A/N: SO, another week has gone by… which means… a brand new chapter! But I'm afraid to say that the next chapters or so might take a bit longer as I will be starting college in the near future. But, keep those reviews coming ey? It'll make me write a tad faster. :).

Those-arent-my-lucky-charmsxX: I am glad that you're enjoying my story very much. It's very flattering, I tell you. :). 'Ships' are relationships. Just a shorter term for them, and I guess it's a pun when you say that that ship has sailed away when a relationship is dunzo. I think Literati means a group of intellectual people… people who are well read? And well, as we all know, Jess and Rory are extremely well read and so I believe that's where the name comes from. :). Hmm? Oo I have a feeling that you'll be seeing Jess in the near future :)

PinkPunk94: I believe I wrote 'She was not that girl anymore' right:) which means that Rory was not the same girl anymore… the girl that had changed him. So in other words, she changed. 'The girl that had named me,' I guess your take on it is right too… she was the girl that named him to be what he was… who he really is. And the rest of them, your takes on them are spot on! -

And many, many, MANY thanks to all those who reviewed! They all make my day, believe me. So please, please, PLEASE review this after you read it? I assure you they are greatly appreciated.

R&R!

STAND STILL, LOOK PRETTY
Chapter 4
Dean Forrester (Far Away)

Rory,

I actually don't know how to begin this letter; should I say for? Or dear? Or you know, something… I don't know where we stand… I… we, we didn't end right… I didn't end us right, and because of that, I don't know how I should be towards you. So I'm sorry if I come across kinda rude, believe me it's unintentional.

So I saw you on TV the other day. I'm not ashamed to say that I was afraid or that my heart cringed when I saw you standing in the middle of that… total chaos… I hope you're okay over there, and I hope this letter will reach you. You better really be taking care of yourself. You cannot let your guard down just even a bit where you are.

Rory, basically what I'm trying to say is… don't die.

Well, anyway, despite my very genuine concerns for your safety, there are other things that I want to say to you.

I screwed up. I screwed us up. I shouldn't have left you, I… I shouldn't have. You were… are everything to me. It sucks that it took me this long to figure that out. I'm not… well, this letter is not a plea from me for you to come back. I'm not that much of an idiot. Believe me, I know I'm so not worthy anymore. I ended up so far from where you've ended up, and I really appreciate you believing in me those years ago, even though now, I'm a living proof that your beliefs and faiths were sadly misplaced. I just wanted you to know that I loved you very much, and that I still do, and that I miss you every single day. I want you to know that wherever you are, no matter what happens there's always someone who's thinking of you, who wishes that he hadn't let you go.

Now that that is all said and done, I want you to forget it. I mean, don't dwell on it. I really don't expect anything in return. I assume you must have someone. And I don't mean to intrude or ruin or break your relationship. I just wanted you to know.

I made a mistake. I regret it, but I'm living with it. Be happy Rory, I hope you are. I wish you all the best. You deserve everything good.

And I'm so proud of you.

Always,

Dean.

Clutching the letter in her hand, Rory stared through her car window at the tall boy laboring on the construction site. He wore a white wife beater, his muscles all tensed up as he moved the heavy load of cement into the inner building which was not yet complete. She still could make out his shape amidst the other sweating workers, talking to a fat man who wore a plaid shirt. All of them had yellow hard hats perched on their heads, and they walked about the site with a sense of purpose, each man knowing what they were supposed to do.

It was a normal sight for Rory, men working as construction workers, if only Dean was not one of them.

He walked out again, taking off his hat as he did so. The sun came down, beating mercilessly on the messy site and men raised their elbows to wipe the sweat from their dirty faces. Dean did too and leaned down to take a drink of water.

Rory saw the same fat man calling Dean's name from inside the half-building; she could even hear him faintly. Dean yelled a reply, and soon made his way inside again, this time disappearing from Rory's purview altogether.

Taking a deep breath, Rory reread the letter that she was holding, crumpled now that she had read it numerous times.

He hadn't asked her to come down to Chicago; he had said so in the letter. Only one of the letters had asked her to but those words screamed at her, giving her no choice but to come anyway. No matter what had happened between them, Dean would always be a part of her, and she owed it to herself to come down and see how he was doing.

Not so good, apparently. She had thought just as much after she had read the letter.

She had stayed for a couple more days in Stars Hollow after she had found that wretched book that Jess had wrote. She had shown her mum all three of the letters, and though Lorelai had objected to her decision, she had let Rory go anyhow, trusting her to do the right thing. Her goodbyes had been filled with tears, but also with a promise that she would be back soon, that she wouldn't go out of the country again without coming back.

And that was how she found herself, sitting in the front seat of her car, listening to some Snow Patrol, as she contemplated how best to approach Dean.

