Title: Strangers

Summary: Tristan has come to visit Rory. They accuse each other of the pain they're experiencing.

Disclaimer: I still own nothing.

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. My wrist still hurts. This chapter might be short because of it.

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"What?"

Tristan looked at Rory, confusion in his blue eyes.

"You never told me to stop writing? Here..."

He took a crumpled up letter out of his wallet. It was obvious that the letter had been read a lot.

Tristan,

Don't write to me anymore. Things are over between us. What we did was immoral and gross, I finally see that now. Don't try to contact me any longer. I won't reply anymore. Stop remembering, start living.

Rory.

Rory read the letter quickly, her eyes scanning the paper. Her hands started trembling and tears appeared in her eyes.

"How...how could she do something like that to me?"

She whispered softly, shaking like a leaf. Tears were falling freely now. Tristan had to fight hard against the urge to take her into his arms.

"You didn't write that?"

She shook her head determinedly.

"No...how can you think I would do such a thing? I wrote you so many letters, but never something like this. Never."

"Then...then who?"

"It's my moms handwriting. I can't believe she would something like that. I mean...she didn't even tell me..."

"Rory..."

Tristan took a step towards her and gently grabbed her hand.

"You never wrote that? You mean it? You never thought that we were...disgusting?"

His eyes looked so hopeful. Rory looked at them, her cheeks wet from the tears she had been crying. She shook her head quietly.

"I would never do something like that. Never. I loved you so much Tristan. You were everything to me. But when you didn't write back...I didn't know what to do. At first I wanted to find you...to shout at you and I don't know...I just wanted to do something to relieve this pain. And then I got Jayden. And because you didn't reply to my letters I didn't know where to find you and the only thing I knew was that you hated me. For ruining your life. I didn't want you to feel forced...to come back and raise him. I wanted you to be free from me. Free from what people thought of us. I wanted you to be happy."

Tristan was crying now too.

"I could never be happy without you Rory. I've been thinking about you for the past seven years. I've thought about you every day. Every single day. When you were there, at the funeral, I thought that I was going crazy. I was so happy and so angry at the same time. And then I saw him. My son. And I couldn't understand why you had hidden him from me. I didn't mean to get so angry Ror. I didn't want to shout at you. I just..."

"I understand."

Her hand stroked his cheek and she took a step closer to him.

"I can't believe that our parents would do such a thing. That they kept our letters. I guess they really do think we're immoral and gross."

Rory's voice sounded sorrowful. She averted her eyes from Tristans inquisitive gaze.

"And you...?"

"I don't know Tristan. I really don't know. For years I thought that you hated me and now I have to come to terms with the fact that our parents did this. That we never did anything to each other. Except for loving each other."

Tristan wrapped his arms around Rory and held her quietly for what seemed like eternity.

"What about Jayden?"

"What about him Tris?"

"Can we...I mean...I know you have a husband...but can I still be involved in raising him?"

Review please!

NEXT CHAPTER will be the FINAL chapter.