The Saga of Mary and Bible Boy

A/N: okay, so I got the season 1 and 2 Gilmore Girls DVDs for Christmas, and I watched the episode where Tristan leaves, because I had never seen it before. It ACTUALLY made me want to CRY! I'm serious! So anyways, I thought I'd write this, see how it goes. Let me know if you think that I should continue! Oh ya and things that are italicized are a flashback!

Disclaimer: Don't own it. If I did, Tristan never would have left in the first place!

Chapter One Remembering With a Heavy Heart

It was Sunday night, the night of the Chilton Shakespeare festivall. Lorelei, Sukki, Dean, and Lane stood in the back of the auditorium watching a caveman interpretation of Act II in 'Romeo and Juliet.'

Sukki turned to Dean. "Are you sure this is shakespeare?"

"What's with all the grunting?" Dean asked.

"I wish Luke was here so that he could translate for us," Lorelei cracked.

Just then, Rory came out to greet them. "Hey!"

"Hi," Dean answere.

"Look at you, you look like a princess!" Sukki said excitedly. "Doesn't she look like a princess?" she asked Dean.

"Yah, she looks beautiful," he agreed.

"Mom made the dress."

"Not to meantion the girl inside it!" Lorelei added.

"Hello! Gross!" Rory grinned.

"I'm just saying!"

"I'm getting kind of nervous," Rory said, changing the subject.

"You're gonna be great," Lane assured her.

"I think act threes starting up."

"Henry's act! Um... how do I look?" she asked.

"Might want to hold a phine up to your face so he'll recognize ya!" Rory answered.

Lane smiled and whispered "bye" before turning to watch.

Paris hurriedly walked towards Rory, grabbing her arm. "I need you!" she said, pulling her away before she could proteset. She pulled her into the hallway. "He's not here!" she excaimed.

"Who's not here?"

"Tristan! I've looked everywhere! I've called his cell, his home, I've called three girls I know he's seeing--"

"Paris, calm down!"

"Weren't you listening? He's not here! We're on in 20 minutes and we don't have a Romeo! We are going to fail!"

"We are not going to fail," Rory reasoned.

"Do you think Harvard accepts people who fail shakespeare? They don't. I don't have the numbers on me or anything but I feel pretty secure in saying 'you fail shakespeare, you don't get into Harvard," Paris ranted.

"Okay, maybe he's just in one of the bathrooms smoking?" Rory suggested.

"Good idea. You check the east men's rooms and I'll check the west ones," she said before heading off.

5 minutes later- "I knew he was going to do this but noone wanted to listen to me!" Paris raved. "It was all ' let's make Tristan Romeo, he's hot!"

"What about Brad?" Rory suggested.

"Brad transferred schools" Paris told Rory as she caught sight of Tristan walking towards them. "Where have you been? You need to get dressed, we're on in ten minutes!"

Tristan scratched his head nervously. "Can't."

"What?"

"Actually, my dad had me pulled out of school. He.." but Paris was already walking away. "And is she unhappy," he stated, turning his attention to Rory.

"What do you mean he had you pulled out of school? What happened?" Rory asked, concerned.

"Nothing. Just ticked the old man off, that's all."

"Doing what? Tristan, come on. Tell me."

Tristan shook his head. "I got in some trouble."

"Trouble…. Involving…….." Rory pushed.

"Involving Duncan and Boman… and …. Boman's dad's safe."

"Oh no."

"I mean, Boman had a key and it was supposed to be no big deal, and then the crazy silent alarm kicked in and—"

"You broke into Boman's dad's safe," Rory said in disbelief, interrupting him.

"Yes."

"Stupid."

"Yes," he agreed.

"Well…. Okay. You can apologize, and you can put back the money, and you can explain that, I don't know, you were going through something," Rory rationalized.

"I was. I was going through his safe," Tristan answered. He chuckled despite himself.

"Why would you do this?"

"I don't know. I guess its something I can ponder on in military school."

"Military school?"

"The police are letting our parents handle it, and in my case that means military school in North Carolina."

"I don't know what to say."

"Well I imagine you're overwhelmed with the relief of knowing that soon, I will be gone," Tristan answered with slight sarcasm.

"I'm so sorry."

Tristan shrugged. "Well, I'm a big boy. I can handle it."

There's nothing you can—?"

"Tristan!" a man in his forties interrupted from down the hall. "Come on."

Tristan glanced at him and then turned back to Rory. "I gotta go." He turned towards the auditorium to see Dean watching them closely. "ghhh…. So. I'd kiss you goodbye, but uh…. You're boyfriend is watching. Take care of yourself…Mary"

This whole scene replayed in Rory's mind more and more as summer reached its end.

Why though? It was almost as if… she missed him. All her troubles with Dean and Jess made her long for the silly banter she and Tristan had often shared.

There was also a bit of guilt. Should she have paid more attention to Tristan? Had it been all her fault, because he was hung up on her like Dean said?

"You were thinking about Tristan again, weren't you?" Paris asked. The two had gotten closer during their internship in Washington D.C. and Paris was the only person who how Rory thought about Tristan. Lorelei didn't know, and Dean of course had no clue.

Rory sighed. "I just hate the way he left, you know? We weren't really friends, but we had actually managed to have a few decent conversations before he left and…" Rory trailed off. Thinking of Tristan always left her feeling depressed and with a heavy heart. It was better just to try not to rationalize her feelings for him. He was gone, and that was all there was to it.

"I don't want to stay at the Academy. I want to go back to Chilton. I promise I won't do pull any of the crap I did last year. It was the right decision to send me there for a while, but it won't change me. It made me realize how stupid I was being, but that's all the affect it will have on me." Tristan watched his father cautiously and eagerly as he contemplated the situation. He'd practiced what he was going to say to his father all summer. This was his last, and only hope.

Finally, his father sighed. "All right Tristan, but one more slip up and you're going back," he warned.

Tristan smirked, standing up. "I promise you won't regret this."

A/N: So… what do you think?

Poll

Which should happen when Tristan comes back?

They kiss (a little too soon for my liking. Where's the entertainment in that?)

They hug (not too risky, but kind of boring)

Banter (always entertaining)

Rory avoids him but he seeks her out (entertaining and can go in oh, so many directions)

Tell me what you think in your review! Thanx soo muchFun