Chapter Five
"What did he do to you?"
Rory takes a quick step back then and staring up at Jess with her make-up smeared from crying Jess can't help but feel his heartbreak for her, but she shakes her head and states, "I can't talk about it now."
Emily and Lorelai come rushing out of the room now stating that they heard a lot of yelling and when Lorelai immediately takes note of Rory's condition she demands, "what's going on?"
Jess is to confused to respond and Luke, among others, looks to angry to respond so Taylor steps up with the simple responds, "Michael was here."
Lorelai quickly grabs Rory tightly then and Rory clings to her, a new round of tears falling on Lorelai's bare shoulders. Sookie, Lane and Emily for a half circle around the mother and daughter and they quickly slip back into the bridal room, out of the sight of all of the sympathetic members of Stars Hollow.
Ten minutes pass by before Rory has calmed herself down, with the help of the four women (Kirk had slipped in and coaxed Shaya to come out with him). By this time though Rory has completely stopped crying, but she is still shaking and her breath is still coming in ragged gasps.
"Rory, sweetie, we can postpone this wedding for another day. We don't have to do this today." Lorelai states rubbing her daughter's back sympathetically, not really knowing what else to say to Rory.
Rory shakes her head and her voice comes out firmer than anyone would have expected, "no. He's gone we are going to have this wedding. You need to finish getting ready and I need to fix my make-up, I'm not going to let him control my life." Rory had never actually referred to Michael as Michael after she had come back to Stars Hollow, she only ever referred to him as he, or him. "Lane can you let everyone know to settle back in their seats so we can begin on time, send grandpa in and find out where Kirk took my daughter."
Lane nods, "of course." And with a quick hug for her long time best friend she slips back outside to be the liaison between Rory and the rest of Stars Hollow.
When Richard comes in, instead of going to Lorelai first he quickly hugs Rory and kisses her gently on the forehead before moving on to Lorelai. To Lorelai Richard offers words of encouragement, "I'm proud of you Lorelai, I think Luke is good for you and he will make you infinitely happy."
Lorelai walks over to Rory then and asks for a second time, "are you sure you want to do this now? Because it's fine if you can't do this now, Luke and I will totally understand."
Rory shakes her head, "I can do this now. I have to do this now, because I don't want to think about this now."
Lorelai nods, understand and they begin to move outside.
Riley and Madison start the precession each carrying a ring followed by Kirk who accompanies Emily down the aisle, leading her to the seat designated at the front for she and Richard and then he takes his place standing next to Luke. Jackson and Sookie go next and while Jess and Rory are waiting for their turn to go Jess asks her, "are you all right?"
Rory nods softly, "I am, thanks for your concern."
Moments later the two are taking their places immediately next to their mother and uncle. And at this time Rory can feel her eyes fill with tears again, this time tears of joy, at the sight of Lorelai walking down the aisle and the look on Luke's face.
But it isn't until their exchange of vows that the single tear slips down Rory's cheek. Lorelai's vows her first, "we've been a lot of things over the years. Acquaintances, you were just someone who served me coffee. And then friends. And then someone I argued with daily, over my coffee intake-I have a feeling that that isn't going to change either. We have also have some more difficult times, for one reason or the other we were actually fighting. And then there was one time when I was sure I had lost you to someone else and I was to stupid to speak up and say anything about it, and then you were married. Someone in all that time we had become more to each other without ever realizing it, and then when we did realize it we were never in the same place at the same time. Somehow though, we've managed to be here, this time at the same place, at the exact same time, and now you're stuck with coffee addicted me, forever and for always." A slight ripple of laughter goes through the crowd at her final words and then Luke starts his speech that sounds a lot like Lorelai.
Looking between the two the pastor who was conducting the ceremony states, "if there is anyone here who objects to this union speech now..."
"After twenty years no one has any objections," Taylor calls out from the crowd, "could you get on with it."
Luke and Lorelai, along with the rest of the group, laugh as the pastor finish, "then I now pronounce you husband and wife."
By the time Sookie's wonderful dinner is completed, groups are either dancing or chatting, and the younger kids have been put together in a room to sleep Jess and Rory are sitting alone at one of the tables in the dining room.
They sit and silence but they keep exchanging brief glances back and forth and finally when Rory catches Jess looking at her she asks, "you want explanations right?"
Jess shakes his head, "not if you don't want to explain them to me I don't."
Rory sighs, "I don't want to explain them, but I after I lost it on you earlier today you deserve them. Let's go for a walk. But you have to understand that these are very painful for me. Everyone in town knows, because you know how the rumor mill is in Stars Hollow, and I'm glad I know because I don't like to keep secrets."
