Rory rang the doorbell to the Dugrey's house and stepped back, waiting for a response. The house was large and imposing much like her grandparent's house. There was something different here, something colder.

Just as the door before her opened Lorelai appeared at her side.

�Damn shoe.� Lorelai lent more heavily to the left trying not to break the right heel completely. �Where is Luke when you need him?�

The maid standing before them smiled politely at them until Lorelai noticed that the door was open.

�Sorry, Hi, I'm Lorelai and this is Rory, Gilmore.�

�Certainly ma'am, come in.�

Rory pushed Lorelai over the threshold before she could react to the title and smiled at the maid as she closed the door behind them.

�The party is out on the back terrace, if you could follow me.� The maid led them out of the foyer and through a series of hallways until they reached a long room where the roof and three walls were made of glass. The room stretched the length of the house and looked out over the back yard.

Just outside there was an area of paving with tables, potted miniature tress and at least eighty impeccably dressed people. Beyond this a pool and further, grass and gardens. The pool was filled with the younger guests and while everyone over thirty was dressed to go to a ball, or Chilton party, the area around the pool was filled with casually dressed people in bathers, boardies and sarongs in a multitude of colours.

The maid led Lorelai and Rory along the room and out a set of open double doors. Once on the patio they were out in the warm sun and the maid left them with a slight bow.

A tall lady who might once have been a natural blond walked over to them. �Hello, I�m Cynthia Dugrey. Welcome to Tristan�s party. Can I get you a drink?�

�Lorelai and Rory Gilmore. No thank you. We are fine at the moment.�

�Ah, Emily and Richard�s daughter.� Mrs Dugrey�s attention left Lorelai and moved to Rory. �And you went to Chilton with my son.� Mrs Dugrey lent forward and placed a kiss on both Lorelai and Rory�s cheeks. �Well make yourselves comfortable. Are you going in the pool darling?�

�No, thank you.� Rory replied with a slightly forced smile.

�Okay, well I will be around. Emily and Richard aren�t here yet but make yourselves comfortable.� Mrs Dugrey smiled at them and walked away.

�Jiminy Crickets, she was three sheets to the wind and it�s only just turned eleven.�

�It�s after five pm in Australia.� Rory replied with a shrug as she looked around.

�Not the point babe.� Lorelai limped over to the garden bench next to the doors, which also sat slightly out of the sun.

�There�s Tristan I�m going to go say hello.�

�He�s hot, go get him.� Lorelai watched as Rory walked away from her towards the guest of honour.

Rory walked towards the tall, blonde man in deep green boardies standing beside the pool. She recognised Tristan easily even though it had been six years. She blushed when she remembered his last words to her. Back then she had wished that he had just kissed her. Now she didn�t know the man standing before her, and she knew he didn�t know her even as recognition lit his eyes and her stomach clenched oddly.

�Mary?�

�Six years and you still haven�t learned to call people by their real names? Tsk tsk.� Rory couldn�t help but smile at him.

�Just checking. Still go by Rory?�

�Makes it easier at Christmas.�

�Pardon?�

�No dispute over which presents are for whom.�

�And how is you mum?�

�Good, standing over there,� Rory pointed towards where her mum was sitting. Lorelai was lent forward in her chair, talking down to her feet � undoubtedly cursing her heel.

�So what have you been doing?� Rory asked attempting to distract him.

�Joined the army,� he replied laughing when Lorelai threw her hands up in frustration. �I served four years and would have continued but my father wants me to work for Dugrey Publishing. So I left.�

�Won�t you need a business degree?�

�Amazing what you can do while serving your country.�

�Apparently.�

�What have you been doing?� Tristan changed the subject; work wasn�t his favourite topic at the moment.

�Journalism degree. But I�ve changed my direction with that. I don�t want to report in foreign countries anymore.� She replied with a shrug.

