Disclaimer : I haven't owned anything thus far, what makes you think
that has changed?
*sniffles* This is it. The end. It feels weird letting this story go, as its been almost a year in the works. But its time. After I post this, I'm taking a short fanfic hiatus (maybe a month or so) and then I'll return to my random story updates. I want to thank everyone who has taken their time to review/email/IM me with their thoughts, opinions, likes, dislikes etc for this story. When I first posted it, I never imagined it would get the response it did. A bigger thank you goes to Casti, with her incessant nagging about me writing this story when it was just a mere thought in my head. Well.. enough of that. Enjoy.
Don't Say You Love Me
Epilogue
Two Weeks Later.
Tristan took a deep breath as he pulled himself into a standing position and then took a step forward. He was at the rehabilitation center, for his usual session, but today was anything but ordinary. Today was the first time he was going to walk without the leg braces on. The doctor stood at his side, ready to catch him if at any point he looked like he was going to fall. Tristan gripped the steel bars that were on either side of him and took another step. His legs wobbled underneath him, but he stayed up. A few steps later, he was at the end of the bars and was promptly sat back down into a chair. His heart was beating erratically but there was a bright smile on his face.
"Excellent today, Tristan," Dr. Miller said, smiling warmly.
"Couldn't have done it without you, Doc," Tristan returned, winking.
Dr. Miller chuckled before shaking his head in amusement. "I somehow doubt that. Your determination alone got you to this point." Tristan merely shrugged at that and the doctor glanced around for a second. "So, you want to give it another go? See if maybe next time you come in we can get you walking without the bars?"
The idea appealed to him greatly, and Tristan nodded in agreement. So again, they repeated the exercise from before, only this time with quicker, more steady steps. Tristan requested to do it again. And again, and again. By the time he left that afternoon, he was quite pleased with his progress. If his next appointment went the way he wanted, his plan could be set into motion quite soon.
******
"Why won't you let me come," Rory pouted, crossing her arms and widening her big blue eyes. Tristan rolled his eyes and shrugged.
"Because you'll distract me," He answered.
"No, I won't! I'll help, really," she whined again, stomping her foot lightly to emphasize her argument.
Tristan let out a laugh and shook his head. They had been going back and forth like this for the past twenty minutes. Rory wanted to come with him to the next day's rehab session, but as he still hadn't told her or showed her about having the feeling back in his legs, he couldn't allow that. He wanted to surprise her and he wanted to do it his way. "Ror, listen to me. Even if you came with me, you couldn't come into the back with me. So you'd just be sitting the waiting room for two hours, bored out of your mind." That was a fib, but he wasn't going to back down.
"Fine."
"Aw, c'mon, don't be mad, Mar."
"I'm not talking to you."
"You're such a child," he teased, poking her in the side. She squirmed but her face remained stoic. "Roorrry," he whined, poking her again.
Rory turned to glare at him, but as she caught the puppy dog look on his face, her resolve broke and a smile appeared on her face. "Leave me alone," she demanded, though her voice held no malice.
"Somehow I doubt that's what you want."
Rory sighed. "Okay, I won't go with you."
Tristan nodded and then grinned. "Hey, I wanna take you out."
"What?" Rory asked, her face contorted in confusion.
"I wanna take you out. You know, like dinner, maybe the theater or something. We haven't done anything like that in a long time."
"Okay?" She said, half consent, half question.
Tristan smirked at the look on her face. "Tomorrow night. We'll go out, have a good time. You need to relax, anyway, you work too much. Besides, we need to talk," he finished on a serious note.
"Hey, some of us have to make a living," she retorted, poking him this time.
"Yeah, yeah. you still work too much. So what do you say?"
Rory shrugged. "Okay. What time should I pick you up?"
"You're not driving. Tony and I will be at your house at 7 tomorrow."
"Okay," Rory agreed. "I should really get going."
Tristan nodded but stopped her as she tried to get up. "Wait a second."
