What on earth do you think you're doing?

The question reverberated through Rory's brain as she lay staring at the ceiling in the dingy motel room. Here she was, a grown woman, passing through town on business and she had managed to find herself lying in bed at 4am with a raging hangover and a teenager who looked more adult than he had any right to sprawled across the other side of her bed.

She had finally lost it. That was the only answer. The stress of the job, finding out that Logan was engaged, it had all become too much for her. She was destined to become some alcoholic cougar type, stalking the innocent young men of the Deep South.

Tim shifted in his sleep and sighed deeply, attracting her gaze to his chest as it rose and fell. Ok, she admitted to herself. Not exactly innocent. But teenage, nonetheless.

Unable to tear her eyes away, Rory watched Tim as he slept. It felt like she should be more aware of his age now. As if all of that hard ass attitude would fall away to reveal the little boy he truly was. But he didn't look like a boy. No, she thought. He does not look like a little boy at all.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been staring when she registered a change in his breathing. Then, slowly, she saw a dimple emerge in his cheek before his eyes slowly opened and he slid his gaze towards her.

"Can I help you with somethin'?" He enquired wryly, his voice still thick with sleep.

Rory shook her head, eyes wide, but her customary shyness around men felt silly when he was already in her bed. He grinned more broadly and rolled onto his side to face her, propping his head up on one hand.

"You sure? 'Cause you been lookin' at me for a while now"

"Well, I. uh…" Rory fumbled, searching desperately for a response. Suddenly Tim's face grew grave and he dropped his eyes from hers.

"Oh, I'm, uh, I'm sorry. Honestly, I mean, you're pretty sobered up and everythin' an if you'd like to me to go then I ca-"

"No!" Rory told him, and then again, more softly, "No. I asked you to stay and I meant it."

Tim's eyes were quizzical in the dim light as he scanned her face.

"Why?"

Rory looked at him, helpless, and finally gave him the only answer she could think of.

"I have absolutely no idea"

Tim kept looking at her, long enough to make her squirm in embarrassment. Just as she was about to give up and ask him to go, his arm snaked out and wrapped around her waist, pulling her across the sheets to him.

Gilmore, Rory told herself firmly, as she gazed, paralyzed into those green-flecked eyes. This is absurd. More than that, this is wrong. You can't possibly go through wi-

And then Tim Rggins' lips met hers. And Rory closed her eyes and gave up on thought for the time being.