Author's Note: Sorry for such a delay in updating. This chapter is short because it's Rory's memory coming back...but I promise that I will finish my story very soon. My story, "Accidents Happen," is based on the wonderful "Gilmore Girls" television series and the amazing characters created by…not me!

Accidents Happen

Chapter Thirteen All the Bad Memories Come Rushing Back

"You'll do fine. It's just another interview. It's not a big deal. Just talk and be yourself and everything will be just fine," Rory Gilmore said, giving herself a silent pep talk while she drove toward the Interstate.

She was on her way to Philadelphia for a few days. She had job interviews planned and Philadelphia was hopefully an option for the new life Rory wanted to start for herself. Rory knew what people, most importantly Lorelai and Luke, would say if she told them she was going to Philadelphia, but it wasn't the way they would assume it was.

"It's not about Jess," Rory told herself. "It's not about what could have been. It's about me and making a future for myself. If Jess ends up in that future, then he ends up in that future, but right now, it's just a job interview."

Up ahead, Rory could see a light brown furry pile on the side of the road. Rory immediately slowed her car down when she saw the crippled body of the dog on the side of the road. She pulled over, clicked on her hazard lights, and got out of the car with her cell phone in hand to check on the dog.

"Hi, puppy," Rory whispered to the whimpering dog. "Oh, you're still alive. Good. It's okay, puppy. It'll all be okay. I'm going to help you." She knew that the dog was badly hurt, but he was alive, at least for the moment. Rory frantically dialed her mother on her cell for assistance.

"Mom, it's me, Rory," Rory said quickly.

"Yes, Rory, we've met before. About twenty-two years ago, actually."

"Mom, I need your help. See, there's a dog and he's hurt. He's hurt really bad. He got hit by a car. What's Paul Anka's vet's number? He needs help, Mom. I need to call an animal ambulance or something!"

She turned her head when she heard the sound of screeching tires and scraping metal just in time to see a speeding silver BMW convertible careening into her car. Rory felt like she was outside her body. She heard herself scream and felt her body freeze in fear. She could see what was going to happen, but she couldn't move.

The convertible crashed into and then bounced off Rory's car with sheer momentum and then got pulled of the road by the gravel along the shoulder. With tires spinning out of control, the car smashed into Rory, sending her flying ten feet away to a skidding halt in the gravel.

Groggy, dazed, and in excruciating pain, Rory lay crumpled on the shoulder of the road. She heard the sound of crunching of gravel approaching, almost like someone was walking toward her. Rory struggled to open her eyes, but she could not see anything. The crunching stopped and she felt someone crouch beside her.

She felt a soft, warm hand softly graze her hair and forehead. She winced in pain when his hand touched her. Something in that gesture was familiar, but she could not place why. She knew that she had felt something like that before, but she couldn't remember the circumstances. Her head felt fuzzy, thoughts rolled around her head quickly and randomly flitted into her conscious mind before quickly fizzling out again.

She struggled to move, but her body wouldn't respond. She tried to speak, but no sound came from her throat. She tried to look around, to see who was there, but she could only open her eyes a small bit. She could only see his feet, his black loafers and the hem of his dark gray slacks. She could smell burnt rubber from the tires and the faint scent of scotch. She could sense that he was squatted beside her and she heard him sigh deeply.

He was completely still and squatted silently beside her for what seemed like hours, but Rory knew that it was probably only for a few minutes. She could hear him breathing fast and she could tell that he started to fidget nervously beside her.

"Oh, my God, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to do this to you. This wasn't the plan. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. Damn it, this wasn't supposed to be like this! I just wanted to see you, see if I could fix what happened, and make it up to you. What the hell did I do to you? God damn it, what the hell have I done?"

She was shocked when she recognized his voice immediately. She could not believe that she recognized his voice. How could he have been there? Why did he come back? How could he have hit her? He hit her with his car. He hit her car and then hit her and was going to leave her broken and for dead on the side of the road. She tried to speak, but her voice wouldn't come out of her throat. She was in pain, in agony. She had never felt so much pain in her entire life.

"I'm so sorry, Ace," Logan said before getting back behind the wheel of his car and speeding away. The faint sound of sirens broke the silence in the distance.

"Logan," Rory whispered before she slipped out of consciousness.