Chapter 2:

Thirty minutes later Rory was dressed and making her way to Dean's. It was 8:00am on a Saturday morning so very few people were walking around town. She wanted to get this done before the gossips made their way to breakfast at the diner. She figured she had a good hour or so before the news spread its way through town.

Rory hesitantly knocked on the front door. She knew Dean's mom was always up early on the weekends and made sure her children were as well. She wasn't cruel, she wasn't going to drag someone out of bed to dump them.

"Rory! Hi! What a nice surprise. What brings you here so early on a Saturday?" Rory was disappointed that Linda, Dean's mother, was the one to answer the door. She was hoping she wouldn't have to break up with the entire family this morning but as Clara snuck up behind her, she knew that is exactly what was going to happen.

"Hi Linda! Hi Clara! Sorry to drop by so early. I was hoping I could see Dean." Rory was praying that the heat on her cheeks wasn't as visible as it felt.

"Of course, of course! Come right in! You can head up to his room and get him."

The cheeriness in Linda's voice was really making this more difficult for Rory.

"Thank you!" Rory came inside and went straight for the stairs and for Dean's room. She knocked lightly on the door.

"Mom, I told you I will be down for breakfast in a…Rory! Hi! What are you doing here?" Dean's annoyed face quickly turned into a smile when he saw his girlfriend standing in his doorway.

"Dean. Hi. Can we talk? Not here." Rory was brave today. But she wasn't so brave as to break up with her boyfriend in his own house. With his entire family downstairs.

"Um, sure t nhing. I'll tell my mom we'll be right back."

Rory and Dean made their way downstairs. Dean told his mom they would be back soon. While he was heading towards the front door, Rory gave Linda and Clara hugs goodbye and waved to Dean's dad, Chip, who was reading the paper in the living room.

"We'll be right back, won't we? Why are you acting so strange? Why did you hug my mom and Clara?"

Rory internally smacked herself. Dean, you big oaf, why won't you catch on to what is happening! On the outside, she just smiled and led Dean to the gazebo.

"Dean, let's sit." They both sat and Rory took his hands into hers. "Dean."

"Rory. What is going on?"

Rory held up a hand to silence him.

"Dean." She started. Paused for a bit, trying to muster up the courage to do what she knew had to be done. What she wanted to be done.

"Rory, I know my name, please stop repeating it and tell me what is going on."

"Dean." At this he just looked at her. "Okay, sorry. I brought you here today because…well. Because things aren't how they should be."

Dean was beginning to understand where this was going and cut her off.

"It's him isn't it? Goddammit, Rory!"

"Dean, please, let me explain. You and me? We haven't been right for a while now. Please, I know you want to be angry and blame this on Jess, but it isn't his fault. We aren't the same people we were two years ago!"

"Bullshit."

Rory flinched at all of his profanity. Dean wasn't one to cuss often. Only when he was really mad. Dean always had a temper when it came to Jess and she was hoping he would be able to keep it under control as she got the next part of her speech out.

"Dean, I think…Dean, I know, you and I need to break up."

"DAMMIT RORY!" Dean slammed his fists down on the bench.

A few townspeople were walking by. Rory's guess of the news spreading in an hour had been cut rather short. Patty would know what was happening in less than five minutes.

"Dean, please. There is no need to be so loud or angry. We have grown apart. Wouldn't you rather this happen now than months down the road when it's grown unbearable and you or I do something irrational? I am trying to be the bigger person here and I need you to understand. Dean, I loved you. I love you. I just don't love you the same way you love me. I don't want to hurt you. I hope at some point in time we can be friends. But I'm sorry, I just can't be your girlfriend anymore."

Dean was fuming. Nothing Rory could say was going to make him stop. She said what she needed to say8. She got up, kissed his cheek, and made her way to the steps of the gazebo.

"Don't come crawling back to me when he gets you pregnant and bails."

Before Rory knew what was happening she was back in front of him and slapping him across the face.

"I take it back, Dean. I don't hope for us to be friends in the future. I don't want to know you. I don't want to see you or think about you. I tried to do the right thing here. I am sorry that you can't accept the fact that we are over, but you will NOT disrespect me in that way. I hope you have a nice life. We are done. Goodbye."

Rory ran from the gazebo back home. Tears stinging her eyes the entire time. Once she finally got inside the comfort of the Crap Shack, she collapsed into sobs on the couch.

"Rory, honey, is that you? Is it done? Did he cry? Were you so nice that he didn't even know what was…" Lorelai stopped at the bottom of the stairs and saw Rory shaking with sobs. "Oh, sweets." She rushed to her side and held her.

"Mom," sniffle "He was" another sniffle "So cruel" another sob.

"What? Sweetie, what happened?!" Lorelai was worried. What could Dean have done that Rory would be reacting this way?

Rory took a few deep breaths and told Lorelai the story of how her breakup with Dean went. By the end of it, Rory had to hold Lorelai down on the couch to keep her from going and ripping the floppy haired jerk's head off.

"Rory, I am so sorry he reacted that way. But it isn't true. I know you think I see Jess as just another Christopher, but I know that isn't how you see him. And that is all that matters. How you feel about him is the most important thing and if you care about him and think so highly of him then I will promise to do my best to see him in the same light.

Lorelai was so angry with Dean that he now topped Jess on her "Boys I will murder if the right laws are abolished and I can get away with it or prison jumpsuits finally become stylish and I can just deal with being in prison" List. Sure, Jess was still on it, but now he was at least number 8. Right behind the guy from 7th grade that told her Veronica Miller was prettier than her but before Bin Laden.

"You feeling up to Luke's, Sweets? Because I know you need pancakes and I love you too much to make you eat the ones I could attempt to make."

Rory laughed and wiped her eyes. "Luke's sounds great."

There was the smile Lorelai had been waiting for. And she knew it had everything to do with a little James Dean wannabe and nothing to do with pancakes.