Title: Pride and Prejudice
Author: Laura
Rating: PG
Summary: Rory Gilmore thinks she finally has it figured out. She's back with Dean and is looking forward to a fun-filled summer with him and her best friend, Lane, in Stars Hollow. But when Tristan DuGray shows up and intrudes upon her life, she immediately thinks that her summer is ruined. But life proves otherwise.
Disclaimer: Based on the characters, settings and situations created by Amy Sherman-Palladino.

Chapter Nine: Altered States

Christopher gazes at Lorelai with a faint look of hurt and confusion as she disentangles herself from Luke's clearly loving embrace. Luke shifts away slightly from her as well, feeling uncomfortable even though he knows he has every right not to be.

"Christopher, hi!" Lorelai, gathers her wits, stands up and walks down the steps to meet him on the lawn. She puts on a large smile and decides the best way to make things normal is to act like they already are. "What are you doing here?"

"I didn't get my weekly phone call from Rory or you for the past two weeks, so I was worried something was up," Christopher explains, glancing up at the porch toward Luke, and not so discreetly either. Luke is now standing, watching the scene play out carefully, trying to get a read on the situation. Lorelai screws up her face, confused.

"You came all the way here just because we didn't give you a weekly phone call?" Lorelai asks, astounded.

"Two weekly phone calls. I was in New York on business. It didn't seem too out-of-this-world to just check and make sure things were okay," Christopher bends his knees slightly so he can look directly into Lorelai's eyes. "Are they?"

"Things are fine, Chris. We've just been busy," Lorelai turns and walks back up onto the porch. Luke moves toward her and Christopher, extending his hand toward Chris.

"Nice to see you again, Chris," Luke greets him with his usual gruff tone, and Christopher accepts his masculine handshake with a nod.

"You too...Luke," Chris pauses, searching for the name. "So, what exactly have you been busy with?"

"You could've just called my parents if you were really this worried," Lorelai points out before answering his question. She moves toward the front door and Luke opens it for her, going inside first and holding it open. "And we've been busy with a lot of things. The first of which being Tristan."

"Tristan?"

"Rory hasn't told you?"

"Told me what?"

"I should go," Luke bends over Lorelai's shoulder and whispers in her ear as she pauses in the foyer. Lorelai shakes her head, turning toward him.

"No, you don't have to go."

"You...have a lot to talk about," Luke replies and Lorelai makes a face at him.

"You don't want to be around while I fill Chris in on the Wonderful World of Rory?" Luke gives her a look that says he doesn't. She gives him a pleading puppy face in return.

"Chris, you hungry?" Luke looks at Chris, who is waiting for Lorelai to answer his original question.

"Famished, actually."

"There. I'll go make something for him to eat, Lorelai, and you tell him about the Ken doll." He kisses her on the cheek and walks to the kitchen, leaving Lorelai and Christopher alone.

"You really should call before just showing up like this all the time," Lorelai tells him as she walks past him into the living room. Christopher rolls his eyes.

"I wouldn't be here if the telephone seemed to be working for us," he points out. Lorelai plops down onto the sofa with an exhausted sigh and raises her eyes to him. "Why, you want a warning so you can hide the boyfriend from me?"

"Ha! I couldn't hide Luke if I tried, with all that plaid?" Lorelai jokes. "And why do you look so bent out of shape? It's not like I haven't told you that I was dating Luke."

"I know that," Chris shrugs, sitting down and changing the subject. "So who is Tristan?"

"Rory's new boyfriend."

"Excuse me?" Christopher is shocked. "What about Dean?"

"Dean has been replaced by Tristan. It's very recent, don't fatootz about it," Lorelai tries to smooth it over. Judging from the look on Chris' face, it will take a lot more than that.

"I can't believe I haven't heard about this."

"I told you about this kid, Chris. He's the one who got her the newspaper. And I know Rory definitely would've told you about that even if I hadn't."

"I just had no idea that Dean and Rory were on the rocks. She's dating this Tristan kid now?"

"Tristan DuGrey," Lorelai emphasizes the last name.

"DuGrey?"

"Yes, DuGrey."

"Well Richard and Emily must be enthused."

"Jumping for joy," Lorelai replies, nodding. "She really likes him, though. A lot."

"Well...that's a good thing, right?" Chris isn't too sure.

"Not likes him in a 1950's gee-golly way, Chris."

"I didn't think it was."

"You don't understand. This isn't like Dean. This is like you and me."

"You're not serious."

"She's all over him. It hasn't been a good few weeks with us," Lorelai frowns and Chris frowns deeper.

"You couldn't have found a minute to call and tell me this? Rory's gone hormonal over some guy and I'm in the dark about it? That's not fair, Lorelai." Lorelai is silent, biting back what she wants to say because she knows it will only result in trouble.

"I'm sorry, Chris. Everything's just been topsy-turvy around here lately and I haven't been thinking straight. I should've called and told you what was going on. It just didn't occur to me."

"It didn't occur to you," Chris repeats, unamused. "That hurts."

"Well, Chris, what can I say. When I'm having trouble, you're not the first person on my list to call. That's how it is."

"I'm Rory's father, that should not be how it is."

"Well whose fault is that? Cause it's not mine." Lorelai retorts snippily, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Chris sighs, closing his eyes for a moment.

"I didn't come here to fight, Lorelai."

"Could've fooled me."

"I don't want to rehash all this stuff. We've been through it too many times already. I don't think it's too much to ask to just be kept in the loop."

"Want me to call you if she gets a papercut?"

"Someday your sarcasm will really hurt someone, Lorelai," Chris replies, glaring at her. "You know what I mean here." Lorelai relents, loosening her arms.

"I know. And I appreciate you coming down here to check on us and all, I do. But you've got to understand that I'm used to do doing this on my own."

"That's what I've been told."

"Food is ready," Luke calls from the kitchen, interrupting their conversation. Chris stands slowly, offering Lorelai his hand and pulling her up off the couch.

"Just because you can do it on your own doesn't mean you have to. You've already more than proven yourself self-reliant. You can stop now." He follows Lorelai in to the kitchen, not having to look at her face to know she's rolling her eyes at him. Luke pulls out a kitchen chair for Lorelai and gestures to the one across from her. Christopher sits down and looks at the plate full of food in front of him. "Since when do you keep more than pop tarts and frozen pizza in the house?"

"That's my doing," Luke informs him. "If she had her way, it would just be coffee and instant meals. She had shoes in the stove."

"It was as good a place as any to store them," Lorelai retorts, smiling. "Now they're just all over my floor. You trip over them one more time and I'm sure you'll be begging for them to be back in the stove."

Rory's bedroom door opens and a slightly dazed and bed-mussed Rory stumbles into the kitchen light. Luke takes the mug of coffee that he was pouring for Lorelai and brings it over to Rory instead.

"We wake you up, Rory?"

"No," she mumbles, lying. "I was already awake. I heard cooking noises and smelled cooking smells and I thought maybe I was having a dream or had been abducted by aliens."

"Julia Child aliens?" Lorelai asks and Luke snorts.

"Naked Chef aliens," Rory corrects.

"Ah...good choice," Lorelai responds. Rory smiles at Luke graciously as she sips the coffee and then looks past her mom, noticing her father.

"Dad? What are you doing here?" She can't keep the surprise off her face. After a moment in which his presence actually registers in her brain, she crosses the kitchen and throws her arms around his neck, kissing him on the cheek. "Is everything all right?"

"It is now," he tells her, squeezing her lovingly. "I came up here to ask you guys the same thing. You forget how to use the phone there, little lady?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Rory is genuinely apologetic. "You didn't come all the way up here just because I forgot to call this week, did you?"

"Two weeks. And your mom didn't call either."

