A/N Thanks for the reviews for the last chapter I love them! They were all very inspiring so thank you.

You are entering the world of fiction. Suspend all beliefs now.

Chapter 9.

A New Place

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The train chugged peacefully along its well laid tracks. Rory Gilmore gazed out the window her forehead resting against the cool glass pane. Many of her forefathers travelled the same way to their new beginnings. They had gone with the hopes of new and prosperous jobs, ways to feed their families during harsh times. She was going to help build her burgeoning career and to more importantly start fresh. Again. For a little while at least. Four months she would be gone from Boston from her mother, from her new found friend, from Jim, from Logan it would be best to get away from the latter two. She let out a sigh watching as her breath clung to the window. She needed to give them both space. Over the last two weeks Logan had put his paper into print and moved Jim up to editor of the National section. And over those last two weeks Jim had found it increasingly hard to talk to her, they were best friends had been for the last two and a half years but now he was flighty and nervous never knowing what to say and what not to. It was because of his new position with her ex Logan, and even though he denied it, the open and scarring truths he had read that morning two weeks earlier that made him more…distant.

It was a long train ride. She had been given the option of flying but she had seen the railway as a way to relax, she had always been going, running really, to sit was to be idle and to be idle meant time to think on her actions, on murderous and gut wrenching images of Mack lying lifeless on the street. She had made peace with that past now and being idle no longer brought up those images. She mourned leaving the city where she had struggled with Mack but she knew he'd be happy for her and mad as hell if she hadn't taken this opportunity because of him. A two day train ride felt like a lifetime to think and lounge.

She rolled her head back onto the seat and pulled the blanket covering her up to her chin.

"Rory." Wolfe's voice commanded attention like none she'd ever heard.

"Yes, sir." She stood up groaning as he smiled, knowing he had ployed her into acting out the cadet to his officer.

"There's a four month job opening in the rainy city of Seattle. One of the regular columnists is taking a four month leave of absence and the paper has sent out a memo for any interested candidates to apply. It's only temporary but it would be a great opportunity to write full time, and learn from some new faces, not that we're getting old."

"Only senile." She quipped.

"Ouch." He scrunched his face in pain. "I know the editor, we graduated same year from Yale, if you want the job it's yours."

"Thank you. Do you mind if I think on it?"

"Sure but don't take too long I've got sway but not if they've already hired someone."

"Thanks."

Later that day she called up her mom for advice. "Rory, the man has complete faith in you he sees what I've seen since you could talk you have that passion, fire and determination to make it big in that grand ol' profession of yours."

"But I've only been working here for two weeks others have been working here a lot longer."

"You're good Rory that's why he's giving you this opportunity, do I need to do my you have fire speech again?"

"No." She groaned.

"Good this is your break Kid. Take it while you can. You'll be back as soon as you know it anyway it's not like it's a permanent job its one to get your hands a little more calloused..."

Just like that she was being shipped off to Seattle. She chuckled lightly under her breath her mom had been so jealous she was going to visit the coffee capital of America and Rory had promised to milk that jealousy for all it was worth.

But it wasn't really like she was starting fresh she rewound her conversation from before, she had excepted everything that had happened she was moving forward with the confidence of the future and the confidence of the past.

----

She exited the train her legs shaking on solid stable ground as if she were still being taken along on the slow moving tracks and she was reminded of what Stellar had said about walking on land for the first time after being at sea for several months. No one around her appeared to suffer from the same ailment people whizzed past her with bags wheeling behind them or buggies stacked high in front of them, and the voices surrounded her, all clamouring to be heard above the din. Rory staggered forward clutching at the two wheeling bags behind her for support. There against the building she spotted an open bench. She sat gratefully on the wooden slats leaning back on the building warmed from the eastern morning sun.

The thought plunged through the din and caught her unaware and she inhaled sharply with the knowingness that she was in another state on the other side of America with a whole new adventure ahead.

She squeezed her eyes shut and there was Mack standing before her his guitar strapped to his back and a joint lolling between his lips. I made it Mack. The Mack before her grinned wildly the joint disappeared she reached forward to high five the mirage.