She gave him a quizzical look but stayed seated. Tristan turned towards her, just taking in her features. She watched him quietly, feeling her heart flutter as his hand intertwined with hers. She knew what he was going to do, but the torture of waiting was killing her. After what seemed like an eternity, his lips finally descended onto hers and they shared one of the most magical kisses ever between them. When they finally broke apart, she leaned her forehead against his and smiled softly. He returned it and placed another kiss on the tip of her nose. "I'll see you tomorrow," he managed to whisper. She nodded and reluctantly stood up, breaking the contact of their hands. Slowly, she exited the room, only to pop her head back in a few seconds later with a grin on her face.
"Hey, Tris?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you," she said, her eyes dancing. He broke out into a wide smile and nodded. She gave a tiny wave and once again disappeared from his sight. When he heard the front door shut behind her, he let out a sigh of contentment. Tomorrow was looking better and better.
******
The next day, immediately after his very successful rehab session, he had the driver take him into Stars Hollow, where he sought out Lorelai. He wanted to talk to her alone, before Rory got home from work. Not surprisingly, he found her at Luke's, sitting at the end of the counter, sipping happily on some coffee. She looked stunned to see him, but joined him at a table in the corner when he asked. After Luke came to take his order, he turned to her, looking serious.
"Oh, wow, serious time. What's going on?"
"I wanted to talk to you about Rory...."
******
Tristan fidgeted nervously in the back of the car, as it sped back towards Stars Hollow, on its way to pick Rory up. After his conversation with Lorelai earlier, his confidence had been boosted immensely, but that didn't seem to be soothing his nerves any. Exhaling loudly, he leaned his head against the window, watching as the scenery flew by. This wasn't him. He wasn't the nervous type. But then this was Rory and she meant everything to him. Closing his eyes, he counted to ten silently and when he opened them again, the car had just turned onto her street. Gathering his wits, he waited patiently for the driver to summon her and a few minutes later, the door opened, revealing a glowing Rory, looking more beautiful then he'd ever imagined. She smiled as she slid into the car next to him and he returned it, feeling all his apprehension fading away. Not a word was said as they both took in each others appearance. He was looking as handsome as ever, dressed in a casual suit, his blonde hair messy, as usual, on top of his head, his blue eyes twinkling. As for her, her dark hair was curled, held up by a clip, with tendrils cascading around her face. She was wearing a deep blue dress that accentuated her eyes, making them stand out even more. Her cheeks were flushed from the cool night outside and her smile lit up the dark interior of the car.
"Hey," she finally said, breaking the silence.
"Hey," he replied huskily, taking her hand into his. She cocked her head to one side, causing a few curls to fall loose. She was still grinning, but her eyes were questioning.
"So, where are we going?"
"It's a surprise," Tristan smirked, letting his fingers gently graze over the softness of her hand.
The action was one that couldn't be ignored. Though his caress was light, it shot sparks throughout her body. She marveled at how one little touch could light her on fire, so easily, so effortlessly. "Tristan."
"Just trust me, okay? You'll like it."
His answer seemed to pacify her and she scooted closer to him, sliding under his arm and resting her head on his shoulder. He smiled down at her and placed a kiss on top of her head. Her hand ran idly over the pattern of his tie and after a second, she looked back up at him. "This is nice."
"It is," he agreed.
The rest of the ride was quiet, both of them happy to just be there, in that moment, with Tristan's arm draped over her shoulders and their hands entwined.
******
The conversation picked up over dinner, as the two settled into their normal flirtatious banter and it continued throughout the ride to the theater, where they were going to catch that night's presentation of Les Miserables. Tristan, in his chair, was suddenly grateful for the invention of the elevator, especially since their seats were in a private balcony. The show ended up being amazing and left Rory raving about it as they exited the venue. Tony had the car waiting for them just outside, to take them to their next destination. Once inside the car, Rory was again pressed up against him, still excitedly talking about the show. Amused, but quite done with hearing about it, Tristan finally managed to shut her up with a soul searing kiss. Eventually, the car pulled up at deserted beach and Rory shot him a confused look.
"What -"
"Just trust me, Rory."
She nodded and got out of the car, wrapping her coat tightly around her. Tony helped Tristan out of the car and into his chair before getting back in the car and leaving them there alone. She turned to him and smiled. "So, are you going to fill me in as to why we're here?"
Tristan took her hand and motioned towards the beach, where the water was crashing upon the sand. The silver moon was shining down on them, illuminating them both. "Let's walk and talk, shall we?"
