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Title: Some Things Change
Author: Christine (Christine.2001@juno.com)
Rating: PG-13??
Spoilers: Umm…I guess up until “The Third Lorelai”…the rest came from my
head.
Pairing: R/T
Starring: Rory, Tristan
Guest Starring: Lorelai, Dean, Luke, Lane
Summary: Tristan and Rory have become good friends, although she and Dean
are still dating (they never broke up the first time).  After something
happens with Dean, Rory sees that things are beginning to change between
her and Tristan.
Disclaimer: Nooo officer!  That’s not Tristan stuffed under my
bed……Well….I was going to give him back!!
Feedback: Oh Please?  This is my first fic and I want to make sure I’m
doing it right.
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Chapter 1/16 

The two teens stood in an intense stare down, each with his own set of
furrowed brows, intense blue eyes, and a fighting stance.  

“You’re mine, DuGrey!” 

“In your dreams!”

A grueling battle soon ensued with a jumble of flailing arms and a great
deal of noise.  After about a minute’s time, a loud buzzer sounds and
both teens stop suddenly as if they had off switches that someone just
pushed.

“Haha!  Yes!  I am the reigning queen!”  The victor did what could only
be described as a happy dance as the loser stood despondently, casting an
occasional glare at the former.  “Go ahead, say it!  ‘Rory, you are the
all-time reigning champion of air hockey!’”

Tristan tried to cast another glare her way, but with one glance at her
beautiful, flushed face, all thoughts of pretending to be angry were
quickly lost.  “How did I ever manage to deserve someone as perfect as
her,” he thought to himself.  “Not that she’s mine.  She’s the bagboy’s. 
I don’t think he realizes how lucky she is.  But what can I do?  If she
wants me to be her friend, that’s what I’ll be.  I’ll be anything she
wants me to be.”  Tristan was shaken from his thoughts by a hand waving
in front of his face.  Rory stood before him, the picture of perfection: 
long brown hair hanging loosely around her shoulders, spaghetti strap
tank top resting on her slim shoulders, denim shorts, not too short as to
be described as immodest, but just short enough to accentuate her long
legs and slender hips.  And on those hips rested both of her hands.  As
he looked up into her face he saw her crystalline eyes dancing from her
victory and on her soft red lips a smirk.  “Hmm…I see some of my traits
have been wearing off on her.”  The thought and her next words elicited a
small smile from him.

“Oh come on, don’t be a sore loser,” she teased.

“I still think you cheated,” he said with a little smirk.

“Yeah right!  Like I really need to?  Do you really need me to whoop that
ass of yours again to prove it?”

Tristan placed his arm around her shoulders.  “Now, now, Mary.  I know
you just want an excuse to touch my ass.  But sweetie, that’ll just have
to wait till later.”

Rory rolls her eyes and smacks his stomach lightly.  “Oof!  Hey! Watch it
now.  Let’s not get violent!”

She just rolls her eyes again.  “You just never change!  Your
despicable.”  Meanwhile the smile playing across her face lets him know
that she’s just kidding.  She couldn’t be further from the truth. 
Tristan had changed.  The teasing and taunting that had once infuriated
her had become part of their friendly banter and was something that she
would always miss if it were absent for too long.  After some tentative
steps, they had slowly become friends.  However, Rory not only saw
changes in Tristan through his behavior with her, but also in his overall
personality.  It seemed as if he felt that he didn’t have to pretend to
be the cocky and arrogant rich boy that everyone at Chilton expected him
to be.  She even noticed, with great approval, that he stopped dating
those superficial girls like Summer.  Yes, Tristan had definitely
changed.  Rory’s thoughts were interrupted when she realized that Tristan
has begun to lead her out of the gaming room of the Hartford Mall. 

With one hand on the small of her back, he guided her towards the
doorway.  “Come on.  Let me buy her highness a victory cup of coffee.”

“Coffee?  Coffee?  Really?  You’ll buy me coffee?”

“Well, on that note, I’m beginning to regret that offer…” he says with a
chuckle at her obvious addiction.  But that was just one of the unique
facet of her personality that he loved…well, actually, he loved them all.
 But that’s beside the point.

“Aww…You’re the best. You’re wonderful….”  While Rory continued to sing
his praise, they had reached the coffee stand and Tristan was retrieving
the steaming cup from one of the workers.  Before he could hand it over
to Rory, who was still praising him, she reached up, cupping the hot
beverage between her hands.  
She stared lovingly down at the cup all the while murmuring, “You’re
beautiful.  You’re glorious.  You smell SO good!”

Tristan had to laugh at the absurdity of the smartest girl he knew
talking to a drink.  “Well, thank you for noticing, Rory!  I wear this
cologne just for you!”

“Eww…so THAT’s what smells so rank all the time!” Rory glanced up at him
from behind her coffee cup with a little smile.  She couldn’t imagine
Tristan ever smelling BAD.  He might lose his trail of adoring girls that
way.  The thought made her laugh out loud into her coffee, and she almost
choked in the process.

“Whoa, there, tiger.  I think you’ve had just about enough.”  He managed
to swiftly snatch the cup from her hand, which was a miracle considering
how tightly she always grasped her coffee.  Like it’s her only method of
survival.  But that really was how she thought of it.

Shaken out of her choking fit, she realized her glorious coffee had been
taken away.  She lunged for it, but Tristan was too quick and lifted it
easily above her head.  But Rory kept making attempts to get it back. 
Tristan's laughter was checked at her final ploy.  She suddenly decided
to latch onto his middle with both of her arms and beg and plead for it. 
There they stood.   Tristan with his arm upraised holding a cup of coffee
over Rory’s head.  And Rory catching Tristan in what appeared to be a
bear hug with a pout on her face.

“Please Tristan!  Please, please, please give me that cup!”  With each
plea, her lip somehow managed to jut out a little further.  She even
managed to make it tremble a little. 

“Boy, she’s good,” he thought.  “I never could resist anything she asked
for.”

“Please Tris!  I’ll be your best friend!!”

With a sigh of resignation, Tristan slowly lowered his arm.  But
apparently not quickly enough when Rory snatched it back, giggling and
hopping around excitedly.  “Rory, you already are my best friend….Oh,
just drink your coffee.”

“I know,” she says with a little smirk.  And after one last gulp from her
cup, she tosses it, empty, into the nearby trashcan. “And I already did!”
she adds with a giggle at his astonished look.

“You couldn’t possibly drink that whole thing that quickly!  I got you
the biggest size they had!  That was some new record or something.” 
Tristan just stood there staring in awe at Rory, looking as if he were
trying to figure out where exactly she managed to put all that coffee in
that petite little figure of hers.

Rory just laughed in response and started pulling on his arm.  “Come on! 
Hurry up, you slowpoke!  We’re gonna be late for the movie!  I want to
get a good seat to drool over Mark Wahlberg!”

“Ugh, I can’t believe it!  Marky Mark?  Formerly of New Kids on the Block
and Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch?”

“Oh, come on!  You can watch that one girl.  That Canadian swimmer in a
little skimpy outfit!”

“She’s not an ape is she?  Cuz, you know Rory, I don’t really go for that
kinda thing.”

“Sigh.  Let’s go Bible Boy.   It’s off to the movies.”

Tristan stops in his tracks and his face contorts making him look like a
little boy.  “Aww..Rory,” he whined, “I thought you stopped calling me
that!”

“Hey mister!  You started this whole Biblical allusions thing!” she said
with a chuckle.

“Fine,” he said with the remnants of a sulk on his face.

As they made there way to the theater with Tristan trudging after Rory,
his face suddenly lights up with his all to familiar smirk.  “So there’s
a hot Canadian swimmer, huh?”
“Ugh!  You never change, Tristan!”  With one last laugh, the two friends
head off into the darkening movie theater.

End of Chapter 1
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Chapter 2/16

“My God, Rory!  How can you possibly like that guy?  He kept the SAME
look on his face throughout the entire movie!”

Tristan was in the driver’s seat with Rory beside him on the way to Stars
Hollow.  Rory turned to him with her arms crossed and an indignant look
on her face.  “But it’s such a cute face!  And did you SEE those rippling
muscles!  Wow!”  She got a dreamy expression on her face.

“Aww, come on, Mary.  I mean, do you fail to see this Adonis sitting next
to you?”  Tristan comically flexed his bicep with a look of serious
concentration on his face.  “How have you managed to resist this for so
long?  If I were you, I’d have jumped me already!”

“Ha!  It’s a good thing you’re not me!” she added with a smirk as they
pulled up in front of her house.  “That’d certainly be an interesting
sight…”

A look of false dejection crossed his face as his lip stuck out in a
pout.  “I’m hurt, Rory.  Really!”

