Disclaimer: I am not the owner of these characters of the show Gilmore Girls. This Disclaimer holds true for the remainder of this story.

Chapter 1. "We all make mistakes."

She stood there. There was nothing else she could do, but stand there. She watched his hand caress the girl's cheek; watched him push the girl's hair behind her ear; watched him bend down to kiss her; watched him with her.

"Anyone but her," she thought, "I couldn't stand it if he were to be with her."

She turned to walk away when the girl brought her arms around his neck. It was too much. To much to think about, let alone see.

She ran.

She ran out of the gym, took a left down the hallway, and out of the school.

She couldn't stay there.

She couldn't be anywhere.

She couldn't let anyone see her this way.

Didn't want them to see her cry. . .

………………………………………………………………………………………………

There conversation wasn't unique. In fact, they had the same conversation multiple times in their relatively short relationship. They had only been together for eight months, but in that short time, another person had already managed to destroy what she was working so hard to preserve.

"Rory what are you doing?"

Rory ignored the question. She ignored it, just like he wasn't in their room at all.

"I asked you a question. What are you doing?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm packing. Why do you care anyway?"

"What do you mean? I love you."

"You don't love me. I saw you with her."

"You saw me with whom?"

"You know who! You said you were just watching out for her! You said she was like a little sister to you! You said I didn't have to worry!"

"All of that is the truth!"

"Don't lie to me Derek! I saw you with her! At her school!"

"What were you doing there?"

"Me? I was picking you up for our date. Remember?"

"I don't know what you saw, but you misunderstood."

"Are you saying I didn't see you kissing a 17 year old girl?"

"Yes that's what I'm saying."

"So you're calling me a liar."

"No, I'm not."

"But—"

"I'm just saying you were mistaken. You thought you saw me with her."

"Don't talk to me like a child!"

"You know what, fine! If you don't want to be with me then go!"

"Me? I wanted to make this work! I tried! You were the one with that little girl!"

"What did you expect from me? The paper . . . your writing. . . You never had time for me."

"So you went to be with a little girl—"

"Stop calling her that!"

"A little girl who had nothing else better to do? A girl too naive to realize how moronic you really were?"

"She had time for me"

"She's 17!"

"She'll be 18 next fall!"

"And you'll be 24 next week!"

"Why are you ruining this for me?"

"I didn't have to do anything . . . You ruined it enough on your own."

"What are you talking about? This isn't my fault! You are the one who didn't care enough about me!"

"You know what Derek, for a guy who cares so much about being the dominant partner in the relationship, you sure do tend to act like you're six"

"You don't know what you're talking about Rory."

"Maybe I don't, but what I do know is that as soon as I finish packing my things, you won't have to think about how I've ruined your life ever again."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Rory left, just like she planned to. Unfortunately, she didn't give much thought to where she was planning on staying until after she already left what was her home for the past five months of her life. It would make sense for her to stay on campus, but that would take time to find an available dorm. There was always her Mother's, but that would mean waking up early to drive back and forth to school in the morning. She could always stay at her grandparents, but that would require explaining why she was out of a place to stay in the first place. They didn't know about Derek. They didn't know how far their relationship had gone. . .

"Excuse me, but you're sitting in my seat."

Rory thought she heard a voice, but chose to ignore it. After all, the request that this person was implying seemed ridiculous.

"Ma'm, did you not hear me? You're sitting in my seat."

There it was again. Rory looked up and made contact with a pair of soft hazel eyes that had a few strands of blonde hair in them staring into her sky blue ones. These eyes were attempting to read her, which is exactly what she didn't want them to do. She didn't want to admit it, but she felt ashamed for what just happened to her. She lost her boyfriend of eight months to a 17 year old girl, five years her junior. She didn't want anyone, especially someone she didn't know, judging her because of this. She didn't want them thinking she wasn't good enough. Maybe this person would take a hint. Eventually.

"Ma'm—"

"I heard you."

"Excuse me?"

"I said I heard you."

"But you're still in my seat."

"This isn't your seat."

"It's not?"

"No, it's not."

"I happen to sit in this seat everyday at just this time. It's the sun you know. It provides excellent light."

For some reason, everything this person was saying came out of his mouth as if he was being sarcastic, funny even.

"Maybe you have been sitting here everyday, like you said, but you have forgotten one important thing."

"Really, and what is that?"

"It's a small detail really, trivial. You see, this is a public park, not a private one. Therefore, this seat, the one that I happen to be sitting in, is open for whoever arrives to sit in it first."

"Well, I see what you are saying. But that doesn't change the fact that this is my seat."

"It doesn't?"

"No, it doesn't."

"And may I be so bold as to ask why?"

