Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls otherwise I would've made many things different. Like for one, TRISTAN WOULD STILL BE ON THE SHOW!

Improv: Threw, Through, Week, Weak, Knew, New, Ate, Eight

Summary: Rory and Tristan are best friends after college; she comes for a visit and winds up being his assistant, however only for a day because other obstacles get in their way.

Author's Note: This idea was slightly borrowed from the most recent Dawson's Creek episode, you know when Joey becomes Pacey's assistant for like a day. However it is different because well it's Rory and Tristan.

Between You and Me

By: klm111a

"Well, well Mr. DuGrey look who's getting up in the high ranks," a familiar looking brunette teases as she steps into a spacious office her grin widening as she came closer to the desk with his chair's back facing to her as you could see the phone cord wrapped around it. The man in the chair finished up the conversation and whirled his chair around to see one of his best friends. "Rory!" he says happily his grin big. "Hey, so new office?" she questions and he nods in response as he gets up to give her a hug. "This is a surprise," he comments as he lets go of her from their hug. "Well, I was in the neighborhood and since I haven't seen you since Christmas I figured why not stop by and say hello,"

"You're on spring break aren't you?" Rory had decided after much debate to attend graduate school at Yale before applying for a position at CNN or some other journalism spot. Whereas Tristan had declined knowing he could get a job without needing graduate school credits. "So, you're on spring break?"

"Yeah, thank god I needed a break,"

"Stressed out I take it as always, Gilmore. So, are you going anywhere for break?"

"Nope, well besides Stars Hollow. Which is where I was and I was incredibly bored. So I decided to go do some book shopping in Hartford and well I was driving past and I realized I hadn't seen you in months,"

"How sweet of you to remember me," he deadpans and she laughs. "You didn't keep your promise,"

"My promise?"

"You promised me in senior year of Yale that you'd come back to good old Chilton for that stupid high school reunion…I went!"

"That was eons ago, Mar,"

"You also promised you wouldn't call me that either!" she chides and he just shrugs. "Old habits die hard,"

"So I've learned from you,"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rory fished out a newspaper and showed him the feature article on him. "Still up to your player ways I see?" a feeling of regret washes over him. "Girls just can't seem to resist my boyish charm," he lies, the truth to the matter was he was trying to find someone who match Rory on the personality scale as well as sparring partner. So far no one had matched up. "It's not like that," he then adds hastily seeing her appalled expression. "I would hope not. If my mother hears about this…" Tristan's expression softens at the mention of Lorelai who had become more of a mother to him in four years then his own had been in his twenty-six year old existence. "Don't tell Lorelai," he begs and she just smirks in return. "Why not?"

"It's different this time, I swear. I'm trying so hard to find that one girl…it's just not happening Ror. And my parents are pressuring me to get married before this year. I don't want a loveless marriage like my parents," Before Rory could make a remark Tristan's boss: Grayer Madison walked through Tristan's door to his office. "I just fired your assistant," he announces.

"Why?" Tristan counters. His assistant hadn't been that super-model quality that the rest of the assistants in the building had, but she had been good at her job and it wasn't fair the way his boss would fire girls on their looks. Grayer just gave Tristan a knowing look, and he knew he was right on the looks theory. He rolled his eyes and Rory smiled at him before Grayer took notice to her. "Well hello there," he leers. "Hi," Rory says as she threw a 'help-me' look to Tristan who just smiled back at her. "Rory, this is my boss Grayer, Grayer this is one of my good friends Rory Gilmore," Grayer was blatantly checking Rory out creating an awkward situation for both Tristan as well as Rory. "I just came by to tell you that you need to find a new assistant by tomorrow morning at the latest," he paused and then whispered loud enough for Rory to hear. "She'd be good," and then without another word he walked out of Tristan's office, off to fire more assistants who didn't meet his standards. With a sigh Tristan just looks at Rory and grins. The thought of her being a secretary is almost too much to handle. "You don't want this job, right?" he questions. "How much does it pay?"

"Six hundred a week," her eyes widen in surprise. "Well, I do need some extra cash to pay back my student loans…I'd get to see you more. Why not?"

"You sure?" Tristan tries to hides his surprise and Rory just chooses to ignore it.

"It sounds interesting. Besides, my mother will be at the inn all day. I'll just be sitting at home, bored. Why not sit here and be bored,"

"Good plan," Tristan says smiling at her. "Yeah,"

"So, do you want to go get some coffee?"

"That's a stupid question DuGrey, now isn't it?"

"With a Gilmore, yes,"

"Let's go already!" Rory already grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the office. Their laughter floated throughout the building as they went to the nearby Starbucks.

*           *            *

The Next Day:

            It was eight in the morning when Tristan arrived at the office. He was surprised when he got off of the elevator to see every single intern desk was empty. They started work at seven, so it was odd to see every single one was empty. He continued to down the hall to be greeted by the sight of all the interns swarming around Rory's desk. They were all flirting with her, much to his dismay he realized. He pushed that thought aside, he and Rory couldn't be anything more than friends it had been decided way back when they had first run into each other in their freshman year at Yale. They kept on asking her questions, hoping to fix her chair and he can see her flushed, embarrassed face. She finally notices Tristan and she smiles in relief. "Hey Tris!" she says loudly and all of the interns freeze. Grinning to himself he watches Rory lean back in her seat and take a sip of coffee. The interns all mumble a greeting to him calling him 'Mr. DuGrey' much to Rory's delight and amusement. The two share a smile and he knows she's going to use Mr. DuGrey the next chance she got. He then walked into his office, expecting her to follow him but she didn't.

