Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls!

Chapter Three

They were both seated in the back seat of the car five minutes later.

"To the airport, Carl," Tristan said to the driver.

"Yes sir,"

Rory started to speak first. "Tristan, I'm sorry I said those things, but lately, I'm talking more to your secretary then I am to you,"

A while after Rory said that Tristan spoke. "Rory I'm going to say something and I don't want you to interrupt,"

Rory nodded.

"Okay. Rory, you taught me to be less materialistic, you taught me to appreciate what I had back in high school even if you didn't know it then. I started thinking about the people in my life, telling myself to care about them... because before you came into my life, I didn't. After military school, I really improved my relationship with my dad. We have a much better relationship now, and I don't want to loose that. Plus, Rory, you know my dad has health problems. He wants me to 'keep the DuGrey legacy alive' and everything. He doesn't want anyone who isn't a DuGrey to run the family firm. I don't want to disappoint him. You can't say that my work is more important to me, because my work is for my dad. You and my dad are equally important to me,"

Rory nodded. "I understand," she said. "Actually no, I don't. Tristan, you've already pleased your dad! You do practically everything at the firm! He's happy with what you're doing! You're never satisfied, you've turned into such a perfectionist and workaholic!"

"Rory-"

"Don't 'Rory' me Tristan. You're doing a lot more than want your dad wants from you,"

Tristan put a hand over her mouth. "Rory, look... I'm sorry. I know I've been working hard, it's just… I never feel like I've done enough,"

Rory shook her head and smiled. When she spoke again, it was more gently. "Tristan, you know he's never been the one for showing his feelings, but the night before we got married, he spoke to me. He told me how proud he was of you, and he told me that I should realize what a good person I was getting,"

"Where did you go to learn to do that?"

"Do what?"

"Say exactly what I need to hear,"

Rory just smiled back at him.

Tristan smiled. "I love you so much,"

Rory didn't say anything, but gave him a kiss I am hesitant to describe. Suddenly, Tristan's cell phone rang. Tristan broke away from her to answer it. Rory sighed in exasperation.

"Tristan DuGrey here,"

"Dad, yeah... I'm on my way."

"Not really,"

"Yes,"

"I picked them up yesterday,"

"No, the hearing was postponed to Friday,"

"He already filed it,"

"I asked them to refile it..."

"The appeal is scheduled for next Saturday,"

Rory gave up waiting for Tristan to finish speaking. She looked out the window for the rest of the trip.

Before long, they had arrived at the airport, and Tristan had finally put his cell phone down.  They both got out of the car. Rory accompanied Tristan as he checked in.

"Rory, I've still got an hour before my plane leaves. Do you want to go to Starbucks? It's right over there," Tristan said, pointing to the cafe inside the airport, to their left. Rory looked at Tristan. "I'll let you get more than two,"

"Seven?"

"Don't push your luck. Four,"

"That's it?"

"Three more to bring home,"

"Bribery... playing on my weakness..." she muttered. Tristan grinned. "All right, Oh Evil One, lead the way,"

They spent the next hour talking, bantering, and flirting... like they used to do.

"I can't believe I called you a workaholic!"

 Tristan laughed. "Who would have thought… if when I was in high school and someone had told me that I, Tristan DuGrey would be a workaholic ten years later, I would have told them to go to hell,"

"Paris and I would never have believed it!" Rory said, all thoughts of their fight and her sickness forgotten.

"Hey! I did have good grades!" Tristan said defensively, mock-angered at her insinuation.

"Uh..."

"I was only .3 under you!"

"Until you got kicked out," Rory pointed out.

"I did not get kicked out, I left. There's a difference," Tristan said mock-threateningly, leaning closer.

"Don't worry... I agreed to marry you, didn't I" Rory grinned.

"Why you..." and Tristan pressed his lips on hers.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ten minutes before the plane started boarding, Tristan and Rory got up.

"This is where I have to go..." Rory said, kissing Tristan on the cheek. Tristan pulled Rory back. "I love you..." he whispered.

"You said that already," she whispered back.

"Just so you don't forget," he smiled. "See you in a while, Mary."

Rory nodded, trying to blink back tears. "Bye, Bible Boy,"

"Neat, alliteration," he joked.

Rory grinned, though tears were starting to fall.

Tristan wiped them away. "You sure do a lot of crying around me," he grinned.

She laughed through her tears. "Bye," and hugged him.

He walked to the security checkpoint. "Oh, what were you going to tell me?"

"What?"

"Before we left for the airport. You were going to tell me something...?"

"Oh..." Rory said. "Uhhh... nothing…"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tristan looked away, a disgusted look on his face. "I never should have left. I should have listened. I should have noticed something. But I didn't. I was so blind... and so… stupid that I didn't see what was right under my nose.

I didn't know she was sick... now that I think about it; she was paler... and thinner.  When I came back, I relived that last conversation every single moment… those last few moments when she said she had 'nothing' to say to me. I relive the whole night nearly everyday. I never had that library door fixed... I let that new maid keep her job... I hired a gardener to keep those plants she planted..."

