Disclaimer: The characters in this story belong to the CW Network and the show “Gilmore Girls.”

She wasn’t exactly sure why she had followed him to the parking lot, she didn’t really owe him any explanations for her behavior – he had no claim to her.

And he had lost any right to judge her when they had ceased being a couple.

It would have been so much healthier to just let him go, but nothing about the way Rory and Tristan were forced to relate to each other now was healthy, they were border line addicted to each other their souls craving each other like an illegal drug.

Just one more time…one more fix was the mantra they seemed unable to escape.

Leaning heavily against the car his forehead resting on the cold, cool glass of the driver’s side window Tristan heard the lightly approaching footsteps.

He knew it was her with out even having to turn around and with enough alcohol in his system to take down an elephant – his body always knew when she was near.

His emotions he could control, his heart and soul he could silence – his body was always his betrayer.

He craved her with an undisguised need and that was a fact that he could not hide as just the soft whisper of his name on her lips began the stirring within him.

“Tristan.” Rory spoke softly trying desperately to keep the tears at bay.

“Go away Rory.” Tristan spoke harshly feeling he was doing her a favor – he finally felt that he was no good for her and she was no good for him.

“No…you can’t drive in your condition.” Rory offered as a reason why she was there.

It was transparent and Tristan knew not the real reason she had followed him, but she was still unwilling to separate her delusion from the reality so he turned around and dangled the keys in front of her to take.

“We’ll take you home.” Rory offered knowing even then that it would probably annoy Anders to have to do so.

Immediately Tristan pulled his keys back before she had a chance to grab them.

“I’d rather slit my wrists than get a ride home with you and “your boyfriend.” Tristan said emphasizing the last part.

“He’s not my boyfriend.” Rory said before she could help herself.

Why had she said that? Technically it was true but Anders still definitely had significance in her life – boyfriend or not.

“Then what is he just another way to torture me?” Tristan said a little more demanding than he had intended to be.

Rory knew this was a dangerous conversation to be having with him, especially now with both of their minds a little clouded by their earlier alcohol consumption.

But she needed him to know – she had never meant to hurt him.

“It’s not like that…” Rory began but Tristan was not in the mood for this or any other conversation that started with her pitying him.

“Why did you follow me Rory…what do you want from me?” Tristan asked stopping her sentence cold.

“I told you…I was worried about you driving.”

“Yeah…right, but what’s the real reason?” Tristan prodded sensing she was holding something back – something important.

There may have been more reasons – of course there were, but right now she needed him to let go of the notion that he was sober enough to get in a car and drive.

Sometimes he could be so frustrating.

“Because you’re upset and you’re drunk and that’s a scary combination to take behind the wheel of a car.” Rory reiterated trying harder to make him understand the consequences of his pending actions.

“And that’s it…the whole reason you abandoned your pseudo boyfriend…to chase me down – because maybe you give a damn what happens to me?” Tristan quizzed unsatisfied with her answers up to this point.

“Yes.” Rory said gritting her teeth now.

“You’re such a bad liar…tell me the truth – the real truth or this conversation is over.” Tristan told her as he push the button on his key remote to unlock the doors to the car just to show her he wasn’t kidding.

He was baiting her and she knew it, but she also knew he could do stupid things when trying to prove a point – she needed him to be smart in this instance.

“Does it really matter why I’m here?” Rory questioned trying to buy some time.

“I’m opening the door.” Tristan said following up the words with the action.

Rory hated that she was being stubborn in this moment but she also hated being pressured into anything.

Tristan took her silence as her next answer.

“I’m getting in now and when I close the door this little intervention is over.” Tristan warned.

Slowly Tristan did exactly as he’d said giving her every opportunity to start talking; when she still hesitated he’d had enough and closed the door.

As he put the key into the ignition and the car roared to life Rory lost all pride and ran up to the window and pounded on it.

“Don’t be an ass Tristan – get out of the car!” Rory demanded.

Deliberately Tristan blew on the window fogging it and used his finger to write the word “NO” for her to clearly see.

“Fine.” Rory said hurrying quickly around the other side of the car and getting into it before even she realized what her intentions were.

