Gilmore Girls 1. Do I Seem Familiar

Hey! I'm suffering from a severe case of writer's block and nursing a bad case of the weepies. So, I'm writing this. I'll try and update "Blue Skies" later on this week. 

Also, every other chapter will be in this point of view. The story will alternate between Tristin telling Rory how they got together and the actual story of how they got together.

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing. Gilmore Girls belongs to AS-P. The title/idea for this story is from "For You I Will (Confidence)" by Teddy Geiger

**Rating**: eh… K+ to T

You always want what you can't have.

* * *

**Chapter 1**: _Do I Seem Familiar_

Blue eyes. That's what she remembers. That's all she can remember.

They both sigh. They are on opposite sides of the room. He is studying a book. She is studying him. Trying to remember anything.

He notices her. He does nothing. This is her fight. He cannot help her.

He remembers the phone call from Lorelai. It seems like it was yesterday. It was almost three months ago.

She was in an accident, Tristin. She doesn't remember anything. Please, just come here and see if you can help.

"We dated."

Her voice breaks him from his thoughts. He looks up from his book and nods.

"Yeah."

He notices her squirm. She looks away from him. He wants to know what she is thinking. He wants to know she will be okay.

"You're a… musician."

He nods. "Yeah."

"I don't date musicians."

"I broke through. It took us awhile to get started."

"When did I see you last? I mean, besides yesterday and everyday before that."

He cringes at her question. He knew she would ask this. He just didn't want to tell her. Didn't want to tell her how they'd fought. How he'd been a jerk to her.

"I was going on tour in three days. I wanted you to come with me."

"Did I want to go with you?"

He shrugs. "I think you may have. But you had a lacrosse camp to go to. I was being selfish."

"How?" she asks.

He sets the book down and stands. He ponders briefly whether or not he should end the conversation. Instead, he makes his way over to her side of the room and sits next to her.

"I told you that if you weren't with me, I would break up with you. You couldn't come with me, and I broke up with you. But I was regretting it the minute the tour started."

She studies him. "Did you love me?"

He nods. He wants to tell her he still loves her. But he knows that it will cause her too much pain to hear those words from someone she does not remember.

"Your mother called me the next night. She said you were on your way out to see me when you had your accident."

She looks at him. "Why would I do that?"

"Because it's what you and I do. We break up and get back together all the time. We say things we don't mean, and then we take them back. I was actually going to go and see you that night. Then I got the phone call."

She nods. "Where are you supposed to be now?"

He scratches the back of his neck. "Phoenix."

"Why aren't you there?" she asks.

"Because I want to be here with you."

"I thought musicians didn't have girlfriends," she mumbles.

"I didn't," he responds. "But you got through to me, too."

"We… helped each other."

He smirks at her. "I guess you could say that."

"Did I love you?"

He pauses at this question. He didn't even think about this. He is unprepared for questions like these.

"I like to think you did."

She smiles and leans against him. "How did we meet?"

He looks into her eyes. They are still the same color blue as they were the night they met. When things weren't making sense.

"At one of my concerts."

"So I was a groupie?"

He shakes his head. "No. You were there because Lane wanted to go."

"So Lane was a groupie."

He smiles. "I guess."

"But she's not anymore," Rory says. "Because she's dating that Dave guy now."

He nods. "Yeah. They got together shortly before we did."

"Can I ask you a question?"

"As opposed to what we've been doing for the past five minutes?"

She smiles and blushes. "I mean, a serious question."

"There's no guarantee of an answer."

"That's fine."

"Ask away, then, Mary."

She tucks her hair behind her ear. "Will you tell me our story? Maybe if I hear it, I'll start to remember."

He smiles and leans back on the couch. "Sure."

She leans into him and rests her head on his chest. His heart beat leaves her comforted.

"I was doing a concert in Hartford," he explains. "You and Lane somehow got sound check passes. Dinner and all that jazz."

"Do you sing jazz?" she jokes.

He chuckles. "Not quite. Heard of Howie Day?"

She nods. "Yeah. He's really good."

"I'm sort of like him," he responds.

She nods again. "Okay, carry on with your story."

"Our story," he corrects.

She grins. "Our story."

"It had been raining," he says. "You were soaked, and you were gorgeous…"


	2. Wandering the Streets

Hey! Thanks for your reviews. This chapter will tell how they met. The next will be set when Rory can't remember anything. The chapters will alternate between the two viewpoints of Tristin telling the story and the what he's telling actually happening. These chapters will be a bit short until I get into the story. So, I'm very sorry about that. However, the chapters where he's talking to her will be longer. 

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing. Gilmore Girls belongs to AS-P. The idea for this story is from "For You I Will (Confidence)" by Teddy Geiger

**Rating**: T

You always want what you can't have.

* * *

**Chapter 2**: _Wandering the Streets_

"Play a B chord, Tris," the backup guitarist, Tom, ordered.

Tristin DuGrey hated sound check. He hated everything about sound check. Nevertheless, he got his fingering right on the guitar and strummed the chord. He made a face and tried to tune his guitar.

"Shit," he muttered. "It's not… working. Do I have to do this show tonight?"

"Yes," Tom responded. "Besides, your fans are showing up. Oh, look at the brunette."

Tristin saw two girls walk in. The shorter one looked Asian. But it was the taller one he was interested in.

She was wearing a Chilton Varsity Lacrosse sweatshirt, and a pair of loosely fitting jeans. Her hair was wet, most likely from the falling rain that she'd had to walk in to get here. She was gorgeous.

"Hey, Tris, snap out of it," Tom said, breaking him from his reverie. "Just go talk to her. They are here to see you, you know."

Tristin nodded and set down his guitar. He made his way over to where the girls were sitting. He smiled when they stood up to greet him.

"Hi, I'm Lane Kim," the shorter of the two girls said. "It's so nice to meet you."

Tristin smirked. "You, too. And your name?"

The taller one stood and shook his hand. "Lorelai Gilmore. Rory."

"Rory," he repeated. "Nice name. Interesting."

Rory nodded. "It's my mom's name."

"So, you two are the Chilton winners?" he asked.

Lane nodded. "Yep, I was. And Rory's my best friend, so I had to take her with me."

"Package deal," he stated.

Rory rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Right."

Tristin smirked at her. "Do you play lacrosse or is that a boyfriend's shirt?"

"I play," Rory said.

He saw Rory shiver. She seemed more protected now. As did Lane.

"I have to go now," Tristin said. "I'll catch you two later."

Rory nodded, now looking around the room. She was nervous. But it wasn't him. He wasn't used to that. What was she nervous about? He walked away from Rory and Lane and over to the stage.

"It's tuned right," Tom told him. "I think. Maybe. I don't know."

Tristin tried a B chord again. "Shit."

He saw Lane and Rory talking. He wanted to know what they were discussing. He saw Rory stand up and walk away. Lane sat in the chair and watched him play. She waved and he waved back. The two blondes he'd been talking to earlier were still watching.

* * *

"Thanks everyone!"

The crowd was still going. That wasn't why he did it, though. He didn't do it just for the adoring fans. He didn't do it for the money (which at times was non-existent). He did it because it was his way of letting it all out.

Tristin smirked and walked off-stage. He was expected to be in Annapolis, Maryland the next evening. Which meant they'd be driving all night. Sometimes he wished he could kill his manager.

"Annapolis, here we come!" Tom shouted.

Tristin rolled his eyes. "Hey, you remember that Gilmore girl earlier?"

Tom nodded. "How could I forget? That body…"

"Seemed interesting, didn't she?" Tristin asked.

Tom shook his head. "You're not folding, are you?"

"No," Tristin scoffed. "Just… wondering about her. Seemed a little peeved at sound check."

"Chicks, man, that's all I can say," Tom replied. "Now get your ass on the bus so we can ease on down the road."

"You really need to stop drinking Mountain Dew before shows," Tristin said as he walked over to the bus.

That's when he saw the two girls. Rory and... Lane? Yeah, that was her name. Rory was upset.

* * *

"You don't get it, Lane," Rory sobbed. "I just got a call that my boyfriend died."

"It's not your fault, Rory," Lane said. "It was coming. He…"

"I should have been there!" Rory exclaimed. "He needed me there. I… he…"

Rory slumped down to the ground. Lane sat down next to her. Tristin turned and made his way away from the scene. So that was what got her fiery at the sound check. A boyfriend.

He took one last look at the two girls. For a brief moment, he wanted to go talk to Rory. But it passed when he remembered how he was supposed to be. Cold. Charming. Emotionally unavailable.

"Finn…" Rory whispered.

Tristin shook his head and got on the bus. He didn't need any attachments. Especially emotional ones.


	3. Away

So… I've been listening to my OTH Friends with Benefit CD (because I met Tyler Hilton on Saturday!) and then I got the idea for this chapter -- after I just put out chapter 2. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Also, it won't always be Tristin telling her a story. The next chapter, for instance, will be Lane's tale of Rory and Finn. But I'm getting ahead of myself here. Hope you enjoy this chapter. 

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

**Rating**: T

There's a storm that's raging through my frozen heart tonight.

* * *

**Chapter 3**: _Away_

"You just got on the bus?" she asked. "When I was crying about my dead boyfriend?"

He shrugged. "I didn't want to get emotionally involved. My entire life I'd worked to get away from people. I didn't want to get dragged back into…"

"A relationship?" she suggested. "I understand a little, I think."

He was silent. He didn't want to speak to her about relationships. All he really wanted was for her to be the Rory he once knew. He felt her shift.

Rory sat back against the couch. "It's weird for you, isn't it? Being here with me and not being able to kiss me or anything."

Tristin shrugged. "A little. Though I doubt if I had gotten to you that night you and I would be kissing or anything."

Rory cocked her head slightly in confusion. "Why?"

"Our fights are infamous," he responded. "We never make up in one day. It usually takes a few days for one of us to cave and forgive."

She smiled and yawned. "What time is it?"

Tristin looked at his watch. "Five. You want to take a nap?"

Rory nodded. "If you don't mind. Maybe you can come back at eight. We can talk more."

He smiled at her. He stood to leave and she walked with him.

"Thanks for doing this," she said. "I just… I want to remember everything."

He pulled her into a hug, to which she tentatively responded. He kissed her forehead and she closed her eyes. Something flashed through her mind, a picture of a girl and a boy. He was kissing her forehead and saying good-bye.

_"Three days," he stated._

_She smiled. "Just three more. Then I'm with you."_

_"You're always with me," he said, and then he turned to leave._

"You're always with me," she whispered.

Tristin turned to look at her. "What?"

"You told me that, didn't you?" she asked. "I think it was you. Maybe."

"I was going to a show in Oklahoma," he replied. "You had a lacrosse match. You were going to come out and see my show after the match. It was the first time we ever had to say good-bye for a long period of time."

Rory smiled. "I'm glad I remembered that."

Tristin turned the doorknob. "Me, too. See you tonight."

Rory nodded. "Yeah. See you tonight."

He walked out the door and spotted Lane sitting on a bench. "Hey, Lane."

Lane stood to greet him. "What's new?"

"I'm telling her our story," Tristin said.

"What part have you gotten to?" she asked, picking up a package of Oreos. "I can fill in some parts over Oreos."

"Finn," he replied. "I don't really know how to explain him."

"I think maybe I should do that," Lane said. "It might make it better for her to hear about him from her best friend."

Tristin nodded. "She said she was going to take a nap. But I doubt she'll do that if you've got junk food."

Lane held up a thermos. "I also brought coffee. I hear she still likes that, too."

"Yeah," Tristin said. "She does. I'll be back around eight."

Lane nodded. "Okay. See you then, Tristin."

He walked away, down to the end of the hallway. He watched Lane go in. He was still stuck on what Rory had remembered. Their first good-bye.

_"Win your match for me," he told her._

_Rory smirked. "I always do. Sing a song for me."_

_Tristin pulled her into a tight embrace. "I always do."_

_Rory buried her face in Tristin's chest. It was one of the coldest days of the year. Tristin wasn't wearing his jacket, but he wasn't cold. All he needed to keep him warm was Rory._

_Rory looked up at him and he kissed her softly. She smiled and hugged him once more._

_He kissed her forehead and held her close._

_"Three days," he stated._

_She smiled. "Just three more. Then I'm with you."_

_"You're always with me," he said, and then he turned to leave._

_"I love you, Tristin," she called._

_He smirked and turned around. "I love you, too, Mary."_

_She smiled and made her way back inside her dorm building. He turned to his bus. It would be a very long three days._

Tristin smiled at the memory. He heard squeals of laughter from down the hall, and knew that they belonged to Lane, who no doubt was hearing of everything that he'd been doing for Rory.

He opened the door and left. He'd be back later to tell Rory about them. In the mean time, she needed to remember Finn.

* * *

Rory settled down from her laughter. Lane popped another cookie in her mouth. She looked at Rory, who was now twirling her hair around her finger. No doubt she was thinking of Finn.

"You don't remember Finn," Lane stated.

Rory shook her head. "No. But Tristin said that he died. He said I dated Finn. I just… I don't remember much. I don't remember anything."

They were silent.

"Except for something about mine and Tristin's first good-bye."

Lane looked at Rory. "When he was going to the Oklahoma show and you had a lacrosse match?"

Rory nodded. "Yeah."

They fell into another silence. Rory looked around the room. She was still twirling her hair on her finger, only now she seemed nervous.

"You want me to tell you about Finn?"

Rory nodded. "If you don't mind."

Lane sighed. "He was Australian. He came to the states when we were in eighth grade. You were, of course, smitten with him…"


	4. There

Thank you for your reviews. Hope you enjoy this chapter. 

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

**Rating**: T

Just a bridge that I've got to burn.

* * *

**Chapter 4**: _There_

"Finn! Rory!"

The two turned around to see Rory's friend running over to them. "Yeah?"

"You two were voted cutest couple!" Lane squealed. "Isn't that exciting?"

Rory smiled. "Aww… Finn, did you know we were cute?"

