A/N: Alrighty folks, I still don't own anything pertaining to Gilmore Girls, nor do I own anything having to do with 'YMCA' by the Village People, the Goo Goo Dolls' 'Iris', or the film 'Johnny English' which are all mentioned in this chapter.
Okay, I hate to spoil this for you but in this chapter the set a date foe the second date (lol!) and I know it may be moving pretty fast but I'm going to ITALY in 3 weeks for a whole month. Now, I'd hate to leave you guys hanging for that long *grins mischievously* so I want to get it done before I leave. That means I've got 3 weeks to write at least another 6 chapters!!! Don't worry though, I've got the whole story planned out and it's gonna be awesome!
Speacial thanks to my regular reviewers jayde, LizDarcy, smile, RainCloud, coffeechick87, Julianne, and Slytherin Princess and anyone I forgot to mention!
Chapter 8:
Let Go
Rory sighed tiredly before guzzling down the rest of her steaming hot cup of coffee. Patting George the Coffee Maker on what she assumed was his head, she wandered off into the bedroom to throw on some clothes and get her books for class. After tossing them in her book bag she grabbed her keys and headed for the door, but something caught her eye. She came to a stop and stared at the phone sitting across the small room on the end table.
Should she call Tristan and see how he was doing? She had been kept awake for most of the night as thoughts of Tristan flitted through her head. He was a complex myth that she was dying to figure out. Shy, gentle and sweet yet incredibly funny and outgoing with a hint of mystery. He was one of the most incredible people Rory had ever met. But there was something in him that made him different, something that made him seem far older than the twenty-year-old that he was. It was there, lurking just below the surface, but she could never quite grasp what it truly was.
Last night when he had dropped her off at her door she had seen the look of exhaustion and pain that he tried desperately to hide. Instead of asking Tristan to honestly tell her what was wrong like she wanted to, Rory had reached out and hugged him, feeling his tired body lean against hers, and told him to get home safely before forcing herself to close the door.
Now her overactive mind couldn't help but struggle to come up with ideas to explain the enigma that was Tristan DuGrey. The one that seemed most reasonable, and made her hold her breath in fear, was the conclusion that Tristan had some fatal sickness that he either didn't know about or kept completely to himself. It would explain why he kept to himself, rarely letting himself let go, relax, and be free. It made Rory think back to the first day they had met and he said, hesitantly, that he believed that not all people had been lucky enough to have good "stories".
It all made sense and Rory found that it also made her eyes fill with tears, which she fought to keep back. She told herself that she was being foolish, that her overtired mind had made too many assumptions and false observations. But she needed to call him, just to hear his voice and reassure herself that she was insanely stupid to think that he was dying.
She glanced at her watch, it was 9:30 now and her class didn't start until 11. Reaching for her phone, she dialed the number that he had given her last night. She sat down but upon hearing the first ring she jumped to her feet and began pacing.
Half way across town, Tristan lazily rolled over, trying in vain to block out the insistent piercing ring of the telephone and succumb to the sleep that had been evading him for the past couple of hours. Tristan grabbed a pillow and shoved it over his head, somewhat muffling the high-pitched jingle of the electronic.
Telephone? Who was calling him at 9:30 in the morning?
Suddenly, he remembered giving his number to Rory the night before at Pandora's and he shot out of his bed taking the sheets, which had become entangled in his legs, with him. He danced around frantically trying to free himself of the sheets but only managed to trip and land flat on his face. Finally, after much kicking and squirming, Tristan was able to wiggle out of his binds.
He ran out of the bedroom and down the short hallway, praying that he would make it before she cut the call. He wasn't sure he had the nerve to call her back. He could see the phone up ahead on the kitchen counter and he quickened his pace. Unfortunately, he wasn't watching where he was going and stumbled over a bowl that someone had
strategically placed. Mary, he thought in annoyance, scolding the absent, mischievous ghost in his head.
Finally, Tristan reached the phone and, snatching it off the base, brought it quickly to his ear.
"Hello?"
"Hi." Rory smiled as she listened to him huffing and puffing. "Did I wake you up?"
"Nah, not really. I was already awake. You just…gave me the motivation to get out of bed." Rory was glad to see that he was back to himself. She couldn't hold back her laughter at the mental image of Tristan running like a mad man at 9:30 in the morning to answer the phone.
"Well, I'm sorry to have motivated you so early in the morning but I had a perfectly legitimate reason for calling."
"Did you?" Tristan was surprised to hear the tone of amusement in his voice but he couldn't help but smile at the thought of her.
