A/N: Thanks for all the suggestions, especially to Leila18. I am going
try to incorporate as much as I can. To Laura Mariano - you and I are
on the same page. To Angel Monroe and Coffeechick87 and Luke Rules,
thanks for the encouragement.
Don't worry Tristan is here to spice it up a little - but for who
exactly? You'll see.
Chapter 5
The set-up
~~~
Jess was still mulling over Skye's newfound cynicism when he got back to his room later that evening.
She'd seemed so adamant that love or anything resembling it didn't extend to include her now or in her future.
Which, to Jess, made absolutely no sense considering that she'd played a pivotal part in him and Rory finally getting together.
Something was definitely up but he knew he'd get it out of her eventually.
He threw his jacket on the bed and knocked on the adjoining door that led to Rory's room but there was no answer.
"Rory?" he called out but still he got no reply.
He opened the door and was met with nothing, no movement, no sound - she wasn't there.
Jess looked at this watch, it was after seven.
He wondered where she could've gone.
He tried to push aside the worry that began taking root but then reality sunk it.
Rory was not exactly a native of New York and it was dark outside. Anything could have happened, she could be lost or.
Jess shuddered at the thought of anything bad happening to Rory, if anyone did anything to hurt her -
His thoughts wee cut off with her door opening, Rory came in looking dazed and slightly flustered.
"Rory! Where were you? Geez I was so worried!" he exclaimed, pulling her into a hug.
Rory pulled back, looking at him earnestly.
"I'm sorry, I thought I'd be back before you." She said apologetically.
"Where'd you go?" he asked, the anxiety not entirely gone.
"Well, after I spoke to my mom, who says hi, I got a bit restless so, I thought I'd get some air but it didn't quite go the way I planned."
"What do you mean? Did anyone try anything? What - "
"Jess will you calm down? Nothing happened. Nothing bad at least, I think."
"Rory, you think?" he asked bewilderedly.
"I bumped into an old friend."
Jess breathed a sigh of relief. Rory running into someone she knew, he could handle.
"I didn't know you knew anyone in New York."
"I don't. It's just pure coincidence that we both happen to be here at the same time."
"Cool, so who is it?"
"Tristan." Rory said a bit hesitantly.
He knew that name well enough to know it had some semblance of significance.
"Tristan! Chilton Tristan?"
"The one and the same."
"But I thought he was in North Carolina."
"Yeah, me too. Turns out he was reformed enough to go home." She explained.
"So what brings him here?"
"Well, although his dad is impressed with the improvements, he's not entirely off the hook. Mr Dugrey has some business to take care of here and wanted to keep an eye on him."
"How can he do that if he has meetings and stuff all day?"
"Beats me." Rory shrugged.
"Well, I'm glad you ran into him, it'll give you two a chance to catch up." He said, caressing her cheek.
Rory stared at him disbelievingly, then shook her head smiling.
"What?"
"I was just thinking how amazing you are." She said kissing him.
"Not that I'm denying it," he boasted, "but what do you mean?"
"Your reaction to the whole thing. not everyone would've taken it so calmly." She said.
"You mean Dean?"
"Yeah."
"I love you Rory," he said, "I trust you."
"I know, it makes it so much easier - knowing I can tell you anything."
"You'll always be able to." He vowed.
"I love you." She said, kissing him again.
"What do you say we get out of here?" he suggested a while later.
"To go where?"
"You'll see." He said enigmatically.
"Okay, just let me go change."
"Sure."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What's the deal with you and Mariano?"
Skye looked at him as if he'd dropped off a spaceship.
"What kind of question is that?" she asked puzzled.
"One I'd like an answer to."
"Really?" she drawled sarcastically.
"You two seemed pretty tight." He remarked.
"We are pretty tight Brandon! You know the story. Why ask stupid questions?"
"You two just seemed more cozy than usual that's all."
"We're friends Brandon." She stressed again.
"Yeah, whatever." He muttered, walking off leaving Skye perplexed as she watched him leave.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Washington Square Park! Oh my word, it's beautiful!" Rory cried out.
"Yes, it is." Jess said taking her hand, leading her through the miniature arc de triomph.
"I used to come here all the time." He told her.
"I can see why."
"It's really cool here plus Central Park - way overrated."
Rory laughed, she was giddy with happiness at being with Jess at a place that was so special to him
"So what'd you do here?"
"Mostly read, people watch, that kinda thing." He said, pulling her with him and Rory was happy to follow.
"This is my favourite spot," he said, stopping at a bench nearby some chess tables, "when I had a fight with my mom or just needed to get away - I would come here. It helped clear my mind."
He sat down and Rory joined him, laying her head on his shoulder.
It was though time was suspended, as they sat there, neither of them speaking.
But words were not necessary as they enjoyed the moment, content with the silence. It was a long while before she spoke.
"I'm glad you brought me here."
"I'm glad too." He said kissing her hair.
Once again they let the silence envelop them.
"I've been thinking." He said.
"About what?"
"We're meeting Skye tomorrow night right?"
"Right." She answered, wondering where he was going with this,
"Why don't you ask Tristan to come too?"
Rory lifted her head in shock, not sure if she's heard correctly.
"For real?" she asked incredulously.
"For real, that way we can all hold hands and skip afterwards." He drawled.
