Author's Note: I'm back! I'm not dead, lol! I am SO sorry about the huge and unfogiveable delay in updating SHAG, I promise it WILL get finished. Once again I had evil laptop issues, repeatedly if you can believe it. However, I've had this idea in my head for awhile and I just had to try it out.

The story is Tristan's POV of various different interactions with Rory (and maybe others in the future but it's mostly a Trory thing). I don't know if most people know this but there are actually 4 books of Gilmore Girls that are essentially transcripts of the episodes but with some interesting (thought limited) insight into Rory's thoughts on certain occasions. The books cover through Tristan's departure so his entire time is included and while reading Rory's thoughts I couldn't help but wonder how Tristan was feeling and what he was thinking. Because that essentially was Rory and Tristan's problem it was obvious to everyone but Rory that he truly liked her and didn't (in Rory's words) just have this weird need to prove that she'd go out with him. So here are Tristan's thoughts and what Rory was totally oblivious to. I know this isn't all of their scenes from this episode. It really isn't even all of this one bit of them together but I wanted to see what people think of my interpretation of Tristan's thoughts first. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.

I'd also recommend watching this: .com/watch?v=ENcXPSEMTXw it was called upon many time in the writing of this and refers to subtle looks, etc that Tristan gives Rory. So check it out probably before and possibly during.

Tristan's POV-Season 1, Episode 18: The Third Lorelai, Part 1

Why must Rory and I be in ALL of the same classes together? And of course we had to be in the same group for this insane Government project. And to top it all off Paris is in our group as well, with her around our government is going to be more like a dictatorship than a monarchy. At least with Paris taking the lead no one will notice that I'm not paying attention.

I keep sneaking glances at Rory. We've hardly spoken since the night of Madeline's party and things couldn't be more awkward.

Rory reaches to turn the page in her textbook and when she does our hand touch momentarily. It like a bolt of electricity to my skin, but Rory pauses immediately embarrassed and I pull back in what I hoped was a nonchalant manner.

Paris continues to discuss Elizabethan government as I tune out and try not to think about Rory and the night of our kiss. What on Earth would make her cry? I ask myself for the thousandth time since it happened. I mean I know we aren't exactly best friends but we'd been having a perfectly civil discussion up until that point. I must have misread the signals. I have quite a bit of experience with girls but I've NEVER had one cry after I kissed her before. But Rory she was different. Of course I already knew that. I'd even told her so that night, that she was "very odd". All she did was smile and say "thank you". Only Rory Gilmore would take that as a compliment, just another one of the reasons why I can't seem to get her out of my head. I just can't deal with this anymore! Rory has made it clear on more than one occasion that she absolutely despises me. So why can't I get her out of my thoughts? But she kissed me back…didn't she? I've got to stop this; the kiss obviously meant nothing to her so that's what it would mean to me. Nothing.

Tired of thinking about Rory I try to start concentrating on what Paris is saying, "…we'll also need a king and queen. Rory? Tristan? What about you?" I left my head as she says this and I see Rory's head snap up as well.

"Us?" Oh crap, what is Paris doing?

"Oh…" Rory says, shocked by Paris's suggestion.

"No." I immediately respond. Rory obviously doesn't want to do this with me and I don't want things to get any more awkward between us than they already are.

"Yes, no." She agrees quickly.

"Why?"

"Because…" I begin trying to quickly think of an explanation as Rory says "I just don't want to be queen."

That sounds like a good one. "Me neither…king. I don't wanna be king."

"What about you? You be queen." Rory suggests to Paris.

"I'm going to be the head of Parliament. I can't be queen." Paris responds, getting irritated.

"Be both." And I nod by head in agreement. If Paris would just agree to be queen, then we wouldn't have a problem.

"I can't be both."

"Why not it's our government?"

"It's not done that way!"

"It can be, though. Let's vote." Rory says looking desperately to the other members of our group for their opinions. I decide to just stay out of it because if anyone could win an argument against Paris Gellar, it's Rory.

