Author: Lexie M
Title: I Know You…
Rated: R for Language and Adult Content (i.e. mention of sex and violence)
Warning: Alternate Reality
Summary: Past and Present collide at Yale University for Rory. Set to begin her Junior Year at Yale, a transfer student is about to mess up her carefully planned out life. Secrets from the past become revealed and she is forced to face a reality she has been trying to hide for six years. Plus what does this transfer student have to do with Rory's daughter.. AR:ROGAN/TRORY Ultimately will end TRORY
Story History: Rory's first time was with Tristan and she never had her tryst with Dean. Lorelei and Rory have been immersed in Society since Rory was born even though they resided in Stars Hollow. Rory and Tristan have been friends since childhood. Even dated up until he got shipped to Military School and then she dated Dean. Dean is happily married to Lindsay in this story and never cheated on her with anyone.
Disclaimer: not copyright owner. Not trying to make a profit. Don't like it? Don't read it!.
Part I
Lorelei Leigh Gilmore III - Hayden, "Rory", walked into her student housing apartment with a sigh. She set her keys on the foyer table and hung up her coat on the coat rack. Walking into the living room she heard her room mate and another vaguely familiar voice talking.
"I'm extremely surprised that student housing is co-ed this year," the vaguely familiar voice stated to Cameron King, Rory's raven haired female room mate.
"I'm surprised too…" Cameron said in a flirtatious tone of voice.
Rory heard the vaguely familiar voice chuckle. Where do I know that voice from? That chuckle too? "Cam, I'm back…" Rory's voice trailed off as soon as she saw familiar blonde male hair.
"Rory, I'm glad you're here. This is…"
"TJ DuGray," Rory finished for her room mate.
"Yeah, it is…but he introduced himself as…"
"Tristan," Rory completed again.
"You two know each other?" Cameron asked a bit confused.
"Yes, indeed we do," the blonde answered with his trademark smirk that made Rory want to wring his neck. It also made her feel weak in the knees. "Hi Mary, It's been awhile."
"Not long enough Bible Boy," Rory snapped. "What are you doing here, Tristan?" She was annoyed. She really hoped he wasn't their new room mate. He was the last person she wanted to see again despite having strong feelings for him still. She looked at her ex-boyfriend with an air of indifference. I'll kill Paris for pushing for a bigger apartment on campus. Not just any apartment a co-ed apartment.
"Oh, come now Mary, is that anyway to greet me after what…six years," Tristan asked.
Six years, four months, fifteen days, twenty-seven hours, thirty minutes, and six seconds but who's counting, Rory calculated then immediately berated herself, "How's bag boy?" She heard Tristan ask.
"He's name is Dean and I wouldn't know. He's been married for about three years. How do you even know about him?" She snapped again. She hadn't met Dean Forrester until after Tristan transferred schools in their sophomore year of high school at Chilton Prep Academy. Dean Forrester was her teen rebellion. Dean didn't come from class. He didn't have wealth and he lived in the small town of Stars Hollow where her mother owned and operated a couple inns. The relationship didn't last long since Rory was still hung up on Tristan. "I repeat, what the hell are you doing here?"
Tristan smirked more at Rory's apparent annoyance, "Well, Mare, I transferred here doing the law thing in order to take over DuGray Enterprises. Didn't Paris tell you? Got tired of Harvard, you weren't there, took time to track down which University you were attending and voila here I am. Got to love good old Paris, she's a wealth of knowledge. She's told me a lot over the years."
"What's with him calling you "Mary"? What's with you calling him Bible Boy?" Cameron asked confused.
Rory glared at Tristan. She hadn't realized she was answering to "Mary." "Tristan and I hale from Chilton Prep Academy. In our private school if you're a virgin or look like an innocent virgin, you're called Mary as in the Virgin Mary." Rory explained to her room mate. "I call him Bible Boy due to the fact that he always had a Biblical Insult to throw my way."
"Girls I'm back!" Paris Geller's voice stated as the blonde girl walked through the apartment's front door. She dropped her bags and gasped at her best friend's ex-boyfriend's presence.
"About time you showed up. It looks like Chilton Alumni have been assigned this apartment," Rory barked at her best friend. "I told you to sign us up for non-co-ed but would you listen to me? No! Now I'm stuck living with the Spawn of Satan!"
"Hey still in the room!" Tristan snapped annoyed that Rory was acting like this. "Since when have I been deduced as Spawn of Satan!" This wasn't his idea of a perfect reunion with the one person he ever truly loved.
"Do you really want me to answer that question in public?" Rory asked her voice edged with a dangerous tone. Their past was still fresh in her memories, the good, bad and the ugly. She wasn't about to air her dirty laundry in front of Cameron.
Tristan sighed. It was obvious to him that this was the first time Cameron had ever heard of him and he knew if she wanted to Rory could lick into him. "No, I guess I don't."
"You guess? You Guess!" Rory groaned and stormed off into her room, slamming the door behind her. She ran to and leapt on to her bed face muffled into her pillow growling!
"Nice Going DuGray," Paris roared.
"What?" Tristan asked confused over the situation. "Why am I the bad guy? I wasn't the one talking about someone in the third person, who I may remind you, was present throughout the whole conversation." He was angry with Paris' accusation.
