"A Gilmore Groundhog Day"
By Ellie
A/N Okay everyone! This is a big huge thank you to all that reviewed- and keep it coming!!!! So far the votes are lookin' pretty close- so keep telling me what YOU want. So here you go, and I hope everyone appreciates this update because it's been killer trying to find time to write. ;-) So if you're happy and you know it- press the blue button and leave a review! (Ok, so it lost it's 'oomph', but you still get what I mean!)
PS~ I DO have another fic posted here- it's kinda old, but I'd LOVE if you Trory lovers out there review it- I've only had 2 so far, and it's kinda depressing…..=(
OK! Now onto better things!
~DAY 2~
"The Truth Hurts"
Rory was dreaming of coffee, it smelled so good, and it was sitting right in front of her. She kept reaching for the giant coffee cup hovering in midair, but it kept floating out of reach. Rory was just beginning to scream with frustration when a voice that sounded suspiciously like the rumble of a coffee machine began to speak to her; "A love that is true is within your reach, all you must do is let yourself take the leap that will bring it to you." Rory nodded fervently before jumping up as high as she could and trying to grasp the mug. The voice returned, though much softer now. "You do not understand now. But you will." She had just begun her incessant 'leaping' again when the dream started to dissipate, slowly fading away as Rory began to awaken.
* * * *
Rory opened her heavy eyelids and saw the fine-grained wood of the table looming passed blurry pages of text. Table?!? Jerking her head up, Rory felt the beginnings of a well-deserved panic attack coming on. She was asleep at the table, on her literature book. And there was the spot of drool exactly where it was…yesterday? Pushing passed fuzzy memories of Tristan and the break-up to falling asleep in the downy comfort of her mattress Rory realized that something, somewhere was not right. Did I dream it all? What the HELL is going on?!? Breathe. It'll be OK, just breathe…
"Mom!!!" Rory called urgently, her voice rough with sleep and shock.
"Mhmmm?" came the muffled groan from Lorelei's bedroom.
Realizing that a response was not going to be forthcoming any time soon, Rory gave one last suspicious glare at the Literature book, sitting innocently on top of the table. It had to be a dream. What other explanation is there?
* * * *
CHILTON
"Have you heard about Tristan?"
Feelings of nausea overcame Rory at hearing the familiar words. No, No, this isn't happening! How can this be happening?!
"Hot, blonde, bad-ass Tristan?"
Slowly, she turned around. Hesitating, Rory looked at the pale expense of lockers instead of at Louise as she pulled in a breath of air and waited.
"Duh. The ONLY Tristan that goes to Chilton."
That's my cue. It's the same. It's all the same. The lockers seemed to swirl, and Rory felt herself going limp. Her backpack slid to the floor, and Rory stood perfectly still in the bustling hallway and tried not to pass out.
"Unless you actually have something to say, I need to get to class." Paris's no-nonsense voice managed to filter it's way into Rory's thoughts and she focused on it, using it to pull herself out of the dark place she was falling into.
A giggle, and then Louise continued- "He's back."
Madeline finished gleefully, "And he's 'badder' than ever."
Rory's world slid away, and this time, she welcomed the blackness that overtook her with open arms.
* * * *
NURSE'S OFFICE
"Well, this is strange! I don't think I've ever seen you in here dear. Are you all right? You fainted dead away out in the hall…"
Rory awoke to the concerned voice of Mrs. Barty, the school nurse. There was a damp cloth on her forehead, and she was lying on a lumpy cot in the corner of the sick room.
"I'm Ok. Delusional, but Ok." Rory muttered
"What was that dear?" Mrs. Barty's plump face peered anxiously down at her.
