The reviews are amazing, you guys are awesome!

Thanks to my beta, Lourenda for getting this back to my so quickly.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

-----------------------------

Rory pulled into the camp parking lot with only ten minutes to spare. 'I've really got to start getting up earlier,' she thought to herself.

She had been leaving Stars Hollow just as she remembered that her and Tristan's assignment had gotten changed to water activities. She called Lorelai and asked her to put a swim suit, towel, brush, flip flops, and suntan lotion into a bag for her, so she wouldn't be late.

Getting out of the car she ran into Sammie, who was holding out coffee to her. Rory smiled gratefully and took it, "You are a goddess."

"Hmm, if I had known giving someone coffee would get me the title of goddess, I would have done it way sooner." Sammie joked.

"I'll get the coffee tomorrow."

"We'll do a rotation thing. You get it one day; I'll get it the next."

"Sounds like a plan." Rory said as the two girls walked into the camp office to sign in and get their paper work.

-----------------------------

"Hello, Rory." Wendy smiled walking up to the table Rory was sitting at.

"Hey, Wendy. How are you?"

"I'm good, how are you liking it so far?"

"It's only been one day, but I'm already having a blast. The kids haven't started to plot against me yet, so that's got to be a good sign."

"Good, I'm glad that you're having a good time. 300 hours is a lot of time you've got to work so you might as well have fun while doing it, right?" Wendy smiled.

"True." Rory smiled, hoping that word hadn't gotten out about why she was not getting paid but taking the hours instead.

Wendy had obviously picked up on that "Don't worry, dear. I am the only one who knows you're getting hours instead of money, well me and Tristan."

"Tristan?" Rory asked as she began to inwardly panic.

"Yes, he was the one you talked to on the phone. Didn't he tell you his name?"

Rory shook her head, "No, he didn't and I never thought to ask."

"I'll have to talk to him about the proper way to answer the phone. But never the less, I'm sure if you ask him he'll keep it on the lowdown for you." Wendy told her walking out of the office just as Tristan walked in.

"Ready for water activities, Mare?"

"One small problem, I'm not a life guard."

"I'm not either; there are two lifeguards on duty that the park hired especially for camp. Our job is to make sure no one intentionally drowns anyone."

"What kind of activities do we do?"

"Games like volleyball, inner tube relays, Marco Polo, but really it just turns into one giant splash fest for the kids and the counselors sit back, watch and work on their tans."

"I should have known you're the type of guy to lay-out and catch some sun." Rory teased.

"If I didn't I'd be pasty and who really wants to look like Casper?"

"I happen to like Casper! He's the friendly ghost!"

"The sequel with Hilary Duff killed the movie for me." Tristan shrugged.

"Really? Hilary Duff didn't start to annoy me until after Lizzie McGuire."

"I was much more fond of Even Stevens."

"It's cause you could relate to Louis and his troublemaker ways."

"I was thinking Twitty, he was the ladies man."

Rory shook her head and laughed. "We'll continue this discussion later, I have campers I need to go account for," and with that she walked out of the office.

Tristan couldn't help but smile; there were not very many girls who would admit that they watch the Disney Channel. Hell, there were even fewer girls that he would admit to that he watched the Disney Channel, but Rory didn't seem like the type to judge. Sure, she would tease you, but in the long run she would never hold it against you. That was something he admired, he wished that he knew more people like that.

-----------------------------

Rory was sitting on her picnic table as one by one her campers arrived; some of them even greeted her with a hug. She had noticed that everyone at the camp was very friendly and close to one another, it was like one big family.

"Alright, we're all here." Rory announced making sure Darla and Danielle checked off everyone's name.

"Are you going to eat lunch with us today?" Nikki asked.

"Do you girls want me to?"

"Yes!" They all said brightly, causing Rory to smile.

"Well, I guess it's settled. I'm eating lunch with you girls."

The bell rang signaling everyone was to go to first activity. "Who has water games with me first?"

"We do." Nikki and Shannon said at the same time.

"Could you two please do me a favor and tell Tristan I'll be there soon. I've just got to change."

"No problem." Shannon smiled as the two girls ran off in the direction of the pond.

-----------------------------

Rory walked into the bathroom with her beach bag. Sitting it down she began to rifle through it to find her swim suit and when she did her eyes widened in shock.

"I'm gonna kill her." Rory mumbled pulling out a black halter bikini. What made her even more mad was knowing that she wouldn't get in trouble for wearing it, because everything would be covered, but she had never been one for revealing a lot of skin.