"I knew I was drop dead freaking gorgeous," Finn responded. "You, however…"

Rory playfully smacked her boyfriend on the arm. "Idiot."

"And I won tickets to that Tristin DuGrey concert," Lane added. "You're going with me, right Rory?"

Rory nodded. "Yeah. Maybe he'll like me better than mycurrent boyfriend."

Finn rolled his eyes. "Don't be jealous."

"Do you have lacrosse after school?" Finn asked, wrapping his arm around Rory.

Rory nodded. "Yeah. You?"

"Of course," Finn replied. "Huntzberger says the whole team's shaving their heads."

Finn pulled Rory into a tight hug. She buried her face in his chest and he kissed her head. She looked up at him and smirked.

"If you shave your head I will break up with you," Rory whispered.

She began walking away from him. He looped his fingers through hers, though, and pulled her back to him.

"Nah," Finn replied, wrapping his arm around Rory's waist.

He pulled Rory closer to him. She giggled and turned to face him. Lane started backing away.

"Give me one reason not to," Rory joked.

"Because I'm devilishly handsome and exotic," Finn said.

Rory rolled her eyes. "So is the bird flu."

"Because…" Finn kissed Rory.

Rory eagerly responded to the kiss. Lane rolled her eyes, watching her two best friends. She cleared her throat, but it did her no good. They continued kissing.

Finn pulled away slowly and smirked at Rory. Rory smiled at Finn.

"Yeah," she said. "That's a pretty good reason."

Lane cleared her throat again. Finn and Rory looked at her.

"Lacrosse?" Lane asked.

Rory eased herself out of Finn's grasp. "I'll see you tonight?"

Finn nodded, kissing her once more. "Of course."

Rory smiled and kissed Finn on the cheek. "I love you."

"Love you, too, doll," Finn replied, watching Rory walk away.

Rory looped her arm through Lane's as the two made their way to the field. Lane stared at Rory. Rory looked at her friend and smiled.

"I love him," she said.

"He loves you," Lane replied.

Rory smiled. "Yeah, he does."

* * *

Lane and Rory were sitting on the porch steps later that night painting their toe nails. Every few minutes, Rory would glance at her watch. Lane rolled her eyes. Rory knew Finn would be late. It was cute that she still checked her watch.

"What time was he supposed to be here?" Lane asked.

"Seven," Rory answered.

"What time is it now?"

Rory looked at her watch. "Five after."

"He'll be here at fifteen after," Lane said.

Rory smiled. "Probably."

Fifteen minutes later, though. Finn hadn't shown up. Rory stood and went inside to check the clock in her house.

"That clock says half past, too," Rory said. "Where is he?"

Lane shrugged and stood as well. She, too, was getting to be concerned. She went into the house with Rory. Something was off.

* * *

"Rory?"

Rory looked up from her spot at the table. "Yeah, Lane?"

"Why would Logan be here?" Lane asked.

Rory looked past Lane and saw not only Logan Huntzberger, but his friend Colin McCray walking with him. They looked… distraught?

Rory stood and went out to greet the boys. "Hey, guys. What's…"

She then saw the looks on their faces. _Finn…_

"What happened?"

* * *

Everyone was seated at the table. Lane was fidgeting with the pull strings on her hoodie. Rory was drinking her third cup of coffee. Logan and Colin were seated across from them, still silent. 

"One of you better tell me why the hell my boyfriend wasn't here at seven," Rory stated.

Logan sighed. "There was an accident."

"He was coming… here?" Rory asked.

Colin nodded. "There was a car. It was coming in his direction."

Rory looked at the cup in her hands. "How is he?"

Colin sighed. "Co- Coma."

The cup in her hands slipped to the floor. She stood and ran to get her coat and shoes.

"Where is he?" she asked, throwing on her coat quickly.

"He's at Hartford Memorial," Logan stated.

She put her shoes on. "Who's taking me to see him?"

Lane took her friend's hand. "I will."

* * *

"Room 313."

Rory nodded, and Lane followed her. Rory stopped in front of the door and turned to Lane.

"Can I have a minute?" Rory asked.

Lane nodded. "Yeah. I'll be out here."

Rory walked into the room. Lane sat in a chair. She smiled when she heard Rory's greeting to Finn.

"Hey, if you didn't want to go out tonight, all you had to do was call."

Silence.

"You better be okay. You got it? I don't want to end my senior year of high school without you there to get me unbelievably drunk."

Even more silence, with the exception of the heart monitor on Finn. Lane heard Rory's voice begin to crack.

"They said you weren't speeding, but the other guy was. He was passing a car… and you were there, driving like a civilized person, and he obviously wasn't and then it was… crash, bang, boom. They said the other driver's okay."

And still, silence filled the room.

"I have to go, Finn. I'll be in tomorrow. I promise. I… I love you."

She did visit the next day. The doctors told Rory and Lane that Finn's condition was improving, but he still wasn't 'out of the woods.' Lane still hoped that his improving condition made Rory feel better.

She went into Finn's room with Rory this time. She smiled when Rory started talking animatedly about their school day. But tears still formed in Rory's eyes every time she said his name.

They left Finn's room together. Rory's eyes were red from crying, but she still put on her brave face.

"So, that concert is tonight, isn't it?" Rory asked.

Lane smiled at her friend. "You sure you want to go?"

Rory shrugged. "Yeah. It'll help me get my mind off of things."

Lane looped her arm through Rory's as they left the hospital. Neither realizing it would be the last time Rory would be able to talk to Finn.


	5. Time Stops

Thank you for your reviews. Sorry for the lack of updates. Life has been... crazy. Hope you enjoy this chapter. 

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

**Rating**: T

Just a bridge that I've got to burn.

* * *

**Chapter 5**: _Time Stops_

Rory smiled when there was a knock on the door. She knew it was Tristin. She hadn't seen him in three days, since he'd begun telling her their story. She understood, though, because she knew he had to get back to performing once in awhile. She heard he'd just left Las Vegas.

She skipped happily to the door. It made her happy that he was still coming to see her, even though she didn't remember a thing.

"Hi," she greeted, grinning.

Tristin smiled at her and held a cup out to her. "Hey. Coffee?"

Rory eagerly took the cup from him. "Thanks."

Tristin stepped into the apartment. He couldn't believe he was here again. Here with Rory. She turned to face him, and he found himself getting lost in her eyes.

"How was Vegas?" she inquired as she sat down on the couch.

She patted the place next to her. He sat down next to her.

"Tiring," he responded. "Some people are so pathetic. It's crazy."

"Obsessed fans?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yeah. A little obsessed."

Rory smiled at him. "Did you tell them you have a…"

She stopped short of saying that word. 'Girlfriend.' Was she still his girlfriend, even though she couldn't remember ever being around him up until three months ago when he began coming to see her?

"They know about you," Tristin responded. "And the fact that no one could ever replace you."

Rory was now focusing on her cup. She didn't want to look up at him. She didn't know how to ask this all-important question. She wasn't sure she even wanted to ask him the all-important question.

"Tristin," she began. "Are we still… I mean… are we, you know, still together?"

Tristin studied Rory. She was so innocent. She'd never really lost her innocent look, though. Her eyes still gave her away. He couldn't ever refuse her if she was looking at him with those big blue eyes.

He placed his hand on hers. She looked up at him, biting her lip. He smiled at her, hoping she would stop being nervous.

"I didn't want to ask you if we still were," he responded. "Because of how we left things. And because you don't remember anything. I didn't want to be a burden."

She sighed. "You wouldn't be. But, I don't want to leave you out in limbo."

"What do you want to do, Rory?" he asked. "Whatever you want, it's fine."

She still bit her lip, deep in thought. "I'm not sure, really. I mean, Mom says you and I were completely enamored with one another. But, you said we had a fight before all of this."

He ran a hand through his hair. "We did. But I knew it wouldn't last. I think you knew it, too."

She stood up and walked over to the window. He followed her, but kept his distance. She looked down at the city.

"When I was in the hospital, I used to wish that I could remember something," she said. "And the truth is, I did remember something."

Tristin looked at her. "What was it?"

She looked at him. "Blue eyes. I mean, that was the only thing I saw. And then that day you came in my room, I was shocked. Because they were your eyes."

He moved closer to her. "You used to tell me all the time that if anything ever happened to me, you wouldn't know what you would do because it was my eyes that got you through everything."

She turned to him and stepped into his open arms. He held her close. She buried her face in his chest, holding to him tightly. She never wanted to lose this feeling.

"I love you so much, Rory," he whispered. "I'll do anything you want me to. Anything."

She took in everything about him. His hair, his eyes…

She looked up at him. "Maybe we should go out."

"Out?" he questioned.

She nodded. "A movie, or dinner. Something."

He smiled at her. "You sure?"

"Yeah," she replied. "Maybe it'll help."

He took her hand and led her out of the apartment. She held firmly to his hand as they walked down the sidewalk. He put his arm around her as they made their way to the park.

"Central Park," she stated. "Haven't been here in awhile, I guess."

He shook his head. "No. It was your favorite place in the entire world."

She looked up at him. He smirked at her. He took her over to a tree and sat down. She sat down next to him and they looked up at the clear blue sky.

"This is a beautiful place," she said. "Everything's… so calm."

She leaned on him and rested her head on his shoulder. He took in her scent: strawberries with a hint of coffee. It was her trademark. If he ever had to describe her, those words would be the first out of his mouth.

"So, where were we?" he asked. "When I last left you?"

"You got on the bus and left me," she responded. "Finn had just died."

"Did Lane…"

She nodded. "Yeah. And mom brought me some pictures. He was… endearing, I guess."

"You remember?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Not really. But, I want to."

They were silent. She picked at an imaginary spot on her jeans. He sighed.

"Can you keep going?" she asked. "I want to know more."

He smirked and kissed the top of her head. "Of course."

She leaned into him. He held her tightly to him.

"I was doing a benefit concert at Chilton," he said. "And Paris apparently assigned you to interview me for The Franklin…"


	6. I Like Where We Are

There's a very long excuse for my lack of updates. You can read it in my profile. I hope you all understand. This has been a rough patch for me, but I'm back. I can't guarantee a time frame for updates. However, I will try to update on a regular basis.

Disclaimer: First page. The title of this chapter comes from Here (In Your Arms) by Hellogoodbye.

* * *

**Chapter 6:** _I Like Where We Are_

"Really, Paris, why do I have to do this interview? This guy is nothing more than a pompous ass."

Paris turned to look at Rory. "You'll do the interview or you'll lose your spot on the paper."

Rory looked outside the window at the rain. Finn loved the rain. Finn had always loved the rain. He loved going out and playing the rain. She loved playing in the rain with him. She loved kissing him in the rain…

"Gilmore."

She snapped to attention at the sound of Paris' voice. "Yeah?"

"I know you think I'm only doing this because I hate you or something," Paris began. "But I'm doing this because I care. You and Finn were great together, but he's gone, Ror. And you need to find some way to get over this. I know you, and I know that giving you this assignment will keep you from focusing so much on his death."

Rory sighed. She brushed a stray strand of hair out of her eye. She hated feeling like this. She hated the constant feeling of guilt because he was coming to get her. She hated…

"Rory."

She jumped. She was zoning out again. She needed to quit doing that. But how was she going to? How could she…

"Gilmore."

Rory looked over to Paris' expecting eyes. She shrugged and sighed.

"Okay, Paris. You got it. I'll interview Tristin DuGrey for the benefit concert he's got here."

Paris nodded and smiled at Rory. "Good. Now go."

Rory picked up her notebook and backpack. She trudged out the door, feeling more akin to a prisoner on his last walk to the electric chair.

What the hell did she just agree to?

* * *

"DuGrey, can you please, for the love of Christ, just deal with the fact that this one's free?"

"And why, precisely, is it free, genius?" Tristin inquired.

Jerry, his manager sighed. "It builds PR. You understand that, right?"

Tristin rolled his eyes. "Yeah. I do."

There was a knock on the door to his dressing room (which, of course, was nothing more than a bathroom with soda and junk food in it to keep him company).

"Come on in."

The door slowly opened, and Tristin nearly did a double take when he saw Rory Gilmore walk in.

"Hi," she greeted. "I'm here for your interview for the Franklin."

He nodded. "Yeah. They told me. You're Rory Gilmore, right? I remember you from the concert I did a few months back."

She shrugged. "That's me. I guess I'll just start with the basic questions."

He took note of her quick jump to ask questions. "Okay."

"Full name?" she asked, unfolding her notebook and taking a seat in a chair.

"Tristin Janlan DuGrey the third," he responded.

She looked up at him. "Third?"

He smiled at her. "Yeah. Third."

And the conversation flew from there. Rory found herself getting bolder with her questions as the conversation carried. Tristin found himself scooting closer to her with each passing moment. And he noticed her scooting close as well.

An hour had passed, and Rory found herself growing more comfortable with Tristin. She smiled as he scooted closer and she scooted closer as well. She felt different tonight, here, sitting next to him.

She shut her notebook and put the cap on her pen. "Well, thanks for doing this interview and the concert."

Tristin smiled. "It's no problem, really. It's not a problem at all. It meant I got to see you again."

A faint blush creeped up her cheeks. "Thanks."

She made her way over to the door, and Tristin found himself grabbing her hand before it touched the door knob.

"Wait."

She turned to face him, and she saw something in them that she'd never seen before. It was want.

She looked up at him. "Yes?"

And before she knew what was happening, his lips were pressed to hers. She was losing herself in a kiss with a boy of whom she knew nothing.

And she was enjoying it.


	7. We Live on Front Porches

New chapter. Hope you enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** First page. The title of this chapter comes from Swing Life Away by Rise Against.

**Chapter 7:** _We Live on Front Porches_

* * *

"I did something like that?"

She hates the way her words sound. Unsure. Scared. Surprised.

Tristin smiled at her. "Yeah. But I initiated it. You don't get all the credit."

