A/N: Okay here it is! I know I'm a little late but technically it's still the weekend cuz up in Canada here its thanksgiving! I hope you enjoy it! And THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chapter 14:

Fallen Angel

Oh my god! The thought hit Rory hard and fast. He was here, he was here and I let him fall. A terrible feeling like her heart being wretched out of her chest invaded Rory as she struggled to keep from crying. If she started crying, she would end up sobbing, and if that happened, she would never calm herself, she would never be able to take a deep breath and save him.

Suddenly, she was panicking. She would have to move, and fast. Thoughts of soft, pale skin and a caring, weak hand sent her into a flurry of movements. Rory took a deep breath and pushed any thoughts of Dean from her mind. She dove beneath the surface and, within an instant, the landscape drastically transformed. The calm, quiet, cool October evening shifted into a dark, turbulent underworld.

Everything was still, everything was silent. An eerie chill ran up her spine and Rory could feel the heavy weight of the water bearing down on her.

Time stilled for a moment as she forced her eyes opened and squinted into the depths, desperately searching for any sign of Tristan. Her heartbeat thrummed in her ears and she could feel time slip by as she wasted precious seconds.

Pale beams of moonlight permeated the fathomless darkness, casting faint shadows all around her.

And then, out of the darkness, she saw something. Soft moonshine caught something below her and a flash of light came to her. No, not light. Silver.

Rory's lungs began to burn, but she was too busy making connections to care.

A silver ring. Suddenly, it hit her. His grandfather's ring. Tristan wore his grandfather's silver wedding band on his left hand.

Rory's heart raced as relief and hope flooded her. Oh, thank God, was the only thought her brain could form as she continued her descent down into the murky depths.

She kicked her legs and pulled with her arms, thrusting and pushing her way down as fast as she could. Tristan couldn't swim, Rory knew that, and she also realized that fifteen minutes, at least, had passed since he had first been pushed into the water. Thoughts of the one she loved panicking and slowly drowning drove Rory onward.

She could see him now, a vague figure descending slowly, his limp body drifting gently down. Rory reached for him and infinity ruled as her hand stretched towards him. Everything succumbed to a bitter slowness and she watched, distressed as the space between her arm and his hand gradually decreased. In truth, she was terrified that she was too late.

Her hand latched onto his arm and Rory immediately felt relief rush over her in waves. He would be fine, she would pull him to the bank and he would smile and kiss her and everything would go back to normal.

Making sure that her grip was strong enough, Rory ignored the fact that he didn't respond, turned toward the surface, and began swimming. Her heart froze and fear gripped her. She realized that he was too heavy for her exhausted body to pull him to safety and she realized that she didn't have enough air to make it there, already her head was aching and her lungs burned.

No. No, her fuzzy brain thought. Keep going.

She pulled Tristan and kicked up with all her strength.

Keep going.

It was up to her to save them both.

Keep going…

But she knew she would never make it.

Rory resisted the urge to sob when her next thought hit her. She could make it, she could, but only if she let Tristan go. Only if she let him fall away into the darkness, only if she let him die, but she wouldn't, not now, not ever.

Disgusted that she had even considered it, Rory pressed on, determined to save him, even if it meant sacrificing herself. But already she could feel what was left of her energy fading, she could feel nothing other than the need to succumb to the darkness, to give up and fall away with Tristan.

They would go to a different place, and maybe there they could be happy together…

Happy…

Rory could see nothing other than the darkness around her, the darkness above her, and the darkness below her, but suddenly she didn't care. She pulled Tristan's slack body to her and, still treading water, decided to close her eyes and rest.

