Title: Nine Months.

Author: Professional Scatterbrain

Rating: PG- 13 to R

Couple: R/T

Summary: Tristan returns to Chilton, and to the game, but Rory's not playing.

Note: Tristan left later on in Rory's first year at Chilton, so therefore the whole nine-month thing works (a little hint, it's a metaphor for the fic). After Tristan left Rory formed a fledgling friendship with Paris, Louise and Madeline, and by the time senior years rolls up there good friends, well, most of the time at least. Everything that happened with Dean and Jess happened except it happened all before senior year. At the end of the year before Rory told Jess she loved him, and he left suddenly straight afterwards.

I made Chilton darker, because I found the whole picture perfect school depicted on the show nice, yet unrealistic. I tried to model it around my High School, showing the competitiveness, the cruelty, and self delusion within my environment. I go to a girls school though, so the guy thing still might take me a while to work out. Suggestions would be nice as this is my first GG fic.

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~ Chp 4 ~

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Tristan sat with his friends in the school parking lot. Lighting up a cigarette, he watched James flirt with some random pretty girl. She wasn't a Mary, that fact was for certain. Not many girls in this environment were. With a jump, his thoughts centered on a particular Mary that made his heart lurch. He remembered the way she blushed so easily, and how her long, slippery hair formed a curtain around her face when she tried to hide her embarrassment.

A flash of carefully dyed and highlighted brown hair caught Tristan's eye. Summer. Time hadn't harmed her at all. She was still model gorgeous and obviously knew it. As she comfortable settled into his group he felt a flash of anger at her. She had done what no other girl had done. She had humiliated him, cheated on him, and done it in public. She had done it on purpose; cold and calculating, Summer played the same game as everyone else in Chilton, but unlike everyone else she dared to double cross him. Tristan was the best, and knew exactly how to get what he wanted. It was all about power, and she had taken it from him that night. He planned on taking it back, and showing her exactly where her place in this society was.

"Hey Tristan, heard you got back from boot camp in one piece," came Summer's voice, and in her tone was a certain satisfaction in the knowledge she had power over him.

"Miss me?"

The banter was light, but the atmosphere was unsettling. Summer should have known better than to come and try to act she was a level beyond Tristan. The power was shifting, but not one of the people watching could figure out which was the balance was tipping.

"You haven't changed." She commented.

"Maybe so." He replied noncommittally, it wasn't like she had known him before.

"I heard you're still after Mary. Isn't that getting a little old Tris?" she questioned, cocking her head to once side mockingly.

"I always like a challenge, and around here," Tristan said, looking directly at her so she got the full meaning of his next words, "the 'challenges' have never been that hard to get."

As James and Giles walked up to the group of teenagers, Tristan couldn't help commenting, "What the hell happened to your face?"

***

Sitting in the Legal Studies class, Rory pulled out a book. She was early to class, although Paris was in the same class, she had taken the hint that Rory wanted to be left alone to cool off. Hearing the other students fill into the room Rory flinched a little. She still wasn't ready to deal with people yet, especially Chilton people. The wounds that had been opened earlier still hadn't healed enough for her to take any direct hits.

"Hey Mary."

It just kept getting better and better in the world of Rory Gilmore.

"Bible boy." She greeted tonelessly, without looking up from her book.

He smiled that cocky little smirk of his, as he took the seat next to hers.

"Excuse me. That seat is saved." Rory stated.

"For me? Why thank you Mary, I'm touched you thought of me."

Looking over at him she was once again reminded to watch her step around him. Whenever she was around him all she could feel was an undercurrent of carelessness, and recklessness. She wondered if he could feel it, and somehow she understood that he's emotions were numbed, and he controlled everything he felt and decided just how he would react to every situation he was presented with. That's what made him more dangerous than Brad, or James or any of the other guys. With them Rory accepted their coldness, but with Tristan she didn't want to. With him there were flashes of danger that played out in his eyes when she caught him at the few times where no one else was looking.

But before Rory's resolve would fracture, as she knew it someday would, Paris came to her rescue, stalking into the classroom as if she owned it. In a way she did, the academic side of Chilton was her territory; Rory and the student body were just guests in her world.

"Unfortunately for your ego, Rory saved the seat for me." Paris announced, "So move."

Winking at Paris, Tristan smirked as she gave him the finger. She really had come out of her shell in the time he was gone. Finding another seat near by, he flipped open his folder, and started coping down the notes written on the board. His mind was drifting as he took notes out of his text books, not that that was unusually in a class that naively allowed the students to work by themselves without a teacher looking over there shoulder ever second. Getting back to work, Tristan reminded himself to keep his head in the game, it wasn't like he was anxious to return to Military School.

