Disclaimer-Oh yeah, so I'm really Amy Sherman Palladino and when I'm not writing Gilmore Girls-because David Rosenthal has been killed by me-and not basking in my sheer brilliance I like to come onto this little website and make up stories about Gilmore Girls instead of actually making them the plotline. Oh, yeah, and I'm queen of the world.
A/N-I;M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY!!! Computer was unavailable for about a month-don't ask…I got this out as quickly as I could once Reggie was back—Reggiemy computer. I WILL NOT ABANDON THIS FIC!!!
Thanks to:
Ilovejessssss- you're review was NoT annoyingly long, I love long reviews…thank you soo much for the stats thingamajig! Very helpful…I appreciate being called awesome…I love you and…sorry it took so long to update.
Alabelle-that was a realllly cool review…you really like my story…wow….i ramble too and totally don't mind ur rambling…so THANKZZ
SquegeeBeckinhiem- I love you, ur awesome yet also really stupid….the no part was good, read it again, yet I still love you!
Gilmorejunkie1230- thank you soo much, if you realize, I used your advice…I would've been nowhere in this chapter without you! THANK YOU for your awesome help!
All other reviewers…you rule my world and you honest to god have a place in my heart devoted to only you! THANK YOU!!!!
Chapter 10
She shouldn't have said it. Now he knew all her secrets, she had nothing left to hide. What would she say next time she saw him? "Hey, about last night-I was being possessed by an evil spirit who loves to make up big fat lies." Yeah, that would work. Rory finally jumped out of her bed and walked into the kitchen.
"You got in late last night." Lorelai remarked as Rory stumbled out of her room.
"I took a walk to clear my head."
"Oh. What happened after I left the diner? I did notice it was only you and Jess so you can't lie and say nothing because there is no way nothing could happen while you and lover boy are alone in an empty diner. Spill." Lorelai commanded.
"Well, long story short, I told him our break-up wasn't his fault, I cried, told him I wasn't over him and then left." Rory summarized, pouring herself some coffee.
"Oh. Well, ok. Um, did you mean it?"
Rory hesitated before replying bluntly, "Yes."
"Ok. Well, hon, I don't know what to do here but if you want Jess, go get him! I'm sure he'd be ready with open arms to take you back."
"I can't just do that though. Not with everything that's happened between us! God, I feel like I'm living in a soap opera." Rory cried.
"Oh! All My Children or General Hospital?" Lorelai exclaimed.
"Mom!"
"Sorry. Well babe, this is up to you to deal with. I can't interfere."
"Of all the times you could be unsupportive you had to choose now! You're no help." Rory grumbled.
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Rory had spent the day with Lane at the '3-free-movies-and-give-5-dollars-to-save-the-town's-monument-festival'. They'd gotten 30 movies-mostly picking up the first one's they saw in the comedy section-for 50 dollars. Lane had then had to go to an 'Onslehb service'. Rory had asked but she'd ended up more confused than when the conversation had began and just told Lane to go. Now she was walking through town, taking the long route home. She gazed up and marveled at the spattering of stars in the sky. Retreating to a bench, she laid back and remembered a similar night a few weeks ago when she'd stared up at the sky with Jess and everything had seemed so perfect. "Washington, do you think can I come back?" She murmured.
"Rory." Said a loud voice, coming from behind her. Rory jumped up at the noise and let out a little yelp.
"Oh, Dean. What are you doing here?" She asked, looking at Dean curiously. The darkness left a shadow across his face and made him look almost threatening.
"I want to stop playing games." He stated.
"What?"
"Oh, you know exactly what I'm talking about. We're meant for each other. I still love you, you still love me, there's no denying it Rory. Don't pretend you're really over me, I know the truth. Come on, the whole 'kiss and make-up' thing worked before, I'm sure we can try again." He coaxed forcefully.
"What? Dean, I'm sorry, but…you…no!" She stumbled.
"What do you mean, no? Come on, we're going home." Dean ordered.
"What do you mean, we? I'm going home alone to my house and you…Dean; I don't care where you're going. By the way, I thought you were with Lucy. Go find her." Rory said coldly.
"Oh, come on Rory. We need to be together. You and me, we're…passion and…love."
"Dean, no. I don't love you, I used to but we're over. God…I broke up with you Dean. Can't you just accept that?" Rory stressed.
"You said you loved me! You told me you did!" He yelled.
"I wasn't lying, I did love you but I didn't even know what love was then." She explained sighing.
"Oh, a now you do? Someone else came along and now because of this person you're some great expert on the science of love? You know everything there is to know about it?" He questioned mockingly. "I wonder who this amazing pers---Jess." He halted, coming to a realization. "You left me for Jess. Do you love Jess?" He demanded.
"Yes...no…Dean, that's none of your business!"