"Mom, you too?"

"My mind was elsewhere, I'm sorry," She throws up her hands in her own defense and stands up, going to get a replacement cup of coffee for the one Luke had given Rory. He's already ahead of her, and places one into her hands before she takes two steps. Nevertheless, she remains standing next to him.

"What's this I hear about a new boyfriend?" Chris inquires, raising an eyebrow at Rory. She pulls herself from his embrace, shooting her mother a look.

"You couldn't have at least waited until morning?"

"You're the one who got out of bed, dear...you were safe," Lorelai tells her.

"You can fill me in tomorrow over breakfast if you want," Chris suggests. "You and I could go out, do a little talking. I feel like I haven't seen you in forever."

"Sounds nice," Rory nods with a small smile. She picks up his fork and steals a bite of his food. "That will give Luke a morning off from cooking for me."

"He'll still cook for me, dearie, don't go giving him any mutinous ideas," Lorelai interjects. Luke wraps an arm around her shoulders and gives her a look.

"Rory is a growing girl and I have to work fast to undo the damage you've done by injecting her with coffee since the age of 2. You've probably stunted her growth. The damage is already done with you," Luke points out.

"You saying I'm damaged?"

"In many, many ways," Luke retorts with a smirk and Lorelai pretends to be offended.

"Thanks so much."

"You're welcome. Now I better get going," he nods to Christopher and makes toward the door, ruffling Rory's hair on the way past. "G'night, Rory. Good to see ya, Chris." Lorelai scurries after him, following him out onto the porch. Seconds later she sticks her head back into the kitchen.

"I'm going to walk Luke home," She says. "You two can have some time to talk amongst yourselves."

"That's what we're doing tomorrow morning," Rory points out, eager to give her mom a hard time.

"Well, you can pre-chat. That way you'll be all warmed up for tomorrow."

"If you're gone more than twenty minutes I'll assume you're doing something wrong and come after you," Rory remarks and Lorelai comes very close to glaring at her.

"You should go back to bed," she states and then walks out the door. Christopher gives Rory a questioning look.

"What was that about?"

"I'll tell you tomorrow," she steps toward her bedroom in the moment of silence that follows, not wanting to have to explain Tristan to her father tonight.

"Rory?" His voice stops her.

"Yes?" She turns back meekly, expecting the Inquisition.

"Your mom and Luke...are they serious?"

Rory can tell from the tone of his voice and the look on his face that she couldn't pass this off with a glib remark or quip. She takes a step back toward him with a small nod.

"Yeah, they're pretty serious."

Chris puts his napkin over his plate, his food barely touched.

"That's what I thought." He doesn't bother to hide his sigh and Rory falls quiet again, not knowing what to say to him.

"I'll see you in the morning?"

"Yep, in the morning, kiddo."

Christopher's eyes follow Rory until she disappears into her bedroom, and then linger on her closed door. He sighs deeply once more, glancing around the now empty kitchen. He had never felt like a stranger in this house before. It had always seemed like home to him, no matter how long he stayed away. And now, suddenly...he didn't belong.

*******

"Hey..." Tristan's lips graze her ear as he leans in toward her. The smell of his cologne, sexy and comforting all at once, washes over her and sends a shiver up her spine. She breathes in deeply and then turns around to face him, letting her envelope her in his arms.

"Hi," she smiles, eagerly touching her lips to his.

"Your bus is early today," he murmurs as they pull away, glancing back toward the bus from which Rory had just disembarked. She nods.

"We've got a speed demon for a bus driver, that's why. You're lucky I'm still in one piece, Mr."

"Maybe I should give you a ride home today. It'd be safer."

"Nice excuse," Rory replies, clasping his hand in hers and tugging him toward the school. He shakes his head no, pulling her back toward him and kissing her deeply.

"Can't we just stay out here for awhile? I can't kiss you the way I want to in the hallway," he smirks and Rory shoots him a sly look.

"I'm supposed to meet Paris before class to go over the notes for English, you know that."

"You can look at my notes..."

"You take notes?" Rory laughs. "Is that what you call those random things you write down whenever the whim strikes you?"

"Hey, I take good notes. You're making assumptions."

"All right then, I'll look at them," Rory states and Tristan's smirk breaks into a grin. "That's what I thought."

"You can't get the notes during lunch?" Tristan pleads, kissing the delicate spot where her jawline meets her neck. Rory's eyes flutter closed involuntarily and she gives into him for a moment. Gaining some willpower, she pushes him away slightly, trying to look stern.

"Really, I have to go inside," she tells him, but lets him kiss her again anyway. A student driving into the parking lot honks his horn at them and Rory pushes Tristan away once more, this time for good. "I'm going now!" She turns on her heel and heads toward the school. After a moment of disappointment Tristan dashes to catch up with her, grabbing her hand in his.

"What are you doing today after school?"

"Meeting Lane for coffee and then eating dinner with my dad and my mom."

"Your dad?" Tristan questions. Rory nods.

"Yep. Showed up last night, freaking out cause we hadn't called him in two weeks."

"Wow."

"Yeah, it was odd. But I guess he's going to stay for a few days, he doesn't have to be back at work until Monday or something."

"Can I meet him?" Rory stops in her tracks, looking at Tristan with surprise.

"You want to meet my dad?"

"Why are you so surprised?" Tristan asks. "I mean, I've never even seen him before..."

"He's not around that much."

"I know," he says as he opens the school door for her. "Which is why I think I should take the opportunity while I have it."

"Okay, but not tonight."

"Cause of dinner with your grandparents?"

"My grandparents are out of town for the weekend."

"Oh."

"I think my dad just wants to be with me and mom, alone."

"What about Luke?" Rory pauses at this question, a look passing over her face that tells Tristan something isn't quite right. "Your dad knows about Luke, right?"

"That's the problem." They stop in front of her locker and Rory looks up at him, worry creasing her brow. "I don't think he thought anything of it when my mom told him about dating Luke. He probably thought it'd be a passing thing like all the other guys before."

"And now he realizes it's not, huh?" Tristan leans against the lockers, sighing. He rubs his thumb across his eyebrow and then puts his hand on Rory's shoulder. "If it's got you worried already, I take it this is going to be a problem?"

"I just...I think they've both always thought that someday...I mean I thought that too. There'd be a time when it'd be right for them, eventually. But now, my mom's got Luke and she doesn't think that that's true."

"Do you?"

"Not anymore." They're both quiet for a moment. "My dad's going to be crushed."

"Losing a Gilmore would suck," Tristan agrees, trying to bring at least a little smile back onto Rory's face. "I'd be shattered into a million pieces if you were with some other guy." He kisses her gently and finally the corners of her mouth tug upwards into a hint of a smile.

"That'd never happen."

"You being with someone else?"

"You being so upset. You'd probably hook up with the first thing you saw with breasts and be over it by lunch," Rory teases. Tristan scowls at her.

"You really break my heart, you know that?"

"I was just kidding. I know you're serious," Rory lifts her hand to turn the combination on her locker but Tristan covers her hand with his. Rory's insides jump as he presses close, his body hot against hers.

"Good, because I'm very serious," Tristan tells her, tilting her chin upwards as she turns around. He presses even closer and Rory willingly lets him do so.

"Very serious?" She repeats, an overdramatic expression of sterness on her face. Tristan matches her look as he dips his head downward.

"*Very* serious," he responds. Rory circles her arms around his neck and accepts him into her mouth, her fingers twisting through his soft blonde hair. Someone coughs next to them, presumably Mary, for it is her locker they are now up against, but Tristan seems to give her no notice, and for once Rory doesn't care that much either.

