Chapter 16
"Rory!" Georgia exclaims when Rory walks into their apartment after work.
"Hi Georgia," Rory greets shaking off her jacket and hanging it up, the December weather was biting cold and she was glad to be in her warm apartment.
"Hi Rory," Johanna, Georgia's teenaged baby-sitter, joins them in the living room.
"Hi Johanna," Rory hands the girl a check, "here's your check for the week and we will see you after Christmas."
Johanna smiles at the two, "well have fun, where are you going again?"
"To Stars Hollow, where Donny lives." Georgia responds cheerfully. "We haven't been back since I went back for Thanksgiving and Rory couldn't go then 'cause she had to work."
"Well, have fun," Johanna calls as she slips out the door to go home the floor below Rory and Georgia.
"When can we leave?" Georgia asks.
"As soon as you get packed." Rory responds.
"I'm already packed," Georgia responds, "Johanna helped me."
"All right, well give me a couple minutes to get everything together and then we can go." Rory responds, "you have everything for school finished?"
Georgia nods, "Johanna made me do it before she would let me pack."
Rory nods, "all right." She had been lucky in finding Johanna, she lived in the apartment building Rory had moved into when she had left Stars Hollow over the summer, Johanna was in a personal home schooling program and was willing to baby-sit six days a week and on top of it all Georgia adored her. "Well then why don't you read that book we got in the bookstore the other day?" When Georgia willingly complies Rory sets about to gather both of the duffel bags she had packed the night before, one filled with her clothing the other with the presents for everyone back home. Within minutes Rory is has finished getting Georgia's things set by the front door as well and she turns to face her, "all right, we can leave now if you are ready, I think we have time to get some dinner on the way to the train station too."
"Yay!" Georgia jumps up quickly, marking her spot and then running to grab her bag.
Lorelai is waiting for them at the train station, both Rory and Georgia's attention are immediately grabbed by the gaudy Christmas light earrings that flash different colors. "Hi sweets." Lorelai greets, hugging both of the girls. "So guess what?" Lorelai asks on the way to the car.
"What?" Rory and Georgia asks together.
"Tonight is the town Christmas party." Lorelai responds.
"We know, that's why we came tonight instead of tomorrow morning."
"Yes, but where the party will be held this year is what you don't know." Lorelai responds mysteriously.
"Not at the house." Rory sighs. "Because the last time you had the genius idea to have the party at our house it was a disaster. Worse, some would say, than the year Kirk decided to host it."
"No not our house," Lorelai waves Rory off, "you goofy girl. No it will be held at Luke's."
"Luke is hosting...well anything?" Rory asks.
Lorelai nods laughing, "I talked him into it."
"But Luke's isn't finished." Rory points out.
"So I led you to believe my dear daughter, but in truth it is completed and waiting for the perfect thing to open it conveniently it is completed right in time for Christmas."
"I can't believe you talked Luke into this." Rory laughs.
Lorelai grins at her daughter, "I know!"
"So can we go and see the diner?" Georgia asks.
Lorelai shakes her head, "no everyone is over there setting up, besides we only have enough time to get ourselves ready."
"So what have we missed since Thanksgiving?" Rory asks as they settle in the car.
"Well Lindsay got moved to Colorado well and the kids are living with Dean permanently. Dean has a new girlfriend, Hailey, who is perfect for him and she has two kids of her own, twins, Ashton and Brianna. They are your age Georgia and they can't to meet you," as a side note to Rory Lorelai adds, "which could be because Donny hasn't stopped talking about her since he found out you guys were coming."
"How's Lane?" Rory asks.
"She's been a little under the weather," Lorelai responds cautiously.
"That happens your first trimester of pregnancy." Rory responds, letting her mother know that her best friend had clued her in on her pregnancy.
"She did tell you," Lorelai breathes, relieved.
"She called last week, she says she's showing all ready and didn't want to surprise me." Catching her mother's glances she responds, "I'm fine."
"Are you?" Lorelai asks.
Rory nods, "I, um, I've been seeing a psychologist, something I should have done awhile ago. But there's two doctors in the office that I take Georgia to and I go when she does every two weeks."
Lorelai nods, "good." Taking a deep breath Lorelai seems to think that while they are on the subject of touchy subjects she adds, "Jess is still in town."