Seated by the window, Rory listened to Paris as she explained the concept of the advantages and disadvantages of having a jury in the modern law system in place in America. Finally grasping the idea, Rory thanked the blonde, and corrected her notes so she could understand the concepts when she re read the information. Paris was the only person Rory would ever ask to explain school work too, anyone else would consider it a weakness, that Rory was finally vilifying peoples suspicions of her unworthiness of Chilton. But Paris wouldn't, merely on the bases that Rory would never consider her just as another stereo type that Paris always found herself becoming when around people in the world she was born into.

"Class, next lesson we'll be spending time on the semester project. I hope none of you have left your research to last minute, as I expect you all to be starting first drafts within this week." Mrs. Jackson announced looking up from her desk.

At the teacher's words, Rory turned to look at Tristan. He gave her a small nod of recognition then when back to his work. Rory mentally slapped herself as she realised he still had her notes, she had meant to go over them with him earlier, but had forgot. Hopefully he understood her writing, and the issues she had hoped to cover.

Rory hated doing group work, she was always unsure of what to take on, and always ended up doing more than her share, or feeling like she did nothing in the scheme of things. Paris excelled at group work, she was a born leader, while Rory was always afraid of bossing people around, or making them do things they didn't want to do. Somehow in the middle of her contemplation, Rory just knew Tristan wouldn't be the easiest person to work with, and she had a feeling that wasn't due to the academic side of things.

***

In the school car park, Rory pulled out her CD player, and waited for her bus. It was late, and not for the first time did she wish Lorelei had let Emily buy her a car. It was an abnormally hot day, and puling off her blazer, she watched the other students' file out of the school like bees leaving the nest. They all looked alike, in their neat uniforms, fashionable haircuts, perfect faces, and polished attitudes telling them how to act.

Sitting on the outside of that world, Rory felt almost like an imposter, out of her depth, as if she had hit the ground running and stumbled somewhere along the way. Turning her gaze away, she focused on the incoming traffic, listening to The Dead Kennedy's CD pumping into her ears. Suddenly she jumped, feeling someone shaking her shoulder. Pulling off the headphones, she looked up to see the amused face of Tristan.

"Wow, for a second there I though you were ignoring me." He quipped sitting next to her, and making himself at home.

Annoyed at herself for not seeing his approach, Rory glared at him, letting him know just how amused she was with his charming comments. She refused to let him see any attachment she may have formed with him. He couldn't ever be anything more that an acquaintance. She once deluded herself into the idea that they could be friends, but now after seeing him again she knew they could never be friends. There was too much between them to ever be just friends. They effected each other in a way that both of them hated, as that was the bases of the weakness they caused in each other. Crossing her arms over her chest, she stood up, and moved away, so she was a meter away from him. Safe distance she reminded herself as she felt her heart speed up abnormally.

"What'd you want?" she snapped still rattled.

"That's not very polite, but I can deal. Compared to Military school your tone is just charming." He smiled, his white teeth flashing wolf like in the afternoon sun. "We have to get together some time to work on the project."

"We've still got five weeks before it's due." Rory stated, knowing instinctively it would be a bad idea for her to be anywhere alone with Tristan while she was effected by him that way.

Her comment seemed to amuse him, making his eyes sparkle, "If this was when I first meet you Mary, I bet you would have finished it, and several other projects in the first week they were handed out."

Bristling, she shot a death glare at him, "Maybe I have other things happening in my life now? And the names Rory."

"I like Mary more. I suits you." He told her leeringly.

"You're an idiot then."

"That wasn't very nice." He reprimanded in a relaxed tone, as if her insult was just water off a ducks back.

"I'm not a very nice person." Rory replied icily.

Looking down at his watch, Tristan saw the time. It was getting late, and it was clear Rory was usually on her way home by now.

"Do you want me you give you a life home?" he questioned suddenly, taking both Rory and himself by surprise at his unexpected offer.

"I take the bus." Rory stated coldly, not liking where this was heading.

People like Tristan didn't offer to drive you home without expecting something in return, But then again, a small voice in her mind called out, Tristan isn't exactly prone to fitting into an category so easily. In truth, Rory didn't really know were to place Tristan, one day he would be a jerk, the next a player, the next her friend, and once in a while he'd be a totally sweetheart in a rough out of practice way. He was unpredictable, and that only added to his dangerous image. She was always on shifting ground with him, never sure how to act or speak to him.

"It's late, meaning you won't be home anytime soon." He stated looking up the street towards the direction the bus would come, "Besides, we can work on our project. It would be easy for us."

"I didn't bring my Legal books." Rory told him coldly.

Smiling winningly, he told her smiling like the cat that ate the cannery, "I brought mine though, and the notes you leant me."

"You planned this didn't you?" Rory questioned sharply.

Enjoying her discomfort, Tristan grabbed her bag from her hands, and started leading her towards his car, "No, it was just coincident. Let's think of it as fate shall we?"

Getting into the MG sports car, she slumped in her set, "I don't believe in fate," she mumbled.

