Chapter 1. I need your help

"Tristan?"

Rory fell back into bed, her eyes closed and her breath ragged.

No answer. The door had been unlocked to their apartment and the coffee was still hot. How she loved him for having managed to make coffee she could drink, for once. The cup was on the nightstand, smoking away. She swallowed and called out again.

"Tristan?"

Still no answer. The sweat trickled down her face. No more running this week – no – more. She opened her eyes, the trickling feeling turning into something very different.

"NO!" She shouted, the fire roaring out from the middle of Tristan's body, his back pressed flat against the ceiling. Rory bounced off the bed, the coffee knocked over as she hurried out of the room.

Rory shuddered as her cell phone rang in her wet pocket. The rain came down heavy on her as she sat there, wrapped in a blanket as she watched her apartment and the love of her life burning up. She had no more tears to cry, no more sorrow she could express. She felt empty as she hauled the phone out of her pocket and looked at the number.

Sam.

"What?" she answered tiredly.

"We heard."

"So soon?"

"You sound-"

"Like you did."

"Yeah."

"Where are you?"

"On our way."

"See you soon."

Dial tone. Rory shuddered again, this time suppressing a sob that would otherwise have torn her chest in half. The slow moments from then to when she would see the brothers Winchester turned Rory Gilmore onto a whole new path in life. Something that, if she had only taken the time to think, she would have understood it would be the end of her life as well as her lover's.

The Impala stopped short outside Lorelai's house, Rory standing still on the steps of the house. The white door opened and out came Rory's mom, putting an arm around her as she waved to the boys.

"Long time no see," she said, trying to smile. Both hers and Rory's faces were puffy from crying, and Rory's eyes were bloodshot. This was the first thing Dean noticed as he walked two steps behind his brother up to the porch.

"It really was," Sam said, his arms reaching out to embrace them both. They accepted the hug quickly and Dean followed his brother's example as soon as it was his turn.

"How did you find out?" Rory said, her voice cracking at the end.

"Bobby Singer."

"I never called a Bobby-"

"I did," Lorelai cut off. "I mean, Tristan's aunt Ellen called me and-"

"Mom."

"Rory. This is their life too."

"I-I-" Rory stuttered before she gave up, shaking her head. Her eyes welled up as she sniffled.

"It was a fire," Lorelai said. "And if I'm not completely stupid as far as this goes," she continued, calm and collected. "It might have been the same thing that killed your mother. And, I'm guessing, your father?"

She watched the boys closely, and they knew it. She saw their jaws flex at the same time, the look in their eyes and knew she was right far before they nodded. But that was Lorelai Gilmore, she knew people.

"Mmmhm," she said after a short while, Sam looking at Rory.

"Did anything else happen?" His voice was sweet and caring, as always, but it bothered Dean.

"No..." Tears welled up in her eyes and Dean shook his head.

"Don't push her," he said softly, looking at Lorelai.

"Sam, could you and Rory go insida? I need to talk to Dean for a moment," she said softly, close to Dean and Sam, Rory not supposed to overhear.

"Sure." Sam put his arm around Rory and opened the door.

She was shaking.

Lorelai and Dean left the porch, starting to wander the lawn.

"Dean, I'm scared she doesn't know how to handle this. She's never had this kind of a loss before. Seeing Tristan burn up- That has to leave a scar I can't imagine. She need to get out of Stars Hallow, needs to get away from the people who tell her everything is going to be okay and pat her on the head- that's all ths town has to offer her right now. I need your help. I need you to take her somewhere where she can heal, learn new things and get over the worst of this. Please? Dean, please?"

Without a moments pause Dean nodded. "I'll take her to Bobby Singer's place, she'll be safe there, and there's people she can meet, like Ellen and Jo. Ash. Bobby ofcourse."

"I think she just needs closure. Something that-"

"Lorelai, don't- I know. It's gonna be okay. I'll help her. I've had some - experience."

"She said she couldn't take it anymore-" Lorelai's sobbed broke off, and she shook her head.

"It feels like that sometimes. Lorelai- Hey. Hey!" She looked up at him. "I'll take care of her."

"I know you will. I'm just scared she won't ever be the same sweet girl we all know and love. I'm so scared this has broken something in her that can't be healed."

"Maybe it has. But the girl you'll get back will be stronger. Stronger and smarter."

Lorelai gave a short laugh. "Yeah, cos she needs to be smarter." Dean gave the same short laugh, and then looked at the house. Sam was standing in a window looking out at them. Dean pulled out his cell and typed a short message.

Help her pack a bag. We're taking her with us. Leaving in 20.

Sam nodded.

"We're leaving in twenty minutes, if she needs to say goodbye to someone, now would be a good time to get them over here."

Rory's cold hands slowly folded the dress her mother had laid out on the bed. Gently she swallowed and tried to focus on the packing. She had lots more to do, and not much time to do it. Lorelai helped her, taking her things from the wardrobe where she had just hung her things, to her bed. She saw her mother, shaking with every move she made. This was bad.

She saw the pain in her mother's eyes when she looked up to meet them, saw the reflection of her own dead eyes in them. It struck a cold nerve deep down inside that chilled her to the bone. She needed this, she realized just then. She needed to get away.

The knock on the door made her jump, and Lorelai turned from the wardrobe to the door and went to open.

The muffled voice of Luke and Sookie made her throat thick, and then she heard the other voice. Dean. No, not Winchester. The other one…

Dean looked from his brother to the boy standing in the door. Lorelai paused and almost smiled.

