Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls, I just like to borrow them!
A/N: I promise that all of this will come together in this chapter. I appreciate all the reviews and critiques! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Oh and I'm going to develop Rory's feelings a little better due to a wonderful review I got.
Chapter 5: Bar Scene
Jess stopped the car by a run down bar. Graffiti covered the walls outside the bar, and several drug dealers lurked in the shadows. Rory was a little nervous in this type of place, but she knew Jess wouldn't let anyone hurt her. Jess grabbed her hand and made her look him in the eye.
Jess knew she had to understand that this was the only way. The man sent after him would kill him if he didn't pay his boss the money he owed him. He told Rory it was just about him running out after one day of work, but it was more than that. Jess owed him money and he was supposed to work to pay it back, but he left town before he earned the amount he owed his boss.
"Rory, I'm going inside now. If I don't come out in twenty minutes I want you to drive away," he told her.
Rory was shocked. She looked into his eyes and she knew he was serious. He wanted her to leave him there.
"Wh...what?" she asked, still in shock by his request.
"Rory, listen to me. You have to go, it won't be safe for you anymore. Promise me," he told her desperately.
"Okay," she reluctantly applied.
Rory loved Jess with all her heart. If he wanted her to promise to leave, she would. Rory would give her life for him, which is why she knew she would never leave him at that horrible place.
Jess got out of the car and slammed the door shut behind him. He walked up the sidewalk and opened the door to the bar. The inside was dark and there was the smell of alcohol and cigarette smoke lingering in the air. The chairs were still on the tables because the bar wouldn't officially open until later that night. Jess walked to the back room where his former boss was working on some paperwork. The man looked up abruptly when Jess entered his office.
"Mr. Mariano," he said with a smile, "it's a pleasure to see you again."
"Yeah, well you know I think it was wrong of me to leave, so I brought you your money," Jess replied handing the man an envelope full of money.
The man sighed and looked at the pitiful boy standing in front of him, "Well, it seems I have two choices here. I can either have you killed, or I can let you go."
Jess swallowed the lump in his throat and thought of Rory. He knew she probably wouldn't leave, but he prayed she would for her sake.
"I paid you your money. Just let me go," Jess told him trying to hide the fear in his voice.
"You know, kid, I like you," the man replied, " I guess I'll let you go, but I never want to see your ugly mug in Chicago again."
Jess sighed in relief, "Fair enough."
Jess exited the building quickly and he got into the car with Rory. He didn't say a word to her as he drove the car down the street and away from the dreaded place. He couldn't bring himself to talk to her just yet.
Rory looked at the man she loved. He tried to act like he was okay, but she saw that his knuckles were turning white from gripping the steering wheel so tightly. She knew that he probably just needed some time to think.
They drove in silence away from Chicago without stopping for lunch. Rory was getting hungry, but she didn't want to upset Jess anymore than he already was. She glanced at him to see if he was hungry. Rory hated how hard he was to read sometimes.
Jess had been driving for hours since the bar to nowhere in particular. He figured they could keep driving until that night, and then they could stop at a motel to sleep. Food didn't even cross his mind. He was finally able to push the fact that that man could have killed him out of his head.
"Jess," Rory finally said.
"Yeah," he replied flatly.
"Can we stop for lunch?" she asked timidly.
Jess felt terrible then. He was so wrapped up in his own stupid thoughts; he didn't even see how this was affecting Rory. She didn't know anything that happened in there. She must be afraid to make him angry.
He smiled at her as he pulled into a Wendy's, "Is this okay with you?"
"This is fine," she replied, a little relieved.
They walked inside the fairly empty restaurant and ordered their cheeseburgers and fries. When they were eating, Rory couldn't help but wonder what happened on the trip.
"I gave him the money I owed him," Jess said as if he could read her mind.
"Oh," was all Rory could think of to reply.
Jess continued, " He said he could either kill me or let me go. Luckily, he was gracious enough to let me go."
Rory suppressed a small gasp, "Oh my God."
"Yeah, it's weird to think that I could have died there," Jess said quietly.
Rory reached across the table and held his hand. She gently rubbed circles on his hand with her thumb. She thought about how terrible it would have been if he had been killed at the bar. Her heart sank at the thought of him leaving her.
The couple finished their lunch and got into the car to continue their voyage away from Stars Hollow. They didn't know where the road would lead them, but they were going to handle anything it could throw at them.
