The apartment Friday Night—Two Weeks Later.

Rory and her mom are at dinner with Emily and Richard. Marty's best friend Scott is visiting. Scott looks like he could be Marty's brother except that he keeps his curly hair pulled back in a frivolous manner. He his slightly shorter than his friend but has a deeper voice. Growing up, Scott was counterpart of Marty's quiet, friendly persona.

"So how's living with the chick really going?" Marty's friend asks through bites of macaroni and cheese.

"Good, and her name's Rory."

Scott rolls his eyes, "I know what her name is, God you say it often enough"

"I know pathetic, but hey I'm working on it."

"She still got the blonde bombshell?"

Marty mutters something under his breath

"That's yes. Why don't you forget her, we'll go out to a bar and we'll find you a girl."

"I don't want a barfly."

"Hey I would never do that to you—but seriously come on let's blow this pop stand—I can only eat so much Easy Mac."

"Yeah by the way that's Rory's and she's going be pissed if she comes home and it's all gone."

"Come on there's two left after I finish this bowl, stop birthing a cow, will ya?"

"You have no idea who you're dealing with—that stuff is a staple of her existence two bowls is a snack for her."

"Sounds like my kind of girl."

"If you go for the bottomless pit types than I suppose she is your type," Marty smiles at the thought of Rory's excessive eating habits.

Scott hops onto the kitchen counter, "Man you really do have it bad."

"Shut up." Marty says, throwing a balled up piece of paper at his friends.

"You really need to learn how to fight back, dude." Scott says putting his bowl on the counter. "But seriously, it's working out?"

"Yeah it's good, you know we're finishing up school, she working at that newspaper I'm doing shifts at the catering company and then we come home have dinner watch some tv, and go to sleep."

"So let's see, you wake up in separate beds, you go off to your respective classes and jobs, come home eat and watch tv together in silence and then go to bed without so much as a copped feel? Man it's like you're already married."

Marty rolls his eyes and sighs, " Look, we have a blast together, ok?"

"Just not the sort of blast you've been hoping for." Scott replies, hopping off of the counter. "All kidding aside, I know what you're going through—remember me with Sara?"

"Yeah, but that worked out you guys have been together for two years."

"Hey Captain Clueless," Scott raps Marty on the back of the head before joining him on the couch with a resounding thud, "when was the last time you saw me on a Friday night?"

Marty studies his friends face, "You mean you guys—wait when did this happen?"

"Um about two weeks ago—you know spent the obligatory first week post-breakup in a drunken haze before I was remotely functional."

"What happened?"

"I made the mistake of coming home early to surprise her—never make that mistake my friend."

Marty watches Scott intently.

"So there I was standing in the doorway ready to announce my presence when Mark comes out the bedroom in nothing but his tightie whities—I mean come on hasn't anyone told him that those things do major damage to your package!"

"Stop stalling, who is Mark?"

"That guy—the one Sara had to work on that big case with—the guy she swore she couldn't stand, who she'd talk smack about every night—yeah him."

"Oh man I'm sorry."

"I cleaned up for her—I even learned to put my dirty socks in the laundry basket.

"I know you really worked to keep the relationship alive." Marty rolls his eyes.

"Yeah, so anyway now I'm back in your life so you better get used to seeing this face again because misery loves company—especially company that's more miserable than they are."

Marty shoves his friend playfully, "I am NOT miserable, I'm unrequited, there's a difference."

"How silly of me to forget." Scott rolls his eyes.

"You can have more Mac and Cheese if you want—I'll buy Rory another box tomorrow, it's my turn to grocery shop anyway."

"Nah, it's ok—I won't let that whore have the satisfaction of seeing me blow up like a balloon because of this."

"You really loved her, huh?"

"Yeah…….almost as much as I love you." Scott leans towards Marty, a wild look in eye, "Come on give me kiss." Scott smacks his lips together, pawing at Marty's shirt.

Marty sinks off of the couch and onto the floor, "You're an asshole." Marty replies laughing warmly.

"Who's an asshole?" Rory's voice echoes throughout the room as she appears at the door, keys still dangling from the knob.

"That would be me,' Scott jumps up from the couch and holds his hand out to her, "Scott Wilkey, at your service."

"And what kind of service is it that you do?" Rory raises an eyebrow at the stranger before her.

"Why best friend to Martin here of course, it's a full-time job, a career really, although I'll admit I've been on sabbatical as of late— "

"But now he's back, eating us out of apartment and home."

"Just as long as you didn't touch my nacho flavored Easy Mac, it's fine."

Scott releases Rory's hand, giving her a devastated look, "There was Nacho flavored—and there I was eating the crummy regular kind, damn."

"Hey after living with my mom for 20 years, I learned that you have to hide the good stuff."

"Man, she is good, she is good. You didn't tell me you were living with a genius Martin."

"What did you tell him, Martin," Rory replies with a laugh.

"Don't call me that—the ONLY person I let get away with that is my grandmother."

"Yes Nana Mary, what a broad."

"Ok boys, I'm going to change out of these clothes and then I'll be back—you up for a movie?"

