Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Gilmore Girls and have no affiliates to Blink 182.

Things are impossible until they're not – Jean Luc Picard 'Star Trek: The Next Generation'

So it seems that that one drink got me in to more trouble then I had anticipated. It wasn't the cheap wine consumption that was the problem it was the getting home later then expected and then walking into an eerily empty room filled with streamers and balloons. A surprise party was planned using the whole sixteen candles theme but instead of being totally forgotten they were going to make it up to me by throwing a major surprise party. Well they at least had the surprise of me vanishing into thin air.

I was in major trouble with my mother but on the plus side, at least I knew she still loved me! Despite her anger at my night outing, thinking I had caught a movie, she still let me off without a grounding. Though I'm sure if she saw Tristan's bike it would be a different story. All in all though, me being a little self involved, I felt a whole lot better knowing that I wasn't an afterthought after all.

I actually felt good and I took the opportunity to spend my time with Jess.

"Jess you want me to go to Harvard don't you?" I asked, sitting against the headboard of Jess's bed in the room he had above Luke's diner, watching as he was flat on his back reading a book he held above his head, totally entranced by the black letters.

He flickered his gaze towards me at my question before lowering his book slightly. "Nope."

"Well it is my dream. Harvard and..." I thought for a second, "going there."

He picked up on my hesitance about my non-descript term of study. No one knew what I was actually going to study there, just that I really wanted to go. Jess discarded the book by placing it flat on his stomach as he moved his hands underneath his head, raising an eyebrow in my direction.

"You don't even know what your going to do at Harvard. It's just a name to me, just like Mars or goddamned Pluto."

I looked at him cunningly, "But you can't got to school on Pluto or Mars."

"And freeze my ass off on those two lumps of rock? Who would?"

I sighed and tried not to smile. "Okay detracting from the current line of conversation, you would be happy if I got in right?"

"Well setting my selfishness aside, I would be okay about it but more to the point surprised if you didn't get in," Jess lost the look of seriousness and a corner of his mouth pulled up into a grin, "Come on Rory, it's the third most important thing in your life after coffee and sex."

I blushed slightly and turned my head to the wall, "I don't talk about that. Name a time?"

Jess's brown eyes sparkled with interest, "Yesterday."

I scoffed at him and crossed my arms over my chest.

He nodded to me in all seriousness, "Yeah yesterday, you walked in from the cold with a scarf around your neck and your noes a little pink, leaned over the counter downstairs and said in that early morning voice of yours, the one still hoarse from sleep, 'Jess, I would like some of that extremely hot-"

I interrupted with a kick to his leg, "Coffee."

He grinned and picked up his book again, "Right."

Smiling a bit at his flippant nature I stared off into space, thinking about nothing in particular.

Him talking about the cold brought a white snowman to pop into my mind.

I remembered the horse drawn carriage ride that we had taken together, before we were together, and how I had shown him the snowman that my mom and me created to compete in the annual winter snowman competition. And how next day, our direct competition had been conveniently destroyed. It wasn't the most conventional way to show that he liked me, but it worked.

"Okay what are you grinning about now?"

I snapped back to reality and noticed him staring at me. "Nothing. Just snowmen."

He shook his head, looking like he wanted to concentrate on his reading but finding it very difficult to do so. "Rory, you worry me sometimes."

I padded over to where he lay and punched his stomach lightly, "Look who's talking, have you thought about what you're going to do after I graduate? Your not just going to stay around here and serve the patrons are you?" I looked up to the ceiling, "even thought I know you just love it."

He sat up slowly and looked at me closely, offering no indication if he was being serious with me or not, "I'm considering my options."

I raised my eyebrows. "Options? Oh really...please explain in detail."

"Well I think I should keep my options open, just in case I meet another beautiful brunette with dazzling blue eyes."

I hit him harder this time. "Dream on."

He grunted with stifled laughter as he held his stomach, the point of impact from my fists. "Calm down. I haven't decided yet. When I know, you'll be the first to know."

I begrudgingly retreated from my attack. "Okay."

"So aren't you supposed to meet Paris and the little person?"

I gasped and the air stood still around me, I looked at my wristwatch and groaned. I hated being late, and it looked like I was doing a good job of it. "Oh great, I'm running late."

"Rory, believe it or not; they are going to live."

Jess was mocking me but I had a had to disagree to his point.

"I'm not so sure about that. I don't think you've ever experienced the joys of Paris and Lane in the same room. Besides I like my friends as they are, being alive and well and not dead by fingernail puncture wounds." I stated as I climbed off the bed and started to pack all my stuff away for the meeting with the girls I had totally forgotten about only moments before. I scowled as I tried to find my belongings that were scattered over the floor.

