Disclaimer.  Don't own them, and wouldn't dream a claiming that I did.

Minus Dean 9

They stayed that way for a few minutes before Lorelai came down the stairs, half asleep wearing men's pajama pants and a t-shirt that said 'I don't do mornings'.  It would have been funny if it hadn't been for the circumstances that they were in now.

"Rory what's wrong?" she said from inside the house, as she was coming down the stairs.

Then when she finally came closer to the door, she saw them, with their arms around each other, neither of them saying anything.  All she could hear was something that sounded like... sobbing?  She walked to the door.  And she saw Tristan crying as if he had been six, about something that he couldn't understand.

Instead, a sixteen-year-old boy had her daughter embraced in a tight hug, crying about something that he didn't understand.  She finally decided to approach them.

"Tristan? Honey? What's wrong kiddo?" she said as she placed a hand on his back rubbing it in the manner mother's do to give comfort.

When she saw him lift his face and the expression of pain he had on it, she felt a tight knot form in her throat that didn't let her swallow.  Rory still kept an arm around his waist, and he kept her as close as possible with his two arms wrapped around the small of her back. 

"Lorelai, my grandfather passed away a couple of hours ago. . ." he said with as much effort as he could muster.  

"Oh, sweetie, I am so incredibly sorry" Lorelai said as she placed her hand on his arm.  There wasn't anything else she could do, because he had a hold on Rory that he didn't want to break.  Rory placed her head on his chest and placed her other arm around his waist, and he just squeezed her a little more, and brought her closer if possible.

"Do you want to come in?" Rory asked him.

"I didn't know where to go, and I just drove here… I'm sorry; I know it's late… I didn't know what to do…" he said confused.

"Honey, it's okay.  Really, we're glad that you're here.  Come in, because it's really cold out here.  Come on, I'll make coffee."

And they started to walk into the house.  When Rory tried to let go of him, he just held her tighter.  "I need you." He told her.

"I'm here" she said as she touched his face, and he closed his eyes to feel her touch even more, "and I'm not going anywhere," and they walked into the house still holding each other.

A few minutes later, Lorelai came into the living room, where Rory and Tristan sat on the couch.  Well, Rory sat and Tristan outstretched his body across the sofa, resting his head on her lap.  Rory was running her hand thru his hair, and his left hand was on Rory's knee, doing small circles with his thumb.

"Here's your coffee," she said as she placed the mug on the coffee table.  When she bent down to place it, she saw the tears coming out of his eyes and rolling over his nose.  He wasn't even trying to wipe them off.  "Do you think I could get your mom's cell-phone number so I can call her and tell her you're here?"

"It's on my cell-phone's directory… I left it by… I don't know where I left it."

"It's okay, hon…"

"It's over the table by the entrance, along with his keys" Rory said looking up at her mother.

"I'll go get it" and with that Lorelai walked away.

*

"Rory?" came the voice of Candace DuGrey on the other side of the line.

"No Mrs. DuGrey this is Lorelai Gilmore, Rory's mother.  I was just calling to tell you that Tristan is at our house; he came in a few minutes ago."

"Oh, thank God! He took this pretty bad, as we all did.  But mostly him, since he was so close to his grandfather."

"I am really sorry for your loss."

"We all are, dear… thanks for calling.  Please don't let him come back to Hartford, because we have to take care of all the paper work and I do not want to put him thru this too.  Would you mind if he…?"

"He is more than welcome to stay here, Mrs. DuGrey."

"Thanks Lorelai.  Please call me Candace.  You are just as he pictured you.  I'm glad that he is there with you.  Thank you."

"It's our pleasure."

"Good bye, Lorelai."

"Bye."

*

They laid there in silence just as Lorelai had left them before she went to call Tristan's mom.  They didn't need to say anything to each other.  Tristan was grieving and Rory was there to support him.  But then he broke the silence.

"What am I going to do without him, Ror?" He asked her, "He's always been there for me when I needed it, and now he's gone and I don't know how am I going to deal with that… How does one deal with such a loss?"

"I don't know Tristan… I wish I could tell you a recipe for that, but there is no way I can tell you how you will be able to deal with that.  I guess that you just take it one day at a time, and learn that way.  I think that's the best I can do." She answered, wiping a tear that was rolling down her cheek.

"He was such a great man, Ror.  He would have loved you.  And he would have smacked me upside the head for not being smart enough to keep you with me." He smiled, and so did she.  He continued.  "He would have told me: Tristan, you disappoint me son.  Such a pretty girl and all you can manage is a friendship.  And I would have told him that I was working pretty hard at moving things forward, and he would have answered well apparently not hard enough.  And he would have smiled, and told you that you were a smart girl for just giving me your friendship."

