bDILEMMA/b Pairing: R/J/T, a little L/L Rating: PG Summary: Rory returns from Washington and thinks she is going to finally find happiness with Jess. Things change when Tristan returns from military school. Disclaimer: I own nothing. Obviously.

b[ next morning, Luke's ]/b

Lorelai: I gotta get to the inn, sweetie!

Rory: Okay mom.

Lorelai: Maybe you want to come by and visit your lonely mother?

iJess comes downstairs and smiles at Rory. She smiles back./i

Rory: We'll see.

iLorelai leaves. Rory sits there, sipping her coffee and smiling at Jess. The door to the diner opens and blonde-haired boy walks in... Tristan!/i

Rory: Tristan?

Tristan: Rory, hi!

Rory: What are you doing here?

Tristan: I wanted to see you.

iJess comes over to the table./i

Tristan: Who are you?

Jess: Jess.

Tristan: Oh.

Jess: You look disappointed.

Tristan: I kinda am.

Rory: Okay boys. Tris, what are you doing here?

Tristan: Using nicknames now, are we Mary?

iRory rolls her eyes at him./i

Tristan: I came here to talk to you.

Rory: About?

iTristan looks at Jess expectantly./i

Jess: What?

Tristan: Can you please give us a few minutes alone?

iJess rolls his eyes and goes back into the storeroom. Tristan sits down and looks at Rory./i

Tristan: I came here to tell you I can't get you off my mind.

Rory: Excuse me?

Tristan: Can't you see it? I love you Rory! I've wanted to tell you that since that night we were in iRomeo and Juliet/i together!

iRory stares at him blankly./i

Tristan: And you never loved me back, did you?

Rory: Yeah- no. Dean and then Jess was...

iTristan stands up and looks at her sadly./i

Tristan: I guess I'll leave you alone now, Mary.

Rory: No, don't go.

Tristan: You want me to stay?

Rory: I... I want to be friends with you.

Tristan: Friends?

Rory: Yeah. Maybe we can hang out? Go to the movies or the mall or something?

Tristan: Just friends?

Rory: Yeah.

Tristan: I think I can live with that.

Rory: So friends?

Tristan: i(smiles)/i Friends.

Rory: You wanna have breakfast with me?

Tristan: No, I should go home. I just had to tell you that. I've been holding it in for a long time and I was about to spontaneously combust.

iJess returns with coffee for Rory./i

Jess: Nice to see that you're living an Incubus song.

iRory's pager goes off./i

Rory: I have to go meet Lane! She's burned me a copy of the White Stripes CD! I'll be back in twenty minutes!

iRory leaves./i

Tristan: So are you her boyfriend?

Jess: Not yet, but we're getting there.

Tristan: I've been waiting for her a long time. She's the only girl I ever wanted that doesn't want me back.

Jess: How nice for you, Adonis.

iDean walks in and sees Jess and Tristan./i

Dean: What the hell is this?

Jess: A Rory admirer convention.

iDean looks at Tristan./i

Dean: You're back?

Tristan: Yeah I am. I came to reclaim what's mine.

Jess: We'll see about that.

Dean: This is crazy! Where's Rory?

Jess: Why do you care? She dumped you!

Dean: I know that she still cares about me.

iJess and Tristan look at each other and laugh./i

Jess: Dude give it up. Move on.

Tristan: She was over you long ago when she kissed me.

Jess: And me!

iDean stares at them for a moment, stunned and then walks out, slamming the door./i

Jess: He looks like Frankenstein when he gets mad, doesn't he?

Tristan: That he does.

Jess: So I guess we're doing a little West Side Story number here, fighting over Rory.

Tristan: May the best man win.

Jess: So you've kissed her too, huh?

Tristan: Yeah, after the first time she broke up with Dean. At a party. On a piano bench.

Jess: Nice.

Tristan: What about your kiss?

Jess: While she was dating Dean. She was at a wedding and I just moved back. She found me down by the creek and she kissed me.

Tristan: Very Dawson.

