Author's Note: So here is chapter 3! I just want to say thank you to everyone who has followed or favorite this story. Also all my reviewers, it really does help keep me motivated to continue writing when I know someone is excited about the story. I hope you enjoy how the night unfolds for Rory!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls, the dialogue taken directly from the show, or the characters. I only own the plot idea of changing small aspects and seeing how they effect things in the long run.

Rory stood silently looking back and forth between the two boys. She had known something like this would happen. All she wanted was to have a quiet evening alone to do laundry and now her whole night had turned into a soap opera. The look on Dean's face said it all, anger. Pure anger.

She didn't know how she would explain herself. Dean always came the back way to the house so he wouldn't have seen Paris' car leaving. She had no proof that she hadn't been alone with Jess, and she could tell that was what Dean was thinking.

"Dean..." she didn't know what to say, she was caught, "Jess was just leaving."

"Couldn't get out of here quick enough, really." Jess said with a sarcastic tone that Rory knew wouldn't help the situation.

She glared towards Jess wanting him to realize how difficult he was making things on her. He gave her a half smile as if it would make up for putting her in such a difficult position. The truth was the only way out of it, she knew that. Lying would only create problems but Dean was sensible, he would understand. He'd be pissed as hell but he'd come to forgive her.

"Dean, Jess is only dropping off food."

"From Luke's." Jess added.

Rory looked over at him, wanting to convey that she didn't need his help... But he had made a good point. Luke had sent the food over so really Jess was just a middle man.

"He wanted to make sure I ate."

"Luke did." Jess said knowing it would be bad for Rory if Dean thought he cared about her well being.

"Yeah Luke did." She added in a dumb tone that didn't suit her.

"Personally I could care less if she eats." Wording it carefully, knowing yes he could care less because in fact he cared quite a bit that she ate.

"Yeah that's true he could care less." Rory repeated not catching what he had truly been saying.

"I see you brought a little something too" Jess teased seeing the small bag in Dean's hand, "is that ice cream? That's so nice a tiny little ice cream package just big enough for-"

"Jess, shut up." Rory pleaded. "Dean it's really nothing, and I was telling him to get out right as you showed up. God, Jess, will you please just leave."

Everything had gotten to complicated. Only minutes ago she had been happily talking with Paris and Jess about books. Everything had seemed perfect. But of course anytime something was perfect somehow it would have to get ruined. Paris had even been half way polite, she seemed to get along with Jess well enough. For a moment Rory had thought he'd be able to hang around and be mature.

Jess watched as Dean took only a few steps and made his way onto the porch. He wasn't speaking but his silence and stare said enough for Jess to understand. "You're doing that tower over me thing. Huh, I tell you you've really got that down. It helps that your 12 feet tall but this Frankenstein scowl really adds to the whole-"

He knew he shouldn't push the issue. He knew Rory was about to get into some serious trouble with her boyfriend but he couldn't help it. Dean was almost like a caveman, possessive and quick to react. He didn't think things through and easily took all of Jess's bait.

"Jess." Rory said in a small voice.

"Okay I'm going." He said with a small smile in spite of himself. He made his way off the porch turning back to face Dean not able to resist getting in one last jab. "Listen man I really was just dropping off some food so don't get all West Side Story on me, okay?"

He was practically positive Dean wouldn't even understand the reference. Sure the giant probably had seen West Side Story just because Rory had made him but Jess doubted he was cultured enough to understand. He turned around the side of the house knowing he should go back home. But he couldn't bring himself to leave Rory alone to deal with the jerk's anger. Maybe, had Paris still been there he would have headed back to the diner. But instead he found himself making his way around to the back porch of the Gilmore house.

"So," Rory said awkwardly looking at Dean. She didn't even get the chance to say anything before he pushed past her and walked into her house. "You have to believe he really did come by because of food. I had no idea he was going to show up."

They made it to the kitchen before Dean said anything. She was surprised he even waited for the front door to close. She knew it looked bad, not only was Jess at the house but they had been very playful right in front of Dean. And she had waited to stop Jess's verbal attack, which she couldn't even explain to herself.

"What the hell is going on?" Dean yelled.

He had stormed into the kitchen as if in a blind fury. Rory looked at the table knowing that it would look even worse if he realized what all the empty food containers meant. And without any proof of Paris being there he might not even believe that she and Jess weren't alone.

"So Jess just dropped this off huh? He set the food down and you were kicking him out right away?"

Rory cringed at his tone. She knew he was aiming to hurt but she wasn't sure what she was supposed to do to deflect his anger. They had fought before, it wasn't something strange and unusual for them, but they had never had a big fight except for their break up.

"Oh well-" there wasn't any way of explaining it.

"Not even you put food away that fast."

At this point she couldn't see any way around the truth. Dean was barely even listening to the few words she had attempted to say to him.

"Okay so he didn't just drop it off…"

"You told me you were doing laundry tonight. You told me you wanted to be alone. But it was all a lie wasn't it, you just wanted to spend time alone with that, that-" He said as if she had committed some horindous crime.

