"Interesting neighborhood," Tristan said as they pulled up outside Paris' building, it was definitely a change from the area of New Haven they had just left.

"I know, Paris had some issues at the start of the year that affected where she could afford to live, so this is where she and Doyle ended up."

"You mean that whole IRS thing?"

Rory looked at him in shock.

"Sometimes Gilmore you forget how small Hartford can be," Tristan responded to her unasked question.

"I really do," Rory replied, climbing out of the car. "We should go up and say hi first maybe, and make sure she has her million locks undone."

"How about you go empty handed and I will bring up the rear with a few boxes, leaving your arms free for knocking?"

"Okay, that will work. Thank you again for your help, you are making this much easier for me especially when you don't have to."

"Really Rory, think of this as an apology for how I acted in school, and I'd like to think I am a decent human being. You needed help, I am in a position to provide that help, so here I am."

"Well, still, thanks," Rory muttered, as she maneuvered her way into the building clearing a path through the gang that had converged around the front porch. "She is on the third floor, there, um, isn't an elevator sorry."

"I can handle some stairs," Tristan said, laughing at her as they made their way towards their destination.

Rory knocked on Paris' door as Tristan leaned the boxes against the wall to help with their weight as they waited.

"Who is it?" was shouted from behind the door.

"Paris, it's me, let me in," Rory shouted back.

"Who is me?"

"Jesus, I think she has got crazier," Tristan muttered beside Rory.

"It's Rory. Come on Paris, you knew I was on my way." Rory said, exasperation in her tone. Rory and Tristan both listened to the rattle of deadbolts, and chains being undone, Tristan who had thought that Rory was joking about their number, looked at her in shock.

"Told ya."

Finally the door swung open, Rory didn't think she had ever been so relieved to see Paris Geller in her life.

"Oh Gilmore, what did that asshole do this time?" Paris asked.

"Paris," Rory started, before they were interrupted by a cough. Paris, upon hearing the cough, looked past Rory in shock.

"Tristan?" she asked, confused.

"In the flesh. I'd love to make small talk Paris, but while these boxes were not heavy when I first picked them up, they definitely are now." He said, raising the boxes so that she could see them.

"Come on in, how much more is there?" Paris asked, standing aside to let them through.

"Where can I set these?" Tristan asked as he surveyed the apartment, trying and failing not to show his shock at its rough interior.

"Over there."

"There is probably one, maybe two loads left in the car, if you come and help us carry?" Rory said.

"It might be best if just the two of you get your stuff, this is not the best building to be leaving doors propped open in," Paris admitted.

"I actually agree with her," Tristan said, before looking at Paris sharply. "Enjoy that sentence, I will probably never say it again, and I will deny it to my grave Geller."

"Shocked by the feeling of saying something correct for a change, Dugrey?"

"Come on Tristan, let's get going before you make me homeless again before I'm even moved in."

An hour later, they were all on the couch eating pizza that Rory had ordered as a thank you to Tristan and Paris for all their help.

"So Gilmore, what actually happened? Last I saw you were heading to Honor's wedding after that newspaper panel, everything was good between you then, so what happened?" Paris asked, leaning back against the couch cushions and turning to look at her friend.

"Well, I drove up to New York, I missed the rehearsal dinner the night before because of the panel. So when I get there, Honor grabs me and drags me in to help her get dressed as all her bridesmaids are already drunk. So I sat there, politely with these girls I have never met, mainly trying to stop them from spilling alcohol over her wedding dress. Then Honor got called away to get some final pictures before the wedding started. Once she left they started talking about what single men would be at the wedding for them to hit on." Rory made a face, as she stopped to take a breath before continuing. "So they went through the guests and wedding party, calling dibs on various men, when one of them says well there is always Logan, one of the others goes 'been there, done that,' while the more sober girl is trying to shush them, she finally brings to their attention that I am Logan's girlfriend. That when they say oh it was ages ago, at Thanksgiving."

"Back when you guys had that fight?" Paris asked.

"Yep. So in the car crash that was the following five minutes I found out that he slept with two of the bridesmaids and fooled around with the other one, all between Thanksgiving and Christmas."

By the time Rory finished her tale of woe, Tristan could tell she was trying hard not to cry, and Paris was red faced in her anger. Tristan decided his best option was to stay quiet and hand them each a glass of wine that he found in the fridge.

"That asshole! I really thought the same as you, that he had changed. I should have stuck to my guns."

Paris' rant was cut off by a knock on the door. Rory looked at Paris, wondering if she was expecting anyone.

"Don't look at me, Doyle has a key obviously, and who else would it be."

"Rory, open up. I know you are here. I saw your prius downstairs. Rory, come on." Logan was there, shouting through the door to get Rory's attention.

Paris jumped up and opened the door with the chain still on. "Well, well. If it isn't New Haven's favorite whore hound."

