Title: Girl Like That

Authors: Mrs. Witter (Jamie) and ChristineCS (Chris, duh)

Disclaimer: Jamie and I, despite the harem we own (we know it creates mass confusion about the ownership thing), do not own Gilmore Girls, their characters, matchbox twenty, their songs or Rob's awesome writing talent so we don't own the lyrics in the chapter title. We also don't own Mark Paul Gosselaar or Emilie De Raven, but you'll have to think about why that is added. We do however claim ownership on our own writing. So consider yourself warned.

Rating: PG – 13

Pairing: Rory/Tristan

Chapter 6: But I roll with the change is all

Surprises seemed to be Christopher Hayden's forte over the past eighteen years of Rory's life, so what was one more? Sherri and Georgia were off visiting his mother-in-law, and he had convinced Sherri that it was a good idea for him to visit Rory at college. Hopefully she was in; well there were only a few more moments to see if she was. He knocked on the door.

Lorelai stopped in the middle of her play-by-play recap of the fight that broke out between Taylor and Luke at the town meeting, frowning at being interrupted. Damn, she was getting to the good part. "Are you expecting company?"

Rory shook her head and crossed the room to open the door. Her father was smiling widely on the other side. "Dad!"

She got off the bed and went to greet him, hiding her surprise. She had wondered when and if he was planning on visiting his first daughter at college. He had been so wrapped up in Sherry and Gigi that she was starting to believe that soon Rory would become less important. And her, by extension. "Hello Christopher."

This was a little awkward, but they could work around it. They had to. "So how is it? Tell me all about college."

He watched as his daughter's face lit up, "Oh it's great. Actually, you should meet my roommate, but Vaughn's not here right now. She's at some medieval lecture about feudalism or whatever. But my classes have been great." Rory stopped to take a breath. "How's Georgia?"

"Georgia's great, growing like a weed," Chris replied. "Next time I'll bring her, or you could visit us on one of your breaks."

"That sounds great," Rory replied.

"So am I interrupting anything?" Chris asked, the question directed mainly at Lorelai.

She smiled, trying to sound cheerful. She thought it would be easier to see him now, after so long. "Of course not. I was just filling Rory in on the weekly on-goings of Stars Hollow. You know, the usual. We're just surprised to see you."

"Well it's a good thing that a surprise visit lives up to its name," Christopher told her, forcing out a semblance of a real smile that wasn't awkward.

She really thought that they were over the heartache, that she was healing from their latest doomed attempt at a family. Rory was shifting her gaze between the two of them, obviously feeling the tension. She smiled cheerfully, willing away the feeling that had settled over her heart. For Rory's sake. Hadn't that always been her motto? "Well, isn't this great?"

"Wonderful," Chris muttered.

Rory shifted uncomfortably. "There's a Starbucks right by here, should we go there?"

Yes, coffee. Coffee is good. Maybe it would dispel the awkwardness. They were still family, even if it was in the unconventional sense. He was still Christopher. She smiled genuinely at her daughter and then at him, conveying her peace offering through with her eyes. "Coffee. Sounds perfect. Right Chris?"

"Sounds great," Chris said, stepping back and opening the door to allow them to leave first.

She mocked him as she stepped outside. "Uh, thank you kind sir."

"You're welcome, mi'ladies," he returned.

Rory giggled as she passed him. "Far too dramatic."

"Ah, but that's Christopher's specialty," Lorelai said with a mischievous smile as the three of them made their way down the hallway. "He has quite the talent for the drama. Did I ever tell you about the time he was suckered into volunteering for our school's production of Our Town?"

"No," Rory looked back at her father.

"What your mother means to leave out is the reason why," Chris added. "And I believe that reason was because a certain mother of yours didn't want to stand in close proximity to Jonathon Free the III, and persuaded me to take his place."

Lorelai glared at him indignantly. "Uh, no!"

"I believe your parents have pictures of you crying very prettily on stage," Chris reminded her.

"Really? I'll have to ask to see them next I see Grandma and Grandpa," Rory commented out loud.

"Not if I get to them first," she informed Rory as they reached the Starbucks. "It's a good thing Starbucks is so close by. It's not like Luke's coffee but hey, at least you're getting the recommended dosage."

"You'd be surprised, it seems as if I run into everyone I've already met at Yale every time I come in," Rory told her mother. Tristan, Vaughn and Cole, at least. But that was currently the size of her social circle.

