Disclaimers and summary: See chapter one.

The Seventh Stranger
Chapter 4: Was I chasing after rainbows

Gabrielle was awakened by the sound of a keyboard being stroked. Slowly, she opened her eyes and realized that Tristan was not lying beside her anymore. She turned to face the windows illuminated by the morning sunrise and saw Tristan sitting on the couch, laptop on his legs, typing hurriedly on the keyboard. Gabrielle got up and walked over to Tristan and asking between two yawns, "What are you searching for?"

Stunned, Tristan looked up at Gabrielle for a second before he replied, "In my dream I had this song going on and on. I just have to find that song."

Gabrielle smiled and asked, "Maybe I can help, why don't you sing it to me?"

Tristan smirked at her for the first time in a while, "Well, first you know I can't sing a note and second, I don't know the song and since I know a lot more about music than you do, I'll feel obligated to decline your generous offer."

Too happy that he seemed in a good mood to be offended, Gabrielle pushed him aside and sat beside him. She rested her head on Tristan's shoulder, and playfully answered, "Maybe you are right with the hip-hop songs and trashing rock tunes but I'm way better with good music that has lasted for decades and will still be a classic in twenty years. So, I say you need my help."

Not convinced, he played absentmindedly with her hair, "Maybe but you can't know every single song in the world."

Gabrielle smirked at the computer screen, "Maybe not but if it came back in your dreams, it's probably a song you've heard already and there's chances that it was from the music I listen to and that you hate so much. Come on, you have nothing to lose in trying." She saw Tristan still hesitating and pouted, "Please? Sing for me?"

Tristan looked at her in defeat and started to sing, "Was I chasing after rainbows?" Gabrielle cringed at the totally off-key tune but he smirked and poured his heart into the song, "One thing for sure you never answered when I called." As Gabrielle protected her ears to block his singing, he nudged her and said, "I don't remember the rest of the words."

Gabrielle put both of her hands on each side of her face, "Let me think about it then."

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Rory felt dizzy as she walked out of her room. She couldn't keep her mind off of Tristan, the banished king of Chilton, the one that used to be always in control of his emotions and actions. Why would he cry like a baby in the streets? What could have happened to him since that night he was sent away? What could have changed so much? She was absolutely certain that it was him. A shiver passed through her body as she murmured a song her mom used to obsess about so long ago. "Those words are all remainders..."

&&&

"So? Did you come up with any songs?" Tristan asked as he came out of the shower.

Gabrielle looked at Tristan, his hair dripping water on his shirt, "The only one that I can think about is 'the seventh stranger' from Duran Duran. It's an early eighty's song but it was never popular. I still listen to it from time to time."

"Does it say anything about rainbows?" Tristan asked.

Gabrielle looked at him as if he was crazy, "Of course! Didn't you hear yourself sing before? Of course it talks about rainbow but also of the changes a person can make in front of strangers."

Tristan was thinking before he asked quietly, "Can we download your song to see if it's the right one?"

&&&

"Grandpa?" Rory asked as she sat at the breakfast table.

Richard Gilmore raised his eyes from the newspaper, "Yes Rory?"

She took the coffee that was deposited in front of her a minute ago by a nameless maid but put it back on the table without taking a sip, "I wanted to know if it was possible for me to take an early flight."

Surprised, Richard asked, "But I though you loved London?"

She took a deep breath, "I LOVE it but I just miss mom and the town. And in less than a week I'll be back at Yale. I just want to spend some time with mom before I leave again."

He smiled tenderly at his granddaughter, "I'll make a few calls and I'm sure that by the end of the day you'll be on a plane back home."

&&&

After listening to Gabrielle sing the song from the lyrics they found, Tristan smiled and hugged her, "Gabrielle, you're a genius! You got the right song with only one sentence."

Gabrielle untangled her slim body from Tristan's embrace and sat back on the couch before she asked softly, "Who was your rainbow?"

Tristan's smile dropped so fast that Gabrielle had the reflex to search for it on the floor. With no trace of Tristan's smile there, she asked hesitantly, "What was her name?"

Tristan feigned ignorance, "Whose name?" But under Gabrielle's watchful gaze it clearly stated that she didn't fall for his innocent act.

He murmured, "You know her! Well you don't but I talked so much about her that you should know her. I named her Mary but her real.."

Tristan was cut off by Gabrielle as she continued his sentence, "…name is Rory. Don't freak out! I've listened to you talk to her in your dreams. Most of it from the last week but…"

A strong hand kept her from finishing what she had to say. Tristan closed his eyes and murmured, "She was the pot of gold sitting at the bottom of the rainbow, the one I could never reach." He sighed and looked pleadingly at Gabrielle, "Would you mind if we take a plane tonight? I'm just not in the mood to stay here anymore."

She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him quickly on the cheek, "I'll go make the arrangements."

&&&

"I'm so sorry Rory but I couldn't book you a first class flight! All there was left was an economic place."

She smiled fondly at her grandfather and brushed off his excuses, "Don't worry about it grandpa. I'll go call mom so she can come and get me."

&&&

Gabrielle and Tristan were already seated in their seats, in the first class area. As the plane ascended in the air, Gabrielle fell asleep from exhaustion. On the other side of the curtain, Rory was sitting by a window, watching the city of London becoming smaller and smaller and wondering if she'd ever see Tristan again, unaware of the fact that Tristan was on the same plane looking at the same thing. Tristan wished to the diminishing city below him, "Goodbye Mary, I hope that you're happy in London." He closed his eyes to fall asleep also.

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Rory ran toward Lorelai and in their excitement to see each other, they both fell on the floor. Lorelai talked excitingly, "I've missed you so much! I want to know everything! What did you see? Was my father so mean that you had to get out of there? Did you bring me gifts? What did you do?"

She hushed her mom, "You'll know everything when the time is right. Right now I'm craving for some of Luke's coffee!"

Lorelai got up and helped Rory do the same. She passed her arm around her daughter's shoulder and screamed under the reprobating gaze of the crowd, "Let's go then! What are we waiting for?"

They ran as fast as they could toward the Jeep, they settled inside the Jeep and Lorelai sped out of the parking lot.

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Meanwhile, Tristan was frozen by the sight in front of him; two women hugged and laughed on the floor. Then they ran wildly out of the airport. Something made him run after them. While he ran, he heard the fading voice of Gabrielle asking, "Tristan! What is it? Is everything all right?"

As he exited the airport, he saw the two women climb into an old jeep, the younger one turned to place something in the back. He recognized the woman as Rory, Tristan sighed loudly as Gabrielle finally joined him. Without waiting for her to ask her question, he answered, "I was still chasing after my rainbow."