Wow! Thank you!! I'm honestly so, so amazed at the love! Have another chapter! I hope you enjoy this chapter, here comes the drama. :D All my thanks to my amazing beta and friend Kelly, she's sincerely amazing.This is a long chapter, so make sure you're comfortable, have a drink, plenty of snacks! Enjoy!
Two Guys No Hope
Rory groaned as she felt a weight flop down on her bed. She looked at the clock, it was only ten at night but she was tired. She'd been up early to come home and had moved all her boxes into her old room by herself because her mom was out having a life, all the while battling a hangover.
"What?" Rory groaned at the dead weight on top of her that could only be Lorelai the second.
"I need you. I have boy problems." Her mom said into her ear with a little giggle.
"Already? Wow, that Luke sure is quick." Rory said, sitting up and pushing her mom over so she could breathe properly. "Okay, so tell me everything."
"So, we had a great night, and we waltzed, Luke can waltz." Her mom said happily.
"Luke can waltz?" Rory asked surprised.
"Luke can waltz." Her mom smirked raising her eyebrows.
"Gross." Rory wrinkled her nose. She didn't want to know that.
"Get your mind out of the gutter lady." Lorelai smacked her arm lightly.
"So, you had a good time. I don't see the issue here." Rory said.
"I had a great time and Luke walked me home, he asked me to the movies on Tuesday, so I think I might be dating Luke. But."
"There's a but. Intrigue, mystery, suspense. Continue." Rory gasped.
"Thanks. But, there's this other guy." Her mom said quietly.
"Another guy? Jason?" Rory guessed.
"What, no!" Lorelai said.
"Alex, Max, the guy from the produce market Sookie took you to?" Rory guessed.
"When you say it like that I sound like a slut. And no. None of the above." Lorelai said.
"Well, if the feather boa fits." Rory grinned.
"Feather boa? Oh hon, I think it's so cute that you think sluts wear feather boas, that's burlesque dancers you're thinking of. Easy to mix up, not the same thing at all." Her mom said with pity. Rory was perhaps a little sheltered, something she had realised last night while drinking with Finn and his friends. She had been considering it all day. And while she didn't want to go out and hook up with a guy, she did want to try new things, experience more things, have stories to tell instead of just read about.
"Alright, tell me about this other guy." Rory asked.
"He was my first. My first love, my first first, if you know what I mean. He was your dad's best friend at school, and he was my best friend too. But then he moved away. He's moving back though and I met him last night and it's still there, it's all still there. He's so... perfect. He's rugged and handsome, he's coming tomorrow to fix the porch light. He's funny and witty and he keeps up. But then Luke is wonderful too and he fixes things and... yeah I have guy troubles." Her mom ranted.
"Wow." Rory said her mind spinning.
"So, what do I do?" Her mom asked, turning to face her.
"Write out a pro con list then throw it out and follow your heart," Rory said. She had done the pro con list with Dean and Jess and look how that had turned out. She would have saved everyone a lot of pain if she had just followed her heart instead.
"Really, that was very wise of you. Where did you learn that?" Her mom asked with a smile.
"Oprah." Rory laughed.
"Okay, so I need a pen and paper and coffee and you need to tell me all about last night." Her mom said getting off her bed finally.
"It was insane." Rory said getting out of bed and following her mom.
"Tell me about the rescuer." Her mom asked putting on a pot of coffee before going to get pens and paper.
"He was... he was tall, like not as tall as Dean but almost, he had really dark brown hair, almost black. His eyes are these really bright green that I've never seen before and he quoted Golden Girls and Nancy Drew." Rory said not being able to help the smile on her face.
"And you're sure he's not gay?" Her mom asked coming back into the kitchen.
"I don't think so." Rory frowned, he could have been, but the way his friends spoke about him getting with multiple women she really doubted it. "And I asked him, Metallica or Offspring."
"You asked him the question, already. Wow that was fast. Okay, lay it on me. Who did he pick?" Her mom asked eyes wide, leaning forward to hear the outcome.
"Metallica." Rory smiled.
"Yes!" Her mom cheered before getting cups from the cupboard. "So, he rescued you?"
"Yes, Graham, the guy Grandma set me up with, didn't want to take no as an answer about giving me a lift home and I was not getting in a car with those people." Rory said still annoyed by the whole thing.
