A/N: If the lines sound familiar, then they are from the original show. I am reimaging the entire show with Marty's role being more recurrent and more permanent. Also, most of the other plotlines aside from Rory's remain the same… like Luke and Lorelei and the Grandparents and etc.

REUPLOAD: Reason for the reupload is because while Lane says that Rory has slept with two people. I have recently rewatched and she technically hasn't slept with Logan. Every Google answer says either that she slept with Logan at her grandparents' vow renewal or just right after her and Dean broke up. For this story, she hadn't slept with Logan, just Dean.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls and if you recognize the line, it's not mine.

Chapter 9

The following day, Rory woke up in a good mood. It was her first official day of being on Spring Break and she was going to be spending most of her day amongst books. She was off to spend the day helping Andrew, the town's bookshop owner complete inventory. Gleefully, Rory texted Lane begging her to stop by at lunch sneaking her delicious Luke's burger delivery.

Lane wrote back: 'Are you sure?'

Rory typed an immediate eager 'Yes!'

As Rory entered the bookshop, Andrew put her straight to work and left her to sort through the books. It wasn't until she heard the bell at the door at noon that she finally looked up and saw her best friend holding out a Luke's delivery bag and stated, "Soup's on."

"Thank God. I'm starving. I have been dreaming about a Luke's cheeseburger for a month."

"How's the inventory coming?"

"Perfect. I have a great system going. This is my 'to be written down' pile, my 'already written down' pile and this is my pile of books that I've seen and now have to buy."

"That's a big pile."

"Yep."

"Bigger than the other two piles."

"Yep."

"This job must be costing you a fortune."

"Yep."

Rory couldn't hold out any longer. She bit into her burger. Instantaneously, the burger tasted off.

"Oh my God. What is that thing?"

"Sorry, I should have warned you."

"This is disgusting. This is from Luke's?"

"Yeah, he's been a little off his game lately."

"Off his game? It's like Tiger Woods made this thing." Rory was repulsed.

"Luke's been in a mood."

"And he's taking it out on cheeseburgers?"

"It's been awful. Everything's either been burned or dropped. He's absolutely miserable. He just mopes and growls and stomps around. He throws customers out the door."

"-Jeez!"

"I'm assuming his mood might have something to do with a certain someone who's been spending a lot of her time at Weston's lately."

"Oh, poor sad Luke."

"Poor sad tips."

"I have to get something to eat. You want to run over to Al's with me?"

"Can't. If Luke's alone too long, he might burn the place down."

"How about tonight? You wanna do something?"

"I would love to, but Zach is cooking me dinner."

"Really? That's so sweet." Rory gushed with Lane about how romantic that sounded.

"It is, isn't it?"

"It's so nice that you have Zach."

"I know, it's like having a perfect haircut every single day."

"My God, that's beautiful." Rory smiled at Lane. She was so happy that her friend was finally getting the attention she deserved from the boy she liked.

"I'll call you later."

"Okay, thanks for the concept of lunch."

"Anytime," said Lane before she was out the door.

Rory followed, but then her eye landed on another book she wanted. She added it to her already tall pile and headed out the door with her purse.

This job was a great idea, thought Rory.

The next day, Rory was once again at the bookstore. She felt awful because she had still nothing good to write back to Marty and what's worse, Lane had recapped her terrible night when her boyfriend wanted to take the next step in their relationship and Lane blurted out that she will not be having sex before marriage that surprised the both of them.

Lane had come to Rory at her job and while lying on the bookstore floor, wailed, "I can't believe it. I just cannot believe it!"

"It's oaky."

"How did this happen?" Lane sat up. "I started listening to rock music when I was seven years old. I stuck makeup on at school. I managed to join a band without anyone knowing. I had a boyfriend who my mother thought was a Christian guitarist. And I ate spicy condiments like they were going out of style. "

"-Lane."

"I drank soda, ate hamburgers, I wore jewelry, I danced."

"Not very well."

"Hey! Any skill level's a sin. And then I moved out, and I live with two guys. I mean, nothing else stuck. Nothing. So why this?"

"It's a mystery."

"Why couldn't the gluten-free thing stick? I could have lived with that. Or the not-dancing thing." Lane bargained more with herself. "Oh, you should have seen Zach's face. It was like-"

"Like he realized he wasn't gonna have sex with you until the wedding night."

"Yes, exactly. God, this blows."

"A lot of people wait until they're married to have sex."

"Yes. Jessica Simpson and Donna from 90210."

"And a couple of others."

"Oh, my God. What if I never get married?"

"You'll get married," reassured Rory. Her friend was spiralling.

"If I never get married, then I'll never have sex."

