Work Text:
December 2004
“Mom!” Rory called as she came in the front door.
“Hey, sweets!” Lorelai called back. “I’ll be down in a few. Oh, you have a pile of mail - I tossed it on your desk.”
Rory called a ‘thanks’ then heard a clattering and then the shower go on in the bathroom upstairs. So much for ‘a few’, she figured her mom was probably going to be a while. Wandering into the kitchen, she grabbed herself a coffee from the still-warm pot and a cookie from the jar. Christmas meant so many more awesome kinds of food from Sookie, and Rory loved that.
Heading for her room, Rory stuffed her cookie into her mouth with one hand and used the other to flip through the mail on her desk. There were a few cards from friends and family, some junk mail, and then an envelope with familiar hand-writing that made her gasp. Rory choked some on inhaled cookie crumbs, eyes watering and preventing her from getting a proper look at the envelope now gripped tightly in her hand.
“Jess,” she said to herself, just as soon as the coughing subsided.
Unsure what to expect, she carefully tore open the envelope and pulled out the last thing she expected from him - a Christmas card. The black and white picture of New York covered in snow was beautiful, but Rory was baffled still. She needed to know what Jess wanted and as she began to read, she soon found out.
‘Rory,
I really hope you’re reading this. I have this idea that maybe you’ll see my handwriting and throw it straight in the trash, but I can’t believe Yale would’ve changed you that much. You’re the last good person. You’d be willing to at least read my card, right?
I don’t know what it is about this time of year. Just makes me think too much about the past. Christmas with Liz was never exactly great. If anything, the best Christmases I ever had were in Stars Hollow. Crazy, huh? Well, maybe not so crazy, since a large part of why I liked those Christmases so much was because you were a part of them.
Actually, this year, I haven’t been thinking so much about Christmases past, but of this past summer. I was a real idiot, asking you to run away with me, and it didn’t take me long to realise that. I meant everything else I said, Ror. About loving you, about wanting to make a life with you somewhere else. If you’d wanted to, I would’ve made that work in a heartbeat, but I knew it was impossible.
We have plenty in common, you and me, but we’re far from the same. I was never tied to one place like you are. You’ve got family, friends, school, and I get that you wouldn’t want to leave them for me. I don’t blame you for that, and I’m just hoping that maybe you can understand why I needed to get away, why I wanted you with me.
There’s no way for me regret getting out. I’m doing so much better now, away from Stars Hollow. Of everything there, I only miss you, nothing and nobody else.
So, I’m hoping you’ve forgiven me for what happened, and that maybe, someday, if I ever come back to visit, we’ll be cool. Have a great Christmas, Ror.
Love always, Jess.’
With tears in her eyes, Rory couldn’t keep from smiling as she stared once again at the picture on the Christmas card Jess had sent, then went over and pinned it onto her cork board. Staring at it still, she cleared her throat and spoke.
“I forgive you, Jess,” she said, however pointlessly. “I hope you have a great Christmas too, and I’ll see you soon.”