"I cannot believe it!" Lorelai stormed, "How could you and Jess...?" she let the sentence linger.

"But Mum!" Rory interrupted, "You started it!!"

Lorelai stopped, stunned, "I did?"

"Yes! Don't you remember?! Two weeks ago, when Dean asked me out to the Promenade! You invited Jess over!! He spent the night!" Rory screeched back, suddenly finding herself fighting back tears as well as her mother.

Lorelai suddenly looked embarrassed, "But when he came over...I never...I thought you guys were just pulling my leg," another flicker of doubt, "But, you and Dean? I mean, I know you're not together anymore...but...you and Jess?!" Her eyes widened as the implications set in.

"How long have you been together?" she asked quietly.

"Two weeks," Rory replied.

Lorelai stared at her, "I can't believe you kept that from me!" she exclaimed, "What happened to us," she looked woeful, "I thought we were so close...you could have told me at first...I would've tried to understand."

"I know you would," Rory said, looking down at her shoes. She realised that it was something she did quite often, "But sometimes...look, I don't know, Mum, it just didn't seem...like the best thing to do at the time."

"Not the best thing?! I'm your mother! Don't you think I have a right to know!" Lorelai demanded. And then her face crumpled, and she looked crestfallen. Stepping back dejectedly, she said, "I always promised myself I'd never be like those evil stepmothers on those sitcoms, but now I sound just like one, don't I. Sorry, kiddo, I shouldn't be trying to run your life," she looked up bravely, "You don't have to tell me everything...or anything for that matter."

"Oh, Mum!" Rory sighed, "You don't have to be like that!" By now the tears were falling freely. Odd. She was crying a lot more lately, too.

"I'm sorry!" she continued earnestly, "I wanted to tell you, so many times - but I just couldn't find the words to...it's just that you always seemed so...so opposed to Jess - I didn't want to....let you down or anything. You hated him so much, especially after that car accident...but I think I've loved him ever since," she admitted morosely to herself.

Something clicked in her mind. Some sort of deja vu. She'd been through this sequence of thoughts before. But she shrugged them off.

"Aaw, honey, I'm sorry too," Lorelai enveloped Rory in a hug, "I never meant to be so over-protective, it's just that when you grew up, and we were so close, I was delighted that we could be best buds...but maybe I'm getting too old for ya!" Lorelai winked.

Over at Luke's diner, things weren't going as well. The strawberry-filled donuts sat alone and neglected on their pretty little doily while Luke screamed at Jess. Outside, the 'Closed' sign hung, a companion to the donuts on the cold day.

"You and her are what!?"

"For the thousandth time," Jess said, bored, "Rory and I are together. You know, boyfriend a girlfriend. A couple?"

"But what happened to you and Shane!? I thought you were...? And Rory was...? And you guys have...?" Luke sputtered, "I can't have you going out with her?!"

"What!" Jess' face took on a look of annoyance, "Why not?! It's my life. And it's her life. We can do what we like."

"Yes, I know!" Luke conceded, exasperated, "I know you can do what you like!" He shook his head disgustedly. It was like talking to a 5-year old, "But not Rory! Come on - she's too innocent for you!"

"What?!" Jess repeated again, "I'll have you know, she accepted when I asked her to be my girlfriend - she loves me too!"

"Why not Shane? Why not anyone but Rory?" Luke begged, "You'll probably end up breaking her heart!" Luke tried to get his message across.

Jess' face soured unattractively, "Just because you've got the hots for her mother doesn't mean you have to protect her."

"What!" it was Luke's turn now. Thunder rolled across his head, "You're grounded!"

"So what?! I don't care! And stop acting like you're in charge of me! Or Rory for that matter! We're together and that's that!" he shouted as he ran out of the dinner and slammed the door noisily.

His anger reaching his peak and in a rash moment, Luke shouted out the door, "You don't deserve her!"