sorry i crapped out on the chapters yesterday- i had to go to work with

my mom. yuck. im so never doing that again!

but ne way, heres chapter 20, so enjoy.

***

disclaimer: this show is still not mine. so please don't sue me.

***

chapter 20: Mrs. Kim to the Rescue?

***

Tristan saw her car pull up into his driveway about eight o'clock

the next morning. Despite his exhaustion of waiting up for her all night,

he managed to make it out to the driveway before she was even out of her

car.

He pulled her into his arms. "God Mary! You had me so worried!"

he cried, holding her tight.

"How did you know?" she asked, barely able to talk because the

tight grip he was holding on her.

"Your Mom called me at like three thirty in the morning," he

said, loosening his grip somewhat.

"God, she must be so worried."

"Why did you do it Mary, why did you run away?"

Rory looked into his beautiful blue eyes. "I had to see you,"

she said truthfully. He pulled her into another hug and she cried on

his shoulder, letting out more than two weeks of emotions that she had

held inside.

"You look so tired," he said, stepping back and taking a look at

her.

"Well I have been driving all night," she replied, drying her

eyes.

"Come on, let's go call your mom and then you can lie down. O.k?"

"No, I drove all this way to spend time with you. I'm not just

going to take a nap until my mom sends me home."

Tristan sighed. Rory looked determined to win. "Fine. How about

I drive you to that diner in Stars Hollow to get coffee? You'll get some

caffeine plus I'm sure they're all worried sick about you too."

"Okay. Can I use your phone?" she said. He took her hand and

lead her into the house.



*****

"Rory?" Lorelai answered the phone, on the very first ring.

"Hi Mom," she answered hesitantly, not wanting to hear her Mom's

lecture just now.

"Oh my God, honey. You're safe. I was so worried. WHERE DID YOU

GO?"

"To Tristan's house," Rory answered innocently.

"Tristan's house. Tristan's house as in the building he lives in?

As in the one in Hartford CONNECTICUT?" Lorelai yelled into the phone.

"Um, that would be the one," she answered nervously. Tristan

watched her shift from foot to foot.

"God Rory. I sent you out for toothpaste LAST NIGHT! And then

the hours passed, and you didn't come home, and I started panicking, and

my breath really smells and-"

"Mom, I'm sorry. I drove to the grocery store, but then I just

stopped thinking and started driving and I wound up here."

"I'm really mad at you Rory. You could have at least called me!"

"I know Mom. I'm sorry. Really, really sorry."

"Yah, well you better be. I'm just grateful you're okay. Now go

to sleep, I want you to come home as soon as you're rested up. I have

phone calls to make," Lorelai said angrily.

"Oh no Mom, who did you call?"

"Luke, Miss Patty, Sookie, you grandparents, Chris and Sherri,

Michelle, Dean-"

"You called DEAN?" Rory yelled into the phone.

"Hey, you don't have the right to yell at me Missy. You lost that

right when you ran away from home last night. And you just call me when

your daughter is missing at two in the morning. Then you'll understand

why I called Dean."

"All right, I'm sorry. I'm going to let you go call now," Rory

said, anxious to get off the phone, away from her mother.

"Next time you run away, consider my phone bill, okay? Thanks,"

Lorelai said, and then she hung up.

"Wow, Mom's really mad," Rory said when she hung up.

"She's just upset," Tristan replied.

"I know. I just thought that maybe she'd understand."

"You just had her worried. You had me worried. God. When I got

the phone call that you were missing, I thought I was going to die,"

Tristan said honestly.

"I'm so, so sorry Tristan," she replied. "I just had to see you.

I didn't think I could make it another day in that stupid town with those

stupid people and that stupid school. You know, when my Mom told me we

were moving, I thought I was going to die. But when I saw you at school

that first day, I knew thinks might just turn out okay. And they did. I

made it fine when you were there. But I don't know anyone there, Tris,

I don't have any friends. Everyone just points at me and whispers about

what a wreck I am since you left. And it sucks, it really sucks. Its not

like I care about the gossip, I'm just sick of not having anyone to talk

to. Especially now that my Mom is always at work. She's hardly ever home

before midnight. I just miss my old life, living in Stars Hollow, being

surrounded by friendly faces. I don't feel that in North Carolina Tris.