Rory had gotten hold of his phone number from the directory and had called his house early that morning. It had been answered by a female, slurring her words as if she was drunk. Rory had asked her for Dean, and for a few seconds, the woman didn't answer; all Rory could hear was her heavy breathing through the receiver. Then, all of a sudden, she had answered Rory, loudly and proudly as she narrated to Rory where Dean was and how he had gone there that morning.

Stupefied, Rory had said her thanks and had gladly turned off the phone. After asking for directions more than once, she finally found where he was working, and had been sitting there all morning watching him from a far.

She had almost gotten out of the car several times, but had always ended up staying in. After her long car ride, she still hadn't figured out a way as to how to approach and talk to him, Dean, her first love. She had pondered over it and even created scenarios in her mind, but she didn't know that she would be coming to this Dean; a construction worker with a bimbo in his home.

Rory was just about to give up and drive away when Dean came out of the half-building again, this time his eyes wondering over to her car. Unmoving, Rory stared at him, unable to tear her eyes from his, which had met hers with pure astonishment.

Rory quickly turned the keys, her car came to life. Dean dropped his hard hat, and started to run towards her. She gripped her steering wheel, her right hand on the stick. He was closer, and she could hear him indistinctly calling her name. She got ready to shift her stick, and to push her gas. He was suddenly already there, standing right in front of her.

"Rory," he called out, softer than before, but this time she could hear him.

She heard the longing in his voice and felt the hopeful expectation that he had, now that she was there. His eyes said it as he gazed intently into hers.

Weakly, Rory took her hand off her steering wheel and turned the engine off.

Dean was standing in front of her, older and exhausted. His hair was longer and he had a faint beard beautifying his face. Her heart was beating faster than normal and Rory slowly got out of her car.

She stood, her hands on her opened car door, just looking at him.

He was the first to break the silence.

He smiled at her, oh that boyish smile that she had loved, and came over to her, sweeping her with his strong arms into a warm embrace, lifting her a few inches off the ground.

"Rory," he breathed.

Speechless, Rory felt awkward. She uncomfortably patted his back and gawkily returned his embrace.

Dean, all wrapped up in his happiness, didn't notice this strange reaction on her part and placed her back gently on the ground.

"Oh my God, I can't believe you're here."

Rory awkwardly laughed. "Yeah, me neither."

He laughed a bit, eager as he wiped his hands on his dark pants. He turned to look at the site and quickly turned back to Rory.

"You're here."

"I'm here."

Silence again. Rory could not understand how words failed her, how it could ever fail her.

"Are you on your break?" She asked.

"Sorta. I don't know actually, maybe."

"You want to go somewhere else? It's rather hot."

Looking back at the construction site again, Dean shrugged.

"Sure, they probably won't even miss me."

They both entered Rory's car, a keen Dean and a cautious Rory. Once settled inside, Rory turned on her car, turned on her CD player and in a matter of seconds were already on the road.

"Snow Patrol," Dean said smiling. "Finally, some music I actually listen to."

"You've got to move with the times," Rory answered. "Their lyrics are so meaningful and so deep, that listening to them does not mean that I-,"

"Hey, hey," Dean interjected. "You don't have to justify your preferences to me, Rory."

"Oh."

Dean laughed, just like old times.

"So where should we go?" Rory asked, realizing that she did not know her way around there.

"I'm in the mood for Starbucks, do you mind going to Starbucks?"

"No, not at all… I'm in the mood for some caramel frappucino myself."

Laughing again, Dean gave her clear instructions, pointing to places where she had to turn. Out of the corner her eye, Rory watched him; he was so happy being there with her, so hopeful… this was Dean… the real Dean, not the dejected man that she had been watching all morning. And this was the man that Rory very much intended to leave behind before she drove away to her next destination.

"Here we are," Dean said.

Rory parked ineptly; she had never been much of a parker. Together, they exited the car and made their way into the welcoming Starbucks.

Rory badly wanted to order for herself, but Dean did not let her, insisting that he paid for the both of them. She didn't want him spending money on petty things like treating her to a cup of Starbucks, but short of creating a scene, she would not be able to convince him. Defeated, Rory went to sit on one of the green couches by the window, waiting and watching.

He came back, all smiling, with two cups of caramel frappucinos, placing one neatly in front of her. He inserted a straw into his and began drinking it, all the while never taking his eyes off her. Rory drank a bit, not able to meet his passionate eyes.

"Rory."

Rory turned and looked at him, now that he had called her name.

"I'm really glad you're here."

Rory decided not to beat around the bush, and get right into the matter at hand.

"Dean, I came because I was worried about you, and it looks like my concerns are thoroughly justified."

"What do you mean?" Dean asked, his guard beginning to come up.

