*Disclaimer: I don't own the series Gilmore Girls or the original
characters. All I own is my imagination and the plot.
*A/N: Hey! :-) This is the last chapter that this story contains, so I hope y'all enjoy this chapter and don't forget to read the A/N at the bottom of this page.
*~*~*:-)*~*~*Bye, smile :-)
Tristan leaned back in his chair, trying to camouflage a grin, as he looked over at the sergeant sitting across from him, whom's face was carrying the burden of a heavy frown. A weight that signaled the difficulty he was having to keep up his end of the conversation. Carolyn DuGrey knew how to charm people into seeing her side of the story. She was a persuasive woman and now that she was using her skills on someone else, Tristan felt grateful for them. And by the expression that was starting to color the sergeant's face, his gratitude was being earned and had been put in the right place, although he wasn't so sure about the fate he had put into this entire situation.
Even though his mother seemed to be close to coming through on this one, he doubted her sudden phone call and he wasn't sure if he entirely trusted her swift reaction to the message he had left his parents with. There had to be a catch, a hidden trap that he was sure to step in when the time was right. His dad would never willingly take him out of this place. Not without persuading him to at least finish this year before coming home. Although his definition of home was different from most people. Home was just better than this place. The food was better, his room actually held some of his own personality and he had more than enough friends who could distract him from his thoughts of not belonging and anger at his father, which would get him absolutely no where if he dared to let it out. His father wanted to believe that he was a troublemaker, when he really wasn't as bad of a kid as he seemed. Alexander had forced him to attend a military school and it had been unfair, for Tristan had just been temporarily lost in his grief. But within the ice cold chambers of his heart, Alexander hadn't understood, even though Janlan had been his father.
Tristan curiously listened to the sergeant's words, hoping to get a clue of where this conversation was going, to which answer it was going to lead. He had only spoken to his mother for a few minutes, before she had demanded to let her talk to the 'dear man'. Tristan was almost sure that his mom was doing her best on getting him out of here, but he didn't know ho to feel about it just yet.
He watched the sergeant's facial expression change once more, before he roughly hung up the phone and forced his expression to turn blank. After running a hand through his small amount of hair and loudly clearing his throat, he decided to finally meet Tristan's eyes. Tristan had no trouble detecting the defeat that was written in the man's eyes and couldn't help but to let the beginning of a smile crack through the flawlessness of his face.
''Well,'' the sergeant started, as he pressed the fingertips of both of his hands tightly against each other. ''Mr. DuGrey, after discussing everything with your mother, I think that you will be glad to hear that we have come to a decision. We have decided to grant your wish and let you go back home.''
A smile manipulated Tristan's lips until they were curved into a careful grin. He found the sergeant's words quite amusing. He had made it sound like he had had at least some say in the entire matter.
''I appreciate it, sir,'' Tristan said, as he tried to gracefully to keep the joy from reaching his face.
''Yes, well, you're mom is a very persuasive woman.''
Tristan nodded, agreeing with him. ''She is.'' There was a brief pause, before Tristan chose to continue. ''If you don't mind me asking, when will I be leaving?''
The sergeant stopped pressing his fingers against each other and chose to fold them instead. He lowered his eyes shortly, before returning them to Tristan. ''You're mom is probably booking you a flight as we speak. She seems to have her mind set on this, just like you. So you can go and pack your bags, Mr. DuGrey. It looks like you'll be leaving this night.
Tristan nodded, thankful for the information the man had given him and got up. ''Thank you, sir. I made the best out of my stay here, but I don't think that I fitted in here.''
''It's a shame you think that, Tristan,'' the sergeant respectfully said. ''We'll give you your flight number as soon as your mother informs us.''
Tristan shot him a small smile, before leaving the office and hurrying up the stairs to his room. When he opened the door, he wasn't surprised at all to find both Marty and Lawrence in his room. Lawrence was sitting on a chair, throwing a small ball against the wall and catching it and then repeating the action. Marty, however, was sitting on Tristan's bed, going through one of his books, which immediately caused Tristan to look over at the shelves. When he saw that his copy of 'Romeo and Juliet' was still standing on its familiar spot he felt some sort of relief go through him.
''Hey,'' Tristan said, as he closed the door and headed for his closet.
''Dude, I never knew you were in to this poetic crap,'' Marty said, as a response to the piece of literature he was holding in his hands.
Tristan didn't respond to Marty's comment, as he went through his closet in search of his two bags, but of course Lawrence couldn't let this opportunity pass.
