Chapter 7: Friends and Lovers

There were a few things in life that Paris Gellar was sure of: the national debt would never be paid, that she would never love anyone the way she did Jess and that Tristan DuGrey was a glutton for punishment. He'd have to be for standing in a room full of people who would love to dismember him in seconds if only given the command. Except her. A twisted sense of loyalty, Jess called it.

While Christopher, Luke and her fiancé stood in the far corner of the living room, sending death glares to Tristan every couple of seconds, Lorelai, Emily and Rory sat on the sofas in the middle listening to Janlan DuGrey talking fondly of Richard. Tristan was doing his best to ignore the three men and nurse a glass of brandy, his gaze fixed on Rory who would not look up or even acknowledge him.

Paris wanted to slap the both upside the head.

Unfortunately, she knew that their problems were not so easily solved and aggression would only further complicate things. Sighing, she crossed the room to join Tristan near the drink cart. It had been awhile since she last spoke with him, maybe this time her words could make a difference.

"It's too early to be drinking," she reprimanded softly as she stood beside him.

"Yes, mother." He finally looked away from the source of his anguish. There was a smirk on his lips but no real amusement in his eyes. He lifted his glass of brandy in a mock salute and downed the last drop. "All gone."

"We need to talk."

"Okay," he replied as he turned around and reached for the decanter. She quickly grabbed his hand to stop him; he looked up a little irritated. "If we're going to talk about what I think we're going to talk about then I'm going to need this drink."

"You're going to need a lot more than brandy if you get drunk and make a scene today, in front of all these people who would like nothing more than to beat you up and then throw you out of this house." She gave him one of those glares she reserved for when she was completely pissed off and it seemed to work because he let go of the decanter.

She directed him out of the living room, pausing to give Jess a warning not to follow. Once they were out in the foyer, she turned to him eyebrow raised. He blinked twice and then looked slightly perturbed. "What?"

"What are you doing?" she asked, hands on hips. "I mean, here in Hartford. At this mansion…in her life again."

"Um, you're fiancé called me and told me she just lost her grandfather and that I might be needed. I'm here with my grandfather who was a close, family friend and to accomplish all of that, I had to step into her life again just like she's stepping back into mine," he replied a hint of bitterness in his words. "Don't make me out to the bad guy, Gellar. I thought you were on my side."

"She's my best friend, she's family. I'm stuck, okay? God knows I don't want to be. In fact, I really want to be neutral in all of this – Canada, for crying out loud! But I can't be because both of your just don't seem to let up."

"I'm sorry we can't be more accommodating, Paris."

She sighed, rubbed her temple and decided a different approach. "So how are you? In general."

He shrugged, examined his fingernails. "The same, I guess. What about you? The wedding plans going on full swing, I bet."

She smiled a little, thinking of how the preparation of her big day. "Yeah, it's a hectic for sure. The invitations were going to go out this weekend but I guess they'll have to wait. You'll be there, right?"

At first, she knew he was planning on avoiding the whole thing. But something in him had cracked and she was grateful for it. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

She reached for his hand, a gesture that caught him off guard but alerted him that she was about to say something important. "I don't think my parents will be coming to the wedding - "

"Of course they're going to come."

She shook her head and smiled sadly. "I've come to terms with it. They never supported my relationship with Jess, why should this be any different?" She held his gaze; looking so earnest he was reminded of the sixteen-year-old girl he used to know. "The reason I am telling you this is because I want you to give me away."

His eyes widened and he stepped back, a little surprised. "Paris, I – what about someone else, like Luke or Christopher?"

"Luke is from Jess' side of the family and Christopher and I have never been as close as I have been to you. You've been my family for so long, Tristan. Please say you'll do it."

"Yes," he replied enveloping her in a hug. "Of course, I'll do it. It'll be an honor."

She returned the hug and pulled back a bit, to look him in the eyes again. "You can bring a guest."

"Paris."

"That blonde, with the long legs…Amber, was it?"

He snorted. "Bitch on wheels."

She shook her head and wracked her brain for another name. "What about that woman you were seeing? That doctor…Susan? I thought the two of you were serious," she asked, folding her arms across her chest. "Don't tell me you broke it off with her. She was good for you."

"She didn't think so," Tristan answered with a mirthless chuckle. "She broke it off a few weeks ago. It hurt and I miss her. But I can't blame her – she was right. I was looking for something in her that was never going to be there."

Paris knew exactly what that was. She nodded and stroked her hand down his arm in a comforting gesture. The next few days were going to be rough on him, if he decided to stick around Hartford.

She thought of the way he was looking at Rory earlier and knew he would.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

"Penny for your thoughts," a familiar voice said behind Lorelai and made her smile. She turned on the stool to see Christopher, standing in the kitchen doorway.

"Oh, they're worth a lot more these days," she answered and fingered the lid of her water bottle. She lifted the bottle to her mouth and took a sip. "A whole lot more."

"I can tell," he answered and pulled up a stool to sit next to her. "You're drinking water. How are you holding up?"

She sighed, rubbed the skin above her brow and shrugged. "I don't know. I feel like there's too much to deal with, too much I should be feeling but I can't because I do I might just breakdown and Mom and Rory don't need that."

Christopher reached for her hand, smoothed his palm over it. "You don't always have to be so strong, Lorelai."

She scoffed lightly. "If I'm not who's going to be? Mom is a mess. Don't even get me started on Rory. Tristan's here so I guess it's 'enough said' and all but I just don't even want to think about what's going to happen now that he's here and if he plans on staying."

