Disclaimer: We do not own Gilmore girls, nor do we intend to, but we do own any original characters

Rating: PG-13 though it might go as high as R in future chapters…

Feedback: We appreciate any constructive criticism you have to offer!

Pairing: Trory & L/L

Author's Pointless Note: There will be a fair amount of L/L this chapter but bear with us as this is needed to understand future chapters and is an essential part of the plot.

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Life's Endeavours

CHAPTER 4: Unexpected Surprise

Beep Beep Beep

The startling sound coming from Tristan's pager interrupted the usual proceedings of the class.

"Tristan you know the rules," lectures the teacher, pulling out a handbook from her drawer, "if you turn to page 7, it specifically says that any form of telecommunications is unallowable during class time."

Tristan feigned a smile and in his best manners excused himself from the room.

"I'm sorry but it's my father," he effortlessly lied. "…and since he probably funds the chairs we are sitting on, I think I'll go make the call."

He left the room without a further remark from the teacher.

* * *

Chilton Hallway

"I'm so glad you could get past this so called animosity you had for me before," said a relieved Rory, walking down the hallway with an unusually calm Paris.

"Well, technically, I'm running for SGA next year and I realised if I actually want to win this - which I undoubtedly do, then I'm going to have to be on friendly terms with everyone, including newbies like you," said Paris in a rather dismissive tone.

Rory, not knowing whether to be offended or not, was about to voice her opinion but instead she put it off her mind knowing if she did, she would've lost her chance of getting a position in the school paper.

"So Paris, I've been meaning to ask you about that vacant position in The Franklin. If I gave you some of my work, do you think you'd consider me for it?" asks Rory.

But before Paris could answer, they both heard a vicious giggle coming from behind them.

They both turned around to find Liz.

"Rory, what are you doing with the likes of Paris? You don't want to go getting a bad reputation this early, now do you?" she harshly retorted, much to the amusement of her clique.

With Paris unable to think of a comeback to Liz's remark, Rory defended her saying,

"Back off Liz. Don't mock people who actually have brains."

With a disgusted look on her face, Liz shoves past them both without another word.

"So anyway," Rory said averting her attention back to Paris, "What do you think?"

"I had that perfectly under control. I didn't need you to stand up for me." Paris angrily says, stamping off in another direction, leaving a startled Rory, glued to her spot, utterly speechless.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the hallway was Tristan, on his way to the payphone as he had left his cell in his car. Tristan picked up the phone and began to dial the number.

Bring Bring Bring

"Tristan? This is you right? Well I'm glad you finally rang back. Listen, I'm busy this afternoon so plans are going to have to change. You'll have to pick Julia up from school today. This is the last time so please just don't make a fuss about this."

At the mention of his half-sister, he suddenly felt a wave of sympathy towards her because it was probably the billionth time her mother had been too busy to pick her up at that school that Rachel had insisted in sending her too. Apparently it was where she grew up…

The sound of the voiceless dial tone was all Tristan heard after his stepmother's request, leaving him unable to get a word in. This was so typical of Rachel. Always preoccupied with everything; everything of course, other than her own family. Tristan chose not to dwell on something that can't be changed so he hung up the phone.

Brrrrrrrringgg!

The shrill sound of the bell interrupted Tristan's thoughts.

Intent on going to next period, he turns his head around to see a confused Rory and decides to head towards her but before he could, a hand tightly grasped his shoulder, forcing him to turn back around.

"Hey Dugrey! What's up?" Andy asked noticing his distant composure, "What are you staring at dude?"

Embarrassed that he got caught looking at his girlfriend's sister, he desperately rummages through his brain to conjure up an excuse.

"Oh I know," Andy playfully said, answering his own question-- much to the relief of Tristan, "You were staring at Liz"

Confused, Tristan looks back in the previous direction and notices Liz just a few feet behind Rory, gossiping among her many friends.

"Oh…That's right… I was looking at Liz…" he says trying to conceal the truth from his friend.

"Well anyway, I was just about to tell you…" Andy was interrupted when he too spotted Rory on her way to class.

"Hey Rory!" Andy yells, signalling her to come join them.

"Hi…" Tristan says in a softer tone.

"Hi," Rory responds rather awkwardly, still unable to believe they were actually friends.

"Ummm… Tristan, can you give me and Rory a few seconds? I just need to ask her something," Andy says, hoping he'd understand. Tristan quickly caught onto what he was implying and backed a few steps to lean against a locker, leaving them two alone.

