Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own anything. I only wish I did. : )

Authors Notes: Sorry it took so long to update! Here's the next chapter. Please r/r!

A Second Chance

By Angel

Chapter 4: Closure

~Rory's House~

For what seemed like the hundredth time in the last month Rory dug out her Chilton yearbook. Taking it over to her bed she sat down and automatically opened it to the page with the student pictures. Staring at his picture she thought back to the day of the annual Chilton talent show. Why was he in her thoughts? Why couldn't she forget about him? He had made her first year at Chilton a living hell. She should have been glad that he was gone. Yet remembering the way his voice flowed over the words as he sang, and the expression on his face, Rory couldn't get him out of her head. Instead of happiness at his departure, she felt like something had passed her by. Letting out a huge sigh Rory shut the yearbook and lay down on her bed. She had work that she should have been doing, and errands to run before her date with Dean tonight. Dean. Another good reason why she shouldn't be thinking about Tristan. Dean was her boyfriend. He was sweet, caring, and everything a girl could ask for in a boyfriend. What more could she want? Nothing. Then why did she feel like she had lost something without realizing it?

~Military School~

Tristan sighed as he turned over in his bed. There was no doubt about it. Military school was tough. He never realized how good he had it at Chilton until he came here. Yet he was glad, because here he had the chance to start over. To become a different person from the obnoxious jerk he had been before. Here the name DuGray meant nothing. You had to make your own name here. In order to get respect you had to prove your worth. Tristan had never worked harder in his entire life, but he was glad. He had gotten a chance to start over. His one regret was leaving her behind. Rory Gilmore. Without her, he would have continued with his shallow existence. She was the one person who didn't care about his family's name, money, or good looks. She saw him as he really was and she called him on it. And never once backed down. Tristan smiled as he remembered her flowing chestnut hair, and the spark in her sapphire blue eyes whenever she was angry. The fire behind them, that life. He had never seen such energy and strength in one person. But with the new beginning he had been given, he had to give her up. 'Well she's probably much happier without me in her life anyway' he thought. Tristan sighed again as he turned over trying to forget her and get some sleep.

~Dean's Car~

As they drove away from the Hartford movie theatre Rory sat silently in Dean's car, listening to him talk about the movie. 'When did our conversations seem so shallow? I always loved our conversations, but now……they seem so boring.' She thought as she tuned out Dean's voice. When had things changed so much? Although Dean was still the loving caring boyfriend he always had been, she felt trapped. All he wanted was to spend time with his girlfriend, and she always found some way to get out of it. She used to jump at the chance to spend time with him, yet now, she wanted time to herself. She didn't want to spend every minute of her free time with him. Sometimes she even made up things to get out of seeing him. When had such a wonderful thing become so boring? Letting out an inner sigh, Rory turned her mind back to the conversation.

"Want to listen to some music?" Dean asked.

"Sure" Rory said, as Dean turned on the radio. A song ended, and a new one came on. As the beginning of the song started, Rory froze in her seat. It was that song again. Why was it that every time she turned on the radio it seemed to be on? It haunted her constantly and she didn't know what to do. Her mind flashed back to the day of the annual Chilton talent show. Tristan. His beautiful voice and the song haunted her thoughts day and night. Why couldn't she stop thinking about it? The song and its lyrics chased after her. The pain with which he had sang, and the message he seemed to be giving to her alone. She was so confused, and she felt guilty about thinking about someone else while she had a boyfriend. Yet, many times during the past month she had thought about breaking up with Dean, she just never could get around it. Yet he always made her feel guilty when she couldn't spend time with him, even when she really had too much homework to do. A good boyfriend shouldn't make her feel guilty right? She was just so sick of this. Why did everything have to be so complicated? And what did Tristan have to do with any of this? As the song ended they pulled into her driveway. Giving Dean a quick kiss, Rory jumped out of the vehicle and ran into her house.

Dean sat on the driveway for a short time. Rory had been quite distant for the last while. He knew she was busy, but he loved her so much, and wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. Things weren't working out, and he was pretty sure they both knew it. They would have to talk, and soon. Letting out a sigh, Dean pulled out of the driveway and drove home.

