On a starry night in the town of Stars Hollow, inside Ms Patty's dance studio, a play is being rehearsed. Romeo and Juliet, a classic tale of love and death, a tale which applied more often to life then one may think.

The group of six chiltonites were practising the death scene while their Juliet's boyfriend watched. Jealousy of their Romeo, Tristan Dugrey, had driven the boy, Dean Forrester, here. He kept an angry eye on Tristan as the play progressed.

Rory Gilmore, Juliet, was lying on her back with Tristan sitting beside her as he spoke his lines.

"Here's to my love… O true apothecary, thy drugs are quick… huh, line."

He said to an overly irritated Paris Gellar who was just about ready to explode.

"Thus with a kiss I die. How hard is that to remember?"

"Thus with a kiss I die. Right. And then I kiss her, right?"

"Yes you say, thus with a kiss I die, then you kiss her and die."

As Tristan looked at the agony on Dean's face he could not help a wide grin spreading on his face.

"Why are you smiling? Do you think this is a joke? The performance is tomorrow."

"Wait tomorrow? Oh my god! I totally missed it the first 47 times you said it."

He replied sarcastically.

"I warned you. I am not going to fail this because of you. I will replace you with Brad in a second."

"Dear god, no." The petrified boy could only say.

"Can we just get through this scene? Please."

Said Rory with boredom in her voice.

"Fine but yell line once more, and your out."

"Start memorizing." Paris ordered Brad.

"O true apothecary, thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die."

Tristan was leaning into Rory but stopped short of the kiss. Instead he turned his head towards Dean and soon after pulled back looking towards Paris.

"What?"

"It's just… with this being our last kiss, it makes me think about our first kiss. You know at the party."

"What?" Rory sat up straight with a start.

"Lie down your dead." Paris ordered while Louise could only reply.

"We all are."

"You remember the kiss..." Tristan continued "in act one at the capulets masked party."

"What about it." Paris retorted rather annoyed.

"I was trying to think of something that would make this kiss as special."

"Tristan." Rory pleaded.

"I thought she could cry."

"What?"

"She's dead. Your dead. Lie down."

"But that's the beauty of it. No one would expect her to cry."

"I would." Dean finally spoke up and that sent Tristan over the edge.

"You know funny you should say that, cause that's exactly how I remember it going down at Madeleine's party."

"What?" Dean squeaked with outrage.

"I need to take five."

Rory hurriedly said and headed towards Dean while giving the blond Romeo a glare. Leaving behind a bewildered Madeleine, Louise, Paris and Brad. As for Tristan he was smirking from ear to ear.

"Rory what is he talking about?" Dean asked urgently and just a tad angry.

"Dean can we just go outside and talk about this."

"No. I want to know what that jerk is talking about and I want to know now Rory." He yelled in response.

Tristan's smirk slowly faltered as conscience of what he had gotten Rory into slowly took over. He didn't like bag boy and he believed that the beave wasn't good enough for her but he didn't want to get her in trouble. Trouble with Dean meant Rory being sad and he couldn't stand it when Rory was sad. Let alone her being angry at him for telling Dean about the kiss.

"Dean, please can we just-"

"NO. RORY, NOW TELL ME WHAT THE HELL HE MEANT!"

He was screaming at her now. It was taking all of Tristan's will power not to just go over there and beat the crap out of bag boy for yelling at Rory. He knew if he did a stunt like that Rory would only hate him more.

"What am I thinking, she already hated me long before this hole play debacle. Now at least I'll know that I cant sink any lower."

"Look, don't be mad. But last year after you broke up with me I went to this party, and Tristan was there. This girl had just dumped him in front of everybody. And I went to find somewhere quiet to read. I ended up finding Tristan sulking on a piano bench, so we talked and then we…"

"You what?"

Dean was quickly loosing his patience as it could be seen by all. Rory had been babbling the story of the piano bench kiss in a pleading voice while she had this desperate sad face on. But the only look that Dean had was one of anger and hatred towards the blond boy.

"Kissed."

Her voice was strained, tears were covering her face. Her lower lip was quivering and her normally joyful baby blue eyes seemed only capable of reflecting despair, sadness and fear.

Tristan felt like he was gonna throw up so much his stomach couldn't take seeing Rory like that. His heart felt like imaginary strings were pulling at it. He felt as if he couldn't breathe.

Rory's eyes could only helplessly watch as the look of anger on Dean's face turned into disgust. She was now seeing a side of Dean that she had never seen before. Just when she thought that she was presently seeing Dean at his worst, he got worst.

Her eyes watched as Dean's left hand slowly curled into a fist. Time seemed to be in slow motion as his arm rose up and threw his fist. It connected with its target…

Her face…

Everything started to go black for Rory as the force of the impact threw her to the ground. She forgot about everything, her surroundings, where she was, who she was, the only thing she knew was fear. The fear that her attacker would hit again.

Her fear was justified as she looked up to see Dean's leg pulling back in preparation to kick her in the stomach. She closed her eyes waiting for the blow to hit her…