TAYLOR: Does it hurt?

RORY: No, not much.

TAYLOR: Well, I hope youre not getting addicted to painkillers like those Hollywood people do.

RORY: Um, Im not, dont worry.

TAYLOR: Good, because pain is your bodys way of saying Im not okay now, but I will be soon.

RORY: I will remember that.

TAYLOR: You dont wanna shut your body up too soon. Thats called death.

RORY: Right. Um, Taylor, listen, I just wanted to apologize to you.

TAYLOR: About what?

RORY: About the other night. You know, my car hit the bench that had your brand new Dooses Market sign on it and I know how much that sign meant to you and Im just so, so sorry that it was ruined.

TAYLOR: Oh, well, it wasnt your fault.

RORY: But my car hit the bench.

TAYLOR: Your car hit the bench because that Jess was driving.

RORY: Oh, well, yeah, but .

TAYLOR: That boy is a walking natural disaster, they should name a tornado after him.

RORY: But he didnt cause it Taylor, there was

TAYLOR: Rory, you dont have to explain a thing to me. I know that there is absolutely no way that you would be involved in something like that if it werent for that Sal Mineo wannabe, believe me. Chachi, and Chachi alone, will be held responsible for that incident, okay? Good. Now take a peach.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

RORY: Hey Babette. Is everything okay?

BABETTE: I should be asking you that question. Come here, let me see that arm. Oh, you poor little thing. How you doing, huh?

RORY: Im doing fine.

BABETTE: Aw, look at ya, being brave like that after all youve been through. Geez, its so hard being a woman, isnt it?

RORY: I guess.

BABETTE: I mean, youve got your morals and your standards and your good common sense and then bam! You meet some guy and all that goes right out the window.

RORY: But .

BABETTE: For every good woman theres a dirty little wolf just ready to lead her astray. You cant help it, hes got the eyes, the chin, the chest hair you could carpet your dining room with. . .I mean, whats a woman to do? Were not made of steel for Gods sake.

RORY: Babette

BABETTE: I was in a cult once, did I tell you that?

RORY: No.

BABETTE: I met this guy once gorgeous, tan, looked just like Mickey Holiday. We had coffee, he gave me a pamphlet. Next thing you know, Im wearing a muumuu, playing a tambourine, jumping up and down at the airport.

RORY: Okay, I really have to get inside.

BABETTE: Oh, sure, honey, sure, you go take good care of yourself. And dont be embarrassed tutz, this has happened to all of us.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LANE: I have found my calling.

RORY: What are you talking about?

LANE: I am talking about my future, my path, my destiny, my thing, my scene, my bag. I'm talking about the number one item on my cosmic to-do list.

RORY: Which is?

LANE: I'm gonna be a drummer!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

RORY: Lukes gone because of me.

LORELAI: Oh, honey, he is not.

RORY: Yes, he is. I got into an accident and then you guys had a fight.

LORELAI: Rory, it isnt your fault. If its anyones fault. . .

RORY: Its Jess fault.

LORELAI: Well, yes.

RORY: Why does everyone in this town think that it is all Jess fault?

LORELAI: Hey, lets not talk about this, okay?

RORY: I was there too, you know.

LORELAI: Rory, everyone here loves you. They know youre not the get in an accident and knock over a bench girl.

RORY: I know that, and I appreciate that, but

LORELAI: I want you to stop beating yourself up about this. Its over, Jess is gone. Lets forget about this, okay, please?

RORY: Fine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EMILY: How did this happen?

LORELAI: Bees.

RORY: I got in a car accident.

EMILY: What?

LORELAI: Rory.

RORY: I got in a car accident.

EMILY: Oh my God, how could you not tell us that she got into a car accident? Is this why she missed dinner? You said she had the flu.

LORELAI: I just didnt want you to worry, Mom.

EMILY: Yes, well, clearly there was nothing to worry about. It was that car, wasnt it? The one her boyfriend made. Richard was dead set against letting her drive that death mobile.

