The sun streamed in through the apartment window, waking Rory up. She opened her eyes and immediately saw her hand lying on someone's chest. She smiled, thinking that it was Logan and that everything had just been a nightmare, but then she looked up at the person's face and saw that it was nothing more than Marty. Feeling a little disappointed, Rory sighed. Then Marty gave a slight snort and Rory chuckled as she pulled his arm from around her shoulders. As quietly as she could she padded to the bathroom. She looked in the mirror once and gasped. Her hair stuck out in odd angles and her make up from the night before had messed up leaving her skin looking uneven. She shuddered and attempted to fix her hair and wash her face.

She walked out the bathroom door; Marty was still sleeping on the couch. From this angle he was fairly attractive and Rory couldn't help but to stare. After a moment Marty gave a deep sigh and his eyes opened. "What?" he asked Rory, noticing that she was staring at him.

"Nothing." She shifted her gaze to the nearby TV. "So I guess I should get going." Rory began to slip her shoes on.

"Rory?"

"Yeah." Marty hesitated.

"I was wondering…." He stopped.

"Yeah?"

"I was wondering if…I mean if you're not doing anything…if you might want to go to dinner with me Saturday." Rory didn't say anything. She didn't know how to respond. On the one hand she didn't think she was over Logan completely and she didn't want to lose Marty's friendship, but on the other hand there was no denying that she was mildly attracted to Marty.

"Marty I don't think…" But even as she opened her mouth, words ran through her mind. Words that someone had once told her. You loved Logan. You don't anymore. Even I can see that. "I don't think that Saturday will work for me, maybe we could do it Friday." Marty smiled.

"Yeah that'd be great. I'll pick you up at your apartment about eightish."

"Great. Bye!" Rory smiled brightly and then let herself out, but as she closed the door behind her, her face fell and she began to question if she had made the right decision.

Rory studied the clothes strewn across her bed, scrutinizing each blouse and skirt. All of the sudden her door flew open and her roommate walked in. "Paris! What are you doing here?"

"Well my mime class got cancelled. The teacher got a sore throat. Hello she's a mime for god's sake, does she even need to use her throat. But anyways now I don't have anything to do tonight."

"Can't you do anything with Doyle?" Rory looked at herself in the mirror, holding a shirt up to her body.

"He's visiting his mother. So I thought maybe we could do something."

"In case you haven't notice I'm kind of busy." Paris looked at the clothes.

"Donating to charity?"

"No. I'm picking out an outfit for my date tonight."

"Gilmore's got a date?" Paris seemed impressed. "With who?"

"Marty."

"Marty…Marty." Paris seemed as if she was trying to recall who was. "Isn't that the guy who used to bartend for your ex-boyfriend?" Rory nodded. "And this is the ex-boyfriend who cheated on you with your own mother and is now dating her?"

"Oh my god Paris! Rude much?" Rory shot her a look.

"Sorry I'm just enjoying the fact that for once someone's family is more screwed up than mine."

"I have an idea for something to do tonight. How about you go look for your heart, you seemed to have misplaced it."

"Fine fine. But if you ever want to talk you know where I am."

"Thanks," Rory said a bit angrily.

"Oh I wasn't suggesting that we talk, but I can give you the number of a great psychiatrist. She got me through that whole nose piercing fiasco and the time mom came back with a new face and I didn't recognize her and the time that daddy came home with a new wife who was younger than me."

"Bye Paris."

"Ok, leaving." Paris walked out, but stuck her head back in the door. "Wear the black skirt with the red top." Rory smiled and changed into the outfit. As she admired herself in the mirror she couldn't help but think what her mom was doing right now.

"Town meeting now in session." The studio was still full of chatter. Taylor beat his gavel on the podium. "Town meeting in session people! People please!"

"Shut your pie holes!" Miss Patty roared. Everyone quieted down and turned to look at Taylor.

"Thank you. Now our first order of business is…" but Taylor was cut off as the door slid open and Lorelai walked in.

"Sorry Taylor, I decided that I would watch all the extras on the Lord of the Rings DVD, so I started last night and I'm still not done, but I got wrapped up in them after work and the next time I looked at the clock…"

"Just have a seat." Lorelai moved to the front row and the chatter started again. Taylor looked behind her. "Are you alone tonight?" All heads turned towards Lorelai, the chatter stopped.