"Well Rory," Andy continued, "If you're not busy tonight, I was just wondering if you'd like to go out for a burger with me, nothing flashy of course, just a casual, you know… date."

"Oh," Rory says, noticing a blush rising up Andy's cheeks as he struggled to get the words out.

Being a few feet away didn't dismiss the fact that Tristan could hear every word. At the mention of a date, Tristan averted his deliberate gaze at the ceiling and looked directly at them. He was surprised to see his look was reciprocated by his girlfriend's sister.

"Ummm…" Rory says, breaking away from her gaze at Tristan to look at Andy,

"I'm sorry but I can't. I honestly have to be somewhere tonight," Rory continued with a regretful smile.

Rory looked into Andy's eyes, and says "sorry" again and then began to walk off to next period, with Tristan and Andy watching her slowly walk away…

* * *

Stars Hollow: A Few Hours Later

Rory steps off the bus previously reminiscing about her eventful day: she probably lost her chance of writing for The Franklin, she rejected a perfectly okay date with an okay guy and to top it all off, she couldn't understand why Tristan's intent gaze just stuck to her mind.

Rory rushed her way to Luke's remembering why she was there in the first place: to wish him a very happy birthday and to get ready at Lane's house for his "surprise" party later that night.

She would've gone with her mom or Liz, but there was a hectic workload Lorelai said she had to complete before she could even think about going. As for Liz, well, lets just say she wouldn't be caught dead at Star's Hallow. It just wasn't her thing. To solve the situation, they both agreed to go their separate ways and only to meet when they were about to go home.

Rory pushed Luke's door and cheerfully cries out to him dressed in his usual flannel wear.

"Happy Birthday!" she says giving him a big bear hug. "Now give me some coffee."

"Not until you do me a small favour," he replies, holding the coffee container over his head.  "Can you see how full it is today? Well, I need you to go to Doose's and get me a few bags of flour."

"You're wish is my command but hey! Only because its you're birthday, you can't have me doing your groceries everyday," Rory replies playfully

"Thanks kiddo," he says gratefully as she heads out the door.

Rory walks down the pathway leading to Doose's concentrating on fulfilling her orders when suddenly, just as she was about to turn the corner, she collided on a male's chest.

She looked up to see a very familiar face.

"We really have a habit of doing this don't we?" says Tristan, who dropped the brown paper bag he was carrying onto the ground.

"What are you doing here?" she asks as she bends down to help him pick up what he dropped.

"Oh just getting a few things from my sister before she gets out of school. She goes to Stars Hollow Elementary? You know where that is?"

Rory picks up a particular item hidden amongst a bag full of lollies and asks curiously,

"These cigarettes are for her?"

Tristan laughs nervously and grabs it out of her hands. And yet again, there comes their common awkward silence. The two so-called friends stood there like strangers, both unable to think of what to say next.

"Look," Rory says, frustrated at the lack of communication between them, "We're supposed to be friends. I mean, we talked more when we were at each other's throats. If this is how we're going to be like as friends then I'll take us being enemies any day."

Tristan gave her a blank look and then got to his senses. He smiled mischievously, and puts a hand up to his heart, and in a mocking tone says,

"Awwwwww… I'm touched. You really want to talk to me that much."

Rory rolls her eyes and retorts with a slight push to his shoulder, "Oh just get over yourself."

"Well I will… the moment you get over me yourself."

Rory was at a loss for words.

"Out of comebacks are we?"

"No!" Rory snaps, "Just shut up DuGrey!"

A tense silence filled the air as Rory's previously frowning lips twitched into a smile. With that, they both fell into simultaneous fit of laughter.

"Well I hate to break our moment but I have to get some flour for my friend. We're having a surprise party for him tonight and if you don't have anything else to do..." Rory trails off, thinking what she's about to say would sound daggy with the likes of 'cool' Tristan, "then you're welcome to go," she finishes off hesitantly.

"I have to get going anyway to pick up my sister," Tristan replies, "But yeah, I'll run it down with my family and if they want to go then I guess I'll be there."

"Great," Rory replied cooly, disguising the fact that the prospect of going just got a lot more exciting.

"Great," Tristan echoed with a smile.

***

Tristan waits patiently for Rachel to pick up her cell.

"Hello" Rachel answers.

