Rory sat in her car, parked outside Dean's house; her hands gripping the steering wheel.
Confront my fears- talk to him! She told herself, but at the same time she kept thinking 'he was right, he doesn't owe me anything! What am I expecting him to say to me?'
Her indecisive attitude was beginning to annoy her- but she couldn't help it.
He had come to her school today; it was only right that she go to him and hear what he wanted to say to her.
Slowly she reached down to grab the door handle, and hopped out of her car, and began walking slowly toward Dean's front door.
As she was about to push the small gate, which lead into the front yard, open, fear almost made her turn around and head back to the car; but she pushed herself through.
As Rory approached the front door, she extended her arm, about to knock; but the door flung open, startling her.
Dean's sister stood in front of Rory, a sour look on her face- god! What was her name again? Rory wondered while she stared at her, not saying a word.
"Hello there-" Rory was cut off by his sister's equally sour tone "what are you doing here?" she asked rudely.
"Umm-well" Rory began "Hey! Hold on a minute- how did you know I was here?" she said, diverting her original answer.
"I was looking at you through the window, genius!" she answered back, mockingly.
Rory glared at her "Stupid question right?" she said, trying now to laugh off her rudeness.
"Dean doesn't want to see you!" she said coolly, her expression not changing.
Well now Rory was really angry; did this little twerp even realize what was going on with her and Dean?
She tried taking on a more adult approach "Listen here, I need to see you're brother right now-" Rory began, trying to peer into the house to see if Dean was nearby.
Then- STOMP! Dean's little sister had lifted her foot, and treaded on Rory's right foot, causing her to step back in pain, clutching her foot.
And as Rory looked back up, she was greeted with a closed door.
Fuming, she limped back to her car, got in, and drove home angrily.
"She stomped on you're foot?" Lorelai asked, stunned, as she filled the bucket of water with Rory's two feet in it, with more hot water.
"Yes, and who would have thought that those tiny feet could do so much damage!" Rory said, looking down at her bruised right foot.
Lorelai laughed as she went to grab a coke from the fridge "The family sticks together" she said in her best godfather voice.
Rory sighed "not funny" she said to her mother.
"Couldn't resist" Lorelai said, passing Rory a coke as well.
Just then, there came a knock at the door, and Lorelai went to go and open it.
Rory immediately recognised the visitor's voice.
"Oh Dean, yeah sure, come in" Lorelai said, opening the door to him.
As Dean entered the kitchen Rory spun round, and then stood up, forgetting that both her feet were still in the bucket of hot water; she fell to the ground.
Lorelai snorted with laughter, and as Rory pulled herself back up she shot her a menacing glare.
"Ooohhh, I have some laundry to do" Lorelai said, excusing herself.
"You ok?" Dean asked, as he helped Rory back down; though he didn't sound too concerned.
"Only my ego is hurt," she said, trying to bring a smile to his face, but failing.
Dean looked down at Rory's face "Christ Rory, I'm sorry" he said, staring at her black eye- it had died down a bit, but still looked painful.
"I'm fine," she said, noticing the cuts and bruises on his face, like she'd done early that day.
"Are you ok?" she asked.
He nodded slightly, and then turned away "Looks worse than what it is" he replied, bluntly.
"And I'm sorry about Amy" he said (Amy! That's her name, Rory thought silently to herself) "She was just being- a kid" he said.
"No problem" Rory answerer back, smiling through gritted teeth.
There was silence for a moment "Sit down" she said, motioning to the seat next to her "Do you want something to eat or drink?" she added.
Dean sat down, but shook his head at her second offer.
There was a long silence, and then, out of nowhere Dean leaned over, cupping Rory's face in his hands; and kissed her tenderly on the mouth.
Rory was disorientated as Dean pulled back, looking into her eyes, a small smile on his face.
"Dean-" she whispered, he ran his hands through her hair, not taking his eyes away from hers, and she became frozen.
"I need you," he said quietly.
Rory took his hand that had been running through her hair, in her own, pushing it away from her face.
"Dean-" she began, but he cut her off "Rory, you love me, I know you do- this thing that happened with Tristan, it's nothing compared to what we have" he said, leaning in to kiss her again.
This time, Rory moved her head away, causing Dean to look quizzically into her face.
He shook his head a little, and sighed as he leaned back into his seat, glaring at her.
"There's more, isn't there" he asked her.
Rory said nothing; she simply nodded her head slowly.
Then Rory's eyes looked into his; full or apology, and Dean knew what she was trying to tell him.
He bent down, and cupped his head in his hands "your killing me Rory" he said quietly.
Rory looked down at him; she wanted to say sorry, a thousand times; but that wouldn't do.
