Chapter Title: Down In Mississippi (Up To No Good) by Sugarland

Snake eyes, roll the dice, double down and hit me twice Cashin' in the big chips, gonna leave a big tip

Hotter than a two dollar pistol, baby, I'm on fire

Rory looked out her window in awe. Biloxi wasn't anything like she thought it would be. She knew about the Riverboats but she never would have expected the people to be so nice. Tristan had gotten them lost two hours earlier and Rory had to force him to stop and ask for directions. Three different people were willing to help them. They had only been at the hotel an hour and Tristan was already asleep. He had told her if she were smart she would sleep too. He still hadn't told her why they were there. They were right in the middle of things and all he wanted to do was sleep. Rory quietly left the room deciding to take a look around.

She counted four hotel/casinos within walking distance. She walked into the nearest one making her way through the crowd of people. She saw the slot machines in the distance and made her way to them. She had always wanted to try one. Now that she was old enough no one could stop her. It wasn't like she was going to win anyway. She walked through the rows looking for the right one. One advertised that there was a winner every time. Rory shrugged her shoulders as she put a quarter in the slot. She pulled the lever not really expecting anything to happen. The bars took forever to stop but slowly all three landed on cherries. The machine came to life. Rory stared in shock as quarters poured out of the bottom of machine.

People stopped and congratulated her. She smiled in appreciation as she took a bucket that someone had offered her. She hurriedly scooped the money into the bucket then pulled her phone out of her purse. She quickly dialed her mom's number as she looked for a cash-in counter.

"Hello?" Lorelai said sounding tired.

"What are you doing still asleep?!" Rory yelled into the phone.

"Rory! My heart, don't give me a heart attack."

"Guess where I am?" Rory asked trying to calm down.

"Somewhere far away. Because if you aren't I am going to hunt you down."

"Sorry for waking you up. I'm in Mississippi!" Rory said yelling again.

"What did we just go over?" Lorelai asked sounding agitated.

"Sorry. You're not going to believe what just happened to me."
"Bible Boy just took you for the ride of your life?" Lorelai asked sounding serious.

"Mom! No!"

"I could have meant in the car." She said still sounding agitated.

"I just played my very first slot machine." Rory said finally calming down.

"You're in a casino?" Lorelai asked finally paying attention.

Rory put her bucket to the phone and shook it. She could hear Lorelai scream and she laughed.

"You still there?" Rory asked putting the phone back to her ear.

"He corrupted you!"

"Who?"

"'Who'? Satan!"

"Tristan's asleep at the hotel."

"You're by yourself? I am so proud of you! Now use all that money to buy me something. Oh! And get a picture of a prostitute."

"Picture of a prostitute. Got it." Rory said as she set her bucket down at the cash-in counter.

The man behind the counter gave her a weird look and she smiled innocently at him.

"So how much did you win?"

"I don't know yet. It's being counted."

Her other line beeped and she checked the caller ID to see how it was.

"I gotta go. Tristan's on the other line."

"Oh, Lover Boy's on the other line. Sure just forget about me. I'm only your mother."

"I'll call you back in a few minutes." Rory said before switching over.

"I was about to hang up."

"Sorry, I was on the other line with my mom."

"Where are you?"

"Not far. I should be there in ten minutes."

"I'll meet you where you are."

"I'm at the Isle of Capri."

"What is that?"

Rory muttered a reply and Tristan had strain to hear her.

"Did you just say that it's a Casino?"

"Yes." Rory said feebly.

"I'll be right there."

Rory hung up with a sigh. The guy behind the counter was staring behind her. She looked over her shoulder and saw a line had formed. She gave them all a sheepish smile as she took her money. She had won three hundred dollars. She wasn't going to use all of it on her mom, but she would use some of it. She was in the gift shop when she saw Tristan walk into the hotel. She called his name as she walked out of the shop. He turned to face her and shook his head.

"You just couldn't wait could you?" He asked wrapping his arms around her.

"What?" She asked with a laugh.

"I was planning on taking you on a Riverboat tour. Then were going to hit every casino we could find. Did you win anything?"

"Three hundred bucks."

"You're kidding. What did you play?"

"A slot machine."

"I swear you're the luckiest person I know." He said shaking his head.

"I was thinking. Maybe we could go out to dinner some place nice."

"You're buying me dinner with your winnings?"

"Yeah."

"I'm not going to argue with that." He said leading her out of the hotel.

XXXX

That night they made their way down the strip taking in the sites. The Riverboat tour had been nice. There hadn't been that many people on the tour. The tour took them through the Garden District. The historical homes were lit up with the lights bouncing off the water. Tristan and Rory stood out on the deck for most of the tour. The breeze from off the bayou carried the scent of Magnolias and Honey Suckle.

By the time they got back to the hotel it was almost midnight. Most of the casinos were crowded except for the Isle of Capri. Tristan made his way over to craps table. Rory stood next to him trying to learn how to play. Tristan had explained the game to her and she still didn't understand it. But Tristan was winning, so she wasn't going to complain.

"You got yourself good luck charm don't you son?" The dealer asked pointing at Rory.

"Yes sir I do." Tristan said putting an arm over Rory's shoulders.

She grinned up at him as he kissed her cheek. He played for another half an hour before they went to the roulette table. Rory picked up how to play fast and Tristan gave her money to get started. He gave up playing after he lost two hundred dollars. Rory on the other hand was up four hundred dollars and couldn't lose.

"Make your call ma'am."

"Red 17." She said putting a playing piece on the table.

The wheel started and Rory and Tristan watched as it slowed to a stop. The ball bounced back and forth before finally landing on the spot Rory had called. She turned to Tristan and wrapped her arms around his neck. He picked her up and spun her around laughing. She laughed breathlessly not believing how lucky she was.

"I'm going to stop. I don't need to lose your money." She said once he put her down.

"It's yours. You earned it." He said smiling down at her.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive." He said once they were back out on the strip a few minutes later.

Rory saw something out of the corner of her eye and remembered what her mom had said.

"Hold on a minute." She said taking her phone out of her purse.

A few feet ahead of them a prostitute stood on the corner smoking a cigarette. Rory took her picture without her realizing it.

"Why would you take a picture of a prostitute?" Tristan asked looking confused.

"My mom asked me to take one." Rory said sending the picture to her mom.

Her phone beeped letting her know the picture had been sent and she shut her phone. Tristan shook his head not wanting to know why Lorelai would want a picture of a prostitute. He hadn't expected Rory to be so excited about being here. He was still learning things about her. She had her moments when she could take him by surprise. Tonight was one of them.