Chapter 21: He's Gone and It's All My Fault

The cab stopped in front of the hospital and Rory ran in. She looked and felt strange in her cap and gown searching the ER for Dean. She ran into a doctor.

"Excuse me can you help me?"

"What's wrong?" the doctor asked.

"I'm looking for someone. I got a call from a doctor. I can't remember his name at the moment other than it was a color. Like black, brown, gray," Rory rambled trying to find the right color.

"Dr. Green?" the doctor asked.

"That's it! He is taking care of a friend of mine."

"I'm Dr. Green. You must be Rory. Yes. You must be," Dr. Green said. "Miss Gilmore, you may need to sit down."

Rory sank into the nearest chair. "If you're asking me to sit down than I'm too late." "I'm sorry Miss Gilmore. I told him you were coming but he seemed to have lost his will to fight. He went into cardiac arrest and we were unable to shock his heart back into a normal rhythm. I'm so sorry. Mr. Forrester is gone."

Rory buried her head into her hands. She heaved heavy, heartbreaking sobs. No one was there to comfort her in her loss. Her mother was on her way. Lane was with her mother and her boyfriend. Marty! God she needed Marty right now.

"May I see him?" Rory asked through her tears.

"Of course. I'll take you to him."

Dr. Green led Rory down to a secluded room in the hospital. He opened the door and she saw, to her, a sleeping Dean. She approached him quietly hoping he would just wake up. Dr. Green closed the door and let her have her privacy.

Rory looked at Dean's broken body. He had IVs coming out of his arm and a tube in his mouth. It pained Rory greatly to see him like this. She thought about the last thing she had said to him. She was being selfish, mean, and her words were harsh.

"Dean, please come back. You're stronger than this and you know it. You wanted to see me in my cap and gown. Now come on open your eyes. Look at me Dean. Look!"

Dean didn't move. As much as she wanted him to wake up and see her in her cap and gown she knew it was never going to happen. Dean was gone and it was all her fault.

Lorelai and the rest of those at Rory's graduation arrived at New Haven General Hospital. Lorelai went to the front desk and asked for Dean Forrester's room.

"Let me get Dr. Green, ma'am," the nurse at the desk said. She left the desk and came back moments later with Dr. Green.

"Can I help you folks?" he asked, trying to keep things light.

"I'm looking for my daughter and her friend. He was in an accident."

"I hate to tell you this but Mr. Forrester is gone. He died about a half hour ago."

Lorelai gasped. Oh poor Rory. She handed Chip to Lane and Luke gave Audrey to Emily. The pair then went with Dr. Green to the room where Rory was.

"Sweets?" her mother called into the cold unfeeling room. "Rory?"

"He's gone Mom. And it's all my fault."

"What's your fault? Rory, honey talk to me. Wjat happened?"

"I called him to find out where he was and he got into the wreck. This is my fault. No one else's."

"Rory don't do this to yourself, kid," Luke said, trying to be comforting.

Rory looked miserably at her parents. She gave them both a tight hug and they left when they saw Dean's parents and sister arrive, Rory and the Danes' offered their condolences and went about their way.

Everyone in town has turned out for Dean's memorial service. Rory, Lorelai, Luke and Marty are sitting in the second row behind Dean's family. Rory looked around and saw Lindsey and her family on the other side. Rory was holding a red rose and the bracelet that Dean had made her for her sixteenth birthday. Reverend Skinner was giving the eulogy. He told of the good things that Dean had done in the community. When he mentioned that Dean had been Rory's first love she lost it. She had to get out of there. She burst out of the church doors with Lorelai on her heels.

"How can he be gone?" Rory yelled to the sky. "How could you just take him from us!"

"Rory, honey, come back inside. There is nothing more you can do except be supportive for Dean's family."

Lorelai puts her arm around they walk back into the church. They get in line with Luke and Marty. They walk by Dean's coffin. Rory stops and places the rose inside. She carefully opens his hand and put the bracelet in it.

"Good bye Dean. I am going to miss you so much," Rory said. Then whispering softly so no one will hear, "I'll always love you."

Marty hold Rory to him and they go for a walk. He has waited a week now to ask her the question he had wanted to since they had graduated. They walk out to the bridge and sit down.

"Thank you for being here with me Marty," Rory said, lying her head on his shoulder. "It means so much to me. I love you Marty. I really do."

"That's good to know. Because I have something I want to ask you. I think that the answer to this question will help this separation between the ocean seem a little smaller."

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the small black velvet box. He opens it up and hands it to her.

"I would love it if you would marry me Rory Gilmore-Danes."

I realize that you all hate me very, very much for leaving this at a cliffhanger, but hey Amy made us wait an entire summer before we found out Luke's answer. Jess plays a major role in the next part of this very long story. Have a happy Thanksgiving and don't eat more than four dinners unless you have no other choice! Hope you guys like my oh so subtle dig at Logan and the rest of those people. AKA: Finn, Colin