"Paris, let me in. I need to talk to Rory," Logan begged through the gap in the door.

"Nope, you can talk to me," Paris retorted sharply.

"Ace, Rory, Ace, come on talk to me," Logan shouted past Paris, unable to see into the room to see where Rory was sitting.

Ace? Tristan mouthed at her.

Shut up Rory mouthed back, at the same time as Paris released the chain on the door.

"You, Logan Huntzberger, are nothing but a two-bit, spoiled waste of a trust fund. You offer nothing to women or the world in general. If you were to disappear from the face of the earth tomorrow, the only person that would miss you is your Porsche dealer." Paris shouted at Logan.

"Ace, Rory, you wanna jump in here?" Logan begged.

"Nope, looks like Paris is handling it just fine," Rory replied honestly, from where she was perched beside Tristan on the couch.

That drew Logan's attention to Tristan on the couch, who felt the need to simultaneously rile Logan up and comfort Rory by throwing his arm over her shoulder.

"Who are you?" Logan asked. "Rory, who is this guy?" he repeated angrily. "So that's your plan? You decided to go and have revenge sex? Make me angry? A taste of my own medicine? Huh Ace? I thought you were different, but maybe my Mom was right and you are just a golddigger."

Once the attack on Rory started, Tristan gave her shoulder a squeeze before standing up from his place beside her and walked slowly, almost menacingly towards Logan. He used every extra inch he had over Logan to intimidate him.

"I think it is time for you to leave," Tristan said, through gritted teeth.

"Look man, let me help you out here, you are the rebound she is just using you. We will be back together before you know it. You know what these girls are like," Logan said to Tristan, as if he was sharing a secret with a friend.

"Let me help you out man," Tristan said, closing the remaining gap between him and Logan. "I have known Rory Gilmore since she was fifteen years old. I know exactly what kind of person she is. I think it is time for you to lea ve before your reputation around Hartford can drop any lower. I'm sure Emily and Richard would love to tell the DAR what you have been saying about their granddaughter." Logan pales at the insinuation, knowing his father would kill him if he caused another scandal. "Now get out of here, and I don't want to hear that you have been back."

"Fine, I'm going." Logan says, taking a step back. "Rory, this isn't over. We need to talk, and I will catch you sometime without one of your attack dogs." With a final attempt at catching Rory's eye, Logan turns and stomps down the apartment stairs.

"Okay he is gone," Tristan said, having watched out the window to make sure he left before allowing himself to relax. "You never mentioned that the Logan you were talking about was Logan Huntzberger."

"Didn't I? I didn't realize you knew him." Rory said, watching Tristan as he sat back down.

"I don't 'know him' know him, but I know of him in the usual Hartford way. He is a grown up version of me in high school. He isn't who I would have pictured you settling down with," he stated as he watched her carefully.

Instead of Rory answering his comment it was Paris, to the surprise of both Tristan and Rory. "In Rory's defense, he acted and seemed like he had really changed. I called him Tristan 2.0 when they first started seeing each other but after a while he really started to put Rory first and treat her really well. Even I didn't see this coming and I had massive doubts about him at the start, which I did express to Rory."

"Thanks Paris, that makes me feel better, I was beginning to wonder if I had been a naive idiot," Rory said, with a tremor in her voice, disclosing how close she was to tears.

"Okay, I'm going to go, and let you two have a girls night, and get settled in," Tristan said standing up.

"Oh my God, I didn't even think, how will you get home?" Rory asked, suddenly realizing she had brought him from the city with no way back.

"It's okay, really," he said, spotting the skeptical look on her face. "One of the guys from school's girlfriend is at Yale, he comes here every weekend. I will get a ride with him, I text him earlier to make sure he will wait for me."

"Are you sure?" Rory repeated.

"Gilmore the boy said he would be fine, he will be. Now go on, Dugrey get out of our hair." Paris said, in her normal stern way.

"Well thanks again for all of your help last night and today. I don't know what I would have done without you today, and I don't even want to think about what could have happened if it hadn't been you who carried me home last night." Rory stood up and walked him to the door, where she started to open the myriad of locks.

"Rory, you don't have to thank me for being a decent human being. Now I put my number in your cell, I want you to tell me if you have any more trouble with Huntzberger, we have enough mutual acquaintances that I can make his life hell if I need to."

"Thank you." Rory repeated as she gave him a hug, then watched him leave before locking the door, and collapsing on the couch with Paris, with a sigh. "Wine and tacos are definitely needed."


A/N Thanks for all the awesome reviews so far, always great to get some to know its worth continuing. I am hoping to continue posting at a rate of twice a week, Wednesday's and Sunday's all being well. I have a changed job since my last story and my hours are more irregular so that might affect my writing, so those days aren't set in stone so forgive me if I miss a day.