*Next morning. Lane and Rory are sitting in the dining hall eating
breakfast. Tristan is still asleep.
"So, what time did you get in last night?" Lane asks, looking up from her food.
"I left Tristan at 10, then I called Jess. I didn't want to wake you, so I just stayed in the hallway, and I was on the phone with him until 12."
"You two really don't do well with the whole separation thing do you?"
"That's the weird part. With him being home the last few weeks, I thought that I needed to get away, you know to let him relax and stop worrying, but after talking to him last night, I realized it wasn't him with the problem, it was me. Maybe I'm not putting enough emphasis on this situation. I mean having a baby, is a big deal." Rory says plainly.
"Yea, but I think you're doing just fine. Look at it this way; you've been working—
"So Has Jess." Rory interjects.
"…At home, it's different. He just got his crutches on Wednesday so he's been immobile for weeks on end. What else has he had to do? Give yourself credit. You've been working non stop; five days a week, while still attending your doctors appointments and all that other stuff."
"I guess you're right. I just feel guilty, do you realize that he has like 2 dozen names picked out already…I haven't even looked at one of the name books we bought." Rory says unhappily.
"You don't need books, to decide on a child's name." Tristan's voice cuts through the air causing Lane and Rory to flinch.
"Names are very important. Pick the wrong one and—
"Social suicide. I know." Tristan cuts Lane off.
"So how do you suggest we pick a name?" Rory asks skeptically.
"Easy. Pick a name that means something to you. You know like if I had a daughter, I'd name her Mary." Tristan replies matter-of-factly.
Tristan's words ring through Rory's ears, and she sighs.
*Sunday evening
*Jess/Rory's apartment.
"Man these things are heavy." Ryan says breathlessly.
"Don't be a wuss." Jess replies.
"Why are we doing this again?"
"So I can work on it tomorrow, and have it done by the time Rory gets home." Jess says irritably.
"Right. Um, here's the thing."
"What?"
"While you were in the bathroom…Lane called."
Jess' eyes go wide, "Why?"
"…Because they decided to leave early."
"Earlier than tomorrow?" Jess asks, the muscles in his neck tightening, "When are they coming back?"
"No—Ryan is cut off by the sound of the door opening, "Now." Ryan replies sheepishly.
Jess pushes Ryan, out of the office quickly, pulling the door closed as he enters the living room.
"Rory." Jess says under his breath, as Rory comes into sight.
Rory remains silent, rushing towards Jess. She puts her arms around his neck, holding him tightly.
"Missed me that much?"
"Even more."
Ryan moves towards Lane, kissing her cheek. "How about you?"
"Not even close," Lane replies with a smirk. "Did you go home at all this weekend?"
"No. I tried to yesterday, but he wouldn't let me." Ryan replies, pointing to Jess, "H-he used me, for slave labor." Ryan continues in a mock- anguished voice.
Rory looks up suddenly, noticing the office furniture scattered around the apartment. "Jess? Why is all this stuff out here?"
"Because."
"Jess." Rory moans playfully.
"Go, look." Jess says dejectedly. Rory squeals opening the office door, at the sight of the room, she stops, unable to move forward.
"I-it's empty." Rory says astounded.
"No, it's just unfinished." Jes replies from behind her pointing to a pile of paint cans."
Rory smiles, turning once again to Jess, "I don't believe you did this."
"Well, it would have been done if you had come home tomorrow night." Jess replies raising an eyebrow.
"Well, Tristan needed to be back for work…" Rory trails off
"Tristan?"
"Uh, yea. We're going to go." Ryan interjects pulling Lane towards the door.
"Call me tomorrow, Rory." Lane pipes in.
The door slams shut leaving Rory and Jess alone. "You were with Tristan, this weekend."
"Yes…but not intentionally. We stopped for coffee, and he was there…"
"So how did he end up in Boston, with you and Lane?"
"Jess, I don't know how to explain this to you. Please don't get angry."
"Did something happen?" Jess asks defensively, his face turning white.
"No, of course not. Let me explain…"
*An hour and a half later.
"…And then he decided he wanted to go back, you know get things in order."
"So, that's it?"
"Yeah. I was just…making amends."
"You're never going to change are you?" Jess asks slyly. "You have a thing for the lost don't you?"
"What?"
"First me and then him."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You saved us, Rory."
"From what?"
"Ourselves."
"Yea, well I could never turn down a hoodlum, now could I?" Rory says pulling Jess into a kiss.
"Hungry?"
"No. Just tired. It's almost 10."
"Yea."
"Coming to bed?"
"In a minute." Jess responds as Rory kisses him one more time before entering the bedroom.
A moment later, she reappears heading towards the bathroom. Jess watches her close the door. Moving silently into the living room he waits for the sound of the faucet before dialing the phone.
"Yes, operator; I'm looking for a Tristan Dugrey. Yes that's D-U-G-R-E-Y."