Rory nods, "I know. Georgia said you guys had Thanksgiving dinner with him and Luke."
Lorelai nods, "we are having Christmas dinner with them again, unless that's to uncomfortable in which case we don't have to..."
"It's fine." Rory responds, taking a deep breath trying to calm her fraying nerves, maybe dinner was a bit to much.
"It's a big thing we are having with everyone at the inn, so you won't even have to see him if you don't want to." Lorelai adds.
"It's fine."
"I wouldn't have made the plans but..."
"Mom," Rory finally catches Lorelai's attention repeating, "it's fine."
"Hi." Rory shifts uncomfortably in front of Jess, it just figures that he was the first person she literally ran into at the town part.
"Hi." Jess seems just as nervous as he balances himself with a cane, Lorelai has said that he needed it to walk until he completed his physical therapy.
"Luke's looks good, exactly the same." Rory comments.
Jess nods, "yeah it looks great. Listen uh my stuff's all upstairs, I'm staying in the apartment there, there's a book I want to lend you."
Rory's brow furrows, "Jess we can't just..."
Jess' expression is pleading, "please Rory, just come upstairs with me."
With a sigh Rory resigns, glancing around the crowded diner she checks to make sure that Georgia is still occupied with Donny and the twins before following Jess upstairs. "Jess you don't have to make excuses to get me up here, if you wanted to talk we could talk you could have just said that."
"Here," Jess forces a book into Rory's hand.
"Oh I..."
"I know, just read it, all right?" Jess asks.
"All right," Rory agrees.
"Not here, later." Jess adds before hobbling to the door and down the stairs ahead of Rory as she investigates the book. It looks to be a journal of some sort, with recycled pages that make it look old and a leather cover around it.
"Your daughter just snuck up to Jess' apartment," Luke informs Lorelai his eyes still focused on the door leading to the stairs that lead to the apartment.
Lorelai's eyes shift from the punch she was pouring for herself and Luke, "oh. That's...new." But before their minds can go any further processing this development Jess has come back downstairs and Rory isn't very far behind him. "So are we ready then?"
"Do we have to do this today?" Luke seems reluctant, "as a big announcement?"
"Yes," Lorelai tugs on Luke's sleeve, "let's go mister." Lorelai stands up in front of the crowd clearing her throat she stands on a chair despite Luke's chiding, "excuse me!" The crowd in the diner goes silent watching Luke and Lorelai expectantly. "Come on Luke," Lorelai pulls at him and despite his protests she pulls him onto the chair with her.
Expectant whisperings float around the group and Luke asks, "can I get down now Lorelai?"
"No," Lorelai shakes her head, "Luke and I have an announcement to make." Lorelai catches Rory's gaze in the crowd and Rory is flashing her a bright, encouraging smile. "All right, well, I'll just say it. Luke and I are getting married."
There are calls of, "finally!" and "took you long enough!" in the group and Lorelai elbows Luke to continue, he runs his hand through his hair and finally says, "you are all invited to the wedding, tomorrow before Sookie's Christmas dinner."
Luke helps Lorelai down then and the entire diner crowds around them asking them a thousand questions and trying to congratulate them all at once but the crowd easily let's Rory through to hug her mother. "I can't believe you are getting married tomorrow," Rory stares shocked at her mother.
"I know," Lorelai laughs, she laughs the laugh of someone who is truly in love, "but Luke proposed last night and we were going to plan an entire wedding but we didn't want to wait."
"I'm so happy for you!" Rory throws her arms around Lorelai as both women squeal.
The house wasn't silent until well past three o'clock the next morning and that's when Rory slipped out of the bedroom she was once again sharing with Georgia, taking Jess' book with her into the kitchen. Opening the first page she reads the words written there in an unstable hand:
July 19th,
My physical therapist thinks that writing will help me regain motor skills so I am now required to write in this stupid thing. But if I have to write in it I might as well write in it about the one thing I can't talk to anyone about...Rory. It's been two weeks since she left, she's found an apartment in the city and she doesn't plan on coming back this summer. But the words from her note haunt me when I have nothing else to occupy myself, which is more and more as Luke has to spend more time overseeing the preparations for the diner to be rebuilt.
