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Chapter 2

Juliet was walking down the hallway at Chilton and watched as she saw Tristan leaning on the locker next to Rory talking to her. She smirked slightly as she saw Rory's annoyed expression and Tristan holding his hands up in surrender and walking away from her with his own smirk on his face, in the direction of herself. "I see your charm still hasn't won her round yet then." Juliet smirked.

"It will." Tristan smirked.

"Wow, cocky much?" Juliet raised her eyebrows.

"Well you're my friend so I can't be that bad!"

"I put up with you, that's different." She laughed. "You're the only one who actually talks to me in this school so beggars can't be choosers."

"You wound me, Gilmore." Tristan joked.

"Seriously though, you're going about it all the wrong way with Rory." Juliet said.

"I thought she was over Dean."

"She is, I think. I think it's more the fact that Paris has just started talking to her again. You, out of everyone, should know you don't want Paris as your enemy." She said.

"True but I've known Paris a lot time. She gets angry and then she gets over it. Why else do you think we've been friends since kindergarten?" Tristan said.

"You call yourselves friends?" Juliet joked.

Tristan chuckled. "I know it doesn't seem like we are but trust me, we're good."

Juliet shrugged. "Well I'm just telling you what Rory has told me. She doesn't want trouble with Paris so you may as well give up now."

"Ah ha, so she's been talking to you about me then!" Tristan said triumphantly.

She rolled her eyes. "Bye Tristan!" She said, walking off in the direction that Rory had gone.

"See ya Gilmore!" He grinned.

The following morning, Lorelai, Juliet and Rory were sat at the counter at Luke's when Luke walked over and filled up their mugs.

"Coffee coffee, coffee." He said. "Ok, what do you want? Eggs, toast, combo?" He said quickly, pen on notepad poised.

"Wow, no lecture on the coffee!" Juliet grinned. "What's the occasion?"

"Yeah, what's the rush?" Lorelai said.

Luke sighed. "I'm just swamped this morning. I was supposed to have help..." He said gesturing to upstairs. "...but I don't. So order right now or I'm bringing the three of you an egg white omelette with a side of steamed spinach."

"Pancakes!" Lorelai said quickly.

"French toast!" Rory said.

"Pancakes for me too, please!" Juliet grinned.

Luke smirked slightly at them. "Thank you." He said, writing it down as Jess appeared from upstairs. "Jess, you were supposed to be down here..." He started saying but stopped. "What the hell is that?" He said gesturing to his top.

"That is a shirt." Jess said, glancing over at Juliet who was shaking her head at him in mock disappointment.

"Change." Luke said.

"What? Seriously?" Jess said.

"Go upstairs and change your shirt." Luke repeated.

"I like this shirt."

"How can you possibly like that shirt?"

"It brings out my eyes." Jess said sarcastically.

"Hey, part of the deal of you staying here is that you work here and when you work here you will wear proper work attire and that is not proper work attire. Now go upstairs and change into something that won't scare the hell out of my customers." Luke demanded.

"Whatever you say Uncle Luke." Jess rolled his eyes. He glanced over at Juliet again and smirked before disappearing back upstairs.

"Gross shirt." Lorelai commented.

"Yeah." Rory nodded.

"Good band though." Juliet smirked.

"Oh yeah!" Rory said, her and Lorelai both nodding in agreement.

"What have I done?" Rory sighed as she walked home that evening with Juliet.

"You're coming out." Juliet smirked.

"Stop!" Rory exclaimed.

"What?" Juliet laughed.

"You're enjoying this too much!" Rory pouted.

"Well, you did just tell Grandma you would be happy to come out in society!" Juliet grinned.

"I know!" She groaned. "Why did I say yes?"

Juliet smirked. "Because you're stupid."

"Thanks." Rory rolled her eyes.

"No, honestly, you did it because it made Grandma happy. It's the happiest I've seen her in a little while."

"Yeah I know."

"Look, it's one night and then it'll be over." Juliet assured her.

"Mom's going to flip." Rory said.

"Can I be there when you tell her?" Juliet grinned.

"Shut up." Rory grumbled.

"Ror, you did a nice thing." She said softly. "I'm proud of you."

"Really?" Rory smiled at her sister.

"Yeah." Juliet nodded. "You did it to make Grandma happy. That's the kind of person you are." She smiled. "Plus I'll be there supporting you."

"You will?" She said perking up.

"And mocking you." Juliet grinned.

"Thanks." Rory rolled her eyes. "Will you consider doing it too?" She said hopefully.

"No chance." She smirked.

"Well it was worth a try." Rory said, smirking slightly.

After Lorelai had gotten their dad to agree to come and give Rory away at the ball, they continued looking through what was expected at the ball. Rory sighed again.

"What now?" Juliet said.

