A/N: Thanks to those who keep on reviewing - you're aces :) Now, in canon, Rory's date with Trevor didn't go so well, and in fanfiction? Well, it didn't exactly go any better, but then, y'all saw that coming, right? ;)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 10

It was a disaster. An absolutely, unmitigated disaster. Rory hadn't really been sure what she was thinking when she agreed to go out with Trevor. Well, no, that wasn't entirely true. She did know. She had been thinking maybe it might be nice to have a single date with a new guy she just met and try out this whole playing the field, casual dating idea that other people seemed to enjoy so much. Once again, Rory seemed to have proven that she just wasn't like other people. She did not like dating, not if this was what it was going to be like!

Not that Trevor was a bad guy. She did appreciate his efforts to make conversation, to pay the bill at dinner, to walk her back to her dorm like a gentleman and everything. He wasn't nasty or perverse or anything she could really hate him for. They just didn't really connect. It just wasn't fun. She just didn't care.

After he dropped her off at her door, her hand stilled on the knob and just as easily slipped away. She didn't want to go in. She dreaded Paris or Tanna or Janet asking her how the date went and if she would be seeing the guy again. She also didn't want to lay alone in her room, going over and over her disastrous date, until she made it her own fault that she didn't have a good time.

It had been an easy decision to make, going out to the parking lot, getting in her car and driving back to Stars Hollow. She was two turnings away from home before she recalled the text from her mom earlier that very same day, letting her know she had her own date tonight. Luke was coming over for movie night, which meant that if Rory went into the house, she was going to be playing the third wheel.

With a growl of frustration, she drove straight on instead, headed for town square, not one hundred percent sure where she was going, until suddenly the lights from the building on the corner caught her eye. If Luke was with Lorelai, then Jess was most likely holding down the fort at the diner. This late, he ought to have closed up, Rory thought, and so, was not surprised to find that the Closed sign was hanging in the door when she finally got to the point of standing on the step. Inside, there was Jess, his headphones on as he mopped the floor, completely unaware of anything but the music.

It seemed a shame to disturb him. Unfair, really, to ruin his night. Besides, he was probably the last person who would want to hear how her date went. Not that she should feel bad about telling him. Some of it was his fault. He at least ought to know that.

Rory raised her hand to knock on the door, then changed her mind. No, it was probably better just to walk away. Not that she knew where she was going to walk to, except back to her car to sit and wonder where else she could try. If she went to see Lane, Mrs Kim would have a fit, given the hour. Sookie was way too pregnant to be disturbing her and Jackson so late either.

Before Rory could think of any more alternatives, Jess made a sharp turn and suddenly spotted her there. He seemed surprised to see her, and maybe just a little embarrassed to have been caught so close to dancing like that. The rhythm had clearly gotten to him to the point where he forgot people could actually walk by and see him through all those windows.

"Hey," he said, the moment he unlocked the door and opened it for her.

"Hey," she said back, smiling more than she meant to. "Def Leppard?" she guessed, fairly certain that was who she could hear blasting from the headphones that now dangled around his neck.

"A plus," he told her, so reminiscent of a night that now felt like a million years ago and a couple of days all at once, it made something ache terribly in Rory's chest. "You want coffee?" Jess asked her right after, setting the world to rights somehow in a way she really needed.

"God, yes!"

Two minutes later, she was sat on a stool by the counter, the door locked up behind her, the Closed sign still displayed, and Jess making fresh coffee like the most natural thing in the world. Rory felt a sigh escape her and knew it had come out too loud, long before he looked at her with surprise.

"Bad date?" he checked, one eyebrow quirked.

"Bad date," she agreed, nodding her head. "You know, it's all your fault, right?"

"Huh."

The standard Jess response was no real surprise to Rory. Neither was the way he came to lean on the counter across from her, a hint of a smirk playing at his lips.

"How exactly is your bad date my fault?"

"Because..." she began, meeting his gaze, deciding that honesty was the best policy, no matter the consequences, because something about tonight's horrendous date had made her bold in a way she had rarely been since her break-up with Jess. "I went on this date expecting the guy to be so smart and cool and funny and everything. He wasn't. He was perfectly nice but... he was nothing like you. Jess Mariano, you have ruined me, for all future dates."

She meant for it to sound at least vaguely humorous, as if she might be exaggerating as a minimum, or all out joking even. It wasn't true. Rory meant every word, and hadn't even really known it until the words were finally said. Without meaning to, she had absolutely compared Trevor to Jess, and on most things, her poor class-mate from Yale really didn't do so well in the tally.

