** 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 rolled over in bed and cringed at the bright sun light. The calm after the storm.

She ran her hand through her hair and tried to think what had happened, how she had gotten home. Most of what happened after Jess left was just a blur.

She sat up in bed and sighed deeply, looking at her reflection in the mirror. She looked a mess.

"Morning." Lorelai said softly as she came out of her bedroom.

"Morning." Rory said, hugging herself.

"How are you feeling?"

"How much do you know?"

"Nothing." Lorelai said honestly.

Rory sat at the kitchen table and covered her face with her hands.

"How did I get home?"

"I came and found you. Jess told me where you were. What happened?" She said, sitting next to Rory and stroking her hair gently.

"We broke up… I think. Some… twisted version of a break up anyway."

"What do you mean." Lorelai frowned.

"Dean asked him to stop seeing me. So he did."

"Just like that?"

"No… I'm simplifying. I'd rather not relive every horrifically painful moment of the conversation."

Lorelai nodded, understanding.

"How was he?" Rory asked.

"Pretty bad shape." Lorelai said, hoping Rory really wanted the truth.

"I just need to talk to him." She nodded. "Things will be different… he'll have changed his mind."

"Rory…" Lorelai sighed, not wanting her daughter to get her hopes up. She never again wanted to see her the way she had been the night before.

"It's ok." Rory insisted, getting up and going into her room.

*****


Luke looked up as Rory walked into the diner.

"Hey, coffee?" He asked.

"No… is Jess here?" She asked, looking over to the stairs that led up to the apartment.

"Uh… No. He left about an hour ago." Luke sighed.

"When will he be back?"

Luke frowned at her.

"You don't know?" He asked. "He… didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" She chuckled nervously.

"He's gone, Rory."

"What?"

"He's gone… he went to Hartford to catch a bus back to New York…"

Rory was already running out of the diner. Luke watched her leave, shocked that she hadn't known.

Tears streamed down her face as she ran down Main Street. She didn't even know where she was going.

She ran straight into Dean.

"Hey…" He looked at her, confused.

Rory shook her head, gasping for breath. He was holding on to her arms and staring at her.

"I have to go." She insisted, trying to get free.

"Calm down."

"You don't understand…" She wept, struggling to get away from him.

"Rory, calm down!" He said more firmly. "What's going on?"

"He's gone!" She shouted at him.

"Who… Gone where?" He frowned.

"Jess. He's gone back to New York." She cried hysterically. "I need to go. I have to stop him."

"How?" Dean asked.

"I don't know. I have to go to the bus station." She looked around and started crying more. "I don't have a car… My mom's got the car... she's in Hartford…"

Dean took a deep breath and looked her in the eyes. He wondered if Jess was hurting as much as she obviously was.

"Come on." He said, pulling her across the street.

They ran towards his house and he disappeared inside. He returned moments later with a set of keys and let them both into his parents car.