"Hey. I've dropped Julia off at home so you don't have to call to see if I forgot. Oh and I'm not going to be home tonight. Just letting you know just in case you send out a search party for me, not that you actually will, but like I said, just in case."

"Oh Tristan, you act as if I don't care." Rachel responded in a tone that made her seem hurt, "Where are you going to be anyway?"

Tristan was surprised she cared enough to ask but replied anyway, "At a birthday party in Stars Hollow."

"Oh really now," says Rachel, with thoughts now circulating her mind.

***

Hayden Mansion

Lorelai had lied.

She didn't have any work to do that could stop her from going to Luke's Party.

The only thing that was holding her back was her regretful actions a few days before.

"Stars Hollow isn't exactly known for it's secret keeping skills," Luke jokingly says, "And neither are you."

She couldn't believe that she got angry at that one small remark. But as he said those words, oblivious to the little truth that it held, it caused such a spark that she ended leaving abruptly and mysteriously adding,

"If only you knew Luke, if only you knew…"

She literally kicked herself when she got home. It was then that she had the sense to think about what she just said because in actual truth, she didn't want him to know.

Because if he did, then the family she had worked so hard to keep together, would be rocked by the startling revelation. A revelation that could result in her children realising that what they grew up believing was a lie…

"What am I still doing here?" Lorelai whispers to herself as she sat down on the couch staring at the dull vision of the living room walls. " I should be out there, celebrating my best friend's birthday."

She abruptly got up from where she is and stamps to the other side of the room to grab her keys and hurry towards Luke's party. With one glance at herself in the mirror, she makes her way to the door only to find someone she didn't expect to see, opening the door before her.

"Chris!" she cried, halting from her tracks, "What are you doing here?"

*           *           *

If Lorelai was shocked at the sight of seeing Christopher standing in the house that he had frequently abandoned then the reason why he was actually there was bound to surprise her even more.

The two strangers, brought together only by the union of marriage sat quietly around the kitchen table each waiting for the other to break the uncomfortable silence that filled the room.

"I'm here to ask you for a divorce," Chris finally says, looking directly at his wife to see her reaction.

Lorelai didn't flinch at all but instead she stared back at him levelling his intent gaze.

"Why?"

"You know very well why," Chris countered bitterly, "I don't see how being oblivious would help to solve our situation Lorelai. You and I both know that this marriage has been dead for a very long time."

Lorelai unexpectedly got up to pour herself another cup of coffee hoping that it would somehow calm her angry nerves.

"Have you no consideration for people other than yourself?" she said hiding the obvious contempt in her voice. "I mean have you thought about your children and how they're going to react?"

"Of course I have," he cried, "They're the only reason why this marriage has lasted for as long as it has. Do you actually think that my idea for divorce just popped up yesterday without a previous notion."

Lorelai sniffed, "I wouldn't be surprised."

"Look," Chris said placing the item he retrieved from his briefcase onto the table, "Just sign these. Please don't make it harder than it already is."

Lorelai took one glance at the divorce papers then drank the rest of her coffee in one big gulp.

"I have no time for this." She hastily said, making a grab for her keys once again.

"Make sure to say goodbye to the kids" was the last comment that she made before she walked out the door, felling an unmistakeable sense of relief take over her.

*           *           * Luke's Party

The florescent lights hanging across the whole town illuminated the already star-studded night sky. Tristan arrived to Stars Hollow, beside someone he obviously didn't want to be with. Rachel always had a full and busy schedule and it puzzled Tristan that she even bothered to attend a small town party for someone she didn't even know.

"So Rachel," Tristan questions, "You know it's not to late to turn back home. You can take the car and I'll just find my own way back."

"Oh don't be silly Tristan," Rachel answers, "I've already gotten here, what's the point of going back?"

"Oh alright then," Tristan adds, "I'm going to find my friend now. Are you ok by yourself?"

"Yes Tristan," says Rachel in a rather annoyed tone, "I am a grown woman."

With that, Tristan turns away from her and begins to search for Rory but not without rolling his eyes at Rachel's condescending nature.

The place was crowded and Tristan wondered if he would ever find Rory in all this. But just as he was about to give up, he spotted a brunette in a casual top and a faded denim skirt, meandering around as if she was also in search of someone.

"Rory!" Tristan yells, loud enough for the whole town to hear.

Rory turned around, to see everyone's eyes fixed on Tristan. She instantly grabbed his arm and pushed him away to a private place.