Paris sighed in aggravation, "Cameron could I please ask you to give us some privacy?" She asked rolling her eyes at Tristan's misdirected anger.
Cameron nodded and rolled her eyes, "I'll be at the student union. It was nice meeting you Tristan."
Tristan casually nodded, "Same here." Then he looked up at Paris with a demanding look.
Paris only waited a second after Cameron closed the common area's door to the dormitory hallway. "You promised to stay away from Rory." She roared not caring if Rory could hear every single word that would be said.
Tristan shook his head at the classic Paris resurfacing before him. "You knew it would only be a matter of time before I went stir crazy."
"Damn it DuGray, don't turn this around on me. You promised you would not come and face Rory once I revealed where she matriculated. You conned me and I will have my revenge. She just got over you and now you have to shit stir? That's not ok!"
"Get over it, Gellar! You and I both know I love her regardless of what happened in the past."
"It's not a what!" Paris yelled. "Its who!"
Tristan shook his head. He should have known that Paris and Rory were dorm mates. The two were practically inseparable throughout the years at Chilton Prep Academy before he got shipped off to Military school. After that he didn't really know how strong the two girls' friendship was. He also knew that Paris would never let his past stay buried.
"What was I suppose to do back then Geller?" Tristan sighed. "I was sixteen fking years old. It wasn't like I had a say in my father's decision."
"Oh yeah that's right. Blame Daddy little boy. Because back then you blamed him for everything."
"This isn't any of your god damn concern Geller! This has to do with me and Rory!"
Paris shook her head in protest, "You see that's where you are wrong DuGray. Rory is my best friend and I watched you trample over her heart millions of times, all so you could prove to everyone you were still worthy of your title and your reputation. Breaking into the safe was stupid but getting…"
Tristan didn't have to hear the rest of that statement he knew all too well that breaking into the Bowman Safe was just the icing on the cake. He had been in hot water much earlier with his parents regarding Rory. He got Rory pregnant and his father reached his breaking point. Feeling that he wasn't in control of his son anymore Russell DuGray felt that the best course of action was to send Tristan to Military School and to make it clear that Tristan was not to ever have anything to do with the Gilmore-Hayden girl ever again, for her own good, not his. Russell and Juliette DuGray cared a lot about Rory and were thrilled to have their son dating her.
Part II
Meanwhile….
"Mommy, I want to come home," Rory sniffled into the phone.
"Hey, You know us Gilmore Girls don't cry, tell Mommy what's wrong," Lorelei Gilmore asked her daughter.
"I just met my room mate and you'll never guess who it is…"
Lorelei knew that Rory and Paris had signed up for co-ed housing their final year at Yale due to the size of the Seniors Housing Apartments. Lorelei could only guess that it was a boy. "Well, it can't be limo boy because then you'd be ecstatic and it can't be Dean because he's married and not smart enough to go to an Ivy league school and you'd never room with either Marty or Finn. I give up baby. Who is it?"
"Tristan," Rory whispered wishing that she hadn't said that name.
Of all the people Lorelei knew Rory was acquainted with the last person's name she hoped wouldn't come out of her daughter's mouth was Tristan. Lorelei knew oh too well Tristan still held Rory's heart in his hands despite what tore them apart. She also knew if he found out that Rory was dating his cousin Logan Huntzburger he'd go on a rampage and try to steal Rory away from his cousin.
"I'm so sorry baby. I know it's a shock to see him and I know you probably feel some anger towards him but I'm sure everything will be fine. I mean you have Logan and Lani plus your school activities as well. You'll hardly see him."
Rory sighed, "He's my Dorm mate Mom. We'll see each other ALL the time. He'll end up coming into my room and seeing all the pictures of me and Lani together. I can't let him find out that I kept the child we created. He probably won't even care that he is a father." She answered glumly.
"You can always say that Lani is your sister. After all it can't be so hard to fabricate."
Rory rolled over onto her back, raking one hand through her hair and staring at her ceiling, "She has his hair, eyes and my bone structure mom. Plus you, Luke, and Dad all have dark hair."
"Then let him find out and then demand support for the six years he's been away. I mean his own parents stayed in touch with you and Lani. He didn't have the decency to even pick up a phone or pen."
"Lani" was Lorelei Lei-Lani Gilmore IV - Hayden II DuGray. In school she went by Lani Gilmore taking on the Gilmore girl tradition. Lani was six years old, in first grade, with her father's dazzling blue-green eyes and shiny dark blonde hair. She had her mother's and Nana's addiction to coffee and junk food. She had her mother's facial bone structure, poise, and fast metabolism.
Rory rolled her eyes at her mother's words. "How's Lani doing Mom?"
"She can't wait for Friday night dinner with her Great-Grandparents, and both sets of grandparents. She's mostly excited about seeing you and Limo Boy."
"Please don't tell me you call him that around her," Rory asked hopefully. "It's bad enough that you call him that. I don't need my six year old daughter saying it too."
"It builds character," Lorelei whined.
"Need I remind you that you and I are Limo Girls? We're no different then he is. Thus we have no right calling him a demeaning name because of the kind of vehicle he rides."
