Hey all! Thanks for the reviews! Without further ado… Chapter 15!
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Rory and Tristan made their way around the town and into the diner where Lorelai Gilmore was sitting.
Lorelai squealed. "Bible Boy!"
Tristan smiled at Lorelai. "Hey, Lorelai, good to see you again."
"Well, I think it's inevitable, seeing as how you've weaseled your way into my daughter's life," Lorelai joked.
Tristan laughed. "Indeed. Where's munchkin?"
"Paris and Dean's place," Rory replied. "Actually, it's about time I go and pick her up from preschool. She can't wait to see you."
"Crazy, caffeine induced kid," Luke said, setting a to go cup of coffee down for Rory.
Rory smiled. "Thanks, Luke."
Rory made her way out of the diner and down the street.
"So, Tristan, you do know Jess is back in town, right?" Lorelai asked.
Tristan shook his head. "No. Rory didn't tell me that."
"Well, I am," Jess interjected, coming down the stairs. "Hey, Tristan. Fancy seeing you again."
"Yeah," Tristan replied. "Likewise."
"Luke, I'm going out," Jess said, taking his jacket and heading to the bridge.
"I swear, he's still eighteen," Luke muttered.
Rory stood outside the school and waited for Jemma to come bounding down the steps. And then she saw the small girl running to her.
"Momma!" Jemma squealed.
"Hey, babe," Rory said, picking her up. "How was pre-school?"
"Fun!" Jemma excitedly replied. "Look! I drew a picture!"
Rory took the picture. "Wh-what's that?"
Jemma smiled. "That's my daddy. I remember when he holded --"
"Held, sweetie," Rory corrected.
"Held me and said good-bye," Jemma finished.
"Do you remember his name?" Rory asked.
"Of course, mom," Jemma replied. "Jess."
Rory couldn't respond. So she just kissed Jemma's head.
Rory held Jemma closer to her. "I have a surprise for you, kiddo."
"Tristan?" Jemma asked expectantly.
"He's waiting at Luke's," Rory replied.
"Yes!" Jemma cheered.
Rory smiled and set Jemma down. Jemma took her mother's hand and they walked down to the diner.
Jemma ran through the door to Luke's and into Tristan's arms.
"Hi, Tristan," Jemma whispered.
Tristan smiled and kissed the top of Jemma's head. "Hey, kid. How are you?"
Jemma started to talk about school, and Rory looked at Lorelai.
Lorelai made her way over to Rory.
"I have to talk to Jess," Rory stated.
Lorelai sighed. "Oh, Rory..."
"She remembers his name," Rory said. "She gave me this picture."
Lorelai studied the picture. "He went to the bridge. I'll stall Tris and Jemma."
Rory nodded. "I'll be back."
And she ran to the bridge.
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Jess sat down on the bridge and pulled out a cigarette. Accompanied by this was his copy of To Kill a Mockingbird.
He heard footsteps, but didn't bother to look up. He knew it was Rory, coming to yell at him for coming back.
"She remembers your name, Jess," Rory said.
"What?" Jess asked.
"She remembers the day you said good-bye," Rory stated.
Jess sighed. "You know, after not talking to me for four years, that's something great to tell me."
"You know, after not bothering to let me know anything for four years, it's really great of you to come back out of the blue," Rory retorted.
Jess stood up. "Look, Rory, I wasn't ready to take care of her."
"But you are now, right?" Rory asked.
Jess looked at the ground. "I am."
Rory shook her head. "And why should I believe you now?"
"Because I'm finished with lying to you about things like that," Jess replied. "Please, Rory, believe me."
"I have to go," Rory said, walking away from him.
Jess watched her and after she was out of sight he followed and made his way back to the diner. And that's when he saw Jamie.
"Jamie?" Jess asked.
Jamie looked at Jess. "Hey, man."
"I thought Paris and Dean were married," Jess said.
"Yeah, they are," Jamie replied.
"So, wouldn't that mean that your presence in Stars Hollow is no longer required?" Jess inquired.
"Look, Dean doesn't know about this," Jamie replied. "But, Paris and I are kind of…"
"Getting some on the side," Jess finished. "Great."
"She's getting the marriage annulled," Jamie added.
"Okay, overshare. Didn't need to know that. Now every time I see Dean, I'll think of this and for the first time in my life will feel sorry for him," Jess said.
And then he saw Dave.
"Hey, man," Dave said. "Long time no see."
"I'm back for Rory," Jess stated.
"Dude, you left," Dave stated.
Jamie nodded. "Four years ago, at that."
"You expect her to drop everything just to be with you?" Dave asked.
"I mean, come on, four years is a long time," Jamie said.
Jess sighed. "My God. You two are Lucy and Ethel."
Dave and Jamie looked at Jess. "Thanks."
Jess shook his head and made his way into the diner. He saw Tristan, and still couldn't figure out why he was here. He wasn't dating Rory, was he?
Rory turned around and looked at Jess. She took Tristan's hand.
Jess shook his head. No way.
"Hey," the blond boy said.
Jess looked at Rory, searching for an answer. Rory looked at the ground, and Jess knew he was not going to like this.
"Jess, this is Tristan DuGrey," Rory said. "My fiancé."
Jess nodded. "Now I find out."
Rory looked back to Tristan, who took Rory and Jemma out of the diner and back to the Gilmore house.
Lorelai smiled sympathetically at Jess. "I thought you knew the reason he was here."
"When?" Jess asked.
"A week from today," Lorelai replied.
"Well," Jess said. "I'd planned on staying a little bit longer than next Saturday."
Luke looked at Jess. "You're leaving?"
"I have to," Jess replied, and he made his way up the stairs to the apartment.
Luke looked at Lorelai. "He still loves her."
