Not Always What You Want

By Emily Carol

Ch. 2

You're 26, Not 6

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Disclaimer- Wish I owned Gilmore Girls, but I don't. I'm also only 13 so if you sue me I don't have that much money in the first place. I DO own Emma and Emily and some other characters.

Summary- Future Fic - Rory's life isn't always what she wanted. Jess's life isn't always what he wanted. In fact, not that many people's life is what they wanted. But Jess goes out in search of something he always wanted. To find he may never get it.

Rating- PG right now

Spoilers- Just that both Jess and Dean left Stars Hollow before Rory went to Yale and that Dean married Lindsay (I think).

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Jess Mariano sat across the desk from his agent. "Now Jess," Mr. Fortelli said. "This is your first book and your chances of selling it are very slim."

"Yeah, well it only matters that one person reads it," Jess said. He thought of Rory wondering where she was now. China, Korea, India, Italy, South Africa, so many places, a whole world for him to search, if he ever got his nagging agent off his back.

He and Rory had stopped contacting each other a little into her sophomore year at Yale. She'd called him one night and told him that it was over, that she couldn't stand never seeing him and it would be better for the both of them if they just stopped all contact.

Who even knew if she was traveling the world? Maybe she was married and stayed at home with however many kids she had. He would never really know because he told Luke that when they did have any contact not to mention her.

"What do you mean it only matters if one person reads it?" Mr. Fortelli said. "Don't you want to make money off this book?"

"I guess," Jess said. He slouched in his chair and pulled at his tie. 'Who invented these stupid things anyway, all they do is try to strangle you,' he thought. 'Although with how my life is going strangling myself might not be a bad idea.'

"Jess?" Mr. Fortelli said. "I have a list that was just e-mailed over to me of bookstores so far that have requested your book."

"Okay," Jess said. "Read off how many places actually think of selling my book." He knew the list was going to be short.

"There's two," Mr. Fortelli said. "And considering that it's you're very first book it is somewhat of a good start."

"Well who's crazy enough to sell it already," Jess said.

"Herman's Bookshop," Mr. Fortelli said.

"Old people place," Jess said.

"Jess, have a better attitude about this please," Mr. Fortelli said. "You're 26 not 6." That was Mr. Fortelli's favorite saying to Jess and he used it on him as often as possible.

"Fine, what's the second one?" Jess said slouching lower in his seat.

"Angeleyes' Place," Mr. Fortelli said. "Where do people come up with these names?"

"Who really knows?" Jess said standing up. He walked out of the room.

Walking down the hall of the office building he pondered the name over in his head. 'Angeleyes' Place, Angeleyes' Place.'

He sighed; it was probably just some strange coincidence. Rory didn't want to open a bookshop; she wanted to work for CNN or something. That's why she went to Yale. You didn't need to go to Yale to get a business degree to open up your own bookshop.

Jess walked into his New York apartment a few minutes later. He sat down to try and write some more. Mr. Fortelli, the stupid agent, suggested he write a kids book about being a janitor since that was Jess's second job, to pay the rent and all. But Jess didn't want to write a kids book. He'd rather write for adults.

He looked up from his computer and saw the phone. He slowly picked it up and dialed the diner, Luke answered, "Luke's Diner."

"Oh, hi Luke," Jess said, suddenly tongue-tied about what he'd wanted to say.

"Hi Jess," Luke said. "Can we talk another time, the diner's packed."

"Oh, I just wanted to ask you something, but don't ever bring it up again," Jess said. "What does Rory do for a living?"

"She owns a bookshop," Luke said. "Angeleyes' Place, I think."

"Okay, thanks Luke." Jess said. He hung up the phone.

He sunk farther back in his seat. Then something came to his mind. He sat up quickly and typed into the Internet address box: www.angeleyesplace.com. A site quickly showed up. The front page showed a group of people hanging around on the counter. Behind the counter was a face that Jess had tried so hard to forget but never succeeded in.

Rory's.

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A/N- I hope you enjoyed! This one's a little shorter than the last but I got some great ideas for the next chapter so I wanted to get to them. Anyway, R&R please!