to go, but it was getting late. She hoped that he felt the same ways she did. She hoped they'd hit it off again. He stopped her mid thought and kissed her. His lips were soft and warm, just the way she remembered them, but his kiss felt so much better than before. There was something there that wasn't there before. Maybe it was time, maybe it was longing, or maybe it was love.
He pulled away and headed for the door.
"Wait!" She called. "What if I want to talk to you, again?"
He paused and pulled out a book and a pen. He quickly scribbled something down on the front page and tossed the book to her and walked out the door, bells jingling above.
She carefully opened the book, Catch 22 and read his slanted handwriting. 'Happy Valentines Day, Rory,' he wrote, his address and phone number underneath. She smiled and put the book into her purse and followed his path out the door.