"And the sad thing is," Lorelai replied. "Is that she still loves him."
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
Rory and Tristan made their way around the town and into the diner where Lorelai Gilmore was sitting.
Lorelai squealed. "Bible Boy!"
Tristan smiled at Lorelai. "Hey, Lorelai, good to see you again."
"Well, I think it's inevitable, seeing as how you've weaseled your way into my daughter's life," Lorelai joked.
Tristan laughed. "Indeed. Where's munchkin?"
"Paris and Dean's place," Rory replied. "Actually, it's about time I go and pick her up from preschool. She can't wait to see you."
"Crazy, caffeine induced kid," Luke said, setting a to go cup of coffee down for Rory.
Rory smiled. "Thanks, Luke."
Rory made her way out of the diner and down the street.
"So, Tristan, you do know Jess is back in town, right?" Lorelai asked.
Tristan shook his head. "No. Rory didn't tell me that."
"Well, I am," Jess interjected, coming down the stairs. "Hey, Tristan. Fancy seeing you again."
"Yeah," Tristan replied. "Likewise."
"Luke, I'm going out," Jess said, taking his jacket and heading to the bridge.
"I swear, he's still eighteen," Luke muttered.
Rory stood outside the school and waited for Jemma to come bounding down the steps. And then she saw the small girl running to her.
"Momma!" Jemma squealed.
"Hey, babe," Rory said, picking her up. "How was pre-school?"
"Fun!" Jemma excitedly replied. "Look! I drew a picture!"
Rory took the picture. "Wh-what's that?"
Jemma smiled. "That's my daddy. I remember when he holded --"
"Held, sweetie," Rory corrected.
"Held me and said good-bye," Jemma finished.
"Do you remember his name?" Rory asked.
"Of course, mom," Jemma replied. "Jess."
Rory couldn't respond. So she just kissed Jemma's head.
Rory held Jemma closer to her. "I have a surprise for you, kiddo."
"Tristan?" Jemma asked expectantly.
"He's waiting at Luke's," Rory replied.
"Yes!" Jemma cheered.
Rory smiled and set Jemma down. Jemma took her mother's hand and they walked down to the diner.
Jemma ran through the door to Luke's and into Tristan's arms.
"Hi, Tristan," Jemma whispered.
Tristan smiled and kissed the top of Jemma's head. "Hey, kid. How are you?"
Jemma started to talk about school, and Rory looked at Lorelai.
Lorelai made her way over to Rory.
"I have to talk to Jess," Rory stated.
Lorelai sighed. "Oh, Rory..."
"She remembers his name," Rory said. "She gave me this picture."
Lorelai studied the picture. "He went to the bridge. I'll stall Tris and Jemma."
Rory nodded. "I'll be back."
And she ran to the bridge.
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
Jess sat down on the bridge and pulled out a cigarette. Accompanied by this was his copy of To Kill a Mockingbird.
He heard footsteps, but didn't bother to look up. He knew it was Rory, coming to yell at him for coming back.
"She remembers your name, Jess," Rory said.
"What?" Jess asked.
"She remembers the day you said good-bye," Rory stated.
Jess sighed. "You know, after not talking to me for four years, that's something great to tell me."
"You know, after not bothering to let me know anything for four years, it's really great of you to come back out of the blue," Rory retorted.
Jess stood up. "Look, Rory, I wasn't ready to take care of her."
"But you are now, right?" Rory asked.
Jess looked at the ground. "I am."
Rory shook her head. "And why should I believe you now?"
"Because I'm finished with lying to you about things like that," Jess replied. "Please, Rory, believe me."
"I have to go," Rory said, walking away from him.
Jess watched her and after she was out of sight he followed and made his way back to the diner. And that's when he saw Jamie.
"Jamie?" Jess asked.
Jamie looked at Jess. "Hey, man."
"I thought Paris and Dean were married," Jess said.
"Yeah, they are," Jamie replied.
"So, wouldn't that mean that your presence in Stars Hollow is no longer required?" Jess inquired.
"Look, Dean doesn't know about this," Jamie replied. "But, Paris and I are kind of…"
"Getting some on the side," Jess finished. "Great."
"She's getting the marriage annulled," Jamie added.
"Okay, overshare. Didn't need to know that. Now every time I see Dean, I'll think of this and for the first time in my life will feel sorry for him," Jess said.
And then he saw Dave.
"Hey, man," Dave said. "Long time no see."
"I'm back for Rory," Jess stated.
"Dude, you left," Dave stated.
Jamie nodded. "Four years ago, at that."
"You expect her to drop everything just to be with you?" Dave asked.
"I mean, come on, four years is a long time," Jamie said.
Jess sighed. "My God. You two are Lucy and Ethel."
Dave and Jamie looked at Jess. "Thanks."
Jess shook his head and made his way into the diner. He saw Tristan, and still couldn't figure out why he was here. He wasn't dating Rory, was he?
Rory turned around and looked at Jess. She took Tristan's hand.
Jess shook his head. No way.
"Hey," the blond boy said.
Jess looked at Rory, searching for an answer. Rory looked at the ground, and Jess knew he was not going to like this.
"Jess, this is Tristan DuGrey," Rory said. "My fiancé."
Jess nodded. "Now I find out."
Rory looked back to Tristan, who took Rory and Jemma out of the diner and back to the Gilmore house.
Lorelai smiled sympathetically at Jess. "I thought you knew the reason he was here."
"When?" Jess asked.
"A week from today," Lorelai replied.
"Well," Jess said. "I'd planned on staying a little bit longer than next Saturday."
Luke looked at Jess. "You're leaving?"
"I have to," Jess replied, and he made his way up the stairs to the apartment.
Luke looked at Lorelai. "He still loves her."
"And the sad thing is," Lorelai replied. "Is that she still loves him."