Disclaimer: I don't own a damn thing. Yes, I'm bitter. It all belongs to Amy Sherman Palladino and the WB. A part of the last scene is borrowed from the episode An Affair To Remember.

Rating: PG-13 for now. May go higher. Probably will, actually.

Spoilers: Everything up until episode three of season 4, The Hobbit, The Sofa and Digger Stiles.

Dedication: To Surya for sharing snippets with me and as always to my Susie for sending me my first postcard ever!

Chapter Five: Forgiveness

Even though she couldn't see his face, she knew what his expression was: a charming smile that slowly melted into a half-pucker so that the recipient would unconsciously lean forward; smoldering blue eyes that stared straight into your own so that heat would rise in your body and your face would flush prettily.

Amused, Rory leaned against the doorway, nursing the cup of coffee in her hand and waited for the lusty brunette who Tristan DuGrey was shamelessly flirting with to giggle coyly and accept any offer that he made her. Astonishingly, the brunette seemed a little distracted as she put her notebook back into her shoulder bag and glanced up at him, managing a bright smile, she flashed her dimples and then excused herself with, "See you next class!"

Rory choked on her laughter as Tristan straightened, gathered himself, shook his head and turned to answer the professor calling him to the front. The brunette walked to the door and Rory recognized the heart shaped face and deep blue eyes from her Intro to Journalism class. "Sophia, right?" she asked as the other girl approached.

Sophia furrowed her impossibly arched brows. "Yeah. You're in my journalism class, aren't you? I'm sorry. I don't think I know your name."

"Rory Gilmore."

"Right, the girl with her hand up all the time," Sophia teased as she adjusted the strap of her shoulder bag. There was a certain grace to her movements even as she gave off an incredibly down-to-Earth vibe. The mix was interesting, it made Rory feel somewhat uncomfortable. "You wanna tone it down? You're making the rest of us look bad."

On any other day, Rory would have been a little taken aback by such cheeriness and energy but today, Sophia's exuberance was a nice change from the drabness in her own dorm room. She had successfully managed to avoid Paris the entire morning and the thought of going back to the stifling tension was scary. Returning Sophia's bright smile, Rory said, "Well, I'm very passionate about journalism. I can't help myself."

"Oh, I know what you mean," Sophia said seriously and Rory was thrilled at the prospect of having something in common with the other girl. "I feel the same way about Jude Law." Her mouth opened a little, not sure what to say when Sophia laughed. "Nice impression, Nemo. Do you do anything else?"

Rory closed her mouth and wondered why she was so low on wit today. Obviously, just drinking her coffee wasn't working anymore. "You were joking."

"No, I was dead serious. Jude Law is delicious." She glanced into the classroom and then back to Rory. "I think that guy was asking me out."

Rory smirked as the brunette chewed her lower lip. "You think?"

"Well, I have delayed reactions to that sort of thing."

"Interesting. But yeah, he was asking you out," Rory answered as she took a sip of her coffee and watched as Tristan discussed, what looked to her like his paper, with the professor. "And I find it highly entertaining that you didn't know that and completely brushed him off."

"Wait, you know him?"

"We went to high school together for awhile."

"He's hot." Rory gave her a weird look and the brunette shrugged. "Delayed reaction. The synapses just fired. Anyway should I apologize or something? What's he like?"

Rory tucked her tongue into the corner of her mouth. How to answer a question like that? Cautiously, she answered, "Don't apologize. If I know him like I think I do, he'll ask you again. And he'll make sure you know it."

"Persistence," Sophia said her voice full of approval as she cast Tristan a lingering glance. Although, to Rory, this girl seemed different than the girls Tristan DuGrey used to chase after, she still appeared as if she wasn't completely immune to him. "I like that. Okay, so I gotta run. I'll see you in class. Um, we'll sit together maybe? Save me a seat, 'kay?"

