Chapter 4:

"Are you going to tell me what happened, or…" Jess finally said as he neared Stars Hollow.

"I…just…don't know." Rory sputtered.

"Yeah, I really don't get you right now, Rory. First, you run off to Tristan Dugrey's house without me knowing of it. And, by the way, am I thinking of the same Tristan Dugrey you so greatly despised before?" Jess raised his eyebrows at a sullen Rory.

"Yeah…your point?" Rory was tired of defending herself.

"Okay, so then you ask me to come pick you up? I mean, you've got to be kidding me? If Dean knew you…"

"No!" Rory interrupted. "Dean and I are officially done…we're through."

"Oh, sorry." Jess mumbled. "So you decided to party with Dugrey instead?"

Jess narrowed his eyes at Rory.

"You know what? I am so not in the mood for this! And I don't need you to protect me all the time! Gosh!" Rory slammed her hand on the armrest.

Jess sighed and waited a couple seconds for Rory to cool off.

"You know what you need, Ror," Jess rubbed her arm, affirmingly. "Coffee."

"Mmhmm," Rory nodded her head slightly and rested until they reached Luke's.

Meanwhile…

Tristan had furiously gotten into his car and began the half hour drive into Stars Hollow.

"No one messes with my girl." Tristan barely understood the words that just came out of his mouth. "I mean…uh…"

Tristan was so frazzled at the moment that he hadn't had time to think.

"Dean is really going to get it this time." Tristan laughed to himself. "I have always wanted a good reason to knock him out, and I sure have one now."

It panged Tristan's heart to think that someone could hurt Rory in such a harmful way. The only thing he could think of doing from this point on was to deal with Dean. It wasn't like he was starting a fight or anything…he was protecting Rory.

Tristan gripped his steering wheel tighter, "I don't care if anything happens to me…I just want to protect the girl I love."

Tristan sped down the highway, 20 minutes from Stars Hollow.

"Okay," Rory sipped her coffee in delight. "You are officially the best person ever."

Jess laughed, "Yeah, I've redeemed myself. I'm not so sure you thought of me that way on the ride home."

"Haha, you've definitely got that one right." Rory closed her eyes and devoured the the last drops of coffee.

"Refill, I suppose?" Jess rolled his eyes and filled her drink back up to the top.

Jess and Rory had just arrived at Luke's diner and Rory already had 3 cups of coffee. They were relaxing at the counter and enjoying the rest of the very eventful night.

"Now that you are officially coffee-afied, can you tell me the whole story?" Jess sat down next to Rory on the booster seats.

"Well," Rory started from the beginning and told Jess her whole night. When she was done, Jess was speechless.

"I'm going to kill him." Jess cracked his knuckles and stood up defensively.

"No, no," Rory grabbed his shoulder and pulled him down again.
Please, Jess. Not now."

"He cant get away with this. It's not right. You have to report it." Jess gave Rory a worried look.

"Jess," Rory laughed. "I'm fine, you know it! I'm a tough girl who has two, I mean one great guy who'll stand up and protect me, okay?"

"Yeah," Jess looked over at the clock, "Oh, you better go get some sleep. It's really late. Luke is out for the night."

"Ooh, I'm guessing it's a sleepover with his girlfriend." Rory joked and waved her hands in the air, sarcastically.

"Shutup," Jess gave her a gentle shove towards the stairs that led to Luke and Jess' apartment.

Just before the reached the stairs, a car pulled up in front of the diner.

"What…" Jess and Rory stood still and peered out the window to see who it was.

"Oh, shoot," Rory ducked behind the counter. "It's Tristan, don't tell him I'm here. Just, shutup!"

"What? Fine." Jess kept his cool as he unlocked the front door to let the new comer in.

"Hey, man, sorry to bother you this late. I just saw the lights on so I figured you were open." Tristan's low voice made Rory feel shivers up her body.

"Yeah, it's fine, I'm Jess." Jess extended his hand to Tristan.

"Tristan. So, do you, by any chance, know of a Dean Forrester?" Tristan raised in eyebrow.

Rory quietly gasped and clutched her mouth.

"Uh, yeah. At this hour, I think you can find him probably at the pharmacy down the street. He works there, this shift. Do you want me to walk you there?" Jess thought up a plan to put Dean in his place, now that he knew he had Tristan's help.

"Sure, Jess, that would be great." Tristan opened the door to leave.

"Yeah, can you wait outside for a second. Let me grab my coat." Jess remembered Rory was waiting behind the counter.

Tristan nodded and walked outside.

"What the heck was that?" Rory exclaimed from behind the counter.

"Look, Rory," Jess pleaded. "I need to do this and now I can have Tristan's help. He obviously wants to protect you, too. I think Tristan and I are going to be friends so I can find out information for you."

"Oh, fine, but don't tell him you know me that well, okay? I'm still not talking to him anyway." Rory said stubbornly.

"Whatever, but stay upstairs the whole time. I will come up later. Don't worry, too. I can handle myself." Jess grabbed Rory's hand and squeezed it.

"Be careful…" Rory said to him as he left.

As Jess walked out the door to meet Tristan, Rory crept up and gazed at the guys as they strode away.

"It's funny how I never thought, in a million years, that Tristan Dugrey and Jess Mariano could possibly get along!" Rory shook her head and silently went upstairs to read.

There was no way she was going to fall asleep with all of that was going on.