"No!" she exclaimed needing him to know she hadn't deliberately changed her plans for the evening.

"I should have seen this coming. Damn it." He spat out as if she had been in the company of the devil.

"Paris came by and we were studying, and then Jess showed up with food and they both ate with me." She tried to help the situation.

"Is Paris invisible now?"

"She left just after you called." Rory barely said realizing how lame it sounded.

"How convenient." He yelled, towering over her.

"Dean." she said near tears.

"Jess, Rory!"

"I… well… I swear I didn't…" she couldn't even think of words to finish her sentence.

Dean was leaning over her making her feel two inches tall. She always felt little around him but she had never felt so small.

"You didn't what? You didn't know he was coming over?" Dean nearly spat at her he was holding back a laugh.

"I didn't." she tried to yell back but she couldn't find her voice.

"And you also didn't know he was gonna stay right?" this time he really did laugh, yelling at her with venom in his voice.

"It just happened." She almost felt like crying, whether it was from frustration or the fear that was building inside of her as his eyes got darker she wasn't sure.

"How does that just happen? How does a person 'just happen' to invite themselves over for dinner?"

He wasn't looking for an actual answer. It seemed like he just wanted more things to yell at her about. As long as they had been dating she had never seen him so mad about something. Sure he constantly got angry about spending so much time at book sales, or watching movies he thought were dumb but he always at least pretended to be fine.

"Well he was… and then the diner was… and I." she could feel tears bubbling up in her eyes, something she did not want to happen. She desperately wished Paris had stayed, then maybe he would have held back some of his anger.

"And you what, what? Say something." He yelled at her as if daring her to try.

"Stop yelling." Her voice cracked as the tears threatened to fall from her eyes.

"You totally lied to me." He yelled moving in closer to her, making her feel just a little unsafe.

"I didn't." she lied.

She knew she had lied, or fibbed, or left out the whole truth to things but she had meant to lie. She didn't want to hurt Dean. She had just been trying to protect him from… from what exactly? She questioned herself. She had so desperately been trying to hide everything that had happened that night, but why? Part of her couldn't help but wonder if it was because Dean was onto something. Was she just trying to protect him from her feelings for Jess, from the fact that being alone with him even for a few moments had made her happy?

Yes Jess had invited himself, but she hadn't fought him much on the subject. And she did make Paris stay as a chaperone... But until Dean had called she had had no intention of kicking Jess out. In fact she had been having a really good time.

"Turn the situation around Rory, how's it looking." She couldn't understand how he managed to be so intimidating when saying such casual sentences.

"It's looking complicated and I'm trying to explain it to you." She cried out.

"That's crap." He yelled reaching out for her arm.

Rory jumped away before he could grab ahold of her, staring at him like he had a third eye. She had seen him fight, she had heard him threaten someone's life but she had never assumed he would take any of his anger out on her. Sure he had only tried to grab at her but she didn't trust his level of judgment at the moment.

"Dean, calm down!" she yelled back at him once she caught her breath.

"God, don't tell me to calm down. I see the way you look at him Rory, and the way he looks at you. Paris was never even here tonight was she? God, you lied to me!"

"Paris was here, she was here before Jess. He came to drop by food and there was a lot so the three of us ate. When you called Paris said she had to go."

"Just shut up Rory, stop lying to me."

"Don't tell me to shut up!" she yelled back at him.

"So you don't deny you're lying?"

"I am not lying!" Rory yelled as loud as she could.

Part of her felt uncomfortable, she was sure the neighbors would be able to hear them. Everyone knew her mom was gone for the night. They would assume she was fighting with Dean. She nearly expected the entire town to show up any minute to attack him for yelling at her.

"I love you, Rory!" he yelled out still in his angry tone.

Rory was stunned. She didn't know what she was supposed to say. He hadn't sounded in love when he screamed it in her face. He didn't sound like he even liked her a little. Yet, there he was yelling 'I love you' like it would solve their problems or stop the fight. Like he thought reminding her that he loved her would make her stop caring about Jess…

Caring about Jess… it hit her. She had been trying so hard to deny it all, to stay happy in her relationship but she couldn't just keep denying it. She cared about Jess, she wanted him to care about her too. She wanted to tell him she liked him and kiss him. She wanted to be locked away in some library with him for days just talking and reading together. She wanted to force him to watch bad movies and listen to how he could intelligently knock them. She could see herself making out with Jess. She didn't feel awkward thinking about going farther than a small kiss or two. It hit her hard, every emotion she had been trying to push away over the last few weeks.

"Dean, what am I supposed to say to that?" all of the anger from her voice gone.

Apparently that hadn't been the correct answer. Dean threw his arms up in the arm as he turned away and stormed back towards the front door. Rory chased after him following him as far as the porch stairs. She refused to run down the stairs and chase him through the grass, refused to play any further into the ridiculousness he was demonstrating.

"Dean, stop. You're my boyfriend, doesn't that mean you should trust me?"

