Chapter 4
Familiar faces
~~~
"Yes way."
The expression on Skye's face was one Jess would remember for a very long time.
He'd missed her so much.
"Jess!" she shrieked, jumping off her stool and straight into his outstretched arms.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
Jess rose an eyebrow, "Not welcome am I?"
He was met with a reproachful look.
"You've gotta be kidding me right? Oh my G-d, you're really here!" she screamed again, enveloping him in another hug.
"Yup." he said smiling.
"It's been a long time, hasn't it?"
"Too long." Jess said.
"Wow! I'm sorry but this is just so cool. We've got so much catching up to do - wait a minute, nothing's wrong right?" she asked anxiously.
"No!" he hurriedly reassured her, "everything is absolutely perfect! Rory and I are here together."
"That's excellent news!" she said, clearly relieved. "Where is she?"
"Back at the hotel."
"So why isn't she with you?"
"She wanted to call her mom and I guess I just wanted to case the old hangouts first, see if it was gonna be appropriate bringing her to them."
"Oh my word, you're finally going to let her in on that part of your life? About time."
"I thought so too." He shrugged genially.
"How long are you guys in New York for?"
"About two weeks but it's not set in stone or anything."
"That's good to hear. Flexibility - definitely an asset."
"So what was I interrupting?" he asked.
"What? Oh, Brandon and I were just talking, bouncing ideas around for some material."
Jess smiled and shook his head.
"Old habits die hard." He said knowingly and Skye grinned.
"Guilty as charged.Yo, Brandon!"
"Yeah?" he asked, glaring at Jess.
"You don't mind if we take a break do you?"
"Not a problem Skye." He said, getting up out of his seat, albeit reluctantly in Jess' opinion.
"Thanks."
"Come sit, talk to me." She said turning back to him, " You want something to drink?"
"A soda would fine thanks."
"Coming right up."
He sat down in the stool that Brandon had just vacated, watching her.
"What? What's the matter?" she asked.
Jess laughed, "Nothing's the matter Matthews, I'm just reacquainting myself with your features."
"Is that such a good thing? You might decide that six months isn't long enough to not see me." She joked.
"Don't Skye - " Jess warned.
"Don't what?"
"You know."
She sighed as Jess' drink was handed to him.
"Sorry."
"It's cool." He shrugged.
"So six months huh?" she smiled.
He grinned back at her.
"Yeah. Sometimes I can't believe that we're really together, that she's stuck it out with me this long."
"She's smart and she knows a good thing when she sees it. You my friend," she lifted her glass in a salutation, "are most definitely a good thing."
"You're good for my ego, you know that?"
"Hey, just think of me as your very own ego booster. One part of the set."
"Set?" he asked puzzled.
"Me and Rory. although our roles are quite different. I'm sure she's been giving you lots of praise in other departments." She said, implicatively arching an eyebrow, her eyes turning to a dazzling mauve.
"She's happy enough, well I've received no complaints so far." He laughed modestly.
"Don't think you will anytime soon." She said matter of factly.
Jess realised again, how close he had gotten to losing the chance with Rory. He knew Skye loved him and it was because of her that his eyes had been opened to fact that he was worthy of Rory's love.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked, bringing him back from his thoughts.
"That night you left."
"Ah, you mean the night your life truly began."
"If you hadn't persuaded me to go back and tell her I would have still been miserable without her."
"I don't think so."
"You don't think I would've been miserable?" he asked, baffled.
"No, I don't think you would've been without her. She would've found you. You two belong together."
"You sound really sure."
"That's 'cause I am." She said assuredly.
"What about you?"
"What about me?" she asked, indifference colouring her words.
"When are you gonna let yourself love, be loved?" he threw at her, ignoring the fact that she had tried to change the subject.
"I do love and I am loved Jess."
"You know what I mean." He evinced.
"There's no time for that." She countered, dismissively.
"There's always time for love Skye."
"Well aren't we just the regular Austen and Bronte rolled into one." She drawled.
"I'm gonna ignore that last remark."
"Suit yourself." She pouted.
"You'll find someone." He said firmly.
"I wouldn't count on it." She replied equally resolutely.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So then the coffee pot came to life and stared singing 'Black Velvet' and then it started chasing me around the kitchen. All the cups and saucers started flying out the cupboard and I tried to get away, but then I couldn't move - you wanna know why I couldn't move? Because the kitchen floor was all gooey . and the best part that all the cups had faces and, do you know whose face they had Rory - oh gasp - my mother and then - "
"Mom you have serious issues!" Rory laughed at Lorelai's description of her dream.
"So, what do you think it all means?"
"I haven't the faintest idea."
"But you're the smart one!" Lorelai whined, "so how's New York?" she changed the subject.
