A/N: I can't say whether this is going to end up a Trory or not. It's one of those things where I can't say one thing, because it spoils the whole thing. I can, however, tell you that I think you'll be very surprised.

Disclaimer: I still don't own anything associated with Gilmore Girls. In this chapter, I own only Diana.

"What do you mean? What kind of plan? Like some kind of mission where everyone's undercover or something?" Diana asked.

"No, no. A plan to get Rory alone at dinner on Friday. You want to tell her about Tristan, do you not? She'll find out eventually", said Lorelai.

"No she won't! We don't even have to tell her. Mom, I don't want her to get upset, so let's just not tell her."

"We have to tell her."

"Why?" Diana asked, almost shouting.

"Why not?" replied Lorelai. Diana hesitated. "See? There's no point in keeping it from her. Hon, I know you have the best intentions, but Rory has to know. You've never met Tristan. Well, I guess you have, but, ah! So not the point! I never exactly met him, but from what Rory told me years ago, I can come to the conclusion that when Tristan was offered this job for some absolutely crazy God knows what kind of reason, he didn't take it for the good of the school, Diana! And him staring at you! That would be disgusting and more than likely illegal if he wasn't Tristan DuGrey! Look at this as like, a mystery novel, and lay out all the facts. Dig deep and you'll uncover a plot. There's something there, and Rory needs to know about, so maybe, she can fix it!"

"I'm in", agreed Diana, smiling.

"Did it ever occur to anyone that maybe some kind of pathway might help to ensure that I don't relive the tragic muddy shoe incident that should've been obvious to me way before I even thought about attempting to even get inside my house by means other than some form of drawbridge?" said an annoyed-sounding voice that came from the front door.

"Yes", joked Lorelai, followed by a hello kiss from her husband.

"So have you heard about--?"

"Yep."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Max sighed and walked upstairs. Lorelai followed.

"Permission to stay out of it?" said Max, beginning to loosen his tie.

"Please."

"Well, hey. Don't we have dinner with Rory and Jess tonight?"

"Of course", Lorelai replied.

"So bring it up then."

"Ah! Taken care of. I've got a plan!" Lorelai said sounding sure of herself.

"Uh huh, and would you mind filling me in on the details?"

"Sorry, confidential", said Lorelai.

"Confidential? What's confidential?"

"Mmm. Too many comebacks."

"You don't have a plan do you?"

"Wouldn't you like to know…" said Lorelai, attempting a sexy voice.

"Lorelai!"

"Right, right, sorry. We'll work out something."

Just a few hours later Max had changed, finished his lesson plan for the next three months, and was waiting patiently for Diana and Lorelai. Well, more impatiently, but he was working on the patience thing. Finally, he caved.

"Let's go! I've been sitting here waiting for an hour and ten minutes!"

"Max, calm down!" Lorelai yelled from upstairs, where she was putting in the cute little flowery earrings Diana had given her for her birthday last year.

Diana walked into the living room. "Hey, can you fasten my necklace back there?" she asked Max, turning around.

By this point, Max had lost all hope of getting to Hartford on time. He didn't even put up a fight when Lorelai insisted that everyone go to the bathroom before they left.

'She's just stalling', he thought.

They took Max's car, but Lorelai refused to leave the house until Max handed over his keys. She had to make sure they drove slow and got there incredibly late. It wasn't part of the plan, but it was always fun to watch Max turn reddish orange trying to keep his anger inside. On the way to Hartford, everyone silently wondered what drama the night would hold. Desperate to break the silence, Diana changed the subject. Well, she couldn't really change it since no one was talking, but she could at least try to get her parents' minds off of Tristan and Rory.

"Why do we dress up to go to these things anyway?" she asked.

"Because, Rory's very close to Grandma", Lorelai answered.

"So?"

"So now that Grandma's too sick for Friday night dinners, Rory wanted to continue them in her honor, and since we always dressed up for those, Rory wants us to dress up for these."

"Oh."

Silence filled the car for the rest of the drive to Hartford. When the car finally stopped, parked in front of Rory's house ten minutes from Emily's mansion complete with a wraparound porch that reminded Rory of home, Diana and Lorelai exchanged worried glances, and walked up to the front door with the tense-looking Max. The three of them stood there for a few moments before Max rung the bell, after which he received angry looks from Diana and Lorelai, who were busy silently preparing themselves for what was to come.

Rory opened the door and smiled. Hey guys, come in. Lorelai and Max walked inside, but Diana only stood there still as a statue.

"Come on, Diana", said Rory.

"Tristan's Chilton's new headmaster!" Diana blurted out.

Lorelai who was in the next room had heard Diana and came rushing out.

"What?" Lorelai said, wondering what had happened to the imaginary plan.

"What?" Rory asked, in shock.

Lorelai repeated what Diana had said. "It's true, babe. You remember Tristan DuGrey?"

Rory's eyes were bulging out of her head now. "Yes…?"

"He's the headmaster at Chilton now", Lorelai finished.

"Who's the headmaster at Chilton?" Rory asked, eyes still bulging, head still spinning, mind still numbing.

"TRISTAN!" Diana shouted, annoyed.

Lorelai whispered to Diana, "Okay, Hon, probably not a great idea to yell at her right now."

"But…no guys, you're wrong, he's too young. They wouldn't give him that position."

"Why don't we all sit down and talk about this", suggested Lorelai.

But Rory continued. "And he wouldn't come back to Connecticut, to Chilton! He wouldn't!"

"He did", said Lorelai calmly.

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Mom!"

"Rory! I don't know why he's back. I don't know how he got the job. I don't know, okay? I don't know. But we'll find out."

"No, no. Just…just leave it alone. I won't bother him and he won't bother me. For all he knows, I could be living in Sri Lanka!" Rory shouted.

Now Diana spoke. "Well, there's an interesting story behind that."

Lorelai and Diana explained how Tristan had been staring at Diana, and how he seemed to be interested in her. Rory seemed confused and upset, but she was able to pull herself together before Jess came in.

"Rory! Where's my--" He walked into the living room where everyone was sitting. "Oh, hey. Rory, have you seem my orange pen with the weird white out tube thing?"

"Oh yeah, I think I saw it near the computer" Rory said, getting up to help Jess look for his pen.

"So", Lorelai said. "That went well."

The next morning Rory woke up to the alarm she'd set an hour earlier than usual. Jess rolled over in bed and opened his eyes slightly to see her brushing her hair.

"Hey, where are you going? It's only…God! It's only 6:45! You don't go to work until 7 something!" he said.

Rory replied, "Well, yeah, but I have to get a head start on my Connecticut court scandal piece."

Jess rolled his eyes and closed them again, drifting back to sleep.

Rory parked her car in the Chilton parking lot, walked into the school, remembering right where the headmaster's office was, and ignoring the secretary, opened the double doors to find Tristan DuGrey at his desk. He looked up.

"Rory!"

She smiled, continued walking to his desk, jumped on top, and kissed him.

A/N: Please review. I want to know what everyone thinks so far. I'll update soon.