Chapter 9: Cold Feet
"We are gathered here today for the joyous union of Lorelai and Luke and Dean and Rory," said the priest. "Rory and Dean, you two will be the first to be married."
Rory and Dean stepped forward and clasped each other's hands. Rory stared into Dean's eyes. He stared back. She couldn't believe that her wedding day arrived and that this man in front of her was going to be her husband. Suddenly, a guy ran into the lobby of the Inn where they were being married. He was wearing a ski mask. He grabbed Dean in headlock and held him at Gunpoint. He removed his mask. It was Jess.
"Rory you're going to marry me or he dies," said Jess.
"No," said Rory, her eyes filling with tears. "No. Don't kill Dean. Let him go."
"Then marry me," said Jess. "This guy doesn't deserve you. I do."
"Jess, I don't love you anymore," said Rory. "I love Dean."
"It's his life or you marry me," said Jess. "Take your pick."
"Rory, my life's not worth it," said Dean. "Let him kill me. Just don't marry him."
Rory started to cry. She fell to her knees.
"Don't kill him, Jess," sobbed Rory. "Please, spare him. Please."
"Then marry me."
Rory sighed. There's no other way out, she thought.
"I'll marry you," said Rory.
"Good," said Jess. "But first."
He pulled the trigger and shot Dean right in the head. Dean fell to the ground. His breathing was labored.
"NO!" yelled Rory, running to his side. "Dean, stay with me! You can't die! Please, don't go! Stay with me!"
"Rory," said Dean, touching her breath. "I.love.you."
With those words being said, he passed away. Rory grabbed his body and sobbed into his shoulder.
Rory sat up in bed in a cold sweat. She was still in her bedroom. She looked at the clock. 5:45 A.M. 12/20/03. Oh, my god, thought Rory. Jess is going to ruin the wedding. For the first time in six months, Rory was nervous that Jess was going to ruin the wedding. Rory got dressed, left her mother a note, and went for a walk around the town.
The sun was starting to rise a little bit. Rory walked past Doose's market where she and Dean had her first kiss. Then she went to Stars Hollow High. She went inside on impulse. Surprisingly, the door was open. She found the spot where she and Dean first met. Then she went into the gym where they held the Stars Hollow Dance Marathon. She walked over to the exact spot where Dean broke things off. She sat down. What if it happens again? Thought Rory. I don't want it 2 happen again. Oh, my god. Why did he have to come? Suddenly the door opened. Someone walked in. Rory couldn't tell who it was. It was definitely a man.
"Rory?" called the man.
Rory recognized that voice. It was Jess's. Oh, my god, thought Rory. He's going to kiss me. I don't want him to.
"What are you doing here?" asked Jess, sitting down next to her. "Shouldn't you be asleep?"
"I'm nervous," said Rory. "What if something happens and we break up again?"
I would really love that, thought Jess. But, Jess knew that if he truly loved Rory, he wouldn't try to split them up again. His heart ached when he realized what he had to do. "Nothing like that is going to happen," said Jess. "You two are going to get married. You're going to have kids and you two are going to die together. Nothing's going to happen. I promise."
Rory suddenly felt happy. Happy about what Jess said. Maybe he had grown up.
"Thank you," said Rory, hugging him. She pulled away. They stared at each other for a moment. Rory looked at Jess's eyes. Ever since he moved in she saw a spark in his eyes. No she saw no spark at all. Maybe I'm not in love with him, thought Rory. There's only one way to tell. Rory leaned in and kissed Jess. He kissed her back. Rory used to feel tingles of electricity all over whenever he kissed her. Now nothing. It felt like she was kissing a brother, a lot like Lorelai and Chris. She pulled away.
"Um, don't take this personally," said Rory. "But, that was like kissing my brother."
"Yeah," said Jess. "You're right."
"Thanks, Jess," said Rory, giving him a peck on the cheek and getting up. "I better go."
Rory walked out the door feeling light as a feather. She didn't love Jess! It was Dean all along. Now nothing could spoil the wedding.
Jess still sat in the gym. His heart was broken and ripped in shreds. He didn't feel anything from the kiss either, but he still couldn't believe that it was over. Rory was the only girl he truly loved. You did the right thing, thought Jess. That's all that matters. Jess got up and went back to Luke's. Luke was waiting for him at the door.
"WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU!?" bellowed Luke.
"Luke, relax," said Jess. "I had to take a walk. I stopped by the school."
"The school?"
"Yes. Rory was there."
"Jess Mariano, if you screwed up her marriage I swear to God-"
"Luke! She was nervous. I told her it was going to be fine and she and Dean were going to die together. It was the hardest thing I ever did."
Jess sat down on the couch in Luke's apartment. Luke sat down next him and patted him on the back.
"You did the right thing," said Luke. "There'll be other women who you'll love just as much."
"Thanks, Luke," said Jess. "I'm sorry, but I have to go home. I can't stay. I'm afraid I'll do something I'll regret."
"That's fine."
Jess packed his things and said good-bye and left. I guess he grew up, thought Luke.
A/N: There's another chapter. Chapter 10: The Wedding is coming soon.