Dumfounded, but willing to go along with whatever he had planned, she allowed him to lead her down to where the sidewalk ended. There, he abruptly stopped and grinned up at her. "You remember when you called me to let me know you were coming home?" He asked suddenly.
She slowly nodded, not quite sure where he was headed with this. "Yeah..."
"Well, you remember how I told you I had a surprise for you?"
"Um, yes."
His grin intensified as he set the brakes on his chair. "I want to give you your surprise now."
Her expression was guarded, but curious. "Okay."
Tristan held out his hand to her. "Hang onto my arm, will you?"
Completely bewildered, she did as she was told. Slowly, but steadily, she watched with wide eyes as he pulled himself to his full height. Wind whipped through her hair, making it fly into her face and she batted it away, still staring at the man before her with her mouth hanging open. Gently, he removed her hand from his upper arm to instead, hold in his hand. Surpressing a laugh at the look on her face, he gave her a soft nudge, bringing her back into reality.
"I don't.. I don't understand," she managed to sputter.
Pulling her closer to him, he said. "Why don't we take a walk and I'll fill you in?"
She nodded and slowly, they headed down the beach, until they were walking along the shore. As they continued on, he explained to her how he had started to feel boughts of pain in his legs and then about the night his foot had moved and eventually him being able to stand and consequentially, walk. She was amazed, to say the least, but that quickly faded into pure excitement. A half hour later, they were sitting on the cold sand, staring out over the expanse of the lake. Almost shyly, he glanced over at her out of the corner of his eye. Feeling his gaze, she turned her head and smiled.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You were staring at me."
"Don't you want me to?"
Rory shrugged. "It doesn't bother me."
Tristan didn't respond, but instead gazed back at the water, trying to find his courage. Finally, he just turned back to her. "We should talk."
"Okay."
Trying to form a coherent sentence, his tightened his grasp on her hand and met her gaze. "I miss you, Ror. I miss this, us. I miss being able to kiss you whenever and wherever I want. I miss having you sleep next to me, I miss seeing you everyday. I just.... I miss you."
"I miss you, too," Rory whispered, a single tear making its track down her face.
Tristan wiped the tear away and cupped her face in his hand. "I want us to be together, again. We can move back into our old place or find somewhere new, if you want. I don't care, just as long as we're together."
A few more tears escaped down her cheeks as she nodded. "Okay."
He sighed, relieved. Now that that was over, there was only one more question. "One more thing..." He said tentatively, holding her gaze.
"Yeah?"
Tristan swallowed hard, his hand fumbling with something inside his coat pocket. Pulling away from her slightly, he didn't let go of her hand. Instead, he pulled out a small box. "Rory.. I know we've had our problems in the past and us getting back together tonight, is all new, but I'm going to ask you anyway." He paused to gauge her reaction and she was staring at him, apprehension written across her face. "I love you, Rory. More then anything in my life. You're my entire world and I don't think I could survive if I lost you again, ever. And I don't want to take that chance, so," He paused again, just long enough to open the velvet box he held. Her hand began trembling in his grasp, and her blue eyes began filling up with unshed tears. "Marry me?" He asked simply, yet hopefully.
Her free hand flew up to her mouth, her eyes wide with surprise and, he noted thankfully, unparalleled happiness. The tears that had formed began making their way down her face and for a few moments, she glanced down at the ring in his hand and back at him. Finally, she opened her mouth and uttered the one syllable he had hoped for. Yes.
Grinning uncontrollably, he slid the ring, elegant, yet understated, just like her, onto her finger. It only took a mere second for their lips to blend together as they sealed the bond, pledging themselves to each other for the rest of their lives.
******
Five Months Later.
"I do," Rory managed to squeak out through her tears. Tristan, who stood beside her at the alter of the church, in front of over 500 guests, squeezed her hand and they exchanged smiles.
