A/N: Song lyrics are in . (i.e. ). Also there's a Dean/Rory scene
in here, but don't worry i'm a literati all the way. I just felt like
giving them a little justice because he was a big part of her life. They
needed more closure.
Chapter 3
"You can go downstairs now. They're gone." Jess told Luke as he watched his uncle pretending to look for something in the fridge.
Luke poked his head around the fridge and looked over at Jess, who was still in bed. "What are you talking about?"
"You don't have to guard me. Rory's gone."
"Not following." Luke shrugged his shoulders and reached into the fridge. "I just came up to get something." He showed him a ketchup bottle.
"You know we got 3 boxes of ketchup for the diner like 2 weeks ago right?" Jess question. "There's no way it's all gone."
"You've been gone for a while. Maybe the town went on a ketchup frenzy and used it all up."
"Yeah. And maybe I'll become a lawyer." Jess rolled his eyes. "I know you don't want her to see me...you don't have to worry about it. I don't wanna see her."
"What? Why?" Luke asked, he was surprised. He figured that he wouldn't try to get Rory back. He had seen how important she was to him.
"I have my reasons."
"I'm sure you do." He sighed walking toward the door. "By the way. Summer school starts in a week."
"What?"
"You heard me. If you're staying here. You're graduating." He ordered before closing the door behind himself. Jess let out a frustrated growl and threw his head back.
A few minutes later, Jess came running down the stairs. He was dressed now, in a black tee shirt and jeans. "I'm going out. I'll be back." He called to Luke, not stopping as he walked out the door. ___________________________________________
"I'm here. I'm here." Sookie called as she ran into the inn out of breath.
"Oh god have you gotten bigger since yesterday?" Lorelai questioned, staring at her stomach.
"Impossible." Rory scoffed.
"A few more centimeters." Sookie announced, proudly rubbed her stomach. "Little Herbert is progressing well."
"Herbert?"
"Jackson's idea. I'm working on him, don't worry." Sookie replied with a laughed as she scrunched her nose.
"Hopefully it'll be a girl and you won't have to." Lorelai offered and Sookie's face became worried. "Do i even wanna hear his choice for a girl?"
"I think it's best left unsaid." She replied.
"That bad?" Rory questioned.
Sookie made a face and rolled her eyes. She and Lorelai laughed Rory shoved her hand in to her pocket and found something inside. Pulling it out, she froze for a second staring down at the piece of paper. It was her Distiller ticket from that night Jess had shown up at the hockey game. She sighed heavily as Sookie continued. "Worse."
"You poor thing." Lorelai comforted, hugging her friend. "So Sookie. You ready to discuss those color?"
"All set." She smiled clasping her hands together. "So what exactly are we picking colors for again?"
Lorelai laughed. "Silly women. You called me to pick what colors we should paint the rooms. You jokester."
"Oh right. I'm...joking?!" Sookie grinned.
"Isn't she funny sweetie?" Lorelai question with a smiled, but Rory didn't reply. She had her arms crossed and was staring down at the ticket. "Rory? You OK?"
"I'm fine." She lied stuffing the ticket in her pocket and looking up at Lorelai. "Is it OK if I don't help you? I'm not really into interior decorating right now."
"Yeah. That's fine." Lorelai told her, wondering what it was that she had been looking at that had made her so upset. "I'll see you at home OK?" She smiled, brushing her hand with her fingers and kissing her forehead.
"Ok. See you then." She waved as she walked towards the door. "Bye Sookie."
"Bye Rory." Sookie waved back, then let her smile fade into concern as soon as she disappeared. "What was that? Is she OK?"
"I don't know. I have a feeling it has something to do with this." Lorelai replied, pulling out the ticket from her pocket.
"What's that?"
"Something I found." She replied with a smirked. "...in Rory's pocket."
"You took it from her pocket?"
"Well...I had to know what was bugging her and this is the thing that did it."
"What is it?"
