" Good morning Lukey." Lorelai greeted loudly. Luke looked up from a women with a
very large hat, and smiled. " Ah, my two favorite coffee-addicts. And a friend? Who might this be?"

" Um, don't scream. I'm Tristan DuGrey. Sir." Luke frowned, and nodded to the counter seats.

" I'll be with you two, and the Evil one soon." He went off to refill a cup of coffee.

" Does everyone think of me as `the Evil one`? I mean, I was a jerk but this is getting more than
slightly demeaning."

He took his seat, careful to sit beside Rory, which was noted only by Lorelai." Well, like you said,
small town. We're like dogs, you have earn our trust again. It's not hard, give us bones, pet us, give
us a bed by the fire and this is one happy town."

Luke came over with three mugs, and a coffee pot. Tristan didn't know weather to be amused, or to
be offended. He chose amused. He reached for the pot and poured a cup for Rory and himself, hen
handed it over to Lorelai. She looked at the cup, then the pot and drank straight from the pot. Luke,
looking more than a little annoyed, took the pot from her and poured her a cup. she pouted a bit,
but relented and took it from him." Now, what brings you two and him here, other than my fabulous
coffee that is?"

He gave a smile with that, and Lorelai grinned thankfully back. Tristan took one sip and was hooked.
This was really good coffee. Rory nervously pan a finger around her glass. " Well, um Tristan had to
stay over at my house last night. His parents are um...well they-"

" Dead." Tristan took another sip, his eyes on his lap. " Car accident. They were drunk."
Rory couldn't help but realize the calmness in his voice. He was closing up again. Shutting off his feelings.

" Oh. I'm sorry. I really didn't mean..." Luke had a deer-in-the- headlights look.
" No it's fine. I'm okay. Really. Just fine. More coffee." He was closed again. Rory gulped down her mug
and begun spinning half way in her seat.Tristan was going to be unreachable to Rory, or anyone else.

`If he doesn't let everything out, it's just gonna build up until he can't control it. I don't know if I want to
be around when he explodes. Though it might be an interesting thing to see. I wonder if he'd get all red in the
face and then his eyes would flash, like when he saw Dean and I at the Winter Festival, he looked really hot..
ohhhhh bad Rory, he's Tristan!'

Luke, who had been trying to get Rory's attention for the last minute or so, noticed a smile creep across her face.
`He's still hot.'
" Rory, if you're gonna fantasize, can you do it after you give me your order?" He raised his eyebrows, yep,
he'd been right. She blushed brighter than a rose when she realized she'd been caught.

As they sat there laughing and joking, for the first time since before his parents died, Tristan felt normal,
like he had a life. Maybe even people who cared about him.

It had to admit, it felt good.