Title: Once Upon A Time

Author: caramel

Rating: PG-13 for language.

Disclaimer: I do not own the world of Stars Hollow, the characters, or anything related to "Gilmore Girls". I do not own the lyrics, the song is "Nothing is Good Enough" by Aimee Mann.

A/N: This is my first Dean fic. Now that he's out of the show, (well, not really, but broken up with Rory) I'm starting to like him more.

----Once Upon A Time----

**Once upon a time is how it always goes

but I'll make it brief**

To say everything I want to say to you would take so much time. I could speak paragraphs, pages, volumes about you and I. But you don't want to hear it. You don't want to know what you really are. So I'll get to the point.

**what was started out with such excitement

now I'd gladly end with relief

in what now has become a familiar motif**

We had it great, you know? Everyone said so. "Perfect relationship" and all that crap. Didn't you see it? You didn't know? That first time you looked at me, the first words you said. Electricity, Rory. Didn't you feel it? The sparks? You were stuttering, you were nervous. But I guess not. You weren't happy, I'm not so stupid that I couldn't tell. It's over, it's done, but you know what, Rory? I don't think you'll change. This is the way you are.



**That nothing is good enough

for people like you**

What didn't I do? Was the bracelet not enough? No? How about a car, then? Damn it, Rory. That wasn't good enough? Maybe I should have bought you diamonds, gold, would that have pleased you? Kept you from him?

**who have to have someone take the fall

and something to sabotage--

determined to lose it all**

It was my fault. Always my fault. We broke up first because you didn't say I love you? My fault. And now you obviously want him, and I'm sure this whole damn town thinks it's all my fault. I didn't keep you happy, or I was mean. My fault, I'm sure. I think you wanted to lose us. Was that it? Did you honestly think that all you were doing was just slipping past me?



**Critics at their worst could never criticize

the way that you do

no, there's no one else, I find,

to undermine or dash a hope

quite like you

and you do it so casually, too**

You were never obvious about it. Perfect Rory would never say a mean word. Maybe you didn't mean to, even if I would prefer to think you did. But those little comments about things I wouldn't get, or "neverminds" about a question I had? They hurt, Rory. You know what hurt the most, though? You said you and him liked the same books. You talked about Kafka, Rand. I could read them, Rory. I'm not illiterate. Did you think I was?

**Cause nothing is good enough

for people like you**

What they hell did you want from me? A castle? A fucking Porsche? What didn't I do? I would have done anything, Rory. You know that. Or knew. I loved you. I would have worked my ass off at that minimum wage job to buy you something that would keep you happy. Or was that not it? Maybe buying you the world wouldn't even make you happy. After all, I didn't peg you as a materialistic person. Oh, I know what that means, Rory.

**who have to have someone take the fall

and something to sabotage--

determined to lose it all**

Why did you want it to go this way? You had to have known everything you were doing would lead to this. It was inevitable, Rory. Did you want this to happen? Your tears said you didn't, but you needed this, didn't you? A failure.

**Ladies and gentlemen--

here's exhibit A

didn't I try again?**

I took you back, Rory. Remember? Despite that feeling in my gut, I gave us a second chance. Because I still loved you. I should have known your excuse, that you were afraid, wasn't the truth. You never loved me, I bet. Never.

**And did the effort pay?

Wouldn't a smarter man

simply walk away?**

I doubt he would have put up with what I did. I doubt anyone would. Everything I did was worthless, wasn't it? Nothing could have been enough. I should have just left. Time and time again, I should have.

**It doesn't really help that you can never say

what you're looking for**

You want him? Fine. But what happens when you get sick of that relationship? It'll happen, just like it did with me. I won't gloat when it happens, I won't say "I told you so." I won't need to. I'm telling you now. You can pretend that you'll be with him forever, but you won't. You'll get unhappy, and you'll give him faults and get him to break up with you.

**but you'll know it when you hear it,

know it when you see it walk through the door

So you say--

so you've said many times before**

You think he's the one? I've listened, I've heard. You can claim that as much as you like, Rory. But I know. I know the truth. What you'll do. I'd warn him, but he deserves it. He'll feel the pain, like I did. You'll do the same thing to him.

**But nothing is good enough

for people like you**

Nothings good enough, Rory. But you know what? I'm done. You lost. You go be with him for awhile, until you ruin that too.

**who have to have someone take the fall

and something to sabotage--

determined to lose it all**

You lost.