"Distillers tickets." She stated with a frown, knowing exactly where it had come from.
"Wow. I guess she really doesn't like their music."
"No she does. It's the person who brought her to listen to their music."
"Jess?" Sookie questioned, knowing the answer already. She and Lorelai leaned against an old sofa that was still left from the old owner. "I still can't believe he left without saying good-bye to her. I mean...if I ever see that boy again I'm gonna clock him one." She threatened, squeezing her fingers into a fist and punching the air.
"Start warming up." Lorelai snorted, looking down at the ticket. Sookie looked at her, confused. "He's back."
"He's back?" Sookie questioned and Lorelai nodded. "Jess is back?" Lorelai nodded again. "In Star's Hollow?" She asked and Lorelai continued to nod. "Connecticut?"
"Yes. He's at Luke's right now." Lorelai exclaimed. "That's why I met you here. I needed an excuse to get Rory out."
"She saw him?"
"No. I got her out before he came downstairs." She sighed, taking a sip of her coffee.
"What did she say when she heard he was back?"
"She doesn't know."
"But you're gonna tell her right?" Sookie asked, but Lorelai didn't answer. "Right?"
"Yeah. Eventually. When the time's right."
"If you don't tell her soon. She's gonna find out the hard way. Do you want that?"
Lorelai growled and looked up at the ceiling. "No. You're right." She shuffled her feet and shoved her hand in her pockets. "I'll go tell her now."
"Good girl." Sookie smiled.
"You better hope that sucker is a boy." Lorelai pointed her Sookie stomach before walking out for the inn, coffee still in hand. _______________________________________
Rory shuttered as a cold breath drifted across her face. She was sitting at the bridge, which probably wasn't the best idea. It only brought up memories of Jess that caused her heart to break even more. The basket raffle when she first got to know him really well and realized that he wasn't as bad as he wanted the rest of the world to think. The night of the Dance marathon after Dean had broken up with her and she and Jess admit that their feelings to each other. And just across the lake she could see that spot where she and Jess shared their very first kissed. Rory smiled slightly, remembering the overwhelming feeling of happiness that she had gotten when her lips met his.
She sighed. She really needed to stop all of this remembering. It brought up too many feelings that she was determined to put in the past. She would be going to college in 3 months and she intended to be a new person by then. Now more thinking about Jess and wondering what he was doing and where he was. Her hand swept over her cheek as she wiped away a tear. She was done with him. Forever.
A single foot step of heard on the bridge, but the person seemed to have froze. She didn't want to look. The last thing she wanted was to have a heart to heart with some town resident who would go around telling everyone about how miserable she is without Jess. She decided to ignore the person, in hopes that they would go away.
"Rory." The voice called in an unsure tone.
She sighed slightly, trying to make herself appear as if she hadn't been crying. "Hey Dean." She forced a smile and wiped her eyes before looking up at him.
He walked closer to her and looked into her eyes. She had been crying. She couldn't hide that from him. "You OK?"
"Fine." She grinned, reassuringly then looked away.
Sighing, he bent down beside her, running his hand over her back. "I know you Rory. I loved for 2 years. I've known you long enough to know when you're upset."
Rory laughed and cried at the same time as she let out a breath. "I know." She whimpered, leaning her head on his arm. "I just...I feel so horrible." She whispered, as he kissed the top of her head. "I'm so lost." She cried and he nodded slightly.
"Is it because of ... him?" Dean questioned not wanting to say his name. He was still a little bitter. Even thought he had Lindsay now; the truth was, he would always love Rory. She was his first love.
"Yes...No...I don't know." She sighed removing her head from his arm and looking into his eyes. "A few months ago my life was perfect. I had It'll all planned out. I was going to Harvard. I was...in love with you." She looked down, noticing the sadness in his eyes.