In the front row, a loud sniffle could be heard and Rory glanced over to where her mother sat, a huge grin on her face and a kleenex in her hand. Luke sat beside her, looking proud, albeit uncomfortable in the suit he was wearing. Next to him were her grandparents, both with proud looks on their faces. On the other side of them sat her father, Sherry and her half-sister, Gigi, who had served as the flower girl. Behind them was Jess, his hand clasping Paris' and the cousins shared a look. Beyond them was the entire population of Stars Hollow, mingled with patrons of Hartford's high society, invited solely to pacify the DuGrey's and the elder Gilmore's. In the front pew on the other side sat Tristan's parents and his grandparents, looking as proud as could be. Swallowing her tears, she turned back to Tristan and merely went through the motions of the rings, not really hearing anything until the priest announced that Tristan could kiss his bride. She met his eyes and felt his huge grin rub off on her, a smile of her own forming. Lifting the veil from her face, Tristan whispered, "I love you," before capturing her lips in the sweetest kiss known to mankind, the one experienced when you realized that you were going to spend the rest of your life with this person. The entire church erupted into applause and when they broke apart to face everyone, Rory felt her face flush.
Tristan saw her start to turn red, out of the corner of his eye and he smiled. Gripping her hand, he led her out of the church and out into the mid August sun.
******
"I can't believe we're married," Rory murmured into Tristan's chest two hours later as they danced, holding each other as tightly as possible.
Tristan smiled into her hair. "Well, believe it."
Rory let out a content sigh and closed her eyes, bursting inside with just the thought that he was her husband. Hers, forever. The thought suddenly vanished though, when someone tapped her on the shoulder. Opening her eyes again, she grinned when she saw her father, who had been dancing with her mother just moments ago, standing next to them.
"Not to interrupt, but would you mind if I danced with my daughter now?" Christopher asked with a smile.
Reluctantly, Tristan relinquished his hold on her and stepped back. "Not at all."
Christopher patted him on the back and motioned towards Lorelai, who was arguing with Luke about something. "Why don't you go ask your mother-in-law to dance," he suggested. Tristan nodded and headed off, mouthing an "I love you" to Rory as he departed.
Rory smiled as her father took Tristan's place, his face brimming with pride. "So?" She asked, giving him an impatient look.
"So.. I have to say, you're the most beautiful bride I've ever seen. But then again, I may be a bit biased. I did help create you, after all."
"Ew, gross, Dad," Rory laughed, wrinkling her nose.
Christopher smiled at her. "All jokes aside, Ror, you're beautiful."
At his compliment, Rory blushed and ducked her head. "Thanks."
"You're happy?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
Rory nodded. "More then I've ever been."
"Good," He said, twirling her around, causing her to giggle. "I'm incredibly proud of you, sweetie. You managed to follow your heart, despite whatever screwed up genes you get from your parents, when it comes to relationships."
"Yeah, I guess I have," Rory said softly, her eyes staring over her fathers shoulder, to where Lorelai and Tristan were dancing, with her mother talking excitedly about something. Christopher noticed her lack of interest in him and kept quiet for the rest of the dance, happy that his daughter had found peace and love.
******
"Put me down!" Rory squealed hours later, as the two stood outside the door of their hotel suite for the night. Tristan smirked and shook his head.
"The groom is supposed to carry his bride over the threshold. Now hold still."
Rory wiggled again in his arms, causing him to glare at her playfully. She smiled innocently at him and gazed at his profile as he struggled to open the door and hold her at the same time. Finally he managed to push the door open and he carried her inside. The door shut with bang behind them and when he put her down, his arms immediately went around her waist, pulling her to him. He smiled suggestively at her and she smacked his chest lightly.
Unable to take it anymore, he swept down and kissed her hard, yet passionately, their tongues dueling for possession of each other. Slowly and deliberately, their mouths still molded together, the pair made their way over to the bed. When the back of Rory's knees hit the mattress, she allowed herself to fall back, taking him with her. They finally pulled apart, gasping for air. Tristan, who was propped above her, stared into the blue pools that were her eyes, his heart soaring as he found nothing but undying love for him swirling in them. He kissed her again, this time more gently, yet with much more passion. It was during this time that his jacket had found itself a new home on the floor and their bodies yearned to touch the other.
Breaking the contact, he smiled down at her. " I lo -"
Rory placed a firm finger against his lips. "Shh," she whispered, letting her hand drop from his mouth and trace his jawline with her index finger. "Don't say you love me." She paused, kissing him soundly before continuing. "Show me."
And he did just that.
******
The End.