"And mommy's very glad to hear that." Her mom said putting the mugs down on the table and sitting down.
"So, he just came out of nowhere, gave me a hug and whispered his name into my ear so I could use it. It was really nice. And he was a gentleman." Rory sighed happily.
"Ah, Rory's got a crush." Her mom sang writing on the pad. "So, what's your rescuers name then?"
"Finn." Rory smiled. "He's just a friend though."
"Yeah, of course." Her mom raised her eyebrows and smirked at her before going back to her lists.
"How are the lists coming?" Rory asked after she had finished her coffee.
"Stupid. I mean how do I know that Josh even wants to date? He might just want to be friends. I mean we were friends. We are friends. Ah. This dating thing is hard." Her mom said banging her head on the table and groaning.
"He's coming to fix the porch light mom; a guy doesn't do that if he doesn't want to date." Rory said.
"I'm not basing my future dating history on a porch light. Okay, so him maybe not being interested is going in the con column, right?" Her mom frowned at the paper.
They sat in silence as Rory poured herself another coffee and drank it.
"Okay, I'm done." Her mom said triumphantly.
"And what does the list say?" Rory asked trying to be wise.
"The lists says Luke." Her mom announced.
"And how do you feel about giving up on the idea of Josh?" Rory asked.
"Crushed." Her mom admitted sadly. "That's my answer, isn't it?"
"It is." Rory nodded.
"This sucks." Her mom sighed. "Luke's going to hate me. Me and my dirty rat heart. And Josh might not even want to date. He said he didn't have a wife or kids but he might have a girlfriend or just want something casual." Her mom was spinning again.
"Breathe. You can ask Josh tomorrow. And I will make myself scarce." Rory said, wanting to meet her mom's first love and her dad's best childhood friend but she loved her mom too much to be a third wheel.
"You don't have to do that hon, but thanks." Her mom grinned at her.
/\\\/\\\
"So?" Rory asked coming home late Monday evening after spending the day with Lane.
"So?" Her mom repeated from the couch, a smirk on her face.
"How did it go with Josh?" Rory demanded climbing on the opposite side of the couch and sitting crossed legged.
"He fixed the porch light." Her mom giggled.
"I saw. And..." Rory bugged her mom for more.
"And, he's taking me out on Wednesday for dinner." Her mom smiled widely.
"On a date?" Rory asked.
"On a date." Her mom said still smiling, her eyes sparkling.
Rory squealed and threw herself forward hugging her mom.
"I want you to tell him he needs to be a perfect gentleman and have you home by ten." Rory said sternly.
"But mooommm." Lorelai pouted.
"Fine eleven. But that's it missy, it's a school night and you have work the next day." Rory said with a smile.
"Fine!" Her mom threw her hands up in the air and they both burst into giggles. "So, what about you and this Finn guy?"
"There is nothing to tell. We didn't exchange numbers; I probably won't see him again. And I only know his first name, if it's not a nickname. So here endeth the chapter of my knight in tarnished armour." Rory said sadly, the words were true but they still stung coming out. She hadn't been able to stop thinking about his green eyes all day or his easy smirk.
"Oh I'm sorry hon." Her mom said sympathetically.
"Eh, it's fine." Rory shrugged not feeling it, but it would be.
Maybe she'd meet someone to have a summer romance with. Or maybe she'd have an adventure this summer, that would be better. She could ask Paris... maybe not seeing as how she was in Oxford. Or maybe should ask Lane... who was broke. And her mom had the Inn. Rory realised just how insular her little world was. She had two good friends and Paris could become a frenemy any day, neither of whom she could at the minute have the adventures she was dreaming of with. Maybe she could go on her own? Or do a road trip with Lane. Maybe.
/\\\/\\\
"Hey." Dean said as Rory walked into the Inn which was looking amazing, almost ready for the test run for sure.
"Oh hey." Rory smiled at her first ever boyfriend, her first love. "Is my mom here do you know?"
"Erm, no I think she stepped out for a few minutes, probably on a coffee run." Dean said with a lazy smile. "Do you... do you want to go get a drink or something tonight? Maybe hit Casey's in Woodbury?"
Rory looked over Dean, reliable, safe, comforting Dean. The one guy who had ever loved her. The one guy who had always been there when she needed him.
"Sure, why not?" Rory said with a smile. They were friends and friends could grab a drink. That was allowed.
