Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.

"Rory" I heard Dean's voice.

"Ugh" I mumbled.

"Rory I was looking all over for you where were you yesterday" he asked.

"Dean I've known you forever and I hate that" I said "and that's why I stood you up actually I told you I wasn't coming so technically I didn't stand you up but anyway I don't like you as a friend."

"Exactly you like me as more than a friend and so do I" he said "that's why we should go out I love you Rory."

"Dean that's… creepy but I don't feel the same I'm sorry."

"This guy are you with him" Dean pointed to Jess.

"No Dean" I said "you still scare me that's why we're not together anymore."

"Rory I'm sorry how many times do I have to say it" I yelled.

Jess got up and started to walk away. I got up too so that I could run for it but Dean grabbed me and I screamed.

"I was 13 you were my first boyfriend and you hit me" I yelled. Jess stopped walking and I continued yelling at Dean "Everything was great until you started to beat me I was in the hospital for two days."

Dean slapped me I turned my head and saw Jess punch him.

"Come on" Jess grabbed my arm and ran.

We ran all the way to Luke's. It wasn't open yet and Luke was in the kitchen so we silently ran upstairs. Jess sat me down on the couch and stood in front of me.

"You ok" he asked.

"Peachy" I said

"Dean I told you I didn't want to go" I yelled.

"Well we went" he said.

"Obviously but you know if we wouldn't have gone I wouldn't be past curfew and I wouldn't be hurt" I yelled.

"It's one bruise and you shouldn't have taken her beer" he yelled back.

"DEAN" I yelled.

"Don't ever yell at me like that" he said quietly then erupted "DON'T YOU EVER YELL AT ME LIKE THAT DO YOU HEAR ME!"

Dean slapped me across the face. I rubbed my cheek and then he shoved me to the ground. He banged my head against the wall. I felt the blood trickling down my neck. I tried to get up but he pushed me back down. He started pounding on my stomach. I started spitting up blood and he punched me in the nose. He started to bang my head against the wall. Everything went black.

I woke up a few hours later in a hospital Mr. and Mrs. Forester told me that they hadn't told my mom where I was. They told me that my mom thought that I was staying with them for the night but I could tell her if I wanted to.

"I didn't even tell her" I said "I was ashamed because I was supposed to be strong I wasn't supposed to be the kind of girl that gets beaten up by her boyfriend."

"Does she know now" Jess asked.

"No only you and Lane and of course Dean and his family."

"Are you ever going to tell her" he asked.

"No it's over."

Jess raised his hand and I winced and turned my head.

"Hey I'm not going to hit you" he said comfortingly.

I nodded. He rubbed his finger gently along the red hand print on my cheek. Then moved to my wrist where I had a dark bruise.

"Do you want some ice" he asked.

I shook my head and he nodded slightly.

He got up and started a pot of coffee. Luke came in and saw me there with tears still streaming down my face.

"What did you do to her" Luke asked.

"Nothing Luke he helped me" I said.

"What happened" he asked.

I told him what happened not what happened 3 years ago but what happened today only.

"Are you ok" he asked.

"I'm fine thanks to Jess" I smiled just barely "you know I never got to show you around come on."

"Fine but take the car" Luke said.

"Luke this is Stars Hollow if you go in a car it'll take you forty five seconds."

"Fine but no deserted bridges ok."

"Yes Jess lesson one of Stars Hollow Stars Hollow is to deserted bridges as New York is to dark alleys."

"Is that going to be on a test" Jess asked.

"Yes the test is administered by Taylor Doosey at the next town meeting" I turned to Luke "bye Luke tell my mom I'll be home sometime before school."

"It's Friday" he said.

"You're point?"

"No point go have fun" he walked back downstairs.

Jess and I followed him downstairs and walked out the door.

"I thought we already saw all of Stars Hollow" he said.

"We did now we're going to see Hartford."

"Uh ok."

Jess and I walked to the bus stop and waited for the bus to Hartford to come. When it did we got on the bus and sat in the back.

We walked around the mall for a while but got bored very quickly. So we caught the bus and went to my house.

"Wow aren't we hooked on phonics."

"Oh I read a lot do you read?"

"Not much" he takes a book off the shelf.

"I could loan you that if you want it's great."

"No thanks" he put the book down.

"Well if you change you mind…"

"Rory are you home" I heard my mom.

"What's it to you" I yelled.

"So do these open" Jess asked.

"Oh yeah, you just have to unlatch them and then push."

"Great shall we?"

"Shall we what."

"Bail."

"No."

"Why?"

"Because now that my mom is home I have to stay in this room for two hours then leave in the middle of the night just to scare the hell out of her but you can go" I said.

"Alright I'll see you later then."

"RORY" mom yelled.

"Ugh I have to go see what's wrong you better not be here when I get back."

I left the room to see what my mom was doing.

The next day I saw him walking along the streets.

"Hey" he said.

"Hey yourself."

"What are you doing out here?"

"I got my belly button pierced. What about you?"

"Oh yeah same thing" he said sarcastically.

"Uh huh so that was quite a disappearing act last night.'

"Yeah well when people tell me I better not be in their room when they get back I usually leave."

What are you doing" I look at him playing with a coin.

"Oh this nothing" he made the coin disappear "just another disappearing act."

"Didn't peg you as the magician type" I said.

"What are you doing now?"

"Lane and I are going to uh meet a guy about a dog… seriously it's for our next big prank unleash the rabid dog on Stars Hollow."

"Okay, then I'll leave you this last little trick" he handed me a book.

"You bought a copy I told you I'd lend you mine."

"It is yours."

"You stole my book?"

"No I borrowed it."

"Ok that's not called a trick that's called a felony I wouldn't even do that."

"I just wanted to put some notes in the margins for you."

"What" I looked through the book "you've read this before."

"About forty times."

"I thought you said you didn't read much."

"What is much? Goodnight Rory."

"Goodnight Dodger."

"Dodger?"

"Figure it out."

"Oliver Twist."

I nodded and smiled "Louis, I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

Jess shook his head and smirked and we both walked away.