AN: I always hated how they just wrote Max out. There was no gradualness to it. It was just Max is here one second and gone the next. So I'm putting him back in. But that doesn't mean that there will be a romantic relationship between the two of them, just that we remember he wasn't just Lorelai's fiancé but he was Rory's teacher and he cared about her very much.

Chapter Thirteen

"Lorelai?" Max said surprised

"Yeah. Look, I know that we haven't talked since I freaked out and ended our engagement but we need to talk. It's important." Lorelai rambled out

"About what?" Max said interested

"Rory."

"I completely agree."

"I'm guessing that I was right in assuming that the mood she's been in for the last month or two is because of some school thing she hasn't told me about." Lorelai sighed in relief

"I'm not sure I know what you mean. If you're talking about her grades you'd be wrong. In fact she's doing better academically now than she ever has before." max said confused

"Oh. Well since you didn't refute the mood I'm guessing she has it there as well."

Max nodded before answering. "She's all over the place here Lore. One minute she's fine the next she's either staring off into space in front of random lockers and doors, looking at her locker like it's out to get her, arguing with other students or crying. I can't remember the last time I saw her smile. I'm worried."

"Do you know why? I mean what's wrong with her?" Lorelai asked hopeful

Max sighed. "I really think that you should talk to her."

"She won't talk to me. She slams doors instead. I need help Max. She practically bit her father's head off. She's insulting people that she doesn't even know, talking to people like they're dirt. I don't know what to do with her. You know that's not Rory."

"Ok... ok... this is mainly what I've picked up from Chilton gossip. I think that she's having a difficult time adjusting to the absence of Mr. Dugrey, and the way Chilton is reacting to his disappearance." he told her reluctantly

"What?"

"He apparently spoke to her about something before he left and the Chilton gossips got wind of it. A few students have apparently been hounding her for information on where he is. Nobody knows where Mr. Dugrey went. Not even the administration. All we know is that his records were released into the custody of his parents."

"And no one has thought to stop the students from badgering her?"

"Lorelai no one has witnessed the badgering except for other students and unless Rory complains you know that there is nothing we can do about it."

Lorelai sighed. "So Tristan is definitely gone?"

"Yeah. It certainly seems as if he is." Max confirmed

"Rory's been acting like this since the night of the Romeo and Juliet play. I remember seeing her after she got off the stage. Her eyes looked hollow, guarded. She looked awful."

"That's the last time anyone at Chilton saw Tristan."

Lorelai nodded simply since she had assumed as much. "Do you think she misses him? You saw the two of them during the day. Were they even friends?"

"I honestly never saw anything that would make me assume that they were friends. The few encounters I witnessed between the two were full of hateful words and disdainful looks."

"So you think its because she's being badgered by Chilton asses?"

"I don't know Lore. I don't know how she really felt about him. I know that he cared about her more than he ever let on, but with her it really seemed like hate. She may even be furious with him because when he said goodbye or whatever to her he made her the center of Chilton gossip mills."

Lorelai frowned. "Thank you Max."

"It's nothing. I've been concerned about Rory for a while now. I just knew that it wasn't my place to get involved. Not anymore." Max said softly and sadly

"Max..."

"When you ended our engagement Lorelai it hurt. I had to lose you and Rory. You know how I feel about Rory. She was going to be my stepdaughter. I loved her. I'm having a hard time turning off the over protective parent vibes..."

"And I wouldn't want you to. I'm glad that you're looking out for her around there."

"Trust me when I say that I've always been watching out for her. She's the daughter that I never had and always wanted. I'm not going to let anyone around her hurt her again. I'm going to do everything in my power to stop the badgering around here. Plus this is the last week of school before winter break, maybe when she gets back there will be some other scandal and they'll have forgotten about her. Goodbye Lorelai." Max said before hanging up

"Goodbye Max." Lorelai said softly already hearing a dial tone on her end of the phone before placing the phone back on it's cradle.

xxxxxx

Christmas break flew by. Rory's attitude improved being away from Chilton. Lorelai still couldn't remember the last time Rory had truly smiled but at least there had been no more attitude blowouts. She had apologized to Christopher and for the way she treated Sherry but still stood by the fact that she wasn't ready for Sherry to be a part of her life. Lorelai never spoke of her conversation with Max.

