Jess Mariano's Daughter

Don't say no

I drive to Yale, definitely speeding. I get to campus and park outside the building I know she's living in. I go to run in and remember Lory. She's too little to leave alone, so I take her out and walk into the building.

When I open the door there she is... standing in the hall with Dean. Dammit.

"What are you doing here?" she asks.

"I need to talk to you," I say.

"Jess," Dean butts in.

"I need to talk to you," I repeat.

"What's going on?" Dean asks.

"What are you doing here?" she asks me again.

"Rory, please," I say.

"Rory?" Dean asks.

I shift Lory, so she's looking over my shoulder. She lets out a sign and looks at Dean.

"Go. Go home," she tells him.

He looks between us and replies, "No."

"Yes, go. You should go," she says again.

He angrily leaves, and I'm left with Rory and Lory.

"Why won't you leave me alone? You won't go away," she says.

"Rory-"

"What do you want?"

"I don't know. I just wanted to see you, talk to you. I just-"

"What?"

Lory starts to let out little cries and I pat her back.

"Come with me, with us," I say.

"What?"

"Come with us," I say again.

"Where?"

"I don't know... away," I state.

"Are you crazy?"

"Probably. I named her after you. Do it. Come with me. Don't think about it," I say.

"I can't do that. And what did you say?" she asks.

"You don't think, you can do it, but you can. You can do whatever you want."

"It's not what I want!"

"It is. I know you."

"You don't know me." she states.

"Look, we'll go to New York. We'll work, we'll live together. We'll be together. Just the three of us. It's what I want. It's what you want, too" I say.

"No!"

"Look, I wanna be with you, but not here. Not this place, not Stars Hollow. We have to start new."

"There's nothing to start," she says.

"You're packed. Your stuff is all in boxes. It's perfect. You're ready. And I'm ready. I'm ready for this. You can count on me now, I have her. I know you couldn't count on me before, but you can now. You can."

"No!"

"Look you know we're supposed to be together. I knew it the first time I saw you two years ago, and you know it, too. I know you do."

"No, no, no, no, no."

"Don't say no just to make me stop talking, or make me go away. Only say no if you really don't want to be with me."

"No."

I'm silent for a bit and I go to leave. I know at this point it won't get her to come with me, but I need to tell her. I turn back around.

"I named her Eleanor Lucelle, after you and Luke. I call her Lory," I say.

I don't look up to meet her eyes. I just turn to the door and leave, taking Lory with me, and head home.