Tristin stood and offered Rory his hand. She stood, and he was surprised when she didn't let go of his hand. He pulled her close to him and draped an arm over her shoulder. He felt her tense and then relax. He smiled.

"I think I remember someone telling me once that I needed to just let go and be," she stated.

He looked at her. She shrugged and looked to him.

"It was me. I told you that. It was right before our fight."

"Oh," she said.

He shrugged. "After that kiss, you and I became a couple. It was very weird. I didn't think you'd be okay with it."

"But you thought I be okay with just kissing you?"

He chuckled. "You were different. You were definitely different than anyone else I'd ever met. I really didn't know what to expect with you."

She nodded and looked at her feet. She noticed they were walking in sync. She stopped walking and he looked at her.

"Yeah?"

She bit her lip nervously. _Now what? You got yourself into this_.

"Rory?"

She lifted her hand to his cheek and felt the stubble beneath her fingertips. It was such a good feeling. She tried to remember something, but she couldn't seem to. She wanted so much to remember something.

Tristin studied her. She was looking at him as though she was searching for something. Something she couldn't have.

Just as he was getting ready to pull away, she pulled him to her and kissed him. And it was perfect.

Absolutely perfect.

* * *

"You kissed him?" Lane asked. "Rory, that's awesome!"

Rory blushed lightly and looked to her mother, who was smiling softly at her.

"Is it good, mom?" Rory asked.

Lorelai smiled at her daughter. "I believe it is, baby."

Rory curled herself up in a ball on the couch. She wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her chin on her knees. She didn't know what she was thinking. That wasn't right.

"Where did Tristin leave off?" Lorelai inquired. "On your story?"

"I'd just kissed him at the benefit concert," she responded. "Which I'm still trying to grasp."

Lorelai laughed. "It was definitely out of character for you."

Lane nodded. "But I think it was bound to happen some time."

Rory smiled at the two women with her. "Do you guys know what happened next? I mean, I know we became a couple, but I don't know about anything after that."

"You don't want to hear it from Tristin? I mean, this is the crux of the story," Lorelai said.

"I just want to know something," Rory replied. "Something that might help me to remember."

"We could tell you about your grandmother's reaction," Lane said. "That was a priceless moment."

"Ah, yes," Lorelai said. "The day you made me very proud."

"So Tristin and I really did become a couple after that kiss?" Rory asked.

Lane nodded. "Yeah. But I don't think either of you took it too seriously until the meeting of the grandparents."

"Why do you say that?" Rory asked.

"After the grandparents' dinner, you two had a big fight, and then about a week later you were just…" Lane trailed off.

"Together," Lorelai finished. "And it was perfect. To me at least."

"To everyone," Lane corrected. "You want to hear about it?"

Rory smiled. "Yeah."

Lorelai opened an arm up and motioned for Rory. "Come on over here, baby. We'll tell you about it."

Rory smiled and curled up next to her mom. "Okay."

"So, Emily and Richard had obviously heard about you two. It was all over the papers, and of course they wanted to meet the boy you'd been canoodling with all over the place…"


	8. I Think I Could Like You

Thanks for the reviews. Here's a new one!

Disclaimer: First page. The title of this chapter comes from How to Touch a Girl by JoJo.

**Chapter 8:** _I Think I Could Like You_

_

* * *

__Click!_

Rory looked up and saw a few photographers taking pictures of her. She sighed and turned away from them and to her book.

She and Tristin had only been dating for about two weeks, and already she'd seen herself in three or four tabloid magazines. Things had begun to get a little out of hand.

"Rory?"

She looked up from her book and saw Lane. "Yeah?"

"What are those guys doing?" she asked, taking a seat on the bench next to her.

Rory shrugged. "Taking pictures. That's all they've been doing since Tristin and I got together at the benefit concert."

Lane smiled at her friend. "It'll get better. Eventually they'll turn their camera to someone else."

Another click was heard, and Rory looked up and saw them all attempt to crouch behind the bush.

"I hope it happens soon. This is getting stupid."

"Speaking of Romeo," Lane began. "Where is Tristin?"

"He's in Austin tonight," Rory responded, closing her book. "And then it's Miami and then he's going to be here Friday for dinner with the grandparents, and after dinner he heads back to Miami."

"How are the Gilmore's taking this?" Lane asked.

"They're shocked," Rory said. "I mean, it's been only four months since Finn…"

She stopped and bowed her head. She couldn't believe it had only been four months since he'd died. She took a deep breath and felt Lane's hand on hers.

"It's going to be okay, Rory," Lane said. "You and Finn were great. And you've had your time to heal."

_Click!_

"Let's get to class," Rory said. "Before they start saying we're lesbian lovers."

Lane laughed and she and Rory made their way to class.

* * *

"So, who knows the precise origin of the legend of Tristan and Isolde?"

"We could ask Rory. She seems to know Tristan better."

Rory turned and looked at the group of girls at the back of the class. Summer Ramirez, their "leader," had taken it personally when news of her and Tristin had gotten out. She rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the teacher.

"There will be no more of that, Ms. Ramirez. Perhaps, though, you could tell me the origins of this legend."

Summer was silent. She looked to her group of friends, who shrugged their shoulders.

Rory raised her hand. "I believe the origin of the story traces back to when Rome had fallen, and the tribes of Ireland were fighting…"

* * *

Tristin smiled into the phone. "So you put her in her place?"

Rory giggled. "Yeah. It was quite amazing, if I do say so myself."

"Well, that's because you're amazing," Tristin said.

Rory smiled and leaned against the lockers. "I miss you."

"I miss you, too," Tristin said. "So much that I've got a surprise for you. I hope you'll like it."

"A surprise?" Rory asked.

"Yeah," Tristin responded. "A surprise. It should be arriving any minute now."

Rory heard a series of clicks as the doors to the school opened. She looked up and saw Tristin walk into the school. The phone she had to her ear dropped to the ground, a smile crept upon her face. She didn't even register the bell for classes ringing, or the people that had ventured out to the hall. She began walking over to him.

"Tristin?"

Tristin smiled. Before he had a chance to respond, Rory was in his arms. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her.

"Hi," she greeted.

The whispers began in that instant. And Rory didn't care. For once, she didn't care what everyone was saying about her.

* * *

"I can't believe he's here!" Lane squealed.

Rory smiled. "I know. It's definitely strange. I mean, he's supposed to be in Texas. I'm just… wow."

"I know," Lane said. "Do you have practice today?"

Rory shook her head. "Yeah. But coach said he could sit in. I asked right after he got here."

Lane grinned. "Crafty."

Rory shrugged. "Yeah."

"Where is Prince Charming right now?" Lane asked.

Rory pointed over to her locker. Tristin was leaning against it signing autographs and trying desperately to find a way out of the group of girls around him.

Rory smiled and Lane giggled. Tristin looked up and saw them smiling and giggling together. He made his way out of the small group of girls and over to Rory. She smiled at him and took his hand.

"So I have practice," Rory said. "Lacrosse. Coach said you could sit in if you'd like."

Tristin nodded. "Sounds fun. But it's not even lacrosse season. Do you guys practice all year?"

"Varsity does," Rory explained. "But we only practice once a week every other week to stay in shape. All the other time is conditioning. You just came in on a practice day."

He wrapped his arm around her waist and walked with her out the door and to the gym where the boys and girls teams were beginning to assemble.

"Hey, Ror," Logan called out. "Who's this?"

Rory smiled and took Tristin's hand in hers. "This is my boyfriend Tristin DuGrey. We got together two weeks ago at the benefit concert."

Logan nodded and looked Tristin up and down. Rory was most scared of what Logan and Colin would think of her new boyfriend. She'd managed so far to not say too much of him to them. But Tristin showing up was not something she could hide easily.

"Yeah, I remember you saying something about that," Logan responded, extending his hand toward Tristin. "Good to meet you."

Tristin shook Logan's hand. "You, too."

"Well, practice should be over quick," Rory said. "We're normally only here for about an hour."

Tristin nodded and took Rory's book bag from her. He made his way over the stands with her belongings and grabbed a seat. He couldn't believe he'd just shown up here.

But that girl sure was something. He hadn't been able to get her off his mind since that kiss. And he couldn't believe how quickly they'd adjusted to being a couple. It was mind-boggling to him how quickly he'd adjusted to being in a committed relationship.

But she sure was extraordinary.

* * *

"It'll be fine, babe," Lorelai assured Rory. "Your grandparents want the best for you. They just want to meet him, that's all. Swear. Right, Luke?"

Luke coughed. "Yeah. Right. Totally."

Rory rolled her eyes. Tristin took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. She looked up at him and smiled at him. He smiled back at her and took a deep breath as Lorelai pulled into the driveway of the Gilmore mansion.

The door opened before they even got to it. And Rory was greeted with the two very unhappy faces of her grandparents.

Tonight would sure be interesting.

* * *

"So, Tristin," Richard began. "How did you find yourself in this particular profession?"

Tristin set his fork down. "My mom kind of got me into it. When I was little we would always hold these little concerts. I'd sing and play guitar, and mom would sing and play piano. I got my first record deal when I was sixteen. I sang at some talent show just outside of L.A., and ever since then I've been singing."

Richard nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer he was given.

Emily Gilmore, however, was not. "And what made you decide to pursue this instead of an education?"

Rory sighed. "Grandma…"

"Well, ma'am," Tristin interrupted. "I take a few online courses. I'm studying business, with a concentration in accounting. I figured I'd need something to fall back on in case this whole music thing doesn't work out."

Emily, flabbergasted, nodded and took a sip of wine. "Well, Rory, you sure have been making headlines lately. We see your picture almost everyday. There's really no need to see how you're doing. We'll wind up reading it eventually."

Lorelai sighed. "Mom…"

"I sincerely apologize for that, Mrs. Gilmore," Tristin said. "I never intended for things to happen so quickly. We were going to try and keep everything a secret so that things like this wouldn't happen."

"Yes, well," Emily started. "I guess it's easy to overlook these little things when you're a big-time superstar."

Rory sighed. "Grandma…"

"I agree, ma'am," Tristin interrupted again. "Although I swore it would never happen, I do happen to let things get to my head sometimes. I apologize. I've told my manager to try and keep our whereabouts a secret when we're together. I've also asked that word be spread about Rory and not to follow her as she _is_ in her senior year and needs her privacy for studying."

Rory looked from her grandmother to Tristin. Tristin look serious as ever as he took a bite of the chicken. She smiled in triumph and turned her attention to her food as well. All seemed quiet in the house until a click was heard from the window.

"Damn photographers," Emily said, standing up and making her way to the window to shut the blinds. "Lorelai Gilmore, I swear…"

Lorelai turned her attention to Emily. "Yes, mom?"

"You let her do this," Emily said. "You practically pushed her into another relationship. And Finn hasn't even been gone six months."

Rory felt a lump begin to rise in her throat. Tristin attempted to take her hand, but she swiftly pulled her hand away from his.

She got up and went to her grandfather's study. The yelling continued.

"She wasn't over him, Lorelai!" Emily screamed. "And this boy pressured her into this."

"Hey," Lorelai said. "That kiss was mutual. Rory does nothing without thinking about it first."

"She doesn't just kiss boys, Lorelai!" Emily yelled. "Rory was not raised to do this."

Rory slouched against the door. She heard footsteps and knew it was Tristin. She had to end things. She couldn't have her grandparents upset with her.

Tristin knocked softly. "Rory, open the door."

Rory wiped her eyes. "What do you want, Tristin?"

"Rory," he pleaded. "Open the door."

She stood and opened the door and looked into his eyes. "Tristin, I don't think I can do this. My grandparents are upset. And…"

"And nothing, Rory," Tristin said. "They'll learn to deal with it. I know you felt something when I kissed you. I know it."

Rory closed her eyes and shook her head. "No. It was nice, but dating? Tristin, it's stupid. You're a big movie star and I'm not even a debutante. I only had a coming out party for my grandmother's sake. We're different worlds, Tris."

Tristin took her hand. "Please, Rory."

Rory looked up at Tristin. "I'm sorry, Tris. Maybe in a different life, but not this one. I'm not even completely okay. I'm still a wreck."

"Rory, I'm not asking you to forget Finn," Tristin said. "But I know you felt something. I know you did. You don't fake reactions like you did when I showed up at Chilton the other day. You just… you don't."

"I'm sorry," Rory said. "I can't, Tristin. I'm not losing my grandparents for this. As much as I want this, I can't."

Tristin studied the girl in front of him. So bruised from the world. Still so beautiful. He couldn't believe this was actually happening. He was the one being dumped. He couldn't believe it.

"Please, Rory," he said. "I…"

"Go, Tristin," Rory stated. "Just go. I can't lose my grandparents. I just can't."

He stood there for a minute longer as they listened to the yelling between Lorelai and her parents.

"I better get back in there," Rory whispered. "I have to go fix this."

Tristin nodded. "Yeah. I better get going, too. My cab's probably waiting outside."

"Yeah," Rory agreed. "I'll see you around?"

Tristin shrugged. "Maybe."

She watched him walk out of the house, and she quickly made her way to the dining room.

"She likes him, mom!" Lorelai exclaimed. "He makes her happy, and…"

"Look," Rory said. "It's over between us. You can all stop, okay?"

Emily looked from Lorelai to Rory. "Over?"

"Yes," Rory answered. "Over. Now will you please shut up about it?"

Emily looked to Richard, who shrugged, and she sat down. Lorelai looked at Rory, and saw fresh tears ready to spring from her eyes.

"Rory and I should be going," Lorelai said.

"Oh, no," Emily said. "Please, stay for dessert."

"You know, grandma, I don't think that's such a good idea," Rory responded. "We'll see you next Friday."

And with that, Rory was walking away from the table. When she got to the front porch, Tristin and his cab were nowhere to be found. She stood out by the Jeep, waiting for her mom.

Her mother emerged from the house looking mad, but her expression softened instantly.

"You okay?" Lorelai asked.

Rory shrugged. "Let's just go home."

"Do you want to talk about it?" she inquired.