"Wise man, your grandfather." She joked.  He gave a small smile that Rory saw appear on his face.

"He is… was.  Oh God!" and he sniffled, "how am I going to be able to get used to talking about him in the past tense."

"Little by little.  You cannot expect to get used to it in a few hours."

"He loved to read… did you know that your grandfather and mine used to exchange books and sometimes they would get together at the Golf Club, but they didn't have time to play because they were discussing the latest book they were reading, and it would take them hours.  Once," he remembered "my grandpa told me that they spent two hours on the same hole, not because they couldn't' get the ball but because they were discussing some article.  The manager came up to them and told them if there had been a problem because they had been standing there for hours, so they decided to forget about the game and went to have something to eat."

"That sounds like something grandpa would do."

"He used to encourage my friendship with Paris, you know? He said that she was a girl that could use my help."

"Paris doesn't need anyone's help" she answered.  And he chuckled.

"That's what I used to tell him.  And once…" and Tristan reminiscences continued until he was too tired of crying and talking, that he fell asleep.

When he fell asleep, Rory lifted his head, placed a cushion under his head, removed his shoes, placed a blanket over him…, and then placed a small kiss on his cheek.  And she walked to her room to get some rest.

*

When Lorelai finished her conversation with Tristan's mom, she saw that Rory and Tristan were talking about his grandfather, and decided not to interrupt them and went upstairs to her room.

*

Later that morning, Rory awoke and made a phone call.  She asked Will if they could bring Tristan's suit and toiletries so he could get ready at her house, and one hour later the driver came over with a black suit in a garment bag and a bag that contained all the essentials for him to get ready.  And a small note in, what she thought was, Will handwriting that said "Thank you."

Both Lorelai and Rory started getting ready for that day before they would wake Tristan for him to get ready.

Rory wore a black dress that went down to her knees, and a black button-up sweater.  Her hair down and some mascara on her lashes as make-up.

Lorelai wore black pants and shirt.

After they were ready, Rory decided to wake Tristan up.  So she walked up to the sofa, and kneeled in front of his sleeping figure.  She placed her hand on his hair, and did some small caresses with her fingers.

"Tristan," she said in a low voice "Tristan… wake up."

But nothing happened, except him stirring a bit.

So she tried again.  "Tristan…" and he stirred a little more.  So she caressed his head again and said, in a higher tone of voice, "Tristan…" and he finally opened his eyes lazily.

"I thought that it might've been a bad dream… but it's not, isn't it?" he asked her.

"I'm sorry, but it's not."

"I have to go back to Hartford and…" he started as he lifted himself into a sitting position.

"I called Will and asked him to send everything here, so you could get ready.  Everything is set up in my room and there is a towel in the bathroom.  I hope you don't mind?" she asked him.

"No… thank you, Rory." He said and he took her hand in his.  "Thanks for being here for me." He said and placed a kiss on the palm of her hand.

"That's what I'm here for…" she said smiling.  "Go, get ready." She said and stood up from her kneeling position.  He also got up from the couch and went into the bathroom to get ready.

While he was taking a bath, Rory could hear him crying, thru the door.  It made her heart break.

*

While Tristan was in the bathroom, his cell phone rang.  She hesitated, but the ringing was insistent.  So she finally decided to answer it.  And she saw who the caller was, on the caller ID.  Paris.  She took a deep breath and answered.

"Hello?"

"Who is this?" Paris asked.

"Paris, its Rory…"

"What are you doing with Tristan's cell?"

"He's getting ready and…"

"Wow! Years of friendship, but he rather go to you than to me…"

"Paris, as much as I would enjoy this verbal sparring with you, this is not the moment for it.  He can't put up with us right now."

"So it's true."

"If you are talking about… his loss.  Yes, it's true.  He passed away at around one or two in the morning.  He really needs his friends."

"But apparently he needs you more than anyone" Paris said with a defeated tone.

"That's irrelevant at the moment.  He needs all of his friends.  Emphasis in all.  So if you want to do him a favor, we can make a truce between you and me, and call everyone that would care about him.  He needs the support."

"I'll call everyone, don't worry.  Good-bye Rory."

"Bye, Paris" and they hung up.

*

He came out of her room wearing everything that had been sent to him.  She walked to where he was.  When she reached him, they hugged.

Lorelai was in the kitchen, and called from there.  "Do you guys want some coffee?  Or something to eat?  I went to Luke's and got us some donuts and danishes and pancakes."

