Chapter 8

Back in Hartford

Richard and Emily's breakfast that morning was interrupted by the maid who announced that there where two police officers asking to speak to them. They were immediately invited into the parlour where everyone took a seat. After Emily had ordered the maid to get something to drink for the officers, she asked what the reason behind their visit was.

'Mr. and Mrs. Gilmore we are very sorry to inform you, that your daughter has been killed. We got an anonymous call from her house yesterday afternoon informing us that something had happened. When we arrived, the caller was already gone and we found your daughter's body in the living room.' the older officer informed the couple.

Emily's face had lost all it's colour as soon as she heard the first sentence and tears started to form in her eyes. Richard only sat there not knowing what to do, when suddenly a thought popped into his head.

'What about our granddaughter? Is she ....?' he couldn't even finish the sentence.

'As far as we know she is still alive, but she is missing. We are not sure if she was kidnapped. I questioned one of the shop owners in Stars Hollow and he said that he'd spoken to her a few hours before. After that no one has seen her.' the officer gestured for his college to continue.

'Mr. and Mrs. Gilmore, do you have any idea who could be behind this? Has your daughter ever said anything about anyone to you? Something that could give us a clue?' he knew all of this had to be hard for the people sitting in front of him, but he had to ask ... it was his job after all. After a silent 'no' from the victim's father, he continued.

'Your daughter called us a few days ago, telling us that someone was threatening her. We took a few of the notes that were left for her to analyse them, but we couldn't find anything. The lab has all of them now and we hope to find a clue as to who is behind all of this, before someone else gets hurt. The killer also threatened to go after your granddaughter, so finding her will be our top priority. If you have information for us, please let us know. We would like a list of all the people that your daughter was in contact with over the last few years and especially any ex-boyfriends.'

When the older Gilmore's agreed, the officers bid them farewell and left.

The two stood in an embrace for a while, just crying for their loss, neither knowing what to do next.

Emily regained her senses first. Putting on her society face she went to call Christopher, Strobe, Francine and the funeral home.

This tragedy would forever mend the broken friendship between the two estranged families.

---

Oak Ridge outside of G. Hamilton's house

Tristan had returned to his friends and the moment he was beside Rory he brought his arm around her and drew her closer to him. Without any protest she melted against him.

'So you're the famous Rory...or should I say Mary....that Tristan has been talking about non stop.' Lucas said with a smirk firmly in place. When he noticed the embarrassed look on his friends face and the death glare he was receiving he had to laugh. To his delight it got a small smile out of the girl in front of him.

Rory decided that she liked Cadet McCollin. He seemed to be funny and he had no problem with embarrassing Tristan. Looking up into the face of the boy in question, she could see the slight blush on his cheeks. With an mischievous smile on her face she said.

'Is Tristan Dugrey...self proclaimed King of Chilton blushing? I never thought I'd see that day. So you've been talking about me a lot...huh?'

'Why wouldn't I Mary....you are without a doubt worthy to be talked about.' trying to save face he turned to Lucas changing the subject.

'I think introductions are in order. Mare I'd like you to meet Lucas, he's the guy I told you about. Lucas ... this is Mary .... or Leigh for you.' Tristan had always hated it when others had called Rory by his nickname for her.

Wanting to see his friend squirm a little, Lucas replied in an outraged voice.

'Why am I not allowed to call her Mary?'

'Because...well.....because that's just how it is. Now stop being an ass and call your friend.' they picked up Rory's stuff and made their way towards the entrance. When Lucas finished his phone call and the two boys had signed out, they made their way down the street and within 10 minutes they arrived at an apartment building which looked quite expensive.

'So who's your friend again' Rory asked timidly.

'His name is Finn. I've known him forever and he's a really nice guy. He can be quite eccentric, but in a good way, I think you'll like him.' Lucas informed her as he rang the doorbell.

When Rory hugged Tristan tighter, he gave an encouraging smile letting her know he would be there for her.

