Title: It Was Always You
Author: Angeleyez
Summary: Future Fic: Rory left for college on bad terms with Jess. Now six years later Rory is happy and successful working as an advice columnist at a newspaper in New York City. Her best friend's sister just got engaged and Rory can't believe who the groom to be is.
Rating: PG: 13
Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah. You want the long version? See chapter one. Here's the reader's digest version: Me poor. Don't own Gilmore Girls. Don't sue.
Well what do you know…chapter eight. I know you are probably tired of reading these stupid little things before the story (well…who really reads these) but I must thank you guys for your reviews. They were awesome and made me feel special (Heh) as usual. Thanks guys! Hee, I have over 120 reviews. I'm so…gosh darn…happy! I'm glad so many of you liked the last chapter. I personally think I rushed things just a bit in chapter seven but I was in a hurry to get it up so… O well. What's done is done. Now on with chapter eight! (Oh…by the way…I made up the hotel name. Why? Well, just because.)
"Knock, knock," Chris said as she walked into Rory's office.
"Hey, Chris," Rory said when she saw her.
"Hey, Ror. Wow, you look really great today."
"Uhh, thanks?"
"Your hair looks especially pretty and shiny."
"No."
"What?"
"Whatever the favor is…no."
"Gee, can't a girl compliment her best friend without the so-called friend accusing her of asking for favors."
"You're not asking me to do something for you?" Rory asked uncertainly.
"For me? I'm offended." She paused. "It's for Angela."
Rory rolled her eyes. "Well that's a horse of a different color. But it's still a no."
"Oh, just hear me out."
"You're not going to leave until I listen, huh?"
"Nope."
Rory sighed and leaned back in her chair. "I'm listening."
"Okay, slight emergency. One of the bridesmaids can't make the wedding. Her mom is sick and she needs to stay with her."
Rory did not like where this way going. "And…"
"And we need another bridesmaid to go in her place and you just happen to be her size."
"Oh, no." Rory groaned.
"Come on, it'll be fun. I'm the maid of honor and you'll be a bridesmaid and we'll both dress all pretty and…"
"No."
"Please! I don't have anyone else to do this and I might have already said you would."
Rory glared at her.
"Besides, you were going to come to the wedding anyway. Now you get to come and wear a beautiful gown."
"Color me excited."
"Oh, Ror, it won't be so bad."
Yes, it will be, Rory thought. It was bad enough that she was going to have to sit with everyone else and watch Jess get married. At least no one would notice how upset she looked. If she was a bridesmaid not only would she have to walk down the aisle but she would have to smile through the entire ceremony.
"I don't want to wear a beautiful dress. I don't want to walk down the aisle. I just want to sit with all the other guests," Rory said.
"Please! Just do this for me and I'll never ask you for anything else as long as I live."
"Yes you will."
"Okay, for the rest of the month, nothing else."
Rory just stared at her.
"Rest of the week?"
More staring.
"Alright so I constantly ask you for favors. So let's not have me do the whole getting on the ground and begging thing. It's been so overdone. Let's skip to the part where you say yes and I tell you I owe you one."
Rory sighed. "You owe me a million."
"So that is a…"
"What time should I be there?"
"Yes!" Chris began to jump up and down. "You are the greatest person ever!"
Rory watched her dance of victory. "Chris, stop. People can see."
Chris abruptly stopped and cleared her throat. "Right. So the wedding is this Sunday at two. Be at my apartment at twelve. Now this Saturday is the rehearsal ceremony and dinner. We are eating at the hotel my family is staying at, The Calridge."
"Oh boy."
"Perk up. It'll be fun."
"I hate you."
"And I love you!" Chris called out as she left.
Rory laid her head down on her desk. Perhaps she could go to the rehearsal. Or she could throw herself off a bridge. Or step in front a bus. Rory sighed. She was just keeping her options open.
Well the whole throwing herself off a bridge hadn't worked. Neither had the bus thing. Now she was at the rehearsal dinner which was almost over. Thank god, Rory thought.
The rehearsal ceremony had been awful.
The entire time Rory had stared at the floor. She had tried especially hard to block out the noise. When it had ended she had felt like doing her own little dance.
Dinner had been better. Rory had talked with Chris for most of the time. She had also met Chris's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Green. They had been very nice and happy to meet Rory. As great as everyone had been, she still wanted to go. Tomorrow was going to be hell and she needed sleep to be able to face it.
"Did you enjoy the food?" Chris asked.
"Yup," Rory replied.
"Are you all done?"
Rory nodded.
"Great. Now I have to go upstairs to my parents' room to get my dad's checkbook. Come with me?"
"Sure," Rory said.
Rory followed Chris into the elevator. They got off on the sixth floor and headed over to room 607.
"I'll just wait out here," Rory said.
"Okay." Chris went to unlock the door but it was not closed all the way. "My genius parents can't even close their door," she muttered. She opened the door and headed inside. A few seconds later Chris came back out the door with an odd look on her face.
"Chris, are you okay? You look…strange," Rory said.
