AN: College hasn't been letting me keep up too well with my fan fics, but I have a little time to spare so I decided to write another chapter and hopefully I can keep more on top of it now that I've gotten into a regular routine. I hope you enjoy this one; I put a little spin on how I usually write.

Rory didn't know what to say; she'd hurt Brian more than she'd ever wanted to. He told her that a girl hurt him by keeping a secret – her secret was almost the same.

"How could you, Rory? Even after I told you about Allison?"

"I couldn't, Brian," she cried, "I can't tell the story without crying, it was a mistake."

"And this is a mistake that I can't handle for a second time. Goodbye Rory."

With that, Brian was gone; he didn't even look back, just walked away. Rory watched every step he took then collapsed onto her bed in tears. Paris tried to apologize; tried to talk to her, but Rory just wouldn't listen. How could she accept an apology from someone who just lost her a guy that she really cared about?

The phone started to ring and Paris answered, she told the person at the other end that she didn't think Rory was going to be too up for talking. Lorelai didn't accept that as an answer and demanded Paris let her talk to her daughter. Rory took the phone and cried into it that Paris ruined everything and that Brian wasn't speaking to her. The words were all slurred together and drowned out by the sobbing, Lorelai knew the only way she was going to find out what really happened was to go pick Rory up at school and take her home. It was Thursday though and Rory had classes to go to; even if she wasn't emotionally up for them, Rory Gilmore would never miss a class. Rory hung up the phone and stumbled around the room getting ready for class; she was going to compose herself then try to survive.

As soon as Rory left for class, Tristan knocked on the door to tell Paris that he heard everything and wanted to know what happened with Alex the night before. She opened the door very happy to see that her actions had gotten to him; if it wasn't because of Alex, why would he be at her door?

"How long have you been stalking my room?"

"About a half hour, I didn't want to come in before. I saw Rory's boyfriend run out."

"He's not her boyfriend anymore."

"Idiot."

Tristan had heard a conversation just like that before – all those years ago at the piano. It was the moment that replayed in his head even when he'd tried to forget Rory, he still remembered the girl at the piano.

"What did you really come here for, Tristan?"

"Okay, we'll cut to the chase. Why did you sleep with Alex last night and what happened to the Paris Gellar that I grew up with?"

"I grew up too. It shouldn't be okay for you to sleep around, but not me."

"I'd be fine with it if you weren't playing with his head."

"I wasn't playing with anyone's head."

"Then you actually do like Alex and you want to see him again?"

Paris didn't answer and Tristan knew he was right. He didn't know why Paris was playing with Alex's head, but had a feeling it had something to do with him and Rory. He was angry with her for being so selfish and for regressing back to her high school ways, so angry that he just walked away without even a look back.

Paris tried to talk to her crying friend, but Rory wouldn't even look at her. She realized that her actions through a course of 12 hours lost her two people she truly cared about. There was no way to make things up to her best friend; there was no way to get Tristan to think of her as someone he could be with. Just then Paris looked at the clock and realized that she had to get to class.

After Rory's class, Tristan found her walking slowly across the grass and began to approach her. She didn't even look at him; all she could think about was Brian. She'd hurt him by keeping something and he wouldn't even talk to him. If she only told him that it was something she couldn't talk about; if she could make him understand that it wasn't an easy subject. Maybe then he would realize that Rory really did love him and was going to tell him sooner or later. He shouldn't have found out like that; Paris shouldn't have said it in a way that anyone could ever hear. She trusted Paris, but Paris ruined that, Paris ruined everything.

"Mary…" Damn, after what I heard that'll make her feel worse!"

"Please Tristan, go."

"Rory, please, let me talk to you."

"I'm not in the mood, Tristan. Just go away."

Tristan heard a sound of pain in Rory's voice; he wasn't sure if it was calling her Mary that got to her or whatever was going through her head. He still couldn't believe that his Mary had slept with a married man; she wasn't a Mary anymore – but she could be his Mary. She could be his one day, things were over with Brian.

When Rory got to her room she realized that in class her lack of concentration in class was the same as if she didn't go at all. She called Lorelai and told her that she had to go home; she just couldn't stay in school any longer. Lorelai didn't ask what was wrong, just left the house and went to Yale. Rory's sobbing sounded like it did all summer; this whole thing with Dean was going to haunt her for a long time.

Rory didn't tell Paris she was leaving or even leave a note; she didn't think her "friend" deserved to know. Paris needed to realize what she did to Rory…she took away Brian who was the one good thing in Rory's life since Dean. When she was with Brian, Rory didn't think of Dean much at all.

"Sweetie, what happened?" Lorelai asked.

"Paris yelled," she sobbed, "Brian broke up with me."

"What?"

"Brian's ex slept with her friend before they dated, she hid it. He knows, Paris yelled and he heard."

Rory's sentences weren't making very much sense, but Lorelai put the pieces together. She wanted to find out exactly what Paris said and did that made Brian find out about Dean. Also she needed to know what happened with Brian's ex that made it such a touchy subject for him. Rory wasn't ready to talk about her night with Dean to anyone, it wasn't something she was proud of doing.