Realizing she'd already left Tristan alone for ten minutes she quickly changed into the suit and pulled her shorts on over the bottoms. She grabbed her towel and sunscreen and walked over to the pond where Tristan was explaining the rules of inner tube relays.

"…When I blow the whistle you begin." He said standing on the edge of the dock. "Everyone ready?" Rory heard him asked followed shortly by a loud whistle.

Rory walked over to where he was standing and couldn't help but noticed how toned he was. She wasn't sure if it was military school or if he had always been that way, but what she did know is that he looked good.

"Sorry I took so long." She said catching his attention.

He turned to look at her and make a smart ass comment, but all coherent thoughts flew out of his mind the moment he took in her appearance. She looked gorgeous, it was a bikini, but it still covered everything, her pale skin against the dark fabric made her look even more beautiful.

"You look good." He complimented.

A deep crimson washed over Rory's face "Thanks."

"I do suggest that if those are your only shorts you take them off because the kids have a tendency to get the dry counselors wet."

"Thanks for the advice." She smiled walking over to where her towel was and quickly wiggled out of her denim shorts, revealing a boy shorts. Tristan tried not to look at her like she was a piece of meat, but he couldn't stop himself.

Rory walked over to sit on the edge of the dock so her feet dangled over the edge. She began to apply sunscreen to herself as she chatted with a few campers.

He watched mesmerized as she applied the lotion to herself, she wasn't trying to be sexy like most girls he'd seen, she was fair skinned so she was probably doing it because she had to.

The next thing Tristan knew Rory let out a scream and was pulled into the water. Laughing hysterically Tristan walked over to the edge of the dock, "I told you."

"Told me what?"

"That campers like to get the counselors wet."

"What about the counselors?" She asked sweetly.

Tristan obviously didn't understand what she was saying because before he figured it out Rory had grabbed his leg and pulled him into the water.

He resurfaced with a scowl on his face, "You think you're real funny, don't you?"

The two young adults began to splash each other as the campers joined in. It soon turned into a battle of boys against girls. Every time a new class began, so did a new battle.

-----------------------------

The bell soon rang indicating it was time for lunch.

"Ok, everyone dry off and go change, then go to lunch. Tristan and I will take care of the tubes." Rory announced as the kids all ran out of the pond.

Rory quickly dried off then began to stack the inner tubes against the equipment shed, "Sorry about pulling you into the pond."

"You mean you are sorry for officially starting this year's battle of the sexes?" Tristan laughed as he helped her stack the tubes.

"I am assuming that it happens every year?"

"Eventually something starts it, normally it's not this soon, but you seem to be a hit with the kids. They are looking to you as an example."

"No pressure." Rory laughed as she gathered beach balls.

"It's only the second day and you've been dubbed the favorite girl counselor, it's an honor really."

"I was never very popular in high school so I suppose this is my chance."

"So, after I left, I am to assume you continued to stay mortal enemies with Paris and spent your lunches reading and listening to music?"

Rory laughed, "If only."

"Care to elaborate?"

"After you left Paris and I actually became pretty good friends, I was even her vice president for student council. In fact, I was the person she decided to go to when she had sex for the first time."

"Yeah, I saw that on TV, laughed for at least 10 minutes straight."

"I'll be sure to tell Paris you found her embarrassing meltdown hysterical."

"It was funny."

"So, how did life go for you once you were at military school?"

"Not bad, it sucked having to wake up before the sun and doing the drills, but the people I met were great and it was as far away from Hartford as possible. I got homesick once and a while, but I guess that's normal."

"I was going to write you." She told him as she gathered up stuff and slipped her shorts back on.

"Why didn't you?"

"Paris wouldn't give me the address." Rory laughed, "Apparently, I had enough guys chasing after me and I didn't need another one."

"I was not chasing after you." Tristan denied.

"PJ Harvey." Rory reminded him with a smile.

"Ok, so I was…A little but in my defense, you weren't with bagboy. I saw it as my one and only shot."

"I would have said yes had you not been a jerk about it."

"I was reverting back to third grade tactics; I've since learned the error of my ways."

"At least you admit it."

"So, how about a new tradition." Tristan suggested finally mustering up enough courage to ask her what he'd wanted to since he talked to her on the phone.

"Depends…" Rory said raising an eyebrow.

"How about I ask you out and you say yes."

Rory smiled at him, but he could tell this wasn't a good smile. This was a sad smile, as if she was saying 'I almost feel bad for you'.