"Great, so I'll meet you there at eight?" Dean asked with that smile that made dimples appear.
"Yeah. I'll meet you at eight." Rory agreed.
"Rory!" Her mom said happily coming out the back of the Inn where the kitchen now was.
"Hey mom." Rory smiled.
"Come on then kid, let's go get lunch." Her mom smiled linking their arms and taking her out the door.
"I'm sorry, I've just realised you're back and I've been out or am going out or have kicked you out, every night since you've been back. I'm a terrible mom. How about, after the trial run I make it up to you. Me, you and a day of shopping playing hooky again." Her mom asked as they made their way to the Jeep.
"I won't say no to a day of retail therapy, but you don't have to apologise. I'm happy for you. Anyway, I'm going out tonight." Rory said.
"You are? Where?" Her mom asked.
"I'm meeting Dean at Casey's." Rory said.
"Wow, really. I mean I know you guys are friends but... that sounds like a date. And Dean's married." Her mom said with a frown.
"No, it's just as friends. I wouldn't do that." Rory said, and although she thought it was true she still felt a little guilty. She wasn't doing anything wrong though, right?
"Well, alright, just... be careful, okay?" Her mom said sounding like she didn't quite believe Rory.
/\\\/\\\
Casey's was crowded when Rory arrived just after eight, she had to fight her way to the bar where she ordered a club soda with a slice of lime. Taking the drink she looked around for Dean or a free table.
She spotted Dean waving at her from a table near the bathrooms. Weaving her way through the crowd Rory sat at the table.
"Hi." She smiled.
"Hey." Dean said. "This place is packed!"
"Yeah, it is. I thought it would be quiet, it's only a Tuesday." Rory nodded.
They sat talking for a while, mainly about the past but Dean told her a lot of stories about the Inn making her laugh. Any story with Michele in it normally elicited laughter from whoever was listening.
Three drinks later and Rory tensed as Dean took her hand. This wasn't friend territory; this was something different. And Rory couldn't do that. She wouldn't be that woman.
"Dean, you're married." Rory said softly and a little sadly, maybe if he wasn't things could be different.
"It's over between me and Lyndsey, we tried and it's over. We both know it." Dean said, his eyes staring intently into hers.
"So you've ended it? You're moving out?" Rory asked her heart jumping.
"We're still talking about it." Dean admitted.
"Until you've split up properly, I can't Dean. I'm sorry, but I won't be the other woman." Rory said softly taking her hand back.
"I understand." Dean said with a smile. "Soon."
/\\\/\\\
It was the night of the trial run of the Dragonfly Inn and her mom had sent her home for CDs. Her mom who was stressed beyond belief and who had to deal with her own Lorelai Gilmore this is your life moment with Jason, Josh and Luke all at the Inn. Rory hadn't met Josh yet, just caught a glimpse of him from behind, she knew it would be a while before she would meet him properly, her mom had strict rules for herself about that.
A knock came from the back door, Rory got off her bed, where she had been sorting out CDs and went to answer it.
"Rory." Dean said with a smile on his face. Rory's stomach had butterflies.
"Dean, what are you doing here?" Rory asked.
"Your mom said you were here and I wanted to talk to you." Dean said, his voice husky as he stepped closer.
"Okay."
"Lyndsey and I have split up; I'm moving back into my parents place. We're over. The apartments being put on the market, the china's being divided up." Dean said, so close now she could feel the heat coming off him.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Rory said biting her bottom lip, she didn't mean it, she wasn't sorry, she was nervous and excited.
"Don't be." Dean said leaning down and kissing her softly on the lips.
It happened so fast she couldn't even process it properly.
One minute they'd been kissing and then his hands had been everywhere and it felt so good. She'd never felt that good and she could see why people would do almost anything to feel that way. And then there were no clothes and then sex.
Sex. It hadn't been quite what Rory had thought, it had been fast and painful. The bit before, that she understood why people did it again and again, sex, not so much. It didn't feel terrible and he hadn't hurt her on purpose of course. And long ago her mom had said her first time would probably hurt, but it hadn't been that good either.
After Dean had... finished. He stood up almost straight away and started getting dressed.
"Where are you going?" Rory asked feeling a little hurt and used. He hadn't so much as hugged her.