"Rory…"

"Henry the 8th started a new church when the old one wouldn't allow divorce."

"He also cut off his wives' head is he still your role model?" I smile a little at this. If Paris thinks that Rory is going to back down that easily she has another thing coming.

"I'm just saying we have the opportunity to make any kind of government we want here."

"Why won't you be queen?" She just wasn't going to let this go!

"I'll be queen." Thank you, Madeline!

"There make Madeline queen."

"Fine, you're queen. Tristan's king." That was a close one! Being king to Madeline's queen I could handle.

"I'll be the lady-in-waiting. The one with the low cut blue velvet Renaissance dress." Louise added as she and Madeline snickered.

"Lady-in-waiting is not a political office." Paris said, continuing to get more aggravated.

"No, but they get all the sex." Louise replied giving me a significant look. I immediately looked away, uncomfortable. As I did I couldn't help but look at Rory to see what she thought of Louise's statement. She looked up at me and our eyes met briefly before I look down at my notebook as Paris and Louise continued to picker.

"Out of my mind." I heard the argument winding to a close so I tuned back in as Paris said, "Ok, so I secured us the classroom to work tomorrow and Sunday so that by Monday we'll be ready." What? Was she insane? We we're spending all weekend on this stupid project?

"We're working all weekend?" Madeline asked.

"You're kidding." Louise said, horrified. Apparently, I wasn't the only person that didn't care for Paris' plan. Yes, that's exactly how I want to spend my weekend, working on homework! Not to mention, that meant I'd have to continue seeing and working with Rory for the next two days.

As the bell rings Paris begins handing out a packet of information she's put together for our project.

"Please be ready to it discuss tomorrow, nine o'clock in the morning. Do not be late." And the hits just keep on coming. Nine o'clock in the morning? Is she crazy? I never wake up that early on a Saturday.

I stopped for minute to talk with Trent and Josh (the other members of our group) about how crazy Paris is. They weren't looking forward to working on the weekend either. As they left I turned back to my desk to grab my books and notice that Rory had left her notebook sitting on her desk. I sighed to myself, just GREAT. Knowing Rory would probably need it I picked it up planning to set it on her desk, in our next class before she even had a chance to notice it was missing. That way she'd have it back and it wouldn't involve any interaction between the two of us.

What I didn't expect was for Rory to nearly run into me on my way out the room. Apparently she HAD noticed it was missing.

"Uh…you left this." As I handed her back her notebook. I probably sounded like an idiot but I wanted this conversation over as soon as possible. Now she had what see needed and we could just go on about our business.

"Oh yea, I did. Thanks."

"Sure." We stood there for another awkward moment and as we made eye contact I couldn't stand the silence anymore and started to head for the door. Unfortunately, Rory started heading for the door at the same time. We both realized the potential forthcoming collision and stopped right before we collided in the doorway.

"Whoa, that could've been a potential Marx Brothers moment." She was just too cute. No, stop it Tristan. She is NOT cute. You do not like her and the kiss meant NOTHING. You had just gotten humiliated publicly by your girlfriend and were feeling a bit pathetic, that's all.

"You go first." I said trying to show her that I could be a gentleman.

"Okay." She agreed and began to head out the door. However, once again she stopped and returned to where she'd been standing beside me and said in a lowered tone, "I think we need to talk."

"About what?" I asked trying to play it cool. This was NOT a conversation I wanted to have. I mean really what did we have to talk about? She'd made it perfectly clear what her feelings were the other night. What more was there to say?

"Tristan you know about what."

"No, I don't." I said as students continue to fill past we out the door. Just what I need another public rejection.

"Look we have a lot of work ahead of us. We also have about 2 and a half years of being in the same school. I don't want things to be weird between us. Don't you think it would be good to at least try to talk about this?"

"Ok." I said, relenting. She was obviously not going to let this go.

"Good." She said and we both simultaneously headed for the door again. "I'm gonna go first."

"Right." I said laughing slightly. What had a gotten myself into?