What if Rory read an Obituary and it changed her life? pairing Rory and Tristan
For JJ'sMommy27 thank you for the inspiration
Disclaimer: The characters and backstory are all ASP, but the actual story is all me and my muse.
A/N: Thank you all for the encouragement, I am so happy you are enjoying the story.
The Obituary
Chapter 3 – Time to Get Away
Tristan knocked on the pool house door thinking he really needed to get her into another place, preferably his. She opened the door and he was awestruck, "Wow, you look; well stunning is a good start but I am not the wordsmith you are."
Rory gave a quick twirl, "You like, do you think your parents will approve?"
He looked around quizzically, "Uh, Rory where is your overnight? We are spending the night in New York, did you forget?"
She smiled, "Of course not, I just sent it ahead with Stephanie, we went to the spa together today and she offered since we are all in the same hotel."
"It; one bag, really? I bet Steph took an absolute flotilla." He laughed as she locked up and they slipped into the waiting town car. Tristan took her hands in his turning them, so they faced each other, "Rory, are you happy?"
Her eyes went wide, "Absolutely, I can't believe how happy these past months have been. Sure, I have had to make some adjustments, but having my friends back, finding you, being with you…I just can't imagine it getting any better than this."
"I need to ask, why haven't you applied to any of the HPG papers?"
She blushed and bit her lip, "I didn't think they would hire me, Mitchum is not my biggest fan, actually he is probably gleeful over my low status. I don't mind though, next month I am covering for a features reporter and it could be just the break I have been waiting for, my boss even advanced that he is considering making me a floater, that means I would learn all the sections." She sounded hopeful, so he dropped it.
"Have you thought of moving out of the pool house?" He tried to gauge her response in the small light of the cabin.
"Of course, but I can't, not until I can save up for a down payment, even roommate situations require first and last; I may live rent free, but my salary pays for my personal needs and junk food isn't cheap." She chuckled softly, trying to keep the conversation light.
"Not all of them, some just require you to say yes" he took a breath,"so will you move in with me?"
Rory felt the feeling she did when she first kissed him, but as she was in the back seat of a town car most likely traveling in excess of the speed limit she had no place to run to. He noted her wide panicked eyes and soothed her arms.
"Rory, I know we have only been together a short while, but I think we have something amazing, move in with me."
She worried her lip and was grateful Steph had talked her into the lip stain, so it wouldn't smear, "Okay" her voice was so soft he wondered if she had really said anything, "I'll do it, move in with you." She heaved a sigh, "When do we start?"
He released a breath he didn't know he had been holding, "As soon as you want, here" he pulled a sparkling heart key chain out of his pocket that had two keys and a fob she knew was for the elevator and entertainment areas as well as the gym. He kissed the palm of her hand and placed the keys in it. "Move in as fast or as slow as you want, no rush. I am just happy you said yes.
She looked at the pretty chain he had chosen and knew it was best not to ask where it was from, it was beautiful. She placed it in her clutch beside the pool house key and smiled at him softly. "I can't believe how wonderful you are, are you sure you are Tristan? We have been together for months and you only called me Mary the one time and I think that was some odd form of warning to Logan."
He laughed at her observation, "You caught that, huh?" he kissed her softly and they chatted happily about how best to move her from the pool-house to their home.
They arrived at the hotel and found their table, Steph, Colin, Finn, Rose, Logan and Louise were already seated.
"Ace you look amazing as ever", Logan said as he went to her and gave her a hug and peck on the cheek. Finn and Colin were next then she hugged the girls in turn.
"Love the dress" Louise stated, "I wouldn't have put you in pink, but that shade is perfect."
"Thank you and I like yours too, I was reluctant to pick the pink honestly, but the designer is an old friend from Yale and she was insistent. I am glad I caved."
Rose looked at her incredulous, "You know Lucy? I can't see you as her friend, she is so odd and gregarious, which I guess works in her line of business. How did you meet?"
"We met at an art show I was reviewing for the Yale Daily actually. Her friend Olivia had this amazing found art horse, I think it is on display in the Met right now, anyway, they teased me for getting water from the cooler saying I was ruining the art. Then we were going to start a Norwegian girl band but that fell apart and we remained fast friends after that."
"I remember Olivia, her friend Lucy was the one who dated that Marty guy, am I right? I thought she wanted to be an actor." Logan chimed in, doing his best to avoid the whole girl band diatribe.
"Good memory, I am surprised you would remember, that was the year you were in London." Rory smiled at him in wonder.
"What can I say Ace, your friends were always memorable, how are Lane, Zach and the boys, did she ever give her hubby a second chance?"
Rory giggled, and everyone looked at her perplexed, "Lane is my best friend from Stars Hollow we have been friends since kindergarten, she got pregnant on her honeymoon after the most uncomfortable and disastrous first time ever. She was convinced it was a conspiracy that sex was pleasurable after that and they didn't have sex again until the hormones kicked in. They are better now; the boys will be in school starting in the fall."
Rose looked between Rory and Tristan, noting their close proximity, something seemed to have changed, "Oh my god, are you two getting married?"
Tristan laughed, and Finn scoffed, "Reporter girl isn't the marrying kind, not until she gets her Pulitzer isn't that right kitten? More likely she is being a big chicken and just moving in with him."
"What is this pick on Rory night and I am not a chicken, but we are moving in together."
Logan seemed taken aback, "Already, wow, I will say that takes me by surprise from both of you."
The conversation was interrupted as meal service began and the topic was dropped all together as the friends caught up on the day to day.