�Why not?�

�More interested in being a big sister at the moment. Also, I couldn�t see myself leaving my family completely.�

�Big sister?�

�My mum�s pregnant. I had no idea that the hormones would make her even more insane.�

�If I may ask. Your dad?�

�No, he married Shelley years ago, they have two children � a boy and a girl. Mum�s married to our coffee man Luke. They are having a little flannelette.�

�Pardon?�

Rory blushed. �Just the name me and mum gave it. It doesn�t matter.�

�No. Please explain.�

�Luke always wears flannel. So well�yeah.�

Tristan smirked at Rory�s discomfort. �That makes sense.�

�So,� Rory said a little too boldly. �What is the party for exactly?�

�It was on the invitation.�

�We didn�t get ours, our mailman keeps losing mail. It�ll probably show up in a couple of months or opened at Taylor�s house.�

�How did you hear about the party then?�

�My grandparents.�

�Ah, well. It�s a welcome home party. Mother decided to invite all the people I went to Chilton with, some friends from military school and the army. The rest are their friends.�

�I know the type of party. How are you going?�

�Was bored. You are still fun to talk to. More fun to spar with but we can�t have everything.� Tristan smiled at her, and Rory took a sudden breath. �So you aren�t travelling the world telling us lowly people all the news, what are you doing then?�

�I run the �Stars Hollow Gazette� for the owner. He wanted to retire and so we came up with an agreement. In about a decade I�ll own it completely but until then I�m buying it. It�s going well, circulation is up and I love it. Plus the hours are very flexible.� Rory couldn�t keep the smile off her face as she talked about her paper.

�Rory?� a voice asked from behind. Rory turned and looked at Lorelai. �My shoe�s still broken. I need to do something about it.�

�Talking to it didn�t work?� Tristan�s earlier smirk now appeared to be permanent.

�Nope, can�t work it out. Always works with Betty.�

�Betty?�

�The toaster.�

�Right,� Tristan said glancing at Rory�s red face. �I can help if you like. Come with me.�

Tristan led Lorelai away from Rory and towards the house and shoe salvation.

Tristan led Lorelai into the house and towards the kitchen. She hobbled along behind him looking at all the knick-knacks scattered around the halls.

Tristan led her into the kitchen and she sat on a chair while he made his way to the odds and ends draw to get the super glue. He began to fix her heel, behind him he heard Lorelai hobbling along the tiled floor.

�Oh, coffee.� Lorelai�s squeal made Tristan smile.

�The decaf is on the right,� he threw over his shoulder.

�What?� Tristan didn�t hear the next click of her heel so he turned to her as he applied pressure to the join.

�Decaf, on the right. Regular is bad for the baby, isn�t it?�

�Damn Rory and her coffee nazis, at home it�s Luke and Rory, Luke has all his minions at the diner, Sookie has control of the coffee at work. I never get coffee and now you, a random man who used to tease my daughter and is fixing my shoe is giving me pregnancy advice. I want coffee.�

�If I turn around will you promise to go for the decaf and not the regular?�

�Of course.� Lorelai said with her most innocent smile.

Tristan turned and checked the seal. It was dry and would hold for a while. It wasn�t a permanent answer though. He turned back around when he heard a deeply satisfied sigh from behind him.

�The heel should last though the party but try not to put too much stress on it.�

�I love you. You get my first born.� Lorelai said taking the shoe.

�Rory?� he asked with a raised eyebrow.

�She�ll understand.� Lorelai finished the coffee, put her shoe back on and kissed Tristan on the cheek before strolling back to the party.

Tristan cleared away Lorelai�s mug, the glue and got himself a glass of water before he went to the window and stared out at the party guests � his party guests. His party? Ha. It wasn�t his party, it may be in his honour but it was for his parents. He could see his father conversing with two clients, his mother and her friends watching, not at all discreetly, anything male and under thirty.

He thought he had left this life. At military school and in the army his name, family, meant nothing. Everything depended on who you were within yourself and what you could accomplish off your own back. He hadn�t wanted to come back to this; he didn�t want to be that Tristan anymore. If he was truthful with himself he was scared, scared he would fall back on his old ways for protection. He was scared he would become his parents.

Tristan shook himself out of his stupor and put his empty glass in the sink. He shouldn�t feel sorry for himself; he�d be fine. He wasn�t the same anymore; he�d grown up, leaned how to be truthful to himself. He would be okay.

Rory walked over to Paris after Tristan left.

�Paris.�

�Rory. Hi, how have you been?� Paris lent over and gave Rory a short, friendly hug.

