Chapter 2: Running again …

["I wonder where he is?"] Rory wondered as she scanned the mass of bodies and faces around her. She thought over the day since the ceremony and couldn't recall him leaving after it. ["Besides, he would of stayed"] Continuing to scan the room Rory caught sight of her mother hiding behind a pot plant darting her eyes around the room as if she was being hunted by wolves. Rory frowned and knew this couldn't be a game with Luke as he was standing a mere metre away from Rory and was scanning the room looking for her.

"Ah, Luke? I think my mother is inspecting the quality of the greenery in here!" Rory indicated her mother across the room as she informed the man nearby who she knew would one day be her stepfather. Grinning, Rory thought of little Luke's and Lorelai's scampering around their house at Stars Hollow and let out a little laugh at the thought of a little boy looking like Luke and having his own grouchy stance. She could just imagine Luke Junior, a little boy with his mother's mischievous nature and twinkling eyes but with Luke's short temper and dislike for basically everything.

["I wonder what she's laughing at,"] Tristan thought as he watched Rory from a hidden table in the corner. Tristan had found it and thought it was the perfect place to be for that night as his friends seemed to be going into their rich-boy-too-cool-for-you attitudes, but then again when are they NOT like that? Snorting inwardly at what his friends were doing, ["so cliché for rich boys"] Tristan decided to forget about them as he continued to gaze wistfully at Rory.

Stopping behind her mother Rory dropped her head next to Lorelai's and asked "and what pray tell are we observing?" Snapping her head up in surprise Lorelai was greeted with the sight of her daughter's face zoomed into her own but not so much as to miss her dear Lukey's amused and enquiring face. "Oh hello! Rory, Luke, um I didn't realise you were there…there" were the only words coming from Lorelai as she seemed incapable of speech and looked as if she was a deer caught in headlights. Suppressing her laughter, Rory looked up and scanned the room briefly before realising what her mother was doing; she was hiding from Rory's English teacher Mr. Medina. Giving a quick glance towards Luke, Rory immediately interrupted Luke's scan of the room by accidentally stepping onto his shoe.

"Oh Luke, I'm sorry I forgot you were standing there!" Rory chirped giving a slight laugh.

"You forgot?!" Luke gruffly asked, raising an enquiring eyebrow as he recalled the glance that Rory had given just a moment before.

"Yes, I forgot! I can be so forgetful sometimes, you know me! Such a dope with my memory!" Rory laughed.

"Coffee!" came an overly excited voice from below their heads, looking down at the woman, Luke saw her eyes turn into caffeine desire as she stared at the young man drinking a steaming cup of coffee. Taking a glance at Rory, Luke had a feeling she'd be looking the same way…she did. Rory's eyes had lighted up and her eyes were following the young man's movements.

"I believe it's time for me to refresh!" Lorelai announced.

"Oh, me too! Refreshment, a lady always needs it!" Rory exclaimed momentarily forgetting the situation of her mother and a certain English teacher.

"I'll wait here while you two children…'refresh'," Luke spoke watching them, as they seemed to forget his presence for a second.

"No! You can get our coffee!" Lorelai said, still remembering she's in hiding.

"What a perfect idea mother!"

"Yes, I thought so!"

"Well, we can't keep Luke waiting…"

Two pairs of smoky blue eyes turned to look at him, one a deep, twinkling blue and the other a light glowing blue. One however, cannot mistake the similar sparkle that those eyes held but at the moment they held the look of desire for their similar love…coffee.

"Uh-uh, I'm not getting you two the coffee!' Luke refused holding up his hands in defence. "I serve you too much at the diner and didn't you two already have two cups of it …each? Before we left?"

"That's too little!"

"It's not enough to quench our thirst."

"We need more!"

"We want more!"

"You can't deny us this…"

"Now can you?" Rory finished looking up at Luke with the classic puppy dog eyes that can turn any person to mush.

Tristan caught his breath as he saw Rory's eyes sparkle as she looked at something across the room and couldn't from turning into mush himself when she turned pleading eyes towards the tall man that stood next to her. As he stared, gazed, drooled over her, he didn't realise he was being watched as he stared at the beauty.

["Tristan…I wonder when you'll realise that Rory will be gone soon enough and you will have no time to tell her that…you love her"] Paris Gellar thought bitterly as she looked on at her first love check out her first true friend. She'd never admit it to anyone but Rory was her first true friend, someone she knew she can trust but too scared to actually do. Paris knew it; she was intimidated by this girl because she was able to bring what she thought a permanent play boy to someone who can't stop drooling over the same girl. Rory Gilmore. She once despised that name but over the years she has known Rory respect, trust and friendship had enveloped them even though neither was brave to admit. Gathering up her courage Paris walked over right behind Tristan and leaning over scathingly said…

"Why don't you just go one knee and profess your undying love for her already?"

Jumping Tristan whipped around to be greeted with Paris Gellar's eyes filled with amusement and resentment. "Shit Gellar! Don't do that!" Tristan exclaimed momentarily losing his composure at the sudden scare. Laughter shook through Paris's body as she witnessed Tristan wipe some drool over the side of his mouth from his previous activity.

"And what do you mean 'profess my undying love'"? Tristan continued narrowing his eyes at her choice of words and the fact that she was openly displaying her amusement at his behaviour.

"Oh come on! Anyone would notice the way you drool over Gilmore. God Tristan! A blind person wouldn't even miss it," Paris replied with superiority laced into her voice.

Tristan, being the man AKA playboy he is replied "Checking me out again are we Paris?" Infuriated with his answer Paris walked away with one last comment, "she won't be around forever, remember that!"

["I know that"] Tristan thought frowning as he turned back to the direction where his love stood only to be greeted with no sight of her anywhere. Looking around Tristan wondered where she could have gotten off too. Frustrated with himself for losing her presence Tristan stepped out onto the empty balcony or so he thought.

Breathing in the fresh air Rory smiled at the night sky as she stood in the dark shadows of the balcony to hide her from view. The high she had been through throughout the day was slowly coming down. Thinking of Yale, a new life, new friends…the people she was leaving. Lane, her mum, Jess, Luke, Paris (laughing a little at that)…Tristan. Rory frowned at that thought of Tristan, remembering earlier this afternoon when she was up on the podium taking her certificate. How his blue eyes went straight into her, how it held a hidden knowledge. Sudden movements alerted Rory that she was not alone. Looking across she saw the object of her thoughts looking out to the sky just like she had done. As if sensing her presence Tristan looked towards her, surprise and was that pleasure that crossed his eyes.

"Rory…" Tristan whispered, looking at the silent, vulnerable beauty before him.

"Tristan…" Rory replied looking at him like he was a Greek God, he did look like one.

Moistening her lips Rory watched as Tristan slowly, deliberately walked up to her until they were standing only a mere inch apart. Each other's lips just out of reach to touch. The look in one another's eyes held the hidden promise they held earlier.

[So beautiful…] Tristan dazedly thought…

[So beautiful…] Rory wondered…

Leaning in Tristan hesitantly brushed his lips against hers afraid to go further but her reply, her sweet reply to his lips was all he needed for encouragement. Slipping his hand behind her neck he kissed her with reckless abandon any coherent thought flying out of his mind.

Feeling his lips against hers sent shockwaves right throughout her body as he kissed her with more certainty, more confidence and as the same to her, any coherent thought, and any objection to this sensation flew out of her dazed mind.

It could've been seconds, minutes, hours but neither was paying attention to the time, too caught up in the sweet sensation of each other. Tristan feeling like he was coming home, feeling like heaven was in his arms; felt his heaven all of a sudden stiffen. Then she wasn't in his arms no more…she was gone, she had fled.

Author's Note: Thank you to those people who reviewed! You don't understand how much this means to me; I started this story around two years ago but I put it down when I realised that I had offended someone with the first part of the chapter. I really am sorry for any offence this may bring to anyone or … pain; it's completely unintentional! Oh! And the first sentence of the first chapter is inspired from the first sentence from Jane Austen's Pride And Prejudice; God Bless her soul. Thank you once again!