Chapter 6 : Home

Bring Me Back

Disclaimer:  I do not own these characters.

 

Chapter 6: Home

 

 

           The days moved slowly by and at last, Rory and Jess found themselves just hours away from New York.  The twosome had spent their time together, huddled on the train, catching up on the lost year.  Rory, regretting her decision to move out west, felt the strong impulse to make up for her time, and divulged her every feeling.  Except for her possible feelings for Jess.  Those thoughts would remain her own for the time being, perhaps forever. 

 

           “Jess?” Rory called idly from her bed, boredom had already set in fully, and now she was counting down the hours to get the hell off the train.  Even if she would have numerous obstacles to face once back home.

 

           “Ya?” His jaw hardly formed a response. 

 

           “How much longer?” Rory yawned.  And he didn’t need to ask ‘How much longer for what?’ because this had been the archetypal question for the last 32 hours, after their normal, coherent conversations had ceased and topics to discuss had waned. 

 

           “4 hours and 27 minutes,” he looked at his watch, “and 23,22,21 seconds.” Christ, this would take awhile.

 

           “But last time I asked you said 4 hours and 30 minutes, and that was over an hour ago.” Rory whined, never the patient one.

 

           “You asked me 3 minutes ago, Rory.” He said incredulously.  “It was not over an hour ago.”

 

           “Oh.” Was her simple reply.  She didn’t have the strength to argue. 

 

           The two lay silently on their respective beds for several minutes, unable and unwilling to attempt to occupy themselves with something other than their thoughts.

 

           “Jess?”

 

           “4 hours and 23 minutes and 15 seconds.” He assumed her question to be the same.

 

           “Actually, I wasn’t going to ask you that…but thanks for telling me.”  Silence.

 

           “Then what were you going to ask me?” He asked impatiently after she had not continued on.

 

           “Oh.”  She thought for a moment.  “I forget.”

 

           “This sucks.” But anything for you, he thought.  He didn’t like to think that way, and even though he wasn’t still mad, he also wasn’t prepared to take another risk.

 

           “I wholeheartedly concur.” She agreed, wanting for this whole ordeal to just be over. 

 

           “Want to do something?” Jess asked as he leaned his body over to face her.

 

           “Like what?  We are on a train, in case you forgot, and the most you can do is play bingo with the seniors, but we’ve been there, done that.”

 

           “Four times.” He added and Rory nodded.  “Fine, let’s get a drink.  A little alcohol can’t hurt.” 

 

           “It can only help.” It was worth a shot.  Even though she had already consumed way too much alcohol this trip. 

 

           “The perfect remedy.” He said. 

 

           “The quintessential solution to the problems of which we are plagued.” She played this little game.

 

           “The only cure.”

 

           “Like adult candy.” Rory replied. 

 

           “Or therapy for a model.” He said.  Normally, it would have been a joke, but he was serious. 

 

           “Or Santa’s milk and cookies.” 

 

           A pause. 

 

           “I think we’ve exhausted the euphemisms.” Jess admitted. 

 

           “Yeah, probably.” She agreed. 

 

           Pause.

 

           “Still want to go?” Jess ventured. 

 

           “Not really.”

 

           “Took a lot out of me too.”  Both Rory and Jess settled back into their hard-as-rock mattresses.   They would just have to remain peacefully at ease for the remainder of the trip. 

 

           After half an hour, Jess suddenly felt his eyelids go heavy, and he anticipated sleep.  It would make the time go by more quickly.   Just as he was about to nod off into his slumber, Rory’s voice resonated through the excessively small room. 

 

           “Or Sudafed to a person suffering from a cold.” She always had to keep on going. 

 

           Jess sighed, knowing now that he would be up until New York.  “Took you a half an hour to come up with that?”

 

           Rory sighed out of exasperation.  “My mind does not work well under conditions such as these.”

 

           “Understandable.”

 

           “I know.”

 

           Silence, but no sleep.  Just two wide-awake, bored, newly reacquainted friends.    And although they were suffering from the hell that was a cross-country train ride, they were content knowing that Rory was going home, even if it was purely provisional.  And they were friends; that made them pleased. 

 

           Things were back to normal.

 

Almost. 

 

They wish.

 

Would things ever go back?

 

Hell no. 

 

*******

 

The hours passed, tremendously protracted, but at last the train came to a halt at Penn Station.  Rory and Jess gathered their already packed bags and were the first people to get off the train. 

 

“I am never taking a train again.”  Rory said as they walked briskly along the sidewalk, looking for a cab.

 

“Didn’t you take one on the way to California?” Jess was sure she had.

 

“Well, yeah,” She conceded.  “But it was different.  I was in denial, and grieving, and I mostly just cried.  I didn’t pay attention to time, or location, I just existed.” This was tough for her to admit, but it felt nice to get it off her chest.  She knew it would be better to openly talk about her feelings surrounding the accident and her flee.  That was something they also, in addition to her feelings for Jess, had not discussed on the trip.

