Lindsay Gresham: We never got her full name (except that she's currently Lindsay Forester).

Chapter 10: What's Good for Me

[Dean]

Dean walked up to the front desk. Rory wasn't in yet. Thank God, Dean thought to himself. Lorelai was talking on the phone.

"Okay, Tom," Lorelai said. "There is a broken window in room four. I don't know who broke it or how it got broken, but I have a broken window....No, Dean can't fix it. This is way out of his league............Yes, there is such thing as 'out of league' for Dean. There's such thing as 'out of league' for everyone, Tom.............No, I didn't, but-.....................Fine. Bye."

Lorelai let out a huge sigh and threw the phone down on the desk. This was her classic gesture when she was pissed off.

"Morning, Lorelai," Dean said.

"Hi," Lorelai said. "I take it you heard that conversation."

"I'll take a look at the window," Dean said.

Lorelai lead Dean upstairs to room four and showed him the window. There was a huge hole so a breeze came in. But, it wasn't something Dean couldn't fix.

"That?" Dean asked. "No problem."

"Really?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah," Dean said. "It's going to take the whole day, but I can fix it."

"Thanks, Dean," Lorelai said. "You're a life saver."

"What flavor?" Dean asked.

"Cherry," Lorelai said.

"That's my favorite flavor," Dean said.

Lorelai started to leave, but Dean called her back. He had to talk to her. He sat down on the bed and she sat down next to him.

"Look, Lorelai," Dean said. "I'm really grateful that you gave me this job even though you didn't like me at the time. But, I can't work here anymore."

"Why not?" Lorelai asked. "I give you a decent paycheck."

"It's not the money," Dean said.

"It's because of the little thing and the talk afterwards you had with Rory," Lorelai said.

"How did you-"Dean began.

"I walked in on the second half," Lorelai said.

"Oh," Dean nodded. "Anyways, I'm giving you my week's notice."

"What are you going to do afterwards?" Lorelai asked.

"I'm going work for Luke," Dean answered.

"As a waiter?" Lorelai asked.

"Not necessarily," Dean said.

"What other job can he offer you besides working as a waiter in his diner?" Lorelai asked.

Dean sighed. She was right. Working as a waiter was a crappy job, but what else could he do? He needed to start over for real this time and he couldn't do it working in the same place as Rory.

"Dean," Lorelai said. "I know things between you and Rory keep getting edgy, but you shouldn't quit just because you guys got in a fight or whatever that was you guys had."

"I'm not quitting because of that," Dean said. "I know this is weird for you to hear, but after Rory and I.......you know........four years ago, I have not been able to stop thinking about her and-"

"You didn't succeed in that until a year ago," Lorelai interrupted. "But, when she came into the Inn crying, you've been trying to stop thinking about her and now, after the situation last Friday, you can't stop thinking about her. I heard this already, Dean. I swear, there should've been violins playing while you were talking."

"I'm quitting for my sanity," Dean said. "If she and I keep working in the same place I'm going to go crazy."

Lorelai sighed. "You are the best handyman I've ever had," Lorelai said. "I hate having to give you up. But, if this is what you think you should do, then I can't stop you. If you were my son, I would stop you, but you're not my son."

"Sometimes I wish I was your son," Dean joked. "Then none of this would've happened and I'd get a cool mom like you."

Lorelai nodded and patted him on the back. "Good to know," she said.

"I should get started on the window," Dean said.

"Good idea," Lorelai said.

Dean grabbed his toolbox off the bed and Lorelai turned to go out the door, but in the doorway, she stopped in her tracks and turned around.

"Dean," Lorelai said. "I just want to let you know that this job is always open to you. I know how much you hate it, but it's always available because I highly doubt that I'll find a handyman as good as you."

"Thanks for the monologue," Dean said. "And thanks for keeping the job open."

"Your welcome," Lorelai said, turning on her heel and walking away.

Dean started fixing the window. He knew he shouldn't leave this job for more than one reason. This job was good pay and the job Luke was offering would cause him to be in debt with his landlord, but he had no other choice. He had to do this for himself and possibly for Rory.

One Week Later..........

[Rory]

Rory parked her car outside the familiar brick building, which she had been living in for the past year, but moved out of five weeks ago. She grabbed some papers and knocked on the door that was once her apartment. She wanted to get this over with and she wanted to do it now.

No one answered the door. Rory knocked again, but still no one answered.

"Come on, Noah," she called. "I know you're in there."

She knocked on the door again, until Noah answered the door. His hair was wet and it was dripping on to his shirt.

"Sorry," he said. "I just got out of the shower when you first knocked and I was trying to find some clothes and-"

"Let's just get this over with," Rory said, pushing passed him. "I brought the forms. There's one copy for you, one copy for me, and one copy for the lawyers. There are little x's where you need to sign."

She put the forms down on the table that was once hers and sat down. Noah sat down in front of the forms and lifted his pen to write his name on one of the lines, but stopped. He repeated the process about six times until Rory got fed up.

"What?" Rory asked, impatiently.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Noah asked. "You sure you don't want to move back in and forget this whole thing ever happened?"

