Disclaimer: Don't own them.
Every Time There's a Concert
Chapter 9: Thanksgiving Weekend.
They finally reached Sookie's house, and there Tristan would be introduced to most of the people in town. Since most of the town was invited to the same parties they would start in one place, and then followed to the next. Considering this, both Sookie and Luke, agreed on the time when they would invite people over, so that no one would feel compromised that they could only attend one celebration.
When they came in to Sookie's house, the three of them went directly to Sookie's kitchen, where she was still working on the food. As usual Sookie changed, at the last minute, the menu for today so she was still working on some hors d'ouvres.
"Hey Sookie", Lorelai said as she came in "What happened here?" she said as she saw the old hors d'ouvres and the new ones, that where being prepared.
"Hey honey! Well as I was getting ready, I was thinking of the food that I was offering, and then it hit me. I cannot serve this" she said as she pointed to the old hors d'ouvres "with this" she said as she pointed to a beautifully decorated turkey "so I decided to change it."
"Oh, OK! So, do you need any help?"
"No it's OK!! Rory, honey!!!!! I'm sorry, hi!"
"Hey Sookie" Rory said really glad to see her. She missed many things in Stars Hollow and one of them was Sookie and her cooking.
"And you must be Tristan?"
"Yes, hi.", he was fairly nervous because of all the introductions, so he tried to shake her hand, but she put them up as if saying 'I'm dirty' "Oh, Sorry!!"
"No, its OK. Wow, Babette was really off this time" Sookie stated.
"Miss Patty pointed it out too." Lorelai said.
"Oh, well she is here, and if you can run kid. . . this will be the time to remember how." Sookie said, and Tristan chuckled at the comment. "Hey why don't you go outside, everyone's there"
"Are you sure?" Rory asked, a little concerned as Sookie dropped a plate on the floor.
"Yeah, I'll be out in a minute. Go."
And they went outside. Everything was prepared and nicely decorated with a red, orange, yellow and brown motif, which Lorelai had helped to pick out and decorate. Considering also, that the weather would be cold by now, they placed this little fire lamps, kind of Hawaiian style, around so some heat would be emanated by them.
They found a table to sit in. Not long after sitting there, Jackson approached them.
"Hey girls, how are you?" he asked. "Hey there Tristan, I'm Jackson Melville. Sookie's husband"
"Oh, yeah. . . um, hi!" Tristan said as he got up to shake his hand.
"Miss Patty was a little off this time" Jackson said, and then he called Andrew, the guy that ran the bookstore and with whom Jackson always made comparisons to who do people look like "Hey Andrew, come here" Andrew came closer to where they were "What do you think, Brad Pitt?"
"They are trying to figure out who you look like" Rory whispered in Tristan's ear.
"I figured" Tristan answered back.
"Yeah, Brad Pitt. . . early stages, you know. . . Cool World most likely"
"Yeah, I'm with you on that one" Taylor Doose stated as he came closer to where they were, and then he introduced himself "Taylor Doose, grocer to Stars Hollow, you must be the boyfriend?"
"Yes sir, I am. Tristan . . ." but he got cut off by Taylor.
"DuGrey. . . yes son, we know that by now. You have a pretty nice car, don't you?"
"I consider it so" Tristan answered a little uncomfortable.
"Well Stars Hollow is a safe town, don't go driving around speeding and everything. We don't like that here" Taylor said.
"Oh, um, no, I was not planning on speeding, sir. Don't worry." Tristan answered back.
"Let it go Taylor. . . it's not that the town doesn't like it, it's because you don't like it" said Luke, who was coming in just in time to listen to the comment.
"Listen Lucas, the Stars Hollow Department of Safe Driving, states that no speeding is allowed in the areas, and sets speed limits for each of the areas surrounding the town. I am just doing my townly duty." Taylor answered.
"The SHDSD is just another organization which you preside, and gives everyone a head-ache"
"Yes, but has anyone had any accidents since the SHDSD was established?" He asked rhetorically "No. So, the defense rests."
"You're impossible" Luke stated.
"As you" Taylor answered back, and walked away.
After this, everyone was around listening to the verbal quarrel. After it was over, Kirk approached Tristan.
"So, Tristan. I was just wondering if I could ask you a question, handsome man to handsome man?"
"Sure" Tristan said as he stifled a laugh.
