Disclaimer: They are not mine. I own nothing but my ideas.

Shall We Dance?

"Miss Gilmore?" the attendant tried to rouse Rory from her comatose like relaxed state. Every bone in Rory's body felt like well kneaded dough, her mind was blissfully blank. It's amazing how one doesn't realize how much thinking and having a million thoughts running through your head hurts until it stops. Sort of like how background noise is only noticed when it is absent. "Miss Gilmore…the massage is over…" the attendant continued her gentle pull on Rory's attention when all of a sudden…

"MARY!" Rory jolted awake. Self amazed that that name, though not on her birth certificate managed to rouse her as quickly as someone calling her full name. Yet, the blonde who barged into Rory's cabana wasn't male, although she could also have stepped out of an Abercrombie and Fitch or a Ralph Lauren ad. "There you are, hope you enjoyed that, Mikki is the best masseuse here. I took the liberty of bringing your dress and shoes along with my makeup kit and a hairdresser. I thought it would be easier for us to dress and get ready here rather than go back to the apartment and fight with the boys over mirror space." The bubbly blonde contined.

Rory was extremely puzzled as to who this girl was, her mannerisms and the way she leaned casually against the wall struck her as familiar, but in her fuzzy consciousness, she couldn't quite pinpoint why it was familiar.

The bright eyed blonde continued her rambling, "By the time we're done with you, you won't be able to recognize yourself. Tristan's going to be speechless for once in his life." With this thought the blonde smirked. "Oh, I am terribly rude. Hi," the blonde reached out to shake Rory's hand even though Rory was still lying face down on the table. "I'm Alison. Tristan's sister. I know you are Rory, my big bro's Mary and a Yalie too. Isn't the asbestos thing terrible? How could they let us go there? If I was pre-law instead of pre-med I'd consider suing the University. Are you going to get up?"

Alison simply continued on talking, never seeming to need a breath or a moment to change topics.

Rory blushed and Alison took the hint and blushed in return as she turned to face the door so that Rory could get up and put on her robe.

"Sorry about that," Alison apologized. "I get carried away and start rambling and ….oh I saw the cutest little sandals at the plaza next door…there I go again. Anyways the showers are back the way you came and I'll send someone to get you and bring you to the room where we're getting ready. I'm so glad the people were so accommodating for us."

After the shower Rory felt less oily but still as relaxed. Until she saw the number of people required to get Alison ready for a night out. There was the hairdresser currently pulling and frying Alison's hair in all directions, an assistant that probably put yet another hole in the ozone layer due to his liberal use of aerosolized hairspray, a make up artist and a stylist coordinating a "look" while manicuring Alison's nails. Alison managed to catch Rory staring at her in the mirror and motioned with her eyes to take a seat in the empty chair beside her. On the mirror in front of Rory was a picture of her evening gown, black with a tight corseted top with a floor sweeping satin skirt which defied gravity and somehow held it's fullness while still flowing assisted only by two crinoline skirts underneath. Her shoes were a dark metallic grey with small crystals on the straps. There also was a picture of Rory, when it was taken or how it was obtained was beyond her. Beside the picture of her face was a copy printed on thick artist's paper with makeup applied. It looked to Rory like a test run done by the makeup artist and it was flawless. Out of nowhere a lady came up to her and looked at Rory expectantly.

"Yes?" Rory asked.

Alison replied for the help. "She wants to take your measurements to check one last time that the dress is altered correctly."

And so the primping, painful and wonderful began to transform Rory. While Rory was a beauty before, she was stunning after. Alison looked on with glee. "If Tristan didn't love you before, he will after this. You better be sure you like my brother a lot, cause after tonight, I don't think he will ever let you leave his side."

To this Rory could only nervously chuckle. She was truly once again extremely confused.

Many painful hours later…

The chauffeured Maybach pulled to the spa and a two gentlemen stepped out looking like the pinnacle of refinement. One was dressed like a fallen angel in a pure white tuxedo while the other looked positively sinful in black. Alison exited the building first and ran into her brother's arms, as they hugged she whispered. "Don't dool all over my hard work now."

As Tristan pondered her words, Rory stepped out shyly from the automatic doors. Her hair was pulled back into a high bun with ringlets cascading downwards. She looked at the floor blushing as she walked, a little unsteady without support in the heels the dress required her to wear. The plush carpeting that lead from the doors to the edge of the pickup zone of the building definitely did not help her balance. As she almost stumbled. Finn dressed in the white moved to help her. He had waited for Tristan to make the first move to escort the girl to the car, but Tristan was evidently shell shocked.

