Chapter 7: "I missed you when you left. I missed you so much."


After finding Rory and Tristan together on the beach, Rob decided he would return to base early and leave them to spend the weekend getting to know each other again.

"So, what do you want to do this weekend?" Rory asked as they walked back towards her rental house after stopping for coffee at her new favorite place besides Luke's.

"Anything, everything. I get some free time here and there when I'm away, but I'm either alone or with the same guys I'm with everyday," Tristan told her.

"Well we could watch a movie or play a game," Rory suggested.

"I could teach you to surf," he told her.

"You surf?" Rory asked.

"Mary, I went to school down here for over two years," Tristan said, "I spent almost every weekend at the beach."

"Really?" Rory asked.

"Yeah, I would come here whenever Rob went home to visit his family. He's from Wilmington, originally," Tristan said.

"Yeah, I knew that. I just didn't realize you had known each other that long," she said.

"We go way back. Rob was the first guy I met when I walked through those doors," Tristan said, "Only difference was, he actually wanted to be there. He had his heart set in joining the military after high school and his school didn't offer an ROTC program so his parents let him go to military school."

"Wow. I can't imagine anyone wanting to go there. You were pretty upset to be being sent there," Rory said, remembering that last day.

"I wasn't so much upset about going, but more what I was leaving behind," Tristan told her.

"Oh, yes, all the hoards of girls just dying to date you," Rory said.

"More like one," he said, stopping their walk and facing her, "And even though she hated me, I was going to miss her. I did miss her."

"She must be special," Rory said.

"Very," Tristan said, taking her hand in his, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand.

"Do you still miss her?" Rory asked.

"At this moment? No. I don't have to miss her when I have her within reach," he told her, lacing their fingers together as he pulled her closer to him.

"I never hated you," she said looking down at their entwined fingers before placing her other hand on his cheek, "I didn't want you to go. I never hated you," she repeated, crying as she did before throwing herself into his arms, "I missed you when you left. I missed you so much."

"I missed you, too Mary. Everyday," he said, holding her tight to him and kissing the top of her head as she cried.


Hours later, Tristan was sitting next to Rory's bed as he watched her sleep. He had got her to calm down enough to get her inside the house and onto the couch where she eventually cried herself to sleep. After carrying her into her room he sat next to her so he'd be close if she had a nightmare, but watching her the last couple of hours she seemed to be sleeping so peaceful, he was sure if anything she was dreaming good dreams instead of the nightmares she had been plagued with for months.

"Tris?" Rory asked, rolling over as her eyes fluttered open, seeing him sitting on the chair next to her bed, "How long was I out?"

"Couple hours," Tristan said.

"I'm sorry," Rory said.

"Don't be. You needed it," Tristan told her.

"I don't just mean the falling asleep," Rory said, "I meant all the crying. I don't even know where that came from."

"I'd say that was about four months worth of burying your feelings," Tristan said, "Sure you've spoken to your therapist and a bit to me and Lorelai, but you've never just let yourself feel what you're feeling. You've lived in this 'I'm fine' world for so long, it was bound to catch up with you."

"Maybe," Rory said, sitting up and moving to get out of the bed, her stomach growling, "I guess it's been awhile since we had those doughnuts."

"I guess so," Tristan said with a laugh, "How about you find us a movie. Dinner should be here soon."

"You ordered food?" Rory asked.

"Yeah, there's a nice Indian place not too far that delivers," Tristan said.

"How did you know I liked Indian food?" Rory asked, following him into the living room.

"I'm telepathic," he said.

"Try again," Rory said.

"I called Lorelai," he said, "Don't hate me, but this trip seemed like something you took on a whim and I didn't want Lorelai to worry. Though I found out when I talked to her that you did let her know."

"Well, I told her when I got here," Rory said, "I texted her a picture of the sunset on the beach when I first got here. I told her I was thinking about seeing you, but I hadn't decided if I would."

"Which is why she was surprised to hear from me," Tristan said, "But pleasantly surprised. We talked for a bit and when I mentioned we were probably just going to stay in she begrudgingly suggested Indian food."

"She's not a fan," Rory told him, "But she knows it's my favorite."

"Mine, too," Tristan said, getting up when he heard the doorbell, "I'll get it."

"I'll get plates and silverware," Rory said, going into the kitchen while Tristan went to get the food.


"This is really good," Rory said, taking a bite of her chicken vindaloo.

"I completely agree," Tristan said, "This is some of the best naan bread I've ever had."

"Yeah, the samosas are amazing, too," Rory said.

"So, not to bring down the mood all this great food has created," Tristan said.

"But…" Rory responded.

"But, I'm curious. You didn't wake up screaming or anything so I'm guessing you didn't have a nightmare," Tristan said.

"No, I didn't," Rory told him.

"How many nights or little naps like that have you gone without a nightmare?" he asked.

"Well, when I've actually slept, just a handful of times," Rory said, "Either brought on by alcohol or sheer exhaustion. I've been sleeping pretty good here, but even the peacefulness of the beach hasn't fully kept the nightmares away."

"But, nothing while I was there with you?" Tristan asked again.

"No, well, not nothing. I had a dream," Rory said, her face reddening as she looked away from him.

"Oh, I have to hear this," Tristan said.

"It wasn't a big deal. Just a silly dream," Rory said.

"A silly dream wouldn't have you blushing brighter than I remember ever seeing at Chilton," Tristan said, "What was it about?"

"You. Me. Us," Rory said.

"Us? What about us?" he asked.

"We were here, in this house," Rory said, "But we were older."

"Older?" Tristan asked.

"Yeah, a lot older and we were sitting on the swing out front," Rory told him, smiling as she recalled her dream, "I had my head on your shoulder and you had your arm around me. And we were watching these kids running in the yard, playing. Everyone was so happy. It was amazing."

"Sounds like it. I wish I'd been able to see it for myself," Tristan said.

"Maybe you'll be lucky enough to dream it yourself one day," Rory told him.

"Yeah, maybe. It sounds like a beautiful dream," Tristan said, setting down his plate to take her hand in his.

"It was, but it's just a dream," she said, moving closer to him and laying her head on his shoulder.

"Yeah, but it's my dream," he whispered into her hair as he kissed the top of her head.


AN: Shorter than the last, but felt like a good place to stop this chapter.