"How do you get your hair to do that thing? You see my hair is kinda like yours, but somehow I just can't seem to get it that way" he asked referring to the way that Tristan hair fell (he had long hair, like on CSI).
"Well. . ." he started, but stopped because he didn't know his name.
"Kirk"
"Kirk, I grew it out. If I hadn't, my hair wouldn't do the thing you are referring too" Tristan said.
"Right. . . are you advising me to let my hair grow out?"
"Sure, if you would like your hair to do the thing"
"Can't do. My mom won't let me. . . thanks anyway" and with that Kirk walked away from the table.
"Odd feller that Kirk, huh?" Tristan stated.
"Yeah, he is. . . did you know he had the hots for my mom?" Rory said teasing Lorelai.
"Really Lorelai?"
"Well. . ." Lorelai started but was cut off by Rory.
"Yeah, he asked her out and everything. . ." Rory continued.
"Did you go?" Tristan asked Lorelai.
"No. . . you see, I had a cold that time, and he asked me out two weeks in advance. . ."
"He didn't want to get sick" Rory finished.
"Did you postponed?" Tristan asked.
"No."
"Re-scheduled for better timing"
"Did you see him when he was talking to you? The guy is odd, we love him around here, but he is very odd. Nonetheless, I didn't want to hurt him so I told him the truth"
"Oh!!" he said, but was the only thing he could say before he started cracking up.
"Glad my story amuses you!!" Lorelai said, faking she was hurt.
"No, sorry. . . It's just that, do you know probably how long that poor guy thought about asking you out, and you rejected him"
"I am a horrible person" Lorelai stated, staring back at Kirk, who was standing with the other guys.
"No you are not!!" Rory stated, smiling at what she had caused.
"Yes I am. You're boyfriend is right. . . do you think I should go out with him just once"
"Mom you can't"
"Yeah, Lorelai you can't. . . besides you are dating Luke, remember"
"Yeah, but he is a very understanding man. . . don't let that gruff exterior fool you"
"It hasn't but, I don't think a man like that" he pointed at Luke "would like his girlfriend to go out with a guy like that" he pointed at Kirk.
"Besides, that was so long ago. . . he probably doesn't even remember he asked you out" Rory answered.
"Are you new around here? Kirk is still charging me those 50 cents that we owe him for not rewinding Willie Wonka once"
"You're right. . . he probably has a dart board with your picture on it and throws darts to it every night before going to bed"
"Thanks kiddo, you are always my rock. . . glad you're back!" she stated sarcastically.
At that moment, Sookie came out with the hors d'ouvres and placed them on the picnic tables.
The rest of the dinner at Sookie's was uneventful. But Luke's. . . that's another story.
~*~ Luke's Diner. . . Same day ~*~
Luke left a little earlier than most of them so he could go to the diner and fix everything up for their guests. Lorelai joined him. She wasn't going to let him "fix" everything up by himself, because she knew that when they got there their guests would find everything the way they usually did: with the tables and the chairs.
So Lorelai, being the proactive person that she was took as her job to secretly buy decorations, similar to the ones over at Sookies but a little less "festive" so Luke wouldn't get to mad, just mad enough so she could persuade him afterward to forgive her without to much work on her part. When he went in to the kitchen to get the stuff Ceasar had left prepared earlier, Lorelai placed the decorations as fast as she could. When he came back into the "dining room" he didn't have time to complain because everyone was starting to show up.
"Hey guys, come in" Lorelai greeted everyone at the door, looking over at Luke who mouthed 'I'll get you' but she knew he wasn't serious because she saw a glimpse of a smile forming when he turned. . . but then again maybe it was gas, who knew.
Taylor was having so much fun, and that killed Luke. Taylos was happy because of the decorations, and even if he knew that Luke hadn't placed them himself, he was still counting that as a victory.
"I am getting rid of them as soon as everyone leaves Taylor, don't get any ideas" Luke said as he walked close to Taylor.
"I am not getting any ideas" Taylor stated smiling.
"Oh, jeez. Lorelai look what you did" Luke said as he walked over to Lorelai "Now Taylor will bug me for Christmas decorations for the weeks to come, and it is all your fault"
"I promise, that I will make up for every single decoration that I have placed in this diner" she said as she kissed his lips lightly.