''I'm sure your boyfriend writes you love poems, to let you know that the distance doesn't affect his love for you, all the time.''
Marty rolled his eyes as he closed the book and finally looked up to notice Tristan walking over to them with, dragging two bags behind him. He nudged Lawrence with his elbow, which got him an annoyed look, before he even bothered to turn his head to see what Marty was referring to. The two guys quietly eyed Tristan, until he threw the bags onto the bed, meeting their eyes in the process. A smirk appeared on his face when he saw the surprise that held the faces of his friends captive.
''Pulling the fire alarm worked, didn't it?'' Lawrence asked, as a satisfied smile appeared on his face.
Tristan nodded. ''Yep, I'm leaving tonight.''
''I told you it would work,'' Lawrence said.
''Dude, stop lying.''
Lawrence glared at Marty, before returning his attention to Tristan, who was starting his packing by throwing some of his clothes into one of the empty bags. ''I still can't believe that you're leaving. Now I have no one to discuss girls with.''
Marty coughed, which caused Lawrence to look at him, grin in place. ''I said girls......dude.''
Tristan smiled, amused by the banter that went on daily between both of his friends. Friends he was going to miss, although it was the combination of the two that he was going to miss the most. Lawrence and Marty didn't seem to have anything in common, but yet they had become friends, although both would deny that. Lawrence was the kind of guy that Tristan would hang out with at Chilton and Marty would probably be considered one of the many loners. Tristan would have never gotten the chance to know him if he hadn't been taken out of his normal environment, which could be intoxicating at times. But military school wouldn't leave him with nothing. After all, he had made two new friends, who had showed him that popularity and coolness had nothing to do with liking a person and choosing to talk to him or not. It was about the respect you had for another person. If you wanted to be treated with respect, you had to set the example.
*~*~*
Tristan felt uncomfortable, sitting next to his mother. He felt discomfort, because had expected her to sent a limo to come and pick him up from the airport. She always did when he needed a ride, although he did have his own car. One he had bought with money he had earned himself. One that could never compete with the cars his dad owned, but he couldn't be more proud off. And one he would be able to drive again, whenever he felt like he couldn't breathe and had to leave the house for a while, something he hadn't missed, but had learned to live with throughout the years.
He looked out of the window, not noticing the familiarity of the road as he wondered about the place that lay miles and miles behind him. For a second he doubted if leaving that place and going back home had been the right thing to do, but when he realized that it was too late to ponder his decision, that thought quickly withered and was replaced by several new ones. Ones that seem sure and stable. He would be going back to Chilton, a place he felt comfortable at in spite of the misleading appearances and the high school dilemma's that unfolded themselves daily. It would feel good to walk those halls again.
A grin appeared on his face when he thought of the daily routine that he could easily slip back into, without having to adjust even the slightest bit. It was the students of Chilton that would have to do the adjusting, especially Zack when he would find out that he wasn't the most popular guy in Chilton anymore and was back to being second best. Now, torturing people wasn't something that Tristan chose or enjoyed to do, but he would be looking forward to Zack's response, although he could practically predict it from the sweet beginning to the even more satisfying ending. He still couldn't believe that Rory had temporarily fallen for him, but hopefully she had gotten over that and had realized that she deserved someone who would show her more respect and would see her as more than just a game, because she was....
''We're almost there,'' Caroyln DuGrey said, interrupting Tristan's flow of thoughts and breaking the uncomfortable silence that had hung between them ever since they had gotten in the car. A silence Tristan had dreaded, but had preferred instead of talking, because talking would seem even more awkward in his eyes. So instead he nodded, trying to hang on to the silence and his thoughts as long as he could. His mother sighed, which did cause him to turn his head away from the window and look at her.
''You okay?'' Tristan asked awkwardly, knowing that her sigh had been a subtle trap, tricking him into continuing the conversation.
Carolyn nodded and shot him a thankful look, before returning her gaze to the road. ''I'm just sorry that we put you through all of this.''
Tristan was too surprised to say anything. He had rarely heard his mother apologize for anything. Even with his dad she remained stubborn, not willing to give in or admit that she was wrong.
''Your dad and I thought that this would be the best way to deal with it.''
''Sending me to military school?'' Tristan asked, trying to keep the sarcasm from creeping into his voice.
