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

Show and Tell

After what seemed like ages to Rory, Tristan interrupted her thoughts on how to begin.

"How about we start from here, if you don't mind. I'd kiss you but your boyfriend is watching." Tristan offered.

"I guess that's as fair a position to begin as any. Well, after you left, Paris was Romeo, Dean was Dean and eventually was replaced by Jess. Dean and I were over for a second time at the Stars Hollow Dance Marathon, and Jess and I got together. Jess and I were together even though my mom didn't like him and Luke, that's Jess' uncle and my mother's boyfriend, the provider of coffee and feeder of the Gilmore Girls also didn't approve of us being together. He left me a bunch of times, always without saying goodbye. I thought I loved him. That takes me up to graduation. That's the cliff notes version." Rory rambled.

"Then there was university." Rory continued. "For the first year I was in a slump. I couldn't get a date if I tried and there was an embarrassing incident of me asking someone out and that person spreading around campus about this girl who would not quit. Anyways I exploded at him, and found out it was about another girl. Talk about humiliating." At this she looked at Tristan, attempting desperately to gauge his reaction. Basing whether or not to share her major indiscretion with him. He simply looked at her, eyes completely cool and unfazed by what she'd said so far.

"I was so lonely. I'd always had a guy to hang out with, to be special with, and then there were none. I don't exactly remember how it happened. Dean got married. He was unhappy, he was at my house, and then we were in my room…" Rory trailed off and Tristan got tense. You could see the amount of control lining and restraining his features. "We…we…I…yea. I grew up. Or at least I thought I did. I just wanted to feel loved and safe. Dean was safe. His wife found out, Stars Hollow found out…I could have died from embarrassment and guilt. I was the other woman. He got separated and we tried dating for a while. This is when things started between Logan and I. Well not really started but I met him." Rory paused for a long time, looking at Tristan and seeing if there was judgement or acceptance staring back at her, she found neither…it took a lot for her to continue.

"Dean and I were finding it difficult to arrange our schedules to meet and spend time together. He was to pick me up early from a party my grandmother held for me. It was to introduce me to other Yale families. More like auction me off to the highest bidder. Logan saved me from another boring automaton of the elitist factory…we formed a sub-party and drowned our boredom in liquor, while Finn took my mind off my problems with a train wreak version of "The passion of the Christ." You know Finn, it was so horrible, but you just couldn't tear your eyes away." At this fond memory Rory grinned remembering how even back then, Finn was there.

"I forgot the time, and Dean was out front, I ran out followed by Logan, Finn and the gang. Dean saw me all dressed up and slightly tipsy…he broke up with me again and drove off." Rory's voice became once again laden with heartache. No matter how many years past, how many good memories she held, the hurt of rejection never dulled enough to fade to the background. Unconsciously she once again leaned into Tristan's arm, which he lifted automatically to place around her shoulders.

"Logan and I…that was the first relationship I ever initiated. When he wouldn't ask me out after we hung out for a while, I got the idea to initiated it after my dad told me about his and mom's first kiss. I…I…negotiated and convinced him I wanted no strings. He does no strings very well if you didn't know. It got hard, I didn't want to do it anymore, and it took a night on the bathroom floor and countless cups of Miss Patty's Founder's Day punch to get me to realize the relationship was killing me. I told him I wanted out, and low and behold. He committed. Mr. Flavour of the Day committed. Things were wonderful. He was supportive, we had fun, we bantered and argued and he pushed my boundaries. I had such wonderful memories. We respected each other's space but couldn't wait till the next time we could see each other." Rory drifted off in thought for a few moments, just watching the koi in the pond and sighing as the years drifted by through her mind. The arm Tristan had draped around her reached her hand and started to rub soothing circles on the back of her hand almost unconsciously. If anyone had decided to look their way, they would have mistaken them for two lovebirds sharing a wordless conversation chocked full of subjects. But alas, reality would have shown a confused young girl and a young man learning the strength and 'je ne sais quoi' needed to succeed in love and life.

"My grandparents loved that we were together, I bet they even had wedding china patterns picked out and had scared the country club into being prepared at a moment's notice to hold an engagement reception. His parents and his grandfather on the other hand, were really against it. It touched me, he was willing to go against them to stay together, and I thought everything was going well. We had our ups and downs, but we always managed to make it through. I thought that with everything we had to overcome to stay together, we'd always stay together. I mean, I got through his player ways, I got him to commit. He got me to return to school and reconcile with my mom. He protected me from his family…" Rory started to distance herself, almost trying to cushion her own emotions from the pain of recounting the past, even at her own will. Tristan simply gripped her harder, and started rubbing his hand up and down her arm, a tactile anchor to the present.

