Episode 116: Star-Crossed Lovers and Other Strangers

[Dean is waiting on the bench as Rory steps off the bus.]

RORY: So?

DEAN: It's depressing.

RORY: It's beautiful.

DEAN: She throws herself under a train.

RORY: But I bet she looked great doing it.

DEAN: I don't know. I think maybe Tolstoy's just a little over my head.

RORY: No, that's not true. Tolstoy wrote for the masses, the common man. It's completely untrue that you have to be some kind of genius to read his stuff.

DEAN: Yeah but…

RORY: Now I know it's big. . .

DEAN: Very big.

RORY: And long. . .

DEAN: Very, very long

RORY: And many of the Russian names tend be spelled very similar, making it confusing…

DEAN: Every single person's name ends with 'ski'. Now how is that possible?

RORY: But it's one of my favorite books. And I know that if you just give it a try you...

DEAN: All right. I'll try again.

RORY: Really?

DEAN: Yeah.

RORY: You won't be sorry.

DEAN: Coffee?

RORY: Please.

DEAN: Man, I thought Christmas was a big deal around here.

RORY: Well, this is a town that likes the celebrating. Last year we had a month long carnival when we finally got off the septic tank system.

DEAN: A month long? You're kidding.

RORY: No. There were rides and a petting zoo and balloon animals and a freak show.

DEAN: Uh huh. Okay, you almost had me going there for a second.

RORY: Well we did have a ribbon cutting ceremony.

DEAN: So what are you doing Friday night?

RORY: Well, I've got the usual Friday night grandparents' dinner. But I thought maybe if we get back early enough you and I should go watch the bonfire together. I mean, it's kind of corny, but it's really pretty. And they sell star-shaped hot dogs.

DEAN: How about if you get out of dinner at your grandparents' this week?

RORY: I don't think so.

DEAN: Well, what if it's for a really special occasion?

RORY: Well, that special occasion better include my being relocated to a plastic bubble if my grandmother's gonna let me out of dinner.

DEAN: There must be some other excuse that you could use.

RORY: Like what?

DEAN: Like it's your three-month anniversary with your boyfriend.

RORY: It is?

DEAN: Yeah. Three months from your birthday. I mean, that's when I gave you the bracelet and that's when I figured this whole thing kinda started.

RORY: Wow. Three months.

DEAN: Actually, technically your birthday was on a Saturday, so really it should be Saturday, but I work Saturday and I planned out this whole big thing so I thought maybe we could do it on Friday.

RORY: What whole big thing?

DEAN: Just this once. Miss dinner. Please. Don't make me throw myself under a train.

RORY: I'll see what I can do.

DEAN: Thank you.

RORY: You're welcome. It's our three-month anniversary.

DEAN: Yeah it is.

RORY: I feel kind of stupid that I didn't even know about this.

DEAN: That's quite all right.

RORY: I mean, I feel really bad that I missed our two-month anniversary.

DEAN: Quite all right too.

RORY: How was it?

DEAN: Pretty good.

RORY: I'm glad.

[Rory and Dean are at ANDOLORO'S]

RORY: That was really good.

DEAN: It was?

RORY: Yes it was.

DEAN: How was the salad?

RORY: Great.

DEAN: What about that cheese bread thing? Too heavy?

RORY: Just heavy enough.

DEAN: Really?

RORY: Everything was perfect. Even the soda was good. I don't know how they do it but the Coke here is definitely superior to the Coke anywhere else.

DEAN: Okay, at what point during that did you start making fun of me?

RORY: I would never make fun of you. Especially not after you ordered three different kinds of pasta for me just because I couldn't decide.

DEAN: Well you shouldn't have to decide. I mean, tonight, you should have everything that you want.

RORY: I just have to say that I'm now a very big fan of the three-month anniversary.

DEAN: Oh yeah?

RORY: Definitely. I think they should have T-shirts and newsletters.

DEAN: Well, I'm glad.

RORY: You did all this for me.

DEAN: It's not over yet.

RORY: This is just like that Christmas when I got a full set of illustrated encyclopedias. [Dean gives a confused look] I wanted them.

DEAN: Oh, uh, good

WAITER: One tiramisu, two forks, and uh, one meatball to go.

RORY: Thank you.

DEAN: You wanna explain the meatball?

RORY: It's a mother-daughter thing.

DEAN: Okay. Well, uh ladies first.

RORY: Thank you. [takes a bite] Okay, have I mentioned how much I'm loving the three month anniversary thing?

DEAN: Yeah, you did.

RORY: Because this tiramisu is so good that if the anniversary were completely sucking right now, this would save it. What?

DEAN: Nothing.

RORY: Stop it.

DEAN: No, you look cute.

RORY: I'm eating.

DEAN: Well, you eat cute.

RORY: I do not eat cute. No one eats cute. Bambi maybe, but he's a cartoon.

DEAN: So, uh, after we finish here we move onto phase two of the anniversary evening.

RORY: Phase 2. Sounds very official, are there space suits involved?

DEAN: With matching helmets.

RORY: Impressive.

[Rory and Dean walk to the Founders Festival held in Star Hollow.]

DEAN: So, what book did you bring?

RORY: What?

DEAN: Well, come on, you always bring a book with you and I was just wondering, what's the three month anniversary book?