"You do! You love him! You're frickin in love with that jerk! Come on, we're going home now!" He said forcefully, grabbing her wrist tightly.
"Ow, Dean No!" Rory resisted.
He pulled her hard against him and kissed her so strongly it was almost painful. His hands slipped up the front of a shirt, but only for a moment. Enough to skim the bottom of her bra though and create a tremble of terror flow through her. What was he doing?! When he pulled back she was breathless and began shoving at him.
"Get away from me!" She screamed, attempting to shake herself from his grip
"Rory, did you leave me for him?" He asked quietly, ceasing his pressure for a moment. Rory just stared at him helplessly, unable to answer.
Oh crap, he's really mad now.
"Come On!" He yelled even louder, pulling harder.
"Dean, please!" She whimpered as the pressure on her veins increased.
"Ow…Dean!" The pain was so intense she felt like she was being blinded when-
"Get away from her." Came a low, threatening voice from behind. Rory whipped her head around and saw Jess, her night in shining armor. He was staring at Dean, his expression stone cold. Dean dropped Rory's wrist and turned around also.
"Jess. Stay out of this. Leave, now." Dean barked. Jess didn't even blink.
"As soon as you're gone." He replied calmly. Rory stood, looking between the two of them until she felt a strong hand grab her again, pressing down on the spot that was now throbbing from Dean's previous grip. She spun around to see him standing next to her again, big surprise.
"That's fine by me. Come on Rory." He pulled and dug in even harder.
"Ow, Dean…Dean please let go! Dean I'm not going anywhere with you. Dean…oh…De—Dean!" Rory began gasping in tearless sobs, it felt like he was ripping her wrist out of its ligaments.
"Dean stop! Please….Jess!" She finally cried out in desperation to get rid of the pain. This was his cue. He hadn't known if Rory had wanted him to interfere, he couldn't screw anything else up between him but now…
He grabbed Dean's arm easily, since his intrusion was unexpected, and yanked him from Rory.
"Don't lay a finger on her, ever again." Jess said, his expression hard and bitter.
Rory had stumbled back, grasping her arm in pain.
"Go back to your red-headed ditz." Jess directed to Dean before turning to Rory, who was testing her wrist out.
"You can move it?" He questioned. She nodded.
"Come on, let's go back to the diner and put on some ice." She nodded again and they ventured to Luke's.
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Rory sat and watched him walk about the tables, gathering leftover cups and silverware. The rest of their walk to the diner had been wordless but strangely not awkward at all. He had placed some ice in a towel and handed it to her, saying simply to keep it on her wrist. The gesture was sweet and touched Rory. He really did care about her.
He stood by the sink, scrubbing plates while she stared. She loved watching him work. She had memorized every inch of his body. She thought he didn't know, she thought he could ignore the piercing holes her eyes were boring into him…
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She's watching me. She thinks I don't know. I've known since the day she started it all. Living in the city as a kid, you learn to detect when someone's looking at you. He had developed a sort of radar. Before, he had used it for his safety. Now, it was simply his Rory Radar-as he had so fondly labeled it. The moment I turn towards her she glances away and pretends to be examining the salt and pepper shakers. I almost laugh at her childishness but I don't. That would be breaking the rules of her game.
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He threw down his rag finally and began stepping towards her. She took a deep breath and gathered her composure, before looking up at him. He sat down and gesturing to her wrist, which was beginning to turn purple, asked:
"How is it?"
"Numb. Probably from the ice." She replied.
"Yeah…ice can do that." He said, tapping his feet on the ground anxiously.
So much for not being awkward, Rory thought.
She was staring down at her wrist but it didn't go past her that he was studying her face intently and it was a bit unnerving. With a sudden burst of courage, she raised her eyes to meet his. A jolt of white-hot fire currented through her. His eyes were just questioning and unsure.
"Well, one of us has to say something." Rory finally conceive, to fill up the silence.
"Last night, when you said all the things that you said about us, did you really mean that?" He asked abruptly. She looked up, surprised by his blatancy. She remembered how her mother had asked her that identical question earlier today.
"Oh. Well, ok. Um, did you mean it?"
Rory hesitated before replying bluntly, "Yes."
Rory looked up and saw his desperate expression. Of course she'd meant it but somehow the words, "I don't know." came out of her mouth before she could stop them.
He nodded slowly and stared into the distance.
"Rory Gilmore, you really know how to lead someone on and then just let them down." He began bitterly but before he could even look up, her lips were on his.
At first he seemed to have forgotten how to kiss someone. Slowly his magic came flowing back and he moved his mouth against hers, eyes fluttering shut. Their kiss was sweet, and he surely wanted it to be more but he wasn't going to push his limits here. This was enough for now, just having her in his arms. She suddenly pulled away-to his dismay, breathlessly.
"What time is it?"
"7:45." He told her, glancing down at his watch.
