NOTE: I really wish these Gilmore Girls people belong to me but, sadly, they don't. I will have the power one day, though.
A/N: Sadly, this story will be ending soon. Don't be sad or anything, OK? I'll miss it, too. Well, enjoy this chapter.
CHAPTER 14
Early the next morning Jess met up with Rory and they walked through the park together, enjoying the quiet, as the entire park was empty, except for a few joggers who were running by. The sun coming up put a beautiful orange glow over Stars Hollow.
"I'm so glad Rosa's OK," said Rory as she and Jess walked.
"I know. I mean, for a minute there I thought she'd..." Jess trailed off.
"She wasn't," Rory assured him. "She's fine. She's happy and safe."
"It was a stupid move," Jess muttered, referring to the whole bridge fiasco. "She shouldn't have been out there."
"None of them should've been," Rory agreed. "But they are just kids."
"What is with this town?" Jess said to himself, taking a seat on a bench.
Rory looked confused as she sat next to him, pulling a strand of brown hair behind her hear. "What do you mean?"
"Rory?" Jess turned to her. "You've never had a punishment a day in your life have you?"
"What makes you say that?"
"What makes you avoid the question."
"OK, Jess, you're bordering on crazy," said Rory.
"Really? Tell me somethin'. You remember that time you came to see me in New York. You even ditched school." Rory nodded, showing that she remembered. "What'd Lorelai do?"
"Huh?" Rory responded, sounding brain dead.
"What happened. Did she ground you?"
"No," Rory whispered.
"Did she take away your phone, your books, your excessive burger eatage?" Rory shook her head, looking down at her lap. Jess scoffed, "This whole town is lame."
"Jess, since when are you so into discipline?" Rory asked him, a little defense in her voice.
"Since I became a dad overnight," he replied sharply. "Now I have to think of a way to deal with what my kid did."
"What are you going to do?" Rory wondered in interest.
"I don't know." Jess sounded miserable. "She's a really good kid. It's like since she got here..."
"What?" Rory nudged.
"She's been happy." Rory was surprised by his reply. "I mean that night we spent at your house, that was the first time I didn't have to go running into her room because she was screaming and thinking something was after her."
Rory smiled, "Stars Hollow has a weird way of making everything really warm and fuzzy."
"They've done a great job with my uncle," Jess said dryly.
"Seriously, though, whatever you decide to do, Rosa will always love you." Rory scooted over closer to him. "And so will I." Jess looked at her, nothing but surprise on his features.
"Jess, ever since we came back into each other's lives it's just been... I can't..." She looked at him. "I love you, OK? I never stopped loving you. Things just got crazy with Dean and everything and you just left, completely with no goodbye. I still loved you, though. Mabe I'm stupid, maybe I'm crazy."
Jess stayed silent for a moment before whispering, "I'm crazy." It was Rory's turn to look surprise. "You're right. Things got really hard here, really hard, and I just left. But, Rory? I've always loved you. Ever since I got to Stars Hollow you were all that was on my mind. So who better to use as an excuse for leaving?"
"Jess, I don't know where the future is heading with us but... I want to find out. I want to find out a lot." Jess moved in closer towards her face. "What is it? Do I have something in my teeth?"
"Lean in and kiss me," Jess instructed, his voice a whisper.
"You first," Rory countered, her tone resolved.
"Fine," Jess shrugged as if he had just won something. He took hold of her waist and pulled her in for a kiss.
Rory moaned slightly, wrapping her arms around his neck. She did not know where they stood exactly but, clearly, a foundation of some sort had been started.
Later that evening, as the sun began to set, the sky, once again, turning into a reddish orange, Jess walked near the side of the lake, Rosa walking next to him. Jess carried a picnic basket in his hand.
"We're here," Jess announced, stopping in his tracks.
Rosa stopped as well and looked around at where they were; the bridge. "Here?" she made a face. "I hate it here."
"Not so bad," Jess lay down a thin blanket he had brought along with them. "I loved this place when I was living in Stars Hollow." He sat down.
"Really?" Rosa inquired, taking a seat.
"Yeah," Jess said, rummaging through the picnic basket, taking out a couple of sandwiches and sodas that he had "borrowed" from Luke's. "You see right over there?" He pointed to a spot near the bridge. "That's where Uncle Luke threw me in the lake."
Rosa giggled, "Really?"
Jess nodded then glanced at another spot. "And over there was where I had a picnic with Rory."
"You and Rory had picnic?" Rosa asked before taking a bite out of one of the sandwiches.
"Yeah. Then I stole her bracelet." Rosa gave him a funny look as she chewed. "What? I was seventeen. Give me a break." Rosa just continued eating her sandwich, smiling a little.
Jess opened a can of soda and took a quick swig. "Lotta stuff happens at this bridge, good and bad." He looked at his daughter. "What you did, that would definitely fall into the category of bad."
Rosa's face fell. "I'm sorry," she whispered, fear in her voice.
"I know you didn't mean it." His words took the child by surprise. "You wouldn't try to do something like this, not you. But you did. You could've been hurt."
"I know."
Jess held out his arms, gesturing for her to come to him. Rosa did so and sat in his lap. "Rosa," Jess started. "I'd never hurt you, not the way Shane did. Shane... she was wrong. What she did, none of it was your fault. These dreams you have, tell them to buzz off."
"I'll try," Rosa smiled weakly.
Jess wrapped a hand around her waist and collapsed to his side, Rosa lying right next to him. "You like stories, right?" Rosa nodded her reply. "Well, how about a story about a punk kid from New York who ended up having more than he ever wanted?"
"Mmhmm," Rosa hummed, her eyelids getting heavy. She yawned lightly.
"I love you, kid," Jess whispered in her ear, stroking her hair.
Rosa murmured as she drifted off, "I love you, too... Daddy."
Jess's heart overflowed with joy. She had called him Daddy. He was her Daddy. Jess pulled her in closer, whispering more of the story into her ear. When Rosa was finally asleep, snuggled up in his arms, Jess stroked her hair then planted a kiss on top of her head. It was true. He really did have what he always wanted and a whole lot more.
A/N: I could not resist the fluff that was this chapter. Please review!