"I ruined you, by being too smart, cool, and funny," Jess echoed then, staring at her in something close to amazement, though it was clear he was trying to hide it. "So, I'm, what? Supposed to apologise for that?"

He wasn't mad about it. It actually seemed like a genuine question, which therefore required a response. Rory wished she had one. Actually, more than that, she wished that she never said all that she had, because telling Jess how great he was, it was implying something she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to admit. That of all the guys there were in the world, she most wanted to be dating him.

Maybe that was still true. Not that she had met all of the guys in the world to be absolutely sure, but of all those she did know, he was the best of them. The one she found most attractive, interesting, desirable, amazing. It would be so easy just to say so, to just admit that, no, she wasn't looking for an apology, but she was looking for him to take her out next time. That she wanted to get back together and try again. She could have said so, but something stopped Rory dead in her tracks the moment she opened her mouth to let the words out.

"No, I'm sorry," she said instead. "Of course, you're not supposed to apologise. I never should've said anything. I didn't mean... You and me, that's not..."

"It's fine. I got it," Jess told her fast, moving away even faster, if that were possible.

The timing was perfect, because the coffee was done. He could just as easily have turned away purely to pour her a mugful of java, but Rory knew better. With nothing else better to do, he still would have backed off, because he thought that was what she wanted.

She had said as much, hadn't she, or more or less anyway? Told him she didn't mean it the way it sounded, that the two of them were not getting back together. She didn't use all of the words, only because he didn't need her to, proving all over again just how smart he was. That was good, because one of them should be smart. Right in that moment, Rory felt horribly dumb.

"Ugh. This whole thing is just such a mess," she said, more to herself than to Jess, putting her face into her hands, at least until her coffee appeared on the counter before her, taking all her attention from everything else.

"Are we talking about the dating disaster or you and me not being you-and-me now?"

Jess was leaning back away from her now, arms folded across his chest. Not in a way that made him look as if he was mad at her, he just seemed determined to keep his distance and Rory respected that, in the circumstances. She didn't like it much, but she respected it.

"All of it," she said, in answer to his question, picking up the steaming cup and daring a quick sip. "I never should've gone on that date. Trevor is a nice guy, he honestly is, but I'm not... It just wasn't the right time, and he absolutely was not the right guy. As for you and me, well, we both know that's always been complicated."

"I guess so." Jess nodded, but said no more.

"I mean, don't get me wrong, I love that we're doing the whole friends things now. I really missed you when you weren't around and, and before we were ever together, we were always good friends, right?"

"Sure."

He said it like he meant it and Rory supposed she had sounded much the same. It was true, they had been good friends before they dated, but if they were both being as honest as they should be, it was always bordering on more than friends, even then. They had been pretty flirty and kind of suggestive at times, even when she was with Dean, even when she was denying there were any feelings between them. Those feelings that always existed. The same ones that never did go away, not even now.

"I should probably head home," she said then, drinking down the rest of her coffee and quickly abandoning her cup on the counter. She was off the stool and halfway to the door within seconds. "Um, any ideas what movies Luke and my mom had planned?"

"I heard Casablanca." Jess shrugged. "And he left here at seven-thirty, so I can't imagine you'd be interrupting anything by now."

"Hopefully not." Rory smiled, though she knew very well the expression didn't make it to her eyes. "Thanks for the coffee."

"You're welcome," he told her, his own smile also seeming forced.

Rory turned away because she just couldn't bear it any longer and rushed out into the night, headed home. All in all, she really had had the worst night, for at least two reasons. She wondered absently how it could ever get any worse.

"Okay, so that was... unexpected," said Lorelai, breathing hard yet. "I mean, it was awesome, amazing, fantastic, but really so not what I had planned when I invited you over to watch Casablanca."

"Which we never finished, by the way," Luke realised, from his place lying next to her in the bed. "Not that I mind."

"You think I do?" Lorelai asked, propping herself up on her elbow to stared wide-eyed at him. "Honey, if you didn't get that I was totally into what just happened here, then you're deaf, dumb, and blind, my friend!"

Luke laughed at that, which was the reaction she expected. "I got it," he assured her, "and just for the record, I have no regrets either," he assured her with a smile.

"Good answer," she said, leaning down to kiss his lips, not minding at all when Luke's arms wrapped around her, keeping her body close.

