So here is the third part of my series! I hope you all stick with me. I can't believe how much support I've gotten so far so thank you! :) So I'm having a little time jump in this. This will be set about halfway through their first year at Yale, around the time of In the Clamor and the Clangor.

Chapter 1

Jess glanced across at Rory from the driving seat and sighed as he saw her just staring outside the window. He looked through the rear mirror and exchanged a look with Paris. He looked back at Rory. "So...uh...it's good to be going home for a bit isn't it?" He said trying to strike up conversation.

"Yeah.." Rory said not taking her gaze away from the window.

"So Tristan's gone to Chloe's?" Jess asked cautiously.

"Yep." Rory said.

Jess sighed. "Rory..."

"I don't want to talk about it, Jess." She warned.

"You've been fighting for weeks! Isn't it time you two talked?" He said.

"Nope." Rory said stubbornly. "He should be the one to make the first move."

"Very mature." Jess rolled his eyes.

"You don't know anything, so just leave it!" Rory snapped.

"I know he's miserable!" Jess exclaimed.

"What? How do you know?" Rory glared at him. "Nice to know you're on my side."

"He's my roommate, Rory! And my friend! Just because you two have had a fight, doesn't mean we should stop being friends." Jess snapped back.

"Whatever!" Rory grumbled, getting out of the car as soon as Jess pulled up in the Crap Shack's driveway.

Jess groaned and looked back at Paris. "Nice journey back huh?" He said dryly.

"You're right though. They're both being stubborn." Paris said.

"They're not going to listen though. Let's just hope they sort this out soon or I'm going to have to deal with another month of Tristan being such lovely company in our dorm." He said sarcastically.

"Yeah Rory hasn't exactly been the best either." Paris said.

Jess sighed. "Come on, let's go in." He said getting out and then opening the door for Paris.

They headed inside to find Rory giving Katie and LJ a hug and joking with them. Jess could see her smile was forced though.

"Hey Jess, Paris!" Lorelai smiled at them giving them both a hug.

Luke smiled at them too, giving Jess a hug. "No Tristan?" He asked quietly.

"Don't ask." Jess said.

"Ok..." Luke said. "Well I've just made lunch so help yourself to anything." He said gesturing to the kitchen.

"Cool! Thanks!" Jess said leading Paris to the kitchen.

Later that afternoon, Rory was spending some time with Katie and LJ at the house. Lorelai was at the Dragonfly overseeing the construction work there and Luke was at work. Jess and Paris had gone out for a walk as well. Rory knew it was because she was such rubbish company. She hadn't meant to snap at Jess earlier but she was just angry. She watched Katie play with LJ and she had to smile. She had to admit it was nice to be home. She had missed everyone.

Just then the doorbell rang so Rory got up to go and answer it. She frowned when she saw who it was. "What are you doing here?"

"What a lovely greeting!" Tristan said sarcastically.

"Tristan, I have nothing to say to you!" Rory snapped.

"Tough because I have a lot to say to you." Tristan said.

"Tristan..."

"No! I am sick of us not talking! Especially over something so petty! I have been nothing but faithful to you since we've been together so why do you suddenly think that would change now?" Tristan exclaimed.

"You really have to ask that?" Rory retorted.

"It's not my fault that I've got paired up with Anna for the presentation! I didn't choose the pairings!" He said angrily.

Rory snorted. "Yeah like she didn't have a say in it! She flirts with you the whole time and you do nothing to stop it! How do you think that looks to me?"

"Probably the same as watching you with Marty!" Tristan retorted.

"What?" Rory exclaimed confused.

"Oh come on, Rory! That guy likes you! Do you know how it makes me feel? The guy's my roommate and I have to watch him being all friendly with you." Tristan said.

"Marty does not like me! We're just friends!" Rory exclaimed. "He's not all over me like Anna is with you!"

Tristan let out a groan. "This is stupid! I don't like Anna! Yes she flirts with me but it's harmless. Nothing is ever going to happen between us because I love you! How can I prove that to you?!"

"Tell Anna you can't do this presentation with her and then stay away from her." Rory said crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"You know I can't do that. The presentation's next week and it's an important grade." Tristan sighed. "Rory, Anna's on my course. I can't help that. I'm going to have to see her."