"Yes, I wanted to see if you were feeling better?" Tristan cheerful disposition immediately became solemn and quiet. He thought back to Dean's terrible interruption the night before.
The unearthly attack to his head had left him in pain for hours after he had dropped Rory back home close to midnight. He had been afraid that he wouldn't make it home but when he did he was glad to see his bedsheets pulled down by Mary's ghostly hand and to have her tuck him in as he curled up in a ball, willing the pain to go away. It must have subsided because he had drifted off into a restless sleep and had woken up to the bright sun at 7:30.
He was startled to see Mary standing beside his bed, worry clouded her beautiful blue eyes and she was very transparent. The rich chestnut colour of her hair seemed faded and her bright white sleeping gown took on a grayish tint. Some ghost changed appearance with their moods. They seemed completely real and substantial when they're happy, almost like you could reach out and touch them but when they're melancholy their colour fades and they themselves become translucent. To Tristan they almost looked like something from an old silent film.
For once her vivacious, merry mood had sobered and she stood completely still, watching him gravely. 'I'm okay, Mary.' He had mumbled as he turned over; the cloud of sleep still hung over him but was slowly wearing away. And just like that she was back; she shouted joyfully and those beautiful eyes were dancing again. With a playful tug on his sleeve she disappeared, her laughter lingering in the air behind her.
"So are you? And I want the truth." Rory said, half-serious, half-teasing.
Tristan's heart sank when he heard her say that, but inside he knew that she had every right to. She could even scream and accuse him of being deceitful and he would only apologize and tell her she was right. He had lied to her last night, actually lied. Sure, before he had omitted things, some pretty important things, but he had never lied to her face. At least, not until last night and now he would have to do it again.
"I'm doing better, much better. I'm just a little tired, that's all."
"Honestly?" Rory was relieved at hearing this but that little
voice in the back of her head was telling her that there's something she was missing.
"Yes." Rory hesitated a bit before asking her next question.
"I don't mean to be rude but…has that ever happened before?" Tristan sharply sucked in a breath. He had already told her that it had, which was a lie, so he'd have to stick with that but how would he explain it?
"Yes, it has. Once."
"Oh. Why does it happen?" Rory didn't want to stick her nose where it didn't belong but she was curious…and a little scared.
"I…I don't know, Rory. It just…does." Tristan was choosing his words carefully, struggling not to dig himself farther and farther into his own grave.
"I'm sorry. Does it…hurt a lot?"
Tristan faltered for a moment. "Yeah, I…but it's like a terrible migraine…I'm sure a lot of other people get it, too."
"Maybe, but why does it come so quickly. I mean, one second your fine and the next…" Concern and fear were evident in Rory's voice, which softened until it was nothing more than a whisper. "You could barely stand, Tristan."
There was no answer from Tristan's side of the line. He knew she was worried and it was killing him to know that he was putting her through this.
Rory heard his silence and immediately felt contrite for being so inquisitive and snooping around where she shouldn't have. "I'm sorry, Tristan. I shouldn't have asked you so many questions when it's none of my business. I'm just worried about you."
"It's okay, Rory. You don't have anything to feel sorry about and I understand that you're worried, it's just…it's just painful to talk about."
"Okay, I…" Rory didn't know what to say next. His voice was gentle but strained and suddenly she found herself wishing that she could be there with him, in his arms, seeking and giving solace. "I'll just let it drop then, but if it happens again and you need help or if you need someone to talk to, pick me okay?"
"Okay." His voice was as soft as hers but he was relieved that she had let it go and moved by her simple, loyal offer of support. "Thank you."
"Your welcome." Rory could feel the heat rising to her cheeks as he accepted her offer. When she spoke again her voice was light, cheerful, and contained a tone of playful teasing. "So, you slept well, Mr. DuGrey? I hope you weren't lying to me, I didn't wake you from your beauty rest did I?"
"No, I spoke the truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God." He adopted a deep, choppy voice and, quite frankly, he sounded like a hillbilly. Rory laughed at his mischievous behaviour and was about to respond when he continued on – this time in his regular voice, with a hint of mock arrogance. "And that part about the beauty rest? That stuff doesn't do any anything for me."
"You're right," Rory joked, turning his joke on him. "You're way too far beyond help now."
Tristan laughed at her cleverness. "That's not what I meant. I meant that I'm so naturally good-looking that I don't need to get any beauty rest. I mean, how many people do you know that look this hot at 10 in the morning?"