Part III
Tristan nervously knocked on Rory's door two hours after Paris grilled him in the apartment's lounge area. "Rory may I come in please?"
Rory swallowed the hard rock that seemed to form in her throat. "Yes, Tristan you may come in, it's open." She called through the door separating the once upon a time lovers.
"Hey," Tristan greeted her hesitantly, shuffling his feet and standing near the door after walking through and closing it.
Rory gave a small smile, "Hey, BB."
Tristan walked to the end of Rory's bed and sat on the edge turning to face her. A habit he developed during their relationship before he got sent away for getting out of control. "Is it alright if we have a talk right now?" He questioned. He had no idea how angry or uncomfortable Rory was and he wanted to be sure that now was a right time for this.
Rory looked in his eyes silently for a moment and nodded her head, "Yeah, I guess we can talk right now."
"I know you weren't expecting to see me ever again, everyone we know from Hartford was trying to make sure that happens," Tristan began. "and I know I made some terrible mistakes back in high school."
Rory took a deep breath, this the part where he tells me he wants me back or he knows about Lani, "Tristan please don't say what I think…"
"Please hear me out." Tristan begged and waited a beat to see if Rory would interrupt. He got a nod of encouragement. "I cheated on you, I got you pregnant and I stole, getting myself shipped off to military school. I am truly sorry for hurting you back then. I was immature and I didn't know a good thing when it hit me until it was too late."
"You're right Tristan. It is too late," Rory stated. "It's a shame too because you had the perfect girlfriend and you let her slip through your fingers all because you had to prove to a bunch of guys that you were true to your reputation. I loved you back then Tristan. I was so in love with you that I would have walked through fire or even quit drinking coffee but what did you do? You slapped your ex-girlfriend in my face and every other horny Barbie doll that walked through the halls. If you want my forgiveness it won't be as easy as just saying you're sorry because not only does this have to do with me and you it also concerns a six year old girl."
Tristan sighed. He knew about his six year old daughter Lorelei Lei-Lani Gilmore IV-Hayden II DuGray. His parents kept on raving about their only grandchild and how beautiful she was. The only thing was they had made sure he never met her; they only showed him pictures of her because they didn't want their grandchild to be influenced by her delinquent father. His history kept biting him in the rear end despite how he had changed himself around. "I know it isn't just about you and me Rory. Damn it, I know that Lani is in the equation too. I want to be there for her. I want to be able to see her grow but I can't do that if our parents and grandparents won't let me see her for stupid mistakes I made in the past."
"Tristan, I know you changed somewhat since you've been to military school. I keep hearing the news from Janlan and your parents. It's not as simple as you think. It's a matter of trust. I can't trust you to be able to not break her heart like you broke mine. Since it's obvious we won't be able to avoid each other because we live in the same apartment, you're going to have to earn my trust."
"I will do that. I will gain your trust somehow." Tristan stated. Then mentally thought, Then I will have my family together and for once be happy.
"Good, now that, that's out of the way, please excuse me because I have to get ready for a date."
A date? A date! Since when did she have a boyfriend? "Well have fun Mary I guess I'll see you later."
Rory smiled, "Yeah, you will."
Tristan walked out of Rory's bedroom and into his room.
Part IV
"I know that look DuGray." Paris ranted as she saw a far off look in Tristan's eyes as he walked out of Rory's bedroom. "Don't do anything stupid."
"Who's her date tonight Geller?"
"I'm not telling you. It's none of your god damned concern. If you ruin her happiness with the guy she's with now…I'll end up hurting you and that's a promise."
"If you don't tell me who she's with I'll end up hurting you?" Tristan answered irrationally. "No one has the right to come between me and Rory or our child," he stated venom was laced through his voice.
Paris rolled her eyes, "You don't scare me DuGray. I know you wouldn't hurt a female. It isn't in your personality make-up. I'm not telling you because I don't betray friendship confidentiality."
Tristan started glaring lethally at Paris, "When I find out who it is, they'll pay and then you'll pay for not telling me. Nobody messes with a DuGray and gets away with it."
Paris sighed. She knew one thing about Tristan, when he sets his sights on achieving something there is no stopping him. She also knew that the DuGray family was a solid unit and a force to be reckoned with nobody ever left a DuGray confrontation unscathed either financially, physically, or psychologically. "You can't let Rory find out that you know who her current boyfriend is…that is if I tell you. You don't intimidate me Tristan…you're father on the other hand is another story."
Tristan smirked. Between Russell DuGray and Christopher Hayden, Paris felt less threatened by Christopher although Christopher was as territorially aggressive as Russell in the Elite Society of Hartford. They both were high powered attorneys, both ran other businesses besides law firms and both ruled Hartford with an iron laced fist. Together the two men were an undefeatable tag team.
"It's…" Before Paris could give him the name of Rory's boyfriend, their lounge room doorbell rang.
Tristan absentmindedly walked to the door and opened it. Fury filled his eyes as he saw his cousin standing outside in the hallway of his apartment. He smirked when he saw his cousin's shocked face.
"Hey Tristan," Logan Huntzberger, Tristan's cousin from his mother's side, greeted his enraged cousin. "What a surprise. What are you doing here?"
"I live here. I should be asking you that question."