"My daughter ladies and gentlemen," Lorelai stated proudly. "The social butterfly. It looks as if that ridiculous coming out celebration came in handy."

"Well it's only three," Rory pointed out. "And one's my roommate, does that count?"

Chris shrugged. "A person is a person."

"It's good that you know some people. So who are the other two?" Lorelai asked, as they stood in line.

"Well one is Cole, and it turns out that he and Vaughn actually know each other," Rory replied. "Though the liking each other part isn't included in that package. And the second is Tristan."

"Why does that name sound familiar?"

"Um, because you're a really big fan of the King Arthur tales?" Rory ventured.

"Funny girl." Lorelai thought for a minute. "Oh, I know! The kid who got shipped off to military school! The prankster. He goes here?"

"You hang out with a prankster?" Chris asked, "You mischievous sprite, you."

"Yes, he goes here," Rory answered her mother, and then turned to her father. "He's not actually really a prankster."

"Oh no?" Lorelai stated surprise and looked at Christopher. "He could make your senior prank look lame. Oh wait, yours really was."

He ignored the last part, "What'd this Tristan kid do?"

As Rory launched into detail of Tristan's prank, Lorelai placed their orders. When she turned around, a dark-haired guy was staring curiously at Rory, a slight smile on his face. She narrowed her eyes at him and he seemed to sense that as he looked up at her. His half-smile turned into a full-fledged grin and he started to walk over. Shocked, Lorelai tugged on Rory's sleeve. "Uh, sweetie. Someone's coming this way."

"Yeah, that's, uh, Cole," Rory informed her. "I mentioned him earlier."

"Hey Rory," he said as he approached her and the two people who he assumed were her parents. "I wasn't sure if it was you and then I was frightened to approach."

His last remark was directed at Lorelai. She gave him a pointed look. She knew his type – they were smooth and charming. "Smart kid."

"Yeah, with brains like that you could get into Yale," Rory pointed out cheekily.

He shrugged. "What can I say? I'm blessed." He extended his hand in Lorelai's direction, offering her a smile. "Cole Montgomery, ma'am."

"Lorelai Gilmore," she answered, taking his hands in her. He looked so harmless when he smiled. She wondered if Rory had noticed. "Rory tells us you befriended her. You're are smart and brave."

"And I," Christopher spoke up, "am Christopher Hayden."

"Yes, my father," Rory finished the introduction.

Well, he could have sworn that Rory's parents looked happy in each other's company. The three of them looked like they were a tight family. Appearances, he realized. Could be deceiving. He smiled pleasantly. "Rory, have you given them the grand tour?"

"Of Starbucks?" Rory asked.

"We don't need one of those," Lorelai answered, grinning. "I think he meant of Yale, sweetie."

"I most certainly did." Cole confirmed and then pointed at the line that was forming behind them. "We should probably move out of they way too. Angry, decaffeinated mobs are not our friends."

"Right," Rory agreed, searching for a table. "We'll move it on over left a few paces."

"I have a table," Cole said as he indicated the one near the window and gave Rory a knowing grin. "I think that's our table."

Lorelai's eyes narrowed in the boy's direction. He obviously had no qualms about flirting with a girl in front of her parents. She leaned into Christopher as they made their way to the table. "Our table? Does the kid think he's in some romance novel?"

"I was thinking more a teen drama," Chris replied, "but, yes, both work."

She stopped on her way to the table and looked at him indignantly. "He's hitting on her in front of us!"

"Yes, I realize that, but unless he starts ravishing her I don't think Starbuck's will find it justified for me to bodily remove him," Chris reminded her. "Unless you'd like to ask him politely to leave."

She shook her head, sighed and took a sip of her coffee.

"Why are your parents still standing?" Cole leaned across the table, brows furrowed together.

Rory shrugged, "Because they're plotting ways to kill you, and if they sat down and talked about it. Well, that'd kind of ruin the surprise."

He let out a laugh at the ridiculous notion. "What do they think I did?"

"They don't need a sane, rational reason like most," Rory explained. "I think sometimes they just like to plot out the murders of people they randomly meet."

"That's comforting to know."

Lorelai poked Christopher in the ribs. "Look at him, he's all chatty with her, leaning across the table and smiling like that. Rory doesn't even realize it because well, she's Rory. He probably knows all about Jess and is thinking that it's the perfect time to sweep her off her feet. Manipulative jerk."

"Ow. And he could just like her, Lor," Chris pointed out. "No hidden agenda."

