A/N: Here is another chapter! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own OTH or GG!

Word Count: 2,024 words

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Lucas woke up but didn't get out of bed. He didn't want to move because he was enjoying the feeling of having Rory in his arms finally. He let his eyes roam over her as she slept peacefully beside him. He didn't like what his eyes were seeing and silently vowed to make sure that Rory started taking better care of herself. He really didn't like how thin she was but he still thought that she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen or met.

He brushed his lips across her forehead as he settled back down beside her. When he felt her starting to get restless he gently ran a hand up and down her back to calm her just like he had last night every time that she started to have a nightmare. He hated that she was so damn scared but he knew that she felt safe with him at least. He couldn't help but admit to himself and even everyone else that he loved the fact that Rory felt safe with him. There was no way in hell he was going to let her be hurt in any way, shape, or form ever again. He would kill anyone who even tried to hurt her.

When he saw her eyes flutter open he smiled down at her and whispered "Good morning, Rory."

Rory softly smiled as she realized that she pretty much slept through the night even after the two nightmares that she had started to have only for them to change. "Good morning, Lucas."

Lucas grinned. "How are you feeling, baby? Do you need anything? Are you hungry? Are you in pain?"

Rory chuckled lightly. "I could do with something to eat and my pain meds, but for right now I would like to just lay here in your arms. I would have thought that I would freak out about being in bed with you but it feels right somehow. I know that you would never hurt me and that you will do everything that you can to make sure that I'm never hurt again. I don't understand how I can know that even though I haven't seen you in so long. What is it about you, Lucas, that makes me feel like as long as I'm with you that nothing and no one can hurt me."

Lucas smiled softly and kissed Rory on the head. He pulled back slightly so that he could look her in the eyes. "I will never let anything or anyone hurt you again, Rory. I'm sorry that I didn't come to see you sooner like I thought about because maybe then you wouldn't have been hurt. All I want to do is keep you safe and hold you for as long as you will allow me to. The last two years away from you has been hell and not a day went by that I didn't miss you, Mary. I know that you have been hurt and that you need time to heal not only physically but mentally and emotionally from what happened to you, but know that I'm not going anywhere and as soon as you are ready I plan on making you mine in every way possible. I lost you once and I refuse to ever lose you again."

Rory blushed as she looked at Lucas closely. She had to admit that he has gotten even cuter since she last saw him two years ago. She wanted what he was offering but she was afraid to take the chance. She took in a deep breath and let it out as she looked him in the eyes. She saw everything in his eyes that he didn't say yet and knew that she would take the chance. She wanted to be with Tristan and she knew that he loved her even if he had yet to say the words to her. "If we are being honest then I need to tell you that I do want to try to be with you, Lucas, but I'm scared. In my head and even in my heart I know that you would never hurt me but it doesn't do anything to the fear I sometimes automatically fear. If we can go slow then I would like to try a relationship between us because I want to explore everything that I feel for you."

Lucas' eyes lit up as he once again kissed Rory on the head. He couldn't be any happier at that second because everything he ever wanted was getting handed to him by the girl who had stolen his heart from him years ago. "We can go as slow as you need to, my Mary. I refuse to push you into anything that you aren't ready for. I give you my word that I will do everything and anything in my power to make you as happy as you have just made me. I know that we have a lot that we need to talk about but that can wait for another day."

Rory smiled and then surprised herself by softly kissing Lucas on the lips. When she pulled back she chuckled at the look of surprise on his face. "I agree that it all can wait another day. I wonder if my mom and Deb saw us sleeping together."

Lucas huffed. "I heard both your mom and Deb outside the bedroom door at one point so my guess is that they did see us but didn't really care. If I know Deb like I think I do she probably called my mom and told her and then my mom came here and saw us like this. I don't think that Lorelai, Deb, or my mom are really going to care that we slept with one another since it was plain to see that we still had all our clothes on. Besides in all honesty, baby, even if they did see us and care it wouldn't change the fact that I plan on sleeping with you every single night for as long as I can. You started to have a couple nightmares last night but as soon as I started talking to you, you started to sleep peacefully again. I like that I am able to chase your nightmares away because you really do need all the sleep that you can get so that your body can heal."