"I've got to get home, and you've got to get back to your mom. I'll call you." Dean placed a kiss on her forehead and walked out without a look back.
Rory stood, painfully and started getting dressed again. She looked at her bed and the small bloodstain on her bed covers and cried as she stripped them. That hadn't been how it was supposed to go. That hadn't been right. He was supposed to hold her and say things like he loved her. He wasn't supposed to get dressed and leave straight after, making her feel like that, like this.
"Rory!" Her mom yelled and Rory heard the front door slamming shut and her mom's footsteps pounding up the stairs to her room.
Rory carefully put new bedsheets on, tears still streaming down her face. She couldn't stop them. This hadn't been right. She'd been an idiot.
"Rory?" Her mom asked from behind her.
"Yeah, sorry I've got some CDs on the desk." Rory said trying to wipe away her tears and clear her voice before her mom saw.
"Rory, hon, what's wrong?" Her mom said softly coming into the room and turning Rory to face her gently.
Rory hugged her mom for all she was worth, sobs wracking her body. Her mom had tried to warn her and she hadn't listened and now look where she was.
"Rory, what's happened?" Her mom asked softly but urgently.
"Dean... He came round... He said that he'd ended things with Lyndsey that he was moving out, they both were, the apartment was up for sale. And he kissed me and... And we had sex... But then he just left. Straight away. He just got dressed and left mom." Rory cried into her mom's shoulder.
"Oh hon." Her mom said stroking Rory's back gently. Rory couldn't see the sad look on her mom's face nor the fury that flashed in her eyes.
/\\\/\\\
Lorelai watched sadly as Rory left with her mom for a month in Europe. Her mom had wanted Rory there for the entire summer, but Lorelai had refused. Rory hadn't done anything wrong, yes, she needed to get away, Lorelai got that, but she didn't need to hide away. When Rory got back Lorelai was going to take a few days off and they were going to do the whole girly bonding, road trip, wallowing thing. And while Rory was away Lorelai thought she might just kill Dean.
And Jason. And Luke.
Luke had been hurt, she got that. But he'd been an ass to her and an ass to Josh who had done nothing to deserve it. Josh hadn't even known anything about Luke when Lorelai had agreed to go on a date with him.
And Jason. He was just... unbelievable, telling Josh and Luke that she was dating him. They had broken up!
It had taken just about everything Lorelai had to get Josh to stay. He'd been hurt and angry, understandably so as they just arranged another date, as they'd just had their first kiss. The second first kiss she guessed, a smile coming to her face in remembrance. He was as sweet and gentle as he had been when they were kids, but harder, more muscular, different and familiar at the same time.
Josh had bought the house in Stars Hollow and his nephew would be joining him for the last half of the summer. Spending the first half of it back in Australia with Josh's parents. Lorelai was curious to meet him as an adult.
Lorelai sadly turned to leave the airport. She felt like she was sending her daughter away with a Scarlet A on her chest. Her purse weighed down heavily with the letter Rory had asked her to post on the way home. A letter to Lyndsey, a letter that Lorelai had encouraged her daughter to write. Neither girl had deserved what that bastard had done to them. Seriously she thought she was going to kill him.
Thank god she was seeing Josh tonight; it wasn't their date night but when she'd called and asked him while Rory was packing, he'd readily agreed to meeting up. She hoped he was in the mood to drink. Because she sure was.
/\\\/\\\
"Do you want me to kick his arse Lor, because I really want to kick his arse?" Josh said, they'd been drinking their way steadily through a bottle of Tequila for the past hour.
Lorelai had told Josh all about Dean and what he'd done to her baby girl.
"No, just bail me out when I get arrested for killing him." Lorelai laughed.
"That I can do. Do you remember when you had to bail me and Chris out for borrowing Straub's car. When we were fourteen?" Josh laughed and the sound warmed Lorelai's stomach.
"Yes, but I wasn't old enough to bail you out so they called your parents anyway. You had to sneak out for a month to see me." Lorelai smiled remembering stolen kisses and a hidden romance. It had seemed exciting at the time. Now she was happy she could walk down the street with him.
"It was worth it." Josh smiled gently; his dark brown eyes warm. Lorelai felt familiar butterflies flutter in her chest as he leant forward and captured her lips with his own.
"Lorelai." Josh breathed, his forehead resting against hers. "I want this, all of this. The messy family thing. The kisses, the feelings. I want it all."
