Disclaimer-Nothing is mine, not even this odd little rhyme.

Chapter ten

Damn that balcony

It was Christmas with the Gilmores. Nan and Tristin had left last week, and Rory and Lorelai were now back into their normal routine. Tonight was Friday night, and Emily was having one of her famous parties in celebration of Christmas.

"Ow! Damn earing, I swear these things were created by men," said Lorelai as she attempted to put on the small, Santa Clause earings that even had a button on them that sang "Jingle Belle Rock" when you pressed it, that she was insisting on wearing.

Rory chuckled at her Mother as she brushed her brown hair. "You're insane, you know that?"

"Well, this is you in ten years, so its only a short time coming until its your turn," said Lorelai, finally getting the Santa earings on.

Rory rolled her eyes. "If I'm you in ten years, then you'll be Grandma in ten years," Rory shot back.

Lorelai looked horrified at the thought. "Humph! I'm appalled you would say that. That's like, the worst possible insult you could give me!" said Lorelai, mad, and then a grin broke out on her face. "You are so going to be me when you're older."

Rory rolled her eyes for the second time and then finished brushing her hair, putting down the brush. She turned to her Mom, and asked, "How do I look?"

She was wearing a christmas tree green colored dress made of velvet fabric that had thin, tank top sleeves, and a red sweater with the slightest trace of glitter on it. "Like the spitting image of Christmas," said Lorelai.

Rory raised an eyebrow. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"You look like Christmas," said Lorelai, "of course its a good thing. Now, if I said you looked like Hitlers brithday, that'd be a bad thing."

Rory just smiled and shook her head. "Thanks Mom," she said, and added, "now, let me get a good look at you."

Lorelai faced her daughter so she could get a good look. She was wearing a strapless blue dress, with high heals, pearls around her neck, and looked beautiful. But then again, Lorelai always managed to look beautiful.

"Wow, Mom," said Rory, "you look amazing."

"Thank you," said Lorelai, smiling, "I make it my job to."

"Well, don't get too cocky now," said Rory.

Lorelai just chuckled. "C'mon, Christmas, we gotta go pick up a man."

"Poor Luke...how'd you bribe him into going to Grandma's Christmas party and sitting through her snide remarks?" Rory asked as they headed down the stairs.

"How do you think I bribed him?"

"Oh, gross," said Rory, taking the hint, "okay, never mind. The question was never asked. The moment is erased from my memory."

Lorelai grinned evily. "Are you sure about that?" she said.

"Mom," Rory said in a warning tone.

"Okay, okay," said Lorelai sukily, "god, party pooper."

Rory shook her head, and when they were at the door, she grabbed her jacket and put it on, and Lorelai did the same. "C'mon," she said, "let's just go get Luke."

They got into the jeep, and drove off to the diner. Lorelai went in and came back out with a depressed looking Luke, dressed in a suit, and looking rather nice, were it not for the look on his face that seemed to say he was walking towards death. Rory got out of the car so as to get in the back seat so Luke could be in the front.

"Wow, Luke, you clean up nice," said Rory.

"Yeah, well, I thought I might at least look good at my funeral," said the diner man glumly.

Lorelai cackled, evily. "I told you. I told you she was an evil woman who would result in you needing massive amounts of therapy. I told you that she wasn't really being nice, that she was actually insulting you, but did you listen? No."

Luke sighed. "Lorelai, just do the 'Nananana' part and get it over with," said Luke.

Lorelai simply cackled again and Rory rolled her eyes, giving Luke a sympathetic look, and then she climbed into the back seat, and Luke into the front. Carolers passed by them singing "We wish you a merry Christmas" and then they drove off to Hellville.

The Gilmore house was elaborately decorated, and that was just on the outside. The entire front was covered in Christmas lights, and even Emily Gilmore had managed to make those look elegant. Masses, and masses of cars were parked on the driveway and on the side of the street. People came in the house, and people went out.

To add to the Christmas effect, it had snown the night before (much to Lorelai's delight) so everything looked magical.

"Wow," said Luke upon seeing the house, "it doesn't look so menacing with frosty the snowman in the front yard."

"Eeep! Frosty!" Lorelai exclaimed, causing Rory to groan.

"Oh god, here we go again," she said.

Luke looked confused. "Here we go again? What's that mean?" he asked.

"Mom fears Frosty," said Rory.

Luke looked at Lorelai as though she were a psychopath. "You're afraid of a plastic snowman with a lightbulb in it?"

"Yes," said Lorelai, "I can't help it. Its got those beady little eyes, and that carrot nose, and reminds me of clowns, which I'm afraid of also."

Luke sighed. "I'm dating a loony," he said, shaking his head.

"Hey, don't feel bad, I'm related to her," said Rory.

Luke turned to the younger Gilmore and said, "You're right. You have my sympathies."

"Hey! I'm not crazy. The things evil, and I swear its plotting to murder me in my sleep," Lorelai insisted.