As soon as the girls arrived in Stars Hollow, Rory found herself in her room crying herself to sleep. Lorelai tried to comfort her but knew that there was nothing that could be said or done to make her feel better. As she was leaving Rory's room, the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Lorelai."

"Paris, what happened?"

"Rory's gone; I don't know where she is. I went to class and I got back and she was gone. She's mad at me for yelling at her for sleeping with Dean and Brian broke up with her. Now I don't know where she is and I don't know what to do, I know she's not at class. Tristan said he saw her earlier and that she was upset." Paris was speaking a mile a minute.

"I came and picked her up. I thought you knew. She's upset because Brian broke up with her after finding out about Dean and she's angry with you so I came and brought her home."

"What about classes tomorrow?"

"She's skipping. She'll be back Sunday night."

Paris was upset with herself; but knew it was best to let Rory relax for a little. Lorelai started to put together the pieces but still wasn't sure exactly what happened and she knew that Rory wasn't going to want to talk about it. She went back into Rory's room to find her sleeping soundly on the salty pillow. Lorelai just let her sleep; it was all that could be done.

The entire weekend Paris sat in her room feeling horrible about herself for spilling but at the same time she didn't regret that Tristan knew about her and Alex. She had no feelings for Alex; it was proof that she too could have casual sex. Paris had become the kind of girl that Tristan wanted, but why wasn't he coming to her?

Tristan, on the other hand, was sitting in his room coming to the realization that his Mary was no longer truly a Mary. She not only had sex, but with a married man. For some reason she still had that same innocent glow that Tristan saw that night at the piano all those years ago. He wondered how he could let himself forget her and how amazing she was, but then he remembered. Rory never wanted Tristan, she always wanted her bagboy – he couldn't bear to be rejected. Rory was the first and only girl who had rejected Tristan DuGrey.

While working in Luke's that Saturday, Lorelai mentioned that Rory was home so Lane went to see her. She thought that maybe Rory could use a best friend to talk to or even just for a shoulder to cry on. Lane walked into Rory's room to just find her looking completely lost.

"Hey."

"Hey Lane."

"What happened?"

"Brian broke up with me because his ex girlfriend slept with her best friend and never told him about it."

"…and he found out about Dean?"

"Paris yelled it."

Lane just looked at her friend and sat down on her bed to console her. The two changed the subject and laughed. When Lorelai got home a few hours later she was very happy to see Rory smiling and laughing again.

Before the Gilmores knew it, Sunday night had come and Lorelai drove Rory back to Yale. When she got back to her room Paris was flipping out telling her how worried she was when Rory's car was around but she wasn't. Rory just let the words go in one ear and out the other; Paris wasn't the person she wanted to see.

Rory went to all of her classes Monday and spent the rest of the day trying to avoid Paris because her eyes would swell up every time. After dinner she decided to go for a walk around campus; during this walk Tristan saw Rory and decided to go talk to her.

"Hey Mary."

"Haven't you heard, I'm not a Mary anymore?"

"You'll always be my Mary."

Rory couldn't deny that made her smile; that was until she saw Brian walking, looking at them. Tristan tried to keep the eight year old behind and just be the friend that Rory needed.

"So Rory, do you want to go for a walk?"

As much as she was skeptical about walking anywhere with Tristan, she agreed because it would keep her away from Paris. It was better than she thought it'd be; Tristan was sweet. Of course there was the usual bantering between the two and him making sexual innuendos, but Rory felt okay with him. The two walked back to Tristan's room where Alex was already asleep and talked softly on his bed. Rory rested her head on Tristan's shoulder and didn't think anything of it; little did she know it was the greatest moment he could remember. Within an hour of being in the room, Tristan noticed that Rory had fallen asleep. His conscience was saying to wake her up and walk her back, but it was raining outside and she was sound asleep for what seemed to be the first time in days.

I remember stormy weather

The way the sky looks when it's cold

And you were with me

Content with walking

So unaware of the world

In Rory's sleep she heard the thunder and could feel Tristan's breath on her. She realized that he was a gentleman and just walked with her trying to make her feel better. Tristan was becoming like a brother to Rory; just a brother who made a lot of innuendos. Rory could see Tristan becoming a friend and felt completely comfortable with him. Maybe Tristan could lessen the pain until Rory could make it up to Brian and get him back.

Please don't drive me home tonight

'Cause I don't wanna be alone

Please don't drive me home tonight

'Cause I don't wanna go

Tuesday morning

In the dark

I was finding out

Who you are

Tristan didn't want Rory to leave his arms, ever. He learned so much about her that Monday night into the early hours of Tuesday morning. Tristan didn't want to be away from Rory ever even though she had no clue how he felt. He just couldn't find a way to let her go.

I took your picture

While you were sleeping

And then I paced around the room

If I had known then

That these things happen

Would they have happened with you?

Rory started to toss and turn so Tristan let her fall out of his arms onto his bed and he just stared at her. She looked so innocent that the mental picture would never leave his mind. He started to walk around the room wondering what would have happened had he not gone to military school. Talking to a girl in a way where she felt comfortable had never occurred to Tristan before; he'd never had to push anything, he always got what he wanted. If he'd tried talking to her all those years ago maybe something different would've happened.

After all that thinking, Tristan got back into his bed next to Rory and fell asleep staring at her. She was so beautiful when she was asleep.