"Hey, dad," Tristan greeted, fixing a polite smile firmly in place.

"Tristan, what in God's name is the matter with you?" His father's voice was quiet, polite, deceptively friendly. He spoke from behind a smile equally as fake as Tristans.

"Why father dearest, whatever do you mean?" he asked sarcastically. His father glared at him. "I don't know, maybe I just got tired of being thrown around from place to place." he said finally.

"At the expense of my reputation? I raised you better than that."

"Actually, you didn't raise me. What does it matter where I stay when you leave for business?"

"It matters that you do as I say, when I say."

They each paused and took a sip from their reflective glasses. Tristan glanced idly around at the party. People were laughing, talking, dancing. He shifted his feet impatiently.

"I've kept my grades up in your absense," he informed his father curtly, and the older man sniffed.

"Disobeying me successfully is still disobeying me. I will not have it."

"Well, it's too late now, isn't it?"

"Who exactly undermined my authority and signed you out?"

"A friend." Tristan answered ambiguously. He was not about to betray Lorelai to his father, after what she had done for him.

"Well, I shall see to it that no one will do it again. I have arranged a meeting with the comadant at Redding. The mistake will not be repeated."

"You shouldn't have gone to the trouble. I'm not going back."

Mr. DuGrey frowned. "Of course you're going back. You're going back and will remain there until graduation, when you will go to Stanford."

"I wanted to go to Harvard," Tristan protested through his smile.

"You will go to Stanford, and will not return home for the holidays until people have sufficiently forgotten what an embarassment you are." he hissed through clenched teeth.

They were silent for a moment, the air tense.

"I'm not going back." Tristan restated.

"Boy, what makes you think you have a choice in the matter?" His father's voice raised slightly. Tristan tried a wheedling approach. Perhaps his father would do the right thing.

"Dad...please? I belong at Chilton. I love it there, and I love this girl--"

"I don't want to hear about your sluts, Tristan."

"No!" Tristan objected, "This one is different. She's...I am actually in love with her. We've lasted almost a year so far, and--"

"Tristan, you will go to Redding whether you like it or not! I don't care why you want to stay, I am your father! You will do as I say and show some respect!" the order ended at a shout, but by now the two were beyond caring what other people saw.

"I'm not going back!" Tristan shouted, and his father grabbed his arm. He gripped it tightly and Tristan dropped his glass. Pink champagne stained the white carpet. Mr. DuGrey twisted his son's arm painfully, and Tristan gasped sharply. He stared up at his father in astonishment, then anger. Rage. Blinding fury blurred his vision, and he wrenched his arm back, unturning it so that now his father's arm was twisted.

"I am not 12 years old anymore, dad," he said, his voice deadly soft. "I told you then that if you ever hit me again, I would call the cops. It's been a while since then, hasn't it?" his father's face was red with anger and embarassment, for now everyone at the party had stopped their invididual festivities, and were ogling the spectacle.

"Let go of my this instant." his father ordered. He tried to overpower his son, but it was no use. Tristan had become stronger than his father, something the man had never anticipated. Tristan had no words. He held his father's arm, empty of ideas as to what to do next. He stared at his father, trying and failing to hold back the tears forming in his eyes.

"Tristan," her voice came from behind him, and Rory lightly touched his arm. He loosened the grip on his father's wrist and the man pulled it away roughly. He stared at his son another moment, and then stormed from the party.

-

Tristan leaned back against the wall. Rory had helped him escape the balefull eyes of the party, and they stood now by the poolhouse. He had regained his composure, had wiped his tears away. Now he leaned his head back against the white brick surface and closed his eyes. What had just happened?

"Hey, it'll be okay, okay?" Rory said near his ear. He opened his eyes and gazed into hers.

"I know." he said. He really did. He had finally stood up to his father, for real. Years of fear and opression crashed down and surprisingly, he felt freer than he had in months.

Rory kissed his lower lip, and felt when he grinned.

"Did you see the look on his face?" he smiled wider, and she let out a small laugh. She kissed him deeper and he responded. She opened her mouth to him and laced her fingers in his tousled hair. Suddenly they weren't thinking about his father anymore.

"Tristan," she said against his mouth.

"Yeah?"

"There's a bed in the pool house." he paused and pulled away, giving her a measured look.

"Yeah?" he asked, giving new meaning to the word. She rubbed her nose against his affectionately.

"Yeah." His face lit up in a helpless smile, and he kissed her again. The pair slipped into the pool house.

Woo, wee. Yup. I don't know how far to take that, do you people really need the details? Or is it more effective and sweeter to leave it as is? I mean, there will definitely be a tying off chapter, maybe two, probably one.

Thoughts? Suggestions? It's all up to you guys how far this goes, as long as it doesn't screw with my plot. Reviews are better than chocolate! Feed the animal!