In the Gilmore household the phone rang. Rory dashed out of her room and frantically searched for the phone. After ten rings she found it under a pile of laundry. "Hello?" she said.

"Hey" Dean's familiar voice said.

"Oh, hey." Rory said.

"So, are you busy?"

"Um yeah kind of. There's a lot of homework to do. You know how Chilton is. They never let up. I think they want to kill us all with homework." Rory joked half-heartedly.

"Do you have some time tomorrow? We need to talk."

"Um I guess. See you tomorrow after school?" Rory said, slightly confused.

"Yeah, okay. Bye" Dean said as he hung up.

Rory wasn't sure what that was all about. Dean had sounded so sad about something. And the words we need to talk sent chills up and down her spine. What was going to happen?

~Next Day~

"Hey" Dean said dejectedly.

"Hey" Rory answered. Deep in her heart she knew what Dean wanted to talk about, but she had always convinced herself everything was okay. That their relationship was fine. Even though she knew it wasn't.

"Well…I guess you were wondering why I wanted to talk." Dean began as they walked down the street. Taking a deep breath he quickly blurted out his question. "Rory, do you like spending time with me?"

Rory was surprised. This was not what she expected to hear. "Of course I do Dean!"

"Well…it's been a while since we've done anything together, and I know that you're really busy, but I want to spend time with you! It hurts that you never seem to have time for me, and it's almost like you don't want to be with me."

"Dean, you know that's not true…" Rory began.

"I know. It's just so hard." Dean sighed as a silence settled between them. "I think it's best for the both of us if we don't see each other anymore."

Rory sat silently for a few moments. She knew that this day had been coming for a while. Yet she always thought she would break it off first. She had thought about it, but she never had the courage to. And yet she felt so sad. Dean was her first boyfriend, her first love. Yet she knew it would be better this way. Clearing her throat she said, "So…we're breaking up."

"I guess so. I would really like for us to stay friends though." Dean said, trying to keep his voice steady. He loved Rory with all his heart, but things weren't working out. He knew it was time to let her go.

"I would like that too." Rory said. Stopping in front of her house they turned and faced each other. "So…I guess this is it."

"Yeah, I guess so. We had some good times though."

"Yeah, we did." There was an awkward pause, and then they gave each other a hug, and Rory turned and walked into her house, leaving Dean on the driveway.

Dean stood for a short time afterwards, watching her house. Looking at the outline of her figure in her window he gave a long sigh, and turned away. "Good bye Rory."

~Rory's House~

Rory sat in her room not knowing what to do. They had agreed to break up. And she felt sad, yet also kind of relieved. She loved Dean, and she always would. He was many firsts for her. Her first kiss, her first boyfriend, and her first love. Yet, things had changed. Her love for Dean had become friendlier, and she no longer felt the excited tingles at being near him. It was for the best that they had broken up. That way they both saved themselves a world of pain and guilt. Yes, it was definitely better this way.

Lorelai entered the quiet house. Something had to be wrong. The house was never this quiet. Going into Rory's room, she found her daughter curled up in her bed holding her stuffed rooster. "Honey what's wrong?"

"Dean and I broke up" Rory's muffled voice came to her.

"What?! Again?! Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. We both decided it was for the best. I'm okay mom. Really. It's just seems different now."

"Oh honey of course it does. He was so many firsts for you, and he was such a big part of your life, and now he's gone." Lorelai said as she pulled her daughter into a tight embrace.

"Yeah, but we decided to stay friends. So I think things are okay between us." Rory said as she leaned against the comforting arms of her mother.

"Well things will be alright, and everything will work out to be like one of those happy endings you always see in those sappy movies. You know, where the amazing music is playing and everything is all sappy and gushy and everyone is like aaawwwwwww isn't that sweet…"

"Mom!" Rory said, as a small chuckle escaped her lips. "You're babbling."

"I know sweetie, I know, but you know me." Lorelai said with a smile. "Come on, let's get some ice cream and coffee. The best prescribed medicine for anyone with any affliction."

Smiling Rory grabbed her jacket, and followed her mother out the door. Things seemed better already.

~Sorry this chapter had so little t/r. I needed some closure for Rory and Dean. And sorry this was so bad! Writer's block has set up a nice place in my head. Next few chapters will come up soon. Please review.~