"...You mean like the spawn of Satan, epitome of all that is wrong with the world, Tristan?" Lorelai asked quizzically.

"Yeah, but not exactly." Rory said into the phone not quite knowing how to explain. "He's different..."

"Different, how? Like he's now overweight and balding? Or different like he had a lobotomy?" Lorelai asked.

"Ummm neither," Rory replied laughing lightly. She loved how her mother, no matter what the situation could still come up with random witticisms. "I don't know. He just seems like Tristan 2.0." She said running a brush through her thick brown hair.

"What do you mean?" Came the response from the other side of the phone.

"He's more misunderstood protagonist, than avid antihero." Rory said faint traces of strain entering her voice. Honestly she wasn't exactly sure what Tristan was now. And it confused, exasperated, and entertained her all at the same time. She used to be so sure of what he was. He used to be so easy to peg down, but now he wasn't in the least. And she wasn't sure whether or not that was a good thing.

"How very vague of you." Lorelai replied wryly after a few beats of silence. "C'mon you have to give me something more than that!" her voice turning whinny in an instant.

Rory laughed again, wondering why this was such an interesting topic for her mother. "Fine! Nothing too exciting, we talked, we got coffee, he met Logan."

Her voice was abruptly cut off by the sound of her mother choking, "He met Logan?"

"Not intentionally, but we were at the bar and Logan kinda showed up." Rory said

"Did he pitch a fit?" Lorelai asked laughter creeping into her voice. It wasn't that she hated Logan. Well not completely, but she couldn't condone a boy who'd hurt Rory as he had. And even if Rory had forgiven him, it didn't mean that she still didn't think about smacking his smug arrogant face whenever he was mentioned.

"No! Well yeah, kinda. When Tristan and I stood up to leave he helped me put my coat on then he grabbed me and gave me this really possessive 'she's mine' kind of kiss." Rory said as she began to apply make-up.

Lorelai could feel her annoyance with Logan grow as the story unfurled. "What did Tristan do?"

"Nothing, though I did hold his hand as we walked out of the bar." Rory replied. Remembering the conversation she and Tristan had after leaving the bar. She wasn't entirely sure why but it made her smile. He'd been sympathetic, no more than that. It felt as though he'd been there, dealt with the same things she now was, and discovered that it all came out okay.

What brought that on. Lorelai thought as she smiled at the thought of what Logan's reaction must've been. "So what are you up too now?"

"I promised I'd go out to dinner with Logan tonight." Rory said, "Actually I'd better let you go. He'll be here in fifteen minutes."

"Okay hun, I'll talk to you later, love you." Lorelai replied.

"Love you too, bye." Rory said as she hung up the phone.

Something was different Lorelai thought absently, placing the phone back in the cradle. Rory sounded...sounded animated for lack of a better word. The story she had told about her and Tristan had been told with humor something she hadn't heard from her daughter in a long while. She grinned, feeling as though Rory had just unintentionally let her in on a secret that had yet to be formed.

Rory stared at her refection in the mirror with annoyance. Part of her wanted more than anything to call Logan up and make some lame excuse. But she knew she wouldn't, it would feel too much like taking the easy way out. What had happened? Before last night things had been going so well! That's not true and you know it! Things with Logan had been far from perfect, but they'd been interesting at the very least. But now? Now she didn't know what she thought. Rory ran a hand through her once perfect hair in exasperation. Her thoughts were interrupted by the ring of her doorbell.

"Hello Ace," Logan said smirking as he handed her bouquet of lilies. He was leaning against the door frame looking as charming as humanly possible. But under that smug smile lie something else. Elusive though it was, she could almost feel his calm assurance. Like he knew that a polite smile and cleverly placed compliment could get her to forget everything that had transpired the night previous.

" Thank you. Come in," Rory said automatically forcing a smile. "They're lovely I'll just put them in some water and we can go." She turned and entered the kitchen. Feeling vaguely like a character in a play, delivering the same lines as always, lines she'd been saying for so long they no longer sounded like words.

"I thought I should apologize for last night," Logan said smoothly, following her into the dorm. "I think I overreacted with Tristan last night. You know how jealous I get and well..I'm sorry. feigning a sincerity that both of them knew was bullshit. He placed his hand on her arm in a way that he must have thought would seem soothing. (It failed beautifully.)

Rory pulled a vase from the cabinet and tried to keep her voice even as she said, "You have no right to be jealous Logan. I'm not your girlfriend, remember?" She kept her eyes on the flowers as she put the flowers in the vase with a painstaking slowness.

If Logan was shocked by her remark his voice did not betray it, " I know," he said softly, "I think that's something we should rectify."

"Would you still be saying that if it weren't for Tristan?" Rory asked as she turned toward him.

"Of course, Rory." Logan said as a slow smile crept across his face, "I've been wanting to ask you for a while. But last night I knew that I had to do it before someone else did."

"No," was Rory's reply, "At least not yet. If you want me half as much as you seem too, then you won't mind waiting. I don't want you to ask me to be your girlfriend just because some other guy might. So prove it, prove you want me because of me, but until then the answer is no." Rory said.

It was the first time she'd been honest with him like that. And she truly didn't care what his response was. She was just glad that she'd finally said what she couldn't before.

"Okay," Logan said, "If that's what you need then I'll give it to you." (Sorry I threw up a little bit in my mouth)

"I think I'm gonna take a rain check on dinner." Rory said. "We both need to have a night off, I'll call you tomorrow." He nodded, turned to go, then looked back. Placing his hands on either side of her face, he kissed her.

Slowly he pulled back, "Goodnight Ace," he said as he smiled and left the dorm. Closing the door as he left. She watched the door for a few moments after he left, lost in thought.

She then grabbed her purse and began to dig through it. Removing her cell phone she looked up the phone number of the person she wanted to talk to more than anyone else in the world. Taking one last look at the flowers as she pressed the send button.

"Hey Tristan, it's Rory. Do you mind if I come over?"

A/N

Yeah I know it took forever. I'm so sorry, but I wanted to make sure it was right. Please review I need need need them. Please!!!!!