A/N: I do not own GG.

Author's Note: I still have artwork on my LJ page with more to come. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think of them...and if you want certain chapters to have a piece of artwork, let me know! The link is on my profile.

I Forgot, You Wanted Me to be Impressed

Colin and Finn had hurried after Rory to help her with the food tray, and to ensure she wasn't caught in the clutches of her matchmaking grandparents. They noticed her stop, and followed her actions.

"Rory."

The boy's watched as Rory stiffened at the sound of the voice.

"Go and get Logan," Colin whispered to Finn.

Not wanting to interfere where he wasn't wanted or needed, Colin remained out of sight, but close enough to jump in if needed. He didn't like the way Rory had tensed up, and knew Logan would like it even less.

"Dean?" Rory asked, confusion coloring her voice.

"Oh, good. I, uh, didn't see you inside – "

"You went inside?"

"No. I looked in the windows. I know you and your mom are usually here at Friday night dinner, and well, you haven't been home to Stars Hallow and I needed to see you."

Liking the brunette boy less, and less, Colin watched Rory take a step back and shake her head, as if to clear it. Her eyes darted around, as if waiting for someone else to jump out of the shadows. He silently urged Logan to move quickly.

"Since you didn't see me through the windows – wait, through the windows? Dean! You can't sneak around my grandparents house! They're having a party."

"I noticed. You look nice," Dean complimented.

"You need to leave. You can't be here…not now, not ever. Besides, where does Lindsey think you are?"

"Lindsey?"

"Your wife?"

Colin's eyes widened. It would appear that Miss Gilmore had more of a history to her than any of them thought. Perhaps Girl Scout wasn't quite the right nickname for her good-girl tendencies.

"Lindsey doesn't know I'm here," Dean told her. "You keep walking away from me. I kiss you, and you walk away."

Colin watched the emotions play across Rory's face. Logan had about ten seconds to show up before he intervened. This was too much.

"You can't kiss me. Dean, we haven't been a couple for two years! You have a wife, you need to pay attention to her!"

"What's going on?" Logan asked Colin softly. "Finn's details were – "

Knowing what his friend probably just saw, he smiled ruefully. For someone who didn't want to be in a committed relationship, Logan sure acted as though he already was.

"Who is the guy?"

"Dean, apparently an ex-boyfriend, but Rory wants him to leave her alone."

"I want you, Rory," Dean pressed. "I don't want Lindsey. You have to know that! God, I only married her to help me get over you!"

"Don't put that on me, Dean!" Rory screamed. "I'm going back to the party and you, you are going back to Stars Hallow!"

Rory started to walk away, but Dean reached out and grabbed her arm. This was a poor life choice on his part. Moving faster than he thought humanly possible, Logan materialized at Rory's side almost instantly.

"Let go of her arm," Logan's voice was dark, dangerous even.

"This isn't any of your business," Dean sneered at the blond.

"I believe she told you to leave," Logan pressed. He grabbed the brunette boy's arm and squeezed, hoping he'd simply let go. He was afraid to just yank his arm away…it might hurt Rory.

"Dean, please," Rory begged. She wanted her arm back, it was beginning to hurt a little, but mostly she didn't want Dean and Logan to fight. It brought back too many memories. Memories she'd rather just forget.

As if noticing for the first time how he was gripping her arm, Dean released her. He watched as she moved closer to the blond boy, who wrapped his arm protectively around her. It was too much, he wanted to – well, he wanted her back.

"I can't believe you'd do this to me, Dean!" a female voice broke through the night.

Dean spun around to find an irate Lindsey standing in front of him.

"Lindsey – "

"No Dean. I was willing to forgive you the first time, back when the town selectman elections were happening because she walked away, and I thought you'd come back to me. But, you didn't. And she's moved on, but you still go to her!"

"See what you've done, Rory," Dean accused.

Rory paled.

Feeling the tremors going through her, Logan moved his arm around her waist to help hold her to him. The last thing he needed was Rory to fall over.