“What do you think you’re doing?” He asked more than a little annoyed with her now.

Rory wondered that herself – she was praying he wasn’t so stubborn as to drive away with her in the car, but looking over at him now she wasn’t so sure.

“I’m not getting out of this car until you do.” Rory said closing the door now and settling in the seat.

He didn’t need or want her looking out for him.

She was too damn stubborn for her own good.

They both sat silently now not knowing what to say as the tension in the car was building to an almost stifling degree.

He knew he couldn’t win in a debate with her so he went a different route – he simply began staring at her, trying to make her so uncomfortable she’d go.

He wanted her to go…he needed her to go. It was too hard being this close to her and not being able to touch her.

It had been so long since Rory had shared such a close space with Tristan that his ploy almost worked as her body began to tingle and send shivers coursing through her, shivers that made it impossible to disguise the depth of her feelings for him.

It wasn’t over for her – it never would be.

Tristan eyes were melting into her soul with their intenseness and for a split second she could almost remember how complete she had felt when they had been a whole couple, instead of the two shattered halves that now sat side by side in his car.

He’d meant to unnerve her but instead had only managed to unravel his own defenses against her.

Reaching out and touching her face with his hand had become so perfunctory in their past that doing it now just seemed natural. Her slight intake of breath at the contact was the only indication that he may have stepped over an imaginary line in the sand.

He could have removed his hand and probably should have, but the connection was made now and he had no intention of losing it.

Rory knew that nothing with Tristan was ever uncomplicated and that every step she had taken away from him he intended to take back in this moment.

It would have been so much easier to accept that he was kissing her now and that the hand he had used to caress her face had slowly snaked its way around her neck to bring her lips closer to his, if she had felt even an ounce of loving emotion behind it.

Instead the emotions she felt emanating from him possessed no more than a raw frustration that was fueled by a powerful and magnetic lust.

He could possess her right then and there and he knew it, as he felt her hungry mouth returning his kisses and her lithe frame willing arch up to meet his hands as they carelessly roamed her body as if it was his to consume.

Her skin still tasted so sinfully good and it stirred all the memories he had been trying to bury after she had broken him by leaving.

Tristan had been with countless girls since Rory and no one had come anywhere close to connecting with him as she was in this moment as she reached out for him, feeling like a drowning woman searching for life giving air.

She needed the air to save her from his assault on her senses and he just kept pulling her under with him, dragging her deeper and deeper beneath a wave of lust and frenzy that threatened to suffocate her with its power.

It took everything she had to pull away from him, her lips swollen from his kisses and her body branded by his touch for eternity.

He’d felt her withdrawal before he’d actually registered it in his brain, his hands still seeking her curves and softness.

“We can’t do this Tristan.” Rory spoke feeling completely lost in this moment, her breathing ragged and aching in her throat.

“Why not?” He demanded his body still unsatisfied and his soul still needing a release from the prison it had resided in since she had left him.

She didn’t want to insult his intelligence by using Anders as an excuse but she wasn’t sure the truth would be much better.

The truth being she didn’t want to go down this road with him again, she wanted a -simple, uncomplicated relationship where she didn’t feel as if her heart was being ripped out by even the simplest of slights.

She didn’t want to be in love – it just hurt too damn much.

“We just can’t…I don’t want this kind of connection to you anymore.” Rory said a little more bluntly than she had first intended.

He knew she hadn’t meant it to hurt him, but it still did – everything she said or did lately had been a form of torture to him.

“When are you going to stop punishing me Rory – don’t you think it’s been long enough?”

“I’m not trying to hurt you Tristan but you need to understand that I’ve moved on – I had to for my sanity.” Rory finished the tears slowly beginning to fall.

He took her tears as a promising sign that she still needed him.

“ We can still figure this out Rory if you would just try…but if you walk away now and get into something more serious with Anders – it will be over.” Tristan promised.

“I just want to be your friend Tristan.” Rory said dinging his heart even further.

It wasn’t the truth and she knew it, but it was the solution to holding on to her heart.

“I have enough fraudulent friends. I just want my girlfriend back!” Tristan spat angrily now.