Her eyes popped open at the soft fluffy feeling under her hand. Sitting in front of her sat a golden furred canine her hand must have landed on him when she had made to high five. She pulled her hand away and the dog turned his face to her, brown innocent eyes stared at her, he seemed to laugh at her as his tongue split his mouth and his breath came in beats. She smiled back at the dog and reached to give him another pat on the head. The dog wiggled closer to her and stuck his wet nose under the hand that had pet her willing it to resume its previous position, she chuckled and obliged the dog.

A man trotted up to the pair at that moment. "Thank you." He breathed. Rory and the dog looked at him in askance. "For holding my dog, little bugger got away. Didn't you." He finished off talking to the golden in that cutesy but I'm going to so make you suffer for this voice that pet owners often take on. "He's just a pup though almost a year so he can be a bit of a handful and it was either bring him with me or let him chew up my apartment. I'm picking up my mom she's visiting from Oregon. That's her." She followed his hand to a well clad woman standing by a heap of bags. A cell phone shoved to her ear she was gesturing wildly presumably to the person on the other end of that phone.

Rory looked back at the man before her, still petting the dog, he was in his early twenties wearing dusty blue jeans with a black tee a chain hung down from his neck, his eyes were a piercing blue green. His hand came down to fiddle with the silver chain around his neck as he continued to stare at his mom. "Never did pack light even when we'd go on two day outings, she's down here for a vacation." He explained as his attention moved back to Rory. "She's a big shot lawyer and even though she really does mean well and does genuinely want to see me she'll spend a lot of her time on that damn phone." Rory nodded her head emphatically her lips curling up amused at the fact that this complete stranger felt compelled to share all this. "Are you waiting for the train?" The hand that twittled with the chain hitched back in the direction of the tracks.

"No." She shook her head, then compelled she told him what she was doing in Seattle.

"A journalist, wow, big career." He took a seat next to her, looking over at his mom who still nattered on the phone.

"So you're new to the city?"

"Yup just like Violet in New York except well I have a job and can't sing and…"

"Here." He laughed, cutting off her ramble she smiled grateful.

"Jesse Lawson, Manager." She read off the name. "Lawson Acts."

"I manage a couple acts, give me a call." He took the card back and scribbled his cell number on it. "I'll show you around the city, you know so you won't have to dance on a bar to know all the good places."

"Ooo, will we go pack fish at five in the morning?"

"Unfortunately no but we can go have breakfast at this little bistro."

"Oh la la." She trilled.

"Oh I better go my Mom's off." He stood up clipping a black leather leash to the canine. "Sorry I didn't get your name?"

"Rory."

"Nice to meet you Rory." He reached out a hand and she shook it in a firm grasp.

"Let's go Jesse."

"Jesse?" Rory arched an eyebrow.

"It's a long story, if you give me a call I'll tell you about it."

"Are you bribing me?"

"Maybe." He laughed a deep merry laugh.

She watched after his back as he lead Jesse and his Mom out of the station. Feeling more confident she slipped the card in her pocket and walked to the exit.

---

"Where to miss?" The cabbie asked as she slid into the back seat.

"Oh umm…hold on." She fished in her bag and brought out the apartment's address and relayed it to the cab driver. As she put the address into her pants pocket the business card fell out. Picking it up off the floor of the cab she thumbed the embossed logo. "Lawson" She murmured aloud.

"Lawson?" The cab driver barked. "You one of them?"

"No I met a Jesse Lawson at the train station, why? Do you know them?"

"Sure Alison Lawson is a social and political heavyweight in Oregon. Her law firm handles the biggest and baddest high profile cases."

"Figures." She muttered under her breath.

"Sorry?"

"Figures that the guy I meet is a blue blood."

"I can't vouch for the son but the Mom is about as elite as they come. Why does it figure you'd meet a blue blood?"

"Ahh well now that is a story, one which I don't feel like reliving, but if you have to know," She laughed. "Actually nevermind…"

"You're a blue blood are you?"

"I guess technically I am my mom never considered us one, and I definitely don't consider myself one now. So back to the Alison Lawson, married?"

He laughed. "Husband died about ten years ago, what was it again?" He hummed a tune pondering. "Lung Cancer."

She winced. "That's harsh. What about children?"