�Good, the paper�s doing well; circulation is up. How�s your Master�s degree coming along?�

�It�s coming. I just hit 10 000 words last week. I�m happy with how quickly it�s moving. It�s a lot of work but I have had more time to do it than I thought.�

�And how is Greg.�

At the mention of her husband�s name Paris� face lit up. �Oh fabulous. His new book is almost ready to be released. Oddly enough we�ve been working better since the wedding than before. I thought we�d be a little more distracted.�

�Distracted? Hmm.�

�Newlyweds and all.�

�I get it. Thank God for Greg, you are almost normal.�

�Funny.�

�What�s funny?� asked a tall man with brown hair and deep brown eyes. He slid his arm around Paris� waist and smiled at Rory.

�Hey Greg.� Rory smiled in greeting.

�Rory. How are you?�

�Good.�

�So, what�s funny?�

�It doesn�t matter.� Paris said as she looked up at her husband. �There�s mum, we�d best go and say hello.� The two walked away after saying their goodbyes, leaving Rory alone again.

�Rory, babe, I found coffee.� Lorelai plopped onto the garden bench next to Rory.

�Where?�

�In the kitchen, when Tristan, that fabulous man, fixed my shoe. So handy, so cute. By the way he gets you.�

�What?�

�He gave me coffee, so I gave you to him as payment.�

�Mum!�

�What? He�s cute. It won�t be that bad.�

�Mum. You just acted as my pimp, and I didn�t even get coffee. If I were a hooker I�d get a cut.�

�Why would you be a hooker?� Both women jumped at the sound of Emily�s voice behind them.

�No reason.� Lorelai said with a smile.

Rory stood and kissed both Emily and Richard on the cheek. �Just a joke.�

�Okay.� Emily said with suspicion. �Did you say hello to Tristan?�

�Yes grandma.�

�He fixed my shoe.� Lorelai said with a grin.

�What? Why did you get him to do that?� Emily�s face looked as it so often did where Lorelai was concerned, exasperated and shocked.

�He offered. Really it�s not like I tied him to a drawer until he did it.�

�No, just offered your daughter as payment.� Rory mumbled under her breath.

�I�m going to say hello to Janlen.� Richard said before disappearing.

Emily gave Rory a questioning look but she just took Emily�s arm. �Don�t worry. Let�s go get a drink. Mum, I�ll bring you one back.�

�Okay.�

Rory stood and left with Emily, leaving Lorelai sitting comfortably on the garden seat, surveying the guests and thinking of witty one liners to share with Rory later.

�How much longer do we have to stay?� Lorelai whined.

�Mum, we haven�t been here th-� Rory stopped speaking suddenly. The words trailing off into a low hum for a moment before all sound stopped.

Lorelai looked at her for a couple of moments before turning and following her intense gaze.

On the opposite side of the pool, the guest of honour was pulling himself from the water. Even at sixteen years his senior and happy with her scruffy man Lorelai couldn�t help watching him herself.

The water was trailing down his back, caught by gravity but moving along the planes of his muscles, the dips of his skin, the presence of bone beneath; all altering the water�s course. Down the valley of his spine the water moved, cascading around the raised pebbles trailing down beneath his shorts. The longs planes of muscles at his side were covered with small droplets of water while the tight muscles that flanked his spine still held moisture.

His shoulder blades moved outwards, flexing as he moved from the pool, forcing the water that still ran out of his hair to take a new path. As he moved, the muscles in his arms stood out in definition. It was enough to make a girl melt, and with a smile Lorelai realised her daughter was.

Rory�s eyes were glued to Tristan�s spine and a drop of water that had fallen from his hair that was slowly making it�s way down his body. Rory followed its path until it disappeared into the waistline of his boardies. He was completely out of the pool now and Rory sighed at the loss. He turned and Rory�s eyes fell on the line of light brown hair peeking out from beneath his cute belly button. Rory shook her head, belly buttons couldn�t be cute, she must have finally gone insane. But it was a cute belly button. Rory lifted he head but her eyes refused to follow, lingering on the tightly defined muscles of his abdomen. She finally got her eyes to move, her gaze sweeping over his lower ribs, as they moved with his breathing, over the gently defined muscles of his chest. She liked his collarbones, wanted to taste the hollow of skin between them. She let her eyes move up, over his full lips, his strong nose, his laughing blue eyes.

