Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls

Note: Okay, I need a new word for thank you because I don't want it's meaning to run out! So MERCI! To all my reviewers! EACH ONE! MERCI! I hope that you guys really like this chapter, I put a lot into this one! So here ya go...Oh and I understand that some of the last chapters have been rushed, Sorry! But I really think this cpht is some of my best...

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rory groaned as she tried to apply concealer to her eye. It had grown black and blue over night and it looked like someone had hit her with a baseball bat. The concealer wasn't even affecting it. Glancing at her watch, she knew she had to get going if she wanted to make it to school on time.

"Concealer didn't work?" Lorelai laughed as Rory glared at her while sipping some coffee. At least Lorelai was joking now. Last night when Rory had had to explain, Lorelai had been livid. But after hours of talk, she finally cooled down.

"Well I'm going! Meet you at Luke's later!" Lorelai nodded and continued to pretend that she was reading the paper.

Walking out the door, Rory suddenly stopped. "Mom, why do you have Tristan's cell phone number?"

Lorelai waved her hand, as if to say it wasn't important, and didn't even look up. "He left it for you when he dropped it off, in case you needed anything."

"Oh," was all Rory could muster. "Well I'll see you later."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rory felt all eyes on her as she walked down the hall. After all, it wasn't everyday someone walked down the hall sporting a huge bruise.

Closing in on her locker, Rory let out that all familiar groan. Tristan was waiting for her at her locker.

Noticing Rory approaching, with her face facing the floor, Tristan unconsciously straightened himself up.

"Mary, nice to see you awake." Tristan frowned as she simply ignored him and stuck her head in her locker.

"Mary, I'm hurt! After I brought you home and everything! You owe me you know."

Rory felt her insides twisting. Couldn't he just walk away? She didn't need him to see her like this.

"Mare...Come on! At least acknowledge me!" He rested his hand on her shoulder and felt her jump.

"Giving you chills huh Mare?" He stepped back as she suddenly ripped his hand off her shoulder and finally turned to face him.

"Would you just give it a rest!" Tristan's mouth fell open at the sight of her. Her whole eye was black and blue.

"Holy shit Rory! What happened?" His face had gone from shocked to confused and worried.

Shrugging Rory shut her locker and walked past him. Taking off after her, Tristan decided to wait until after they sat down in homeroom to ask the obvious, that way she couldn't run away.

"Rory, did Jess do that to you?" Knowing that Tristan wasn't going to give up, Rory decided to just answer.

"It was an accident." Her statement was simple and emotionless, but Tristan felt his blood beginning to boil. He had hit her! How could he "accidentally" hit Rory! If he ever saw Jess again...

"I'm going to kill him." Tristan let it slip before he realized what he was saying.

"What?" Rory had now fully turned around in her seat.

"Nothing. No, wait, are ya'll still dating?" Rory frowned at Tristan's question, not because she thought it was rude, but because it still hurt to think about Jess.

"No." He could hear the pain dripping off the word as she tried to hide it, so he decided not to push it.

Tears were trying to push their way from behind Rory's eyes, so she tried to find something to focus on. Rory watched as Tristan tried to hold back words. There were probably about one hundred snide comments that he wanted to say.

"Go ahead. I don't care what you have to say." Her words were icy. How could she have thought that she liked him? Just because he had brought her home didn't mean that he had suddenly become Prince Charming! God, he was so infuriating...

"I was just going to say, you looked beautiful at the dance and I can't believe he could walk away from you." Tristan knew he was risking a lot with this statement, but he didn't care. She was never going to get it.

Rory's mental bashing stopped instantly, like a car hitting a brick wall. What did he just say? Had she just imagined that? She tried to read his face, but he had already turned around to talk to Joey, leaving her shell shocked. Did Tristan DuGrey actually care about her?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"When are you going to wake up Gilmore?" Rory titled her head back in frustration.

"Paris, see these? My eyes? They are open! That usually means that I'm awake. I mean, aside from the rare occasion and the living dead, that's usually a tell tale sign!" Paris shot her ice-melting glare and Rory as she cocked her hip.

"I mean, when are you going to finally realize that Tristan cares about you!" Paris was now waving one hand dramatically in Rory's face causing Madeline and Louise to come running over, reading for drama.

"I know he cares about me, just like Jude Law cared about Sienna Miller! That turned out real well!" Rory was almost yelling now, but she found her thoughts flicking back and forth between scenes from the dance and Tristan's homeroom comment.