'Don't worry Mare...I'm here and Lucas wouldn't let you stay with just anyone. He knows how important you are to me.' he whispered into her ear and was rewarded with a kiss on the cheek.

'Thank you.'

The two teenagers were interrupted by the door which was opened by a handsome brown haired boy.

'Well mates and doll come on in.' said the boy with an Australian accent.

They all entered the spacious apartment and after introducing everyone they sat down on the black leather couch.

'So what can I do for you doll? Lucas here tells me you need a place to stay?' Finn directed his question at Rory.

Looking at her hands which where intertwined with Tristan's, and then at Finns smiling face she relaxed slightly.

'Yes, I just need a place to stay for a few days until I find an apartment for myself, but I'd totally understand if you don't want a stranger living with you.' she had always had a problem with asking for other peoples help. Something she inherited from her mother.

'Oh ... I don't mind. I mean how often does one get the chance to live with a gorgeous girl like you.'

Blushing a deep red she hid her face in Tristan's chest which vibrated from laughing at her embarrassment.

'Now doll you shouldn't feel embarrassed, I'm just stating the facts, but I better shut up now or your boyfriend is going to kill me with his looks.' Nobody felt the need to correct him, causing the blond boy's heart to skip a beat.

'Now back to business....you are welcome to stay here and if you're looking for an apartment, the one next door is up for sale.'

'Ehm...I don't think this will be in the vicinity of my budget, but thanks anyway.'

'Money is no problem Mare, I'll pay for school and the apartment. And don't even think about saying no. I want you to go to school, study and not working your butt off so you can get by.' he said in a 'do not mess with me' voice.

Rory opened her mouth to protest, but when she saw the determination in his eyes she closed it again and just whispered a 'thanks'.

'Can I at least work part time or on the weekends to pay you back some of the money?' she didn't want to just accept his money, it wasn't his place to pay for everything. If her mother had been able to support herself and a one year old at the age of 16, she would be able to do so as well.

'If you want to work part time it is fine with me, but I won't accept any money from you. You deserve to have the best Mare and I want to help you any way I can. Please let me do this for you?' She couldn't deny his eyes, they showed so much love and care that it made her speechless.

In that moment Rory realized just how deep his feelings for her ran and she knew that she was falling for him even more. For once in her life she decided to not analyse anything and brought his head down for a slow and sweet kiss, to which he responded immediately.

They were kissing for a few minutes, when Finn and Lucas had enough and began to cough. They pulled away from each other, but kept their eyes firmly locked. She gave him another gentle kiss on the lips and then turned towards the other occupants.

'Alright...sorry.' knowing that she was embarrassed enough the boys decided not to tease her.

'Hey Finn ... you wouldn't know any schools around here, would you?'

'Actually I do. There is a good private school 30 minutes from here, it's called Marianapolis Preparatory School. It's one of Americas finest Prep schools and if you want I could recommend you to the headmaster, seeing as I was a student there. Which school did you attend before?'

'Chilton Preparatory School. But private schools are very expensive and I don't mind going to a public school.' she said not wanting for Tristan to pay anything more than necessary. A low whistle could be heard from Finn, who knew what a prestigious school Chilton was.

'You see Finn....Mary here is what we call a nerd,'

'Hey!! I'm not a nerd, I just like to study.'

'Well Mare....that's the definition of a nerd, but I don't mean it in a bad way. I think it's great how well you do in school and that you want to do something with your life. That's why we should try and get you into Marianapolis Preparatory School. I know you want to attend Harvard and this school will help you achieve it...and as I said before money is no problem. So what do you say?' knowing it would be hard to get her to agree, he hoped that the prospect of getting into Harvard, would do the trick.

'I don't know Tristan. You shouldn't spend so much money on me. I mean what will your parents say when they see, the credit card bills? And yes ... I want to get into Harvard, but it's not worth getting you into trouble. I can still achieve my goals while attending a public school. It will be harder, but in the end I'll know that it was all my doing.'