"You need to leave, man. This has nothing to do with Rory. At least, not anymore. You and your wife," Logan nodded his head to the blonde girl, "need to leave and take this argument somewhere else. If the Gilmore's hear trouble out here, they might call the police and no one wants that kind of a headache…you two have enough trouble."

Rory heard more footsteps, and fearing the worse, cringed and squeezed her eyes closed.

"You heard him, mate," Finn's voice boomed. "You need to leave."

Lindsey took a small step forward and flinched when the group of boys surrounding Rory loomed closer. "I'm sorry, Rory."

Hating the heartbreak in the girl's voice, Rory looked up to meet her tear-stunned eyes. "Me, too."

Lindsey grabbed Dean by the arm. "We should go." She turned back to Rory. "I'll see what I can do to keep him from bothering you again."

Breaking out of Lindsey's grip, Dean turned to Rory once more. "Rory – "

"Leave," Finn growled, placing himself in front of Rory, effectively breaking his line of sight.

Gently, Rory touched Finn's arm. He turned and looked down at her. While he couldn't quite read the expression on her face, he figured she wanted to address the boy, so he moved to the side.

"Dean, this needs to stop. I don't love you like you want me to love you. I'm not going to be your girlfriend ever again. Whatever you thought was happening – it isn't happening. So, please, if you care about me at all, just let me go," Rory begged. She hated to make herself so vulnerable, but surrounded by her group of over-protective males she just felt like she had to force some closure upon Dean. The last thing she wanted was a repeat of tonight's activities.

Dean looked back at Rory, his eyes full of accusation and hurt. Knowing he had nothing left for him here, he finally turned and followed after Lindsey. In one night, he'd lost the two women that had ever meant anything to him. He blamed Rory for both. He still believed she was always meant to be with him, but it appeared that she'd chosen them. She always chose the option that wasn't him. This time, he knew she'd never come back to him and he would have to find a way to let her go.

After Colin and a couple of the other boys had followed them to their cars and watched them leave the Gilmore estate, everyone felt better. Everyone, except Rory. Most of the other males had returned either to the pool house or to the main house. Logan kept his grip on Rory firm; he still thought she looked a bit pale. His heart broke a little when he noticed her tremors had turned into shakes from the sobs she was trying to hide. Not knowing what else to do, he didn't normally have weeping women in his arms, Logan pulled her around in front of him and held her flush to his chest. Apparently, that was the right move because she clung to him as the no longer silent sobs wracked her body. Silently, he rubbed her back soothingly and allowed her to wrestle with whatever demons were hounding her.

Logan scanned the area around them and spotted a bench closer to the house than to the bushes. Gently, he led Rory over to the bench and settled her down next to him. The majority of her tears had subsided, but brief tremors still raced through her body. He released her long enough to remove his coat and place it over her shoulders; he smiled when she pulled it closer around her and snuggled back into his side. She had no idea how much her actions were affecting him. The thought of what could have happened tonight scared him, scared him more than he would ever admit to anyone. When he'd seen the overgrown boy grab Rory's arm, something inside of him morphed into something dark. No one should ever touch Rory like that, and if he had his way, he'd ensure no one ever had the chance to.

After they'd been sitting on the bench for a bit, Rory began to shift around, the tears finally spent. She inhaled the clean scent of Logan and felt warm, safe…loved. No, not loved. Logan didn't love her. Logan didn't want to be with her because he didn't like having girlfriends, or couldn't, or something. Still, as she gazed up at him, she couldn't help her traitorous thoughts. He would be one hell of a boyfriend. The way he'd come to her rescue tonight with Dean and the fact that he allowed her to simply sob uncontrollably without trying to stop her, or rush her made her heart melt a little more.

"Logan, I – "

She broke off, not knowing what to say. How much detail was she supposed to tell him? Did he expect an explanation of tonight's events? Did he want to know anything or just pretend it didn't happen.

