Disclaimer: With the exception of my coffee binge delusions I don't own anything. I'm also not the ruler of the world…coffee gives me delusions of grandeur ::sigh::
A/N: I'd just like to say that reviewers have restored my faith in humanity. Everytime I'm like that's it people are nuts, down with people. I look at reviews and see that nice people really do exist outside of TV (sorry I haven't had my coffee yet so I'm not exactly what you would call coherent or well—sane) But really thanks for all the reviews, they mean so much to me. Sorry this part took so long. I could give you all the excuses but you really don't need to be bored. To sum it up college is not like Dawson's Creek (I'm a little bitter, where's my half naked Charlie??). Anyway please review and tell me what you think. I tried to make this part longer.
Part Nine
Tristan sat staring at the sleek black cordless phone in his hand. His fingers hovering above the numbers, his mind avidly debating the consequences of his actions. With a muffled groan he threw the phone across the room, it landed softly on his king sized bed. He had been back in Hell aka Hartford for 2 days.
He had returned to his family estate to find it practically deserted. On the end table in the foyer was an envelope with his names hastily scrawled on it. The contents stated that his mother had won the house in the settlement and his parents would share joint custody. The tasteful post-script from the lawyer informed Tristan that both his parents were celebrating with their lovers. His father was at St. Thomas and his mother at the villa in the south of France. He would be on his own, with the staff of course, until the beginning of school.
It wasn't that bad, not really. He thought. Usually he wouldn't mind it at all. He just felt so damn…lonely. He missed her—a lot. And with a very un-Tristan like sigh, he flopped on his bed closed his eyes and dreamed.
Meanwhile Rory was sitting in her room back in Stars Hollow frustrated she threw down Jane Eyre. She had been trying to take her mind off the situation by rereading an old favorite. She had been swept up in a whirlwind since returning home.
She and her grandparents returned late in the afternoon. Her mom was waiting for her at her grandparents with a cup of Luke's coffee, Rory remembered smiling, and then remembering the subsequent conversion in the car she stopped smiling.
Lorelai had tried to bide her time but 15 minutes into the ride back to Stars Hollow she was ready to explode, "So are you going to tell me about the boy?"
Rory tried to suppress her groan and look innocent, "What boy?"
Lorelai turned towards her daughter, completely ignoring that fact that she was driving and her eyes should probably be on the road. "What boy? How about Satan himself Tristan DuGrey."
"Mom watch the road!" Rory yelled as the car swerved.
"Answer the question, my pretty." Lorelai replied doing her best Wicked Witch of the West imitation.
"How did you find out about him? Cause if you are really a witch as suspected, the town will have to burn you at the stake, you know that right."
"Stop trying to avoid the topic. And for your information Grandma told me about him the 'lovely DuGrey boy' you spent the whole vacation with. So spill missy."
Rory concentrated on the passing scenery as she formulated a response. "Tristan was there with his grandparents also. I discovered that contrary to previous assumptions he can act human. So we hung out. No big deal." She said trying to sound nonchalant.
"Hun, something is telling me this is bigger than 'no big deal' but I'll let it go…for now."
And she had thought Rory. Lorelai had surprisingly refrained from bringing up the subject of Tristan. Dean on the other hand…had only been more suspicious and possessive since she returned. He didn't know about Tristan. Not that there was anything to know, Rory quickly corrected herself. Nothing happened, they were just friends. Are just friends? Will be just friends? Err, she thought, screw the tense, the key word was friends. Nothing more—right?
"Rooooooory! Lorelai? Hello anyone? I'm back, I actually made it back!!" Lane Kim screamed as she entered the familiar Gilmore household.
Rory emerged from her bedroom and ran to hug her best friend. "Thank god you're back."
"Wow happy to see you too." Lane laughed as she pulled back from the bone-crushing hug. "What have I missed?"
Rory preceded to fill Lane in on everything she had missed in Stars Hollow. And Lane regaled Rory with tales from Korea finally conceding it wasn't nearly as bad as she thought. The girls were both catching their breath after their whirlwind conversation, when Lane weighing everything Rory had said verses what had not been said and perceptively asked, "What haven't you told me?"
"Lane I've just spent the past hour filling you in on everything that has happened in Stars Hollow since you left for the airport."
"Yes you've given me every detail of what happened in Stars Hollow. But you've skimmed over your 2 weeks in the Vineyard. There's a reason for that and as your best friend I demand to know it."
Rory buried her head into the sofa hoping it would just absorb her and end her misery and confusion. But no such luck.
"Rory…"Lane warned, "tell me!"
"Ugh! This is all his fault!" Rory muttered.
Lane's ears perked up at this "Him? Who him? Dean?"
"No not Dean." Rory mumbled not meeting her friends inquiring eyes.
"There's a non-Dean?" Lane asked shocked, this wasn't what she had been expecting. "Well who is this mystery man?"
Rory met her friend's gaze finally and defeated responded, "It's Tristan."
"Tristan?" Lane suddenly placing the name, "Tristan!! Chilton Tristan, he-who-calls-you-Mary-and-makes-your-life-a-living-hell Tristan!"
"The one in the same. Except he's not the same." Rory pondered. "He's different now. Not like a total 360 suddenly he's a choirboy. He still can act like a complete jerk sometimes. But he can also be so much fun, and a really great listener. He's…complicated."
"Of course he would be. Cause any other way would be too easy." Lane said sagely. "So what does Dean think of this newfound friendship?"
The question was answered by the awkward silence that ensued.
"You haven't told."
"There's nothing to tell." Rory defended.
"He's not going to be happy about this." Lane commented.
"I know." Rory sighed. "I don't want to start another argument. But he can't tell me who I can and can't be friends with. I'll tell him soon. I promise."
"Have you spoken to Tristan since you got home?" Lane asked while gathering her things to leave. It was almost time for her curfew.
"No. I've wanted to call him…"
"But?" Lane prompted.
"But—I'm afraid it's going to be weird and he'll revert back into the spawn of Satan. Or he doesn't want to talk to me."
Lane laughed at her painfully naïve friend, "Rory call him." As she exited the door she mumbled under her breath, "Clueless, the girl is completely clueless."
Hours later Rory sat on her bed the phone in her hand. Summoning her courage she dialed the number she had committed to memory. It rang 5 times and just as she was about to hang up—
"Hello." A slightly sleepy voice answered.
"I woke you up! I'm sorry I'll call back another time." Rory panicked.
"Rory?" Tristan questioned thinking this was another dream.
"Yeah."
"Don't hang up. Talk to me princess. Couldn't resist me huh?"
Rory softly laughed the tension gone now. "Yeah that must be it." She said sarcastically.
"So really why are you calling? Not that I'm complaining. On the contrary I'm glad you called." He explained.
Rory swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat, "I missed you."
Tristan smiled at her soft admission, "I missed you too." There was pause and then he asked "So what have I missed in the Stars Hollow Saga?"
"Well Luke and Taylor---" Rory began to launch into the soap opera that is her town, she lay her head down on her pillow. God, she had missed him.
The button's calling you…it's saying "click me, give the coffee deprived author some wonderful feedback so she'll adore you forever" Go on just listen to the button!
I'm not the only one who hears the button….right??