 

“Well, what about when you go back to California?”  He was testing her, and wasn’t sure whether this was too daring.  He didn’t know what her plans were.  He wanted to know.

 

“Oh.”  Damnit.  “Maybe I won’t go back.  I’ll just have a friend of mine send my things out.  I had only planned on teaching at the University for another month until summer, so I could get someone to fill in for me.  And I know a student who is looking for an apartment, so I’ll tell her about mine.”  This was exactly what Jess wanted to hear.

 

“But if I do go back…” Rory continued and Jess cringed.  So close.  “I could just…” Could she? Could she fly?  In a plane? Could she? “I could just take the train.  And some sleeping pills.”  Jess laughed despite himself, and Rory joined in.

 

She had missed New York and all it’s glory.  She had, after all, lived there for quite some time before California and she considered it to be a home.  Her real home was still Stars Hollow, and no matter what anyone ever said, she would always be a small town girl. 

 

Just then, a cab halted at their feet, and happy that his motioning had finally paid off, Jess smiled a wide smile and took he bags to the trunk. 

 

“Stars Hollow, Connecticut.” Rory stated proudly, and the realization hit her.  Home, sweet home.  Where the heart is.  Where it all began.  She couldn’t wait?  But what to do with the people?  Surely the bridge, and the diner, and Patty’s dance studio would welcome her with open arms…but would her family, and friends? 

 

“What?” The cab driver sated impatiently.  He had no time for games. 

 

“Connecticut.  I need a ride to Connecticut.  Stars Hollow, just about an hour from Hartford.”

 

“Listen, lady.  I can’t take you to Connecticut.” He growled.

 

“But, please, I mean, I’m going home today, and I really just need a ride back home, and---” Rory’s pleading was cut off by Jess’s sudden appearance and behavior at the door. 

 

“Connecticut.  I’ll give you directions as you go.”  Jess stated extraordinarily vehemently.  Rory noticed the ease at which he fit into the New York ambiance. 

 

“Yes, sir.  But it’ll cost ya.” The driver immediately obliged.  But for a price, of course.

 

“Just go.”  Jess settled himself down next to Rory and the driver sped off. 

 

It was GO time. 

 

In more ways than one.

 

 

 

Just a couple, long hours later, Rory watched as the familiar, yet distant, welcoming sign flashed before her eyes.

 

Good ole Stars Hollow.

 

Rory looked at Jess for reassurance and found him staring at her.  Involuntarily, she blushed as she had done all those years ago.  She had thought she was past that stage.  She was wrong.  But she wasn’t the only one blushing.

 

In an attempt to hide his gaze, Jess covered with a question.  He wanted to say something like ‘Bring back memories?’ but that wasn’t the sort of thing someone said in this particular situation.  Too ironic.  So he settled for, “Do you want me to go with you? I mean, inside the house?”

 

           He hadn’t meant to sound so sappy and lame.

 

           “Yes.” She replied, almost too quickly for her own good.  But his comforting smile set her mind at rest. 

 

           “Ok.” Simple reply for a not-so-simple state of affairs.   He then proceeded to give the cab driver directions to the Gilmore household. 

 

           Rory took in her surroundings as she passed house after house and finally the petite town square.  The diner.  The bookstore.  The gazebo.  And then her street.  And then her house.  And the cab came to a stop.

 

           Jess paid the driver and went to obtain the bags.  But Rory remained rooted to her seat.  There was no way she was getting out.  No way.  She was here, finally, but she wasn’t really here.

 

           “Lady, get outta the cab, willya?” The driver automatically took on a callous tone once the tough man, Jess, had vacated the cab. 

 

           But Rory didn’t hear, or she didn’t listen.  Or she just refused to leave.  Until Jess came to her rescue.

 

           The door swung open and continued to physically wrench his friend from the seat. 

 

           “Rory,” He called to her and she snapped out of the daze.

 

           “Yeah, I know.”  She replied in a melancholy manner.  Rory walked slowly along the path to the door.  Her door.  Was it still considered to be her door? 

 

           One step at a time.  In more ways than one.

 

           She walked up the porch and promptly stopped in front of the door.  She turned to her guiding light, her support system, her friend, Jess.

 

           “I can’t do this.  Really, I can’t.”  Her voice was believable, and Jess could clearly make out the fear that resounded. 

 

           “Yes, you can.”  He looked down at her and took her hand in his.  Just his touch sent shivers down her spine.  And the light squeeze that followed caught her heart off guard.  For such common contact, it sure was electrifying.  She wondered if he felt it too.

 

           He had to have, right?

 

           Rory slowly felt her hand raise itself to the doorbell.

 

           Ding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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