Title: All Things Considered- Chapter Five- 'Phone Conversations'
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my cds and ooh books! Don't sue.
Summary: Two and a half years after Jess walks away from her life, for what he thought would be for the last time, Rory's moving on with Logan, and She now has to realize what, or who, she truly wants. Luke and Lorelai are engaged, and waiting for Rory to reconcile with Lorelai before they make a wedding date, but there has been serious planning for it already. Logan proposed to Rory on their Year and a Half anniversary.
A/N: Well. I definitely suck. Six months and nothing from me, not even a measly smoke signal. I finally got around to writing. Its not very long, but its funny in some parts, and lighthearted for the most part…there are a couple of serious moments, but still… I hope everyone likes this. Thank you, everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I'm considering rewriting the first chapter before I write chapter six. Thanks to Christine, who is my beta, and my BFF. /sticks tongue out I sent her this last night, and she got it back to me, in just a few hours.
-Monday-
Rory Gilmore weaved through the crowd at Yale as she practically ran to her meeting with the Dean of Admissions. She was running a tad bit late. Lane, her best friend whom she had not seen in awhile and the girl she was currently residing with, had not set the alarm since she didn't have a shift at Luke's that particular morning. As such Rory had woken up thirty minutes later than her schedule permitted, making it impossible for Rory to have more than two cups of coffee. Now the persistent ringing of her cell phone made her growl in frustration. She slid a hand into her coat pocket for her cell and a five dollar bill as she stopped at the well placed coffee kiosk, which was just outside the admissions building. She had made trip in record time, and the meeting would not be starting for another few minutes still.
"Talk," was her one word reply as she flipped open the phone after ordering her large coffee.
"Bossy today, huh?" Jess asked in a slightly teasing tone.
Rory grinned involuntarily. They had been exchanging phone calls every day, and she smiled like crazy at just the sound of his voice. "Hi."
"I mean, usually that would be okay to tell someone if you were in person and you were talking to a maid or something, but its just…rude on the phone. What would your grandmother say if she heard you?" Jess continued his teasing.
She couldn't see him, but she knew that he was smirking. "Now now, considering how you usually answer the phone, you shouldn't mock me for mine especially today while I am running late, Mr. 'Yeah?'" Rory said, smiling as she moved into the Admissions building.
"Hey, that's not fair. I haven't answered the phone that way since I was younger. I usually answer with a complaisant 'What the hell do you want?'" was his sarcastic reply.
"Complaisant, my ass," Rory chuckled.
"Hey, now, you're mocking my phone-answering abilities now? I thought that was my job!"
"Awe, poor Jess."
"Weren't you running late?" Jess asked, smirking.
"Shoot. I have to go. Talk to you tonight?"
"Yeah. Bye, Ror." Jess said, softly.
"Bye, Jess."
-Tuesday-
"Yeah?" His voice was rough, and his breathing heavy from running to get the phone.
"You sound a little breathless, busy thinking of me?" Her voice streamed into his ear like coffee being poured into her mug.
"Always. In what context is the real question," he smirked as he walked back into his kitchen.
"Dirty!"
Jess smirked as he stirred the pasta noodles. "What's up, Ror?"
"Nothing. Just studying… I went into Luke's this morning to get coffee, since I'm still bouncing around from Lane's to Paris' apartments. I asked about Mom," she said softly.
"What did he say?" Jess asked, even though Luke had called him earlier in the day to talk about the visit. Jess had called Luke a couple of days after Rory had left and told him about the entire visit. He needed to vocalize it to someone, and Luke had been the only one Jess had ever considered trusting, besides Rory.
"He told me she had just left for the Inn… and asked if there was anything he wanted me to tell her," Rory said softly, leaning her head against the wall in Lane's bedroom. "I said no."
"Why? You obviously want to talk to her," Jess said, turning off the stove and setting the pan aside.
"I do… I'm just… what if it's too late, Jess?"
"It's not."
"But what if it is?!"
Jess could hear the tears in her voice as he sighed. "It's not too late, Ror. But you have to make the first move. You have to want this. I know Lorelai does. But you need to realize that this isn't just your heart breaking… Lorelai's is too, and probably everyone around the two of you. Just… call Luke or Sookie and ask them to set up a lunch for the two of you… Then move on from that. Its never too late." Jess said, his last thought conveying to her he wasn't just talking about her mother.
"Okay… I'm going to let you get back to your…thinking of me," Rory's voice seemed lighter for a moment.
"Awe. But its so much more fun when you're on the phone!" Jess mock pouted even though she couldn't see him.
Rory let out a soft laugh.
Just as he was about to hang up he heard her soft voice, "Hey, Jess? Thank you. For everything." before the dial tone blared in his ear.
-Wednesday-
"Dragonfly Inn, this is Michel speaking."
Rory smiled slightly at the Frenchman's snooty voice. "Hi, Michel, Its Rory. Is Sookie around?"
"Rory?" Disbelief was evident in Michel's voice.
"Yes. Rory. As in, Lorelai's daughter. Now, can I talk to Sookie?"
"She is in the kitchen."
"Then go get her!"
"But, it is not in my job description to fetch anyone you please. I'm not a dog!"
"Woof! Woof! Go get Sookie."
Michel grumbled and spouted off some nasty sounding French words before Rory heard him walking into the kitchen. She heard pots banging as Michel grabbed Sookie's arm.
"Rory is on the phone for you."
"Rory?" Rory could hear the confusion in her voice.
"Yes, Rory. Lorelai's daughter. Take the phone!"
"Why are you giving me the phone! Lorelai's in her office!"
