Disclaimer: They are not mine. I own nothing but my ideas. Oh and the definition for FINE was taken off a Gilmore Girl's fanfiction posting here, but for the life of me I can't find who to credit it for, cause I cant even remember the fiction it was used in. So please dear original author, don't nail me for it. If its you, just tell me and I'll edit the credit in where its due.

Rating: PG14 ? There is a naked buttocks in this chapter, slight though. I had to keep it in for character integrity. We May Have Room for Secrets, But Not Lies

"I guess its my turn to spill," worried Rory, she quickly extradited her hands from Tristan's and started to fidget, her eyes darting to the sides, at the time display on her cell phone, even the edge of her coat held untold levels of fascination.

"No its not. I'm sorry if you got the wrong idea. I just wanted to make the most of my twenty minutes and repair whatever damage hormonal Tristan did in forming your opinion of me. That's more important to me than you'll ever know. Now I know I have your admiration, that's one step to true friendship. The next is respect. I know you won't believe it right now, but you've had my respect from day 1. It would have been so easy for you to say yes, be played, and reap the rewards of it afterwards. You would fit in with the Chilton girls, but no, you had to dance to your own beat, you absolutely had to go and be different. Other than that, I think we have room for secrets, but never lies. Those hurt more than anything else could…" Tristan desperately tried to redeem himself. The last thing he wanted was her to think they were going to move at his pace, wherever they were going. Unfortunately that seemed to be her conclusion.

"But…how…" Rory whispered in dismay, " how can we be friends now, with you across an ocean, and more importantly why. Why would you want to be friends with me, I'm not a Mary anymore, I've made mistakes, terrible, horrible mistakes. I've done things I'm not proud of, I'm truly ashamed of. Why would you want to be friends with something like that?"

"Stop that right now." Her constant negativity towards herself was grating on his nerves, and his worry was beginning to wear him down. "You gave me a chance after everything I did to you. It is in your nature to forgive and you do believe in second chances. Why is it so hard to believe that I could change, I could see that beautiful aspect of your personality and charm and incorporate it seamlessly into my own personality." Tristan finished with a sigh. "All I ask is do not run, I miss the girl that was Rory, and in all likelihood she's never coming back. But what I want to do is to be there for the Rory that will be. Let me be there, let me run with you if necessary. You have control here, maybe not anywhere else, but you have complete control here. I will support you. The way I never did. I lied slightly; I told you that I was just here for a visit. I'm here for a bit more. I'm here to ask you for a second chance. To woo you properly, the way a girl like you deserves to be courted."

Rory began to squirm at this confession and pronounce her inadequacies as an object of affection. "Tristan, I'm flattered but I'm not…"

"Don't finish that sentence, I don't want to hear the ending no matter what," warned Tristan. "I said I would never lie, I'm not, even now I'm serious. However it seems that you my dear Mary have some spring-cleaning to do. Or should I say fall cleaning. And I fully volunteer my services to help you pack away your "ghosts" or whatever is keeping you depressed. I advise you take me up on my offer my dear. I'll be bunking on your sofa anyways for the next few months. My lawyers need me to remain state-side for a while longer. Might as well give me something to do."

"I don't appreciate being thought of as a D-I-Y project Tristan, I don't need you, or anyone. I'm doing perfectly fine by myself!" defended Rory. "I'm fine."

"Sure you are Mary, always have been…" Tristan offered with a wink, "in two senses of the word, you're fine as in a classic beauty. Furthermore you're fine as in Freaked out, Insane, Neurotic and Emotional. All things I know to be part of Rory Gilmore's uniqueness, however, you are not fine as in 'I can in good faith, leave you alone to your own devices'".

Tristan checked his watch. It seems that while they were having their little bonding session, Rory had given him a lot more than his 20 minutes.

Rory's stomach as if on cue gave a growl that would have frightened a Great Dane. No! Stupid stomach, why don't you embarrass me some more. Rory berated herself while in retaliation, she started to make little gurgling noises. If only it was something controllable…

Tristan couldn't help but smirk. His darling Mary was now hunched over, not because of depression, but as thought she had the impression that the smaller she could make herself, the more of herself she could place between him and her stomach, the less noticeable the noise. It also didn't hurt that she was turning a most delightful shade of pink and rose that would rival a sunset as sea. Just as he was about to broach possible lunching options, her phone rang.

