Rory was still in her bridesmaid dress as she pulled up outside of the Stars Hollow jail. She got out of the Jeep, entered the building, and was soon allowed to see Dean. He was speaking with his parents. They all saw Rory, and Dean's parents exited, leaving the teens alone. Dean's hands were cuffed together in front of him.
"Why are you here?" he growled.
"I came for an explanation."
"About what?"
"Why you punched Jess."
"I did not punch him." Dean lied.
"Dean, you and I both know that you did. My mother knows that you did. She saw the whole thing."
"Fine. So I punched that jerk. So what?"
"First of all, Jess isn't a jerk. If you need someone to be mad at, it's me. I'm the one who kissed Jess, not vice versa. Second of all, when you punched him and shoved him down the hill, he was holding me. I fell. I could've fallen down the hill. It might have been me lying in the hospital, not Jess. Did that thought ever cross your mind?"
"No." Dean admitted, the fire gone from his eyes. His eyes filled with tears, and as he blinked to clear his vision, they coursed down his cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Rory. I didn't think."
"No, you didn't." Rory agreed. She wiped his tears away gently. The bars between them seemed like a huge obstacle. She could touch his cheek or hold his hand, but nothing more. And while that seemed like it was for the best, old habits die hard. He had been her first boyfriend, and had taken her first kiss. She moved the chair she had sat in closer to the bars. She sat down again, and felt his closeness. Then, she stepped out of the situation. She had moved her chair to be mere inches away from her ex, who had just been incarcerated for assault and battery to her boyfriend!
Rory scraped her chair away from the bars just as Dean leaned in to kiss her. "We can't do this." she told him. "We just can't. I'm not with you. Now, I have to go back to the hospital. Please, Dean--" she caught her breath after saying his name. "Dean, please, just tell the truth."
"I will." he nodded.