A/N: I hope you like this chapter and reviews are always welcome ^.^ okay, okay and to all the 1000 miles readers no i will not take long to put the next chapter us and yes i am typing right now . spend my life with you is due for an update too...but yeah at least i updated this one ^.^ have fun reading...thatz the important thing!

Nothing Else Comes Close

Chapter One: Starting to get the picture

::Head office at Peters and Associates::

With the sound of party horns and the sight of confetti spraying in the air, Archibald Maximillion entered his impressive, four-million-dollar office for the last time. Of course, his real name wasn't Archibald Maximillion; such a powerful name was only gifted to blue-blooded people. His real name was Jon Peters, but Rory and her co-workers unanimously agreed that the name Jon Peters was just too simple for such a prominent and complicated man as Archibald Maximillion. But even with his hard-driving determination, his backbreaking deadlines, and his seemingly never-ending ability to lecture, he was not immortal. His sideburns, touched with grey, were a telltale sign of this, and, with great reluctance, he had decided to hand his company, Peters and Associates, into the hands of one of his closest benefactors; The Dugreys.

A large piece of cloth was strewn across Archibald's monumental, varnished oak table, which read: Farewell. Blinking back a tear Archie beamed at his employees, and almost smiled- a very rare phenomenon indeed. Rory Gilmore, one of Archie's young, new, sizzling-hot journalists, who, in Archibald's opinion was showing the potential of being a more successful editor than himself, hurried forwards with what looked like a farewell present.

For you, Mr. Maximillion.

She smiled at him and held the gift out.

It was enclosed in golden wrapping paper and tied up with a blue ribbon. Archie looked at the present with excitement to rival a young child on Christmas morning. He fumbled clumsily with the blue ribbon and ripped through the golden wrapping enthusiastically. Then, seeing what was inside, he paused, and then let out a loud, throaty laugh.

Inside the golden wrapping paper was a silver plaque with the following inscription engraved in fancy, flowing letters.

This Award is presented to Archibald Maximillion For Never Telling Us What We Wanted To Hear, But Always Telling Us What We Needed To Hear

Archie brushed back a tear and then spontaneously embraced the startled Rory in a hug. She hugged him back obligingly, and when they pulled apart she was smiling.

You're going to go on to great things, Archie said softly, staring at Rory straight in the eye. Then motioned his hands outward. All of you. Great people who will go on to great things.

Every single person in the office broke into applause, and there were few dry eyes. I just wish I were here to see it, he murmured sadly. But the Dugreys will take good care of this company, I'm sure of it.

DugreyRory racked her brains, trying to remember where she had heard that name before, but to no avail.

Ah! And there's your new chief editor now! Archie said, his face brightening and his eyes twinkling at somebody who had just entered the room. Rory turned around to see who it was. She was surprised to find that it was the young businessman who had helped her out a couple of days ago. Her face reddened at the memory, and she was shocked that this man was going to be her new boss! Rory was sure that she could not feel more surprised than she did at that moment, but was determined not to show it. Her guise fell away completely, though, with what Archie said next.

Everybody, please welcome your new boss, Tristan Dugrey!

*

::A dinner room in an expensive hotel – farewell dinner::

Cheers to Archie!

Rory clinked her glass against Marie Redding's, with a huge smile on her face. Rory didn't really talk to Marie all that much. They didn't really have much in common, besides the fact that they worked in the same building. Marie was a formatter, and although Rory admitted that she was gifted at styling and decorating the newspaper articles, she really wasn't mentally equipped for anything more challenging than that. Not that Rory held this against her. It was just that Rory didn't know much about the quality of different brands of nail polish or the best shampoo products to use, and beyond those things, Marie was lost for conversation topics.

But tonight Rory was not her normal self. She was a giggly, chirpy, little miss popularity, unlike the witty, optimistic yet strangely sarcastic, bubble of furious energy that she usually was. Her real friends, of whom she had only spoken to once, a hurried hello', before she rushed off to find Marie, were staring at her worried from a safe distance across the room.