'I know you want to do things on your own and I think that's one of your greatest traits, but you'll have enough on your plate without having to worry about Harvard. Besides, you don't have to worry about me, my grandfather opened an account in my name and told me to use it in case of an emergency. So will you accept my offer? I swear, you're the only girl I know, that would fight me for this and not jump at the opportunity.' Tristan said while shaking his head at Rory's stubbornness.

'Did you ever think, that maybe you just know the wrong girls?' she asked raising an eyebrow. 'I'll make you a deal, you can pay for the apartment and school but when I'm done with University I'll pay you back, ok?' Knowing that for now it was the only way she would agree, he accepted.

The four of them, spend the rest of the day going over details and watching movies. After some time Rory had relaxed around the other boys and they got to know her better.

It was 4.30 p.m and they had just finished watching 'Bad Boys', when Lucas announced that he and Tristan had to head back. Realizing what that meant Rory's whole body froze and her fingers tightened around the blond boy's hand. Immediately noticing the change in her body language he pulled the frightened girl into his lap and kissed the side of her head trying to sooth her.

'It'll be alright Rory. I promise you are safe here and Finn will take good care of you. I know it sucks that I have to go back....and believe me when I say, that I'd rather stay here with you. I'll call you tomorrow, ok?ยด Seeing just how scared she was broke his heart, but there was no way he could stay. All day long she hadn't left his side, always maintaining physical contact and he had enjoyed every minute of it.

Up until a minute ago Rory had forced everything that had happened to the back of her mind enjoying the time with Tristan, but it all came back now. She could already feel the tears forming, but managed to push them back. Not wanting him to see just how devastated she was about his departure she put a smile on her face and tried to relax her body. It seemed to work, because she saw relief on his face and the worry in his eyes lessened.

While she was saying goodbye to Lucas, Tristan went up to Finn and thanked him. He asked the Aussie boy, if he could arrange everything with the apartment and just tell him where to transfer the money. After that he made his way back to Rory.

The two teenagers hugged each other tightly and Tristan whispered reassuring words into her ear. Managing to control her emotions she pulled away and their lips met in a sweet kiss, which sent tingles up her spine. Slowly they pulled apart and with one last squeeze to her hand the two boys left. Rory watched until they were out of sight before she returned to the living room.

Finn and her stayed up until the wee hours of the morning, just talking. They had bonded and the older boy already thought of her as a little sister. Rory found out, that Finn was 4 years older than her making him 21. He had moved to the States with his parents when he was 6 and when he met Lucas the two boys formed a strong friendship. The Morgans were quite wealthy and he'd told her that they had some relatives in Hartford.

She in return told him about her family, her childhood and about her mother's death. He'd held her when she cried and Rory was glad to have another person she could count on. At 4 am Finn decided to call it a night and Rory followed suit.

She was out the moment her head hit the pillow, but 2 hours later she woke up screaming and drenched in sweat. Finn was by her side in a second, trying to calm her down. Only when her body stopped shaking and her breathing slowed down, did he release her.

'Doll, are you alright?' his voice was laced with worry.

'Yeah...yeah. I just had a nightmare, but I'm fine now. Sorry for waking you.'

'No problem, love. If you need anything you know where I am, try and get some more sleep, alright?' when she gave an acknowledging nod, he made his way back to his room.

Rory didn't go back to sleep, instead she started making a list of all the things she needed to take care of.

She was finished within 20 minutes and decided a cup of coffee was in order. Not wanting to wake Finn she silently made her way to the kitchen and began brewing the brown elixir. Once she had a cup in her hands she turned on the television and began to watch whatever was on. She didn't notice how fast the time went by and was quite surprised when a tired looking Finn sat beside her. He had a cup of brown liquid in his hands and mumbled something that sounded like 'bloody sun'. Turning to her left to get a better view of him she had to laugh, he looked adorable with his messy brown hair and his eyes still half closed. He sent her a small smile and asked what she wanted to do today.

Seeing as it was Sunday there weren't a lot of options and the two of them decided on a relaxing afternoon.