Scott places a fist under his chin, "I'll make the popcorn."

Rory giggles, "You in Marty?"

Marty smiles, "Sure."

While Scott prepares the popcorn and selects a movie, Marty follows Rory to her bedroom.

"Hey," He says, leaning on the doorframe.

"Is everything set up?" Rory appears from inside the closet, wearing sweats and a bra,

" I'll be right there." She says pulling an old t-shirt over her head.

Marty swallows hard before speaking, "No, I was just wondering what you were doing back so early it's not even 9."

Rory shifts her gaze to the dresser, "Yeah well you know, my grandparents found out where I was living tonight."

"Oh." Marty says knowingly. "Is your grandfather going to come and lynch me?"

"No," Rory smiles brightly at her friend, "I think your safe, mom stepped in with all the positive aspects of our arrangement, my grandmother had a small hissy fit about how I shouldn't be living with a man at my age, my grandpa went off on how they would have happily set me up with a nice apartment, and then mom told them that she completely approved of the situation and then they went off on her and her parenting skills—and as far as I know that argument is still going on?."

"You left your mom there, with them?"

"She told me too, plus as I was leaving she dropped the bomb that the wedding plans are back on so I'm sure my grandma has called her wedding consultant and mom's up to her ears in taffeta right now."

Marty rumbles with laughter, a familiar happy laughter that forces Rory to look at him straight on.

Marty catches her gaze, "So tomorrow I'll pick up more Easy Mac for you—Sorry about the surprise visitor, I didn't know he was coming till this afternoon, and you were gone by the time I got home—and I know your grandparents policy on cell phones at the dinner table," Marty rambles

Rory laughs, rubbing her ankles nervously together, "It's fine, he's a riot."

"Well you know we can't all have Lanes."

"I'd say he's more of a Paris."

Marty looks at her with scorn, "Now Scotty may be a lot of things but he's no Paris—a pain in the ass yes, but I don't get the urge to flee the room when he's around."

"Point taken."

"So are we going to watch this thing, or should just assume you two are throwing it down and politely excuse myself from the apartment." Scott's voice booms.

Rory laughs, her eyes darting to the floor. Marty bangs the door frame with his fist, 'I'm going to kill him."

"Be nice, don't ruin your little reunion."

"Oh don't worry we'll be reunited again-at his FUNERAL" Marty calls out into the living room.

"Whatever dude, I'm starting without you guys—John Cusack skiing with a French chick and Booger from those nerd movies—waits for no man, especially you."

Marty retreats towards the hallway, "I don't care if she did cheat you on you man, it doesn't mean you're allowed to be more obnoxious than usual."

"Of course it does." Scott replies matter-of-factly.

Rory stands in the doorway watching the two friends bicker animatedly, "I'll be right there" she calls out to no one in particular.

Dashing back to her nightstand, Rory grabs her cell phone and turns it off. There's no need for calls tonight she decides with a silent nod. Grabbing a throw blanket from her bed, she pounces towards the living room, content with spending the remainder of the evening with two men who are not her boyfriend.

1am: After watching 3 John Cusack movies Rory stands up, "I'm beat." She announces stretching her arms in the air to prove her point.

"Mm, yeah I think that last movie did me in too." Marty replies hoarsely.

Rory kicks the end of the couch, "You going to stay over?" She asks Scotty.

"No, I couldn't impose." He replies, making no effort to remove himself from the couch.

"That's too bad I was going to bring my box of Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch out of reserves for you." Rory smirks at him.

"See ya in the morning sweet cheeks." Scott mumbles, pulling the throw blanket over his head.

"And this is my best friend," Marty states with a shake of his head.

"He's cute, leave him alone," Rory teases, taking Marty's hand in hers.

Together they walk down the wooden floored hallway. "Well this is my stop," Rory says quietly swinging their adjoined arms carelessly.

Marty releases his grasp on her hand, "Mine too," he replies pointing his head in the direction of his room.

They each go separate their separate ways, closing their doors behind them.

"Goodnight, Martin," Rory singsongs from across the hall.

"Sweet dreams, Lorelai," Marty whispers with a grin. "Damn I am pathetic," He says to the night.

Across the hall Rory tosses and turns, wondering how it is that she could have more fun in a few hours with Marty than she could in the whole year she's been with Logan. Why was she losing sleep over someone who wasn't her boyfriend, not that it would matter if Logan weren't in the picture. She had her chance with ' The naked guy' and she turned him down to be with Logan. It was a decision that she had never regretted or questioned until this very moment.

With a quiet groan, she reaches through the darkness for her phone; a push of a button and it's on. It beeps indicating that she has messages; the pail blue light of the phone causes her to shrink back into the safe haven of her sheets. She squints at the tiny cellular phone: 2 voice mails, 4 texts, and 6 missed calls. Clicking on the texts, the first message appears on the screen.

"Where ARE you?" the screen asks.

"I have no idea." She says heavily, thrusting the phone onto the nightstand.

Ok I'll probably update later in the week, I know this was a lot of dialogue but that's what I prefer to do I think you learn more about the characters by how they hold themselves in conversations.