"Okay, now. I'm awake, there fore, you have to arrange things with the mother. He sleeps on the couch right?"
Lorelai looked at the two teens in front of her.

" No, I'm going to let him sleep in my room for now. Give him some privacy." Rory said, blushing slightly at
the thought of Tristan of all people sleeping in her room.

" Very nice of you. Okay, he needs to go back to his house and get his needed essentials, I'm going to make
some calls to keep your parent's deaths from hitting the Hartford gossip cycle, if that's okay with you?" Tristan
nodded, thankful for her helpfulness.
" Right, now you two go get the stuff, you may want to get one of your cars to use in case, and because you'll
need a way to school, since you don't take the bus."

She ran for the phone the minute they were out of the house. Dialing the number she waited for her mother
to pick up.
" Hey mom, I really need your help. It's about the DuGreys..."

* * * * * *

"Okay, we've got your clothes, uniform," Rory listed, only to be interrupted by Tristan.

" Um, isn't uniform in the same category as clothes?"

" No." she stared at him as if he'd said something utterly idiotic. "Now, we've gotten everything but your
car keys. Which car are you taking?" He paused to think about that a minute.

" I got the perfect one. Come on."

The garage was huge. As in like Disneyland huge. More than a fifty cars all lined up in neat little rows. Rory felt
very small in comparison
." My dad likes cars. Or liked. He gave me a few. Only the ones he wasn't worried about me crashing. You
know the 'slow' ones. I guess now all of them are mine, so I can take any single one I want. I was thinking about
this one."

He stopped in front of
"A Mercedes Benz SLK. 40,000 dollars of hot red sports car. With a color darker than roses. It seats two."

'Which means it's perfect for you and me.' He finished in his head." My dad loved this car. He never let me
drive it. Ever. Even if it was the only car left in the garage, he wouldn't let me touch it. I guess I can now."
He seemed purely happy about it. The car was cool but he was just a little too happy. Rory felt her heart breaking.
`He's doing it again. Trying to make me think he's fine when he's not. He needs to be more open about this.'

" Tristan..." she started.

" Come on, we've gotta go before your mom thinks I kidnapped you." He climbed into the car, throwing his
stuff in the seat next to him. " Go get the jeep. I'll see you around front." She turned and walked out of the vast room.

As soon as she was gone he broke down and cried. Tears of hatred of who ever threw that party,
longing for his parents, and love for the girl who could care so much for someone who made her so
miserable. He sat with his forehead pressed up against the steering wheel, and his sobs echoed through
out the cold dark room