"You know, I *will* get the fire extinguisher and then you'll be sorry," Paris' voice cuts in and Rory pulls herself away from Tristan, breathless. Clinging to each other, they turn toward Paris, who is standing with Mary, and give them both embarassed smiles.

"Sorry," Rory murmurs and she and Tristan shift down to her locker. Mary opens up her locker, shooting Rory an amused look. "Sorry!" Rory half-exclaims to her, blushing.

"Nothing to be sorry about," Mary winks. "Though I think the two of you really need to get a room." Rory blushes even more deeply and despite himself, Tristan can feel his own cheeks get warm. Mary grabs her books and shuts her locker, heading off toward class. Paris takes her place.

"As nice as it is that you two are getting along so famously now, I believe that Rory and I have some business to attend to." Tristan opens up Rory's locker for her and then steps aside. Paris watches Tristan as he watches Rory, finding it hard to believe that this was the same Tristan she had always known.

"All right, I'll see you two ladies in a bit," Tristan excuses himself as Rory finishes gathering her things. He gives her a quick departure kiss and heads toward his own locker. Paris' eyes shift to Rory, who can immediately feel the judgement coming.

"What?"

"Nothing. It's just I never pictured you as the type to be doing a live performance of 9 1/2 Weeks against your locker, that's all. Especially considering we used to make fun of Summer and Tristan doing the exact same thing last year."

"It was not 9 1/2 Weeks and we were only kissing," Rory defends herself.

"Sure."

"What? I mean, he's my boyfriend, are we not allowed to kiss?"

"Well actually, PDA's are banned in school, so, in reality, you're not," Paris points out. "But that wasn't really what I was getting at."

"What exactly *were* you getting at?" Rory inquires.

"Just that you're acting differently, that's all," Paris shrugs, innocently. "It wasn't a judgement, just an observation."

"Paris, with you, everything is a judgement," Rory states as they enter the library.

"I don't have time to argue the point. We have ten minutes before first period. Let's make them count." She sits down and opens up her bag, pulling out her thick English binder. Rory sighs and plops down across the table, knowing it was no use to pursue the topic any further.

*******

Luke fidgets with the bedspread as he sits, waiting for Lorelai to finish primping for dinner. She makes a face at her reflection in the mirror, pursing her lips once to check her lipstick and liner, and then turns to him.

"How do I look?"

"Can't you wear something else?"

"Excuse me?"

"Don't you have something...more...I don't know...frumpy?" He stumbles while searching for the correct word, but his pleading eyes tell Lorelai more than words could. She puts her hands on her hips and gazes at him, slightly amused.

"You're worried about Christopher, aren't you?"

"I'm not worried about anything," Luke replies.

"Then you want me to dress like an uptight school marm...just because?"

The room is silent for a moment and Lorelai waits expectantly.

"Okay, so maybe I'm a little worried," Luke gets up and crosses to the door, feeling incredibly uncomfortable. "It's not like it's so out-there to be worried."

"Luke..." Lorelai walks after him, putting her hands on his shoulders comfortingly and turning him around gently. "Luke, there's nothing for you to be concerned about, really. It's just dinner."

"Lorelai, he's Rory father. I know what you've always thought about the two of you and..."

"What have I always thought?" Lorelai asks quizzically.

"You know...that the two of you would eventually...be together..." Luke mumbles, frowning. He tries to pull away from Lorelai but she doesn't let him, lacing her fingers behind his neck and holding him closer.

"Yes, Luke, I thought that. Once upon a time," she states, smiling faintly. "But now...now I have you! And I don't want that to change for anything. Ever."

"But-"

"Chris is Rory's dad. So he'll always be around. If you want to get jealous over his claim to her, go ahead. Rory's worth getting jealous over. But me?" She smiles widely now, putting her hand on Luke's unshaven cheek. "I'm yours. 100% yours. So you better hope you never get sick of me."

"I wasn't jealous..." Luke responds and Lorelai laughs, patting her hand against his broad chest.

"Oh, quit being macho and just go with it. You're cute when you're jealous."

"Yeah?" He raises an eyebrow, a grin playing at the edges of his lips.

"Yeah," Lorelai replies, letting him bring her close for a sweet kiss. Small, short kisses act as a prelude to longer, deeper ones, and minutes later Lorelai is wrapped tightly in Luke's embrace, completely lost to the rest of the world.

"Mom! Dad's here!" Rory's voice calls from downstairs, bright and chipper. Lorelai groans as she pulls herself regretfully away from Luke, rolling her eyes.

"Damn, just when it was getting good," she mumbles, bending down to pick up her high heeled shoes from the floor. She turns back to Luke and pokes him in the chest as she backs out her bedroom door into the hallway. "You better be around tonight so we can finish that."

"Well I conveniently have some things I want to fix in the kitchen tonight so that can be arranged."

"Oo, it's a two-for-one night, huh? What are you fixing in the kitchen?"

"I thought I'd tackle fixing the settings on the toaster first and then repair the light in the stove, and then move on from there."

"You're a regular Bob Vila. Yet so much hotter," Lorelai smirks at him as they trod downstairs. "You're going to fix stuff I never even knew was broken."

"Yeah, Luke? One of the shelves in my bookcase is about to cave...could you maybe take a look at it sometime and see if it can be saved?" Rory chimes in as the pair steps down into the living room.

"I'll take a look. It probably just needs a little reinforcing," he nods, shrugging.

"That way she can pile even more books onto it, right, Ror?" Chris nudges her and she smiles. "We really should just get you another bookcase."

"Ah, hell, she can just have mine, I don't use it!" Lorelai laughs, grabbing her cardigan from the arm of the couch. "Are we all set to go?"

"All set."

"I feel lucky to be escorting such lovely ladies out this evening," Chris states, looking between the two of them as they move to the foyer.

"Well that's cause you are lucky," Lorelai says, turning quickly to give Luke a kiss good-bye. "I'll see you later."

"Bye Luke!" Rory chirps as her father holds the door open. Luke doesn't miss the hand that Chris sets on Lorelai's lower back to guide her out the door.

"Bye," Chris nods to Luke, who gives him a stern nod back. The door closes and Luke is left to wait for their return.

*******

"So, Ror, why couldn't Tristan join us this evening?" Chris asks as the waiter sets to pouring a second round of wine.

"Oh...I thought that tonight was just the three of us. He actually wanted to come and I told him no..." Rory winces.

"Oh, you could've invited him if you had wanted to. I didn't mean that tonight was exclusive," Chris responds. "I want to meet this guy, with all you told me about him this morning."

"Yeah, you two have a nice breakfast this morning?"

"It was nice," Rory replies. "Though Al's is no Luke's. Tristan does want to meet you, though, Dad, he said so. Maybe later this weekend we could do something?"

"Sure, that sounds good. I can take you two kids out. I'm sure Tristan would like a break from paying for your coffee," Chris winks. Lorelai rolls her eyes slightly.

"They haven't actually done much of the dating, actually, so I doubt Tristan's quite broke yet," Lorelai states and Rory shoots her a look. Lorelai paints on a fake grin and Rory turns back to her father.

"I also still need to see a copy of this paper I've heard so much about."

"Oh, yeah, I'll get you out all the editions when we get home," Rory nods. "It's not anything much, really, you might be disappointed."

"Never. I'm sure it's fantastic. You've always been way too modest."

"It is fantastic," Lorelai agrees and Rory blushes slightly.

"And you, Lorelai, how is work going for you?" Chris asks.

"Oh, just the same old, same old. Been thinking about taking some of my vacation time, actually."

"Really?"

"Really?" Rory echoes her father.

"Yeah, maybe just a week or so. I haven't had a vacation in a long time."

"Are you and Luke going to go away?" Rory asks and Chris' face shows his hurt before he can mask it.