Jess watched me and I could tell that despite my scowls and exaggerated sighs, he was more amused then anything else. "If it was me I'd just let them get on with it. It would rid the world of two lunatics."

"Brilliant lunatics," I said before running over and kissing him hard on the lips. "See you later Jess, and you better start thinking about those options."

"Can't. Finishing this," he said pointing to the book in his hands that looked mummified by age.

I glared at him.

"See you later," he said when he noticed my look.

Lane, Paris and I sat in the booth at the diner that Paris requested. It was no where near as good as Luke's with coffee, but it did have a great looking waiter named Troy that Paris was obsessed with and the hot chocolate was good.

I had a hot chocolate and a muffin and Lane and Paris were having salad and a soda water. They were on this no carbohydrate diet that I had no interest in joining and they were looking at my meal with envy.

While we waited for the 'important thing' to get to Paris, we got to talking about things of limited importance, such as Clark Kent's sex life. I picked at my muffin and replied to Paris. Lane had been badgering her to watch Smallville for the last year or so and eventually Paris gave in to the demands and had watched five seasons already.

Paris wanted to know what was stopping Clark from getting down and dirty with anything in a skirt.

"Well he can't do it because he's afraid he might hurt the girl," I said grinning though a little embarrassed about talking about the subject so frankly considering talking about the same subject between her and Jess was a little more awkward.

I watched as Paris seemed outraged. "Why? He already done the deed with Lana already."

"But that was when he was a mortal."

"Oh, so what is he going to never have sex again?" Paris responded.

Lane was excited, this was her favourite topic. "Apparently he has to adjust his powers to new situations."

Paris could see no logic in our conversation. "Well why doesn't he try and see what happens?"

"Yeah and have a possible felony on his hands." I said taking another bite into my apple flavoured muffin and grinning at Lane.

"I wouldn't care! Please? Clark Kent." Lane said with a hand pumping motion.

"Well not everyone would die just to do it Lane." Paris responded.

I tried to keep the laughter down but I couldn't help but giggle.

"Why doesn't he practice?" Paris added a little after I had stopped giggling. Paris needed answers and Smallville was going to give them as quickly as the universe would soon upload all it's secrets.

I giggled again and added to the conversation. "That is so gross. But I guess he's always got his barn." I said scrunching up my nose at the thought.

"If that happened the show would turn PG to M15 in a matter of minutes." Lane added with horror.

"And if he did eventually do it again. Safely. What about pregnancies?" Paris said.

"Well the poor girl would have a super human baby who could kick a hole right through her stomach." I said as an afterthought.

"Well then he needs Supergirl." Paris said quickly, refusing to give up on the topic.

"Supergirl is his cousin."

"I'm sure if it was that or never doing it again, he would choose incest." Paris added.

Lane didn't seem to like Paris's comment and was visibly taken back. She spat out some water that she was drinking and looked from the water to Paris.

"Well that's just wrong. I could never imagine doing it with my cousin. They are so gross and they know everything about you."

"Superman never met Supergirl," I said with a superior knowledge through the movie marathons my mom and I had ever since I could remember.

"Well still, family resemblance? I couldn't." She insisted.

"No one said we would. But he's an alien for crying out loud Lane, what do you expect?" Paris badgered.

"Calm down Paris it's only a TV show." .

"Well I want answers and all I'm getting is more questions." This show was having an effect on her, was more wide eyed then usual and more angry too.

But apparently the rift between Lane and Paris seemed to be on hiatus at the moment which was all good news to me.

I looked up vaguely as the door to the diner opened and I couldn't believe it, even in a million different nightmare scenarios, when I saw the cocky guy walk towards us with a moneymaking grin.

"What are you doing here Du Grey?" I said dryly picking up our usual conversational banter when he approached, twirling my drink in my hands to distribute the chocolate evenly.

Paris looked around quickly and shouted at him to hurry up, telling him with all directness that he was exactly fifteen minutes late. I smiled inwardly remembering the exact words spoken to me only fifteen minutes before.

His blue eyed gaze drifted to my own and held it for a good three seconds before he regained his bored arrogant composure of slouching near anything female, which happened to be the seat right above Paris.

"I'm here to see Paris, what have you been talking about?"

Paris cleared her throat and raised her head. "Oh just shopping, I was thinking thinking of picking up something in blue and red."

Tristan looked bored.

"Chicks and shopping, is that all you talk about?"

"Yes. That's all we talk about Tristan." Paris snapped back looking to his hands, which I noticed grasped some long, thick paper, "So are you going to give me the tickets or not?"

