A few more days passed, and no sign of Matthew was in sight. Rory's bruises were nearly healed, and her limp was no more. Things were finally starting to settle down and peace had flowed through the bodies of Rory and Lorelai.

"Here take my phone." Lorelai insisted. "Check in."

"Okay." Rory agreed taking the phone from her mother's hand. The door bell rang and she went to answer it. "Tristan..." Rory smiled. "Hey."

"Hey." He smiled in return.

"Come in, meet my mom."

Tristan walked in and extended his hand to Lorelai. "Hi."

"Hello." Lorelai teased. "I've heard a lot about you, Tristan."

"All good I hope." Tristan smiled. "I've heard a lot about you as well. Rory really admires you."

"Yeah, I think she's pretty keen too." Lorelai giggled.

"Well, we should get going." Rory interrupted. "I don't want to miss out on any good books."

"Nice meeting you Ms. Gilmore."

"Call me Lorelai."

"Nice meeting you, Lorelai." Tristan smiled and walked outside with Rory. "You're right, she did say something odd and different." Tristan replied.

"Told you." Rory grinned. "I know my mom."

(Hartford book fair)

"Wow... there are so many books." Rory gazed around in amazement. "I don't think I've ever seen this many at once, not even at the library."

"Well, this is the biggest book fair in the state." Tristan bragged. "It only comes once every two years."

"I can imagine why. Loading and unloading all these books must take an army."

"Well, I don't think that's quite the reason." Tristan laughed. "But close."

Rory looked around and several different books, she was absolutely thrilled at all there was to choose from. As she was checking out the novel section her eyes came across a face she knew all too well.

"Tristan..." Rory called.

Tristan turned and focused on Rory. "Are you ready to leave?" she asked hopefully.

"Leave?" Tristan repeated. "Ror, we just got here."

"Hey, seen one book seen them all. Right?" Rory replied nervously.

"What's wrong?" Tristan asked.

"Nothing." Rory replied looking around. "I ... I ..."

Tristan looked around and noticed a man staring at him and Rory. "Who is that?" Tristan asked concerned.

"Who?" Rory asked innocently.

"That man." Tristan pointed. "He's staring at us."

"Oh..." Rory's heart began thumping. "I don't know."

"He won't take his eyes off you, Rory." Tristan replied aggravated.

"He probably thinks I'm someone else." Rory replied, scooting closer to Tristan.

"Can we just go somewhere else... please?" Rory pleaded.

Tristan sighed. "Alright, we could grab a bite to eat at the burger place down the road... then stop back by here afterwards."

"That would be great." Rory replied happily. Anything was better than standing only a few feet away from Matthew.

(Burger World)

"And I'll have a cheese burger, with no ketchup, a small fry, and a large coke." Tristan ended.

"8.95" The cashier replied.

"Not bad." Tristan noted.

"If you want to taste some really good burgers, you should come eat at Luke's one day." Rory offered.

"Luke's?" Tristan asked. "Isn't that your mom's friend?"

"Yeah. He owns a diner."

"I see." Tristan smiled. "Well, I'd love to eat there with you sometime."

The two sat down an table and began to enjoy their food. Suddenly Tristan's eyes were taken off of Rory and onto someone much less attractive.

"I don't believe this." Tristan mumbled as he set down his coke.

"What?" Rory asked with a mouth full of fries. She turned to see Matthew walk through the door.

"Did he follow us?" Tristan asked, becoming annoyed.

"I don't know." Rory replied.

"Come on, Rory... who is this guy?" Tristan asked again.

Rory sighed and rubbed her face. "My mom's ex."

"Your mom's ex?" Tristan asked surprised.

"The one she was going to marry." Rory clarified.

"So that's why he's been staring at you." Tristan concluded. "He looks really creepy."

"He is." Rory answered.

"Has he been giving you trouble?"

"No..." Rory quickly answered.

"Rory..."

"No... he's just upset cause mom dumped him."

"Well, he needs to get a life other than stocking his ex girlfriends' daughters." Tristan stood up from the table.

"What are you doing?" Rory asked frantically.

"I'm going over there."