I'll keep a part of you with me
And everywhere I am there you'll be
"And then I had to go and screw everything up. Ruin everybody's life." She breathed. "I broke my mother's heart and crushed our dream of Harvard. And then...you." She stopped unsure if she could continue.
"It's Ok. Keep going." He encourage, sitting down next to her and placing his hand over her's
"I just...god, this is so hard to talk to you about." She laughed slightly, then continued. "He was so...there was just something about him." She finished looking into his eyes. "I got so caught up in him that I didn't realize that I was slipping away from you." Her eyes began to water more. "And I wasn't lying to you when I said we were just friend, because we were. We are. I don't even know when it turned into something more." She stopped and looked at Dean, he look so angry and upset and sad all at the same time. "I'll stop."
"No it's ok. I get it." He smiled slightly, brushing a stray piece of hair from her eyes.
"I think I know how you were feeling." He looked down. "I mean. It must have been hard for you, because I would assume it's kind of like the way I feel with Lindsay." He began. "I mean. I love Lindsay more then anything in this world." Rory looked down, a little hurt by his comment. "I wouldn't be engaged to her if I didn't. ya know." He sighed and Rory nodded. "But there's still this part of me...deep inside...that feels like it's wrong to be feeling this way about someone other then you."
Rory nodded again and smiled slightly, looking up at him. "Yeah." She whispered.
"I guess...I don't know. Maybe that feeling never goes away." He looked into her eyes. "Or maybe it will disappear completely one day." He sighed and looked down at his hands. "It was probably right that...we broke up when we did."
"It's just hard to let go." She finished and he nodded in agreement.
"You loved Jess." He told her, knowing that she wasn't quite sure what she had felt for him. He grinned as he watch the corners of Rory's mouth turn up slightly, then disappear quickly.
Rory trembled slightly as she drew in a breath. "Yeah. I do." She bit her lip. It wasn't past tense it was the present. She still loved him. She couldn't deny that no matter how hard she tried. "But i have to stop." She wiped a tear from her eye.
"It was really crappy what he did to you." Dean simpathized. Rory shrugged as a fresh tear replace the one she had wiped away.
"I got what I deserved." She replied solemnly. "I broke your heart and he broke mine." She laughed slightly. "How's that for Karma." She continued to smile, but it faded away as she stared into the water. "Urgh. But enough about me." She cleared her throat. "How are you?"
"I'm really good." He grinned, letting out a breath. "We set a date."
"Oh yeah?" Rory asked, actually happy for him. "Well, I better get an invitation. I wanna be there so I can cry my eyes out some more."
"It's in the mail." He replied, nudging her slightly.
"Good." She laughed letting her voice trial off.
"Speaking of the wedding. I should really get back. I'm getting fitted from my tux in an hour." He told her, as he began to stand and she followed suite.
"Can I hug you?" She wondered, feeling weird that she had to ask.
"Always." He smiled as she wrapped her arm around his neck and cried into his shoulder. This was it. He was really gone now. Dean had Lindsay and she had no one. Rory was filled with a sense of regret for ever letting him go as she stood in his arm, clinging tightly to him. Her past. But now, she had to let go.
Pulling back, she looked into his eyes. "I'm really happy for you." She told him sincerely. "Lindsay is a lucky girl."
"Jess is a lucky guy." He whispered back, knowingly and she looked down at her feet.
Gently he rested his finger under her chin and forced her to look into his eyes. "I'll always love you." He breath gently, before leaning in and kissing her cheek just centimeters from her lips. "Goodbye Rory." She closed her eyes tightly as she felt his warmth leave her body. Dean was gone.
"I love you too." She whispered.
From a distance, Jess watched the scene unfold. He could feeling the jealous begin to rage and then realized that he had no right to be mad. He watched as Rory stood alone on the bridge, crying. Letting out a sigh, he turned and headed back to the diner. She would be happier with Dean anyway.
A/N: Just to let everyone know, I'm leaving for the weekend on vacation and I have to take a driving class when I get back so I don't know when I'll be able to update, but I am going to write while I'm away so I'll be sure to type what I've done and getting it up as soon as possible.
