"Rory….oh my God, you're here." Lorelai screamed when she saw her walk inside Miss Patty's.

She ran over for a hug. "Yeah, I'm sorry I got here so late. I did the best I could."

"It doesn't matter, as long as you're here. I was beginning to think this would be our first Christmas apart."

"Mom you know I'll always be here for Christmas."

"Really?"

"Yes really."

"You're my favorite daughter."

"You're my favorite mom." She said hugging her once again.

"Where do you want these?" Dean asked once again with his hands full.

Lorelai smiled and pointed over to the table of food, her eyes instantly traveled back to Rory's, not even sure why.

"So you came here with Dean?"

"I rode here with Dean…thanks by the way." Rory said sarcastically.

"For what?"

"For leaving him alone at the house, I come home after a year only to be greeted by my ex-boyfriend whom I haven't seen in several years, a little awkward."

"Well you two seem to be getting along okay." Lorelai said as the two of them both watched Dean walk back outside to get more of the food.

"Yeah I guess, but it's still weird. I just feel like he hates me."

"Rory Dean would never hate you. That's not his style."

"No it's not." Rory turned as she spoke to see Dean walking back inside once again. She could feel herself becoming mesmerized by him; he was so different now, yet exactly the same.

Even with her busy career she managed to keep in touch with most of her friends. Paris of course, called more then necessary and she always remembered to keep in touch with Lane when she had a free moment. Of course she couldn't really expect Dean to want to be her friend after everything she put him through.

"Earth to Rory…" Lorelai waved her hand near her face to get her attention. "Are you there?"

"What?" Rory asked snapping out of her daze.

"You kind of spaced out on me there for a moment. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I guess I'm just a little tired from the trip."

"Maybe you should go home and rest a while before the party starts." Lorelai suggested.

"Sounds great…when are you and Luke going back home?"

"Oh well I'm stuck here until the party starts and Luke has to work at the diner when he is done here. But you go ahead and relax for a while, you don't have to be here this early, besides I think Miss Patty might be upset if you stay cause it will ruin her surprise."

"What surprise?"

"You'll see tonight." Dean walked by once again, this time hands free. "Oh hey Dean, you think you could give Rory a ride home?"

"Sure, anything to get me away from Miss Patty before she gives me another project."

"Great, so Dean will take you back home and you can rest a while before coming back here tonight. I will see you both later."

Rory smiled at Dean and she was happy to see him finally smile back. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah let's get out of here."

The ride back to the house was much quieter then the ride earlier. Neither of them said a word until Dean pulled into the driveway.

"Thanks for the ride."

"Yeah sure. Thanks for saving me from Miss Patty. I won't be going anywhere near that place again today until it's time for the party."

"So what else are you going to do today?"

"Just go back home I guess."

She thought for a moment before saying anything, she debated rather or not to say what she wanted to at all but suddenly it came out.

"I'm having serious issues about coming back home and being alone already. My mom has to stay at Miss Patty's until the party…you wouldn't by chance want to come in and keep me company, would you?"

"Oh well I…"

"I mean if you can't, I understand. I was just thinking about watching a movie or something."

"No, its okay, I can stay."

"I'm going to have to look for a movie…there is no telling what my mom has added to her collection in the last year."

"Anything is fine." Dean said taking a seat on the couch.

"I cannot wait to get these shoes off…this has been the longest day ever." She explained taking a seat next to him on the couch.

"You haven't said much about your job, how's everything going?"

"Well as you know, we lost." She explained taking off the first boot. "This election was exhausting. And just when you think it's over, he announces he will run again in the next election and that we shouldn't lose focus. So I have a feeling we will be working harder now then we were before."

"But this is somewhat what you wanted to do right? I mean you're also having fun?"

"Yeah I guess it's not exactly what I thought I would be doing but it works." She settled from removing her shoes and looked at him. "What about you…what are you doing?"

"Still working for Tom and Taylor occasionally."

"You didn't have to work today?"

"Are you kidding, it's practically a town holiday. Plus we have the next few days off for Christmas."

"You want something to drink? I don't know exactly what we have but I'm sure there is something."

"Yeah sure."

Rory quickly ran to the kitchen.

"Okay, we have beer or water…"

"I'll have a beer, as long as Luke's not home." He joked.