"Actually, I read in US Magazine," Louise shook her hair off her shoulder for emphasis, "That Jude Law does love Sienna Miller, he just made a mistake." As Madeline nodded in agreement and Paris smiled victoriously, Rory couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Whatever, I have to go to study hall." As Rory pushed pass them she could feel their eyes on her. She had actually been surprised that hadn't asked about her eye, but they had probably already found out, knowing Tristan.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Tristan didn't appear at her locker after school, Rory felt herself looking for him over the crowed hallways. She had to ask him. It would kill her if she didn't. I mean, it wasn't like he was going to profess his love for her, he was probably just going to laugh at her. Anyway, it wasn't like she liked him right?

Finally she saw his streaked blond hair above the crowd exiting the building.

Piling her books in her book sack she took off after her.

"Tristan!" He stopped at the sound of his name. Was Rory calling his name?

"Tristan, why did you say that? You know, this morning?" Finally turning around, Tristan rolled his eyes. When was this girl going to get it.

Looking her straight in the eye he answered, "Because it's true." With that he turned around smoothly in the gravel parking lot and kept walking.

Not giving up, Rory continued, "Why did you bring me home you could have called my Mom or something, or gotten a cab." Becoming aggravated, Tristan didn't even turn around this time.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I always make the wrong choice." How could she be mad at him for that!

Coming to a halt, Rory knew that he was playing the hard way. She was going to have to ask him straight out. Gathering all she had in her, she began to ask, but before she could get one word out a huge truck blasted into Tristan, sending him flying!

Rory shook her head, no that was just her imagination trying to save her from this.

"Tristan, do you like me?" Tristan stopped so quick he almost fell over. He had always wanted her to ask the question, but now that she had, he had no answer.

Catching up to him, Rory found his eyes and bore into them with her own, waiting for an answer.

Not wanting to be made of fool of Tristan nodded, signaling a "yes."

Rory gulped, "Like like?" She mentally kicked herself for that intelligent comment.

Again, he nodded, afraid that too much movement would cause him to wake up.

"Oh. Well, um, thanks." Rory began walking towards her bus stop, afraid to turn around.

"Rory, I like you. Did you hear me?" Tristan was now running after her.

"I heard, but I mean..." Rory had begun babbling. Tristan put a hand on her arm to stop her.

"Do you like me Rory? Tristan's blue eyes were flickering with hope. Now that he finally had his chance, he finally had her out in the open, he wasn't going to let her go.

Rory's head spun, did she? No, she was practically love in Jess? Wait, but wasn't Tristan the reason she hadn't been able to fall completely?

"I, um, I um, no...yes...maybe?" Her voice was barley loud enough to hear but Tristan heard it loud and clear.

"Then why can't you just give me a chance! One chance Rory!" Rory shook her head as she pulled away from his touch.

"I can't. Um, it's too soon I just, you...me...can't...um, my bus." Rory was now darting her eyes to avoid his.

"God Rory why are you so damn afraid! Why can't you ever just take a chance! Admit that you are just afraid!" His voice had now become loud and strong.

"Take a chance Tristan! I have taken chances! And you know what, every time I get hurt okay!" She had finally made eye contact with him. "Oh, and speaking of being afraid, ha! Tristan YOU are afraid! Have you ever had one real relationship?" He opened his mouth to protest but Rory continued,"I can answer that! NO! Because you are afraid! It's not because you are a "player" it's because you are scared! You have never been in love your whole life!" Rory finally stopped, breathing heavily.

Tristan, hurt and angry, raised his voice a notch. "You don't know anything about me! Because if you did, you would know that I have been in love! Since freshmen year! With YOU Lorelai Leigh Gilmore! YOU! But you couldn't open your eyes to it! But you know what, if this is what love is like, then maybe you're right! I am afraid! Because this," he motioned between them, "hurts. It hurts Rory!" Rory had now started crying, but she had nothing to say. So instead she ran. Hopping on her bus, she never looked back.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lorelai watched as Rory ran into her room, not bothering to say hello. Frowning Lorelai shook her head. She knew that something must have happened between her and Tristan. She knew it wouldn't work out perfectly in the beginning, but she hoped that she was right about Tristan. She hoped that he was going to fight for her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rory dropped her bag and flung herself onto her bed, only pausing to turn on her CD player.

