Title: Maelstrom

Author: GrapeSmshr

Coupling: RoryTristin

Rated: PG

Posted on: 3-6-05

Thanks to: otownroxx, my lovely sis (who gives me access to all of the movies with CMM so I can drool over him... and, of course, for beta'ing!)

A/N: Gah! I am now an obsessive Trory fan! I hadhadhad to write this, I truly did. This is my first (published) Trory fic. I'll keep this a/n short. Read on and enjoy!

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Chapter 1: Crashing

Tristin Dugrey had thought about this long and hard. Mulled over it. Pondered it. Analyzed it until he could have sworn his brain was going into a frenzied meltdown. All of that thinking and mulling and pondering and analyzing, and it took him less than a split second to take action after he finally made up his mind.

Then again, that was how it always was with her. Except back then, he acted without thinking. Around her, around anyone. Thus was the reason his life had been turned upside down and inside out and all of those other clichéd woe-is-me soap opera diatribes. Yes, he had received somewhat more than a slap on the wrist, and, while he was grateful for the discipline now, back then he had felt like his father had orchestrated an apocalypse just for his benefit.

Sadly, their relationship had never recovered. Years later, he was still unpleasantly formal when speaking to his father. But how could he talk to someone who wanted nothing to do with him? No, there was nothing left for him at home. Which was why he was currently heading toward a not-on-the-map town that he had only visited one time in his twenty-one years. Just once. If life had been kind, he would have visited many more times.

He still didn't know why her grandparents so willingly gave away her address to him. Apparently they were impressed with the way he had cleaned up, the change in his attitude and outlook on life. Or maybe it was his surname. Either way, he received what he had been wanting, and now he was heading down the narrow street that led into the quaint town of Stars Hollow.

He knew it the moment he arrived. He didn't need the brightly decorated welcome sign to point out that he was now in Stars Hollow. It was almost as if the town was in fact its own little world. In a way, he supposed it was.

Following the curve in the street, he found the house with no problems. The two cars parked out front showed that someone was home. He parked behind the jeep and stepped out, nervously wiping his damp hands on his faded jeans. This was it, the proverbial moment of truth.

Slowly walking up the steps, his hand paused in mid-knock as he read the note on the door that said, 'We're next door.' Well, that was a curveball. Now there was the question of whether he should go or just wait. The note was pretty much an invitation, he reasoned, so it would be all right to go next door.

Mind set, he began walking to the next house over. He was surprised to find other people heading toward and into the house's backyard. Was there some kind of party? Now he was really curious.

Falling in easily with a group, he followed them into the back. There were rows and rows of folding chairs and a poorly constructed podium at the front of them, where a blonde woman was bawling her eyes out. He sank into a chair in the back just as another woman rose from a seat in the front row and ushered the blonde woman away from the podium and into a seat.

The woman looked vaguely familiar to him, but he couldn't recall having ever met her before. But as she said her next words, he knew exactly who she was and why she looked so familiar.

"And now we'll hear some kind words from my daughter, Rory."

She was replaced at the podium by a younger version of herself, and Tristin felt his breath catch in his throat. It had been over three years since he had seen her. Rory Gilmore. The reason he was in this backyard. He snapped out of his thoughts as he realized that she was speaking.

"He was a beloved member of our town," she was saying. "There wasn't a day that I didn't see him playing out in the yard. He always looked so happy and content. We're going to miss him..."

This was a funeral, Tristin realized with a start. He had crashed a funeral. Well, he couldn't leave now. That would be disrespectful. So he settled back into his uncomfortable seat and listened to the remainder of Rory's eulogy.

He sat back patiently and listened to the next speaker, a man who talked about how Claude-who was the deceased, Tristin surmised-always liked to chase him around and frightened him so much that he hid under his mother's bed for hours until he was certain that Claude was gone. Tristin had to bite his lower lip to keep from laughing as he pictured this grown man hiding under his mother's bed. He vaguely remembered Rory telling him years ago that the townspeople were quirky, but he just took it as an exaggeration. Seems she hadn't been exaggerating.

A couple more people talked about Claude, but Tristin tuned them out. Instead he focused his sole attention on Rory, memorizing her from the back, just like he had when he sat behind her in class. It had been so long.

Too long.

As the last speaker sat down, Rory took the podium again and said, "Thank you for attending our memorium of Claude. I know that Babette and Morey appreciate your love and support." Saying this, the blonde woman started bawling more loudly. Raising her voice, Rory continued, "The wake will be next door, at my mom's and my house. Everyone is welcome." She made to leave, then added, "Sookie made lots of food."

"Food!" the blonde cried, jumping up and hauling a man to his feet before dragging him out of the backyard.

Everyone else began to rise and amble leisurely out of the backyard and next door. Tristin remained in his seat, watching Rory and her mother go from group to loitering group and thank them for their attendance. A girl Rory's age said something that made Rory and her mother laugh, and Tristin found himself leaning forward to hear the throaty laugh that much better. He always did love to hear her laugh, even though he was never the one to cause her to do so.

The girl began to walk away, and Rory watched her go. That was when she noticed Tristin sitting there in the back by himself. He held her gaze, noticing how her eyes widened in obvious shock.

"Tristin?" she called out incredulously.
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Hahaha! Was that a mean place to end it? Gotta love being the author. Oh! I have so many ideas for this fic, so hopefully it'll write itself. I'm so excited!

Please review! I loooooooove to hear your thoughts/criticisms (especially thoughts, though!). I do so appreciate you guys taking the time out to read this as well. You're awesome!

Until next chapter, then. Peace out!