"I was thinking about it. But I don't know if now would really be the best time to leave town," she tells her daughter pointedly.

"So you and Luke..." Chris starts, then seems to change his mind about what to say. "You two seem to be doing well."

"That we are," Lorelai smiles earnestly, picking up her glass of wine. "I never would've guessed it but that big grunting hunk of plaid is practically perfect."

"Like Mary Poppins," Chris quips, somewhat sarcastically.

"If Mary Poppins were a man," Rory adds.

"Bad imagery," Lorelai shudders, and sets down her glass.

"It's interesting, cause Rory said the same thing about Tristan," Chris turns the conversation back to Rory again. She shirks back in her seat, not really wanting her father to relay every word of their conversation.

"She called him Mary Poppins?"

"No, practically perfect," Chris chuckles. Lorelai throws a glance at her daughter.

"Oh, she did...well, he is quite...something," Lorelai states, not sure what to say. "Say, Ror, how's school going, by the way? You haven't said much."

"We haven't been talking much," Rory replies honestly and Lorelai is a bit taken aback. "But it's fine. Paris is being nicer to me now that I'm with Tristan so we're helping each other out a lot, with notes and stuff."

"Wait, she's being nicer?" Christopher asks. "I thought the whole reason she was being mean to you was because of Tristan."

"It seems she really just wants him to be happy, and thinks that now he's the happiest he's ever been so...yeah," Rory shrugs. "It works out well." She pauses, not sure what else to say. "But what about you, Dad? You haven't said a word about yourself all night."

"Yeah, Chris, how's work? And how's the current girl?"

"Work is...work. Business is going well, but you know me, a little restless. But we're starting up with a new client next week so things ought to get a little more interesting. And as for the current girl...there isn't one. Been taking some time off from the whole dating thing."

"Wow, that's a first," Lorelai jokes. "You've already dated everyone in the office?"

"No, that's not it," Chris grins, a tinge of bitterness in the smile. "I'm just not in in the mood to deal with all of that anymore." He looks at Lorelai in a way that makes her immediately uncomfortable, in a way that doesn't escape Rory's attention. She glances between her parents and Lorelai fidgets nervously with the napkin in her lap. Chris looks away, sighing.

"I have to use the ladies room, I'll be right back," Rory stands, excusing herself before her mother can protest. Lorelai looks at Chris and gives him a tight and nervous smile. More silence.

"This is weird, Chris."

"What is?"

"Sitting here, racking my brain for something to say. I've never had to do that with you. We've never not been able to talk before."

"I know."

"So, then, I'll stop pretending not to notice the strange vibe that's been in the air since you've gotten here," Lorelai states, gesturing between them. "You want to tell me what's going on, Chris?"

"Nothing's going on," Chris responds, picking his napkin up off of his lap and setting it on the table.

"That's a lie," Lorelai states knowingly. Christopher shrugs, giving into her since he knows better than to resist.

"Everything just feels off to me."

"Off? In what way?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know, or you don't know if you should say it?"

"Lor..."

"Chris."

"It's strange to see you with him, all right?"

"Him? You mean Luke."

"Yes, Luke. I guess I wasn't expecting it," he sighs, glancing up at her. Lorelai frowns.

"I've kept you well-informed as to what's been going on here, Chris, you can't pull this."

"Pull what?"

"The "now she's with someone else so I want her" routine. You can't do it."

"That's not what I'm doing."

"Then what are you doing?"

"I don't know," He states. "I...When I see how you look at him it makes me want to tear my heart out." Silence falls between them as Lorelai registers what he has said. "I didn't...I didn't think that you would wait around for me forever, Lor, I didn't. I've been trying to get my act together, to get my life in order...I'm almost there. And suddenly you're...gone."

"Wow...Chris..." Lorelai pushes her chair back from the table, feeling claustrophobic. "That's...you can't make me feel guilty for moving on. That's not fair."

"I'm not trying to make you feel anything."

"Because you're right. I couldn't wait around for you forever. I waited around for 16 years. I think that was more than long enough."

"And it was," Chris sighs. "And I regret that everyday, that I couldn't be who you needed me to be. But I am that person now. And I'm asking for another chance."

"Wait, what? You're asking for what?"

"Lor..."

"I need some air," Lorelai sets her napkin on the table and stands, walking out of the restaurant. Chris follows her, upset.

"Lorelai!" He calls after her, busting out the front door of the restaurant and glancing up and down the street for her familiar form. She is only a few meters away, leaning against a streetlamp. "Lorelai..."

"Chris, you can't do this. You can't waltz back in here and expect me to simply fall at your feet. It doesn't work that way."

"I know."

"This isn't high school anymore."

"I know that."

Lorelai pauses, running her hand through her hair. She is frazzled and upset, near tears.

"Luke was worried about this. And I told him not to. Boy was I wrong."

"Lorelai..." Chris steps toward her, wanting to take her in his arms and comfort her. She pushes him away before he even touches her.

"Don't, Chris. We should go back inside, Rory's going to wonder where we are." Without another word, Lorelai turns and heads back, leaving Chris behind.

*******

Rory walks toward the ladies room, but stops well before it. She digs a quarter out of the change pocket of her purse and picks up the pay phone. Sliding the quarter in, she dials the number without thinking.

"Hello?"

"Hey, you're home. I didn't know if you would be."

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"It's Friday. You have a life."

"I thought I'd be a loser tonight and just sit around waiting in case you called. I'm glad you did."

"Bored out of your mind?"

"Yep," Tristan laughs. "I've watched Field of Dreams twice already."

"Why?"

"They played in twice in a row and I just didn't feel like changing the channel."

"You're so lazy!"

"Well my thoughts kept going elsewhere anyway," he replies, his voice dipping lower. "I can't concentrate on a movie."

"Why?" Rory asks innocently, biting her lip.

"Don't tease, Ror," Tristan replies, chuckling.

"You're the one teasing," Rory retorts. "Bringing up your thoughts and then not divulging the details."

"Why don't you come over and I can show you?" Tristan suggests. Rory laughs lightly.

"Well, you know,I would, but I'm in the middle of dinner."

"You're still at dinner?"

"We left later than we thought."

"How's it going?"

"Strained."

"Sorry."

"I think my dad's just a little upset about Luke and he's trying to cover it up."

"Not successfully?"

"It's very awkward," Rory sighs, glancing toward the dining room. She can't see their table from here. "But he does want to meet you before he goes back."

"Your mom didn't scare him away?"

"I think she just piqued his interest more."

"So when do you want to do it?" He asks, then they both pause. "Have me meet him, I mean."

"I was thinking tomorrow night. He'll probably leave Sunday night so..."

"That works by me. My parents are having an awful dinner party here so any excuse to get out, I will gladly take."

"Excellent. I think my time's almost up here - I'm on a pay phone - so I'll call you tomorrow and we can work it out?"

"Yep."

"Kay."

"I'll talk to you later, then."

"All right."

"Good night, I love you."

"Bye, love you too," Rory says as she hangs up. The phone clicks into the receiver and she stops dead, staring at it. She hadn't even heard her own words slip out, they hadn't registered. They just went immediately, naturally. She's tempted to borrow a quarter from someone, pick up the phone and call him back, wanting to double check if she'd heard him and herself right. She picks up the phone and sets it back down, reconsidering.

With a faint smile, she goes back to join her mother and her father.

*******

"You what?" Lane almost spills her coffee, her hands immediately slamming down into the table in shock. A few people look toward their table with interest and Rory gives Lane a warning look. She shirks back sheepishly. "Sorry. You what?" She asks more quietly. "How could you not have told me this?"

"Well, we haven't had much time alone to talk lately, between your mom and my mom," Rory explains. "I couldn't just blurt it out." Rory glances around, still feeling eyes on her. "Let's walk and talk." She gestures toward the counter and they pick up their large mugs. "Can we make these to go?" She asks Luke, who nods.