"I came to pick up my girlfriend. We're going out on a date."
"You have a girlfriend?" Tristan faked a laugh. "You don't have girlfriend's Logan you have flings, one night stands." The edge to his voice was not mistakable, there was hurt, anger, and betrayal but it was clear that Logan probably didn't know Tristan's history with Rory. It was clear in his mind that it was Logan who Rory was referring to when she said she had a date tonight.
"Paris, I heard the door bell did…" Rory asked as she rounded the corner from her bedroom. She stopped in mid-sentence to see her ex-boyfriend and current boyfriend both cousins to the other having a stare down. Rory looked to Paris in a panic asking silently if everything was safe and sound. She got her answer with the negative shaking head belonging to Paris.
Tristan turned around to look at Rory shooting daggers at her. He could see out of his peripheral vision that Logan was looking at Rory as well. "When were you ever going to tell me that you were dating my cousin?" Tristan asked agony laced in his usually quick witted voice.
Rory shook her head, "Tristan, now isn't the time for this."
"Now's a perfect time as any Mary," Tristan stated as he folded his arms.
Mary? Why does that sound familiar? Logan asked himself.
"I don't have the time nor the patience for you Bible Boy! Logan and I made plans we can't break."
Bible Boy?...Shit! Rory is Tristan's ex-girlfriend! Logan realized during the banter. Now he understood why his cousin was trying to kill him with angry looks. This is Lani's father. The one Rory calls Bible Boy. Something tells me this is a war that I will be a casuality of and I'll be expected to choose sides. Damn and just as I was finally coming to gripes with the fact that promiscuity isn't a lifestyle.
"Well, it isn't like I don't know where to find you," Tristan smirked, "after all we are room mates. I'll be here when you get back. Then we'll have this conversation. It's now or later."
"Ace, maybe you should stay and talk out whatever issues you have with Tristan." Logan suggested. "We can arrange this for another time."
Rory shook her head. Great less then twenty-four hours back into my life and Tristan has to complicate it. Things were going just fine until he came along. I should have figured he wouldn't make this reunion easy for me. "No, we made these plans a month ago actually a year ago. We couldn't get reservations to this place until now and we are not going to cancel them because Tristan DuGray has finally become aware that his conscience won't stop nagging him to right his wrongs. He can get as angry as he wants and as possessive as he wants but for once he won't be getting exactly what he wants." Rory stated in a dangerously low and calm voice glaring at Tristan.
"I knew you guys were close, I just didn't think about how close you were. I mean you both have almost the same patented smirk and the annoying knack for giving girls unwanted nicknames. Trademark hairstyle to boot, next thing you're going to tell me is that he's in the brigade," She said as she returned her attention to her boyfriend.
Tristan made an interruptive cough, "Actually I am in the Brigade."
Rory rolled her head and eyes at this forthcoming news, "This is just great! Now I really can't get away from you!"
Tristan looked into Rory's eyes and saw the anger she was silencing in them. "Rory what did you expect The DuGrays, Gilmores, and Haydens are founders of the Brigade. It's secretly spread to every other Ivy League School. Did you honestly think I could avoid a three hundred year old tradition?"
Rory groaned at Tristan's statement. She should have known that the blonde who always invaded her dreams would pull their families' history into why he was at this particular Ivy League School or in her Secret Society.
"You could have stayed at Harvard and just …"
"Just what? Leave you're perfect life alone? Rory be logical here. Why would I stay away from you? Don't say because our families said I had to. You've known me forever when have I ever listened to an authority figure?"
Logan walked further into his girlfriend's apartment-dorm it was obvious that the two wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon, his cousin tended to be very stubborn and persistent so this argument was going to be drawn out. He decided to sit on the couch and wait until things blew over or one of them acknowledged that they still had an audience.
"Obviously I don't know you!" Rory's voice rose. "The Tristan I knew would have never broken into a safe or been affiliated with Duncan and Bowman. He would have never cheated on me with his ex-girlfriend which whom, by the way, according to him broke his heart by doing the same thing."
Tristan shook his head at the lunacy Rory was spouting. "You, think I liked that I hurt you? Trust me Mare, that's the last thing in the world I would have wanted to triumph from. I spent three years of my life in military school because of my actions. I hurt my family, Mare. I hurt you and what do I have to show for it? A daughter I don't know, and a miserable existence because the woman I love is in a relationship with another man, not just any man, my cousin!"
Cameron innocently chose that moment to walk back into the apartment thinking the worst was over, she was surprised to find herself wrong. "You two are still arguing it's been like four hours since I left to mingle at the Student Union." She shook her head. She could tell by the way they were staring each other down that it wasn't hate that was fueling this argument but something unhinged and primal...everlasting. It was so potent that she had to shake her head and look in the direction of Logan sitting on the couch watching his cousin and his girlfriend release insult after insult at each other. Her heart went out to the Media Conglomerate Heir, the scene unraveling before him, wasn't something anyone should have to go through.
Part V
Flashback
Rory walked through the DuGray Mansion's front door and upstairs to his bedroom where the maid told her he was. Rory never usually knocked on the door because that was the way it had been their whole lives. She had heard noises coming from his room thinking it was the porn channel blaring off his television.