Rory�s face instantly flushed.

He was watching her, while she was checking him out. Oh, god.

Rory�s eyes dropped and she pressed her palms to her cheeks trying to cool the heated flesh. She kept her eyes glued to the grass at her feet and tried to ignore the bare feet that entered her field of vision.

�Would you like a closer look?� asked the mocking voice from above.

�Go away.�

�Bye,� Lorelai stood and gestured Tristan into her vacant seat.

�Mum!� Rory cried indignantly.

�Have fun.�

�Oh, I will,� replied Tristan. �You had quite a thorough look, so tell me, what did you like the best?�

�That you were over there.� Rory�s brain switched back on finally and she stopped cursing it.

�That�s not nice.�

�Can�t you just pretend that didn�t happen?�

�No.� Tristan�s reply made his mental laughter very apparent.

�I�m suddenly having high school flashbacks.� Rory raised her palm to her forehead in melodramatic pain.

�Yeah, except now you feel comfortable showing me that you want me.�

�How old are you?�

�Hey, you were the one checking me out.�

�Well, you are hot. Pity about the personality.� Tristan laughed and Rory couldn�t help smiling with him.

�So, how about I give you a call sometime and we could do some more catching up.� Tristan asked.

Rory dropped her eyes and fought the blush and smile that threatened. �Okay.�

�What�s your number?�

�Here�s a business card. I�ll put my home number on the back. I�m living with Mum and Luke while I find a place.�

�Okay.�

�I�ll talk to you later?� Rory tried to keep the hope out of her voice.

�Yeah. Soon.� Tristan stood and left Rory to her mental conversation.

Lorelai lent against the door to the little room next to hers that they were turning into a nursery. Rory was painting the room a lovely mellow, lime green. With the windows open Luke had given her permission to go no further than the doorway.

�Lookin good babe.� Lorelai said surveying the room.

�I love this colour.�

�And it�s Oprah�s favourite.�

�Ahh, the deciding factor.�

�So�what�s going on between you and Tristan?�

Nothing.� Rory was very glad to have her back to her mother, much easier to pretend that was the truth this way.

�Didn�t look that way.�

Rory had to get more paint. She took a deep breath and turned around confident she could respond without making a fool of herself. �I admit he�s more mature than he was but we are just friends.�

�More mature? Ha. You blushed, twice, during that sentence. You think he�s gorgeous, you want to date him, love him and marry him.�

�Mum, I realise you are insane but I didn�t blush.� Rory felt her cheeks flame again and knew that Lorelai was smirking in triumph. �Oh, shut up.�

Rory turned back to the wall just as the phone rang.

�I�ll get it,� Lorelai called as she disappeared down the stairs.

�Ro-ry. It�s Tristan Dugrey.� Lorelai bellowed up the stairs in her most sugarcoated singsong voice.

Rory swore softly to herself before she hurriedly dropped her roller and wiped her hands; it wasn�t safe to leave Lorelai on that phone. Just as she arrived downstairs she heard her say,

�See you then,� before handing the phone over.

�Hi Tristan.�

�Hey.�

Lorelai sat on the couch and made herself comfortable so Rory left the lounge room and went into her room.

�When will mum be seeing you?�

�Dinner, tomorrow night, there.�

�Ah, okay.� Rory was going to kill her mother.

�So, how�s it going?�

�Good, you?�

�Good.�

�What did you want?�

Tristan laughed. �Direct aren�t you? Well I was calling to see if you wanted to see a movie. But now I�m coming to dinner maybe we could watch one after that.�

�Um, yeah, okay.�

�Okay. Listen, I�m sorry but I have to go. I�ll see you tomorrow night.�

�Tomorrow, bye.�

�Bye.�

Rory listened to the dial tone for a moment before standing and opening the door. Lorelai stumbled into her room as the door opened.

�I am going to watch a movie with him after dinner tomorrow night. I do not want to hear it, I�m finishing the painting.�

Rory walked upstairs while Lorelai began chanting.