He asked it as if it was a valid question, which it wasn't, but Rory was laughing regardless. He also seemed to have overlooked the fact that she couldn't exactly see him and confirm his claim. Although I'm sure that what he does look incredibly hot even at this hour.
Rory blushed at the thought. She was one of the many people who looked absolutely dreadful in those ungodly hours of the morning but she could just imagine seeing his beautiful eyes lazy with sleep and that everlasting tousled mess of hair even more disheveled. Not to mention those lips pouting as he begged for a few more minutes to rest. Pushing those thoughts out of her head before they got any further, Rory snapped back to the conversation.
"Well, aren't we the modest one?"
"That's what people tell me." Rory could practically see him smirking. She had seen it a few times last night as they joked around and wondered why she had seen it so rarely in the time since she'd met him.
"Do you always believe what people tell you?"
"If they're complimenting me? Yes. If they're trying to sell me something? No. If they're preaching about Nirvana and Karma? Well, in that case I'm not sure but what goes around does come around, so why not?"
"Oh my God." Rory pretended to be shocked as she spoke the three words slowly.
"What?" Tristan had been joking the whole time but now he felt self-conscious.
"Alert the press, people! I just witnessed a supernatural phenomenon: Tristan DuGrey has officially been caught babbling."
"Oh." Tristan felt relief and laughter flow through him as he heard her carry on.
"You know, you would get along so well with my mother. I think you two should have lunch." Rory joked.
"Sure thing. It's a date." Tristan stopped suddenly, horrified by what he had said. "No! That's not what I meant! I…not a date…just a lunch!" Tristan was inwardly cursing himself as he struggled to get his clear meaning across. "Not even a lunch, just a joke! I'm not even into older women – I swear! We were joking…I, I didn't mean it that way. Honestly!"
Rory flopped onto the couch as she succumbed to a fit of giggles. She hadn't heard anything that funny since she had witnessed her drunken mom and Luke's rendition of "YMCA" in the middle of Stars Hollow Town Square. She could tell that Tristan didn't mean it in a bad way but to hear him stumble over his words in a mad rush to avoid upsetting her was just priceless.
As he heard her laughter on the other end, Tristan sank into a chair and discreetly smacked his head on the table a few times. You're such a moron! He told himself. You are so lucky that she hasn't hung up and filed for a restraining order! He was in the middle of reprimanding himself when Rory finally found her voice again.
"That's all right, Tristan. I know you didn't mean anything by it. It was just so funny!" He replied with another 'Sorry', which was slightly muffled because his face was still smushed on the table.
"Don't worry about. Even Mom will think it's funny."
Tristan sat up straight in his chair. "You're going to tell her?" His voice was incredulous, filled with worry and shock.
"Of course. I told you not to worry, though. When she sees you and discovers what a nice guy you are, she'll love you regardless."
Tristan forgot about the embarrassment that was in store for him but was instead focused on something she had said. "You want me to meet your mom?" His voice was soft and full of wonder and happiness.
She wants me to meet her mom! As scary as the situation generally was, Tristan had heard a lot about the older Lorelai Gilmore and she sounded like a wonderful, albeit crazy, women. He wasn't scared to meet her, a bit nervous, yes, but he wanted to see what kind of relationship a caring mother could have with their child.
Rory realized her mistake too late. Meet my mom! That's the quickest way to get rid of a guy – especially when it's MY mom!
"Um, sure, sometime in the future. Only if you'd like to – there's no pressure." Rory winced as she waited to hear his answer.
"No, no, I'd love to. Really. From how you've described her, she seems like an incredible person." Rory was shocked to hear him say that. He really is one in a million… "Plus, I've got to see if there really is someone out there who's crazier than you. Now, I'm a skeptic and experts are baffled but nothing's impossible right?"
Rory laughed happily. "Right." She mustered up her courage to speak her next words. "And on that note, I'd like to know if it's possible to see if you would like to go out again?"
Tristan nearly fell off his chair. She was asking him out on a second date! What were the odds of that? Rory Gilmore was beautiful and intelligent and way out of his league, but she was asking him to go on a second date. He was shocked.
Suddenly, Mary appeared beside him, almost causing him to fall out of his chair again, and gave him an insistent look while tugging fiercely on his arm. For some reason, Mary was just as excited as he was about his relationship with Rory and her excitement was enough to bring him back to reality.
"I..I'd like that, Rory." He could feel the heat rising to his cheeks and he stood up from the table, turning so that Mary wouldn't see his lack of composure.
"Great." Rory secretly heaved a sigh of relieve. Although she had wanted to go out on a second date with Tristan she hadn't thought that she would ask him.
