Part 36: Stolen Hearts

"It's... perfect, Rory." Lorelai whispered as they looked at the dress in the full length mirrors. Rory had put it on, so that Lucy could see if it needed any more adjusting.

"It is, isn't it?" Rory asked turning around and looking at the back.

"What was Logan's reaction?" Steph asked. Paris, Steph, Evie and Lane were lounging on the couches near the mirrors.

Rory smiled at her reflection. "Speechless."

"Then it is perfect." Lorelai said smiling back at Rory.

"All right, dear, it's all ready. I will send the bill to your grandmother." Lucy said patting Rorys hand.

"Oh no, I've got it." Steph said.

"No, Steph, let my grandmother pay." Rory said as she stepped of circular rise and onto the floor.

"But I bought you the dress, I should pay for the alterations."

"The alterations are on my grandmother." Rory said with a smile as she walked into the dressing room and changed back into her jeans and a black Pink Panther shirt. She put on her denim jacket and hung up the dress, zipping it back up in its garment bag. She grabbed her purse and saw the white envelope she had stuck in there before leaving her dorm. She bit her lip and sighed before getting the bag and leaving the room to join her mother and friends.

They walked outside and were about to get back in the limo when Lorelai noticed her daughter standing a few feet away watching the taxis. She signaled for the rest of the girls to wait and went over to Rory.

"Hey babe, you all right?"

"Yeah, fine, it's just..."

"What?"

"Well, see, we're in New York."

"Yeah, sweetie and I'm starving. We're going to go to lunch, come on."

"No, mom." Lorelai looked back at her daughter. "I just, I promised that if I were ever in New York..."

"You're going to go visit him?"

"Yeah, I just, I promised. And I know this is supposed to be girls' afternoon, but I just need to talk to him."

"You know that anything you need to talk about, I'm here, right?"

"Of course." Rory said looking at her mother. "I know that, mom, I just… well... I need to talk to him."

"All right. Do you want to meet us somewhere?"

"You can pick me up at his place. You know where it is?"

"I think I do."

Rory grabbed a little notebook that she carried in her purse and a pen and scribbled down the address. She handed it to her mom and hailed a taxi. "Just give me a call when you guys are ready to leave. We'll be there."

"You sure you don't want to come with us?" Lorelai asked.

"Positive."

"Okay. Here, I'll take your dress."

"No, it's fine." Rory said as she opened the taxi door. "I want to show it to him." She gave her mom a kiss on the cheek and waved at the girls who waved back in confusion. "I'll see you guys later."

"Be careful, Ror."

"I will, mom, " Rory said as she got in the cab and closed the door. Lorelai watched as the cab pulled away and sighed turning to the other girls.

"Where's Rory going?" Paris asked.

"To visit a friend. Come on, I'm starving." She said with a smile as she ushered the girls back into the limo.

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"I can't believe they stole the limo." Logan said as he navigated his way through New York's busy streets.

"I can't believe we followed the girls to New York." Colin said. "I mean, if we're late to that stupid party tonight, all our parents are going to have our heads! And our trust funds!"

"No, they won't." Finn said. "It only matters that Logan and Rory are there on time. None of us really matter. I just hope she takes the heir naming okay."

"She'll be fine. It's easy, they announce it, you smile, hug, say your thanks and go and get drunk." Logan stated as he cursed when he got cut off.

"It was easy for us, Logan, only because we were raised in that capacity. Rory was raised in a small town, she's not used to this huge amount of money."

Logan sighed and nodded. "I know, I just, I want to think the best I guess... Stupid idiot!" He cursed again as he got cut off by a taxi. "I hate New York!"

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Rory walked up the steps of the Manhattan apartment complex, her hand gripping her dress and purse tightly. It wasn't that she was nervous about seeing him, they'd become good friends. They were the best of friends. She was just... She shook her head. There were no words to describe what she was feeling. She reached the door. She knew he was home, he always had Sundays off. She gave three sharp knocks and held her breath.

She heard a rustling sound from the other side and let the breath she had been holding out as the door opened. She smiled at him and he looked at her stunned.

She had to laugh. He was in gray sweats, no shirt, a towel in his hand that he was drying his wet hair with.

"Hey." She said with a small wave.

"Hey," he replied back. "Was I expecting you?"

"No, I was in the neighborhood and just decided to pay a visit."

"In the neighborhood?" He asked raising an eyebrow and letting her in.

"Yeah, girls' afternoon in New York before I'm named heir to Gilmore and Hayden fortunes."

"And you made time in your busy schedule to visit a lowly New Yorker like me?"