The entry ended there and there weren't many entries in the book, but the ones that were there all seemed to focus on her in their short words. But the finally one was the one that made the tears slip slowly down Rory's cheek as her heart, that had been broken and pieced back together so many times, broke once more.
November 18th,
Rory isn't coming for Thanksgiving, not that I blame her, but she says she has to work and will be sending Georgia. Which is just as well I suppose, since I know that there is to much between us for me to tell her that I've come to terms with the secrets and I don't know how to tell her that I don't need another baby to be happy with her...
Rory has to stop reading then the tears have flooded her eyes and slowly as she thinks over his words before slipping into a sound sleep on the kitchen table. When she wakes up everything is a whirlwind as they prepare to take everything over to the inn in preparation for the ceremony that goes off with out a single problem. Reverend Skinner willingly preformed the duties quickly skipping over the question in regards to anyone finding a reason for the two to not marry with the comment that after what had to have been two decades noone should find a reason to protest. The entire ceremony is all a blur to Rory who's eyes keep darting between her mother and Luke and Jess who is on the other side of Luke unwilling to make eye contact with Rory.
After the ceremony everyone gathers around table that was really several tables pushed together to form a horseshoe shape and with a few changes Rory purposely places herself by Jess. Rory thinks that sitting at the of one of the tables will give them some privacy to talk about Lane, Teague, Dean, and Hanna all sit around them keeping Rory purposely immersed in their conversation. But in-between dinner and dessert Rory stands up and quickly excuses herself, catching Jess' eye along the way.
"I need to use the rest room." Jess lies standing up several minutes after Rory.
"Jess wait," Dean grabs Jess' arm.
"Dean," Jess eyes flash a warning.
"Just don't hurt her again." Dean requests softly.
For once Jess and Dean have reached an understand and Jess nods, "I won't, not this time."
Lane smiles, "then go get her."
Jess immediately knows where to go, the rose garden at the inn was where they used to meet before they had announced to everyone that they were back together. Standing outside the high bushes that leave the rose garden secluded Jess takes a deep breath and leans the cane against the thick bush and with a slightly limp walking into the secluded area he finds Rory sitting on the bench in the middle of the roses.
"I didn't know how to tell you." Rory whispers, unwilling to look up at Jess. "I had hurt you so much by then that I couldn't do it again."
Jess gently lays his hand of Rory's and he responds, "I understand why you did it the way you did. But what I don't understand is why you left."
Rory looks up at Jess quickly then and his eyes lock onto hers, "you want something I'll never be able to give you Jess, I can't have the baby you want."
Jess gently touches Rory's face then, running his thumb over her cheek, "maybe I want a baby with you Rory, but I need you more than a baby. I want to be with you every day for the rest of my life and nothing is going to change that." Rory's chin quivers at his words and Jess gently runs the bad of his thumb across her lips.
"What now?" Rory her voice is barely a whisper. "With our history..."
"Despite our history we are both here tonight," Jess points out, "we always come back to each other Rory, no matter what we've put each other through. But it all comes down to if you are willing to try this again, because if you're not then I think it's time for me to walk away from Stars Hollow permanently."
Rory swallows hard, "I'm willing to try again."
Jess kisses Rory then and it's sweeter than she had ever remembered it being the romance is interrupted though by a noise from behind the bushes, "eew! Rory is kissing Jess!"
Both Rory and Jess' gaze flies to the entrance to see Georgia standing there staring at them, "Georgia, come here."
Obediently Georgia scampers over to the two looking between them as Rory asks, "Georgia what would you think if we made Jess a part of our life?"
Georgia thinks for a minute, "is he gonna live with us in New York? 'Cause our apartment is really really small."
Jess and Rory exchange glances and Jess responds, "we haven't actually thought about it."
"Well, I guess it's all right." Georgia shrugs and then slyly she asks, "what if we lived in Stars Hollow and got our own house, not Lorelai's house cause Luke's gonna live with her now. Lorelai said that Stars Hollow is a good place to live and raise a kid, and I'm a kids."
"What do you think?" Rory asks Jess, "you to help me raise Georgia in Stars Hollow?"
"I wouldn't miss it." Jess kisses Rory again and Georgia squeals, this was all Rory needed.
It's a long chapter but I figured you wouldn't have a problem with it...Well I hope you enjoyed this little story of mine! Please review it means a lot
"Rory!" Georgia exclaims when Rory walks into their apartment after work.