Chapter 3
"You can go downstairs now. They're gone." Jess told Luke as he watched his uncle pretending to look for something in the fridge.
Luke poked his head around the fridge and looked over at Jess, who was still in bed. "What are you talking about?"
"You don't have to guard me. Rory's gone."
"Not following." Luke shrugged his shoulders and reached into the fridge. "I just came up to get something." He showed him a ketchup bottle.
"You know we got 3 boxes of ketchup for the diner like 2 weeks ago right?" Jess question. "There's no way it's all gone."
"You've been gone for a while. Maybe the town went on a ketchup frenzy and used it all up."
"Yeah. And maybe I'll become a lawyer." Jess rolled his eyes. "I know you don't want her to see me...you don't have to worry about it. I don't wanna see her."
"What? Why?" Luke asked, he was surprised. He figured that he wouldn't try to get Rory back. He had seen how important she was to him.
"I have my reasons."
"I'm sure you do." He sighed walking toward the door. "By the way. Summer school starts in a week."
"What?"
"You heard me. If you're staying here. You're graduating." He ordered before closing the door behind himself. Jess let out a frustrated growl and threw his head back.
A few minutes later, Jess came running down the stairs. He was dressed now, in a black tee shirt and jeans. "I'm going out. I'll be back." He called to Luke, not stopping as he walked out the door. ___________________________________________
"I'm here. I'm here." Sookie called as she ran into the inn out of breath.
"Oh god have you gotten bigger since yesterday?" Lorelai questioned, staring at her stomach.
"Impossible." Rory scoffed.
"A few more centimeters." Sookie announced, proudly rubbed her stomach. "Little Herbert is progressing well."
"Herbert?"
"Jackson's idea. I'm working on him, don't worry." Sookie replied with a laughed as she scrunched her nose.
"Hopefully it'll be a girl and you won't have to." Lorelai offered and Sookie's face became worried. "Do i even wanna hear his choice for a girl?"
"I think it's best left unsaid." She replied.
"That bad?" Rory questioned.
Sookie made a face and rolled her eyes. She and Lorelai laughed Rory shoved her hand in to her pocket and found something inside. Pulling it out, she froze for a second staring down at the piece of paper. It was her Distiller ticket from that night Jess had shown up at the hockey game. She sighed heavily as Sookie continued. "Worse."
"You poor thing." Lorelai comforted, hugging her friend. "So Sookie. You ready to discuss those color?"
"All set." She smiled clasping her hands together. "So what exactly are we picking colors for again?"
Lorelai laughed. "Silly women. You called me to pick what colors we should paint the rooms. You jokester."
"Oh right. I'm...joking?!" Sookie grinned.
"Isn't she funny sweetie?" Lorelai question with a smiled, but Rory didn't reply. She had her arms crossed and was staring down at the ticket. "Rory? You OK?"
"I'm fine." She lied stuffing the ticket in her pocket and looking up at Lorelai. "Is it OK if I don't help you? I'm not really into interior decorating right now."
"Yeah. That's fine." Lorelai told her, wondering what it was that she had been looking at that had made her so upset. "I'll see you at home OK?" She smiled, brushing her hand with her fingers and kissing her forehead.
"Ok. See you then." She waved as she walked towards the door. "Bye Sookie."
"Bye Rory." Sookie waved back, then let her smile fade into concern as soon as she disappeared. "What was that? Is she OK?"
"I don't know. I have a feeling it has something to do with this." Lorelai replied, pulling out the ticket from her pocket.
"What's that?"
"Something I found." She replied with a smirked. "...in Rory's pocket."
"You took it from her pocket?"
"Well...I had to know what was bugging her and this is the thing that did it."
"What is it?"
"Distillers tickets." She stated with a frown, knowing exactly where it had come from.
"Wow. I guess she really doesn't like their music."