"Nothing. I'm Ok." Rory realized that she had to pull herself together if she wanted out of there. And she REALLY did. Looking up at the kind frazzled features of Mrs. Barty; Rory found herself smiling and blinking vapidly. "I'm so sorry for frightening you, I just got a little dizzy for a moment." She was still smiling innocently and putting on a good show, when she realized that she was really losing it. When did I become an actress? God, I feel so fake, I'm sitting here, tricking this poor woman into letting me leave, when she should probably be locking me up. Normal people don't re-live days. What am I talking about? No one re-lives days! It's not possible……. But it's happening, that's what's going on, I didn't dream up yesterday- because today IS yesterday. I mean, yesterday is today…..
I'm re-living days. Today has already happened….
The smile froze on Rory's face as realization stepped in.
"I'm re-living everything."
Mrs. Barty leaned in, "Are you sure you're alright dear?"
Rory just nodded and slid off of the cot to stand and gather her things.
"Now wait a minute dear, we need to get some paperwork done, and then we can get you a pass to go home.…. dear?"
Rory was already walking out the door, and she began to run once she hit the halls. She had to get home. NOW.
Racing to the parking lot, Rory unlocked the jeep's door and shoved her backpack into the passenger's seat. There was a loud crowd congregating in the spaces next to her, and Rory looked up into deep blue eyes- Tristan. He broke away from the Thrill Seekers and walked slowly up to the jeep.
"Are you Okay Rory? I saw you faint, so I took you to the nurse, but they wouldn't let me stay…." His voice trailed off.
Looking into his concerned eyes, Rory felt the panic that had gripped her earlier return. Not this time. He won't ruin it this time!
"I've gotta go." She hopped into the jeep, jammed it into reverse, and got out of there. Looking into the rear-view mirror she saw Tristan standing in the spot she had left him in. Remorse began to eat at her and she almost stopped; almost gave in. But she didn't. This time it's different. He can't ruin it this time. So why did her heart, feel like someone had ripped off a chunk of it and left it with the boy behind her?
It doesn't matter. It's different this time.
* * * *
STARS HOLLOW
"Mom! Mom I need you!!" Rory ran into the house without even bothering to close the front door behind her. The house was utterly silent, and Rory raced up the stairs to her mother's bedroom.
"Mom?!" The bed was made, and the vanity with Lorelei's make-up was almost empty.
Of course! The trip- she's gone.
She was falling apart- she needed to be somewhere familiar, somewhere comforting.
* * * *
LUKE'S DINER
Rory opened the door and slammed into a warm body.
"Whoa! What's the rush!…..Rory?!?"
She tried to get her eyes to focus passed the film of her own tears. "Jess?"
"Hey, hey, it's okay! Everything's okay." His voice wrapped around her, absorbing some of the pain. He enfolded her in his arms, and did his best to calm her sobs.
"Come on, let's go inside."
* * * *
30 Minutes Later…
Jess returned with the coffee pitcher and paused to re-fill Rory's cup. "So you're telling me that you're re-living a day?" His voice held amusement, but he tried to curb it upon seeing how truly upset Rory was.
"I know it's hard to believe, but it's true!"
"Rory calm down! I believe you!"
Rory looked beseechingly at him, "Do you really Jess?"
He couldn't possibly tell her the truth- that he would believe anything, if it would make her stop being upset. It wouldn't do for her to know the kind of power she wielded over him. Hell, it still amazed him! So, no- he wouldn't tell her that he thought she was hysterical and probably just stressed out to the extreme. He would tell her whatever she needed him to say.
"I believe you Rory, but you MUST know how far-fetched this sounds! Re-living days? Come on, work with me here."
She sighed and slumped onto the table so her response was muffled. "I know, I do. But this is real. It's really happening."
"Ok. Let's get this straight. You kiss this guy Tristan, and then break up with Bag-boy, call me and fall asleep." He fought not to become jealous at Rory's admittance to being attracted to another guy, and focused instead on the fact that in her 'dream' or whatever it was, she had called him.