"I'm not hungry." Tristan answered, still hugging Rory.

"You need to eat something.  Come on.  Have at least a pancake." She said, and ran her hands the length of his arm and took his hands in hers.  "Come on" she said and walked him into the kitchen.

He sat at the kitchen table and she placed a plate with one pancake and some syrup.  She then placed a mug of coffee in front of him, and she placed the same thing in her place on the table, next to him.  She sat next to him and they both started to eat.  He took her hand, which was over the table, and they both finished eating holding hands.

"Paris called." Rory said.

"Did you tell her?" he asked her.

"She already knew.  She was just calling for confirmation I guess.  She is going to call everyone."

"I want you to be with me."

"I will be."

"No, I want you to be with me all the time.  I can't get thru this alone."

"I will.  And you won't have too.  Everyone is going to be there, and I won't leave your side, unless you ask me too."  She finished.  And he took a deep breath.

"Not to make you eat in a hurry, but we need to get on the road to Hartford in a few minutes.  Mass is at 11."  Lorelai said, and Rory gave Tristan's hand a little squeeze.  He took a deep breath.

They finished breakfast, and started to get everything ready to leave.

"Lorelai, would you mind if Rory drives to Hartford with me?"

"No, it's OK.  I have to stop at my parents first, so I'll meet you guys at church."

"Would you like me to drive?" Rory asked Tristan.

"No, that's OK.  I can drive." And they all went out the door.  Lorelai locked behind her and they walked to their cars.

*

They all met at church.  It was a beautiful service and then they drove to the cemetery, where he was to be buried.  Rory had been by Tristan's side thru mass.  And then at the cemetery, where they were supposed to be family upfront, she stood by him.  They had been holding hands since they had left Stars Hollow.  There were moments that Tristan would let go of her hand, just to look for it again a couple of minutes later.

When they went back to Tristan's house, everyone from school that really cared about Tristan, were there: Paris, Madeline, Louise, Josh, Bryce, Alex, Nick, a bunch of girls (that left early), many of the jocks… all trying to show Tristan their support.  But he always had Rory by his side.  She never left his side, just as she had said.

That day Rory had been introduced to Rory's father, who was the only DuGrey that did not know her. 

"Father, this is Rory Gilmore." Tristan said when he introduced her at church.

"Gilmore? Any relation to Richard Gilmore?" he asked her.

"Yes, sir.  He is my grandfather." Rory answered.

"Nice man your grandfather.  You must be Lorelai's daughter, Lorelai."

"Yes, I am" she answered nervously.

"It's nice meeting you Lorelai, sad because of the circumstances, but nice nonetheless." He said extending his hand.

"Yeah, I wish it could have been at some other moment." She said as she shook his hand.

"Tristan, there are some people that want to give you their condolences.  Go son."

"Yes, father." Tristan answered and walked around the room sustaining small conversations with people, and introducing Rory to all of them as 'my friend Rory Gilmore' while still holding her hand.  He got many confused looks from people.

Many of the girls left because of the same reason.  Tristan never let Rory go, not once all day, which disappointed them greatly.  That day it had been obvious that he was in love with her… and that, she was getting there, if she wasn't already.  And everyone noticed.  There were moments thru out that day, when all he did was stand somewhere away from the crowd, with her, and hugged her… and let his feelings show for a few moments before he had to compose himself again.  And she would hold him, and look at him as the most fragile thing.  Many found that they shared the same look while looking at each other.  Some were glad, and some weren't.

Paris had noticed it too.  She had seen how his face would change whenever Rory went to the bathroom and left him for a few minutes.  And how he composed himself again when he had her by his side.  She knew that she would never be able to give Tristan what Rory gave him, without even trying.  And she thought that it was time to move on.

Richard Gilmore had taken things pretty bad.  Janlan DuGrey was probably his best friend, and he would miss him immensely.  He would try to keep his feelings to himself, but there were moments were he faltered.  Tristan and Rory came to where Lorelai, Emily, and Richard were standing.

"How are you holding up, Tristan?" Lorelai asked Tristan as they approached.

He gave her a look and a small smile and she understood.

"We are sorry for your loss, Tristan." Emily told him.

"Thanks Mrs. Gilmore.  And thanks for being here with us today.  It means a lot to my family." Tristan answered politely.

"I am going to miss him." Richard said placing his hand on Tristan's shoulder."

"We all are, Mr. Gilmore," he answered.

"Dad, he doesn't need to hear that right now." Lorelai said to Richard.  She then turned to Rory "Rory, we have to go soon honey." She told her.