Stepping into his room Rory had wished she was right about the noises being from the television. She gasped as she saw her boyfriend in the throws of passion with Summer Russell, his ex-girlfriend.
Tears started slipping down her cheeks as Summer climaxed calling Tristan's name and Tristan calling Summer's name, "Damn you Tristan," Rory yelled turning around and running out of his room.
Rory stormed down the stairs, past Janlan and Russell's studies, and out the front door where her car was waiting outside on the carport.
Inside:
Janlan and Russell walked out of their studies, looked at each other, then at the front door slamming with a crying girl behind it, and then up the stairs to see the heir to their empire disheveled throwing on a bathrobe chasing after the girl.
By the time Tristan had reached outside, the car and Rory were gone. He turned around walking back through the door, into the foyer where the family patriarchs were standing cross armed and glaring at him.
"Please don't tell me that was Rory running out of here crying?" Russell DuGray, a 6'3" graying golden haired athletically slender man, asked his son.
"I concur with your father please tell us that wasn't Rory running out the door? What the hell did you do to upset her so terribly?" Janlan DuGray, a distinguished haired 6'3" athletically slender older gentlemen, asked his grandson.
"Tristan, did you find out who that was," said a dark brunette haired teenage girl from the staircases upper landing, she was half-dressed just pulling on her robe and her hair was just as disheveled as Tristan's.
"We just found our answer Dad," Russell told Janlan, then turned around and glared at his son. After a moment he looked up at the girl, and remembered her name, "Summer you should get dressed and leave now," he suggested rudely before Tristan could answer…"Tristan and his family have some business to take care of."
"Dad," Tristan warned in an edge filled voiced. It was bad enough that he was literally caught with his pants around the ankles by Rory he didn't need his father or grandfather for that matter to make the situation worse.
"Tristan, I would suggest you not make this harder then it already is, now Miss Russell was asked to redress herself and leave. If she knows what is best for her right now she would do as was suggested. Susanna will show her the door. You will walk into Gramps' office and wait until Grammy, your Mother, and I all join you and Gramps."
Tristan nodded, hung his head defeated, and followed his grandfather into his grandfather's study and immediate sat down in front of his grandfather's desk.
Russell found his wife and mother in the sunroom sitting, gossiping and drinking tea. "Dad and I need you to join us in Dad's study. It has to do with Tristan and Rory."
End Flashback
Rory aggravated raked her fingers through her perfectly styled hair for the second time that day. She wanted nothing more than to stop the spiraling out of control argument she was having with Tristan.
She knew he didn't change all that much, he was still as stubborn and strong willed as he had been in his younger years. "It's not like I meant to meet him or develop feelings TJ," she glared at the taller person in front of her. "But like you he has this nasty habit of not giving up. Call me crazy but I actually needed a change from my norm. He was and still is slightly more mature then you and way more rational," she stated calmly. She knew it was a low blow, she didn't know reformed Tristan from Adam not that she trusted him anyway.
"Whoa! Wait just a minute here," Tristan stated throwing his hands up in the air. "Where do you get off accusing me of being immature or calling Logan mature for that matter?"
"Hey don't bring me into this just because your ego has been bruised bro? I had no idea that she was your Mary or you for that matter were her ex. One of the many disadvantages of being based in NYC," Logan cut in with a pointed look at the younger blonde. "You made your mistakes and ended up losing her and her trust don't dig yourself a deeper hole."
Flashback
Tears streaming down her eyes, Rory's vision was a blur as she drove down the rainy streets of Hartford. She had gone to tell Tristan what she thought would be great news but she ended up being the victim of surprise herself. "Don't worry baby, Mommy loves you and she's not going to let Daddy hurt you," she said while rubbing her stomach absentmindedly with her left hand while griping and steering the driver's wheel with her right.
She had the resources that would allow her to keep her baby and still go to school without hiring a Nanny, Au Pair or even a retired grandmother to babysit during her school hours. She talked to her mother about the repercussions that went to becoming pregnant while still in high school. She was surprised that her mother was as supportive as she was.
"Gram and Great Grandma will take care of you too," she said continuing her conversation with her unborn child. "You won't be as sheltered or naïve as I was. I promise you that."
End Flashback
Before another word was spoken between the feuding family members and young woman, Rory's cell phone's ring tone went off. She looked at caller idea and saw that it was her daughter. She pressed the talk button and pressed the phone to her ear. "Hi Sweetie," she said with a smile on though happiness was the furthest emotion she was feeling right now. "I need to remind Grams that you're only six years old and are too young to have a cell phone of your own."
The little girl on the phone laughed, "Mommy you really aren't up to snuff with what's in now!"
"I beg to differ young lady. Now what's so urgent that you had to call me?"
"Grams said you had a date with Limo Boy. You see him more then you see me."
"Limo Boy," Rory asked with a warning laced through her voice. She looked at Logan who had an amused look on his face. "I thought we agreed that you would be respectful to Logan?"
"C'mon Mommy Grams calls him that why can't I?"
"Because she's insane and you know the difference between sanity and insanity. You know what this means don't you?" She could picture her daughter rolling her eyes as she heard the groan that was coming. "No more Finn Dates for a month."
