Title: The Mariano Agenda
Author: Bent137
Rating: R
Disclaimer: Characters of Gilmore Girls(as well as anything else associated with it) aren't mine, the title is a spin of the Dark Angel episode "The Berrisford Agenda".
Spoilers: Up to the Season 2 Finale
Music References: None
Authors Note: I've had this bouncing around for a little while. I finally got the chance to sit and write it out. This is the first time I've done script format. Thanks to Rea for beta reading for me.
Timeline: I've decided to help you all out by providing you with a quick timeline. Rory left for Washington very early on a Friday morning. Saturday Jess went to New York. In the last chapter Jess revealed it was a week later, and he is about to go home. This chapter covers the rest of that Saturday then moves to 2 days later to Monday.

Rory Speaks Her Mind

Previously

Aaron: Jess, she's still in the hospital. She's been in that same coma all year.

Jess: Which hospital.

Aaron: The one by school.

Jess: Thanks buddy. I'm gonna go, check it out. Will you go by Emily's school for me, and explain it to her. And I'll meet you guys at our Krispy Creme as soon as I can.

Aaron: Yeah, sure.

(They both walk out of the room.)

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(Jess is walking down a hall in a hospital. He approaches a nurse's station and a young blonde nurse looks up at him.)

Nurse: May I help you?

Jess: Yes, I'm looking for Mary Derouin's room.

Nurse: Are you family?

Jess: No, I'm an old friend.

Nurse: Oh, well I'm sorry, but we're only letting family in.

Jess: Could I just please, I'm only here for a few more days, and I live out of town, and I just want to see her again.

Nurse: (sighs and looks around) Okay, but only for five minutes, and if anyone finds you, you snuck in. Room 412.

Jess: Thank you.

(Jess walks down the hall again looking at the numbers for the doors. He stops at 412. He looks in before walking in slowly. Hospital machinery is heard beeping. He moves to a chair next to the bed and looks down. On the bed is the girl from all the flashbacks.)

Jess: Oh, Mary, what did we do?

(Jess reaches out and gently takes her hand.)

Jess: I'm sorry, Mary, for everything.

(Suddenly the beeping turns steady and Jess looks up sharply to see the line on the monitor fall flat.)

Jess: Mary! turns to the door and yells Nurse!

(The nurse runs in, with doctors following and pushes Jess out of the way. Cut to a Krispy Creme shop. Aaron and Emily are sitting at a table for four eating glazed donuts and drinking out of Styrofoam cups. Jess walks in and sits down with them. He looks incredibly distraught. Emily puts down her donut and looks at him. Aaron stares at him, his mouth wide open over a donut.)

Aaron: What happened to you?

(Jess pulls a donut out of their box and takes a bite, chewing thoughtfully. He swallows before answering.)

Jess: She's gone.

(Cut to the coffee shop in Washington. Wichita is wiping down the counter when Rory bursts in the door.)

Wichita: You're late.

Rory: I know, I'm sorry, I got held up by Paris.

Wichita: No problem. (he turns and grabs some coffee cups) Grab a seat.

Rory: (sits in a booth) How is your day going?

Wichita: It's going pretty good. (He walks over and sits down across from her setting their coffee on the table.) Yours?

Rory: Just dandy. (Wichita raises an eyebrow) It's just, I got another call from my dad today.

Wichita: Oh, how's he doing?

Rory: Wouldn't know. (She sips her coffee) Ow, hot.

Wichita: You didn't talk to him?

Rory: No.

Wichita: Why not? (He fiddles with the handle of his cup)

Rory: I just can't bring myself to. He's caused us so much hurt. (Wichita nods) I guess I'm not ready to pretend everything is okay.

Wichita: Then don't. (Rory looks up at him.) You're an emotional floodgate Rory, you've got to let it out sometime, and he deserves to know exactly how you feel, the good and the bad. (pointedly) He is your father, he brought you into this mess.

Rory: I know. I just, ugh, I can't believe he would be so foolish! Aren't people supposed to learn from their mistakes? How could he just go and get Sherry pregnant like that?

Wichita: Are you calling yourself a mistake?

Rory: Well, I was. I was an unexpected mistake.

(Wichita reaches across the table and grabs her hand tightly. She looks up at him with widened eyes.)

Wichita: You are not a mistake. Never let anyone tell you otherwise, not even yourself.