"So, you go to Stars Hollow High?" Tristan started up a conversation on their short walk to the pharmacy.

"Yeah, when I'm not skipping!" Jessed laughed.

"Hah, right. Well, I just got back from military school if it makes you feel any better." Tristan grinned.

"Hmm, I didn't know you had it in you, Dugrey." Jess winced as he called his new friend a name only Rory called him.

"How did you know my last name?" Tristan raised an eyebrow and stopped walking.

"Well, I know this girl who knows you." Jess said guiltingly.

"Busted, man. You are so busted." Tristan laughed and punched Jess in the shoulder.

"Rory Gilmore said she knew you. She mentioned you to me briefly." Jess looked away.

"How briefly? Does she talk to you about me a lot? Man, I knew she liked me." Tristan smirked.

"Yeah right, man. All she's ever said about you was…" Jess thought better of telling Tristan how Rory always talked angrily about Tristan (but that was last year).

"What?" Tristan tried to hide his excitement.

"Nothing, wrong guy." Jess turned his head away again and grinned. I'm good, aren't I? Rory's going to love this.

"Well, I pretty much screwed things up with us today." Tristan hung his head.

"I know about it. She told me."

"Where is Rory now? I really want to see her." Tristan pondered if he should really see her.

"Dude, let's focus on our mission here. Dean abused our girl, Rory, and he has to go down." Jess changed the subject quickly, and luckily, it worked.

"Alright, let's go." Tristan banged the door open into the pharmacy with a frown on his face.

"Can I help you?" Dean said without looking up to see who it was.

"Yeah, we're looking for the medicine cream that heals abusive wounds." Jess spat out.

Dean looked up, confused.

"Oh, it's you." Dean narrowed his eyes at Jess, but then noticed Tristan. "Accountant boy, you're here too? Isn't this just a dandy little party. Why don't you just get out of here before I make you get out?"

"Actually we want you outside, Dean…now." Tristan glared at Dean and strode outside with Jess at his heels.

"Alright," Dean stepped outside. "What do you want, fellas'? You think I'm going to waste my time on you idiots just because I accidentally hurt a girl. Give me a break.

"Quit lying, because we know it wasn't an accident." Jess cracked his knuckles.

"Let's finish this, now." Tristan lunged at Dean and knocked him to the floor.

Dean tried to throw Tristan off of him, but Tristan was too strong.

Dean's fist slammed into Tristan's jaw, which made Tristan jump back.

Jess kicked Dean in the stomach and threw a punch at Dean's face.

Dean finally gave up and ran away after a few minutes.

Tristan's jaw was sore and Jess' nose was bloody. They both had bruises and bloody skin wounds.

"You've got a nice punch there." Tristan said quietly to Jess on their way back to Luke's.

"Not so bad yourself." Jess held his nose in the air to try to stop the bleeding.

They walked in silence and slight pain as they turned the corner towards Luke's.

Rory had been waiting, anxiously from the window upon their arrival.

"Oh my gosh!" Rory gasped as she saw them.

They did this all for me…protected me.

Rory raced down the stairs and quickly grabbed ice packs and towels.

She burst outside and met them just as they were about to walk up the steps.

Rory accidently bumped into Tristan, which caught him off guard.

"Whoa, sorry…Rory?" Tristan grabbed the girl who was about to fall, and then realized who it was.

"Hey," Rory looked into his crystal blue eyes for a moment. "Um…here's these."

Rory handed the guys the ice packs and towels and lead them into Luke's.

"Thanks, Rory." Jess hugged her.

"Yeah, no problem. You both look terrible. I am so sorry." Rory sat down at a table.

"No," Tristan sat down across from her. "This had to be done…for you."

Tristan lifted his head and caught her eye for a mere moment, but then it disappeared.

"It's fine, Rory. You need to go get some rest. You have school tomorrow, so go on up." Jess nodded.

"What? How can I just leave?" Rory was surprised.

"Just like you left me?" Tristan retorted.

He had to say it. He needed to say it. He needed to say what he felt and get it all out.

Rory's face dropped and she was suddenly confused and saddened.

"I…just…" Rory couldn't find the words as she gazed down at her feet.

"Whatever, I'll see you later, Jess." Tristan pounded fists with Jess and got up to leave. He didn't even give Rory the slightest bit of acknowledgement.

As soon as he was out the door, Rory gaped.

"How could he just change perspective on me? He acted all sincere a few minutes ago, but then he turns back to his egotistical, arrogant self. If I remember correctly, he was the one who was making out with my friend." Rory waved her hands in the air.

"Rory, he just fought for you. Give him a little break. I can't deal with this right now. I'm glad I fought him for you, and I am just so tired. I'm going to bed now. I'd advise you do the same." Jess gave Rory an 'I know best' look so she complied.

As Rory fell asleep on the couch that night, she wished that things would be okay with her and Tristan. She really needed him. Tonight was the night that made her realize what a great, loyal guy he was. She figured that he was just sometimes tired of waiting around for her. Rory knew what she needed to do, the next day at school, she just didn't know if she had enough courage to do so.

A/N: hey guys! Sorry the update has been awhile but I am hopefully going to update tomorrow night too with another chapter! Please review and I hope you like it!

P.S. I know I made Tristan's character kind of two-sided, but he will come to his senses, don't worry!

All of you trory fans, don't worry…stick with me! You'll love it, I hope! Bye!