"Hi Georgia," Rory greets shaking off her jacket and hanging it up, the December weather was biting cold and she was glad to be in her warm apartment.
"Hi Rory," Johanna, Georgia's teenaged baby-sitter, joins them in the living room.
"Hi Johanna," Rory hands the girl a check, "here's your check for the week and we will see you after Christmas."
Johanna smiles at the two, "well have fun, where are you going again?"
"To Stars Hollow, where Donny lives." Georgia responds cheerfully. "We haven't been back since I went back for Thanksgiving and Rory couldn't go then 'cause she had to work."
"Well, have fun," Johanna calls as she slips out the door to go home the floor below Rory and Georgia.
"When can we leave?" Georgia asks.
"As soon as you get packed." Rory responds.
"I'm already packed," Georgia responds, "Johanna helped me."
"All right, well give me a couple minutes to get everything together and then we can go." Rory responds, "you have everything for school finished?"
Georgia nods, "Johanna made me do it before she would let me pack."
Rory nods, "all right." She had been lucky in finding Johanna, she lived in the apartment building Rory had moved into when she had left Stars Hollow over the summer, Johanna was in a personal home schooling program and was willing to baby-sit six days a week and on top of it all Georgia adored her. "Well then why don't you read that book we got in the bookstore the other day?" When Georgia willingly complies Rory sets about to gather both of the duffel bags she had packed the night before, one filled with her clothing the other with the presents for everyone back home. Within minutes Rory is has finished getting Georgia's things set by the front door as well and she turns to face her, "all right, we can leave now if you are ready, I think we have time to get some dinner on the way to the train station too."
"Yay!" Georgia jumps up quickly, marking her spot and then running to grab her bag.
Lorelai is waiting for them at the train station, both Rory and Georgia's attention are immediately grabbed by the gaudy Christmas light earrings that flash different colors. "Hi sweets." Lorelai greets, hugging both of the girls. "So guess what?" Lorelai asks on the way to the car.
"What?" Rory and Georgia asks together.
"Tonight is the town Christmas party." Lorelai responds.
"We know, that's why we came tonight instead of tomorrow morning."
"Yes, but where the party will be held this year is what you don't know." Lorelai responds mysteriously.
"Not at the house." Rory sighs. "Because the last time you had the genius idea to have the party at our house it was a disaster. Worse, some would say, than the year Kirk decided to host it."
"No not our house," Lorelai waves Rory off, "you goofy girl. No it will be held at Luke's."
"Luke is hosting...well anything?" Rory asks.
Lorelai nods laughing, "I talked him into it."
"But Luke's isn't finished." Rory points out.
"So I led you to believe my dear daughter, but in truth it is completed and waiting for the perfect thing to open it conveniently it is completed right in time for Christmas."
"I can't believe you talked Luke into this." Rory laughs.
Lorelai grins at her daughter, "I know!"
"So can we go and see the diner?" Georgia asks.
Lorelai shakes her head, "no everyone is over there setting up, besides we only have enough time to get ourselves ready."
"So what have we missed since Thanksgiving?" Rory asks as they settle in the car.
"Well Lindsay got moved to Colorado well and the kids are living with Dean permanently. Dean has a new girlfriend, Hailey, who is perfect for him and she has two kids of her own, twins, Ashton and Brianna. They are your age Georgia and they can't to meet you," as a side note to Rory Lorelai adds, "which could be because Donny hasn't stopped talking about her since he found out you guys were coming."
"How's Lane?" Rory asks.
"She's been a little under the weather," Lorelai responds cautiously.
"That happens your first trimester of pregnancy." Rory responds, letting her mother know that her best friend had clued her in on her pregnancy.
"She did tell you," Lorelai breathes, relieved.
"She called last week, she says she's showing all ready and didn't want to surprise me." Catching her mother's glances she responds, "I'm fine."
"Are you?" Lorelai asks.
Rory nods, "I, um, I've been seeing a psychologist, something I should have done awhile ago. But there's two doctors in the office that I take Georgia to and I go when she does every two weeks."
Lorelai nods, "good." Taking a deep breath Lorelai seems to think that while they are on the subject of touchy subjects she adds, "Jess is still in town."