"Then one night," she continued. "Actually, not one night, our one year anniversary. A good friend of mine was having a party, he wanted me to go. I didn't really know anyone there so I wanted Logan to go with me. He hadn't planned anything for our one year, and I didn't want to push the subject, but I at least wanted to spend the day with him, even if it was surrounded by others. Everything seemed ok. He seemed a little distracted but he explained he had a heavy course load. Anyways, I gave him his space and when the party was really going, and I started to enjoy myself, he called. At first just to check on me and he sounded a little sad. I just chalked it up to him being moody. Then he called later that evening, wanted to go out for coffee and just see me. I really didn't want to leave the party but he didn't sound like himself so I left, got in my car and drove the 40 minutes back to campus. When I got there I was so tired, I walked into his dorm and into his arms half asleep. He wanted to go out for coffee, but I was too tired so we simply stayed in. We lay on his bed perfectly content to just stay like that. I lay on his chest and he stroked my hair. I thought everything was perfect with the world. Then he broke up with me. He didn't let me leave the room either. Eventually, a few minutes in, I lost it, I went hysterical, I cried, I did all the things a girl does after she gets dumped, but he wouldn't let me leave his room." A single tear escaped the corner of Rory's eye and Tristan took out a neat monogrammed handkerchief from his jacket pocket and wiped her eye then handed her the cloth. "I don't remember much. Just that he tried to keep me calm and comfort me…I think I ended up giving him a bunch of bruises his chest…I just didn't want him to touch me." Rory's voice trailed off again.

Silence weighed, a thick wool blanket itching the developing couple in the tropical heat and humidity.

"I guess he was smart. If I had left, I probably would have tried driving back to Stars Hollow…who knows what might have happened in the emotional state I was in." Rory shuddered from the thought. I felt so stupid, so naïve and so depressed. He had become such a large part of my life. He was my first call, even before my mom sometimes. Now, I couldn't call, I couldn't see him with others. Every time a new girl was on his arm…I wondered what they had that I didn't. Every time I saw a couple, it reminded me of my horribly single status." Rory laughed a terribly bitter laugh. "I actually went as far as looking casually at engagement bands…I knew exactly which one I wanted too. Logan knew too…I thought that was what he was going to ask me that night." Rory just looked off into the distance. No emotion whatever showing on her face. Tristan was slightly scared at the coldness emanating from the girl beside him. For a person that usually showed such strong emotions whether happy or sad, to suddenly sense no emotion from them was frightening. Like a rushing river instantaneously drying up.

Tristan could only sit in silence unsure of whether Rory was done sharing.

"Aren't you going to run away? I'm not Mary. I've done horrible things. I've been the other woman, I've broken a marriage, I've put my heart in the hands of boys and men that could have cared less…" Rory ranted again, the temporary stillness of moments before the eye of the storm. A temporary respite from the storm that rages throughout.

Even with all of Tristan's amazingly insightful insights he was at a loss. She moved too fast for him to even wrap his mind around all she said. He had only his regular male training to fall back upon. So, as a last resort (not that he minded terribly) he held a finger to her lips to silence her. Rory's head turned towards Tristan and he slowly leaned towards her. When he was close enough to share her breath, he removed his finger. "Mary, and you are forever MY Mary. I don't care about your past, I've likely got a past more soiled and repented less than you. I just want a chance at the future." Tristan breathed into her hoping that his words and his sincerity would penetrate her shell as her air did.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

A/N: I've promised myself that I am going to actually complete something I've started writing. I can sort of imagine where this will end, so…when I'm bored and I'm procrastinating…I'll write. The begining history of Rory is brief, we all know it by heart. However, I went into slightly more detail regarding the later stages of my version of the Rogan relationship and breakup but not too much detail. I don't know of any girl who will share every nitty gritty detail about exs with a potential.

Thank you dear reviewers for being so polite in your reviews even when you are confused or have criticisms. Common courtesy goes a long way.

Jalna: Thank you for such a long review. However, I'm slightly confused regarding if the summary of Tristan is meant for me as a guide. Thank you if it is. However, I disagree with you about how Tristan should change. I think if a person changes for someone else, it will never last and resentment becomes an issue. A person has to change for themselves if the change and the relationship were to last.

Please review and comment. I thoroughly enjoy reading your reviews and I know how difficult it is to review. Sometimes I read amazing stories and I want to say something, but it just left me speechless. Stupid I know, but true.