"She asked for you! Take the phone!" Michel slammed the phone down on the counter and stormed out of the room.
"Rory?"
"Hey, Sookie!"
"How are you doing, sweetie?"
"I'm…fine. Can you do me a huge favor?"
Sookie bit her lip, "Anything for you, sweetie."
"Talk my mom into having lunch with me? Maybe… this weekend? I have a couple of interviews tomorrow with people at Yale… and I was hoping…I mean… unless she's said she doesn't want to see me, then that's okay. I just…" Rory trailed off.
"I'll talk to her," Sookie said, her voice slightly higher than usual due to the excitement.
"Okay. Call my cell when you get a chance. I have to go…"
"'Kay. Bye, sweetie."
--
"Hello?"
"Hey, sweetie, It's Sookie."
"Sookie! Hi," Rory said, her excitement slipping into her voice.
"I talked to your mom."
"And?"
"She said that Sunday is the best day… and that she'd clear her entire schedule. She also wants to know if you want to meet here or at Luke's?"
Rory grinned from ear to ear. "The Inn would be great, Sookie, I miss your food, plus if she's needed she won't have to go very far. And it will be a plus that the entire town won't be there."
"Okay. I'll tell her."
"Thanks, so much, Sookie. I don't know where I would be without you."
Sookie awed and smiled.
"I'll see you Sunday."
"Bye, sweetie."
--
"Hey, you." Jess smiled as he heard her soft voice flow through the line.
"Hey."
"Guess what I did today?" Rory's voice sounded slightly excited.
Jess shifted the phone to the other ear as he smirked, "You called someone in reference to a meal with you mother?"
"Sookie said that she talked to Mom and said that Sunday is the best time, and that she'd clear her entire schedule for me. And since it's only Wednesday, I have enough time to prepare myself if this goes awfully," Rory said, smiling.
"It won't go to bad… you may fight a little but…you have to hash this out."
"I will."
"Good. I have to go… I have class tonight. I've got to shower and change. Get the grime of work off me."
Rory smiled. "Okay. Have fun at class. I'll talk to you later."
"Bye, Ror."
"I love you," was the last thing he heard before he hung up.
--
"Hello?" Luke's voice was slightly louder than the background.
"Bad time?"
"Nah. Just busy."
"I can call back, its not a problem," Jess said, running his hand through his hair.
"No. Its fine. So, what's up?"
"Nothing. Getting ready for classes. Hey, uhm. I was wondering…" Jess fumbled for his words, "Do you still have my bed from when I lived there?"
Luke pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at it for a moment, before returning it to his ear. "Yeah… Why? Did someone steal yours?"
Jess chuckled and rolled his eyes. "No. I was just…" Come on Jess, just rip off the Band-Aid. "Can I come down this weekend?"
Jess heard the phone clatter on the floor. "I'm sorry, what?" Luke asked, his voice slightly confused. "Did you forget to pay your rent or something? I thought you never wanted to come back to this hellhole?"
"I didn't forget to pay my rent, Luke. I just… want to spend some time with Rory this weekend, plus I don't ever really see you, but we exchange these phone calls every once in awhile…" Jess sighed, "this is better than just showing up though. Look, I can get a room at the Dragonfly if you don't want me there."
"No…no. Its fine, you can stay here. You just caught me off guard." Luke breathed out a sigh. "So, you and her, huh? How's that going for you?" Luke neglected to mention the name as he put a glass of iced tea in front of Ms. Patty.
"Around one of the gossips?" Jess said, smirking slightly. "Nah. We're doing pretty good for a long distance thing. We've talked everyday. I guess that's pretty good, considering what we had when we were younger. I'll come down after work Friday. If I get lucky class will be canceled, but even if its not, I'll skip out. Its been too long since I've done that, its for a good reason, though."
"Jess…" Luke started, growling.
"Luke…" Jess mocked, before smirking. "I have to go. I've got class in thirty minutes, and well, I'm running late. Friday!"
-Thursday-
"Hello?"
"Hey," Jess smiled slightly, laying on his bed.
"Hey, you. What's going on?"
"Nothing, trying to sleep until you called," he said softly.
"Sleeping? This early? Its only ten thirty! You should be out… partying or something. Grandpa."
Jess laughed, "Let me guess what your doing. You're either studying, or your laying in your bed reading…Pride and Prejudice."
Rory looked down at her book, "Sense and Sensibility."
Jess chuckled, "You're such a girl."
"Hey!"
Jess shook his head, "So, what's going on in your life?"
"I'm getting nervous about Sunday. What if she hates me?"
Jess sighed, "Its only Thursday, Rory. And don't worry so much. Your mother can never hate you."
"But…"
"Shh. Trust me. Your mother will always love you."
"But… I-"
"Rory," Jess warned.
"Fine. You're right."
"Thank you. Aren't I always."
Rory shook her head and ignored his statement. "What are you reading?"
And the conversation went on.
-Friday-
"Hello?"
"Hey, Ror."
"What's up?" Rory said smiling slightly.
"Nothing… packing."
"Packing? For what?"
"Nothing. Just, keep your schedule open for the next day and a half. I'll see you later."
"Jess? What are yo-" was all she got out before the dial tone. Yanking the phone away from her ear, she stared at it for a moment, before she hung it up.
A/N #2: Did you like that? Hmm. I hope you did. I loved this chapter. Hopefully, chapter six will be out sooner than this one was. Reviews give me inspiration. And inspiration means more writing. Which means chapters coming out sooner. Plus, I love to hear people's thoughts. What you liked, what you loved… /rambles on