"Oh, you are in deep trouble missy!" he said softly.
"Say it like you mean it soldier!" She said as he walked away.
At that same time, when everyone was coming in Jess heard the noise. He hadn't bothered to ask Luke what was he going to do for Thanksgiving day, so he went downstairs. . . as far as he knew the diner was closed and, although, he wasn't the type that would worry about that kind of stuff, he went to check what was everyone doing there.
When he came down the stairs, he saw half the town in the diner and then he spotted Luke, so he approached him.
"What's all this about?" Jess asked.
"Well it is Thanksgiving, so I guess all this is about Thanksgiving dinner"
"Never pictured you throwing one of these again. . . but I was talking about the decorations. I never pictured you as the Martha Stewart fan"
"I'm not. . . Lorelais' doing!!" Luke grunted as a statement.
"Huh! Figures"
"Hey you know what? Why don't you join us?"
"That is so nice" Jess stated sarcastically "but I don't think so, I'm going back upstairs to the apartment and finish. . ."
As he was saying that, Rory and Tristan walked into the diner.
"You know what? I changed my mind. Maybe I'll stay a while" Jess finished, as if at first he had accepted the offer.
"Please don't cause any trouble Jess, she is happy. . . let it go"
"I am just going to sit to dinner, just like everyone else in here. . . no harm in that, is there?" Jess said.
"I guess not. . ." Luke said as he walked away from his nephew.
"Luke what is he doing here?" Lorelai asked when she saw Jess sit across from Kirk, but he had a good line of view towards Rory and Tristan.
"He is my nephew Lorelai, you didn't think that I wouldn't let him stay for dinner, now did you?"
"What about Rory?"
"What about her? She is with Tristan, Lorelai. . . and like it or not this is his house, or at least upstairs is his house, and I am not going to kick him out. . ."
"But. . ." Lorelai tried to cut in but he didn't let her.
"We had already talked about it. If it didn't work out between them, that is none of our business and we cannot ask the other one not to bring either of them."
"Yeah but. . ."
"End of discussion, Lorelai" And Lorelai stayed quiet. She knew he was right. The problems between her daughter and Jess where that, the problems between Rory and Jess. But she was a mother, she couldn't help to butt in. It was instinctive.
"Hey. . ." Lorelai started "you're right, I'm sorry" she said and kissed him on the nose.
"That's OK" he said and he continued on his work setting everything else up for the people to eat.
Tristan and Rory sat there talking and laughing, not really paying attention to Jess. Apparently they hadn't even noticed he was there. But he had noticed them.
Somehow Jess thought that he was over Rory. But apparently that was while they where both single. He thought that maybe if they where both alone it was a sign that they might get back together someday. But when he found out that she was dating someone else, it had hit him like a bucket of ice cold water on the back. He felt many things he couldn't understand. And then he figured that he had never stopped being in love with her. . . and apparently she had forgotten him. He wasn't ready to deal with that. Not yet, at least.
Lorelai and Luke where more tense over Jess' presence at the dinner that Rory and Tristan where. They hardly enjoyed it because of that. They worried that at some point Jess would jump out of the table and rip Tristan's head off or something similar, judging by the looks he was throwing Tristan's way. Little did they know that Tristan had seen Jess, but was trying to act as calm as possible for Rory's sake, because he knew it would torment her. But he was as aware of his presence, as Jess was of Tristans'.
After a while, Jess got bored at the sight of them. 'Early stages of the relationship. . . they disgust me!!' and he left the dinner without saying a word.
The dinner was over soon after that, and everyone went on their way home.
~*~ Next Morning ~*~
"OH MYYY GOOOOODDD!" was the first thing that was heard that morning in the Gilmore household.
Since Tristan was sleeping in the living room he got up as fast as he could and went to see why had happened to Lorelai. When he reached the kitchen he found Lorelai looking frantically for something.
"Lorelai, what happened?" he asked and he started to open the doors of the kitchen cabinets imitating Lorelai's actions "what are we looking for?"
"We are OUT OF COFFEE!!! How is that even possible. . . in this house. No coffee!!!"
"Calm down Lorelai, Calm down. . . I'll make you a deal, I can walk over to Luke's and get coffee from there. Enough to hold you 'til you go to the market. Just give me five minutes to change."
