This FF is co-written by Joan (bibleboymary4ever) & Lauren Disclaimer: We don't own anything.but if ASP wants to make an offer we would be interested in buying Tristan & Jess ;)

*June 3, 2003* Tristans Graduation from Military School

Tristan carefully fingered the satin cap, as the reality of his situation finally set in.

He was going back to Hartford, going back to the fancy Ivy league schools, country clubs, hired help and champagne & caviar.

He was going back to her.. He wondered if she was still dating that stockboy jerk, that son of a bitch never deserved Rory.

He glanced behind him, towards the family and friends gathered to proudly watch their children graduate. Though Tristan had made valedictorian, his father refused to come & forbade the rest of the family to, blatantly announcing that Military School was not a suitable place for a DuGrey to be graduating from, claiming Tristan was lucky to have gotten into Yale. Tristan sighed, remembering the unhappy phone call.

But if going back to Connecticut meant seeing Rory again, he was glad to do it. He shook his head as he remembered all the crumpled letters never sent, the hundreds of times he picked up the phone, but..he was scared. Yup, Tristan DuGrey was scared about a girls opinion about him. He knew he had screwed up by treating her so badly at Chilton, but around her, Tristan lost all his cool, he didn't know what to say, to do, how to act,around his Mary, Tristan suddenly became the nerd, with the crush on the head cheerleader, totally & utterly confused.

i I know I can be a little stubborn sometimes A little righteous and too proud I just want to find a way to compromise Cos I believe that we can work things out

I thought I had all the answers never giving in But baby since you've gone I admit that I was wrong/i

The headmaster repeated his name & Tristan glanced up guiltily. It was not the first time he had messed up something because of her. Tristan briskly walked up & collected his diploma.

Even though he was glad to get out of this hell hole, he would kind of miss the uniformity of it. Everyone was the same, dressed the same, lived in the same dorms & ate the same food. It was so completely unlike the world he knew---and that was good. It wasn't great, of course Tristan preferred his Porsche to a jeep, was more comfortable in a suit & dress shoes than his army-like uniform and combat boots, Tristan slept more soundly in his silk-sheeted king size bet and he liked eating steak better than over done hotdogs, but this had been his home for the last two years and it would be missed.

i All I know is I'm lost without you I'm not gonna lie How my going to be strong without you I need you by my side If we ever say we'll never be together and we ended with goodbye , don't know what I'd do ...I'm lost without you I keep trying to find my way but all I know is I'm lost without you I keep trying to face the day I'm lost without you

How my ever gonna get rid of these blues Baby I'm so lonely all the time Everywhere I go I get so confused You're the only thing that's on my mind

Oh my beds so cold at night and I miss you more each day Only you can make it right no I'm not too proud to say /i

Although silk sheets & steak were nice, Rory was heaven. HE would have done anything, kitchen duty, extra laps, night duty, whatever he could, just to hear her voice. Even if she was mad at him.

Tristan sighed while playing with the ribbon tied around that paper which meant so much---and yet so little.

He wondered what she was doing now.if she was laughing with friends, kissing bagboy (oh god, please no!), drinking coffee, studying or whatever it is that Lorelai Leigh Gilmore does. All he knew for sure, was that Rory had probably forgotten him. Tristan who?

Tristan stomped into his dorm and lightly tossed the diploma onto his bed. He shed his cap & gown and changed into jeans & a sweatshirt. Tristan then packed up all the remnants of his existence and prepared for his journey back to Conneticut, land of . Tristan sat down on the small cot and stared at the wall, it was then that he made his decision: he would go to Stars Hollow to see her, and nothing, not even her being involved with the Beaver or even another guy, could stop him.

i All I know is I'm lost without you I'm not gonna lie How my going to be strong without you I need you by my side If we ever say we'll never be together and we ended with goodbye don't know what I'd do ...I'm lost without you I keep trying to find my way but all I know is I'm lost without you I keep trying to face the day I'm lost without you

If I could only hold you now and make the pain just go away

Can't stop the tears from running down my face Oh

All I know is I'm lost without you I'm not gonna lie How my going to be strong without you I need you by my side If we ever say we'll never be together and we ended with goodbye don't know what I'd do ...I'm lost without you I keep trying to find my way but all I know is I'm lost without you I keep trying to face the day I'm lost without /i

Cuz Tristan knew.if he didn't try to find her.and find where they stood.he would forever be Lost

An: the song is by Delta Goodrem, its Australian, thanks Loz for giving it to Joan!