Rory scowled. "Then maybe you should just get off with her then!" She snapped.

Tristan scowled. "You know what, screw you! If you think so little of me, maybe we shouldn't be together!" He exclaimed.

"What?" Rory said in shock.

"Relationships should have trust but you obviously don't trust me, so what's the point?" Tristan said.

"So that's it?" Rory exclaimed.

"I've told you I don't like Anna, that nothing's ever going to happen between us but you've chosen not to believe that. I don't know what else I can do. So I give up! You win!" Tristan said. "I'm sick of arguing."

Rory scowled. "Fine! Go be with Anna then!"

"Maybe I will! Maybe she will appreciate me more than you do!" Tristan retorted. "Have a good weekend." He said before storming off.

Rory let out a groan and went back into the living room where she found Katie and LJ staring at her. She sighed. "I'm sorry you had to hear that."

"Why were you shouting?" Katie asked.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it." Rory sighed.

The front door opened and Lorelai came in. "Ok was that just Tristan I saw storming off?" She asked.

"Yes." Rory grumbled.

Lorelai sighed. "Rory..."

Rory blinked back some tears. "I think we're over, mom..."

"Oh hon.." Lorelai said softly going and bringing her into a hug.

Luke looked up from the counter when he heard the bells ring above the door and was surprised to see Tristan come in with a scowl on his face. He went up slowly to the counter and sat down on a stool. Tristan glanced up at Luke. "You going to kick me out?" He asked miserably.

"Do I have a reason to?" Luke asked.

Tristan sighed. "I swear I did nothing wrong." He said.

"Then I don't have a reason to kick you out, do I?" Luke said.

"She won't listen to me." Tristan said quietly. "She has so little faith in me that she actually thinks I will cheat on her."

"What?" Luke said surprised.

Tristan glanced up at him and signed. "Sorry, I shouldn't be bothering you. You're Rory's dad. You should be on her side."

"But if you haven't done anything wrong, why should there be sides?" Luke said narrowing his eyes.

"There's this girl on my course." Tristan admitted. "She flirts with me the whole time."

"Ok..." Luke said not taking his gaze away from him.

"Nothing's happened." Tristan said quickly. "But Rory seems to think it will. It's harmless flirting though. I don't even like the girl that much but Rory's got it in her head that I'm going to run off with her."

Luke stood there awkwardly not really knowing what to say.

"We've not been talking for weeks. It got worse when I found out I've been partnered with her for this presentation." Tristan said. "I came over to try and sort things out with Rory today and we just got into another shouting match." He sighed. "I snapped and told her that maybe we shouldn't be together if she couldn't trust me." He said quietly. He glanced up at Luke. "I think we just broke up."

"Oh...uh...sorry..." Luke said awkwardly.

"I've ruined the best thing that's ever happened to me." Tristan said miserably. He then snorted. "Typical me."

"Maybe you can still sort things out?" Luke suggested.

"I doubt it. She hates me." Tristan said. He sighed. "I better get going. I don't think Rory will really want to see me around here." He looked up at Luke. "Thanks...for everything..." He said quietly before getting up and leaving the diner.

Luke watched him leave and couldn't help but think that the two of them were making a mistake.

"She flirts with him all the time! Even in front of me! And he doesn't do anything to stop it!" Rory cried as she sat snuggled with Lorelai on the couch. Lorelai had sent the kids upstairs to play.

"Has he actually done anything though?" Lorelai asked cautiously.

"Well no, but he doesn't stop her flirting! He must have known how it made me feel but he did nothing." Rory sniffed. "Why lead her on if he's not interested?"

"Well what did he say when you talked to him about it?" Lorelai asked.

"He just said it was harmless. I think he actually found it amusing!" Rory grumbled.

"Hon, maybe he just didn't think that it was worth worrying about. Maybe he could see how desperate this girl was being?" Lorelai said softly.

"Why are you defending him?" Rory said.

"I'm not. I'm not hon." Lorelai assured her. "But do you really think Tristan would have done something with this girl?"

Rory sniffed. "No but..." She admitted.

"Do you love him?" Lorelai asked softly.

