Rory walked through the house that was crammed with teenagers ranging from slightly tipsy to extremely drunk. It was certainly an interesting party. She's never been to any quite like that. Stars Hollow's parties were pretty mild and the couple she's gone to that were thrown by the Chilton classmates were all very snobby.

This one was a real teenager party. With people crammed into the kitchen, a band playing in the living room, kids collapsing on top of each other on the couch, and couples leaning against the walls on the stairs or disappearing into rooms.

She'd just waited about 20 minutes to get into the bathroom which actually had a boy throwing up blissfully into the toilet. She decided she didn't have to go that bad after all. She was now walking through the rooms looking for Tristan. They parted when she decided to listen to the band that was playing in the living room and he said he would go outside to hang with some guys.

She stepped into the kitchen where a loud crowd was cheering and howling around a beer keg.

She walked towards the door and stepped outside into the back yard where a couple of guys were standing around.

"Hey you" she heard his voice and noticed him standing there dropping his cigarette on the ground and putting it out. He had a half empty beer bottle in the other hand.

She smiled shyly and walked up to him seeing him extend a hand signaling her to join him. She leaned into him and he put his arm around her shoulder pulling her close and kissing the top of her head.

"Well, I never thought I'd see that. Tristan smiling" one of the guys said amused and Rory recognised him as Dave, the guy she'd met at the diner.

Tristan chuckled lightly.

"Smiling? When he walked in, he had a friggin' grin on his face, dude" another guy chimed in.

"Did I now?" Tristan asked amused. "Wonder why?" he whispered into Rory's ear and she blushed slightly.

Rory looked around the circle of boys with beer bottles and lit up cigarettes. They seemed a lot less intimidating than the first time she saw them at the parking lot in Hartford.

One of them was enthusiastically reenacting a story for the others, and Rory noticed he stuttered a little. She smiled listening to the red haired kid explain how he got into trouble the other day at school.

"That's Tom" Tristan whispered pointing towards him with a smile on his face, amused by the way he was telling his story. Rory watched him and smiled at the fact that he seemed to fit in with these kids a lot more than the crowd at Chilton.

Tristan noticed her looking and he pulled her away from the group slightly.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah" she said.

"You wanna go?" he went on.

"No. No, why?" she asked.

"You don't know anyone here" he answered.

"I know you" she said arching an eyebrow.

"Really? So we've met before?" he said playing along.

"Yes, I think so. You seem awfully familiar. Is there any chance I met you in a car earlier?" She smiled as he groaned remembering their trip here.

"Seriously, just tell me when you want to get going" he said changing his tone "if I remember correctly I still have some debt to pay off" he murmured into her ear and she blushed again.

"It's okay. You have fun, they seem happy to have you" she said not wanting to take him away from them.

The truth was she did feel a bit awkward. Obviously she didn't know anyone here. Plus crowds nowadays made her feel left out anyways. She felt like she should be one of them, enjoying herself, fitting in, but she couldn't quite manage.

He narrowed his eyes watching her expression change.

"C'mon, let's go" he whispered and pulled her towards the door to the house.

Rory opened her mouth to protest but he was already ahead, pulling her by the hand looking back at her.

He bumped into someone coming out of the house and he turned to see who it was.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Tristan DuGrey" the girl said in an amused voice and Tristan seemed to freeze and tense up.

Rory looked at him curiously and was surprised to see him let her hand go suddenly.

"Jen" he said, his face suddenly serious, indifferent.

"Long time no see" the girl said, her voice low, her eyes travelling down on his body shamelessly.

"Yeah" he replied, and his voice seemed cold, distant.

"You look good" she went on extending a hand to touch him lightly on his chest and Rory narrowed her eyes instinctively.

The girl was a tall brunette, with hazel eyes. She was wearing a black top, with a plunging neckline and Rory couldn't help but notice her perfect figure and her confident demeanour. She smiled, but at the same time there was something in her gaze, as if she were challenging him and reproaching him too.

"Thanks" he replied, still without any emotions.

"This is were you tell me I look stunning as well" she said, a seductive smile appearing on her face.

"I don't think you're starving for compliments yet, Jen" he replied, his voice ever the same.

She chuckled lightly and stepped closer to him.

"I'm starving for anything coming from you" she said, her voice seductive and her hands sliding up on his chest to his neck.