Rory shook her head. "Just unlock the car so we can go home."

The ride home had never been so quiet. And neither Tristin DuGrey nor Rory Gilmore had felt heartbreak until that night.


	9. It's Hard to Find Angels

Thanks for the reviews. Here's a new one, kinda short, but the next one will be longer. Promise!

Disclaimer: First page. The title of this chapter comes from _City of Devils_ by **Yellowcard**.

**Chapter 9:** _It's Hard to Find Angels_

* * *

"I can't believe I just… broke up with him like that," Rory said.

"You did, though, sweets," Lorelai replied. "They were your grandparents. And they hated the fact that you didn't move on to Colin or Logan. They hated the fact that you'd chosen someone who wasn't society."

Rory shrugged. "It just doesn't seem like me, I guess. Or the me you've told me about."

"I was surprised, too," Lane said. "But I guess I sort of wasn't. Losing Finn had changed you. You'd somewhat turned into a puppet for your grandparents."

Rory looked out the window. The dark sky lit up with lightning. She sighed and rubbed her eyes. She didn't know what to think of what she'd just been told. If she and Tristin were so good, then why did they break up? Why did he take her back? Why…

And then she saw it.

_A boy singing on a stage, and looking backstage to her. He smiles and as soon as his song is over, he's holding tightly to her. Taking in her wet hair and clothing and kissing her with all he has._

"What happened, when I went back to him?" Rory asked. "Was it raining that day?"

Lorelai and Lane looked at each other. Lane smiled and rested her hand on Rory's.

"We'll let Tristin tell you that part," Lane responded. "But yeah, it was."

"What did you remember, sweetie?" Lorelai asked.

"I think I remembered when we got back together," Rory said. "But, I don't know. Maybe it was just a dream I had awhile back. I don't know."

Lane smiled at her. "We should get going. Is Tristin staying with you tonight?"

Rory smiled and felt a blush creep on her cheeks. "Yeah. That's okay, right mom?"

Lorelai nodded. "Yeah. You two did it all the time when you went to college."

"Where did I go to school?" Rory asked.

"Yale," Lorelai replied. "It was your grandparents' happiest day."

"They weren't thrilled that you got in with a lacrosse scholarship, but it was Yale, so they could deal with it," Lane added.

Rory smiled. "I can't believe I was an athlete."

"Surprised me," Lorelai said. "That's for sure. But I think it was the fact that Luke always took you to soccer games and lacrosse matches at Chilton when you were little that you got into it."

"So what's the deal with you and Luke?" Rory asked.

"We danced around the dating thing for a few years," Lorelai replied. "We started dating around the time you got into Chilton."

Rory nodded. "I see."

"Luke was crazy about the two of us when we came to town," Lorelai said. "He took care of you, treated you like his daughter."

Rory tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Why hasn't he been here?"

Lane smiled. "He wasn't sure how to approach you. I mean, he's never been great with awkward situations. And this definitely would have been awkward for him."

"Oh," Rory said. "What happened with Yale? Do I still go there?"

"Your grandparents took care of it," Lorelai stated simply. "When you're ready to go back, you'll go back."

There was a knock at the door, and Rory grinned. Lane and Lorelai looked to each other with smiles on their faces.

Lane looked through the peephole. "It's Tristin."

"We'll see you tomorrow, okay sweets?" Lorelai asked.

Rory nodded. "See you guys tomorrow."

They exited, and Tristin walked in. Rory threw herself into his arms.

"To what do I owe this?" he asked.

"I remembered something," Rory said. "The day we got back together."

Tristin smiled. "Ah, so they told you about the first break up?"

Rory nodded. "I'm still surprised by it. I mean, breaking up with you because my grandparents didn't like you."

"It threw me for a loop," he replied. "But I think deep down I knew you'd be back. It was new for you. Finn was your first boyfriend, and everyone figured you'd stick with society after that."

She smiled and took his hand. "It was raining the day we got back together."

He looked down at her as she led him inside. "Yeah. You came out to a concert in Philly. I think that surprised me more."

They sat down on the couch and she sat close to him. "I'm really glad I remembered it."

He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer. He kissed her head tenderly and, cautiously, brought his lips to hers.

Rory smiled and deepened the kiss. Something felt so familiar about it. She couldn't place exactly what it was. And then, something came to her again.

"_Is it odd being away from home?"_

_She nodded. "Yeah. But I think I'll manage if it means you and I can have sleep overs."_

_He brought his lips to hers and the two spent the night wrapped up in each other's arms._

She slowly pulled away. "I love you, Tris."

He looked into her eyes, so innocent, so naïve. "I love you, too, Mary."

She smiled. "College was fun for us, wasn't it?"

He nodded. "Yeah. We had a sleep over every other weekend. Summer was the best, though."

"Did we spend every minute together?" she asked.

"Yeah," he replied. "I think we spent so much time together we got sick of each other."

"Do you think that's why we fought?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Maybe. I think it was more because we were so different. But we always fought, and we always got back together. Sooner or later, one of us would cave. Like I told you, compromise was one of the staples of our relationship."

She smiled. "What happened… the night we got back together?"

"Well," he began. "I was going crazy. For two weeks I'd had to deal with hearing about how we'd broken up. Your grandmother had supplied all the necessary information to the press. So, of course, I had to confirm it."

"I can't believe she would do that," she said.

"You were her only granddaughter," he replied. "She was protective. She likes me now. I think she was part of the reason we got back together."

"Because it was a Friday night?" Rory asked.

He nodded. "Yeah. It had, of course, been raining. I should have figured it would rain. It was April, and I was in Philadelphia. I couldn't get you off my mind…"


	10. We Stood Like Statues

Thanks for the reviews. Here's a new one. Do you see a familiar name in here?

Disclaimer: First page. The title of this chapter comes from _Bruised _by Jack's Mannequin

**Chapter 10:** _We Stood Like Statues_

* * *

"Tristin, is it true that you weren't well-suited for Ms. Gilmore?"

Tristin rolled his eyes. It was week two since the break-up, and they weren't giving up. He couldn't handle it. He continued walking to his dressing room and silently asked his manager to take care of the reporters.

"Tristin's done answering your questions about Ms. Gilmore," his manager said. "Please, just let he and Ms. Gilmore have their privacy."

Rory hit the 'power' button on the TV and sighed. It was another Friday afternoon, and she couldn't stop thinking about him.

"Babe?" Lorelai asked. "You sure you want to go to dinner tonight?"

Rory sighed. "It'll be fine. Besides, Grandma said I had to be there tonight."

Lorelai nodded. "Yeah. That's right. But I can call in sick for you."

Rory turned the TV back on. "I'll be fine. I promise, mom."

"Tristin DuGrey and Rory Gilmore were the blink and you'll miss it couple of the year," the woman on MTV news said. "Apparently their break up was due to the difference in social standings. This from Gilmore's grandmother…"

Tristin sighed and turned off the TV. "It'd be a miracle if they just left it alone."

"It's good press, though," his manager, Jim, noted. "The break up gets you sympathy points. It definitely makes you more appealing to the female population."

Tristin rolled his eyes. "There's only one female I want to appeal to."

"And that angsty thing definitely gets you points," Jim said. "Get over her, Tristin. There are plenty of other high school girls waiting to date you."

Tristin nodded and sat down on the couch. He really didn't want to be here tonight. Not in Philadelphia. Not at Truncheon Books.

He'd rather be in Stars Hollow, Connecticut.

* * *

Rory could practically feel the stares burning through her. The entire town knew, and she'd fought her mother about going to Luke's.

Alas, this is where she sat when her mother began chit-chatting. Or so she'd assumed.

"So, Luke's nephew, Jess," Lorelai began. "He has that bookstore in Philadelphia…"

"Is there a point to this?" Rory asked. "Or are you going to tell me all about Luke's nephew?"

Lorelai laughed. "He has a guest at his bookstore tonight."

Rory looked at her mother. "When do bookstores not have guests?"

"He has a _musical _guest tonight," Lorelai repeated. "You know him, or his lips, quite well."

Rory sighed. "Tristin?"

Lorelai nodded. "Yeah. And I was thinking…"

"Oh, God," Rory said. "Mom, I thought we agreed to not talk about it. It was a one time thing and it's not happening again."

Lorelai nodded and looked to Luke, who came over.

"Hey, Ror," he greeted. "How's it going?"

Rory sighed. "Coffee. Then you'll get an answer. And no, I'm not going to Truncheon."

Luke nodded. "Okay. Coffee it is. How's lacrosse going? Have you picked a college yet?"

Rory shrugged. "Yale offered me a full-ride with lacrosse."

Luke nodded. "Yale's closer to home."

"Yeah," Rory responded. "Are you going to be able to make it to our benefit match? We're playing Andover."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, kid," he responded. "Lor, am I required at dinner tonight?"

"If you want any," Lorelai replied. "You'll be there."

Luke sighed. "Ah, geez."

"Kid at the table," Rory interjected.

Lorelai smiled. "I'll have eggs and bacon. Rory?"

"I'm good with coffee," Rory replied. "I have to get to the bus stop."

Lorelai nodded. "Have a good day, sweets."

Rory grabbed her bag and ran out the door. Lorelai watched in awe as her daughter made her way onto the bus. Luke sat down at the table beside her.

"She handling everything okay?" Luke asked.

"She really liked him," Lorelai said. "No one made her smile like that except for Finn."

Luke nodded. "What are we going to do about it?"

Lorelai shrugged. "There's really nothing we can do. She has to decide to do something about it."

"And dinner tonight at the grandparents?" Luke asked. "Why does Rory absolutely have to come? I get that it's a regular Friday thing, but why is she so dead set on this?"

"I foresee Rory being shown around like cattle to all the well-suited men of Hartford society," Lorelai replied. "She's going to be in hell for exactly one hour, then she'll come home, read and bitch about her grandmother, and spend the weekend in her room."

"And the singer?" Luke asked.

"I mentioned he was at Truncheon tonight," Lorelai said. "Make a call just in case, but I think she's just going to deny that she wants to be with him in order to not piss her grandparents off any more than she already has."

Luke watched as the bus drove off down the street. "I'll make the call."

* * *

Rory sighed as she, Luke and her mother walked into her grandparents house. This was definitely not what she was expecting. She saw Logan and Colin standing off to the right of her with their parents, and a few other guys she knew and their parents scattered throughout the house.

"Rory," her grandmother greeted. "Lovely to see you. Come in, come in! Luke, Lorelai, good to see you as well."

Lorelai cocked her eyebrows. "What is she smoking?"

Rory shrugged. "Grandma, what's all this about?"

"We just thought that since you and Tristin weren't together anymore we would introduce you to some of the fine boys with whom you attend school," Emily replied. "You know Colin and Logan…"

"Grandma, may I speak with you in private?" Rory asked.

"That's not necessary, Rory, you can speak to me in public," Emily said.

Rory folded her arms. "Okay then, sounds excellent. You have absolutely no right to do this. I broke up with Tristin to get more into your good graces because I knew you'd be upset that I accepted the offer from Yale for a full ride on a lacrosse scholarship. I played along the past two weeks with you blabbing about mine and Tristin's break up to the press. I even agreed to come tonight, even though I knew about this."

"How would you know about this?" Emily asked.

"You should really remember that Logan and Colin were Finn's best friends," Rory said. "And I'm still friends with them. And furthermore, you should remember that they tell me things like this. They liked Tristin, just so you know. They had no problem with him. Now, grandma, I really don't care what you have to say about this, but I'm leaving. There's probably a few of these guys here who wouldn't mind driving me to Philadelphia and I'm damn sure going to be there tonight."

"You wouldn't dare," Emily said.

Rory shook her head and laughed. "I would. And I'm going to get Tristin back. He may or may not be my soul mate or anything like that, but he makes me smile. He makes me happy and he makes me want to be something more than some damn trophy wife, which is clearly what you're trying to do to me."

Silence filled the space between the elder Gilmore and the youngest. Everyone had turned to watch the spat.

Rory opened the door. "Good-bye, grandma. Have a nice time explaining this one to your DAR friends. Logan?"

Logan looked to Rory. "Yeah, Ace?"

"Can you take me to Philly?" Rory asked as she began walking out the door.

Logan smiled and followed Rory outside. Lorelai grinned and took Luke's hand.

"Good thing I called Jess," Luke said. "I'm going to call and let him know she'll be there for sure."

Lorelai nodded, and watched as Logan drove Rory out of the driveway. She was, for once, doing what she wanted.

* * *

Tristin sighed. If he heard another cell phone, was going to-

_Ring!_

Jess Mariano, one of the owners of Truncheon Books, opened his phone to take the call. Tristin shook his head.

He turned to his manager. "He's aware that we're starting in ten, right?"

His manager shrugged. "Just let it be. Focus on the task at hand."

Tristin nodded and tuned his guitar. He watched Jess walk around and then glance at him. He shook his head and focused on playing some chords. The crowd was getting restless. He was glad Truncheon for this gig. He was getting tired of the bigger venues. Granted, the bigger venues brought in more money…

"Excuse me, Jim," Jess said, interrupting his thoughts. "May I speak with you in private?"

Jim turned to Jess. "Yeah."

Jim walked away from Tristin. He watched the exchange. He saw Jim sigh, then perk up when Jess said something else. What could they be talking about?

"So she'll be here soon?" Jim asked.

Jess nodded. "In about four hours. I just got the call."

Jim grinned and glanced over at Tristin, who was watching them talk. "Don't say anything to him. Let it be a surprise."

Jess smiled. "Okay. I'll wait out front for her. I think it's going to start raining anyway, I want to get people in here without ruining the floors."

Jim nodded and shook Jess's hand. He made his way back over to Tristin.

"What was that about?" Tristin asked.

Jim took a seat. "Just wanting to know about autographs and such after the show."

Tristin nodded, not believing him, but not wanting to press the issue. He watched Jess walk outside and turned his attention back to tuning the guitar.

