A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long. I told you I had no idea where this was going. Anyway, I think I have some direction now, so we'll see what happens.

To rorynjessforever: Wow, I'm glad you're reading, even though you hate Dean. I'm glad you think that this would be a 'this could really happen' story. I live for them.
To ilovemrbloom: Your question is answered in this chapter.
To Daisy Deertree: Glad you're so excited! Here's another chapter!
To Miss-Lionesse: Thanks. I'm glad you like it.
To ggirl72: Me too. Wait until you see Jason in this chapter. You'll be begging for Luke to hit him again.
To scubaluver: Heee. I know, wasn't that great? More Luke and Lorelai goodness coming right up.
The sound of Lorelai's coffee cup hitting the floor was the only sound in the deserted diner. It took her several moments to realize that scalding hot coffee had splashed onto her legs.

"Owe!" Lorelai cried out, finally registering the pain. The sound of her voice startled Luke into motion too, the shock of his confession wearing off.

"Here, sit." He said, helping her into a chair. Luke turned back around and grabbed a cloth behind the counter. He wet it in the sink, and returned to Lorelai, who was gingerly inspecting one of her legs. Luke knelt before her, and slipped her shoe off of her foot. Lorelai inhaled sharply at his touch, before sighing in relief as Luke set the wet cloth against her skin.

"Thank you." Lorelai spoke quietly.

"I'm sorry I..." Luke began, looking frustrated.

"Said that you love me?" Lorelai finished for him. Luke nodded, avoiding her gaze. "Oh." She whispered. Lorelai abruptly stood up. "Thanks...for, um, helping me get cleaned up." Near tears, she fumbled to pick up her purse from where it lay on the table. "I've got to...." She stumbled. Luke was confused. He wasn't sure what had just happened, but all he knew was that he couldn't let her leave with her looking like he'd just kicked her puppy.

"Lorelai, wait." Luke called as she made her way towards the door, tears blurring her vision. She had to get out of there. He crossed the diner and reached her in three strides. With one smooth notion, he whirled her around and planted a kiss on her surprised lips.

"Luke, let me go." Lorelai said, breaking the kiss and struggling against the strong arms wrapped around her. "I get it. You don't love me." The tears that had threatened seconds earlier spilled over onto her cheeks.

"You don't get it at all." Luke replied, smiling. He wiped one of her tears away with his thumb.

"Why are you smiling?" Lorelai demanded to know. "There isn't one thing funny about this. Now let me go." She pleaded. Instead of releasing her from their embrace, he kissed her again. She whimpered against his lips.

"Will you shut up and let me talk?" Luke asked after the kiss, his voice rough. All she could do was stared into his eyes. "What I was trying to say was that I didn't mean to blurt it out like that." He explained. Lorelai's eyes widened as realization of what he said set in.

"You mean...you do love me?" She practically stuttered the words in her effort to get them out. Luke nodded. She replied with a kiss.
Lane was pretty sure her jaw was resting against her chest, it was open so wide. Rory and Dean had slept together??

All the weird things that had happened since the summer had started finally made sense. Rory's tone during their one phone call. Luke and Lorelai alternating between ignoring or glaring at Dean whenever they were near him. Rory's near non-existent communication since leaving for Europe.

"But why, Dean?" Lane asked, finally finding her voice. "Why would you do that to Lindsey?"

"I love Rory. Things weren't going well with Lindsey...and I guess, I don't know, I lost control." Dean attempted to explain. "I feel guilty as hell about the whole mess. Rory's run off to Europe because of it." He went on.

"Can you blame her, Dean? You're married. " Lane replied, emphasizing that last word. Dean pulled his hair back in frustration.

"I know." He began, getting up and pacing. "I love Lindsey...or at least, I thought I did. Now...I'm not sure I was every over Rory. I kept on loving her even after she got together with Jess. I tried to tell myself that I hated her, but I didn't. I couldn't." Dean stopped speaking abruptly, as he saw Miss Patty eying them from the doorway of her studio. He sat back down.

"Does Lindsey know?" Lane questioned.

"I haven't...told her, exactly." Dean answered.

"Dean!" Lane exclaimed with reproach.

"I know, I know." Dean said. "She knows that something happened, but not what. I just can't bear to tell her the truth."

"Tell me the truth about what?" A feminine voice spoke up behind them.
Rory knocked on the door of the hotel where Paris and Asher were staying. She'd only been in England for a few hours, long enough to track down where one of her best friends was staying. Her grandmother had been against her going out by herself, but Rory had insisted. She was going to explode if she didn't talk to someone about Dean soon. The door flew open, and Rory greeted her friend with a tremulous smile.

"Rory!" Paris exclaimed, clearly surprised to see her friend. "What are you doing here?" She went on, half excited, half curious.

"Well, Grandma and I are on our last stop before heading home. We'll be in Oxford for the next couple of days, so I though I'd look you up." Rory began. "How's Asher?" She asked as Paris gestured for her to enter the hotel room.

"He's good. At a lecture." Paris replied, starting at her friend. Something was different about her.

"What?" Rory questioned, staring back at Paris. The blonde clapped a hand over her mouth.

"You had sex!" Paris practically shouted, her tone accusatory.

"Paris!" Rory exclaimed, nearly hissing at the girl.

"You had sex. I can't believe it. I go away to Europe, and you have sex!" Paris rambled on, not caring that Rory was turning the same color as the bedspread, which was a deep red.