Rory laughed. "Don't worry, you're definitely over twenty-one now. I don't think he will kick you out the house for drinking."

"Hey, he didn't kick me out. I left on my own."

"Oh that's right." She smiled. "That seems like yesterday and yet it's been so long."

"Yeah I know what you mean."

There was silence between the two for a moment as they both took a drink and settled onto the couch. She could tell he was uncomfortable being around her alone like this, the thing she couldn't quite figure out was why she wasn't a little uncomfortable too.

"Dean…I don't want you to be uncomfortable around me."

"I'm not." He quickly answered.

"Dean come on, I'm even nervous right now. I just really want us to be friends; it's just silly not to be."

"Why are you nervous?" He asked curious to hear what she had to say.

"I just don't know how you feel towards me after how things ended between us. I mean we've barely spoken to each other since and…"

"Rory…I'm the one who walked away."

"Yeah but it's my fault that you did. I just don't want there to be any awkwardness if we decide to be friends."

"I want to be your friend. The past is the past, we've both moved on by now right?"

"Yeah right…" She thought about the words he said. The comment quickly made her eye scan his ring finger for any evidence of really moving on relieved to see nothing there.

"So what movie are we going to watch?" Dean asked changing the subject.

She wasn't going to let the conversation end that easily. "Have we really moved on, I mean do you ever think about me? Because sometimes I think about you and…"

"You think about me?" Dean asked surprised.

Rory blushed a little. "Well yeah, I mean sometimes things happen that make me think of you and then I begin to wonder what you're doing or who you're with now. Honestly, you haven't thought about me at all over the years?"

"Of course I've thought about you Rory. I'm just surprised that you've been thinking of me."

"Well I have…" She said inching closer to him.

She waited a moment to see if he would finish filling the gap between them, and he did about halfway, forcing her to make the last move as their lips met. Her body shivered when she felt his hands in her hair and he could tell something was different.

"Are you okay?" He asked pulling away only slightly to ask.

"Yeah, it's just been a while since I've done anything like this. It's funny how you forget how something feels and then when you remember, you can't understand how you went so long without it."

"Are you referring to kissing or sex?"

Rory laughed. "Both actually."

"It's been a while for me too, last time I dated someone was over a year ago." He explained trying to make her feel better. Rory began to laugh almost hysterically. "What is so funny?"

"College…senior year." She said now more serious.

"What?" Dean asked confused trying to understand. She nodded trying to make him understand. "Oh." He said now more shocked. "That's the last time you…."

"Yes."

"Wow, it has been a while."

"Yes it has." She stared at him for a moment trying to figure out what he was thinking. "So you're not scared of me now are you?" She asked joking.

"No, no not at all. I'm just curious now is all?"

"About what?"

"Why…why haven't you met anyone?"

"I've just been really busy. And we sort of have this interoffice dating policy at work. Not that any of us have time to date each other anyway."

"Well we have a lot of time to make up for now don't we?" Dean asked not exactly needing an answer as he laid her down onto the couch and continued where they left off.

Just as the two of them became comfortable the front door opened causing both of them to jump and scatter to collect themselves. Luke stopped as he entered the living room and saw the two of them.

"Am I interrupting something?" He asked already knowing the answer.

"No Luke, we were just going to watch a movie."

"Uh huh." He said putting his hands on his waist and taking in the scene he had walked in on once again.

"Actually I should be getting home." Dean announced standing up. "I'll see you tonight." He whispered before putting on his jacket and headed for the door.

"Dean you don't have to go."

"It's okay, I'll see you tonight. Get some rest; you've had a long day. See you later Luke." Dean waved goodbye before finally leaving.

"So Rory you're home. How was your flight?"

"Oh I drove this time. But the drive wasn't too bad."

"Well I'm glad you made it here in time, I thought your mom was going to have a heart attack last night when she thought you might not show."

"She knows I'll always come home for Christmas."

"That's exactly what I told her. Hey um, I have to grab my wallet, I forgot it this morning. But then I have to head back to the diner, you want to come with me and get something to eat. Anything you want, it's yours."

"Sure Luke that sounds good."

Luke turned and began to head up the stairs but turned after the first few steps. "So you and Dean are…" He waited to see if she would finish the sentence for him to make things clearer.

"Dean and I are friends." She said with a smile.