AN: I can't help but notice the significant lack of reviews. Every other story has a review, even stories that only have 1 chapter. I always told myself I wouldn't care if I didn't get a review but I do, I really do...unless nobody's reading the story, then it'd be okay because at least you weren't just ignoring the whole R&R rule...and, consequently me but...I'm babbling.

Disclaimer: I don't own The Gilmore Girls, or it's characters, obviously. And I can't believe I have to state this at the beginning of every update.

Rory's POV

Rory knew Logan was already asleep, but she couldn't. She wasn't even slightly tired. He had gotten back from New York, where he'd been with his parents, that morning and they had driven to Martha's Vineyard that morning for the summer season. They had dinner with Nate and Theo at a local restaurant and ended up back at his parents villa. The next day was the Lindemann's garden party and then the DuGrey ball. She sighed softly, wondering when everything got so compllicated, when everything stopped being the cookie-cutter world of a few years ago. Maybe when Theo arrived and shook everything up, maybe before then, maybe Tristan, maybe Dean…or maybe she was just remembering those days with the rose-tinted lenses of hind-sight.

Never, then, would she have thought that she would have been this girl, one of Logan's girl. She rolled onto her back and stared at the impeccable white ceiling. When they had first met she had thought that he was the most arrogant, spoilt, conceited prat she had ever met…well second maybe only to Tristan. But then it had changed, she had changed and the next thing she knew she was in a "no strings" relationship with him. Her mother had been appalled. She supposed that Lorelai thought she was making the same mistake she had at 16 but she wasn't, she knew she wasn't…didn't she?

Lorelai, now there was another story. Tristan had started down that road at Louise's engagement party but Rory didn't like talking about it, the falling out. It wasn't full-blown, not yet at least. But Rory knew that they were heading to the ultimate showdown. They still talked, but mostly for old times sake, not like they once had. It started with Dean and her mothers' disapproval of her choices there. What she didn't understand was that they were Rory's choices, morally right or wrong. She hadn't even spoken about this with Theo.

Theo had looked so beautiful at dinner that night. So calm and pretty in her lavender skirt-suit. It wasn't the type of thing she used to wear, the type of outfit Rory was used to seeing. But then, Theo wasn't the girl she used to be. She had been quiet at dinner, picking at her food, smiling when required and speaking when spoken to. Rory had asked her, at one point, if she had seen Tristan at the engagement party and Theo had looked up at her with panicked eyes before answering that he had come over to say hello.

"It was good to see him" She had said, her voice spiritless. And Rory had inwardly sighed. What had happened to them all?

The two girls picked their way through the grounds surrounding Chilton until they found an overturned log hidden by foliage. They sat down and Theo lit a cigarette.

"Well well, my favourite ladies" The two conspirators looked up to see Tristan standing before them.

"Shit" muttered Theo.

"You know smoking is illegal around here"

"Thank you, I've already been informed of that" Tristan smirked.

"I'm noticing some hostile energy around you" He told Theo.

"Yeah in my fifth chakra right? If you don't mind we're having a girl talk" Tristan laid his hand over her heart.

"Don't tell me that you're confessing us to a virtual stranger Rory?" Theo frowned and turned to look at Rory who had been beet red.

"There is no us" She told him, standing up quickly. Tristan just kept smirking and Theo groaned, stubbing out her cigarette.

"Come on" She said to Rory, dragging her away.

It was a promising start to their relationship but somewhere along the line, behind closed doors and away from the eyes of most of their group, Tristan and Theo became close. Closer than Rory had seen anyone else get to him. They lived next door to each other, maybe that helped, but they just clicked. Rory had known that they were friends, very close friends. She knew now that she had guessed about them, that she had known long before she heard the whispers. She had been hurt, by both of them. Neither of them had seen fit to tell her but more than that, Theo – her best friend outside of Stars Hollow, the girl who understood her predicament because she was more-or-less in the same position – and Tristan – the boy who confused her and challenged her, the boy she had such a crush on, she still blushes around him – found each other and she was shut out.

Louise was babbling, nobody was listening except for Madeline until something cae up about Theo and Tristan. Rory pricked up her ears.

"What?"

"You mean you didn't know?" Louise asks incredulously. Rory shook her head and Louise grinned, happy to be able to share her gossip twice. "Oh my God Rory, tune in, Tristan and Theo, major coupledom"

"What?"

"Tristan DuGrey and Theo Adams are together"
"Since when?" Rory asked, still not believing what she was hearing. It couldn't be true.

"Well, my source tells me that apparently they've been seeing each oth for months. But they were first caught out on the weekend at my party"

"Caught out?" Madelin pushed in at this stage.
"Ruth Jansen walked in on them making out in a bathroom on the first floor"

"I could have told you guys this months ago" Lisa put in quietly. Louise turned to her, incensed.

"What?"

"Well she's been sneaking out for that long, I guessed it was to meet him when Wills told me that Tristan had been sneaking out as well"

"And you didn't see fit to tell me?" Louise demanded. Lisa shrugged.

"I figured if they were sneaking around it was for a reason". Rory quietly stood up, packing away her books into her bag.

"Where are you going Gilmore?" Paris snapped.

"I have something to do" Without waiting for a response Rory hurried out of the library where they'd been working on their group project.

Theo was lying on her bed, Tristan was picking her up in fifteen minutes to take her into West Union for dinner. There was a knock on her bedroom door and she jumped up smiling, he was early. She threw open the door to see Rory.

"Rory hey! What's up? Oh God I haven't missed a Franklin meeting have I?" She asked, feigning fear of the wrath of Paris. Rory didn't smile.

"No…is it true?" Theo stopped short, trying to swallow the small lump of fear in her stomach.

"Is what true?" She moved back from the door and Rory entered the room, closing the door behind her.