"Games, changes and fears,

When will they go from here,

When will they stop,"

Rory hugged her pillow tightly as the darkness of her room engulfed her. She had always been just a game, this couldn't be happening. Everything was changing too suddenly, and yes, she knew that she was scared. She wished that she could just sleep and dream, that she could just forget about Tristan and Jess, but her mind wouldn't rest.

"I believe that fate had brought us here,

And we should be together babe

But we're not,

I play it off, but I'm dreaming of you

And I'll try to keep my cool, but I'm feenin'"

Rory lay silently on her bed, starring into nothing ness. Her delicate features hardened by stress and exhaustion. She didn't have a clue where to go from here. He had said that he loved her. Tristan DuGrey loved her.

"I try to say good-bye and I choke

Try to walk away and I stumble

Though I try to hide it, it's clear

My world crumbles when you are not here

Good-bye and I choke

I try to walk away and I stumble

Though I try to hide it, it's clear

My world crumbles when you are not here"

Why did Tristan always seem to have this invisible hold on her? Even back when she was still with Dean, he had always been in the back of her mind.

"Why can't I just forget about you!" Rory screamed at the top of her lungs. She had so many emotions she didn't know where to put them.

"I may appear to be free

But I'm just a prisoner of your love

And I may seem all right and smile when you leave

But my smiles are just a front

Just a front, hey

I play it off, but I'm dreaming of you

And I'll try to keep my cool, but I'm feenin'"

Was there something inside of her that loved him? There had to be, why else would she be so mixed up? But what part was it, her head or her heart. Still crying, Rory sat up and and pulled two large boxes out from under her bed. One labeled Jess and one labeled Dean.

Pulling out one item from each box, Rory studied them.

One was Dean's bracelet, the one she had worn without fail, almost everyday while they were dating.

In the other hand was a book that Jess had bought for Rory at a book fair. Of course, as Rory flipped through the pages, she saw little notes here and there from Jess.

She really had loved these boys in one way.

Putting the items back into the boxes, Rory studied her empty hands. What had Tristan given her?

As if someone had suddenly turned on the lights, Rory felt her heart skip a beat.

"You stupid girl, he gave you his undivided heart. What else do you need?" Rory, no longer crying, but still in a daze laid her head back down onto her pillow and fell asleep.

"I try to say good-bye and I choke

Try to walk away and I stumble

Though I try to hide it, it's clear

My world crumbles when you are not here

Good-bye and I choke

I try to walk away and I stumble

Though I try to hide it, it's clear

My world crumbles when you are not here

Here is my confession

May I be your possession

Boy, I need your touch

Your love, kisses and such

With all my might I try

But this I can't deny

Deny"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tristan flung his bag in the corner of his room. Why was he kidding himself? She was never going to get it. Never going to care. God, she drove him crazy! He had been hurting himself too long! Maybe he was afraid of love, so what? So was she! Turning on his stereo his collapsed onto his king sized bed.

"Well you can tell ev'ryone I'm a down disgrace

Drag my name all over the place.

I don't care anymore,

You can tell ev'rybody 'bout the state I'm in

You won't catch me crying 'cos I just can't win.

I don't care anymore I don't care anymore."

Laughing at the sad music, Tristan yelled "It's not that easy!" How could he just forget about this girl? She was everything to him. He loved her for god's sake!

"I don't care what you say

I don't play the same games you play."

Laughing once again, but this time quieter, he remembered the first time he saw her. He had been late to class as per usual. When he walked in, she had hadn't been looking at him, which was unusual for him. Everyone always noticed him. He remembered to himself, how "normal" she had looked just sitting there. So innocent. So, well Mary.

"I don't care what you say

We never played by the same rules anyway.

I won't be there anymore

Get out of my way

Let me by

I got better things to do with my time

I don't care anymore I don't care anymore

I don't care anymore I don't care anymore.

'cos I remember all the times I tried so hard

And you laughed in my face 'cos you held all the cards

I don't care anymore."

Nodding to the music Tristan put up his hands in surrender. "That's right! I don't care! DuGrey, you are over Rory Gilmore! She was just a game anyway! Besides, what do you know about love?"

Closing his eyes Tristan frowned slightly because he knew he was only lying to himself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

a/n: OKAY! I really really hoped ya'll liked this chapter! I really put a lot into it! So please please let me know what ya'll think! Oh yeah, sorry about the whole Tristan getting run over by a car thing, just checking to see if ya'll were still awake:)