It was two hours into the dance marathon and every few seconds, one of the Gilmore Girls would burst out giggling at the sight of Jess, bitterly linking hands with Luke as they shuffled clumsily and moodily to the music.

"Hey Luke, I get the impression that you're not really feeling the music here…" Lorelei teased.

"Oh I'm feeling it all right," Luke snarled as he flung Jess to the side, "If my partner would just loosen up!"

"Me loosen up! Look who's talking…" Jess retorted scathingly, "…the man with wood for limbs!"

"Yeah, sorry Luke, I'm gonna have to agree with Jess on this one!" Lorelei replied, trying to be sensitive and failing miserably as she snorted into giggles again.

"That's not to say that Jess is without his flaws…" Rory stated knowingly to Lorelei, who nodded in agreement and commented pityingly, "He lacks posture and positive energy!"

Rory was delighted to see Jess suddenly look indignant. "Oh yeah…and now that I've been assessed on my may I remind you, impromptu skills… would you kindly explain to me, how the hell you can call all that bouncing and jiggling around, dancing!" Jess gave a brief imitation of their wild and quirky dancing and looked into Rory's eyes challengingly.

Luke laughed loudly and abruptly, like a siren, as Lorelei screwed her eyes up, and Rory opened her eyes wide with shock, gasping.

"Honey, are my ears failing me under this jazzing cacophony of trumpets and tubas, or did he actually just use the word jiggling (she shuddered) on us?" Lorelei demanded.

Rory shook her head slowly, and replied helplessly, "He did…he gave us the word."

Luke was finding Lorelei's offence particularly amusing, as she pretended to lunge at Jess, while she yelled, "Take it back!"

Jess held his hands up and and shrugged, "No way! I meant it!"

Rory hushed and soothed Lorelei for a second, comforting her, "The word jiggling has been used, and we must accept it and move on…let us just be thankful that the word wobbling wasn't mentioned…"

Jess smirked and Luke, who was still laughing at Lorlelei ventured, " You know your outrage only makes you jiggle more violently!"

Lorelei stared at Luke with malice, until he controlled himself, and stopped laughing; and that took a very long time….

…4 hours later.

"I'm bored," Jess stated flatly.

"I second that!" Agreed Rory.

Lorelei looked at Rory, bewildered at her lack of enthusiasm and spirit.

"You!" She glared at Jess menacingly, "What have you done to my daughter?"

Jess smirked, "I haven't done anything to her."

Rory's POV

I wouldn't mind him doing something to me…

RORY! FOCUS…HELLO, YOU HAVE A BOYFRIEND!

"You've contaminated her!"

"Contaminated?" Contaminating Rory, now there's a thought…

"Is that a young person metaphor for something unorthodox?" Luke pondered distractedly.

Everyone chose to ignore that last remark of Luke's. Although, Jess and Rory couldn't help but sneak glances at each other to see the reaction that that suggestion had prompted on one another.

Rory was blushing slightly, and Jess was looking…shy!

"Well, you too may be dying already…but me and Rory, we have stamina!" Lorelei triumphantly declared.

At this announcement Lorelei put her arms around Rory's waist and lifted her up into the air, attempting to swing her over her shoulder.

Rory screamed, as she tried to make sure her dress was still covering her. "Mom! What are you doing!" She squealed.

Luke noted Jess watching the flailing Rory and watching avidly, so he reached out to cover Jess' eyes.

"I'm trying to flip you, d'uh!" Lorelei replied, as if it was obvious why she had suddenly just hurled her into the air.

"Ok…you're fighting me…I can't do this if you're fighting me…"

"Good!" Rory snapped, as she struggled free and stumbled to the ground.

"(Cough) AMATEURS!" Kirk snorted as he step-ball-changed past with his partner.

"Hey…that was an…. Expressive form of improvisation… Very modern…probably much too advanced for ignorant go-go dancers like you to appreciate!" Lorelei retorted.

"Whatever." Kirk rolled his eyes as he shimmied on.

Rory was now flushed and out of breath and when she saw Jess laughing at her she frowned at him.

"Stop it," Rory whispered to Jess.

"Stop what?" Jess answered back defensively.

"I have a boyfriend."

"I have a girlfriend."

"Everyone's happy then."

"Overjoyed," Jess snapped.

The two settled into a brewing silence.

1 hour later.

Lorelei kept on looking at Luke and tutting with frustration, before rolling her eyes. It was getting repetitive, so Luke finally broke the silence. "What?"

"Well it's just…ah nothing."

"It's obviously something…"

Lorelei interrupted Luke midway through the sentence. "Ok fine…you know what, it is torturing me, having to stand here and watch you dance so pathetically! I mean, this may come as a surprise to you, but you're a fine figure of a man with so much potential…and…and to see it all wasted is sooooo tragic!"

"Thank you for sharing that with me," Luke answered blankly (although the words "fine figure of a man" stuck out in his mind).

"Ok Rory, bear with me here…swap partners!"

"What!" Rory squeaked, slightly panicky.

"I second that 'What!'" Luke put in, agitated.

Jess just waited silently.

"Don't worry hon…it'll just be for a few seconds…I just want to show this horrible man how to move!"

Lorelei broke away from Rory and grabbed Luke's shoulders roughly and shook him. "Now, feel the music!" She implored to him cheekily, taking great pleasure in his horrified expression.

In a completely different world, Jess and Rory found themselves standing facing each other awkwardly.

"I suppose, we need to touch…"

"Yeah, because otherwise we'll be out…"

"…Those are the rules!" Rory smiled weakly, with extreme timidity.

Jess looked at the floor, as Rory held onto his forearms, with her small and delicate hands. The music was now mellow and calming, the suspenseful atmosphere only broken every few seconds or so, by an aggravated sigh from Luke, or a bossy command from Lorelei.

Rory suddenly realised that she'd been rubbing his arms, slowly and tenderly. It was unexplainable, but it just felt so natural. They looked into one another's eyes, forget-me-not blue, imploring into amber brown.

Words were meaningless, as Rory's eyes clearly spoke of her fear and yet contentment, whereas Jess' shone with honesty entwined with confusion.

Jess couldn't stop himself as his arms shook off her hands and he gently placed his own hands on her slender waist. Rory took in her breath sharply, as Jess began to softly caress her sides, tingling her skin beneath the thin fabric of her dress.

It only lasted for just under a second, and then the horn blew, to announce a 15-minute break.

Jess let go instantly and looked away. Rory's cheeks coloured.

Lorelei, who hadn't noticed anything, being too tied up with Luke's unappreciated lesson, whispered in Rory's ear, "Sorry you had to endure that…I'll make it up to you…how does coffee sound?"

But Rory hadn't heard.

Rory's POV

That was…

Jess' POV

…unbelievable.

Unnoticed by anyone, Dean was sat watching the marathon in the stands. He'd been there for half an hour now.

His breathing was unsteady, his face set hard, as he watched Jess and Rory guiltily break apart.

Enough was enough…

A/N – AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Hope you like it! Please review A S A P!