AN: Sorry for the wait on the chapter, but it is long so hopefully that will make up for it. The plot is kind of running away from the whole pride and predjudice idea, sorry I hope you still like it. Maybe I'll just have it set in the pride and predjudice times without plotting it on the story. But then again, my language kind of slips up alot and I start using modern day language. So sorry. Basically this story is now about nothing :s. I hope you still like it. Oh and by the way, Lit fans, get ready for some major Lit action!! Oh and another thing I'm sorry about. I havn't actually read 'Little Women' so everything I've written about it was found on the internet. I apologise if it is incorrect.
Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore girls or the very small thread of Pride and Predjudice this story is now based on.
CHAPTER 4
Rory's feet traveled lightly down the porch steps, her face bright and her body well rested. She was in a particularly good mood today, and she couldn't quite figure out why. As she approached her regular reading bench by the oak tree, a sudden urge sercame her, and instead, she made her way to the bridge over the small lake outside her window. Eyeing the old wooden structure's rustic features, she sat herself carefully down in the centre of the bridge, her legs dangling lazily above the sparkling blue water. She found it surprisingly comfortable; the trees surrounding the lake providing perfect shade as the early morning sunlight shyly peeked through the branches, capturing the words she was slowly becoming lost in.
"You've got yourself quite an Alcott addiction there."
Rory sat up in surprise, her little women friends almost plummeting to their watery deaths.
"H-hi"
Rory's voice came out more shakily then she had intended, a strange feeling of excitement mixed with that of complete fear taking over her as her eyes locked with his.
Jess smirked, taking a seat beside her. "Morning, Miss Gilmore."
Rory stared down at her hands for a moment, at a loss for what to say. She glanced over at him quickly, slightly disappointed to see he didn't appear at the slight bit as nervous at her. Infact, she was quite sure he was as calm as the water below. She turned back to her book, flipping the pages timidly.
"You should really read this book. It's great. I mean, if you're looking for a great book to read. Or if you're looking for a book at all. Do you read much?"
Jess raised an eyebrow at her, smirking as their eyes locked again. Rory looked away quickly.
"Oh, of course," she said stupidly, "You've already read it. Well part of it anyway. What I mean is, if you're looking for a good ending to read. If you read. Well, I mean, you obviously read, I could be a witness to that infact, but, if you enjoy reading that is, particularly endings, then this is a great book. With a great ending. If you... like to read."
"I'll consider it." Jess shrugged.
"Oh." Rory breathed, disappointed. She placed the book beside her, staring into her rippled reflection below.
His eyes followed hers, sensing her discomfort.
"Why do you like it so much?"
"What do you mean?" she spoke quietly as her eyes slowly lifted up to lock with his.
He held her gaze for a moment, smirking slightly. "I mean, there were wars raging all around, but all these women, these girls. All they seem to care about is the latest picnickin' debacle. I mean, it just strikes me as a little..."
He looked back down at his reflection.
"A little what?" she asked with a small smirk, almost daring him to offend her.
"Just seems a little too naive for you." He turned his head to look at her, his eyes capturing hers for a moment.
"But hey," he smirked, leaning to the side to gently tap her arm with his, "Correct me if I'm wrong."
She narrowed her eyes playfully, a small smile sneaking upon her lips. "Well maybe it's about more than you think. I mean their father's been sent to war and they have to learn to cope without him-"
"And about that, their father's been sent to war, he'll endure nothing but pain and suffering, but yet the most imperative issue for them is to find out who they are inside. Sorry, seems a little cold to me."
"It's about more than that and you know it."
"Okay, if you say so." He held up his hands in defeat to lighten the mood.
Rory rolled her eyes, "You seem awfully sure of yourself for someone who hasn't even read the whole book."
He smirked. "Who said I haven't?"
She looked up at him questioningly, holding his gaze for a while longer this time. He stared at her, his eyes exploring hers, as he suddenly grew serious.
"So, tell me, Miss Gilmore. I know last time proved this a slightly touchy topic with you and everything. But. Are you going to marry my cousin because it's really what you want? Or is it because it's what is expected of you?"
Rory glanced down at her hands, contemplating her answer. "I don't know." She spoke quietly, staring into his eyes. He looked away too quickly.
She hesitated slightly, "What would it matter if I didn't want to marry him? It just seems that nobody cares what I want. I mean they tell me what to do, what to think, because god forbid I'm a woman and I can't think for myself."
She sighed sadly, "I just wish for once in my life I could be happy. For once I want to do something fun, just for me."