'k,I know it was mushy. But I figured I put them through enough with this story, so I gave them an ultra happy ending. Hope you liked :)
-- Shay
*sniffles* This is it. The end. It feels weird letting this story go, as its been almost a year in the works. But its time. After I post this, I'm taking a short fanfic hiatus (maybe a month or so) and then I'll return to my random story updates. I want to thank everyone who has taken their time to review/email/IM me with their thoughts, opinions, likes, dislikes etc for this story. When I first posted it, I never imagined it would get the response it did. A bigger thank you goes to Casti, with her incessant nagging about me writing this story when it was just a mere thought in my head. Well.. enough of that. Enjoy.
Epilogue
Two Weeks Later.
Tristan took a deep breath as he pulled himself into a standing position and then took a step forward. He was at the rehabilitation center, for his usual session, but today was anything but ordinary. Today was the first time he was going to walk without the leg braces on. The doctor stood at his side, ready to catch him if at any point he looked like he was going to fall. Tristan gripped the steel bars that were on either side of him and took another step. His legs wobbled underneath him, but he stayed up. A few steps later, he was at the end of the bars and was promptly sat back down into a chair. His heart was beating erratically but there was a bright smile on his face.
"Excellent today, Tristan," Dr. Miller said, smiling warmly.
"Couldn't have done it without you, Doc," Tristan returned, winking.
Dr. Miller chuckled before shaking his head in amusement. "I somehow doubt that. Your determination alone got you to this point." Tristan merely shrugged at that and the doctor glanced around for a second. "So, you want to give it another go? See if maybe next time you come in we can get you walking without the bars?"
The idea appealed to him greatly, and Tristan nodded in agreement. So again, they repeated the exercise from before, only this time with quicker, more steady steps. Tristan requested to do it again. And again, and again. By the time he left that afternoon, he was quite pleased with his progress. If his next appointment went the way he wanted, his plan could be set into motion quite soon.
******
"Why won't you let me come," Rory pouted, crossing her arms and widening her big blue eyes. Tristan rolled his eyes and shrugged.
"Because you'll distract me," He answered.
"No, I won't! I'll help, really," she whined again, stomping her foot lightly to emphasize her argument.
Tristan let out a laugh and shook his head. They had been going back and forth like this for the past twenty minutes. Rory wanted to come with him to the next day's rehab session, but as he still hadn't told her or showed her about having the feeling back in his legs, he couldn't allow that. He wanted to surprise her and he wanted to do it his way. "Ror, listen to me. Even if you came with me, you couldn't come into the back with me. So you'd just be sitting the waiting room for two hours, bored out of your mind." That was a fib, but he wasn't going to back down.
"Fine."
"Aw, c'mon, don't be mad, Mar."
"I'm not talking to you."
"You're such a child," he teased, poking her in the side. She squirmed but her face remained stoic. "Roorrry," he whined, poking her again.
Rory turned to glare at him, but as she caught the puppy dog look on his face, her resolve broke and a smile appeared on her face. "Leave me alone," she demanded, though her voice held no malice.
"Somehow I doubt that's what you want."
Rory sighed. "Okay, I won't go with you."
Tristan nodded and then grinned. "Hey, I wanna take you out."
"What?" Rory asked, her face contorted in confusion.
"I wanna take you out. You know, like dinner, maybe the theater or something. We haven't done anything like that in a long time."
"Okay?" She said, half consent, half question.
Tristan smirked at the look on her face. "Tomorrow night. We'll go out, have a good time. You need to relax, anyway, you work too much. Besides, we need to talk," he finished on a serious note.
"Hey, some of us have to make a living," she retorted, poking him this time.
"Yeah, yeah. you still work too much. So what do you say?"
Rory shrugged. "Okay. What time should I pick you up?"
"You're not driving. Tony and I will be at your house at 7 tomorrow."
"Okay," Rory agreed. "I should really get going."
Tristan nodded but stopped her as she tried to get up. "Wait a second."
She gave him a quizzical look but stayed seated. Tristan turned towards her, just taking in her features. She watched him quietly, feeling her heart flutter as his hand intertwined with hers. She knew what he was going to do, but the torture of waiting was killing her. After what seemed like an eternity, his lips finally descended onto hers and they shared one of the most magical kisses ever between them. When they finally broke apart, she leaned her forehead against his and smiled softly. He returned it and placed another kiss on the tip of her nose. "I'll see you tomorrow," he managed to whisper. She nodded and reluctantly stood up, breaking the contact of their hands. Slowly, she exited the room, only to pop her head back in a few seconds later with a grin on her face.
