Chapter

Dignity

Authors Note: I'm still grounded but luckily I get to come on to do some homework so instead I'm doing another chapter. I'll just do my homework at the library in school. This chapter is going to deal with a lot of ego and basically revolves around a Tristan and Lorelai conversation. Enjoy and Review

'Who the hell could it be at six o'clock in the morning?' Tristan thought rolling out of bed to answer the phone.

"Lo?" He picked up the phone, his voice weary.

"How's my son in law doing?" Came Lorelai's giddy voice.

"He would be perfectly fine if his mother in law wouldn't call him so early."

"Deal with it Hun because we need to talk."

"Now?" He arched his eyebrow and looked over to the clock again. "It's six."

"Meet me at café-café in twenty?"

Tristan sighed, rubbing his eyes with his hands and sucked his teeth. "Thirty." Finally answering Lorelai's waited question. "Need to shower."

"Thirty it is then, a minuet no later, I need coffee." With that she hung, a smile spread across her lips.

· * * * * *

"How's everything?"

"I guess it's okay. You?" Rory opened the door, waved her hand, gesturing for Luis to come in.

"Why aren't you staying at your place?" He asked, walking over to the sofa and sitting down.

"I just figured I'd stay with Paris for a while. No particular reason behind it I guess."

"Oh."

"Why are you here and so early at that?"

"I figured you would be awake since your first class starts in an hour." He looked around the room, avoiding eye contact with Rory. "I just wanted to see how you were, I haven't talked to you in two weeks."

"Almost three."

"Yeah." He stammered off, looking for words as if he could find them on the walls. "You've been avoiding me."

"Precisely."

"Why?"

"Stupid question." She sighed over exaggeratedly and tucked her hands in her pant pocket. "You were being an ass."

On his defense he stood up, raising his voice, "Why because I didn't want to leave the party?"

"Precisely."

"Your dramatic."

"Don't yell at me."

"I'm not yelling."

"You're yelling!"

"Whatever." He sighed and lowered his voice, forgetting that Paris was still sleeping in the next room. "I'm sorry okay? We just had gotten there and I didn't want to leave."

"Well I did."

"I'm sorry."

"No you're not."

"Why do you always got to be so damn stubborn?"

"Why do you have to be so damn half ass?"

"Rory I love you."

The words hit her like a ton of bricks. "No you don't."

· * * * * *

"She needs you." Lorelai raised the coffee cup to her mouth, "Seriously."

"No she doesn't." Tristan set his cup down and started playing with a napkin. "Rory doesn't need anybody, except you."

"You're her best friend."

"I'm a substitute."

"For?"

"Lack of attention, emotion. I'm her rock."

"No she cares about you."

"I care about her."

"I know you do."

"She doesn't."

"She's scared of hurting you."

"She has no reason to be."

"She's scared of everything you share together getting ruined."

"She's killing me."

"She loves you."

"She doesn't."

"She needs time."

"I can't give it to her anymore."

"Why?"

"I've waited long enough."

"You know how silent she is with her emotions."

"I'm suppose to be the best friend and she shuts me out."

"Because in this case your not the best friend, but the lover."

"She won't let me be neither."

"You're scared too."

"Always."

"You love her."

"Always."

"So tell her."

"I thought I did."

"Tell her again."

"I cant."

"Why?"

"I do have my dignity Lorelai."

"Suck it up son!" She smiled sarcastically but her words were serious.

"What, now your cupid?"

"Always. I try."

"Jenny's gone"

"What happened?"

"She knows."

"Your love for Rory is pretty obvious."

"I know."

"Does she hate you?"

"Never."

"Good."

"Always."

"Do you love her?"

"Yes."

"But you love Rory."

"Always."

"Jenny's a wise woman."

"Beautiful."

"That she is."

"So if she's beautiful and wise then why can't she compare to your daughter?"

· * * *

"Rory does my hair look okay?" Paris ran her fingers through her hair, the hair that was barely no longer on her head. "Earth to Rory!" She said, snapping Rory out of thought.

"Sorry." She sighed and looked at Paris. "What did you say?"

"Does my hair look fine?"

"Yes, it actually look's very cute."

"Thanks but I think it's too short." She ran her fingers over it again. It was cut down to a 'Haley Berry' style. Paris figured she needed to be adventurous for once. "So what's on your mind that you can't comprehend anything I say?"

"Huh? Oh." Rory thought for a minuet and caught Paris's eye. "Uh it's nothing."

"You sure Gilmore? Cause you know we are friends and you can tell me."

"It's nothing."

"Fine act like that."

"Paris." Sighing, she stuck her hands in her pocket.

"Lorelai."

"Shut up."

"Tell me!"

"It's about Tristan."

"And?"

"And Luis."

"What happened? I thought you and Luis weren't talking? And your still not talking to Tristan right?"

"Right."

"So?"

"Luis came over a while ago."

"It's early."

"I know."

"What happened?"

"He said that he-loves me."

"No!" She choked on her words and sat down on the bed beside Rory.

"Yes."

"What did you say?"

"I told him he needed to go and that I'll call him later."

"What about Tristan?"

"Haven't heard from him."

"I have."

Rory's mouth dropped open and she furiously glared at Paris. "What? When?"

"Yesterday."

"What??"

"He called my cell phone to check in and see how everything was. He just asked if you were okay and told me that he's staying with a friend."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"He told me not to!"

"You listened!"

"Well Rory the poor guy is in love with you!"

"Ugh!"

"Sorry but I'm already sick with all these guys groveling at your feet."

"Shut up!"

"Calm down Rory!" She stood up, adjusted her blouse, grabbed her purse and swung it over her arm. "Besides you need to figure out who it is you want." With that she was out the door, quicker than Rory could respond.

· * * * * *

"How about we just have a little dinner like old times?" Lorelai suggested.

"I don't know."

"Come on. you know you want to see her." She teases as always.

"Always."

"So then let's do it, she misses you so much."

"This isn't going to work."

"It will if I say it will."

"I can't."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Because you're a male with a fat ego and dignity to no end?"

"Precisely."

"Oh come on, you and her are just alike."

"It's scary."

"Your twins."

"Disturbing."

"Oh well."

"Why did you keep her and give me up as a child?" He joked, sipping on his coffee.

"Because guys have to much pride."

"But I wanted to be a Gilmore too!" He whined.

"Well you can be if you and Rory get married like I plan."

"But she'd be a DuGrey."

"No." She shook her head with a smile. "There's the ego!"

He chuckled. "I can't go."

"So what time are you coming?"

"You don't understand English do you?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, so eight o'clock it is then. Be there and be on time." She winked, grabbing her coffee and her purse, and heading out the door.

· * * * * * *

"What do I say Mom?"

"Hi my best friend in the whole world! I'm so sorry for playing games and making you wait, I realized that I love you." Lorelai offered in sarcasm.

Rory lightly smacked her mother's shoulder. "What do I say?"

"Tell him how you feel."

"How do I feel?" Butterflies were crawling inside her stomach, or at least that's what it felt like. Her question didn't get an answer though because the doorbell rang.

"Stop fidgeting Rory! Say what your heart wants you to say."

Dun Dun Dun

Review please.

Thank you for the offers but I already have a beta-reader [wink]