okay, so I know I promised a couple confrontations that didn't happen here, but I hope I made up for it. keep in mind that they WILL happen eventually... So with that said... onward young soldier!

"Thud"

Immediately following Rory's dramatic exit, Tristan ran to find her, the words "WE'RE NOT THROUGH HERE YOU S.O.B." echoing behind from Dean.

"Rory!" At the sound of her name, Rory quickened her step. "Rory!" Still no answer. "MARY!"

"Yes, Tristan?" Rory responded sweetly.

"You think I let my girl use public transportation?" Tristan's posture tightened as he realized the slip of his tongue. He had not meant to let those words flow so easily from his mouth, though, he had to admit, they did seem natural.

"Your girl?" Rory's accusation sliced Tristan through to the core, and Tristan could not seem to remember how to breathe. He had not meant it to scare her, all he really wanted was to see the hometown of his Mary, the Stars Hollow she was always so cryptic about. All Tristan really wanted was to tell Rory how he felt. After what seemed like an eternity, Tristan's lungs automatically filled themselves with air, and he was able to croak out, "If you want, I thought I could give you a ride home"

Rory felt her heart leap what seemed like a mile high at this prospect, and it seemed to get caught in her throat. Rory could not manage to get a word out so she mutely nodded her head, and followed Tristan out to a 2006 (a/n: I couldn't remember the year so I just used the present one) Honda Civic. Rory could still not manage a single word as she opened the door and climbed inside.

Meanwhile

Dean, fuming, stormed to his truck muttering something about should have known, and that no good, two-timing, rotten…. Madeline and Louise went running to find smelling salts to revive Paris, but she was already coming to…

"Madeline, Louise, I just had the strangest dream: Rory KISSED Tristan! And her bagboy of a boyfriend was here, at Chilton, fuming, because he saw it!" After opening her eyes, and seeing Dean's retreating back, Paris's eyes nearly bulged completely out of her head, and she had jumped up within two seconds.

"I can't believe her! How could she do this! She will never work on the paper again!" And with that screeching remark, the crowd around the confrontation began to dissipate.

Most of the ride to Stars Hollow had been in comfortable silence, except for the occasional outburst from Rory when a good song came on the radio. At each outburst, and ensuing singing, Tristan's genuine smile would grow wider. Tristan pulled up in front of Luke's (per Rory's impending need for coffee) and Rory ran in to get two coffees to go.

"Afternoon Luke!" Rory chimed in a sing-song dreamy voice as the bell jangled signaling her entrance to the diner. "Two coffee's please!"

"I cannot keep feeding yours and your mother's coffee addiction, Rory. It'll kill ya one day." Luke commented/chastised as he poured the two coffees. Rory quickly grabbed her two coffees and rushed out the door, saying so fast that Luke thought he'd imagined it "Itsnotformymom" leaving the bells ringing in her wake. Luke would have thought nothing of the half-heard comment on a normal day. On this day, however, Luke caught in his vision a certain young brunette woman climbing into the red and silver striped Honda civic across the street with a boy that wasn't Dean. At this discovery Luke immediately picked up the phone and dialed a very familiar number.

"Lorelai…"

After a few confused circles, and Rory's contagious laughter when Tristan misread a sign, or noticed a strange, but beloved, town landmark, Tristan finally found his way to his Mary's house.

"So this is it, huh?"

"Yup, this is the crap shack. Thanks for the ride."

"Look Mary, Rory, I meant what I said earlier about you being my girl. I want to be your boyfriend, Mary, I want you to be my girlfriend."

Smiling from ear to ear, Rory managed to squeak out "Well, Bible Boy, we haven't even had our first date yet and you want to be my boyfriend? What happened to pretenses?"

"To heck with pretenses" Tristan's lips crashed upon Rory's and the kiss they shared got very heated very quickly. When they finally broke apart for air, Rory managed to stumble over the words "I should go in now"

"I'll be back tomorrow to pick you up for school tomorrow morning?" Tristan stated (well, more like asked) his voice full of longing and hope.

"Sure Bible Boy" Rory planted a soft kiss on his lips and pulled a smirk worthy of Chilton's King himself before getting out of the car. She seemed to put a little more swing in her hips as she walked up the drive to her front door, purely coincidental, of course.

As soon as Rory entered the house she heard the words "Luuuuuuuucy, you got sum 'splainin to dooooooooo…" coming from the living room. Rory put on her best innocent face, and walked in to face her mother.

"What did I do?" Rory batted her eyelashes for effect.

"Okay babe, now don't give me that… What I want to know is why there is a very hot boy bringing you home in a civic, and you did not tell mommy…. So spill" "oh I also want to know why you didn't get me any coffee from Luke's this afternoon" Lorelai added as an afterthought.

So Rory, knowing that she had been outwitted by the elder Gilmore, proceeded to explain the events of the afternoon to her very attentive mother "… and then I got out… adding a little booty swing for effect" Rory finished her story.

"So let me get this straight… you're dating the spawn of Satan? " Lorelai gaped.

"Mom, could you please refrain from saying that in his presence?" Rory put on her best pouty face for the full effect.

"Well sweetums, fruit of my loom, daughter of mine, I will try my very hardest girl scouts honor" and for this Lorelai put up her index, middle, and ring finger to show how truly honest she was being.

"Mom, you weren't even a Girl Scout!" Rory choked out between giggles that she was trying very unsuccessfully to suppress.

"See dear, that's the beauty of it. If I mess up, then I got it covered… I just say I wasn't one. And if I don't that makes it all the more sweet that I actually know what those brownie lovers do." Lorelai explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, and she could not believe Rory found it even remotely funny.

The next morning, Rory was rushing around putting on the finishing touches for school when the doorbell rang. Lorelai opened the door to find Tristan there with 3 cups of coffee….

"Oh, he's good…" Lorelai commented to Rory later. Rory and Tristan walked out to his car, Rory glancing once over her shoulder to see her mother holding up the three fingers once again, and she almost choked on a silent fit of laughter as she climbed into his car. Tristan just rolled his eyes and smirked.

45 minutes later as they pulled into the parking lot of Heck, excuse me, Chilton, and Tristan opened the door for his girlfriend. "Are you ready for this?" Rory interlaced her fingers with his.

"As ready as I'll ever be" And with those words, the new couple set off to face the halls of her fellow unloving Chiltonites, and Paris.

TBC! SoOoOoOoOoOo... What did you think? Was it worth an oscar! Thanks, you know what to do!