He turned to face her. "So do it." he shrugged simply.
"Do what?"
"Do something... spontaneous." He leaned in close to whisper the last word to her.
Excitement began to flow through her as she dwelled upon his answer. But then her face fell, and she looked back at her reflection, frowning slightly.
"I... I don't think I know how."
Jess nodded his head slowly with disappointment. "I figured."
When she didn't answer, he took it as a sign to leave. But as he pulled himself up he felt her hand grab his arm in protest.
"So... show me."
He captured her eyes with his. She sounded unsure of herself, but her eyes were crying out with certainty. He nodded again, smirking this time.
"Meet me here, on the bridge, tonight."
She let go of his arm and nodded shyly. With one last smirk he turned towards the house, leaving her to wonder exactly what it was he was planning.
x - x - x - x
"Ah, Miss Gilmore," A familiar voice came from behind her, "Why, I haven't had the pleasure of laying eyes upon you all day. You look stunning. Shall we?"
Logan motioned towards the dinning room, grabbing her arm in his. She followed his lead to where their parents were seated at the dinning table for supper.
"Oh, Rory! Where have you been? I've sent the maids around looking for you all day."
"Oh. I was just, uh, walking. I took a walk," She said, taking a seat across from her mother.
"Oh, how lovely!" her mother gushed, "The gardens are simply wonderful this time of year!"
"You like to walk?" Mrs Huntzberger asked.
"Uh-"
"Would you look at that! I would not have guessed from the amount of hours you spend cooped up in that study. What good it does for a woman to be in a study, I do not know."
"Well then I'm sure our dear son will have the sense to hire a maid to pick up where Miss Gilmore fails," Mr Huntzberger said, taking a sip of wine, "So, Richard, do tell me..."
Rory let the voices surrounding her fade in and out. She didn't belong here. She didn't belong here at all. It hurt to hear that she wasn't good enough. It hurt that her parents didn't defend her. It hurt to hear them talk about her like she wasn't there. She wanted to be far away from the shallowness of the people in front of her. She wanted to be down by the lake on the bridge. She wanted to be with Jess.
"Oh, my. I'm awfully sorry!"
Rory felt a splash of cold liquid seep through her dress and onto her skin. She looked up to see the maid from a few nights ago with a tray of tipped empty glasses and a pale look on her face.
"Oh, Lorelai, look what you've done! Why, get my daughter cleaned off at once!"
"Dirty."
Rory let out a small giggle, but Mrs Gilmore seemed to have a more serious reaction. "I beg your pardon? Young lady you will watch your language whilst you are surrounded by such company. No wonder you are a maid, any respectable man would surely be frightened away by your terrible mouth. God forbid one of these days I will hire a real maid."
"Come, come, dear Rory," Lorelai called in a mockingly high pitched voice, "The fake maid wants to clean you up.
Rory tried to hold back her laughter as Lorelai tugged her arm towards the doorway and up the stairs.
x - x - x - x
"Your mother get's more charming every time I see her," Lorelai laughed dabbing a cloth against Rory's dress, as Rory sat upon the laundry table in her second dress of the day watching her carefully.
Lorelai stopped dabbing for a moment, turning to Rory with a concerned face, "Are you sure you are feeling fine?"
"Yeh. I guess you kind of get used to people judging you all of the time. It's part of growing up in a rich society like this one. Thanks for saving me by the way."
Lorelai gave her a small smile, "I guess I can tell when people have the whole 'get me out of here' vibe going on."
"Well tonight you are defenantly my hero. I couldn't ever imagine standing up to my mother like that." Rory said in awe.
"I should be dressed in shining armor atop a regal white horse."
"And a helmet."
"Why, that is the best part. My terrible mouth shall be hidden by a layer of thick steel, and I will cease to scare the men away. They shall follow my every move with nothing but admiration, and beg for my hand in marriage."
"However, all depending on the manliness of your helmet and shining armor. Perhaps you shall be worshiped by all of the young ladies."
"Then I shall wear steel cones like 'Madame Madonna' and frighten them all away."
"Yes, I can tell it will be an excellent plan."
"And then I shall ride away with my handsome prince and live happily ever after in a rich-society-free world."
Rory was silent for a moment, before sighing sadly, "If only I could join you."
Lorelai looked into the younger girl's eyes. They seemed sad and dull, trapped even.
"Do you have your prince?" She asked.
