A/N: Here is the fifth chapter! I have three things to say.

1) Just so you guys know, I know precisely where all of this is going, even though I'm still trying to figure out some of how to get there without alienating some of you. Therefore, everyone will have a happy ending. Which is actually good, since I love happy endings, but I'm still trying to figure out how to maneuver it so that it is happy for all the characters. Phew! That's gonna be difficult.

2) A note on the time thing. I will post every chapter by 10:00 p.m. Eastern time (9:00 p.m. Central), but I can put it up as early as 5:00 p.m. Eastern time (4:00 p.m. Central).

3) I have a challenge for you guys. What does Tristan do? What is his job, where does he work, etc.? I don't know, but I'm sure you guys have some ideas. You can either put your answer in your review, or you can e-mail me: hasapi3@hotmail.com. Thanks!

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: R/T, R/J

Disclaimer: I do not own "Gilmore Girls." That is owned by Amy Sherman-Palladino and the WB. I do, however, own most of this storyline (some was taken from previous episodes), so steal that and I will haunt you for the rest of your life.

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Rory watched Tristan leave the diner. They had decided that Tristan, Rory, and Tricia would go to the movies the next day. Tristan was staying in Hartford, with his parents. Rory was going to talk to Tricia about him tonight, so that she wouldn't have to explain it later. She only hoped that she wouldn't have to carry through with her threat. But experience with her father had told her not to take chances. Rory thought back to the second time Tristan had asked her to marry him …

Tristan and Rory walked to the front of the house and Tristan called for attention. "Hello, and thank you for coming," he began. "As you all know, this is our daughter's first birthday party, and I wanted to say something to her mother."

Rory furrowed her brow. What? He hadn't said he was going to do anything other than thank everyone for coming and hope they have a nice time and all of that crap. He was still talking…

"Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, I love you. You are the light of my life, and I don't know what I'd ever do without you. I'm going to ask you something I've asked you only once before, and this time I hope you'll give me a different answer." Rory started to feel panicked. He wouldn't…would he? "Rory, will you become my wife, and let me spend the rest of my life devoting myself to you?"

Rory's eyes filled with tears and she dashed off the porch toward the lake. When she got there, she sat on the bridge. She felt Tristan come up behind her.

"Rory? What is it? Why did you leave like that?"

Rory laughed bitterly. "You know, you might have told me you were going to do that. It would have saved you the embarrassment."

"But why? Why not?"

"Because … it's fine this way, don't you see? Tristan, this … thing … it reminds me too much of what happened with my parents. It has taken my mother nineteen – almost twenty – years to get over my father. And even now, I have my doubts. But I don't want that to happen to me, to us. You … remind me of my father. You're restless. You don't much like to stay in one place for a long time. I'm amazed that we've stayed together for so long, considering your past relationships. Tristan," she began, turning to face him. "I love you, you know that right? But that's why I have to let you go. I don't think that it'll work. Not only, like I mentioned before, is it too much like what happened with my parents, but, think about it. I'm only 19 years old! I don't want to get married this early in life. It would never work. We're not even finished with college yet. You're still going to Princeton. And I'm still going to the community college."

"But there are community colleges near Princeton. We could get an apartment, and –"

"No, Tristan. I'm not willing to leave this community. I want my daughter to grow up in a safe place. New Jersey can't guarantee that. Stars Hollow can. The worst thing she'll have to live through is a twenty-four hour dance marathon."

"Fine. I'm leaving. Don't expect me to come back," and with that, he turned around and left.

After about ten minutes, Rory heard approaching footsteps. "Mom…"

"It's not Lorelai," a male voice said.

"Jess?" Rory turned around. He sat next to her and looked out at the water.

"What happened?"

"We … had a fight. He wants me to marry him and move to New Jersey. I didn't want to. He left. He said he wouldn't be coming back." Her eyes filled with tears, threatening to spill over. "Please leave, Jess. I don't want you to see me like this."

But he didn't leave. Instead, he turned towards her and took her in his arms. Her tears spilled over, and Jess just held her, rocking her and whispering words of comfort in her ear. They sat like that until dusk, when Rory was finally through crying. She sat up suddenly.

"Jess," she began.

"Don't worry about it." She opened her mouth to say something, but Jess interrupted her. "And if you're worried they don't know where you are, I'm sure they understand that you'll want to be alone for a little while."

Rory smiled. "Thanks, Jess." She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. When she pulled back, she saw a light blush staining his cheeks. She frowned inwardly. Jess was blushing? Huh. Strange.

They stayed at the bridge for another hour, just talking. Books, mostly. College, some. But a lot of the time was spent in a comfortable silence.

And Tristan had kept his promise. He hadn't come back – until that day, of course. And they hadn't even heard from him, besides the child support checks he sent monthly, and birthday and Christmas cards for Tricia. He'd kept his silence with Rory for eleven years, and now he was back.