* * *

Rory was beginning to regret coming. They were about five minutes from Truncheon Books, according to Logan, who hadn't been anything but happy to drive her there.

"You nervous?"

She nodded, absently rubbing the fabric of her dress between her thumb and index finger. "Should I be?"

Logan grinned and shook his head. "Nah. It'll be okay. Look, here we are."

They pulled up by the curb and Rory was greeted by Jess, who she'd only met in passing over the past few years.

"Hey, Rory," he greeted. "Let's get you inside."

Rory was hit instantly with cold rain, pouring down on her. She didn't care, though.

She was here for Tristin.

Jess escorted her backstage, where she was greeted by Jim, Tristin's manager. She shook his hand and did her best to dry off.

"Ready?" Jim asked.

Rory nodded, and they led her to the wing. She saw Tristin playing. She waved away the towels being offered to her. Upon hearing his voice, she wasn't so cold anymore.

Tristin glanced backstage. He did a double-take, and grinned when he saw her standing back there.

She was here.

He finished the song after what seemed like forever. Before the applause even began, he was holding her. He picked her up and held tightly to her. He felt her fingers running through his hair.

He smiled, looking at her. "What…?"

She smiled back. "It's you. I don't care what happens or what anyone else thinks or says. I want you."

Tristin smiled and kissed Rory. He didn't care who happened to be snapping pictures or who was watching. She was here, and she was his.

And that was something that couldn't be beat.


	11. I Just Remembered

**A/N**: My profile has an important message about updates. Sorry for the long wait on this one. It's more of a filler, but it sets up the next chapter, which I **promise** will be longer. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing. The title of this chapter comes from _Comfortable_ by _John Mayer_.

**Chapter 11**: _I Just Remembered_

* * *

"I like that one," Rory commented, pointing to an image of a firework with stars angling out from it. She felt herself blush when Tristin turned to look at her, a smirk on his face. "It's original. You don't want something everyone else has."

Tristin nodded. "You're right."

It was a Saturday afternoon, and Tristin had stopped by Rory's apartment with a book of designs for his tour posters. She'd grown accustomed to seeing him everyday, but she knew that his newest tour would start soon. And the thought of not seeing him everyday scared her. She was slowly remembering a few things.

So far she'd been able to remember a few things about Finn. And an incident involving Tristin wearing a pair of her pants. He had blushed madly when she recounted the tale to him. And then her mother had taken out a photo album labeled "Summer Tour" and showed her the pictures. Tristin had attempted to explain why he was wearing them, but she was laughing too hard to hear his excuses.

She didn't want him to leave. She didn't want to suddenly forget everything. She didn't want to not ever remember him. Because she had felt herself falling for him. He was kind and caring. And they had their banter. And she didn't want to lose it. She didn't want to lose **him**. And any memories they may or may not have made together.

"Stop thinking so much." Tristin's voice broke her from her thoughts. "We don't need you getting wrinkles at the tender age of nineteen."

She shrugged. "I can't help it." She leaned over, resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm scared."

He studied her, and kissed her forehead. "You have nothing to worry about. I'll call you all the time." He wrapped an arm around her. "I promise."

"I get the feeling it won't be the same," she stated, snuggling into his embrace. "I mean, when you're here, I can kiss you and hold your hand. I can see your face when you describe things to me. The phone only provides so much."

He nodded. "I understand." And he did. He, too, was dreading having to go on tour. He was afraid of losing Rory again. He didn't want to come back after the tour and have her not remember him. Or worse, hate him because she suddenly remembered everything.

"So were my grandparents understanding?" she asked. "I mean, I left their dinner party –"

"More like auction," he corrected.

She playfully glared at him. "I left their _dinner party_ and went to see you. I mean, I would be upset."

"I guess they were." He shrugged, and let his hand rest on her hip. "I never really talked to them. At least, not until your accident. Ever since we've talked here and there. I think they're coming around."

"We never had dinner with them again?" she asked, looking up at him. "I mean, I guess that's a dumb question. Why would we after what they said?" She sighed. "I wish I could remember something."

He kissed her forehead again. "You will. It takes time, though, Rory." But he secretly wished she would remember. He wanted things back to normal, but he was not about to push Rory. He loved her, even in her current state. And he would wait forever if he had to.

She looked up at him, a look in her eyes he knew all too well. She was about to ask him a serious question. He braced himself mentally, not knowing what she would say.

"Tristin," she began. "That first day, when you started telling me our story, you called me Mary."

He nodded, wondering where, precisely she was going with this. "Yeah."

"Well, I…" she tucked her hair behind her ear. "What… what did you…" she sighed, absentmindedly scratching her nose. "Why did you call me that?"

He grinned, mentally heaving a deep sigh of relief that it was a simple question. "Because you are – or were – a Mary. _My_ Mary."

She narrowed her eyes at him, confused. "I don't…" And then a look of realization washed over her. "Oh." She blushed, and smiled sheepishly. "I… I understand now." She directed her gaze everywhere but him, before deciding to study the sketches.

"Rory." He hooked his index finger under her chin, bringing her eyes to his. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about." He smirked at her. "I promise."

"So I was…" she trailed off, not knowing exactly how to say it. "I mean, I wasn't… Finn and I didn't… do… it?"

"No," he answered. "You and Finn weren't ready for that step. At least, that's what you told me when we talked about it." He smiled, remembering the conversation vividly. "That was the night of your prom."

"Will you… I mean…" she blushed again, biting her lip. "Will you tell me about it?" She looked away. "Well, not just the conversation, but prom, too? Maybe... I mean..." She sighed, mentally kicking herself for rambling again. "Maybe I'll remember something."

He smiled. "Well, you had bugged me for days about prom before I finally caved."

"It was the eyes, wasn't it?" she asked, looking up at him and pouting.

He grinned and leaned back against the couch, bringing her with him. "Yeah. You could say that."

She rested her head on his chest and smiled. She decided she could stay like that forever. "And?"

"Prom night came. I, of course, was dreading it," he began. "But one look at you, and I was a goner…"


	12. The Other Side

**A/N**: Hope you guys enjoy this chapter. It's my longest one yet... :) Thanks for the reviews!

**Disclaimer**: See first chapter. The title of this chapter is from _It Is You (I Have Loved) _by _Dana Glover_. The lyrics at the end of the chapter come from that song as well.

**Rating**: T- yeah, you know why already.

**Chapter 12**: _The Other Side_

* * *

"Please tell me again how I got tricked into this," Tristin groaned. He slipped his arm around Rory's waist as they walked down a sidewalk in Stars Hollow. She grinned at him, slipping her hand into his back pocket. He kissed her forehead as they came to a stop at the cross walk. 

"Because you told me that you owed me since I had to go to that industry official… record business planning… _thing_ and I decided you had to go to prom," Rory responded. She really wasn't sure what it was she'd been to. All she knew was it was mind-numbingly dull and she and Tristin had ended up sneaking into a coatroom and making out for about two hours before getting caught and being forced to mingle. She blushed as she remembered it.

"Yeah, but we can't go make out in a coat room if we get bored at prom," Tristin whispered to her. He offered her his hand as the signal blinked for them to cross.

She blushed even more as she took his hand and they made their way across the street to Luke's. Luke, as per usual, glared at Tristin when they walked in, and offered Rory a smile as they sat down. Tristin looked around uneasily, hoping that Luke hadn't paid off someone to take him out. Rory giggled, watching him. "You know, you can relax. He's not going to kill you."

Tristin shrugged. "You can never tell with that guy." He caught Luke's eye and gulped. "Besides, how do I know you're not in on his plot to kill me?"

Rory widened her eyes in fake shock, trying to stifle a giggle. "I can't believe you'd think such a thing! And about your _girl_friend!" Tristin rolled his eyes in response, slinging an arm over her shoulder and pulling her close. He kissed the top of her head and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Such a cute couple," Lorelai cooed as she entered the diner. She took a seat across from Rory and Tristin, ordering a cup of coffee. "I could totally take a picture right now and sell it for millions! Millions!"

Tristin smiled. "How are you Lorelai?"

"Just fine, thanks," Lorelai responded, taking a sip of her coffee. "How goes tux shopping?" She smirked at Tristin's pained face. "You know, prom's not that bad. And you're going to Chilton's prom, so I'm sure you and Rory will have plenty of fun poking fun at the little rich girls who get wasted and start throwing themselves at you."

Rory glared at her mother. "That's not going to happen." Tristin raised his eyebrows at her. She sighed. "I'm already in the process of making sure that doesn't happen."

Tristin smirked and kissed her cheek. "Jealous much?"

"Of those dimwitted monkeys?" Rory scoffed. "I think not." She sighed. Okay, so she was a little bit jealous. But she didn't want Tristin to know that. She sighed again, leaning into his body. "I'm a little bit jealous."

Lorelai laughed. "Understandable. I get jealous when those PTA bimbos come in here to talk to Luke."

Rory rolled her eyes as Luke sat down at the table with them. "Hey, Rory." There was a pause, and they watched as Luke bit back a comment. "Hey, Tristin." His cold greeting did nothing for Tristin's nerves, and Rory felt him shift. She held back a laugh. "Are you two prom shopping?" Luke's gaze was focused on Tristin, but Tristin knew that the question was posed to Rory.

Rory nodded. "Yeah. We're trying to find a good place to get his tux."

"And your dress?" Luke asked, his eyes never leaving Tristin. Tristin shifted again and Rory took his hand as they stood up.

"Mom's going to be making it," she replied. "Sorry to cut this short, Luke, but Tristin and I have to get going. We'll be here for dinner, okay?" Luke nodded, and bid the two good-bye. Tristin slung his arm over Rory's shoulder and she grabbed his hand as they walked. Luke eyed them until they were out of sight.

"I don't trust him," Luke stated. He turned to see Lorelai's amused face.

She smiled at him as he sat down next to her. "Aren't you the one who arranged for her to meet up with him that night?" He sighed, not jumping to answer her question. She nodded, smirking. "He's a good guy, Luke. He's crazy about Rory. And trust me, there's nothing un-trustworthy about him."

"First of all, un-trustworthy?" Luke asked. Lorelai shrugged. He nodded, not pushing the issue. She made up words all the time, and he'd grown used to it. "And second of all, you trust him?"

Lorelai nodded. "Yeah. He's been out to the Crap Shack a few times since they got back together. He and I have already had that great big heart-to-heart about what happens if he breaks her heart. And he's assured me that he has no intentions of doing that." She patted Luke on the back. "So you, mister, need to be nice. He's in town until the day after tomorrow. Just deal with it. Glare all you want, but try to not make him so uncomfortable that he views Chinese water torture more enjoyable than lunch here."

Luke shrugged. "I make no promises, but I'll try and cool down my icy glare." He sighed as he saw Tristin and Rory come back into view and stood in front of the gazebo in the town square. "She really likes him?"

Lorelai watched as Tristin seemed to ask Rory about something, and she had a feeling it was about prom. She saw Rory smile and whisper something to Tristin. She nodded, taking in the scene. "Yeah." And then she thought again, and smiled. "I think there's also a good chance of love there."

--

"So what do I get in return for prom?" Tristin asked as he set Rory down.

"I guess you'll have to just see, won't you?" Rory answered, whispering in his ear. Tristin raised his eyebrows in question and Rory blushed. He kissed her cheek and took her hand as they walked around town.

"So I don't get a hint?" he asked, waving to Miss Patty as they passed her dance studio.

Rory shook her head in amusement as Patty pulled out her phone. She had a feeling that in the next five minutes, everyone in Stars Hollow would know that Tristin was in town. And that they were canoodling in the town square. "Nope. No hints."

They were silent as they walked over to the bridge and sat down. Tristin pulled Rory into his arms. He kissed her cheek as she settled herself between his legs. She sighed. This was happiness. She smiled. Had anyone told her that by the time she was graduating high school she'd be dating a musician, she would have laughed at them. And now here she was, with Tristin DuGrey, and she felt herself falling for him more and more everyday.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Tristin's voice broke her from her thoughts. She smiled, letting his hands rest on her stomach, ignoring the butterflies as they once again began fluttering uncontrollably in her stomach.

"I'm happy," she said. "Really happy."

Tristin nodded against her neck. "Me, too." He kissed her cheek. "You make me happy."

"Funny you should say that," she said. "I think you do the same thing."

They sat and watched the lake. The water was perfectly still. It was quiet, with the exception of whenever they spoke. Rory loved it here, and loved taking Tristin here. It had become their spot. And Rory knew she wouldn't have shared it with anyone else.

"So," Tristin whispered, his breath hot on her ear. "Can I kiss you now? I mean, considering I've been here for two days and have yet to kiss you properly."

Rory turned her head slightly to face him. "You're right. And you know, I should be offended. You've been here for two days and we haven't had one decent make out session. And you completely owe me for tricking me into the coat room last Friday."

"Oh, I owe you?" Tristin joked. "How much? I mean, I'm repaying you for your attendance at the party by going to prom with you, but I had no idea you'd need repayment for making out with me in the coat room." He kissed her neck. "I thought the make out session was payment enough."

She rolled her eyes in response. "No chance. I'm a high maintenance girl. Surely you should have known that. I think, in fact, I should require a double repayment since you haven't kissed me properly in two days and you tricked me—"

Tristin cut her off with a kiss, and Rory eagerly reciprocated. Turning around so she was facing him, she wrapped her arms around his neck, raking her hands through his hair. She felt his hands tangle in her hair, bringing her closer to him. His tongue was begging for entrance to her mouth, and she granted it, meeting his tongue with hers. She felt his hands untangle from her hair and slowly make their way down her back. Upon feeling them on the exposed skin of her lower back, she froze.

Breaking from the kiss, he started kissing her neck. She rested her hands on his chest, gently pushing him away. "Tris," she whispered. "Wait. Stop."

He rested his hands on her hips, and looked her in the eyes. She looked scared. He managed to catch his breath, and studied her. "You haven't…"

She shook her head, blushing and tucking her hair behind her ear. "No." She thought a moment, still trying to catch her breath. "I wanted to, but Finn and I didn't… it was never really the right time. So… yeah."