Chris shut the door and looked at her. "Fine. Me, fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, perfectly fine."
"Then where's the checkbook?" Rory asked.
"I'll just get it later." Chris then began pushing Rory back toward the elevator.
"What happened?" Rory asked as she was pushed.
"Nothing."
"Chris…"
"Look, I'll tell you later. I swear. For now let's just get back downstairs."
"Okay," Rory said uncertainly. She had no idea what was up.
Downstairs they went and as soon as they reached the dining room Chris hurried off.
"Weird," Rory muttered. She went back to her table and sat down. Something was wrong and she couldn't figure out what.
About a half an hour later everybody was headed home or up to their room in the hotel. Rory had just said goodbye to Chris who was headed back to her apartment with Angela.
Now Rory was in front of the hotel trying to flag down a taxi. Finally one pulled over.
As she was about to get in, she noticed Jess trying and failing to get a cab of his own. This was her last chance to talk to him. After tomorrow, it was all over. Maybe she could just…
"Hey Jess?" Rory called out.
Jess turned at the sound of his name. "Yeah?"
Rory beckoned him over and he reluctantly walked to her. "Do you wanna share a cab?" She asked him.
"I live in the opposite direction of your apartment. I'm completely out of your way."
"I like long rides."
"I don't think it's a good idea."
"Oh, come on. I, as a friend, am offering to share a cab with you." Jess looked reluctant. "I swear I won't try anything on you," Rory said jokingly. "If you want I'll put my purse between us, now come on." Rory got into the cab but didn't close the door. A few seconds later Jess joined her.
"Purse," he said as he pointed between them. Rory rolled her eyes and put her purse down. She was determined to act normal and show him that his marriage wasn't going to affect her. She could be happy for him.
"How did you manage to get a cab so fast?" Jess asked.
"I flashed this one," Rory said grinning.
"And there's the secret."
An awkward silence fell upon them.
Then Jess said, "So, how's Hank?"
"He's fine." Rory wasn't sure what to say about him. She could lie and say there was something between them. No, bad idea. Lying had gotten her nowhere. Just be honest with him. "But, I really haven't talked to him since the engagement party. We didn't even talk tonight."
"Oh, so there's nothing between you two?"
"We haven't kissed or anything if that's what you mean."
"A kiss doesn't mean there's something between two people."
Rory sighed. He was obviously still mad about what had happened in the elevator.
"If you say so."
"It was just a kiss. It didn't mean anything." He was talking more to himself than to her.
"If it didn't mean anything, why did you kiss me back?"
Jess was quiet for a moment. Then, "Can we just drop this?"
"You brought it up."
"Maybe I should just get out here."
"No, don't do that. Just stay. We'll stop talking." Rory paused. "But I just wanted to know. For sure."
"Know what for sure?"
"How you feel about me," Rory said slowly.
"No, we are not talking about this."
"Yes, we are. Jess, I read that letter. The one Dodger sent to Dear Hallie. Don't even try to deny that you wrote it."
"I was just…The letter…" Jess sighed. "The letter was a stupid idea. It was right after I danced with you at the engagement party. It didn't mean anything."
"Like the kiss didn't mean anything."
Jess hesitated before saying, "Exactly."
Rory took a deep breath. Stop dancing around it, she told herself. Just say what you want to say. "Are you telling me that you're going to just walk away from this? From me? Because I can't. Not with the way I feel about you."
"You don't know that we would work out."
"But we would, Jess. I know we would."
"We have never even been a date!"
"So?"
"We don't how we would be as a couple."
She couldn't believe it. "Are you telling me that you judge how a relationship will turn out on having a dinner with someone?"
"No, that's not what I meant. It's just that… we have only ever been friends."
"Being friends is a great basis for a relationship."
"Listen, we were great friends. But maybe that is the only thing we were great at together. I don't know if we would work out well as boyfriend and girlfriend."
"How about great friends who have kissed before?" Rory asked. "I felt something when you kissed me and I know you did too."
Jess sighed. "Maybe we would have worked out. Maybe we would have been great together." He paused. "But I guess we'll never know."
And her heart dropped. It was never going to happen between them. She was silent for a couple of minutes. The cab began to slow down. "Yeah," Rory said quietly. "I guess we'll never know."
The cab came to a stop and Jess opened the door. "Goodnight Rory."
But it wasn't just a goodnight. It was an ending. Nothing would ever happen and it was slowly sinking into Rory. Jess would never be hers. "Goodbye Jess."
Jess closed the door and walked away from the cab. Rory gave her address to the driver and they began to pull away.
When Rory arrived home she went to bed immediately. Laying down in the darkness she finally stopped holding in the tears that had been threatening to fall all night.
She cried and thought of Jess.
And of what would never be.
A/N: Ut oh. Is the end for our heroes? Don't look at me. I'm not saying anything. Anyways, hope you liked the chapter. Review, review. How was the Jess and Rory conversation? Hope it was good. Oh, and my vacation is almost here! Yes, one more day of hell...ahem…school and then one week off! *Begins to do the snoopy dance* Heh. Next chapter: The wedding.