Rory nods, "I know. Georgia said you guys had Thanksgiving dinner with him and Luke."
Lorelai nods, "we are having Christmas dinner with them again, unless that's to uncomfortable in which case we don't have to..."
"It's fine." Rory responds, taking a deep breath trying to calm her fraying nerves, maybe dinner was a bit to much.
"It's a big thing we are having with everyone at the inn, so you won't even have to see him if you don't want to." Lorelai adds.
"It's fine."
"I wouldn't have made the plans but..."
"Mom," Rory finally catches Lorelai's attention repeating, "it's fine."
"Hi." Rory shifts uncomfortably in front of Jess, it just figures that he was the first person she literally ran into at the town part.
"Hi." Jess seems just as nervous as he balances himself with a cane, Lorelai has said that he needed it to walk until he completed his physical therapy.
"Luke's looks good, exactly the same." Rory comments.
Jess nods, "yeah it looks great. Listen uh my stuff's all upstairs, I'm staying in the apartment there, there's a book I want to lend you."
Rory's brow furrows, "Jess we can't just..."
Jess' expression is pleading, "please Rory, just come upstairs with me."
With a sigh Rory resigns, glancing around the crowded diner she checks to make sure that Georgia is still occupied with Donny and the twins before following Jess upstairs. "Jess you don't have to make excuses to get me up here, if you wanted to talk we could talk you could have just said that."
"Here," Jess forces a book into Rory's hand.
"Oh I..."
"I know, just read it, all right?" Jess asks.
"All right," Rory agrees.
"Not here, later." Jess adds before hobbling to the door and down the stairs ahead of Rory as she investigates the book. It looks to be a journal of some sort, with recycled pages that make it look old and a leather cover around it.
"Your daughter just snuck up to Jess' apartment," Luke informs Lorelai his eyes still focused on the door leading to the stairs that lead to the apartment.
Lorelai's eyes shift from the punch she was pouring for herself and Luke, "oh. That's...new." But before their minds can go any further processing this development Jess has come back downstairs and Rory isn't very far behind him. "So are we ready then?"
"Do we have to do this today?" Luke seems reluctant, "as a big announcement?"
"Yes," Lorelai tugs on Luke's sleeve, "let's go mister." Lorelai stands up in front of the crowd clearing her throat she stands on a chair despite Luke's chiding, "excuse me!" The crowd in the diner goes silent watching Luke and Lorelai expectantly. "Come on Luke," Lorelai pulls at him and despite his protests she pulls him onto the chair with her.
Expectant whisperings float around the group and Luke asks, "can I get down now Lorelai?"
"No," Lorelai shakes her head, "Luke and I have an announcement to make." Lorelai catches Rory's gaze in the crowd and Rory is flashing her a bright, encouraging smile. "All right, well, I'll just say it. Luke and I are getting married."
There are calls of, "finally!" and "took you long enough!" in the group and Lorelai elbows Luke to continue, he runs his hand through his hair and finally says, "you are all invited to the wedding, tomorrow before Sookie's Christmas dinner."
Luke helps Lorelai down then and the entire diner crowds around them asking them a thousand questions and trying to congratulate them all at once but the crowd easily let's Rory through to hug her mother. "I can't believe you are getting married tomorrow," Rory stares shocked at her mother.
"I know," Lorelai laughs, she laughs the laugh of someone who is truly in love, "but Luke proposed last night and we were going to plan an entire wedding but we didn't want to wait."
"I'm so happy for you!" Rory throws her arms around Lorelai as both women squeal.
The house wasn't silent until well past three o'clock the next morning and that's when Rory slipped out of the bedroom she was once again sharing with Georgia, taking Jess' book with her into the kitchen. Opening the first page she reads the words written there in an unstable hand:
July 19th,
My physical therapist thinks that writing will help me regain motor skills so I am now required to write in this stupid thing. But if I have to write in it I might as well write in it about the one thing I can't talk to anyone about...Rory. It's been two weeks since she left, she's found an apartment in the city and she doesn't plan on coming back this summer. But the words from her note haunt me when I have nothing else to occupy myself, which is more and more as Luke has to spend more time overseeing the preparations for the diner to be rebuilt.
