Chapter 13: Articles and Harvard Bound
It had taken many long days and late night to finish the article. Tristan had been antsy ever since Paris had called yesterday to say that the editors of the Hartford Post had fallen in love with their piece.
It was five in the morning and for once in Rory Gilmore's life she didn't care. She was standing at the door of Tristan's mansion two copies of the Hartford Post were clutched to her chest as she finished her cup of coffee. She was about to ring the doorbell when the door suddenly opened and Tristan stepped not noticing Rory still as he locked his door shut. "Hey," Rory said causing him to jump. She giggled and he whirled around to face her. "What are you doing here?"
She showed him her copies of the newspaper. "First Two Copies bought," she said proudly. "Are you serious?" he said snatching one of the copies from her and opening it to locate the article.
DuGrey & Gilmore—4 generations
By: Tristan DuGrey and Rory Gilmore
Mark and Katie, Lorelai I and Michael, George and Emily, Lorelai II and Josh. Four generations of DuGrey and Gilmore family members have their own version of a love story with each other.
The first (Mark and Katie) romance took place when the families were bitter rivals. They met at an old bridge in Hartford that no longer exists. Katie Gilmore was a rule breaker and Mark DuGrey fell in love with her for it. They spent their eighteenth summer together. It ended somewhat abruptly. Mark was to be married and Katie wasn't one of the choices. Then, Katie found out she was going to be shipped off to finishing school. Didn't want that, and she had a broken heart. Sadly, a few hours later, she drank a poison leaving Mark even more heartbroken then before.
[Lorelai the first is not an original Gilmore only later by marriage but it is a part of the Gilmore/DuGrey romance history in the authors' eyes.]
Michael DuGrey was Lorelai first and only real true love. He was her best friend, the only person who could call her Lori, the first boy she ever kissed and so much more. One day Michael was spending his afternoons with Lorelai and the next he was telling her he was getting married. She gave him a choice, his fiancée or her, his best friend. Much to her dismay he chose his fiancée. Soon after she took a boat to America and met someone who became her husband. Sixty years later she finds that Michael is sick. Lorelai goes to see him at his deathbed. He admits that even after all these years he's still in love with her and he only hopes that someday she can forgive him. And she does, but it's to late because he's gone.
[Emily is not an original Gilmore either—but it's part of the Gilmore history]
They met in college. He had heard from friend that she liked him but was to shy to ask. So, he asked her to the mixer. Within that year: George DuGrey and Emily became the most popular couple on campus. In their junior year they were engaged to be married—at the last second Emily met an old high school friend (Richard Gilmore) and sent George packing. Instead of marrying Emily he found Stephanie who was nursing her broken heart from a Gellar.
At sixteen Lorelai Gilmore had a kid; Rory Gilmore and was a maid at the Independence Inn in Stars Hollow. At twenty-two being a maid became routine and Rory was six, ready for first grade. She met a nice young man by the name of Josh DuGrey. After years of being out of the Hartford elite social circles she'd forgotten of the DuGrey family. They dated for a while, first casual, then more serious and before Lorelai knew it he was proposing. And to her own surprise she was accepting. The day of the wedding she spots her mother in the crowd of guests along with all of Emily Gilmore's friends. Everything that she was running away from was where she was headed, so another Gilmore ran away from a DuGrey.
Now, in the current Gilmore-DuGrey generation there are two DuGrey children: Emma, 19 and Tristan, 18 and one Gilmore: Rory, 18. Despite this trail of broken hearts the three of these children have managed to be friends and remain the two most influential families in Hartford. *
"We're published writers!" Tristan said with a laugh."Yeah," Rory replied smiling at him. "So…Do you want some coffee?"
"Do you have to ask?" she questioned raising a quizzical brow at him. "No,"
"Then you have my answer already,"
"Come on then," Tristan said as he opened the door again and Rory followed him in. "So, what were you doing up so early?" Tristan prodded. "I couldn't sleep," she confessed. "Why not?"
"The newspaper was on my mind…leaving Stars Hollow and other thing," she replied simply. "I couldn't sleep either," Tristan said smiling sheepishly at Rory. They continued to talk until late morning over cups of coffee, wishing the other one knew they were in love with each other…if Rory only had the guts to admit she knew.
* * *
August 24th
Rory and Tristan's summer was coming to a fast close. The next morning Rory and Lorelai would be headed to Harvard. Tristan had offered to take Rory to Harvard but Lorelai had said it was going to be a mother-daughter thing, no matter what. It had been a few days since Tristan and Rory had seen each other…and so they had promised to hang out on their remaining days in Connecticut.
Rory was re-reading Pride & Prejudiced again. The doorbell rang and Rory had to smile. She knew who it was—Tristan of course. She dropped her book, which fell on the floor with a thud. She raced to the door and flung it open. "Tristan!" she sang out hugging him.
"Miss me, Mary?" he asked as she rolled her eyes knowing full well a smirk was gracing his lips. "I don't think so, DuGrey," she teased and he grinned. "I think you did miss me," Tristan replied as he turned and Rory hopped onto his back.
