That Part Always Worked

AN: While not necessary, if you haven't read Fifteen Years Gone go ahead and do so. It's short. It won't take you but maybe 90 seconds. In this story I will be starting out from Rory finishing up on the campaign trail and writing up to and possibly beyond where we're at with Fifteen Years Gone. Also, I own nothing relating to Gilmore Girls, it's characters or any of the places or things mentioned in this story.

Chapter 1: "Silly, me. Only an idiot would ask a Gilmore if she wants coffee."

Rory was incredibly nervous as she walked down the long hallway of the fourth floor of the Penn's View Apartment building her ex-boyfriend lived in. She had just had what may be the most important job interview of her life yet she was more nervous to see him again. It had been two years since they had last spoken. She had been in Philly a couple of times since while on President Elect Barack Obama's campaign, but she had avoided seeing him. But, now that the election was over she was looking into other job opportunities and one of those was with the Philadelphia Inquirer. The editor had read a lot of her work that she had been writing for Hugo and even some of her Yale pieces and called her in for an interview. It went really well. The editor seemed to really like her and her writing, plus she was really impressed with the papers history. Now Rory just had to wait for an answer and was hoping to hear back from him before she went back to Stars Hollow later on in the evening. With the possibility of living and working in the same city, Rory felt it was only right that she now pay Jess Mariano a visit.

And that is how she found herself first walking into Truncheon for only the second time in her life. Jess' business partners and friends Matt and Chris informed her that Jess was home writing.

"You won't find him upstairs, though," Matt told her.

"Yeah, he moved out last year," Chris said.

"Oh, well, can you tell me where he is living now?" Rory asked, "And give me directions."

"Well, it's not too far," Matt said.

"Yeah," Chris added, "He still wanted to keep his commute down so he moved into Penn's View across the street."

"Ah, well. I guess I won't have any trouble finding it then. Thank you," Rory told them, "And you think maybe you could refrain from calling him. I'd like to surprise him."

"Sure. See you around, Rory," Matt said.

She laughed when they told her that while he had moved out of the apartment upstairs, he had only gone as far as the apartment complex across the street. With Jess' new address she had walked across the street and was lucky enough to sneak in as another tenant was coming out. She was glad not to have to risk Jess turning her away if she asked to be buzzed up. Now she just has to work up the nerve to knock on the door in front of her.

"Rory?" he questioned as he opened the door of his apartment, "Uh, what, what are you doing here?"

"I hope I'm not interrupting a big breakthrough or anything. I had an interview at the Inquirer and if it went as well as think I may end up moving here and since I was already in the neighborhood I thought I should stop by seeing as it's been two years. And I didn't want the first time we see each other again to be at some awkward meeting at Truncheon or something after I've already moved here and we can barely say more than 'Hi' and 'Bye' and have I said 'Hi' yet?"

"No, you haven't."

"Okay, well, Hi," Rory said.

"Hi. You want to come in?" he asked.

"Sure," Rory answered.

"Coffee?" he questioned, but changed his mind at seeing Rory's raised eyebrow, "Silly, me. Only an idiot would ask a Gilmore if she wants coffee."

"Thank you," she said as he handed her a cup and joined her on the couch.

"You're welcome," Jess said, "How did you find me anyway?"

"Matt and Chris. I went to Truncheon first. They told me where to find you," she explained.

"And you got up to my apartment, how?"

"Oh, I was able to sneak in as someone else was coming out. I didn't want to take the chance that you wouldn't let me in. Plus, with you not knowing I was coming gave me time to prepare myself to knock on your door. Your neighbors probably think I'm crazy. I was literally pacing out in the hall for the last twenty minutes mumbling to myself about whether or not I should knock on the door."

"I'm glad you decided to knock. It's good to see you, Rory. Although this isn't the first time I've seen you in two years."

"What, we never saw each other after…"

"After I kissed you and you ran again."

"I didn't run, technically. My conscious just got the better of me."

"I'm sorry I kissed you."

"Really?"

"Well, no not really. I wanted to kiss you. I guess I'm sorry for how it turned out."

"Me too. And for the record I'm not sorry you kissed me either," she told him.

"You're not?" he asked.

"No. I may have wanted it for all the wrong reasons, but I did want it. And it was a good kiss," Rory explained, "That part did always work, you know."

"That it did. And as I was saying, I've seen you since then," Jess said.

"When?" Rory asked.

"Last fall when you were here with the campaign. I went to hear Obama speak and there you were, right in the front row with your pen and paper in hand, furiously writing as much as you could," Jess told her, "I've read everything you wrote. It's all great, Rory. The Inquirer would be lucky to have you."

"So, you'd be okay with us being in the same city?" Rory questioned, "Why didn't you find me after the speech?"

"I wasn't sure if I should. I didn't know if you were there with anybody who wouldn't be happy about my presence or if you hated me. I didn't want to make a fool of myself if I didn't have to," he explained with a laugh, "If you moved here, Ror, I would happily accept you as my neighbor and show you around. I'll have you giving directions like a local in no time."

"Well, if I move here we wouldn't technically be neighbors. I've been looking online at a few places in the Chocolate Works building," she told him with a laugh.

"Of course you have," Jess said.

"Well, what better place to live then one that has chocolate in it's name?"

"Right, so are you in town for awhile?" Jess asked.

"Just today. I told Mom I'd be back tonight. I figured I'd do the interview and then maybe just drive around awhile and get a feel for the city before I headed back, but then I decided to come here," she told him.

"Well, if you've got time I'd be happy to show you around," he said.

"I'd like that," she said as her phone rang from inside her purse, "It's the paper."

"Answer it."

"What if it's a no?"

"What if it's a yes? Just answer it Rory."

"Hello?"

"Is this Rory Gilmore?"

"Yes this is she."

"Miss Gilmore, Michael Days, good to speak to you again," the editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer told her.

"It's good to speak with you again, too sir," Rory said

"Well, Miss Gilmore, I'll cut to the chase. I've read all your articles from the campaign, your time at Yale, both the articles you wrote and and several of the issues you were editor for. I even found a few of your old Chilton articles and talked with several of your references. I'm very impressed Miss Gilmore. You are incredibly talented and have a bright future ahead of you," he told her.

"Thank you and does that future by chance include the Inquirer?"

"Well…"