Rory looked at the id display and let out a small breath she didn't know she had been holding and allowed herself a small smile. Opening the clamshell she let the voice wash over her.

"Listen darling" began Finn " it is now still such an un-Godly hour, but since I'm up, and I know you poor wisp of a girl hasn't eaten yet, I might as well make it a Godly hour by combining your presence with mine. That combined with Four and Twenty pies, a good round of you boxing with Gerald my giant Kangaroo, fully clothed for your comfort of course and what else but Ms. Patty's Founder's Day punch. Let the ancient deities thank that woman for inventing a concoction so strong even I can feel it."

Rory smiled. "I wish I could do lunch, nothing beats boxing with your giant stuffed toy especially when Gerald and I decide to gang up on you but…" Rory's excuse was cut short.

"Cum'mon why won't you be a spunky Sheila and keep a lad company. Fine. I'll even make it strip lunch." Countered Finn.

"Dirty." Rory exclaimed, unconsciously channelling Lorelai.

"I meant loin," corrected Finn.

"Once again, I repeat. Dirty." Rory giggled.

Tristan swore, whoever put that smile on Rory's face was going to do so again. He didn't care who got the credit. So he stole the phone away from Rory, holding her at bay by extending his arm and placing his hand on her forehead.

"We'd be glad to take you up on your luncheon date. Strip lunch included," Tristan started.

Rory gave up, and relaxed against Tristan's hand, let him bear the weight that is my head

thought Rory. It's the least he can do in return for stealing my phone.

"Tristan Dugrey, soon to be Montpensier. Complicated story. Anyways just wanted to say Rory will be keeping this date since whoever can make Rory giggle right now, needs to be beside her." Tristan told a shocked Finn.

"I do believe Mate, we've got a Reporter lover on our 'ands 'ere. Why don't you just include yourself in that invitation. Get Reporter Girl to dear Finnegan's dorm and I'll whip us up some food. Tell her not to worry, the hamburger is not here right now. Got to go now, Sandra's walking by, red-head you know, looks awfully scrumptious, may attempt a private appetizer before Reporter gets here with her mystery man. Sandra!"

Finn's call was cut off.

Tristan explained to his Mary, "well, it seems we've got a date at Finnegan's dorm. Shall we milady? Oh and something about an absent Hamburger?" He then proceeded to offer her his arm, which she took without hesitation knowing her ex was no longer in Finn's company, and set forth.

"Tristan?" Rory started.

"Yes Mary?" he replied. "Don't tell me, you think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Right?" he offered.

"Actually not what I had in mind, yes to that too after consideration, but…Finn's dorm, is in the opposite direction." Rory said with a small smile.

"Right, off we go then." A flustered Tristan attempted to recover.

Rory's smile got marginally bigger and bigger, then it finally reached her eyes, making them sparkle and dance in the weakening autumn light.

As they approached Finn's apartment, Tristan looked around in surprise.

"How old is Finn?"

"Oh, I'd say somewhere around our ages. Not to sure about that, He's a legend on campus for the parties, the women, and the nakedness. Although he's not as well known for the nakedness as my friend Marty, a.k.a. The Naked Guy. I know he's taken Greek Mythology and Women's studies as least three times… " Rory replied as if it was a matter of fact.

"Wait, wait, wait, my MARY, has not one, but two nudists friends? I knew you were a non-conformist, but I thought even you loved fashion too much to completely give it up." Tristan accompanied his statement with a playful leer. "So can I attend the next party you go to? You know, and record the proceedings for prosperity?"

All that earned Tristan was a healthy shove on the shoulder.

"Ok, sorry! Wow, for a girl, you really punch like a girl."

That earned Tristan a healthy Gilmore Girl glare.

"All I wanted to know was why we are on the Endowment Land properties and not the student dorms, I thought you may have pulled a Geller on me," explained Tristan.

