A/N: Thanks for the great reviews guys!
This is the next chapter. This is where our favorite New Yorker comes in. It's what you all want, and I get a chance to make Dean a bad guy again (I'm sorry, I just don't like him anymore since he turned all possessive stalkery guy). And it's just in time for the holidays, too. So Merry Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanza, or whatever you guys believe in. Just have a good one! Anyway, please read, review, and as always, enjoy!
**Disclaimer: I own a Discman, a shelf full of books, and this laptop. I don't own anything related to this show. And even if you do sue me, all you're getting is the Discman and the books because there's no way in hell you're getting my laptop.**
A Whole New World
by Angel Monroe
Chapter 2: New York High Life
"Mom, I'm home!" Rory heard someone call from the front door.
"In the study!" Grace called back to him. 'Quite a pair of lungs between the two of them,' Rory thought trying to suppress a smile.
Seconds later John filled the doorframe. Really filled it. He must have been at least 6'1" with a linebacker's build. His back and shoulders were very toned as well as his arms, and Rory seriously doubted he had ever been challenged to a fight.
"Rory?" he looked please and almost amazed to see her. "Is that you? Is that the same little runt I picked on every weekend when our parents used to have coffee together? It can't be."
"I'll be doing the dishes," Grace said letting herself out.
"What about you John-John?" Rory said to him, smiling and punching him playfully in the arm. "When did you get six inches taller than me?"
"It's all that spinach Mom's been feeding me," he joked patting his stomach. His face fell a little bit suddenly. "I was really sorry to hear about your mom," he said seriously. "I know how hard it is to see a parent get sick. My dad died of cancer when I was only four. I hope you'll be comfortable here while she's away."
"Thanks," she said sincerely. "I really appreciate that."
After a long moment of somewhat comfortable silence, John said, "Um, I'm going to a party tonight, you wanna come?"
'A party in Manhattan?' she thought. 'What's a party in New York like?'
Seeing her hesitation, he assured her, "Come on, it'll be fun. I'll introduce you around and you'll feel at home in no time."
Rory took a deep breath. "Sure," she replied still unsure of what she was doing, "but please don't leave me alone with a bunch of complete strangers."
He smiled warmly, "Wouldn't think of it. I'll superglue myself to your side."
She chuckled, feeling a little better. "Okay," she said, then had a thought, "but what will I wear?"
"What do you usually wear to parties in Stars Hollow?" John asked a little amused.
Rory thought. "Well," she told him, "sometimes I wear hot pink boas and dorky hats, and sometimes I wear a nice skirt and blouse. Which would you prefer?" He looked at her like she had three heads, and she burst out laughing. "I'll figure something out," she relented between giggles.
"I'm leaving in twenty. Be ready," he said on his way out the door. Then turned back, "Hot pink boa?"
"Birthday party. Don't ask," she said shaking her head.
"Sure," he replied turning again and leaving her to rummage through her bag for something to wear.
Twenty-five minutes later, Rory rushed into the living room where John was patiently waiting for her. She half-limped with only one two-inch strappy heel on her foot and one in her hand. Her hair was up in a half ponytail, and her makeup was the perfect middle between sweet and sexy. She was wearing a knee-length black skirt with lavender flowers on it and a button-up black blouse.
"Thank you Aunt Grace for lending me some shoes," she said putting the second one into place. "I wasn't really planning on going to any parties so I didn't pack any."
"No problem," Grace replied. "You look beautiful, sweetie."
"Thanks," Rory blushed a little high in her cheeks.
"We should be going," John pointed out leading Rory toward the door. She looked at him and was sure she was dressed appropriately. He was wearing a white button-down shirt with black jeans. Casual but nice; that was what she had been going for.
"So how are we getting there?" Rory asked. "I don't think I'll be able to walk very much in these shoes."
John smiled. "Don't worry, I have a car."
Five minutes later, they pulled into someone's front yard already packed with cars. As they walked into the house together, Rory was assaulted by pounding techno and the smell of beer.
'What have I gotten myself into?' she asked herself as John led her through a sitting room. She saw at least three couples making out in the room, but she couldn't really tell with the lights as dim as they were.
Sensing her discomfort, John led her quickly out of that room and into the living room, which was brimming with big red party cups and fairly tipsy teenagers. Pulling her through a crowd in the center, he came upon a group of his friends, the hosts of this fine social event.
"Steve! Ryan!" he shouted over the music, doing the group's macho guy handshake. He did likewise with a few of the others before pulling Rory up from where she was hiding behind him. "Guys, I want you to meet my cousin, Rory Gilmore. She's going to be staying with Mom and me for a while. Rory, this is Steve, Ryan, Jim, Jess, Keith, and Randy." He pointed to each of the guys in turn.