"I've got to get home but let's talk tonight. Can you come by my window at 9:15?" She asked hopefully. The ability to speak had temporarily left him and so he just nodded, dumbfounded. She grinned and stepped into the cool night air.
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Rory crashed through the door.
"Mom! Mom, Mom, Mom!" She yelled at the top of her lungs.
"What, Rory what's wrong?" Lorelai shouted, rushing to the living room. Once she saw Rory intact and realized her daughter wasn't in mortal danger at the moment she lowered the panic level.
"What's going on sweetie?"
"I kissed Jess!" She moaned.
"Yes, we have established this fact. There was Sookie's wedding and then a few times in D.C. What's it been, four times now? See, I did listen to all your midnight phone rambles. I especially liked the ones where you were really tired; those were where I got the most detail." Lorelai stated, her eyes shining deviously
"No, I mean just now in the diner! I kissed him and left!" She explained. She had decided at the last minute to leave out the whole telling Jess to come to her room that night thing.
"Oh."
"Yeah!" Rory cried.
"Well, it's no surprise. You obviously weren't over him. I could see it, you could see it, Jess could see it, Luke…well I don't know about Luke because…he's Luke, Miss Patty could see it, Babette could see it, Morey could…"
"Okay!" Rory interrupted, halting Lorelai's speech.
"Well, you weren't were you?"
"Over him? Apparently not." Rory mumbled.
"So then this is good." Lorelai concluded.
"Yeah I guess." Rory said, not quite sure of her own words.
"Now we eat food while you explain what the hell happened to your wrist." Lorelai ordered.
"Well..."
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Lorelai had stopped her eating halfway in and was staring at Rory, anger in her eyes.
"He is dead. Dead, I tell you. Someone find me an axe and a shovel…no, forget the axe, just a shovel, that way I can bury him alive."
"Mom, Mom, settle down, I'm fine." Rory tried to convince Lorelai.
"I can't believe I ever trusted him. He hurt you Rory, he hurt you and kissed you and…God, if Jess hadn't come who knows what else could have happened to you tonight." Lorelai exclaimed.
"But Jess did come, and I'm fine, it's all ok."
"Yeah, alright...I still want to kill him." Lorelai said, finally coming off her angry high.
"But you'll refrain?" Rory asked nervously.
"Yeah, I guess." Lorelai answered, defeated. Rory sighed with relief.
"You don't hate Jess so much anymore, do you?" She asked. She just couldn't help it.
"I never hated Jess, Rory." Lorelai said, sighing. Rory cocked an eyebrow at her skeptically.
"Sure, he wasn't my favorite kid but look how much he cares about you. He frickin' moved back to Stars Hollow, a place where everybody who lives here hates his guts. Plus, he definitely earned some Brownie points for his actions shown previously tonight." Lorelai said.
"He didn't move back for me…he…" Rory trailed off.
"You visit him in New York and mysteriously he returns here within a week. Do you have a better explanation?" Lorelai inquired. Rory wasn't listening though, she was thinking, hard. Her mom was right. Jess had done so much for her.
She remembered how he had started being nicer to Luke because she asked him to, he had knocked down their only eligible opponent in the Snowman Building Contest so she and her mother could win it, he had bought her basket at the Bid-A-Basket Festival just to spend time with her, he had brought her a care package while her mother was away, when they gotten in that car crash he had waited around until the ambulance had come and she remembered the words he'd said to calm her as she tried to blink back tears of pain, he'd showed her around New York and bought her lunch when she'd visited him, he'd moved back to Stars Hollow for her, he'd never told anyone about the kiss at the wedding-though she wasn't sure of who he'd tell anyway, he'd come to Washington for her…
God, he had done so much, just for her. Plus, he never interfered in her relationship with Dean—well, except for how every time she saw him or looked at him the spark that was always there, the little burning flame that she had just for Jess, would intensify just a skinch. And except for how it seemed that every time she was with Dean, he would to walk by, ripping her attention away from her boyfriend.
Then the spark would grow another smidge. Sometimes two or three smidges. If he looked at her at would be three and a half smidges. If he was looking particularly good that day and he gave her his signature smirk it would bump up to four smidges.
His timing was always so impeccable-he would come around the corner just as she and Dean were about to kiss, or when they were in a deep conversation and it seemed like Dean was actually about to say something intelligible and prove himself more than just tall, good-looking, and sweet Then Jess would walk by and all Dean's words were lost. Rory started to think maybe Jess did this on purpose, but then she'd drop the thought.
Rory finally looked up at Lorelai.
"Have you figured everything out now?" Lorelai questioned. Rory nodded, realizing just how long Jess had truly liked her. She was beginning to feel incredibly stupid for not seeing this earlier and ate the rest of her dinner in silence.
AN: Now for our mathematical formula of the day students,
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