Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls. I wish I did but I don't.
Summary: What if Tristin had never left?
Chapter Twenty Four: You Are Not Inferior
Luke walked ahead and opened the door for Lorelai. He held it open for Rory and Tristin to walk through. Tristin started to move towards the door but he felt Rory's delicate fingers wrap around his wrist. He stopped moving and turned around to face her. His eyes met Rory's and both of them locked on hers.
"Are you two coming or what?" Luke asked
"We'll be in in a minute." Rory said softly never breaking eye contact with Tristin
"What?" Luke asked
"In a second." Tristin repeated a little louder, his eyes never leaving Rory
"Ok." Luke said shutting the door behind him
Tristin refused to break eye contact first. Rory had never looked at him this way. Time passed before they even said a word. Rory broke eye contact and shifted hers down to the ground. "You ok Mary?"
Rory shrugged slightly indicating that she was unsure. She still hadn't said a word and he was starting to worry. "Mary, you're scaring me here. What is it?"
"Is he right? I mean about me." Rory asked almost to softly to be heard
"Who?"
"Dean." Rory whispered
"What are you talking about?"
"Do you think that I'm just a pathetic girl who was tired of what she already had? That I'm one of those girls that doesn't think that anyone is good enough for me?" she asked
Tristin stared at her for a long minute before answering her. She looked so delicate and fragile that he wanted to go back and pummel Dean for ever making her feel this way. "God no. You are perfect Rory. You aren't one of those girls who are just waiting around for the trust fund baby to look your way. You are a strong determined woman who knows what she wants. You just found out that it wasn't Dean before he wanted you to. Regardless of what he said tonight he's jealous."
"No, he's mad. He was jealous, but now he's just mad. I mean I have never seen him act like that. He made me feel so inferior."
"And he'll get over it. Because really he has no other alternative. I swear I could kill him for making you feel like this. You are not inferior Rory. You are so far from inferior that the word inferior shouldn't even be in your vocabulary." He said watching Rory blush, "You handled yourself so well tonight Rory. You stuck up for me like no one else has ever done before."
"Well what Taylor was trying to do was wrong."
"I'm glad you feel that way. And the very fact that you think so proves everything that Dean said was wrong. You are a compassionate, caring person and an amazing friend. I've never known anyone like you before." Tristin said leading her into the diner
Rory blushed again. "Thank you."
"It's good that this happened though." He said pulling a chair out for her to sit in next to Lorelai. When noticing the look on her face he amended his statement, "Not the thing with Dean, the thing with the town."
"Why is that?" Rory asked sitting down
"It gives us a taste of what's to come tomorrow when all of Chilton finds out that I'm living with you."
"Oh my God I never even thought about that. Tristin what are we going to tell people? They are just going to assume that we're together…" Rory rambled
"No coffee for Rory, she's already rambling enough as it is. If she keeps up at it she'll end up like you." Luke said pointing to Lorelai
"Please, she needs coffee stat!" Lorelai said smiling then turning back to Rory, "Hun, can you honestly tell me you didn't even think about what Chilton was going to say?"
"I did but I pushed it out of my mind, I didn't want to think about it." Rory admitted
"Look no one really has to know if you don't want them to Rory." Tristin said
"How are we going to swing that?" Rory snapped, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you."
"It's ok. Look the way I see it is we have school tomorrow, we should go home and get some sleep. We'll drive to school in the morning and when the questions come we'll either answer them or ignore them. We know we're not together, your mom and Luke know we're not together and that's what really matters. We're not doing anything wrong and since when do you care what Chilton thinks of you? I don't care what they think. Let the hordes of girls get jealous. It doesn't matter. You and your family took me in when I had no one and I will always be grateful to you."
Rory smiled at Tristin and drank the rest of the coffee in her cup. "Let's go home." She said standing up and reaching out for Tristin's hand. He clasped her hand and they walked out the diner leaving behind a shell shocked Lorelai.
"Are you still not worried about those two getting together?" Luke asked
"Why would I be?" Lorelai said
"That's the second little speech he's spouted out tonight about how wonderful she is, and neither one of us know what he said to her outside."
"Everything's going to be fine Luke."
"Lore, that boy is in love with your daughter." Luke pointed out
"I know that. He has been for a year now."
"And you aren't the least bit concerned that she might end up feeling the same?"
"I know my daughter Luke. Everything is going to be fine."
AN: I know it's short it's really short actually. Next chapter will take place at Chilton. This one was more or less a filler…