"We are gathered here today for the joyous union of Lorelai and Luke and Dean and Rory," said the priest. "Rory and Dean, you two will be the first to be married."
Rory and Dean stepped forward and clasped each other's hands. Rory stared into Dean's eyes. He stared back. She couldn't believe that her wedding day arrived and that this man in front of her was going to be her husband. Suddenly, a guy ran into the lobby of the Inn where they were being married. He was wearing a ski mask. He grabbed Dean in headlock and held him at Gunpoint. He removed his mask. It was Jess.
"Rory you're going to marry me or he dies," said Jess.
"No," said Rory, her eyes filling with tears. "No. Don't kill Dean. Let him go."
"Then marry me," said Jess. "This guy doesn't deserve you. I do."
"Jess, I don't love you anymore," said Rory. "I love Dean."
"It's his life or you marry me," said Jess. "Take your pick."
"Rory, my life's not worth it," said Dean. "Let him kill me. Just don't marry him."
Rory started to cry. She fell to her knees.
"Don't kill him, Jess," sobbed Rory. "Please, spare him. Please."
"Then marry me."
Rory sighed. There's no other way out, she thought.
"I'll marry you," said Rory.
"Good," said Jess. "But first."
He pulled the trigger and shot Dean right in the head. Dean fell to the ground. His breathing was labored.
"NO!" yelled Rory, running to his side. "Dean, stay with me! You can't die! Please, don't go! Stay with me!"
"Rory," said Dean, touching her breath. "I.love.you."
With those words being said, he passed away. Rory grabbed his body and sobbed into his shoulder.
Rory sat up in bed in a cold sweat. She was still in her bedroom. She looked at the clock. 5:45 A.M. 12/20/03. Oh, my god, thought Rory. Jess is going to ruin the wedding. For the first time in six months, Rory was nervous that Jess was going to ruin the wedding. Rory got dressed, left her mother a note, and went for a walk around the town.
The sun was starting to rise a little bit. Rory walked past Doose's market where she and Dean had her first kiss. Then she went to Stars Hollow High. She went inside on impulse. Surprisingly, the door was open. She found the spot where she and Dean first met. Then she went into the gym where they held the Stars Hollow Dance Marathon. She walked over to the exact spot where Dean broke things off. She sat down. What if it happens again? Thought Rory. I don't want it 2 happen again. Oh, my god. Why did he have to come? Suddenly the door opened. Someone walked in. Rory couldn't tell who it was. It was definitely a man.
"Rory?" called the man.
Rory recognized that voice. It was Jess's. Oh, my god, thought Rory. He's going to kiss me. I don't want him to.
"What are you doing here?" asked Jess, sitting down next to her. "Shouldn't you be asleep?"
"I'm nervous," said Rory. "What if something happens and we break up again?"
I would really love that, thought Jess. But, Jess knew that if he truly loved Rory, he wouldn't try to split them up again. His heart ached when he realized what he had to do. "Nothing like that is going to happen," said Jess. "You two are going to get married. You're going to have kids and you two are going to die together. Nothing's going to happen. I promise."
Rory suddenly felt happy. Happy about what Jess said. Maybe he had grown up.
"Thank you," said Rory, hugging him. She pulled away. They stared at each other for a moment. Rory looked at Jess's eyes. Ever since he moved in she saw a spark in his eyes. No she saw no spark at all. Maybe I'm not in love with him, thought Rory. There's only one way to tell. Rory leaned in and kissed Jess. He kissed her back. Rory used to feel tingles of electricity all over whenever he kissed her. Now nothing. It felt like she was kissing a brother, a lot like Lorelai and Chris. She pulled away.
"Um, don't take this personally," said Rory. "But, that was like kissing my brother."
"Yeah," said Jess. "You're right."
"Thanks, Jess," said Rory, giving him a peck on the cheek and getting up. "I better go."
Rory walked out the door feeling light as a feather. She didn't love Jess! It was Dean all along. Now nothing could spoil the wedding.
Jess still sat in the gym. His heart was broken and ripped in shreds. He didn't feel anything from the kiss either, but he still couldn't believe that it was over. Rory was the only girl he truly loved. You did the right thing, thought Jess. That's all that matters. Jess got up and went back to Luke's. Luke was waiting for him at the door.
"WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU!?" bellowed Luke.
"Luke, relax," said Jess. "I had to take a walk. I stopped by the school."
"The school?"
"Yes. Rory was there."
"Jess Mariano, if you screwed up her marriage I swear to God-"
"Luke! She was nervous. I told her it was going to be fine and she and Dean were going to die together. It was the hardest thing I ever did."
Jess sat down on the couch in Luke's apartment. Luke sat down next him and patted him on the back.
"You did the right thing," said Luke. "There'll be other women who you'll love just as much."
"Thanks, Luke," said Jess. "I'm sorry, but I have to go home. I can't stay. I'm afraid I'll do something I'll regret."
"That's fine."
Jess packed his things and said good-bye and left. I guess he grew up, thought Luke.
A/N: There's another chapter. Chapter 10: The Wedding is coming soon.