"To Luke's?" he questioned. "DUH! Giddy up horsie!" Rory teased smiling. She really was going to miss this whether she wanted to admit it or not.
* * *
"Tomorrow, huh?" Tristan commented and Rory smiled sadly into her coffee and then she looked up at Tristan. "Yeah," she responded. "When are you leaving?" Tristan asked.
"Eightish,"
"I'll see you off with coffee,"
"Really?" Rory said eagerly grinning at Tristan. "Of course. I have to say good-bye to my Mary,"
"But we're both going to Harvard," Rory commented furrowing her brow. "The campus is huge," Tristan said skirting around the real issue. "We're taking the same classes though, right?"
"I don't know, Rory,"
"I thought you were going to be a journalist,"
"I said that to impress you," he muttered and she giggled.
"Tristan!"
"I really want to be a lawyer like my Grandfather,"
"That's so sweet!" Rory gushed and Tristan made a face at her.
"You're making fun of me," he complained. "I am not!" Rory claimed innocently.
"You're not what?" Lorelai asked coming from behind the counter to sit beside Tristan coffee in her hand after only—two minutes of begging.
"Making fun of Tristan,"
"That's my job silly!" Lorelai chastised wagging a finger at Rory.
"Sorry mom," Rory replied trying to sustain her laughter. They continued to taunt, tease and banter until Lorelai had to literally drag Rory out of the beloved diner for a final pre-college mother-daughter night. "See you tomorrow," he said softly as he headed to his car. "Tristan wait!" Rory called out rushing back to him and launching herself in his arms. "I'm not going to be gone that long Mary," he teased wishing that he could kiss her—but he couldn't of course. "I know but still…I'm going to miss this summer Tristan," and with that she pulled away. "See you tomorrow!" she called out and Tristan smiled, this summer was going to be a tragedy to end.
* * *
The Next Day.
"I'm going to miss you so much, DuGrey," Rory muttered as she hugged him tight. "Me too, Ror, me too,"
"What am I going to do without someone to annoy at three in the morning?" Rory whispered pulling away from him for a minute to meet his eyes. "I think you'll survive," Tristan said joking lightly despite the pang in his own heart.
"Rory! Harvard Express is leaving!" Reluctantly Rory pulled herself out of Tristan's grasp and remained near him for a few last words. "No good-byes," Rory said shakily. "Or tears," Tristan admonished and Rory smiled a wobbly smile at him. "Right,"
"See you soon?"
"See you soon, Mary," he teased despite the sadness of the situation a grin tugged at the corners of her mouth. "One more thing though," Tristan said hurrying to his car as Rory headed to the passenger seat of the jeep. "Here you go girls," Tristan said producing two cups of coffee to the two. He also handed over a thermos. "You're a god!" Lorelai said as Rory smiled. "Anytime girls," he said kissing Rory lightly on the forehead as Lorelai started the car.
"Tristan, I know you came to my house that night," she murmured and he stiffened for a moment.
"Thank you," she said gratefully. "Because if you hadn't…then this summer wouldn't have been so much fun," leaving a chaste kiss on his lips the two Gilmore girls pulled out of the driveway leaving Tristan in the dust standing, alone.
* * *
Could it be
any harder to say goodbye and without you,
Could it be any harder to watch you go, to face what's true
if I only had one more day – Could it be any harder, The Calling.
As Tristan flopped onto his bed he sighed loudly. After standing in the Gilmore driveway for more than two hours after they had left he had finally headed home to pack for his trip to Cambridge tomorrow. He'd start packing and find some shirt he had worn on some occasion or another involved with Rory. Why hadn't he gotten the courage to tell her that summer that he was madly—head over heels in love with her. If he had only one more day he would've have admitted to everything. From his tactics in sophomore year, why he had kissed her that first time at the piano bench to telling her he loved her. He had only needed twenty-four extra hours but he had blown it if only he could turn back time.
* * *
"Well babe looks like you're all set," Lorelai said happily surveying Rory's dorm room. It had that certain Lorelai Leigh Gilmore taste they had been trying for. She glanced at Rory who was sitting on her bed looking dejectedly around her dorm room. Lorelai sat down next to her and looked at Rory.
"Why doesn't he love me?" Lorelai was about to question whom but it was obvious she was talking about Tristan. "Sweetie…he does,"
"I heard him say it last week, when he thought I was sleeping but mom…he didn't tell me to my face. Why didn't he tell me?"
"Same reason you didn't babe,"
"Tristan's scared?" Rory scoffed at the notion thinking of Tristan—self-confident, sometimes cocky and egotistical—Tristan.
"He doesn't like heights either, remember?" Rory smiled remembering that day they shared at the fair; it had been the most memorable summer of her eighteen summers. It only she could him again—today.
- Finis Chapter 13.
Chapter Fourteen—takes place four months later; December…you'll see what happens. It's already typed but I want to get some reviews to let people know I'm still alive. Thanks for the reviews those who submitted them. I'm glad you all love it. One or two more chapters depending on my reviewers reactions.