Disclaimer. They are not mine. I don't own anything but my ideas.

A/N: Sorry about the cliff hanger, but here's another update. The two chapters were supposed to be one, but I got tired of typing and I went to sleep instead.

Chapter 18

"How are you going to pull that off?" queried Rory

"Well I definitely need to spend a few more days here, but I should be able to swing some more time. I mean, I have to be in the States, but they never said where in the states I have to be." Tristan pondered. He couldn't have planned this night any better. True, his wildest dream had not come true. Rory had not told him that she liked or loved him, but she had done the next best thing. She had invited him into her life.

In his memory there was nothing sweeter than the moment that Rory leaned and whispered into his ear, "Thank you Tristan for everything. I'm ready to go home now, let's go back to Stars Hollow? The both of us?" It wasn't a definitive yes, but it was definitely a step in the right direction, and if that direction was her home, so be it.

As they stepped off the elevator back at the apartment, Tristan inserted the key into the door, but before he turned it, he was distracted by Rory placing her hand on his hand that was negotiating with the door. "Tristan," she looked up at him, a new glow about her. "You've been amazing, absolutely amazing, and I really enjoyed spending this time with you." While she spoke she negotiated their positions so that he was leaning against the front door and she, with both hands planted firmly on his chest stretched up pushing him into the door as her eyes closed searching for yet another way he could make her feel complete and comfortable. As her eyes closed, his widened in disbelief at the role reversal. He managed to pull his wits together moments before her lips caressed his. A split second too late and she might have kissed empty space his gaping jaw had left.

Rory pulled away after that almost too short kiss slightly dazed and definitely wanting more. As she leaned back in for seconds she closed her eyes, confident of finding her mark. However, she instead found herself disorientated as Tristan whirled her around and pinned her against the door and held her there physically by his weight pressing into her softness.

"Mary, Mary, Mary, you do realize that you've opened the floodgate right?" Tristan's confidence and cockiness came back full force stoked by her courageous and encouraging actions. "I've wanted to put you in this position since sophomore year at Chilton." Tristan's hands started wandering from her hips up to caress the underside of her breasts and stopped just shy of becoming indecent. Her breath caught as he leaned in and teased her with his sweet breathe falling on her lips, sweet promises of things to come. Quick little butterfly kisses fell on her bottom lip, the left corner, the right corner, so fast and so arousing, Rory has problems keeping up and responding trapping her right where he wanted her, aroused, confused and wanting more.

Finally, he caught her lips and there was no clichéd explosion of colour, fireworks, and a dam breaking, just the spread of warmth, safety and bridled passion. Rory breathed in Tristan like he was life, at the moment; she needed him more than she needed oxygen. Besides, oxygen is highly overrated. Even though it had been a year since the last time she kissed someone, it was like riding a bicycle. When his tongue ran along her bottom lip seeking permission, she gave it, opening her mouth to him without question or hesitation. The ease and familiarity he felt when kissing Rory simply felt right, however, he broke off the kiss, choosing instead to kiss her forehead and jaw line till they both regained enough control to move their amorous activities into the house.

While Tristan valiantly fought with his now clumsy hands to open the door, Rory stood behind him wrapping her arms around his waist and peeking out at the door from behind his shoulder. The moment they entered, Tristan headed towards the couch, wanting to clear any apprehensions Rory might have had about their heated encounter; he definitely did not want her running away crying yet again. However Rory had other ideas. When Tristan sat on the couch, and pulled her towards the couch meaning for her to sit beside him, she took the initiative and straddled his lap. Now, with the added advantage of having Tristan captive and at her exploring pleasure, she began placing butterfly kisses on his eyelids, his nose, his neckline, essentially anywhere she could reach she wanted to kiss. Tristan was in heaven especially when Rory started nuzzling the soft area right under his ear. With more control than he should have had, he groaned and forcefully stopped Rory by pushing her away from him.

With sudden embarrassment at the seeming rejection Rory was receiving from Tristan, she couldn't stay a moment longer, Rory tried to run, which only made Tristan curse and hold on to her with all her might. Tristan couldn't help but think, good going Tris, give her the completely wrong idea.

"Rory?" Tristan began once she had calmed down and had instead opted to shift closer to Tristan's body and hide her head in the crook of his shoulder and neck.

"Let me go Tris, I don't know what I was thinking…I thought…well I guess I thought wrong. Let me go?" Rory begged, that small insecure voice that Tristan wished he'd never hear again was back.

"Rory, I just wanted to talk to you first. Trust me, I enjoyed those kisses as much as you and I only pushed you away because you made me lose my voice. If I let you go promise me you won't run? Promise me you'll sit beside me and hear me out?" Tristan tried to negotiate with the girl on his lap. Feeling her nod more than hearing her verbal consent, Tristan slowly eased his grip around her waist.

Quite obediently, Rory slipped from Tristan's lap and onto the leather beside him, with whatever remaining courage she had left, she looked up into his eyes, the man sitting beside her looking more and more like the boy she knew from high school. Hair tousled from an amorous companion, lips well kissed and still kissable, it took considerable will power to keep Rory from jumping back into Tristan's lap whether he was a willing participant or not.

"Rory?" Tristan's voice brought Rory out of her attacking Tristan thoughts.

"Rory, first of all let me say, wow. I've dreamt of that happening with you and me for what feels like ages. There are no regrets on my side. Second of all, how should I put this…" Tristan ran a hand through his hair trying desperately to seek the right words to use. "Ok, let me put it this way, when you show me your town, your life and you life's blood, what are you going to introduce me as. What do you want to introduce me as?" Tristan knew he was fishing and wasn't gaining points for eloquence but at least there was no other way Rory could twist his words.

"Well…" Rory began, her eyes darting around the room like a cornered mouse. "Well…" her fingers began fidgeting with her dress.

"Well what." Tristan's hand gently redirected her face and her gaze back to him. With the view into his eyes, Rory's demeanour took on an entirely new face. Knowing almost definitively his answer, she went on the offensive.

With a smirk borrowed from Tristan she leaned in, and quietly, with a nip of his earlobe, asked. "Well, I want to introduce you as my boyfriend?"

Recoiling quickly, Rory looked up into Tristan's now beaming face and a startled Rory was brought into the tightest hug she ever experienced.

"Seal it with a kiss." Tristan said and did. "This is Rory Gilmore, my girlfriend." That has a nice ring to it. I like it very much." Tristan remarked between kisses, "I like it very very much."

"Me too." A breathless Rory managed to let out.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

A/N: Dear readers, never fear, because I am so erratic with my updates, I will write "The End" when I mean the end. This is a very long anticipated chapter, and I hope I've done it justice, if anyone is still lost (crissy) I will clarify in my next update.

Caz- I'm glad to hear I'm still keeping things interesting, truth be told, sometimes I feel like the story line gets a little stagnant, and its hard to push to the next point.

P- In omnia paratus means prepared for all things.

FallenHeart- I think I already apologized for being evil, and short chapters, these two chapters were meant as one, I simply got tired typing half way through that's all.

Till next time, thank you for reading and reviewing.