Jess: I thought so.

iRory returns./i

Rory: Tristan, you're still here?

Tristan: Jess and I were practicing our Dean impressions.

Rory: Oh no, did he come in here?

Jess and Tristan: Oh yeah.

Rory: God, floppy-haired stalker boy strikes again.

Tristan: So Mary, what are you doing today?

Jess: Going to the library with me, right?

Rory: Well... I don't know yet. You didn't tell me about the library, Jess.

Jess: I did now.

Tristan: I thought maybe we could go see the new Van Gogh exibit at the Hartford Museum of Modern Art.

Rory: Well, um... I guess I could go with you now Tristan, and then have dinner with Jess tonight?

Jess: I have the coffee.

Tristan: I have the means to get her to the coffee.

Jess: And what means are those?

Tristan: A Porsche.

Jess: Nice.

Rory: Jess, is it ok if I go with Tristan?

Jess: i(sighs)/i Sure, go ahead. But promise me we'll have dinner together tonight?

Rory: i(smiles)/i I promise.

Jess: Okay then. i(smirks at Tristan)/i May the best man win.

iRory leaves with Tristan, a confused look on her face./i

b[ in Tristan's car ]/b

Rory: Hey Tris? Can we stop at my mom's inn for a sec? She wanted me to visit her today, and I have to tell her the plans changed.

Tristan: As you wish.

b[ Independence Inn ]/b

Lorelai: You're going with Tristan? Evil One?

Rory: Yeah.

Lorelai: What about Jess?

Rory: I'm having dinner with him tonight.

Lorelai: You forgot someone.

Rory: Please don't say Dean.

Lorelai: Uh, no. ME!

Rory: Oh yeah. Sorry mom.

iSookie comes in./b

Sookie: Rory, you're back!

Rory: Sookie! My first time seeing you as a married woman!

iThey hug./i

Sookie: Do I look different?

Rory: Yes. Very marital.

iSookie claps her hands together and giggles./i

Sookie: Would you like some lunch? I made spinach foccacia sandwiches with five different kinds of cheese!

Rory: Well, I was kinda going to a museum in Hartford with someone and he's waiting outside.

iLorelai looks at Sookie./i

Lorelai: Tristan.

Sookie: Evil One?

Rory: Ok you two can stop now!

iMichel enters./i

Michel: Oh great. The demon child is back. How can I contain my excitement?

Rory: I'm happy to see you too, Michel!

Lorelai: Honey, you should go. Don't wanna keep that little Abercrombie model waiting now, do you?

Rory: Ok! Bye mom! Bye Sookie! Tell Jackson I said hello, okay?

Sookie: I will sweetie.

Rory: Bye Michel!

Michel: Good riddance.

b[ later, outside Crap Shack ]/b

Rory: Thanks, Tristan. I had a great time.

Tristan: Well, I'm glad Mary.

Rory: You should go. Jess is coming over.

Tristan: It's not gonna be me, is it?

Rory: What makes you think that?

Tristan: You're just... really into him. I don't know what it is, there's just an electricity between you two.

Rory: I like you too, Tris.

Tristan: Yeah, but you don't love me. You love Jess.

Rory: I'm sorry, Tristan. But Jess and I just have a connection. But you and I can still be good friends.

Tristan: It's okay. I've waited for you for so long, a couple more years won't kill me. I want to be your friend this time. I hope you're happy with Jess.

Rory: I will be.

Tristan: I don't deserve you anyway. I was always a jerk to you. But it's okay.

Rory: Maybe someday.

Tristan: Yeah. I'll call you in a few days.

Rory: Bye, Tris.

iRory goes inside and Tristan drives away. A few minutes later Jess comes to the door./i

Jess: Juliet, what's shakin'?

Rory: I've decided who it will be.

Jess: Am I gonna like the answer?

iRory leans in and kisses him./i

Jess: So I'm guessing it's me.

Rory: You're guessing right. I love you, Dodger.

Jess: I love you too, Juliet.