"Pretty sure just two, the prodigal son and daughter. The girl I know is following in her mother's footsteps, Brooke Lawson. The son I don't know, haven't seen him in any news stories for a long while, falling out maybe?"

"Hmm…I doubt that she was visiting when I met him."

"Well then I don't know then."

"So the Lawsons? They're obviously in the paper a lot or you're a really good stalker."

"I'll take the latter."

She laughed. "So tell me something I must need to know about Seattle."

"An umbrella is always an asset even when it looks like there's going to be a heat wave, and you can always find a Starbucks."

"Alright!"

"Is this your first time here?"

"Yup, I got a four month job working at the Seattle Times."

"That's a good paper I read it daily with my coffee and muffin."

"What about you have you lived here all your life?"

"Nah, I moved here sixteen years ago from South Africa to give my family better opportunities."

"Must have been a hard move."

"It was but my daughter's going to be a surgeon and my son has a steady job as a mechanic."

"That's great." He pulled of the street and parked in front of a large building lined from ground to top in black windows.

"Wow" She breathed. "Is this it?"

"Yup some digs you got there." He opened the door and got out of the taxi and walked to the trunk. Rory followed.

"I'm renting it for half the price from the woman I'm replacing."

"Enjoy then."

"I'll try, how much do I owe you?"

He checked the odometer and fed her the fare. "Thank you so much umm.."

"Clive."

"Clive, thank you, that was the best taxi ride I've had in awhile."

"I appreciate that. Good luck at your job."

"Thanks." She nodded. "Bye."

The elevator doors opened to the sixth floor an audible gasp escaping her lips. The hallway was massive, with lush beige carpets and plants lining it. She stuck the key in the door of suite twenty-six the door swung inward and she awed at her home for the next four months.

"Hello." Lorelai answered her phone distractedly.

"So I think I landed in Charles Kane's mansion."

"Well make sure you ask him what rosebud means."

"This place is amazing, the collection of books my God Mom there's an entire wall devoted to literature."

"Well you did say she was a reporter."

"And the kitchen is spectacular, sparkling oven and fridge."

"You don't cook."

"I do too!"

"Right, right spaghetti and mac 'n' cheese."

"I'll have you know, Jim's been teaching me quite a few new recipes and I cook a mean mac 'n' cheese." She heard her mother howl with laughter on the other end. "Well there's a coffee vendor on every street corner."

"Mean."

"Sorry." She chuckled.

"So seriously you got there okay?"

"Yeah it was a good ride got to think a lot."

"Good."

"Yeah good…" She trailed off walking around into the kitchen. "I miss you Mom."

"I miss you too kid, but we'll be okay."

"Yeah I - Holy Shit!" Rory screamed clutching at her chest as adrenalin coursed through her veins. Calming down she heard her mother screaming over the line. "Why are you screaming?" She managed to laugh.

"Because you are. Why is that?"

"There's a cat." She watched the furry creature tip toe toward her along the counter.

"A cat?"

"A cat, a four legged, long haired, Homeward Bound cat, why is there a cat?"

"Did you know?"

"Yep I knew that's why I'm so alarmed."

"Well…"

"There's a note."

"A note!" Lorelai exclaimed.

Rory picked the eight by ten piece of paper and held it at arms length. "Rory, enjoy your stay…blah…blah…blah…" She skimmed through bits on the apartment, food, and the paper. "Here we go hope you don't mind Buffy, Buffy, I was going to take her to a kennel but then I thought maybe you'd like the company she's a darling. I stacked up on food but don't feel like you need to, my neighbour in twenty-seven will take her if you don't want to. Huh…"

"Do you think you'll keep her or send her to the ominous twenty-seven?"

"She is pretty cute." Rory mused scratching the silky fur under the cats chin. "I do love that she named her cat after Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

----

Rory Gilmore had a routine going. Up at six thirty feed Buffy, shower, dress, head to the local gym (a fact her mother mocked but she was proud of) then head to work for nine. Depending on what she was writing she'd be at her desk or off getting interviews and following up facts. By five she'd usually be heading back to the apartment, stopping at one of the nearby restaurants for dinner for one. And by nine she'd be tucked under the covers in the air conditioned apartment mocking one of the many summer reality shows.