"Am I sure that I want to move back in and work with no days off while you bring home your little friend every day?" Rory asked. "Yes, I'm sure."

"Please, Rory," Noah said. "I need you. I want you to come back."

"What about your little friend?" Rory asked.

"She's gone," Noah said. "She's not you."

This didn't fool Rory.

"Please," Rory said. "You just want me to move back in because you're struggling with the bills and the rent and you want someone to help you instead of getting a job yourself and actually have to work."

Noah put his head down on the table. Oh, don't be so dramatic, Rory thought.

"You caught me," he said, his voice muffled.

"Is that why you married me, Noah?" Rory asked. "So someone else would take care of everything?"

"No," Noah said, picking his head up. "I thought I loved you, but we weren't getting along and I got really lazy and didn't know where to get a job so-"

"You made me do everything and then slept with someone else," Rory said.

"I'm sorry," Noah said. "For what it's worth I really did love you."

"I loved you, too," Rory said. "But the love faded when we graduated from college and you made me do everything."

"Rory-" Noah began.

"Can we please just get this over with?" Rory was really getting fed up with this conversation. "I have to get back to the Inn."

Noah lifted his pen and then put it back down on the table.

"I just have to tell you something," Noah said.

"You've got twenty seconds," Rory said.

"There's someone else," Noah said. "We've been dating for a week."

"Why are you telling me this?" Rory asked. "Better yet, why did you convince me to come back?"

"The reason you said before," Noah confessed. "I'm behind on the rent and I could try to get you to come back.......It doesn't matter."

The sonofabitch was admitting it.

"To answer your first question," Noah continued. "I'm telling you this because you have the right to know."

"Does your new girlfriend know that you're married?" Rory asked.

"She knows I'm getting divorced," Noah said.

"Did you tell her that you were going to try to get your wife to move back in with you?" Rory asked.

"No," Noah admitted.

What did I ever see in this guy? Rory thought. He was really elusive and condescending. She usually saw those qualities in anyone. She didn't get how she could've missed them in Noah.

"Do you want to know who she is?" Noah asked.

"No," Rory said.

"I don't know if you know her," Noah said, ignoring her. "She's been a friend of mine for a really long time. Her name is Lindsay Gresham."

Rory ear's perked up at the mention of her name. Lindsay Gresham. Lindsay. It was the Lindsay. Does this girl have a thing for all my exes? Rory thought.

"I do know her," Rory said.

"You do?" Noah asked.

"Yeah," Rory said. "She's my ex-boyfriend's ex-wife."

"Oh, yeah," Noah said. "I met the guy. He's a real son of a bitch. He cheated on her with his ex-girlfriend who sounds like a cheap slut."

"Hello," Rory said, gesturing to herself. "Cheap slut ex-girlfriend sitting right here."

Noah squinted at her, as if trying to figure out what she just said, but then his eyes grew wide when he figured it out.

"That was you?" Noah asked.

Rory sighed and nodded.

"And you gave me all this cock and bull about how I was a terrible husband for sleeping with someone else?" Noah asked.

"Hey, Shut up," Rory said, angrily. "That was different, okay? I worked twenty hours, seven days a week while we were married and you brought home some woman and slept with her for God knows how long. I'm not even going to say anything about Lindsay, but Dean was a loyal husband to her. He dropped out of college so he could buy a townhouse and a car for her so she could stay at home and you did nothing and you know what? I'm sick of discussing this. Could you please just sign the damn papers so I can go home?"

The apartment was silent for a while. Noah sighed.

"I'm sorry," Noah said. "You're right. It was different. But, both were wrong."

"I know," Rory said. "I feel lousy about what I did to her."

"I feel lousy about what I did to you," Noah said.

Rory sighed. "Please just sign the papers," Rory said. "I have to get back to work."

Noah once again lifted his pen to the paper, but put it down again.

"Do you want the apartment?" Noah asked.

"No," Rory said. "You forgot that I didn't want this apartment in the first place. I wanted to move to Stars Hollow, but no. You had to stay in Hartford."

Noah sighed and finally signed the papers and handed them to Rory.

"Thank you," Rory said, walking out. "Give my best to Lindsay."

"Rory," Noah said.

Rory turned around in the doorway. "What?"

"I just want to say that I'm sorry," Noah said. "I'm sorry I was a terrible husband."

"I accept your apology," Rory said, taking out her house key and throwing it to Noah. "I forgot to give that to you earlier."

"Thanks," Noah said.

Rory turned to leave, but then turned back to Noah.

"Tell Lindsay I'm sorry for what I did to her," Rory said.

"I will," Noah said. "Bye."

"Bye."

Rory walked out of the apartment and got into her car and drove home. All she had to do was take the papers to her lawyer and she would be divorced, but with both Noah and her signatures on the paper, she already felt divorced and she felt free of the chains that binded her to that apartment with that man. Now there was only one question in her head: Now what?

"First time I thought it but I didn't do it

last time, that's when I really blew it

this time I'm gonna do it different cuz I know, I know, I know...

if I put everything I have into it

eventually I'm gonna get what's good for me"- Lucy Woodward

To Be Continued.......

A/N: It'll get better. Chapter 11 is coming soon.