Rory nodded and sighed. "I know that I'm not healing as quickly as I should and I know that it is because I haven't really been taking care of myself like I should have been. I was just tired of everything. I love the people in Stars Hollow I really do, but they acted like I couldn't see the pitying looks they were giving me or hear the words that they were speaking even with me close by. It's hard to heal and try to move on when you are constantly reminded of the things that you have no wish to be reminded of."

Tristan gently tightened his arms around Rory as he felt her relax further into his embrace as she talked to him. He was glad that she was opening up to him because he knew that if she was going to get past what happened to her that in order to move on she was going to need to talk about it. "They all care about, Rory, and I could see that in the few times I was in Stars Hollow. If I had to take a guess I would say that they weren't sure what to say or how to act around you because they just wanted you to know that they supported you. What that mother fucker did to you wasn't your fault in any way, shape, or form and believe me he will answer one way or another for what he did to you."

He took in a breath and let it out as his eyes raked her face. "What was done to you was terrible and you nor any woman should have to go through that. Having said that the only way you are going to be able to get over it is by talking about it and taking your power back. You can't let that asshole win even in the smallest sense, Rory. I know that it hurts you to think about it and talk about it because you relive what happened to you but by talking about it you are taking the power he holds over you away from him. When you are ready to talk about it I am here for you to hold onto. I will listen to whatever you have to say and remind you that you are loved and cared about."

Rory's eyes filled with tears. "He hurt me, Tristan, and I never thought he would be the kind of person to do that. He has made me lose trust in the men and boys that I know would never hurt me and it kills me inside. He shattered my hopes in being able to give myself to you in all honesty. I always thought and knew in the back of my mind that you would be the first and hopefully the only boy that I ever slept with because you had my heart even if you didn't know it. I'm pissed that he took that away from me. I'm hurt that he thought it was right to do what he did to me. I'm pissed that he has caused my mom so much pain because of what I am going through."

She swiped at the tears falling down her face as she pressed herself into Tristan's loving embrace. "He took something from me that was mine to give and didn't think that it was wrong in any way, shape, or form. He is enjoying the fact that he can terrorize me without even being in my presence. I refuse to let him for one second longer dictate what I do, how I feel, or what I say. He may have taken something that never belonged to him but he won't win in the end because I have you, my mom, your family and friends, and my friends fighting for me and beside me."

Tristan's eyes shined with the pride he felt for Rory. He knew that she didn't have to talk about what happened to her right then but the fact that she was talking about it then and there made him prouder than ever of her. He knew then that she would get back to the girl that she had been before Dean hurt her so badly. "Your damn right I will be fighting for you and right beside you. If I had to take a wild guess right about now my dad is making sure that you are protected. The one thing I can say about Dan Scott is that he cares about his family and since he knows that I care about you that makes you family to him. He will move heaven and Earth to make sure that you never go through what you went through ever again. I won't say the words until I am one hundred percent sure that you will believe them but you know how I feel, Rory, and that hasn't changed and will NEVER change."

Rory nodded. "I know that you love me, Tristan, just like you know I am not ready to hear the words just yet. We will go forward slowly but we will go forward together. Now, as much as I love being here in bed with you we should probably get up and go downstairs. Besides I really do need to eat so that I can take a pain pill because the pain I'm in is starting to become unbearable again."

At that Tristan kissed Rory on the cheek before he climbed out of the bed and then helped her out of it. He smiled at her as he wrapped an arm gently around her waist and led her out of the bedroom and down to the kitchen.

A/N 2: *grins* And there is this chapter... I wasn't planning on updating this story until next week but my muse had other ideas... lmao... Hope you all enjoyed the chapter... Click the button and let me know what you think!