"I know how it sounds, but it's the truth. God, thinking about it now, I remember all the little things that happened this morning that are the same. Like when I drove to school there was almost an accident on Highway 1, with a blue van and an old Ford pick-up. And then at school when I went to drop off my library books, Mrs. Shetler was kissing some old, bald guy!"
Jess laughed out loud, "Really… well that's hardly strange, I mean it was probably her husband."
Rory looked up with dawning horror, "She's only twenty-one, and her husband is supposed to be twenty-nine. There's no WAY that guy was twenty-nine!"
Jess paused to consider before shaking his head as if to dispel the images Rory had planted there. "Okay, so you're librarian is a little sick, that still doesn't mean that you're REALLY re-living days."
Rory's blue eyes sparked as she locked gazes with him. "I thought you said you believed me!"
Jess tried to backtrack; "I do, but…. Come on Ror! Re-living days?" He realized his mistake when she got off of the chair and began to leave. "Rory, wait! Come on!" Jess looked up and saw Luke raise his eyebrows- he had been busy with customers and probably hadn't heard the exchange between Rory, but he had definitely seen it. Jess shrugged his shoulders in acknowledgement before running out after Rory.
* * * *
THE GAZEBO
Rory was huddled on the bench, and she heard, rather than saw, Jess approaching. "What do you want?" her voice was dull, and she didn't even look up to see who she was speaking to.
"Well, " Jess replied, "a million dollars and the power to fly would be nice."
"Wish granted. Now leave me alone." Her tone was sullen and she lowered her head to her drawn up knees.
Jess felt the sardonic grin fall of his face, and he sat down next to her, determined to make her feel better. He had to, because seeing her this way was killing him.
"I never realized that you could grant wishes. You've been holding out on me."
Rory didn't respond. She only hugged her knees tighter to her chest.
Jess realized that humor wasn't going to reach her- she was too far gone to care, so instead her tried to reach her with his feelings- his true feelings. "Ror, I can't stand to see you like this. Please talk to me."
Rory snorted scornfully, "What do you care? You just think I'm crazy."
"I never thought you were crazy."
She jerked her head up and looked him in the eye, "No, just hysterical. Or maybe you thought I was having some sort of panic attack, right?"
It hit a little close to home, and Jess found himself incapable of defending himself. Rory noted the change, and went for the jugular. "You were just humoring me the whole time, you're probably just loving it, seeing me this way!"
"That's not true." His voice was firm and exasperated.
"Yeah, well actions speak louder than words, and-" Rory never got to finish whatever thought she was trying to voice, because Jess finally took the opportunity to show her exactly how much she meant to him.
"Actions speak louder than words? Then why don't you judge this one for yourself."
Taking her face in his hands he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her with all of the pent-up emotions her had hidden from her for so long.
Rory felt herself being drugged by the tantalizing sweetness of Jess' kiss, he was kissing her passionately and she felt herself surrender to him. Her hands curled behind his neck and she kissed him back. So nice, his hair is so soft. Not as soft as Tristan's though. Wait, what am I doing? Kissing Jess… I just kissed Tristan. No. This can't be happening I need to stop! She pulled away from Jess, breathing heavily.
He took the opportunity to tell her how he felt. "Rory, I know that you're probably confused, but I have to tell you. I think I'm falling in love with you, and you mean the world to me. If you tell me that you really are re-living the same day then I'll believe you…."
Rory was in a daze. "I have to go Jess."
It took a while for her words to register, and by the time they had, she was gone. There was no trace of her ever being in the gazebo, only a lingering warmth on his hands and a hot burn against his lips.
* * * *
HOME
Rory had her hand on the doorknob when his voice called to her from the darkness-
"Rory is that you?"
"Dean?"
The tall boy ambled slowly up to the porch. "Yeah, it's me."
Rory sat frozen in the doorway, memories of the break-up whirling through her mind. Dean walked up with a smile, "Hey, don't I get a hug from me girlfriend?" Me. I'm his girlfriend. Rory laughed and leapt up to dangle herself on Dean's tall frame. He automatically wrapped his arms around her to keep them both from falling. "Wow, I can honestly say that this is the first time in months you've been so happy to see me!"