"Hey, Tris?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you," she said, her eyes dancing. He broke out into a wide smile and nodded. She gave a tiny wave and once again disappeared from his sight. When he heard the front door shut behind her, he let out a sigh of contentment. Tomorrow was looking better and better.
******
The next day, immediately after his very successful rehab session, he had the driver take him into Stars Hollow, where he sought out Lorelai. He wanted to talk to her alone, before Rory got home from work. Not surprisingly, he found her at Luke's, sitting at the end of the counter, sipping happily on some coffee. She looked stunned to see him, but joined him at a table in the corner when he asked. After Luke came to take his order, he turned to her, looking serious.
"Oh, wow, serious time. What's going on?"
"I wanted to talk to you about Rory...."
******
Tristan fidgeted nervously in the back of the car, as it sped back towards Stars Hollow, on its way to pick Rory up. After his conversation with Lorelai earlier, his confidence had been boosted immensely, but that didn't seem to be soothing his nerves any. Exhaling loudly, he leaned his head against the window, watching as the scenery flew by. This wasn't him. He wasn't the nervous type. But then this was Rory and she meant everything to him. Closing his eyes, he counted to ten silently and when he opened them again, the car had just turned onto her street. Gathering his wits, he waited patiently for the driver to summon her and a few minutes later, the door opened, revealing a glowing Rory, looking more beautiful then he'd ever imagined. She smiled as she slid into the car next to him and he returned it, feeling all his apprehension fading away. Not a word was said as they both took in each others appearance. He was looking as handsome as ever, dressed in a casual suit, his blonde hair messy, as usual, on top of his head, his blue eyes twinkling. As for her, her dark hair was curled, held up by a clip, with tendrils cascading around her face. She was wearing a deep blue dress that accentuated her eyes, making them stand out even more. Her cheeks were flushed from the cool night outside and her smile lit up the dark interior of the car.
"Hey," she finally said, breaking the silence.
"Hey," he replied huskily, taking her hand into his. She cocked her head to one side, causing a few curls to fall loose. She was still grinning, but her eyes were questioning.
"So, where are we going?"
"It's a surprise," Tristan smirked, letting his fingers gently graze over the softness of her hand.
The action was one that couldn't be ignored. Though his caress was light, it shot sparks throughout her body. She marveled at how one little touch could light her on fire, so easily, so effortlessly. "Tristan."
"Just trust me, okay? You'll like it."
His answer seemed to pacify her and she scooted closer to him, sliding under his arm and resting her head on his shoulder. He smiled down at her and placed a kiss on top of her head. Her hand ran idly over the pattern of his tie and after a second, she looked back up at him. "This is nice."
"It is," he agreed.
The rest of the ride was quiet, both of them happy to just be there, in that moment, with Tristan's arm draped over her shoulders and their hands entwined.
******
The conversation picked up over dinner, as the two settled into their normal flirtatious banter and it continued throughout the ride to the theater, where they were going to catch that night's presentation of Les Miserables. Tristan, in his chair, was suddenly grateful for the invention of the elevator, especially since their seats were in a private balcony. The show ended up being amazing and left Rory raving about it as they exited the venue. Tony had the car waiting for them just outside, to take them to their next destination. Once inside the car, Rory was again pressed up against him, still excitedly talking about the show. Amused, but quite done with hearing about it, Tristan finally managed to shut her up with a soul searing kiss. Eventually, the car pulled up at deserted beach and Rory shot him a confused look.
"What -"
"Just trust me, Rory."
She nodded and got out of the car, wrapping her coat tightly around her. Tony helped Tristan out of the car and into his chair before getting back in the car and leaving them there alone. She turned to him and smiled. "So, are you going to fill me in as to why we're here?"
Tristan took her hand and motioned towards the beach, where the water was crashing upon the sand. The silver moon was shining down on them, illuminating them both. "Let's walk and talk, shall we?"
