Chapter Fourteen: Merry Christmas, Rory Gilmore.
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I don't want a
lot for Christmas
There's just one thing I need
I don't care about presents
Underneath the Christmas tree
I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true...
All I want for Christmas is you...
-All I want for Christmas is you by Mariah Carey
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—December 24th 2004
It had been one hundred and twenty one days since she had said good-bye to him.
It had been almost two thousand, nine hundred and four hours since she had last spoken with him.
It had been sixty days when she had stopped turning whenever she had heard the name: Mary.
It had been thirty days since she had stopped looking for Tristan at Harvard.
It had been twenty-eight days since she had last been in Stars Hollow for Thanksgiving and had thought about visiting him, in Hartford.
It had been two days since she had picked up the phone and started to dial his phone number, but stopped in mid-dial.
It had been one day since she had thought of driving over to his house for a surprise visit.
It had been five hours since her Grandparent's Christmas Party and she had seen him, with another girl.
It had been two hours since she had left and heard Tristan calling after her but she had ignored it.
It had been two minutes since she had imagined his lips on hers, like their first kiss at Madeline's party…and then the one she had been drunk at and even that sweet good-bye kiss back in August.
It had been one minute since she had wished that she had been the girl on Tristan's arm.
It had been forty-five seconds since she had wished she had told him she was in love with him during the summer they had shared.
It had been twenty-nine seconds since she wished that he were still in love with her too.
It had been ten seconds since she had been sitting out here in the cold on this swing contemplating her life.
Since her realization back in August she was in love with him every date she had been on she had found herself picking them apart and comparing them to Tristan. She sighed as the tears came down her cheeks. She had thought, hope was the more correct term that he had felt the chemistry between the two of them but she guessed not because there he was at her grandparent's party with another girl. It wasn't fair, she was miserable on Christmas Eve no less. Lorelai had been past giddy when Rory had arrived home. She had played the part of a perfect daughter—going along with her for buying the Christmas tree, going Christmas shopping with her mother…she had done everything they had done in the past but she felt so empty. And then, the Christmas party of that evening held by her Grandparents. Rory had prayed that Tristan would be there, so she had been walking around the elder Gilmore's home and she spotted him. She had almost said his name when he noticed his arm snaked around this woman's waist and her heart had fallen to her knees. She had stayed at the party avoiding Tristan at all costs because it hurt too much if she did meet up with him and he'd introduce her to the girl.
And then, she decided ten o'clock was late enough for her to leave. So, she had gone to say goodbye to her grandparent's along with Luke and Lorelai who had decided to stay later for once. When she had been saying good-bye Tristan had spotted her and had started to walk over but she had run. Her shoe had come flying off as she had hurried to the car and so now here she was in the middle of Hartford on this swing with only one shoe.
The icy wind whipped through her hair, as her hands were turning numb. A glance at her watch told her it was Christmas but she wasn't excited. She heard a jingle of dog tags and looked up. There was a dog that looked just like Juliet, the puppy she had bought so long ago for Tristan. It couldn't be could it? She looked up to see Tristan DuGrey. It was awkward, tears were still streaming down her cheeks but she wiped them away.
"I think this is yours," he said holding up her shoe. She smiled sadly at him as he handed it over to her.
"Thanks," she whispered staring at the ground.
"What are you crying about?" he asked quietly sitting next to her on the other swing.
"Nothing," she lied.
"Rory…" he said softly.
"You," she said suddenly and then looked down at the ground, again.
"Why would you be crying about me?" he asked curiously.
"Because you were with that girl!" she wailed as the tears came rushing back down her cheeks.
"You've got it all wrong Rory," he said softly and when she didn't look at him he forced her to.
"You were with her, I don't think I got anything wrong Tristan,"
"My father forced me to Rory, don't you get it?"
"Get what?" he sighed as he looked into her brilliant blue eyes.
"I thought it was obvious from the start Rory,"
"You mean…"
"Yes, Rory I'm in love with you. Always have been, always will be,"
"But this summer you didn't try anything…"
"Because…I don't know Rory. I was scared,"
"Why?" the word was choked out.
"Because you rejected me before. I wanted to show you that I changed. You know, Paris didn't really have an article to write,"
"She didn't?"
"Nope. She wanted to get us together,"
"Well how come it didn't work then?"
"Because we're both to stubborn for our own good,"
"I'm not stubborn," she defended but then smiled.
"I'm going to kiss you now, okay?" he said leaning closer to her from the other swing.
"Okay," she said faintly hardly able to believe that he was going to kiss her. He leaned closer, and closer as if trying to tease her and he was just about to kiss her when BOOM!
Juliet had grown impatient with the two and had pushed Rory backwards off her swing. They were silent for a moment but when Rory realized how stupid she must look she began laughing. Tears were slipping down her cheeks as Tristan helped her up.
"Thank You Jules," she teased with a light laugh.
"I guess she was trying to tell me I was going to slow huh?"
"Guess so,"
"Let me try this again," he said with a grin.
"Please do," she whispered and he pulled her close and her lips met his in a sweet chaste kiss.
"Merry Christmas, Rory Gilmore," he whispered softly as he pulled away.
"Merry Christmas, to you too," she muttered pulling him in for another kiss.
The wind was still whipping her hair around and her hands were still numb but that didn't matter anymore, all that mattered was that Tristan DuGrey was kissing her and she was happy. It was a Merry Christmas and a happily ever after, after all for Rory and Tristan.
The End. (I think…)
Author's Note: You see, I typed this like when I started These Summer Days. Now, I think this is a good place to leave off…unless I have one more chapter which might be relevant to this story, other than that it's over. Thank you my faithful reviewers, I loved all the reviews. So, you decide one more chapter or is this a good place to stop?