"Sure thing." He skillfully transfers the coffee to paper cups and lids them, sliding them back across the counter to the pair with a smile.

"Thanks, Luke," Rory tells him. "I'll see you later?"

"Later, kiddo," he makes a small gesture of good-bye as they head for the door. Lane grins at Rory as they step out into the bright afternoon sunlight.

"Since when has Luke started calling you kiddo?"

"Occasionally it just slips out," Rory replies, smiling herself. "I don't mind it."

"It's cute."

"Don't tell Luke that, he'll die," She warns Lane and takes a sip of her coffee. "Oo, oh. I got yours." She hands it to her quickly and then takes a sip of her own coffee, desperate. "I don't know how you can stand all that stuff in it."

"I don't know how you do without."

"All it does is strip away the coffee-ness of the coffee, Lane. You have to get it full blast."

"If you say so," Lane laughs. They cross the street and after checking around herself to make sure no one important is around, Lane turns to Rory with a determined look. "So, divulge details here. I'm totally left in the dark about this stuff."

"Well you know that night that I went to his house?"

"Rory, everyone knows about that night. Your mom called half the town."

"Right." She pauses and Lane reads into it.

"I thought you said nothing happened. I mean, I assumed you meant nothing as in nothing besides kissing but now I'm thinking that when you said nothing happened you really meant something did that you just didn't want to tell your mom about. Oh my god. You didn't, did you?"

"Lane, no!" Rory exclaims. "I would've told you that right away. After I told my mom, even though she'd lock me up forever afterward."

"So what did happen?"

"Um..." Rory takes Lane's hand and hurries to the nearest place to sit, that being one of the park's benches. "Well..."

"Rory...!" Lane is dying in anticipation. Rory leans forward and whispers something into Lane's ear and her mouth widens in surprise. "He did what? Rory!" She draws back and looks at the best friend, agape. "Oh my god!"

"I don't know...I mean, we were kissing by the side of the pool, in the chair, and then we were more than kissing, and...then..." Rory makes a face, not wanting to fill in the last blank out loud.

"I can't believe this. How was it...?" Lane raises her eyebrows suggestively.

"Lane...!" Rory blushes deeply.

"What?" Lane asks innocently.

"I don't know. God, I feel so wrong talking about this. It doesn't seem like it's something to be talked about...but I had to tell someone! I mean...I don't know what's going on with me, Lane."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I can't stop thinking about sex. It used to cross my mind every once in awhile with Dean, but it was a passing thing. With Tristan...I'm in class and I'm thinking about it, on the bus, I'm thinking about it...at dinner, at the inn, even when I'm with my grandparents I'm thinking about it. I can't stop! I can't even look at him without wanting to. It's so overwhelming. It seems so strange."

"How is it strange?"

"It just is, I don't know."

"Isn't it normal? I've only just really started dating Henry and I think about it. It's not like I'm anywhere near actually *doing* anything, but I think about it. Everyone does."

"Except I'm not just thinking anymore. I might want to actually do this, Lane." Rory states.

"You might want to?"

"I do."

"You do."

"Tristan and I haven't really had a serious talk about it yet, but I really think I do."

"Oh my god, you do!" Lane exclaims, the concept finally hitting her. "Oh my god. Are you going to tell him?"

"I haven't thought it out that far yet," Rory admits. "I'm just trying to wrap my mind around the fact of it. I don't know how I'm going to tell my mother."

"You're going to tell Lorelai? She'll never let you see Tristan again!"

"And if I don't tell her? She'll find out. She'll know. And then it will be even worse. She'll be crushed that I didn't tell her."

"This has disaster written all over it," Lane shakes her head, not so sure that Rory is making the best decision. "Your mom is cool, Rory, but we'd both agree that the past week has shown she's not *that* cool."

"I know. But it's a risk I have to take. We tell each other everything. She'll be so hurt if she ever knew I was keeping something so huge from her, and she'd end up distrusting me even more," Rory explains rationally. They are both quiet. Rory plays with the edge of her shirt, contemplating something. "Last night on the phone, I said I loved him."

"Rory! Is there anything *else* you are holding back?"

"It just came out! He said 'goodbye, I love you,' like the most natural thing in the world, and I said, 'bye, love you too.' Just like that. I didn't even realize it until after I hung up."

"Are you really in love with him?"

"I'm feeling so many things, I can't tell them all apart. You're just supposed to know, right?"

"Supposedly."

"And I feel that way. I feel like, god, I just *love* him, like, whenever I think about him, I just feel it...but then I think about the fact that I thought I loved Dean, and this doesn't feel like that did, and...I don't know. Is this making any sense?"

"Kind of."

"I'm just so...everywhere right now."

"Is there anything I can do to help you?" Lane inquires, not knowing where to take the conversation from here.

"Actually...I do need you to do me a favor," Rory states, looking instantly apologetic.

"What?" Lane asks, arching an eyebrow suspiciously.

"I need you to go into the market for me and make sure that Dean isn't there. Or Miss Patty."

"Why?" Lane asks, confused not about the Dean requirement, but the Miss Patty.

"Because I feel like I should be prepared. In case something happens," Rory explains. "But I would really prefer not to have it advertised over town. And I would really, really, prefer to have Dean not know about it."

"Shouldn't Tristan be the one to take care of protection? It'd be so easy for him to do this in Hartford. Away from this town. Far, far, away from this town."

"Lane, it's not fair for that responsibility to be just his. It's just as much my duty to be prepared as it is his. And that's why I was asking you to check for me. Would you please?" Rory pleads.

"Why can't *you* buy them in Hartford?"

"When? When I go there on Fridays with my *mother* for dinner? Or maybe I can ditch class and go to the pharmacy to buy them then? I can't, Lane."

"Can't someone else get them for you?"

"I thought about asking Louise or Madeleine..." Rory starts, then sighs. "But they'd tell everyone. And I don't really want my life to be up for public debate in the lunch line."

"What about Mary?"

"Lane!" Rory exclaims, frustrated, then calms down. "I just think that this is an important thing to do by yourself. And this is the only way to do it. I just figured I'd have you take a look first so no one has to get upset about this. Is that so wrong?" Lane waffles slightly, then gives in.

"Okay. But then I'll have to go. My mom sees or hears about me even being five feet near the condom section and I'll be locked up for a year. Or two. Or three."

"Got it," Rory nods. They head over to the market, Lane looking far more nervous about this than Rory. Lane disappears inside while Rory waits outside, scanning up and down the street somewhat anxiously.

"It's clear. Apparently Miss Patty and Taylor are out to lunch down at Al's. Dean isn't anywhere in the store," Lane informs Rory, relieved, as she comes back out onto the street five minutes later. "I did a thorough sweep."

"Excellent. Thank you, Lane. I owe you big time."

"Do you need me for anything else? Cause I'm supposed to be home in fifteen minutes for dinner. But I can be a little late if you want me to stay."

"No, go. You've done more than enough," Rory assures her. "Thank you so much."

"Call me later," Lane tells her. Rory waves good-bye and enters Doose's market. The familiar sights and sounds hit her all at once, her eyes darting around the small store in an extra effort to make sure Lane was completely right. Trying to seem non-chalant, she picks up a shopping basket and walks down the first aisle. After putting a bag of chocolate chips, a stick of deodorant, and a tube of toothpaste (all of which they really did need) into her basket, she finds herself in front of the birth control section. Her eyes widen, never having realized the amount of choices there were to be made for one simple purchase. Trying quickly to remember if they had gone over any of this in health education, she reaches out and takes a package off the rack and slips it in with her other goods.