"What did he do to you?"
Rory takes a quick step back then and staring up at Jess with her make-up smeared from crying Jess can't help but feel his heartbreak for her, but she shakes her head and states, "I can't talk about it now."
Emily and Lorelai come rushing out of the room now stating that they heard a lot of yelling and when Lorelai immediately takes note of Rory's condition she demands, "what's going on?"
Jess is to confused to respond and Luke, among others, looks to angry to respond so Taylor steps up with the simple responds, "Michael was here."
Lorelai quickly grabs Rory tightly then and Rory clings to her, a new round of tears falling on Lorelai's bare shoulders. Sookie, Lane and Emily for a half circle around the mother and daughter and they quickly slip back into the bridal room, out of the sight of all of the sympathetic members of Stars Hollow.
Ten minutes pass by before Rory has calmed herself down, with the help of the four women (Kirk had slipped in and coaxed Shaya to come out with him). By this time though Rory has completely stopped crying, but she is still shaking and her breath is still coming in ragged gasps.
"Rory, sweetie, we can postpone this wedding for another day. We don't have to do this today." Lorelai states rubbing her daughter's back sympathetically, not really knowing what else to say to Rory.
Rory shakes her head and her voice comes out firmer than anyone would have expected, "no. He's gone we are going to have this wedding. You need to finish getting ready and I need to fix my make-up, I'm not going to let him control my life." Rory had never actually referred to Michael as Michael after she had come back to Stars Hollow, she only ever referred to him as he, or him. "Lane can you let everyone know to settle back in their seats so we can begin on time, send grandpa in and find out where Kirk took my daughter."
Lane nods, "of course." And with a quick hug for her long time best friend she slips back outside to be the liaison between Rory and the rest of Stars Hollow.
When Richard comes in, instead of going to Lorelai first he quickly hugs Rory and kisses her gently on the forehead before moving on to Lorelai. To Lorelai Richard offers words of encouragement, "I'm proud of you Lorelai, I think Luke is good for you and he will make you infinitely happy."
Lorelai walks over to Rory then and asks for a second time, "are you sure you want to do this now? Because it's fine if you can't do this now, Luke and I will totally understand."
Rory shakes her head, "I can do this now. I have to do this now, because I don't want to think about this now."
Lorelai nods, understand and they begin to move outside.
Riley and Madison start the precession each carrying a ring followed by Kirk who accompanies Emily down the aisle, leading her to the seat designated at the front for she and Richard and then he takes his place standing next to Luke. Jackson and Sookie go next and while Jess and Rory are waiting for their turn to go Jess asks her, "are you all right?"
Rory nods softly, "I am, thanks for your concern."
Moments later the two are taking their places immediately next to their mother and uncle. And at this time Rory can feel her eyes fill with tears again, this time tears of joy, at the sight of Lorelai walking down the aisle and the look on Luke's face.
But it isn't until their exchange of vows that the single tear slips down Rory's cheek. Lorelai's vows her first, "we've been a lot of things over the years. Acquaintances, you were just someone who served me coffee. And then friends. And then someone I argued with daily, over my coffee intake-I have a feeling that that isn't going to change either. We have also have some more difficult times, for one reason or the other we were actually fighting. And then there was one time when I was sure I had lost you to someone else and I was to stupid to speak up and say anything about it, and then you were married. Someone in all that time we had become more to each other without ever realizing it, and then when we did realize it we were never in the same place at the same time. Somehow though, we've managed to be here, this time at the same place, at the exact same time, and now you're stuck with coffee addicted me, forever and for always." A slight ripple of laughter goes through the crowd at her final words and then Luke starts his speech that sounds a lot like Lorelai.
Looking between the two the pastor who was conducting the ceremony states, "if there is anyone here who objects to this union speech now..."
"After twenty years no one has any objections," Taylor calls out from the crowd, "could you get on with it."
Luke and Lorelai, along with the rest of the group, laugh as the pastor finish, "then I now pronounce you husband and wife."
By the time Sookie's wonderful dinner is completed, groups are either dancing or chatting, and the younger kids have been put together in a room to sleep Jess and Rory are sitting alone at one of the tables in the dining room.
They sit and silence but they keep exchanging brief glances back and forth and finally when Rory catches Jess looking at her she asks, "you want explanations right?"
Jess shakes his head, "not if you don't want to explain them to me I don't."
Rory sighs, "I don't want to explain them, but I after I lost it on you earlier today you deserve them. Let's go for a walk. But you have to understand that these are very painful for me. Everyone in town knows, because you know how the rumor mill is in Stars Hollow, and I'm glad I know because I don't like to keep secrets."