"Oh, come on now, Jess, I always make time for you." She laughed. She looked at his smirking face and smiled. "This is okay, right?"

"It's great, Rory, I'm glad you came."

"You're not busy, on your way out? Nothing?"

"My day off. I usually just stay and laze around the house. I woke up about an hour ago."

Rory laughed and gave a nod. "Then let me treat you to breakfast slash lunch."

"That sounds perfect. I'll go change." Rory nodded as she put her garment bag and purse on the couch. She went to his kitchen that was on the opposite side of the hall where his room was. She searched his cabinets and only found instant tea. She made a face of disgust before closing the doors and walking back out to the living room and looking at the few pictures he had on the mantel of a small fireplace.

Jess was never one for personal possessions. Though he didn't have pictures lining every inch of his apartment, she knew his books did that. The pictures he did have were the ones most special to him. One of his mom and T.J. on their wedding day, him at their side along with Luke on the other. One of her mom and Luke at the diner, the other of her and him at the Winter Carnival, one she had made him attend. And the last... Rory bit her lip and out of the corner of her eye saw Jess running a hand though his hair, sticking it up in his usual fashion.

"Hey, what are you looking at?" He asked standing next to her.

"Nothing." She said grabbing the picture. "Except for this picture that not only shows you without a shirt on, but Tristan as well."

"It was in California, we didn't always wear shirts." He said snatching the picture out of her hand and putting it back in its place.

"I bet you didn't always wear pants either."

"Rory, enough with the gay..." He looked at the couch and saw the bags sitting there. "What's in the bag?"

"What bag?" Rory asked following his gaze. "Oh, that bag."

"Did you bring me something?"

"No, it's mine."

"What is it?"

"My wedding dress."

His head snapped over to look at her. "Are you serious?"

"As a heart attack... Where did that come from? You know, a heart attack really is serious so saying that after someone's asking 'are you serious?' is sort of ruse in a way, isn't it? Especially if that person knows someone who's had one or they themselves have had one."

"Rory."

"Yeah." Rory asked looking over at him. He was at the unzipped garment bag and staring at the dress. He had walked over to it during her rant. She took a breath. "What do you think?"

"I was never one for words." Jess smirked.

"You should see me in it. Left Logan speechless."

"He's seen it?" Jess asked zipping it back up. "Isn't that bad luck?"

"In the words of Logan, 'Being in an arranged marriage is already bad luck, how much worse could it get?'"

"You could get pregnant." Jess smirked as he grabbed his jacket and keys and opened the door leading Rory out.

"That would consist of me sleeping with him, Jess. I'm not sleeping with my husband. It's just crazy."

"I know, a wife sleeping with her husband, what has the world come to?" He asked sarcastically.

Rory laughed and let him lead her down the stairs.

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"Hey, isn't that your limo?" Colin asked. They were in SoHo and saw the limo parked in front of the famous Ben's Pizza.

"Yep." Logan said parking across the street. They got out of the car and walked across the street into the small pizzeria. They saw the girls in the corner, laughing.

"They're laughing at us." Finn said as they walked over. "I bet you anything, they're laughing at us."

"I swear," they heard Steph say. "Then well he... you know." Steph said suggestively causing the girls to laugh even harder.

"Hello girls." Colin said as they reached the table.

"Hey guys." Lorelai said "Grab that table and push it over, we're talking about Prom."

"Oh god, you told her about..." Colin started causing the girls to laugh and Steph nod. Logan smirked as he and Finn pushed the next table over attaching it over to the girls' and sat down. A waiter came over and put another pitcher of Coke on their table as well as plates.

Logan looked around the table and frowned. "Someone's missing... Rory's missing."

"Yeah, she went to go visit a friend." Lorelai explained taking a drink of her coffee.

"A friend? Tristan?" Finn asked.

"No, Tristan lives in Boston... You guys know Tristan?" Lorelai asked confused.

"We met him last time we were in New York at the beginning of the month." Logan explained. "Who'd she go to visit?"

"Just a friend. No one to worry about." Lorelai asked. "She just had to talk to him, she'll call for us to go get her."

"Him?" Colin asked. Lane's eyes widened.

"I didn't know they were that close." Lane said realizing who Rory went to visit. "I knew they talked on the phone and that they saw each other, usually when Tristan was around, but I didn't know they were close close."

"I didn't either." Lorelai said. "But she's there."

"Okay, I feel left out. Who did Rory go to visit?" Finn asked.

"See for yourself." Steph said pointing to the door, where Rory was walking in, accompanied by a guy with spiky brown hair.

