"Up, ladies, rise and shine!" the squad captain shounted directly in Tristan's ear.

"Easy, easey, I'm coming." he grumbled. The instinctive defiance did not passed unnoticed.

"Are you challenging my authority, maggot?" he thundered, and Tristan sighed.

"Tell me," he said, ignoring the question, "Do you enjoy waking up so early that you have time for shower and get dressed before waking up all of us?" The entire bunker became quiet, though not so quiet that the boys could be accused of eavesdropping.

Sir Jameson puffed up his chest in answer, ad marched off. Tristan rolled his eyes.

Life at Redding had not been easy. The guys here were never satisfied to simply coexist with Tristan, they instead felt the distinct need to classify him. Ever since his arrival, men of all ranks had been sizing him up. Was he weak? Strong? Did he pose a threat to them? The captain had the most trouble, becuase Tristan made sure to neither challenge nor accept his authority. It was a small self amusement in the grey world in which he was spending the months.

The truth of the matter was that Tristan really didn't care about any of it. His old self would have taken on the challenge of ruling the school, but somehow now it seemed so pointless, and, for lack of a better word...silly. He did the drills as he was ordered, he woke up early as he was commanded, and he rant he required obstacle courses.

That, however, was the height of his involvement in the acadamy. He spent his free time writing to Rory and Chilton friends, and reading his newest possession; the Canterbury Tales. He read it over and over, smiling at the though that this book reminded Rory of him. She had been right. He avoided confrontations with his new peers at all costs--the last thing he wanted was to earn more responsibilities at this dank, nightmarish place.

Camping trips and 20 mile runs had no effect on him. He though the idea of purposeful, honorable discomfort to be absolutely asinine, and made no effort to hide it. This was made painfully clear the first time a teacher adressed him in class.

"Will you vow to take a life of honor, in not reaching for what you, maggot, do not deserve?"

Tristan had sat back in his chair and smirked' this answer was easy.

"Sir, in capitalist modern times, the honest man strives only towards his greedy tendencies; his psychological id, if you would. To do otherwise would be rediculous, as it would contradict the very foundations of our country's success. It would be moving backwards. I will not move backwards. Furthermore, we live in a corporate, capitalist nation. To limit the persuit of property follows not the capitalist principals, but communist ones. Seargent, are you promoting communism?"

It had been several months since this first incident, but the officers and squadrom leaders had not yet given up on thrying to place Tristan. They seemed equally determined to include him in their society as he was to remain apart from it.

The one bright part of his days were the ones when Rory's letters arrived.

Today he opened it and smiled as he read. Then he let out a small wistful sigh. I guess I won't be meeting Finn for a while. Against his will, he felt a small twinge of jealousy for the boy, free to see Rory every day. He hoped Finn would keep her distracted enough to avoid the contemplative misery that was his new life. He took out a precious pieve of paper and envelope, and began his response.

"Be. Still. My. Heart." Finn voiced, and Rory watched his eyes follow the girl who had just entered the room.

"A gorgeous blond beauty, with a glint in her eye and a purposeful stride." he expatiated, and Rory snickered.

"Paris?" she said incredulously. "You can't be serious." Finn only gazed at Peris and smiled. After a moment Paris felt the eyes on her neck, and walked over to them.

"Gilmore," she greeted in a cool voice. "You're last article. It wasn't crap." Rory nodded her haid dubiously.

"Thank you, Paris."

"But that doesn't mean I'm going to let your misinformed friend ogle me like a piece of meet."

"Allo there, the name's Finn." he introduced himself, and held out his hand. She looked at it and sniffed. Then she turned her attention away.

"Gilmore, keep your dog on a leash." With that, she returned to her desk, her eyes fixed on the front of the room.

"Oh, the fire! The passion! That has got to be the most amazing sheila I have ever met." Rory shook her head and sighed.

"Really, Finn. Paris?" He simply smiled at her and turned to face the teacher.

"Today, class, we migrate from early Mesopotamia to the later era of the early grecians..."

Ah, now the question must be asked. Does Finn actually have a crush on our little ol' Paris? Or does he unconditionally love all girls? With Lane and...MISS PATTY this could be potentially very fun.

I have another plan for him regardless of this fact; just wondering what your thoughts are.

And don't worry, Tristan will come back soon! Let's set the plan in motion in the next, say...two chapters?

I'll try to update them at the same time.