a/n: this one is REALLY REALLY REALLY long just for you guys. Why is it so long? I'm much more generous when I'm ECSTATIC OVER SCHOOL BEING OVER! Okay, enough with the yelling- on with the typing… but one last thing- for those of you who don't want to see dean hurt (like me) dean will be the one who calls it quits with rory. and no, i didn't just give something big away because if you have read my other stories (like a good fanfic reader would do cough cough, is my self promotion very obvious) you would know that my stories are all trorys. maybe i should go put that on the summary. well i'll do that and you read. are you happy now?

Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore girls. Or the John Mayer song called Why Georgia. Lucky people who do!

Chapter Six: Confessions

"BOSTON!" Rory yelled. "Are you crazy? That's like-"

"An hour and forty five minutes away, two if there's traffic," Tristan finished.

"I guess it will be nice to get out of Connecticut for the evening," Rory said.

"So you've never been to the North End? You'll really like it. The Paul Revere church is there. The whole 'one if by land, two if by sea thing.'"

"My dad lives in Boston. He was going to take me last time I was down, but he got busy."

Tristan was surprised she mentioned her dad. He didn't know why, but he had been under the impression that her father was out of the picture. Like it had always just been Rory and Lorelai.

"Pick a station," Tristan said, gesturing towards the radio. She surfed through the pre-programmed channels, curious to see what kind of music he listened to. She finally settled on the local oldies station.

"Oldies, eh?" she asked.

"I love the Beatles," he answered. "Is my music selection satisfactory?" he asked, a hint of a smirk growing on his face.

Rory smiled. "No rap. That's a start. And no Britney Spears. So you're strong enough to not let your girlfriends program your radio for you."

"Believe it or not, you're the first girl that's been in this car with me since I bought it."

"When did you get it, yesterday?" Rory asked.

Tristan laughed. "A month ago." He took a quick look at her amazed expression, and turned back to the road. "Don't look so shocked. I told you, I'm different now. I don't have a new girl every week."

"What changed?"

He sighed. "Military school. When you go two years without seeing girls, it really puts your perspective straight. The first few weeks were awful, all I could think about was the life I had left behind. To be honest, mostly the girls. After the first month I still missed all the…well, you know. Then by the second month I found myself completely incapable of remembering any single one of them. I remembered faces, but they were all nameless. I tried for a while to remember at least a few of them, but they were so inconsequential to me that it was impossible."

"So within two months you had forgotten everyone who had been important to you at school?" Rory asked. She wasn't surprised that he couldn't remember any of his girlfriend's names. But she was surprised he understood this all so clearly.

"Not everyone," he answered. "I remembered you."

Rory looked at him, taken aback by his honesty. "You did? Why?"

"You were different from all the other girls."

"Yah, I was the only one who wouldn't let you get in my pants."

Tristan noted how casually she was talking about their high school situation. He remembered how uncomfortable his innuendos had made her. He laughed a little anyway.

"You were the only one in that category. But seriously. You were the only one who wasn't living front and center in Hartford Society. You grew up free from all of that. You didn't take anybody's crap and you didn't pay any attention to all those girls who could've crushed you if you gave them the opportunity."

Rory didn't respond.

"I guess that just stood out to me," Tristan said. "It kind of gave me an example of what a decent person should act like."

"It worked," Rory assured him. "You're completely different from the person I knew three years ago."

"Better, I hope?"

"Much."

They rode a few minutes in silence. Rory noticed how comfortable she was around him. The silence wasn't forced, it was thoughtful.

"I'm not really that hungry anymore, to tell the truth," Rory said, breaking the silence.

"Neither am I," Tristan answered truthfully. "Do you want me to take you home?"

"Can we keep driving?" she asked automatically. "I don't really feel like going home just yet."

Tristan nodded and turned on his right blinker. He easily maneuvered the car into the farthest lane. "When was the last time you saw a sunrise?" he asked.

"I can't even remember. Years I guess."

"When I was about ten, my family was in Portland, Maine. My dad got lost, and we were driving around all night because he wouldn't ask for directions. We finally stopped at this beautiful park that overlooked the harbor where ships dock so that he could use the bathroom. I remember sitting in the backseat watching the sun rise over the water. It was amazing."

Rory smiled. "Let's go."

"Are you sure, it's a six hour drive from here."

"Will we make it in time?"

Tristan glanced at the clock. It was only ten o'clock. "Easily."

"Let's go."

Tristan turned right onto the connecting highway.

"We're getting out of range for all the radio stations," Rory said.

"There's some CD's in the glove compartment," Tristan said. Rory opened it up and selected. She flipped through the songs and started singing along.

"I am driving up 85

In the kind of morning that lasts all afternoon

Just stuck inside the gloom

Four more exits to my apartment

But I am tempted to keep the car in drive

And leave it all behind

'Cause I wonder sometimes

About the outcome

Of a still verdict-less life

Am I living it right?

Am I living it right?

Am I living it right?

Why, why Georgia why?"

"Can I ask you something," Tristan asked her.

"Go for it."

"Why were you so eager to get away?"

Rory shrugged. "My mom and I are having a disagreement of sorts."

Tristan nodded, excepting her answer. He was surprised when she expounded.

"She thinks she's right, and of course she partly is. But she doesn't even want to hear my side. Which won't change anything, but I feel like it will," Rory saw Tristan's confused expression. He didn't press her for more information, even though he wanted to know what kind of 'disagreement' made Rory run away from home with a guy she hardly knew. But he wasn't going to ask her. She didn't press him for the details of military school; she waited until he came to her. He wanted to return the courtesy. Besides, it was probably over something as simple as what movie was better, Titanic or Pearl Harbor.

"Tris, I slept with a married man."

Or not.

a/n: now, i got some reviews from people who were excited to see what happened to them in boston. sorry, but they missed their exit. i hope this is okay though...