"Of course I love him!" Rory exclaimed. "But it's too late now! He said he thought that we shouldn't be together anymore if I couldn't trust him." She sniffed. "Of course I trust him, it's just her I don't trust! And now I've ruined everything. I wouldn't let it go and now he probably hates me."

"I don't think he could ever hate you, sweets." She said softly.

"I don't know what to do..." Rory said quietly.

"Maybe you could talk to him again? And no shouting this time?" Lorelai suggested cautiously.

"He won't want to talk." Rory said miserably. "That's what he wanted to do today but I turned it into a shouting match again." She sighed. "I really do love him, mom."

"I know hon. I know." Lorelai said bringing her into a hug. "You'll sort it out."

Sunday afternoon Rory, Jess and Paris arrived back on campus. They walked into their dorm hall and found Tristan sitting against the wall outside the girls' dorm. Jess shared a glance with Paris and she nodded back.

"We'll catch you later, Rory." Jess said.

Rory just nodded and watched Paris follow Jess upstairs. She slowly went over to Tristan. "Hey..." She said hesitantly.

"Hey.." Tristan said, slowly getting up. "Uh..can we talk?"

"Come on in." Rory said quietly unlocking the door.

Tristan let out a relieved breath and followed Rory into her dorm and then into her bedroom. He watched as she put her bag down and sat awkwardly on the bed. She saw her open her mouth to say something but he beat her to it. "I went to see my tutor this morning." He said. "I told him I didn't want to do the presentation with Anna. He wasn't very happy at such the short notice but he eventually agreed that I could do it myself a couple of days later."

Rory looked up at him. "But haven't you already prepared your presentation? Won't this mean you'll have to start again?"

Tristan shrugged. "You asked me to not do the presentation with Anna so I did what I had to do." He said.

Rory sighed. "I'm sorry." She said quietly. "I shouldn't have asked you to do that. I don't want your grades falling because of your paranoid crazy girlfriend..." She said. "Or ex-girlfriend..." She corrected.

"Girlfriend." Tristan said, going to sit next to her. He sighed. "I'm sorry too. I should have realised how much it was upsetting you. I just honestly thought it was harmless flirting and that I could handle it. I should have dealt with it straight away instead of doing nothing."

Rory glanced at him. "I do trust you." She said sincerely.

"Good to know." He said.

"It's just...I see all the girls that flock after you here. It happens everyday and I can't exactly blame them. I just...I get worried sometimes that you're going to realise that there's someone better out there for you. I mean, let's face it, they're all prettier than me and probably not as boring as me." Rory said quietly.

"Stop it." Tristan said. "Rory, I love you. I would choose you any day because you're amazing. You changed my life, Rory, and some blonde bimbo is never going to change that."

Rory could see he was being sincere. "Even though I've been acting insane for the last few weeks?" She asked, cringing a little.

Tristan smirked. "Made me love you even more."

Rory finally gave him a smile. "I'll stop hanging out with Marty so much if you want. I didn't realise it bothered you. I should have."

Tristan shook his head. "No, I was being stupid." He sighed. "Marty's a nice guy, I know he is. I was angry when I said that and tried to throw something back in your face. He's a good guy."

"Really?" Rory asked. "Because I'll stop..."

"No, you don't need to." Tristan said.

Rory looked at him. "I love you too. Even if you're right about Marty, nothing would ever happen between us because I love you."

"I know." Tristan said.

Rory sighed. "Can we get back to how we were before?"

Tristan smiled and put his arm round her shoulder pulling her to him. "I'd like that." He said softly.

"Go back to your tutor and say you'll do the presentation with Anna." Rory said quietly.

"Rory..."

"No. I don't want your grades falling because of me. I trust you, Tristan. So do it with Anna." Rory said.

Tristan gave her a kiss on the top of her head. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." Rory said softly.

"I've missed you." He admitted.

"So have I." Rory admitted. She looked up at him and then leant in and gave him a kiss. "I've missed that too." She said with a slight smirk.

"Oh yeah?" Tristan smirked.

"Yeah." Rory grinned.

"Good, because I have too." Tristan smirked, leaning in to kiss her again, more passionately this time.

So hope you liked the first chapter! Let me know what you think! :)