A/N: A new years gift to you all. HAPPY NEW YEAR.

The following weekend Rory was sat in the gazebo waiting for Jess to get a break and reading a book on pregnancy.

The town still gossiped about the news everyone having an opinion but they never voiced them to Rory other than to offer their congratulations.

"Luke, I'm out." Jess said when they hit a lull.

"Take this to Rory." Luke handed him a take-out cup.

"Okay."

"I want you back in half an hour."

"Fine."

Jess left the dinner and crossed the street. Suddenly Dean appeared in front of him.

"Jess."

"Dean." Jess said.

Dean and Lindsay had been out of town for a few weeks visiting Dean's relatives in Chicago trying to save their marriage and therefore hadn't heard the news until they got back.

"Is it true?"

"Is what true?" Jess asked.

"You knocked Rory up?"

"Very eloquently put."

"Is it true?" Dean repeated his early question.

"Yes Rory is pregnant." Jess confirmed.

Dean knocked the cup out of Jess's hand.

"I'll tell her you said congratulations." Jess told her.

"You bas…" Dean's fist contacted Jess's jaw.

Rory heard the raised voices and dropped the book and ran over.

"Dean stop it." She told him. "Let him go."

"Rory stay out of this." Jess told her.

"Dean this isn't anything to do with you."

"Rory." Jess said as Dean hit him again.

"Oh god." Rory ran across the road to the diner. "Luke, Luke."

"Rory? What is it?"

"Dean hit Jess and…" Trying to catch her breath.

"Where are they?" Luke asked.

"Out there." Rory pointed.

"Stay here." Luke told her as he head out to break up the fight.

Rory couldn't wait inside so she went and stood outside the dinner.

"Break it up, break it up." Luke said as he tried to pull Dean off Jess. Dean took a swing Luke, Luke grabbed Dean's fist in his hand before it could make contact. "I don't think you want to do that Dean." Luke told him.

"Luke, stay out of this." Dean said.

"I think you're the one who needs to stay out of it." Luke told him. "Jess and Rory are handling this just fine without your interference. Now go home to your wife and leave them alone or I'll be forced call the cops and lay assault charges and you can sit in jail for a while. Now go home Dean."

Dean shrugged off Luke's grip and walked away.

"Are you okay?" Luke asked as he held out a hand to help Jess up.

"I'm fine." He wiped the blood from his lip. "He started it."

"So I gathered. You might want to tell Rory you're okay and get some ice; you're going to have a shiner in the morning."

Jess walked across the road to where Rory was standing.

"Are you okay?" Rory asked.

"I'll have a few bruises, but it's not the first time."

"I'm sorry."

"Did you tell Dean to walk up and hit me?" Jess asked.

"No."

"Then you don't need to apologise." He paused. "Are you okay? You look pale?"

"I'm just out of breath and a little dizzy." Rory replied.

"Maybe we should get you inside so you can sit down?" Jess suggested.

"I'll be fi…" Rory didn't finish her sentence as she blacked out.

"Rory!" Jess caught before she could hit the ground and hurt herself. "Luke!"

"What happened?" Luke ran over.

"She blacked out. Rory!"

"Let me take her." Luke scooped Rory up in his arms. "Call Lorelai, I'll take her upstairs."

TBC