Carolyn nodded. ''I knew that you were only grieving over Janlan's death, but you have to try and understand the decision that we made. See, it was harder for your father than it might have seem. He and his dad were never really close, but they did have a father/son bond, so when he died, well, it was too much to handle.''
''I was never a hand full,'' Tristan softly said, turning his eyes back to the window.
''I know, but you look so much like Janlan.........,'' Carolyn tried to explain, her voice losing its usual sureness and strength.
''So, why let me come home? Why now?''
Carolyn smiled, giving him an answer that he wouldn't immediately comprehend. ''I never knew Rory Gilmore could be that persuasive.''
Tristan glance at his mother when he heard Rory's name. What did she have to do with all of this? Carolyn caught his reaction out of the corner of her eyes and her smile broadened.
''She stood up to your dad. She came over to the house and politely demanded that we bring you back here,'' Carolyn said. ''I think he was impressed.''
Tristan smiled, before turning his head and resting it against the cool glass of the window.
*~*~*
When his mom drove through the gates, his eyes found their way to the beginning of the driveway, as if he had known about the figure sitting on the front steps before he had even seen it. It became clearer and clearer with every inch that they left behind them, but he didn't have to see her face to know who it was. It was a too familiar image. The girl curled up on the front steps, engrossed in a book, was an inviting image to him. And when the car came to a halt, he looked at her, noticing that she had raised her head and was looking at him now. Her eyes were the cause of the few seconds it took him to open the door and get out. Her eyes stood friendly with patience and an eagerness she didn't know how to express. But as Tristan came closer and closer, her fingers started to grip the book she was holding in her hands tighter and tighter.
''Mary,'' was his simple greeting when he had reached her, looking so calm and casual with one hand in his pocket.
''You're back.''
Tristan nodded. ''Thanks to you is what I heard.''
Rory shrugged. ''My mom had to work late and there was nothing on TV, so I thought why not do something nice for someone. And since Africa was simply too far, I decided to choose a destination that was slightly closer, although the drive was still pretty long.''
''Still haven't lost your touch,'' Tristan said, as his eyes gleamed with their usual amusement.
''Oh,'' Rory said, as she lowered her head. ''I tend to ramble a lot, I do it all the time.''
Tristan smiled. ''I don't mind. I think the nervous rambling just adds to your character.''
Rory raised her head and met Tristan's eyes, not missing the compliment that had skillfully been entwined into the sentence. ''Who ever said anything about the rambling being nervous?''
''You mean you aren't?''
''Well, I haven't seen you in a while,'' Rory said, as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
''It's been a week.''
''A lot can happen in a week....... I grew an inch once......,'' Rory murmured.
''In a week?'' Tristan asked, while raising an eyebrow.
''Well, no.''
Tristan chuckled, but stopped when he heard someone cough behind Rory. He looked over her shoulder and spotted his father, his expression unreadable as usual. Alexander walked over to the couple and nodded at them. ''I hope I'm not interrupting anything.''
Tristan shrugged. ''Just a growing process.''
Rory smiled and loosened the grip on her book, even though Alexander DuGrey was standing so close to her. Tristan always tried to make her feel at ease when his father was around and it only made her feel safe and trust Tristan even more, despite the mistakes he had made.
Alexander held out his hand and Tristan shook it, knowing that this was the way his father chose to greet him. ''I'm assuming that you will prove to us that you have changed.''
Tristan nodded. ''I will.''
''Good.''
With one last nod, Alexander turned around and went back into the house, following his wife's footsteps, who had slipped inside a few minutes ago, unnoticed by both Rory and Tristan because they were simply too caught up by each other's presence.
Tristan let out a sigh of relief when he was sure that his dad was safely inside. He looked over at Rory, who smiled at him, letting him know that she was glad to have him back. But she was also trying to make him feel at ease. She wanted him to feel as comfortable around her as she was around him, which she succeeded in.
With a small smile, she looked up at him and gestured towards the car. ''Need some help with your bags?''
*~*~*
''I appreciate the help,'' Tristan said mockingly, as he dropped his bags onto his bed, before taking the time to turn around and look around his room, thinking that he could spot at least one small change, but he couldn't. Everything was the way he had left it.
Rory didn't respond to his remark. He wouldn't have heard her if she did. She stood by the door and looked at him as he quickly let his eyes wander from object to object, taking in the familiarity that he had missed. Eventually his eyes found hers and by the confused look in them, Rory realized that he hadn't known that it had taken him so long to familiarize himself with his old life again.
''What's it like to see your room again?''