"It says I need an escort to meet me at the bottom of the stairs and have a dance with." Rory said. "Why didn't I look into what was needed before I said yes?" She exclaimed.

"Because you wanted to make your Grandma happy." Lorelai said.

"You could always ask Tristan." Juliet suggested casually.

"What?" Rory scoffed.

"What?" Juliet shrugged. "He's the only guy you really know at Chilton and he's in that circle. I'm sure he's used to these sort of things."

"Tristan? As in the Tristan who broke you and Dean up?" Lorelai said surprised.

"He didn't break me and Dean up." Rory said quietly.

"Yeah but you said he tried to and has continued annoying you."

"Hey, Tristan isn't that bad." Juliet said defending her friend.

"Seriously? How can you deal with him?" Rory said.

"He only winds you up and annoys you because he likes you." Juliet pointed out.

"Ah the 'push the girl you like over in the playground' routine to pretend you don't like them." Lorelai nodded.

"Exactly!" Juliet said.

"I'm not asking Tristan!" Rory exclaimed.

"Why not?" Juliet pushed.

"Because a) he would be unbearable for the foreseeable future, b) so would Paris and c) I'm not asking him, end of!" She exclaimed, waving her hands up in the air, frustrated.

"Ok calm down." Lorelai said. "I'm sure Grandma has connections. She could find you someone."

"Even more embarrassing..." Rory mumbled.

"Yeah but it's only one night. And then you'd never see him again." Lorelai pointed out.

Rory sighed. "I guess you're right. I'll give her a ring." She said getting up.

"Hey hon?" Lorelai said.

"Yeah?"

"I think it's really nice that you're doing this for your Grandma. I'm sure it will mean a lot to her." Lorelai smiled softly.

"Thanks mom." Rory smiled softly.

"Yeah, and I'm sorry, Ror. I didn't mean to push you on the Tristan thing. I'm sorry." Juliet said.

"It's fine." She sighed, waving her off. "Order some pizza and then I have something to look forward to after I finish this phone call."

"Deal!" Juliet grinned.

Juliet was so focused on watching her parents glide around Miss Patty's showing Rory how to dance that she didn't notice footsteps stop next to her.

"Danish for your thoughts?" A voice said.

Juliet came out of her daze to find Jess leaning against the wall next to her. "Luke know you took that?" She smirked.

"It's my lunch." Jess smirked.

"Riiight." Juliet said.

"Hey, you should be grateful. I'm offering you my lunch." He said. "If you don't want it..."

"No, I want it!" Juliet said grabbing the pastry. "Thanks!" She grinned.

"That your dad?" He said gesturing his head towards Miss Patty's.

"Yep."

Jess glanced at her. "Then why aren't you over there with them?"

Juliet shrugged. "I'm good here."

"You not happy he's in town?"

"No I am." Juliet said. She saw Jess look at her dubiously. "Honestly, I am. I'm happy he's shown up for Rory. She's happy he's here so I'm happy."

"Huh." Jess said.

"What?"

"Nothing." He shrugged.

Juliet sighed. "Look, I am happy he's here. It's nice he's actually shown up for once. It's been nice seeing him but it always ends up the same way."

"What way is that?"

"He leaves." Juliet said quietly.

Jess glanced at her. "Ok, let's go." He said.

"Where?"

"I'm buying you lunch at Luke's." He said gruffly.

"You're buying me lunch? Or you're going to ask Luke to make it for you in your oh so charming ways?" Juliet smirked slightly.

"Second one." Jess smirked.

"Thought so." Juliet laughed.

"Still lunch." He shrugged.

"And you know I won't turn down lunch. Lead the way." She grinned.

"After you." Jess smirked. They went into Luke's together. "Hey Uncle Luke?" Jess said.

"You should be working." Luke said gruffly.

"Hey, I was cheering her up." Jess exclaimed.

Luke glanced at Juliet and frowned. "You ok?" He asked Juliet.

"He's exaggerating but he's hoping it will make you make us some food." Juliet said.

"Hey!" Jess said. "Traitor."

Juliet grinned. "Am I wrong?"

"You can have food." Luke told Juliet. "You...need to work." He told Jess.

"Wow, way to treat your only nephew." Jess grumbled.

"Thanks Luke!" Juliet grinned.

"Really? I give you my danish, I offer to get you lunch and you repay me like this?" Jess said as Luke disappeared into the kitchen.

"Alright, keep your hair on, I'll share, don't worry!" Juliet rolled her eyes.

"Thanks." Jess rolled his eyes.

A little while later, Luke came out with two plates and set them infront of Juliet and Jess.

"I thought you said I had to work." Jess said.

"You made her smile, you can have food." Luke said gruffly.

"Aw Luke, you old softy." Juliet grinned.

