I wrote this the night before the S6 premire, so this was purely speculation as to what I thought might happen. Obiviously, I was horribly wrong, but it's still a realatively good piece. I would have posted it sooner, but I had a minor virus problem on my computer (which would also explain the slower then normal updates for all of my other stories, sorry about that guys).

So, here it is. Please be kind.

Timing

"Isn't it rich?
Are we a pair?
Me here at last on the ground,
You in mid-air.."

("Send in the Clowns", Judy Collins)

In all the backwards, slightly childish, and all-out wacky ways that he had possibly imagined his relationship with the forever sinking ship that was Lorelai Gilmore, he had to admit to himself that he never quite saw this one coming. And as she stood there, at one of her weakest points, looking so irreplaceably beautiful, saying the words that he had imagined himself saying:

Will you marry me?

Of course he wanted to marry her! You don't harbor a crush for eight years and just want to spend some time with them! Maybe go on a picnic or two, then, oh look, my heart's been fore-filled. Next! No, of course he wanted to marry her. Wasn't that the purpose of dating? Trying out relationships until you find the right one. Although, how she couldn't be the right one was beyond him, but dating is dating just the same.

But this was all wrong.

She was confused. She was hurt, and lonely. She'd regret this. She's impulsive, she's proved that a hundred times over. She's not ready for this. A proposal shouldn't be just out of the blue, 'I'm feelin' kinda low today so I wanna make sure I have someone to share the rest of my life with just in case' type of deal. No. A proposal should be planned, a ring should be bought, and, above all else, the potential groom should be informed.

But she just stood there, waiting patiently for an answer. Waiting, in the aftermath of the complete collapse of everything that she had ever worked for. The end of her and her parents, somewhat, reconciliation, although previous actions had already put even more unneeded strain on an already strenuous relationship. But most importantly, and seeming to stick out in bright neon letters, was the betrayal of the only person that she had ever really allowed up-close.

Truly, Rory was the only constant in her life. He'd like to think of himself as making that list, but he knew that his once friendship turned romance with the head-turning brunette had definitely had its high points and extremely low points.

But, by whatever twist of fate lead them here, he knew that this was all wrong. Not the relationship, or the idea of her being his wife, those where some of the only things that made sense in his life. But the timing, which had always been a bitch in her life.

And as much as his mouth yearned to say 'yes', his brain, and often the more rational side of the two, argued strongly against it.

And finally, after much internal debate, he just gave her a small, almost cryptic smile, and said simply,

"No."

Then he waited for the world to collapse.

Please Review.