***

The drive was quiet, with Tristan content in listening to the radio, and driving carefully towards Stars Hollows. Reaching the town in record time, he searched his memories from his last visit to remember where exactly she lived.

"Pull the car over," Rory suddenly stated as the drive past a Hardware store.

Applying to her order, he parked, then turned to her, waiting for her next actions. Jumping out of the car, she called for him to follow, and reluctantly he did so. Entering the store, Tristan found himself in a dinner. At the counter Rory begged for coffee, and stole a muffin from behind the counter, Tristan watched each action in a clinical view. Something about her seemed false, like she didn't fit the personality she was playing out. He wanted to leave, he wanted them both to leave, then she'd be back to what he liked, then she'd be true instead of a lie.

"Tristan, you want anything?" she called happily as she chugged down a second cup of the hot liquid in question.

"Tristan?" the guy behind the counter stated, his eyes swinging towards Tristan. "Who are you and what are you doing with Rory?"

"This is Tristan my friend, we've got a project for one of our classes to do." Rory told him archly, her eyes doubting his right to question her actions in a way that made Luke nervous, before continuing calmly, "Tristan, this is Luke, he owns the dinner and has fed my mother and I since we moved here."

"Here, here." Applauded the mother in question as she entered the establishment.

Dressed formally in dark red suit and matching high heels she looked every bit the manger of the Stars Hollows Inn. Wearily, she made her way to her daughter, and stole her cup, drinking what was left much to Rory's dismay. She didn't seem to notice or understand the look Rory was giving Luke, or the way her daughter seemed to distance herself from everyone around her. All Lorelei saw was the dinner she and her daughter had grown up in, the scene that was so familiar she no longer would see any changes in the world she had constructed for them to live in.

"Now, since I missed out on the first part of your Bridget Jones introduction, please fill me in on who this pretty blonde is?" she questioned her eyes dancing with mirth as Rory blushed.

"Tristan DuGrey," he stated politely from years of training in the myriad of social occasions and blue collar shindigs, "It's a pleasure meeting you Mrs. Gilmore."

Lorelei's eyes narrowed for a moment, "Military School Tristan DuGrey?"

"Military School?" Luke echoed dangerously.

"Lorelei," Rory warned, "Tristan and I have to go. We're partnered together for the Legal Studies project worth a hell of a big percentage of my final grade."

Something about Rory's stance finally filtered through into Luke and Lorelei's minds, and set off their warning detectors. Rory didn't act defensive. She didn't hide things from the people in her life. She told Lorelei everything she felt, and Lorelei in turn told Luke anything that mattered. From how Rory was acting around Tristan both of them knew without Rory telling that, that the blonde boy was important to her. How important neither of them knew, probably Rory didn't even know that. But nether the less Tristan was an unencountered part of her world that was foreign to them, and this worried the two adults.

"I don't think Rory should be going anywhere with this boy." Luke told her sharply, eyeing off Tristan disdainfully.

"You don't?" Lorelei stated, her eyes now focusing on Luke, who in her eyes was second guessing her parenting skills.

"Do you know him?"

"He goes to her school. He obviously isn't a criminal if they allowed him back in!" she retorted colourfully.

"Is he her boyfriend?" he replied loudly, his eyes snaking over to examine to the tall blonde haired teenager who was standing uncomfortable next to Rory not knowing what to do.

"No he isn't. Rory would tell me if he were. I'm not a totally hopeless mother!" Lorelei replied in the same volume, starting to enjoy the bickering.

"Like you knew about Dean?" he countered sending Lorelei into a spat of angry retorts.

In the interlude of rude comments and foul play that followed, Rory hurried Tristan out of Lukes' and back into his car. Rory didn't like how Tristan saw that, or how he made her feel. His presents in Stars Hollow only seemed to show how she no longer fitted into the postcard perfect town her mother loved. It made Rory feel like a fraud and a fake, and Tristan only seemed to see how she seemed to fit more next to him that with her mother and the town's people. She hated him for that, for making her lost her place, her role in her society. But at the same time she loved her new place where she didn't feel like such a failure to everyone around her. Where she felt free of the society that made her into what she was.

"I'm sorry, Luke just over protective, and my mothers just . . ." she trailed off, searching for the right word to fully describe her mother.

"Interesting way to end the day." He commented dryly. "Remind me to avoid Luke in future."

"Luke doesn't like any guy that's around me," she told him, her eyes watching his reactions, but there was none beyond the obvious, and she noted that.

"You do chose your protectors well," Tristan smiled, his eyes lighting up as he drove up in front of her house.

"I do have good taste," Rory stated, then seeing his evil look, she added, "Don't say a word bible boy."

Laughing to himself, he made his way up to her front door, before saying leeringly, "I bet you'd be good at a lot of things Mary,"

***

Once again a huge thank you to Belle, without your encouragement this fic would still be just an idea in my strange, over active mind.

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