Title: Lasso The Moon
Pairing: Lane/Dean, (hints of) R/J

Part One

"I don't know what's going on, Lane. Something's just missing."

Rory was finally confessing to her best friend what has been going on with her situation involving Jess and her not-so-more love for Dean.

"Has it always been missing or just recently?"

"Just recently."

"Well, then maybe it's just an infatuation you have for Jess. Maybe it's just a phase! Phases fade sooner or later, don't they?"

"That's what a phase is, Lane.."

"Yeah, I know. Sorry. It's just...you and Dean are my favorite couple."

Rory half-smiled.

"Do you still love him?"

Rory looked away from her friend and faced away from her original position on the sofa.

"I thought I did."

"You mean, you might have lied to him without even knowing it," Lane pointed out.

"What do you mean?"

"When you told him you loved him. You might have thought you meant it but really didn't. You might have just said it since he was the first guy to admit his love for you."

"Well, I...maybe. I don't know. He didn't pressure me into saying it. I mean, I can understand why he broke up with me. Who would be able to survive a relationship after confessing something like that and then not getting a positive response? But..." Rory sighed. "I just, I don't want to hurt him."

"You're breaking up with him?"

"Not necessarily. I have to tell Dean about the kiss, and I think he'll pretty much end it from there."

"Wait. Kiss? What kiss?"

Rory forgot to catch herself on that one and tried to hide it.

"What?"

"You said you have to tell Dean about the kiss. What kiss?!"

"Shh! My mom's in the other room."

Lane gasped, "Jess kissed you, didn't he?!" she said in a harsh whisper.

"Not exactly."

"Exactly what, then? Come on, Rory tell me."

"Jess didn't kiss me. I sort of, kind of, maybe might have kissed him."

"I don't believe this!"

Rory opened her mouth to speak, but was quickly interrupted when Lane stood up and spoke, trying to keep her voice low.

"Rory, Dean loves you. He's a wonderful boyfriend who loves you. How could you ruin that? I know from what you've told me that he can be a little possesive or jealous at times but he has all the reason to...and I think you just proved to me why he has reason to be suspicious about you and Jess. Plus, what's wrong with having him care for you so much? I'm not taking sides or anything, but i'm pretty set in saying that that was a pretty shitty thing to do. You have been so lucky to get a guy like Dean and now another guy likes you in town, that doesn't mean you have to like him in return! Or..kiss him for that matter. How could you betray Dean like that?"

Rory was stunned by Lane's reaction.

"I thought you would understand, but I guess I was wrong." Rory said, a little hurt by her friend's confession.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you don't know what it feels like to have a boyfriend and have another...guy..." Rory slowed and realized that what she was saying was leading in the wrong direction but didn't stop herself in time. "Oh, Lane I didn't mean that.."

"No, I think I understand now. I get it. You thought that I would agree with you in everything you do with your dating-life because i've never had a boyfriend. Or two, for that matter."

"That's not what i'm saying."

Lane seemed to ignore Rory's comments and continued on.

"But I know a lot...probably more than you do. I watch Days of Our Lives," Lane said nodding her head quickly, "Yeah. I know what this will lead up to. I know the consequenses of actions. I would never do something that stupid if put in your shoes. I'm not going to agree with you on this. Since you've been seeing Dean, i've became friends with him as much as I am with you. And I don't like to see my friends get hurt."

"I didn't mean to hurt him!"

"Then why did you do it?"

"It was a moment of weakness on my part. I don't know--"

"Weakness? Rory, you're the strongest person I know. How could a 'moment of weakness' or a 'lapse of judgement' be your supporting argument on this? It doesn't work that way. I think you have feelings for Jess."

"I know that I do."

"If you knew that you had feelings for him, then why couldn't you have at least waited to break it off with your current boyfriend before kissing someone else to put on layaway?"

"You don't understand. It's more complicated than that. I didn't know that I had feelings for him until after the kiss. It was the moment of weakness that led to me figuring this out. I wasn't purposely hurting Dean."

"I guess you're right. I don't understand."

And with that said, Lane left the Gilmore home speedwalking past Lorelai who was hovering in the foyer.

Rory looked over at her mother, just noticing she was there. With arms folded, Lorelai gave a disconcerning look.

"You kissed Jess?"

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Should I continue? Yes? No? Mmkay..