Thanks for the feedback! I love psychoanalysing Rory!

Rory stood stock still, the phone frozen in her hand.

"Logan?"

"Who's this?" she managed to ask, noticing that her hand was starting to tremble.

"Lisa," replied the woman, sounding puzzled. "Who's this?"

"I'm Logan's –"

Rory stopped and stared. The phone had gone dead.

Rory sank down onto a chair. The trembling in her hand had spread to her entire body and Rory fought a sudden rush of nausea. Hand shaking, she opened Logan's text messages. They were nearly all from Stu.

Babe, come see me tonight. Why aren't you picking up?

I miss you too. I'd like to hear about that dream.

Of course I'll see you tonight. Where does your wife think you are?

Here's a picture to keep you thinking of me.

Rory's eyes were exposed to a pair of black, lace underwear on a supple body and she dropped the phone, bending over. The nausea was stronger and Rory swallowed back bile. She got up, staggered to the sink and poured herself a glass of water, forcing the liquid down. The sick feeling abated but as she put down the glass Rory's wedding ring caught the light, mocking her. Rory let out a cry, letting the glass topple over, and ripped the ring off, throwing it onto the floor, where it lay still. The gem stared up at Rory like an evil eye but she didn't pick it up. She turned and clutched the counter, feeling as though something very heavy was gripping at her heart, sending pain all through her. Rory finally turned around, bent to pick the ring up and slid into a chair. She put the ring on the table, let the waves of pain break and waited for Logan to return. No tears fell from her eyes.

Logan came in a few hours later, whistling. He pushed open the door and jumped at the sight of Rory, sitting still in the half-light.

"You scared the crap out of me, Ace," he said, turning on the light. "What are you doing sitting there in the dark?"

"You forgot your cellphone," Rory said coldly, ignoring him. "Stu called, or should I say Lisa?"

Logan's smile faded and his face went white.

"Rory-?"

"Who is she?" Rory demanded, standing up. "How long have you -?"

"It didn't mean –"

"You cheated on me!" Rory cried. "How could you do this to me? I thought you loved me!"

"I do love you! It didn't mean anything, like you and Jess –"

"Don't you dare!" Rory exclaimed, her voice cracking. "It is not the same, I didn't – I would never do this to you, Logan, to us. You made me feel guilty about it, like I'd hurt you while all the time you were sleeping with somebody else!"

"It didn't mean anything," Logan pleaded. "Rory, I swear it didn't."

"God, I'm such a idiot," Rory said furiously. "I was considering giving up one of my most important friendships because I didn't want to hurt you while –"

"I wasn't trying to hurt you! I would never hurt you!"

"You're sleeping with her!" Rory exclaimed, her voice shaking. "Don't pretend that you weren't! Don't you dare deny it!"

Logan fell silent. Rory stared at him and then cried,

"You wanted to bring a child into this!"

"Rory, I love you," Logan said, running around the table and taking her hands. "Lisa, she doesn't – it was just a bit of a fun. I don't love her, I love you."

"If you love me, how could you do this to me?" Rory insisted, shaking his hands away. "Don't touch me. You're sleeping with her for fun, do you hate sex with me that much? Am I so bad that –"

"No!" Logan exclaimed, staring at her. "Rory, it's just – you've been so serious lately and –"

"Oh my God!"

"It didn't mean a thing," Logan reiterated. "Ace, I swear. I don't love her, I only love you."

Rory looked at him for a moment and then shook her head. She turned and marched into the bedroom where she pulled out the suitcase she had put away only a few days before.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm leaving," Rory said, throwing clothes into the case. "I'm getting out of here."

"Rory, you don't mean that," Logan said desperately. "We're married, you can't just –"

"I can't just?" Rory shouted, slamming the case shut. "You slept with someone else! How is this a marriage, Logan?"

He opened his mouth and shut it without saying a word. Rory looked at him before grabbing the case and turning away. She left the room, reached the kitchen and Logan caught up with her.

"Don't leave me," he begged, starting to cry. "Ace, don't leave me, I love you. I screwed up but I love you so much. You know that, don't you? You know me, you know I love you."

Rory stopped and stared. Logan was looking at her, his eyes red with tears, but Rory shook her head, looked away and made herself walk through the door.

"Rory! Rory, come back!"

Rory heard his calls all the way through the building. She ignored them, put the case in the car and started to drive.

It was only when she reached Stars Hollow that she started to cry. All those times, all those evenings she had waited for him and her husband had been with another woman. Memory of days in California and finding lipstick on Logan's shirts freshened in her mind and Rory retched, wondering if she was going to be sick. How long had he been doing this to her?

Rory got out of the car and leaned against it with shaking legs, her head pounding. She sucked in breathfuls of the sweet night air, drenched by the flow of her tears. It was a beautiful night. It felt as though the whole world was laughing at her and Rory stumbled away, far from the town to the place where she needed to go. She slipped down the newly-familiar streets to the building she'd come to know and hammered on the front door. An elderly man opened it, looking confused, but Rory ran past him, offering no explanation, and raced up the stairs to the first floor. She found the door and showered blows on it until it opened.

"What?" Jess started to ask angrily and then stared, stepping away. "Rory? Rory, what's going on?"