A slight sigh of relief escapes her.

Next came the task of selecting the correct cashier. The politics of Stars Hollow being very complicated, it was important to find just the right person. One who would not be tempted to tell Miss Patty that Lorelai Gilmore's girl was apparently having sex with someone. One who wouldn't feel obligated to make sure that her mother knew what her daughter was up to right away. One who surely wouldn't mention it to Luke. She begins the process with lane one.

Kirk.

Definitely not.

Beth?

Maybe. But she was in classes with Dean. She might let something slip. One could never be too careful.

Mrs. Johnson.

Would undoubtedly tell Miss Patty at the next town meeting. Besides, Rory would feel strange having a 68 year old widow who hosted quilting circles in her family room check her out for condoms.

Marcia.

Yes. That's the ticket. Doesn't talk to Miss Patty after the Harold snafu a few years ago. Secretly detests Taylor for not making her assistant manager. Rory knows Dean is on merely polite terms with her, which meant she wouldn't tell him to hurt him out of resentment, but wouldn't feel obligated to tell him because she cared about his feelings. She only says hello to her mother and Luke never comes into the store during the late-afternoon shifts when she works. Perfect.

Jubuliant over her fine choice, Rory joins the line for her cash register. Marcia rings up her purchases quickly, barely stopping to look at them. Rory pays and heads out of the market, thanking her lucky stars for how easily that went. She walks out the door and turns to go toward home, and crashes right into someone.

Her groceries spill out across the sidewalk as she tumbles backwards to the ground.

"God, Rory! I'm sorry!" Dean exclaims despite himself, still programmed to worry for her. He bends down immediately to help her up but she is hurriedly trying to pick up her items from the sidewalk.

She doesn't see them.

Where'd they go?

Shit.

Dean picks up her toothpaste for her, spotting another small black box sitting on the pavement a few feet away. He bends to get it but Rory practically dives toward it, covering it with her hand.

"It's okay. I wasn't looking where I was going," Rory replies, standing up. The fact she slips the black package into her pocket doesn't escape Dean's attention. She straightens her clothes and hair out, very flustered. Had he seen what she had bought? She hopes her flushed face doesn't betray her. "So. Um...hey."

"Hey," Dean responds, looking away from her awkwardly.

"Um...how've you...I mean, how are you?" Rory shifts from foot to foot, nervous.

"I'm okay," Dean replies. He tries not to let it show. He didn't see the box clearly, but he knows. "I've gotta go to work."

"You're working?" Rory asks, her voice cracking. She was at a loss for anything else to say.

"Kirk has to take his mother to the podiatrist or something so I'm covering the second half of his shift."

"Oh. Well...that is very nice of you," Rory says, nodding once.

"Yeah, well, he begged me to..." The pause is unbelievably awkward. "So...I guess I'll see you."

"See ya." Rory walks backwards for three steps as she gives him a small wave good-bye, then turns on her heel and hurries off. Dean watches her go, the sight of her walking away from him hurting him more than it ever had. He knows he can't call her tonight and ask her how her day was. She won't ever give him any boring books to read, or pretend to like coming to his baseball games on the weekends. He'd never again feel her lips on his, his body close to hers. For the rest of his life, it'd be Rory Gilmore walking away from him.

She wasn't his anymore. She'd chosen to be with Tristan, and now it seemed that she would be with Tristan in a way she had never been with him. His heart was down on the pavement where she had just been, broken into a million pieces. It has been less than two weeks and she had already bought a box of condoms. She was with him for a year and they'd never even spoken about it. She is going to have sex with Tristan.

There had never before been a time in his life when he had simultaneously loved and hated someone so much.

*******

"So what did you think of him?" Lorelai asks, not looking up from the magazine she is reading as Chris enters the living room. He lets out a long, deep breath, loosening his necktie.

"He doesn't seem as bad as you made him out to be."

"Let me guess, he was nice, polite, charming...kind to Rory, obviously worships her..." Chris mulls over Lorelai's words and she smirks. "Yeah, exactly."

"So what if he was?"

"Being the person you are, Chris, you should see how dangerous this guy is. He's everything a teenage girl would want, bundled up in a nice, pretty package. We don't want her unwrapping it." Chris laughs at her euphemism.

"Lorelai, Rory isn't going to unwrap anything. You're underestimating her." He sits down on the couch next to her. "And besides, he may seem perfect, but I'm sure he's not. Maybe he has some annoying habit that will drive Rory up the wall and before you know it, he'll be toast."

"You mean like jostling the couch while she's trying to drink coffee?" Lorelai replies, gesturing to the mug in her hand. Chris rolls his eyes at her. "So where's Rory? Outside saying good-bye?"

"They went for a walk."

"You let them go for a walk?"

"Are you serious?" Chris asks. "What are they going to do on a walk? It's Stars Hollow, for christ's sake." Now Lorelai rolls her eyes at him, returning to her magazine.

"Fine, whatever you say, Chris." She flips a page venomously.

"Is Luke here?"

"No, he's at the diner."

"Can we talk about last night, maybe?"

"I'd really rather not."

"Lorelai."

"Chris." She rises from the couch. "I'm out of coffee."

"This is how you're going to deal with it? Running away?"

"I'm walking at a brisk pace, I'm not running."

"Well, walk, run, whatever, you're good at it. It's like your signature move." Chris follows her into the kitchen.

"What?" Lorelai slams the fridge door as she gets out the coffee. "What does that mean?"

"It means that if you hadn't run away sixteen years ago we wouldn't even be having this problem."

"That is a low blow, Chris."

"Doesn't make it untrue."

"If I hadn't left with Rory back then, if I had married you, we would be divorced, probably bitter and angry, hating each other. You would rather have that?"

"You always say it wouldn't have worked out."

"It wouldn't have!"

"How do you know that?"

"I don't know for sure, Chris, no one does. But I'd wager a large amount of money that that would've been the outcome."

"You're so sure?"

"I am. But seeing as how this isn't a Choose Your Own Adventure, we can't just go back to the beginning and choose a different route. We're here. This is where we are. Deal with it."

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"No." Chris retorts, grabbing Lorelai around the waist and pulling her close to him. His lips are on hers before she even knows what's happening, and soon the all-too-familiar sensation of Chris-kissing-Lorelai shivers over her body. She loses herself in it for a moment, never strong willed enough to resist Christopher Hayden in her life. It takes a minute or so before she manages to wrench herself away from him, breathless and confused.

"God, you've always done that so well," she steadies herself by holding onto his arms, slightly dizzy.

"Only when I kiss you," he murmurs, moving to kiss her again.

"No, Chris," Lorelai stops him, gently shoving him away from her. "This...no."

"You just kissed me back, Lorelai. I felt it."

"I know. I know I did. I've never been able to not kiss you back, Christopher. That's just how I'm programmed. I'll always love you. But that's the past. I'm with Luke now. I want to be with Luke."

"You don't sound so sure."

"I want to be with Luke," Lorelai reiterates, her voice stronger this time, defiant.

"Lorelai, I can't live without you. I don't feel happy unless you're around...which means I haven't been happy for a very long time. I need you. Do you honestly think Luke feels the same way?"

"Chris, stop it," Lorelai states, wavering. "You're only saying these things because you can't have me. The second I say yes everything would change. You'd feel differently."

"That's not true. I love you."

"It's not the right kind of love, Chris, you know that. We don't work."

"We didn't work then. We're different people now."

"Chris."

"Can't we give it a shot?"

"Only if we're shooting to kill."

"Lorelai..."

"I'm happy with Luke, Christopher. I'm so happy. Why do you want to ruin that for me? Why can't you just let me be?"

"You and Rory are my world, Lorelai. I can't just give that up to some other guy without fighting for it."