“Aww..poor wittle Trissy got his wittle feeling hurt…” Rory matched his
pout with one of her own in mocking.

Tristan’s face lit up in a devilish smile.  “Kiss to make it all better?”

Rory laughed at the suggestion, but quickly leaned over in her leather
seat to give him a swift kiss on the cheek.  “Night Bible Boy.”  His
smile couldn’t have been any wider.

“Night, Mary.  See you in Hell on Monday!”

“Ugh…don’t remind me!  I’m just going to enjoy my remaining day of the
weekend.”

“Sounds good to me!  Bye Rory.”

He sat in her driveway until he saw that she made it safely to the door. 
He looked after her adoringly as she skipped her way to her front porch,
her innocence evident in almost everything she did.  At the top of the
steps Rory spun around to give him a tiny wave before shutting the front
door behind her.  With a sigh, Tristan ran his hands through his already
disheveled hair and put the car in reverse, backing slowly out of her
driveway.  He was always reluctant when he had to leave her.  It was pure
torture on the days that he couldn’t see her, and even though there was
one day separating their next meeting, it seemed like decades to him.

“Mom!  I’m home!”

Rory walked further into the house and suddenly heard a lot of clattering
noise coming from the kitchen.  “Oh, no.”  She ran as quickly as she
could into the kitchen and skid to a halt before she could crash into any
of the clutter currently occupying what was once her kitchen floor. Well
at least it was this morning before she left.  “Mom!”

“AH!!!” *Thunk* “Don’t DO that!!  Are you trying to send me to the
hospital with a concussion?  It’s all a plot to find my secret coffee
stash!  I’m like that little cartoon leprechaun that those kids keep
chasing around to find his pot of gold.  But ho, ho, ho!  I’m too sneaky!
 You’ll never-”

“Mom!  What are you doing under the sink!”

 “Well, Miss Smarty Pants, can’t you see that I’m fixing the sink?” she
says as she stuck her head out from under the sink.

Rory took in the surrounding mess, all slightly wet from an apparent
leak, and her mother’s dirt smeared face.  “This is fixing the sink? 
More like tearing apart our kitchen!”

Lorelai feigned shock.  “My flesh and blood, are you doubting my
handywoman plumbing abilities!  I’m sure I have a really cute plumber
shot!”  The last part was added with a devilish chuckle.

Rory had to laugh at her crazy mother, “Whatever you say mom.”

“Now on to more important things, how was you’re day with the evil one?”
she said wiggling her eyebrows.

“Mom!  You know Tristan and I are just friends and that I’m dating Dean. 
Besides, you know very well that Tristan has turned in his horns, tail,
and pitchfork.”

“You checked to make sure he turned in his tail!  Rory,” she teased, “how
scandalous!  I have raised you well.”

“ANYWAY!  We saw Planet of the Apes.”

“Ooh!  Mark Wahlberg in a tight ripped up shirt!”  Lorelai got a dreamy
look on her face.

“I know!  That’s what I said too!”

“Tristan didn’t seem to agree, huh?”

The two both chuckled at the thought of Tristan gushing over Mark
Wahlberg.

“Haha…not quite.”

Just then the doorbell rang, interrupting any further information from
being pried from Rory about her day with Tristan.

“I’ll get it!”  Rory quickly ran out the kitchen towards the front door.

“I’m not done with you, little missy!  I wanna hear more about your day
later!”  Lorelai yelled after her.  With a sigh, she began to lower
herself back under the sink.  Muttering to herself, “One of these days,
that girl’s gonna realize how in love with her he is….But until then,
this sink has my name on it!  Now where did I put that twisting
tightening doohickey…”

Rory skid towards the door and threw it open.  “Hey, you!”  She reached
on tiptoe to give her boyfriend a kiss.  
Before she could reach his lips, he turned his head, resulting in a kiss
on his cheek. “Umm…come on in.”

Dean stepped through the door, his solemn expression never leaving his
face.  “Where were you today?”

“Dean, I told you that Tristan and I made plans-”

“Of course, you were with him.”

“Dean, what is this-”

“Look Rory, I think we need to talk.”

End of Chapter 2


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“Where were you today?”

“Dean, I told you that Tristan and I made plans-”

“Of course, you were with him.”

“Dean, what is this-”

“Look Rory, I think we need to talk.”

End of Chapter 2
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Chapter 3/16

“Dean if this is about Tristan again, you know that we’re just friends!” 
Rory had the feeling she knew where this conversation was headed.  She
didn’t like it one bit.  If she had a nickel for every time Dean had a
problem with Tristan, she could buy a lifetime’s worth of coffee….and
STILL have some left for Lorelai.  That’s definitely a lot.

Dean snorted at her naiveté.  She just didn’t get it.  “Rory are you
blind!  Can’t you see how much that stupid accountant wants you!  Rory
this is for your own good!  He’s going to try something with you.  That
is, if he hasn’t already!”

Rory’s eyes were getting misty.  Why couldn’t she just be happy?  She had
two guys in her life that she cared so much about, but one always had to
make it hard for the other.  She really cared about Dean.  However, she
wasn’t sure if she really loved him.  Sure she loved him as a
friend….well except when he was like this.  But was she IN love with him?
 She imperceptibly shook her head, answering her own question.  She
couldn’t be in love with someone who didn’t trust her.

“Dean, you don’t even know him!  He’s my friend and you made no effort to
even try to get to know him!”  By now the tears were streaming down her
face.  The same face that was now contorted in pain, knowing what would
soon be happening.  

“I know his kind.”  Dean grumbled.  He hated to see Rory cry, but what
was he going to do?  He had to get this over with once and for all. 
“Guys like that only care about one thing and one thing only.”

Rory opened her mouth about to retort, but Dean held up his hand and kept
talking.  “Rory, I need you to choose.  It’s me or him.  I can’t stand
that you go running all around with him, barely spending any time with
me!  I can’t stand that you spend time with someone who so obviously
wants you, and won’t spend that time with your boyfriend who you’re
supposed to be in love with!”

“Well, I’m not in love with you,” Rory said silently to herself.  Her
face showed her change in emotions from pain to anger.  “I don’t believe
you!  If you loved me so much, you should trust me!  You can’t make me
give up my friend!  Possibly my only one at Chilton, mind you.  Who are
you to dictate who I can and cannot see?  You know what, Dean?  I’m the
only one who decides who I can and cannot see, and as of right now, I
can’t see you anymore!  Now please get out of my house!”  

Rory starts pushing a distressed and confused Dean towards the front
door.  “Rory, how can you do this after all we’ve been through?”

They had reached the door, which Rory was flinging open.  She pushed him
out the door, an amazing task, considering their size ratio.  But that
just goes to show:  Don’t mess with a Gilmore Girl.  As Dean stumbled to
gain his balance, he turned back towards the house to look at his
girlfriend.  Or rather, ex-girlfriend.  

“Rory, come on!”

“Dean, I don’t have anything else to say to you.  I don’t need someone
who doesn’t trust me and tries to control me.  It’s over.”  And with
that, she slammed the door, leaving Dean to stare at it.

Sighing and wiping away the remainder of her tears, Rory slowly trudged
back towards the living room, knowing that her mom would be in there. 
Their yelling was definitely loud enough to be heard over Lorelai’s
attempts at fixing the sink.  As she entered the living room, she gave a
small smile at her mother.  There on the coffee table were two pints of
Ben and Jerry’s, a pot of coffee, and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate
factory.  Rory walked into her mom’s open arms to receive her hug. 
“Thanks, mom.”

“No problem, babe.  Now let’s stuff our faces full of Cherry Garcia!”

“Sounds good.”

The two Gilmores cuddled up on the couch after popping in their favorite
movie and getting situated with their ice cream and coffee.  There the
two sat in a comfortable silence, relaxing into each other, until the end
of the movie.  Rory let out a heavy sigh as Lorelai shut off the TV.

“Sweetie, you know that if you want to talk about it I’m here.  I’m good
to wallow with!”

“I know mom.  You’re the best wallow partner there is.  But I think I
just need to think things through on my own first…..Besides, I know you
heard everything anyways,” she added with a smirk.

Lorelai feigned shock.  “Was that a, dare I say it?  Evil smirk?”

With a chuckle, Rory started heading towards her room, “Night oompa!” she
threw over her shoulder.

“Haha.  Night loompa!”  Lorelai’s eyes drifted to one of the many photos
of her and Rory.  It was of Halloween a couple years ago when they had
dressed up as their favorites characters from their favorite movie.  “How
I am this lucky to have gotten a kid like her?”  She glanced towards the
now closed door of Rory’s room and then began to collect the empty
cartons and mugs.  “Tomorrow’s gonna be hard since the whole town
probably knows by now.  But somehow, I know she’ll get over it.”  With an
evil gleam in her eye and a smile, “I’m sure Tristan will be of some
help….”  

