A/N- Thanks to all who reviewed! It means a lot!
"Are you sure this is the address?" Jess asked as he and Rory sat in the car, staring at the apartment building before them. It wasn't that it was dilapidated, but it wasn't grand or huge or, Tristan like, it was more, well, quaint if you will. The building was tall and made of white bricks. It stood cheerily on the corner of the road with a flower shop to it's left.
"Um," Rory quickly glanced down at the slip of paper, "yeah, this is it."
"Well then, let's go," Jess responded, hopping out of the Jeep and walking to the other side to open Rory's door.
"So Jess, you're not going to go all 'brotherly protective' mode on me are you?" Rory asked as she linked arms with her best friend and walked up the stairs to the front entrance.
"Ahh no, just as long as he keeps his hands to himself and doesn't have the wandering eye too much," Jess replied, smirking at the face beside him. He was about to open the door when Rory stopped suddenly.
"Ror what is it?" Jess asked, concern dripping from his every word.
"I, I can't do this Jess, I mean, he's," Rory began, stumbling over her words.
"Dying," Jess finished, wrapping his arm around her small shoulders.
Rory looked up into his eyes.
"Yeah, he's, dying," Rory responded distantly.
"Ror, if anyone could make him smile, brighten his day, and cause happiness to fill his heart it's you. You owe it to him AND to yourself to go in there and see the man you love. I know you can do this Rory, you're a Gilmore," Jess stated, opening the door.
Walking up the big staircase the pair finally arrived at his apartment.
"298, this is it," Rory stated, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Ready?" Jess asked, gripping her small hand in his.
"Yeah, I think,"
With that she gently knocked on the door and was greeted quickly by Joe.
"Rory, Jess, I'm glad you guys are here, come on in," Joe stated, opening the door wider. "Is he, okay?" Rory asked gently.
"As okay as he can be, he's lying in his bed right now," Joe replied, leading them into a reasonably size room.
When Rory entered the room she almost gasped. Tristan lay weakly in his bed, his once toned body was now pale and thin, covered by a starch white t- shirt. His beautiful blonde locks were now quite short and scraggly. Tears whelmed to Rory's eyes; her bible boy, HER Tristan, was, well, dying.
"Am I that horrid to look at?" Tristan asked jokingly when he saw Rory's face as she and Jess entered the room.
"OH, no, no not at all, actually I'm so very happy to see you Tristan," Rory replied as a small smile formed on her pink lips.
"I'm so very happy to see you too Mary," Tristan responded, smiling widely.
'His eyes still twinkle' Rory thought to herself.
"Hey Joe, uh, could you get me a drink? I'll come with you," Jess stated as he walked to the door of the room, nodding his head as a way to say 'come on let them be alone.'
"Oh yeah sure, be back dad," Joe replied following Jess out of the room.
"You've never looked so beautiful Rory," Tristan stated once they were alone.
Tears began flowing from here eyes, gracing her cheeks.
"I'm so sorry Tristan," Rory replied, placing her shaking hand over her mouth.
"Come here Rory," Tristan said, opening his arms up as an invitation for her to get closer to him.
Rory immediately jumped at the offer and softly lay down beside him, her head on his chest.
"Why are you sorry?" Tristan asked, placing his chin on the top of her head.
"Because, I didn't give you a chance in high school," Rory replied, her voice shaky.
"Rory, I never resented you for that, it was my fault. I was the jerk, I don't blame you for pulling away," Tristan responded, kissing the top of her head.
"I didn't have to though," Rory replied.
"Then why did you?" He asked softly.
"I was scared,"
"Of what?"
"Of letting someone get too close to me. I didn't want to end up alone like my mom," Rory responded, lifting her head, blue eyes on blue eyes.
"Are you sure this is the address?" Jess asked as he and Rory sat in the car, staring at the apartment building before them. It wasn't that it was dilapidated, but it wasn't grand or huge or, Tristan like, it was more, well, quaint if you will. The building was tall and made of white bricks. It stood cheerily on the corner of the road with a flower shop to it's left.
"Um," Rory quickly glanced down at the slip of paper, "yeah, this is it."
"Well then, let's go," Jess responded, hopping out of the Jeep and walking to the other side to open Rory's door.
"So Jess, you're not going to go all 'brotherly protective' mode on me are you?" Rory asked as she linked arms with her best friend and walked up the stairs to the front entrance.
"Ahh no, just as long as he keeps his hands to himself and doesn't have the wandering eye too much," Jess replied, smirking at the face beside him. He was about to open the door when Rory stopped suddenly.
"Ror what is it?" Jess asked, concern dripping from his every word.
"I, I can't do this Jess, I mean, he's," Rory began, stumbling over her words.
"Dying," Jess finished, wrapping his arm around her small shoulders.
Rory looked up into his eyes.
"Yeah, he's, dying," Rory responded distantly.
"Ror, if anyone could make him smile, brighten his day, and cause happiness to fill his heart it's you. You owe it to him AND to yourself to go in there and see the man you love. I know you can do this Rory, you're a Gilmore," Jess stated, opening the door.
Walking up the big staircase the pair finally arrived at his apartment.
"298, this is it," Rory stated, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Ready?" Jess asked, gripping her small hand in his.
"Yeah, I think,"
With that she gently knocked on the door and was greeted quickly by Joe.
"Rory, Jess, I'm glad you guys are here, come on in," Joe stated, opening the door wider. "Is he, okay?" Rory asked gently.
"As okay as he can be, he's lying in his bed right now," Joe replied, leading them into a reasonably size room.
When Rory entered the room she almost gasped. Tristan lay weakly in his bed, his once toned body was now pale and thin, covered by a starch white t- shirt. His beautiful blonde locks were now quite short and scraggly. Tears whelmed to Rory's eyes; her bible boy, HER Tristan, was, well, dying.
"Am I that horrid to look at?" Tristan asked jokingly when he saw Rory's face as she and Jess entered the room.
"OH, no, no not at all, actually I'm so very happy to see you Tristan," Rory replied as a small smile formed on her pink lips.
"I'm so very happy to see you too Mary," Tristan responded, smiling widely.
'His eyes still twinkle' Rory thought to herself.
"Hey Joe, uh, could you get me a drink? I'll come with you," Jess stated as he walked to the door of the room, nodding his head as a way to say 'come on let them be alone.'
"Oh yeah sure, be back dad," Joe replied following Jess out of the room.
"You've never looked so beautiful Rory," Tristan stated once they were alone.
Tears began flowing from here eyes, gracing her cheeks.
"I'm so sorry Tristan," Rory replied, placing her shaking hand over her mouth.
"Come here Rory," Tristan said, opening his arms up as an invitation for her to get closer to him.
Rory immediately jumped at the offer and softly lay down beside him, her head on his chest.
"Why are you sorry?" Tristan asked, placing his chin on the top of her head.
"Because, I didn't give you a chance in high school," Rory replied, her voice shaky.
"Rory, I never resented you for that, it was my fault. I was the jerk, I don't blame you for pulling away," Tristan responded, kissing the top of her head.
"I didn't have to though," Rory replied.
"Then why did you?" He asked softly.
"I was scared,"
"Of what?"
"Of letting someone get too close to me. I didn't want to end up alone like my mom," Rory responded, lifting her head, blue eyes on blue eyes.