Dumfounded, but willing to go along with whatever he had planned, she allowed him to lead her down to where the sidewalk ended. There, he abruptly stopped and grinned up at her. "You remember when you called me to let me know you were coming home?" He asked suddenly.
She slowly nodded, not quite sure where he was headed with this. "Yeah..."
"Well, you remember how I told you I had a surprise for you?"
"Um, yes."
His grin intensified as he set the brakes on his chair. "I want to give you your surprise now."
Her expression was guarded, but curious. "Okay."
Tristan held out his hand to her. "Hang onto my arm, will you?"
Completely bewildered, she did as she was told. Slowly, but steadily, she watched with wide eyes as he pulled himself to his full height. Wind whipped through her hair, making it fly into her face and she batted it away, still staring at the man before her with her mouth hanging open. Gently, he removed her hand from his upper arm to instead, hold in his hand. Surpressing a laugh at the look on her face, he gave her a soft nudge, bringing her back into reality.
"I don't.. I don't understand," she managed to sputter.
Pulling her closer to him, he said. "Why don't we take a walk and I'll fill you in?"
She nodded and slowly, they headed down the beach, until they were walking along the shore. As they continued on, he explained to her how he had started to feel boughts of pain in his legs and then about the night his foot had moved and eventually him being able to stand and consequentially, walk. She was amazed, to say the least, but that quickly faded into pure excitement. A half hour later, they were sitting on the cold sand, staring out over the expanse of the lake. Almost shyly, he glanced over at her out of the corner of his eye. Feeling his gaze, she turned her head and smiled.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You were staring at me."
"Don't you want me to?"
Rory shrugged. "It doesn't bother me."
Tristan didn't respond, but instead gazed back at the water, trying to find his courage. Finally, he just turned back to her. "We should talk."
"Okay."
Trying to form a coherent sentence, his tightened his grasp on her hand and met her gaze. "I miss you, Ror. I miss this, us. I miss being able to kiss you whenever and wherever I want. I miss having you sleep next to me, I miss seeing you everyday. I just.... I miss you."
"I miss you, too," Rory whispered, a single tear making its track down her face.
Tristan wiped the tear away and cupped her face in his hand. "I want us to be together, again. We can move back into our old place or find somewhere new, if you want. I don't care, just as long as we're together."
A few more tears escaped down her cheeks as she nodded. "Okay."
He sighed, relieved. Now that that was over, there was only one more question. "One more thing..." He said tentatively, holding her gaze.
"Yeah?"
Tristan swallowed hard, his hand fumbling with something inside his coat pocket. Pulling away from her slightly, he didn't let go of her hand. Instead, he pulled out a small box. "Rory.. I know we've had our problems in the past and us getting back together tonight, is all new, but I'm going to ask you anyway." He paused to gauge her reaction and she was staring at him, apprehension written across her face. "I love you, Rory. More then anything in my life. You're my entire world and I don't think I could survive if I lost you again, ever. And I don't want to take that chance, so," He paused again, just long enough to open the velvet box he held. Her hand began trembling in his grasp, and her blue eyes began filling up with unshed tears. "Marry me?" He asked simply, yet hopefully.
Her free hand flew up to her mouth, her eyes wide with surprise and, he noted thankfully, unparalleled happiness. The tears that had formed began making their way down her face and for a few moments, she glanced down at the ring in his hand and back at him. Finally, she opened her mouth and uttered the one syllable he had hoped for. Yes.
Grinning uncontrollably, he slid the ring, elegant, yet understated, just like her, onto her finger. It only took a mere second for their lips to blend together as they sealed the bond, pledging themselves to each other for the rest of their lives.
******
Five Months Later.
"I do," Rory managed to squeak out through her tears. Tristan, who stood beside her at the alter of the church, in front of over 500 guests, squeezed her hand and they exchanged smiles.