Before Rory could answer, the girl was gone in a flurry. She shook her head and wondered if that weird encounter really happened. Just as she turned, Tristan approached her and made her forget what she was doing outside his classroom in the first place.

Tristan was wearing, thin, silver-framed glasses.

"Uh…hi," she stuttered a bit as one hand unconsciously flew to the doorknob behind her as he looked at her curiously. Oh my, she thought wearily. The jolt at seeing him…so serious thundered through her system. "You're wearing glasses."

He looked at her oddly, a smirk already forming as she started walking with him. Yes, it was time to inject the coffee directly into her bloodstream. "Yeah, they help. I couldn't afford to fuss with contacts at Pennington."

She figured that was the name of his exile and she imagined it to be just like it sounded: stiff, superior and unbending. Without thinking, she glanced up at him and blurted, "They suit you. In an odd sort of way."

Now the grin was full-fledged. "Thank you."

She cleared her head of thoughts regarding the way he looked and focused her attention on the reason she sought him out. "I want to apologize for the way I acted last night."

"It's okay," he replied, shaking his head as they stepped into the courtyard.

"No, it's not," she replied stubbornly. "I was rude and I jumped to conclusions. I was having a bad night and it was easy to blame you and I'm sorry."

If he was surprised by her honesty, he didn't show it and merely smiled. "Give me your coffee."

"What?" she asked not fully comprehending even as he took the cup out of her hand.

"I missed breakfast," he replied easily as he lifted the cup to his lips and took a sip. He gave her the choirboy look he'd perfected over the years. "And giving me your coffee would really smooth things over between us. That is what you want, right?"

Knowing she should be annoyed, she felt a reluctant grin tug at her lips. She was just relieved that he wasn't holding last night against her and that at least she had smoothed things out with one person. "I'll let it slip this time, DuGrey. But you should know: no one takes a Gilmore's coffee and lives to tell about it."

He simply arched a brow and took another sip of her coffee. She smacked him on the arm and comfortable again, walked with him to her next class.

- & -

It seemed like it was a day for atonement. After all, it wasn't everyday when two pretty girls came to him to apologize for their behavior the night before. That was usually his role. He smiled a little at the memory of the apology he'd made to the pretty Carson twins the day of their fourteenth birthday party – he still denied knowing how the alcohol got into the punch.

"Are you listening to me, Tristan?" Paris snapped impatiently. "What the hell are you grinning about?"

"A fond memory," he answered automatically as he sat down next to her on the bench outside their dorm. "And yes, I was listening. And like I said, you don't have to apologize. I've made a fool of myself countless times and you were always there. Rolling your eyes and yelling at me, but you were there."

A ghost of a smile touched her lips. "Last night is not all I'm sorry for."

He took her hand in his and squeezed. "The rest isn't your fault."

"I blew it out of proportion," she countered, looking up at him with an expression that could only be described as vulnerable. It still disconcerted him to see her like that, it was so rare. "I don't deal with change very well."

"Paris," he said slowly, leaning back against the bench. "I've known you forever. You don't deal with anything very well."

Her eyes narrowed. "If you're trying to make me feel better, you're doing a piss-poor job of it."

He laughed and twirled a strand of her hair around his finger. "I'm just saying you don't need to explain anything. Not to me."

She let out a sigh, gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you, Tristan. It's funny..."

He looked at her curiously. "What is?"

"You don't always know how much you missed someone until they step back into your life again."

"I missed you too, Gellar." He chuckled, pulling her closer and gave her a friendly peck. Paris closed her eyes and smiled at the familiar warmth. Dealing with Tristan, before puberty and her hopeless crush had hit, was always easy for her even though it had been a feat for everyone else. Probably because she never took his crap. It was nice to remember how easy. "Rory's worried about you."

She pulled away, the prickly heat of anger returning. "Is she now?"

Tristan gave her a quelling look. "Of course, she is. I was surprised to see how close the two of you have become."