With that, she began to hum the song of the oompa loompas and went back
to straightening up.  As she reached the kitchen, she let out a huge
groan.  Seeing the disarray and the still broken sink, she just added all
the objects in her arm to the growing pile.  “I’ll just get a plumber
tomorrow.”  Then she turned, heading up the stairs to her bedroom. 
“Hmm…hopefully he’ll have a nice plumber shot,”  she thought giggling to
herself.  

Inside Rory’s bedroom, Rory had dressed to go to bed.  She looked up at
her dresser and picked up the box of cornstarch.  Looking at it
contemplatingly for a moment, she went to put it in the back of her
closet.  Returning to the dresser, she looked up at a strip of photos
tucked under the mirror frame.  It was one of those four-framed pictures
that you get from those booths at the mall.  She looked at the happy
teens, falling over each other trying to cram into the booth, making
silly faces, putting each other into headlocks, and in the last frame,
smiling at the camera with their arms around each other.  She was glad
that Tristan and her were such good friends now.  It made her sad that
she had broken up with Dean, but she knew that she made the right choice
as she looked at the pictures of the two of them.  Sighing, Rory crawled
into bed, thinking about all that had happened that day.  “When am I
going to find someone who loves me for who I am?” she whispered into the
darkness as one solitary tear slid down her cheek. 

End of Chapter 3
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Chapter 4/16

“What time is it?”  Rory groaned as she tried to hide from the sunshine
that was invading her room.  She took a moment away from her attempted
escape to look at the fuzzy clock on her nightstand.  The furry hands
told her that it was now 1:30.  And from the annoying rays of sunlight
coming through her curtains, she figured it was p.m.  With another groan
she threw the covers back over her head.  The same head that was
currently beating and throbbing with what was the start of a major
headache.  “God!  What’s wrong with me?!?!” she moaned.  Then, her
headache suddenly got worse.  She thought about what conspired last
night.  She didn’t have a boyfriend any more.  With that thought, she
threw back the covers, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to go back to
sleep.  “I just want to avoid everyone today,” she thought.  “It’s
probably all over town already.”  With a tiny snort, she corrected
herself, “It was all over town last night in the five minutes after the
breakup.  Mom can just siphon my coffee under the door.”  As she stopped
to listen to the noises coming from her kitchen, she noticed the distinct
smell of the elixir of life.  “Mmm…speaking of coffee.  Can’t face Stars
Hollow gossip mill without at least a pot of it.”  She slowly trudged
towards the door, not at all eager to begin her day.  She opened the door
to reveal her mom pouring two cups of piping hot coffee.

“Hey, sweetie!  I was just about to see if you were ready for your
morning coffee…Although this is not exactly morning, but I thought I’d
let you sleep in.”

“I’m always ready for coffee.  And thanks.  I needed it.”

“No prob.  So…I was thinking for lunch, I could go pick up some burgers
from Luke’s and bring ‘em back here.”

“Mom, I know what you’re thinking, but they’re all gonna track me down
anyway.  They’re going to bombard the house.  Maybe even an air raid. 
You know that there’s no stopping people hungry for gossip.”

“We can stop them!  We’ll man the towers!  I knew that those would be
useful one day!  But nooo…you wanted to tear them down because they were,
‘impractical,’” she said making quotation marks in the air while
speaking.

Ignoring her nonsensical rant, “It’s okay mom, let’s go to Luke’s.  I
can’t hide forever.”

With that, the two women changed and headed off to the building marked as
a hardware store.  As they take a seat at their normal table, Rory
notices everyone staring after her.  She sees, out of the corner of her
eye, that Taylor has taken out his cell phone.  With a self-conscious
look, Rory covers her face with her hands.  “It’s started,” she mumbled.

“Honey, I can’t understand you with you hands on your face.  It sounded
like you just admitted doing something not so attractive, and is usually
followed by an excuse me.  Emily Gilmore would faint at such an
admission.”

Taking her hands away, she glared at her mother.  “Not helping,” she
accused with a finger pointing at the older Lorelai.

“Don’t point that cute little finger at me, missy,” she demanded,
pointing her own finger at the little Lorelai.

The two sat with determined looks on their faces, staring at each other
in a face off, both with fingers still outstretched.  The staring
continued until Lorelai blinked.  

“Ha!  I win!”

With a look of defeat, “You’re too good for me, kid.  I have taught you
well.”

Luke walks up to the table of his two favorite customers.  “The usual?” 
He asked even though he knew the answer.  “And you,”  he said pointing to
Rory, “get an extra large coffee today and a sundae.  On the house.”  

“Aww..Luke, you don’t have to do that!”

But Lorelai, after hearing the extra large coffee part, sat there gaping
at Luke with her mouth wide open.  “Oh Luke, I’ve been through so much
trauma!  You don’t even know.  I mean, I had to hire this plumber!  And
he just sat there all day with his pants dipping down way too far!  It
was enough to make me run, screaming from the room without my coffee!!! 
Imagine!  WITHOUT my coffee!!”  She enunciated each of her last three
words by pounding her fists into Luke’s arm.  Grabbing his arm and
staring up at him with a puppy dog face, “Please Lukey!  I need help!!”

“I could have told you that.”  But with one last look at her beautiful
face and her pouting lips, he relented.  And Lorelai could see it in his
face.

“Yes!” she said with a triumphant smile.

“That stuff will kill you!” Luke shouted over his shoulder as he walked
back to the kitchen. 

Lorelai leaned closer to Rory as if about to tell a secret, “I’m goood!”

Rory just shook her head, chuckling.  “When are they going to see that
they love each other!” she thought to herself.

Just then Babette walked up to the table, trailed by Miss Patty, Kirk,
and Taylor.

“Rory, sweetie!  I’m so sorry, honey.  But don’t worry about it.  I met
so many terrible men before I met my Maury,” her short, scratchy voiced
neighbor, with a striking resemblance to Sally Struthers, said.

“Yes, Rory, doll.  I’m so sorry!  I was one of the ones who encouraged
you two.  I thought you’d make such a good couple.  Be that boy doesn’t
deserve you,”  Miss Patty crooned.

“Rory, you must forgive me.  I knew something was wrong with that boy. 
There was just something about his eyes,” Kirk said, motioning to his own
eyes, “They’re just too….beady”

“Rory, I never liked him.  He handles the peaches all wrong.  I can tell.
 He *tosses them down.  He doesn’t place them, he tosses them.  You can
tell a lot about someone by the way they handle their fresh produce,” 
Taylor said with a solemn shake of his head.

“You guys, thank you, all of you, but really I’m fine!”

They all nodded with sympathetic looks on their faces, as if they didn’t
believe her.

Noticing Rory’s uncomfortable look, Lorelai decide to take action, “Ok,
well thank you all.  I know Rory appreciates your concern, but I think
that visiting hours are over.  This wild one needs to be sent back to her
cell pretty soon,”  she says pointing over her shoulder at Rory all the
while pushing them out the door.  “Buh-bye now!”  And with that, she
shuts the door to their protests.

As they two finish eating and drinking their extra large coffees, Lane
comes bounding in.  “Hey Rory!  Hey Lorelai!”

“Hey Lane, meet any nice Korean boys lately?” Lorelai says with a smirk.

“Haha.  Nope, I guess Henry, will just have to do.”

“Hey mom?  Is it okay if I go hang out with Lane for a little while?

“Sure no problem, babe.  Have fun you two!” she shouted after their
retreating backs.  “Don’t go robbing any liquor stores or super markets! 
But if you do, we need more coffee at home!”

Sitting up in Lane’s room, they listened to some of Lane’s hidden stash
of CD’s.  Otherwise known to her mother as the ‘forbidden noise’.

As a PJ Harvey melody flowed from the stereo, Rory divulged the details
of her break up with Dean.  

“So basically, you’re saying that you broke up with Dean to be with
Tristan.”

“I didn’t break up with Dean to BE with Tristan!  I broke up with Dean
because he didn’t trust me and he was trying to control me.”

“So…this had absolutely NOTHING to do with Tristan?”  Lane said with one
eyebrow arched and a look of disbelief.  Then, after a short pause asked,
“Wait.  Have you TOLD Tristan yet?”

“Lane!  What are you talking about!  You sound almost as bad as Dean!  No
my break up with Dean was not a result of my relationship with Tristan. 
And no I haven’t told him yet,” she said with a disgruntled sigh.