"No she does. It's the person who brought her to listen to their music."
"Jess?" Sookie questioned, knowing the answer already. She and Lorelai leaned against an old sofa that was still left from the old owner. "I still can't believe he left without saying good-bye to her. I mean...if I ever see that boy again I'm gonna clock him one." She threatened, squeezing her fingers into a fist and punching the air.
"Start warming up." Lorelai snorted, looking down at the ticket. Sookie looked at her, confused. "He's back."
"He's back?" Sookie questioned and Lorelai nodded. "Jess is back?" Lorelai nodded again. "In Star's Hollow?" She asked and Lorelai continued to nod. "Connecticut?"
"Yes. He's at Luke's right now." Lorelai exclaimed. "That's why I met you here. I needed an excuse to get Rory out."
"She saw him?"
"No. I got her out before he came downstairs." She sighed, taking a sip of her coffee.
"What did she say when she heard he was back?"
"She doesn't know."
"But you're gonna tell her right?" Sookie asked, but Lorelai didn't answer. "Right?"
"Yeah. Eventually. When the time's right."
"If you don't tell her soon. She's gonna find out the hard way. Do you want that?"
Lorelai growled and looked up at the ceiling. "No. You're right." She shuffled her feet and shoved her hand in her pockets. "I'll go tell her now."
"Good girl." Sookie smiled.
"You better hope that sucker is a boy." Lorelai pointed her Sookie stomach before walking out for the inn, coffee still in hand. _______________________________________
Rory shuttered as a cold breath drifted across her face. She was sitting at the bridge, which probably wasn't the best idea. It only brought up memories of Jess that caused her heart to break even more. The basket raffle when she first got to know him really well and realized that he wasn't as bad as he wanted the rest of the world to think. The night of the Dance marathon after Dean had broken up with her and she and Jess admit that their feelings to each other. And just across the lake she could see that spot where she and Jess shared their very first kissed. Rory smiled slightly, remembering the overwhelming feeling of happiness that she had gotten when her lips met his.
She sighed. She really needed to stop all of this remembering. It brought up too many feelings that she was determined to put in the past. She would be going to college in 3 months and she intended to be a new person by then. Now more thinking about Jess and wondering what he was doing and where he was. Her hand swept over her cheek as she wiped away a tear. She was done with him. Forever.
A single foot step of heard on the bridge, but the person seemed to have froze. She didn't want to look. The last thing she wanted was to have a heart to heart with some town resident who would go around telling everyone about how miserable she is without Jess. She decided to ignore the person, in hopes that they would go away.
"Rory." The voice called in an unsure tone.
She sighed slightly, trying to make herself appear as if she hadn't been crying. "Hey Dean." She forced a smile and wiped her eyes before looking up at him.
He walked closer to her and looked into her eyes. She had been crying. She couldn't hide that from him. "You OK?"
"Fine." She grinned, reassuringly then looked away.
Sighing, he bent down beside her, running his hand over her back. "I know you Rory. I loved for 2 years. I've known you long enough to know when you're upset."
Rory laughed and cried at the same time as she let out a breath. "I know." She whimpered, leaning her head on his arm. "I just...I feel so horrible." She whispered, as he kissed the top of her head. "I'm so lost." She cried and he nodded slightly.
"Is it because of ... him?" Dean questioned not wanting to say his name. He was still a little bitter. Even thought he had Lindsay now; the truth was, he would always love Rory. She was his first love.
"Yes...No...I don't know." She sighed removing her head from his arm and looking into his eyes. "A few months ago my life was perfect. I had It'll all planned out. I was going to Harvard. I was...in love with you." She looked down, noticing the sadness in his eyes.
I'll keep a part of you with me
And everywhere I am there you'll be
"And then I had to go and screw everything up. Ruin everybody's life." She breathed. "I broke my mother's heart and crushed our dream of Harvard. And then...you." She stopped unsure if she could continue.