Rory wanted to crawl into a hole. She hated to be the center of attention in a new group of people. Nonetheless, she waved hi to the guys and muttered a greeting to each. They were all focused on her and she really didn't know what to do.
Finally, John spoke up to saved her from her moment of distress. "So which of you guys would like to dance with my lovely cousin here?" he asked. She looked at him with a trace of panic in her eyes. 'That's not what I was thinking,' she told him with her eyes. When he merely smiled and shrugged, she thought she might hurt him.
"May I?" he heard one of the guys ask.
It was the one with shaggy brown hair and brown eyes. She tried to remember his name. 'Was it Jim or Jess?' she asked herself as she heard herself respond, "Sure." At least that way she wasn't the focal point of seven guys' attention at one time.
As she followed him into the crowd of dancing couples, she heard John call to her new dance partner, "Watch your hands, man, or I'll break them off." She chuckled a little at that, and she saw the guy leading her smile as well.
They found a spot on the floor and she followed his lead in the way of dance moves. He was pretty good. They danced a few feet apart for a while before she leaned a little closer to him, trying to talk over the music.
"I'm sorry, but I didn't get which one of those names belonged to you," she said loudly over the bass.
He smirked a little. "I was friend number four, otherwise known as Jess."
"Hi Jess," she said smiling.
"Hey," he responded and they continued to dance.
After a few minutes, a slower song came over the speakers and Jess and Rory looked a little awkwardly at each other. Rory was wondering what now and Jess was wondering how he could do this without getting his hands broken.
Finally, Rory made the choice for them. "I need something to drink," she told him and he motioned for her to follow him. They maneuvered their way through the crowd to the kitchen. Jess opened the fridge and took out a beer for himself.
"You want one?" he asked her.
"I don't drink," she told him a little shyly. After all, she was one of only a few sober people at a party where almost everyone had thrown back a few.
"No problem," he said pulling out a bottle of water.
She accepted it gratefully and took a sip. She was parched from dancing.
"So," Jess said leading her out to the back porch, "what's your story?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why're you staying with John?" he asked. "You get into trouble at home?"
"No," she replied softly, keeping her eyes on the stars barely visible through the city lights. "My mom went overseas for a while and I needed a place to stay." 'It's the truth,' she thought, 'at least as much of it as I want him to know.'
"Huh," he replied strangely. That was the beginning and end of his statement.
"Anyway," she said looking down at nothing, "I don't really want to talk about it."
"That's cool," he said taking a sip of his beer.
They were left in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before they heard a voice behind them.
"So, Rory," John said in mock seriousness, "how many of his hands do I have to break."
She laughed, turning to her cousin. "None, he was a perfect gentleman."
"Damn Mariano," John teased, "are you losing your edge?"
Jess smirked. "No more than you're losing your wit . . . oh wait, bad analogy. You can't lose what you never had."
"Very funny bookworm," John retorted, much to the puzzlement of Rory.
"Never mind," Jess said catching her confusion.
"Anyway," John said turning to Rory, "Jim said he'd give me ten bucks if he could dance with you next."
Rory glared at him, "You are not auctioning me off to your friends."
"Only this once," John replied smiling. "I'm saving up for a new car stereo."
"Fine," she relented, turning back to Jess. "It was nice to meet you."
"Same here," he nodded before turning back to the stars as John led Rory to her next partner.
"Which one am I dancing with now?" he heard her ask as they disappeared into a mass of dancing teenagers.
Twenty minutes later, Rory was dancing with her third guy that night and getting pretty tired. She didn't want to be rude, but she really hadn't been having much fun with these last two guys. They were okay dancers, but neither of them was really that interesting. They just seemed to like to ogle her.
"I have to get something to drink," she yelled to Keith over the bass, motioning toward the kitchen. He nodded and they headed off the floor.
Rory opened the refrigerator and took out another bottle of water.
"I'm headed to the bathroom," Keith said as he took his third beer of the night and stepped into the mile-long line leading to the only available bathroom in the house.
Rory looked around a little uncomfortably, not knowing what to do now. Stepping out onto the patio, she set her sights on the stars again. She could do this forever. As she stood there, leaning on the railing, her mind wandered back to Stars Hollow. The sky was different here than there. The stars seemed to dim to the city lights of New York. She remembered the last time she had been stargazing.
***Flashback Ten Days Before***
Rory looked up at the stars from the blanket she had spread out on the front lawn. She and Lorelai were enjoying a nice evening just being together.
