A/N - Yeah, it's been a very long time for any of my stories. But now I'm inspired or at least stalling the process of doing homework.

Rory was up in her room preparing for her date with Tristan after some expert advice from Lorelai. That is until she heard the phone ring and immediately ran out of her room to dive under the couch.

"Hello," she answered breathlessly.

"Now usually I'd make some suggestive comment on how eager you are to talk to me but since I can't see you tonight I think I'll refrain."

"It's nice to hear from you, Tristan. But why an hour before our date, the one that you so pleadingly begged for," Rory shot back, setting herself upright from her diving position on the floor.

"Because I have to watch Jessica tonight since it's the servant's day off and my parents made plans to go out," he grudgingly admitted but groaned when he heard something valuable break in the background, "and it doesn't really help that she's in the midst of a temper tantrum."

"Oh, poor Tristan. You get to deal with a whining seven year old," she answered masking her sudden and unexplained disappointment with sarcasm. "But I could come over and help you."

"You don't have to. And besides I think that dealing with Jessica in this state might drive inexperienced people to insanity and I prefer my dates sane."

"Don't worry about it. I've had my share of dealing with temperamental little kids. I can help you out."

"That's not all you can help me out with," he tried to bit the comment back but he stopped a little late.

"I could've sworn I heard you say that you were going to stop today, Tristan."

"No, that was just when you first answered the phone."

"You're impossible," she gave a deep sigh as she repeated the too-often- heard words. "So are you going to give me directions to your house?"

"Yeah," he responded. Tristan repeated the directions then gave her his thanks before hanging up.

"Someone want to remind, or make that tell, me why I am doing this?" Rory asked to the empty house and obviously got no answer. Sighing she grabbed the Jeep's keys then wrote a note for her mom who was still at Luke's.

During the half hour drive Rory pondered (A/N - I like that word) her early question but found no answer when she pulled into the massive driveway of the impressive DuGrey mansion.

Answering the door was not the expected butler, which surprised Rory until she remembered why Tristan was babysitting, but the usually cocky Tristan with the most exhausted expression she had ever seen. So exhausting that she bust up laughing on his front door step causing the tired look to be replaced with a weirded out one.

"Sorry, its just that you look so funny," she had managed to gasp out.

"Yeah well you'll be this tired after an hour here. And if you can stop laughing and get over the threshold I'll let you in."

"Well, someone's a grouch when he has to watch his baby sister," Rory responded, stepping in and letting him take her coat. "Where is the source of your problems?" she pondered until hearing a crash coming from deep within the house.

"I'm guessing the kitchen," he stated tiredly. Then Tristan led the way through the maze that he calls home.

Sadly, only a mere five minutes later, Rory and Tristan were resting on the couch in the entertainment room while Jessica was sitting up close eating a popsicle and watching cartoon reruns.

"And just why didn't I think of this?" Tristan asked Rory quietly as to not disturb the seven-year-old's concentration on Wile E. Coyote.

"Because I'm so much smarter than you," she responded smugly.

"You're so much more than me in many different ways," he stated dreamlike after turning to stare at Rory.

"What's that supposed to mean DuGrey?" Rory asked apprehensive of his look.

"You're amazing, Rory," Tristan answered after she turned to meet his gaze. Slowly they both inched closer and just when she could feel Tristan's breath on her lips, they were interrupted by the squeal of a seven-year-old that had just dropped her popsicle. Tristan groaned audible while Rory refused to accept what had just almost happened.

A/N - Please review since I have lost a lot of confidence in my writing after not writing for a while.