The entry ended there and there weren't many entries in the book, but the ones that were there all seemed to focus on her in their short words. But the finally one was the one that made the tears slip slowly down Rory's cheek as her heart, that had been broken and pieced back together so many times, broke once more.
November 18th,
Rory isn't coming for Thanksgiving, not that I blame her, but she says she has to work and will be sending Georgia. Which is just as well I suppose, since I know that there is to much between us for me to tell her that I've come to terms with the secrets and I don't know how to tell her that I don't need another baby to be happy with her...
Rory has to stop reading then the tears have flooded her eyes and slowly as she thinks over his words before slipping into a sound sleep on the kitchen table. When she wakes up everything is a whirlwind as they prepare to take everything over to the inn in preparation for the ceremony that goes off with out a single problem. Reverend Skinner willingly preformed the duties quickly skipping over the question in regards to anyone finding a reason for the two to not marry with the comment that after what had to have been two decades noone should find a reason to protest. The entire ceremony is all a blur to Rory who's eyes keep darting between her mother and Luke and Jess who is on the other side of Luke unwilling to make eye contact with Rory.
After the ceremony everyone gathers around table that was really several tables pushed together to form a horseshoe shape and with a few changes Rory purposely places herself by Jess. Rory thinks that sitting at the of one of the tables will give them some privacy to talk about Lane, Teague, Dean, and Hanna all sit around them keeping Rory purposely immersed in their conversation. But in-between dinner and dessert Rory stands up and quickly excuses herself, catching Jess' eye along the way.
"I need to use the rest room." Jess lies standing up several minutes after Rory.
"Jess wait," Dean grabs Jess' arm.
"Dean," Jess eyes flash a warning.
"Just don't hurt her again." Dean requests softly.
For once Jess and Dean have reached an understand and Jess nods, "I won't, not this time."
Lane smiles, "then go get her."
Jess immediately knows where to go, the rose garden at the inn was where they used to meet before they had announced to everyone that they were back together. Standing outside the high bushes that leave the rose garden secluded Jess takes a deep breath and leans the cane against the thick bush and with a slightly limp walking into the secluded area he finds Rory sitting on the bench in the middle of the roses.
"I didn't know how to tell you." Rory whispers, unwilling to look up at Jess. "I had hurt you so much by then that I couldn't do it again."
Jess gently lays his hand of Rory's and he responds, "I understand why you did it the way you did. But what I don't understand is why you left."
Rory looks up at Jess quickly then and his eyes lock onto hers, "you want something I'll never be able to give you Jess, I can't have the baby you want."
Jess gently touches Rory's face then, running his thumb over her cheek, "maybe I want a baby with you Rory, but I need you more than a baby. I want to be with you every day for the rest of my life and nothing is going to change that." Rory's chin quivers at his words and Jess gently runs the bad of his thumb across her lips.
"What now?" Rory her voice is barely a whisper. "With our history..."
"Despite our history we are both here tonight," Jess points out, "we always come back to each other Rory, no matter what we've put each other through. But it all comes down to if you are willing to try this again, because if you're not then I think it's time for me to walk away from Stars Hollow permanently."
Rory swallows hard, "I'm willing to try again."
Jess kisses Rory then and it's sweeter than she had ever remembered it being the romance is interrupted though by a noise from behind the bushes, "eew! Rory is kissing Jess!"
Both Rory and Jess' gaze flies to the entrance to see Georgia standing there staring at them, "Georgia, come here."
Obediently Georgia scampers over to the two looking between them as Rory asks, "Georgia what would you think if we made Jess a part of our life?"
Georgia thinks for a minute, "is he gonna live with us in New York? 'Cause our apartment is really really small."
Jess and Rory exchange glances and Jess responds, "we haven't actually thought about it."
"Well, I guess it's all right." Georgia shrugs and then slyly she asks, "what if we lived in Stars Hollow and got our own house, not Lorelai's house cause Luke's gonna live with her now. Lorelai said that Stars Hollow is a good place to live and raise a kid, and I'm a kids."
"What do you think?" Rory asks Jess, "you to help me raise Georgia in Stars Hollow?"
"I wouldn't miss it." Jess kisses Rory again and Georgia squeals, this was all Rory needed.
It's a long chapter but I figured you wouldn't have a problem with it...Well I hope you enjoyed this little story of mine! Please review it means a lot