"You keep that up, you're paying for the food." Luke said.

"Thanks Luke!" Juliet grinned.

Luke shook his head but smiled slightly as he turned round and went to fill up the coffee jug.

"Huh." Jess said.

"What?" Juliet said.

"Nothing."

"You are so Luke's nephew." She rolled her eyes, tucking into her food.

"Well that's not a good look."

Rory glared up at Tristan as they danced together at the debutante ball. "You must have known it would be me. Why did you say yes?"

"You're really asking me that?" Tristan raised his eyebrows.

"Oh sure I forgot, you just love making me miserable." Rory grumbled.

"Hey, I'm doing you a favour here!" Tristan exclaimed. "I'm doing something nice and you still think I'm the devil."

"Because you knew it would annoy me! But hey, agree to this because you know I couldn't say no! I bet that's how you love all your girls." Rory bit back.

"Fine, you want me to go? I'll go!" He said letting go of her.

"What are you doing?" She said shocked. "You can't leave me here!"

"Make your mind up!" Tristan snapped.

"Why are you getting mad?!" Rory snapped back.

"Seriously?!" He retorted. "I do you a favour and believe it or not, I honestly thought I was being nice and that you would be grateful. But I was obviously wrong." He said. "I give up, Rory."

"Give up what?"

"Give up trying to get you to like me. Because newsflash Rory, I do like you! But you have made it clear that you hate me. So I give up." He said as the dancing came to an end. "Have a nice night, Rory." He said before walking away.

Rory watched him leave in shock. "Tristan...wait!" She called after him but then suddenly she was thrusted into the humiliating fan dance.

"So how many people heard us?" Rory mumbled.

"Well you were in the middle of the dance floor." Juliet said.

Rory sighed. "I honestly thought he just thrived on annoying me..."

Juliet sighed. "Come on, Rory. Everyone can see it. Even Paris. Tristan likes you."

"It's just too...complicated." She said quietly.

"I get it."

"He probably hates me now anyway." Rory shrugged.

"I wouldn't be too sure." Juliet said, gesturing over to where Tristan was stood against the wall, eating some food.

"Meet you outside with mom and dad?" Rory said.

"See you there." Juliet smiled softly.

Rory slowly walked up to Tristan. "Hey..." She said hesitantly.

"Hey.." He said.

"I'm sorry." She said. "Well I'm not sorry really. I mean, I am but I..." She stammered.

"You're not?" Tristan said smirking slightly.

Rory let out a small laugh. "Yeah something like that..." She said. She sighed. "Look, you have to admit that you must have known that when I found out you were my escort, I'd be annoyed and that I'd think you were doing it to deliberately annoy me..."

"I guess..."

"So I'm not sorry for reacting the way I did. Because I bet there was a little part of you that loved being in control of the situation." She said firmly.

"Wow, this is some apology." Tristan said sarcastically.

"Tristan please! Be serious for once!" Rory exclaimed frustrated.

Tristan sighed. "Fine. I'll admit it. I was happy to be able to be in a situation where I could spend time with you without you being able to say no."

"I knew it!" Rory said.

"But you don't talk to me otherwise. What was I meant to do?"

"Uh...say no?"

"Oh yeah and my parents would love me for that. They'd hold that over my head my whole life. Bringing shame to them..."

"They'd really do that?" Rory frowned slightly.

Tristan shrugged. "You get asked to do something like this in this circle, you don't say no. Trust me."

Rory sighed. "Look, you know what I'm not apologising for."

"Oh yeah, let's go over that again." Tristan said dryly.

"But I am sorry for shouting at you like that infront of everyone. I shouldn't have done that." Rory admitted quietly. "And you were right, I was in a tight spot and you agreeing to be my escort did help me."

"Ok..." Tristan said.

"Ok?"

"What else do you want me to say?" He said.

Rory just shook her head. "You're impossible." She said.

"Better than being the devil." Tristan said smirking slightly.

"And there he is again." Rory rolled her eyes but couldn't help to smirk slightly. "I'll see you at school, Tristan." She said.

"See you, Mary."

Rory went to walk away but stopped and turned around. "Hey Tristan?" She said.

"What's up?" He said.

"I don't hate you." She said quietly, before giving him a small smile and then leaving.

Later that night, Lorelai, Christopher, Rory and Juliet were walking down the sidewalk in Stars Hollow.

"So did you know that you're considered a hot dad?" Rory said.

Lorelai and Juliet both snorted.

"Really?" Chris said.

"Libby said that it's too bad you're my real dad because if you were my stepdad, I could steal you away from mom." Rory said.

"Ew!" Juliet said screwing up her nose.

"That Libby's got a good life ahead of her." Chris joked.

Lorelai laughed. "Well, I was very proud of all of you. You made it through the entire ceremony with a completely straight face." She said. "Well, almost all of you." She said raising her eyebrows at Juliet and Chris.