"You're doing construction work?! Just like you did when you were back with Lindsay?! We both know that you're too good for this… that you can do so much better. You have a drunk… female… companion or whatever in your house, so early in the morning, which, theoretically, must be your girlfriend, who's already getting drunk in the early hours, almost unable to recall the man who owned the house that she was in… this… this is not good Dean, you need to turn your life around."

"And how am I supposed to do that Rory?!" Dean replied, quite forcefully; his defenses all up now. "You have no right to judge who I am… is that all you wanted to do, huh Rory? Come all the way down to Chicago, only to judge what I've become? Not everyone is like you okay? Not everyone went to an Ivy League school, or heck, not everyone finished college! Not everyone had a life plan, knowing what they wanted to pursue ever since they were small. Some of just have to make do with what life throw at us!"

"You didn't finish college?" Rory asked, stunned.

"No…" Dean answered, looking away from her as he did so. "After you left, I just didn't see the point. You were the only one who had ever believed in me, in what I can do, and without you there encouraging me… I just… didn't see the point. So I moved out here, to Chicago, to forget everything… to forget you."

"Before I left? You were the one who left me Dean! Twice, might I remind you?"

"And both times for very good reasons," Dean said quickly, turning his eyes back to her, his voice taking a sadder tone. "And both times, you left me first, although you didn't realize it. Selfishly, I regret ever leaving you Rory, but I know, that the two times I have left you, were the best gifts I have ever given you. Life sucks that way."

"Dean-,"

"Why are you here Rory?" Dean butted in, exhaustion in his voice. "Is this it?"

When Rory didn't answer him, he laughed, a bitter laugh.

"I was foolish to think you came for other reasons. We're over. It ended those years ago when I left your grandparent's house, when I watched you cry in your beautiful dress and tiara from my rearview mirror. I don't know how I expected another chance. It felt finished then, it still feels finished now. I'm sorry I sent you that letter Rory, I guess it came across to you as a plea for you to come, maybe I intended it as a plea, I don't know…

"But I meant it, Rory, everything in that letter. I love you, and I always will. You're the one girl I can't forget, the one girl who keeps me up every night. And I don't blame you for the way my life turned out… it's just life you know?"

"Dean…"

Tears blurred his vision, but he smiled anyway, standing up as he did so.

"I probably have to get back…"

"I'll take you back," Rory said quickly, getting up also.

"Nahh… I'll walk…"

Swiftly, Dean made his way out of Starbucks, leaving a dumbstruck Rory standing, staring after him, with a cup in her hands.

He was leaving her; she had to watch him walk away again. All those times that he had left her, she realized now that he had had very good reasons to. The first time, she had been falling for Jess and he had let her go so that she could be happy, the second time he had left her so she could pursue what she wanted without having him as a burden. And he was doing it all over again… all over again for her.

Tears burned behind her eyelids, and without thinking, Rory ran after him, dropping her cup once she was outside onto the hard pavement, and called out his name desperately, as loud as she could.

"DEAN!" she cried out. "DEAN!!"

Dean stopped, turning with tears streaming down his face. He dared not look hopeful as she came closer, jumping into his welcoming embrace. He dared not expect anything.

"Rory?"

"I'm so sorry Dean," Rory began, crying now on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry for all the things I have put you through. I love you too, you know… don't think that I don't. You were probably the best boyfriend I have ever had. And if I could love you again, the way I did back then… I… I would… but… it's just not the same anymore. I love you Dean, but not like the way I used to. But it doesn't mean that I don't think about you or that I don't miss you or that I don't care at all, because that's not true."

Rory lifted her head from his shoulder and stared at him, looking deep into his eyes.

"I know you can be better than this, Dean. I don't know how you'll do it, but I know you can. I'm not there to encourage you, you say? Well I'm here now and I'm encouraging you. And no matter where I am, I'll always be encouraging you. You don't need me to be beside you, telling you what to do. You can do it all on your own. And despite us being separated over these years, I've never doubted you, I've never doubted what you can do, not even for a second, and I still don't doubt it now.You've got your life ahead of you… shape it according to your own will."

"I… I love you Rory," Dean said through his tears.

Smiling sadly, Rory inched her face closer to his and felt his lips on her own, tasting and exploring the familiarity and the sweetness that was once theirs and theirs alone. She felt his tears on her face, and knew that he must be feeling hers on his face too.

They both savored the moment; holding fast to it before it disappeared like they knew it would in a matter of seconds.

For in that moment, and only in that moment, she was his again, and he was hers.

I wanted, I wanted you to stay, cause I needed, I need to hear you say, I love you, I loved you all along, and I forgive you, for being away for far too long.

A/N: The link for the picture for this chapter can be found on my profile page, as usual. Hope you guys liked my take on Dean and Rory. Tell me what you think; all of you who have read it. Please? ).

Far Away by Nickelback. That's my song for the Narcs. ).

Till next time!

I LOVE you guys! Lol.