RMIT University © 2006
AN: Wow! I'm really overwhelmed by the amount of reviews I'm getting. It's awesome. Except I'm noticing one thing, isn't it funny that when people leave reviews
To Nina: It's obviously AU, I didn't realize that I'd have to state that…sorry. And of course it has something to do with the show, for example: the majority of the characters. Besides, some of my favourite fics branch away from the show.
Disclaimer: I don't want to insult your intelligence, I'm pretty certain that everybody here knows I don't own GG.
The student's were given the rest of the week off classes. Chilton's administration had assumed that they would go home but most stayed on campus, finding more comfort in each other and the surrounds they'd shared with Liz than by going home. Rory, Louise, Madeline and Paris spent most of their time in their rooms until Jay arrived on Thursday afternoon. He had to call Rory's cell from outside. The school was enforcing a strict ban on anybody entering dorms that weren't their own. She met him downstairs and they walked across the campus, his arm slung casually around her.
"This isn't good Ror"
"Tell me about it"
"I don't just mean about Liz" Rory looked up, the question in her eyes.
"Tristan, you know he was interviewed by the cops?" Rory nodded, everyone knew, of course he would have been. The whole school knew now that Liz had been with him before…She squeezed her eyes shut.
"Ror…I…I think he's in trouble"
"What do you mean?"
"I think he might be…"
"…a suspect?" She exclaimed, stopping dead. "Tristan!" Jay nodded miserably; he didn't want to believe it either.
"I want to see him" Rory said quietly. She hadn't seen him since the dinner where she'd found out.
"I don't know if…"
"I want to see him" She demanded, still quietly but in her give me what I want or I will tell mom you sat on my head until I couldn't breathe so help me God voice. Jay nodded and started with her towards the dorm he and Tristan lived in.
Tristan would be locked in his room as usual. Matt had been sleeping in Finn and Jay's room for the past few days. Tristan was a wreck, as was to be expected Jay supposed. He pushed open the oak door of Debalar building and peered in, the house mother Ms. Schmidt wasn't at her desk so he ushered Rory in and hurried her to Tristan's door. He knocked on the door but there was no response, he pulled the paperclip they'd been using to unlock the door and check on Tristan and worked its magic once more, pushing the door open. Tristan sat at the head of his bed, his knees drawn up in front of him and Rory pushed her way in. She stood in the doorway taking him in. His hair was a mess but it always was. His eyes were red-rimmed and he was wearing grubby loose jeans and a white wife-beater.
"Tristan?" She said quietly. He didn't seem to hear her, he was leaning his head back against the wall, his eyes closed.
"Tristan?" She said again, pushing Jay out the door and closing it behind him, ignoring his protests. She crossed the floor quietly and soon stood beside him, reaching out she touched his hair. Like lightening his hand shot out and grasped her wrist tightly. His eyes shot open and he leaned his head to look at her. She was shocked and sucked her breath in.
"Mary?" He asked his voice husky. She nodded and he let her go; she winced, her wrist was red where he'd grabbed her. She nodded, smiling gently, sinking to the ground to kneel beside him.
"Oh Tristan" She whispered as she ran her hand through his hair, he moved his head so that her hand rested against his cheek. She felt the tears as they reached her palm and her heart heaved in her chest for him. She remembered the way he'd looked at Liz that day at the coffee shop, how much love she'd seen in the eyes that now tried to focus on her face. He raised his left hand to cover hers and slowly brought it to his lips and kissed her palm. She felt the tears in her eyes.
"I know you loved her," He squeezed his eyes shut but she could see the tears threatening to spill again. "I can see you still do". She climbed up onto the bed with him, her hand still on his cheek, forcing him to face her. "And you know what? I knew her for a week, and I loved her too" He squeezed the air out of her when he hugged her, burying his face in her neck. In the four hours she spent there he never said a word apart from that first. When she left she went through the window, throwing his washing first. He watched her leave like Liz had and wondered if she would disappear as well.
Rory arrived back at her dorm that evening in time to go to dinner. It was a subdued affair lately.
"Where were you today?" Louise asked quietly.
"Just talking with Jay" Rory replied.
"I went looking for you" Rory shrugged and made an excuse to leave early. She wanted to do Tristan's washing. Normally she didn't go near a washing machine but he'd looked so hopeless, he hadn't even protested when she'd grabbed the bag. She laughed when she saw his black boxer shorts covered with dancing peanuts. Idiot! She thought, probably her first normal thought of the week. Lorelai was worried about the kids, but understood that they wanted to stay with their friends.
"Rory where were you really today?" Louise asked again that night.
"With Jay" Rory answered distractedly.
"Then why is Tristan's blazer hanging in your wardrobe?" Rory sighed.
"Okay, okay, I went to see him"
"Why?" Rory put down her book and leaned her head back.
"I don't know…I feel for him…"
"Rory…I grew up with Tristan…and I've known him obviously, for a long time. But right now…I don't think it's a good idea to be around him"
"Why not?" Louise sighed heavily.
"Because of things you don't know…"
"About him maybe being a suspect?" Rory asked.
"Among others" Louise replied with resignation.
"Come on Louise do you honestly believe he could have hurt her?" Louise blinked.
"I don't believe that anyone could have done that, but someone did and he was the last one to see her, he lied about it for God's sake and his story's wrong, he said 2.30 Summer said 1.30…"
"Louise shut up!" Rory screamed.
"I won't listen to this okay!" Louise raised her arms in self-defense
"Fine, fine…I'm sorry"
"So
am I it's just that…"
"I know"
Later that night Rory lay in the dark, unable to sleep, again. She hadn't slept since they'd gotten the news. She rubbed the wrist Tristan had hurt that afternoon and couldn't help it when her mind flicked to a picture of Liz; dead, strangled by hands like that.
AN: This is one of my favourite chapters that I've written so far, R&R to let me know what you think!
Document: 1011575.doc/RSISave Date: 25-05-2006Page: 2/2
