see? i do love you guys, i updated!

***

chapter 15:Pretty Picture

***

Rory was pushing him to the bed, and the only thought that was

running through Tristan's mind was that as much as he wanted this, it

was wrong.

"Rory, stop," he managed to mumble. Rory didn't stop. "MARY!"

he yelled, hoping she'd respond to the nickname. It worked.

"What?" she asked.

"We can't do this."

"Why? Don't you want to?" she asked.

"Yah, but, well, not like this. You know? Come on Mary, things

should be different between us. You were just saying how you don't want

to be treated like all the other girls, and so far, that's how you're

being treated." Rory looked at him and sighed. He smiled inwardly, he

knew that saying that would work. He just didn't want her to regret

anything about her first time, especially since they had just stopped

screaming at each other not two minutes ago.

"Fine, fine. You're right," she said, sitting up on the bed.

"Now what should we do?"

Tristan looked at her in the dim light cast through the window.

She looked so beautiful. But hey, at least he was being a gentleman.

"You know, I really liked that Pretty Princess game," he said.

Rory laughed. "I told you it was addictive," she said. "Wanna

go play another round?"

Tristan nodded with a smile on his face.

Rory stood up. "I'll race ya," she said, already bolting down

the hallway. Tristan caught up to her before she even reached the stairs.

He scooped her up in his arms and slid down the banister with her on

his lap.



*****

If anyone had looked in the windows that night they would have

seen a very pretty picture.

Tristan held Rory in his arms for hours as they talked and

roasted marshmallows in the big fireplace. He told her all about his

military school experience, and she filled him in on life at Chilton,

her breakup with Dean (and needless to say, Tristan loved that story)

and her little sister Gigi.

When they were tired and ready for bed, they curled up together

on the sofa, content to be in each other's arms.



*****

Rory woke the next morning to hear her cell phone ringing. She

was reluctant to get off the couch, out of Tristan's arms. She could

honestly say that was her best night's sleep she had ever had, feeling

his strong arms around her protectively.

"Hello?" she asked groggily.

"Rory, hon? Are you okay?"

"Hi Mom," she replied.

"You sound tired? What's wrong?"

"Tristan doesn't keep coffee in his house," Rory replied,

perking up a bit at the sound of her Mom's voice.

Lorelai gasped. "No coffee? What is wrong with that boy? How

have you survived? It's been like two and a half days! What bad habits

did his mother teach him?"

"He's got an old carton of coffee ice cream that I've been living

off of. But as soon as the storm is over, I'm giving him a coffee pot

and a big bag of coffee for emergency supplies."

"Sounds like a plan. The rain has eased up, so I'm going to

come by and pick you up in a few minutes okay?" Lorelai said.

"Sure Mom." Rory hung up the phone and turned to Tristan, who

was sitting up on the couch, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"My Mom's coming to pick me up," she told him.

"How come?" he asked.

"Because I'm her daughter," she replied. "Plus, I don't think

she wants me stuck in a house with big bad scary boys like you for longer

than necessary."

"I'm big bad and scary? Mary, I'm wounded," he said, grabbing

his heart dramatically.

Rory just laughed. "You know, its too bad you didn't have the

chance to be Romeo in the school play. You would have done a much better

job than Paris."

"Well, what can I say? I'm a natural. Plus, the kiss would

have been a whole lot better."

Rory nodded. "Yah, that probably goes down as the number one

living nightmare moment of all time."

Tristan laughed. He got off the couch and pulled Rory into his

arms. "I don't want you to go," he said, inhaling her sweet fragrance.

"School should be open by tomorrow or maybe the next day," Rory

offered.

"That's too long to wait," he whispered in her ear.

Chills ran up and down Rory's spine from the feel of his warm

breath on her ear. "I know what you mean," she said.

They heard a car honk in the driveway. "That's Mom. I'll see

you at school. Thanks for letting me stay," Rory said, grabbing

her backpack and jacket.

Tristan kissed her hungrily. "My mom's waiting," she mumbled,

breaking away from his kiss. "I'll call you tonight, okay?"

"Okay. I love you Mare," he called as she walked out the hall.

"I love you too," she called back.

As soon as the door closed Tristan felt lonely in the big house.

Rory's presence had really filled the whole house with love, and made

it bearable. Now it was once again the dreary mansion occupied by one

solitary person.

*****

"Hey Mom!" Rory said, running to the car so she wouldn't get

drenched. It was still pouring, but it was safe enough to drive.

"Rory! God I've missed you!" Lorelai said, giving her a big

hug and a kiss. "How have you been?"

"I'm good except for the lack of caffeine in my veins," Rory

replied.

"We'll make some as soon as we get home," Lorelai promised.

"So what did you and Tristan do alone in that big house for two days?"

"Nothing really."

"Nothing, eh? You just sat around and stared at your toes for

two days," Lorelai said, not believing her daughter for a second.

"Basically, but when our next began to hurt we turned to stare

at the wall."

"So what really happened?"

"Nothing. We just hung out, had a good time," Rory answered. She

wasn't sure why she was hiding the truth from her mom. She just couldn't

get herself to tell.

"Okay. Hmm. And by nothing I'm guessing there was a lot of

talking, a lot of fighting, and a whole hell of a lot of kissing. Am I

right?"

Rory looked at her Mom incredulously. "Did you have hidden

cameras installed in there or something?" she asked.

"Ah ha! I was right. Oh I am so good!" Lorelai cried.

"Just tell me this, Mom. How did you know?"

"That's an easy one," Lorelai said. "There's a beautiful girl

alone in a house with a beautiful boy for like two and a half days, with

no way out an less you want to drown. Then you throw in your rocky past

with all the kissing and the fighting and the underlying issues and figure

all the stuff from the past would resurface in those two days. Now, I

figured that you two would kiss, and then you would fight, because, well,

that's all you two ever do. I'm so good."

"I wouldn't have drowned," Rory said defensively. "The water

is only like a foot deep."

"Yes my child, but do you remember your swimming lessons

when you were seven?"

"Okay, in my defense, those floaties were really heavy, they

were pulling me down!"

Lorelai laughed, glad to have her daughter back again.

***

a/n. sorry about this chapter. it should technically be 2, but i figured

that they'd both be incredibly short. so i made a long one. and im

sorry that these only get posted at night or whatever, because i swear,

i posted chapter 14 at noon, and its like almost 4 o'clock now and

14 still hasn't shown up yet. sorry!