Not without you."

Rory's speech made Tristan fight to swallow a lump that was

growing in his throat. "Mary, I am so sorry. I wish I could change things.

You know I do."

"I know. But there isn't anything we can do, so can we just go

get coffee?"

Tristan smiled at his coffee addicted girlfriend.

"Your wish is my command, after all, you did drive twelve hours

to see me."

"You know, I still have that third wish," Rory said as they

walked out the door towards his car.



*****



Jess broke his usual cool, calm demeanor when he saw her.

"God Rory, I was so worried," he said, taking her in his arms.

"Um, hey Jess," she replied. Luke followed with another hug.

"Where have you been?"

"Um, I came to visit Tristan," she answered, beginning to realize

how stupid her answer must sound to anyone other than herself. It seemed

that everyone in Stars Hollow was gathered at the diner waiting for some

type of news.

"Tristan?" Jess asked.

"That would be me," Tristan stepped in. "I'm Tristan Dugrey,

Mare- uh Rory's boyfriend," he answered, shaking Luke's hand, knowing

that he was more protective than a father.

"Oooh! Tristan!" Miss Patty said, getting up from her seat.

"I'm Patty. Pleased to meet you," she said, practically swooning over

the sight of him.

"Oh Miss Patty, control yourself," Luke said. "You drove all the

way to Connecticut to see him?" Luke asked, eyeing the boy suspiciously.

"Well, technically I left the house for toothpaste," she answered.

"And let me guess, they were all sold out in North Carolina?"

he replied sarcastically.

"They have a better selection here," Rory answered defensively.

"And what would that be? Oh, I know, Tristan flavored?" a voice

from the corner said. Rory and Tristan both turned to face him.

"Well Dugrey, it looks like we meet again."

"Still got that job pricing vegetables Bag Boy?" Tristan spat

back sarcastically.

"Well, its better than making a living at putting girl's lives

in danger," he replied, with equal animosity.

"Dean, Tristan, stop it. No one put my life in danger. I just

took a little road trip is all," Rory said, trying to make peace between

the two.

"That's not what it sounded like when your Mom called me in the

middle of the night," Dean replied, not taking his eyes of Tristan.

"Dean, just cool it okay? Luke, can we have two coffees to go

please?" Luke rushed to pour the coffee. "Listen everyone," Rory continued.

"I'm sorry to have freaked you all out, but I'm fine, okay? Really I am.

As much as I would love to stay and talk to you, I really should be getting

back."

"You can't drive all the way back to North Carolina!" Jess and

Luke both cried protectively. They looked at each other and shuddered

at the freaky mind reading moment.

"I won't let her," Tristan said. "She's going to go home and

take a nap and then we'll figure out what happens next."

"Like hell she will!" Jess cried. "There's no way I am letting

you go home with this guy, Rory. He's trouble."

"He's not trouble Jess," Rory said. She was really getting fed

up with everyone trying to protect her. "He's a good guy. Don't worry."

"But what about all the stories you told me about him?" Jess

asked her.

"He's changed." Rory insisted.

"Hello, he also happens to be standing right here," Tristan

added, hating the way they were talking about him. "Listen, I love

Rory as much, if not more than the rest of you do. God. You all act

as if I'm a freakin kidnapper or something."

"I don't like this," Luke mumbled.

"Rory's a lucky one," Babette whispered to Miss Patty. "Look

at all the hunks going after her!"

"Come on Tristan, let's just leave. I love you guys all so much,"

Rory said. "But I'm really, really tired, so I'm going to go." Rory

and Tristan headed for the door without waiting long enough for anyone

to stop them.

But it was too late.

Mrs. Kim was blocking the exit.

"You are leaving with a BOY?" she spat. "Over my dead body!"

And with that, she put her hands on her hips and blocked the entire

exit. Rory and Tristan were trapped.