Lorelai gasped in a breath, heart leaping. "I want it all too Josh."
"Let's start something new, not just jumping back where we were twenty years ago. Let's start something new." He whispered, his accented voice driving her crazy.
"Yes." Lorelai whispered back before tasting his lips softly. They tasted the same and yet new. Something new.
/\\\/\\\
It was a week after Rory had left, the talk of the town all week had been Lyndsey kicking out Dean very dramatically and publicly, no-one knew why though so the whole town was talking about it. Lorelai avoided the gossip. It was up to Rory and Lyndsey what they wanted known.
Lorelai was on her way to meet Josh at the Black, White and Read movie theatre. She was running late as the stupid door wouldn't lock so she'd had to leave her keys in it. Stupid, crappy, falling down house. There was a reason that Rory and her called it the Crap Shack.
"There you are. I was beginning to think you stood me up. Then I remembered that I'm irresistible so you were obviously just running late." Josh drawled a smirk on his handsome face.
"And so modest too. Sorry I couldn't get the keys out of the back door, so I just left them there." Lorelai said greeting him with a kiss on his cheek, having to lean up to do so. She loved that he was tall, he made her feel safe.
"You left your keys in the back door?" Josh asked incredulously.
"Yeah. It's fine." Lorelai shrugged, trying to work out if she could afford to have someone come look at it this month or not.
"Do you want me to look at it for you tomorrow?" Josh asked hooking her arm with his own.
"You fix things?" Lorelai asked surprised. He'd been raised the same way she had, with someone to do everything for them, it's why she couldn't cook, or fix things, or garden someone had always done it for her.
"I have many hidden talents you don't know about yet darling." Josh smirked as they made their way into the movie theatre, Kirk there as usual to take their money and hand out popcorn.
"Dirty. So... was that a yes, or no?" Lorelai laughed.
"Yes Lor, I can fix things." Josh rolled his eyes but was smiling.
/\\\/\\\
Lorelai was walking to Doose's Market, a smile on her face. She had to be at the Inn soon, they were booked to ninety percent capacity and she was working her butt off to keep it that way and loving every second. However, groceries needed to be brought. Bread, milk, coffee, ice cream were all running low in the Gilmore household and that just wasn't allowed.
She grabbed things as quickly as she could. Grocery shopping was boring but one of those unfortunate adult necessities.
She checked out, glad that her least favourite bag boy wasn't working today and left.
She ran right into someone as she was coming out.
"Oh, sorry." She said sincerely a smile on her face until she looked up. Dean. She felt her blood boil and her hands clench tighter round her bag of groceries.
"Where's Rory?" Dean demanded his face screwed up in anger.
"Excuse me?" Lorelai bit out, how dare he use her name, how dare he even ask that question.
"Where's Rory, she destroyed my marriage and then just ran away? I want to talk to her." Dean said a frown on his face.
"You destroyed your own marriage." Lorelai said with a sneer going to walk past him.
Dean stepped in front of her and Lorelai's mouth dropped open in disbelief.
"I need to know where she is." Dean said angrily.
"You need to get out of my way before I shove my size nine stiletto so far up your ass you choke on it." Lorelai spat.
"Not until you tell me where Rory is." Dean said standing taller and drawing his arms around himself. Lorelai couldn't believe the audacity of this punk.
"What seems to be the problem here?" A voice asked from behind Lorelai and although she didn't take her eyes off bag boy, she did relax a little at hearing the smooth Australian accent.
"I was just asking Lorelai about her daughter. No problem." Dean said with a smirk.
"Yeah, nah mate, I see you round either of the Gilmore Girls again then there will be a problem. Ya get me?" Josh said his hand resting on Lorelai's waist.
"And who are you?" Dean asked, but Lorelai saw his eyes glance over Josh, six-foot three tall Josh, who was broader than Dean considerably and worked out.
"I really, really don't think you wanna know mate. Now I'll be walking this lovely Shelia home and you'll be backing the fuck up. Right?" Josh said and Lorelai could hear the smile in his voice. It sent shivers down her spine.
Together Lorelai and Josh walked past Dean who frowned after them.
"That was kind of hot." Lorelai said glancing up at her boyfriend for the first time since he'd arrived.
"Thanks." Josh grinned.