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"Pizza's perfect!" Rory said as they walked into Ben's Pizza.

"Thought you would like it." He led her to a table for two and they sat down. "So, what kind do you want?"

"Jess, I thought that after all these years you'd know me by now."

"Right, two with everything and coffee. You want pie?" She raised an eyebrow ."Right, stupid question. I'll be back." She smiled as she watched him go place their order. She looked around the restaurant with a smile and noticed a group of people sitting at the other end, more specifically she noticed the people.

"What are you looking at?" Jess asked as he sat back down. Rory pointed to the other end of the restaurant, then waved slightly, the group waving back.

"All of my friends including my fiancé."

Jess smirked as he looked over at the staring group. "Which one is he?"

"The blonde." Rory said.

"Huh."

Rory looked at him. "What?"

"You were right, he is Tristan."

"His reputation, not his looks."

"He looks rich, Tristan is rich, it's all the same."

"There's the pessimistic Jess we know and love."

"Why are they staring at me?"

"Cause only three of the eight know who you are." Rory laughed. Jess turned back around and smiled.

"Well, ignore them for right now."

"Easier said than done." Rory said looking at him.

"Yesterday you officially turned twenty one. Congrats."

"Thanks."

"Did you get drunk?"

"Woke up with a major hangover. I'm never drinking that much again."

"I doubt that, but I'm glad. Did you throw up?"

"Nope, Lane did though." Rory laughed remembering the morning. "It was nice."

"Lane throwing up was nice?"

"No, the morning. The guys came over and they brought us hangover food. It was nice."

"Sounds like... So I got you a present."

"Jess."

"Well, so did Tristan."

"What?" She was confused, how did they get into talking about Tristan?

"He was over the other day and we were talking."

"Cute."

"Okay, if I'm going to hang out with you, you really need to lay off the gay undertones."

"Sorry."

"Okay, we got together for lunch and we ended up talking about you."

"A bit stalkerish. but go on, I'm intrigued. What did you say about my gorgeous self?"

"Jeez, this money sure is making you stuck up."

"Jess." She warned.

"Right. Anyway, I remembered it was your birthday and Tristan said he already had your present and if I could give it to you if I saw you. Seeing as I apparently had more chance of seeing you than he did... so." He reached into his pocket and handed her a little box.

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"He just gave her something." Finn said.

"Finn, stop staring at the poor guy." Lorelai said. "Jess is just a really good friend of both Rory and Tristan."

"I wonder what he gave her." Steph said craning her neck to see. She saw Rory open the box, look at Jess, then at the box in awe.

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"Oh my god." Rory breathed as she looked at the black pearl earrings.

"He's such a showoff." Jess grumbled. She looked up at Jess, then back at the earrings.

"They can't be... are they?"

"Real? Yeah, I asked, idiot showoff. This is the downside to having rich friends."

"They're beautiful." She said closing the box. Their food came and Rory and Jess thanked the waiter, each grabbing a slice of pizza.

"He said to call when you got them. He also said he was worried about you."

"About me?"

"Yeah, that he called about a week after you guys had lunch. Apparently he's met Logan."

"Oh my god," she said remembering the ride to the air strip during the LDB event. "I forgot to call him back, he wanted to have lunch."

"He got worried."

"God, I'm such an idiot. I was just so busy, with school and the wedding. I forgot about Tristan."

"That's going to be a major blow to his ego."

"I'll call him later. God, I'm such an idiot."

"No, you're not, he figured you were busy. Just make sure you call him, Ror."

"I will."

"Now, on to my present."

"Oh... What'd you get me? Come on, gimme, gimme, gimme."

"You get more and more like Lorelai everyday."

"Thank you, now gimme."

He laughed and handed her a wrapped square package from his coat. She took the last bite of her pizza before grabbing it out of his hands.

"You got some deep pockets, Mariano."

"They can only go so far, Rory."

"Am I going to like this present?"

"I don't know, why don't you open it and see?"

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"He just gave her something else." Finn stated.

"My god, Finn, leave them alone." Evie said exasperated.

"She's opening it." Paris said, craning her neck as did Stephanie.

"It's a book." Colin said also looking. Logan rolled his eyes. He really wondered about his friends sometimes.

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"A book." She read the title "The Subsect."

"Yeah."

"I haven't read it."

"I know, it's not out yet."

Rory looked up at Jess, frowned, then looked back at the book. "Who... Oh my god."

"Yeah."

"You...The book. You wrote the book."

"Yeah."

"Jess, this is... Oh my god."

