The phone was ringing.
Tristan reached for it an came up empty handed. He growled, sticking his head out from under the covers.

It wasn't on the receaver. 'Damn it, not now.' He'd been having a very, to say the least, good, dream, and resented being woken up.

He got out of bed slowly, reaching out for the light switch. The clock on his
desk read 3:48 am.
The phone was barried under the mounts of paper on his desk.

" Um...Hello?" Tristan groggily muttered, rubbing his eyes irritably.

A cold and formal voice on the other end asked; " Is this the DuGrey residence?"
" Yeah." Tristan switched ears.
" Tristan DuGrey?" The voice wavered a bit, sounding uncertain.
" That's me I think. Do you know it's almost 4:00 in the morning?"
" Yes sir. I am aware of the time. I called to say I'm sorry, I, I have some bad news."

He stood up straighter, switching ears again.
" What is it? Has something happened? Is someone hurt?"
" You parents were in an accident. They," there was a soft sigh on the other end.
" I am sorry, but they didn't make it." Tristan went cold.
" I, I uh need to go I have to...I.."

He hung up the phone, the truth settling around his stomach and filling his mind painfully.Tristan slid down to the floor
clutching the phone.`I have to call someone. I have to go somewhere, I need...' He quickly fumbled with the phone, and dialed the number he memorized two weeks earlier.

They picked up on the fourth ring.
" Hello? Who is this?" Her voice. Her wonderful voice.
" Hello?" She said again.

" Rory, it's me, it's me Tris--tristan. I, My parents, Jesus, Rory my parents..." the sobbing came. He couldn't control the tears, or the soft, pitiful gasps. He took a deep breath, trying to control himself. "Tristan, what happened? Where are you?"

" I'm at home, my parents, there was an accident. Dead. I don't know everything. I want, can I come over? I don't want to be alone. Please? I don't want to be alone, I just don't want to be alone."

" No! Don't drive, I'll come there. Give me your address." After she hung up she wrote a quick note to her mother, got dressed, and took the keys. It only took fifteen minute to get to Hartford, only because she was driving 80, and there was barely another car on the road.
Rory pulled up to the large house, and got out of the car. She knocked lightly and when no one answered she went in.

" Tristan? Hello?" the sound of sniffling carried from the parlor, and she walked in. " Are you in here?" He sat in a large chair, shifting through what appeared to be a photo album.

" They can't be gone. They can't be, I mean, they were just at a party. You don't die after a party. You come home, you laugh off the alcohol. Then you go to bed and wake up with a headache. You don't die. Your not supposed to..." he begun to cry for the umpteenth time since he called Rory.

" Tristan, oh Tristan, I'm so sorry. I am so sorry." She had moved around in front of him and got to her knees, putting a hand on top of his. He flung his arms around her, burying his head into her shoulder.

" I'm alone, so alone. No one else. I'm alone." His body was shaking and his tears were soaking her shirt.
" Oh, honey, your not alone. I won't let you be. I promise. Just, well why did you call me?"

He lifted his head and smiled, or at least the best he could with the puffy eyes and red nose." I'm the ego statistical guy. I have to call the beautiful, innocent girl who hates me." He looked down, sadly " I don't know who else would come, or even care."
His eyes met hers."And then, as horrible as I was to you, your still here. It's who you are. I just needed, someone. Anyone who would care..."

His stood, but knees gave and he let himself fall to the floor." I can't stay here. I can't stay in this place. I can't. Take me to your house, I can't stay here."
He got up and walked past her to the door. Stumbling horridly, as if he were drunk. Judging by the bottle on the table next to the chair, he may very well have been. She followed him to the stairs and waited while he got things from his room.
They went out the front door and got into the Jeep. Tristan took the ride in silence, seemingly content for the moment.
Rory didn't mind. She needed to think.

Tristan's parents were dead. He was an orphan. Her chest constricted. If I lost mom, I would feel as bad as he does now, but it wouldn't compare. He said it himself, he doesn't have anyone. So many people care about me. I am so lucky. He has no one.`Wrong.' said a soft voice in her head, the one that liked to state the obvious. `He's got you for now.'