I'm sorry, Tristan.

~~~~~~

He was in a strange place. The light was bright and overpowering and, at the same time, soft and comforting. He couldn't tell where it came from, it seemed to emit forth from all around him, enveloping Tristan in a feeling of security and shelter that he had found in only one other place.

Just like the light, the room he was in had no walls, no floors; it stretched on forever in an endless band of brilliance. Tristan wasn't even sure if he was standing or sitting or just floating, but he was there, he could feel it, and he was waiting.

Waiting for what, he couldn't tell, but there was a gentle, expectant feeling all around him. He wasn't afraid, not in the least bit; he liked it here, in the light and the warmth. But he was uneasy, unsure of what to do or why he was brought here or where here even was. Tristan couldn't help but notice a nagging feeling pulling at his conscience. He liked it here, but he didn't belong.

A voice came, suddenly, out of nowhere, and Tristan felt his worries being soothed away.

"Why are you here, Tristan?" He knew that voice, he knew he did. It came from someplace long ago and far away, but he couldn't place it. It came from above and below and from all sides of him; it was gentle and sweet, kind and full of wisdom.

"I…I'm not sure…I don't…I don't really now where…here is." He could feel his uneasiness return, there was something he had left behind wherever he was before this, something special.

"Don't be afraid, Tristan. You're in a safe place."

Tristan nodded wordlessly, although he wasn't sure if the person speaking could see him. He wasn't afraid of this place, but he was scared because he knew that he had left something important behind, something he had to go back to now.

"I shouldn't be here." He stated quietly, certainly.

"No." The voice replied calmly. "But I can help you return to where you came from."

Relief flooded him. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't remember what had taken place before this, he couldn't remember anything at all. Panic overtook him, he wasn't sure who he was, what he looked like, what he had done to be brought here. Tristan. That's who he was, that's all he knew and he held onto it like a drowning man clings to a life preserver. Something about that analogy awakened something, some memory in his brain but it was out of reach, just beyond his fingertips.

"I understand that you remember nothing, Tristan, but there is a reason for that. I told you that I can help you go back but I need you to make a decision, a choice. And everything depends on your answer."

Tristan swallowed the lump in his throat, forcing himself to remain calm.

"You have been given a rare favor in your life, Tristan, but with it came an ever rarer misfortune. A gift and a curse. It is up to you to choose between the two." Tristan probed his brain, trying desperately to remember what the two were, but nothing was clear anymore.

"It is not your time, Tristan. I can give you back your life, but you must choose. If you choose the gift, you also choose to keep the curse. It you choose to rid yourself of the curse, you must also forfeit the gift. Choose now, Tristan."

Tristan panicked. How was he supposed to choose if he couldn't remember what the gift and the curse were? He tried and tried but could recall nothing. Memory didn't exist here, only feeling and conscience.

"You remember nothing because you are not supposed to. This decision is a vital one, but it can not be decided by any partiality that your memories may induce. It must be made solely by your clear judgment, by your integrity and your innocence."

Tristan didn't understand, not at all. He continued to think, to search through his brain, to waste precious time as his fear grew.

"I can give you back your life, but you haven't much time. Your soul is here, safe between the worlds, but your body is not. I can reunite the two, but only if you decide before it is too late. If you do not choose now, all will be lost."

~~~~~~

Rory squeezed her eyes shut and reopened them, squinting in the dark water. It can't be, she thought, it's not possible. But there it was, there she was, a little girl.

She was clad in a beautiful, white dress, her dark hair fell around her shoulders, and bright blue eyes burned into Rory's own matching azure irises.

The first thought that Rory's aching head put together was that the girl was drowning, too. But that couldn't be either. Her hair fell around her, it wasn't floating, suspended in the water around her. Her dress also hung loosely off her tiny frame and never drifted or stirred. And, what's more, she was smiling.

Her cherub face looked pale in the moonlight, but a small, worried smile graced her features and Rory felt a sense of comfort invade her.

Go, a voice that didn't quite sound like her own sailed into her thoughts. Save him.

Without thinking, Rory was moving. Using energy and strength that she hadn't had moments before, she kicked upwards. She never stopped to think that Tristan's weight was no longer a burden to her, or that the fire that raged in her lungs had ceased.

Rory could see it now, just above her, the surface. She wrapped her arms around Tristan's waist and gave it one last kick, propelling them up and into the cool night air.

For seconds, she could only tread water wearily, supporting both Tristan and herself as she gulped air into her starving lungs, the image of the girl fading from her mind. Tristan fell against her, his chin resting on her shoulder, his head leaning against hers.