"You're so unfair. Uncle Finn is fun you can't take away my Finn Dates."
"I just did. Now if you'll excuse me Logan is waiting for me and you're up past your bedtime."
"Thank goodness I live with Grams. At least she and Gramps will let me have some fun." The little girl whined. "I often wonder if Grams is really your mom."
"Good night Lani!" Rory said forcefully and pressed the end button to finalize the conversation. "Now gentlemen can we please be civil and not cave people." She said looking between Logan and Tristan.
Flashback
Tristan sat nervously in his grandfather's study, his grandfather had been eerily quiet while his father gathered his mother and grandmother to have a family meeting.
The seconds' ticking off the grandfather clock on the wall opposite the study's door seemed like minutes and two minutes felt like two hours as the silence grew more uncomfortable.
The sound of the door opening and footsteps nearing brought the silence's purpose more clearly as they kept approaching. Once all family members were in the study and seated.
Russell began, "Now that we're all here. It's time to let Tristan in on what's going on. The list of major screw-ups has reached its final occupant."
"What are you saying Father," Tristan asked nervously.
"Tristan, your father and the rest of us can't take it anymore. We received a call from Richard. It seems Rory had something to tell you. She came here for that purpose alone." Janlan picked up where his son left off, "but you said volumes to her or at least that's what we think happened when she ran out the front door earlier."
Tristan didn't understand the purpose of this family meeting and why the two older generations of his family were looking at him as if he did the most treacherous act imaginable. It pained him enough to hear the tears in Rory's voice but this was so much more humiliating.
"There's no easy way to say this Tristan," his mother spoke up. "Rory's pregnant."
All of a sudden Tristan felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. Rory had come to tell him that she was carrying his child only to have found him screwing his ex-girlfriend.
"Tristan dear you've been spiraling out of control for months. First for the fighting and the pranks, then hanging around those lowlifes, breaking into Mr. Bowman's safe and this…sleeping with Summer and knocking Rory up?"
"Father!"
"No Tristan, you can't explain your way out of this. We've been lenient with you and now we're faced with something both your mother and grandmother have been rallying against hoping you would turn yourself around. We're sending you to North Carolina."
"Dad the only thing in North Carolina is…" Tristan in shock couldn't finish. Surely his family wouldn't send him to…
"Military School..."
"No…no way. There is no way in hell I'm going to Military school." He protested.
"It's that or a Swiss year round boarding school," his grandmother interjected sadly.
"Just like that without even letting me explain myself? This isn't fair."
"Let's not talk about what's unfair Tristan," Janlan started before his grandson began to look like a big fool. "Because son, we have a list of you being unfair as well. Let's start with the way you started rebelling and acting reckless. Let's talk about a sixteen year old girl who's been nothing but faithful to you and you cheat on her with your ex-girlfriend. Let's talk about the fact the teenage girl is pregnant with your heir. Let's also talk about the fact that the girl you cheated on your girlfriend with was the one who supposedly broke your heart before you started dating Rory."
"Gramps…"
"Don't Gramps me. You had a good thing going for you Tristan. You have a family who loves you. You have a girl who has given you her self; mind, body, spirit and soul. She's sacrificed a great deal for you, been subject to ridicule but still stayed true to you. Now what does she have? She has a product of your supposed love growing inside her and she'll be constantly reminded that she wasn't good enough for you. Well you want to know something you aren't good enough for her. If she decides to keep your child, you won't come in contact with her or your child. You aren't to try to contact her at all. You will let her live her life without you and your support because I'll be damned if I let you influence my great grandchild. Everything you touch somehow goes rotten. Military school will shape you up, give you more maturity and teach you self respect, loyalty, honor, commitment and responsibility. Pack your bags you leave tomorrow."
Tristan gaped at his grandfather. He never thought he could shame his grandfather let alone himself. He had no explanation for sleeping with Summer. He had been clean and sober when she came to him. She had been scantily dressed and very seductive, he tried to resist but this was Summer his first love.
'Well, I can't blame any of them,' He thought miserably to himself. 'I just wish Rory wasn't hurt in the process. Too late for that,' He thought as he stood up and headed to his room to pack his bags.
End Flashback
Rory saw Tristan visibly roll his eyes at her condescending tone. "If you think for one second that I'm going to be civil to Logan, then you're out of your mind."
Logan was staring daggers at his cousin. "Why can't you be civil to me?" His anger for his cousin came lacing through his voice. "What exactly have I done to make you not want to be civil towards me?"
Paris and Cameron who had been silently watching the soap opera progress in front of them were wondering the same thing. The two both have been long forgotten from the moment the conversation started.
Paris felt sympathetic towards her best friend. She knew how Rory felt about Logan and she also knew how hard it was for Rory to get over the pain Tristan put her through. "Come on Cam," Paris whispered to her room mate. "If they realize we're still here Rory wouldn't only be embarrassed but she'll be so mortified she'll lock herself up in her room for a week."
Cameron only nodded to acknowledge Paris and the two quietly slipped off to their perspective room.
"You know exactly what you did." Tristan said.
Rory only saw Tristan this bent out of shape a handful of times, all those times he felt threatened that he would lose Rory to someone else. The act alone made her relive childhood memories and the night Lani was conceived.