"Did you want to say, I'm your worst nightmare?" Lorelai asked, she'd wanted him to say it. It was one of those clichés that could so rarely be used, but so bad that any threat was taken away.
"So, so badly." Josh gave a chuckle as he walked her back to the Crap Shack. "So that was Dean huh?"
"That was Dean, he was a very sweet guy, less brooding and menacing, more puppy dog eyes and candy hearts." Lorelai sighed opening the back door that her boyfriend had actually fixed.
"Seems like an arsehole now." Josh frowned putting a pot of coffee on. Lorelai smiled at the action; he might just be perfect.
"He is an asshole now." Lorelai smirked.
"Now, now darling, we have had this chat, I'm allowed to use my native tongue and you are not allowed to mock." Josh smiled and Lorelai resisted the urge to throw herself at him. After all she had to leave for work five minutes ago. Stupid Dean holding her up.
"Thanks, for rescuing me back there. I thought I was going to have to drop my groceries and smack the smirk off his face." Lorelai admitted with a frown.
"Yeah. Anytime. I just hope there won't be the need again." Josh said. "Finn is flying in tomorrow. So I probably won't see you for a couple of days, I want to get some time one on one with him."
"I understand. Rory's back in three days and I want the same. Just me and her, some shopping, some ice cream, takeout, movies." Lorelai smiled.
"So, a week without seeing each other?" Josh asked.
"I'm late for work." Lorelai said knowing where this was more than likely going.
"You're the boss. Be late." Josh came away from the counter, his gaze predatory, Lorelai's heart jumped.
"Maybe a little late." She smiled while swallowing dryly.
/\\\/\\\
Rory smiled as she walked across the town square. She'd been back for four days, Europe had been nice, but watching the town get ready for the summer festival, having coffee with her mom and being back in general was better. And tonight, she would be meeting Josh and his nephew, Finley. She was happy and excited for her mom, who couldn't stop talking about her boyfriend. This was the happiest she had ever seen her mom; she was giddy and stupid and very obviously in love.
Rory dodged out of the way of Andrew who was walking by with a banner, a smile on her face as she crashed into someone else.
"Oops sorry." Rory grinned, her smile dropping when she saw just who she had bumped into.
"The wanderer returns then." Dean sneered at her.
Rory ignored him and went to move past, her stomach churning. Dean moved into her path again. Rory turned round, suddenly not in the mood for coffee, he came round and stood in her way.
"Dean. Move." Rory said her voice annoyed.
"No, we need to talk." Dean said his voice full of anger.
"We have nothing to talk about." Rory said trying to get past him again.
"Actually, we kind of do. Like how you ruined my marriage." Dean said and she hated how he towered over her, no longer the safe Haven he had been all those years ago, but imposing and threatening instead.
"No, we don't." Rory said turning back towards Luke's at least she knew Luke would kick him out if he tried anything there.
"You had no right to send that letter." Dean said angrily, once more blocking her path.
Rory went to just push past him, but he wouldn't move, instead he kept moving forward, his body pushing her towards a tree. Rory felt angry, annoyed and the tiniest little bit of fear.
"Dean! Leave me alone!" Rory yelled. There were enough people out so that he wouldn't want a scene, she hoped.
"Not until you talk to me." Dean said his voice cold.
Rory shoved him, he had backed her into a corner and she didn't like it. So, she pushed him as hard as she could to get some space and hopefully get away from him.
He'd been controlling when they'd been together, getting angry at silly things, wanting to always know where she was. How could she have forgotten that? Forgotten how she had to walk on eggshells around him to save his feelings or stop him getting angry and yelling at her. This, right here, this was the Dean of old, the one she had conveniently forgotten when it suited her. She was an idiot.
Dean barely moved when she pushed him, but it was enough to make a gap for her to squeeze through.
Rory hurried passed her ex, her heart thumping, shaking slightly.
He grabbed her arm and spun her to face him, his grip tight, bruising.
"Why did you send that letter? Why?" Dean asked as she tried to shake him off her.
"Let me go." Rory said yanking her arm back unsuccessfully.
"Just tell me, why?" Dean asked again. "Was it because I didn't cuddle you and whisper sweet nothings into your ear after I screwed you?"
"Let her go." A voice said, strong and angry, accented. Rory's heart leapt, for a second, a split second she thought it would be her rescuer, the one with bright green eyes that she still dreamt about. It wasn't though, instead this was a tall, handsome man, older, who she had never met. He seemed vaguely familiar but she didn't know where from. She didn't think she had ever met him before.