"I'm sorry but that fan dance was more than I could take." Chris smirked.

"Me too!" Juliet grinned. "Anyway, I'm going to Luke's, I'm starving!" She exclaimed.

"Hey, order me a burger!" Lorelai said.

"I'll come with you." Rory said.

"I have to get back to Boston first thing in the morning so I'm going to call it a night." Chris said.

"Of course." Juliet said under her breath.

"What?" He said.

"Nothing. It was nice to see you, dad." She smiled. "Til next time!" She said giving him a quick hug and then running off to Luke's.

Chris sighed. "I'm trying." He said to Lorelai.

"I know." She said.

"Fancy a coffee before I leave tomorrow?" He asked Rory.

"Sounds good, dad." Rory smiled, giving him a hug too before heading to Luke's as well to join Juliet.

Lorelai walked into the diner a bit later that evening to find her two daughters about to bite into their burgers. "Hey!" She gasped.

"What?" Rory said.

"After all you've been through tonight and I come in here and find you eating like that." Lorelai exclaimed. She smirked when Rory raised a pinkie. "There you go." She grinned.

"Being a lady is hard." Rory commented.

"That's why I'm glad I'm not one!" Juliet joked.

"So tonight, what's the consensus?" Lorelai said.

"The fan dance was humiliating, I'm never doing a curtsy again, I'd rather not have had that run in with Tristan..." She said.

"You spoke to him after though right?" Juliet said.

"Yeah." She shrugged. "Having dad around was great though." She said changing the subject.

"Sure." Juliet nodded.

"Yeah it was." Lorelai smiled.

"He's got a new girlfriend, you know." Rory said carefully.

"Oh I know! He seems happy. It's good right?" Juliet smiled.

"Of course." Lorelai said.

Juliet glanced at her mom. "Are you ok?"

"Of course." Lorelai smiled at her daughter.

"I feel kind of bad for Grandma though." Rory said trying to change the subject. "She was so into this night and then she ended up being so miserable." She sighed.

"Don't worry. She'll have more fun at the next one." Lorelai grinned.

"Excuse me?" Rory raised her eyebrows.

"We've signed up for the next six balls." Juliet played along.

"Not funny." She rolled her eyes.

"Hey, you're doing this until you bring home a prize." Lorelai joked.

"Ignoring you now." Rory said continuing to eat her burger.

"So, back from the ball huh?" Luke appeared by the table with Lorelai's burger.

"Yep!" Lorelai grinned up at him. "I left behind a glass slipper and a business card in case the prince is really dumb."

"Good and desperate thinking." Luke smirked.

"Thank you." Lorelai grinned.

"Hey Luke?" Juliet said, not really wanting to break up her mom and Luke's bantering.

"Yeah?" Luke said.

"You have company." She said trying to hide her smirk.

"What?" He said confused.

Lorelai rolled her head. "Jess." She said gesturing towards him.

Luke looked behind him and found Jess wiping down the counter dressed like Luke, complete with flannel shirt and backwards baseball cap. "What do you think you're doing?" He said gruffly.

"Working." Jess said casually.

"Does he ever stop?" Lorelai rolled her eyes.

"Doesn't look like it." Juliet stifled a smirk which was not lost on Lorelai.

"So you think this is funny, huh?" Luke told Jess.

"I'm sorry. I thought this was the uniform." Jess said.

"Ok, you know what, that's fine. Have your little joke. It doesn't bother me at all. You just go over there and clean off that table, ok? I'm ignoring you. You do not exist." Luke said, going to wipe down the counter.

"Ok." Jess said going over to another table, glancing up at Juliet as he did who was watching them.

"That's it, get upstairs and change!" Luke exclaimed after less thn a minute.

"Whatever you say Uncle Luke." He smirked, heading upstairs.

"It's Luke, just Luke. Mister Luke. In fact, don't address me at all!" Luke called after him, exasperated.

"Well we got dinner entertainment as well!" Juliet grinned.

"You keep talking, I'm taking your burger." Luke said.

"Sorry Luke." Juliet said quickly, munching down the rest of her burger.

"Good choice." He smirked.

"You know, I'm really lucky..." Lorelai said to them.

"Yeah, why?" Rory said.

"I have someone to complain to when life sucks or work sucks or just everything sucks. I have someone I can talk to." She smiled.

"Yeah, who?" Juliet joked.

"Ha ha." Lorelai said.

"It is nice to have that." Rory smiled.

"Definitely." Juliet nodded.

The three of them smiled softly at each other before slowly turning their attention back to their food and eating in silence for a little while.

So I hope you liked it! Please keep the reviews coming as I love reading them. And your support really does mean so much to me, so thank you! :)