"It's Ok. Keep going." He encourage, sitting down next to her and placing his hand over her's
"I just...god, this is so hard to talk to you about." She laughed slightly, then continued. "He was so...there was just something about him." She finished looking into his eyes. "I got so caught up in him that I didn't realize that I was slipping away from you." Her eyes began to water more. "And I wasn't lying to you when I said we were just friend, because we were. We are. I don't even know when it turned into something more." She stopped and looked at Dean, he look so angry and upset and sad all at the same time. "I'll stop."
"No it's ok. I get it." He smiled slightly, brushing a stray piece of hair from her eyes.
"I think I know how you were feeling." He looked down. "I mean. It must have been hard for you, because I would assume it's kind of like the way I feel with Lindsay." He began. "I mean. I love Lindsay more then anything in this world." Rory looked down, a little hurt by his comment. "I wouldn't be engaged to her if I didn't. ya know." He sighed and Rory nodded. "But there's still this part of me...deep inside...that feels like it's wrong to be feeling this way about someone other then you."
Rory nodded again and smiled slightly, looking up at him. "Yeah." She whispered.
"I guess...I don't know. Maybe that feeling never goes away." He looked into her eyes. "Or maybe it will disappear completely one day." He sighed and looked down at his hands. "It was probably right that...we broke up when we did."
"It's just hard to let go." She finished and he nodded in agreement.
"You loved Jess." He told her, knowing that she wasn't quite sure what she had felt for him. He grinned as he watch the corners of Rory's mouth turn up slightly, then disappear quickly.
Rory trembled slightly as she drew in a breath. "Yeah. I do." She bit her lip. It wasn't past tense it was the present. She still loved him. She couldn't deny that no matter how hard she tried. "But i have to stop." She wiped a tear from her eye.
"It was really crappy what he did to you." Dean simpathized. Rory shrugged as a fresh tear replace the one she had wiped away.
"I got what I deserved." She replied solemnly. "I broke your heart and he broke mine." She laughed slightly. "How's that for Karma." She continued to smile, but it faded away as she stared into the water. "Urgh. But enough about me." She cleared her throat. "How are you?"
"I'm really good." He grinned, letting out a breath. "We set a date."
"Oh yeah?" Rory asked, actually happy for him. "Well, I better get an invitation. I wanna be there so I can cry my eyes out some more."
"It's in the mail." He replied, nudging her slightly.
"Good." She laughed letting her voice trial off.
"Speaking of the wedding. I should really get back. I'm getting fitted from my tux in an hour." He told her, as he began to stand and she followed suite.
"Can I hug you?" She wondered, feeling weird that she had to ask.
"Always." He smiled as she wrapped her arm around his neck and cried into his shoulder. This was it. He was really gone now. Dean had Lindsay and she had no one. Rory was filled with a sense of regret for ever letting him go as she stood in his arm, clinging tightly to him. Her past. But now, she had to let go.
Pulling back, she looked into his eyes. "I'm really happy for you." She told him sincerely. "Lindsay is a lucky girl."
"Jess is a lucky guy." He whispered back, knowingly and she looked down at her feet.
Gently he rested his finger under her chin and forced her to look into his eyes. "I'll always love you." He breath gently, before leaning in and kissing her cheek just centimeters from her lips. "Goodbye Rory." She closed her eyes tightly as she felt his warmth leave her body. Dean was gone.
"I love you too." She whispered.
From a distance, Jess watched the scene unfold. He could feeling the jealous begin to rage and then realized that he had no right to be mad. He watched as Rory stood alone on the bridge, crying. Letting out a sigh, he turned and headed back to the diner. She would be happier with Dean anyway.
A/N: Just to let everyone know, I'm leaving for the weekend on vacation and I have to take a driving class when I get back so I don't know when I'll be able to update, but I am going to write while I'm away so I'll be sure to type what I've done and getting it up as soon as possible.