Author's Note: Thanks to everyone for reviewing. This will be my last installment for this story unless something else comes to my mind. Let me know what you think!
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Luther Vandross or Gilmore Girls.
One Night With You… Forever
Recap from previous chapter:
"She must have come up with some very embarrassing questions for you, or she already hired the hit man." Rory concluded as she began to lead him up the walkway. His hand kept her beside him. "She doesn't bite often," Rory teased as she stared up into his serious eyes.
"I'll be completely honest with her," Tristan promised, "no matter what she asks." He slid an arm around her shoulders but kept his gaze locked on hers. "Remember, if only for one night, we are a couple."
"If only for one night," Rory agreed. She smiled happily. "But we might still have a few more nights to come." She brushed a soft kiss across his smiling lips in reassurance. As one they headed to face an eager Lorelai.
"It's about time you got here, I was about to explode. And who would have cleaned up my body parts?" Lorelai complained as she led the two teenagers into the kitchen. "I have all my questions ready, so Rory, disappear." She crossed her arms and bobbed her head like on "I Dream of Jeanie" at her daughter but she simply filled a cup with coffee.
"No, I have a right to be here. This is going to affect my life, why shouldn't I be here?"
"Um, because I'm going to play the mean scary mom who hates all boys that come onto her daughter?" Lorelai grinned at Tristan, who shifted nervously in his chair. "See? I've already got the look down. Now, please let me have my fun?"
Rory shook her head and grinned. "Mom, you've only had to try and intimidate one boy. Why are you talking in plural? Besides, the technique you used isn't any good. Dean was still willing to go out with me."
"Yeah, so I refined my technique after talking to Luke. He gave me some pointers on what to look for in a boy's responses to see if he's untrustworthy." Lorelai wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "He wanted to do the inquisition but I insisted on doing it myself."
"Thank you for that." Rory looked both relieved and pleased, that Luke would care so much about her and her protection. "Now, I'll be the good cop and you be the bad cop." Lorelai pouted.
"Fine, but I won't refrain from asking the embarrassing questions." She warned.
"Go ahead, I think I want to know what the answers are myself."
Lorelai straightened in her chair as she leaned towards Tristan. Her voice was serious but her eyes twinkled as proof of her enjoyment. "Now, tell me of the first day you met my daughter. What was your first impression of her?"
Tristan smiled wistfully as he remembered. "It was English class and I was late because I had been visiting my grandfather in the hospital. He'd had a heart attack and I'd been with him. I walked in and handed my pass to the teacher, not really looking forward to the day because I knew I'd be worrying about my grandfather." He looked embarrassed at admitting the vulnerability and hastened to add, "I just didn't want him to be alone. He was always nice to me when I was little." He stumbled to a halt and returned to his story.
"I went to walk to my seat and saw Rory. She seemed pure and … clean. Dark hair against pale skin always gives off a vulnerable look." He brushed his hand over Rory's hair and smiled. "I decided to pursue her then."
"Pursue her? Like an animal or a conquest?" Tristan flinched at the word but he held onto his promise to be honest.
"At the time, yes. Like I told Rory earlier, I thought having her among my groupies would add to my rep. But I found that each time she shot me down, I respected her more and wanted her more. Yet the wanting changed too. I didn't want her to be like the other girls. I wanted her to be different, true and honest to herself and what she believes in. Then…" he trailed off.
"Go on, I'll let you know when you've hung yourself." Lorelai refilled her coffee cup and sat back down. "I've been nice so far, don't make me get ugly." She wrinkled her nose and motioned for him to continue.
"Then I acted like a jerk to her. I guess I didn't know how to handle a girl who didn't fall into my arms after some mild flirting. I reverted to second grade." He laughed deprecatingly as he tugged on Rory's hair. "Tease the girl mercilessly and she'll admit her undying devotion to you." Lorelai smiled as she saw his own devotion to her daughter. But the answers he was giving were too sweet for her to stop and she needed more information.
"So that's why you took another girl to the dance? You were juvenilely hoping to make Rory jealous?" Tristan nodded.
"I thought that it would work, but I was the one who was jealous." He looked at Rory and smiled again. "I was staring at you two the entire time until I got the chance to dance with you. I didn't want to miss it and now I'm glad I took the chance."
"Me too," Rory whispered. Tristan tightened his hand on hers.
"Wait, I'm not done with my questions." Lorelai whined. "you can go off into your lover world in a moment… maybe. Now, Tristan, what are your intentions with my daughter?" He stared at her.
"Well, I hope to date her. After she officially breaks up with Bagboy- er, Dean."
"What? Rory, you didn't break up with him?"
Rory shrugged. "We left kind of fast after the almost-fight. There wasn't an opportunity. I'll do it soon, though."
"Tomorrow sounds good." Tristan offered. Rory laughed but Lorelai still looked stricken.
"Rory, he might come over here, thinking to try and straighten it all out, tonight."
"And? I know what I want now. The only thing being straightened out will be his misconception that I'll go out with him again."
"But he'll find Tristan here." Lorelai was trying to get a point across to her innocent daughter.
"He shouldn't be surprised. I told him I intended to take my chance with her." Tristan assured her. Lorelai gave him a look that said, loudly and clearly, that he was dense.
"But he'll want to fight. And you'll have to fight, because he'll injure my daughter's feelings and I can't have that, nor can I fight. Then, when you two fight, you'll break my house apart. And that my innocent children, is what I cannot bear. You have to make certain to take him outside when he comes."
