Not Always What You Want

By Emily Carol

Ch. 6

I Think I Could Love Him

***

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. I also don't own really much else mentioned in here, such as Judy Blume and American Airlines.

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 for slight language

Spoilers- Just that Dean left Stars Hollow before Rory went to Yale and that he married Lindsay.

***

Rory shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She hadn't wanted to go in her heart, but her brain and her heart decided that they wanted to disagree. The brain won. She'd said she'd come and she came, that was the point of all of this. Too bad if she still loved Jess, he was probably married anyway and Gilmore Girls probably had nothing to do with her at all.

Or maybe it did.

Rory shoved everything away to the back of her brain and focused on what Eric had been saying. Rory giggled at something Eric said. Then her brain and heart decided to agree.

'This is a great guy I've got here' Rory thought to herself. 'I think there's a chance I could love him. He doesn't comment on my eating habits, he's funny, and a great guy all around. Yes, I think I could love him.'

"Hey," Eric said. "I'm going up to get another bowl, you want to come?"

"Sure," Rory said smiling and standing up. She loved this place everything about it was awesome. You filled a bowl with noodles and meat and veggies and stuff and then you added seasoning and oils and sauces. Then came the best part, they cooked it in front of you.

"So, are you having fun?" Eric asked handing her a bowl.

"I'm having a great time," Rory said. "This place is awesome! I wish we had some place like this out in Warrenville and didn't have to drive to Naperville to get it."

"Yeah," Eric said. "This is the best. Rebecca makes me take her here at least once a month, if not more."

"Maybe she could come with us sometime," Rory said. 'Oh,' She thought to herself. 'I said that? Why did I say that? What if something happens with Jess?'

"You mean you'd go out with me again?" Eric asked.

'Oh, what the hell,' Rory thought. 'Why am I still pining over Jess? I broke things off with Jess. Jess is out of my life.'

"Yeah," Rory said. "I would." She smiled at him and he smiled back.

"I think Rebecca would like that," Eric said.

"Yeah," Rory said. "For the two years I've known Rebecca I've realized that this is her kind of restaurant, unless there's one where she can buy books at the same time."

"You know what," Eric said. "That's a great idea for a restaurant, one where you can read and buy books and eat at the same time. But not like a café, just a regular restaurant like that."

"Yeah," Rory said. "Maybe I could turn Angeleyes' Place into that."

"I could help," Eric said.

"Really?"

"Yeah," Eric said.

"That would be great!" Rory said. "I'll run the idea by Emma in the morning, see how she'd like to be a waitress too."

"Well tell me how it goes," Eric said.

The rest of the dinner was pretty much uneventful.

After dinner Eric took her to the moonlit Riverwalk.

"This is beautiful," Rory said.

"Isn't it?" Eric said. "It's been here as long as I can remember, I grew up here you know?"

"Really?"

"Yeah," Eric said. "In a subdivision with lots of kids and friends. My street had mostly girls though but my best friend didn't live far away."

"That's great," Rory said. "I grew up in a small town called Stars Hollow."

"I've never heard of that, is it near here?" Eric asked.

"No," Rory said. "It's in Connecticut."

"Really?" Eric said. "Well then why come here?"

"I needed to get away from Stars Hollow," Rory said. "Too many memories. I had two boyfriends there. One dumped me because I seemed interested in the other. The other left me to go live with his father and I haven't seen him since. And then there's just things I don't want to remember there. Life, normal stuff. I needed to find a new place to settle down."

"Well why come here?" Eric asked. "Why to the puny town of Wheaton, Illinois?"

"It was out there," Rory said. "Completely not me. Jess will never find me here and then I'll never have to see him again. I won't have to deal with memories coming back."

"Yeah, I ran for awhile too," Eric said. "I ran to New York City. Found out that I'm not a big city guy. I'm better for places like Naperville."

"If you don't mind me asking," Rory said. "Why'd you run?"

"Rebecca had just been born," Eric said. "I couldn't deal with being a father. I learned things out in the city. And then I came back and married Jessica, Rebecca's mom, and was miserable for the year we were married before she died. But I learned I had to do my part, help Rebecca no matter how much Jessica and I disagreed."

"Oh," Rory said. Not knowing what to say next.

"You know what," Eric said. "Let's forget the past for tonight and focus on the present. Tell me about you now, since you left Stars Hollow."

Rory smiled. 'Yes,' She thought to herself. 'I defiantly think I could love him.'

***

A/N- Hope you enjoyed! R&R.