A/N: Any Dean fans still reading should please keep reading after this chapter. Trust me, I'm not as cruel as I first seem!

** Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Gilmore Girls. If I were that all powerful then Jess would be staying put! So, in summation... Please don't sue me!**

Rory stepped down off of the bus and was about to pull her backpack over her shoulder when a hand stopped her.

"Let me."

"You don't have to." She smiled slightly.

"It looks heavy." Dean smiled back.

"It is heavy. That's why you don't have to carry it."

"And what kind of a gentleman would I be if I didn't?" He said, taking it and carrying it for her.

"So… how are you?" She asked uncertainly.

"Good, actually." He nodded and then realized they were standing still. "Can I walk you home?" He asked hopefully.

"Uh… sure." She said, starting to walk.

"I actually have another question I wanted to ask you." He said nervously.

"Ok." She said, trying not to let her feelings of dread seep into her tone.

"For… a while now… I've been wanting to ask you out." He started.

"Out?" She asked, pretending she didn't know.

"Yeah, like… on a date." He smiled.

"Oh." She forced a smile.

"But I was kinda' nervous, and then whenever I did try, something always got in the way and I couldn't." He said.

She just nodded and kept walking.

"So I was hoping that maybe you'd like to go to a movie with me? Or… get something to eat at Luke's sometime?" He offered.

Rory panicked. She didn't know what to say.

"That's really sweet." She smiled and blushed.

They walked in silence the rest of the way to her house.

"So… what do you say?" He asked as they reached her front porch.

"Um… I don't know." She said apologetically. "You're a really great guy… and I like you as a friend…"

"Oh." He laughed softly and looked away, embarrassed. "That's ok."

"Are you ok?" She asked.

"Yeah, yeah." He nodded. "Totally fine."

"Ok."

"I'll uh… see you." He smiled and she nodded as he left.

Rory felt horrible, but she also felt like a weight had been lifted. She'd known he was going to ask her out, she just hadn't know when it would happen. It had happened. It was over.

"Hey."

She turned around.

"Hey you." She smiled and kissed Jess. "I just talked to Dean."

"Oh?" He looked worried.

"He asked me out. I turned him down. I was very gentle… I think."

Jess nodded and smiled slightly. She kissed him again and he put his arms around her.

"Oh man, I feel like such an idio…" Dean stopped when he saw Rory and Jess kissing. "Such an idiot." He finished.

"Dean…" Rory started.

"I… forgot to give you your bag." He said coldly, putting it down on the front lawn. He turned his attention to Jess and shook his head in disbelief.

"Listen…"

"Save it Jess." He sneered.

Dean turned and walked away without saying anything else.

"Do you think you should go talk to him?" Rory asked quietly.

"I don't know." Said Jess, staring after him.

*****


"I need a bubble bath. My day was horrible. Don't even try and say yours was worse because it's not possi…" Lorelai stopped, halfway through taking off her coat.

"Hey." Rory said quietly.

Lorelai frowned at Jess and Rory. They were curled up on the couch together. He had his arms around her and she was running her hands through his hair gently.

"Uh… hey." She pointed at them. "Why do you two look like a couple?"

"Because we are." Rory said, smiling slightly. Jess didn't look up.

Lorelai laughed and nodded.

"Good one. But seriously…"

"Seriously." Rory said, resting her head against his.

"Ok…" Lorelai's smile faded and she shook her head in confusion. "Why do you look so miserable then?"

"Long story." Rory said softly looking Lorelai in the eyes.

Lorelai nodded, understanding that it was a story for another time, and headed upstairs quietly.

*****


Lorelai stared at Luke, open-mouthed.

"You knew?" She said accusingly.

"Not… I didn't…"

"You knew?!"

"I didn't wanna' know!" He said defensively.

Jess wiped down the counter, Rory watched him, wishing there was something she could do to make him feel better.

"How long ago did you find out?"

"Two days… Maybe… three…" Luke shrugged, trying to avoid her shocked gaze.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me when you found out!" She gasped.

"I'm sorry…" Luke offered.

"Sorry doesn't cut it, mister!" She muttered.

Dean opened the door and stepped inside. He looked over at Rory and Jess. Jess was standing behind the counter, Rory was sitting opposite him holding his hand in hers and talking to him. He was just nodding, he looked depressed.

They both looked over at him and Rory slowly let go of Jess's hand. Dean sighed and shook his head, turning and leaving.

Jess hurried out from behind the counter and over to the door.

"Dean, wait!" He shouted.

"I don't have anything to say to you." Dean said angrily, not turning to look at Jess.

"Then why were you here?"

"Mistake. I thought I could talk to you, but it turns out that I can't stand the sight of you." He said.

"Look… I'm sorry…"

"Yeah? Me too. I can't believe you would go behind my back!" Dean shouted, finally turning to look at him.

"I didn't… I mean… It wasn't something I did on purpose…."

"How long?"

Jess looked down at the ground.

"Not long…"

"How long?" Dean demanded. "A week? A month? Longer?"

"No. Not even a week." Jess sighed.

"You knew how much I liked her. You knew and you did it anyway!"

"I didn't plan to. I didn't realize that I felt that way about her…" He said quietly. "She was just a friend."

"Well she wasn't just a friend to me. I was crazy about her!"

"I know."

"No, you don't. You have no clue how much I cared about her!"

"Yes I do." Jess said, looking him in the eyes.

"I know you Jess."

"What does that mean?" Jess frowned.

"This is just some… game to you. You don't 'care' about girls the way I cared about her."

"You're wrong." Jess shook his head.

"That's the thing. I'm not. What's it about? Sex?" Dean asked.

"You're angry…" Jess sighed trying not to let Dean's comments get to him.

"Yeah, I am!" Dean shouted.

"Maybe we should talk when you're less upset…"

"I'm not going to get less upset!" Dean laughed resentfully.

"What do you want me to do?"

"There isn't anything you can do."

"Do you want me to lie down in the middle of the street and let you kick the shit out of me? Would that make you feel better?" He said. "If it'll fix any of this then I'll do it!"

"No. That'll make you feel better, feel like we're even…"

"Then what can I do?!" Jess asked desperately.

"You can stop seeing Rory." Dean said. The words seemed to shock him as they left his mouth, as if it wasn't him saying it. But after a moment he nodded. "Stop seeing her." He repeated.

Jess frowned.

"Completely?"

"Yeah." Dean nodded. "I don't know that I can ever be… your friend again. If we were even friends at all…"

"We were…"

"Then stop seeing Rory. It's the only way I can stand to be anywhere near you."

"I can't…"

"Then don't." Sighed Dean. "But there's nothing else you can do that will even come close to fixing this."

Dean walked away and left Jess standing alone on the side walk.