Rory felt a tiny pang of regret but it was immediately washed away in a sea of relief. We're still together!
"So, can we go in?" Dean asked smiling down at her.
"What a wonderful idea!"
* * * *
10 Minutes Later….
"Popcorn?" Rory called from in the depths of the cupboard.
"Of course!"
They were going to settle down for a movie. Just like normal. Rory smiled to herself before pressing the button on the microwave for cooking popcorn and then skipping back to the living room to cuddle with her boyfriend. She had just settled into the crook of his arm when Dean began conversationally. "So I saw you with Jess earlier."
Rory became rigid with fear. "Oh really?" She managed to choke out, sounding reasonably normal.
"Yeah," He replied, studying the fibers of the couch. "During lunch, at Luke's. But then when I went back to school I found out that Jess never came to school today….so were you with him the whole time or what?" He sounded so needy, like a little boy that needed reassuring that yes, the world was still spinning and he was still loved. Wow, that's got to be the meanest thought I've ever had about him. I shouldn't feel this way over the boy I profess to love. And he still sounds jealous. God! When will he trust me! Immediately following that thought was the one that told her that she had finally done something that proved how untrustworthy she was.
"Well, " she hedged.
"He was with you, wasn't he?! I should have known, he's always hanging around you, and he's trouble Rory! You know he is!" Rory flinched at his outburst.
"Look, Dean," She began weakly.
"You can't even defend yourself can you?"
"Defend myself from what?! We were just talking!"
"You're right. I'm sorry, I'm getting all worked up for nothing. I know you wouldn't do anything with him behind my back. Please forgive me Ror."
She didn't like the way that Dean had said the word 'he', as if Jess was some sort of villain. But she realized she was out of stones to throw. If she defended Jess then it would be like lying to Dean, and she didn't want to lie to him if she didn't have to. Guilt made her next words quick. "I forgive you."
Dean smiled and kissed her on the forehead before starting the movie. Her eyes were on the screen, but her mind was elsewhere.
* * * *
Forty-five minutes into the movie, the doorbell rang. "I'll get it." Rory escaped from her boyfriend's embrace and scurried over to the door, silently thanking whoever had allowed her to leave Dean's side.
"Rory." Jess' gaze was tortured as he drank in her form.
"Jess." She breathed, suddenly afraid of what his presence would mean- to Dean, to Jess, but most of all to herself.
He smiled ruefully and brushed his hand through his hair. The response was a nervous gesture, and Rory almost smiled. So few people knew about the caring, unsure person hidden behind Jess' sarcastic attitude.
"Look, about earlier…" His deep brown eyes looked deeply into her own, and she found herself falling into them.
"Rory? Who is it?" Dean called from the hallway. Footsteps were approaching, and Jess noted the panicked look on Rory's face. Jess' eyes hardened, and he laughed bitterly. "So I guess that's the way it is, right?" He swiveled on his heel, and began to walk away.
"Jess!" Rory called urgently, her heart in her throat. "Wait!!"
He stopped and turned around, because he never could refuse her. "Look, if you want the kiss to mean nothing, then fine. Go back to your little boyfriend. It was nothing."
Rory felt tears stinging in her eyes and they began to fall fast and hard. She opened her mouth to respond, but Jess interrupted. "No, don't speak. I want you to think of something first. I believe what you said about re-living this day. And if it's true, then you've cheated on your boyfriend twice. Does that tell you something Rory? You said actions speak louder than words- so let's think about that. Do your actions show you that you love him? You know what I think? I think that you're just scared to take that leap into the unknown. You'd rather just stay with nice, safe, Dean than actually take a risk. And it's too bad, because it sounds to me like you would have had two guys that would be more than willing to catch you. And neither of them, is the boyfriend that you're fighting so hard to hold on to." Once he was finished, he turned around and disappeared into the shadows.