"It's amazing! Being here with Jess just adds a new spin you know?"
"Ah, to be young again."
"Mom, you're not exactly in need of a walking stick or oxygen tank just yet." Rory reasoned.
"Thank you for pointing that out to me, now I have an excuse to go out on the town, you know live it up a little! Maybe I'll even be able to persuade Luke to join me."
"Oh yes I can picture it now," Rory drawled, "Luke and you sipping on Long Island Ice Tea's." they broke into a fit of giggles at the image.
"Does have a certain charm to it doesn't it?" Lorelai asked, still laughing, "So is Jess with Skye right now?"
"Yeah, he should be back soon."
"Nervous?"
"A little." Rory admitted.
"Don't be, she understands."
"I know, that doesn't change the fact that I acted like a moron."
"It wasn't that bad." Lorelai reasoned, "And it all worked out for the best."
"Yes, yes it did." She smiled happily.
"I hear a smile." Lorelai teased.
"Well there's a good reason it's there."
"Wouldn't have anything to do with a smouldering New York native who has many hidden depths would it?"
"Everything!" Rory exclaimed.
"Atta girl."
"Look mom, I hate to cut this short but I have to go, long distance and all." Rory said reluctantly.
"Sure, honey thanks for the call and tell Jess I say hi. He is keeping you filled with good coffee right?"
"Great coffee, but not as great as Luke's."
"Good to hear that."
"Bye mom, Tell Luke hi."
"Will do. Love you."
"Love you too."
Rory walked to the window to look at the skyline, thinking of the conversation with her mom, going to sit on the bed a while later.
She fingered the pendant around her neck for the hundredth time, counting herself lucky to have Jess in her life.
She wished everyone she knew could be as happy as she was, happy and in love.
Part of her still couldn't believe that he had given her something so maudlin.
It was a pendant of their star signs melded together in a heart. Engraved on the back were the words:
Rory and Jess Two hearts, one soul
And yet it was so fitting to how things were between them at the moment and forever if she had anything to say about it.
She lay on the bed smiling, wondering how things were going with Skye.
Rory was getting a bit restless and so she decided to get some fresh air, grabbing her jacket on the way out.
She hadn't gone very far when her past and present met head on.
Shock coursing her system as he stood before her, his expression one of equal disbelief.
"Mary?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TBC.. I need some ideas for places that Jess could take Rory, so any suggestions??
Familiar faces
~~~
"Yes way."
The expression on Skye's face was one Jess would remember for a very long time.
He'd missed her so much.
"Jess!" she shrieked, jumping off her stool and straight into his outstretched arms.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
Jess rose an eyebrow, "Not welcome am I?"
He was met with a reproachful look.
"You've gotta be kidding me right? Oh my G-d, you're really here!" she screamed again, enveloping him in another hug.
"Yup." he said smiling.
"It's been a long time, hasn't it?"
"Too long." Jess said.
"Wow! I'm sorry but this is just so cool. We've got so much catching up to do - wait a minute, nothing's wrong right?" she asked anxiously.
"No!" he hurriedly reassured her, "everything is absolutely perfect! Rory and I are here together."
"That's excellent news!" she said, clearly relieved. "Where is she?"
"Back at the hotel."
"So why isn't she with you?"
"She wanted to call her mom and I guess I just wanted to case the old hangouts first, see if it was gonna be appropriate bringing her to them."
"Oh my word, you're finally going to let her in on that part of your life? About time."
"I thought so too." He shrugged genially.
"How long are you guys in New York for?"
"About two weeks but it's not set in stone or anything."
"That's good to hear. Flexibility - definitely an asset."
"So what was I interrupting?" he asked.
"What? Oh, Brandon and I were just talking, bouncing ideas around for some material."
Jess smiled and shook his head.
"Old habits die hard." He said knowingly and Skye grinned.
"Guilty as charged.Yo, Brandon!"
"Yeah?" he asked, glaring at Jess.
"You don't mind if we take a break do you?"
"Not a problem Skye." He said, getting up out of his seat, albeit reluctantly in Jess' opinion.
"Thanks."
"Come sit, talk to me." She said turning back to him, " You want something to drink?"
"A soda would fine thanks."
"Coming right up."
He sat down in the stool that Brandon had just vacated, watching her.
"What? What's the matter?" she asked.
Jess laughed, "Nothing's the matter Matthews, I'm just reacquainting myself with your features."
"Is that such a good thing? You might decide that six months isn't long enough to not see me." She joked.
"Don't Skye - " Jess warned.
"Don't what?"
"You know."
She sighed as Jess' drink was handed to him.
"Sorry."
"It's cool." He shrugged.
"So six months huh?" she smiled.
He grinned back at her.