And close to every day she was greeted in the hallway by her friendly neighbour.

"Rory dear hello." Mrs. Henkelstien called from her open apartment door.

"Mrs. Henkelstien, how are you this morning?" Mrs. Henkelstien is the elderly lady who lives in suite twenty-seven, the neighbour who was going to take Buffy if Rory had wanted her to.

"Quite well my dear. Congratulations on the piece in the paper second page of the Arts you're moving up."

"Thank you." Rory beamed. "How's Lucy's infection." Lucy was one of four cats Mrs. Henkelstien owned. They kept her patient she said after her husband had passed away and her daughter had moved to Japan to teach English.

"It's clearing up quite well."

"Glad to hear it." Mrs. H was the first neighbour Rory had met, she had come over the second night Rory had moved in with a sweet smelling apple pie, a kind act that reminded Rory of her beloved Stars Hollow and instantly compelled her to the woman.

"Are you off to work now?"

"Yes." Rory answered energetically. "New and exciting stories to follow."

"Find them well, you've got the sniffer for it." Rory laughed.

"Alright Mrs H." The elevator doors pinged open, she entered waving goodbye.

"Hey Laurie." Rory greeted the receptionist as she made her way up to the second floor of the Seattle Times Paper. Laurie managed a small wave before being hit by another onslaught of calls.

Rory Gilmore was four weeks into the job at the Seattle Times and so far she was loving it. Her pieces were small but each one published was important to her confidence, to her career. She had been taken under the wing of Kristine Lemming one of the senior editors for the Arts and Life section as well as the Local Seattle news. Rory had soaked in every bit of information she could from Kristine. Everything from where the best coffee could be found to tips on writing the most concise article, and Rory had excelled under Ms Lemming's guidance. Rory was given a wide variety of articles to write, Kristine wanted her to get experience in writing all types of articles and Rory was grateful.

She had barely got settled into her seat when Kristine was in front of her.

"How's it going?" Kristine greeted.

"Good so far."

"Good, look how's the piece on where to get the best cup of joe going?"

"Great actually I was just about to finish it off."

"Good, because I want you to do a review tonight, we're putting together a list of good local indie bands, if these guys are good I want you to write up a little blurb on them as well."

"Okay."

"Great. Don't worry about coming in tomorrow I have a feeling you'll be having a raucous night."

"Can't wait." She enthused sarcastically.

"No seriously you will, just send the piece in electronically before four."

----

So today was to be a deviation from her normal routine. Kristine had booked her to review The Cedars at Club 67. So here she was at home polishing off a sweet-and-sour pork, chow mein combo before getting ready. Buffy lay on Rory's bed as she rifled through her clothes, finally deciding on a grey and white Armani tee her Mom bought her as a congratulations/going away gift and midnight blue jeans that hugged her curves. Her brown hair hung straight over her back. Rory packed her purse with notepad, a few pens, money, press pass, and the silver lighter she always kept close. Quickly she applied more mascara and lip gloss before pulling on her boots and exiting the apartment blowing a kiss to Buffy.

-

She awkwardly avoided looking at anyone as she passed the winding line-up outside the club, flashing her press pass at the bouncers she quickly passed through the arches of Club 67. Inside she found a spot at the bar and ordered a white rum and coke. The band wasn't going on for another twenty minutes. She scanned the room sipping on the drink, she hated arriving early to reviews she had avoided the night scene ever since she had arrived in Seattle. Discovering Jesse was a blue blood had just reminded her of Logan and the fact that dating usually meant messy complicated feelings and she was here to work and…think of the devil, she smiled ironically. There in the corner of the room in a private booth sat Jesse Lawson and two other men one blonde and one brown. Before she knew what she was doing she was rushing over to the table toward the familiar brown haired mop.

"Finn." She cried when she was within ear and eye shot. The trio lifted their heads and she was greeted with the familiar smile and twinkling eyes of the Australian hottie.

"Love" Finn exclaimed pushing out of the booth and wrapping her in a bear hug. "It's been a long time." He spoke into her ear.

"That it has." She answered back.

"Let me see you." He smiled holding her at arms length eyeing her up and down. "As debonair as ever."