In actual fact Rory was talking to Marie for her stimulating conversational skills, but for her doe brown eyes and shapely figure. Although Rory would never, ever admit it to anyone, the truth was that she was trying to impress Tristan. She saw Tristan eying Marie with interest earlier in Archie's office, so she thought that if she acted like she was a good friend of Marie's, Tristan might eye her as well. Though the reason that she wanted Tristan to eye her was completely lost on her.

I'm married. Rory thought to herself, and instinctively moved her hand to touch her wedding ring, but found that it wasn't on her finger. Then she remembered. I'm not married anymore

Without warning, tears formed in Rory's eyes. She was less than half listening to what Marie was saying, nodding every so often but not really taking anything in. Involuntarily her thoughts shifted over to Dean, and how she hadn't seen him in over a month. She remembered a newspaper article she had read that morning about a bus crash in which there were still four unidentified people --- who were dead.

Dean could be one of those peopleRory thought suddenly. And I wouldn't even know!

And then Rory remembered David. What do I tell him? That is father might be dead? That I wouldn't care if he were alive?

Rory was shocked at herself for thinking such a thought. Do I hate him that much? Yes.

This was too much for Rory. The tears that had been welling dangerously in her eyes finally fell, and she tried to hold back a sob.

Rory? Is everything okay? Marie laid a concerned, manicured hand on her shoulder. Through her tears Rory could see her friends on the other side of the room, starting to head over to her. It took Rory a moment to realise she didn't want them to comfort her. She needed some space.

Muttering some excuse to Marie about the combined affects of hay fever and Archie's farewell, she hurried off to the nearest door she could find. Thankfully the door led outside, into the hotel foyer. Holding a hand up to her face to muffle the sobs, she quickly ran, as fast as her high heels would let her, outside onto the sidewalk. Sitting on a cold concrete step, it was there that she let go and cried all the sorrows that were in her heart.

*

Tristan leant over the reception desk, a little embarrassed.

Can I have some more of those peppermint things? he asked the pretty receptionist lady.

Of course, she smiled at him obligingly, and handed the handsome blonde guy the entire basket of sweets, making sure that he caught a glimpse of her wedding ring. Tristan flashed a smile in turn and took the basket.

Let me give you a tip he said, and reached into his pocket for some stray coins, but instead his hand fell on the ring Rory had given him a couple of days before. As he thought about her, by some strange coincidence, he saw her, rushing out of the room the dinner was in and out into the sidewalk.

On second thoughts, I'll have to take a raincheck he murmured, and walked out to join the pretty girl who was crying shamelessly on the sidewalk. He sat down silently next to her and put an arm around her shoulder. She fell into his arms crying.

*

Dean was pretty drunk. Even he knew that. He had been spending the last three days and nights in a bar, with his new friends, Truckie and he couldn't quite remember the other guys name. All he knew was that he was walking sluggishly on a sidewalk, bumping into walls and people. Who could be bothered walking straight, anyway? Not him, that's for sure.

He passed a fancy hotel. People were eating and drinking inside. Drinking. Dean grinned. Turning his head to the side absently he caught sight of a girl with brown hair in the arms of a blonde guy. Brown hairbrown hairRory! His Rory! In the arms of another man!

He called out, not aware the he was slurring his words. The brown haired girl turned around, surprise in her blue, blue eyes, which were rimmed with red. She stood up quickly and came towards him, worried. Leave me alone! he roared, hurt clear on his face even in his drunken state. He turned around and started walking off.

Dean! Wait! he heard his wife call out from behind him, but he didn't care.

*

Tristan watched the exchange silently. When it was over, he touched Rory's shoulder softly. Don't go after him, he whispered.

But to Tristan's surprise she recoiled. Don't touch me! she shrieked, and ran back into the hotel, leaving Tristan staring at the spot where she was standing. He was starting to get the picture now

Sighing, he walked obligingly back into the hotel.