"I guess I better explain Finnegan a little to you first. He's different, he's society as much as you or me, even more so. He got kicked out of the student dorms cause one of the guards he paid off to ignore a party and prank developed a conscience without notifying Finn. So he's never to step foot in one of the dorms again, but that was all right, they were building private residences just off campus for an outrageous price, the apartment complex supposedly has most of the Deans and the Chancellor living there. So Finn, decided in the ultimate act of bravery…or stupidity. He bought the penthouse. And sound proofed it. The only way to access it is with a private swipe card. The Deans and Chancellor can only imagine what he does up there, but they can't complain because they have no proof. Well, different may be an understatement, he spends most of his time inebriated, his cure for a hangover is alcohol but amazingly, his best and worst ideas come to him when he's drunk. He's just… a good friend to me, despite my circumstances. It's hard to explain. You'll just have to see for yourself. "

Rory walked right past the doorman as he held the door open for her and Tristan.

"Hello again Miss Rory. Don't worry, Master Logan dropped Finn off hours ago and hasn't been seen since." The doorman was on standing orders to let Miss Gilmore in at all times, she had been given the all access pass by Finn, seeing as how some of the trouble he got himself into needed a feminine touch. The doorman had also been privy to the exact nature of Rory and Logan's split since he was the first line of defence for keeping Rory safe from meeting Logan while visiting Finn.

"Thank you Joe." Rory smiled at the doorman, who not surprisingly had a PhD from India's Institute of Technology. All the way from a university where the student's back up school was MIT, to the good US of A reduced to a doorman. Well promoted as he said. From the brain tank to the brawn tank. Indian doormen doubled as security guards and physical bouncers. "How are Ravi and Angelina doing?" she inquired.

"Oh fine thank you Miss Rory. Ravi is all set for pre-med at Cornell and Angelina is off for a gap year teaching English back in India."

"That's wonderful. Have a good day Joe." Rory replied.

Once in the elevator she told Tristan that Joe had left behind all the perks he was entitled to in India to come to America and get a Green card so his children could attend schools where the degrees were more internationally recognized. He worked as a janitor and a doorman so his children could have a better life.

Tristan simply took it all in and nodded. He didn't understand why Rory was so critical of her mistakes, true, hind sight is twenty twenty, but could she not see what a kind person she was? She knew the story and history of a doorman? Not usually a person someone of "their" class would take notice of. Definitely not someone their grandparents or Tristan's parents would even know existed.

The elevator 'dinged' along, marking the floors, as they raced up to the twenty second floor. As the doors opened, a wave of music so loud it nearly blew them over greeted them. An opera by Verdi blasted from the Bose sound system. Tristan now understood part of the intelligence at soundproofing this penthouse. As this level, the opera would have been heard clearly on the street below. Finn came into view. Open arms ready to envelop Rory in a hug. Rory looked unfazed by this but Tristan was shocked.

Finn was wearing a cooking apron, one that covered the chest to the knees and tied in the back. However that was all he was wearing. As Finn spun Rory around, Tristan caught sight of Finn's tanned buttocks. Even with Rory's warning, Tristan was slightly shocked to see so much of any man outside of the locker room.

"R.G. darling, so glad you could make it. You too mate," Finn began. I began to make lunch, but oil burns hurt on bare arms…and other limbs, I'd prefer to leave them in the bedroom."

Rory laughed, and simply moved to introduce the now silent Tristan.

"Finnegan, this is Tristan Dugrey, aka Bible Boy, Spawn of Satan and E.T. oh and I guess pretty soon Tristan Montpensier. Tristan, this is Finnegan De Beers."

As each boy sized each other up with accuracy honed by years of meeting all walks of the social hierarchy they came to a conclusion. During their manly handshake compared to Rory's loving hug, Tristan put slightly more pressure than necessary on Finn's pinky finger knuckle to which Finn responded with quick swipe of his middle finger down the middle of Tristan's palm as the salutation ended.

"G'day mate, nice to make your acquaintance, Rory is evidently in a better mood than I left her this morning, so lets forget the pissing contest and eat. Or better yet drink." Finn spoke as he ushered them into the kitchen. "Old Rossini took over the cooking after I couldn't stand the burns. That's one thing Jessica Simpson and I have in common, if you can't stand the oil burns, get out of the kitchen. What'll you drink mate, dear R.G. seems to have found the dry bar…"

Rory poured an unhealthy amount of bourbon into a glass and was starting to drain it when Finn unceremoniously stuck a straw into the side of the glass and downed the remaining alcohol faster than Rory could get it into her mouth. Tristan simply lifted the glass away from her above her head.