She pulled back slightly and, with one arm still around him, used her hand to pull his chin up. His eyes were closed and his peaceful face looked as pale as the moonlight that illuminated it.

Rory had to get him to the bank and fast. She recommenced her kicking and swam with only one hand, keeping the other firmly secured on Tristan's jacket. She called on her last reserves of energy but found that she was incapable of moving any faster than a crawl.

She stopped and turned back to Tristan. Pulling him close once more, she hastily pulled off his heavy jacket, ridding him of the heavy garment that was weighing him down. Once more, she forged on, keeping the shore in sight, thinking of nothing other than getting there.

Ten feet.

And she didn't give up kicking, pushing, and pulling for all she was worth.

Five feet.

And again time slowed disquietingly. Each kick of her legs brought them closer and closer to safety.

Two feet…

But a little voice in her head, a feeling in the pit of her stomach, told her she was too late.

Rory grabbed a handful of grass and pulled herself up and onto the ground, keeping one hand on Tristan's arm the whole time. She turned and frantically pulled, heaving him up out of the water. This was the hardest part, without the buoyancy of the water helping her, Rory found it impossible to pull Tristan's muscular, lean frame onto safety. Her efforts were everything but gentle, she didn't have time for that; he would be scratched and bruised but she didn't care as long as he was breathing.

Her muscles ached but Rory finally succeeded in pulling him onto the grass and, though his feet were only inches away from the thing that threatened to steal his life away, lay him on his back.

She fell to her knees beside him, her body shaking from cold, exhaustion, and overwhelming fear. Rory bent over, placing her ear above his face, waiting to feel his warm breath tickling her wet cheek.

It was when that soft caress didn't come that her tears came, slowly raining down her cheeks as she reached hastily for him. Rory used one hand to pinch his nose and the other to hold his mouth open. She pressed her lips to his, breathing her air into him, praying with everything she had that it would work.

She pulled back and placed one hand over the other on his chest, forcing her palms down in strong pumping motions like she had learned in a safety course. Rory returned to his mouth and then, back, to his chest, ignoring her tears and the devastating thought of living without him.

When her energy gave out and she couldn't push any longer, she gave up and brought her face back to his, waiting in fear, waiting in agony…for nothing. The tears that had poured forth grew in intensity to grating, brutal sobs that tore through her body and she didn't try to stop them.

Rory leaned over him and gathered his limp body to her, holding and rocking him gently as her tears rained down on his face. Random memories of their short time together flitted sorrowfully through her mind.

Meeting him that day in the coffee shop, noting how he had looked around self-consciously when she spoke to him, eventually giving her that hesitant, shy smile.

Tristan accepting a seat and roaring with laughter as Rory animatedly described Lorelai and then the adorable blush that followed when they both realized that the crowd was watching them.

Laughing as he stammered and hesitated nervously before asking her out.

Their first date at Pandora's. Tristan pulling out her chair, his obliviousness to the waitress's flirtations, his deep, steady voice telling her the Greek legend, sharing his pain over his grandfather's death, and finally dancing with him, finding heaven in his arms.

The park; witnessing his playfulness for the first time, learning of his failed dream and his fear of water, him chivalrously giving her his sweater, their almost-kiss.

Calling him the next morning, Tristan promising to go to her if he ever needed help, desperately trying to correct himself after jokingly taking about a date with Lorelai, and happily accepting her offer for another date.

The night of their second date; Tristan feigning a British accent and getting smacked by an old lady, making her laugh like no one else could. His insistent determination to pay for her coffee, walking through the park together, placing a feather-soft kiss on the crown of her head.

Rory sobbed harder as she remember lying, here, in his arms, feeling more warm, safe, and cherished than anywhere else. Running hand-in-hand through the rain to his apartment, where he gave her a change of close and lovingly wrapped his arms around her as she slept. Then, waking up next to him, her heart breaking as he whimpered in his sleep, tossing and turning restlessly. She remembered him waking up and trying to comfort him from the terrible dream he had suffered through.

