A/N Quick reminder, Rory is the bold text and Tristan is Italics while texting.


Hey, are we still on for the weekend?

Yep, I was planning on heading to the city after I finish work on Friday evening. Meet Saturday morning?

Oh I forgot you still had your place here!

I do, so are we doing a donut crawl? Or what would you like to do?

Can you eat that many donuts? Or will you need to stop for some fruit in the middle?

Excuse me! I am offended that you think I can't handle my donuts.

Tristan, I've seen you shirtless, I'm not sure that your body knows what to do with refined sugar.

I am going to take that as a compliment. I knew you had been after my body for years Gilmore.

I'm ignoring you. Shall we start with donuts and coffee, then see how the day progresses? Or should we just get a pile of donuts from different places delivered and we can taste test while we watch movies?

Ooo that's a good idea. How about a bit of both? We get the far away ones delivered and we can walk and pick up the others to taste test them altogether?

Sure, your place or mine?

Well I still have a roommate, you live alone, so would your place be better? No need to worry about disturbing anyone else.

That works for me. I can make sure my place is clean. I was thinking of going to the Museum of the Moving Image at some point soon, would you be at all interested in going with me?

Maybe, is there anything special going on there?

There is a Jim Henson exhibition and an ET one.

So you want to take ET to see ET?

I never thought of it like that, but yes I do!


Buzz Buzz

"COMING!" Rory shouted as she left her bedroom, walking rapidly towards the door to let in what she was assuming was another delivery person, so far there had been four arrive, and she was waiting on the last one.

"How much do I owe you?" Rory asked, opening her wallet as she pulled the door open.

"Oh you don't have enough there to cover me," Tristan said with a smirk, watching as Rory looked up in shock. "Surprise! I'm early!" he stated, watching as the shocked expression gave way to a smile. "I hope it's okay, me showing up early that is?" he asked, suddenly unsure, taking in her sweats, and the lack of makeup, as well as her expression.

Rory shook off her shock and quickly pulled him into a hug.

"No, no, it's fine, come in." Rory said, pulling him into her apartment. "I just thought you were another delivery guy was all. I wasn't expecting you yet. Sorry I'm not ready yet," she apologized, while walking back towards her bedroom. "Help yourself to some coffee," she said pointing at the steaming coffee pot. "I'll be back in five minutes, let me just finish getting ready."

"It's fine, I can entertain myself. I'm the one who showed up early, take as long as you need," Tristan said, going into the kitchen to get a coffee, opening cupboards to find the mugs.

"If the doorbell rings it is probably the delivery guy that I thought you were, there is money in my wallet to pay him, thanks," Rory shouted from her room.

True to her word, five minutes later Rory appeared in the main room dressed in dark jeans with a scarlet top on, her hair sitting in slight waves on her shoulders, with her makeup done. Tristan wondered, not for the first time, how she managed to look so good with so little effort. He had been beginning to think she was one of those girls who really spent hours on the effortless look, but having sat waiting on her for the five minutes he now knew that it had really only taken her the five minutes.

"That was fast," he said with a smile, gesturing to the warm coffee he had poured for her on the coffee table.

"A lifetime of practice. My Mom is always running late, so I quickly learned to do everything in a hurry to try and reduce it."

"That makes sense. The delivery guy came while you were gone, I put the box on the table."

"Thank you," Rory said, joining him on the large sectional. "So did we want to go and buy the others and then come back and taste test all at once or did we want to split it up," she asked, looking hungrily at the donut laden table.

"I think we should try these now, then build up an appetite on the walk for the others," Tristan said, realizing that she was hungry but would go along with whatever he said.

"I agree," Rory said, already reaching for the Doughnut Plant box. It didn't take her long to decide on the peanut butter and jelly donut, taking a large bite out of the corner of its square. "Mmhmm this is good," she tried to say around her mouthful.

"Swallow first, review later," Tristan said, following her lead and reaching for the square vanilla bean and strawberry jam one.

"So do you have a favorite so far?" Tristan asked, a while later when they both seemed stuffed.

"That's a tough one but I think so far the mocha almond crunch one is winning," Rory said, looking contemplatively at the spread in front of her. "What about you?"

"I think the chocolate cocoa nib one from Dough, but the pb and j one from doughnut plant is a close second."

"So that means both of our favorites are from dough?"

"Yes, but we have two more places to go to remember?" Tristan asked, leaning back and rubbing his non-existent belly.

"Too much sugar?" Rory asked with a smirk.

"No, I'll just be glad of the walk before our next snack."

"Okay, let's go then," Rory said, bouncing up with too much energy, showing where the sugar rush was going.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Tristan said, standing up much slower, showing that he isn't as used to the large amounts of sugar as Rory is.


"Do cronuts count?" Tristan asked as they walked the few blocks from Dominique Ansel to the Donut pub.

"I'm thinking yes in this case. Although the donut pub has a few cronuts too if you want a direct comparison." Rory wiped her mouth as she finished her cronut. "That was totally worth the walk and line up."

"I still can't believe the line for pickups, I dread to think how it would have been if you hadn't preordered for us."

"You're welcome," Rory quipped as she almost skipped down the block.

"You are such a child," Tristan said, as he lengthened his stride to match her skips, thankful for his long legs.

"I've been a proper grown up all week, this is my self care. Sugar and childishness."

