Author's Note: I wanted to thank all of those who reviewed, it always makes me happy. I also wanted to thank Jayde for BETAing and helping me to improve. Now, third chapter is up, you know the drill! Drop me a note to make me happy!




To Remember You
Chapter 3: Rory and Tristan, the early years.




Rory is looking for someone she knows. Ever since she got to this 'End of school year celebration' at a frat house that she has already forget the name of, she encountered a lot of drunken kids making promises to each other to keep in touch over the summer. But she hasn't talked to a single soul, and can't seem to find a quiet place to read. Directing herself toward the exit with the firm intention of leaving the party, she bumps into someone. She would have fell if it wasn't for two arms that brought her closer to the stranger, holding her close to his body. Slowly raising her head, her eyes widen in surprise as she recognises the owner's blue eyes and his famous smirk,

"I always knew you would try to jump me someday Mary!" Rory tries to unwrap his arms from her body but he holds her still. Lowering his head, his mouth dangerously close to her ear, "Just give me one dance, time to catch up a bit then I'll let you go."

"I don't know Tristan. I was just leaving."

Raising his head to be face to face with her, he realises that her eyes are focusing on his lips, a soft smile appears on his handsome features as he whispers, "Come on Rory, I won't bite you unless you ask me to, but you're the first familiar face I encountered tonight!"

His arms still around her, one of his hands instinctively starts going up and down her back, sending shivers through her body. Feeling a bit weak at the touch, Rory tries to control her shaking voice, "And why would I dance with you? We hate each other, remember?"

"You hate me, I've always liked you." With this brutal reminder of her hatred, he lets her go and starts to walk away, his shoulders slumped in defeat.

Without his warm embrace and witnessing his defeated posture walking away, she sighs, and walks after him, puts one hand on his arm, hoping to make him face her but Tristan doesn't turn around, not wanting to face her, he stays still waiting for Rory to speak.

"One dance, and then I leave."

Still not turning around, Tristan asks with his voice filled with sadness, "And why would you waste your time dancing with me?"

"Because I've never hated you."


Rory wakes up, looking at the clock reading 3:41. How could she have forgotten about it? Thinking that maybe if she goes back to sleep other memories will come back, she closes her eyes, trying to sleep, but the excitement over her new memory keeps her from falling back to sleep. She needs to share this with someone. Without thinking about her actions, she grabs the phone and dials a familiar number. After four rings, the ringing stops and she hears a grunt on the other side of the line.

"Tristan, it's me, Rory. Did I wake you up?" Tristan sits down in his bed, trying to open his eyes to look at the clock, 4:07.

"Obviously at four in the morning I was sleeping, Rory."

Rory, starting to feel bad, whispers, "Well, I'm sorry I disturbed you. I'll just call back tomorrow…or, rather later today."

Tristan closes his eyes saying, "No, it's okay Rory. I'm awake now. Was there anything important you wanted to share with me?"

Rory smiles to no one and whispers, "I had a dream."

"Was I in your dream?"

"Yes."

"Did we do naughty things in it?"

"Tristan, be serious for a minute. I wanted to talk to you because it was just so real, I think I remembered something else."

"Tell me your dream."

After listening to her dream, Tristan smiles and says, "But after that dance, we didn't stop. We had too much fun. We danced half the night and we drank coffee the other half. I brought you back to your room around seven in the morning…"

Rory cuts him off to continue herself, "… And we couldn't stop giggling because we were way too high on caffeine. Paris got mad and she screamed at me that I wanted to ruin her life by worrying her so much for not calling…"

Tristan laughs and continues, "… And she yelled at me for giving you too much coffee and trying to corrupt you!"

Rory's eyes close by themselves and she whispers, "I think I'll be able to fall asleep again now."

Tristan lies down on his bed, murmuring before hanging up the phone, "I'll see you in your dreams."




Tristan and Rory are on the couch in Rory's house and mocking the hair styles and colours of clothes from the eighties movie they are watching. Tristan half lying down on the couch while Rory is resting in his arms. Tristan is playing softly with Rory's hair as she smiles softly. Lorelai enters the house and upon seeing her daughter and Tristan, a smile crosses her lips. She sits down on a chair in front of the cosy couple oblivious to her presence.

"When are you going to admit it guys, you're made to be together not to be friends!"

Tristan gets up, kisses Rory softly on the lips saying, "I'll let you two talk about me. I have to go change anyway. Rory, do you want me to pick you up or you'll meet me there?"

Curious, Lorelai teases a little, "Aren't you gentleman enough to pick up your girlfriend when you attend a party with her?"

Giving his famous smirk to Lorelai, "Well, you see Lorelai, she's my best friend and she's completely free!" Opening the door to leave, he turns around to glance at Rory as she says,

"I might run late, I'll meet you there!"

Tristan exits the room and Lorelai mutters between her teeth, "You are both fools Rory and since when have you started to kiss your best friend?"

Rory blushes a bit when she explains, "It was mistake that happened last week. One night when he was about to leave, he was telling me goodbye, he leaned down to kiss my cheek but I accidentally faced him and he landed on my lips."

"And why wasn't I informed about this? I am your mother and Honey; you used to tell me everything! I want details now!"

"I don't know what to say, it just happened."

"Admit it Rory, you're in love with him!"

"I'm not in love with Tristan, we have fun together. We enjoy each others company, that's it!"

A mischievous smile crosses Lorelai's feature as she gets up, leaving the room to seek for coffee saying, "Denial, Denial."

Rory jumps up behind her, just when she about to enter her room, "Well, if it's true, you should look into a mirror while saying that!"

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"Mom, figure it out."


Rory wakes up again by the smell of fresh coffee. Slowly, she gets up to join Lorelai in the kitchen.

"Morning." Lorelai mumbles from behind her coffee cup.

Rory, her eyes still closed, directs herself to the coffee machine. She fills a cup while trying to keep an eye open. Drinks the whole cup, fills another one then sits on a chair, her arms crossing on the table just in time to welcome her head.

"Someone didn't sleep much last night! Did you and Tristan do something dirty?"

"Mom! Gross! We are talking about a guy I didn't remember existed yesterday. All I know right now, is that he had been the bane of my existence for over a year, that apparently we had a lot in common, because we became inseparable friends. And somehow, I know that we fell in love, but I don't remember it yet."

"You remembered all that last night?"

"Well, yeah, in a way. We kissed goodnight last night and I had a memory of him telling me that he loved me."

"Was it a good kiss?"

"Yes, mom. And, I called him in the middle of the night."

"Was he mad?"

"No, we talked and it was amazing, we were completing each other sentences, as if we were the same spirit!"

"Yeah, you used to do that a lot." Lorelai, finishes her coffee cup, stands up to refill it. Suddenly, she asks softly, "Rory, how exactly did you know his number?"

Shock covers Rory's features as she murmurs, "I don't know, I just knew it."

Lorelai looks at her daughter tenderly, fighting the tears from her eyes, she forces a smile while looking at her daughter, trying to control her voice, "I'm going to change, and then we can go to Luke's for coffee!"

Lorelai doesn't wait for an answer, escaping into the privacy of her room. Once her door is closed, she lets herself fall back onto the door, tears now running freely down her cheeks as she murmurs to no one,

"The nightmare is getting closer. Lord, make her strong enough to deal with it this time."




Author's Note: Comments, suggestions are always welcome
Siaram