Disclaimer: 'Gilmore Girls' belongs to the WB and not to me. Hey, I made a rhyme! A really bad one, but still, I made a rhyme! I also will include a few quotes from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charmed. Again, they don't belong to me.
Author's Note: The continuation of Shay's fabulous story, 'Don't Say You Love Me'
Don't Say You Love Me
Chapter Twenty
"You were so right mom… I never should have doubted Tristan," Rory said gratefully. They were both at Lorelai's house, on the couch, with steaming cups of coffee in their hands.
"I don't know sweetie… should we be worried? I never knew that Tristan had such a, well dangerous past," Lorelai replied thoughtfully.
"Neither did I," Rory said worriedly. "Should I be worried? I mean, nothings happening with Crystal and Tristan… and Crystal's ex-boyfriend… well, I don't know what happened to him, but, I mean, I don't think anything happened after that. Tristan would have told me."
Lorelai nodded doubtfully. "Uh huh."
Rory didn't miss her mother's skeptic tone. "Uh huh? Uh huh? What was that?"
"What?"
"You said something!"
"I did not!"
"Yes! You nodded, and said uh huh! You know something! What do you know?"
"I don't know anything!"
"Then you think something? Why else would you go uh huh? Do you think I shouldn't trust Tristan?"
"I didn't say anything!"
"You said uh huh! That was a very doubting uh huh! You clearly said uh huh!" Rory insisted. "Mom… please, it's enough to know that Tristan has been keeping secrets from me. I can't take it from you too."
Lorelai sighed. "Sweetie, I think you should have a real talk with Tristan. There may be a lot more you don't know about him."
"Mom, not knowing about this is sort of understandable. It's not like we talk about near-death experiences over dinner."
"Well, you should talk about this at least."
"We have," Rory replied, a little unclear on where her mother was heading.
Lorelai looked Rory in the eye. "Do you know what happened to Crystal's boyfriend?"
"No."
"Why is Crystal still hanging around Tristan?"
"It was a freak encounter."
"How do you know that Crystal isn't going to Hartford? Do you even know what happened between Tristan and Crystal in New York? How do you know that he's not going to pull a Dean on you?"
Rory's face fell. "Oh my god."
Lorelai suddenly realized what she'd done. "Oh… Rory… I didn't think… Tristan isn't going to do that-"
"You're absolutely right," Rory said, staring at her coffee mug blankly.
"No sweetie, I was wrong-"
But it was too late, a tide of awful realization was coming over Rory. "You're right… I don't know anything… this is how it started with Dean… first it was- it was first just the little things that I didn't- that I didn't know… i… it's little thing, little thing, little thing, then boom! You have this huge big thing… and, and it… comes, the big thing joins the little things and… and they come in between you… and…" Rory was getting more hysterical by the minute.
"Rory honey, calm down, your babbling…"
"Mom, you're absolutely right!" Rory was practically in tears.
"Rory listen to yourself! You're too ready to believe that Tristan is going to break your heart. Give Tristan a little credit…"
"But… but, just a few minutes ago you doubted him too!"
"After listening to you, I don't doubt him anymore. Sweetie have you seen the way he looks at you? You're his goddess! He worships you!"
Rory bit her lip. Lorelai saw Rory hesitate. "Tristan loves you."
Rory nodded. "Right, Tristan loves me."
"He does not want to hurt you."
"Tristan doesn't want to hurt me… right, yeah," Rory said breathlessly.
"Tristan is not Dean."
"Of course, yeah, Tristan is not Dean," Rory repeated.
Lorelai smiled. "You ready to go home?"
Rory smiled weakly. "Yeah, thanks mom."
"You sure you're okay?"
Rory nodded, a little more forcefully this time. "Yeah, I'm good."
"Mm kay," Lorelai smiled and hugged her daughter.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It was already dark when Rory went in their house, and saw the light peeking from beneath the closed door of Tristan's study. She opened it silently. He was seated at his desk, so absorbed in his work, he wouldn't have noticed if the floor blew up beneath him. Rory crept around the table, and leaped on to Tristan's lap.
"Rory!" Tristan yelped. "What the hell?"
Rory leaned forward and let her lips brush his. He was frozen in shock, but the moment he finally pressed back, she pulled away.
Tristan smiled. "Rory, what was that?"
Rory laughed. "Well, you surprised me yesterday by cooking, its only fair you get another one. Was it a surprise?"
Tristan grinned. "A surprise, but a very welcome one. What happened to my sweet little Mary?"
"The big evil Tristan DuGrey corrupted her."
"I'm evil again?"
"Well… the evil-ness has gone down, but definitely still Evil One in there."
Tristan grinned, and kissed her quickly. "So, how are you, still getting headaches?"
"Fewer and fewer in between, but yup, they're still exercising their visitation rights."
Concern and love played on Tristan's face as he looked at Rory. "Do you need anything? Aspirin, glass of water? Need anything to make you feel better?"
Rory smiled, and saw what her mother told her. Tristan did love her. He would not leave her. He was not Dean.
Rory leaned side-wards so that her head was on Tristan's shoulder. "Just you."
"I feel so appreciated."
"You better," Rory murmured.
Rory didn't see him but she knew Tristan was grinning. "How about I make you feel better upstairs?"
"I thought we did something about that ego?"
"You mean you're not attracted to me? I'm crushed!"
Rory smiled and caught sight of the clock and big pile of papers. "You're working late again!" she chided Tristan.
Tristan looked at the clock. Eleven thirty. Not so late to be up, but definitely to late to be working. "Hmm. Glad I didn't see the clock. I would have been worried about you."
"Aww… could have been cute if you actually meant it."
Tristan raised an eyebrow. "You don't think I worry about you?"
"Well…"
"I'm hurt!"
Rory grinned. "Good night."