Lane held her hands up as if in surrender.  “Hey, I’m just checking. 
I’ve seen how you two look at each other.  Oh don’t give me that look. 
It’s true whether you want to believe it or not.”

“Yeah, Lane.  Whatever you say.”  “That’s just crazy,” thought Rory.

“Lane!  It is time for dinner!  Come down now!”  Mrs. Kim’s voice rang
through the entire house.

“I’m coming, Mama!”

Giving each other a little smile, the two best friends said their
goodbyes and Rory headed back home.  As she walked down the streets that
she knew like the back of her hand, she thought back to her conversation
with Lane.  “What did she mean, ‘the way we look at each other’?”  With a
shake of her head, she cleared those ridiculous thoughts from her head. 
As another thought entered her mind, she stopped dead in her tracks.  She
had to go back to school tomorrow!  “Ugh.  Way to spend a relaxing day
before going back to that hell hole!  Well at least Tristan will be there
to help get me through the day.  Wait!  Am I thinking about Tristan
again!”  With a sigh, Rory continued on the short walk to her house.  “I
must be going crazy or something.”

End of Chapter 4
*****************************************************************
*****************************************************************

Chapter 5/16

The sun was shining brightly, the birds were singing, and children were
playing.  It was a wonderful day.  “Well, it was a wonderful day to
everyone but me.”  Rory’s head was leaning against the clear glass window
of the bus.  As she watched the trees and cars whiz by, she was getting
closer and closer to Chilton.  With a deep breath, Rory shut her eyes,
reveling in the coolness of the glass, and tried to rest for a bit.  She
had had difficulty falling asleep last night.  And when she finally did,
she had an unsettling dream that kept her from sleep for the rest of the
night.  A moan escaped her lips. 

“Who was he?”  She thought back to her dream.  She had been with someone.
 They had been soaring above the earth when they suddenly stopped.  He
took her in his arms, and all she could remember was how right they felt
around her.  And then….and then he kissed her.  He kissed her with all
the passion and love in the world.  Rory could still feel his lips on
hers.  Touching her lips with the tips of her fingers, she could feel
them heat by just remembering.  But if only she COULD remember.  She
couldn’t remember who her mystery man was.  Sighing, she thought, “Maybe
I’m just not meant to know.  Maybe he’s just not real.  Now Dean.  He was
real.  But definitely wasn’t the true love of her dreams.”  She let her
head fall back against the glass in defeat.  “But he seemed so familiar. 
Like I knew him, yet I can’t tell who he was.”

As the driver called out her stop, she grudgingly got up from her seat to
begin what was promising to be a very, very long day.  Walking up the
stone steps and into the cold hall, she entered her own personal Hell. 
She had to admit that it HAD been better since she and Tristan became
friends, but still, it was pretty hard to go through there every day and
remain unscathed by the glares and the not so subtle digs at her
character and status.  Sighing once again, she made her way to her
locker.  She noticed that she had been doing that a lot lately.  Sighing.
 “I guess it just goes along with the territory of being a teenager,” she
thought.

As she sorted through her meticulously clean locker for the books she
needed for the next couple periods, she got lost in her thoughts. 
Leaning her head against her locker door, she thought about her Mystery
Man.  That was her name for him now.  She’d rather have his REAL name,
but she was having a bit of trouble with that.  Sighing for the
thousandth time that morning, she turned back to her books, however her
mind never strayed far from her Mystery Man and his searing kisses.

Throwing a wave here and there to the numerous people greeting him,
Tristan made a beeline for Rory’s locker.  It was like their unofficial
meeting place.  It was never actually stated that they would meet there
every morning and every day after school.  It just happened.  And he was
late.  He didn’t care about all the other people in the halls.  All he
cared about was seeing her beautiful smile.  As he neared her locker, he
realized he wouldn’t be blessed with that smile today, and his own
immediately disappeared.

“Morning, Rory,” he said putting his hand gently on Rory’s shoulder. 
Rory jumped as she was jarred from her thoughts.

“Oh.  Hey, Tristan.”  She mustered up as much of a smile as she could in
her distressed state.  Tristan really didn’t need to know about her
confusion involving the dream.

“So…are you gonna tell me what’s the matter?  Or am I going to have to
force it out of you?” he said taking his normal position leaning against
the locker.

“What makes you think anything’s wrong?”  She gave a much bigger smile
this time.

“Uh-uh.  I’m not buying that smile, Rory.  I know you much better than
that.  I know your beautiful smile when I see it.  And although that was
quite the attractive smile, it was your fake one.  Sorry, but you can’t
fool me Miss Gilmore.  Now, the truth.”

With a pout, “You’re no fair.”  Her face registered a blush, showing
Tristan that his complement had not gone unnoticed.  He smiled and her
modesty, but quickly focused back to the task at hand.

“Uh-huh.  I waiting, my dear,” he said crossing his arms.

“Umm…shouldn’t we be getting to class?”

“The bell didn’t ring yet.”

**BRRRING**

“You timed that didn’t you.”

“Yes Tristan.  I have a remote in my pocket that controls all the bells
in the school,” she deadpanned.

Pushing away from the lockers, Tristan put his arm around Rory’s shoulder
as he led the way to class.  “Well in that case, how bout you let the
bells ring early enough for lunch so that we can blow this popsicle
stand.”

Looking up at him, “who talks like that anymore?”

“I do.  And don’t think that you’re off the hook that easily.”  With a
much gentler tone, “I know something’s wrong Rory.  I’m just worried
about you and I want to help.”

With a tiny, but genuine smile, “Thanks Tristan.  We can talk later.”  “I
might as well just tell him about the break up with Dean.  I’m not so
sure I’ll be so open about my dream though,” she thought as they entered
Mr. Medina’s class.

Mr. Medina started class right as the second bell rang.  He launched into
his instructions on preparing for the finals.  Normally, Rory would be
giving the teacher her rapt attention, but today her mind had been going
elsewhere.  Instead of listening to Mr. Medina’s instructions to get a
partner to study for the final with, she was doodling.  And instead of
hearing that the test would that Thursday, she was staring off into
space.  

Although Mr. Medina didn’t notice, Tristan most definitely did.  “What’s
going on with her?”

“So ok then!”  Mr. Medina said with a clap of his hands.  “I’ll leave you
to find your partners, since we only have two minutes left in the period.
 And remember:  There’s no school on Friday, so don’t bother showing up!”

As all the students get up from their seats, Rory remained planted in
hers as her mind was left to wander.  Tristan made his way over to her.  

“Rory?  Rory.  Rory!”  He finally began to shake he shoulder.  

“Huh?  Tristan?  What are you doing?”

“Well you’re lucky that at least I was listening in class today.  That
makes one of us.”  He filled Rory in on all that Mr. Medina had said. 
“So, will you be my study buddy?”  He gave her his most charming smile.

“Who else would I study with?  Even Paris has been taken.”

“Ooh!  Low blow.  I’m down for the count.  But really.  I have a doctor
check-up after fourth period, but I’ll come back after school and pick
you up so we can study.  And on the ride back to Stars Hollow, we’re
going to talk about whatever this is that is making you into this less
than scholarly student.”

As the bell rang, Rory stood and gave Tristan a mock salute, “Yes sir! 
No sir!” and then headed out of the class.  “I’ll see you after school!”

“Whatever it is that’s bothering her, I’m determined to find out.  I
can’t stand to see her so unhappy like this,” Tristan thought as he
walked out of class, turning in the direction of his next one.  Sighing,
he wouldn’t be able to see her until after school.  They didn’t have any
more classes together before he had to leave for the doctor’s.  “Well,
whatever it is, I’m going to be there to make sure she’s okay.”

End of Chapter 5
*****************************************************************
*****************************************************************

“I’ll come back after school and pick you up so we can study.  And on the
ride back to Stars Hollow, we’re going to talk about whatever this is
that is making you into this less than scholarly student.”

As the bell rang, Rory stood and gave Tristan a mock salute, “Yes sir! 
No sir!” and then headed out of the class.  “I’ll see you after school!”

“Whatever it is that’s bothering her, I’m determined to find out.  I
can’t stand to see her so unhappy like this,” Tristan thought as he
walked out of class.  “Well, whatever it is, I’m going to be there to
make sure she’s okay.”