"You and Tristan Theo! You and Tristan! Are you with him?" Theo cringed.

"Rory…"

"No! No! I am so sick of that tone of voice, are you with him? It's a very simple question"

"No, yes…sort of. We've been seeing each other"

"How long?"

"Ror…"

"How long?" Her voice was frosty and she glared at Theo.

"A while now" Rory nodded.

"Right…and you didn't tell me"
"There was nothing to tell…nothing really" Rory snorted.

"You knew Theo, you knew how I felt about him. God we talked about just the other week. You let me go on and on like a freaking idiot"

"I'm sorry"

"So am I…because let me assure you that this friendship is over" Tears sprang to Theo's eyes.

"Rory no…" Slowly Rory turned and left the room, closing the door behind her.

Rory shuddered when she remembered that day, how selfish she'd bee. If she did it over again she couldn't be that person, not now that she knew the consequences. It had been about a week later that Theo had sought her out in the library. They hadn't spoken since the day Rory had confronted her and Theo had a few days off school being at home sick, but Rory knew better. Rory had looked up at her, her eyes questioning. Theo had simply stated:

"It's over, I broke it off with him". They had never really spoken about it after that.

Rory rolled over to face Logan and, curling into a ball, burrowed closer to him, praying silently for sleep.

Theo's POV

She was getting used to this weather. It was summer, but on the beach at Martha's vineyard the weather was cool. She balled her fists into the pockets of her cardigan and pushed on on her ramble up the coast-line. As she gazed out to the ocean she remembered her first walk along this beach.

The breeze whipped against her bare legs and tangled her loose hair. Lily and Katherine had helped her choose an outfit for that afternoon but she was being made to wear a hat and gloves which horrified her, the only time she'd ever worn a hat was when they were in Africa! She was lost in thought when the shadow was cast across her and she looked up at Tristan DuGrey. He grinned at her.

"Well well, Theo Adams, a pleasure!" Theo smiled brusquely.

"Hello Tristan" He grinned. He hadn't bothered her since that first day when he had called her Magdalene and instead had been on his best behaviour, she supposed to butter up Rory. Se had been surprised when Rory had told her about the kiss. Surprised that Rory, who seemed to straight, so planned, so determined, would give in to somebody like Tristan.

"You're going to the Lindemann's garden party?" He asked and she nodded, resuming her wandering and feeling fall into step beside her.

"Yes, and the DuGrey ball incidentally"

"Of course" He replied, the ball was an annual event hosted by his grandparents at their estate that evening. "Well then, I'll have to give you the grand tour of the DuGrey estate" He told her and she looked at him, surprised when their eyes met, at seeing an intensity there she hadn't expected.

"We'll see" She replied, balling her fists into the pocket of her light sweater.

Unconsciously she took her hands out of her pockets and headed towards home. It was the DuGrey ball that evening. She and Nate had put in an appearance at the Lindemann's garden party that morning. She might try to deny it but she was dreading the ball, dreading seeing him again. With his questions and his assumptions. She cleared the short hill that led to her parents' property and made her way to the front of the house as Nate's car pulled into the driveway. She hurried to the driver's side to meet him. He grinned and hugged her to him, kissing her softly on her lips.

On the balcony, Katherine scowled at the sight.

Tristan's POV He stood in front of the full-length mirror readjusting his black tie. He had to be at his grandparents' house well before the ball was to begin at seven. He checked his watch again, it was four o'clock. Would she be getting ready yet? Maybe choosing out a dress, playing with her hair to see how it looks best, or maybe luxuriating in a hot bath. He closed his eyes and let that image fill his mind. Groaning softly he pulled himself back to reality but only for a moment before memories of that ball washed over him.

He and Jenna had made their way to the deserted library on the first floor, he had taken her in his arms, kicking the door almost closed behind them as they made their way to the oak desk at one end of the room. They moved so that she was sitting on the desk with her long, sculpted legs wrapped around his waist. He reached for the hem of her pink ball gown, drawing it up with his left hand while he slipped the strap of her dress off her shoulder with his right. He dipped his head to suck on her neck and she threw her head back, drawing him closer. He groaned and thrust himself against her, in the back of his mind he thought he heard someone calling his name but he shook it off.

He was completely lot in his mind when Jenna squealed, brought back to earth he turned to see Theo Adams standing in the doorway, shocked at the sight.

"I…I'm sorry" She stammered quietly before hurrying out. Tristan banged his fist on the desk as Jenna giggled. When she tried to draw him close again he recoiled.

"Sorry babe but the moments gone" She pouted. "Maybe later" he added and she brightened up.

Jenna had left but Tristan still stayed alone in the library in his grandfathers winged high-back chair, helping himself to brandy. He couldn't understand why he cared that Theo had walked in on him. Ordinarily he would have smirked and invited her to join in. Or just ignored it. It wasn't like she was Rory who would've needed years of therapy for her virgin eyes. Yet there it was, he did care. He slammed the glass down on the desk with such force that it shattered. Dammnit! He had to get a hold of himself he hated not being in control of his emotions. He stood, leaving the glass where it was and made his way back to the party.

Finally he was happy with his tie and he made his way downstairs. Lisa and his mother were waiting for him, he was taking them to the ball. He had hoped his mother wouldn't go but she couldn't pass up an opportunity to have a public dig at his father. He supposed she couldn't blame her. Cal DuGrey, after all, had not held up his end of the standard society marriage agreement, choosing to make his last affair public.

"Are you ready mother?" Anna smiled sedately.

"As ever" He took her arm and led her out to the driveway with Lisa following behind. He couldn't resist looking to Theo's house. As his mother got into his car he saw Nate's car pulling into the driveway and Theo coming up from the beach. He scowled as he watched them kiss. Nevermind though, he would put an end to this little fling of theirs.