Tristan shrugged. ''It's different than the room I had in military school.''
He walked over to the window and placed his hands on top of the windowsill, which Paola had kept free from dust, as he looked down at the garden. Rory sat down on his bed, folding her legs underneath her as she silently watched him, not wanting to break the spell he seemed to be under. Tristan's eyes became distant when he retreated back into his mind in search of a certain memory. It took him only a few seconds to find it.
He licked his lips as he thought of the kiss he and Rory had shared in that garden. His mind had been full with worries and frustrations, but she had been able to take them away for a couple of minutes. It had been their first kiss. He hadn't been able to resist temptation that night, he hadn't been able to resist her. And knowing that she was in the same room as him, was making temptation look even more alluring that it had done that night.
Tristan shook off the memory and forced himself to turn around, not wanting to get too wrapped up in the memories the view had brought up to the surface. He leaned against the windowsill and looked over at Rory, who was going through one of his bags, which he didn't find surprising. She could never sit still for more than a few minutes. After that she automatically searched for something that might occupy her.
''What are you doing?''
''Looking for souvenirs,'' Rory answered with a shrug, not looking up from what she was doing.
''I hate to disappoint you, but I didn't have time to find a uniform that was your size.''
''What about one of those hand grenades?''
Tristan rolled his eyes at her childish question. ''Used them all.''
''Well, what about pictures of the friends you made?'' Rory asked, as she looked up at him.
Tristan shook his head. ''It wasn't a vacation. And you're aware that that's personal, right?'' he asked, while nodding in the direction of his bags.
''Don't worry, I'm not interested in your boxers or anything.''
''Didn't expect you too. After all, it's what's underneath that counts.''
Rory almost immediately lowered her head, trying to hide the blush that was quickly finding its way onto her face, but Tristan was too observant to miss something like that and softly chuckled at her response. Suddenly she looked up at him again.
''You took this with you?'' she asked, as she held up his copy of 'Romeo and Juliet'.
Tristan shrugged, as he approached her. ''I had to catch up on my reading, unfortunately I didn't have the time to. I was too busy doing other things.'' He took the book from Rory, not wanting her to go through it and find that her address had been written in it.
''What things?'' Rory asked, sounding nothing but genuine.
Tristan sighed and threw the book onto his desk. ''I had a lot of military training, which is obvious. It was outside mostly and I have to admit that it was hard, just like all the different rules they had.''
Rory nodded, as if she understood what he had gone through. ''Well, I'm glad you're back.'' She reached for his hand and entwined her fingers with his, before she started to run her thumb over the ring he was wearing.
Tristan looked down at her hand, a little surprised at her sudden gesture. He moved his eyes from her hand to her eyes and smirked. ''I knew you would be lost without me.''
''Not lost, just a little confused,'' Rory answered, before smiling at him.
''Mary, what would the world do without you?''
Rory blushed at his obvious compliment and wanted to lower her head, but Tristan was expecting that reaction and gently grabbed her chin. He forced her to lift her head and look at him. He leaned in and brought his lips as close as he could to hers without actually touching them. ''Are you and Zack really over?''
Rory nodded, her eyes lowering themselves to his lips, which were making it harder for her to breathe. ''Yes, we're friends.''
Tristan smirked at her answer. ''We'll see.'' He slowly inched his lips closer towards hers, making her impatient, which caused her to lean in a little too, meeting him halfway. Their lips hastily crashed against each other, although the kiss remained slow, giving them both the chance to taste as much of each other as they could. When they broke apart, Rory's eyes were closed and her rapid breaths caused Tristan to smile.
''Rory,'' he softly said.
But Rory didn't open her eyes, instead she blindly reached for his face with her free hand.
''Zack will never measure up to you,'' were her honest words, before she placed her hand on the side of his face and pressed her lips against his again.
Tristan returned the gesture, his mind pure, cleansed from all worries and doubts. His web had finally been untangled.....
*R*E*V*I*E*W*! Please? :-) Well, that's it. I know, I always end the story when things are finally looking up for the characters, but I always feel that there's no story interesting enough to tell after all the problems are out of the way. I think I'm going to write another story, although it's going to be PG13 and Tristan will do something that a lot of you will probably find out of character or horrible. So, just let me know if you would be interested in another one of my stories. I know they can get old after a while.