---

After Tristan and Lucas returned to the academy

The two boys had gotten back on time, but Tristan couldn't get his mind off Rory. He was worried about her and that he had to leave her with someone he barely knew didn't help either.

'Tristan she's gonna be fine. Finn is a great friend and he will take good care of her. You have to stop obsessing about it, because there is nothing you can do.' Lucas tried to calm him.

'I don't doubt Finn's ability to take care of her, I'm more worried about how she is going to cope with her mother's death. The two of them had a special connection and not just because they were mother and daughter. Lorelai had Rory when she was only 16....she took her and left Hartford, not wanting her to grow up like I did.....in a world where money and power means everything and love is considered a weakness. They grew up together, Lorelai was her mother but also her best friend and now she didn't just loose her, but she had to leave her home, her friends and the only family she has left because some psycho is out to hurt her....so I think it's only normal to be worried about the person that means everything to me.' his voice rose as he kept talking and by the end he was almost shouting.

The people around them were listening intently as he spoke, but as soon as he noticed them they turned there backs, pretending that they weren't interested.

'I'm sorry....I didn't think about that, but she seems like a tough girl and I'm sure she'll get through this. Why don't you talk to General Hamilton and ask if there is any possibility for you to spend the weekends with her?'

'You know what?....I think you're right. My chances on that happening are like one to a million, but I'm still gonna try. I'll see you at dinner, alright?' with that the two went there separate ways.

Tristan took a deep breath before he knocked on the Generals door, not knowing what to expect. When the door opened he saluted and was asked to enter.

'I'm sorry to bother you again General, but I have something I would like to discuss with you.' he spoke in a serious tone.

'What can I do for you Cadet?'

'I wanted to know if there is a way for me to get permission to spend the weekends away from the Academy? I know I'm new and that it's not common, but I know of at least 2 students here that are allowed to go home over the weekends.'

'You are right, it's not common. I'm assuming this has to do with Miss Danes?' Tristan nodded his head 'yes'.

'The only way for you to get that permission is through your parents. They have to sign a document stating that they allow you to be away from the academy. Does that answer your question?'

'Yes, sir. Thank you!' they saluted again and Tristan made his way to his quarters.

Once inside, he went to the back where a payphone was located. He dialled his Grandfathers number and waited for the other person to pick up. After only 3 rings the maid answered and he asked to speak to his grandfather.

'Janlan Dugrey.'

'Hey Grandpa, it's me. How are you?'

'Tristan, it's good to hear from you son. I'm doing quite well, how about you?'

'I'm doing good as well. Listen....I have a huge favour to ask you and I need you to trust me and not ask questions. I know considering my inability to keep out of trouble in the past, it would mean an enormous leap of faith on your part....but I need you to trust me just this once. Alright?'

There was a long silence on the other side and for a moment Tristan thought that his Grandfather had hung up.

'Alright. So what's the problem?'

'I need you to talk to dad and convince him to sign a paper stating that I'm allowed to leave the academy during the weekends.'

Another silence.

'Tristan....I'm not a magician and for your father to sign something like that it'll take nothing short of a miracle. And why would you need such a thing?'

'I know it's far fetched, but I was hoping you'd try anyway. I can't tell you why I need it but I promise that it's important and that I'm not going to get into trouble.'

'You need to give me more than that, Tristan. If I have to convince your father he'll want a reason.'

'I really can't tell you....but I swear on everything that I have, that it is very important. Please just try.' his voice now pleading.

'I'll see what I can do, but don't get your hopes up, ok?'

Janlan had never known his grandson to fight for anything as hard as for this and something in his voice told him to just go along with it.

'Thank you so much, I won't let you down....I promise!' he could always count on his Grandfather, but this time Tristan hadn't been so sure.

They talked a bit more about school and what had happened at home. When Janlan told him about Lorelai he had to hold back from asking questions that would make him look suspicious. After they said their goodbyes Tristan joined his friends.

