After Rory had called her mom and given her the heads up, she called Laura to discuss the wedding. They were soon becoming fast friends and it felt like they had known each other forever. Tristan was currently driving her to 'their' new place. Although the sound of it was still awkward, she loved saying it. She couldn't say the same for Tristan's choice in music.

"Please let me change the station." She begged for the 15th time that day.

"What's wrong with this?" He asked honestly, slapping her hand away from the radio.

"I can't listen to it anymore." She changed tactics. "Don't make me use force."

"What kind of force did you have in mind?" He asked making fun of her. She licked her lips. Tristan just stared at her. "Not going to work." She leaned over and began nibbling on his ear. "Again, not working. Just distracting."

"If you let me change the station," she began whispering the rest to him.

"Tempting Mary, very tempting, but you forget I went to the Academy. You're going to have to try harder than that." She sat back into her seat in defeat.

"You're just being mean today. First my list, now this. I'm beginning to think you get joy out of this."

"Oh but I do." He said with a smirk. "Whenever you beg me to do something, you offer me rewards." He winked her way. "And I like rewards."

"Well your rewards were just stripped for a week." She said matter of factly.

"Oh Mary. You don't mean that." He said laughing at her. She looked over at him. She looked serious as Hell. "You can resist me for a week?" He said a little more serious this time.

"You are making it very easy. Right now I would say two. I bet you couldn't last that long."

"You bet me? What do you bet me?" He couldn't refuse a bet.

"Control of the radio for a month." She looked at him with a glint in her eye.

"You're on." They shook hands to seal the deal. "Two weeks." Rory laughed. This was going to be so easy. They would be living together, sleeping in the same bed; he would crack in a few days. Tristan watched her laughing. She really didn't think he could do it. He was dead set on proving her wrong.

They pulled up outside a nice building and gave the keys to a valet.

"So far so good." Rory said in obvious delight. They took the elevator up to the 10th floor and walked down the hall. As Tristan opened the door, Rory walked in.

"Wow." It was all she could say. They had a corner apartment so it had great views overlooking the skyline. It was huge, with an entire open kitchen and living room. It was probably meant for throwing parties. She giggled as she walked down the hall. The bedroom was attached to the bathroom. It had a huge tub and shower. Tristan loved watching her face as she explored the place.

"What do you think?" He asked when she came back into the living room.

"I think it's perfect. It must cost a fortune." She said. "What do you think?" He shrugged.

"Good enough for me. But I'm pretty easy to please." He said jokingly.

"When do we move in?" She asked him. He was being unusually quiet today and she didn't know why. He seemed uneasy.

"As soon as we can I guess. Where's your stuff?"

"In storage. We can get it whenever. Mom and Luke said they'd help us." She paused. "What's wrong?" she asked from across the room.

"Nothing. Why?"

"You just seem a little, preoccupied. If you're having second thoughts we could."

"No." He interrupted her. "I'm not. I want this. I just…I keep expecting you to change your mind."

"Almost like all of this," she gestured to the area around her "is too good to be true?"

"Yeah." He replied quietly.

"I'm not going anywhere." She said with a wink.

"Good." He said relieved. "Let me just call the agent and let them know that we're keeping the place." He said.

"Hey Tristan?" She said as he was dialing his phone.

"Yeah?" He watched her walk closer to him and wrap her arms around his waist.

"We're standing in our house." He couldn't contain his smile at her obvious statement. He kissed her forehead and wrapped his free arm around her. Everything was going to be ok.

OOOOOO

"Hey! More boxes! You guys need to find another hobby, 'cause this one? Yeah, not working out so well for us unpacking!" Lorelei shouted as the moving men left the room.

"Would you rather carry in the boxes?" Luke said as he brought in the plasma flat screen TV to hang on the wall of the living room. Tristan followed close behind with another box.

"No." She pouted as she went back to the box in front of her.

"It's ok Lorelei, this is the last one." Tristan said as he set it down with the rest of the boxes.

"Hallelujah!" Rory threw her hands up in the air.

"We have a lot of junk." Tristan said collapsing on the couch.

"Insert Materialism Rant Here" Lorelei said pointing to Luke.

"I'm too old to do this." Luke said. "I'm going to break a hip." Hours later, they had finished unpacking and had pizza for supper.

"Thank you guys so much for all your help." Rory said as Luke and Lorelei got ready to leave.

"Yeah, we really appreciate it." Tristan said as he shook Luke's hand.

"Anytime babe. But you owe me some serious movie marathons." She said as she pretended to limp to the door.

"I think you'll live." Rory giggled as she hugged them goodbye.

"Goodnight." They said as Tristan shut the door behind them.

"Finally." He said as they collapsed on the couch together.

"What do you mean finally?" She asked him insulted.

"We haven't had a minute alone for days." He said as he kissed her neck.

"Thinking of throwing in the towel and letting me win the bet?" She asked seductively

"Never." He whispered in her ear sending chills up and down her spine. She got up and walked to the window. "It's really happening." She muttered as she felt him wrap his arms around her. "I mean, you always dream that it would happen. But what girl doesn't want to live in the city, have a great job. But this, this is real." She said trying to comprehend it all. She turned around to face him.

"If someone told you 5 years ago, that you would be here with me. What would you have said?" Tristan asked her with a smile.

"I would have told them that they were crazy. This part," she pointed to the city. "Yeah I could see. But you? You were never in the picture. What would you have said?"