“I don’t see any way a girlfriend would fit into the lifestyle you’ve adapted.” Rory told him spitefully.

“The lifestyle I’ve adapted is your fault.” he said placing the blame squarely on her shoulders.

“If you need to believe that…fine, but who you are now – that’s your comfort zone. Being with me was what took you out of your element.” Rory told him pointedly.

“I liked being out of my element then.” Tristan said almost wistfully now.

“I don’t fit in your world Tristan – I never did.” Rory said accepting their fate for what it was.

“My world and Anders are the same but you’re still willing to brave it with him.” Tristan said pointing out the unjustness in that decision.

“I’m giving him the same chance that I gave you.” Rory stated wounding Tristan yet again.

“So you’re going to blindly trust Anders even though you’ve only been friends with him for like two weeks? I’ve known him my whole life Rory…he’s not a good guy.

Tristan knew that wasn’t exactly true but he also knew he was fighting to save himself in Rory’s eyes.

“I’ll trust him until he gives me a reason not to.” Rory said throwing Tristan’s short comings back in his face.

“Well good luck with that.” Tristan said his annoyance obvious in his voice now.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Rory said her posture now defensive.

“It means there’s no incentive not to lie to you – in fact given the choice between telling you the truth that day and keeping it secret – I’d have kept my mouth shut, because the truth is what ruined us – you were happy living the lie” Tristan informed her.

‘You’re just being a jerk now…and I don’t need to sit here and take it.” Rory said reaching for the car door, a move which Tristan quickly thwarted as leaned over her and shut it again.

A movement which once again brought their bodies into contact and their faces inches apart.

She wanted this hold he had over her to be gone, to be able to resist the pull he had that always made her fall apart and lose all coherent thought under his gaze.

For the first time Tristan realized something and it emboldened him as he held her pliant body in his hands.

His voice barely above a soft, silky whisper he let Rory in on what he was slowly figuring out.

“You may never trust me again but you’ll never be able to deny what is always going to be between us either.” He said bringing his lips possessively over hers a rush of power flowing through his veins as she lightly moaned under the sensual assault her desire for him evident in that moment.

It felt good to him to finally be back in charge and to be the one calling the shots. He had sacrificed that position to be with Rory and to be part of something bigger with her.

He had sacrificed it all for love – screw love.

Love had sucked him dry and left him with emotional scars.

He had no idea how far he had planned to take his new found confidence, he just knew she felt so damn good to him and he wanted her.

If not for the rapping on his side window he probably would have gotten what he wanted too.

Looking over to see who was interrupting their moment Tristan smirked knowing he had seen everything.

“Looks like your night and shining armor has arrived.” Tristan said pulling away from her and unrolling the window.

“Can we help you?” Tristan asked his arrogance in full swing.

Dean ignored him – he was a bastard and not his concern in that moment.

“Rory are you okay?” Dean said glancing in the car to make sure.

“She’s fine.” Tristan interjected.

“I didn’t ask you asshole. Rory?” Dean questioned again looking for an answer.

Rory didn’t know what she was – embarrassed, ashamed, annoyed – all of the above?

What she did know was that she wanted to wipe the smug look off of Tristan’s face so deliberately she took the keys out of the ignition and got out of the car.

“I’m fine.” She said walking to the front of the car, turning around only momentarily to Tristan to pocket his keys in front of him before joining Dean and walking away.

“That uh…that looked pretty intense back there; I thought you two were done.” Dean said surprised.

“We are…it’s complicated. Please don’t tell anyone what you saw.” Rory pleaded with him.

“Okay.” Dean said pretty close to speechless that she wanted to keep what had happened just now with Tristan a secret.

He would never understand the hold Tristan had over her.

“How did you know where I was?” Rory asked curious how long Dean had been witness to her surrender to Tristan.

“Everybody on the beach knew it wasn’t exactly a big secret – I went up there when you didn’t come right back because I didn’t trust him not to do something stupid.” Dean confessed.

“Vicky must hate me.” Rory realized.

“No. She knows were friends and she’s okay with it – she’s actually really cool if you’d give her a chance.” Dean offered.