"You're going to spin on the stools aren't you?" Tristan asked, looking at her with dread.

"In the Donut Pub? Yep probably. Are we getting a cab from there to Astoria? If we are, we probably need to sit in and eat whatever we get."

"Yeah, I think a cab there, and then maybe on the way back we can take the subway?"

"I agree, it will be easier to get our bearings from there." Rory said, as they reached the next stop, stepping into the neon lit cafe.

"What can I get you?" asked the server as they moved along the counter, surveying the options.

"Can I get a Brooklyn Kreme and a black coffee please?" Rory asked, having more experience with the options she was quicker to choose.

"And I'll have a maple bacon croissant donut and a cannoli one, with a cappuccino please," Tristan said, after taking his time, obviously overwhelmed by yet another counter full of donuts and pastries.

"That will be $23.50, I can bring it over if you are staying?"

"Thank you, that would be great," Tristan stated, paying her, as Rory had paid at the previous stop.

"Time to see if these live up to the hype," Tristan said, sitting across from Rory in the narrow booth.

"Well, you picked options that I have never tried, so if they aren't nice, I can't be held liable for your decisions." Rory said with a shrug.

"Oh look at you, breaking out the lawyer talk," Tristan said, laughing. "You know you just own a law firm, you aren't actually a lawyer."

"I could be a lawyer," Rory said, indignantly.

"I know you could, but you aren't," Tristan said, laughing at her face, as she wrinkled her brow in frustration at his teasing. "You look so cute like that, this is why I used to bug you so much back in Chilton, I love your facial expressions when you get all irritated and annoyed."

"Then you should come to work with me on board meeting days, this is what my face looks like all day long."

"Work work, or Hayden work?" Tristan asked, having thought she loved her actual job.

"Both!" Rory exclaimed, "but normally the firm days are a lot worse. You know what it's like, the firm can sometimes be all smart smart people, and no street smart people."

"Ah yes. I have similar problems at work sometimes." Tristan said, stopping to smile at the server as they set their snacks and drinks down. "You wanna try some?"

"Yes please," Rory said, smiling as she also cut a quarter off her donut and set it on Tristan's plate.

"Here you go," he said, mimicking her actions and placing chunks of his own donuts on her plate.

"Oh this is much nicer than I expected it to be," Rory exclaimed, having just swallowed her piece of the maple bacon croissant donut. "I didn't think I would like bacon on a donut, a bit too Elvis."

"The cannoli one is good too," Tristan stated. "Oh your one is good too! They just made this a much tougher choice. Good decision to come here last."

"You're welcome," Rory said with a smirk as she drank her coffee, enjoying her little victory even though it had never really been a competition.


An hour later and they were wandering around the Jim Henson Exhibition, at some point Rory's arm had weaved its way into the crook of Tristan's elbow, so she was subconsciously leaning on him as they walked around the exhibition.

"I always liked Kermit better than Elmo as a kid," Tristan said, looking at a puppet Elmo.

"I was more of an Oscar fan," Rory said.

"Really? I thought you would have liked Count?"

"You mean Count von Count?" Rory asked.

"I thought he was Count Dracula?" Tristan asked, confused.

"Nope, he was meant to be a parody of him I think."

"Hmm, learn something new everyday," Tristan stated, causing Rory to laugh.

"I take you to a museum, and all you learn is the full name of the puppet vampire from Sesame Street," she managed to squeak out between giggles.

"A new fact, is a new fact," Tristan said, with fake smugness, before resorting to laughter himself.

"I do have a strong urge to watch Labyrinth now though," Rory said as they continued through the paraphernalia.

"Do you think he just had a really good imagination or was he stoned all the time?"

"Tristan!"

"What?! Come on, have you seen Fraggle Rock?"

"I know, I know. I think he said once in an interview, he had smoked but not very often. Not a full blown stoner."

"Man, his mind must have been chaotic. I just can't imagine," Tristan said, looking around at the colorful images all over the exhibition.


"So is ET your favorite Spielberg movie?" Tristan asked, as they moved into that exhibition.

"I know I should say something profound like Schindler's List, but yeah I think it is, maybe Jaws, no, no ET." Rory answered, slowly and with concentration. "What about you?"

"I think I'd be between Jurassic Park and Raiders of the Lost Ark."

"Oh, I always forget that he did the Indie films." Rory said, stopping in front of what Tristan thought, was an exceptionally creepy looking ET doll. "Oh how cute."

"Cute? Yeah, erm nope!"

"Drew Barrymore was such a baby back then."

"It's not like she is ancient now!" Rory exclaimed defensively.

"I know but, she was so little when she started acting, it's crazy to actually think about it."

"So are we having an ET and a Labyrinth marathon tonight?" Rory asked.

"With pizza and Chinese food?" Tristan asked, considering the options.

"Obviously!"

"Your place or mine?"

"Mine, no room mates to complain when we are noisy." Rory said, her tone implying the 'duh' that she held back.

"Sure. Now come on, I think I see the bike over there," Tristan said, pulling her by the hand to the other side of the exhibition.


A/N Obviously I took some creative license with timelines of product availability etc here, hopefully you will all allow me that. Hopefully these 11 pages make up for the time delay. This chapter has been ready for a bit but I had surgery last week and my husband had said he would post for me but he couldn't get the site to cooperate. So Sorry again about the delay. I have no intention of abandoning this story, real life just really wants to get in the way.