End of Chapter 5
*****************************************************************

Chapter 6/16

With one more aggravated tug at her locker, Rory’s entire body sagged in
defeat.  “What a way to end the already terrible day,”  she thought.  Not
that today, in particular, was so much worse than any other day.  She got
the same glares and the same insults, yet there were other things that
somehow made the day a little less “cheery”.  There was the whole Dean
break-up thing.  It’s not that she regretted her decision at all. 
Because, she really didn’t.  It was just that break-ups were always
pretty hard.  Especially with your first boyfriend.  Then there was the
“Guess the Mystery Man” thing.  That didn’t help too much.  And to top it
off, her normal source of amusement wasn’t here.  Well, it had been
here….until he left for a stupid routine check-up.  “And now, and now my
locker won’t open!” she thought angrily.  “Why won’t you open?!?” she
shouted at her locker.

“Tsk, tsk, Rory.  I knew you’d miss be, but I never thought you would
resort to talking to your locker.”  Hanging his head and giving it a
gentle shake of disapproval, “I honestly thought more of you Rory.”

As Rory glared at his down-turned head, she retorted, “Well talking to
you has always been as much fun as talking to my locker, so I figured
that I’d give it a try.”

His head whipped up revealing his smirk.  “Mary, Mary, Mary.  I’m hurt.” 
He clutched his chest feigning pain.  “Need a little help with that?” he
asked, gesturing to her locker.

“No.  I was just asking ‘Why won’t you open?’ as more of a rhetorical
question.  I wasn’t actually going to try and get it open,” she stated,
the sarcasm dripping from her voice.

“Well, since you don’t need my help…” Tristan spun on his heel as if
leaving.

Sighing, “Tristan?”

He spun around, charming grin in place, “Yes, dear?”

“Will you help me get my locker open?”  she asked quietly.

“Of course!”  With long strides, he reached her.  From behind her, he
gently pulled on her waist to move her away from the path of the locker
door.  Balling up his fist and pounding at just the right spot, the
locker sprang open easily.  Tristan noticed how well his arm fit around
her waist.  “Ugh…not now DuGrey.  Think friendly thoughts…..Ok!  Not too
friendly!”

Stepping out of his grasp, Rory proceeds to take things from her locker. 
“Thanks.”

“No prob.”  Just as she’s about to shut her locker door, he stops her. 
Reaching over her shoulder into the locker, he pulls out her English
folder.  Pushing it into her already stuffed backpack, “I think we’ll
probably need this tonight.”

“Oh yeah.  Right.”  She didn’t fail to notice his warm breath on her
neck.  Or how good he smelled.  But he always smelled like that.  He
smelled like Tristan.  Tristan.  Her friend Tristan.  “What’s wrong with
me today!!”

“Rory…Rory?”

Rory is shaken out of her thoughts just now noticing that Tristan had
been talking to her.  “I’m sorry.  What?”

Chuckling, he takes her backpack from her and swung it over one shoulder.
 “Let’s get going.”  Noticing that Rory wasn’t following, Tristan turned
back around to find a very sad faced Rory.  “Or not…”

“Do we have to study??” she half whined.

“Well we could,” he pauses to wiggle his eyebrows for effect, “do OTHER
better things,” he says suggestively. 

“Ugh!  Such a pig!” She punched his arm as she blazed past him towards
the door.

With a shocked expression, “Why Rory!  Where is YOUR mind?  I was talking
about getting coffee!  Tsk, tsk…I’m ashamed.  Truly ashamed.”

Walking back up to him, “Oh, you are not and you know it.”  Placing her
arm in his, “So…did I hear something about coffee?”

He laughed, but his voice changed from teasing to gentle.  “Well, I’ll
make you a deal.  You get coffee, and you tell me what’s been bothering
you.”

Rory let out a frustrated groan.  “Fine.”

The car ride back to Stars Hollow was filled with mostly a companionable
silence.  Tristan knew Rory was thinking about something by the way her
eyebrows were furrowed and the distant look in her eyes.  He just wanted
to give her some time to think.

Rory, meanwhile, was staging a battle in her head.  “What should I tell
Tristan?  I know I’ll tell him about the break up with Dean.  Should I
tell him that he was the reason for my fight with Dean?  I know I told
Lane that I didn’t break up with Dean because of Tristan, but maybe I’m
just fooling myself.  I wouldn’t give up my friendship with him for the
world.  But the question is, do I tell him that…AAAaahhh….But what he
wants to know is what is bothering me!  How do I say that my Mystery Man,
the guy I know but don’t recognize, the guy who makes me feel so
wonderful, the guy of my dreams, is driving me crazy!!!  I can’t.  That’s
just too weird.  No.  I’ll just stick with the break-up and take it from
there.”  

Soon she realized that they were parked in front of Luke’s.  For how
long, she didn’t know.  Turning, surprised, to the driver’s seat, she
found Tristan staring back at her.

Answering her unspoken question, “We got here a few minutes ago.  You
just looked like you had some stuff to think about for a little while.”

She smiled at this sweet gesture, “Thanks.  Now, where’s that coffee you
promised?!?”

“Right this way.” 

They exited the car and walk into the hardware store turned dinner.  They
sat at Rory and Lorelai’s normal table and Luke walked up sending a
disparaging look Tristan’s way.  

“Rory, the usual?”

“Yep.  I’m boring like that.  And can you make it to go?”

“Ok.  It’ll be out in a second.”  Luke turned walking towards the
kitchen.

“Um Luke?”  Rory said.

“Yeah?” he said a bit disgruntled.  Rory just gave him a look back
showing her disapproval at him ignoring Tristan.

“Bible boy, you want the usual too?”

“Yeah.  Thanks Luke.”  Tristan was definitely intimidated by this man who
was so obviously protective of Rory.  But Tristan definitely understood
the feeling.

“Yeah, whatever.”  Turning to Rory, “He’s better than that no good bag
boy anyway,” he said pointing at Tristan.  Tristan looked in confusion at
Rory, then Luke, then back at Rory.  “You made the right choice kid.” 
With that, he went to the kitchen to go prepare their orders.

Rory sheepishly looked down at the table, staring at it as if it held the
meaning of life.  

Tristan reached under her chin and gently lifted it up with his fingers. 
“Rory, what did Luke mean by that?”

Rory was about to try and look away, but Tristan’s steady gaze held her
attention.  She hated that.  It was always something that he could do
with his eyes that held you at his mercy.  Granted it had usually been
used on the girls he was chasing after, but whenever he used it with her,
she didn’t want to admit that it worked with her, just as well.  Taking a
deep breath, “Dean and I broke up.”  

The words were quick and jumbled, but Tristan knew what he heard. 
Dropping his hand from her face, he stared back at her shocked.  He had
been waiting for this day, but it made him feel so terrible that the bag
boy had caused Rory so much pain that she had been practically comatose
all day.  Suddenly, he was filled with anger.  “Who does that bag boy
think he is?  He’s not going to find anyone better!  There’s no one
better.”  Taking her hand, “Rory.  He’s an idiot.  Why he would ever
break up with you…well it’s just beyond me.  I mean-”

Before he could finish his rant, Rory stopped him.  “Tristan, I broke up
with Dean.  Not the other way around.”  

Again, Tristan fell back in his chair in a stupefied state.  “Oh.” 
Silently he thought, “She couldn’t have met someone else could she?  Why?
 When?  What’s going on here?”  “umm…Rory,” he began tentatively, “why
did you break it up with Dean?  He didn’t try anything did he?”  His
voice turned angry at that last thought.

“OH NO!  No…nothing like that…..”

“Then what?”

“Well, he was kinda jealous of you,” she mumbled incoherently.

“What did you say?  It sounded like you said he was jealous of me.  I
mean that’s ridiculous!”  He chuckled, but on the inside his heart was
pounding; so much that he would’ve sworn she could hear it.  “Oh please
say I heard right.”

“Yeah, that’s what I said.”  Her voice was barely audible over the
pounding of his heart.  “Haha..but that’s ridiculous right?  I mean,
we’re just friends.”  A half smile graced her lips.

Tristan’s heart stopped pounding suddenly and he tried not to show the
hurt he felt as his hopes fell for possibly the thousandth time during
the course of their friendship.  Laughing softly, “Yeah…pretty
ridiculous.”

Silence fell over them and they were saved from an awkward moment when
Lorelai bounded in to beg for her coffee.  Throwing a quick wave at the
couple, she threw herself onto on of the bar stools and flashed her
brightest smile at Luke.  Although he looked unrelenting, it was evident
that he had a soft spot for the Gilmore Girls.

With as bright of a smile as she can manage, Rory stood up.  “Well, we
better get cracking!”

“Sure,” Tristan replied with his own smile.  What could he say?  Her
smiles were infectious.

As they go to pick up their food, Rory goes to put down some money, but
as usual Tristan shoved it back.  “Tristan!  Let me pay for once!”

“No Rory.  I want to.  What else am I gonna do with this money?  It makes
me happy to pay for you.  Besides the deal was I’ll pay, you talk.  You
agreed to it!”