In the front row, a loud sniffle could be heard and Rory glanced over to where her mother sat, a huge grin on her face and a kleenex in her hand. Luke sat beside her, looking proud, albeit uncomfortable in the suit he was wearing. Next to him were her grandparents, both with proud looks on their faces. On the other side of them sat her father, Sherry and her half-sister, Gigi, who had served as the flower girl. Behind them was Jess, his hand clasping Paris' and the cousins shared a look. Beyond them was the entire population of Stars Hollow, mingled with patrons of Hartford's high society, invited solely to pacify the DuGrey's and the elder Gilmore's. In the front pew on the other side sat Tristan's parents and his grandparents, looking as proud as could be. Swallowing her tears, she turned back to Tristan and merely went through the motions of the rings, not really hearing anything until the priest announced that Tristan could kiss his bride. She met his eyes and felt his huge grin rub off on her, a smile of her own forming. Lifting the veil from her face, Tristan whispered, "I love you," before capturing her lips in the sweetest kiss known to mankind, the one experienced when you realized that you were going to spend the rest of your life with this person. The entire church erupted into applause and when they broke apart to face everyone, Rory felt her face flush.
Tristan saw her start to turn red, out of the corner of his eye and he smiled. Gripping her hand, he led her out of the church and out into the mid August sun.
******
"I can't believe we're married," Rory murmured into Tristan's chest two hours later as they danced, holding each other as tightly as possible.
Tristan smiled into her hair. "Well, believe it."
Rory let out a content sigh and closed her eyes, bursting inside with just the thought that he was her husband. Hers, forever. The thought suddenly vanished though, when someone tapped her on the shoulder. Opening her eyes again, she grinned when she saw her father, who had been dancing with her mother just moments ago, standing next to them.
"Not to interrupt, but would you mind if I danced with my daughter now?" Christopher asked with a smile.
Reluctantly, Tristan relinquished his hold on her and stepped back. "Not at all."
Christopher patted him on the back and motioned towards Lorelai, who was arguing with Luke about something. "Why don't you go ask your mother-in-law to dance," he suggested. Tristan nodded and headed off, mouthing an "I love you" to Rory as he departed.
Rory smiled as her father took Tristan's place, his face brimming with pride. "So?" She asked, giving him an impatient look.
"So.. I have to say, you're the most beautiful bride I've ever seen. But then again, I may be a bit biased. I did help create you, after all."
"Ew, gross, Dad," Rory laughed, wrinkling her nose.
Christopher smiled at her. "All jokes aside, Ror, you're beautiful."
At his compliment, Rory blushed and ducked her head. "Thanks."
"You're happy?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
Rory nodded. "More then I've ever been."
"Good," He said, twirling her around, causing her to giggle. "I'm incredibly proud of you, sweetie. You managed to follow your heart, despite whatever screwed up genes you get from your parents, when it comes to relationships."
"Yeah, I guess I have," Rory said softly, her eyes staring over her fathers shoulder, to where Lorelai and Tristan were dancing, with her mother talking excitedly about something. Christopher noticed her lack of interest in him and kept quiet for the rest of the dance, happy that his daughter had found peace and love.
******
"Put me down!" Rory squealed hours later, as the two stood outside the door of their hotel suite for the night. Tristan smirked and shook his head.
"The groom is supposed to carry his bride over the threshold. Now hold still."
Rory wiggled again in his arms, causing him to glare at her playfully. She smiled innocently at him and gazed at his profile as he struggled to open the door and hold her at the same time. Finally he managed to push the door open and he carried her inside. The door shut with bang behind them and when he put her down, his arms immediately went around her waist, pulling her to him. He smiled suggestively at her and she smacked his chest lightly.
Unable to take it anymore, he swept down and kissed her hard, yet passionately, their tongues dueling for possession of each other. Slowly and deliberately, their mouths still molded together, the pair made their way over to the bed. When the back of Rory's knees hit the mattress, she allowed herself to fall back, taking him with her. They finally pulled apart, gasping for air. Tristan, who was propped above her, stared into the blue pools that were her eyes, his heart soaring as he found nothing but undying love for him swirling in them. He kissed her again, this time more gently, yet with much more passion. It was during this time that his jacket had found itself a new home on the floor and their bodies yearned to touch the other.
Breaking the contact, he smiled down at her. " I lo -"
Rory placed a firm finger against his lips. "Shh," she whispered, letting her hand drop from his mouth and trace his jawline with her index finger. "Don't say you love me." She paused, kissing him soundly before continuing. "Show me."
And he did just that.
******
The End.
'k,I know it was mushy. But I figured I put them through enough with this story, so I gave them an ultra happy ending. Hope you liked :)
-- Shay