Their first kiss. She could still feel that incredible kiss, his soft, hesitant lips, his sweet taste, and the gentle hands that caressed her skin.

And then, here, tonight, where he had faced Dean, met his biggest fear, and gave up his life to save hers.

The intense pain that coursed through Rory was like nothing she had ever experienced before. She had failed, she had let him down and as punishment she would never again see him smile, would never kiss him or hold him, would never make him laugh, would never lie next to him and watch him as he slept.

Rory felt empty as she let Tristan go, gently placing him back on the soft grass, feeling through the thin white material of his shirt that his warmth was fading fast. Her entire body trembled as she pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, wishing him happiness and peace, and she pulled back to wrap her arms around herself, leaving a trail of tears on his pale skin.

She continued to cry, to mourn her incredible loss, but she had the sudden urge to lift her head from its place, buried in her arms. She followed her instincts and looked up.

The girl. She was sitting across from Rory, on the other side of Tristan, and she watched Rory with a smile. A secret smile.

"Who…who are y-you?" Rory pushed out through her tears. The girl looked exactly as she had before in the water, but unlike Rory and Tristan, she was completely dry. Rory decided that her pain was so great that she was hallucinating. She didn't have time to waste wondering about the little girl, she could only think of Tristan.

But suddenly the girl giggled in delight, her blues eyes dancing as if it were Christmas morning. Rory stared, too shocked to speak, too shocked to cry.

The girl in white reached out her little hand and clasped Rory's tightly, she could feel the small, warm hand fill her with hope. Rory continued to watch in disbelief as the girl used her other hand to pick up Tristan's, wrapping her tiny fingers around his great palm. The young girl laughed joyously as she united Rory and Tristan's hand, making sure Rory held tightly onto Tristan's.

Then she sat back on her heels and reached her hand up, placing it gently on Tristan's face. Rory didn't understand what was happening, but she wasn't afraid, for some reason, she wanted to reach out and hug the little girl.

Then she spoke. "Wake up now, Tristan." And her voice was like music, as soft as a breeze on a warm August evening, as sweet and as smooth as honey, and as joyous and as hopeful as her bright blue eyes.

Rory watched the little girl, awestruck, until she heard a noise.

Her eyes flew to Tristan as he coughed and sputtered, spitting up water as he winced in pain.

Rory cried out as he gasped for breath and in a second she was on him, lying half on the ground, wrapping her arms around him, laughing brightly as she covered his face in light, angel kisses.

Tristan had heard an angelic voice speaking to him from far away and suddenly he was coughing, choking on water as he struggled to breath, feeling pain scourged through his body.

Before he knew what was happening, he heard someone squeal in delight and huffed as a body catapulted its weight on to him. Heavenly laughter reached his ears as he felt soft, sweet kisses rain down on his face.

Rory.

Without meaning to, he was smiling and weakly wrapping his arms around her.

"Oh, Tristan!" She cried in between kisses. "Oh, thank God, Tristan! You're alright, you're okay! I was so worried, I was so afraid - don't you ever to that to me again!" He smiled ruefully at that. "God, I think my heart stopped for a moment there! I swam as fast as I could but I was afraid I was too late!"

Her voice calmed and she looked him straight in the eye as her dark, wet hair fell around their faces. "Tristan, I've never been so scared in my life…I…"

"It's okay, Rory. Everything's going to be okay now. You saved me." His voice was soft and raspy but he smiled gently at her and she hugged him so tightly that it hurt.

"We saved each other." She whispered in his ear. She pulled back and gazed at him lovingly and, although he was wet, cold, exhausted, and in pain, Tristan had never felt better in his life.

"Yeah," he murmured, "You're right." Rory smiled and kissed him again. She couldn't describe what she was feeling; she was so grateful, so overjoyed, so intoxicated by his presence. Just having him back was…heaven.

Suddenly, a thought hit her and she was off again, making Tristan laugh softly as she babbled on and on. He didn't mind, though. To him, the sound of her voice was heaven.