Rory swatted him playfully, still surprised at his suggestion. Jess really was incredible.
"You're sure?" she asked.
"I'm sure."
"Great. I'll set it up."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TBC..
Chapter 5
The set-up
~~~
Jess was still mulling over Skye's newfound cynicism when he got back to his room later that evening.
She'd seemed so adamant that love or anything resembling it didn't extend to include her now or in her future.
Which, to Jess, made absolutely no sense considering that she'd played a pivotal part in him and Rory finally getting together.
Something was definitely up but he knew he'd get it out of her eventually.
He threw his jacket on the bed and knocked on the adjoining door that led to Rory's room but there was no answer.
"Rory?" he called out but still he got no reply.
He opened the door and was met with nothing, no movement, no sound - she wasn't there.
Jess looked at this watch, it was after seven.
He wondered where she could've gone.
He tried to push aside the worry that began taking root but then reality sunk it.
Rory was not exactly a native of New York and it was dark outside. Anything could have happened, she could be lost or.
Jess shuddered at the thought of anything bad happening to Rory, if anyone did anything to hurt her -
His thoughts wee cut off with her door opening, Rory came in looking dazed and slightly flustered.
"Rory! Where were you? Geez I was so worried!" he exclaimed, pulling her into a hug.
Rory pulled back, looking at him earnestly.
"I'm sorry, I thought I'd be back before you." She said apologetically.
"Where'd you go?" he asked, the anxiety not entirely gone.
"Well, after I spoke to my mom, who says hi, I got a bit restless so, I thought I'd get some air but it didn't quite go the way I planned."
"What do you mean? Did anyone try anything? What - "
"Jess will you calm down? Nothing happened. Nothing bad at least, I think."
"Rory, you think?" he asked bewilderedly.
"I bumped into an old friend."
Jess breathed a sigh of relief. Rory running into someone she knew, he could handle.
"I didn't know you knew anyone in New York."
"I don't. It's just pure coincidence that we both happen to be here at the same time."
"Cool, so who is it?"
"Tristan." Rory said a bit hesitantly.
He knew that name well enough to know it had some semblance of significance.
"Tristan! Chilton Tristan?"
"The one and the same."
"But I thought he was in North Carolina."
"Yeah, me too. Turns out he was reformed enough to go home." She explained.
"So what brings him here?"
"Well, although his dad is impressed with the improvements, he's not entirely off the hook. Mr Dugrey has some business to take care of here and wanted to keep an eye on him."
"How can he do that if he has meetings and stuff all day?"
"Beats me." Rory shrugged.
"Well, I'm glad you ran into him, it'll give you two a chance to catch up." He said, caressing her cheek.
Rory stared at him disbelievingly, then shook her head smiling.
"What?"
"I was just thinking how amazing you are." She said kissing him.
"Not that I'm denying it," he boasted, "but what do you mean?"
"Your reaction to the whole thing. not everyone would've taken it so calmly." She said.
"You mean Dean?"
"Yeah."
"I love you Rory," he said, "I trust you."
"I know, it makes it so much easier - knowing I can tell you anything."
"You'll always be able to." He vowed.
"I love you." She said, kissing him again.
"What do you say we get out of here?" he suggested a while later.
"To go where?"
"You'll see." He said enigmatically.
"Okay, just let me go change."
"Sure."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What's the deal with you and Mariano?"
Skye looked at him as if he'd dropped off a spaceship.
"What kind of question is that?" she asked puzzled.
"One I'd like an answer to."
"Really?" she drawled sarcastically.
"You two seemed pretty tight." He remarked.
"We are pretty tight Brandon! You know the story. Why ask stupid questions?"
"You two just seemed more cozy than usual that's all."
"We're friends Brandon." She stressed again.
"Yeah, whatever." He muttered, walking off leaving Skye perplexed as she watched him leave.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Washington Square Park! Oh my word, it's beautiful!" Rory cried out.
"Yes, it is." Jess said taking her hand, leading her through the miniature arc de triomph.
"I used to come here all the time." He told her.
"I can see why."
"It's really cool here plus Central Park - way overrated."
Rory laughed, she was giddy with happiness at being with Jess at a place that was so special to him
"So what'd you do here?"
"Mostly read, people watch, that kinda thing." He said, pulling her with him and Rory was happy to follow.
"This is my favourite spot," he said, stopping at a bench nearby some chess tables, "when I had a fight with my mom or just needed to get away - I would come here. It helped clear my mind."
He sat down and Rory joined him, laying her head on his shoulder.
It was though time was suspended, as they sat there, neither of them speaking.
But words were not necessary as they enjoyed the moment, content with the silence. It was a long while before she spoke.
"I'm glad you brought me here."
"I'm glad too." He said kissing her hair.
Once again they let the silence envelop them.
"I've been thinking." He said.
"About what?"
"We're meeting Skye tomorrow night right?"
"Right." She answered, wondering where he was going with this,
"Why don't you ask Tristan to come too?"
Rory lifted her head in shock, not sure if she's heard correctly.
"For real?" she asked incredulously.
"For real, that way we can all hold hands and skip afterwards." He drawled.
Rory swatted him playfully, still surprised at his suggestion. Jess really was incredible.
"You're sure?" she asked.
"I'm sure."
"Great. I'll set it up."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TBC..