"OK, you got a deal. . . but you have two minutes to change. . . and don't walk, take the car, it's faster"
"Sure, on my way! Stay calm!!" he said. He went into the bathroom, put on the jeans he was wearing yesterday before dinner, and grabbed his coat, and the car keys. But the he came back into the kitchen "Tell Rory, that coffee is coming. . . if she wakes up"
"Don't waste time, go, go!!!"
And so he did. Little did he know the surprise that was waiting for him at that moment.
When he came into the diner, over at the counter was no other that Jess. Not that he would try to avoid him, but he thought that the Gilmore Girls where in the middle of a nervous break down because of their lack of caffeine in their bodies, and this was not the time for what he knew was coming.
"If it isn't the Prodigious Boyfriend" Jess said as he saw Tristan walk into the diner.
"Morning. . . six cups of coffee please" Tristan said, trying to ignore his comment.
"Coming right up sir" he answered sarcastically "out off coffee in the Gilmore house, huh? Well you're new; you'll get the hang of it in time"
"Hey man, I been meaning to ask you what your problem is" Tristan asked getting a little tired of Jess' rudeness.
"My problem. . . why would you ask such a thing. I am just stating that once you are in the Gilmore household, you learn that you have to check their coffee supply so something like this won't happen" Jess answered, his mean streak back.
"That is so nice of you to tell me, but I am referring to your attitude. Let it go, man. It's over." Tristan said referring to Jess and Rory's relationship.
"Oh, you really don't want to go there" Jess said, very upset now.
"Really? And, why is that? Because it still hurts?"
"Look, you have no idea what Rory means to me"
"For someone who will go out of his way to try and prove that I don't belong somewhere, I can get a pretty good idea."
"You will never know that"
"Really? And how do you figure?"
"You wouldn't begin to understand" Jess said, really pissed off now at Tristan's pushing on the matter.
"Trust me, if someone knows how much it hurts to loose Rory Gilmore, that's me."
"You never had her. You cannot loose someone you never had" Jess stated.
"Which only made it hurt even more. . . but you, YOU HAD HER, and then you let her go. Because that is what you did."
"And how do you know that?"
"She told me. I mean, how dumb can a person actually be, to let someone like her go so easily, huh Jess? How where you able to do that? That is beyond my understanding."
"Well I don't expect you to understand."
"Oh, and you said she still mattered to you. You don't put someone who still matters to you on the spot, like you did with her. She considered you her friend and you acted that way. You know she cannot handle dishonesty, and you weren't honest with her. Can you blame her for letting you go, can you blame her because she stopped calling and writing. You where lazy with your relationship once, she figures it is now her turn."
"Really, and what makes you such and expert on Rory Gilmore, huh DuGrey? I mean you have only been dating for what? Ten Minutes?"
"You never knew her did you? Because if you did you would know that she lets you in. She talks Jess, all you have to do is listen and the great mystery that is Rory Gilmore is revealed. Look, don't blame me for your stupidity. Just know one thing. I am not going to let her go, not for you and not for anyone." And with that, he got the coffee cups and left.
Jess just stood there. He knew Tristan was right about all the things he had said. He wasn't the only one who thought that way. Luke had said almost the same thing to him, but in different words. He had let her go, and as sorry as he was, he still loved her too much to put her through something bad, so he decided that before he left back to NYU he would drop by and apologize, and be out of everyone's was. Especially hers.
Tristan drove back to the house, where both girls where waiting for him sitting on the porch steps, in their pajamas and coats. After he parked the car and opened the door they both ran towards him and grabbed two cups each, the way he had intended it.
"Did you have to go and cut the coffee beans yourself?" Rory asked.
"Nope."
"Was Juan Valdez late for his deliveries today?" Lorelai asked.
"Nope" he answered again.
"Was the coffee not ready?" Rory asked.
"It was ready" he replied.
"Then why did it take you so long?"
"Did you get lost?"
"Would you girls like to hear my answer, or would you like to imagine it yourselves?"
"Answer away" Rory said.
"Jess was at the counter" he started to explain.
"Oh, enough said! You are excused" Lorelai said and she started to walk away and into the house.
Tristan and Rory followed, but they sat down on the porch steps, as the girls had been when he arrived, and started talking.
"Did he say something to you?" Rory asked, really concerned.
"Well he started too, but then I cut him off"
"Was he mean?"
