A/N: Sorry for the delay in updating this. I've got an idea of how this is going to play out, finally, and I'm hoping to have the story complete before the S5 premiere. Thanks to Daisy Deertree, Nyla, smile1, and OTHlover04 for your reviews.

My apologies for the abrupt ending, but I hope to have the next part out soon.


The letter came a week later. It was addressed to him at his parent's house, and Dean couldn't help thinking how well Rory knew him, that she knew he'd let Lindsay keep their apartment and that he had taken up temporary residence back at home. And he was touched that she still remembered his address after all these years.

It had been a difficult week, with the town still gossiping about him and Rory. He wasn't receiving quite as many dirty looks as he had before, thanks to Luke, but it was still hard to know that the entire town was talking about him. The Dragonfly had officially opened two days ago, and while it had been an exciting occasion for Stars Hollow, it did mean that his job working there was almost over. He'd have to find something else within a couple of weeks if he wanted to go back to school in the fall, and he couldn't quite imagine anyone in this town actually hiring him after what had happened.

And then there was the legal stuff. Lindsay's family was furious with him, and he'd been really worried for awhile that he would lose his shirt in their divorce. It was his fault that the marriage was ending, and it was entirely possible that he could be paying Lindsay a huge chunk of alimony for a long time. Part of him wouldn't mind that—it would help ease the guilt he felt over what he'd done—but then he could kiss college goodbye.

The letter from Rory was the only good thing to happen to him all summer, and yet he was afraid to open it. He was afraid of what she would have to say to him, that he would tear open the envelope only to read that what had happened between them was a mistake on her part, and she had only thought she'd loved him. He carried the unopened letter around in his back pocket all day, and it wasn't until that night before his curiosity got the better of him and he finally tore it open.

Dear Dean,

I've had the hardest time writing this letter to you. Every time I start, it sounds so stupid to me that I end up throwing the letter away and starting over. I used up all the stationary in my room, so I had to sneak into Grandma's room and steal hers. I'm going to pretend that I'm not going to send this to you, and maybe it'll be easier for me to write.

I hope you're doing okay in Stars Hollow. It wasn't very fair of me to run off to Europe and leave you to deal with everything. I've done a lot of things that weren't fair to you, and it's only now that I'm beginning to realize how much I hurt you. I never meant to do that. You made me so happy and I made you miserable. You loved me and I broke your heart. You never deserved any of that, Dean, and I'm so sorry.

London has been nice, and we're off to Paris tomorrow. Travelling with Grandma is so different from traveling with Mom. You wouldn't believe the suite we're staying in. I honestly believe it's bigger than my house. And the strangest thing is that Mom and Grandma haven't been fighting. I wouldn't go as far as to say they're getting along, but I've never seen them last longer than a few hours without getting into some sort of argument, and it's been over a week. They've both been rather distracted, which might be why. I'm sure Grandma's thinking about Grandpa—I know she misses him, but she won't admit it. And Mom, I don't know what she's thinking about. I've asked, but she won't tell me.

I wish I could talk to you, Dean. I miss you a lot.

Rory

Dean read the letter twice, trying to discern if Rory had hidden any clues that he hadn't picked up. She hadn't said much in terms of what she wanted or what she'd decided. She'd apologized for hurting him, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. But the last two lines gave him hope. She missed him. She wanted to talk to him. That had to be good, right?

He needed to talk to someone about this. Maybe Luke hadn't closed up for the night yet.
Luke had closed up, but his light was on upstairs. Dean paused for a moment, but he really wanted to talk to someone, and Luke was the only person he trusted to understand. He picked up a couple of pebbles and tossed them at Luke's window. On his third attempt he finally had some success.

"Hey!" Luke grumbled, opening the window and squinting out into the darkness. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Sorry," Dean apologized.

Luke peered down at him. "Dean?"

"I can come back tomorrow," Dean offered. "Are you busy?"

Luke sighed. "No, it's okay. I'll be right down."

Five minutes later they were sitting on the front step in front of the diner. "I have to say," Luke teased, "of all the people I imagined knocking on my window, you weren't exactly one of them."

Dean grinned. "You were hoping for a certain tall gorgeous Gilmore, weren't you?"

Luke blushed, thankful it was dark and that Dean couldn't see. "That's what you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Not exactly," Dean admitted. "I got a letter from Rory today."

"Wow." Luke was quiet for a moment. "What did she say?"

Dean shrugged. "Um, the hotel is nice, Lorelai's acting strange, and she misses me."

"Lorelai's acting strange?" Luke interrupted. "Did she say why?"

Dean shook his head. "She said she didn't know. I don't think she knows about you and Lorelai."

Luke thought for a moment, trying to make sense out of what Dean had told him. Trying to hope. Trying not to hope. "Is that bad?"

"I know it's unusual," Dean offered. "Rory said that Lorelai isn't fighting with her mother."

"Wow," Luke replied. "That is unusual."

"I hate how we have to wait here until they make up their minds," Dean complained. "It's really not fair."

"You're right, it's not," Luke agreed. "Why are we doing this?"

"Because we love them," Dean answered. "It's hard, isn't it?"

Luke groaned. "Tell me about it."

"I wish I could talk to Rory," Dean continued. "Even if it's just for a few minutes. I'd feel a lot better if I could just hear her voice."

Luke looked thoughtful. "I think I might have an idea."