"Tristan and Finn are where!" Rory sputtered into the phone. The woman told her again. Rory thanked her and slammed down the reciever.

"Well?" Lorelai asked, dry washing her hands in some show of anstiness.

"They rented out an entire five star restaurant for a night and took every homeless person in Hartford to an early Christmas dinner!" Rory had no idea what to feel. Her mind flashed in a different emotion each second.

Damn Finn! He just didn't want to be at the shelter!

Oh, now Tristan won't find out until he get's home...

I suppose it's nice that they did that for the homeless,

Though for the wrong reasons! Wrongwrongwrong!

Holy crap that must have cost an arm and a leg.

I wonder when they'll come home?

Neither of them was carrying their cell phone. She fretted and bit her fingernails for hours, eventually having to distract herself with homework. Lorelai went out to take care of the Inn. Each of them submerged in their work, they were able to quell their nervousness, if only by a little.

When Tristan came home Rory leapt up and ran for the door. She ran to Tristan and embraced him, desperately memorizing the exact feeling of his arms, his warmth, his kiss. She clung to him and swore to never forget the feeling. If he was taken away again, she at least had to remember this.

"Well Mary, If I had known what feeding the hungry did for your..." he smirked at her, "stamina, I would have done it sooner." Rory couldn't smile at his jape, she only looked up at him and waited for the strength to say,

"Tristan, your dad. He knows." Holy Crap. No wonder she had been so intense. Tristan was at a loss for words. He stared down at her. That face, those eyes, he couldn't leave that again. He had fallen in love with her the first day he met her, and it had grown in mutual affection every day from then on. She was precious to him now, a treasure in her own right.

Now everything crashed down around his ears. He should have seen this coming. He should have prepared. He couldn't leave her. He wouldnt. Her blue eyes searched his and he kissed her tenderly on the forehead.

"I'll think of something." he reassured her, helplessly trying to convince himself of the same thing.

-----

"Finn!" The woman's voice rang through the hall. He stopped short and turned, wincing in advance. The caretaker at the soup kitchen resembled a very large, very angry pit bull. Currently this pitbull was barelling toward him, weilding a ladle.

"You stop RIGHT THERE you, you rufian! Exactly where do you get off disappearing and taking the entire population of this facility with you!"

Finn shrugged. "Well...this is a bloody bog standard place to spend Chrissy, wot?" The pitbull growled and he apologized quickly. "Blimey, don't blow a hole, I'm sorry. The deadset is, I rather detest this place, and I figured that the mates don't adore it either." She snarled and glared at him. "Fine, then. They can spend New Years forcing down the slop that you---that is...they can spend the New Year together, in this place which has helped them on many a harsh wintery night."

Arline (this is the darling dog's name) made an angry sound deep in her throat. She didn't, however, want to fire one of her few workers, so she left ungraciously without any thanks or apoligies.

Finn strode back to his post, spooning out mashed peas. He instantly noticed a lovely little red head girl, and stopped what he was doing.

"Well allo there doll, what might your name be?" It needed more. He knew it. She looked like she was going to roll her eys and ignore him, and then he added, "I'm new here, and trying to make friends. Just arrived from down under." her face lit up, and he knew he'd nabbed her.

"Oh, maybe I should show you around town sometime." she offered, and he smiled brightly to cover his snicker.

"Maybe you should. After that we can explore your grundie's."

"My what?"

"Grundies. Means coffeehouse." he lied glibely, "Well?"

"Um, I have a boyfriend." she said uncertainly.

"As mates, then?" he asked, and she gave in. Hah! Finn one, nameless boy zilch. Good God, I'm a horrid little rootrat, he though happily.

"Excuse me, King?" Finn glanced over at the old man in line. Oh, so he'd lied a little about his name. So what? "I'd like some peas." Finn sighed and got back to work, but he wasn't really as annoyed as he let on. There were definite perks to this community service thing.

-

Tristan tried to stop his hand from shaking, and picked up the phone.

"Hello, international directory, please..."

Filler chapter, I know. But fun! Ah, Finn, you have no last name...

By the way anyone who can find his last name online gets a proverbial cookie.

I think my writing has slowed down. It's more detailed, yes, but slower. I wonder if this is good or bad. Maybe it hasn't, who knows. Maybe my chapters are just getting stupid and short. Advice?

By the way, a message to the peanut gallery.

I love you guys. LOVE YOU! You make my day brighter, and if I didn't think it bordered on psychotic, I would absolutely compose a song in honor of the greatness that is you and your lovely comments.

I'm also giving public thanks to my little sister, who just made me hot cocoa.