He shook his head, looking angry. "I can't believe the nerve of that guy. He just expects to come in here and drag Rory down with him."

"It's not his fault," Lorelai answered, feeling an unfamiliar bout of compassion for the man that had made Rory's life miserable. "Not all of it. Jess called him to let him know. It was all good until this morning."

Christopher didn't have to ask what she meant. Sighing he ran a hand through his hair and then curled it around his nape in a gesture of helplessness. "That's why she was so…lost earlier this morning when I went to talk to her. She wanted to know why the two of us never worked out."

Lorelai smiled a little sadly, that was part of her life she had not come to terms with either. "What did you tell her?"

"That I loved you," he replied honestly, looking her in the eyes. "And that you were happy with Luke and I can't take that away from that now. It wasn't meant to be – maybe it never was."

She smiled. "Thank you."

He let out a frustrated sigh. "I keep wanting to bash his head in or yell at her to set things straight and send him on his way."

"But…" she prompted, sensing there was reason he was holding back.

"But they're not sixteen anymore," he finished with a sheepish smile.

"Yeah, they're not. Oh Chris," she said and leaned forward to hug him. "You know that I love you too and am so glad that you came here. As much as I might not say it, I need you here for our daughter."

"No where else I'd rather be right now." He kissed her forehead and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Maybe this time, Rory and Tristan can work it out."

She knew that Christopher was hoping for a lot but she couldn't help but wish that it was really true. "God, I hope so."

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

"Hey," Jess said as he placed a hand on Rory's shoulder.

She turned to him, smiling. "Hi."

"I thought I'd find you here," he replied as he stared up at the bookshelf in Richard's library. "I'm surprised that you haven't picked something out to read already."

She shrugged. "I didn't feel like reading much."

He nodded and pulled her into a hug. "I know. That's why I came here. I thought you might need a friend."

"Thanks."

The two of them walked over to the leather sofa in the middle of room, sitting side by side. He turned to her, not knowing how to say what he wanted to without turning the conversation awkward. The direct approach was the best, he figured. "I'm sorry for telling Tristan."

She feigned confusion even though she knew it was unnecessary. "Why would you have to be sorry?"

"C'mon Rory," he stated, a little annoyed. "We both know that something happened between the two of you that is getting you so upset."

"I am upset that my grandfather passed away, Jess."

"And he made it worse," he countered flatly. "I should have known that telling him was a mistake and that he'd only end up hurting you."

"Then why did you call him?" she asked straightforwardly. "If you knew, why did you ask him to come here?"

Jess ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know. I thought he'd be sensitive enough not to put in you in an awkward position at a time like this. I should have remembered that he's a selfish assho-"

"Stop it, Jess."

He looked at her surprised. "Why are you defending him?"

She shot off the couch, wringing her hands together. "I am not defending him." She wished everyone would leave the subject alone and let her handle her problems by herself. "I just don't want to discuss this now with you or with anyone. What happens or happened between us remains between us."

Jess leaned back against the leather and sighed. "Fair enough. We're all just looking out for you."

She laid a hand on his cheek and smiled gratefully. "Thank you. I appreciate it. But I need to deal with him my own way on my own time and I just can't do that right now." There was a flood of emotions running through her and she need to control them before she had an emotional breakdown that no one in her family needed to see. One that Tristan didn't need to see.

There was a knock on the door right before it opened to reveal Tristan standing there, looking a little apprehensive. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. I just need to speak with you, Rory."

The scowl on Jess' face turned into a conceding smile when Rory begged him to leave with her eyes. He walked over to her to give her a kiss on the cheek – for comfort and to show Tristan that he better not upset her. It made her smile. When Jess left, she turned to him expectantly. "Hey."

"Hey," he replied and closed the door behind him. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired." She was surprised her answer was so honest. "Is Janlan gone?"

"No, Grandfather is staying for lunch. Richard lawyer is going to come by at one o'clock so he wants to stay." He shoved his hands in his pockets, avoiding her gaze. "I'm going to leave."

"Oh," she replied slowly. "Are you going to stay at the mansion?"

"No. I'm going back to New York."

"I see." She folded her arms over her midriff. "So you just wanted to run that by me and leave like that, as usual."

"Damn it Rory," he growled in frustration as he stepped closer to her. "I'm doing this for you."

"Where have I heard that before?"

"Listen to me," he said, grabbing her arms not too tightly but hard enough so that she was aware how angry he was. "Your grandfather just passed away and I came here thinking that maybe I could offer you some comfort or support. Whatever the reason, I see that it's not helping you and it's definitely not good for my health to hang around here where people are plotting to murder me. So I'm going to go because I realize that that's what best for you now. Maybe I should have stayed away."

She lifted her eyes to his and willing herself not to tear up. "Okay."

He searched her face before letting her arms drop to her sides. "Okay. Good."

"So you came to say goodbye."

"Yes."

She nodded her head, looked away for a minute before meeting his gaze again. "Goodbye."

He did let go that easily. Instead brought his hand around her nape, leaned forward and brushed his lips against her forehead and then, lowered his mouth to hers for a light kiss that had tears stinging the back of her eyes. "Bye."

When he turned away from her, she fought the impulse to reach out to him and ask him to stay. Instead, she curled her hands into fists and waited till he left to let the tears fall freely from her eyes.