"Well, you see, I bought this bench, and placed it here just so I could sit on it whenever I wanted. So you see, technically, this is my seat."

"Wow, I wasn't expecting that. I'm sorry, but don't you think that that is a bit pretentious of you?"

"Not at all."

"Really?"

"No."

A smirk appeared on his lips then. She hadn't the faintest idea why.

"Ma'm, it is obvious that you don't want to give up this precious, and I do mean precious, seat so maybe we should attempt to compromise."

"Compromise?"

"You are familiar with the term compromise aren't you?"

"Of course I am. I'm just not completely sure of what your aims are."

"Well, maybe we could share the bench. There is room for both of us you know. Of course, you'd have to be willing to move all of your belongings. You aren't homeless are you?"

Rory didn't know how to answer this without revealing too much information about her life.

"No."

"No you won't move your stuff?"

"No I'm not homeless. I'm just in a transitional phase."

"Transitional phase my ass. You just got kicked out and have no where to go."

"Excuse me! You are in no position to be making accusations about me! You don't even know me!"

"So it's true then?"

"No it's not true. I didn't get kicked out, I left, and that's all you need to know."

"My mistake, you left and now you have no where to go."

That pretty much summed everything up. This didn't make her feel any better though.

He spoke again. . .

"May I ask what your next move is going to be? I mean after you leave the park."

"If I knew do you honestly think I'd still be sitting here?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."

He wasn't serious. She could tell by the light chuckle that he made no attempt to hold in.

"You didn't offend me. I'm just a little edgy right now."

"Well, what are your options?"

"My options consist of my Mother's which isn't in town, a dorm which would take forever to get, and my Grandparents who don't need to know all of my business right now."

"Where do you go?"

"Excuse me?"

"Where do you go? You said you could stay in a dorm. . ."

"Yale. I'm assuming you've heard of it."

His eyes lit up at the word.

"Of course I've heard of it, and today is your lucky day. I happen to attend Yale just like you. You're welcome to stay at my dorm for a while if you need to."

"What kind of person do you take me for?"

"Well, we attend the same school; it wouldn't be completely unheard of."

"I don't know you. How do I know what your motives are? I couldn't possibly stay in your dorm. I don't have a death wish."

"Do I look like a serial killer to you?"

"You'd be surprised."

"Well, I offered."

"Yes you did."

"Grandparents. Stay with the Grandparents."

"They'll ask questions."

"But they'd let you stay right? It'd only be for a little while."

"They'd let me stay, but. . ."

"You need a place to stay, so go to them."

"I could just stay here; I could make a tent out of my blankets."

He looked at her in a way that forced her to say that she was only kidding.

"Where do they live? I could give you a ride there."

"I don't know you; we've already been over this."

"What is your name?"

"Why?"

"Just tell me your name. My name is Logan Huntzberger."

"Rory Gilmore."

"Hello Miss Gilmore; pleased to meet you."

"And what was the point in that?"

"Well now we aren't strangers anymore."

"And. . ."

"And now you can let me help you with your bags so I can take you to your Grandparent's house."

"I don't know if I can trust you."

"Why not?"

"Well, the last person I trusted turned out to be a jerk. That's why I'm here in the first place."

"That's why you should let me take you to your Grandparents so that you can move on. You know, get over him."

"What makes you think some guy hurt me?"

"Well, Rory, it's a little obvious."

"You know, I'd feel better if you would just wait with me while I call my Grandfather to come pick me up."

"That'd work too. So, tell me about your boyfriend."

Rory ignored his question until after she called her Grandfather who was all too happy to find out that his Granddaughter would be staying with him.

"Well, are you going to answer me?"

"What is there to know? We were together for a little while, and now we aren't."

"It can't be that simple."

"Well it is. The only thing that upsets me is how stupid I am. I believed him. I believed his lies, and let him treat me like I was inferior to him. I'm stupid."

"Rory, it's okay. It will be okay. Just give it some time."

It only took Richard Gilmore twenty minutes to come pick up Rory. And when he arrived, neither Rory nor Logan wanted to admit the disappointment that they felt. The older man parked his car and waved for Rory to begin bringing her things over. He got out as well and walked over to where they were sitting in order to aid in the process.

"Hello Richard."

"Hello Logan, things are well I assume."

"Things are going well, as always."

"I'm glad to hear it."

Richard grabbed a few of Rory's bags and returned to his parked car. But before Rory could acknowledge the shock that she felt at the realization that her Grandfather was on a first name bases with this strange man that she had been talking to, Logan grabbed her arm and forced her to stare into his eyes.

"What are you doing?"

"Just listen to me Rory. You are not stupid. At some point in our lives we all make mistakes. . ."