�You think he�s gorgeous, you are dating him, you will love him and marry him.�

Rory spent the rest of the day upstairs painting with the door closed while Lorelai cleaned downstairs.

Rory was still glaring at Lorelai when the doorbell rang the next night.

�I�ll get it.� Luke said pushing the oven door shut and walking out of the kitchen. Meanwhile, Lorelai showed her hurt through mime while Rory rolled her eyes and continued to glare.

Luke returned moments later with Tristan trailing behind looking half amused, half scared. Luke had given him the infamous �You hurt her I kill you and no one will find the body. I own a diner. Think fried green tomatoes bitch.� Rory looked at Lorelai and found her smirking back; their fight forgotten in their joy over Luke�s overprotective streak.

�Ladies, coffee for the hostess and more coffee for Rory.�

�Coffee? Good boy.� Lorelai stood and grabbed the bag her offered to her. �Decaf? Bad boy.� Lorelai sat back down pouting.

�Just try it.�

�Never!�

�Thank you Tristan.� Luke grabbed both bags of coffee and left Lorelai to pout at her guest.

Luke put the bags next to the coffee maker, checked the lasagne one last time and moved to the table where Tristan sat across from Rory and smiled at Lorelai.

�So, what are we eating?� Tristan said once Luke had sat down.

�Lasagne.� Luke replied as the girls had a silent conversation next to him.

�Sounds and smells delicious.�

Lorelai left her previous conversation and jumped into Luke�s. �Thank you.�

�You didn�t have anything to do with it.� Luke threw back.

�I did so, I brought the salad and the bread. Plus, my oven.�

�Which wasn�t even attached to the gas before I moved in.�

�No need to bring that up.�

Tristan smiled at the banter between them, it clearly showed their love and comfortability, and lacked the cold cruelty he was used to. The relationship was different from anything he had seen before. Thinking back to Chilton he remembered Rory always shocked him somehow, and now he realised why. He found himself staring at Rory but shook himself out of it when he noticed Lorelai staring at him.

�Okay we�re going.� Lorelai stood and grabbed Luke�s hand.

�What?!� Came Rory�s shocked reply.

�Lasagne�s ready to come out.� Luke said.

�We�re going to Sookie�s for dinner. Have fun sweetie. By Tristan.�

�Mother!�

Lorelai and Luke walked into the hallway and grabbed their coats.

�Bye,� Lorelai called before the door closed.

Rory slumped in her chair and looked at a smirking Tristan.

�Jeez, way to make a guy feel wanted.�

�It�s not that. Mum�s mind has been living in the gutter since birth but it�s worse now that she�s pregnant and she will not let tonight go for a very long time.�

�If it would help, I�m willing to give my body to fulfil her plans for this evening.�

�We haven�t seen each other in six years and you�re propositioning me? You really are a sex fiend.�

�Only sometimes.� Tristan replied with a devastating smile.

�What? When you�re breathing?�

Tristan laughed and Rory couldn�t stop the sound from making her heart beat skip. When Tristan laughed she felt like it made her breastbone vibrate. It had to be resonance, no one else had ever done that to her, he�d never done that to her before.

�So, dinner?� Tristan broke her out of her reverie when he stood and opened the oven door. He grabbed a folded tea towel from the counter and lifted the golden lasagne out of the oven and onto a wooden cutting board on the table. Rory stood and grabbed the salad from the fridge and a loaf of crusty bread off the counter. She put them all on the table and took a seat across from Tristan.

She served the lasagne, they had wine and bread and salad. When she was finished she sat again and as she relaxed Tristan picked up his fork and began the conversation.

�Tell me about your paper.�

Rory smiled and relaxed into the meal and the conversation. �The �Stars Hollow Gazette�. It�s the local paper and Mr Sackmann, the owner, has run the paper since he started it in the late sixties. The town had a paper before that but it stopped circulation in the fifties. Anyway, Max � Mr Sackmann, started the Gazette and had hoped that his son would take over but he decided to join the army instead. He served for a few years, I don�t remember how long exactly, but when he came back he married a woman from Hartford and became a car salesman. Max�s daughter worked at the paper but she left when she had children. She still writes for him and me sometimes but she works for her husband, he�s a dentist. She has three children and none are interested in the paper, there are all tradesmen, two plumbers and a carpet layer. Max�s son has two children, a dentist and a teacher and they have no real interest either.