"This has nothing to do with you." Dean said his breathing hard and his hand clamping down further on her arm. It hurt.
"Get off me." Rory said trying once more to move away from him. He was really hurting her. Had he come this far? Was he actually hurting her in the middle of the town square?
"It does now. Let her go. I won't tell you again." The man said, his voice heavy.
Dean let go of her arm and Rory gasped, feeling the blood rush back to her fingers and hand. It hurt.
"What are you going to do about it?" Dean asked going up to the man with the accent, getting in his face.
"Dude, you don't want to do this." The man smirked and Rory believed him, she massaged her arm not knowing what to do, she couldn't look away from this disaster though.
Dean looked the man up and down before turning his back on him and walking a step closer to Rory.
"All I'm asking is for you to talk to me." Dean said, his voice even again.
"No." Rory said.
Dean stepped closer again. Rory backed up, straight back into the tree.
"Come on." He said and reached out for her.
Rory panicked and kicked his shin, hard. She had never done anything remotely violent in her life, but she was scared and trapped.
"Fucking hell!" Dean yelled angrily. "You bitch!"
Suddenly Dean was pulled bodily away from Rory, the man from before tossing him onto the floor as though he were no more than a bag of potatoes.
"Rory right?" The man said gently.
"Y... yeah." Rory said looking up at him.
"Come on Rory, let's get you out of here and call your mum hey?" The man said. "I'm Josh, by the way, not quite how I wanted to meet you."
"Josh? You're Josh, mom's Josh?" Rory asked her mind spinning, her heart still beating. That had been terrifying.
"That I am darling. Nice to meet you, your mum says nothing but good things about you." Josh shrugged and they started walking.
"Erm, thanks. For that I mean." Rory said shakily.
"Hey!" Dean yelled angrily from behind them, Rory tensed up, she felt Josh next to her let out a deep sigh.
"This guy isn't the smartest cookie is he now?" Josh asked quietly.
Rory turned looking over her shoulder. Dean was coming towards them his face screwed up in anger.
"Rory, why don't you head over to Luke's order us a couple of coffees?" Josh suggested easily turning to face Dean. Rory was torn. She really didn't want to be around her ex anymore. But he was her problem and leaving Josh alone with the enraged man felt like not the right thing to do.
"What is your problem buddy? I only wanted to talk to Rory? That was all!" Dean said coming over and pushing Josh in the chest.
"Dean! Leave! Go away!" Rory shouted, she noticed they were attracting a bit of a crowd.
"Just talk to me then!" Dean yelled right back.
"I sent that letter to Lyndsey because she deserved to know, she should know what you did to her. Alright! That make you happy? Can you leave now?" Rory said desperately.
"Did to her? Did to you, you mean?" Dean spat his head turning to her and his eyes flashing. "It's always about perfect Rory isn't it. And what because I finally fucked, the perfect virginal princess and didn't hang around after for hugs you what? Destroy my marriage!?" Dean yelled and Rory felt herself flush.
"That's enough." Josh said quietly stepping in between Dean and Rory.
"No. It's not. She opened her legs for a guy who was married, and now she's running round like the victim. Again. And I'm the villain. Again." Dean said.
"You told me it was over, you said you'd left her. I told you before that I wouldn't do anything, even hold your hand while you were married. So yeah, you lied to me, yeah you hurt me, yeah you are the villain. But you hurt Lyndsey too, we both did and we have to live with that. Okay. Talk over." Rory said, her face red as she took in everyone listening. Now the whole town would think she was a...
"You didn't care, don't lie. You just wanted me to fuck you." Dean spat and laughed.
"That's enough!" Josh said viciously pushing Dean back.
"You want a go on her too man? I don't blame you." Dean grinned and Josh snapped, his fist connecting with Dean's face. Then suddenly they were fighting each other.
"Stop it!" Rory yelled trying to push Dean away and getting shoved to the floor. There were gasps from the crowd as Rory landed hard. She didn't understand why no-one was doing anything.
"Hey!" Another angry voice yelled coming through the crowd, grabbing Dean and yanking him from the fight.
Rory studied the new figure and her mouth dropped open.
It was him.
Her knight in tarnished armour.