"Yeah. Sometimes I can't believe that we're really together, that she's stuck it out with me this long."
"She's smart and she knows a good thing when she sees it. You my friend," she lifted her glass in a salutation, "are most definitely a good thing."
"You're good for my ego, you know that?"
"Hey, just think of me as your very own ego booster. One part of the set."
"Set?" he asked puzzled.
"Me and Rory. although our roles are quite different. I'm sure she's been giving you lots of praise in other departments." She said, implicatively arching an eyebrow, her eyes turning to a dazzling mauve.
"She's happy enough, well I've received no complaints so far." He laughed modestly.
"Don't think you will anytime soon." She said matter of factly.
Jess realised again, how close he had gotten to losing the chance with Rory. He knew Skye loved him and it was because of her that his eyes had been opened to fact that he was worthy of Rory's love.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked, bringing him back from his thoughts.
"That night you left."
"Ah, you mean the night your life truly began."
"If you hadn't persuaded me to go back and tell her I would have still been miserable without her."
"I don't think so."
"You don't think I would've been miserable?" he asked, baffled.
"No, I don't think you would've been without her. She would've found you. You two belong together."
"You sound really sure."
"That's 'cause I am." She said assuredly.
"What about you?"
"What about me?" she asked, indifference colouring her words.
"When are you gonna let yourself love, be loved?" he threw at her, ignoring the fact that she had tried to change the subject.
"I do love and I am loved Jess."
"You know what I mean." He evinced.
"There's no time for that." She countered, dismissively.
"There's always time for love Skye."
"Well aren't we just the regular Austen and Bronte rolled into one." She drawled.
"I'm gonna ignore that last remark."
"Suit yourself." She pouted.
"You'll find someone." He said firmly.
"I wouldn't count on it." She replied equally resolutely.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So then the coffee pot came to life and stared singing 'Black Velvet' and then it started chasing me around the kitchen. All the cups and saucers started flying out the cupboard and I tried to get away, but then I couldn't move - you wanna know why I couldn't move? Because the kitchen floor was all gooey . and the best part that all the cups had faces and, do you know whose face they had Rory - oh gasp - my mother and then - "
"Mom you have serious issues!" Rory laughed at Lorelai's description of her dream.
"So, what do you think it all means?"
"I haven't the faintest idea."
"But you're the smart one!" Lorelai whined, "so how's New York?" she changed the subject.
"It's amazing! Being here with Jess just adds a new spin you know?"
"Ah, to be young again."
"Mom, you're not exactly in need of a walking stick or oxygen tank just yet." Rory reasoned.
"Thank you for pointing that out to me, now I have an excuse to go out on the town, you know live it up a little! Maybe I'll even be able to persuade Luke to join me."
"Oh yes I can picture it now," Rory drawled, "Luke and you sipping on Long Island Ice Tea's." they broke into a fit of giggles at the image.
"Does have a certain charm to it doesn't it?" Lorelai asked, still laughing, "So is Jess with Skye right now?"
"Yeah, he should be back soon."
"Nervous?"
"A little." Rory admitted.
"Don't be, she understands."
"I know, that doesn't change the fact that I acted like a moron."
"It wasn't that bad." Lorelai reasoned, "And it all worked out for the best."
"Yes, yes it did." She smiled happily.
"I hear a smile." Lorelai teased.
"Well there's a good reason it's there."
"Wouldn't have anything to do with a smouldering New York native who has many hidden depths would it?"
"Everything!" Rory exclaimed.
"Atta girl."
"Look mom, I hate to cut this short but I have to go, long distance and all." Rory said reluctantly.
"Sure, honey thanks for the call and tell Jess I say hi. He is keeping you filled with good coffee right?"
"Great coffee, but not as great as Luke's."
"Good to hear that."
"Bye mom, Tell Luke hi."
"Will do. Love you."
"Love you too."
Rory walked to the window to look at the skyline, thinking of the conversation with her mom, going to sit on the bed a while later.
She fingered the pendant around her neck for the hundredth time, counting herself lucky to have Jess in her life.
She wished everyone she knew could be as happy as she was, happy and in love.
Part of her still couldn't believe that he had given her something so maudlin.
It was a pendant of their star signs melded together in a heart. Engraved on the back were the words:
Rory and Jess Two hearts, one soul
And yet it was so fitting to how things were between them at the moment and forever if she had anything to say about it.
She lay on the bed smiling, wondering how things were going with Skye.
Rory was getting a bit restless and so she decided to get some fresh air, grabbing her jacket on the way out.
She hadn't gone very far when her past and present met head on.
Shock coursing her system as he stood before her, his expression one of equal disbelief.
"Mary?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TBC.. I need some ideas for places that Jess could take Rory, so any suggestions??