Train of Thought

By Ruby Garnet

A/N: A small drabble-esque piece. Nothing extravagant, but I thought I'd share.

Overworked and tired businessmen and women flooded the T-stop, their exasperated conversations intertwining with the soft acoustics of a homeless man's guitar. Rory Gilmore pushed her way through the mass of people, doing her best to avoid whacking someone with her briefcase or flower bouquet.

She squeezed into a one of the last spaces on the train to Harvard Square, a space towards the end of the train that faced the cold, fingerprint-smudged glass of a window.

The view in front showed her two things: one being the tunnels of Boston rushing by in a blur and the other being the reflections of those standing behind her - unfamiliar folk with too many kids and too little time and not enough space to stand in. Except for one.

She turned around slowly. "Dean?"

He looked up from a newspaper and his eyes widened. "Rory."

"Hi."

"Hey. What are you doing in Boston? I thought you were doing graduate work at Yale."

"I am. I'm visiting some friends at Harvard."

"Oh."

"What about you? Are you going to school around here? Are you on vacation? Taking a day trip?"

"Clara and I came to visit my uncle who lives in Alewife. I'm just cruising around town while they're at a play. I'm headed to Harvard Square right now - I'm assuming that's where you're headed?"

"Yeah, actually, it is."

Rory shifted uncomfortably and nearly dropped her flowers. Dean pushed them back into the crook of her arm.

"You're carrying a ton of stuff."

"Yeah. My friend wanted to see some projects I've been working on, so I brought everything. The flowers as an added bonus."

"Cool."

"Yep."

Dean cleared his throat. "So...how's the guy?"

Rory's eyebrows furrowed. "Guy?"

"Yeah, the one you were dating back then..."

"Oh. David. We're not together anymore."

"Sorry to hear that."

"It's okay; it wasn't your fault."

"I think it was in a way."

"How so?" He started to answer, but she cut him off. "You know what, never mind. We're over that, right? I mean, come on. That was a long time ago...neither of us should have to worry about it."

"I just don't want to think that I ever changed you so much that you could never have a stable relationship after...after."

"You didn't change me," she said desperately.

"I think Lorelai would beg to differ. In fact, I beg to differ."

"We were young, then. Things that happen when you're young are the easiest to erase. Right?"

"Sure, Rory, if you say so."

"I think so..."

The intercom crackled and a MBTA announcer's voice echoed across the cabin. "Next stop: Harvard Square."

The train pulled into the station and a flood of people disembarked, including Rory and Dean.

"So, I'm this way."

"All right, I'm the other. It was good running into you, Dean."

"Yeah, it was good to see you Rory. Good luck with your graduate studies."

"Thanks. Good luck with whatever you're doing. You must be doing something good - you were reading a newspaper."

Both of them laughed at this. It suddenly seemed as if time had passed so quickly, seemed as if they'd both grown up so fast and in different directions.

"Are you coming back to Stars Hollow soon?"

Rory smiled at the mention of her hometown. "Of course. I'll be there soon."

"Good. I'll see you then." He started to say something, but he decided against it. "Bye, Rory."

"Bye."

Dean walked away first - which Rory thought was symbolic in the strange way that it wasn't supposed to be - and she watched him until he disappeared into the masses. Maybe he had changed her. Maybe she had changed him. At this point, she thought, it didn't really matter - the only thing that mattered is that they were no longer the people they used to be, and in this case, that was a good thing.