Finn reached Rory and put his arm out for her to use as support. With the knowledge that Finn would catch her if she fell, Rory immediately straightened up and walked with her head held high. The final change made Tristan's breath leave him. It seemed every brain cell had diverted their attention away from normal function and were completely focused on Rory well, except the brain cell that direct blood flow down south...you can guess that they were working overtime.

In the car, Finn presented Alison with a small bunch of orchids to place in her hair.

Tristan took the time to do his big brother speech. "I better not find one hair out of place on my sister's head tonight Finn. I want her back in one piece ok?"

Finn feigned complete disgust. "How dare you assume that your sister's virtue is in any danger at all tonight. I give you my word as a gentleman."

At this Tristan snorted with laughter. "A gentleman, hah! I might as well get your word as a ruffian. It would probably be worth more."

Rory put her two cents in confused. "I thought Finn was my escort. I mean, he helped me on the carpet…"

Alison interrupted. "Only because my idiot brother doesn't have enough brain cell to ogle his crush and walk at the same time." This earned her a death stare from Tristan and an accomplice's grin from Finn.

Tristan tried to explain, he had wanted them to go initially all as friends since there was an uneven number. Especially since Rory had been acting strange around him, but he wasn't going to tell her that. But with his sister in the picture, it would be more natural to pair off. "We don't have the audacity of the Gilmore's. Although society may have been tolerant of second cousin incest, I think having a brother and sister escort each other may be worse."

Alison whispered into Rory's ear. "Especially since it might destroy our reputations…can you imagine? A DuGrey unable to find an escort?" At the look of sheer horror on Alison's face, Rory laughed.

He does look dashing…Rory thought. Tristan presented Rory with a small white box, nestled inside was a diamond solitare necklace and a dozen mini white roses carefully attached to tiny brown claw clips. Tristan reverently placed the necklace done in platinum around Rory's neck and proceeded to embed the roses securely around the top of the bun so they circled around it.

With Tristan in such close proximity, she could feel the heat radiating off his body and his breath caress her neck hot and uneven in the coolness of the car. When he was finished, he trailed one knuckle down the back of her neck and gave a small kiss on her shoulder.

Rory's breath hitched and she felt herself begin to heat up, the blush on her cheeks growing darker as she turned to thank Tristan. For a moment, between blinks, he could have sworn her eyes grew darker, but it was only a fleeting second, and Tristan couldn't guarantee it was not a trick of light.

As they arrived, Finn and Alison alighted first, gaily laughing and enjoying each others company. Without the light chatter of the light couple, Rory and Tristan could feel the tension, sexual and otherwise. Even though the mood was slightly strained, Tristan was determined not to let his chance to romance Rory go.

The situation was not ideal, something was bothering Rory, her attention was not completely with the moment, and that annoyed Tristan, however he simply got out, took a deep breath and schooled his features burying all worry and annoyance determined to make the most out of what was likely his only chance to show Rory what she meant to him. As he leaned back down and reached out a white gloved hand to Rory, she met his eyes exiting and he mentioned just three little words. "Shall we dance?"

Regardless of her thoughts, Rory graced his with her smile.

Right, Tristan thought. That wasn't too hard. As they walked into the building he continually glanced at Rory. My God she's beautiful. Tristan was struck by the realization that this girl was IT with a capital I and T. Whatever she asked, whatever she desired, he would try his damned to make her smallest whims and her most impossible dreams a reality.

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A/N: Well, classes started again this week. I've got like 4 lab components for 4 out of 6 courses. My schedule is insane. So, likely, only one update a week probably late in the week or on the weekend. I keep thinking that this current Rory confusion issue will be resolved in the chapter that I'm going to write next (i.e. it was supposed to blow up this chapter) but I never quite build it up enough to my satisfaction. Trust me when I say I want the fluff as much as the rest of you do.

KeitaWolf: Your review made me laugh so hard, and worry a little. If I scared my readers, I didn't intend to…its just that's my history…to kill off characters. However, I think at the current time, if Tristan died, Rory would most likely slowly self destruct…thereby ending the story. My title comes from a Disney song…I want at least a bittersweet ending. Not a sad one.

Jade: Thanks for the idea, I've decided to work it in. However, as much as I outline what I want a chapter to contain, I sort of let the fingers do the typing and see if it comes out naturally. I've decided that a Tristan-chaser will show up and solidify Rory's opinion of Tristan' true nature, but not until after I do a big Tristan confronts Rory scene.

Cjg6: I'm slightly confused. The other girl? Alison? Tristan's sister? Or the one who wanted the tiaras and pearls? The "regular little leech"? Well, I was simply thinking of gold diggers in general that Tristan would have by now learned to at least recognize, but I also guess Miss Muffy of London would fit that description too.

Oh, one apology. Proof reading of this chapter is minimal at best.

Please review and have a great weekend.