Time After Time - A Gilmore Girls Fanfic #1

Chapter 23

Rory stood at the front door of the green Victorian house, pausing with the key halfway in the lock. A thousand emotions swirled around inside her but, of them all, the most profound was the pure joy of knowing she finally had a place to call her own. Beaming ear to ear, she unlocked the door and took the first official step inside her new home.

She stopped at the foyer and flipped on the switch, the dusty brass chandelier coming to life and illuminating the space. Her chest swelled with pride at the sight. A wistful smile tugged at her lips as she pressed a hand to her stomach and whispered, "Welcome home."

After a few moments, she turned around and grabbed the box she'd left on the porch, carrying it  into the kitchen. She took out the various cleaning sprays and paper towels and set them aside, then brought out her most favorite books—Anna Karenina, Howl, Leaves of Grass, The Year of Magical Thinking, and Jane Eyre—before taking them over to the mantel over the fireplace. From her coat pocket she brought out her grandfather's compass, opened it up, and set it atop the stack of books.

With a giddy smile, she stood back and admired the scene. Perfect.

A moment later, the sound of a vehicle driving up the street caught her attention. Her heart raced when the rumbling stopped right outside, and a car door slammed shut. Then heavy footsteps pounded up the porch steps, as loud as the pounding of her heart.

Rory tried to retain a cool demeanor as she walked over to the door, but she was kidding herself if she thought she could remain calm. Not now; not when her heart was so full in her new home, it was fit to burst. She took hold of the handle and opened the door, stopping short when she realized her first visitor wasn't Jess.

"Rory," Luke said, sounding out of breath.

The expression on Luke's face sent a frisson of fear shooting through her. "What's wrong? What happened? Is Mom okay?"

His jaw tightened. "It's Jess."

She took a step back, a cold sweat breaking out over her skin.

"I just got the call. He's in the hospital. In Philadelphia," Luke said between breaths.

Rory's brain processed the words, but she refused to absorb them. Instead she went on auto-pilot, grabbing her purse and leading the way out the door. "Come on."

Luke stayed long enough to turn off the lights and lock the door. Rory was already on the sidewalk, unlocking her car. He didn't bother suggesting taking his truck; she wouldn't have heard it anyway. "You want me to drive?" he asked, pausing at her passenger door.

She shook her head, her mind already racing down the street towards the interstate, due southwest to Philadelphia. "I got it. Let's go."

Rory counted herself lucky to be in the driver's seat, glad she wasn't Luke at that moment, looking absolutely miserable as he stared out the windshield. At least she had the driving to occupy her mind, to keep her from imagining all the terrible scenarios that could have landed Jess in the hospital. Like a car accident, or a mugging, or possibly even being eaten by the machine he'd been battling all week. 

Yeah, she was real lucky.

"I guess the hospital called earlier and I didn't see it," Luke said after some time, looking so defeated in the passenger seat as he stared down at his phone. "It was my fault. I shouldn't have turned my phone off. But I never have it on in the diner. I have a sign that clearly states No Cell Phones. It's been there for as long as I can remember. I can't break my own rules."

Rory reached over and touched his arm. "Luke," she said gently. "It's not your fault."

He sighed, his shoulders sagging. "I should have known something was wrong when he didn't show up. Should've listened to my gut."