"You talk about him coming as if it were a foregone conclusion. He may not." Even as Rory said this, the doorbell rang and Dean's voice could be heard.
"Rory! Come on, let's talk about this! I'm sorry about what happened at the dance, but we should try and sort this out. Tell me what I need to do to fix this." Rory sighed and stood up to get the door. Lorelai motioned her back down.
"Let me get the door, I'll act as mediator. That way I can pretend two guys are fighting over me instead of my beautiful daughter." Tristan smiled uncertainly as Lorelai headed to the door. She swung it open and leaned nonchalantly against it. She smiled at Dean.
"Hi Dean. You looking for Rory?"
"Um, yeah. Is she here? She left the dance with someone and I just want to try and straighten something out." He shuffled his feet as Lorelai stared him down. "There was a mistake," he began but stopped when he saw Tristan with his arm around Rory. His eyes flashed. "What is he doing here?"
"I invited him in." Lorelai spoke firmly. Dean turned to her in disbelief. She met his stare. "He treats her respectfully." Unlike you. The words weren't spoken but they reverberated through the air.
"Dean, I think we should break up." Rory's voice was clear in the cold night air. Stunned twice, Dean stared at her.
"What? But, we just got together!"
"Yeah, but I think it was too soon." Flabbergasted, Dean waved a hand at Tristan.
"Then what do you call hooking up with him?"
Tristan stepped forward on this. "Decided." His voice was hard. "She is not going to be seeing you anymore, Bagboy, so just walk away." Furious at his impotence, Dean began yelling at Rory.
"I never liked you! I still treated you well even when the town told me you were too good for me! I acted like I enjoyed the movie nights and the ridiculous conversations you and your wacko mother have. You're an idiot! You were a hot body in a new town and I'm glad I don't have to spend any more time with either of you! So go ahead and waste your time with this prick. Just like your mother, you little-" a loud crack against his cheek snapped his head to the side. In shock, Dean lifted his hand and touched his stinging cheek. He looked down at the furious brunette.
"Say anything you want about me, but never say one bad word against my mother." Her eyes glittered fiercely as she stood protectively in front of her mother. Despite her stance, Tristan easily moved her aside as he stood in front of her. He met Dean's glare squarely.
"If you say one word against either Lorelai or Rory, you will regret it for as long as you live, which won't be long. Leave now and don't bother coming back." He read Dean's intention in his eyes before it happened, which explained the speed of what happened next. He grabbed Dean's arm, twisted it high on his back and tossed him into a high snow bank. Feet spread, fists clenched and adrenaline running through his veins, Tristan waited for him to gain his feet again.
"Come on, try again. I won't be so nice. I don't like people hurting women, or anything of mine. And you've just done both." Dean shook his head in confusion before stumbling away, humiliated and defeated. Tristan fought back the rush of disappointment before wrapping Rory in his arms. He met Lorelai's gaze over her head.
"I'm sorry, Lorelai, for that scene if it bothered you. He just rubs me the wrong way." Lorelai lifted an eyebrow and propped a hand on her hip.
"I don't mind, except now you've just erased the need to ask any more questions. You might have to buy me some high class coffee and a couple dozen brownies to make up for it." She tapped a fingernail thoughtfully before asking, "anything you can think of, Rory, for him to do as penance?"
Peering up over Tristan's arm, Rory suggested, "buy the food for movie night?"
"Good idea. That too," she told Tristan imperiously before sweeping majestically into the house. "Don't stay out too late, children, I want to hear the story of the dance again." She closed the door behind her but Rory saw the blinds twitch almost immediately after. She smiled and leaned into Tristan's embrace.
Holding Rory tightly to him, he pressed his cheek against her hair. He smiled softly as the scent of her shampoo wafted into his nostrils. "About that conversation in the car earlier…" he began.
"Hmm?" Rory sighed contently as she snuggled against his shoulder.
"You said we'd be a couple for one night until you found out if I mean what I say. Do you believe now?" She leaned against his arms and met his eyes. She smiled and his heart stopped.
"Yes, but you still have to officially ask me." Now her heart stopped as he smiled.
"Fine." He knelt right there, in the snow, and took both hands in his. "Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, I love you. I've desired you since I first met you and I've loved for almost as long." She laughed nervously as this and his smile increased. "Will you be mine and I'll be yours?"
"Yes." He whooped exuberantly and swept her into her arms. With the snow falling on their heads, he kissed her feverishly, forgetting the avid spy in the front windows. Fortunately, Rory was more responsible and pulled back momentarily to murmur, "Mom's watching."
Gradually lessening the mind-numbing kiss, Tristan finally set her back on her feet but refused to remove her completely from his grip. He kept her hand in his as he led her back to the porch. Lorelai came to the door, crossed her arms and tried to pretend as if her heart hadn't melted after seeing the look of adoration and love Tristan gave Rory. "She's not marrying until she graduates from college and travels for ten years."
"How about after she graduates college, then we'll travel married together?" Tristan shot back. Rory laughed and rolled her eyes.
"How about we get through high school first?" Her heart turned over when Tristan turned his glorious eyes on her. Just before he kissed her again, he whispered, "Piece of cake."
Author's Note: Sorry for the long time between updates. I hope you like this final installment of Into the Night. Please, let me know what you think.