AN: I was hyped up on Mountain Dew when I wrote the first part of this chapter. So it's a little goofy, let me know what you think.
Rory walked through Jess' house taking off her jacket and shoes. She had spent the entire day with Tristan. She couldn't believe how easy it was to be around him. It scared her even more to know that she had liked being around him. She heard voices in the kitchen so she walked down the hall.
Rory stopped just outside the door. Her mom was here; she had forgotten that she was coming. She took a deep breath before going in. Her mom stopped talking when she saw her. Lorelai glared at her and she gave her an apologetic smile.
"Where have you been?" Jess asked breaking the silence.
"I was with a friend. And I lost track of time." She said sitting down.
"Who were you with?" Lorelai asked giving her a weird look.
"I'm sorry I forgot about you." Rory said looking at her hands.
"It's fine, what's not fine is you leaving your cell phone here. So I repeat, who were you with?"
Rory mumbled something and Jess leaned in to hear her.
"Come again?" Lorelai asked giving her an 'are you nuts' look.
"Tristan." Rory said just above a whisper.
"Okay…who's Tristan?" Jess asked moving to sit next to her.
Rory explained everything to him and he had to fight the urge to laugh.
"What?" Rory asked looking at him like he was crazy.
"You went from money bags to Mr. Metrosexual."
"I'm not dating him!"
Jess had lightened up a lot in the years Rory had known him. He had gone from badass punk to smartass within months after Rory moved to New York. He laughed more now. And what shocked Rory even more was that Lorelai was laughing with him.
Rory shook her head before throwing her hands up in defeat. This was one battle she wasn't going to win.
"Since when do you know what a Metrosexual is?"
"I've listened to enough of you and your mom's conversations to know what it means."
"Tristan isn't. He has to look nice for his job."
"Are you defending him?" Jess asked quirking an eyebrow at her.
Rory groaned in frustration before Lorelai calmed down.
"Leave her alone. It's not her fault he's high maintenance."
"You said he was hot mom."
"That I did. Doesn't mean he has to dress nicer than I do."
Jess started laughing again once she said that.
"I give up." Rory said rolling her eyes as she walked out of the room.
She went to her room and shut the door. Chester lifted his head from off her bed to look at her then lay back down. She sat at her desk looking through the paper. So far she hadn't found anything she liked yet. Jess had told her she could stay as long as she wanted. Which made her feel closer to home. Home being Stars Hollow. She had always figured she'd have two homes. Wherever she lived, and wherever her family was. Everyone there was her family. As weird as it sounded she missed living there. She hadn't lived in there three years. Her cell phone rang making Chester bark.
"Hush Chester!" Rory said before grabbing her phone.
"Hello?"
"Love?"
"Finn?"
"Yeah."
Rory hadn't talked to Finn in over a year. Not since he moved back to Australia.
"You still there?" He asked fading in and out.
"I'm still here. Where are you?"
"Brooklyn tunnel." Was all Rory heard.
"You're in New York?" She asked when the reception came back in.
"Yeah. I talked to Logan. And I wanted you to know that I'm sorry. He can be a real bastard sometimes."
"He's your friend Finn."
"I know, but at least I'm honest."
"Do you have a reason for calling?"
"Just wanted to see how you are."
"I'm doing good."
"Good girl. I wanted to warn you. He's seeing someone."
"Why are you telling me?"
"Just exposing him for what he really is. He's a skirt chaser hon."
"I know."
"He got lucky when he landed you."
"Whose side are you on?" Rory asked laughing.
"Don't tell him I told you."
"I'm not talking to him."
"Keep it that way."
Rory was off the phone a few minutes later. She was laying on her bed staring at the ceiling. Someone knocked on the door and she yelled for them to come in. Lorelai stuck her hands in offering a truce.
"Come on in mom."
"I wanted to apologize for earlier."
"It's not a big deal."
"What's he like? Anything like you remember?"
"He's just a dad trying to give his daughter what he never had. He's smart, and funny. And he didn't call me Mary once." Rory said the last line with a smile on her face.
"Give him time. He'll eventually bring it up I bet." Lorelai said rubbing Chester behind the ears.
"He's really career driven. He's changed."
"You never told me if he was married or not."
"I was hoping you would forget to ask. No he's not. He's single."
"Then why aren't you with him?"
"Because I just got out of a long term relationship."
"Details." Lorelai mumbled.
They talked for a little while longer before Rory said she was going to bed. The day replayed in her mind as she drifted off to sleep. The last thing she remembered was Chester cuddling up beside her.