*Thanks for reading this story and reviewing it, I really appreciate it and without kind words and criticism I would have never wrote as many stories as I have done so far. I know, I know, ahhhh. Just know that I'm thankful.* :-)
*A/N: Hey! :-) This is the last chapter that this story contains, so I hope y'all enjoy this chapter and don't forget to read the A/N at the bottom of this page.
*~*~*:-)*~*~*Bye, smile :-)
Tristan leaned back in his chair, trying to camouflage a grin, as he looked over at the sergeant sitting across from him, whom's face was carrying the burden of a heavy frown. A weight that signaled the difficulty he was having to keep up his end of the conversation. Carolyn DuGrey knew how to charm people into seeing her side of the story. She was a persuasive woman and now that she was using her skills on someone else, Tristan felt grateful for them. And by the expression that was starting to color the sergeant's face, his gratitude was being earned and had been put in the right place, although he wasn't so sure about the fate he had put into this entire situation.
Even though his mother seemed to be close to coming through on this one, he doubted her sudden phone call and he wasn't sure if he entirely trusted her swift reaction to the message he had left his parents with. There had to be a catch, a hidden trap that he was sure to step in when the time was right. His dad would never willingly take him out of this place. Not without persuading him to at least finish this year before coming home. Although his definition of home was different from most people. Home was just better than this place. The food was better, his room actually held some of his own personality and he had more than enough friends who could distract him from his thoughts of not belonging and anger at his father, which would get him absolutely no where if he dared to let it out. His father wanted to believe that he was a troublemaker, when he really wasn't as bad of a kid as he seemed. Alexander had forced him to attend a military school and it had been unfair, for Tristan had just been temporarily lost in his grief. But within the ice cold chambers of his heart, Alexander hadn't understood, even though Janlan had been his father.
Tristan curiously listened to the sergeant's words, hoping to get a clue of where this conversation was going, to which answer it was going to lead. He had only spoken to his mother for a few minutes, before she had demanded to let her talk to the 'dear man'. Tristan was almost sure that his mom was doing her best on getting him out of here, but he didn't know ho to feel about it just yet.
He watched the sergeant's facial expression change once more, before he roughly hung up the phone and forced his expression to turn blank. After running a hand through his small amount of hair and loudly clearing his throat, he decided to finally meet Tristan's eyes. Tristan had no trouble detecting the defeat that was written in the man's eyes and couldn't help but to let the beginning of a smile crack through the flawlessness of his face.
''Well,'' the sergeant started, as he pressed the fingertips of both of his hands tightly against each other. ''Mr. DuGrey, after discussing everything with your mother, I think that you will be glad to hear that we have come to a decision. We have decided to grant your wish and let you go back home.''
A smile manipulated Tristan's lips until they were curved into a careful grin. He found the sergeant's words quite amusing. He had made it sound like he had had at least some say in the entire matter.
''I appreciate it, sir,'' Tristan said, as he tried to gracefully to keep the joy from reaching his face.
''Yes, well, you're mom is a very persuasive woman.''
Tristan nodded, agreeing with him. ''She is.'' There was a brief pause, before Tristan chose to continue. ''If you don't mind me asking, when will I be leaving?''
The sergeant stopped pressing his fingers against each other and chose to fold them instead. He lowered his eyes shortly, before returning them to Tristan. ''You're mom is probably booking you a flight as we speak. She seems to have her mind set on this, just like you. So you can go and pack your bags, Mr. DuGrey. It looks like you'll be leaving this night.
Tristan nodded, thankful for the information the man had given him and got up. ''Thank you, sir. I made the best out of my stay here, but I don't think that I fitted in here.''
''It's a shame you think that, Tristan,'' the sergeant respectfully said. ''We'll give you your flight number as soon as your mother informs us.''
Tristan shot him a small smile, before leaving the office and hurrying up the stairs to his room. When he opened the door, he wasn't surprised at all to find both Marty and Lawrence in his room. Lawrence was sitting on a chair, throwing a small ball against the wall and catching it and then repeating the action. Marty, however, was sitting on Tristan's bed, going through one of his books, which immediately caused Tristan to look over at the shelves. When he saw that his copy of 'Romeo and Juliet' was still standing on its familiar spot he felt some sort of relief go through him.
''Hey,'' Tristan said, as he closed the door and headed for his closet.
''Dude, I never knew you were in to this poetic crap,'' Marty said, as a response to the piece of literature he was holding in his hands.
Tristan didn't respond to Marty's comment, as he went through his closet in search of his two bags, but of course Lawrence couldn't let this opportunity pass.
