Title: Remembering Floyd Nightingale
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Summary: Jess is a nurse with a doctor for a girlfriend. He's
older, more mature, and has made friends with the people he works with.
so the one thing to sour his life? Rory Gilmore. However, she doesn't
seem to remember much, as she might have amnesia.
A/N: This, my darling readers, is the epilogue. It's actually
the second draft; if anyone wants the first draft, PM me, and I'll send
it to you.
But anyway... It has been exactly one year since I posted the first chapter. And now, here we are, and it's finished.
Enjoy.
----
She stood at the end of the aisle in a T-shirt and jeans. Her father stood next to her, dressed similarly.
"You ready?" he asked with a wink as he took her arm.
"Don't let me trip."
"Right back atcha."
She squeezed his arm gratefully and smiled as they headed down the aisle. The pianist was absent, so Lorelai led the bridal party in a wordless rendition of the bridal march. Chris leaned over to Rory and muttered, "You know she's calling you 'big, fat, and wide' in her head."
"Always," Rory said. Lorelai, of course, took the opportunity to stick her tongue out at Rory, who stuck her tongue out back. Luke, standing behind Ben, sighed.
Rory laughed out loud. She caught Jess's eye and shrugged.
"What are we gonna do with these people?" she asked as Chris handed her off.
"It's your fault for letting the whole family participate," Chris said, kissing her on the cheek as he lifted her pretend veil.
Rory just smiled as she turned to face the minister.
--
After the rehearsal came the rehearsal dinner. The bridal party, which included Denise, Lane, Lorelai, Ben, Luke, Dave, and Chris, gathered in the diner to celebrate Rory and Jess. Denise brought her latest boyfriend, Lane and Dave brought each other, Luke and Lorelai left the twins at home, Ben brought Alice and his infant daughter, Liliana, and Chris brought Melanie, the woman he'd married after Sherry left him. Luke, Lorelai and Lane told as many embarassing stories about Rory's childhood as they could, while Ben told embarassing stories about Jess's first days as a nurse. There was lots of laughter, and though Rory's and Jess's hands spent a fair amount of time covering their faces, they also kept touching each other--on the arm, the leg, wherever. The evening ended with a round of informal toasts--which almost all began with, "The real speech is tomorrow, when I'm hopefully not as drunk." They all attested to the love found between Jess and Rory, who had survived a decade without each other and a bout of amnesia to come out on top.
Then, Jess and Rory kissed each other quickly, and separated until the next day.
--
She stood at the end of the aisle again, this time in the most elegant dress she'd ever worn. Her father stood next to her, wearing his tux.
"Last chance to shimmy down the drainpipe," he said, taking her arm and winking.
She smiled. "Do me a favor?"
"Anything."
"Don't let me fall."
"Can do."
She squeezed his arm. This time, the pianist was there, and so the bridal party was spared having to hum. Lorelai refrained from sticking her tongue out, but did make a quick face. Rory just smiled, and then found herself in the same spot as the night before. This time, however, her heart was pounding furiously in her chest.
"I'm proud of you, sweetie," Chris whispered, lifting her veil and kissing her cheek. Rory felt the tears coming as she squeezed his hand quickly before he took it away. Then Jess slipped his hand in hers, and she finally looked at him. He smiled, and her heartbeat steadied. She smiled back, and then faced the minister.
--
Years later, whenever he pissed her off, or they had a huge fight, or she started to forget why she'd ever married him in the first place, she would slip her ring from her finger and read the inscription inside: "Don't forget: This one will stick." And she'd smile, and repeat it to herself, and she'd make it through the fight and the doubt.
They were together until death did them part.