The awards ceremony was delightfully brief and after a few dances Tristan suggested they retire to their room it was creeping up on midnight and he could see she was beginning to fade, although he applauded her sobriety in spite of Finn's efforts to the contrary. He observed as all night Finn would come by with some concoction or another and she would take a sip, praise its taste then when his back was turned, hand it to the nearest passing waiter.
"You have that down to an art, what is your secret?" He said as they moved towards their friends to say their good nights.
"I tip the waiters and ask that whenever they see the crazy Aussie hand me a drink, help me dispose of it discreetly." She whispered to him.
He chuckled, "That is genius, I will have to remember that strategy for future interactions with him." they headed back to the table to retrieve their things and bid goodnight to their friends, "Well, all, I think Rory and I are heading up, are we meeting for brunch before heading back?"
"We are definitely doing brunch, I can't miss Ace here at the buffet if only to see the faces of the servers." Logan teased, Colin and Finn agreed and soon they found themselves heading towards their rooms.
Tristan and Rory were preparing for bed and she turned her back to him, he slipped the zipper down and gasped, "Mary, where is your underwear?" sounding very much like the horny teen he used to be.
"It can't be worn with this dress, it would create unflattering lines." She casually stepped out of the dress and hung it up wearing only her heels and jewelry. Then turned and began to walk to the bath but before she could go far he pounced and they were lost to other endeavors.
They had been together for eight months, living together the last few and even though he had met Luke and of course Lorelai at family dinners, they had yet to make it to her kooky little berg. This weekend though he was determined, he booked a room at the Dragon Fly, rented a sensible car and even managed to find some moderate clothing in their vast stores of items that pandered to the fashion elites. Rory came home exhausted and plopped on to the couch.
"Hey, what happened? You look like you ran a marathon, which is impossible as Gilmore's don't run." He sat down and pulled her into his lap wrapping her tightly and placing a kiss on her temple.
"I didn't get the job." She sighed into his chest.
"What job, I thought you were already a floater and liked switching topics."
"I had an interview with the Post, it's not the Times, but it is in New York and I thought I was a shoe in with my time on the Obama campaign, they thought otherwise and apparently I don't have enough print work. They told me to try again in a couple of years."
"I am sorry, but you are new at this, you tell me all the time you are paying your dues." He soothed, "Tell you what, it is winter carnival weekend, let's spend the weekend in the Hollow."
She looks up at him with her watery eyes, "Really, just like that? We will probably have to sleep on the couch, mom told me the inn is booked solid."
"I suspected it might be, so I booked early and voilà, we have a room for the weekend." She snuggled into him and he loved being her hero.
"You are the perfect boyfriend, aren't you?" he just grinned and placed a kiss on her head.
Rory laughed when they got to the car, she was surprised at the sensible Camry that sat where his Porsche usually resided. "Tris, where is your baby?"
He tried to be coy, "In the shop, this is the loaner."
"Liar" she said as he placed their bags in the trunk and opened her door then placed himself behind the steering wheel. She looked over at him and then considered what he had laid out for her to wear. "You dressed us down for my town, you got a more common car and took all the slick from your look and mine, aren't you just adorkable.
"Adorkable really, take that back, I am manly and charming, not adorkable." He countered.
She laughed, "That just proved I am right." She giggled.
He decided to change the subject reminding himself to never argue words with a wordsmith.
"So, what can I expect, are their any topics to avoid, I already know about the punch from your many tales of it's woe. I especially appreciated hearing about you and Paris getting drunk about your casual status and the hangovers leading both of you into steady relationships, Paris' having the more permanent effect as she and Doyle actually got married. How is it you weren't in the wedding again, you are her best friend and you weren't even in the church."
"I am not surprised Paris didn't tell you, I was in the hospital, I broke my leg skiing." She breathed the last part all out as one word but used to her tactics he was able to decode it.
"You Rory Gilmore went skiing? Please tell me that story and that there are pictures." His tone was filled with mirth.
"Yeah, yeah, yuk it up; I went on a ski trip with a fellow reporter who was from Colorado and who taught ski lessons to put herself through college, turns out I was as hopeless a case as I promised, I broke, no shattered my leg on the bunny run! Don't you dare laugh, I was in traction and even Paris couldn't be mad. I know, your next question is; how could I possibly break my leg on the bunny run? Well, I tripped over a toddler. He was perfectly fine. I, however, wound up with a full hip to foot cast and 6 months of therapy to learn to walk on it again. I used a cane for almost a full year! I had only been off it for about a month when you and I met up again."
Tristan reached for her hand, "I am sorry that happened and if we are ever in a ski resort I promise only hot toddies and Jane Austin for you, deal?"
She gave him the sweetest smile, "Make it the Bronte sisters and you have a deal. Now tell me how you planned all this without me or my mom knowing?"
"Oh, Lorelai knows, she was just told if she blabbed no one in town would give her coffee, not even Sookie and she would have to drink the buckwheat stuff Mrs. Kim enjoys with breakfast." He explained with a bit of pride.
Rory laughed, "You are an evil genius worthy of a Gilmore for sure!"
Tristan filed that bit away, and thought to himself 'had she ever told that to Logan, Finn maybe, but Logan; is that really why she couldn't marry him, he couldn't handle Lorelai? Is that why she avoided taking him to her town for all this time?'
The rest of the drive they just swapped stories and laughed, Tristan knew this was his future. When he was a young man he just wanted to get the Mary, now he just wanted to live, love and laugh with her all the days of his life. He recalled a conversation he once had with his grandfather about her, and Janlan said, "Son, she won't be made a fool, but you must be a fool for her." He hadn't understood it then, but he did now, as a man worth more than the tax base of this town pulled into a spot in front of a Hardware store come diner, he was a fool, completely and utterly and he would have it no other way.