'One of the last,' Rory thought sullenly. She didn't want to say goodbye to her mom. They had been separated only a few times in her entire life, none for more than a couple days. Now she wasn't even sure she would see her mother again at all.
That last thought brought tears to Rory's eyes, but she tried very hard to hide them. She didn't want to get her mom upset again. Lorelai didn't know it, but Rory had heard her cry herself to sleep every night since they had talked at the restaurant.
"Hey," they both turned toward a voice to their right. Dean stood near the driveway, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his leather jacket.
"Hey," Rory replied likewise.
"Can we talk?" he asked looking pointedly at Rory.
"Um, sure," Rory said hesitantly. "Mom, can you leave us alone for a while?"
Lorelai took the hint and stood to her feet, walking into the house and shutting the door behind her.
"Where have you been lately?" Dean asked her, a little bit of edge in his voice.
"What do mean?" Rory said sitting up. "I've been hanging with my mom."
"But I never get to see you anymore," he complained. "We haven't even talked in over a week."
"Dean, I've been busy," she told him. She looked down, trying to figure out a way to say what she needed to tell him. "And besides, you're going to have to live with not seeing me for a lot longer than a week," she said slowly.
"What do you mean?"
She took a deep breath. "I'm moving to New York," she blurted out.
"What?" he cried, a twinge of surprise laced with irritation apparent in his tone.
"New York," she repeated quietly. "I'm leaving in ten days."
"Were you even going to tell me?" he demanded. "I mean, I had to come find you. If I hadn't, would you have even said goodbye?"
"Of course," she replied, a little confused by the anger she was receiving. "How could you think I wouldn't?"
"Because you don't tell me anything anymore!" he yelled.
"I'm sorry!" she yelled back, standing to her feet as his unfounded antagonism triggered her own anger. "I'm sorry I'm moving, I'm sorry I didn't tell you, and I'm really sorry that you don't even care enough about me notice that I have something more important on my mind than your self-involved issues! So goodbye!" With that, she ran, tears streaming down her face, into the house.
***End Flashback***
Rory winced a little at the memory. She hadn't spoken to Dean since. He had called the house more than a couple times before she'd left, but she just wasn't up for it. She had spent way too much time reassuring him; she really didn't need his crap on top of her own.
Rory was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't even notice the person approaching her from behind.
"Hey," she heard a voice behind her. She turned to see a guy she had never met before, but then again, she was getting used to it. She was, after all, new in town.
"Hello," she said back though a little wary. Yes, he was fairly cute, tall and muscular with shaggy blond hair and emerald green eyes, but there was something about him she didn't really feel comfortable with.
"You wanna dance?" he asked, his voice deep and husky, and she knew what the feeling was. He smelled intensely of alcohol.
Rory looked around looking for an escape route. "Um, I was actually dancing with someone before, but he went to use the bathroom. I really think I should wait for him."
"Oh, come on," the guy pushed, stepping forward so that she was backed against the banister.
"No really," she said glancing around for anyone who could help. "I really don't think . . . Jess!" She spotted him stepping into the kitchen.
Jess looked up when he heard his name called. Out on the patio, he saw John Patterson's cousin looking at him. She was backed into a corner of the patio by some guy he didn't recognize. He could tell by her wide eyes that she was looking for a way out.
"Rory," he said striding out onto the porch. "I've been looking all over for you." He stepped between her and the jerk, pulling her away from him. "I swear," he said playing along, "I turn away for two seconds and you disappear on me."
He walked her into the house, keeping a protective arm around her waist.
"Thanks," she whispered, her voice a little shaky, as he led them to an unoccupied couch. "I just got a little scared. I'm not usually hit on by drunk guys sixty pounds heavier than me."
"No problem," he replied nonchalantly. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yeah," she forced a small smile. "I guess I'm just starting to think I don't belong here."
"At the party?"
"In New York," she corrected looking down. "I've always lived in a town where you didn't have to worry about stuff like this. I've never had to lock my door, never mind defend myself from complete strangers."
"You'll get used to it," Jess said. "And until then, I didn't really mind playing the hero."
Rory smiled at that and, though his expression remained cool, his chocolate eyes smiled back at her. She felt so comforted by them right then that she felt her doubts slipping away.
"Rory," they turned to John as he stood over them, "You had me worried there for a while. Keith came back and said you'd disappeared."
"Just a minor incident," she assured him standing up, "but it's okay now. Jess helped me out."
"Thanks man," John said pulling Jess to his feet. "Wouldn't want anything happening to this one her first night in town."
"No," Jess agreed, his eyes meeting hers, "we definitely wouldn't."