"He cheated on me," Rory cried. "He slept with someone else."

"You mean Logan?" Jess exclaimed, leading her in and shutting the door. "Rory, talk."

She couldn't. Tears streamed and streamed down her cheeks. Rory was able to make out the shape of Jess coming towards her and then he was taking her in his arms, cradling her gently.

"I'm sorry," he said gently. "Rory, I'm sorry."

Rory wept against his chest, the hurt of it all pouring out.

"How could he do this to me?" she sobbed. "He married me, I thought –"

"He's scum," Jess said quietly. "Logan's a piece of scum."

Rory cried and cried against his chest. Jess didn't say anything but let her sob all of her tears out. Somehow, his silence helped.

"Here," Jess said, once Rory had stopped crying. "Take this."

He'd picked up a box of Kleenex and handed it to her. Rory took it thankfully, sitting down and wiping at her eyes. Jess went and poured Rory a glass of water which she sipped slowly. Hurt was still ricocheting through her but it didn't feel as bad as before. Rory no longer felt she was falling apart. She slowly drank the water and looked up at Jess, who'd pulled his chair beside hers and looking at her in a gentle, careful way.

"You're not surprised," Rory said in a low voice. "Are you?"

"Rory –"

"I know you're not," Rory said, tears threatening to overwhelm her again. "You knew. You asked about all those times he was late. I'm so stupid."

"Rory, you are not stupid," Jess said, taking her hands and making her look at him. "You love him, that doesn't make you stupid. He's the – I don't think stupid's the right word."

Rory wanted to laugh but she could barely muster a smile. Tears started falling from her eyes again.

"Rory."

"I'm so unhappy," she cried. "Jess, I'm so...how could he do this to me?"

"Because he doesn't deserve you," Jess said fiercely. "And because he's still the blond dick at Yale."

Rory knew Jess was trying to make her feel better but it only made her feel worse.

"I thought he changed," she sobbed. "I thought I changed him, I thought he loved me – he says he still loves me – how can you do this to someone you love? Is it my fault, is it-"

"Rory, it is not your fault," Jess said, cutting her off. "Listen to me, it's his fault, don't you dare blame yourself for what that jerk's done to you."

Rory shook her head bitterly, squeezing her eyes tightly shut.

"He married me," she choked out. "He said he loved me, Jess. He promised he loved me. What am I going to do now?"

"You're going to do it, Rory."

She looked up, her eyes bright.

"Do what?"

"What it is you need to do."

Jess's words were simple and serious and Rory looked at him, unable to speak. She broke into a flood of tears again and felt Jess's arms around her.

"Rory," he said quietly. "I'm sorry. I'm here. I'm always here."

Rory let him hold her and then looked up, eyes streaming. Jess's face was blurred but his eyes were clear, all the same. She blinked, looked into them and the gentle strength warmed her through. She wondered how she could ever have considered cutting him out, Jess, this wonderful man. She stared and stared at him and, before either could say a word, she was putting her mouth on his and kissing him.

"Rory –"

Rory ignored him, trying to kiss him, but Jess pulled away gently, looking her in the eye.

"Rory, stop," he said, sounding concerned. "We shouldn't be doing this."

Rory looked at him and then couldn't bear to. She stared down and Jess said anxiously,

"Rory, not like this. It can't be because of this."

Rory nodded, knowing she was about to cry, and got roughly out the chair.

"No," she managed to sob. "I don't want to have sex in revenge."

She picked up her case which she had left by the door and Jess hurried to her side.

"Wait," he said, sounding anguished. "Rory, don't leave. Please don't leave...I don't want to do this, not because I don't...I want to do this when you want to. You're in pain, I don't want to do something you'll regret. I don't want you to leave. We can just sit, talk."

Rory looked at him and part of her wanted to drop the case and sit back down with him but it all hurt too much. The cheating, Jess's words, all of it was crushing her like a leaden weight on her chest and she shook her head, refusing to look at him.

"I have to go," she said, her voice trembling. "I'm going to Mom's."

"Let me walk you."

"No!" Rory said venomously and then, more softly, "No, Jess. I need to be alone."

He stopped and nodded, not trying to talk her out of it.

"Goodnight, Rory."

"Goodnight, Jess."

Rory walked in silence along the dark streets, the tears drying on her face. The night air had cooled slightly and Rory welcomed the chill which sent goosebumps along her arms. She walked and walked, her footsteps sounding along the streets until she reached her front door. Rory fumbled in her purse for her key, found it, and made it through the door just as Lorelai emerged, puzzled.

"What's – Rory?"

She took in the sight of her daughter, suitcase in hand and her face sagged, the knowledge clear in her eyes. She held out her arms and Rory dropped the suitcase, falling into them.

"Oh, Rory."

"Mommy," she wailed. "He cheated on me."

"Shh, sweetie."

"Mommy, it hurts so much," Rory cried. "Make it stop Mommy, please. Make it stop."

Lorelai kissed her cheeks, over and over, and took her into living room. She sat on the couch, put Rory beside her and let her lay down, stroking her hand over her hair and soothing her gently. Rory cried and cried into her mother's lap, feeling her world fall apart.