"You can still have us, Chris. Luke isn't going to take us away. We'll still be in your life."

"Not the way I want you to be. I want us to be a family."

"We are a family. Just a different one."

"I know that deep down you want this too, Lorelai."

"And on that note, I'm going to bed. This is too much," Lorelai brushes past him and tries to escape to the stairs. He runs after her and catches her in her doorway, stopping her from entering her bedroom.

"I love you in a way that Luke never could," Chris tells her as he grabs her wrist, bringing her to a halt. She gazes at him, her face softening. She reaches out and caresses his cheek, remembering the countless hours she'd spent looking at that boyish face, thinking he'd be her forever.

"And Luke loves me in a way that you never could," Lorelai responds, her voice cracking. She withdraws her hand and steps into her bedroom, closing the door. Chris is left in the darkness, only able to hear the soft, choked sound of Lorelai's tears falling.

*******

Rory glances at Tristan, admiring the way he looks in the moonlight. The reflection off the water rippling beneath them paints a shimmery glow over everything. Rory is tempted to dip her feet into the clear water, but thinks better of it, the cold night air tinged with the smell of winter. It would be snowing soon, the water frozen over. Shivering at the thought, she snuggles closer to her boyfriend, letting his strong arms warm her back up.

"I could stay out here with you forever," he murmurs to her, almost reading her mind. "It's so peaceful."

"Not like Hartford?"

"You can barely see the stars at my house. Here, you can see everything."

"I can only ever find the two dippers and Orion. Astronomy is definitely not something I will ever be good at," Rory tells him, leaning back to look at the sky.

"I used to know them all," Tristan says. "Not anymore."

"You should brush up, so then you can teach me," Rory laughs, leaning her head onto his shoulder.

"Why, so then I can actually teach you something instead of you always teaching me?"

"You teach me things all the time."

"I do? Like what?"

"You taught me a lot of music that I never knew about, for starters," Rory states, smiling, then turns serious. "And you also taught me to trust myself. You taught me that doing what I feel is not something to be scared of. You taught me that you can be the best of friends with someone and still not know everything about them, and that things that are scary are also exciting. You taught me what it feels like to be wanted, in a way no one has ever wanted me before..." She trails off, her eyes caressing his face. Her fingertips run over his soft lips as his head dips toward hers, her hands trembling ever-so-slightly. "And you taught me what it felt like to want back."

"Did I do all that?" He whispers, brushing his lips against hers.

"I want you, Tristan," she whispers back, turning her body slightly and letting him gain full access to her mouth, her lips dancing with his. Every time they kissed it felt different somehow, as if their lips were telling each other different stories, their tongues exchanging new secrets, learning from one another what they could never learn by themselves. Tristan's hands wind in her deep chestnut brown hair, never tired of feeling the long, soft strands between his fingers.

Her hands go to his necktie, loosening it and then untying it completely. Tristan, caught in the moment, pulls her light cardigan off her shoulders, letting it waft the short way down to the wooden planks of the bridge. They kiss for quite awhile, completely lost in one another, content.

"Hey Ror...?" Tristan murmurs, breaking away from her, breathless. He rests his forehead against hers. "Hmm?" She doesn't open her eyes, her lips brushing against his again. "What I said...on the phone yesterday...I just wanted to make sure that..." Rory's eyes are open now, her heart racing a mile a minute. Was he going to retract what he said? Did he really not mean it? Oh god, what if he didn't? What does he mean? "I know that it was kind of out of nowhere. I know that. But I just...I really meant it."

Rory smiles warmly at Tristan. It always amazed her that he could go from being cocky and confident to so bumbling and awkward when it came to real emotions. It is endearing and appealing, his stumbling honesty.

"Rory?" He asks softly, wanting her to respond. She touches his lips with two fingers, silencing him, and then kisses him once more.

"I meant it too," she murmurs back, letting him deepen the kiss. Her body gets warmer, the acknowledgment of their feelings making her feel more comfortable than she had been all night. "Hey, Tris?" She whispers as he begins kissing her neck, leaving her free to speak.

"Hmm-mmm?"

"I thought I should tell you..."

"Tell me...?"

"I bought condoms today."

"What?" Tristan jerks away from her in surprise, but he moves too fast and loses his balance. In a split second he tilts too far backward and falls into the pond, with a yelp of shock. Rory gasps, stifling her natural response to giggle. As he surfaces, his hair clinging to his face, she can't hold back the laughter.

"Oh god, Tristan..." she covers her mouth with her hand, staring at him.

"Oh, you think this is funny, huh?" He asks as she offers him her other hand to help him out. In a split second, she's in the water with him. "Funny now?"

"You doofus!" She cries out as she sputters, wiping water from her eyes. She splashes him and he splashes back. "Now we're both completely soaked."

"Well, you shouldn't have laughed."

"We're both gonna get sick now."

"It's not *that* cold."

"It's freezing! Come on...the quicker we get home the quicker we can change." Tristan lifts himself out onto the dock and then helps Rory up. They both look each other up and down and laugh. "At least we know you can pull off the nearly drowned look."

"You look quite nice as a water nymph yourself," Tristan compliments, gathering their things in one arm and wrapping his other around her. Dripping, they cross the bridge and hurry toward home.

*******

Rory opens the front door slowly, the creak seeming twice as loud as usual. She tiptoes in and glances around. She can hear her mom's snoring from upstairs, and peeking into the living room, she can see her dad sound asleep on the couch, also snoring. She motions for Tristan to be very quiet and gestures for him to come in. They walk as quietly and as quickly as they can through the foyer, into the kitchen, and into Rory's bedroom.

"I'll go get some towels. And I think Luke probably has some of his stuff in the laundry. I'll grab something for you," Rory tells Tristan in a whisper, immediately going back out of her room. Minutes later she returns with a stack of towels, a plastic garbage bag, and a pair of sweatpants and a plaid shirt. "For your wet stuff," she explains the garbage bag, since clearly they couldn't just start up the dryer now. She hangs up her own wet clothes on a hanger and hooks it over the top of her open closet door, then turns back to Tristan. They both stop and look at each other, wondering what to do next. "Um...here." Rory hands him a towel as she crosses the room to her dresser.

"Thanks." Tristan unbuttons his dress shirt and tosses it into the bag. Rory stops in the midst of drying off her arms and legs and watches him, the now-familiar stirring of attraction beginning within her. Tristan feels her gaze and stops as well, mistaking her lack of movement for her being uncomfortable.

"Oh, sorry...I can get changed in the bathroom," Tristan picks up his new dry Luke wear and steps toward the door. Rory pauses, almost letting him go, but then she sets her hand on the door, keeping it closed. "What's the matter?" Rory doesn't say anything, instead turning around and lifting her wet hair off of her back. Tristan gazes at her shoulders for a moment, not really sure what she wants to happen here. Gingerly he unzips her dress, going very slowly. Reaching the end, he sets his hands on her shoulders timidly. She is unmoving, as if waiting from a sign from him. Gently, he runs his hand down her back, her ivory skin soft and perfect.

Rory steps away from him, turning to face him. He is watching her every single movement, transfixed.

She stands in front of him, her wide blue eyes gazing up at him, beautiful and honest. Tristan lifts his hands and circles them around her delicate waist, not able to stop himself. He watches his own hands as they move across her body, feeling disconnected from them, as if he's watching a film. Rory's stomach quivers as his fingers run over her lower abdomen, his hands hot against her skin even through the wet fabric of her dress. She is breathing deeply, almost too evenly, evidently trying very hard to control herself. Tristan can't look up. He can't look at her again. One glance at her face and he'd be a goner, lost to any sense of reason.

Rory watches his hands too, sensing his trepidation. He touches her as if he's afraid he'll break her, or just maybe plain afraid.