"How-by waddling to Stars Hollow?" joked Luke.

"Mock me all you want, but don't come crying to me when Frosty kills you in the night," she said.

Luke shook his head, and he got out, and Rory followed after him, and Lorelai sighed, getting out with them. They went inside, and were instantly greeted by Emily, who was looking very festive in a red dress suit.

"Lorelai, Rory, you're here! How wonderful," said the woman, enfulging the girls in a hug, causing Lorelai to make a face, and Rory smirked at her Mother's look. After a few moments, she let them go, and examined the girls. "Why, you look lovely."

She then noticed Luke, and had a look of disgust, and she said, deadpanned, "Oh, Luke-hi."

Then Luke replied in the same deadpanned tone, "Emily, hi."

The two didn't like each other very much, as was evident. Emily turned back to Lorelai and Rory. "Well, your Grandfather's around here somewhere, talking about business as usual---I'm certain you'll find him later. I must be off-I see some of the girls from the bridge club over there."

And away went Rory's Grandmother. The instant she was gone, Luke let out a sigh of relief. "I swear, one of these days I'm going to wring that womans neck."

"With my help," Lorelai added, "c'mon honey, let's go get you a beer and then you'll feel better."

"Okay," said Luke.

Lorelai turned to Rory and asked, "You want anything hun?"

"No thanks Mom, I think I'm just going to look around and try and find Paris-she said she might be coming because her parents were thinking of going," said Rory.

"Okay then, we'll find you when they serve dinner," said Lorelai and her and Luke went off to the bar to get something to drink.

Rory walked around, looking for Paris. There were a few of her ex-chiltionites there, and she said hi to those she vaguely remembered. Her last stop was on the bottom step of the staircase, where she sat, giving up her search for the uptight blonde that was her friend. Sitting there, she looked some what idiotic, but as there was no where else to sit, it was better then nothing.

It was then that she saw a certain blonde haired, blue eyed, male Harvard student enter, his shoulder slung over a smiling, two years-older looking blonde. Rory would have gone over to say hi to Tristin, but the sight of the girl stopped her. It was probably a date.

Rory only saw the girl from the side, but when she turned around to greet someone she apparently knew, Rory let out a sigh of relief that even she hadn't known she was holding in. The girl looked like Nan, Tristin's niece, which meant that the woman with him was his sister, not a date.

Rory got up from her seat on the stair, and walked over to Tristin. "Tristin!" she exclaimed, glad to see him.

Upon hearing his name, he saw Rory coming over to him, looking more beautiful then ever, and very festive, in a green dress, with a red dress sweaterish jacket thing over it. "Rory," he said, grinning from ear to ear, and enclosing the brunett girl in a hug, which she returned.

After a few seconds, Tristin let go, and said, "Hey. You look great."

"You clean up good too, Dugrey," she said.

He laughed, saying, "Yeah, well, I try."

His sister, who at some point had gone off with an old friend, came back at this point, and upon seeing Rory, a smile spread across her face and she turned to Tristin. "Oh my god-is she the girl?" she asked.

Tristin smiled. "She's the girl," he answered.

Rory looked genuinely confused, and was even more so when she was hugged yet again, only this time by Trinity. "Its so nice to finally meet you Rory," she said, letting her go after a few moments.

The brown haired girl raised an eyebrow and looked at Tristin questioningly. He attempted to look innocent, but his entire face said that he was guilty of talking to his sister about her. She smiled. "Hi, you must be Trinity," said Rory, "Tristin told me about you when we babysat Nan together."

Trinity winced. "Ah, sorry about the being tied up to chairs thing," she said.

Rory laughed. "Its okay," she said, "that's what kids do."

"Yeah, well, I'm still sorry," said Trinity, "she takes after her uncle, freakishly---he did the same thing to me once too."

Rory raised an eyebrow. "Tristin a terror as a child? Nah, I couldn't picture it," she said, sarcasm in her voice.

"Hey!" Tristin said, offended. "I'll have you know I was a perfect angel."

"Says you," said Rory, "but I think I'll take your sisters word for it. Siblings always know the truth about each other."

Trinity smirked. "I like this girl, Tris," she said, "you should bring her around more often."

"Oh no, no, no, no, no," said Tristin, "I'm not having my best friend and my sister beating up on me."

"Aw, Tris, you're no fun," Rory pouted.

"Yeah, no fun," Trinity said in agreement.

Tristin grabbed Rory by the shoulders and said, "Okay, I'm leading you away from my psychopath of a sister before she convinces you to join her in her plan to take over the world."

"Craziness is genetic, little bro," said Trinity, and Tristin merely rolled his eyes, dragging Rory away from his sister.

Once they were away from her, Rory chuckled. "Its true-siblings don't get along," she said.

"Well, you've got a sister too, be prepared."

"I won't have to be," said Rory, "Gigi's a toddler, whose years behind me---and she's only my half sister."

