His lips were gently pressed into her forehead, and his hand was moving soothingly up and down her bare back. She opened her eyes and smiled as she looked into his waiting eyes. True contentment wasn't something she'd ever thought she'd find in life, but at this moment everything was perfect.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"It's okay. You've had a big day."

"So have you, and you're awake."

"As are you, now."

"Are we going somewhere else?"

"Yep. Get dressed."

She yawned, not wanting to move away from him. She put her hands on his shoulders and nestled back down into his chest.

"Rory," he laughed. "This isn't going to work."

"You're trapped. We're just going to have to stay like this forever."

He paused, and she looked at him when no sarcastic comment came back at her.

"Okay by me."

He made her absolutely melt, all the time. The best part about him was that she was never completely sure when he'd say something to turn her into goo. He cared for her in ways that she'd only begun to understand.

"Five more minutes?"

"Okay. I'm not responsible if you're late to catch your plane. I have very specific plans laid out for us tonight."

"You're seriously going to keep me out all night long?"

He nodded. "You thought I risked my own hide asking Lorelai to do just that for kicks?"

"No, I just thought you were messing with her," she giggled.

"So, what you think of me as a pretty face, nothing else? I do have some brains in my head, Ms. Valedictorian."

She kissed him, the most effective (not to mention satisfying) means of shutting him up she'd managed to find in two years' time. She slid up his body, the friction causing him to groan and pull her closer to him. They could never be close enough. She dipped her head down to his ear.

"I love you."

"Hey, I thought I'd find you here."

She looked up from her seat on the ground. She left her grandparents' house and ended up here, by the pond. Mostly likely to be close to her mother. She subconsciously hoped she'd gain wisdom that her mother seemed to have if she sat here. Lorelai had been smart enough to figure out what had happened, why hadn't she?

Grief could be blinding.

"Hey, Dad."

"I went by the house, and you were gone. I know you like this place."

She nodded. "Do you know why?"

"You guys lived here, once upon a time."

"Yeah. Did you ever visit us then?"

"Once. I didn't stay long. Your mom and I got into a fight."

She nodded. "It happened. She loved you, you know."

He nodded, and sat down next to her in the expanse of grass. "And I loved her. But she loved Luke more."

"It's not the same, what she felt for each of you was different."

He nodded. "What are you thinking about?"

"Happier times."

He looked to his daughter, and noted the far-off gaze in her eyes. She was a completely independent person, with a history and her whole life in front of her. He wanted to tell her that.

"So, you want to talk about your visitors from yesterday?"

"No, not really."

"Connor's still here. He's staying at the Inn. Sookie's trying to feed us all until we pop. She's taking this really hard."

"She bakes when she's upset. She'll have to send food all over the state," Rory smiled, loving her mother's best friend for her quirky ways.

"So, are you going to see him?"

Her mind immediately went to Tristan. He wanted her to find him, but she wasn't ready to see him yet. "Uh, I'm not sure."

"He just wants to make sure you're okay. He says he'll stay around until he talks to you again."

"Who, Connor?"

"You're thinking of Tristan."

She nodded, not being able to help herself. "I found out that Grandma had sent him away."

"What, after your accident?"

She nodded. He sighed. "That sounds like Emily. But Lorelai was there, she wouldn't have allowed it."

"Dad, she was in pieces, she was with me. She wasn't worried about that," she explained.

"True. She really thought you were a goner, kid. The way she looked at me, when I got there," he paused, not wanting to think about it. Losing Lorelai had been hard enough.

"So, if he didn't leave you purposefully, why aren't you with him right now?" he changed the subject quickly.

"It's been a long time, Dad, so much has changed. I can't just go to him and expect all that not to make a difference."

Christopher put his arm around his daughter. "I know that I haven't been the wisest person in your life, or there for you when you needed me. Do you mind if I tell you something now?"

She shook her head, looking at him intently.

"If you guys are supposed to be together, nothing else could matter. You'll get there. No matter whom you're supposed to be with."

"You really believe that?"

"Yep."

"Mom used to tell me the same thing."

"Well, you know she was wise."

Rory smiled and nodded. "I should go tell Connor to go."

"Probably. But, Rory?"

"Yeah?"

"Be gentle. It sucks to have someone not love you the way you love them."

His tone of voice told her that he spoke from experience. It was no secret that Chris had always held onto the belief that he and Lorelai would end up together. Rory herself had given up on that long ago, after she'd seen how happy her mother had been with Luke. The idea that there was just one person out there for you was so deeply embedded in her mind—and her one person had been Tristan. Trying to be with someone else had not only made her loss worse—it'd manifested itself into guilt. Her heart wasn't being true to itself. It was better to be alone.

"I will. When are you heading back to Boston?"

"Tonight. Your sister is staying at a friend's house."