It really was just supposed to be a movie night, that was all. Sure, it had crossed her mind there may be a little making out, and perhaps she had ensured a box of a certain necessary items were in her nightstand, just in case something else happened, but it seriously had not been a plan. It was a nice surprise though, even if it had meant only seeing maybe half of the movie they set out to watch.

"You know, I feel a little bad for Rick and Ilsa," said Luke between kisses.

Lorelai laughed, she couldn't help it. "Honey, everybody feels bad for Rick and Ilsa. Even if they finish watching the movie, believe me, they still have reasons to feel bad for those two."

"Hey, I think that constitutes spoiling the movie for those of us who have only seen the first half," he told her, trying for fake-irritation, but apparently unable to keep the grin off his face to really sell it.

"What happened to no regrets about tonight?" she countered, resisting the urge to poke out her tongue, but only just.

"Oh, I meant what I said about that," Luke assured her, tightening his grip on her body. "In fact, if you wanted to go for an encore, I wouldn't argue at all."

"Hmm, now there is an offer..." Lorelai leaned down to meet his lips with her own one more time, more than happy to go right into round two.

Her ardour died in a split second, when she suddenly heard a noise downstairs. That was the front door, it definitely was. The only person who had a key, who would also be letting themselves in like that was...

"Rory," she said fast, clambering off Luke and right out of bed, a few colourful curses running through her mind.

She was not as surprised as she might usually have been to hear a couple fall from Luke's lips too as he sprang from the other side of her bed, struggling even more than she was to get back into previously abandoned pants. She didn't wait for him to catch her up, just did up her jeans, pulled on her top, and ran out of the room, fixing her hair some as she went. She had nothing on under her clothes, bare feet besides, not bothering to waste time searching for more clothing than was absolutely necessary. She was halfway down the stairs, putting on her best smile, when Rory suddenly looked up and met her gaze.

"Hey, sweets."

"Hi. I was just... I thought Luke was..."

Somewhere in amongst the broken sentences and similarly broken thoughts, the light visibly dawned in Rory's head. Lorelai saw it happen and winced on her daughter's behalf, even as she cleared the last few stairs to the living room below.

"Rory, sweetie..."

"No, no, no," she said, backing up fast and waving her hands. "I really didn't mean to... Oh my God. This is not... I didn't even think... I'll be in my room!" she suddenly yelled, making one more random waving gesture over her head as she literally ran in the direction of her bedroom. "Super happy for you, but so not... None of my business!" she finished, just before the door slammed shut.

It was followed all of ten seconds later by the stereo being turned on, and immediately up to eleven, as far as Lorelai could tell. She honestly didn't know whether to laugh or cry, especially when Luke came wandering down the stairs to meet her, his shirt wrongly buttoned, belt undone, and only one shoe on.

"Aww, geez," he remarked, figuring out in a split-second what had happened. "I can't believe this. I thought you said she was at Yale and that she had a date in New Haven tonight!"

"I did, because she was and she did!" Lorelai insisted. "But, much like us, her plans changed a little, or a lot, I guess?" she said, running a hand back through her hair. "Still no regrets?" she asked Luke hopefully.

Heaving a sigh, he came to stand in front of her, his hands at her upper arms pulling her close. "Never," he promised her faithfully, planting one more kiss on her lips, "but even so, given what just happened, I think maybe I should..."

"Maybe, yeah," Lorelai agreed immediately, even though it was a shame to have to do so. "Um, but babe, please be fully dressed before you head out there? I almost guarantee Babette will be watching, and God knows how many other people..."

Sitting himself down on the couch, Luke dutifully put on his other shoe, fastened his belt and rebuttoned his shirt. It was Lorelai who moved forward to fix his hair for him and replace his baseball cap that had been abandoned on the coffee table long before.

"There, all set. Nobody will ever know."

"Nobody else," he said with a look. "I'll know, and I'll never be sorry. I mean, I don't love that Rory walked in when we were... but I'm still not sorry about the rest of what happened."

"Me either." Lorelai grinned at him, stealing one more kiss before she could quite let him leave.

When he was finally gone, she looked to Rory's bedroom door and sighed. Now came a conversation she really wasn't looking forward to, but she knew she had to have. Much like Luke, no matter what happened, she knew she couldn't ever really regret how this night had turned out. It had been nothing short of magical, as she ought to have known it always would be with Luke.

"No regrets," she whispered to herself, before banishing her over-the-top grin and putting her best foot forward to face her daughter.

To Be Continued...