"Meh, you Gilmores get all the luck," said Tristin.

"And that's what makes us so special," said Rory, smiling.

"That you are special," said Tristin, and he added, being extremely sincere, "extremely special."

Rory looked at him, a bit confused, not exactly quite sure what he meant. Instead of analyzing it, she settled for saying, "Thanks. You Dugreys are pretty special yourself."

"Well, I think so," said Tristin, smirking.

Just then, the maid announced that dinner was ready, and the two smiled at each other, and went into the dinning room, sitting across from Luke and Lorelai. Luke had never met Tristin before, so this was the first meeting between the two.

"Hi, I'm Tristin," he said, shaking Luke's hand, "Tristin Dugrey."

"Nice to meet ya," said Luke, "I'm Luke Danes."

They let go of each others hands and Luke looked at Tristin for a moment. "You look like Prince Charming," said Luke.

Tristin looked at Luke, a confused expression on his face, and then at Rory, who was just as confused as she was. "Oh my god----he does!" said Lorelai, and Lorelai and Luke shared a look that seemed to say they new something that Rory and Tristin didn't, because Rory and Tristin had no clue what the heck they were talking about.

"Um, okay," said Tristin.

That was the only awkward moment during the meal, and for the rest of it, they all talked, conversation coming easy between the four. Luke decided Tristin was a good guy, although it was easy to see why. After the meal, there was a presant exchange in the living room.

Towards the end of it, Tristin whispered to Rory, "Can we go somewhere privet?"

Rory, confused by this turn of events, said simply, "Sure."

"Where would the best place be?" he asked.

"Come with me, and I'll show you," she answered.

Holding him by the hand, she lead him up the stairs to what had been her Mother's room. It had been reverted back to its old form after the "dream room" fiasco. It was as if time had stood still in there.

Once inside, Rory closed the door behind them, and she said, "This is my Mom's old room."

"Wow," said Tristin, "its very----" he searched for the term---"un-Lorelai."

"Yeah," said Rory, "but thats what happens when you have Emily Gilmore as your Mom, I guess. Nothing is you, its all her and what she wants you to be."

Tristin noticed the window leading to the balcony, and he said, "Does it open?"

Rory suddenly felt rather nervous, and cursing herself for bringing him up there. Of course he would notice the window that lead to the balcony. The very same place where Rory had...well...come to exist, if you get the drift. Oh well. It wasn't as if anything would happen, right?

Tristin smiled, walked over and opened it, crawling through the window out onto the balcony. He turned, and motioned for Rory to come. She did, and half stumbled, half crawled through the window, eventually having Tristin pull her all the way out of it and onto the balcony.

"At my parents place," he said, "my rooms exactly like this, with the balcony, I mean, not with the girl stuff. Trinity and I would always sneak out of it, to go see our friends and go to parties and stuff when we were grounded. We never told on one another either, even if we were in a fight, 'cause we made a pact not to."

"Wow," said Rory, "I've never heard of siblings being so close."

"Yeah, well, Mom and Dad were never there, so we kind of had to look out for each other," Tristin explained.

"I'm sorry," said Rory.

"Not your fault," said Tristin, and then he remembered the little package he had in his pocket, and added, "I got you something."

Rory smiled, glad she'd gotten him a presant as well. "I got you something too," she said, "and now I feel so much better about it 'cause I was thinking earlier that I was going to look like a real idiot giving this to you if presants didn't occur to you."

"Here, you open yours first," said Tristin.

"Are you sure?" she said. "It's a really good presant."

He smirked. "I'm sure."

He took out a small package, slightly box shaped. There was no card, so Rory just opened it, carefully taking off the wrapping paper. Seeing how slowly she was taking to open the gift, he said, "You're one of those strange people that saves wrapping paper, aren't you?"

Rory shrugged and smiled. "Blame my Mother," she said.

He shook his head and smiled. She finished opening the gift and her mouth dropped in awe. It was a very nice, extremely expensive, leather bound with gold on the side of the pages, copy of The complete novels of Jane Austen.

"How'd you...these are so rare Tristin, how'd you manage to get one?" she asked in shock.

"I have my connections," he said, smirking.

Rory felt something on her nose and found that it was a snowflake. Both she and Tristin looked up, and found that a nice, calm, snow fall had started coming down. Then they looked at each other and suddenly there was that moment where everything came together, and there was that intense feeling of passion in the air, and emotions, you know the ones, were running strong.

Book forgotten, as well as the presant Tristin hadn't been given yet, Rory Gilmore found herself wrapped in Tristin Dugrey's arms, their mouths together, tongus getting into them deeper, and the feelings around them intense. It was like this for what had to have been ten minutes at least, and then the two broke apart, gasping for air.

"What," Rory took a few deep breaths, "what was that?"

"I think," said Tristin after a moments pause, "it was a kiss."

a/n: Its alive again! My muse came back to me. Thanks to the following reviewers: