AN: I promise this story will be a Trory…it's getting there, I just wanted to try out the literati twist
"Lorelai Leigh Gilmore!"
"I'm sorry, Paris. I can't help how I feel."
"I refuse to let you put yourself through this again. Jess has proven that he will only hurt you."
"I don't care! I love him."
Paris knew that talking any sense into Rory was completely hopeless. One trait that Rory definitely inherited from her mother was that damn Gilmore stubbornness…it ran through all the Gilmore women starting with Trix (aka Lorelai the first) or maybe even sooner. Paris couldn't let Rory go through the Jess pain again, it had happened too many times already. He would only leave her again, it was inevitable – the boy feared commitment.
Rory became so aggravated with her friend that she stormed out of the room when she had to go to class. Of course of all classes it had to be Philosophies of Love and Tristan had to be there. All through class Rory could feel him staring at her and tried her hardest to ignore him. She wasn't going to be the prize in his little game and she wasn't going to put her heart through the pain that he wanted to cause her. The same thought kept going through Rory's head though…what did she feel for Tristan? Why couldn't she play a game right back with him? This problem was nothing a phone call with Jess couldn't cure; he always knew how to make her feel better. Professor Calines was lecturing on how an old love was always a comfort but sometimes feelings get confused. Rory didn't know what was going on in her head anymore – Jess…Tristan…a prize to be won. Words just going through her brain and heart confusing the hell out of her. Why did she have to be a teenage girl with raging hormones? This was going to get in the way of her studies…"God," thought Rory, "another thing to distract me."
Tristan sat there, watching Rory who looked like she was being pulled a million different ways. He wanted to go over to her, comfort her, hold her, but he knew that he couldn't. What happened on their date the other night that made her pull away? Why did he have to be such a jerk to her? Was there any way he could get her back? Tristan remembered seeing Jess walk out of Rory's apartment and just wonder what she was doing with her ex. He didn't know what he would do if Rory and Jess were back together…especially if it happened all because of him blowing up at her. There had to have been more than just that one little comment about the amount of girls he's been with that caused Rory to get upset…it was something that he said during dinner, but what?
Paris sat in bed thinking about a way to stop Rory from being with Jess. She realized that her and Rory had never discussed Rory's date with Tristan and it was that night that she found Rory sleeping in Jess's arms. What did Tristan do? He seemed pretty upset when she found him at the door the night before and that comment he made about Rory not being the one hurting. She knew back at Chilton that Tristan had it bad for Rory, but Rory never noticed or cared. Paris made it her goal to get Rory and Tristan together and leave Jess behind. Her own feelings for Tristan weren't going to be a problem anymore…since him she had Jamie, Asher, and now Alex, there were men who made her happy and Tristan never had that power. It was almost time for Rory to be getting back from class, so Paris left for a place where she knew she could find Tristan without Rory being around.
Back in Stars Hollow, Jess was working in the diner when Lorelai walked in. He tried his hardest to avoid eye contact with her, but that only made Lorelai even more curious about what was going on in Jess' life.
"Jess…"
"Yes, Lorelai?"
"Why are you avoiding me? What did you do to my daughter?"
"I'm not avoiding you and I didn't do anything to Rory ever, except love her."
"Don't forget the leaving her part."
"Please, Lorelai. I'm in a good mood right now. Rory called me the other night and I got to be there for her, I might be working my way back to her heart."
"Jess, please don't take this the wrong way, but stay away from my baby."
"What?!"
"You hurt her, many times. Don't do it again."
Luke walked into the diner to see the tension between his nephew and his girlfriend and decided to make himself the moderator.
"What's going on here?"
"Your girlfriend isn't letting me near her daughter."
That was all Luke needed to hear. He knew when he read the note from Jess the other night that he went to Yale to be with Rory. When he walked in the next morning, Luke didn't want to know what happened. He didn't want to have to hide anything from Lorelai and he didn't want to be involved. Then Luke remembered the song that Jess was playing that night. Rory went to Jess about a boy…he knew it. It had to be that Tristan guy…Lorelai wasn't crazy about him and now Luke didn't think he would be either.
Class at Yale let out and Rory went straight back to her room to call Jess. They had to talk about what the Professor said, about Tristan, about them. She picked up the phone then wondered if Jess would come running again. Then she wondered if her mother would be sitting right there when Jess received the call. Rory didn't care much, she figured out a way to find out exactly what was going on between her and Jess. Tristan didn't matter, she wasn't a prize to be won.
Paris found Tristan getting something to eat before heading back to his room after class. She told him that they needed to talk and that it was about Rory. Of course it was about Rory, it was always about Rory. When Paris Gellar had a mission in her head; there was no stopping her until everything was finished. That was the one thing that never changed, as much as Paris was a whole new person from high school, she still had her determination.
Tristan didn't know what Paris wanted or how to explain his feelings. They had known each other since diapers and he knew that Paris had a crush on him through Chilton, but she had a guy now, she didn't want him anymore. Tristan knew that he was going to have to tell Paris how much he cares about Rory and how much it was killing him that he lost the only good chance he ever had. The kiss at Madeline's party had given him so much hope – all to be lost as soon as he yelled at her that night all those years later.
"Tristan, can I talk to you?"
"Sure, Paris."
"What happened the other night?"
"Honestly, I don't know. Everything was going great then she made a comment about being a prize to me. I told her that she wasn't, but I don't think she really believed me. Later I was just being myself…"
"Big mistake," Paris cut him off.
"I'm serious…but she asked me a question and I flipped out on her."
"Is Rory just a prize to you? Back at Chilton she was the only girl that wasn't completely crazy about you. The only girl that didn't fall at your feet. That made her a challenge…the one girl that the 'Great Tristan DuGrey' couldn't get. You finally got her on a date, so did you win?"
"I lost her! I didn't win a thing. Paris, I love her. I've loved her since Chilton…I did everything I could to get her then, I even screwed you over multiple times and made it look like her fault. She's not a prize to me…she's everything."
Paris didn't quite know how to respond. She thought back to all the times she hated Rory and how many of those were because of Tristan. He really had drawn a wedge between the two of them, but once he was gone they got through it. She didn't realize how strong Tristan's feelings were, but now she knew that she had to get them together. She had to convince Rory to give Tristan another chance and listen to his point of view.
Jess arrived at Rory's suite door and entered the room that was becoming all too familiar to him. He looked at her face and saw a serious expression, but she also looked confused. Jess only wanted to hold her and be with her until everything was perfect…he hoped with everything he had that could happen. But then he realized that Rory wouldn't go against Lorelai for him…not again at least. Rory looked at Jess and told him to sit down on the couch. She knew that there was only one way to see if Jess was really the one in her heart. He had no clue what was in store for him until Rory leaned over and kissed him. The kiss had so much passion; when she opened her mouth he gladly welcomed her tongue. The two continued their heated kiss as Paris walked in the room.