She knew it was an awful thing to ask of him, especially knowing that she did care for Jess in the way he feared. But she couldn't believe Dean was just going to run away without another word.

"I'll put it this way. I should trust you, and I am your boyfriend."

Rory was silenced. All of the hatred and malice in his voice had been enough to knock her from her feet. She watched as he walked away from the house and all she could do was sink into the porch stairs and burying her head in her hands. The night had started off so wonderfully and everything had fallen apart.

She wasn't sure how long she had been sitting on the stairs when she heard someone walk up behind her. She could tell that she was freezing from not wearing a coat, and that her toes were practically numb but the actual time length was a mystery to her.

She felt the coat hit her shoulders before anything else. She didn't even want to look up and see who was there. She knew it wasn't Dean, and anyone who was standing beside her had defiantly heard their fight. It was embarrassing enough knowing that people could hear but someone actually coming and acknowledging it was worse.

"He's a jerk."

Rory looked up at the voice. She hadn't expected Jess to still be anywhere near her house. He had left ages ago, or that's what she had assumed. She watched as he sat down next to her and put his right arm around her shoulders. She tried to quickly wipe under her eyes and nose, knowing that she must look a mess after the crying she had been doing since Dean stormed off.

"You don't know the real him." She tried to defend.

"No, I do Rory. I see this jock-head guy at school who can barely pass his classes, not because he just doesn't care but because he is literally too unintelligent. I see him yell and be possessive about everything in his life, and treat you like you're an object. You're not some prize to be won, Rory."

"Gee thanks." She said trying to hold back more tears.

It was hard enough to be dumped but to hear Jess practical spell it out for her that he wasn't interested nearly broke her heart. Anything Dean had left untouched as he stomped all over her Jess was doing a good job of ruining.

"That's not what I mean. You're a human being, Rory. You are so much more than an object, you are amazing. And any guy would be lucky to even just be your friend."

She wasn't sure what to say. She had never heard him say so many words if he wasn't talking about a book. It was odd knowing that they were sitting on her porch talking about how wonderful she was. It took her until then to realize she had melted into his embrace, he head was resting peacefully on his shoulder and she had turned her body in towards his. If she hadn't just been dumped and if her eyes were red and puffy it might have made a cute picture.

Jess turned his head placing a small kiss on her forehead. It was sweet and gentle, not overly romantic but enough so that she felt the need to question the action. Jess seemed almost out of character that night. She wasn't used to such an overly nice side of him. Even when he was nice to her he still managed to be a sarcastic pain in the ass.

"Why…?" she asked not even able to form the words.

"Because I don't want to come in second."

Roy looked up at him, pulling away from their embrace slightly. It took her a moment to understand the words fully and process them. She hadn't been expecting him to say anything like that. Sure he had hardly hidden his flirting, but she had chalked most of that up to him just annoying Dean. Now Dean wasn't in the picture…

Rory locked eyes with him, feeling a safeness she hadn't felt in a long time. She didn't feel the need to hide any part of her or pretend to like things she didn't like. She could say what she wanted, or do what she wanted. She was sure he'd tell her if she was being a pain in the ass or if she was acting stupid but he would do it while still letting her make up her own mind about things.

She wasn't sure when she put her hand on his cheek but as she looked at his face she could see her thumb moving back and forth across his skin. She smiled at him, knowing this time that they had shared a moment. Knowing that they would share quite a few more.

Her mother wouldn't be happy. Hell she and Jess might be the only ones in town who were. But they would be able to debate with Paris and each other. He could argue with her about how she drank her coffee after school in the diner every day. She would yell at him to stop working so much and go see a movie with her. It all seemed like it had the possibility of being great. Nowhere near perfect, but real. And in that moment real seemed pretty damn great.

"Jess." She said in a breathy voice.

Whatever she was going to say she never got the chance to. Jess leaned forward, pushing his arms behind her back almost pinning her to the stair railing behind her. His lips collided with hers in a passionate fury. She was fighting for breath and dominance as he moved his lips from her lips to her neck. They had only been kissing for a moment but her chest was already heaving for air. His lips found hers once again and this time his tongue licked at her bottom lips begging for permission. She opened her mouth just enough for their tongues to collide.

By the time the kiss was over she was completely winded, and red in the face. Jess looked at her with a guilty smile kissing her forehead as he pulled away.

"Sorry, got carried away."

She just laughed slightly. She knew she should be more upset. She and Dean had barely been broken up at all but she couldn't help but feel like something had gone absolutely right with the night. It was this feeling that this wasn't how things were supposed to go, that something was wrong about how everything happened. But she couldn't be gladder with how things turned out.

Jess wrapped his arm around her once again, warming her up from the loss of his jacket on her shoulders. They sat staring out at the yard in silence for what felt like a lifetime. The silence just resting with them comfortably. It was the start of something, neither of them could be sure where it might go but Rory was more than happy to let it play out however it may.

A.N.: So what will happen next for the young Gilmore? Will the kiss change things? Is Dean really out of the picture? What will her mother have to say about the whole thing?

Let me know what you thought! Until next time...