LORELAI: No, it wasnt the car, Mom.

EMILY: Well, then what was it?

RORY: A friend of mine and I went to get ice cream

EMILY: A friend? Which friend Lane?

RORY: Jess.

EMILY: Jess?

RORY: Lukes nephew.

EMILY: Him? I thought you were going to keep that boy away from her.

LORELAI: Mom, do we have to talk about this now?

EMILY: Yes, we have to talk about this now. The child has a cast on her arm. I dont understand how you couldve been so irresponsible.

LORELAI: Mom, please.

EMILY: Dont Mom, please me. It was your responsibility to stop this, it was your responsibility to make sure that he did not

RORY: I gave him the keys. I told him to drive. He wanted to drive back to Lukes and I said no. I wanted to keep on driving and thats when we got into the car accident. This is just as much my fault as it is his, maybe more.

EMILY: Rory.

LORELAI: Ive got this, Mom. Can I see you in the hall for a second? [they walk into the hallway] Hey, what the hell was that?

RORY: Im sick of this. Im sick of everyone treating me like Im some kind of mindless idiot being led around by a guy.

LORELAI: No one is treating you like that.

RORY: Everyone is, the whole town is. . . Taylor, Babette, Dean. Everyone in my life, including you, is refusing to believe that I was just as responsible for what happened that night as Jess was.

LORELAI: Really? Were you driving the car?

RORY: No.

LORELAI: Then you werent as responsible.

RORY: What if itd been Dean, huh? What if Dean had been driving? Would everyone be assuming that it was his fault?

LORELAI: No, because if Dean had been driving there wouldnt have been an accident because Dean is a much more responsible kid who loves you and wouldve been driving more responsibly.

RORY: How do you know that Jess wasnt?

LORELAI: Hi. . .its Jess.

RORY: Oh, right, Jess is the antichrist, I forgot. He wanted to get into an accident. He was looking for something to hit because hes a murderer with a death wish and he wanted to kill us both, right?

LORELAI: I know you think that Jess is your friend, but hes not. He is a completely out of control, really angry kid who has no respect for Luke, who has no respect for me. . .

RORY: It was an accident!

LORELAI: And he was driving!

RORY: So, what, no matter what I say, youre just gonna choose to blame Jess?

LORELAI: Yes, I choose to blame Jess.

RORY: Just because you hate him?

LORELAI: Thats right! Im sorry, but when my daughter comes home broken I get to hate the guy who broke her. Thats how it works. Hes gone, I win. You are wearing a cast and I get to hate him forever!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

RORY: Hey

LUKE: Rory.

RORY: Youre back?

LUKE: Im back.

RORY: You catch anything?

LUKE: Nah. Apparently the fish went fishing also.

RORY: Too bad.

LUKE: Yeah, well. So thats the, uh. . .

RORY: Yeah.

LUKE: Does it hurt?

RORY: No, not really. Just itches a little.

LUKE: Yeah, I can imagine. Make sure you dont use a pencil.

RORY: Excuse me?

LUKE: Your arm. . . you know, when it itches. I broke my arm once itching drove me crazy. Grabbed a pencil, shoved it down the cast to scratch, ya know...

RORY: Bad results?

LUKE: Bad results.

RORY: Got it. No pencils, I promise.

LUKE: Good. So, you want some coffee?

RORY: Sure.

[they walk into the diner]

LUKE: Wheres your mom tonight?

RORY: At a party for my Grandpa.

LUKE: Oh, sounds nice. Grab yourself a donut.

RORY: So, have you heard from him?

LUKE: Oh, no. I talked to his mom, though. He got home okay.

RORY: Good, thats good.

LUKE: Yeah, good.

RORY: What about his stuff?

LUKE: Oh, Im gonna send it.

RORY: Right, makes sense. Luke?

LUKE: Yeah?

RORY: It wasnt his fault.

LUKE: I know it wasnt.