"You'll get married. You'll have sex," assured Rory, firmly.

"That's easy for you to say. You've already had sex with two times, all within a one-year period."

"Okay, you're making me sound a little slutty." Rory said, awkwardly.

It was true that she did have sex with Dean and then got close with Logan but thankfully got interrupted. But as much as she wanted it to mean something, all in all, it didn't. And now, she was thinking about Marty. Well, she hoped they would get there, after all that's what she basically told her mother about a few days ago. Rory felt guilty about still not responding to his 'Thank you' text. If I can't come up with something good to say back to him, how am I ever going to take that next step with him?

"Well, why shouldn't you be slutty?" retorted Lane. "You have absolutely no mother-taught morals standing in the way of you and your sluttiness."

"Well, when you put it that way..." pouted Rory.

"Is it great?"

"Is what great?"

"Sex. Is it great?"

"Not in front of the books, Lane!"

"What am I saying?" Alas, Lane realized what she was asking. "Of course, it's great! And I will never experience it because by the time I'm ready to get married all the men will be taken by women who didn't grow up in my household."

"You going out to find a husband?" Rory noticed Lane, making moves to put on her jacket.

"I have to get extra trash bags for the diner," sulked Lane.

"All right, call me later."

With that, Lane got up and strode out. Rory went back to doing inventory and counting copies. Top of the pile of books was one filled with interesting facts about notable Americans. She flipped to the section on Hemmingway and read.

Within seconds, she reached for her mobile and dialled Marty's number.

"Hello?" he answered on the first ring.

"We were both wrong."

"About?"

"Hemingway's manuscripts were stolen in Hadley's suitcase at the Gare de Lyon."

"Wow."

"Yep. Just thought you should know we're both dumb. On this subject."

"I guess we found each other."

"Guess we did."

"So how goes life in the Windy City's small town?"

At this, Marty chuckled at her attempt at small talk. "It was going fine until Mom and Dad, I guess, had another fight. They aren't talking about it, but It's been a bit tense, truth be told. I have been helping Jerry with some odd jobs but that seems to tick my father off even more. So, I'm thinking of heading back probably Thursday morning.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. That really sucks that you aren't having an enjoyable time."

"Thanks. I am actually glad that Spring Break is only a week."

"Well, what time on Thursday do you expect to get in? Perhaps I can meet you."

"I'm not sure yet, I haven't looked at the timetables. But I'll let you know."

"I'm really sorry that you're not having much fun. Had I known I would have insisted that you come to Stars Hollow with me. "

"Really?" sounded a surprised Marty on the line.

Rory just realized what she had said. But she wasn't about to admit her slip of the tongue. "I still say you would enjoy my small town."

"Okay well, I'll let you know about Thursday, but don't feel obligated to cut your Break short just because mine sucks."

"Oh, Marty, don't worry about it."

They said their goodbyes and hung up.

Rory sheepishly grinning finished the rest of her daily inventorying and she was certain that by Thursday noon she could get this job done for Andrew. Now she jut had to tell Lorelei she was leaving early.

"You're sure you're okay with this?" Rory checked with her mother for the hundredth time.

"Oh, my God. For the fiftieth time, yes."

"But I know you had the whole week planned out. I saw the DVDs." Rory entered the room dragging her laundry bags, to see her mother sitting on their couch with over 25 Chinese takeaway containers open.

"Okay."

"A Woman Under the Influence?"

"Aka the story of me."

"Soap marathon?"

"All can be done at a later time."

"Okay. How about next weekend?"

"Let me check my spinster catalogue. No, I'm gonna be knitting toilet paper cozies till 3:00. But after that I'm good.

"Great, and we can do the Friday night Weston's dessert thing again next week."

"Yeah, whatever you want."

"Okay. You're sure you're not mad?" Rory sat down by her mother, making sure she was okay.

"Well, you'll never truly know until you read my memoir."

"Oh, well..."

"Wait." And Lorelai abruptly got up to get something out of the drawer. "Here. So, you'll always have clean underwear."

It was rolls of quarters.

"Mom."

"Take them."

"Clean underwear, priceless."

"And I'll cover the books you bought from Andrew."

"No."

"Yes."

"You're an enabler."

"I know."

"But you're my only daughter that I know of."

"Mom, thanks."

"You're welcome."

Lorelei picked up a laundry bag and said, "So he's coming back early, huh?"

"Oh, yeah. He said he was having trouble at his home in Oak Park, and his dad was giving him a hard time."

"So, he's coming back early, huh?"

"Yeah." Rory could feel her cheek burn.

"Bye."

"Goodbye."

With that. she left the house with her car packed up and left for her residence at Yale.