"Tristan! How did I know you'd make a loud entrance? Such a typical attention seeker," Rory uttered not noticing that she was still holding his arm.

"I think I'll get this back," Tristan joked, taking his arm away from Rory's grip.

"Oh… ummm… sorry… I didn't notice," says Rory, blushing and averting her eyes away.

"Well, anyway, I saw you searching for someone back there," Tristan said, so to end her obvious embarrassment, "You weren't looking for me were you?"

Tristan smiled, half-hoping it was him she was looking for.

"As a matter of fact, Mr. I-think-the-world-revolves-around-me, I was looking for my best friend, Lane."

"What?" Tristan said, putting on a fake frown, "I thought I was your best friend?!"

"Tristan," Rory uttered, marvelling at his constant mockery, "Can you ever be serious?"

"Rory, you should know by now that I'm never serious," Tristan replied, knowing how serious he could actually be, especially when it

comes to Julia's safety.

"Ugh! I'll be leaving now," said Rory, quickly walking off in the other direction, knowing that Tristan was sure to follow her.

"Wait! Rory wait!" Tristan said right on the dot, to Rory's amusement, "You can't exactly leave me in this strange town? What happens if I get kidnapped?"

"You baby!" Rory teases, laughing at his infantile behaviour, "You just better not bug me the whole night!"

Rory looked away from Tristan's puppy dog eyes to see Lane, in her ridiculous band uniform, on her way to them.

"Hey Rory!" Lane smiled, eyes on Tristan, "Who's your friend here?"

Tristan then held out his hand and shook Lane's quite courteously, causing Rory and Lane to think he was quite the gentleman.

"I'm Tristan, Tristan DuGrey. You must be Lane?"

"Yup, that's me. The one and only. Well not the only one in the world, because I'm sure there's more Lane's out there but yeah it's safe for me to say the only Lane in this town. Other than lanes that you walk through of course." she talked in nonsense, mentally kicking herself at her stupidity.

"Oh by the way Rory, I can't hang out with you tonight," Lane said apologetically, "The marching band needed me after all. Sorry. I guess I'll just see you guys later."

Tristan cockily smiled and nudged Rory on the shoulder, as Lane walked away from them, "I guess it's just you and me tonight ay?"

***

Luke's Diner

After much wandering and searching, Rachel walked into the diner knowing that the guy she was looking for was bound to be there

The guy she left behind almost 19 years ago.

The guy who broke her heart.

         But just about everyone in Star's Hallow would've perceived it differently. She would be seen as the cold, selfish bitch that left Luke in pursuit of her photography career. But boy, were they wrong.

        Rachel tried to forget the events that occurred on that day, many years ago but it was with this frequent denial and avoiding the truth that has troubled her for quite a long time. She was like a restless soul, unable to free herself and fully be happy until she finally knew the truth. And the only way to get it was to ask the man that was situated in front of her, hunched over a miniature tv, watching a random game of baseball.

"Luke."

He turned around, surprised that he wasn't the only person in the room but it didn't come close to the surprise he felt when he saw who it was.

"Rachel?" he asked in disbelief, cautiously walking his way over to her with a smile forming on his lips. It soon disappeared and halted his tracks when he remembered how she left him without even saying goodbye.

"What do you want?" he then asked rather coldly.

"The truth," she replied in the same tone while taking a step closer to make up for the step he took back.

"We both know the truth. Heck, the whole town knows it too! You left me without a reason then I find you on the photography credits in National Geographic magazine. It's pretty obvious what happened there but what I just don't get is why you left. Why you never even bothered to say goodbye."

       Rachel took a swift intake of breath feeling as if in a few moments time that a huge weight would be lifted off her shoulders. It was now or never.

"I saw you in bed with another woman"

"What?!" he cried incredulously, "With who?"

     As if on cue, the door to his diner burst open and in walked a flustered Lorelai, catching her breath so she could voice an apology for her apparent tardiness.

Rachel took one look at her; the 19 years did nothing to prevent her from realising who she was.

"With her.

***

Yet Another Author's Note: Hey again… We are sorry for the length of this chapter, we felt as if we owed it to people who liked our fic… Well, the next chapter isn't likely to be as long as this one so don't fret. We're also going to try harder to update earlier than 6 months!! [our yearlies are coming up so we're not sure if its possible BUT we do have ideas for other fics] And by the way, good on ya if you didn't have to read back to the other chaps to understand this one *winks* –Liz on behalf of Mystic Roses. =)