Rory stared down at her hands for a moment. "I'm not sure."
x - x - x - x
The cold breeze blew through the open window and brushed against Rory's face, waking her abruptly. She stared around herself for a moment, taking in the unusual perspective of her room. Why was she sleeping on a chair next to the window? Wait, she was supposed to meet Jess at midnight. What time was it?
She squinted out of her window, trying to make out his figure in the darkness. She felt a heavy pang in the bottom of her stomach as she saw him sitting on the edge of the bridge, like he said he would be. It was now or never.
x - x - x - x
Rory pulled her coat tightly around her, the ice cold wind whipping through her long auburn locks. She stepped carefully down the slight hill towards the bridge, trying not to slip against the due that clung to the grass, making it shine like sapphires against the moonlight; a replica of the starry night sky. She slowly approached the edge of the bridge, her heart pounding loudly, wondering if she should turn back. But she knew it was too late now. She would only come back again.
"Hi."
Jess looked around towards her, a wide smirk upon his features. "Evening."
"So," she started nervously, "I hear this is the perfect time to be at a place like this."
"Huh," he said, looking down at the rippling water below, and back up to her eyes again, "I guess your right."
She took a seat beside him, thankful that his body heat was slowly warming her right shoulder. They sat for a long while in silence. Rory was concentrating hard on the water below her, trying to calm herself for fear that Jess would hear the loud pounding of her chest. Infact, she was concentrating so hard, that when Jess's voice finally spoke, it startled her.
"Tell me, Miss Gilmore, if you could do anything right now. Something completely spontaneous, something you've never done before. What would it be?" he asked.
She hesitated for a moment, "I don't know. Perhaps you should tell me what your idea of spontaneous is so I could get a sense of how spontaneous spontaneous is, and then I could work off of that."
Jess smirked at her as she continued with her nervous rambling, lifting himself to his feet.
"I mean, if your idea of spontaneous is to climb a tree, then perhaps mine could be to jump onto a rock." she said, staring out at the lake.
"Sure does sound riveting."
"But if your idea of spontaneous is to... jump of the highest cliff in the area, then I should seriously consider going back inside.
Jess let out a chuckle, "Rory, we're in Connecticut. I think we would be safe if that was my idea of spontaneous."
"You called me Rory - wait, what are you doing?"
Jess was standing at the edge of the bridge wearing only his slacks, all other clothes in a pile below him.
"Being spontaneous," He smirked. And with that he dived without a second thought into the lake. Rory jumped up quickly, trying to avoid the splash of what she was sure would be freezing cold water.
"You're out of your mind! The water must be freezing!" She laughed as Jess surfaced, shaking the wet hair out of his eyes.
He smirked up at Rory, "You coming in?"
Rory wrapped her coat tighter around her, contemplating the temperature of the water. She stared into his steady eyes, the water rippling at his shoulders. She couldn't help but feel mesmerized by him. His smirk. His daring eyes. His spontaneity.
Slowly she began to unwrap her coat, dropping it in a heap on the bridge. She was now only left in a light weight nightgown that went to just above her knees. A sly grin escaped Jess' lips, and he ducked slightly underwater so that only his eyes were showing, and raising a brow slightly, he was daring her.
Rory stepped forward so that she was standing over the edge of the bridge. She held her arms around her protectively, trembling from the cool night's breeze.
Jess stood back up in the water again. "Don't make me pull you in, Miss Gilmore." He teased playfully.
Rory looked at the dark blue water of the lake, then at him, and couldn't help but let out a truly happy smile. Without thinking, without worrying, she did it; she jumped in. She felt the ice cold water crash against her body from all sides, the breath taken out of her, and for once in her life, she felt invigorated.
She surfaced, giggling madly through chattering teeth. Jess moved over towards her through the water. "How does it feel, Miss spontaneous?"
Rory thought for a moment, her legs kicking madly to keep her above water. "Cold," She laughed.
He looked down at her, taking in her blue lips and trembling body.
She smiled shyly up at him, trying to stand up in the water, but finding it slightly too deep, she reached out, clinging onto his shoulders. His eyes were wide and he looked startled at her sudden contact. As she gave another struggled kick, he finally got the message, pulling her in closer to him. Despite the cold of the water, his body was surprisingly warm against hers. She looked up at him shyly, her hands slipping down to the front of his shoulders. Her breath was now in short gasps as she felt him moving even closer.
"Rory Leigh Gilmore! Explain yourself!"
Rory whipped her head around quickly at the sound of the voice she feared the most.
"Oh, no." She whispered.
x - x - x - x
AN: I know, I'm sorry I'm so mean :p. Please review and tell me what you think:)