RORY: Actually, I brought the New Yorker.

DEAN: A magazine. Really?

RORY: It's the fiction issue.

(From the gazebo, the mayor starts the festivities)

MAYOR: People of Stars Hollow, and our many friends. It gives me great pleasure to preside over our annual founders festival for the thirty-second time. Many a true love has had it start right on the spot where I stand. And I don't mind telling you that at this very festival, right by this gazebo, is where I met my own true love, Miss Dora Braythwait. We have been married for 43 years, and it all started right here.

TAYLOR: (covers microphone and whispers) Ask her to wave.

MAYOR: (whispers) I can't.

TAYLOR: Why not?

MAYOR: (To Taylor) She went to Bingo in Bridgeport. (To crowd) And now my friends, if you will join me in lighting the fire.

RORY: Okay, take me to the surprise now.

DEAN: But I thought you said you wanted to see the bonfire being lit.

RORY: Oh I do.

DEAN: Wait, but Mayor Porter just said. . .

RORY: Trust me. It's gonna be awhile before it's lit. We'll have plenty of time before they're ready.

[Rory and Dean are standing in front of a fenced-in junkyard]

DEAN: We're here.

RORY: We're where?

DEAN: Come on.

RORY: Dean, what is this?

DEAN: Okay. Uh, did you ever see Christine?

RORY: Yes.

DEAN: Well, it's nothing like that. Come on.

(They go through an opening in the fence)

RORY: You brought me to Beirut?

DEAN: It's a salvage yard.

RORY: Ah. And yet it looks so much like Beirut.

DEAN: Okay. Uh, here we are.

RORY: Wow.

DEAN: It's a car.

RORY: It is?

DEAN: Well, it will be.

RORY: When it grows up?

DEAN: When I fix it.

RORY: What?

DEAN: Um, it's yours.

RORY: What do you mean it's mine?

DEAN: I mean, I'm building it piece by piece for you.

RORY: No.

DEAN: Yeah. I started with the frame. The seats and the windshield just went in yesterday.

RORY: You're building me a car?

DEAN: Yeah, now it's gonna take awhile, but when I'm done, it'll be great.

RORY: You're building me a car. You're building me a car.

DEAN: That's right.

RORY: You're building me a car?

DEAN: I'm building you a car.

RORY: This is crazy. Why would you do this?

DEAN: I don't know. You didn't have one.

RORY: You're completely insane.

DEAN: What? I didn't want you wasting time on the bus anymore. I mean, that is very valuable time we could be arguing about your ongoing obsession with very confusing Russian authors.

RORY: I can't believe this

DEAN: Um, do you like it?

RORY: Do I like it? Are you kidding? (she kisses him)

DEAN: I'll take that as a yes.

RORY: Take it mister.

DEAN: Come on, get in.

(Dean tries to open the door for her, but it falls off the car.)

DEAN: Uh, I'll fix that.

RORY: Don't. I like it like that. (they both get in the car) This is amazing.

DEAN: I'm glad you like it.

RORY: I had no idea that three months was the car anniversary.

DEAN: Four months you get a plane.

RORY: Boy, relationships sure have changed since I was a kid. (they lean back and look at the stars) I'm having one of those moments right now.

DEAN: What moments?

RORY: One of those moments that everything is so perfect and so wonderful that you almost feel sad because nothing can ever be this good again.

DEAN: So, basically, I'm depressing you.

RORY: Yup.

DEAN: You're very weird.

RORY: And you're wonderful. (They kiss)

DEAN: Rory?

RORY: Yeah?

DEAN: I love you. (pause) Rory?

RORY: Yeah?

DEAN: Did you hear me?

RORY: Uh huh.

DEAN: Well, say something.

RORY: I. . . I. .

DEAN: Yeah?

RORY: I love the car.

DEAN: Uh, and that's it?

RORY: No. I just. . . I'm surprised, I didn't expect. . .I don't. . .

DEAN: You don't love me.

RORY: No, I just have to think about it for a minute.

DEAN: Think about what?

RORY: Well, saying I love you is a really difficult thing.

DEAN: Well I just did it.

RORY: And you did it really well.

DEAN: What the hell does that mean?

RORY: I'm sorry. Please. This totally came as a surprise. I mean, with the dinner, and the car, and then the… I just need a minute to think

DEAN: This is not something that you think about Rory. This is either something that you feel or you don't.

RORY: Please, don't be mad.

DEAN: Why? Because I say I love you and you wanna think about it? I mean, go home and discuss it with your mother? Make one of your pro/con lists?

RORY: Not fair.

DEAN: I'm sorry. I'm an idiot. I don't even know what I was thinking.

RORY: Dean. Please, it's just not that easy for me. I mean, saying I love you means a lot. Think about it from my point of view. I mean, my mom and our life. I mean, my mom said that she loved my dad and then. . .

DEAN: You don't get pregnant saying I love you.

RORY: I know. I'm just confused. I need to…It's a really big deal.

DEAN: Fine, come on.

RORY: Dean, please don't be mad.

DEAN: I'll take you home.

RORY: Dean, tonight was amazing. It was perfect. Please, I swear, I just need a minute to. . .

DEAN: Whatever, it doesn't matter, all right? Let's go.