---

Monday morning NC

Finn had called his real estate agent the day before and they had made an appointment to view the apartment this evening. Right now Rory was getting her hair cut and highlighted. Deciding it was better to change her looks a bit, in case someone was looking for her. When her hair was done she was pleasantly surprised just how different she looked. Her hair was now shoulder length and the highlights underlined her natural beauty, she looked older and more sophisticated.

At 10 am, she and the Finn went to see the Headmaster of Marianapolis Preparatory School. The secretary showed them into the room where they both took a seat in front of a large desk. While they waited for the Headmasters arrival, Finn gave her hand a gentle squeeze to reassure her. She smiled at the sweet gesture and she started to relax.

'Mr. Morgan what a surprise to see you here, what can I do for you?' came a deep voice from the entrance and the two young people turned to look at the person standing there.

It was an older man probably about 50, with grey hair and a friendly face. He reminded Rory a bit of her grandfather and she immediately liked this man.

'And who may I ask is this?' he said his attention now on the nervous girl.

'This, Headmaster Williams, is Leigh Danes and the reason why I'm here.' came Finns reply.

'It's nice to meet you Ms. Danes. So what can I help you with?'

'Thank you for taking the time to see us, I really appreciate it. I'm here today, because I would like to attend your school and before you say anything....I know that the school year is almost over and that it's a really bad time to switch schools, but I have really good reasons for doing so. If I tell you what's going on, you have to promise that it won't leave this office, alright?' she was surprised at how confidant she was and when he agreed to her terms she continued.

'I was attending Chilton Preparatory School until last Friday, but when I came home from school I found my mother's----' she couldn't continue. It was as if she'd lost her voice and the familiar tears travelled down her cheeks. When Finn saw, she wouldn't be able to finish the story he took over.

Headmaster Williams sat there listening intently to what his former student told him and was in awe at strength that the young woman sitting in front of him seemed possess. Looking over her report cards, he told them that he would be honoured to have her attending his school. Filling out all the forms and talking things over, took another 2 hours. It was decided that Rory would start school the next day and with that, everyone said their goodbyes.

---

It was 2 pm, when the two of them got home. They had bought Rory's school uniform and then went to a get something to eat. Every once in a while Finn had to take a phone call, but most of the time his whole attention was on her. She was glad that she had someone who was there to help her, but she wondered why he didn't have to go to work. He had told her that his parents were wealthy, but she couldn't imagine him doing nothing.

'So Finn how come you don't have to go to work? I'm grateful, that you're helping me, but I don't want you to get into any kind of trouble because of this.'

'Don't worry doll....I'm my own boss and I say I can have a day off.' he told her smiling.

'What do you do, if you don't mind me asking?' she was curious now.

'I have my own party service.....and business is going very well. I sometimes have 2 to 3 party's a night and it can be a lot of work, but it's something I'm good at and I enjoy myself immensely. That it pays the rent is a bonus as well.' when he started talking his eyes had lit up and you could see that he truly loved what he was doing.

'It's good that you mentioned it. I wanted to ask, if you would be interested in working for me. I was looking for someone to help me organize everything...you know....something like a secretary. You'd have to make a few calls and maybe go and look at a location or go shopping, but you could do most of these things from home and you could work it around your school work. I'd pay you 2.500$ a month.....so what do you say?'

'Are you kidding me?'

He had to be joking, was the first thing that came to mind, but when she saw the confused look on his face she realized that the offer he made was for real.

'Well ... I could pay you 3.000$, but I can't go any higher than that.'

'I'm not complaining about the money Finn....well actually I am, but only because it's too much. You don't need to pay me 3.000$, I'd be happy with 500$ seeing as it's not a full time job and you are constantly helping me.'

'Nonsense!....I'd pay whoever else the same amount and that is not up for discussion. So are you in?' seeing the excitement in his eyes she couldn't help but jump at such an offer. And so it was agreed, that come Monday she would be working for him.

The evening was spent with lots of talking and meeting the real estate agent. They signed all the papers and when Rory took hold of the keys to her new apartment, she had to hold back the tears that formed. She again realized just how much her life had changed in only 3 days.

AN: So here we are again....see that green button? Why don't you press it!