With a roll of her eyes, she grudgingly relented.  They had been through
this too many times in the past and she knew it was useless to protest. 
“Ok ok.  I give up.  Mom, Tristan and I are heading back home to study
for the English final.”

“Sure thing, babe,” she said throwing a glance their way before going
back to her verbal sparring with Luke.

“You didn’t want to wait for Lorelai?”

Glancing back at the oblivious adults, “Naw, I think she’s going to be a
while.”

Getting back in the car, they drove the short distance to Rory’s,
preparing themselves for the grueling hours ahead.

End of Chapter 6
*****************************************************************

*****************************************************************

Chapter 7/16

They had been studying for what seemed like an eternity.  Well, an
eternity consolidated into a few hours.  They were bored, tired, and
really really bored.  But they had a lot more to study for their final in
three days.  They had changed from the regulatory Chilton uniforms into
some more normal teenager clothes and were now sprawled out with all
their notes and books in the Gilmore living room.  Tristan was lounged on
the couch while Rory was sitting amidst her tediously taken notes.

Groaning and throwing his arm dramatically over his face,
“Rorrrr-eeeee!!!  Do we REALLY have to go over this stuff again?  My
brain can’t take it anymore!!”

With her own groan, “But Tristan!  We have so much more to study!!  Oh,
who am I kidding?” she said as she flopped down next to him on the couch.
 “I can’t take any more of it either.  I think it’s time for a break.”

“Break?  Did I hear the word ‘break’?”  Lorelai skipped into the living
room from where she had been huddled in the kitchen next to the coffee
pot.  “I thought I heard groans, but I most definitely heard the word
break.  Running full speed and flopping into the space between the worn
out teens, she put her arm around each of them.  “Soooo, Kiddies!  What
are we doing?”

“Well, mom.  We WERE studying!” Rory said pointedly.

“Uh-uh.  You can’t fool me!  I heard break!  That means NO MORE
STUDYING!”  She emphasizes this with a slicing motion of her hand.  “NO
MORE!!”

The two teens merely stared at her in amusement.  Lorelai noticed the
stares from both sides and quickly turned her head from one side to the
other as if not trusting either of them.  Finally giving up, she started
bouncing in her seat with a pout on her face.  “Come on!!  You guys have
to entertain me!!”

“Mom!”

Ignoring Rory, Lorelai turned to Tristan grasping his hand, all the while
continuing to bounce.  “Come on Tristan!  I know YOU have some sense in
you!  Let’s do something fun!  We can play cops and robbers! Or…Ooh Ooh! 
We can build a fort!  I know the perfect-”

Tristan started laughing as Rory gave up knowing it was useless to argue
with her hyper mother.  “Ok mom, how bout we watch a movie.”

“Yay!!”  Lorelai jumped up throwing her arms in the air.  “I’ll go get
popcorn, and you get Willy Wonka,” she says pointing commandingly at her
daughter.

“Willy Wonka?”

“Yep!” both girls smiled.

“Oh.  I’ve only seen it once as a kid.  What?!?!” he asked as he noticed
that their jaws were practically on the floor.  “I was scared of the
oompa loompas!” he yelled defensively and somewhat sheepishly.  As the
two Gilmores rolled over on the floor laughing, Tristan simply put his
hands in his pockets and shrugged.  “Well, I was.”

“Haha.  So Willy Wonka it is.”  Rory walked over to retrieve the tape
from a cabinet.


The three laughed along with the movie, all enjoying themselves.  “Ooh! 
Ooh!  This part’s probably Tristan’s favorite!” proclaimed Lorelai as the
oompa loompas appeared on screen.  Rory and Lorelai laughed at seeing the
slightly embarrassed blush on Tristan’s cheeks as he looked down.

“Uh-uh,” Rory said, pulling up his chin.  “You’re watching this.”  She
laughed seeing him cringe a little as the oompa loompas began to sing.

Lorelai let out a huge yawn.  “Whoa.  Okay, well on that happy note, I’m
going to go to bed.”

“Oh wow.  Sorry I didn’t realize it was so late.  Maybe I should head
home,” Tristan said as he began to stand.

Lorelai pushed him back down.  “Relax, Tristan.  You can’t drive home
this late anyway.  We won’t let you.”  Rory acknowledged this with a
stern nod in Tristan’s direction.  “You can just stay on the couch
tonight.  Besides, you need to be able to say that you say Willy Wonka
more than a that disgraceful ONE time!” 

“Are you sure?”  

“Absolutely!” Rory chimed in.

“Thanks so much Lorelai.”

“No prob,…..Bible Boy!”  Laughing, Lorelai runs up the stairs.

Chuckling and shaking his head as if in disbelief, “Your mom is one of a
kind.  She’s great.”  He had a rueful smile on his face.

“Yeah, I know,” Rory said proudly.  Then with an evil smirk, “And now
back to the movie!  I paused it at the oompa loompa song for you!”

“Aahhh…You’re evil you know that!” he said grinning at her.

“Ha!  I’d like to see you prove it, Former Evil One!”

Tristan muttered to himself.

“Sorry?  What was that?”  Rory put her hand up to her hear and leaned in
closer as if trying to hear him better.

“Oh, just press play,” he said with a pout.

“Haha….as you wish!”

As the movie wore on, so did the night.  Too tired to fight the closing
of her eyes, Rory gave in to the urge to lie down.  Yawning, Rory
repositioned herself so that she was lying lengthwise along the couch
with her head resting comfortably on Tristan’s thigh.

“Hey,” Tristan whispered.

“Hey,” Rory said from her half asleep state.  

Tristan began to play with her hair, running his hand through in a very
calming motion.  By now, Tristan had long forgotten the movie that was
nearing its end.  All he could do was look at was the beautiful angel
lying before him.  Tristan chuckled softly as Rory let out a contented
sigh.  After a while, he noticed that the movie had stopped.  Turning off
the TV, he leaned towards Rory and kissed her temple.  He smiled seeing
the corners of her mouth twitch upward as he did.  He began to get out
from under her very slowly, as not to disturb her.  Yet it did anyway.   

Whimpering, “Don’t go.  Stay.  Here.”

Bending down so that he was at eye level with her serene face, “Rory, do
you want me to carry you to your bed?”

“Uh-uh.  I don’t wanna move,” she said, her eyes still closed.

“Ok, well I’ll just sleep here in front of the couch then,” he said
bringing himself to his full standing position.

Grabbing his hand, Rory pulls him towards her.  Although she was weak in
her tired state, it didn’t take much to make Tristan come towards her. 
“No.  Just sleep on the couch.  It’s big enough,” she said, her sentences
fragmented by yawns.

“Are you sure?”

“Um-hmm…”

Sighing, Tristan shrugged off his button down shirt, leaving himself in
his wife beater and khakis.  He figured that if Rory woke up in the
morning, she might be surprised if she found him wearing his normal sleep
attire, consisting solely of boxers.  As he climbed onto the couch in
back of her, Rory turned, snuggling up closer to his chest.  He
inadvertently wrapped his arms around her as he felt her warm breath on
his neck.

Sighing contentedly and nuzzling her face into his chest, Rory said a
muffled good night.

Looking down at the angel in his arm, Tristan whispered, “Good night,
Rory.”  But she was already asleep.  “This is going to be a very very
long night.”

End of Chapter 7
*****************************************************************
*****************************************************************

Sighing contentedly and nuzzling her face into his chest, Rory said a
muffled good night.

Looking down at the angel in his arm, Tristan whispered, “Good night,
Rory.”  But she was already asleep.  “This is going to be a very very
long night.”

End of Chapter 7
*****************************************************************

Chapter 8/16

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes and trying to stretch out her muscles,
Rory awoke the next day to find a heavy weight thrown across her.  She
looked towards the warm body next to her, followed the muscular contours
of a bicep with her eyes and continued all the way down the arm that had
been pinning her down by her stomach.  Glancing back up towards his face,
she took in his gorgeous features while she knew her stares would remain
unnoticed.  However, they were most definitely noticed.

Tristan could feel her eyes on him.  He could always feel her presence
like a warm breath of air.  It was gentle and soft, yet you could feel it
surrounding you.  That was what being around Rory was like.  He had only
been resting his eyes after a long sleepless night.  He had reveled in
the feel of having her in his arms, knowing that he might not ever have
another chance.  Sure they always had their hugs and sometimes kisses on
the cheek.  But this somehow seemed like much more.  Almost like that
kiss that happened so long ago.  But to Tristan, he could remember it as
if it were yesterday.  And now, with her in his arms, he could feel her
taking him in with her eyes.  “I hope she likes what she sees,” he
thought to himself.