''I'm sure your boyfriend writes you love poems, to let you know that the distance doesn't affect his love for you, all the time.''
Marty rolled his eyes as he closed the book and finally looked up to notice Tristan walking over to them with, dragging two bags behind him. He nudged Lawrence with his elbow, which got him an annoyed look, before he even bothered to turn his head to see what Marty was referring to. The two guys quietly eyed Tristan, until he threw the bags onto the bed, meeting their eyes in the process. A smirk appeared on his face when he saw the surprise that held the faces of his friends captive.
''Pulling the fire alarm worked, didn't it?'' Lawrence asked, as a satisfied smile appeared on his face.
Tristan nodded. ''Yep, I'm leaving tonight.''
''I told you it would work,'' Lawrence said.
''Dude, stop lying.''
Lawrence glared at Marty, before returning his attention to Tristan, who was starting his packing by throwing some of his clothes into one of the empty bags. ''I still can't believe that you're leaving. Now I have no one to discuss girls with.''
Marty coughed, which caused Lawrence to look at him, grin in place. ''I said girls......dude.''
Tristan smiled, amused by the banter that went on daily between both of his friends. Friends he was going to miss, although it was the combination of the two that he was going to miss the most. Lawrence and Marty didn't seem to have anything in common, but yet they had become friends, although both would deny that. Lawrence was the kind of guy that Tristan would hang out with at Chilton and Marty would probably be considered one of the many loners. Tristan would have never gotten the chance to know him if he hadn't been taken out of his normal environment, which could be intoxicating at times. But military school wouldn't leave him with nothing. After all, he had made two new friends, who had showed him that popularity and coolness had nothing to do with liking a person and choosing to talk to him or not. It was about the respect you had for another person. If you wanted to be treated with respect, you had to set the example.
*~*~*
Tristan felt uncomfortable, sitting next to his mother. He felt discomfort, because had expected her to sent a limo to come and pick him up from the airport. She always did when he needed a ride, although he did have his own car. One he had bought with money he had earned himself. One that could never compete with the cars his dad owned, but he couldn't be more proud off. And one he would be able to drive again, whenever he felt like he couldn't breathe and had to leave the house for a while, something he hadn't missed, but had learned to live with throughout the years.
He looked out of the window, not noticing the familiarity of the road as he wondered about the place that lay miles and miles behind him. For a second he doubted if leaving that place and going back home had been the right thing to do, but when he realized that it was too late to ponder his decision, that thought quickly withered and was replaced by several new ones. Ones that seem sure and stable. He would be going back to Chilton, a place he felt comfortable at in spite of the misleading appearances and the high school dilemma's that unfolded themselves daily. It would feel good to walk those halls again.
A grin appeared on his face when he thought of the daily routine that he could easily slip back into, without having to adjust even the slightest bit. It was the students of Chilton that would have to do the adjusting, especially Zack when he would find out that he wasn't the most popular guy in Chilton anymore and was back to being second best. Now, torturing people wasn't something that Tristan chose or enjoyed to do, but he would be looking forward to Zack's response, although he could practically predict it from the sweet beginning to the even more satisfying ending. He still couldn't believe that Rory had temporarily fallen for him, but hopefully she had gotten over that and had realized that she deserved someone who would show her more respect and would see her as more than just a game, because she was....
''We're almost there,'' Caroyln DuGrey said, interrupting Tristan's flow of thoughts and breaking the uncomfortable silence that had hung between them ever since they had gotten in the car. A silence Tristan had dreaded, but had preferred instead of talking, because talking would seem even more awkward in his eyes. So instead he nodded, trying to hang on to the silence and his thoughts as long as he could. His mother sighed, which did cause him to turn his head away from the window and look at her.
''You okay?'' Tristan asked awkwardly, knowing that her sigh had been a subtle trap, tricking him into continuing the conversation.
Carolyn nodded and shot him a thankful look, before returning her gaze to the road. ''I'm just sorry that we put you through all of this.''
Tristan was too surprised to say anything. He had rarely heard his mother apologize for anything. Even with his dad she remained stubborn, not willing to give in or admit that she was wrong.
''Your dad and I thought that this would be the best way to deal with it.''
''Sending me to military school?'' Tristan asked, trying to keep the sarcasm from creeping into his voice.
Carolyn nodded. ''I knew that you were only grieving over Janlan's death, but you have to try and understand the decision that we made. See, it was harder for your father than it might have seem. He and his dad were never really close, but they did have a father/son bond, so when he died, well, it was too much to handle.''