"Oh…um" Rory started, but Tristan interrupted her.  "If you don't mind Lorelai, I want Rory to stay here with me.  I will drive her back to Stars Hollow later tonight… that is if you don't mind?" he asked Rory.

"No, I don't mind." Rory answered him.

"Okay… see you at home then.  Bye Tristan." Lorelai said.

"Yes, good-bye Tristan.  Please feel free to come over if you need anything." Emily told him and extended her hand to him.

"Thanks, Mrs. Gilmore.  I will keep that in mind." Tristan answered as he took Emily's hand lightly.

"And we are sorry, again, for your loss young man."  Richard said.

"Thanks, Mr. Gilmore"

And they walked away from them.

Tristan turned to Rory, "Thanks for staying." He told her.  She just gave him a smile and she ran her hand thru the side of his face, as she had done earlier that day, and as he had done, he closed his eyes again.

*

The crowd started to thin out.  Everyone said their condolences to the family and started to walk out of the house.  It had been a long day.

Tristan asked Rory if she wanted to get a cup of coffee in the kitchen, where Will had been hiding out.  He wasn't part of the elite and he couldn't hide his feelings as well as they could.  They came into the kitchen and started having coffee, but Tristan's father came in and asked him to come out with him and that it was important and he told Rory to wait for him there.  Therefore, she did.

*

Rory was in the kitchen having a cup of coffee with Will.  She was bending slightly over the counter.  They had been discussing the life of Mr. DuGrey Senior and many of the things that he had done… including hiring him.  She had her back to the door, so she didn't see him coming into the kitchen.  He placed an arm on each side of Rory, trapping her in between the counter and his body.

"Do you want to go?" he asked her, in a low voice, in her ear.  He proceeded to place his forehead on her shoulder.

She rested her back on his body.  "Um… only if you want to, because I can stay longer." She said, close to his ear.

"I could leave… I really could" he said, with the same intimate tone in her ear.

"Then say no more…" she drank the last of her coffee in one large drink, making a Gulp! Sound when she swallowed.  A small smile came to his lips.  "I am ready to go."

"OK, let's go…" he said and grabbed her by the hand as he had done many times during that day.  Then walked with her towards the back door, before she pulled her hand away from him.

She walked to where Will was still standing.  "Thanks for everything Will" she said and gave the butler a small hug.  He reciprocated.

"Thank you for being with us, Rory" Will said as they separated from their hug.

"Let me go and say my good-bye's to your parents and everyone else…" she said as she walked out of the kitchen.  He followed her back into the living-area where everything was held that day.

She went and said her good-byes to Mr. and Mrs. DuGrey, first.  Tristan's mother engulfed her in an emotion-filled hug.

"Thank you for being here for my son, Rory.  It means the world to him and to us, and specially me.  Thank you dear."

"Don't worry, Mrs. DuGrey.  I'm sorry for what happened."

"Me too, dear.  But thanks for being here."

"It was the least I could do for all of you, specially Tristan, and you." She said.  Tristan was standing right behind her at the moment she said that.

"Good bye Mr. DuGrey."

"Good bye, Lorelai.  Thanks for being with my family in a time like this."  He refused to call her Rory.  His tone, even after what he had been thru that day, was as composed as if nothing had happened.  You will never understand the rich, Lorelai used to say, and she was right.  She gave him a small smile.

She said good-bye to everyone else that she knew and those that she did not know.  She proceeded to walk where Tristan was watching her every move, and extended her hand so she could let him take it in his just as he had been doing.  He intertwined his fingers with hers and left thru the back door in the kitchen.

When they were inside Tristan's car, she placed her hand on top of his.  He did a small movement and took it in his.  They drove the rest of the way to Stars Hollow in silence.

When they reached Rory's house, he came down so he could get the door for her and extended his hand as to help her get out of the car.  They walked the rest of the way to the porch steps in silence, until they reached them.  She stood on top of one so they could be on eye-level with each other.

"Are you going to be okay tonight?" she asked him.

"Are you offering me to spend the night with you in sake of my well-being?" he leered.  Even in moments like this, Tristan was still Tristan.

She ignored it, for once.  "Are you going to be okay tonight?"

"As well as I can be… don't worry." He said as he looked at her.  He discovered that even with her standing on a step, he was still taller than she was.

"How can you tell me not to worry about you?" she said, looking at him straight in the eye.

"Do you worry about me?" he asked, surprising her.

"Why would you think I would spend today with you if I didn't?"

"I don't know.  Because you felt you had to?"

