Author's Note: Ok, so this might get a little confusing. Dean and Jess did talk, and Dean accused Jess of being in love with Rory. Calling him her lap dog, etc. I didn't write this, but I'm letting you know here. There'll be more on it later, possibly in a flash back scene. R&R please!

"Rory!"

"Rory!" Rory Gilmore turned, a smile on her lips, then paled considerably in the span of only a few seconds. It was not Jess who called her name, but her boyfriend, Dean. She smiled wanly up at him, and allowed her cheek to be kissed.

"Hi, Dean," She murmured, allowing her hand to be held, allowed herself to be dragged into Luke's, all the while hoping that Jess wouldn't be there, and all hell wouldn't break loose.

"Well look who it is," A voice said from behind the counter, and Rory's blood ran cold.

"H-hi, Jess," She mumbled, averting her eyes and looking at the floor, anything to keep her from seeing the pain in his eyes. That she couldn't handle. Dean smugly smiled at her treatment of Jess and led her to a table.

"Two burgers, a side of fries and two soda's, ok there waiter boy?" Jess nodded without saying a word, and somehow caught Rory's eye. She blinked and paled, but he only nodded. "So Ror," Dean happily continued, oblivious to her inner turmoil. "Miss me?" She tried to smile, tried to be normal, tried to slip back into the Rory shaped box that she'd inhabited. He leaned slightly to kiss her, and the blood rushed in her ears. As his lips touched hers she felt the world tilt on its axis and felt everything she thought she had known slip away. It wasn't right. They didn't fit, and as Rory pulled away, she could feel Jess' eyes boring into the side of her face.

"Actually Dean," She started after a bit of uncomfortable silence, "I have to go. I promised Mom I'd be home over an hour ago. And I guess the time just flew." Dean frowned, lines creasing his handsome face. She smiled down at him trying to express her sentiment, which could not be said with words. She stood, and bent to kiss him, skimming his forehead with her lips, and hugging him closely. "I'll talk to you later." She finished, and turned to walk out, only turning once-to look at Jess, who refused to meet her eyes.

"So, hon, Dean's home. That must be pretty exciting." Lorelai poked Rory's foot with her own until her daughter had snapped out of her reverie.

"Huh?" She responded wearily, looking at her mother. Lorelai sighed and shook her head. The nervous feeling had yet to leave her.

"Ror," She tried again, and this time her daughter looked at her and smiled. Lorelai sighed. Maybe everything was Ok and she was just overreacting, maybe- the phone rang, and Rory nearly flew to retrieve it.

"Hello?" She answered softly, and half turned so that Lorelai couldn't hear the conversation.

"We need to talk," Came Jess' voice, crackling through the phone. And despite the mess she was in, Rory's spine still tingled.

"I know. I'm sorry. I just…" Her voice softened as she became more and more contemplative.

"I need to see you," He continued, seeming not to hear her words, and she laughed, delighted.

"Missed me that much, did you?" She asked, the smile returning to her voice, and twirling the cord around her fingers.

"I wouldn't say missed," he countered. "So much as… ah, fuck it. Yes I missed you." The grin that broke onto Rory's face was delighted, and only added to her beauty. Lorelai beamed. "I can't stand seeing you with him, Ror. I can't…" His voice broke, and Rory was shamefully pleased that he cared so much.

"I'm sorry about today." She whispered, hoping she could convey how very sorry she was.

"It's Ok." He responded, and at that moment Rory knew. Like a lightning bolt it hit her that she couldn't continue doing this to him. To either of them. She had to choose. "I just… will Lorelai let you out?" Rory glanced back at her mother, who was so obviously trying to listen, in and smiled.

"Yeah, I think so." She turned and smiled at Lorelai who smiled back, a light feeling filling her. Nothing had been resolved, nothing had changed, but she knew that going to see Jess felt right. And since everything her brain had told her had failed, all she had to go on were feelings. "So where?" She asked leaning over the couch to grab her sweater. She nodded at something he said and then laughed, hanging up the receiver after a moment. She turned to Lorelai whose eyebrows were raised in question. She waved her hand at Lorelai as she zipped up the sweater.

"I have to go. Run. Out for a sec." She nodded as if the excuse was explanatory and turned towards the door. With an, "I won't be late.", she was gone.

"Hey, Gilmore." Rory grinned as turned around and even though they stood in the middle of the square, she wrapped her arms around Jess' neck and kissed him passionately, just enjoying the feeling of his arms around her. "So," he murmured, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, keeping his lips close, as they walked through to the Gazebo. Rory smiled, content, feeling happier than she had in months. This thing, what they had between them was so perfect, she was afraid that something would happen to ruin it, and the thought frightened her more than she cared to admit.

"So," she asked snuggling closer to him, and taking his hand in hers. "You had to see me?" Despite all the intimacies that they had shared the fact that he was so close made her breath catch. Jess stopped watching and looked deep into her eyes, looking more serious then she had ever seen him.

"Ror," he whispered suddenly leaning close to her, his forehead against her, his words tumbling out in a rush. "I thought I could do it, y'know? Pretend I didn't care. Because it's bagboy, and he means nothing to me, and you're just a girl." Rory stiffened and tried to pull away, but he wasn't finished. He averted his eyes and his voice dropped to a whisper. "And I thought it would be Ok. I thought I wouldn't mind you cheating on him because you were with me." He leaned down and kissed her, and she was defenseless to stop him. "But," he looked down at their fingers, so tightly intertwined, and smiled, almost to himself. "I just… can't do this. I had this whole big speech, and plan, and I was gonna tell you it was over. That it was either you tell him about us or else it was over." Rory's breath caught, and tears filled the corners of her eyes, but she blinked them away. "But I saw you just now… and I couldn't do it. He was right when he said you had me wrapped around your little finger." He kissed her quick and hard, trying to show her all the emotion he felt. "Rory, I can't…" his voice broke. "Rory, I think I love you."