As Rory continued to trace his features with her eyes, she began to
realize how truly amazing he looked.  She noticed how Tristan’s long
eyelashes looked, knowing that what lie beneath were seas of brilliant
blue.  They were eyes that would pull you in and practically drown you in
their depths.  His high cheekbones and strong jaw.  His hair was tousled
as usual, making any girl crazy with the urge to run her hands through
it.  Placing her palm gently over his chest, she felt the rippling
muscles that were always hidden behind their uniforms.  “Rory!  What are
you doing?  You’re checking out Tristan! This is your friend Tristan! 
Your very handsome friend…No!”  Her hand slid along his chest further
towards the couch, imperceptibly.  As it crossed his heart, Rory felt the
almost frantic beating within the confines of his chest that she had,
seconds ago, been admiring.  Whipping her face back up to his, she found
a set of piercing eyes staring right back at her.

Blushing furiously, Rory lowered her head.  Raising it up slowly, she
mumbled a good morning, yet she made no move to get up.  

“Good morning,” Tristan whispered back as he stared deeply into her eyes.

Breaking the lock of his eyes, Rory realized how terrible she must have
looked.  Frantically, she tried to smooth down her hair with her hand. 
She suddenly stopped as she felt Tristan’s hand move to cover her own,
bringing it back down to their sides.  “You’re perfect,” he whispered, as
if her could read her thoughts.  Tristan didn’t realize what he had been
saying.  It was way to early to be trying to hide his love for her.  And
from the direction he was headed in, it almost seemed like he wasn’t even
trying.

Rory’s breath caught in her throat as his whispered words echoed in her
head.  Slowly, as if a magnetic force was pulling them, they began to
move closer to each other, never once breaking their eye contact.  Soon,
their faces were a mere fraction apart.  Very slowly, their eyelids
closed as that fraction became smaller and smaller.

“Need coffee!  I need coffee!!”  Bounding down the steps, Lorelai yelled
in an Irish accent, “Now where’d I put me coffee stash!”

Rory and Tristan’s eyes snapped open as the stared at each other,
open-mouthed.  Quickly jumping up from the couch, Rory told Tristan that
he could use the shower first, then ran to the kitchen, undoubtedly to
make coffee.

As Lorelai jumped down the last step of the staircase, she came across
the sight of a very dazed and slightly confused Tristan sitting on the
couch in the living room with a blanket twisted around his legs. 
Chuckling to herself, she threatened him, “You better not use all the hot
water!  Or else.”  She paused for a dramatic effect.  Seeing that she had
gained his attention she continued.  “Or else it shall be a very slow
death by oompa loompas!”

Leaving him there to get ready to take a shower, she skipped into the
kitchen, only to find her once calm daughter tearing apart the kitchen,
making a mess that rivaled what Lorelai termed as the plumbing fiasco.  

“Hey!  Whatcha looking for?”

“What do you think?  Coffee!”

“You mean the coffee that always sits next to the coffee machine,” she
said pointing to the not-so-elusive object.

“Yeah, right,” Rory mumbled.

“Sooo…Tristan is in the living room in a stupor, my calm daughter has
been replaced by insane and slightly psychotic daughter.  What happed
last night?”  Peeking into Rory’s room confirmed her suspicions.  “And I
see that your bed is still picture perfect.”  Grinning widely with one
upraised eyebrow, Lorelai stared at her flustered daughter, waiting for
an answer.  Or knowing Rory, a non-answer.

“Nothing!  I have to go get ready!”  In a split second, Rory had spun on
her heel and retreated to her room.

Lorelai laughed to herself.  “Looks like things are getting interesting.”
 And with an evil cackle, “and I get a front row seat!”  Picking up her
coffee mug, “Ooh, and in a location close to coffee!  How wonderful!

Meanwhile, Tristan had made his way to the bathroom and undressed for a
quick shower.  Stepping under the lukewarm water, “Mustn’t make Lorelai
mad.”  Running his hands through his hair, he let the water fall against
his chest and all over his face, yet he couldn’t feel it.  He groaned as
he replayed the scene in his head for the hundredth time this morning. 
“I can’t lose her by scaring her away!  Ugh!  Keep your hormones in
check, DuGrey!”  Then with a whimper, he leaned his forehead against the
cold tiles, “But it’s just so hard!  Today’s going to be a long day.”

Downstairs, in the confines of her room, Rory sat on the edge of her bed,
staring off into space.  “What just happened out there?!?”  Touching her
lips with her fingertips, “You almost kissed your friend, that’s what! 
You almost kissed Tristan!”  She was taken back to the time at Madeline’s
party when their lips had actually met.  She couldn’t deny that she had
felt sparks, but she had ignored them.  “Well it’s too late for that now!
 Now, we’re just friends!…..I can’t lose his friendship.  Ugh!”  Flopping
backwards onto her mattress, “Today’s going to be a long day.”

End of Chapter 8
*****************************************************************
*****************************************************************


Running his hands through his hair, he let the water fall against his
chest and all over his face, yet he couldn’t feel it.  He groaned as he
replayed the scene in his head for the hundredth time this morning.  “I
can’t lose her by scaring her away!  Ugh!  Keep your hormones in check,
DuGrey!”  Then with a whimper, he leaned his forehead against the cold
tiles, “But it’s just so hard!  Today’s going to be a long day.”

Downstairs, in the confines of her room, Rory sat on the edge of her bed,
staring off into space.  “What just happened out there?!?”  Touching her
lips with her fingertips, “You almost kissed your friend, that’s what! 
You almost kissed Tristan!”  She was taken back to the time at Madeline’s
party when their lips had actually met.  She couldn’t deny that she had
felt sparks, but she had ignored them.  “Well it’s too late for that now!
 Now, we’re just friends!…..I can’t lose his friendship.  Ugh!”  Flopping
backwards onto her mattress, “Today’s going to be a long day.”

End of Chapter 8 
*****************************************************************

Chapter 9/16

Walking out of the bathroom, Tristan rubbed a towel against his damp
hair.  He kept rubbing harder and harder as if he were trying to shake
some sense into him.  His absentmindedness was evident in his appearance.
 Although, it wasn’t possible for Tristan to look terrible, he merely
looked tired and perplexed.  His regulatory Chilton dress shirt was
somewhat wrinkled, though that was only the beginning.  The shirt hung on
him in a state of disarray.  Buttons had been mismatched and only a few
had been buttoned, leaving his taut stomach in view of anyone he
encountered.  However, as he walked along in his trance, he didn’t seem
to have noticed anything at all.  Anything, that is, until he ran right
into Rory, just as she was about to run into the vacant bathroom.

Tristan grabbed her arms in order to steady her.  As he felt shockwaves
run up his arms  from the touch, he quickly released her, jumping
backwards.  Each set of eyes quickly darted towards the other, then back
towards the floor.  It was the epitome of an awkward moment.

Trying to fill the silence, Tristan moved out of the pathway towards the
bathroom.  “I guess you’ll be wanting to take a shower now,” he said as
his eyes continued to dart from Rory to the walls, to the floor, then
back to Rory, completing the vicious cycle.

Rory’s head snapped to attention at his voice.  “Oh I already did.  Take
a shower, that is.  I went to my mom’s room.  Well, I went to her
bathroom to take a shower, can’t really take one in a bed room…” 
Realizing that she had been babbling, she stopped abruptly.  “Umm…I’m
gonna go brush my teeth now.”  

With that said, she ran straight past Tristan, her face down turned the
entire way, and slammed the door shut as if she couldn’t stand to even
breath the same air as him any longer.

“We almost shared a lot more than the same air,” he thought silently. 
Sighing, he walked towards the kitchen.  There he found Lorelai sitting
at the table with a large smirk on her face.

“Have a nice sleep, artist formerly known as the evil one?”

Tristan couldn’t help but laugh and smirk back.  “Oh, it was just
wonderful.”  

“The couch wasn’t too small for you was it?” she said with a secretive
smile on her face.  

Tristan tried to hide the awkwardness he felt from her question.  “No….no
it was just fine.”  

“Good.  That’s good.”  Then with a gentle smile, “You know that you can
feel free to spend as much time here as you want.  I know what it’s like
to need to get away from home.”  

Tristan smiled gratefully.  “Thanks Lorelai.”  

Then, she nonchalantly added, “And I’m sure Rory wouldn’t mind having you
around…”  She couldn’t help it when a little chuckle escaped her lips,
but Tristan didn’t seem to notice.

Thinking of that, Tristan said quietly to himself, “Yeah I wouldn’t mind
having her around more either.”  

But Lorelai heard.  Interrupting his thoughts, “So when are you going to
tell her?”  

