Ah, I'll Meet You There. I guess it's impossible for a writer to look back on their first work and not sigh with reminiscence. It was my first real story, my baby. I couldn't have predicted at that first chapter post that here I would be, a year later, with five stories to my name. I think in one of the author's notes, I said I had lost all interest in the story. That was true to an extent. When I wrote those final three chapters over the course of mere days (when previous updates had taken months), I didn't write because I felt that fire inside me, needing to be typed out. I wrote out of obligation, and also because I knew I would bug myself like crazy until I did finish. Every time I looked at my stories list it irked me, telling me to just get it over with. So I did. But although I wrote without a certain passion, the Rory/Jess is never without its intrigue. And I will always have a fondness for my very first fanfic.


That's kind of the reason I dislike shoddy stories filled with careless mistakes. It's because people don't take the time to re-read their stuff! People complain about the lack of SpellCheck on their computers. Well, I can relate. I was exactly where they were, and I got along fine. But that's a rant for another time. =]

Well, anyway, about the story. More specifically, about the final two chapters, which existed only in my imagination. Where did they come from? Believe it or not, the last bit of the second-to-last chapter was written exactly after the first chapter. From the minute I heard the song, I knew that it would be Jess saying those words. It just fits, you know? It seemed so right. At least, it did to me, which is the reason I wrote the story in the first place. I guess you could say that this story was inspired by one of my favorite stories ever, A Ton of Bricks by trumpetchick9. It is one of my very favorite stories ever. Beautifully written, and also admirable for the take on Rory; it kind of shows why she did what she even though she still cared about Jess. That's what I wanted to do. I wanted to rationalize their actions under the assumption that they still had feelings for each other.

I wanted the writing to provoke emotion. I can't watch a pivotal Rory/Jess moment without a pillow to hug, and I wanted that to show in my story. Even as I write this, I can't help thinking that it was so funny of me to be so serious for my first story. It was, looking back, not a horrible first attempt, but nowhere near where I thought it was. Most of it was really in my head. The final result wasn't exactly as emotionally-charged as I'd intended, but hey, I was a novice.

So I wrote. The first chapter of I'll Meet You There is by far the weakest thing I've ever written, but I don't want to change anything. That's the first-story nostalgia again. And plus, it's always good to have something around to remind you of when you started writing. Keeps you from being too critical of other people. Anyway, I wrote with care. I surprise myself, thinking how I hard worked on this story. I didn't know about episode transcript sites, so I downloaded video clips (from my favorite Gilmore site, Gilmorefan.com) and transcribed the dialog myself. I know, it's so archaic. =] I researched very thoroughly. The book that Jess reads in Andrew's book is the actual title. I couldn't make it out very well, but I did guess-and-check and Google helpfully supplied the "Did you mean. . ." function. It's Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right. I added story supplements here and there, like Jess and Rory in their cars after they see each other. The stylistic second-person insertions were probably an indirect influence from the A Ton of Bricks.

Back to the last two chapters. The whole Rory-finding-underwear-in-Logan's-couch thing actually came to me after I woke up from a nap on my own couch. Random, I know. Originally I wanted her to find condoms too, but I figured, too cliché. Plus I don't ever want to write a story that includes the word condom. It's so tacky and typical of fan fiction.

The last chapter, short though it may be, was my indulgence. I really enjoyed writing it. You've kind of got to read between the lines - a true Gilmore lover can spot the many references to past seasons. I liked the idea that Jess and Rory have a collection of things that tie them to the characters we love so much. The Betty Boop is of course from Lorelai. The painting and its frame carved with cherubs is from Luke's grandmother's bedroom set. The special shelves were made by TJ. And Kirk, of course, made that sculpture. Jess and Rory have books upon books, just like we Literati fans love. And while the picture indicates they've been together for a long time, I wanted to leave their true relationship status ambiguous. Whether they're married, engaged, or living together is less important that the fact that they are together. It's up to the reader's imagination, as is what they're late for. That was a bit of Java Junkie reference to how Lorelai makes Luke wait when she's getting ready. I love that you can have your own interpretation: It can be three years down the road and Rory and Jess are going to their own engagement party; seven years later and they're going to dinner at the Gilmores'; or 30 years in the future and they're going to their own kid's graduation.

I'm really happy I can finally say au revoir to I'll Meet You There. It's catharsis, you know, and I recommend authors to add a final chapter to stories they've abandoned. You definitely won't regret it. Also, thank you to all the reviewers. I really appreciate it. I'd never gotten a single review before this story, and to have all of them be positive was really great. Thank you so much. And lastly, even though my own Rory/Jess stories have been put to bed, I'll never stop loving the pair, and if you've heard word of any good stories, please pass it on to me. Thanks =]

And here are the lyrics in full. Though I've rather outgrown Simple Plan, I still love their stuff out of nostalgia. The actual title of the song is "Meet You There".