Logan looked down at her and watched the questions chase themselves across her eyes. They were the true key to understanding Rory Gilmore. Unfortunately, he didn't know what to tell her in response to her questions. He wanted to know what the hell had happened tonight, sure, but he didn't want her to feel obligated to tell him anything. Whatever was going on, it was deeply personal and he was in no position to pry into her private life.

"Are you okay?" Logan asked, softly.

A sad smile came to Rory's face. "I don't know. Everything is so messed up, and I'm ruining the party. I can't believe he showed up tonight…at my grandparent's house. I guess some of it is my fault; I knew he was married, but when I needed someone I called him. I thought we were friends, but maybe that was a mistake, too. I did love him, I did, but he married her. I didn't go to the wedding, maybe I should have gone to the wedding, but I gave them a gift. It was a salad tosser because while I don't understand it, Dean really likes salads and the salad tosser made sense as far as gifts go because it doesn't say anything. Then everything fell apart and I had to drop a class – but, my grandfather took the same course load, and I should have been able to take the course load, and mom was busy with the Inn…and Dean was, well, he was there and familiar and we only talked and I cried into his shoulder. Apparently, that makes us a couple again? Or on the road to couplesville? Well, there was the moment in the house…"

"Rory," Logan said softly, trying to pull her from her tailspin. Normally, he loved watching Rory rant, but this – this, was a dangerous plunge and as she'd continued, her voice had become almost hysterical. He wanted to keep her calm; selfishly, he wasn't sure how much more of her tears he could take.

"I want it to all just go away," Rory said, miserably.

"All what?"

"I was almost the other woman, Logan," Rory told him, shame covering her face.

"He wanted to have an affair." Logan finally had the missing piece. Rory wanted a friend, maybe she even wanted to go back to the familiar boyfriend, but Rory wouldn't be the other woman. From the pieces he could put together, Dean wanted to take it further than her, but she felt responsible, like the initiator.

"Yeah, but so did I; I didn't like him with Lindsey. But, I wasn't going to be the paid woman to his Frank Gifford. It's not right, and I didn't. But, ever since that night he's been trying to make that whole affair thing actually happen."

"Hey," Logan said, giving her shoulder a squeeze. "It'll be okay. He's gone now. I doubt he'll ever come back here. I've never seen Finn that upset, and serious in my life. I'm sure Colin offered him some friendly advice, too."

"Finn was intense," Rory agreed. "I couldn't believe the hurt on Lindsey's face. I didn't know she'd seen Dean kiss me when I went home a few weeks ago. I pushed him away because I didn't want him thinking he could just kiss me like that."

"What do you say we go back into the pool house? I'm sure the boys and I can come up with something amazing to distract you for a while…then we'll take you home," Logan suggested.

"Did I thank you yet?" Rory asked smiling up at Logan shyly.

"Thank me?"

"For tonight? For being amazing?"

"You're welcome."

The words were too simply to convey everything he felt compelled to tell her, but he didn't want to scare her either. Tonight's activities seemed to have shaken her badly, and while he wanted so much to tell her everything he was thinking, he knew now would not be the right time to say it. This gave him yet another reason to dislike Dean.

"Logan?"

"Hm?"

"I know the guys would be great and you are wonderful, but I really just want to go home."

Logan smiled at her before he kissed the top of her head.

"Go grab your coat."

"What?"

"I'm going to take you home."

Rory glared at him slightly. "I have a car."

"I'm not letting you drive home, Ace."

"But – "

"Go."

Rory grumbled, but did as he asked. She knew it was probably best that she not drive herself home, but she wondered what would happen when her grandparents discovered her car was still around in the morning, but she was not. Regardless, she'd fight that battle later. Now, she needed to get her coat so that Logan could get her to her mom.

"Ready?" Logan asked as he met her at the front of the house.

I know it wasn't necessarily original to have Dean show up, but the story started with the Rory/Dean break, and I needed to bring closure to the whole scene. Plus, it gave Logan a chance to be all amazing and stuff!