            An hour or so passed by and Tristan realizes that Rory hadn't made him any coffee. There must be a mistake to this…it is her first day after all. Groaning he calls her in and she arrives quickly. "Yes Mr. DuGrey?" he hides his grin for the second time this morning and can't help but notice the short black skirt she's wearing revealing her long, lightly tanned legs. He then notices the light blue v-neck top she's wearing but then realizes she's getting impatient with him. "I know it's your first day but I think you should know that I'd like a fresh pot of coffee in the morning,"

"Yes I have realized this, Tristan. However remember I've taught you how to make it. That weekend up in Maine for the fourth of July?"

"How could I forget," he grumbled and she just smirked. "You're my sec--,"

"Assistant," she corrects with a glare. "You're right, sorry," Grayer then strides into the room and before he can finish his conversation she hurries out of the room not wanting another does Grayer's un-subtle flirting tactics. "A reporter's coming today and wants to interview you,"

"Again?" Tristan says with a fake smile plastered on his face. "You're pretty popular with all these lady reporters. However, it's a big article on our company as a whole. You need to be on your best behavior,"  

"Aren't I always?"

"I mean flirting, ask her out you got me?" Before Tristan can protest Grayer is gone once again. Rory hurries back into the office. "Don't listen to Grayer," is all she says and then goes back out. Tristan is confused but puts it off to Rory just being well Rory.

            A few hours pass without either Rory or Tristan speaking to each other. Tristan's busy with his own work, and Rory's busy answering phone calls for him. However as he's sitting there a pile of work still in front of him he realizes within three hours he has barely gotten a quarter of his work done. Rory being so close to him, she was only a mere five feet again and then he swallowed hard. There was no way he was falling for Rory, his best friend, and his confidante when things got rough in his world. She was the one who was always there, he couldn't fall for her, and yet her being so close to him constantly was driving him crazy. He saw from his door was another female who arrived and Rory he noticed seemed fake happy to see her. Who was this girl? She was tall, blonde, leggy, the kind of girl Rory had always warned him about…and yet he seemed captivated by her. As Rory led her into Tristan's office he couldn't help but notice the difference in the two girls. "Mr. DuGrey, this is Shelia the reporter that's coming to interview you?"

"Of course, sit down please. Could you get us some coffee Rory?"

"One moment," she says softly going back to the break room and returned with the coffee. Grayer had made himself comfortable in one of the extra chairs Tristan had sitting in his office much to Rory's dismay he could tell by the way her mouth tightened up. He stifled a laugh as she leaned over and placed the tray of coffee cups, cream and sugar. Grayer was checking her ass out this time and Tristan made a strangled coughing noise. Rory made a weird look at him as she continued to be all happy. "What do you take in your coffee, Shelia?"

"Three sugars and some cream please," she dropped the sugar cubes into the coffee, one at a time and then handed the cup over to her. "Let me just add some cream," she wasn't paying much attention to how much she was adding Tristan noticed and suddenly the coffee cup overflowed all over her leg. "I'm sorry!" Rory said a little too cheerily for Tristan's taste. He looked at her wearily as she tried to help Shelia clean it up but all she did was jostle the woman's arm more causing more coffee to spill. "Let me help you Shelia," Grayer interrupts shooting Tristan a disappointed look as he ushered the woman out of his office to the bathroom. Rory remains silent as Tristan just sighs and rubs the tension out of his neck.

"What the hell was that?" he hissed. "I'm sorry," she replies softly not looking him in the eye. "Yeah right you're sorry," he says sarcastically. "I think you're done for the day, Miss Gilmore," he continues coldly and Rory flinches. "Fine," she responds heading out of his office and he wonders if he's just ruined their friendship for life.

*           *            *

It's five o'clock when he's finally done for the day much to his relief. He still hadn't finished the amount that he had wanted to but he blamed that on Rory Gilmore. Rory. He closed his eyes and leaned against the back wall of the elevator as he thought about what he had done. Stupid, he mentally reprimanded himself but oh well. With a heavy heart he walked out of the building and was surprised to see Rory sitting on the steps, it was raining and she was soaked to the skin, shivering. "I need to talk to you," she says suddenly and Tristan looks at her worried. Her shirt is sticking to her and she's not even wearing a coat. "Okay," he replies his eyes filled with concern. "I'm sorry about today. I really am…I don't know what happened to me with that Shelia girl,"

"Sure you do," Tristan says and she gulps. "Yeah, you're right I do,"

"You were jealous weren't you?"

"Me? Jealous?" she snorts and Tristan sighs. "I knew this wasn't going to work out,"

"What wasn't going to work out?"

"You being my assistant,"

"Why ever not?"

"Because….I can't do anything when you're around. You make my knees weak when you smile and I can smell that smell of yours all day,"

"I might've been a little jealous," she says sniffling as she sneezes and shivers some more. "You're soaked Rory…I don't see why you waited so long out here for me,"

"Because you see…well between you and me…I think I'm falling for you," she whispers. "I'm doing crazy things because of you sitting out here in the rain, becoming your assistant, I haven't ate all day…"

"Well guess what Rory Gilmore," he says to her. "What?" she looks up at him worried as if he's going to reject her and send her home crying.

"Between you and me, I fell for you a long time ago, in Chilton," she smiles softly at him as he leans down and kisses her long and hard. "You've owed me this kiss a long time ago…when you left for military school, remember?"

"How could I forget," and they kissed again and again…. ignoring the rain. The only thing that mattered was the two of them, together, all because Rory became Tristan's assistant for a day.

- Finis