"Dean, I never meant to hurt you- I love you¸ I always will-" but Dean stood up, causing her to become silent as he stared down at her.
"Just say it Rory- you don't want me" he began, frustration and tears building up, he could hardly bring himself to say the words; "You want him", he said, feeling himself on the verge of tears.
Rory looked away from him, she had nothing left to say now.
Dean sniffed, refusing to let Rory see him cry.
He turned towards the door, but looked back as he was about to leave the kitchen- he looked at Rory, still sitting down, as close to tears as he was, but still her head was turned away.
"I- I'm-" he couldn't find the words- deep breaths – "I'm sorry, about what happened, losing my temper- I'm sorry if I scared you" he said
finally, and he turned and walked towards the door.
Rory heard the door slam shut, and she finally released her breath.
Lorelai, after hearing Dean's exit, came down from her room and walked slowly into the kitchen.
Rory heard her and looked up, revealing the tears, which had started to steam down her face.
"Oh Rory" Lorelai said, walking towards her daughter and embracing her.
"So you're not sure if you love Tristan?" Lane asked while stuffing another handful of popcorn in her mouth.
She and Rory were lying on the couch, facing one another; popcorn, chocolate, ice creams and a supplement of other sugary foods that would make any dentist weep lying on the table in front of them.
"She's not sure if Tristan loves her!" Lorelai yelled from the kitchen, listening to the conversation while she melted some chocolate in the microwave.
Rory sighed and shook her head, leaning over and grabbing her bottle of coke.
"Hello? He danced with you until 5 in the morning" Lane said whimsically "Now that is romance that you wont find in movies or on TV" she sighed.
"Somebody has watched 'a walk to remember' one too many times," Lorelai said, putting the bowl of melted chocolate on the table and taking a seat on the ground in front of Lane and Rory.
Lane smiled "but he also took you to that lake where he-" Rory kicked Lane's leg, miming 'no' with her lips.
Lane winced, and Lorelai looked up at them "he took you to a lake when you guys skipped school?" Lorelai asked, looking at Rory.
"What ever happened to sneaking into a movie theatre and making out for two hours?" Lorelai asked, jokingly.
"Gee, I don't know" Rory said, taking a sip of her coke quickly.
"What did he do?" Lorelai asked, still staring at her daughter.
"What did who do?" Rory asked innocently.
"Tristan?" Lorelai asked, quizzically looking at her daughter as she took a handful of popcorn.
"When?" Lane asked, staring oddly at Lorelai.
Lorelai sighed "When he took you to the 'oh so' romantic lake?" she laughed.
"Who?" Rory said quickly.
Lorelai threw her arms in the air "I give up" she sighed, about to ask another question when the doorbell rang "you two will be the death of me" she said, getting up to go and answer the door.
While Lorelai tended to the visitor Rory reached over and pinched Lane on the arm, "Ouch!" Lane said, and then mimed with her mouth 'I'm sorry'; Rory simply sighed and stuffed the spoonful of strawberry ice cream in her mouth.
"But that was romantic" Lane said, matter-of-factly.
Rory was about to pinch Lane again when she heard Lorelai close the door behind her.
Rory looked over her shoulder, only to see Lorelai holding in her hands a bundle of daisies.
"Are they from the bad boy, Tristan? Or the boy next door, Dean?" Lane asked jokingly, and received a quick kick from Rory.
Lorelai handed Rory the flowers, and took her spot back on the floor, looking up anxiously at Rory.
"Drum roll please," Lorelai said, and Lane began to rhythmically bang her hands against her legs and roll her tongue.
Rory tentatively sort through the beautiful white daises, looking for the card.
"And the flowers are from-" Lorelai began "Emily Gilmore with love" Rory read out from the card "get well soon" she added.
"Ah ha!" Lorelai exclaimed- "the flowers would be her supplement for her not actually coming over here and mothering you to death!" she said.
Rory looked at her, a questioning look on her face.
"I told mum not to bother coming over here because you were fine and we would definitely be at her place for dinner next Friday" Lorelai explained.
Rory nodded, "She would have taken one look at you're eye, whipped her mobile out and called her lawyer- ready to sue both Tristan and Dean" Lorelai added.
"Very true, thanks for covering for me mum" Rory said, passing the flowers down to her "Put these in water, would you?" she said, in a posh accent; Lorelai hit her over the head with the flowers, and got up to get a vase.
"Just out of curiosity, are you planning on telling you're mum that you and Tristan had sex?" Lane asked, looking at Rory.
Rory turned her head "That depends" she said, "On what?" Lane asked.
"If I really want to die young!" Rory said, stuffing some chocolate into her mouth.