"But it wasn't just me. She was here, a little girl, she helped me. When we were in the water, I was trying to pull you up but you felt so heavy. But then I saw her, I saw her, Tristan, floating beside me in the water and suddenly you weren't so heavy anymore. And then I pulled you up here, but you weren't breathing… I thought you were…I thought I was too late! I was crying and the next thing I knew she was here. She took our hands and joined them then she spoke. She said, 'Wake up now, Tristan' and you did. Tristan, you did!" Rory couldn't stop the words that rushed out, matched only by the thankful tears that flowed down her cheeks.

Tristan smiled and brushed the tears away, but Rory had more to say. Her voice softened and her blue eyes looked around, puzzled.

"She's gone now, though. Tristan, I could've sworn she was right here."

She never stopped searching. Had she made her up? Was she a figment of her imagination? Was she real? Did she run away?

Tristan wasn't afraid or shocked by Rory's statement. "What did she look like, Rory?"

Rory gazed at Tristan, wondering why he would ask that of all things. "She-she had long dark hair…and the most beautiful blue eyes I've ever seen. She had a white dress on and…and she was always smiling."

"I've seen her too. Her name's Mary." Tristan tried to make his voice calm, tried to keep Rory from thinking that she was different in any way because she saw the spirit. "You saw a ghost, Rory."

Rory was quiet for a minute and Tristan feared that he would see terror in her eyes. Her eyebrows twitched thoughtfully and a small smile crept slowly across her face. "No, Tristan. I saw an angel."

An angel. Tristan was quiet for a long time and he didn't realize that he was crying until Rory kissed his tears. "Tristan I wanted to say thank you. Honestly, for everything."

Tristan shook his head and smiled. "I think I'm the one who owes you a thank you. Thank you for saving me just now, thank you for saving me from them, and thank you for saving me from myself, from being alone."

Strong arms wrapped around him and for many moments they lay together, quietly. Rory lay her head on his chest just below his chin and softly kissed the skin at the base of his neck. Tristan pressed a kiss to the crown of her head and gathered his courage.

"Rory?"

"Hmm." She answered softly.

He gently pushed her off him until they were sitting side by side on the grass. He turned to her and took her face in his hands, caressing her soft, smooth skin. He felt tingles race through him, all the way down to his toes and he smiled.

"Rory, I'm not sure how many times I've tried to say this too you, but I am sure of how long I've wanted to say this to you. I…I know I'm…different, that I don't exactly fit in. I've been alone for a long time, a long time," He emphasized gently. "And I know what I've always wanted, but…I could never find it…I was too…afraid to look for it. But I found it. I've finally found it… in you." He paused, trying to organize his thoughts. Rory smiled lovingly at him and he found the courage to continue. "You're the most incredible person I've ever met. You're sweet and intelligent, you're breathtakingly beautiful in every way. I guess that what I'm trying to say is that now that I've found you, I don't ever want to lose you. And…" Tristan raised his head and gazed shyly at her. "I love you, Rory."

Rory face broke into a smile and all the stars in the sky shone through her eyes. He was incredible; so kind, so gentle. His courage and integrity amazed her and his sweetness took her breath away. She took his hands and held them tightly. Rory stared straight into his eyes, evoking a shy blush to colour his cheeks as he waited apprehensively for her response, and meant every word she said. "I don't care about what makes you different, in fact, I'm thankful for it because it made you the man you are now. You're the most caring person I've ever known, but I want to know you more, I want to know all of you. And I want you to know all of me."

She could see the uncertainty in his eyes, the unspoken question from that little boy who wanted so badly, but was so afraid, to be loved. Why?

"Because I love you, too, Tristan."

Those were the words he had been waiting to hear his whole life, and now that he had, he couldn't wait to hear them coming from Rory every day that followed.

They smiled at each other. Nothing more needed to be said.

He gently held her face, and kissed her.

~~~~~~~~~~~

There you are!!!!! I hope you liked it cuz there's more to come!!! Please review!

I think that there will be another two chapters/epilogues then Lost Souls is done!

I've got an idea for a second story (not a sequel) but I'm not sure if I'll get around to it!

Love

Madz