�He didn�t mind until recently when his wife got sick and he wants to look after her. He knew I had finished my degree but that I wasn�t sure what I was going to do now. I always thought I�d want to report on world news from foreign countries but after I travelled a bit after college I decided I wanted to stay here. He offered the job and I accepted. I�ve never been happier, I didn�t realise this was what I wanted to do but I know it is. Oh God, I�m ramblings sorry, I�ll be quiet now.�

Tristan just smiled at Rory. Rory could see the amusement in his eyes, he was laughing at her.

�It�s interesting, keep going.�

�I think you might be mocking me.�

�Just a little.� Tristan smiled at her and Rory felt her temperature rise again. She grabbed her glass of water and chugged the last of it.

�Thirsty?� Tristan asked taking a sip of his wine.

�Yes I am thanks. So, what do we talk about now?�

�Finish telling me about the paper.�

�That�s a little boring.�

�No, please, I�m interested.�

�Okay. Well the paper goes out weekly. Since I took over I�ve added a few things, a couple of columns that sort of thing.�

�Explain.�

�My best friend Lane writes a music column for us that is kinda random. We can get four columns in a month or we can get none. She�s busy with her band and stuff but she still really enjoys it. The band is from around here so they get back and whenever she does she writes a longer story. She also does a travel column, whenever she travels to other countries or cool places she takes loads of photos and writes me about them. I then edit the information, compile it and we have a travel column. Miss Patty writes a gossip column, and Sookie shares recipes. There are some other ones but they are the main ones.�

�You have a gossip column in a local newspaper?� Tristan asked with a puzzled expression.

�More like a gossip section I suppose.� Rory replied with a shrug.

�But it�s a small town.�

�You don�t know Stars Hollow. Take tonight for example. Babette saw you come in, she would have called either Miss Patty or Taylor. Thus it begins, the Stars Hollow Gossip Tree. By now there would be an elaborate story concocted based on the information they would have, by now, found out about you. In fact tomorrow I will be inundated with phone calls from interested citizens. It will be in this weeks� column and people will be asking me about it until there is a new piece of news as big as this.�

�Hmm.�

�What?�

Tristan kept her waiting while he swallowed his mouthful. �I just find this very interesting.�

�Why?�

�Well my parents and their friends are terrible gossip mongers. But this is just fabulous and on top it doesn�t sound malicious.�

�It�s not. You get pretty used to it. I grew up with it so I�ve never known anything else. Plus it�s the best neighbourhood watch I�ve ever heard about.�

�Can I see you again?�

Rory choked on her wine, she began to cough so Tristan stood and refilled her water glass. He stood beside her and gently rubbed her back until the coughing subsided.

Rory sucked in a breath. Heat was soaking into her back from his hand and her throat and lungs hurt. �What?�

Tristan moved back around to sit in front of her. �I would like to see you again. A date. You and me, no parents leaving capturing you in an unwilling date. What do you think?�

�When?�

�I have a week of grace before I start work. How about lunch, this week.�

�Sounds fine.�

�Okay.� Tristan took a sip of wine and smiled at Rory.

�So tell me about your work.�

�The business was started by my grandfather when he was in his mid-twenties. Originally it juts produced books. He started with one printing machine and the other bits and pieces needed. Now we own a few publishing companies, some bookstores and a number of printing facilities.�

�Really? That sounds interesting.�

�A bit. But my father was always busy when I was a child and I don�t want to be like that. And printing machines are damned loud.�

�I know. We have a small one for the paper.�

�So, let�s talk about something else.�

Rory smiled and randomly picked a topic.

Later That Night

�This was fun.� Tristan said as he beeped his car open.

�Yes it was, so Wednesday at eleven?�

�I�ll be here.�

Tristan lent down and kissed Rory. Rory felt his lips press against hers. Her body became warm from the touch but before she could react Tristan had pulled away, smiled at her and sat in his car. When she came back to her senses she watched his lights disappear at the end of the street.

