Bad Way

By: Serendipity

Everyone knew Rory and Tristan were over. Yet Rory still wore his ring, they were still joined at the hip and you usually didn't see one without the other. Both still loved each other but neither was ready for any more heartbreak. Tristan had to take a chance he needed her as more than a friend. All he needed is to hold her in his arms.

So one day after school while he was waiting for the Franklin meeting to let out he decides to find out if she still had feelings for him. He was in his normal position leaning up against her locker when he heard her soft footsteps coming down the abandoned hallway.

"Hey you" she said when she saw him

"Mary" she had cut down on calling her that to once a day instead of every time he saw her.

"Is everything okay?" She shut her locker and stood there in front of him.

He looked up at her "Yea why wouldn't it be?"

"I don't know you just seem kind of distant." She started to turn away but before she could her grabbed her arm and pulled her into his embrace. "Tristan" she said a little shakily "what—" He placed his finger on her lips so silence her. He leaned down and claimed her lips with his. She didn't pull away in fact she kissed him back. But she had to after a while; she looked at him in shock.

"I, I, um—" She didn't even finish her sentence before she ran away from him down the hall. He slammed his fist against the locker. *Stupid, Stupid good going DuGrey you couldn't just ask her you had to kiss her* He ran to his car angry at himself and mentally berating himself for pulling a move like that. He speed out of the parking lot he peeled down the highway at a dangerous pace. Before he even saw the car coming at him, they hit. Tristan's car flipped and Tristan was rendered unconscious.

*****

"Mom" Rory yelled as she came in the door of her house. "Mom are you here?"

"I'm right here doll" Lorelei came out of the kitchen with the phone in her hand and a grave look on her face.

"Mom what's wrong?"

"Rory, doll come here and sit down" Lorelei motioned to the couch.

She sat down next to her mother "What is it mom? Is it Grandpa?"

"No, Ror, Hun, Tristan is in a bad way."

"Wha--, What do you mean?"

"He has been in a accident. The driver of the other car was drunk and going the wrong way. They, They don't know if he'll make it"

"No that can't be right" She started toward the door "I have to go there, mom, I need to get to the hospital, he can't leave when the last thing he saw of me was me running away from him"

"Okay, Okay Rory Calm down Breath, just breath. I'll get the keys you go out to the jeep we will talk on the way there."

She climbed into the passenger's seat of the jeep and sat there thinking of what she was going to do when she saw him. She needed him to be okay. Her mother bolted out the door with her purse in one hand and her keys in the other. They got out of Starr's Hollow as fast as they could.

"So why were you running away from Tristan?"

"He um, he kissed me I got scared and I ran away"

"Why were you scared you said yourself that you still love him."

"I do but I wasn't ready. Please can we stop talking about it?"

"Sorry baby" The rest of the ride to the hospital was silent beside the occasional sob of Rory. When they arrived at the hospital Rory bolted through the doors of the emergency room and ran to the nurse's station. "Where is Tristan DuGrey?"

"I'm sorry young lady he is not able to have visitor's right now."

"No you don't understand I have to see him right now."

"Are you related to Mr. DuGrey?

"No, But—"

"Well then you can not see him right now"

Lorelei was standing behind Rory the whole time.

"Listen if you don't let my daughter back there to see Tristan DuGrey, you will have to deal with me and I have only had two cups of coffee today"

The nurse did the once over of Lorelei seeing that this woman was dangerously close to exploding. "Your daughter may go in now he is room 207"

Lorelei gave her a mischievous grin and said thank you. She turned around to see that Rory had already bolted through the doors.

*****

Rory walked into Tristan's room so silently she couldn't even hear he own footsteps.

"Tris" She said quietly "Oh man Tris I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have run away. I—I need you to stay with me."

She studied Him over he had scratches all over his arms and a brace on his neck but his face was untouched it was as perfect and beautiful as it always had been.

"I shouldn't have left you I should have been there with you. I should have told that *tears start to fall* told you that I love you" She leaned over him and placed a soft kiss on his lips. She started to get up to go but she felt his fingers wrap around her hand and she froze.

"Tris?"

"I'm not letting you run away this time."

"Oh my gosh Tristan" she leaned down and scooped him into her embrace.

"Ow, ow ,ow"

"Oh I'm sorry" Tears were pouring out of her eyes by now. He reached up and wiped them away.

"Hey don't cry Mary, don't cry I wouldn't leave you like this."

She slowly slide into the bed next to him so she wouldn't hurt him. "I so sorry Tris, I never meant to run. You shocked me I wasn't ready for that"

"Hey it's okay Mary we're even"

"What? Wait? You were awake weren't you?"

He gave his sad puppy dog eyes "Maybe" He sat himself up slowly and she sat up with him. He wiped the tear from her eyes once more. And as he had so many times before he claimed her lips with his and pulled her as close as possible. When they pulled away, he brushed he face up against hers so his lips were next to her ear. His breath tickled her neck as he almost inaudibly whispered "I Love you too…Mary"