A/N: I promise that all of this will come together in this chapter. I appreciate all the reviews and critiques! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Oh and I'm going to develop Rory's feelings a little better due to a wonderful review I got.
Chapter 5: Bar Scene
Jess stopped the car by a run down bar. Graffiti covered the walls outside the bar, and several drug dealers lurked in the shadows. Rory was a little nervous in this type of place, but she knew Jess wouldn't let anyone hurt her. Jess grabbed her hand and made her look him in the eye.
Jess knew she had to understand that this was the only way. The man sent after him would kill him if he didn't pay his boss the money he owed him. He told Rory it was just about him running out after one day of work, but it was more than that. Jess owed him money and he was supposed to work to pay it back, but he left town before he earned the amount he owed his boss.
"Rory, I'm going inside now. If I don't come out in twenty minutes I want you to drive away," he told her.
Rory was shocked. She looked into his eyes and she knew he was serious. He wanted her to leave him there.
"Wh...what?" she asked, still in shock by his request.
"Rory, listen to me. You have to go, it won't be safe for you anymore. Promise me," he told her desperately.
"Okay," she reluctantly applied.
Rory loved Jess with all her heart. If he wanted her to promise to leave, she would. Rory would give her life for him, which is why she knew she would never leave him at that horrible place.
Jess got out of the car and slammed the door shut behind him. He walked up the sidewalk and opened the door to the bar. The inside was dark and there was the smell of alcohol and cigarette smoke lingering in the air. The chairs were still on the tables because the bar wouldn't officially open until later that night. Jess walked to the back room where his former boss was working on some paperwork. The man looked up abruptly when Jess entered his office.
"Mr. Mariano," he said with a smile, "it's a pleasure to see you again."
"Yeah, well you know I think it was wrong of me to leave, so I brought you your money," Jess replied handing the man an envelope full of money.
The man sighed and looked at the pitiful boy standing in front of him, "Well, it seems I have two choices here. I can either have you killed, or I can let you go."
Jess swallowed the lump in his throat and thought of Rory. He knew she probably wouldn't leave, but he prayed she would for her sake.
"I paid you your money. Just let me go," Jess told him trying to hide the fear in his voice.
"You know, kid, I like you," the man replied, " I guess I'll let you go, but I never want to see your ugly mug in Chicago again."
Jess sighed in relief, "Fair enough."
Jess exited the building quickly and he got into the car with Rory. He didn't say a word to her as he drove the car down the street and away from the dreaded place. He couldn't bring himself to talk to her just yet.
Rory looked at the man she loved. He tried to act like he was okay, but she saw that his knuckles were turning white from gripping the steering wheel so tightly. She knew that he probably just needed some time to think.
They drove in silence away from Chicago without stopping for lunch. Rory was getting hungry, but she didn't want to upset Jess anymore than he already was. She glanced at him to see if he was hungry. Rory hated how hard he was to read sometimes.
Jess had been driving for hours since the bar to nowhere in particular. He figured they could keep driving until that night, and then they could stop at a motel to sleep. Food didn't even cross his mind. He was finally able to push the fact that that man could have killed him out of his head.
"Jess," Rory finally said.
"Yeah," he replied flatly.
"Can we stop for lunch?" she asked timidly.
Jess felt terrible then. He was so wrapped up in his own stupid thoughts; he didn't even see how this was affecting Rory. She didn't know anything that happened in there. She must be afraid to make him angry.
He smiled at her as he pulled into a Wendy's, "Is this okay with you?"
"This is fine," she replied, a little relieved.
They walked inside the fairly empty restaurant and ordered their cheeseburgers and fries. When they were eating, Rory couldn't help but wonder what happened on the trip.
"I gave him the money I owed him," Jess said as if he could read her mind.
"Oh," was all Rory could think of to reply.
Jess continued, " He said he could either kill me or let me go. Luckily, he was gracious enough to let me go."
Rory suppressed a small gasp, "Oh my God."
"Yeah, it's weird to think that I could have died there," Jess said quietly.
Rory reached across the table and held his hand. She gently rubbed circles on his hand with her thumb. She thought about how terrible it would have been if he had been killed at the bar. Her heart sank at the thought of him leaving her.
The couple finished their lunch and got into the car to continue their voyage away from Stars Hollow. They didn't know where the road would lead them, but they were going to handle anything it could throw at them.