''I was never a hand full,'' Tristan softly said, turning his eyes back to the window.
''I know, but you look so much like Janlan.........,'' Carolyn tried to explain, her voice losing its usual sureness and strength.
''So, why let me come home? Why now?''
Carolyn smiled, giving him an answer that he wouldn't immediately comprehend. ''I never knew Rory Gilmore could be that persuasive.''
Tristan glance at his mother when he heard Rory's name. What did she have to do with all of this? Carolyn caught his reaction out of the corner of her eyes and her smile broadened.
''She stood up to your dad. She came over to the house and politely demanded that we bring you back here,'' Carolyn said. ''I think he was impressed.''
Tristan smiled, before turning his head and resting it against the cool glass of the window.
*~*~*
When his mom drove through the gates, his eyes found their way to the beginning of the driveway, as if he had known about the figure sitting on the front steps before he had even seen it. It became clearer and clearer with every inch that they left behind them, but he didn't have to see her face to know who it was. It was a too familiar image. The girl curled up on the front steps, engrossed in a book, was an inviting image to him. And when the car came to a halt, he looked at her, noticing that she had raised her head and was looking at him now. Her eyes were the cause of the few seconds it took him to open the door and get out. Her eyes stood friendly with patience and an eagerness she didn't know how to express. But as Tristan came closer and closer, her fingers started to grip the book she was holding in her hands tighter and tighter.
''Mary,'' was his simple greeting when he had reached her, looking so calm and casual with one hand in his pocket.
''You're back.''
Tristan nodded. ''Thanks to you is what I heard.''
Rory shrugged. ''My mom had to work late and there was nothing on TV, so I thought why not do something nice for someone. And since Africa was simply too far, I decided to choose a destination that was slightly closer, although the drive was still pretty long.''
''Still haven't lost your touch,'' Tristan said, as his eyes gleamed with their usual amusement.
''Oh,'' Rory said, as she lowered her head. ''I tend to ramble a lot, I do it all the time.''
Tristan smiled. ''I don't mind. I think the nervous rambling just adds to your character.''
Rory raised her head and met Tristan's eyes, not missing the compliment that had skillfully been entwined into the sentence. ''Who ever said anything about the rambling being nervous?''
''You mean you aren't?''
''Well, I haven't seen you in a while,'' Rory said, as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
''It's been a week.''
''A lot can happen in a week....... I grew an inch once......,'' Rory murmured.
''In a week?'' Tristan asked, while raising an eyebrow.
''Well, no.''
Tristan chuckled, but stopped when he heard someone cough behind Rory. He looked over her shoulder and spotted his father, his expression unreadable as usual. Alexander walked over to the couple and nodded at them. ''I hope I'm not interrupting anything.''
Tristan shrugged. ''Just a growing process.''
Rory smiled and loosened the grip on her book, even though Alexander DuGrey was standing so close to her. Tristan always tried to make her feel at ease when his father was around and it only made her feel safe and trust Tristan even more, despite the mistakes he had made.
Alexander held out his hand and Tristan shook it, knowing that this was the way his father chose to greet him. ''I'm assuming that you will prove to us that you have changed.''
Tristan nodded. ''I will.''
''Good.''
With one last nod, Alexander turned around and went back into the house, following his wife's footsteps, who had slipped inside a few minutes ago, unnoticed by both Rory and Tristan because they were simply too caught up by each other's presence.
Tristan let out a sigh of relief when he was sure that his dad was safely inside. He looked over at Rory, who smiled at him, letting him know that she was glad to have him back. But she was also trying to make him feel at ease. She wanted him to feel as comfortable around her as she was around him, which she succeeded in.
With a small smile, she looked up at him and gestured towards the car. ''Need some help with your bags?''
*~*~*
''I appreciate the help,'' Tristan said mockingly, as he dropped his bags onto his bed, before taking the time to turn around and look around his room, thinking that he could spot at least one small change, but he couldn't. Everything was the way he had left it.
Rory didn't respond to his remark. He wouldn't have heard her if she did. She stood by the door and looked at him as he quickly let his eyes wander from object to object, taking in the familiarity that he had missed. Eventually his eyes found hers and by the confused look in them, Rory realized that he hadn't known that it had taken him so long to familiarize himself with his old life again.
''What's it like to see your room again?''
Tristan shrugged. ''It's different than the room I had in military school.''