When Rory got to the door it opened before her. Her mother must have gotten home while she was saying goodbye to Tristan.

�You kissed him, did he taste like peaches?�

�Lorelai.� Luke called from the kitchen. �Leave her alone.�

�I�m going to bed.� Lorelai walked past her mum and into her room, closing the door in Lorelai�s face.

�Hmpf.� Lorelai said turning around. She walked over to Luke and slid her arms around his waist.

�Then stop tormenting her.�

�But, I�m her mum, it�s my job.�

�Yeah, yeah. C�mon let�s go to bed.�

�Dirty.� Luke ignored her and marched her up the stairs.

Rory answered the door and found Tristan standing before her holding two pairs of roller blades.

�What is this?�

�I thought it would be more fun than just lunch. Plus, I can see Stars Hollow.�

�But those�?�

�Roller blades. You're mum informed me that I had to be inventive if I was going to woo you. Therefore, I'm stealing a clich�.�

�Right move, wrong clich�.�

�Do you have something against roller blades?�

�If God had intended anything to roll then there would be an animal that had the natural ability, and outside Noddy no one can.�

�Come on. Half an hour isn't going to kill you.�

�It might.�

�It's roller blading not sky diving.�

�Fine.� Rory grabbed the blades out of Tristan's hands and stalked out the door, closing it as she went.

�Good.� Tristan chuckled and followed her out to sit on the porch steps to change his shoes.

�If I hurt myself I will have to hurt you.� Rory said as she pulled her laces tight.

�How?�

�I'm not sure at the moment but it will be suitably evil and painful.�

�Okay, come on.� Tristan pulled Rory to her feet and placed his hands around her waist when her feet began to slide from beneath her.

Rory cursed herself; by her age she should be able to resit blushing at a man�s touch. And yet, she could feel her face heat. She pushed his hands away and attempted to gain her balance using the back stoppers as much as she could without standing on her heels.

�That's good but in order to move you have to stand on the wheels.� Tristan told her with a smirk.

�Ha ha.�

Tristan ran Rory through a quick tutorial on how to move and then they set off. Tristan held Rory�s left hand while she attempted to grab air with the other. Rory found the motion surprisingly easy to master; years of sock skating on the kitchen floor had helped. Adrenalin pumped through her veins and, against her preconceived notions, she began to enjoy it. As they entered the actual town Tristan�s hold on Rory�s hand loosened.

They reached the area around the gazebo and Tristan let go of her hand entirely. He skated ahead and turned to watch her.

Rory skated a few more glides before she hit a slight incline. She felt herself gaining speed and couldn�t remember how to stop. She saw the gazebo ahead of her and in a glaring moment of terror she realised she was going to hit it.

�I can�t stop! I can�t stop. TRISTAN!� Rory screamed as the gazebo got closer.

Tristan saw the terror in her eyes and heard it in her voice. He felt fear for her well inside of him and before he knew it he was standing in her way.

Rory careened into Tristan, he stopped her forward motion but the collision knocked him on his arse. Rory landed on top of him and cursed herself when she thought about how good he felt.

�I need coffee.� Rory grumbled. Tristan chuckled from beneath her.

Verdana;font-style: normal'>Wednesday July 11th - 11:38am

Phone Call � Miss Patty to Babette.

Verdana;font-style:normal'>Miss Patty � She went to a funeral with him today. Verdana;font-style:normal'>Town Troubadour � That�s terrible. Verdana;font-style:normal'>Miss Patty � It means he likes her; he�s willing to let her see him cry. Verdana;font-style:normal'>Town Troubadour � Huh, I�ve never looked at it like that. Verdana;font-style:normal'>Miss Patty � Typical male!

Town Troubadour � Hey!

Miss Patty � She�s staying the night at his house, to comfort him.

Town Troubadour � Interesting.

Conference Call � Miss Patty, Taylor, Kirk, Town Troubadour, Babette, and The Mayor.

Miss Patty � Oh, think of how beautiful the children will be.

Babette � Perfect, I can�t wait.

Taylor � You�re getting a little ahead of yourselves there.

Kirk � What if they have a girl, another little Lorelai.

The Mayor � Good addition to the town.