Flashback
"What were you doing with Tyler," asked a furious Tristan to a bewildered Rory.
Rory rolled her eyes at Tristan's misguided jealousy. "We were only studying our lines for Cleopatra," she reasoned.
"Don't lie to me Mare. What were you really doing with Tyler?"
"I'm telling you the truth Tristan! He's Julius Cesar and I'm Cleopatra we were just studying our lines."
"Studying your lines? Was kissing him the way you were about of that study session?"
"Tristan, you should know better then to make accusations like that. Besides yes the kiss was apart of the study session. It was in the scene we were studying. There was even any intimacy involved."
Tristan laughed at his girlfriend's innocent obliviousness. "Mary, If I had been kissing someone other than you and you came walking in on me would you feel as if there was nothing intimate going on?"
"No absolutely not," Rory answered with dignity.
"Liar! Tell me how did you really feel when I would take some random girl, slam her against your locker and maul her face off right in front of you before we started dating."
Rory's face turned crimson and she stifled the urge to scream out in jealousy.
"See, That's exactly what I mean. I don't care if the kiss is real or pretend Mare. A kiss is still intimate no matter how innocent it really is."
"Screw you DuGrey."
Tristan just shook his head, "Well you see Mare I was planning on waiting until you were ready but since you are so insistent, I'm willing to take a roll in the hay with you."
Of all the bantering they would do the last comment out of Tristan's mouth was over doing it! Her red face turned dark crimson. She walked up to Tristan and slapped him across the face as hard as she could with her right hand.
"Ow, Shit what was that for," he asked while angrily rubbing the injured area to hopefully somehow ease the pain away.
"You know very well why I did that." She stated. "Can't you just for once stop being such a jackass and leave the crass remarks to yourself."
"You know as well as I do that I don't mean what I say half the time," Tristan stated softly. He instantly regretted reverting back to the taunting boy Rory grew to despise when they first started high school.
Rory shook her head, turning around, heading out the door of his room. She didn't want this, she didn't need this. So she started doing the only thing she knew how. Run away.
Tristan wasn't about to let her walk out on him without giving her a proper apology. He grabbed her wrist and gently pulled her back to him. "I'm sorry," he said between spraying kisses along her neck and gently massaging her shoulders.
With that said and his current actions, they both ended up in his bed and not getting out until the wee hours of the morning.
End Flashback
"First of all Tristan. I didn't do anything any other mature healthy young adult male would do. I met a very attractive woman and I wanted to get to know her. Had I known she was your Mary I would have tried to just be her friend, but I didn't know who she was. Don't go blaming stuff on people just because you got reckless not to mention careless with your life!"
"Had you known," Rory broke in with her eyebrows arched. "What's that suppose to mean?"
"Ace not right now," Logan sighed.
Rory had enough of this ridiculous night and this pointless conversation. "You know what? You're absolutely right," she stated in a calm cool low voice. "Not right now! See you boys later and get back to me as soon as you grow some maturity back." With that she walked away from the triangle they were forming and to the apartment door. "After all, you still need to catch up on old times." She turned to say before slamming the door which she had just a second ago opened, shut.
Part VI
"The door slammed," Paris asked Cameron. The two had some how ended up in Paris' room talking, after they had gone to their perspective rooms, unnoticed by the quarrelling three some in the common room.
"Yes, I believe that it did. Why?"
"That's not a good sign."
Cameron laughed at the scowl on Paris' face. "No kidding. What of it?"
Paris glared at Cameron, "You don't know Rory. Rory doesn't slam doors. Those two hooligans are still in the common room. They're still arguing. Rory slammed the door which means she will disappear and ignore everyone she knows."
Cameron shrugged her shoulders and arched her brows, "That's no big deal. Paris, everyone has different cool down strategies."
"She'll disappear for days, hours good, days not good, you getting the picture?"
"Sorry." Cameron said while shaking her head.
"Rory has a daughter. A daughter that calls her three times a day. She also has a mother who calls her five times a day just to remind her that her coffee minimum per day is fifteen cups by noon. Then she has her father who calls five times a day too. Not to mention her grandparents expect her at dinner tomorrow for Friday night dinner. Then there's her classes, homework, the newspaper and her internship," Paris rambled on not caring whether or not Cameron was retaining any of it.
"Wait Rory has a daughter?" Cameron asked flabbergasted that someone as career motivated as Rory would have a child.
"Yes, A six year old daughter who by the way has three last names because her grandparents and her daughter's grandparents are anal about names and heritages."
"Three last names? You're kidding me right?"
Paris shook her head and took a deep breath before rattling off her next train of thought, "Rory's daughter's name is Lorelei Lei-Lani Gilmore IV Hayden II-Dugrey,"
"Oh shit and here I thought I had problems," Cameron sputtered. "Wait, You said DuGrey? You mean to tell me that…"
"Yes, Tristan is Lani's father," Paris cut her off. "That scene you saw earlier was mostly about Lani. You can imagine just how screwed up Lani's life is right now. She lives with her grandparents, sees her mother on Fridays, weekends, and vacations. She doesn't know her father and her mother is dating her second cousin. If anything Tristan's pissed about his cousin dating his daughter's mother."