Tristan couldn't keep the smile off his face as he spoke. "How about a movie?"
"Sounds good. I really want to see Johnny English!" Tristan could hear the excitement in her voice and chuckled lightly.
"Johnny English it is then! Maybe after we could grab a coffee and head to the park for a while?"
"Sure. Tonight?"
"I'm sorry but I have to work tonight. Is Thursday night okay?"
"Yeah, after today I don't have a class until Monday."
"Sounds like a plan?"
"Sounds like a date to me." Rory had no idea where she got the audacity to say that but she was always surprising herself around Tristan.
"Good thing you said that. I wanted to but I didn't want a repeat of earlier." Rory giggled and was forming a reply when she heard her call waiting.
"Oh, Tristan, I've got a call coming in. I'll see you Thursday night. Can we meet at the theatres at seven?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Okay, I'll see you then."
"Bye, Rory."
"Bye."
Rory fumbled with the phone, her excitement evident in her shaky breathing and her glowing smile. She glanced at the clock. 10:02. She still had twenty minutes before she had to leave. Finally, she succeeded in hitting the Flash button.
"Hello?"
"Mini-me! There you are! Have you fallen off the face of the Earth?"
"No, Mom, I-"
"Have you been living under a rock?"
"No, Mom –"
"Have you been dating a super-hot guy who goes by the name of Tristan?"
Silence.
"You are so guilty, my child!"
"Oh, fine, you caught me." Rory grumbled though a smile tweaked up the corners of her mouth.
Lorelai was silent for a moment, then said expectantly, "Well, what do you say?"
"Lorelai is the Queen of the Universe, she is all-seeing, all-hearing, all-knowing and all-coffee consuming. I am lucky to have her for my mother, I am lucky to have been blessed with her presence."
Again Lorelai waited and then spoke in an overly-sweet voice. "You forgot something…"
Rory sighed playfully and grumbled again. "I am lucky to be…her little grasshopper."
"Mommy loves you, sweetie. You just made my day. I like the part that you added bout the all-coffee consuming."
"I was going for brownie points."
"Well, it worked, munchkin."
"Good, so then I don't have to-" But here mother cut her off.
"Tell me all the details."
"Darn." To be honest, Rory couldn't wait to tell her mother everything about her evening with Tristan, so she did.
"He told me his last name. DuGrey. Doesn't that sound good?" Rory was on cloud nine just thinking about him.
"Hmmm. DuGrey, huh?" To Lorelai the name sounded familiar but she couldn't recall where she had heard it. Oh well, what's the point in worrying about it. She likes him, it's as simple as that. "Rory DuGrey…Yeah it does actually, nice ring to it!"
"Mom!"
She left out the part about Tristan's spontaneous headache but she did mention that she felt he was hiding something from her.
"Something dangerous?" Lorelai asked, concern flooding her voice.
"No, nothing like that. Just something personal." Lorelai could hear her daughter's frustration at this guy's secretive ways.
"Don't sweat it, honey. He probably wants to make sure he can trust you first; he probably just wants to avoid getting hurt."
"I know, but I just wish he'd tell me whatever it is."
"He will, sweetie. Just give him time to come around and show him that he can trust you."
"Okay. I guess you're right." Rory thought about what her mother had said. It made sense, she had to show Tristan that she was trustworthy so that he would be comfortable enough to be completely open and honest with her.
"So 'Iris', huh? Good song." Rory cringed as her mother launched into the song, singing at the top of her lungs.
"Mom?" But she continued on.
" 'And I don't want the world to see me-'"
"Mom!"
"Yeah?"
"Please don't ruin the song for me. Up until 30 seconds ago, it brought good memories." Lorelai grumbled something about 'evil children these days' and said she had to leave for the inn.
Rory said her goodbyes and ended the conversation. Placing the phone back on the cradle, she gathered her stuff, deciding to leave for class early. Double-checking that she had everything she needed, she bent down to grab her book bag but straightened up immediately.
Something had changed in her dorm room. That feeling was back in the room, that feeling that permeated the apartment while she was getting ready for her date with Tristan the night before. It was almost like there was a different…energy.
Rory looked down to see that her arms were covered in goosebumps and that feeling was back, that little tingle on the back of her neck that told her she was being watched.
Grabbing her keys and her bag, she turned on her heel and fled the room.
~~~~~~~~~
There it is! I hope it was alright, it's kind of a filler chapter! And I do realize that I haven't cleared up the whole Tristan meeting Dean thing but I've gotta keep something up my sleeve!!!!!!!
Please review!
Love,
The Madster