He smiled at her, a genuine smile and not the smirk she'd grown accustomed to. "I won't make you do anything you're not ready for." He whispered the words against her lips, and she felt completely helpless in his arms. Like she was melting. He was the first person who ever did that to her. He kissed her softly. "Mary."

"Mary?" she asked, confused. "What does that…" He looked at her pointedly, and then she realized it. "Oh." Her smile fell, and she looked down at the bridge. Trying to focus on something other than what he said. Did he mean it to make fun? Was he mocking her? What…

"Don't worry," he said, hooking his pointer finger under her chin and bringing her eyes to his. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about. Really." He saw the doubt in her eyes, and kissed her softly again before kissing her forehead and resting his forehead on hers.

She smiled at him. He had a way with words. And she honestly wasn't very surprised. She knew he must have with the way he sang his songs. She knew he was different. More different than she had originally assumed. "Thank you, Tristin. I just…"

He shook his head, silencing her by putting a finger to her lips. "Don't worry. If you're not ready, I'll wait. I have no problem with it. You're worth it." He kissed her and she eagerly reciprocated. He lost himself in the kiss, in the feelings that this girl seemed to evoke in him that no other girl could do. He reluctantly pulled away from her, smiling at her. His lips were mere centimeters from hers. "Mary." He kissed her softly before standing up and offering her his hand.

She took his hand and their fingers intertwined as they made their way back to the house. "So, how about we look at tuxes in my room?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and she rolled her eyes. "On the computer."

He shrugged, smirking. "I figured it was worth a shot." He pulled her closer to him and wrapped an arm around her waist as they started up the steps. "Guess there really is no getting out of this, huh?"

She opened the door and smiled at him, shaking her head in response. "Not a chance, DuGrey."

--

Tristin fidgeted with his tie, loosening it and re-tying it as he stood in the foyer of Rory's house. Luke shook his head at him. "Nervous?"

Tristin shrugged and took a deep breath. "Yeah. This tie just… it… seems tight. And then it's too loose. I…" He loosened it once again. "I hate ties. And formals."

Luke sighed, looking around to make sure no one was watching. "You tell no one I know how to do this." He walked over to Tristin and adjusted the tie. "Lorelai'll never let me live it down." Tristin nodded at him, and Luke patted him on the shoulder, sitting back down on the couch. The two were silent for a moment before Luke looked at Tristin. "You like her?"

Tristin was taken by the question. He wasn't sure if this was bonding or a prelude to a threat. He took a deep breath, and decided to just take the plunge. "I love her." He saw Luke shift uncomfortably. He had no idea which way this was going.

"You'll have her home at a decent hour." Tristin nodded, not sure if this was a question or a statement. "And she'll return in the same condition you took her to the dance. And she won't be crying and you won't stay out all night and she won't be driving because you drank too much." He decided it was the latter.

Tristin narrowed his eyes at Luke curiously. "Do you not trust me with her?"

Luke shrugged. He seemed to think for a moment. He looked at Tristin again, and this time, his eyes weren't the icy ones he'd grown used to seeing. They were different somehow. More concerned. "I trust you. I don't trust what I see when I see the two of you together." Luke sighed. "You have the same look in your eyes that I had in mine for fifteen years before I finally got the nerve to ask Lorelai to be my girlfriend. Hell, it's the same one I still have."

Tristin nodded. He heard a faint giggle, and knew it belonged to Rory. "She's an amazing person. And I'm not going to do anything she's not ready for. We've talked about a lot of things. And… I told her that she doesn't have to feel pressured to do anything she doesn't want to do. Because I've never been that type of guy and I'm not about to start."

Luke looked up at Tristin, prepared to say something before Lorelai came bounding in the room, nearly sliding into the couch. "Ah, geez. Damn socks. Rory! Your ass is mine! These socks are lethal!"

"You wanted the soft silky ones!" came Rory's faint response.

"Well I…" Lorelai started, then stopped when she noticed the looks between Tristin and Luke. "You two okay?" her voice lowered considerably, and she eyed the two men. "Not going to kill each other or… anything? All appendages intact?"

Luke nodded at Tristin, and Tristin knew he'd just been given a sign of approval from the gruff man. He nodded in response, and Luke turned his attention to Lorelai. "We're good."

Lorelai looked to Tristin for confirmation. He nodded, smiling. "We're just fine."

"Good," Lorelai stated. "Because your girlfriend looks kick ass." She smiled before running back to the bathroom. "Come on, you have skin like a baby's ass." Rory's muffled response followed, and then they heard the two women banter as they came out. "Wait, stop! Don't go out there!" Lorelai sounded frantic in her command, and Tristin shook his head in amusement. Lorelai rushed out to the foyer again. "May I present… Rory."

Rory entered the foyer smiling, and Tristin's breath caught. She was wearing a floor length dark blue dress. She spun around quickly for him. It was a halter, and the back of the dress dipped low, ending at the small of her back. She looked amazing, and Tristin smiled at her. He took her hand and brought it to his lips. "You look beautiful, Mary."

She blushed. Her hair was down, cascading over her shoulders in ringlets. She had glitter lightly sprinkled over her eyes and was wearing clear lip gloss. Glitter also covered her shoulders, and the thought struck Tristin that she looked like an angel. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her to him. He relished in being able to feel the skin on the small of her back. Pure bliss was the only thought running through his mind.

"Okay, pictures!" Lorelai announced. The two groaned at being interrupted, and both turned to glare playfully at Lorelai. Lorelai threw her hands up in surrender. "Your grandmother refused to be here but still wanted pictures. Who am I to deny her? I know you two aren't going to Friday night dinners anymore but I have to and I am _not_ about to suffer the wrath of Emily Gilmore for not having prom pictures."

The duo shrugged and then followed Lorelai's instructions for posing and putting on the corsage and boutonnière. Luckily, Lorelai had forgotten to change the batteries in the camera and they succeeded in leaving quickly.

"Back by two!" she called as they left the house and ventured to Tristin's limo.

He opened the door for her and they got in. Tristin wrapped an arm around Rory and she smiled at him. "Thank you, kind sir."

He smiled at her, kissing her softly. "No problem, Mary." She blushed, and he rested his hand on hers. She looked up at him and he smiled at her.

They were silent for a moment, and he heard Rory clear her throat. "Hey, Tristin?"

He looked at her. Her voice seemed uneasy. "Yeah, Mary?"

She blushed again, and smiled at him. He felt his heart melt. She seemed afraid to speak. "Well... you know what we were talking about earlier? About... all that... stuff?" She played with the material of her dress, rubbing it between her thumb and pointer finger.

He nodded, remembering their awkward sex conversation earlier and holding back a smirk. "Yeah..."

"I want to," she told him. He saw her blush. "I mean... I... I really do want to. I just... I need time. I don't want you to think that I don't want to. I want to... I just need some time. I... I'm not ready yet."

He smiled at her, planting a kiss on her forehead. He pulled her closer to him and she snuggled into his embrace. She looked up at him and he kissed her softly. "When you're ready, Rory. I won't push you. And I'll wait for you for as long as you need."

She didn't seem convinced by it. She looked up at him. "Are you... I mean..."

He kissed her again, sucking lightly on her bottom lip as he pulled away, relishing in the way she tasted. "When you're ready, Mary. Not a second sooner. I promise."

She smiled, snuggling into his embrace again. "Thanks, Tristin. For all of this."

He held her close. "Anything for you, Mary." He felt her head on his shoulder. "Anything."

--

"Rory!" Lane greeted. "You look amazing!" Lane hugged her tightly, and Rory returned the gesture.

"Thanks, Lane," Rory responded. "You do, too."

Lane smiled and took Dave's hand. "I can't believe it. Senior prom."

Rory nodded. "It's all pretty surreal."

"Here, let's sit here," Lane commanded and the two took seats at a table across from Lane and Dave. "You two are going to be the talk of the entire dance." She smiled at Rory, who blushed.

Tristin shrugged. "Well, Rory is at least. I think people are going to do more of the staring and gawking with me."

Dave laughed. "Isn't that how it always goes, though?"

Tristin took Rory's hand. "Most of the time."

"Yeah," Rory agreed. "Other times there are girls who openly flirt with him while I'm standing there." Lane looked at Rory and Tristin disbelievingly. "No lie."

Lane shook her head. "Wow."

The group laughed together, and the loud, fast music that had been playing came to a screeching halt. A slow song began to play, and Tristin knew what was coming next. Rory looked to him and smiled. A question begging in her eyes. He nodded, taking her hand and leading her to the dance floor.

He encircled her waist with his arms, and she brought her hands to rest at the nape of his neck. He smiled at her. "Did you plan this, Mary?"

"You mean getting you to dance the second we walked in the door?" She seemed to think for a moment, a smile playing on her lips. "No way." She smirked. "You complaining about it, DuGrey?"

He shook his head, resting his forehead on hers. "Never."

"Good," she whispered. "I'm glad you're here with me."

"I am, too," he replied. He pulled her closer to him and the words of the song drowned out any doubt he'd had about this evening. And they made him realize that what he'd told Luke earlier was true: he was in love with Rory Gilmore.

_Now I know just who you are  
__And I know you hold my heart…  
__  
__No more mystery  
__It is finally clear to me  
__You're the home my heart searched for so long  
__It is you I have loved  
__All along_


	13. Searching for Normal

**Thank you so much for all of the reviews. And for being patient while I was writing 'Broken Promises.' Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**See first chapter for all necessary information.**

--

**Chapter 13**: _Searching for Normal_

"Hi, Luke," Rory greeted, smiling nervously. She wasn't sure if arriving unannounced was okay, considering who she was visiting. He hadn't come to see her, though, and she was scared that maybe he'd either forgotten about her or didn't care. "Is it… is it okay that I'm here?"

Luke smiled at Rory, and her nerves calmed significantly. "Of course it's fine. Have a seat. Do you still like coffee?" She nodded eagerly and he poured her a cup as she took a seat at the counter, her eyes dancing over the various signs he had up. She thanked him before taking a sip of her coffee, and a comfortable silence fell between them.

Rory sighed, breaking the silence. Luke looked at her with expecting eyes and she shrugged. "Why didn't you come to see me? I mean, mom said that you were like a second father to me, and after all this I thought maybe you'd come visit with her or something but you didn't." She paused. Then decided she'd take another leap. She figured it wouldn't be any more of an embarrassment than she'd already had. "I was hurt, Luke. I mean, I remembered you and all the things you'd done for mom and me and then you just… didn't come see me."

Luke sighed, taking off his baseball cap and running his hand through his hair. "I wasn't avoiding you, Ror. I was concerned for you. I mean, I stayed at the hospital with your mom while you were unconscious. And I even let Tristin stay here when he needed to. But your grandparents kind of just swooped in and put you in the rehab center in New York and I didn't think it was best for me to go." He paused, taking a breath. He couldn't believe he was rambling in front of Rory – the girl was known for rambling a time or two and he'd even witnessed it. He sighed again, letting his words sink in for Rory. "I didn't mean for you to feel like I didn't care. You're like my daughter Rory, you know I couldn't not care about you."

She smiled at him warmly, finally feeling relief about the situation. She had finally finished her stay in the rehabilitation center in New York. She'd been back in Stars Hollow for a week, but she had had enough of staying in the house and unseen to everyone. Her mother knew she was here, Lorelai had been the one to encourage Rory to come here. "Thanks, Luke. But can I get you to promise me something?"

Luke smiled at Rory. "Sure, kid."

"Come around more often," she responded. "I'm going back to Yale in August. And I'm going back to lacrosse, so maybe you could come to some of my matches?" She shrugged. "Sorry, I'm normally not like this. Well, not recently, but… yeah." She blushed, rolling her eyes at how stupid she was acting. "I just… I'd really like it if you could be there. And maybe come visit more often, too."

Luke nodded. "I'll be at the Crap Shack tonight. Your mom said something about a movie night. Apparently Tristin gets back tonight?" He remembered Lorelai coming in the night before and rambling about Tristin coming back for a few hours for a movie night and to celebrate Rory's homecoming.

Rory nodded, now sporting a full-fledged smile. "Yeah. I called him and told him I'd moved back home. He's going to be in town tonight and tomorrow and then he's back on the road." She paused, choosing to omit that Tristin would be staying in her room. Figuring she needn't give Luke a heart attack just yet. "So you'll be there tonight?" She looked to him expectantly as she stood up from her stool.

Luke nodded. "Yeah. I'll be there." He smiled at her and waved his hand in dismissal when she went to pay for her coffee. "On the house, kid. Tell your mom –"

"Lukey!" Lorelai greeted in a sing-song voice as she entered the diner. She smiled at Rory and then at Luke, going to take a seat at the counter. "What's a girl got to do to get a decent cup of coffee around here?"

"Cancel that," Luke told Rory, then focused on Lorelai. "Do you ever enter any place of business quietly?" Though his tone was serious, Rory saw a trace of amusement in his eyes. She nodded to Luke, backing away from the counter.

"Of course not," Lorelai responded, setting her purse on the empty stool beside her. She turned to Rory. "You getting supplies for tonight?" Upon Rory's nod, she focused on Luke again. "You're coming?" Luke nodded and she smiled, then turned back to Rory. "Are you going to go and get Tristin now?"

Rory nodded, smiling as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yeah. His flight gets here in about forty-five minutes. I figured we could get the movie night supplies together."

"Okay, sweets," Lorelai responded. "See you tonight, okay?" Rory nodded, and Lorelai focused on Luke again. "You know I never enter any establishment quietly. I've always been told to make my mark. What kind of Gilmore would I be if I didn't…"

Lorelai's voice faded away as Rory stepped out into the pleasant May morning. She couldn't believe she was picking Tristin up today. It seemed like it had been forever since she had seen him. And it sort of had—it had been nearly a month. And surprisingly, she'd started remembering more and more. She still hadn't been able to remember anything about him specifically, but she remembered things he had said (namely the Mary thing, but that alone had made her blush furiously as she explained it to her mother). And the fact that she was starting to remember things relating to him made her happier, because she knew – actually, she _hoped_ – it meant that she would remember everything.