"Don't get too excited yet, read the dedication."

Rory smiled and opened the front cover and flipped the first few pages till she got to the dedication. She felt her eyes fill with tears.

"God, don't cry. Please god, don't cry." Jess begged.

"Oh Jess." She said. She got up and hugged him. He awkwardly hugged her back until she sat next to him, instead of across. "I'm so proud. God, you wrote a book."

"It's short."

"Jess, you wrote a book."

"You should read it first, it's not that good."

"Can I go show it to my mom?"

Jess gave a nod. Rory smiled and stood up. She looked at Jess. "I really am proud, Jess, I bet Luke and your mom would be even prouder. They all knew you could do something once you put your mind to it."

"Go, show me off."

"Thank you!" She hugged him one last time before walking over to the table.

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"She's coming this way!" Finn said. "Act normal."

"Yeah, cause you don't want to act like a whole bunch of spying idiots." Rory said as she got to the table. She turned to her mom. "You would not believe what Tristan and Jess got me for my birthday."

"Well, sit and share."

"Jess is waiting. I don't want to leave him alone."

"Tell him to come over." Steph said. Rory bit her lip, looked at Logan, then at Jess who was looking over at her. She waved him over and smiled when she saw him roll his eyes and get up walking over to her and the group.

"Did you tell her yet?" Jess said sheepishly.

"Don't be embarrassed, Jess." Rory said shoving him a bit. She showed Lorelai the book and Lorelai smiled.

"You wrote a book." She said in awe.

"Yeah."

"You wrote a book and it's getting published?" Lorelai asked.

"Out on stands next week."

"Read the dedication." Rory said flipping the pages. Lorelai read it and smiled.

"I can only assume the town of Stars Hollow are the eccentrics, Kirk being the biggest one."

"Can only assume."

"Me, Luke and your mom are the people who kept pushing."

"You and Luke were the ones that left bruises."

"We'll never stop, kid." She said.

"Wouldn't have it any other way." Jess replied.

"Congratulations, I'm proud. I knew you had something in that hard head of yours. Luke is going to be prouder."

"I know."

"This is big."

"Yeah, the tour starts in two weeks." Jess responded letting out a breath. "I can easily say it's nerve racking."

"I've never known you to be nervous." Rory stated looking at him.

"Yeah, well, I wasn't much for emotions when we were together."

"You were the master of the monosyllables." Lorelai said. Rory finally noticed the rest of the people and smiled.

"Right. You guys, this is Jess, my ex-boyfriend and a really good friend. Jess, these are Finn, Colin, Steph, Evie and you know Paris and Lane. And this," she said putting a hand on Logan's shoulder. "Is my fiancé."

"Nice to meet you." Jess said.

"Yeah, same here." Logan said standing up and shaking his hand.

"I've heard a lot about you."

"All good I hope," Logan said.

"Tristan only had the best to say about you. Though he did tell me something about a boat and Fiji. You sunk it."

"I sunk it!" Finn said causing the table to laugh.

"Yeah, Finn sunk the yacht."

"So you said Tristan gave you something?" Lorelai asked.

"Right." Rory said handing her the box.

"Yeah, give her the showoff's next, then mine gets forgotten."

"Oh my god! Are they real?" The girls crowded around to see them. Steph gave a low whistle.

"Damn, that boy has a good taste." Evie stated.

"Tristan." Paris said with a roll of hey eyes.

"Bible boy gave you these?" Lane asked.

"Yeah, and Jess says they're real."

"Jess's is better," Lorelai said, "Only because his is an accomplishment. Tristan though has a nice taste."

"Thanks, Lorelai." Jess laughed.

"No problem." Lorelai smiled at the boy she used to hate. He had changed a lot during the years.

"We're going to head back to the table. We'll see you guys later?" Rory asked.

They all nodded. Rory and Jess turned and walked back to the table across the restaurant and Logan sat back down.

"What did the dedication say?" Steph asked.

"Read for yourself." Lorelai said handing the book to Steph. They crowded around and read it.

This book is for

all the eccentrics in my life.

As much as I hate to admit it, they were the best two years of my life.

To those who pushed me to do the best I could.

No matter how much I refused and pushed back,

you guys never gave up pushing!

To Tristan, for not only being my best friend,

but for teaching me how to make kickass Mac and Cheese.

And to Rory,

The girl I loved and left.

The girl that to this day still owns my heart.

You pushed the hardest. Thank you.

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AN: Thank you guys so much for all the reviews! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was fun writing it once I had it in my head!

Keep on reading and reviewing

You know you want to.

Kassandra