Title: Interviews, Memories, and Everything Else

Author: Alysinomo (alysinomo@hotmail.com)

Rating: PG-13

Archived: 9/25/2002

Spoilers: None.

Disclaimer: I forgot this is the first chapter, sorry!  I'm not trying to steal anything.  Gilmore Girls and the characters belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino and the lovely people at the WB.

Summary: Rory has grown up and is now a successful, 28-year-old journalist for the New York Times. She gets the surprise of her life (and one of her biggest career hurdles!) when she is assigned to interview a brilliant new author, Jess Mariano. What will come of Rory and Jess? Will old memories and feelings resurface?

* * *

Jess stuffed his hands nervously into the pockets of his jeans.  Mentally reviewing his apology spiel one more time, he knocked briskly.  Slight shuffling could be heard from inside the apartment and the words '2 seconds!!' from a very familiar voice –

Oh shit, she's brought in the back-up.

Lorelai flung open the door to a slightly ruffled looking Jess.

"Jess!" she exclaimed, looking slightly surprised.

"Lorelai."

"You're early."

"What?"

"Don't guys usually wait like a week?  You know, to psych up for their moment of ultra un-manliness and humiliation?"

"Excuse me?"

"A week.  Aren't you supposed to take a week before apologizing? You've only had 6 days of moping time.  You're losing a valuable day of denial." Lorelai was actually smiling some what now, relieve that they were finally going to resolve this pesky issue.

"I'm impressed," drawled Jess, "You've been keeping score, haven't you?"

"I most certainly have!" Lorelai stepped aside to reveal a poster paper with Rory and Jess' names on it.  Rory currently had more points.  Jess raised his eyebrows questioningly at the paper, but didn't say anything.

"Now, I assumer you're here to see my daughter, non?"

"Oui, Madame."

"Ohhh…your French is good.  Well, in that case, I'm going to go feed stale bread to the pigeons.  I like watching them go crazy.  Have fun.  And don't have sex on my bed!  That's gross!  Bye Rory!  Your mommy loves you!"

With that, Lorelai flew out the door, down the staircase, and into the street.  Jess had to smile, he was certain that woman would be clinically insane by 50.

He stepped slowly through the apartment door.   A thick mop of chestnut strands tumbled off the end of the couch.  The TV was turned to Oprah.

"Since when were you an Oprah fan?  You don't seem the type to enjoy watching others broadcast 'their stories' on television."

"I'm full of surprises, just like you." Rory replied nonchalantly without moving.

"What is that supposed to mean?" asked Jess, slight anxiety filling his voice.

"You know perfectly well what I mean."

"You're grossly overreacting, it wasn't about you.  How could you possibly think it was about you?"

"Now what is that supposed to mean?"

Jess groaned. "Oh god.  Rory, this conversation is getting us nowhere."

"I think we're making fine progress," she replied, "You've come to apologize.  I consider that progress."

"What if I hadn't come to apologize?"

"Then why'd you come?"  Jess didn't have a good response for that.  They both knew that he had come to say sorry; and they both knew she was going to make it more difficult.

"Ok.  Fine.  So maybe I did come to make up.  But I also came over here to remind you that this is not about you at all, it's between me and Luke."

"Then why'd you run out like that?"

Jess groaned again. "God.  Rory!  Don't you get it?  I wanted to be alone.  No offence, but Luke and my relationship is not exactly a place where I want you jumping in."

"And why not?" asked Rory, sitting up and facing Jess now.  "I know you both really well-"

"You do?"

"Ok!  Well maybe not you, Jess Mariano.  You seem to be particularly good at deceiving those around you.  Especially people that want to get to know you."

"Rory!  I'm not trying to deceiver you about Luke- it's just not a comfortable, let's have tea and crumpets kind of topic for me!  When did you become so concerned about me keeping stuff from you?  And since when have you been convinced that every time I might leave, it's because you've done something wrong?  Wait.  Since when did this become about you!?"

Rory stared blankly at him.

"I hate to say it – but – you're being pretty self-absorbed-"

"What?  Jess.  I am many things, but I am definitely not self-absorbed."

"Then what is this about?  Because this has got to be the most juvenile conversation I've ever had, and I consider you to be an extremely mature and intelligent woman."

"This is going to sound ridiculous."

"Tell me." Said Jess.

"You can't laugh at me, because if you laugh at me – I'll be really upset; which in turn will make my mom upset.  And even though we're both two fully grown women, we are neither rational nor kind when we are upset."

Jess grinned and grabbed Rory's shoulders over the back of the couch,

"You have my word and my undivided attention."

"Ok," said Rory, not turning around.  Jess began to rub her shoulders. "I freaked out because I didn't want you to leave, permanently.  I know I'm acting like I'm 12 but I thought I had upset you.  That, between all the badgering and our sudden acceleration in our relationship – I thought that you found things too complicated and serious for a 3 day thing!  I mean, I wasn't exactly in my most rational thoughts."

Jess stopped rubbing her shoulders and walked around to the front of the couch.  Squatting down to her level, Jess looked at Rory seriously.

"Rory, I wasn't at my rational place either.  In fact, I'm not sure if I'm even capable of being entirely rational around you,"

Rory blushed and Jess smiled softly.

"I'm not going anywhere.  We're not 17 anymore, I think – and hope – that we want each other both now as much as we did when we were teenagers.  But I think that we now possess the maturity to deal we the stuff we couldn't then.  The thing with Luke and I-"

"I know," interrupted Rory, "it wasn't about me.  I'm sorry.  I guess I just got all stupid and scared."

"You know, you being scared of me leaving I take as a compliment."

Rory punched him lightly in the arm, "You're so self-assured."

"Uh-huh," replied Jess, leaning in for a kiss.

"Jess."

"Yeah?"

"My mother's not home."

"Really?" asked Jess in mock surprise, "how do supposed we use this time?"

Rory smiled at him and said nothing.

"Ok then" Jess grabbed Rory off the couch and carried her off to the bedroom.

* * *

A/N: There ya go!  Chapter number 8!  And this one is so soon!  Sorry that it's not the usual 5 pages, it's only 3 this time.  I just wanted the entire chapter to be devoted to a Rory-Jess convo, I love writing their interactions, they're so much fun!  Better than dealing with pesky emotions.  Oh well, now I've got the major Rory-Jess relationship pitfall out of the way.  The rest of the story will about the progression of their relationship and Jess and Luke's relationship.  I don't know how long it is going to be yet; I haven't gotten that far in planning.  In fact, I barely know what's going to happen in the next chapter!  I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who's reviewed, 157 reviews in 7 chapters!!!  It's so great to have that fan base, it keeps me writing.  So basically I'm very proud that my fan base is gaining momentum – and so is the story!  I have gotten over my writing funk and have several ideas for the rest of the story (but as I say, I don't know where they will occur.)  Anyway, I talk far too much.  Until next time!