She conceded. He could just like her. After all, Rory was very likable. "Okay, maybe you're right. She's still not over Jess. I don't want her to - "

"Get hurt again," Chris finished for her. "Now let's go sit down like good parents before we scare them both with our standing."

"I hope everything is okay," Cole said to Rory's parents as they sat down at the table.

Lorelai smiled cheerily. "Just great. So, Cole, where are you from?"

~*~

Rory was proud of herself. Her first week of college was officially over. It was Friday night and she had made it through first day of classes throughout the whole week without any major setbacks or panic attacks. Her room was comfortable and nice, her roommate was cool and accommodating and she had seemed to make friend very easily. Unlike Chilton, people at college seemed a lot more open minded. She looked at the clock on her side table and turned to her roommate who was sifting through clothes. "Hey, Vaughn?"

Vaughn looked up from her clothes drawer, "Yeah?"

"How would you rate this first week of college? I mean, for you."

"Well if we're not going by numbers, than I'd have to say a hell of a lot better than Catholic school."

Rory laughed. "Yeah, this is infinitely better than Chilton. I don't want to jinx it but I think this year is going to be great. I always thought I'd be scared, a little apprehensive when college started even though I had waited for this for as long as I can remember."

"But then you get here, and it's so much better than you thought it'd be," Vaughn added. "You realize the people you've been around for years and years, well you get tired of them. Then you get to college and everything's just greener. New people, new places, newfound freedom. I'm big on this freedom thing, if you hadn't been able to tell."

"Really? I had no idea," she joked and pulled her hair into a ponytail. "I know what you mean, though. I never thought that I'd be so comfortable somewhere that wasn't Stars Hollow. I mean, I miss my mom but I like missing her. Does that make sense?"

"I understand the concept, but don't feel anything remotely like it," unless you counted the fact that she hoped she never saw her mother again. "I thought I wanted to go to school outside of Connecticut, after spending so many years in Greenwich, but it's not so bad now that I'm here."

Rory sighed, content. "You missed meeting my dad, today."

"Really? What's he like?"

She pulled out a picture from her drawer in her side table and handed it to Vaughn. "See for yourself. That's us at my graduation."

Vaughn momentarily gave up her search and looked at it. "Nice." She looked up, "er, I mean he looks like a nice guy."

She laughed again, used to that reaction from women. "What are you looking for?"

"Well, something nice. But not so much," Vaughn pulled out a pair of pants and held them out. "Now does leather work with nice and trashy, or are they just mostly trashy?"

"I think you can pull it off for both," she replied and sat down on her bed, curling her legs up on it. "Where are you going that requires that kind of attire?"

"Not sure," Vaughn replied, tossing the leather pants onto her bed before looking for a shirt. "Well, a date. But no clue where I'm going."

"You're in school for a week and you have a date," Rory said with a grin. "Of course, I'm not surprised. So, do I know him?"

"Quite well," Vaughn answered. "It's Tristan. Short sleeves or long?"

She blinked in surprise, almost missing the name. "Tristan? And long."

"As in DuGrey, not of Lyonesse, in case you were confused," Vaughn teased, looking through her long sleeved shirt. "Color?"

"Powder blue," she answered automatically and then crossed her arms over her chest. "So, is this, um a recent development? I mean, I didn't know you liked him in that way."

Vaughn dug out her powder blue peasant blouse, "Few days ago. When I left here you were reading Plath. It happened in the common room."

"Oh," Rory replied, trying not to think of Jess' phone call. She smiled brightly at her roommate. "I hear he's very smooth on dates. You definitely don't fit the bill for the type of girls he used to date at Chilton. But it's been awhile so I wouldn't know."

"Smooth can be fun," Vaughn pointed out as she changed shirts. "But I've already hung out with Tristan, so I already know the evening won't exactly be boring."

Rory nodded, shifting on the bed. "Not boring at all. Do you think there'll be more dates?"

Vaughn shrugged, "I can't say until I go on this one." She frowned at the pants; she always hated the whole process of actually getting into leather pants.

"You want some help?"

"With the pants?" Vaughn shook her head, "nah, I learned a trick back in boarding school to help get them on easier. Though you could do me a favor and go over to the top drawer and get out my hair straightening supplies."

Rory looked at her horrified. "You're getting rid of the curls?"

"For tonight, yes."

She walked over to Vaughn's drawer to get the supplies. "I'll miss them. It's almost a crime."

Vaughn laughed as she wiggled into the pants, "They'll be back tomorrow."