He grabbed her hands to stop her, his face slightly annoyed.

Rory watched flabbergasted as the scene unfolded up till now, but she suddenly felt sick standing there. Sick because this girl had obviously known him intimately and sick because she seemed to be so confident and attractive. And finally sick, because he seemed to have forgotten about her for a second even though he was obviously not enthusiastic about the interaction with this girl.

She figured she'd had enough and she started walking towards the door leaving them standing there.

"Rory" she heard him call out frustrated "Rory, wait" but she kept walking suddenly sick of everything, the party, her, him, herself.

She walked through the kitchen and into the living room, where she was slowed down by the crowd. She felt his hand on her arms as he turned her to face him. She obeyed reluctantly.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked.

She scoffed arching an eyebrow.

"You have gotta be kidding me" he said rolling his eyes annoyed "This is about her?"

"Yeah, this is about her" she heard herself say and was astonished by her own words.

She sounded silly, and felt embarrassed. She turned around to walk towards the door pushing people out of her way but felt him grab her again stronger and pulling her back.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Home" she replied in a huff.

"Home?" he asked amused "How exactly?"

"I don't know. Walk" she said frustrated and turned away again only to be jerked back, this time more aggressive.

"What did I do exactly?" he asked, his eyes shooting sparks and his face annoyed.

"Nothing" she yelled at him, but the music and the noise around them made it seem like a whisper.

He looked around cursing and grabbed her hand as he turned towards the stairs.

She was so taken aback that she didn't have a chance to protest and she felt herself being dragged up the stairs and down a barely lit hallway. He walked down the hallway, obviously familiar with the place and turning a corner he opened a door and pulled her into a room shutting the door behind them. It was a small bedroom and Rory looked around surprised at the fact that there wasn't a couple making out on the bed.

Tristan was glaring at her, his hands going up to his hair.

"Care to explain?" he spat.

She just stared at him, her brows furrowed not knowing what to say.

"Why are you acting all jealous?" he asked.

"I am not acting jealous" she retorted.

He laughed bewildered.

She glared at him as if waiting for him to say something.

He scoffed glancing around.

"I don't know what you want me to say, Rory"

"You slept with her?" she asked.

"Yes" he replied, his voice cold.

"More than once?" she went on.

"Yes. So what?" he asked annoyed.

"So you two were together?" she asked crossing her arms.

"Yeah, I guess we were for a while" he answered.

"I thought you didn't have long term relationships" she spat.

"I wouldn't call it a long term relationship, Rory, we fucked around then fought, then fucked around some more" he replied.

"So it was just sex?" Rory said unbelieving.

He scoffed again, his eyes rolling.

"I don't know what it was Rory, she was there and willing when I wanted"

"You just fucked her to make yourself feel better then?" she asked.

"Yeah, you know exactly how that goes, don't you?" he retorted cynically and she glared at him.

He sighed.

"What does it matter anyway? I haven't even seen her for months" he said, his voice suddenly tired.

"Well, she certainly seemed eager to rekindle the romance" she said.

"Who the hell cares?" he asked annoyed.

"I do" she spat and he looked at her shocked.

"You said those girls didn't mean a thing" she said accusing, but more quiet, her eyes reflecting hurt.

"I said most of them didn't mean a thing" he answered calmly.

"Oh, so she did?"

He sighed again.

"You know, you are a natural born journalist, you are already twisting my words around" he said and she glared at him again.

He ran his hand through his hair again and took a deep breath.

"What does it matter, Rory? What does it matter if I fucked her for whatever reason? Yeah, I did, I fucked a lot of girls. What does it matter if some of them even meant something? It doesn't change a thing. The only reason they might be important is because of the fact that they made me who I am today, and lead me here. So if I was good enough for you when you met me and good enough before you saw her, then I don't know what changed" his words were cold and calm and seemed to make sense when he spoke them.

She suddenly felt weak and tired. She felt her legs give way under her and she slumped back onto the bed.

He sighed walking up to her and crouched down in front of her to look up into her face.

"What?" he whispered.

"She's beautiful. And confident. And balanced" she said, her voice small.

He exhaled, a smile creeping to his face.

"So what?" he whispered.

She sighed frustrated.

"Why are you with me?" she suddenly asked looking into his eyes.

His smile lingered on.

"I find myself asking that more and more" he answered.

