Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls!
A/N: I'm reposting this story as a one-shot because I have absolutely no recollection of where I was going to go with this… I also edited a bit, my grammar has improved since I wrote this. Hopefully people still like it!
Background: Tristan and Rory were best friends and went to Yale together. You should be able to figure out the rest. Oh yea! Um, Logan and Rory got engaged.
The sound of her footsteps on the carpet could be faintly heard over the tapping of keyboards and the movement of secretaries performing menial tasks. Rory stepped into an office at the end of the hall. The first thing she saw were the millions of pictures covering the walls, it was certainly different than most Wall Street offices. The second thing she saw… knocked the air out of her lungs. In this room, leaning against the desk in a way only he could, was the subject of her nightmares. There, in what had to be a parallel universe, was a blast from her past. She blinked and took a moment to study his expression. He was immersed in the captured moments in time that surrounded him—to him it was all fake.
"Tristan?"
He was jerked from the confines of his mind by a voice that up until this moment, had only been present in his dreams…nightmares was more like it. His eyes finally focused on the figure standing before him, realizing that his ears weren't deceiving him. "Rory?"
"Sorry, I must have the wrong office." She answered flustered, hastily trying to step out of the suddenly heated room.
"Wait!" She whirled around nearly stumbling. A glint of hope flickered in her eye. It went unnoticed by Tristan.
"Who are you looking for?" He tentatively questioned, choosing his words carefully.
"Oh," Rory said trying to hide her disappointment, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other.
Flashback
She stepped into the coffee shop, drenched from head to toe from the pouring rain outside and made her way over to the young man sitting at a table by the window staring at the outside world with two untouched cups of coffee sitting in front of him. Her heels clicked on the tile and then stopped once she reached the chair across from his. She tried to pull out the chair next to him soundlessly, hoping not to interrupt his thoughts. The metal scratched against the tile floor and he started with a jump.
"You told me to meet you here, you sounded troubled, what's wrong?" His eyes flashed to the ring on her left hand. He took a deep breath and stared determinedly into the blue depths of her eyes.
"I—I'm leaving." Was all he managed to get out before looking away all determination lost.
"What are you talking about I just got here?" She questioned completely missing the implication of his strangled words.
"That's not what I mean." He said letting a touch of annoyance slip into his voice. "I'm leaving New Haven." He said peering out the window, avoiding looking at her, not being able to bare the tears that were surely welling up in her eyes.
"For how long?" She questioned gulping down trying to veil the desperation in her voice.
"I'm not coming back." He said with an edge to his voice as his walls of protection slid up in an attempt to hide his pain.
"Why?" She shakily pleaded with him. "Tristan what is wrong? Please. Tell me what is going on."
"I'm sorry, I just can't take it anymore." He answered staring at his hands, fiddling trying to hide the fact that they were trembling.
"You can't take what anymore? Tris…you're not making any sense." She begged as her eyes glazed over with tears that would soon spill over.
"I can't take seeing you with him!" All he received was a look of bewilderment. "Damnit Rory! Are you really that oblivious? I love you, ok? I fucking love you! And every time I see you with him it tears me up inside. I can't do it to myself anymore, I won't." He said with a steadiness to his voice that he didn't know he possessed.
"Tris…"The tears are now steadily rolling down her cheeks she reaches her hand out and places it over his.
"Damnit Rory!" Tristan says pulling his hand away, reeling from her touch. "I'm trying to do the right thing here! I just wanted to say goodbye." His voice took on a softer tone as he muttered, "Take care of yourself." With that he got up and made his way into the rain and cold of the outside world.
End Flashback
"I'm here to interview Jennifer Stewart, the New York Times wants me to write an article on powerful women on Wall Street." She said coming back from her reverie.
"She should be back in a minute." He replied followed by a silent pause. "The New York Times, congratulations." He said raking his hand through his hair, a habit she recognized and brought a small smile to her face.
"Thanks." She replied with a meek smile on her face.
"How is Logan?" Tristan noticed her wince at the mention of his name and became suddenly curious.
"I wouldn't know, I haven't seen him in four years." She tried to look anywhere but into his eyes.
"I left four years ago." Tristan replied now slightly angered.
"Yeah, it just…it didn't work out." She said sighing remembering Logan's reaction when she told him why it would never work between them. At that moment a tall blonde sauntered into the room with a purposeful step.
"You must be from the Times, so sorry to keep you waiting. I see that you've met my husband." She said gesturing to Tristan, a look in her eyes that could only be described as pride. All color disappeared from Rory's face.
"Husband…but." Her eyes darting between the two.
"I know, I kept my last name. I built my reputation with that name, I'm sure you understand." Jennifer seemed oblivious to the tension in the room but Tristan's eyes remained glued to Rory. Jennifer had made her way over to her desk and was shuffling through papers when she lifted her gaze and it fell upon an ill looking Rory. " Are you feeling alright? You look ill." Jennifer asked Rory concernedly.
"Oh I'm fine." Rory choked out.
"We can do this interview another time if you like, that would probably work out better for me anyway. I'm running a bit behind today." She said her gaze fixed on various papers strewn across her desktop. Rory was grateful for this for fear that Jennifer would realize the true reason behind her sudden…illness.
"Are you sure?" Rory asked.
"Positive, I'll have my secretary give you a call." Lifting her gaze to Rory and giving her a soft smile.
"Ok, thank you. It was nice to meet you Jennifer." Rory said holding her hand out to the woman trying to keep it from shaking.
"It was nice to meet you too…" Jennifer said tilting her head to the side wondering if the woman had ever told her her name.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Its Rory." Rory said forcing a smile upon her face.
"Rory." Jennifer repeated with a smile. "Well, I hope you feel better." With that Rory left the room and slowly made her way towards the elevator. Once behind the protection of the elevator doors Rory let the tears flow freely as she felt her insides torn apart, it was a pain like she had never felt before. She wiped under her eyes and straightened her clothes before making her way out of the elevator and slowly towards the exit.
"Rory!" Tristan's voice bellowed from behind her as fast footsteps could be heard on the marble. Rory took a deep breath staring at the doors she was so close to escaping through before turning around and coming face to face with Tristan who was slightly taken aback by her broken state. "I can explain." He said while trying to catch his breath.
"Tris" Rory said using his old nickname. "There's nothing to explain, you're married now, you're happy now. I should've known that you wouldn't wait for me forever. At some point we must all move on…Take care of yourself." Rory said using the phrase that Tristan once used that had haunted her in her dreams over the years. With that Rory took a step into the rain and cold of the world and away from the future that she was meant to have.
"But I'm not happy…" Tristan muttered to no one in particular watching as the door that she had used to exit his life once again slowly closed. With that he ran through the door out into the cold world, he would not let the door that connected them close yet again, not this time.
A/N: I left this open-ended because I think it works well standing on it's own… I can't really imagine adding anything to it. And of course I didn't want it to end sadly. Please review and tell me what you think! I am open to constructive criticism!