"Would you shut up?" Rory finally snapped. Shocked, Paris went silent. Rory immediately felt bad. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean..." The brunette buried her face in her hands.

"Who was it?" Paris asked, her tone now mellow and quiet. She could sense that whatever reply Rory gave, it would not be who she would expect. Jess, maybe. That would explain her mood.

"Dean." Rory's one word answer caused Paris to slip of the edge of the bed she's perched herself on. She hit the floor with a stunned thump, staring up at Rory.

"Dean? As in your Married Ex-Boyfriend Dean?" Paris specified. Rory nodded. "Wow."

"I know. Wow." Rory repeated.

"Wow." Paris echoed.
Lorelai was practically dancing as she entered the Dragonfly that morning. Or afternoon, as the case practically was today. Typically, she was up bright and early, but even Inn owners were allowed a day or two to slack off. Today, nothing could bother her. Luke loved her. A pack of wildebeests could have stampeded through the lobby of the Dragonfly and she wouldn't have care. Jason Stiles could be standing in the lobby and it wouldn't have...Lorelai blinked, coming out of her happy fog. Nope, she wasn't seeing things. Jason Stiles really was standing in her lobby.

Swearing under breath, she approached Michel, who was eying her ex- boyfriend warily from behind.

"See anything you like?" Lorelai asked him, startling the concierge.

"I do not trust him." Michel said, his French accent thick with dislike.

"Well, sometimes I wonder why I ever did." Lorelai replied, walking over to him. "Jason." She greeted, her tone cold. She hadn't forgotten the bruises he'd left on her arm during the test run.
"Lorelai." Jason said her name like he was worshiping her. The sound of it caused small chill bumps to break out on her arms. The last time she's had a reaction like this was when she watched Silence of the Lambs. He pulled her into a hug, and she was too shocked to stop him. She tried to step away after a second, but Jason's grip on her only tightened. "Lorelai." He breathed her name into her ear. She shivered, but not from pleasure. Jason was freaking the crap out of her right now.

"Jason, let go of me." Lorelai demanded quietly.

"Why?" Jason asked. "I haven't gotten to hold you for so long." He went on. Lorelai was really scared now. She was almost begging for someone to enter the inn, but no one seemed to be answering her silent plea for help.

"Let go of me." Lorelai repeated, her voice louder this time. She struggled to push him away and finally succeeded.

"Are you ok?" Jason looked confused.

"Why are you here? I have nothing more to say to you." Lorelai answered him.

"I thought we could talk." Jason gave her sad puppy dog eyes.

"We finished talking the day you decided to bruise my arm. Have you forgotten?" Lorelai hissed at him. This was ridiculous.

"I apologized for that." Jason protested.

"And I told you I never wanted to see you again. I mean it, Jason. Leave me alone." Lorelai said emphatically. He glanced at his watch like they were having a normal conversation.

"Look, I'm running late. I'll stop by and see you soon." Jason promised, heading for the door. Lorelai bit her lip and stared after him, really and truly afraid.
Lane did a double-take. Up until that point, she hadn't been entirely sure you could actually do a double-take, but when Lindsey approached them from behind, Lane had to look twice to make sure she wasn't imagining things. Dean, however, didn't miss a beat.

"That I might have to find a new job." He covered smoothly. Lindsey looked crestfallen.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because the Dragonfly's been open for awhile and every thing's just about finished. Tom might not need me any longer." Dean replied. Lindsey nodded, accepting the answer.

Lane was in awe. On the one hand, she was absolutely horrified at how naieve and gullible Lindsey was, and on the other hand, she was absolutely appalled at how well Dean could and would lie to his wife. She remained silent until Lindsey addressed her.

"Hi Lane." Lindsey finally greeted her.

"Lindsey." Lane returned, not really knowing what to say to the girl.

"Well, Dean. Mom and I have lunch waiting, if you're hungry." Lindsey turned all her attention back to her husband. Dean nodded, shooting a glance at Lane.

"See you around?" He asked Lane, as she met his gaze. She nodded. "Bye, Lane."

"Bye, Dean." Lane turned and headed back to the diner.
"I'm a terrible person. A home-wrecker!" Rory cried out, in the middle of her rambled explanation of her night with Dean. "Me! Miss Going- to-Yale-I've-got-a-4.0-gpa." She went on. "I've single handedly ruined their marriage."

"You can't take all the blame, Rory. Dean's a big boy. He knew what he was doing." Paris reminded her distraught friend.

"I know." Rory replied. "I'm just feeling really guilty." Rory practically flopped on the bed next to Paris. "And in typical Gilmore Girl fashion, I ran as far and as fast as I could."

"How much longer is there left of your trip?" Paris asked.

"A few days." Rory answered. Then she'd have to go home. Home to her mother, home to Yale, and home to....Dean? She had no idea.

"Have you talked to him?" Paris wanted to know. Rory shook her head.

"I chickened out every time I tried to call." She told Paris. Paris looked at her friend thoughtfully. The blonde got up off the bed, and stalked to the nightstand. She picked up the phone and held it out towards Rory.
Dean's cell phone rang, the shrill sound interrupting the already strained meal. Dean was grateful for it's interruption, because every bite he took tasted like cardboard in his mouth. He could barely lift his fork to his lips, and face his mother-in-law and Lindsey at the same time. He flipped open his phone and put it up to his ear, ignoring his mother-in- law's disapproving look.

"Hello?...Hello?"

"Dean? It's Rory."