"No, Logan's not with me."

"Well it's a good thing the two of you broke it off, doing that to Rory. I can't even believe…"

"No Taylor, I meant that Logan's not with me tonight. We're still together."

"But why? That relationship can't be healthy for Rory, or you for that matter."

"I have to agree with Taylor on this one sweets," Patty said to her.

"Now that's a little hypocritical don't you think?" Lorelai asked Patty. "I mean you've been married to guys that are younger than Logan and you were older than I am."

"But see that was different. I didn't look like you do. Don't tell me that you have trouble getting dates with guys your own age."

"Well I don't, but I just like Logan. I mean is that so wrong?" Lorelai stood in the center aisle of the room.

"Yes," the whole room said in unison. Lorelai looked around.

"It's not that we don't like you, or him for that matter. We just don't like what it's doing to Rory," Miss Patty tried to explain.

"Did you ever hear about all those witch trials in Salem where the whole town would gang up against one woman accusing her of things before burning her at the stake?" Lorelai asked.

"Why yes," Taylor replied, looking at Patty. Patty shrugged, indicating that she didn't know what Lorelai was talking about. "Why do you ask?" Taylor asked Lorelai.

"Oh I don't know something about this moment just reminded me of that." Chairs squeaked as people turned them around to talk to their neighbor.

"Quiet, quiet!" Taylor banged his gavel repeatedly on the podium. "Lorelai either make a point or have a seat."

"Ok here's my point Taylor, and the rest of you too!" Lorelai spun around to face the crowd. "Butt out! It's my life. Rory's my daughter. I can screw that relationship up all I want. But I will not allow you to screw up my relationship with Logan. So you can whisper all you want when I pass. Or refuse to serve me coffee." Lorelai gave a directed look at Luke. "Or treat me like a pariah but it won't matter. Logan and I are happy and we're staying together. And, oh yeah, I want you to think about this before you make your decision about how to treat me. Who makes the costumes for all the plays in this town? Who takes your relatives off your hands when they come into town by allowing them to stay at the inn for a discounted price? Who entertains your kids while you're in church by showing them embarrassing pictures of you? Think about that!" Lorelai started to storm out, but stopped at the back row and leaned down to whisper in Luke's ear. "You aren't the only one in this town with coffee." And with that she stormed out of the room, making sure to slam the door extra loudly behind her.

"I'm really sorry that you expected more out of tonight. I just can't really afford the expensive places that you're used to," Marty rambled on.

"Marty it's ok."

"No it's not. You got all dressed up and for what, a crappy date."

"Hey I think that Burger King is an excellent place for a date. Who wants to eat foods that you can't pronounce?"

"Well I'm still sorry."

"Marty stop. I didn't expect anything more. And to tell you the truth that was one of the best dates I've been on in a while."

"Really?" Rory nodded. "Well ok then, I'm glad that you enjoyed it." As they walked up the stairs to Rory's apartment Rory felt the warmth of his hand as it slipped around hers. They were at her door.

"Well goodnight." Rory fumbled with her keys, hesitant to go into the apartment. She knew what would happen if she didn't go in now and she wasn't sure that she was ready for that, but at the same time she really had enjoyed the date. Rory made her decision and slowly slid her key into the lock. "Well goodnight," Rory repeated.

"You already said that."

"I did?" Rory tried to act innocent.

"Yeah." Rory sighed, clearly Marty was not picking up on her signals.

"Ok well bye then." She opened the door and began to walk into the apartment.

"Rory?"

"Yeah." Rory turned and immediately felt Marty's lips press against hers. It felt amazing and she knew that she had made the right decision. She smiled as she pulled back.

"Well goodnight then." Marty smiled her and then turned to walk down the stairs. Rory walked into the apartment and closed the door behind her.

At that same moment, many miles from the apartment Lorelai was closing her own door behind her. "Hey," Logan called to her. "I brought pizza. What's wrong?" He noticed a look on Lorelai's face. "Did something happen at the meeting?"

"Logan, we need to talk."