"Sam, Dean, this is Dean Forester. Dean, this is Sam and Dean Winchester." Sam and Dean stared at each other, the sight of the other turning them speechless. Dean laughed at his brother and the boy, trying not to giggle as he watched the two, almost identical, boys gape in awe. He was so close to bursting out laughing.

"Hi," Sam said, still not blinking.

"Hey," Dean replied and looked from Sam to Lorelai.

"Okay, am I the only one who sees the funny in this?" Dean asked with a smart smirk on his face. Sam and Dean looked back at Dean, their eyes filled with the same dark sense non-humour.

"I see it," Rory's faint voice replied. She was standing in the doorway, looking ever so small and fragile. If she had never looked like a doll before, she did right then.

"It's funny, right?" Dean asked, looking from tall brown haired boy to tall brown haired boy. They even had the same eye color – it was hilarious!

Rory nodded. "It is. Like a mirror that changes your clothes," she said, a smirk suddenly crossing her face. Dean laughed, the first sign of joy she had expressed all day. This made Lorelai burst out in laughter as well, her eyes welling up with tears of joy as Rory actually began to laugh.

"They look like- clones." Luke stared at The Deans' and Sam with a strange look on his face, his eyebrows furrowed and the chubby woman behind him was laughing hysterically.

"They really do," she laughed. "Like clones."

He had never met the round woman, but he assumed it was Sookie, the chef at the Dragonfly Inn. He'd heard of her, but Luke, he'd met him before.

"How you doing Luke?" Dean asked, shaking the man's hand.

"I'm good," he said, looking over at Lorelai, who's eyes he caught at once. The shared look was one of affection and love. "A little worried," he added, shooting a quick look over at Rory. "But I know you'll take care of her," he whispered, his eyebrows furrowing again.

"I'll do what I can," he replied in a hushed voice.

The car hummed down the road, the roaring engine in the background to the rock music. Rory had closed her eyes for just one second, and she woken up to the sound of a silent scream. The image that flooded her mind was the same one she had heard Sam talk about. Only this was her nightmare. Tristan burning up, his blood dripping down over her.

"Dean?"

His head jerked and he looked in the rear-view mirror. "You're up?"

"Can't sleep."

"Sam had the same problem… what's up?"

"I wondered if – no, I mean. Where we're going. Who is he?"

"Bobby Singer?"

"Yeah."

"He's… Like me. Like Ellen and Jo, like dad and Sam. A hunter."

"I know, but," she closed her eyes. "How is this going to help me?"

"Help you? What are you talking about?"

"Come on Dean, I know you guys are taking me to Bobby just to – to – I need to move on."

"Maybe you do. Maybe you just need to heal without people patting your head all the time."

"Maybe."

"Try to sleep, or at least rest. I'll wake you when we get there."

"I don't want to sleep. I can't stand seeing him again." Her voice was weak and tired.

"Rory, you need to sleep…" She nodded, and closed her eyes.

Bobby looked out his window late the following afternoon, realizing the black Impala was holding three people instead of the usual two.

The phone buzzed, the display showing Ellen's name. He flipped it opened and she began to talk. She told him about her nephew Tristan and the fire, about the girl he'd been living with and the fact that the Winchester's were on their way there with her right now.

"Yeah, I know- I can see the damn car pullin up now. Ellen, this girl – what's'er'name?"

"Lorelai. Rory, and she's been through a lot with Tristan's murder Bobby. She needs-"

"I know," he grumbled and flicked the phone shut.

The Impala honked and he was already on the porch.

"Hey boys, Rory," he called, taking the steps down the porch in a hurry. "Sam, Dean, there's beer in the fridge, go ahead and help yourselves. Rory, could I talk to you a moment?"

She looked confused, like she'd been trampled by a rabbit. "Sure."

The cars stood high on top of each other, Rory feeling smaller than ever. She looked around the vast area of scrap.

"I heard about-"

"Please, I don't need anymore pity," she interrupted.

"I know, and I wasn't about to give you any." She looked up at him, her eyes wide with shock and her mouth falling open.

"You – You weren't?"

"No," he said, as a-matter-a-fact-ly as he could be. Bobby shrugged and then he smiled. "I don't care what you've been through. As long as you're here, you'll pull your weight and learn what I think you need to learn."

"Bobby."

Dean appeared behind Bobby's tall body, and Rory flinched at the strange tone in his voice. She was sure Dean was going to tell Bobby off, by the look on his face and the tone of his voice.

"Yeah?" Bobby asked, not even looking over his shoulder.

"Where's the car?"

"Out back, behind the shed."

"Thanks."

Dean marched over there, Rory gaping as Bobby left her alone.

"Tough love, is that it?" she yelled. Dean stood up, his shirt already covered in dirt and some grease.

"What?"

"Tough love? Bobby telling me he won't pity me, you ignoring me, Sam not wanting to talk. Is this all some way of getting me to, I dunno-"

"Rory, calm down-"

"I will not!" she yelled. "I have been patient, and kind, and loveable my whole life! I have tried and tried, God knows I have tried! Tristan understood! He loved me! Loved me! ME! Not for who I was as a writer, or as a daughter, or whatever, but ME! The Me I was faaar before Yale, far before Logan and Jess and- and-"

And finally burst into tears.

Dean just looked at her. Her hysterical shouting faded and she began to sob.

"Rory." His voice was soft, compassionate, even gentle. She quickly turned away, running back in the direction of the house. Dean looked after her a short while, not really knowing what to do.