Pairing - Tristan and Rory...

Disclaimer - I wish I owned them, but unfortunately I don't. They belong to Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions and Hofflund/Polone in association with Warner Bros. Television. I'm merely borrowing them. Although I would love to steal Tristan away...

Feedback - First off, thanks for all the reviews of the first chapter! I think it's the most I've ever gotten for a single chapter. Anyways, please review the new chapter. Reviews make me happy, which makes me write faster... *hint hint*

A/N - Pretty much discount everything that happened in season 2. Except for Jess. He'll be making some appearances a little later on.

Chapter 2 - Try Again

Tristan lay back in the white cotton sheets of an all too familiar bed, staring up at the ceiling. His room was almost perfectly intact from almost a year ago, still the cold, desolate place he left. There were few personal items in his room - a few CDs strewn across his lavish cherry desk, some magazines lying on the floor, and a couple of framed family photos. One of which was of Tristan and his grandfather, who had just passed away a couple of days ago.

Today was the funeral. Tristan wasn't particularly close to his grandfather, much less the rest of his family. After learning the news that Janlen DuGrey had passed on, his father had insisted that Tristan come back to Hartford - permanently.

"Family business, son," Woodrow DuGrey said gruffly, once Tristan had stepped out of the limo and back into the DuGrey mansion. "We need to turn to each other at the time of this loss."

What a bunch of bullshit. The DuGreys weren't known to talk about the feelings or give hugs. They all led their own separate lives. Tristan hadn't even seen his siblings in over three years. He had planned on boarding a plane back to Switzerland once the funeral was over, until he learned that his father had him pulled out of his school there, and enrolled again at Chilton Preparatory Academy.

"We must show a united front," his father insisted. "We must stand united in Hartford. We cannot make ourselves susceptible to any business takeovers..."

And Tristan learned the real reason he was brought back to Hartford. Greedy business men who don't care about their colleagues' deaths. His staying in Hartford would just be an act to show the business world that the DuGrey business was still going strong. Death wasn't going to deter them. With Woodrow DuGrey at the helm, and his family supporting him, the DuGreys would overcome the latest obstacle.

Tristan hated to think of his grandfather's death as an obstacle. He was a real person. Someone who talked, someone who moved, someone who felt. And unlike Woodrow DuGrey, Janlen DuGrey had real feelings for his family. Despite the fact that Tristan wasn't particularly close to Janlen DuGrey, Tristan had to admit that his grandfather was the only thing in the DuGrey clan that seemed to scream 'family'.

And so he was back in his room in Hartford, back at the private hell he made for himself. Tristan didn't want to be there. And he especially didn't want to see her.

* * *

Rory looked around, feeling lost. She was standing in the middle of the den in the DuGrey mansion, surrounded by members of Hartford's elitist class, as they chatted about their memories of what a fine man Janlen DuGrey was.

It wasn't her choice to be here. Rory had been staying at her grandparents' house for the week, after Lorelai had left for a business seminar in Chicago. Since the new school year at Chilton began the next day, Rory decided she'd be better off staying in Hartford. Emily had asked Rory to accompany herself and Richard to the wake at the DuGrey mansion, since Rory's "good friend" Tristan would be there. Rory reluctantly agreed to appease her grandmother, but right now this was the last place she wanted to be.

She hadn't seen Tristan yet. And she doubted that he'd want to see her anyway.

I hope you have a great life. I know I will once I get away from you...

She remembered his last line. The one that pretty much summed up everything there was to say. He hated her. And she might have liked him.

Rory glanced over at her grandparents, who were in a deep discussion with one of Richard's colleagues. She slowly made her way out of the den, and began walking through the hollow halls. She stopped in front of a door, which she guessed to be the library.

Rory looked around her to make sure no one saw her, and slowly opened the door. Books. Her place of comfort, especially when she needed to be alone like right now.

"You're not supposed to be in here," a male voice startled Rory. Her eyes followed the direction of the voice, where she found herself staring at the back of an oversized armchair. She couldn't see his face, but Rory had recognized the voice immediately.

"Tristan?" she called out softly.

* * *

His body tensed when he heard her voice. He'd recognize it anywhere.

Mary. Rory. Whatever she wanted to be called.

Tristan forced himself to get up from the armchair, and face her. Despite the turmoil of emotions going through him at the moment, he was aware that she looked as beautiful as ever. She was looking back at him, her face the epitome of innocence. Her bright blue eyes widened in surprise, and her mouth opened in a small 'o'.

"So I guess all the rumors are true," she said, suddenly finding her voice. "You are back in Hartford."

"Not by choice," Tristan sneered. The tone of his voice came out harsher than he had intended, and he watched as Rory flinched at the sound of his voice. She was looking back at him now, her brow furrowing, not really knowing how to respond. So instead, she stayed silent.

"So Mary, where's the little lamb?" Tristan asked, as he tried to fill the awkward silence that had begun to plague them both. Rory shot him a quizzical look. "Dean," Tristan clarified with a smirk. "You know, your sheep boy that follows you around like a desperate little puppy dog."

"We broke up. A few months ago," Rory replied.

"Oh really? What a shame," Tristan said sarcastically. "Because as I recall, the last time I saw you, you were clinging to his lips for dear life, telling him about how much you hated me," he said bitterly. Rory's eyes dropped down, as she stared at the floor in shame.

"I didn't mean it," she said softly. "I just didn't want to fight with Dean anymore." She looked back up, her eyes pleading for forgiveness. "And besides, you were being pretty jerky that day," she added hastily. Her eyes were met with Tristan's cold, hard, steely gaze.

"Funny how you say the things you don't mean," he said, his voice just as cold as his gaze. "I always pegged you as a stickler for the truth."

"Why are you being such an asshole today?" Rory asked, narrowing her eyes. The Tristan she knew was jerky pretty much all the time, but this Tristan was over the top. Tristan shrugged.

"Maybe I'm just letting you know how I feel," he replied. "Something I should have done a long, long time ago."

"Look, I didn't know how you really felt before," Rory blurted out. "Not until I read the letter..." her voice trailed off slowly, as she looked at Tristan expectantly. "Did you really mean everything you said in it?" she asked him, in a quiet voice.

Tristan's mouth was dry. He wasn't prepared to see Rory today. He thought he'd have time to ready himself for a spiteful confrontation. Not this.

"Every word," he whispered. He watched as Rory's mouth slightly dropped open, as she thought of her next words.

"You said I was too scared to take the road less traveled," she stated, her voice starting to gain more confidence as she spoke. "And in all honesty, I was. But not anymore. Tristan, if we could start over..." Rory was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Rory whipped around, to find a gorgeous brunette standing there. She looked at her expectantly, but the brunette's eyes were focused on Tristan.

"I can't believe you came," Tristan said, his mouth beginning to form a smile.

"Of course I came," the brunette said. She walked over to Tristan and gave him a quick hug and peck on the lips. Tristan's arm lingered on her shoulder, when the brunette finally realized that they weren't alone. "Where's your manners? Aren't you going to introduce us?" she asked Tristan.

"I guess," Tristan said, taking a deep breath. "Evelyn, this is Rory. Rory this is Evelyn... My girlfriend."

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Ah yes, I'm evil. I gave Tristan a girlfriend, just when Rory wanted to start over. But alas, there's still more to the story...