"Tell her hello for me, will you?"

"I will. Good luck, honey."

She hugged her father goodbye and stood up. She had walked here from the house, needing the fresh air. She'd hoped the extra oxygen in her system would clear out her mind. She was glad to have the extra time now that it would take to walk to her mother's inn. She needed to collect her thoughts and look more at ease when she saw Connor. He wouldn't go if he believed she was overwhelmed and distraught. He was a good man, and he would be at her side, wanting to help her through this.

He was at the stables when she walked up. She slowed her pace when she saw him, and crossed her arms as she stopped behind him.

"Connor," she caught his attention, and he turned quickly.

"Rory, thank God. I went by your mom's house, and no one was home."

"I went for a walk."

"Clearing your head?"

She nodded. He knew bits and pieces of her. She'd never let him in, not all the way. He knew what he could study of her, like she was a book that he liked to read. There had been so much that she wouldn't tell him about. It was one of the biggest reasons she felt it was only fair to him that they separate, even though he'd been sure that they could work through anything she was unhappy with.

She knew better. The reasons she could never be happy with him had nothing to do with him. They were unfixable. She had been unfixable.

"It was wonderful of you to come. How are you?"

"Still in New York. I just finished a shoot in Japan when I got the call about your mom. Why didn't you tell me she was sick?"

"I didn't want to bother you."

"You aren't a bother."

She smiled. "You don't have to do this."

"Who was that man?"

"Which man?"

"At the wake, you came with a man. A rather protective man," he added, commenting on the way Tristan had seemed to be shielding her from the crowd.

"Oh, that was, an old friend."

"Rory," he knew better, and wasn't buying it.

"Connor, it doesn't matter."

"Was he the reason we didn't stay together?"

"I told you why we couldn't stay together. I wasn't unfaithful to you."

"No, but you felt you were being unfaithful to him, by being with me. Is that it?"

"What he and I had, it's been over for years now. Before I met you."

He sighed. "Will you let him help you through this?" He reached out, and slid his hand down her arm. She looked up at him, her eyes now ever-shining from threatening tears.

"I don't know if he wants to."

Connor smiled softly. "He'd have to be an idiot not to."

"Thank you."

"You want me to stop by your apartment, and get your mail?"

"I'm having everything forwarded. I'm not sure if I'm going back."

He looked at her and nodded. She had a lot of decisions—her mother had left almost everything she had to Rory. The house, her half of the Inn, everything.

"Well, if you do need any help, call me, okay?"

She nodded, moving to hug him. She knew she wouldn't, it just wasn't fair to pull him into her life when she knew he would take it as encouragement.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, Connor. Anything you want." Honesty had always been her strong suit, and ultimately the demise of their marriage.

"When did you know you were in love with him?"

It hit her as odd, that he would want to know. Maybe he thought that perhaps she'd only figured it out when she was with Connor, a hindsight kind of a deal. After all, she'd been so hesitant in saying it to Connor, telling him for the longest time that she cared for him, and she loved spending time with him—all of which was true. He had no idea she hadn't been born a commitment-phobe.

"After he first kissed me."

"Mary! Slow down!"

She didn't. She'd turned and run away from him as fast as she could barrel through the crowd at the party. He was faster, simply from his strides being longer than hers. He caught up with her before she hit the front door.

"Rory!"

She turned at his use of her actual name. "I need to go."

Her friend Lane, looked at the two and quickly deduced that her tears and his pursuit might be linked. She excused herself quickly, and moved back into the crowd to find Henry, the boy that Rory had just pulled her away from so they could return home.

Rory looked at her friend in surprise.

"See, even she thinks you should talk to me."

She moved and opened the door, motioning for him to follow her. It was too loud in the party, and he quickly moved to join her out on the front stoop.

"Why did you run like that?"

"This is insane, Tristan—I just broke up with my boyfriend."

"So what? He's not here. I'm here."

"You just kissed me to get back at Summer."

"No, I didn't. I kissed you because I've wanted to do that since I first saw you."

Her comebacks were silenced. Her mouthed opened a little, in surprise, and he couldn't hold back now. He moved to her again, pressing his lips to hers a second time.

This time she didn't run.

Suddenly his childish teasing that had driven her nearly insane made sense. He was just trying to get her to notice him, desperately trying to get her to think about him. He didn't seem so childish now, his strong arms wrapping around her waist, as he kissed her through her now drying tears.

"Well, he must be a lucky man."

"He's a persistent man."

"You need one of those," he smiled hugging her again before leaving her to stand alone at the stables. She leaned against the building, still a little lost in the memory of herself as a sixteen-year-old. Newly in love, getting to know Tristan, it'd been the best time of her young life up to that point. It'd only gotten better and better with him.

She wondered if those times truly had to be behind her.