She groaned burying her face in her hands and he moved to sit next to her on the bed.

"You know how bad I am at talking about this" he started, his voice barely above a whisper "it's like waking up from a dream, I don't know how I got there, but I am and I can't tear myself away" he paused then leaned closer to whisper in her ears as her breath caught in her chest.

"You...are...you're..." he paused again inhaling her smell and sighed frustrated "You drive me fucking mad. You are crazy and you have violent mood swings and you lash out on me and get confused about something every two seconds and I can't follow half of the time and I curse myself for wanting to make this work… but… I do… for some reason I do"

She looked at him, seeing him shut his eyes and wince. She slowly moved her face closer brushing her lips against his and she felt him sigh and kiss her back.

"Rory" he whispered as she kissed his cheeks, then neck.

"I'm sorry" she breathed between kisses and he groaned, pulling her in close.

They jumped as suddenly the door pushed open, a couple stumbling in.

"Ooops, this one's taken. Sorry" the guy laughed as he pushed the girl out slamming the door behind them.

Rory buried her face in his chest embarrassed.

"Let's get out of here" he whispered.

She looked up apologetically.

"I'm sorry I ruined it for you. We don't have to leave" she said.

He laughed.

"There is nothing to be ruined Rory, it's just a party" he looked at her amused.

She sighed.

"I don't fit in, do I?" she asked more form herself than him "it just feels so distant, so unfamiliar"

"You don't know any of these kids" he offered an explanation.

"It's not that" she said looking up into his eyes "I don't think it's that"

"Yeah" he said swallowing, dropping his gaze and she knew he understood. The fact that it wasn't about her not knowing these people, or her not being a party person. It was about her being stuck in a place from where everything did feel distant.

"It's just being a teenager, Rory" he shrugged "nothing ever feels entirely yours" he smiled symphatetically, his eyes concerned.

"Don't make it seem like you're a problem girl because of that" he added "you'll look back one day and all the days when you felt like your heart is so heavy it will kill you will just seem like another day you got through"

She looked up at him. She couldn't believe how incredible he was for knowing exactly what she was thinking. And saying exactly what she needed to hear to feel less lost. It made her realize maybe she wasn't that strange after all.

"C'mon" he said getting up and pulling her off the bed "let's get out of here"

She walked after him, once again overwhelmed by his presence and admiring the way he seemed so confident, so calm.

They walked down the stairs, and through the crowd, the party as lively as ever, music blasting from the huge stereos.

She suddenly felt him stop and watched surprised as he turned around with a huge grin on his face.

"Okay, we can't leave now" he laughed.

"What?"

"Don't stop believing? That's a brilliant song" he smirked.

Rory glanced around taking in his words and recognising the first notes of the song.

"Journey?" she chuckled "Seriously Tristan, Journey?"

"Just a small town girl, living in a lonely world, she took the midnight train going anywhere" he sang along as the first line came on and her eyes widened.

"You have got to be kidding me" she laughed, looking around nervously.

"Just a city boy, born and raised in south... Hartford" he went on changing the lyrics and smiling a devilish smile as she buried her face in her hands "he took the midnight train going anywhere"

She peeked through her fingers but hid her face again as she saw him doing the air guitar.

"You are nuts" she cried.

"Oh, come on, I know you wanna" he laughed as he pulled her in and started swaying with her "you are not strange Rory Hayden Gilmore, you are one of us" he yelled laughing then sang along again at the top of his lungs "for a smile they can share the night, it goes on and on and on and on"

Rory looked at him wincing then laughed and joined in.

"Strangers, waiting, up and down the boulevard..."

"Alright!" Tristan exclaimed pulling her close.

She laughed and went on as half the room was singing along.

"Streetlight people, living just to find emotion, hiding, somewhere in the night"

She laughed hysterically as he spun her around and around and she realized she hadn't felt that free and exhilarated for as long as she could remember. She had a faint recognition that this moment would indeed always be remembered by her as the epitome of being young and free and lost and happy at the same time.

"Some will win, some will lose, some were born to sing the blues..." she warbled as he pulled her close again shaking from laughter.

"I love you" he whispered in her ear and she smiled into his chest, holding him close as he swayed slow, out of rhythm with the music.

"Don't stop believing, hold on to that feeling" the crowd sang around them and she just stood there clinging to him.