“Maybe I will.” Rory stated just a smidge of melancholy now for all that being with Tristan had cost her.

Dean was happy now without her, Paris was no longer her friend and she had sacrificed her moral values. 

Still she knew that Tristan was still the one and only guy who had ever possessed her heart and reached into her soul. She was emotionally bonded to him and completely physically attracted to him.

Rory wasn’t the only one being looked out for though, Gib had seen Rory’s ex heading to the parking lot and had excused himself to follow him afraid of an altercation between him and Tristan.

Now as Gib stood by Tristan at the hood of his car he struggled for the right thing to say. He had been privy to the show in the car as well as Dean and he knew Tristan well enough to know how he viewed this situation.

Gib was determined to give Tristan advice whether he wanted it or not.

“Let her go man…don’t do this to yourself.” Gib began but Tristan quickly intercepted his next thought.

“I appreciate your friendship Gib but I don’t need the advice. I know what I’m doing.”

“I know what you’re doing too buddy and it’s not going to work.” Gib promised him.

“And what exactly do you think I’m doing?” Tristan questioned sure he had no idea.

“We’ve been friends since the first grade…I know how you think – how you operate. You want Rory back, but that isn’t going to happen if you back her into a corner. You have to let her come to you…or you will lose her.” Gib said prophetically.

“I’ve already lost her; I’m just hanging on to what I can…if it’s just the physical aspect of us…then I’ll deal.”

“If you use her she will end up hating you.” Gib stated trying to help his friend see the truth.

Tristan considered Gib his closest and truest friend and probably the only one who hadn’t developed into a player because of his long standing girlfriend Dani.

He envied him being able to make a relationship work with what seemed like little or no effort. If anyone understood woman – it was Gib.

“What do I do then?” Tristan said finally ready to hear Gib’s wise words.

“Be her friend. I know it sucks and that being around her will be a slow torture for you, but it will help you get to a place where she trusts you again.” Gib told him.

“What about Anders?” Tristan said not really wanting the answer he knew was coming now.

“Let her date him and just be there if she needs someone to talk to when he screws up.” Gib advised.

“So I get to be her girlfriend?” Tristan said summing up the humiliation he was going to have to endure if he followed Gib’s advice.

“I guess that’s one way to put it.” Gib agreed.

“I am officially revoking your “man card.” I can’t believe you think that would work. Dani has really done a number on you.” Tristan said scoffing at his friend.

“Fine, you have a better idea then run with it, just don’t come crying to me when Rory boots you out of her life for good. How do you think Anders got where he is now?” Gib asked not sure now that Tristan knew the answer.

“I have no idea. All I know is I went away for two weeks and when I came back they were attached at the lips.” Tristan admitted.

It took just a few minutes for Gib to fill his friend in on the Rory and Anders saga and how they had developed a friendship that Jeremy had escalated with his stupidity.

“Braithwaite is a moron.” Tristan said fuming now.

“He’s got issues…yes, but he’s not really the most pressing issue right now. You have a choice to make…friend or foe.” Gib reminded him.

“I think maybe I’ll just sleep on it. Can you and Dani give me a ride home?” Tristan asked knowing he wasn’t ready to face Rory yet. He’d get his keys back later when he didn’t feel like he’d been steamrolled over by her defiance.

She didn’t want him driving and he didn’t want any more altercations with her tonight so it was a win-win as far as he was concerned.

Back on the beach Rory had learned from Dani that Gib had gone to talk to Tristan and she couldn’t help feeling a little relieved. Gib was Tristan’s one friend that Rory really respected and liked and she knew he would be able to calm Tristan down.

As she saw Gib coming back down the beach with Tristan she self consciously moved to create a distance between her and Anders.

And Anders noticed. It irked him to still be playing second fiddle to Tristan. He had no idea what had happened with Tristan in the parking lot but he knew that when Rory had come back she had still been out of sorts – so he had his suspicions.

But for now Rory was still his and he intended to hang on to her for as long as he could.

He knew Tristan was prepared to wage a war with him some time in the near future he could read it in his eyes – but for now he was waving a white flag of surrender.