"So, what time did you get in last night?" Lane asks, looking up from her food.
"I left Tristan at 10, then I called Jess. I didn't want to wake you, so I just stayed in the hallway, and I was on the phone with him until 12."
"You two really don't do well with the whole separation thing do you?"
"That's the weird part. With him being home the last few weeks, I thought that I needed to get away, you know to let him relax and stop worrying, but after talking to him last night, I realized it wasn't him with the problem, it was me. Maybe I'm not putting enough emphasis on this situation. I mean having a baby, is a big deal." Rory says plainly.
"Yea, but I think you're doing just fine. Look at it this way; you've been working—
"So Has Jess." Rory interjects.
"…At home, it's different. He just got his crutches on Wednesday so he's been immobile for weeks on end. What else has he had to do? Give yourself credit. You've been working non stop; five days a week, while still attending your doctors appointments and all that other stuff."
"I guess you're right. I just feel guilty, do you realize that he has like 2 dozen names picked out already…I haven't even looked at one of the name books we bought." Rory says unhappily.
"You don't need books, to decide on a child's name." Tristan's voice cuts through the air causing Lane and Rory to flinch.
"Names are very important. Pick the wrong one and—
"Social suicide. I know." Tristan cuts Lane off.
"So how do you suggest we pick a name?" Rory asks skeptically.
"Easy. Pick a name that means something to you. You know like if I had a daughter, I'd name her Mary." Tristan replies matter-of-factly.
Tristan's words ring through Rory's ears, and she sighs.
*Sunday evening
*Jess/Rory's apartment.
"Man these things are heavy." Ryan says breathlessly.
"Don't be a wuss." Jess replies.
"Why are we doing this again?"
"So I can work on it tomorrow, and have it done by the time Rory gets home." Jess says irritably.
"Right. Um, here's the thing."
"What?"
"While you were in the bathroom…Lane called."
Jess' eyes go wide, "Why?"
"…Because they decided to leave early."
"Earlier than tomorrow?" Jess asks, the muscles in his neck tightening, "When are they coming back?"
"No—Ryan is cut off by the sound of the door opening, "Now." Ryan replies sheepishly.
Jess pushes Ryan, out of the office quickly, pulling the door closed as he enters the living room.
"Rory." Jess says under his breath, as Rory comes into sight.
Rory remains silent, rushing towards Jess. She puts her arms around his neck, holding him tightly.
"Missed me that much?"
"Even more."
Ryan moves towards Lane, kissing her cheek. "How about you?"
"Not even close," Lane replies with a smirk. "Did you go home at all this weekend?"
"No. I tried to yesterday, but he wouldn't let me." Ryan replies, pointing to Jess, "H-he used me, for slave labor." Ryan continues in a mock- anguished voice.
Rory looks up suddenly, noticing the office furniture scattered around the apartment. "Jess? Why is all this stuff out here?"
"Because."
"Jess." Rory moans playfully.
"Go, look." Jess says dejectedly. Rory squeals opening the office door, at the sight of the room, she stops, unable to move forward.
"I-it's empty." Rory says astounded.
"No, it's just unfinished." Jes replies from behind her pointing to a pile of paint cans."
Rory smiles, turning once again to Jess, "I don't believe you did this."
"Well, it would have been done if you had come home tomorrow night." Jess replies raising an eyebrow.
"Well, Tristan needed to be back for work…" Rory trails off
"Tristan?"
"Uh, yea. We're going to go." Ryan interjects pulling Lane towards the door.
"Call me tomorrow, Rory." Lane pipes in.
The door slams shut leaving Rory and Jess alone. "You were with Tristan, this weekend."
"Yes…but not intentionally. We stopped for coffee, and he was there…"
"So how did he end up in Boston, with you and Lane?"
"Jess, I don't know how to explain this to you. Please don't get angry."
"Did something happen?" Jess asks defensively, his face turning white.
"No, of course not. Let me explain…"
*An hour and a half later.
"…And then he decided he wanted to go back, you know get things in order."
"So, that's it?"
"Yeah. I was just…making amends."
"You're never going to change are you?" Jess asks slyly. "You have a thing for the lost don't you?"
"What?"
"First me and then him."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You saved us, Rory."
"From what?"
"Ourselves."
"Yea, well I could never turn down a hoodlum, now could I?" Rory says pulling Jess into a kiss.
"Hungry?"
"No. Just tired. It's almost 10."
"Yea."
"Coming to bed?"
"In a minute." Jess responds as Rory kisses him one more time before entering the bedroom.
A moment later, she reappears heading towards the bathroom. Jess watches her close the door. Moving silently into the living room he waits for the sound of the faucet before dialing the phone.
"Yes, operator; I'm looking for a Tristan Dugrey. Yes that's D-U-G-R-E-Y."