"Kill joys." she complained at the boys. Finn reminded her of their deal.

"You remember our deal dear. My God those are good genes you've got but too much alcohol and you'll lose them, genes only do so much. Alcohol, well lets say that no matter how many times you get hit with a pretty stick afterwards, you'll never look as ravishing."

"Don't I know you from some place?" he directed at Tristan, "Ah yes that charity thing in Manhattan last week. You were there, with that gorgeous red-head model." Finn started.

Rory looked at Tristan, the confusion evident in her eyes. I thought he had changed? Maybe not. I'm a bad judge of character everyone knows that.

Tristan looked at Finn a bit ticked off, "Careful there Mate," he spat out, "that's my cousin once removed you're talking about." Tristan reached for Rory's hand and started rubbing circles in her palm and she went down a level on her Defcon alert. "She wanted to go to that breast cancer benefit cause a person at her agency passed away because of it."

Finn's interest peaked, "Does that mean I can get her number?"

Tristan cryptically replied, "You can get it yourself, she's enrolled at Brown and she's prepared for all things."

Finn just grinned and Rory looked slightly lost by the exchange.

"R.G. darling, haven't you tested your Tristan friend? He moves in the right circles you know." Finn directed at Rory.

Now it was Tristan's turn to be confused. "What? Mary I'm lost here."

To which Rory replied, "You're never truly lost Tristan," and she pulled out a silver ring she kept on a necklace, one thats pattern matched ones on both Finn and Tristan's hands, "when you're amongst friends. In Omnia Paratus." She whispered.

Rory broke out into giggles. "I didn't even notice your ring Tris. I don't wear the ring on my finger cause everyone took it to mean the my ex-boyfriend and I were engaged. Our relationship actually began with us jumping off a ten story scaffolding in evening wear."

I like that coming off her lips, Tris, it sounds like she had the breath knocked out of her or her voice hitched when thinking about me. Then another realization dawned on Tristan's face. Oh shit, I'm up against that kind of history! Oh well, here goes nothing, gotta prove it one way or another. "You're the ace up his sleeve."

Rory froze. The anonymity afforded her through Logan's continual use of her nickname seemed to shrink exponentially. She worried about how much Tristan might know of her background. Her comfort obviously decreased as she started looking for an exit route from the situation.

Finn and Tristan shared a glance and knew what they had to do before she ran out. They did the only sane thing, overpower her. The boys looked around for anything they could to restrain Rory from running. Both were getting a little tired of the situation as pretty as watching Rory's bum run away was, a man couldn't enjoy it while being privy to the knowledge of why she was running. Coming up empty handed, they simply plotted to restrain her themselves. With Finn only in an apron, the obvious choice was for Tristan to restrain Rory.

Tristan sat down and Finn unceremoniously plopped Rory onto Tristan's lap, he then moved to sit beside Tristan on the couch and hold Rory's feet as Tristan held Rory in his arms.

With no obvious way out, Rory did the only thing she could. She buried her face into the crook of Tristan's chest and arms.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Author's note: Now I know why people beg for reviews. I think its power over an author can rival any drug, legal or otherwise. Now, I had to pound this out for all those nice people who reviewed. But I have to draw the line, the next update will be next week. As to clarification of the timeline for fionasong, there may be a spoiler or two in what I say next, cause I only have everything in my head, and I never know what might be pertinent later on. Rory met Logan the fall of (fall of second year). She went out with him for a year, and he broke up with her on their one-year anniversary (fall of third year), she had a year to get over him, but is obviously still having issues with her "ghosts". It is now fall of fourth year, which explains Tristan graduating from Law School. I do know in the UK professional degrees can be started straight out of high school, none of this undergrad degree nonsense before law or med etc.

As soon as I figure out how I want Logan to interpret the break up I'll write a part with his musings, either while he drinks, parties or is consorting with one of the many. But I'm pretty sure I'll leave him as a good guy, confused, does the wrong thing sometimes, but does it because he thinks is best. I actually like Rogan stories, but that's only because on the show, there's no way they're bringing Tris back.

Thank you for your kind support of this story. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.