AN bit of a healthy angsty chapter in this one, i love angsty Jess. I knwo a couple of you are a bit worried about how Jess is reacting. Remember he was under the assumption that Rory still loved him and he felt betrayed that carried a charade, and Jess is the kind of character that is sracastic and will bite back when he is hurt. So hopefully RR
Lorelai found her daughter a few minutes later, sitting in the same position. Sitting next to her she placed her hand on Rory's shoulder, rubbing away the sudden stress.
"Honey are you alright?" Rory lowered her hands and lifted her tear stained face, wiping the tears away from underneath she smeared mascara across her cheek.
"Mom, I'm so sorry. I ruined your wedding."
"No you didn't, no wedding is complete without a little drama." Lorelai smiled encouragingly
"He really hates me doesn't he?" Lorelai looked at her daughter, the look on her face looking younger than her actual years.
"I think there are a lot of confused, hurt feelings. It's been un-resolved for a long time, who knows it may never get dealt with. But I don't think he hates you." Lorelai stood up and grabbed her daughter's hand and pulled her up of the couch.
"Come on you need to get cleaned up." She followed her daughter and noticed Jess sitting on the wall that surrounded the hotel. "I'll be there in a minute."
Rory nodded and wiped her nose with her hand, before walking off in the direction of the bathroom. Lorelai watched as Rory disappeared down the corridor before heading outside, guests looked at the bride that floated outside and climbed over the wall.
"I suppose you're now going to banish me, for ruining your day?" Jess took a drag on the cigarette and lowered his hand.
"Nope, whatever is between you and my daughter is now your business."
"Huh, you've mellowed. There was a time when you would have run me out of town, with an axe." Jess quipped his eyes still trained on the floor.
"Believe me; I argued the Jess theory with Rory. She made her decision about you a long time ago."
"That's not how I remember it."
"Jess you kind of had a reputation of bailing, I think that after that first time she couldn't fully trust like she had before. But she always had you in the back of her mind." Jess stamped on the now dead cigarette stub, and lifted his head.
"I asked her to leave with me once, after her first year at Yale."
"Yeah she told me, I also know it was you that got her back on the right track." Jess finally turned to face Lorelai, who had her head tilted.
Listen Jess, I need you to do me a favor. These shoes are killing me, can you go to my house and grab me another pair."
"You're not serious? You are serious. Can't someone else do this for you? It's a thirty minute drive."
"You're the only one sober enough, look the hideaway key is underneath the turtle on the porch. The shoes are in a pink shoebox at the bottom of Rory's closet."
Jess stood up and shoved his hands in his pocket, looking for his car keys.
"Fine." He turned and went to his car.
"Here's hoping you find something more than the shoes." Lorelai whispered crossing her fingers.
Jess made the thirty minute drive in half the time, parking his car on the makeshift driveway. Lifting the turtle he found the key and opened the door, closing the door behind him he slowly walked through the kitchen and into Rory's bedroom.
Opening the closet door he moved the rack of clothes away from his head, kneeling on the floor.
"Great." He mumbled to himself when he not only saw one but two pink shoeboxes. His eyes glanced at the large brown boxes that were piled in the corner of the closet. He saw the large black letters that spelled her first boyfriend Dean; rolling his eyes he kicked the box for good measure.
The box on top fell from its position and onto the ground, its contents splayed across the floor. He stared at the copy of Howl, his notes still in margin, grabbing the book he turned a few pages the smell of the paper invading the air.
Picking up the box he placed it on the bed and looked back towards the closet, pushing the clothes all to one side he saw one box for her past boyfriends. Two boxes for him, he smirked and grabbed the other box and placed it against the other one on the bed.
Jess reached into the box and grabbed various ticket stubs, including the concert tickets from the makeup Distillers concert. Smiling to himself he noticed the white bear from the winter carnival, a small piece of police tape.
Rory had kept every keepsake of their relationship, including CD's of their favorite music. Reaching into the bottom of the box he pulled out a notepad, a half written letter addressed to him in the summer she had gone to Washington.
A copy of the Subsect rested in the next box; the pages worn as if it had been read thousands of times, in between various pages were photos of the two of them together. Teenagers their faces full of smiles and silent looks, like it was always supposed to be.
Staring at those two boxes, he fell back in the chair in the corner and contemplated every keepsake, so many memories that seemed to be caught and held in a bubble of time. Grabbing the boxes he placed them back in the closet and grabbed one of the photos's placing it in his jacket pocket.