Angela smiled sadly. "It sounds like you loved her a lot... but you can't keep blaming yourself, you had your problems too-"

Tristan snorted bitterly. "You wouldn't say that if you knew what I did..."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Rory, honey, you should have told him," Lorelei said gently. They were both seated at the counter at Luke's, with steaming mugs of coffee in their hands. "Especially since Paris told you that,"

 Rory sighed. "It was just so hard... there was so much tension between us... it just didn't seem important then. And after that, everything was so perfect… It was like he was there again. It's like Tristan, my husband, the man I love was there again, not Tristan the big corporate lawyer, who every lawyer has heard of. We haven't had that connection- at least not without it being cut short by a business call- for so long... I didn't want to ruin it,"

"Rory, you can't dodge around the issue. It is important. Rory, you could be dying," Lorelei said, afraid of the very thought. "Are you aware what cancer is? I mean, millions of people-"

"Could be, mom, the key words are could be dying. And I'm not," Rory said flatly.

"Not what?" Luke said, joining the conversation.

"Not going to tell Tristan that she has leukemia," Lorelei filled in.

"Rory, you have to!" Luke scolded as he set down a plate of fries for them. "When is Tristan coming back?"

"In five months,"

"Why so long?"

"He's going for a one month conference, then a three month convention a month later. It's not practical for him to go home for a month, then go again, so he decided just to stay there,"

"So you're going to tell him by phone?"

"No… I'll tell him when he comes back. I want to tell him in person,"

"Rory, that's too long! What if…" Lorelei bit her lip. "What if it's too late by then?"

"It's not going to be too late. When he comes back, it's going to be over. He'll be shocked, but he won't worry,"

"Don't you think he'd be hurt as well?"

Rory looked questioningly at her mother. "Why would he be hurt?"

"Because you hid something this big from him,"

"It's not like it was a big torrid affair, I wasn't hurting him, I was protecting and helping him,"

"It would hurt him because this something is hurting you," Lorelei said.

"And Rory, by not telling him about it, you're giving yourself a harder time. Tristan could really help you through all this…" Luke chided.

"I'm not the one who needs helping now, he does. Now, he really needs my support. I don't need his. I can handle this on my own. Most of our relationship was always he doing things for me. This is my turn to do something for him…"

The older couple looked at Rory, then at each other. Rory started to get up. "I've got to go…" she started walking away.

Lorelei nodded almost imperceptibly. Discreetly, Luke reached for the phone. Rory whirled around. "Don't even think about it! I want to tell him. Promise me you two won't do anything," she said.

They nodded. "All right Rory," Luke said.

"Not even hinting or calling to say something's wrong, mom…"

"All right! I promise!"

"Not e-mailing, or telegraphing, or Morse coding, or signaling, or-"

"Rory… I swear. I won't try to find any loopholes,"

"Swear?"

"Swear. If not, may the coffee gods strike me down, and make me allergic to coffee beans,"

"You too, Luke?"

Luke smiled. "Of course, Rory,"

"Coffee gods strike you down?"

Luke nodded. "Coffee gods strike me down,"

            They both watched the girl who meant so much to them walk out the door. Or at least Luke did. "Lorelei, don't even think of reaching for that coffee pot,"

            "You'd think a depressing conversation like this allowed me a little coffee," Lorelei grumbled, withdrawing her hand.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

*Ring, ring* the phone inside their room rang. Rory sleepily opened her eyes. "Tristan, would you get that?" she murmured, reaching out a hand to the other side of the bed. No Tristan. Rory sighed, and rolled over to Tristan's side of the bed. She picked up the phone.

"Hello?" she said groggily.

"Yes, is this the McDonalds 24 hour delivery service? I'd like to order one large fries, one big Mac, one large diet coke…"

Despite her tiredness, Rory smiled, "You woke me up to hear this pathetic joke, Bible Boy?"

Tristan laughed. "Well, I just arrived at dad's house in Paris. I wanted to call you, just so you wouldn't worry. Actually, no, that's a lie. I just wanted to hear your voice,"

"And now you're hearing it say good-bye. Evil One, you are depriving me of sleep!"

"Why am I back to Evil One? I thought I graduated to Tristan the God?"

"Because you won't be here to make coffee for me tomorrow. Hence, you are Evil One, depriver of good coffee,"

"After all these years, you can't make it yourself?"

"You and Luke make the best coffee… the only difference is you give in more than he does,"

"Is that it?"

"Well… yeah. Why do you think I married you? The only reason I did marry you was because of your fabulous coffee-making skills,"

"I thought it was because of my irresistible drop-dead, gorgeous looks?"

"Hmmm… you're lucky you can make good coffee. I can ignore the huge ego,"

"What? You don't consider me-"

Faint voice in the background

"Look Ror, got to go… Dad wants to discuss some things, I love you,"

"I love you too, call me when *click* -can," Rory hung up the phone, putting it back in its cradle feeling strangely... defeated.