Chapter Two: I Can Still Solve Your Problems

The town looked as peaceful as ever when Rory pulled up in her car. She parked and got out to walk a while. She'd taken a copy of one of her favorite books along so that she could sit up in the gazebo and read, enjoying her serene surroundings. The streets were completely deserted. Rory had all of Stars Hollow to herself.

She strolled along the side walk and began to feel a chill. A chill of loneliness. A chill of impending tears. But she didn't want to cry. That was the last thing she wanted. She wanted to be strong. She wanted to be able to figure out a way to get everything back to the way it was. She wanted to go back in time and fix it all.

Rory climed the stairs to the top of the gazebo and settled on the bench. She opened her book to the page she'd marked and began to read. After two paragraphs she gave up, unable to focus on the finely printed words. A feeling of disgust and guilt rushed over her. She hated this situation. She wanted to have someone to talk to, but she didn't know where to turn. Her mother was completely out of the question. Her granparents would sympathize, then attack Lorelai, blaming her for Rory's unhappiness. That's the last thing Rory wanted because it wasn't Lorelai's fault in the least.

She turned around, taking in the vacancy of her beloved home town. She looked around with a worried visage, as if she were afraid to see something. This town made her remember things. You couldn't live in a magical place like this and not remember. She glanced at Doose's Market and visions of Dean rushed through her head. The romantic two years that they spent together, and the horrible ending it had. Three times they'd gotten back together. Three times. He'd always been there for her, and she wished she had him to run to now.

Then she noticed that she didn't have Stars Hollow all to herself. She was sharing it with a bright light coming from Luke's Diner. The light shone out onto the street, illuminating every pebble on the lonely streets. Why is the light on? It's past eleven. Luke's usually closed up and done cleaning by now. Rory thought to herself, worried that she would cross paths with Luke tonight and, in her vulnerable condition, break down at the sight of her mother's boyfriend.

Rory decided to stop being afraid. She rose from the bench and walked down the steps of the gazebo. She crossed the town square, walking at a rushed pace, and came up to the side of the diner's window. She kept herself hidden behind the brick wall, peering into the large window from afar. Inside she saw her mother, sitting at one of the tables, hands in her lap, twiddling her thumbs like she always did when she was nervous. Luke was standing up facing her, with a terribly confused look on his face. Rory couldn't figure out what was going on.

"What?" Rory could barely hear Luke through the heavy glass windows.

"I said," Lorelai began, "Will you marry me?"

Rory was suddenly sucked into their conversation. She was mesmerized, waiting for Luke's answer. Say yes, Rory thought to herself, Please say yes.

Rory watched as Luke hesitated, pacing back and forth across the diner's beat up tile floor. "You want to marry me?" Luke asked Lorelai, not looking in her direction, but there was a tone of happiness in his voice. "Because I mean, marriage is a big step. We'd have to live together, you'd have to be ready to take me on full time."

"Luke, I know all of this," Rory leaned closer to the glass, trying to hear Lorelai clearer, "I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Look at us. Here I am, once again, coming to you with one of my problems, and here you are, once again, trying to solve it." Lorelai paused, stood up, walked over to Luke and put her arms around his waist gently. "It's more than just you being able to solve my problems. It's that you can make me laugh at any given time, it's that you've always been the one picking me up when I fall, no matter how much I've hurt you in the past. You've always been here for me and I know it's because you love me. And I promise you that I am always going to be here when you need me. Always."

"I love you." Luke said, leaning down to Lorelai for a kiss.

Lorelai pulled back and looked into Luke's eyes meaningfully. "Is that a yes or a no?"

"Yes." The two became lost in a kiss.

Neither had noticed Rory standing outside the window. Lorelai looked so happy. Rory began to think that in a regular situation, she'd be the first one her mother told. She was the first one to be told with Max. She'd always ran to Rory with the good news first. It was different this time. It was different and Rory could feel it. She stood with her back against the wall thinking intensely. Is Mom replacing me with Luke? She looks so happy with him. She said that he can solve all of her problems. Now they'll be living together and I'll be in Hartford. Oh God. I hope she doesn't forget the way it was. It can still be like that. I need to talk to her. Rory began to walk toward the diner door, but saw that the couple was still swept up in a passionate kiss. I can't interrupt her now. This day has been bad enough for her, I can't ruin this. She's so happy.

Rory stepped off the curb and onto the empty streets of Stars Hollow. She felt lost. She had no one to turn to. She walked back toward her car, trying to clear her head. Far ahead of her she noticed someone walking toward her. Rory couldn't decipher who it was because his head was down. He seemed to be mumbling something to himself, he sounded angry. She noticed that the leather jacket he had around him looked familiar. Who on Earth would wear a motorcycle jacket in May?

Then it hit her. There was only one person who would be crazy enough to do such a thing. Only one person who would walk down the streets furiously mumbling this late at night. She called out to the man.

"Jess?"