"Tristan, no!" Rory opposed.

"Let me handle this, Rory." Tristan said walking towards him. "Hey, pal... Bored?"

"Excuse me?" Matthew asked.

"You've been following us around." Tristan noted.

"I have just as much of a right to be here as you do, kid." Matthew replied.

"Rory doesn't want any trouble." Tristan added. "It's not her fault her mom dumped your ass."

Anger filled Matthew's body. "You stay out of this, boy." Matthew snarled.

"Tristan!" Rory called.

"Stay away from her." Tristan replied staring Matthew in the eye. "Come on Rory. We're leaving."

Rory slowly walked over to Tristan and took the hand that was waiting there for her. When they tried to walk passed Matthew and out the door, Matthew stopped Rory. "He can't protect you, little one."

Tristan guided Rory on outside into the parking lot. Matthew walked out behind them.

"Tell me, Rory. Where is your mother this fine day?"

"Don't answer." Tristan whispered as they continued to walk towards his car.

"Surely she wouldn't send you all the way out here to Hartford alone with some boy. She should know better than that. But I suppose your mother isn't as swift as she thinks she is, is she?"

Rory reached into her pocket, and grabbed the cell phone. She discreetly pushed Lorelai's number and let it ring. Matthew was getting closer to them.

"I see you're no longer limping." Matthew noted. "I suppose your stay at the hospital did you good."

"Hello?" Lorelai answered. "Hello? Rory?"

Lorelai could hear people talking in the background, she listened carefully.

Tristan and Rory finally reached Tristan's car. Tristan fiddled with his keys.

"What's the matter?" Matthew asked. "Nervous?" he chuckled.

Lorelai quickly realized the voice. "Oh my god."

"I would be too." Matthew added.

"That's it." Tristan turned and faced Matthew.

"Whoa, now son." Matthew halted him. "Don't do anything you may regret."

Lorelai quickly grabbed her keys and took off in the direction of Hartford.

"Rory, get in the car." Tristan said handing her the keys.

"Tristan, please... let's just go." Rory's eyes began to tear up.

"Take the keys Rory." Tristan insisted.

Rory's shaking hand reached out and took the keys. She quickly backed away and opened the car door and got in.

"You're quite the brave one." Matthew complimented.

"And you're quite the fool." Tristan replied.

"Fond of Rory?" Matthew asked.

"That's none of your business."

"You shouldn't be fond of someone like her." Matthew replied. "She's bad."

"Shut up." Tristan grunted.

"She'll only break your heart."

Matthew walked over to Rory's side of the car and pecked on the window.

"Get away from her!" Tristan yelled grabbing at Matthew.

Matthew knocked him down on the asphalt. "Now see..." Matthew replied. "I told you not to try anything." He focused back on Rory. "Come on, Rory... get out of the car."

Tristan jumped and took a punch at Matthew, knocking him back a few feet. Tristan followed up with a football tackle, laying Matthew on his back. Within seconds they were both on their feet again. Rory who was still sitting inside the car tried to call her mother again, but there was no answer. Quickly she called Luke's.

"Yeah?" Luke answered.

"Luke... It's Rory... I'm in Hartford at Burger World... Matthew is here!"

Luke dropped a plate of food. "I'm coming!" He answered as he hung up the phone.

"Silly boy." Matthew laughed after knocking Tristan off his feet. "You think you can fight with a man?"

"You're not a man." Tristan scoffed, as he raised back to his feet and swung at Matthew's head. Matthew quickly dunked and missed the punch. Matthew reared back and with all his might, hit Tristan across the face. This time, Tristan didn't get back up.

"Hmm." Matthew laughed. "Is that all it took?" He turned and looked at Rory who was whimpering in the front seat of Tristan's car. "Open the door, Rory." Matthew began again. "It'll be so much easier that way." Matthew looked up and noticed a police car coming down the long stretch of high way. "You little bitch, you called the cops." Matthew stated. Realizing he was about to be trapped in a huge mess, Matthew ran to his car and took off out of the parking lot. Leaving a terrified Rory and an intensely injured Tristan behind.