Cameron looked at Paris with an uncertain look. "I highly doubt that. You read way too much into the in between lines. I know what I saw and heard out there. Tristan is still in love with Rory. He hates the fact that he's been kept from her by his family and friends. Then he finds out that she's dating his cousin. Well that right there would piss me off too if I were him. I wouldn't want my cousin to be my child's stepparent, whether or not I play an active role in the child's life. It's immoral."
Paris stood silently for a minute. What Cameron said made some sense. Cameron unknowingly planted a seed in Paris' head. Operation Romeo and Juliet was created and Cameron would be the lead agent, "Thanks Cameron you just gave me a great idea."
Cameron looked at the obsessed and intimidating younger woman as if she were crazy. "Why do I have the feeling that I'm not going to like this?"
"You spouted your theories therefore you'll make a great accessory to my grand scheme," Paris smirked and her eyebrows arched daring Cameron to challenge her.
Cameron sighed flipped her hair over her shoulder, rolled the tension out her shoulder and looked at the younger woman. "What do you want me to do?"
Outside in the Common Room Tristan and Logan were having a stare down. Both were determined to not be the first to buckle down and end the silence. Tristan with his military training won out in the end.
"Now see what you did," Logan fumed. "You pissed her off and now she won't come back until one of us is gone!"
Tristan smirked, his trademark smirk it ran in their mothers' family so naturally the two cousins inherited the obnoxious feature. "I didn't do anything I didn't want to do. You on the other hand seem to think you're God's gift to women. Tell me oh so great cousin of mine do you know how many cups of coffee she needs to ingest before she's a normally functioning human? Do you know her most favorite movie or junk food? Or how she bites her lip and tucks her hair at the same time when she's infuriated."
Logan didn't look fazed by what Tristan was trying to say he knew all of this information. He didn't need to know how intimate his cousin was with his current girlfriend, he knew by proxy. Lani was proof enough that in one point in his cousin's life that Tristan was extremely intimate with Rory. The fact that he didn't take Rory's virginity was overwhelming. It was clear that Rory never had sex with anyone after Tristan. She was hesitant to even tell him that she had a child. It took her a few months to disclose Lani's existence to him and even then it was after a night of amazing sex. To find out that Rory wasn't a virgin disappointed him. He guessed that deep down inside he wanted to be the one who claimed her innocence and ultimately marry her. He knew that Rory wasn't one to just have casual sex. The person she gave herself to was probably most likely to be her future husband.
Now seeing how intense Tristan and Rory could be while in the same room was proof that Rory truly did love Lani's father more then she cared to admit. He saw the hurt that she had and the anger that she wasn't ready to give up. Tristan had betrayed her more then he thought. No wonder why he had a hard time being able to date her, he reminded her of Tristan.
"I'm not the only one she's pissed at Tristan. She's pissed at you too. I wasn't having a one-sided pissing contest in front of her. You're in this equation too."
Tristan clenched his jaw to keep any hateful remarks to himself. The last thing he needed was to assault Logan and on his first day at Yale. "Maybe not but you don't stand a chance against me Logan. I am her first love, I am her daughter's father and one way or another she'll be mine again. I don't care if you're my cousin or my worst enemy, when it comes to Rory I won't stop until she and I are married."
"Fighting words for someone who's never gone to bat with me, don't you think? What's to stop me from keeping her from you? Obviously our family went through great lengths to keep you from her. What's to become of this situation when I tell everyone that you've transferred to Yale just to be closer to Rory? I'm pretty sure that Uncle Russell and Aunt Sharon wouldn't bee too keen to find out this interesting tidbit."
"Intimidation and blackmail my Huntz you've grown to be quite the socialite since moving to Hartford. Do you honestly think I'm intimidated by you? Stay the hell away from Rory if you know what's good for you!"
Logan glared at his younger cousin. The man before him was far harder to take on now then when he was younger, "If I don't?"
Tristan looked vacantly into Logan's eyes. "Then you will be subjected to my military training," he said tiredly. "I don't want to have to hurt you and I don't want to have to face Robert, Stephanie or Finn either. I just want Rory to give me another chance. You can understand that can't you?"
Logan looked at his cousin and saw the determination in his eyes. "Yeah, I guess I can Tristan but you also have to understand that she's not ready for you to just barge into her life. She has a daughter, she has school, she has me and as much as you do not like that you need to accept it until she's ready for you to be a very integral part of her life. I'm not ready to give her up either. We've been together for almost two years; I was going to ask her to marry me tonight?"
Tristan chose to ignore his cousin after hearing the intended proposal. It made him realize just how bad he screwed up with Rory in the past. Had he not transferred to Yale now he would have lost the chance to get her back completely.
Logan saw his cousin deep in thought and took a moment to reflect on their current issue as well. Having not been able to see his cousin in five years has changed everything. The two were always as close as brothers growing up but now seeing Tristan again and realizing just how important he had been in Rory's life was conflicting, he didn't want to let go of Rory but he also didn't want to upset Tristan. He especially didn't want to confuse Lani. Her stepfather would actually be her second cousin on her father's side of the family. The whole thing would be a scandal in the Hartford Society, Boston Society and New York City Society.