"I never do anything because I should do it.  I just do it.  I'm a regular Nike add."  He laughed.  "I did it because we're friends and because I care about you too much not to do it.  You needed me and I was there for you.  Not because I felt I had to."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Life goes on, right? I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah…"

"Call me anytime you think you need to… please"

"I will." He assured her.

"Do you want to come in?" She asked signaling the entrance to her house.

"At this time a night… what will the neighbors say?"

"We don't have to worry about the neighbors when we have Lorelai…" she said, and he smiled.  He knew what she meant.  Even worst than the neighbors, it was Lorelai.

"I think I should go home, right now… we are probably going to discuss what happened, and how we are going to continue life without my… well, without him now."

"Okay, but if you want to seek refugee…"

"This is the first place I'm coming to."

She gave him two thumbs up, and then she removed them a little embarrassed.

"So…"

"So…" she repeated.

"I should go…"

"We had already come to an agreement on that one…"

"Yeah…"

"I don't think I'll be seeing you tomorrow at school then, huh?"

"Why do you ask? Would you miss me if I weren't to attend?"

"I will have no direction in my day without you…" she said sarcastically "oh wait, that's you without me." She said, with a small smile.

"I have no direction not only in my day, but in my life, without you in it." He said seriously.  The small smile on her lips faltered and then disappeared.

He placed a hand on her waist, to pull her a little closer and he took a small step forward.  She took a deep breath, knowing what was coming.  He looked at her straight in the eye, and said "God, you're so beautiful."

"You say that to all the girls" she said swatting him lightly on the shoulder, with a wavering smile.

"Yeah, but I guess this is one of the few times, or maybe the only time, I've meant it."

They stood for a few seconds like that, then he grabbed the fabric of her dress to pull her even closer to where he was, and she placed her right hand on his neck.  He took that as a small invitation, and placed his left hand in the same manner as the right hand.  He just touched his lips to hers, lightly, waiting for a reaction, and he held her bottom lip for a second between his lips.  He separated himself an inch or two, and looked at her eyes waiting for a confirmation.

She did a small nod, and looked at his lips.  And that's when he really kissed her.

He gently lowered his head the very small distance that was between them and placed his lips on hers, she responded immediately.  He kissed her lightly, no pushing.  This was going to be the way she wanted it to be.  She moved her hand around his neck, and he took that as a sign that he could deepen the kiss… and so he did.

He lightly graced her bottom lip with his tongue to ask for permission, and she parted her lips to let him in.  And he was in heaven.  He continued kissing her with such sweetness that she could have melted right then and there.  She placed her other hand on his chest, not to separate him from her, but to get him closer by pulling him lightly to her.  He closed his arms around her waist, and lifted her from the step to place her on the ground.  She let out a small laugh, which was muffled because he didn't let her break the kiss, because he didn't want to risk the chance of not being able to continue kissing her. 

When he placed her on the ground he pulled her even more to him (if that was even physically possible), by keeping his arms wrapped tightly around her waist.  He needed her nearness, her warmness, her sweetness… he needed her and just her.

He, then, did a little movement that made her wrap her arms around him… and he thought that he could go and join his grandfather at that moment.  He didn't want anything more from life than this.

They continued kissing each other for what seemed like hours.  They would part their lips from each other, smile, and continue. 

The circumstances for their recently developed nearness weren't the best, and they both knew that.  However, when one is given an opportunity just as the one that had been granted to Tristan that night, it was something that one does not let go so easily.

After several minutes of kissing (their lung capacity astounded them both… in fact Rory didn't know she had such) they finally decided to break apart, much to Tristan's regret.  He placed a small kiss on her, now, swollen lips and smiled while he placed his forehead to hers.

"Um…" she said, and bit her lower lip.  Tristan nearly groaned.  He gave her a short kiss again.

"Um…" was what he said this time.

"Yeah…"

"Well, I should…"

"Yeah, you were…"

"And now I am…" he said and kissed her good-bye.

"I'll see you… right?" she asked him again, still in his arms.

"Yeah, after this you're not getting rid of me that easily." He finally let go of her, started to walk to his car; and then stopped midway, walked back to where she was standing and cupped her face in his hands, gave her another kiss good night and finally left, without looking back.  If he did, he would never leave the Gilmore house again.

Rory just stood on her spot.

Lorelai stood by the window, smiling.

~*~

Author's Note.  I hope you enjoyed this chapter… at last, the long awaited kiss! I really hope that you liked it, and if you did (or didn't) the feedback is always well appreciated.  Thank you so much!  -Mary

To my best friend Susan, on her Birthday! Happy Birthday Little One!!