"Tristan," she whispers, wanting him to look at her. She wants to see his face, to tell him that it's okay. "Tris..." She nudges his chin with her hand but he avoids her gaze. Her fingers twine in the fabric of his undershirt, tugging the garment upward. Tristan's eyes finally snap to hers, questioningly. Rory nods, and he complies, pausing for a moment before pulling his shirt over his head. Nervously he runs his fingers through his damp hair, unsure. He wanted Rory to tell him what she wanted, where this was going. His mind was on red alert, desperately trying to remind his body that this couldn't continue. Rory moves closer to him, letting her body meld with his as their lips find one another's. The kiss is hot and wet, desperate and desirous. Her still damp skin warms against his; they press closer together, longing for more.

Tristan's head is spinning. It feels surreal. He's in Rory's bedroom, late at night, alone with her. They're kissing, touching, exploring...It's a dream. It has to be a dream...he's had these dreams before. The heavy, erotic dreams that cause him to wake up in the middle of the night in a hot sweat, desperate for release. The dreams that he always remembers when he sees her first thing in the morning at school, giving him the urge to take her inside the janitor's closet and make love to her right there. It has to be a dream like that. Because these things didn't happen, not with Rory.

But it is happening. And it is Rory. She's kissing him, touching him. Her hands are going to far downward, her body requesting more than he felt right to give her. He wants her way too much; she is making it hard for him to think straight. Any second he would lose the battle.

Her parents are in the house.

He repeats the idea again. Her parents are in the house. This can not happen.

He tries to stop. Her kisses are persistent, not realizing that he's trying to pull away.

"Rory...we should stop..." She pays no heed to his words and in reality, neither does he. "Ror...come on," he murmurs, stepping backward. She just comes with him.

"Mary, stop." Tristan says strongly as he rips himself from her, gently pushing her away. Pain and confusion washes over Rory's face at hearing the name, her hands immediately moving to cover herself.

"What's the matter? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, Rory, you didn't do anything wrong," Tristan assures her, hating the look on her face. She crosses the room to her dresser, creating as much space as possible between them. "It's all just too fast." He tries to find the words to tell her everything he really wants to say, but his mind fails him. She doesn't say anything either. Wordlessly, he grabs the stack of Luke's clothes and walks out of her bedroom.

"Rory, maybe I should..." he whispers, gesturing toward the door. Things were moving fast, and he felt maybe faster than was good for them. Rory may feel a certain way now, caught up in the moment, but tomorrow...

Rory watches him walk out, feeling the stupidest she's ever felt in her life. She'd thrown herself at him, she had. She hadn't meant to. It just happened. She didn't know what she was doing, and that was never more apparent then now. He must think she's an idiot. He was a guy...guys never complained about things moving fast. She must've done something wrong. He called her Mary. Mary. God, she was such a Mary...and there she was, trying to be a Magdalene. What an idiot. He must think she's an idiot.

Tristan opens Rory's bedroom door a few minutes later, entering the room slowly. She's sitting on the edge of her bed, dressed in an oversized t-shirt, clutching her pillow to her chest. His heart splits in two at seeing the look on her face.

"Rory, I'm sorry," he says, crossing to her. He sits down next to her and she shirks away from him. "Ror, please don't."

"It's my fault," she mumbles. "I didn't realize that...I thought that you wanted to...but I was wrong. I'm stupid, I didn't think..."

"Are you serious?" Tristan asks, laughing slightly in utter disbelief. "You really think that I don't want to?"

"You just made that very clear," she responds, hugging her pillow tighter to her, hurt by his amusement.

"Ror, considering what just happened, you should know that I very, very much wanted to," Tristan brushes her hair back from her face, speaking gently into her ear. Rory turns her head slightly and looks at Tristan, who has a light, reassuring smile upon his face.

"Then why did you stop?"

"Your dad is right in the living room. Your mom is upstairs!" "God,I know..."

"If they woke up...I'd never see you again. You know that." Tristan states and Rory winces.

"I don't even know what I was thinking. I know...I know that this was in now way the right time. I just...I couldn't stop myself," Rory admits, embarrassed. "I feel like a complete moron."

"You're not a moron, in any way, shape or form," Tristan assures her adamantly. "It's right that we stopped," he adds on. "We're not...*there* yet."

"I feel like I am, though."

"Rory, it's only been a few weeks, how could-"

"I've known you for over a year. We've been friends for six months. It's different."

"It's still fast."

"People have sex on first dates, Tristan. This is slow in comparison."

"Not for you, Mary."

"I don't want to be a Mary, Tristan. I want to be yours. Obviously not tonight, but I know that I do."

"You are mine," Tristan replies. "As much mine as an independent, stubborn, brilliant girl can be, anyway," he grins. "And while I think about having sex with you...constantly...I've always known that it shouldn't happen for awhile. It's not you."

"How do you know that? I'm not a court case, with some lengthy legal precendent to back that up, you know. I've had one boyfriend. Just because I didn't sleep with Dean doesn't mean that I'm this virginal, untouchable thing. You say that you think about it...well I do too. All the time."

"You think about it all the time?" Tristan asks, a bit surprised.

"Yes, unfortunately. It's beginning to interfere with my studying."

"Huh, yours too?" Tristan jokes, shaking his head. Rory turns to face him, putting her hand on his sweatpant-clad knee.

"If we're both ready, Tristan, I don't see why we should wait. I thought that was the whole point, that when you're ready, you're ready. That's how it works."

"I just don't want to rush into anything, Rory. I don't want to screw us up. Sex changes things." Rory's face falls, reminded of the fact she's the only virgin in the room. Tristan knows what she's thinking. "I've only done it once, Ror. I've dated around, not slept around. I'm not the lothario that people have made me out to be."

"It was Summer?"

"It wasn't Summer. It was before I met you, back when my grandfather was sick," Tristan sighs as the expression on Rory's face does not change. He reaches down and twines his fingers with hers. "See, we should have time to talk about things like this before we reached this point. We've never had...that talk."

"Well, we're having it now."

"Yeah, I guess we are. Does it make you feel better, at all?"

"In a way," Rory replies softly. "I guess I just feel embarassed."

"By what?"

"By...everything..." She gestures down to her body. "I've never...been that forward before..."

"Don't be embarrassed about that," Tristan reassures her, moving his hand to her bare leg. His fingers tickle her inner thigh lightly. "I loved that. I loved that a lot," he emphasizes. The pair smiles gently at one another, feeling more at ease than they were minutes before. "Which is why I'm actually glad that your parents were home."

"Why?"

"I don't know if I would've been able to stop otherwise," he tells her honestly. "I want you, Rory. Just because you're a Mary doesn't mean that you're not sexy. To me, you're the sexiest girl in the world, whether we have sex or not. So don't ever worry about that, okay?"

"What makes you think I was worried about that?" Rory asks.

"Because I know you," Tristan replies. Rory leans in and kisses him gently, feeling inately connected to him at that moment, in the safe, comforting haven of her bedroom, so late at night. It's like they're the only two people awake in the entire world, just the two of them, alone.

"So what do we do now?" Rory inquires as her lips leave his.

"I should probably go home," Tristan says. "I'm sure I'll get you in trouble if I stay."

"Stay," Rory shakes her head. "We can just sleep."

"But what about your mom?"

"I'll set my alarm, you can leave before they wake up," Rory responds, laying down onto her bed. Tristan thinks about it for a moment and then lays down next to her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. He breathes in the rich scent of her hair as she pulls the covers up and over their bodies. She snuggles closer to him with a contented sigh. "I like this," she murmurs happily.

"Me too," Tristan whispers back, reaching over and turning off the light. "Me too."

To be continued...

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