“Huh?  Tell her what? What are you talking about?  I don’t have anything
to tell her about?  She’s my best friend.  She already knows everything
about me!-”  Tristan didn’t like the way Lorelai was staring at him.  It
was like she was probing him with her eyes.  It made him nervous, because
he had the feeling that she already knew some of the secrets that he had
tried so hard to keep.  

Lorelai cut him off.  “Well, I see that Rory hasn’t cornered the market
on babbling.  And somehow, I HIGHLY doubt she knows everything there is
to know about you.  Like maybe she doesn’t know about you’re…um I don’t
know….feelings for her!!” she said with a triumphant smirk on her face.

Stammering out a response, “We…We’re just friends!  That’s all we are. 
We’re friends!”

“You keep telling yourself that biblical boy!  If it’s one thing I know
about, it’s my daughter.  My very oblivious daughter.  Unless you want to
self implode with all those teenage emotions running through you, I
suggest you say something soon.”  

Before Tristan can say anything else, Rory walked in the kitchen.  In
order to avoid clueing Rory in to the discussion that had been taking
place, Lorelai quickly said,  “Well you two crazy kids better get going! 
You’ve got a big day ahead of you!” she said with a wink directed at
Tristan.  In a mock stern voice, “You mustn’t be late or El Douche will
be very very angered!!  A full full day of useless information and
formulas that you will never need again awaits you!!”  As she continued
her rant, she gradually pushed them towards the door.   On the way, she
grabbed their backpacks and books and shoved them in their hands as she
gave them their final push through the door and onto the porch.  They
spun around once they were outside to look at the woman possessed that
was left standing in the door way.  “Now go make me proud!”  And with a
mock salute, she spun on her heel and kicked the door shut behind her.   
The two teens stared at each other with matching confused looks, then
realizing that they had to get to school, headed slowly down the steps to
Tristan’s car.

“Is today the big day?”  Tristan glanced down at Rory, walking along
beside him as they made their way down the driveway.  With the sun
highlighting her hair, she looked like an angel.  He couldn’t deny what
he felt for her.  He had had a pretty difficult time denying it to
Lorelai.  But most importantly, he wasn’t sure how long he could keep his
feelings hidden from her.

Rory, as if feeling his eyes on her, quickly glanced up at him.  Seeing
him staring back at her with such fire in his eyes scared her, and she
quickly turned her head away from him.

“Or maybe not.  I guess I’ll just have to see what happens.”

End of Chapter 9
*****************************************************************
*****************************************************************

Chapter 10/16

Staring into her locker, Rory felt herself being carried back in time to
that morning and her thoughts were amassed in images of a half-buttoned
shirt, chiseled chest, amazing abs, tousled hair, and an incredible smile
that could make her melt.  “God he looked good,” she thought.  She could
vividly remember the feel of his arms and the smell of his cologne.

Sighing, she began to pull the books she needed to complete all of her
studying that day.  She hadn’t really seen Tristan all day.  They had
mostly avoided each other out of the awkwardness from that almost kiss.

“This is ridiculous!  I’m not going to distance myself from one of my
best friends because of one stupid moment!  It didn’t even mean anything!
 We were still half asleep!”  She silently tried to convince herself,
while at the same time, trying to ignore the nagging voice in that back
of her mind asking whom she was attempting to fool.   She ignored the
fact that she had just been daydreaming about her so-called best friend
in a little more than friendly state.  Taking a deep breath, she resolved
that she would just pretend that this morning never happened.  “Yeah, I’d
like to see you try!” her inner voice taunted.  “Ugh!  It was nothing!”
and to reinforce that thought, slammed her locker shut, only to find
Tristan leaning on the locker next to hers with his ever-present casual
stance.

“AAAAHHHHH!!!!  What are you trying to do?!?!   Send me to an early
grave, or something?!?!” she yelled at him as she tried to steady her
pounding heart and rapid breathing.

Rory stared at him with a glare, waiting for some kind of response.  Yet
all she received was a light shrug and an apologetic smile.  He brought
out the arm that had been positioned at his back, showing her the
steaming hot cup of coffee in his hand.  

“Forgive me?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

But before he could even get the full two words out of his mouth, Rory
was already latched onto the cup and taking sips from it.

“For what?  What’d you do?” she asked, smiling back at him from behind
the rim of her cup.

“So…you ready for yet another grueling study session with the boys, Will
S. and Charlie Dickens?”

“Uh-uh…never.”

Chuckling, Tristan put his arm around her shoulder, leading her towards
the parking lot.  “We must be going, Juliet!”

“Whatever you say, Romeo,” she mumbled back grumpily.

The car ride, as usual, was filled with their bickering over the music,
lasting the entire ride from Hartford to Stars Hollow.  It could have
lasted much longer had Rory not looked out the window at the moment they
were about to pass Luke’s.

“I don’t know how I can associate with some one who listens to this- Ooh!
 Ooh!  I wanna stop!  Luke’s!  Need coffee!”

“Rory!  I just got you coffee!”

“Just!  HA!  That was a whole thirty minutes ago!  I need another one!” 
She added a puppy dog look just in case her pleas, alone, hadn’t worked.

With a resigned sigh, Tristan expertly pulled into a space.  “You’re just
too strange for me,” he said, shaking his head.

“Thank you!  Now let’s go!”  She was already out of the car and running
towards the diner before Tristan had the chance to react.

As the two walked up to the counter, Luke has on his normal gruff
expression.  He said hi to Rory then gave a quick nod at Tristan.

“Two coffees, please!”

“No!  That stuff will stunt your growth.”

“Well, consider me fully stunted.  Any more won’t hurt.”

“You might start shrinking as it deteriorates your entire system.”

“Oh please, Luke!  Pleeeeeaase?!?!”

With a heavy sigh, Luke poured her the cups of coffee to go.  “You’re
just as bad as your mother.”

Tristan pulled out his wallet, shoving away Rory’s money that she was
about to hand to Luke.

With an indignant look and her hands on her hips, Rory turned to face
him.  “You never let me pay!  I can take care of myself, you know!”

“I never doubted your ability to pay for your own coffee.  I’m just
making up for all that time that I was a jerk to you.”

“Yeah, but you’ve done that already!  You spend enough on my coffee to be
able to send me through a year of college!”

“Well, I could do that too!”

Luke looked back and forth between the two bickering teens.  Finally
getting fed up, he yelled, “It’s on the house!  Now Go!”

The two looked at him, stunned, while Luke tried to maintain the menacing
look on his face.

“Aww…Luke!  You old softie!” Rory cooed.  

“I’m three seconds from taking that coffee away!”

“’Nuff said!”  She pulled Tristan towards the door of the diner as he
threw a thanks over his shoulder at Luke.

Watching the two run out, Luke wondered, “When is Rory going to realize
that guy’s crazy about her?”

As the two walked through the door of the Gilmore household, they found
Lorelai running down the stairs in a huff.  “Where is it?  Where is it!”
she yelled as she began spinning around in circles.  “Where did it
go?!?!”  

“Mom, if you’re looking for your tail, you gave it up after you kept
getting it caught in the door!”  

Lorelai stopped spinning.  “Ooh yeah!  Now I remember!  But no.  I’m
looking for that thing we like to call the telephone.  It was ringing a
second ago.  Where did we leave it last?”  

“Umm…I think between Cosmo September 2000 and October 2000.”  

“But I checked there already!”  

“Hmm how about between Glamour December 2000 and January 2001?”   

“Oooh.  Good thinking!….WAIT!  Stop everything!  You have coffee!  And
you didn’t get me any!!  Rory!” she whined, “My flesh and blood!  I went
through all those hours of labor for this?!?!”  

Tristan decided to interject before things got ugly.  If there was one
thing he had learned from his time spent with Rory, never keep a Gilmore
girl away from her coffee…well, not unless you had a death wish.  “Here
Lorelai, this cup’s for you.”  

Lorelai’s face lit up like a Christmas tree.  “You’re pretty!”  She took
the cup and bounced off into another room.  

Rory and Tristan looked at each other and laughed.  “Yep, you were
definitely hit with a pretty stick!”  

“Well that was rather emasculating!  So now, I’m gonna change, then we
need to start cracking.”  

At the mention of having to study, Rory started to whine and fell back
onto the couch.  “Don’t wanna!”  

“Come on, Rory,” he coaxed.  He held out his hands to pull her up and
accidentally pulled too hard.  Rory jerked forward falling against him,
and they felt shocks blaze through their bodies.  Quickly jumping apart,
they both said simultaneously, “I’ll go change now!” before quickly
darting away.  

End of Chapter 10
*****************************************************************