A/N: Chapter Six! Oh, and Dontia, I've been thinking about what you said and I agree… I just wish I could, because I love happy endings.

I wish I could post more than every other day, but I've got finals coming up, so I'd be fine keeping up with it now, but in two weeks, in the midst of finals… well, let's just say I'd be posting a lot of chapters because I'd miss the due time. Good for you, but once again, bad for me. I know I'm rambling, but I just thought I'd mention it.

To Literati (R/J) Fans: (this is especially to Cat and Jess' Gurl) PLEASE do not stop reading. Even if Rory and Tristan do get together, I promise I will make a spin-off type thing where Rory and Jess get together, but you have to keep reading for it to make sense.

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. Trust me, I can. *smiles proudly* I learned it from Peeves. (sorry, I'm also into Harry Potter)

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"We're home!" Rory yelled into the house. "There's a minor with me!" Rory had learned to make sure that Lorelai knew they were home before coming into the living room. Six years earlier, when Lorelai and Luke had started going out, she'd walked in on quite a few make-out sessions. And now that Luke was living with them… well, she definitely did not want to walk in on anything.

"Hey, honey!" Lorelai walked into the foyer. "Hello, Tricia. And how," she said, bending down, "Is my favorite 12-year-old doing?"

Tricia laughed, "I'm fine, Grandma." Rory knew her mother was probably cringing inwardly. She'd tried to get Tricia to call her Lorelai, but to no avail. Lorelai thought Grandma sounded so old … and cold, as well. But, oh well, too late to fret now.

"How was school?" Lorelai asked, walking them into the kitchen.

"Good. I got an A on that math test I took yesterday. We have to write a paper about the Civil War. It's due in one week, and it's supposed to be two pages long," Tricia said. "Oh! I've got to go finish my book!" She raced out of the kitchen and into her room – Rory's old room.

Lorelai sighed. "She's just like you were at that age. I guess the book-loving gene decided not to skip a generation this time."

"Yeah." Rory paused. "Mom, I need to talk to you about something. Upstairs."

Lorelai frowned. "Okay… you sound serious."

"I am." She got up and walked up the stairs, Lorelai following behind her. When they reached Rory's new room – well, relatively new. She'd actually had it for about eight years, ever since they decided that Tricia could have a room of her own. Rory sat down on the full bed and took a deep breath. "Tristan's back."

***

Rory and Lorelai were seated at the table, a pot of coffee between them. Well, it had been a pot of coffee. Now it was just an empty pot. Luke sat next to Lorelai. He had gotten back from Doose's a half hour earlier.

"So." That was Luke.

"So…" Lorelai said.

"Well, what's going to happen?" He retorted.

Rory sighed. "We're going to the movies tomorrow, like I said. What I didn't mention before was that I warned him. After I said I'd let him into our – mine and Tricia's – lives, I said 'But if you leave us again, no matter what the reason, trust me when I tell you there'll be hell to pay.'"

"Oooh." Lorelai said.

Luke looked contemplatively at Rory. "Why'd you say that?"

"Well…" Rory trailed off, looking at her mother. Lorelai's eyes flashed with understanding.

"Christopher," she said, in almost a whisper.

Luke's head jerked back to look at Lorelai. "What about him?"

"She's afraid that what happened with Christopher will happen with Tristan."

"But …" Luke trailed off.

"It took me twenty years to really get over him, and another five before I found you." She smiled sadly at Luke. "She doesn't want that to happen to her."

Rory looked at Lorelai and Luke, lost in each other's eyes. She slowly pushed her chair back and stood up, leaving the two to each other. Walking into the living room, she picked up a book she had left on the coffee table and opened it.

***

After two hours, she had finished the book. There weren't any sounds coming from the kitchen. Dusk was setting in. She bundled up in her coat and mittens and walked towards the lake. Since that day, eleven years ago, when she had cried her heart out there, the bridge had become refuge of hers. She kept her head down against the bitter wind, and started to jog. When she reached it, she looked up and saw that Jess was already sitting there. She started to turn around, but he beat her to it and caught her eye.

"Don't leave. There's more than enough room." He smiled at her, "Besides, I'd like the company."

Rory sat down a few feet from him and said, frowning, "Why aren't you at the diner?"

"Luke came in and said I could go."

"Really? He barely works there anymore …"

"Yeah, I know. I've closed up every night for six months, ever since he moved in with you guys."

"Can you believe they finally got together? I mean, for at least … what? Twelve years or so, he'd been in love with her."

Jess laughed. "It was probably longer. I can't believe it took him that long to ask her out. It's not like it was a secret either. Well, I suppose Lorelai didn't notice, but you can sure as hell bet that everyone else did."

"Yeah. I think he was just afraid of what would happen if it didn't work out, or if Lorelai even felt that way about him," Rory smiled. Jess smiled back, and Rory felt her heart flip over in her chest. That was weird. That had never happened before. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Jess spoke.

"Do you remember when we had that picnic? It was fourteen years ago. I outbid Dean for your basket."

Rory smiled, "Yeah. That was fun." Her smile grew wider. "I still can't believe you ate that."

Jess' face broke into a grin, "Hey, anything to impress a girl." He laughed, but Rory frowned inwardly. Was there a hidden meaning in what he'd just said? Oh, well. She wasn't in the mood to analyze anything.

They stayed on the bridge, laughing, talking about the past, and dreaming about the possible future.