She started the car and made her way down the road. It surprised her that she wasn't scared to get in a car, much less drive one. But it had come naturally to her. And the day she first drove her car she had decided she couldn't stay in New York forever. Three days later she was moving back to Stars Hollow. She had spoken with her grandparents and they had arranged everything for Yale. She would be back in school in August (the one stipulation they had was that she just start when the new semester started, and she had agreed that taking the summer to prepare would be good for her) and she would playing lacrosse again.

She, Paris, Logan and Colin had reunited a few days later. They had shown up in Stars Hollow with crosses and a rubber ball and had taken Rory out to a field to play lacrosse. Colin and Paris had revealed that they were dating. Logan, Rory discovered, was still the same playboy she remembered. It surprised her to no end, though, that she could remember those three and not Tristin—the one who, she assumed, had been the most important person in her life.

Rory shook her head, clearing her thoughts. She wanted to focus on getting to the airport. Getting to _Tristin_. She smiled as she pulled into a parking spot and found her way to his gate. She couldn't believe how much she had missed him. But she really, truly had. He had called everyday, of course, but hearing his voice over a crackly telephone line with (oftentimes) bad reception was nowhere near as comforting as being able to curl up in his arms or kiss him. She stood at the gate, shaking her head and subtly rolling her eyes at all the girls wearing 'I heart TD' t-shirts and holding signs with phrases such as 'Marry me, Tristin!' who had surrounded her.

She started searching for him as people began to flow in. The girls had seemingly multiplied in the few minutes she had been standing there, but she didn't care. He was there for _her_. And that was all that mattered. The girls, however, didn't seem to share the same sentiment as they began pushing forward, easily pushing her to the back of the large crowd. She heard the screams first, and knew that Tristin was out there. She could almost imagine him looking for her, and suddenly remembered her cell phone. She dialed his number quickly, smiling when he picked up on the first ring.

"Hey," she greeted.

"It's a mad house in here," he half-yelled. "I can't find you. Are you here?"

"Yeah," she responded in the same tone as him, giggling, turning around in an attempt to hear him better. "I'm in the back, though. You're going to have to either ask nicely or start pushing people out of the way."

"Okay," he replied before hanging up. Someone tapped her on the shoulder after she flipped her phone shut, and she looked up to see Tristin's manager, Jerry, smirking at her. He offered her a hand, and she gratefully took it as he pulled her through the crowd and over to Tristin. "Hey, Tris!" His voice boomed, even over the crowd of screaming teenage girls. Tristin turned and when Rory met his eyes, she smiled.

Tristin gently grabbed Rory and pulled her to him, and she buried her face in his chest, taking in his scent. "I missed you." He smiled at her, kissing her forehead. She relished in this confession, unsure if it was something he normally told her. She cherished it, though, because of all the girls here – who she knew were ten times prettier than her – he wanted _her_.

She smiled, twirling her fingers in his hair as she gently brought his lips mere inches from hers. "I missed you, too." She kissed him lightly, and pulled away quickly to look in his eyes. He smiled at her before crashing his lips to hers in a slow kiss, full of need and want. He wrapped his arms around her, bringing her closer. And for the first time in a month, she felt at home.

--

"So we have 'The Breakfast Club…'"

"In case we want to recreate the desk scene," Lorelai stated.

Luke rolled his eyes at Lorelai, ignoring her comment. "We also have 'Friends' on DVD…"

"In case we want to try and recreate Monica's 'fro on Rory at some point tonight," Lorelai told Tristin.

"Would you like to pick the movie, mom?" Luke asked.

Lorelai and Rory smiled at one another, then at Luke. "Willy Wonka?"

Luke and Tristin sighed before Tristin put Willy Wonka in. Rory and Lorelai high-fived before turning their attention to their significant others. Luke took his seat on the couch next to Lorelai, and Tristin sat on the floor next to Rory, wrapping his arm around her as she leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Five bucks says they fall asleep halfway through," Tristin stated, turning to Luke.

Luke chuckled. "You're on."

"Should we be offended that they're betting on us?" Rory asked.

Lorelai sighed. "We should, but I think I'm too tired to argue. Considering you three tricked me into playing lacrosse this afternoon."

"Let it go, Lor," Luke said as the movie started.

"Never," Lorelai muttered.

Rory smiled. They had, in fact, tricked Lorelai into playing lacrosse this afternoon after getting Tristin settled in. Rory had told Lorelai that she could just watch. And then she, Luke and Tristin had 'conveniently' forgot to call Lane, which meant Lorelai had to be their fourth teammate. Though they'd had fun, Rory had a feeling she wouldn't be inviting her mother to play again.

Tristin pulled Rory closer, placing a kiss on her cheek as she nestled in closer to him, watching as Charlie found his golden ticket, taking him on a life-changing and humorous journey.

--

"Night, kids," Luke said to Rory and Tristin as they made their way to Rory's room. Luke placed an arm around Lorelai's waist as they made their way upstairs. Tristin picked Rory up bridal style and carried her to her room, kissing her softly as he laid her down. He lay down next to Rory, holding her close as they looked out into the night sky.

Rory sighed, kissing Tristin's neck. He smiled at her and held her close. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too," Rory replied. The silence overtook them, each lost in their thoughts. Tristin thinking about not wanting to leave Rory. Rory, however, was lost in thought about something she seemed to remember more and more often. Something she had a feeling would probably help her to remember it all.

"_I don't get it, Rory. I tell you I love you and you tell me you need time. You promise me you'll be there for this leg of the tour and you back out because you get into some stupid camp." He looked at her with eyes full of anger, and she suddenly felt guilty. For backing out on him at the last minute, for not telling him he loved her, for not being there for him when he needed her the most._

_She sighed. "It's not some stupid camp. If I go to this camp I could make captain next fall. I'd be the first sophomore to make captain in fifty years!" She paused again, still slightly unnerved by his earlier statement. "And, you know I'm not ready to… to…"_

"_Make your decision." His voice was cold._

"_I'm sorry, Tris," she told him, not meeting his eyes. _

_He shook his head, not believing what he was hearing. "I… do you love me at all, Rory?"_

That was where the memory stopped. Everyday she had tried to remember something, but she couldn't seem to get beyond those final words. She gulped nervously, knowing she had to ask Tristin, but dreading what he would say. "Hey, Tris?"

"Yeah?" he asked, looking down at her with eyes full of concern.

She fiddled with the ends of her shirt nervously. "Well, I…" She paused, trying to think of how to ask him this. Wondering what it would do to him to have to relive what she could only assume was their break-up. "What happened… after prom? After graduation, I mean, I know I was on tour with you for a little bit. And then I went to Yale. At least, that's what mom's told me." She sighed. "I just… I think I've been remembering our break up."

He tensed at her words. It was inevitable for her to ask this. He knew she would have asked him about it eventually. "Do you want to hear about it?" Upon her nod, he took a deep breath. "I… promise you won't hate me."

She nodded, taking his hand in hers and kissing the top of it. "I promise."

He pulled her close to him and she rested her head on his chest. "Well, I was starting the New England leg of my tour during your spring break. I was nervous as hell about it. I was in completely new venues and a whole new crowd was going to be there. You offered to be there for it, since it was your spring break. But, the Yale lacrosse coach had other plans in mind…"


	14. Better Half of Me

**A/N: I am soooooo sorry about the delay. However, here is the next installment of 'For You I Will.' Hope you enjoy:)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. The title of this chapter comes from _Come Home _by _OneRepublic_.**

--

**Chapter 14: **_Better __Half of Me_

"Gilmore," Paris greeted Rory as she entered the suite. "DuGrey's here."

Rory sighed. She was not looking forward to this. Tristin had been with her throughout the summer and his only request had been that she accompany him on the New England leg of his tour over her spring break. But her coach had offered her a chance to go to a lacrosse camp at Georgetown, and possibly become captain next season.

She braced herself as she entered her room and saw Tristin lying on the bed sleeping. He looked so peaceful; she didn't want to disturb him. She lay down slightly on top of him, her left leg in between his legs, and rested her head on his chest.

"Hey, Mary," he greeted her sleepily as he slowly opened his eyes and wrapped his arms around her, resting his hands at the small of her back. He kissed the top of her head and smiled when he felt her small arms on either side of him. He smiled slightly and felt himself slowly drifting back to sleep. "I missed you."

Rory smiled and closed her eyes. This news could wait. Right now she just wanted to spend some time with her boyfriend. "I missed you, too, Tris." And with that she closed her eyes and drifted off to a restless – but much needed – sleep.

--

"So, you excited about the tour?" Tristin asked as they took their seats in the dining hall.

Rory took a breath. She knew the question was inevitable. All she'd prayed for, though, was for Tristin to _not_ ask about it when they were in a public place.

She put on her brave face and smiled at him. "Definitely." She scolded herself for chickening out. This was _not_ the way to handle this.

He smiled at her and took her hand. "Me, too. It means so much to me that you'll be there for this. I mean, I love that you're so dedicated to your sport, but I've missed you, Mare."

Rory sighed, and set her fork down. "Look, Tris, I, uh… have some good and bad news." She mentally smacked herself. There was _no _way this was good news. This was bad. Very, very bad.

"What is it, Rory?" She took note of his use of her real name. He knew something was up. He was definitely _not_ going to be happy about this.

"Well," she began, trying to think of a way to tell him. "I got offered a spot at the lacrosse camp at Georgetown."

His eyes widened. "What? That's _great_ news, Rory." He smiled, taking a hold of her other hand. "How is that bad news? You accepted the spot, right?"

She breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. "Yeah, I accepted. But, um, here's where the bad news part comes in. The camp is during my spring break. Which, coincidentally, is also the same week as…"

"The first leg of the tour," he finished for her. "And of course you accepted it."

"Tristin, I—"

"Forget it, Rory," he said. "We'll talk about it later. Let's not cause a scene right now. I'm sure there are people watching."

Rory sighed. _This_ was the reaction she was expecting. She picked up her fork and started eating her lunch – dreading the fight she knew would happen when they got back to the suite.

--

"God, Rory, this is ridiculous!" Tristin exclaimed. "I ask for one thing from you. One damn thing and you can't even do that for me!"

"And what was I supposed to do, Tristin?" Rory asked. "Turn it down because I'm dating a superstar? Oh that's right, my world revolves around you, so of _course_ that's what I'm supposed to do."

"That's not fair and you know it, Rory," Tristin said, pointing a finger at her. "I've done nothing but support you. I understood when you couldn't call me for a week because you had late practices and early classes. I supported you when you broke your leg and couldn't come with me that summer. And this summer? I said _nothing_ when you decided to leave early because _you_ wanted extra playing time."

"Right, and I suppose that I've been the only one who bailed out this summer," Rory responded. "Or am I wrong in remembering the time _you_ skipped town – on the weekend of our anniversary, no less – because apparently I'm supposed to understand when your boss is in town and demanding a new song?" She paused, shaking her head. "Oh, and that's right, _you're_ the one who conned me into going with you over spring break because apparently it was wrong of me to freak out when you declare your _love_ for me on national television because apparently people do it all the time, right?"

Tristin was silent, and Rory knew she needed to continue before she lost steam. "God, Tristin, don't you get it? I care about you tremendously but this could be my big shot!"

"I _don't_ get it, Rory. I tell you I love you and you tell me you need time. You promise me you'll be there for this leg of the tour and you back out because you get into some stupid camp." He looked at her with eyes full of anger, and she suddenly felt guilty. For backing out on him at the last minute, for not telling him he loved her, for not being there for him when he needed her the most.

She sighed. "It's not some stupid camp. If I go to this camp I could make captain next fall. I'd be the first sophomore to make captain in fifty years!" She paused again, still slightly unnerved by his earlier statement. "And, you know I'm not ready to… to…"

"Make your decision." His voice was cold.

"I'm sorry, Tris," she told him, not meeting his eyes.

He shook his head, not believing what he was hearing. "I… do you love me at all, Rory?"

"Tristin, love is such a big step," she tried to reason. "It's a commitment – a big commitment – and you know how it's been for me since Finn…"

"So it's still about Finn, huh?" his voice was quieter now, and Rory suddenly felt afraid. "Rory, I've been patient with you throughout all of it. I haven't pushed and I haven't tried to make you do anything that you don't want to, but… I need to know that this thing between us, whatever you want to call it, is going somewhere."

"You know it is, Tristin," Rory said. "You know that I care about you… so much. But every time I feel like we're getting somewhere, I just think that maybe Finn…"

"I'm not Finn, Rory," Tristin said quietly. "I'm not the exotic one. I haven't known you since you were fourteen. I haven't… I wasn't… we haven't even _been_ together. Because I know that _that's _a big step. Something you didn't even share with _him_."

Rory stared at him. "Tristin…"

He held his hand up, knowing he needed to get this out. "I can't stay here in this limbo with you; waiting for you to be ready for me; waiting for you to catch up and feel the same way. There's a reason I never did relationships, Rory. And when I met you, I just… I _knew_ you wouldn't hurt me, but I also knew it was too good to be true." He sighed, trying to find the right words. "You're never going to be ready for this, are you?"

She wet her lips, trying to think of what to say. And she realized that the only thing Tristin was requesting was the truth. "I want to. I want to be ready for this so much, Tristin."

He nodded. "I think I know that, Rory. But I don't _know_ that I know that." He ran his hand through his hair nervously. And Rory felt it. The worst of the break up was over. All that was left were the pleasantries. The final good-byes.

"This wasn't another stupid fight, was it?" Her silence-breaking question came out as more of a statement. All she needed was the confirmation.

Tristin sighed. "You'll… you'll be okay." He didn't want this, but she was the one who needed to catch up. He didn't have the time to wait for her to catch up.