He walked over to the window and placed his hands on top of the windowsill, which Paola had kept free from dust, as he looked down at the garden. Rory sat down on his bed, folding her legs underneath her as she silently watched him, not wanting to break the spell he seemed to be under. Tristan's eyes became distant when he retreated back into his mind in search of a certain memory. It took him only a few seconds to find it.
He licked his lips as he thought of the kiss he and Rory had shared in that garden. His mind had been full with worries and frustrations, but she had been able to take them away for a couple of minutes. It had been their first kiss. He hadn't been able to resist temptation that night, he hadn't been able to resist her. And knowing that she was in the same room as him, was making temptation look even more alluring that it had done that night.
Tristan shook off the memory and forced himself to turn around, not wanting to get too wrapped up in the memories the view had brought up to the surface. He leaned against the windowsill and looked over at Rory, who was going through one of his bags, which he didn't find surprising. She could never sit still for more than a few minutes. After that she automatically searched for something that might occupy her.
''What are you doing?''
''Looking for souvenirs,'' Rory answered with a shrug, not looking up from what she was doing.
''I hate to disappoint you, but I didn't have time to find a uniform that was your size.''
''What about one of those hand grenades?''
Tristan rolled his eyes at her childish question. ''Used them all.''
''Well, what about pictures of the friends you made?'' Rory asked, as she looked up at him.
Tristan shook his head. ''It wasn't a vacation. And you're aware that that's personal, right?'' he asked, while nodding in the direction of his bags.
''Don't worry, I'm not interested in your boxers or anything.''
''Didn't expect you too. After all, it's what's underneath that counts.''
Rory almost immediately lowered her head, trying to hide the blush that was quickly finding its way onto her face, but Tristan was too observant to miss something like that and softly chuckled at her response. Suddenly she looked up at him again.
''You took this with you?'' she asked, as she held up his copy of 'Romeo and Juliet'.
Tristan shrugged, as he approached her. ''I had to catch up on my reading, unfortunately I didn't have the time to. I was too busy doing other things.'' He took the book from Rory, not wanting her to go through it and find that her address had been written in it.
''What things?'' Rory asked, sounding nothing but genuine.
Tristan sighed and threw the book onto his desk. ''I had a lot of military training, which is obvious. It was outside mostly and I have to admit that it was hard, just like all the different rules they had.''
Rory nodded, as if she understood what he had gone through. ''Well, I'm glad you're back.'' She reached for his hand and entwined her fingers with his, before she started to run her thumb over the ring he was wearing.
Tristan looked down at her hand, a little surprised at her sudden gesture. He moved his eyes from her hand to her eyes and smirked. ''I knew you would be lost without me.''
''Not lost, just a little confused,'' Rory answered, before smiling at him.
''Mary, what would the world do without you?''
Rory blushed at his obvious compliment and wanted to lower her head, but Tristan was expecting that reaction and gently grabbed her chin. He forced her to lift her head and look at him. He leaned in and brought his lips as close as he could to hers without actually touching them. ''Are you and Zack really over?''
Rory nodded, her eyes lowering themselves to his lips, which were making it harder for her to breathe. ''Yes, we're friends.''
Tristan smirked at her answer. ''We'll see.'' He slowly inched his lips closer towards hers, making her impatient, which caused her to lean in a little too, meeting him halfway. Their lips hastily crashed against each other, although the kiss remained slow, giving them both the chance to taste as much of each other as they could. When they broke apart, Rory's eyes were closed and her rapid breaths caused Tristan to smile.
''Rory,'' he softly said.
But Rory didn't open her eyes, instead she blindly reached for his face with her free hand.
''Zack will never measure up to you,'' were her honest words, before she placed her hand on the side of his face and pressed her lips against his again.
Tristan returned the gesture, his mind pure, cleansed from all worries and doubts. His web had finally been untangled.....
*R*E*V*I*E*W*! Please? :-) Well, that's it. I know, I always end the story when things are finally looking up for the characters, but I always feel that there's no story interesting enough to tell after all the problems are out of the way. I think I'm going to write another story, although it's going to be PG13 and Tristan will do something that a lot of you will probably find out of character or horrible. So, just let me know if you would be interested in another one of my stories. I know they can get old after a while.
*Thanks for reading this story and reviewing it, I really appreciate it and without kind words and criticism I would have never wrote as many stories as I have done so far. I know, I know, ahhhh. Just know that I'm thankful.* :-)