Lane who had been quietly sipping on her water up until now, looked up quickly. "What tickets?"

"Belated birthday gift for Rory." She said in her usual factual way. "Here." Paris shoved them in my face and attempted to be joyous.

Lane looked from them, to me to Paris and she narrowed her eyes. "Nice one Paris, I already bought those tickets. I got four."

I had the greatest friends.

Paris crossed her arms across her chest and I saw her face turn a few shades redder, and I wondered if ducking for cover was a good option to consider.

"Well I've got four too. What the hell am I going to do with them now?" She snapped at me I felt victimized, It wasn't like I made them all go out and buy me four Blink 182 tickets.

Tristan interrupted and plucked the tickets out of Paris's hand. "I have a solution that is quick, easy and makes every ones life that little bit brighter. I'll take them off your hands."

The dark blond haired girl smiled slyly before snatching them back and waved them around to no on in particular. "Nice try, but these were hard to come by. I had to talk to a guy." Paris said knowingly.

Tristan feigned surprise. "Paris! That must have been traumatic."

"Shut up," Paris snapped.

I held up my hands. "Okay, okay, calm down everyone, it's tickets, not gold bullion." I tapped the tabletop and thought for a moment. Then clarity hit. "Why don't we give them to Louise and Madeline? I know they like Blink and then we can all go on an adventure. It will be fun."

"Like a road trip?" Paris said with dread.

I clapped my hands together and grinned like a clown. "Better then a road trip! It's right after exams so it would be more like a trip to the concert of our lives after the worst school experience imaginable. It will be like freedom."

Lane nodded to Paris, "Like a road trip."

Tristan was watching, his eyes shifting from each of us until it landed on me, eyebrow raised in amusement. "Louise and Madeline make up two, not four."

I visibly sighed and held up two tickets to him. "Well you did say you wanted to go didn't you?"

They were removed slowly from my hands as he looked me over. "Very nice of you Mary." Tristan looked to the door and I could tell he wanted to get as far away from us as possible. "I would stay and chat about what type of things I would like to buy but I've got some business to attend to."

"Wait I'll walk with you. I want to have a word."

We were outside and I had to put my hands in my pockets to keep the chill from my fingertips. Tristan didn't seem to bother with the cold, it was like it didn't affect him. I needed get a fresh slate for the new week. Tristan and my relationship was strange. I actually considered us really good friends now, not awkward or having to deal with any undercurrent of feelings. It was comfortable and funny as he was unpredictable. After he took me to the bottle shop and managed to buy a cheap bottle of wine with some unconvincing fake ID, we brown bagged it down the local park. I actually enjoyed the thrill of being somewhat bad and also of not actually being ignored by someone I knew.

I was turned to him quickly. "They actually remembered my birthday."

He smiled and nodded "Paris told me. Sucks that I spoilt it."

I shrugged and rolled my eyes. "Not your fault, if they weren't so sneaky about it all, it wouldn't have been a problem. " I shuffled from one foot to another and he looked at me curiously. I stopped quickly finally getting my mouth to agree to my decision, "Okay."

"Okay what?" He quizzed a smile emerging on his face.

"Okay, okay. I'll do this stupid thing as long as there are some ground rules."

The smile somewhat evaporated, which must have meant he didn't like the sound of those words. Which was fine by me. "Ground rules?"

I nodded my head slowly. "Yeah. No touching, no kissing, no bodily contact in the slightest. If anything like that happens it's a Deal Breaker."

Tristan rocked on the balls of his feet and snorted out a laugh. "Rory it's kind of hard to prove we're dating if you can't stand me touching you."

I knew that this was true and knew fine well that he wouldn't accept it. Which was what I had been secretly hoping for. "Well, there is no other way that I would do it." Not with Jess in the back of my mind.

"How about shoulder hugs?"

I stared at him. "Shoulder hugs?"

"You know, shoulder hugs and a peck for a kiss."

I couldn't believe it, he was negotiating with me. I was more surprised then anything else, and maybe a little worried. This was not how I saw this conversation panning out. I saw him saying something grotesque and disgusting. Not shoulder hugs.

"Okay...shoulder hugs but no kissing."

He looked into the distance, annoyed at me. "Rory, you're being unrealistic here."

I held my ground and raised my chin to the air. "I don't care. And it's going to be a trial, I want to see what I'm getting myself into."

He turned to me and watched me with narrowed eyes. I wasn't sure what was going on in that brain of his, but I could see it ticking over through the blue of his stare."You drive a hard bargain."

"So...what do you say?"

He held out his hand. "I say you've got yourself a deal princess."

I looked at it before taking it with some hesitance. "Okay."

"Okay."

We shook on it.