She nodded and for a second, she felt the urge to hug him. But she didn't do that. That wasn't the acceptable thing to do. "So will you."

Tristin took a deep breath. "I'll have Tom or someone send your stuff back to you." He paused, searching for the right words. "Just… take care of yourself." He smirked. "Mary."

Rory gulped back the lump in her throat. She couldn't cry in front of him. She _wouldn't_ cry in front of him. "Bye."

And with that, he was gone. Rory fell onto the bed as the tears ran down her face. It was really over.

Tristin walked out of the room past Paris, who glared at him in confusion. Or hatred. He could never tell with her. He shook his head. At least he wouldn't have to deal with _her _anymore.

He walked outside and over to his rental. Sending one last glance back at Branford College, he got into the car and drove away. Hoping against hope that maybe, just maybe, this really _was_ just another stupid fight.

--

It was nine o'clock at night when Rory woke up from her nap. She wondered for the briefest of moments why Tristin wasn't there when the events that had transpired earlier in the day came rushing back to her. She nodded and swallowed the lump in her throat again, determined to not cry any more than she already had.

She sat on her bed, watching the rain fall outside, thinking about everything that Tristin had said to her about Finn, and the dreaded 'L' bomb that he had dropped on national TV. She couldn't fault him for expressing his feelings. She herself and mulled over the possibility of falling in love with him. But the shock of it all, of him actually saying it out loud, had gotten the best of her, and she'd pushed the subject out of her mind. She'd reasoned that she really _wasn't_ over Finn yet, and she probably never would be.

"You know, you could scare someone half to death just sitting there like that," Paris said, making Rory jump and finally notice Paris sitting at her desk, notebooks strewn across the desk. "What in God's name happened earlier?"

Rory shrugged, running her hand through her hair – something she'd picked up from Tristin in the year and a half they'd been together. "We just… broke up."

Paris snorted. "Gilmore, you and DuGrey couldn't break up if you tried. He _loves_ you. And no one breaks up over something as stupid as not saying 'I love you' back. Hell, you even freaked out when Finn said it to you. But you two didn't break up."

Paris' words struck a nerve. Rory wasn't entirely sure which nerve, but she felt it. Some sense of awakening. Why would she just let him walk away? How could she let something like that happen?

"What the hell is wrong with me?" Rory asked herself aloud.

"I've been trying to figure that out since you and DuGrey started dating," Paris chimed in. "But I figured if I hadn't figured it out by now, I probably never would. _Freud_ couldn't even figure out your shit."

Rory rolled her eyes, and focused her attention back on her personal problems. What could she do? "I…"

"I know it may be hard for you to figure out, what, with being perfect and all," Paris began. "But usually apologies come in the form of saying 'I'm sorry,' or some variation of that. Now, he probably won't answer your calls because he's an ass, so I would venture to guess that you should most likely go after him."

Rory sighed. "I… it's raining."

"And you'll melt?" Paris asked. "Gilmore, grow the hell up and go after him."

Rory smiled, for once agreeing with something Paris said. "You'll get my lecture notes for me?"

"If it means you won't be here in about five minutes, I'll even make you dinner when you get back," Paris responded. "Now, I need to catch up on some studying, so please just go after him and get him back so I don't have to deal with you moping around for the next six weeks. And by the way, you should probably tell your coach you won't be going to the camp."

Rory smiled as she stood up and grabbed her keys from off of her desk. "I'll... bye, Paris."

"Yeah," Paris responded, turning her attention back to the notebooks in front of her.

Rory smiled as she walked out of the suite and over to her car. She knew what she needed to do…


	15. For You I Will

A/N: Here it is! The very last installment of 'For You I Will'

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The title of the epilogue comes from _For You I Will_ by _Teddy Geiger_

_--_

**Epilogue: **_For You I Will_

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Rory smiled at her mother's question and nodded happily. She wasn't sure why she was doing this. All signs pointed to her loss of sanity, but she didn't care. She needed to do this for Tristin and for herself. After all, this is _exactly_ what she would have done had she not been in the accident.

Tristin had done so much for her. This was the least she could do for him.

He'd relived the pain of losing her through telling her about them and he'd stuck by her. He'd even stuck by her when she had told him she needed some space to think about everything. That final night, when he'd shed light on how they had broken up, she had ended things with him in order to figure everything out. She didn't want to drag him down or hold him back from everything he deserved. She saw the pain in his eyes when he agreed to go back on the tour and give her space. He had even stopped calling her everyday, letting her contact him when she needed to.

And she had. She'd called him a few times to see how he was doing (tired from his recent trip to Europe for a few shows) and to let him know how she was doing. She'd gone back to school when she was ready and had been able to catch up on everything she had missed. She had even rejoined the lacrosse team. And her grandparents had even come to a few matches. She had even switched majors, giving up her dream job of being an event planner to chase her other dream: journalism. Tristin had, of course, supported her with that, too.

There was one thing she never told him, though: she had finally remembered all of it. Which is what had led her to today, packing. Getting ready to meet up with Tristin in Washington, DC, where he was performing a show in three days. It had been a long and tiring road, but after so much thinking and mulling over everything she had been told, it was like a light bulb had finally turned on in her head. And she had finally been able to see all the dark corners of her mind.

She had been sitting in her magazine writing class when it happened. She was looking through some old newspapers and had come across a headline about her parents. _"HAYDEN AND GILMORE FAMILIES ANNOUNCE THE BIRTH OF GRANDDAUGHTER, LORELAI II." _She wasn't sure why, but when she read it, she'd remembered Finn. And everything had fallen into place after that.

The first thing she did was patch things up with her Gilmore grandparents. Not that there was much to patch up. Emily Gilmore, though a proud woman, was more thankful that her only granddaughter had finally remembered everything. Rory had insisted, though, that she hear from her grandmother herself that all was well. Richard, though also very proud, had been more than happy to tell Rory that everything was fine. She and her grandparents had even started a Friday night dinner tradition. And every Friday night she, her mother and Luke showed up at the Gilmore house in Hartford for dinner with Emily and Richard.

Rory had also started back up at school. She and Paris found an apartment close to campus. Rory was currently living with Paris and Paris' boyfriend Doyle, a former editor of the Yale Daily News. Paris was the new editor, and had been more than happy to not only offer Rory a place to stay, but a spot on the newspaper as a features writer. Things at school were only back to normal, though, when Rory found her way back to the lacrosse team. She had even found her way back to Logan and Colin, who were more than happy to have her around every Thursday when they ventured to Rich Man's Shoe, a pub just off campus where they had a beer and shared some old high school war stories.

Lorelai had taken Rory's leaving the hardest, but after every Friday night dinner, Rory would spend Friday night and most of Saturday with her mother and Luke, watching bad movies and mocking them mercilessly. Rory and Lorelai had even shared some conversations about Rory's father Christopher, who had even stopped in to visit a few times with Rory's step sister Georgia, affectionately known as GiGi.

It was after patching everything up with everyone in her life (she and Lane had even scheduled a one-weekend-a-month outing) that Rory had finally realized that the only loose end left in her life was Tristin – who was more akin to a long thread hanging from one of her old knitted sweaters. She realized that she missed him the most. And that it was because, in reality, she _loved_ him.

The realization that Rory loved Tristin wasn't like her memory coming back. It didn't hit her like a ton of bricks one day when she listened to one of his CD's. In fact, she didn't realize that she loved him until she had gone out with Colin and Logan one afternoon. And it was while they were sitting in the pub that Colin had brought up Finn, which had inevitably led to him talking about Tristin.

"I had never seen you that way before," he said. "It was like, Tristin brought out something in you that Finn had never been able to. Whether it was because he wasn't given enough time or what have you. Tristin just made you… different. And in a very good way."

"It was like he awakened you," Logan added drunkenly. "However cliché that sounds."

And she had realized that they were right. Tristin _had_ awakened her. He'd brought out everything that was daring about her. He had made her _feel_ for once in her life. And she had loved him, in fact, all along. She realized that though she had only thought about it before, it really was love she felt for Tristin. And her stubbornness had gotten the best of her.

Rory sighed, shaking all of these thoughts from her mind. She didn't need to dwell on what had made her realize all of this. What she needed to do was get going so she could see him. She fingered her keys in her coat pocket (it still amazed her that it had taken her nearly a year to remember everything) and took a deep breath. It was now or never. And the latter was just _not_ an option.

"I have one more place to stop before I head to the airport," Rory told her mother. "So I should probably get going. I'll call you when I get there, okay?"

"You're sure Tom knows you'll be there?" Lorelai asked. "I don't want you getting stranded at Dulles, sweetie. And…"

"Mom," Rory interrupted. "I promise you, I'll be fine."

Lorelai smiled at her daughter and hugged her tightly. "Be safe, please. Don't repeat this last year, okay?"

"I promise," Rory responded, hugging her mom. "I'll be fine."

Releasing her hold on Rory, Lorelai grabbed a suitcase and followed Rory out to the car. She spotted a single white rose in Rory's front seat. "Sweetie…?"

Rory smiled at her mom. "I just need to… to tell him thank you."

Lorelai nodded in understand before putting the suitcase in the car and hugging Rory one last time. "I love you, babe."

"You, too, mom," Rory replied, before starting the car and heading off down the road. To the last stop before Tristin.

--

The small hill to the spot where Finn was buried proved to be only slightly difficult for Rory. The only problem had been that her shoes were a bit slippery, and the hill was a bit muddy from the previous week's weeklong rainstorm. She stopped at the top of the hill and, spotting the marker, made her way over to Finn.

Leaning down to place the rose in front of his tombstone, Rory felt herself tearing up. She knew that, no matter if she moved on, or how much she loved Tristin, her feelings for Finn would never be gone.

"Hi, Finny," she said, wiping away her tear. "I just wanted to tell you thank you, I guess. For being there. I know I said it the day of your funeral. And I know I've thought it at least a dozen times since then, but you were everything to me. So… thank you for giving me my first glimpse of true love. And for sending Tristin along."

The sun shone bright and Rory squinted and shielded her eyes. "I probably won't be back, though. I mean, I know it's not what you would want for me. You're not here. You're probably up there driving St. Peter crazy with all your crazy talk of fouls. Which we know were your way of getting a free shot at the goal." She smiled and kissed her fingertips, resting them gently on the letters of his name. "Just… keep an eye out for me. Be my guardian angel – like you always have been." She sighed and nodded, knowing it was time to get going. "Bye, Finn."

She stood slowly, taking a deep breath. She made her way back down the hill and out the gate to her car. Ready for the next chapter of her life to officially begin.

Everything was right now.

--

"Dammit, Tom," Tristin said. "Why the hell are there scented candles all over my damn roo—Rory."

Rory smiled and stood up from her place at the foot of the bed. "You hate the candles?"

Tristin eyed Rory cautiously. Something was definitely different. He just couldn't put his finger on it.

Rory smiled and walked slowly over to him, taking his hands in hers. "Because I distinctly remember you telling me that your favorite smell was vanilla. So I figured vanilla scented candles would be just the right touch in here."

Realization dawned on Tristin and he smiled, feeling like the air was knocked out of him. "You mean to tell me you…"

"I mean, I know you hate candles because of that stupid fear you have of setting something on fire," Rory continued. "But when I thought about it, I figured a candle setting would do just right to tell you exactly what's been going on in my life for the last two months or so." She paused and smiled, interlacing her fingers with Tristin's. "And to tell you… I love you."

Tristin smiled even wider at her confession. "You…"

"I remember it all Tristin, but… I needed time to figure it all out," Rory said. "I needed to plan out just how I wanted to tell you. I didn't want to ruin it with all my thinking and my pondering. The only thing I wanted to think about was _how _to tell you. And, well, here's the product of it all."

Tristin smiled at Rory. "You did all this for me?"

Rory nodded. "Yeah. After everything you did for me: the first kiss, the first break up, all the fights and then having to relive everything to help me remember. Tristin, it was the least I could do. I heard that loving someone means doing whatever you can to make them happy. And that's all I want to do is make you happy."

And Tristin kissed Rory, and Rory finally felt like everything had come full circle. And everything was definitely, finally in its place. The kiss ended slowly, and Tristin's fingers, which had found their way into her hair, stayed there, and he closed his eyes, just making a memory of the moment.

Tristin tightened his hold on Rory, resting his chin on the crown of her head. "You _do_ make me happy, Rory."

Rory smiled, leaning back just slightly to stare into Tristin's crystal blue eyes. "Likewise."

_Wandering the streets, in a world underneath it all_

_Nothing seems to be, nothing tastes as sweet_

_As what I can't have_

_Like you and the way that you're twisting your hair round your finger_

_Tonight I'm not afraid to tell you_

_What I feel about you._

_Oh I'm gonna muster every ounce of confidence I have_

_and cannon ball into the water_

_I'm gonna muster every ounce of confidence I have_

_For you I will_

_For you I will_

_Forgive me if I st-stutter_

_From all of the clutter in my head_

_Cause I could fall asleep in those eyes_

_Like a water bed_

_Do I seem familiar, I've crossed you in hallways_

_A thousand times, no more camouflauge_

_I want to be exposed, and not be afraid to fall._

_Oh I'm gonna muster every ounce of confidence I have_

_and cannon ball into the water_

_I'm gonna muster every ounce of confidence I have_

_For you I will_

_You always want what you can't have_

_But I've got to try_

_I'm gonna muster every ounce of confidence I have_

_For you I will_

_For you I will_

_For you I will_

_If I could dim the lights in the mall_

_And create a mood I would_

_Shout out your name so it echos in every room_

_I would_

_That's what I'd do_

_That's what I'd do_

_That's what I'd do, to get through to you_

_Oh I'm gonna muster every ounce of confidence I have_

_and cannon ball into the water_

_I'm gonna muster every ounce of confidence I have_

_For you I will_

_You always want what you can't have_

_But I've got to try_

_I'm gonna muster every ounce of confidence I have_

_For you I will_

_For you I will_

_For you I will_


End file.

Gilmore Girls, Drama, Romance