Tristan had been gone for almost four months when school started back up. Rory woke up that morning from a fitful sleep. While sitting at a table in Luke's she began thinking more and more about him. She hoped that nobody would bother her this semester about him. She wished she had some idea where he was other than military school in North Carolina. She hated the fact that she knew she was worried about him. The only thing that gave her any peace with the fact that he was gone was that she knew he could take care of himself. But that didn't stop the look in his eyes that clearly showed he was terrified of what was to come from ripping that peace right away from her. She wondered why he only said goodbye to her. She thought perhaps that she was the only one whom he trusted with the truth. She hadn't known at the time that there was going to be some big Dugrey family cover up to hide where Tristan really was. She hadn't known that the next day at school no one was going to leave her alone. All she knew was that the bane of her existence was standing in front of her his eyes clearly saying save me, telling her he was leaving. The moment felt oddly intimate when Rory thought back on it. He was staring into her eyes and she was staring into his. Tears filled her eyes and she shook her head to stop them from spilling over before Lorelai got back from the counter. Obviously she didn't rid herself of them quick enough because Jess sat down next to her.

"You ok?" he asked concerned

Rory smiled a large fake smile. "I'm fine."

"You should talk to someone about it Rory." Jess said practically begging her to open up. He knew that she hadn't said a single thing about this Tristan guy since she said something to Lane months ago and that Lane also hadn't brought it up.

"Jess, I'm fine. Ok really fine. One hundred percent ok. I'm over it."

"What's it?"

"None of your business Jess. Now go away before Mom gets here and you get conned into cleaning the gutters again."

"What are you doing after school today?" Jess asked curiously

"Something with Dean."

"You've been spending a lot of time with him lately." Jess pointed out

"He's my boyfriend." Rory also pointed out

"I know. I just thought that you were kind of sick of him. You know with the basket auction and the accusations," he said and then mumbled, "and with the whole Tristan thing."

"What did you say!" she snapped

"Rory. You know I overheard you and Lane talking about him. I don't know why you're so surprised I'd bring him up."

"That was almost four months ago. I'm over it."

"That's the second time you've said that this morning. Did you convince yourself of it yet or are you still lying to everyone including yourself?"

"Excuse me?"

"You aren't over it, him whatever. I don't know who he is, you've never mentioned him to me. I don't know what you felt for him but you should ask yourself if you're really over whatever it was, because darlin' it doesn't seem like it to me and if you're really honest with yourself it doesn't seem like it to you either." Jess said getting up and walking away before she could comment one way or the other.

Lorelai walked over and saw the frown on Rory's face. "I was afraid of this."

"Of what?" Rory asked confused

"That the thought of school would cause this sad look on your face."

"No, it's not. I just have a headache. I promise. I'm ok really. The break did me a lot of good."

"You seem better too." Lorelai said smiling

Rory looked down at her watch and took a final gulp of her coffee. "Mmm... I gotta go or I'll miss my bus."

"See you later sweetheart." Lorelai called as Rory walked out

Rory breezed out the door and was about to pass Patty's when Dean called out to her. "Rory!"

She whipped around and saw him. She forced a smile and waved before walking over to him. "Hey." The second she got up to the door the words 'Gee I really wish we could continue your analysis on how pathetic I am.' right after she heard herself say 'You make it impossible for anyone to be nice to you. No wonder you had to join our group. Anyone who's actually suffered through the experience of going out with you would absolutely know better.' . Dean reached over to hug her and she flinched moving backwards quickly not feeling right about hugging him while thinking of Tristan. The way she had spoke to him made her disgusted and left a metallic feeling in her mouth. She remembered regretting it the second she said it and saw the look of sadness flash through his eyes. It had been brief but it had been there and she remembered feeling ashamed that she had said what she did.

"You ok?" Dean asked worriedly

Rory nodded still keeping herself at arms length of him. "Yeah come on I gotta get to the bus stop before I miss my bus."

Dean simply nodded and followed Rory to her bus stop.

AN: Short Sweet and just a filler...