"Rory, I am not made of glass, I won't break under a little pressure."
"Sorry" she said a little embarrassed.
"It's OK, he was kind of feeling territorial I guess. . . he started to say something that I should do while I am at your house, giving himself some advantage over me because he knew that stuff and I didn't. . . in the end it was alright."
"Great. Do you want to go inside?" She asked, she was on her second cup of coffee at the moment. And so was he.
"Sure. . ." he said and he got up and held out his hand to help her up too.
"So, what else did you tell him?" Rory asked curiously.
"Mostly guy stuff. . ." he started and got cut off.
"That is such a lame excuse 'guy stuff', an specific question deserves an specific answer" she stated.
"Letting our feministic side out, so early in the morning?"
"Well it is after all a lame excuse"
"It is such a double standard"
"And why is that?" she asked defensively.
"It is the same kind of answer as 'girl stuff'"
"Yeah, but that is different"
"And how is that?"
"You don't want to listen about bloating and periods and, and, and. . ."
"Very well phrased Vanna"
"Stop it!!"
"Well then, give me a good answer"
"Well. . . well"
"You see. There is no answer to that one, so I stick with my prior statement 'guy stuff'. . ."
"Should I worry about it, you know? Be prepared to send for a search party. . . for either of you, if you turn out missing?"
"No, I don't think that would be necessary" he said and he hugged her and kissed her forehead. And all of a sudden she had forgotten what had just happened.
They went into the house, and started watching TV, and then they got ready to go out for breakfast over at Luke's and walk in to Doose's to get the coffee.
~*~ That Afternoon ~*~
The whole day had been uneventful. But around four o'clock, when they where watching re-runs of the Flinstones, cause they had been Tristan's favorites as a Kid and Lorelai and Rory wouldn't let him stop doing impressions of the characters, someone knocked on the door, and Rory got off from the couch to see who it was.
When she opened the door, she was as surprised to find him standing there, just like the first day she had arrived to Stars Hollow.
"Jess?!" she said with a questioning look and tone of voice.
"Hey Rory, do you think you and Tristan can give me a minute?" Jess asked, amazingly polite.
"Sure, give me a second. I'll go and get Tristan" and she walked into the house and said "Tristan, can you come here for a minute, there is someone here to see us"
"Sure" and he got off from his 'bed' and went to where Rory was.
"It's Jess!" She whispered very surprised.
Tristan went to the door, and looked at Jess.
"Hey man!, got a minute?"
"Yeah" and he reached for Rory's hand and grabbed their coats, handing hers to Rory and closing the door behind them.
"Look guys, all cynicism aside. I would like to apologize to you for the way I behaved. I was a real jerk, mean at times, but I didn't mean any harm. I was just jealous, but I got some sense kicked into me and, Rory" he said directing his eyes at her blue ones "I figured that if I didn't get to make you happy for as long as I could have, you might as well have someone who really loves you. . . the way this guy does" he finished as he signaled for Tristan. Rory squeezed Tristan's hand at the comment. "Tristan, take good care of her, or I will join the town and look for you if you hurt her, and considering my history you will know that I do not participate in town's shindigs" he said actually smiling "Take care guys, see you around"
"You too, Jess" they both said in unison.
For Jess it was one of the hardest things he could do, to let go of the girl that he had loved for so long. But they had been right, he had been too lazy to work on her relationship. He didn't expect her to wait around for him. And she didn't. But she was happy, and that's all that mattered. Apparently that was the way the Gilmore's ex-boyfriends always felt afterwards.
Sunday came, and Tristan and Rory packed everything, said their good-byes and went on their way, back to their New Haven life.
"Did you enjoy the weekend?" Rory asked Tristan as they where driving back.
"I would have to say, that it was interesting. . . and I enjoyed everything about it."
"Great"
"Thanks for inviting me" he said and kissed her lightly.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
A/N: I know this chapter was extremely disappointing. I have a cold or my allergies are acting up, great timing by the way because I just finished my college education on Thursday, so now I can afford to get sick and not over finals. I will re-read this chapter when I am feeling better, and hopefully maybe offer you a better version of this one, or something better on the next one. I am having a lot of problem writing so if you want to give me a boost, please review my story, even if you already reviewed it. You don't know how much it means to me when you review. Thanks
Mary