"Tristan, far too much has happened between the time you left Chilton and now, we aren't the same people. You still calling me Mary proves that."

"That's why we should go out, to get to know each other better." He reasoned.

"Just leave it alone, Tris." Rory told him, "Please, just leave it alone."

"If you don't want to go out with me don't use some lame excuse, I can take it. I'm a big boy."

"As much as I'd love to tell you that I really don't want to go out with you, I can't. However, I will tell you I won't go out with you because it'll only complicate things."

"How so?"

If Rory was being honest she didn't want to disappoint him. She had disappointed her mother; she'd disappointed her grandparents, her friends and herself. She couldn't bear to see the look on his face when she shattered the image of innocence he had of her in his head.

"I promised my girls that I'd eat lunch with them, I'll see you after." She said ignoring his question and turning on her heel and walking towards the mess hall.

Tristan didn't know what had just happened; their conversation had gone from light to serious in the matter of seconds.

'It'll complicate things? What the hell does that mean?' Tristan thought as he walked over to the dining hall to sit with Eric.

-----------------------------

"Hey man, what's up?" Eric asked handing Tristan a sandwich.

"Nothing."

"Water games not all it's cracked up to be?"

"Water games is fine."

"Then would you mind telling me why you are acting like a zombie?"

"I'm not. Let's change the subject."

"Ok…Did I tell you Breelynn called me?"

"Of course she did, because god forbid she listen to me." Tristan sighed. First his issue with Rory and now his sister was once again trying to hook up with his best friend. This was not going to be as good of a day as he had thought.

"Hey, I won't date her unless you want me to," Eric assured him.

"And I don't."

"So, I won't. I wouldn't want you dating my sister so I won't date yours."

"Your sister is nine." Tristan laughed.

"Yeah, hence why I wouldn't want you dating her," Eric told him.

Tristan continued to talk to Eric, all the while Rory's words kept running through his mind 'I will tell you I won't go out with you because it'll only complicate things.'

-----------------------------

"Hello, girls," Rory greeted the table, sitting down next to Casey.

"You're late!" Nikki shouted.

"Were you making out in the equipment shed?" Kiah asked causing all of the older girls to laugh.

"You hang around with your uncle a little too much." Rory told her and the little girl only shook her head. "But to answer your question, no, I was not making out in the equipment shed."

"Why? You were with Tristan, if I were you I'd be making out in the equipment shed." Mackenzie told her as Nikki nodded.

"There will be nothing happening between Tristan and I this summer, do you all understand? I do not want any of you attempting to play match maker."

"I make no promises. If I see two people who are clearly hot for each other I will do everything in my power to get them together." Emily told her.

"Hot for each other? My god, when I was thirteen I wouldn't have uttered those words."

"It's cause you were probably a good girl." Nikki shrugged.

"If you mean I did my homework and didn't sneak out of the house, then yes I was a good girl."

"No, I meant in the romantic department." Nikki told her.

"I kept my focus on school and friends rather than boys."

"How old were you when you got your first kiss?" Tory asked.

"Are you seriously asking me this?" Rory asked.

"Answer the question!" They all demanded at once.

"I was sixteen." Rory admitted.

"I've already had my first kiss." Kiah said proudly.

"Really?" Casey asked.

Kiah nodded, "Bryce Angelo kissed me in the coat room on grilled cheese day."

All the other girls awed as the little girl shared her story.

"I suggest you don't tell Uncle Finn that, he might not like his niece kissing in the coat closet." Rory laughed knowing that Finn would with go one of two ways, he'd be very angry or he'd give her advice on how to not get caught.

"My first kiss was Daniel Ridge; he kissed me on the last day of camp when I was eight." Shannon divulged.

"Dan Ridge? You mean the hot guy in Eric's group?"

"Yep."

"Lucky!" Mackenzie said enviously.

Rory zoned out as the girls began to chat about how the hot guys in their age group were as she stared across the mess hall at Tristan.

She really wanted to go out with him, he'd changed and she would love to get to know him better, without him sending suggestive comments her way every ten minutes, but she knew she couldn't. Not after everything that she'd been through. He'd cast her aside, label her as a home wrecker and never look back.

"Nothing's going to happen between you and Tristan, huh?" Casey whispered in Rory's ear.

"What?"

"For someone who has no interest in him, your day dreams are obviously aimed in his direction."

"Eat your chips, Casey." Rory said not wanting to talk about it with her fourteen-year-old camper.

"Yes, ma'am."

-----------------------------

Reviews are always appreciated!