Rory held onto Luke as he waltzed her around the dance floor, she found herself glancing at the door hoping he would return back.
"Let him cool off Rory, He'll be fine when he's calmed down."
"I know, I just wish things were different." Luke nodded. "You'll get to hear about my problems often, now that your officially part of the family."
Luke grinned and twirled Rory causing her to throw her head back and laugh. Jess watched from the doorway, knowing he couldn't stay he had to leave. Luke looked over Rory's shoulder and noticed Jess at the door, nodding with his head he disappeared back through the way he came. Luke waited till the music stopped and excused himself before leaving to find him in reception.
"I'm gonna head back." Luke patted him on the shoulder.
"Are you sure? You stay at the diner if you want?"
"Thanks Uncle Luke, but it's time to go. You know I'm a business owner now, I'm supposed to be a responsible adult." Jess shrugged his shoulders.
"You are responsible. Do you want to come back inside and say goodbye?" Jess looked at the door and back at Luke.
"I don't think that's such a good idea." Luke nodded and patted him on the back, taking him in an awkward hug. Jess smirked and handed him the two pink shoeboxes, Luke looked at the shoeboxes and headed back into the reception.
Lorelai spotted Luke coming back into the hall carrying two pink boxes, handing her he gave her a confused look.
"Did he leave?"
"Yeah, just now."
"Did he say anything?" Lorelai turned to see Rory who had looked up from her conversation with Lane.
"No, was he meant to?"
"I thought he might have found something, seems I may have been wrong." Luke placed his arm around her shoulders.
"Lane, remember what happened last time?"
"That was my first major party, and I've only had like one glass of champagne." Lane argued with her best friend.
"Yes, but that waiter has topped your glass three times now." Zach pointed out.
Rory smiled and looked up to see her mother looking back worriedly at her, the smile left her face and a sinking feeling hit the pit of her stomach. Pushing her chair back she rushed over to the large window overlooking the car park.
Jess removed his jacket and placed it on the passenger seat, before climbing into the driver's seat. Rory ran from the reception hall and through the foyer, and into the car park.
Jess turned the key and the car vibrated noisily, putting the car into gear he pulled away from the space and braked instantly. Opening the car door he slammed it behind him, his face full of anger.
"I could have run you over." Jess shouted.
"Would that have stopped you from bailing?"
"Rory, stop this." Jess ran a hand through his hair.
"I love you." He looked up as she lowered her head, his eyes betraying him for a moment.
"It's not enough anymore." Rory lifted her head, tears filled her eyes.
"What right do you have to decide our fate? Can you honestly leave now and take comfort in the fact that it's not enough?"
Jess leaned against the car suddenly feeling lethargic, he felt like he had walked thousands of miles in search for an oasis only to find out such a thing didn't exist.
"I have the right to be happy."
"But we can be, why won't you give us a chance?" Rory stepped closer to him.
"I know you Rory, you'll get bored and you and I both know that's you and me are not in your great plans."
"Is it working?" Rory stepped closer to Jess, the tips of her shoes touching his.
"Is what working?" Jess looked at her confused.
"Convincing yourself, look if you really don't want to be with me. I mean really don't just tell me now, and I'll leave it's that simple."
This was it, Rory thought. She didn't like to use the word ultimatum but just maybe jess needed a little push, from the look on his face he could be just the push to fling him over the edge. His throat felt dry and couldn't form any words; he stared at her as she waited for his answer. He wanted nothing more than to grab her hand and throw her in the car and drive away, ever since the morning he felt the hard cold case around is heart crack leaving a slither of space for her to climb right through.
"What right do you have giving me an ultimatum? As always it's on your terms Rory, god I waited for you and you threw it back in my face. Why should I believe you now?"
Rory lifted her hand and placed it on his cheek, the curve of her finger resting against his cheekbone.
"Because, my first and last thought is always you. " Jess stared into those blue eyes, which were honest and hopeful.
"I can't do this, I need time to think." Shaking his head he removed her hand from his check, and felt the coldness move across his face.
Opening the car door he climbed in the driver's seat, and drove away leaving Rory in a cloud of dust. As jess drove away from the hotel, he forced himself not to look in the rear view mirror. Rory stood in the spot the tears once against streaming down her face; she took a deep breath and blew it out slowly.
She wasn't going to give up this fight, it might take time. But she nodded her head in agreement it was time to set her plan in motion, and Jess didn't know what was coming to him.