She felt the heat rush to her cheeks. "You always could make me blush." He laughed.

"Come sit, come sit." He ushered her toward the table and waved her into the booth next to him, the blonde had wandered off but Jesse sat across from them a small smile pasted on his face. "Oh right Rory this is…"

"Jesse." She answered for him wishing this soon to be awkward moment would end quickly.

"You know each other…shoulda known Jesse would know you, he knows all the beautiful women in this town." Rory arched an eyebrow at the man opposite her suddenly she didn't feel so sorry she blew him off.

"He's just kidding I don't have the time for that many women." Jesse countered guessing what Rory was thinking.

"Ahh yes Jesse here's going to be a big shot manager, his band is playing tonight."

"You're band huh, that's actually why I'm here I'm reviewing it for the Seattle Times."

"Reporter girl? You made it." Finn turned his beaming Aussie smile on her. "We all knew you would." We, including Logan she felt the butterflies take off, had Finn and Logan not been in touch? He didn't seem to know about what had happened between them again. "Rory?" She heard Finn call her, from afar. She put on a bright smile hoping it would wipe out thoughts of Logan.

"Yeah I made it, just here until September then I'll be back in Boston at the Times there."

"Then we shall make a night of it!" Finn declared. "Love!" He called the nearest waitress. "Another round please."

Rory laughed and felt Logan slip to the back of her thoughts once again. "Can it wait until after a few songs I need to be this side of drunk to write."

"Anything for you love." Finn chuckled throwing an arm around her shoulders.

The drinks came and the band played, they didn't leave until the wee hours of the night.

Rory woke up with the seven dwarfs working the mines in her head. She didn't want to move but with bleary eyes she searched for clock telling her she was already way past her wake up time, she didn't have to be at the office today but she did have to submit the review. At the moment writing an article didn't seem likely, hell even rolling over was looking like a grim proposition. Leave it to Finn to…oh God Finn she thought…they had all left, herself, Jesse, and Finn at the same time but he had gone off with a red head and she had…come home with Jesse along, she couldn't remember anything after that her mind was blank. Her heart sped up and she could feel the adrenalin rush down to her toes and fingers, something had happened she could feel it. She looked frantically around the room but she was alone, there were no clothes littered the floor and no sound other than her breathing.

She let her head fall back onto the pillow slowing her rapid breaths. A wail ripped through her head and reminded her why she hadn't woke up till eleven. The wailing ripped again, stretching her hand out she searched for the culprit and managed to click the button before it had a chance to scream again.

"Hello." Her voice came out broken and groggy.

"How many times have I told you water, water, water." The voice chastised.

"Not enough apparently, Sam." Rory groaned.

"So you've finally found the night life in Seattle."

"In a round about way." Rory answered rubbing circles on her temples. "I was reviewing a band and I ran into an old friend."

"Ooo…" Sam fawned. "Do tell."

"Nothing like that."

"No matter I still want details."

"Can we put that on hold?" Rory groaned trying not to make any sudden movements. "Until after I have an aspirin and lots of water?"

"Fine." Rory could hear the pout across the country.

"Thanks. I'll call you when my head stops feeling like Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker are doing nun chucks."

"Alright." Sam chuckled. "Bye."

"Bye." Rory croaked.

-

Sam hung the phone back on its cradle.

"You didn't tell her."

"She was severly hung over I can't tell her when she's in that state."

"I guess."

"It'll be fine."

-----

Rory gingerly pushed herself off the bed and into her bathroom. She stopped short before her mirror. There taped to the mirror was a note, not one she had written.

Rory,

I had an early meeting hope you don't mind I took some aspirin. You said you didn't have to go to the paper today so I didn't wake you. If you're feeling the hangover I am you probably wish you were still sleeping.

I'll call later.

Jesse

And with that her stomach plunged and all the lost memories of last night came back in a woosh.

Pleasures, and ecstasies, pains and wants and needs.

She swallowed an aspirin with a shaky hand. Rory pulled the note down and stared into the mirror gripping the sink. It was still her that stared back, she didn't feel horrible people did this all the time, flings. She could do it. She'd done it with Logan.

At first.

But not really.

-----