"Probably the same thing. You stood out from everyone else, but I saw myself following the same path as everyone at that school. I would be unhappy, working for my father, probably marrying a trophy wife I didn't love and sleeping with my secretary. I never thought I would be lucky enough to be here."

"And yet…Here we are." She said with a grin.

"Here we are." He smiled back and leaned in to kiss her. He was just a few inches away from her and his eyes were glancing toward her lips when his cell phone went off.

"Our timing today sucks." He said as he flipped his phone open. "Hello?" Rory watched the color drain from his face.

"What?" she mouthed to him, her furrowed eyebrows showing her concern. Rory had never seen Tristan make that face. It couldn't be a good sign.

"Where are you? Yeah Yeah, we're on our way."

"What's wrong." She said as she grabbed his hand.

"We have to go." Tristan headed for the door.

"Tristan!" She yelled as she chased him out the door. "You're not driving. Give me the keys and tell me what the Hell is going on." He finally slowed down a little as it sunk in. He slammed the elevator button.

"Gramps had a heart attack. He's not…they don't think…" He couldn't say it. Her heart sank. She didn't know what to say to make it better. "What the Hell is taking so long." He said in frustration.

"Tristan, you've got to relax." Finally the elevator door opened and they rushed inside. Rory held his hand. She had a plan. She whipped out her cell phone and started dialing a familiar number.

"What are you doing?" He asked but she shushed him.

"Logan, do you still have that plane in New York?" she said. "We need it. Now."

OOOOOO

Tristan and Rory went running into the ICU.

"Janlan DuGray?" He asked. The nurse checked the board.

"Room 210. Down the hall." She pointed with her pen. They rounded the corner and saw Tristan's parents standing outside a room. His mother looked up at the sound of the quickly approaching footsteps.

"Tristan!" Rory noticed the resemblance to Shira Huntzberger immediately.

"How is he?" His eyes were full of worry.

"He's been asking for you. Go on." She nodded to the door. He turned around to face Rory.

"Come with me? I don't think I can do this alone." He looked scared to death. She nodded.

"Of course." She took his hand and squeezed it as they entered the room. Tristan's father was standing next to the bed. Janlan was connected to a plethora of machines and wires. "It looks worse than it is." She whispered to comfort him.

"Tristan. How did you get here so fast?"

"Give us a minute?" Tristan said with every emotion breaking in his voice.

"I'll be outside." He said as he left the room.

"Way to show him who's boss." Janlan whispered. Tristan almost cried with relief.

"Gramps." He reached his hand out to hold Tristan's.

"And this must be the infamous Gilmore Girl?" he looked to the foot of his bed where Rory was standing, trying not to interrupt the moment.

"Yes sir." She said with a smile.

"Come here. Let me have a look at you." Rory walked over to stand next to Tristan. "She's too good for you." He said to Tristan with a weak smile. Tristan laughed nervously and nodded.

"Oh I like him." Rory said, a wide grin spreading across her face.

"Tristan, go get me some water will you? The nurses have been lacking in their responsibilities." Tristan looked at the table next to his bed. There was a full pitcher of water on it.

"What do you mean? There's water right here Gramps." He said.

"Just do it." He said. Rory was amazed at his ability to still sound threatening from his weak state in a hospital bed. Tristan knew he was up to something, but he played along. Once Tristan had left the room, he turned back to Rory.

"He loves you." Rory smiled. "He's made a lot of mistakes and Lord knows there will be future ones, but he's a good man."

"Yes he is. He learned from the best." She said with a wink.

"Take care of him." Rory's heart broke at the simple request. "He still needs someone to keep him in line. He needs someone as stubborn as he is." He was beginning to ramble but it was important to him. Rory took his hand and cut him off.

"I promise. You don't have to worry about him, he's in good hands." Tristan walked back into the room with a glass of water. Rory stood up. "I'm going to leave you two alone." She said standing up. As she walked past Tristan, she squeezed his arm.

"Here's your water." Tristan said as he set the cup down on the bedside tray next to the pitcher. "What did you tell her?" He asked eyeing the old man.

"That's none of your business." Tristan sat down in the chair next to the bed again.

"You scared me Gramps. I've never been so scared in my life."

"You haven't lived that long." He replied. "Tristan, I'm running out of time and I."

"Don't even start talking like that." Tristan scolded him. "You are strong. You can come back from this."

"I don't have that much breath so don't interrupt me again." He said authoritatively. "I'm proud of you, despite your rocky start, you have become a good person." He coughed and Tristan winced. "You are lucky enough to have a woman who loves you as much as you love her." He let go of Tristan's hand and took off his wedding ring slowly. "I want you to have this." He said as he slipped it into Tristan's hand. Tristan couldn't even speak. "Your grandmother's ring is in a special safe deposit box, but I've left it to you. I want you to give it to someone special."

"I will."

"Don't let me down. I'm going to be watching you." Tristan was crying now. Janlan knew it was getting close to the end.

"I won't." He said as Janlan lightly squeezed his hand.

"Gramps. Don't do this. Gramps!" Tristan hugged his grandfather as the machines around him flatlined. Nurses came in the room and Tristan was forced out into the hallway again. His parents saw his tears and knew that Janlan was gone. Rory stood up and did the only thing she could do. She held him while he buried his head in her neck and let him cry.