Rory was crying in earnest, as Jess' words struck home.
"Is it true?" Dean demanded quietly, a vein was throbbing in his clenched jaw. Rory sank onto the chair on the porch, and looked up at him.
"Is it true?!" He repeated, louder this time. Slowly, with a feeling of hopelessness. Rory nodded her head.
Dean looked at her, and something in his eyes shattered.
"Dean-"
"Save it!" The words were laced with ice, and all Rory could do was watch his retreating back and sob.
* * * *
ONE HOUR LATER….
Rory was walking around the house in the dark. Feeling her way to the refrigerator, she opened it and reached inside to find something to numb her pain. Her fingers closed around the beer and she gulped it down without reservation. Her life was in shambles around her- what was a little alcohol? The taste was bitter, and Rory fought the instant reflex to spit it out. Ugh, how can you drink this Mom? Closing her eyes, she guzzled down the rest and reached in for another can.
Hiccuping and feeling lightheaded, Rory walked into the living room to find that the TV was on, though it was muted. She pressed the mute button and the TV sound came booming back to life.
" This is the Hartford Community newscaster Jenny Andrews, with breaking news about the accident that occurred at 11 am, this morning-" God, why do newscasters always assume that everyone is stupid? If the accident was at 11, then it's obvious that it was this morning!!! The newscaster continued and Rory fought to keep her eyes open.
"It was reported earlier that it was a teen-involved accident. 3 cars were racing along Harris Grade, a dangerous road that the mayor has been trying to get closed down, when a car fell off of the road and into an embankment. There was one passenger and it was a fatal casualty. The family has still asked that the name of the deceased remains disclosed. We have just received information that all of the students involved in this terrible accident are students at the elite high school, Chilton. It's an unfortunate accident and I think we'll all think twice before taking a joyride. Back to you Jack"
Thanks Jenny, and now for our sports announcements-"
The voice was cut off as Rory pressed the off button and the remote fell from her suddenly nerveless hand. Rory felt a wave of premonition and suddenly her head was clear, and she felt as if all traces of alcohol had been flushed from her system at once. Please, no. No. It can't be. Rory raced to the answering machine. A bright red '1' flashed on the screen. Ok, we have a message. It doesn't mean that it's about the accident. It could be anyone- it could be from Mom! Her finger still hesitated over the play button, because deep down, she knew. She pressed play.
"Rory, this is Paris. I know you're probably wondering how I got this number… but it doesn't matter… Look I know you always said that you didn't care about Tristan, but if you watched the news today then you probably all ready know about the accident. God, what am I saying…. Muffled sob (Pause for a couple minutes) …… I just thought you should know….it was him- in the car. He's dead Rory."
Rory slid to the floor in a heap. Paris' devastated voice, so unlike the Paris that Rory heard every day, was still echoing in her mind- 'He's dead Rory.' Then she was seeing a picture of a tall blonde boy, standing behind a billow of dust while a car zoomed away. Her car. It was the last time she would ever see him. She would never again see his handsome features break into that DuGrey smirk, or his blue eyes blazing with passion. Tristan DuGrey was finally out of her life for good. It was that thought, above all the others that made her begin to weep. She had thought that there were no more tears left in her to cry. But it seems that she had plenty, and she cried herself into an exhausted sleep. This time, her last thought before falling into restless nightmares of death and loss, was the same one that had brought the tears to her face for the last time that night.
Tristan DuGrey is finally out of my life for good.
A/N) Okay, wow that took forever! I hope you all like it, and don't forget to review, AND vote. (For all you Trory lovers- sorry! It had to be done, but don't worry! There's still at least one more day to go!!! So chin up troopers- there's still hope! LOL)
For you Jess Shippers, hopefully you enjoyed this! ;)
So show your appreciation,
REVIEW PEOPLE! =)
~Ellie