The guilt washed over the anger. She cringed as she remembered her words to Rory the night before; she had been ruthless, taken out her frustrations on the brunette. Why? Simply because Rory had cared for her. "Yeah, well, it's an interesting relationship."

"Strong enough to stand a few careless, harsh words said in a drunken stupor?" The fact that Rory had apparently told him the details of their fight interested her. He knew about her heartless outburst and that shamed her. Unable to say anything, she simply shrugged. "She's already forgiven you, Paris. She's just waiting for you to come to her."

Tears were fighting to fall but she held them back. Her voice was thick when she answered. "I know."

"Then what are you waiting for?"

"When did you become so insightful?"

He smiled mysteriously. "It's a gift."

- & -

"A trampoline. That's new." Rory stated as she entered her dorm room, disconcerted. She had tons of reading to do and it seemed like her roommates were going to pick today of all days to make her so homesick.

"Helps with my shin splints," Janet answered as she bounced.

"Huh. Wow. Squeaky."

"Yup."

The phone rang from her room and Rory took it as a sign that Paris wasn't in the room. Maybe she'd get a few hours of peace before dealing with her. Sighing, she went inside only to find out that she was wrong. "Oh."

"I'm not answering it," Paris informed her, staring at the phone with contempt. "It's Jamie. He wants to apologize for the way he ended things."

"How do you know it's him?" she asked, putting her book bag on her desk.

"Caller-ID. A wonderful thing," she deadpanned.

Still in a bad mood, Rory decided and started making plans to study somewhere else. She certainly wouldn't subject herself to more stress. "I'm going to the library."

"Rory," Paris said over the ringing phone just before it stopped. "We need to talk."

She turned to her and sighed. "I really need to study."

Paris's eyes narrowed and she took a deep breath to calm herself. "This will only take a minute. I'm sorry for last night. I was out of line and I said things that I didn't mean."

"Apology accepted."

"That didn't sound very forgiving," Paris shot back. The phone rang again and she picked it up and screamed into it. "I'm busy, Jamie. I'll call you back later."

"I'm going to go now," Rory answered, a little freaked out. "The last time you were angry with Jamie, it didn't go too well with me."

Paris opened her mouth and then closed it, shaking her head. "Obviously Tristan doesn't know you as well as he likes to think he does."

"What does Tristan have to do with this?" Rory asked surprised as Paris met her gaze. "You talked to him about our fight?"

"Didn't you?" Paris returned coolly. An entire minute passed and the two girls stared at each other, faces flushed and hands on hips.

And then they both simultaneously broke into a fit of giggles.

Clutching her sides Rory, sat down on the chair, her giggles subsiding. "When exactly did Tristan DuGrey become our go-to-guy?"

Paris shook her head. "I don't know but we better not get too attached - for the sake of our sanity." They smiled at each other for another minute before she continued, "I really am sorry. I was drunk and stupid."

She shrugged. "Maybe you were right."

"I hope not because your mother would have an apoplectic seizure if you lose that prized virginity to Tristan."

Rory chuckled and shook her head. "Well maybe not about that. But abo -"

"None of it," she cut her off. "You're here because it was the best choice for you."

Although Rory wasn't thoroughly convinced she nodded and took a step forward to give her friend a hug. "Thank you. And right back at you."

Paris returned the hug. "So we're good?"

"Yeah, we're fine." Rory pulled away. "Are you going to call Jamie back?"

"I don't know yet," she replied and then sighed, flopping onto her bed. "Relationships with men suck."

Rory thought of Dean and Jess and nodded. "Agreed."

"I think I'll date women now," Paris stated almost as an afterthought.

Rory shook her head. "Relationships with women are just as tough."

"How would you know?"

"The L Word."

"Right." Paris grinned and sat up. "I can be mature about this."

Rory cleared her desk and pulled her books out of her book bag as she said over her shoulder, "Could you do it somewhere else? I need to study."

Paris rolled her eyes and plucked Rory's cell phone out of her bag. "I hope your phone plan doesn't suck as much as you do."