Disclaimer: It's a bird, it's a plane, it's... rights are owned by the CW Television Network...

Chapter 5

Rory didn't know where to go, she just needed to get out and start thinking. Her mind raced over every relationship she'd ever had, trying to find a reason why they never lasted, never filled her with the same sense of love that she first felt with that first person.

Jess was simply too unstable for Rory during those early years. He loved her, probably more than he'd be willing to admit, and probably more than anyone else ever had, but he was just too unreliable and inconsistent with himself much less with a possible relationship. Last she heard, he was a successful author with his own publishing company in Philadelphia.

There was Marty in college, which was short-lived. He wasn't one to stick up for himself when she'd met him, and in a way she pitied him in a sense of hopeless love… or so she thought. She saw him occasionally while finishing up schooling at Yale, passing him in the halls or seeing him across the quad, but she and he never spoke again.

Logan Huntzberger came into the picture next. Now, Rory really, truly, honestly thought she loved him like the world. They had even announced an engagement to their friends, but called it off long before their families found out. She fussed over Logan, ever since he'd landed himself in the hospital due to a sky-diving incident, and Logan felt suffocated. That and he argued that she was too much for him - she deserved better - and that she loved someone else, who held a piece of her heart she wouldn't offer to anyone else, not even him. He took over his father's office in Paris, eventually marrying a socialite blonde named Angelette Devereux.

Mack was after Logan, and he was more of a rebound-type date, than an actual boyfriend.

James was next, and it lasted a good four months till he dumped her, citing that she had no time for him. She had liked him, truly cared for him, but their time was spent apart, and she was usually too busy with an article to bother with him.

Rory stopped and found herself outside of Dean's house. Just her luck to end up there, though she bitterly realized why. She always compared every guy she ever dated to him. He had been her first, showing her how to love and stealing that piece of her heart - the one Logan could never reach. Sure, Dean was a little overly jealous and sensitive when it came to Rory hanging out and talking with another guy, but it was only because of how insecure he felt about their relationship. He tried his hardest to make it work the first time, but willingly let her go to Jess. Then he chased false desires and married Lindsay Lister, consequentially chasing true desires and sleeping with Rory.

That had been the mistake.

After they broke up and she found Logan, she convinced herself that Dean was simply that guy who was supposed to show her how to love and how to be loved. She and he were never meant to be. They came from different worlds with different dreams and different expectations. They were on different pages, traveling in different directions.

"Darn alliteration," Rory muttered, searching the driveway and street for Dean's truck. It was nowhere to be seen. Funny - how did she get to his house before he when she was walking and he was driving?

Taking a last look at the dark windows and empty driveway, also realizing Clara wasn't home, she continued her walk to the town square. Seeing the gazebo brought the day's earlier events to her mind, along with sadness. She hadn't enjoyed herself like she had that afternoon in a very long time, and half of her brain insisted it was because of Dean.

She took a seat on the bench and got lost in her thoughts until someone tapped her on her shoulder. She looked up.

"Coffee?" Luke offered, handing her a cup.

Rory smiled and graciously took it.

"Don't tell me you cancelled Movie Night because of me," Luke replied, taking a seat.

"No, we didn't, sorry," Rory grinned sheepishly and Luke rolled his eyes in response.

"It's fine, I know your mother."

"I just needed to get out and think about some stuff."

"Like a certain person?"

Rory glanced at him through the corner of her eye and frowned. "How did you - "

Luke put his hand up and said, "This entire town is watching the two of you."

"Why?"

"Because it's the first time the two of you have been together since breaking up," Luke said with a shrug. "And you know they all have nothing better to do than gossip."

"But I've come back over the years. I used to visit all the time," Rory pointed out, a little perturbed by Luke's news.

"Yes, but you've never stayed longer than a couple days… ever."

Rory sighed and took a long sip of her coffee. She mulled over things in her head before voicing the next question, "Have you seen him with anyone?"

Luke studied her face with a questioning look before he shook his head. "No, haven't seen him with anybody around here. He tells me he's usually busy with work and stuff."

"But why? Why not date and fall in love and get married?"

"He already did that."

Rory half sighed, half snorted and shook her head. "Not back then. Now," she said.

Luke stood and turned back to face her. "Maybe his heart belonged to somebody else," he suggested.

"Like who, me?" Rory asked incredulously. At Luke's nod, she shook her head again. "You saw how he reacted to me in the diner last week."

"Maybe he's afraid of getting close to you and you not feeling the same way again."

Rory cocked her head to the side and stared up at her step-father. She let out a snort of laughter and smiled, saying, "You've gotten good at the parenting thing, Luke."

It was Luke's turn to laugh and smile. "Yeah, well, I've known your mother for what? - fifteen or so years? So, I've gotten in some good practice with her."

---------------------------------

The stereo was blasting music as the truck sped down the highway. Dean wasn't sure where he was going; he just needed to drive, to let the music and road calm the storming waters in his head.

He'd stopped at the house and read Clara's note: 'Gone to visit Mom and Dad for the week. Take care, Clara.' Of course, his parents didn't want anything to do with him. He was never invited to come visit or spend the holidays with them the way Clara was. They weren't exactly proud of the life decisions he'd made, and him offering Clara a place to stay in Stars Hollow, away from them in Chicago, had been the straw that broke the camel's back.

Not only that, but his mind was reeling from Rory's return to Stars Hollow. Why now, after all these years, was she coming back? He had just started to move on from that part of his life when she had pulled back into town… oh, who was he kidding? He had never moved on from that part of his life. His life - his heart and soul - were latched onto Rory Gilmore.

"God, I hate this!" he growled, slamming his fists against the steering wheel.

He wanted so badly to just escape it all. Escape all the hurt and pain she had cause him in the past. Escape all the problems she caused him with his family, with the town, with Lindsay. Escape the fact that he couldn't forget her or fall out of love with her. Escape the fact that she didn't love him back, not the same way. He just wanted to escape the mess he'd thrown himself into when he was sixteen years old. This mess he'd created surrounding Rory Gilmore.

On moment, he closed his eyes briefly, willing himself strength from the long day and the encounter with Rory.

The next moment, there was a flash of blinding light, several car horns, and the sound of metal scraping metal as his world fell apart at the very seams. He was vaguely aware of the cool night air, searing pain through his body, and a scream before his world went black.

Author's Note: Okay, wow, not entirely sure where I'm going with this chapter. I'm trying to get to this one point (haven't you all heard enough of points when it comes to me? lol) and I don't know how to get there without the end of this chapter happening. Meh heh. I know, completely random, but what can you do?

Read&Review!