Babette � Very, Tristan will make an excellent addition.

Miss Patty � They could get married at the Dragonfly, like Luke and Lorelai had planned before she dragged him off to Vegas.

Babette � He does look very handsome in a suit.

The Mayor � He will have to travel a long way to get to work.

Town Troubadour � What if they move to Hartford?

Taylor � Never

Miss Patty � No, Rory will want to stay, that�s why she�s running the paper.

Babette � But who will look after the paper when she�s on her honeymoon? When she�s pregnant?

Miss Patty � Max of course, Janette is doing so much better now.

Babette � Perfect.

The Mayor � Rather.

Tristan stopped the video and turned to Rory. �There�s something we need to talk about.�

�What?� Rory moved to look at Tristan, curling herself up on the couch.

�The army is recalling me.�

�What?� Rory sat straight up and looked and Tristan with disbelieving and pleading eyes.

�They need me to go over and train some of the new recruits. A lot of the older instructors are being given command posts and they need new people to do their old jobs.�

�Will you be fighting?�

�Possibly. Probably.�

�I don�t want you to go.� Rory slumped back down against the back of the chair.

�I don�t want to go either. But, I have to.� Tristan put an arm around Rory�s shoulders and held her close against him.

�I know. When?�

�Monday, just long enough to get my affairs in order.�

�Two days?�

�Yeah.�

�That�s not long enough.�

Rory felt tears well in her eyes but she fought them and smiled up at him instead. �Is this goodbye?�

�No, but I�m not sure how much time I�ll have this weekend.�

�So, this is goodbye.�

�It doesn�t have to be, you have me for the night.�

�It�s not long enough.� Rory looked down at his hand where it rested on the couch, she loved his hands. The skin was soft and she could see some of his bones and tendons when he moved. What if she never saw his hands again?

�Can I spend the night? Nothing has to happen I just� I�m not ready to say goodbye yet.�

�I don�t know what shampoo you use.�

�I don�t even know that.�

Rory sighed and snuggled her head in against his chest.

�Can I stay? I want more time to memorise you, I want to be able to picture you when I�m gone. I�m not sure if I�m coming back, I�m not sure of anything right now. But, I�ve fallen in love with you and now I don�t have enough time.�

Rory lifted her head and smiled up at Tristan. �You love me?�

�Of course I do.�

�It took you long enough to tell me.�

�I know. But I have now.� Tristan kissed the tip of Rory�s nose, causing her to giggle before he moved down and covered her lips with his own. Tristan never pushed, taking his time, memorising her, remembering her, doing everything he could to store this memory forever.

Rory pulled away from him with a goofy grin and stood. �I love you too,� she called back as she began to climb the stairs.

His hand slid along the curve of her back.

Her neck stretched back, allowing him to taste everything he wanted.

Her nails scraped down his back.

The taste of her filled his mind, leaving no thoughts for anything but her.

Her hand slid across his sweat-slick skin.

She trailed her fingers through the small trail of hair below his belly button that had so captivated her.

His tongue swirled around the darkened skin around her nipple.

Her teeth grazed his tender flesh.

Her mouth sucked at the skin of his shoulder blade, feeling the movement beneath, leaving her mark on top.

Her pulse beat against his skin.

Her tongue swirled over the pulse point between his collarbones.

He thrust up into her, pushing the breath straight out of her as she moaned out his name.

Her body fit to his, her breath mingled with his, as he tasted her salty skin.

Her top fell to the floor in a whoosh of air, as the air was expelled from his lungs at the vision before him.

His hands slid through her hair as her body was claimed in a kiss.

He lifted her body, pressing as much of himself against her as he could.

Her leg wound around his, her back arched and she screamed.

Her heartbeat returned to normal but she could feel him struggling to breath.

He could feel her all around him, he felt her everywhere. Her hands on his back, her heartbeat beneath him, her body holding him.

She tightened around him, he realised this was where he wanted to be. He was happy.

He rhythm matched his, her body matched his as he filled her.

He pulled his body off her, out of her. He slid to the side and curved his body to her, holding her close.

�I�ll be back.�

�I know.� Rory pushed her body move firmly against his and laced her fingers through his. Minutes later they were both asleep.