December 31

"I can't believe you have to leave tomorrow, I feel like you just got here." Lorelai whined to Rory while they both waited for their breakfast at Luke's.

"I know I wish I could stay longer."

Luke appeared at the side of the table with two plates of food. "Thanks Luke, oh but it looks like you forgot Rory's." Lorelai noted when he only put the two plates down.

"Funny." Luke turned to Rory who was also laughing at him now. "You know she never gives me this much trouble unless the two of you are together."

"Rory just said she wished she could stay longer…I think she should but I also think she is teasing me."

"Yeah of course, you should stay. I may pretend that I don't like it but it's actually been kind of fun having the two of you back together."

"Mom you know I have to go, I've already been gone a little over a week. That's like a year for a politician."

"I'll let the two of you get back to your breakfast." Luke said before walking away.

"Rory are you sure everything is going okay with work and all? I mean you just don't seem really happy anymore or as into it as you were in the beginning."

"I'm happy…" She started to defend herself to her mom when the door opened and he walked in.

It was amazing how in such a small town she managed to avoid him with little effort the entire rest of the week but he just happens to walk into Luke's on the last day that she would be in town. Her eyes followed him as he walked up to the counter and ordered coffee. Lorelai also took notice of the sudden drop of interest in their conversation and looked in his direction.

"I'll be right back." She said to her mom before standing and walking over to him. Lorelai watched as she walked towards Dean as if there were a magnet pulling them together. "Hey, do you have a minute…to talk?"

He was a bit surprised to see her considering he hadn't noticed her sitting when he walked inside. "Yeah I guess I have a few minutes."

"Good, just give me a second to tell my mom that I'm leaving." He nodded and she walked back to the table where Lorelai had been watching the whole time. "I need to talk to Dean; I'll be home later okay?"

"But you haven't even finished your breakfast."

"That's okay, I'm not that hungry."

"Liar…you're always hungry. And are you ever going to tell me what's really going on with you and Dean?"

"Mom, nothing is going on. We're just friends, I got to go, and I'll see you tonight." She rushed outside where Dean was now standing and waiting for her.

"Sorry about that, I just needed to tell her I was leaving." Rory explained while putting her jacket on at the same time.

"It's okay, there's no hurry. When I said I had a few minutes I meant it as a figure of speech, not literally."

"Right, that's good."

"Yeah…" Dean stood awkwardly not sure what to say. "So how was your Christmas?"

"Okay, we woke Luke up at four in the morning to open presents, he was thrilled, the one day he gets to sleep in and not have to open the diner."

"Yeah I'm sure." Dean laughed.

"How about you, did you have a good Christmas?"

"Yeah it was fun I guess."

"You want to walk a little? I feel awkward standing in front of Luke's."

"Oh yeah sure, let's walk."

Walking made it easier to talk because he was staring ahead instead of directly at her. "I want to apologize for what I said to you. I was such a bitch; I didn't mean any of it Dean. I don't want to leave things the way they are."

"Good because I don't either. My intentions that morning weren't to start a fight with you; I just need to know that you're truly happy. It doesn't even matter that I'm not there to see you; the only thing that matters is that you're really happy with where you are. It would be nice if that plan included me but it doesn't have to." He said now smiling. "I just need to hear from you that this is really where you think you should be right now."

"I'm not going to have this job forever Dean but while I do it is going to take everything from me. The one thing that I do know for sure is that I want you in my future, if nothing else as a friend."

Dean laughed. "Yeah well, you still didn't answer my question."

"What?"

"Are you really happy?" He looked back at her now saddened because he finally knew the truth, she wasn't happy, there was no need for her to answer the question anymore.

She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. "I'm happy when I'm with you." At that moment both of them let their guard down, she was happy to find him not pushing her away in fear of someone seeing them together.

Dean looked around the street that they were standing in, there didn't seem to be many people out at all. "Come on." He pulled her up slightly but kept an arm around her while they walked a little farther. He stopped in front of Miss Patty's vacant studio. "Let's go inside."

Later…in Miss Patty's

"I have to leave tomorrow." Rory whispered still lying on his shoulder.

"Well I don't know how much it matters that I'm even saying this but I don't want you to go." Dean said taking a deep breath after getting it out.

"It matters…" She said while her fingers traced circles on his chest.

"You know that sort of tickles."

"Really? Then it's now my new favorite thing to do to you."

"You're going to torture me till the day I die, I know it. Just remember I know your spots too."

"Yes you do." She said certain. "So did Kyle give you a hard time about me?"

"No, I guess after what he saw happen he didn't want to bring you up again."

"Kyle is a really good friend to you, I like him."

"Yeah he's a good guy. And I'm sure he will be thrilled to know that we are cuddling and discussing him after sex." Dean said joking.

"You're right that probably would excite him."

"We probably should get out of here; you never know what Miss Patty has planned for the day."

"Yeah I guess we should." She shivered and pulled the blanket closer to her when he pulled away. "Hey Dean…"

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to make you love me again."

Not sure he had heard what she said correctly he stopped getting dressed and turned to face her. "What do you mean; you know I never stopped loving you?"

"Yeah but I mean really love me, like you used to. When you were so proud of me that you would never ask me to climb out of a window in fear that you would have to explain the situation to your roommate or for that matter run out of Miss Patty's in a hurry worried about someone catching us."

"Rory I'm not ashamed of you, I can't believe you would think that. But this thing goes both ways, you told me you couldn't have a relationship with me. Do you realize how this looks to everyone else when we aren't actually together? You don't live here anymore, you don't have to walk through the streets with everyone whispering about you and then later coming up all concerned about what they heard."

"None of that used to matter to you."

"Well we're not teenagers anymore either. You obviously have no idea how I really feel about you….we're adults now Rory, why are will still playing these games?"

"How do you feel about me?"

"I didn't think it was that big of a secret. If I had things my way, the two of us would be married and possibly already have kids. But both of us want completely different things, don't we?"

"We did…" She answered looking away from him.

"What do you mean we did?" He asked concerned.

"Just promise me that you won't give up on me yet." Dean thought about what she said for a moment, not sure how to respond, he just sat down and stared back at her.

"Rory please talk to me, I need to know what's in your head right now. Don't be scared to say it…"

"There is something that always brings me back to you, and you have to admit there's a reason behind it, I really think we belong together Dean." Tears began to fill her eyes and he reached to pull her closer. "I knew that I missed you but I had no idea I would have all these feeling like this for you again, I just don't know what to do and this is really starting to scare the hell out of me."

He held her while she cried. "Everything is going to be okay Rory."

A/N: Please review, the more reviews I get the more motivated I am to post the next chapter, which is ready.