Zing! Text from Dean: All of my visitors are gone for the day. Hoping to see you.

This time Lorelai dressed less schlubby, figuring why not look pretty in that drab hospital room?

"Hey, mister. How are you feelin'?"

Dean whistled when she walked in, after she closed the door of course. She was wearing a sky blue short dress so of course her eyes were blazing.

"Hey beautiful."

They kissed and then they grinned at each other for a few minutes.

"Okay, this is getting creepy. It's like we're on acid. Give me some good news."

"Well, the surgeons did a great job, my stitches are healing nicely, so I'm here for just a few more days and then home."

Your parents' home or your apartment? Ugh.

"So is Kyle helpful?"

"That's the thing, I'll be going to my parents' house because then I don't have to climb stairs. I still have a little searing pain when my torso is crunched forward. The physical therapist strongly advised against climbing stairs."

Ouch. Her face fell. This will end it. Lorelai won't come to the house, my mom certainly doesn't want her there.

"Oh. makes sense. Are you under house arrest? Can you go for walks? Should you go for walks? Are you confined to mostly bedrest?"

"No, the stairs are really the big thing. I have a bunch of literature here about do's and don'ts to accelerate my recovery. I don't want to talk about it right now. Is the inn ready for the big test run?"

"Yeah, I don't know what more Sookie and I can do, it really looks great. Even Michel is excited. It's unsettling actually. You'll have to be here, right?"

"Yeah, sorry. It's your night anyway. People don't know about the attack yet, so I don't want to show up and have to talk about it or lie about it. You'll have to take or get someone to take tons of pictures, or text me photos, especially when something crazy happens with Taylor or Babette. Or Ms. Patty."

I guess that is realistic. He can't be there, with a banged up face, a cast and a limp or crutches.

"I brought some DVDs, thought you might need a break from daytime and nighttime programming."

"Go ahead. I'm up for anything."

Lorelai smiled at him, conveying 'dirty' in her eyes. Dean shifted over in his bed, now that he didn't have to be hooked up to quite as many wires. Lorelai sat down carefully, Dean laughed at her careful manner, and put his arm around her waist. She put her head back on his shoulder.

"Milk Duds? Swedish Fish?"

"It is astonishing to see you eat this quantity and low quality of food and still look so hot." Her legs stretched out were hard to ignore. Slender, long, soft...

"It gives my skin it's healthy glow. I'm not hurting you, am I?"

Dean thought about making a Sexual Healing Marvin Gaye joke, but thought it would be too weird. Forester, control yourself. Don't be an idiot. Stop staring down her dress. Movie.

"Not in the way you think."

"Oh man, Forester, you got game," her voice dripping with sarcasm.

He kissed her head, "Well, you're here in my arm, so enough game to get you."

Damn Sookie. I'm happy, snuggled here with Dean, and I didn't jump into anything too fast, I've known him for years, I know the kind of person he is, which is usually a step in falling for someone, when you know them and you don't want to flee them. I already know how great he is, so add some age, he's is a grown man, attractive, intelligent...why can't I be happy for a change? His arm is huge. So long, so muscular. I've never dated someone this cut. He's so sexy. I'm supposed to just walk away?

This is dangerous, she's not talking during the movie which means she's thinking more than usual, which has to be about us, whatever this is. She isn't going to talk herself out of this. Why does this have to be difficult? I don't want someone my age because they're my age. Appropriate age isn't a reason to fall in love. Born in the same year? That's the acceptable qualifier for a relationship? I want Lorelai. I'm supposed to ignore this incredible woman, who by some miracle is reciprocating the attention, because she's older than me? No. This isn't ending. Not if I can help it.

Dean maneuvered his good hand to guide Lorelai's lips to his.

"You taste good."

"Milk Duds."

She started moving her hands over his thigh.

"Wait. Lorelai, the past few days we've been ramping things up pretty fast…"

He's done with me. He's had an epiphany.

"...and I'm a red-blooded male, and you're about the most gorgeous woman ever created, and we obviously have chemistry, and we've declared our love for one another…"

I don't want to hear any more of this. He wants to put the breaks on...he isn't going to see me sob. Gotta get out of here...

"...this is coming out wrong, no, you aren't leaving," Dean was almost locking her in his arm.

"Ouch, my side, I'm wounded. Please, let me finish. No one is going to be happy about us, once my hospital stay ends. We won't get the Stars Hollow stamp of approval. But this isn't the first time I've elicited scorn from the town, and even the first time it wasn't so bad. I don't care about other people's opinion of me, and I don't believe for one second that you do either. You wouldn't have built the life you have here if you did. Yeah, you want to be liked, but at some point, people just won't care. They'll be on to something new. In a weird way our historic old town is like the internet. No scandal stays on top for more than 24 hours, or maybe 48, but I'm out of high school, men who are MUCH older than you date women my age, so who cares? This feels right, and I know you feel that way too."

He doesn't want to end it. This is real.

Dean's hand was slowly traveling up and down the bare skin of Lorelai's thigh.

I'll just take a peek at her panties and then cool it because that nurse will be in here soon for a vitals check.