Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in my story they are the property of the CW Network and the show Gilmore Girls.

It could have ended with a simple good night if he could just let it go – but he couldn’t.

It wasn’t fair to him for her to omit facts or refuse to answer questions because they were too difficult.

Anders felt that he deserved to know what had happened in that amount of time that she had left him to go be with Tristan and more than that he deserved to know if he was wasting his time.

Because right now truthfully he felt like he was.

He knew that Rory and Tristan had shared some epic kind of love but never having found that himself he didn’t really understand it.

He needed her to help him understand it.

She had leaned in to kiss him good night, preparing to get out of the car when he had put his hand up to stop her and broad-sided her with the question she was hoping to avoid.

It was why she had been so quiet the whole way home – so as not to encourage conversation.”

“Why did you go after Tristan tonight?” She didn’t want to hurt him but she knew he deserved an answer.

“I don’t think you really want to know the answer to that question.” Rory said looking down now a little ashamed by her behavior.

“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want to know.”

Rory took in the set of Anders jaw, he was determined – he needed answers.

She could lie, she was actually becoming quite good at it – after all she’d convinced Tristan that she no longer had any feelings for him.

Or she could tell him the truth – a very scary proposition which had cost her so much in the past.

Still the truth was her nature.

“I felt bad about hurting him.” Rory admitted.

“I see.” Anders answered automatically.

“I probably shouldn’t have gone. I’m sorry.” Rory tried already feeling the tension of conflict begin to rise in the car – suffocating her.

“What’s done is done.” Anders said ominously.

It was an immediate feeling of something about to go wrong – of losing something.

Knowing the only thing he could take away from her was himself Rory found herself struggling with the possibility.

So much that had gone wrong in her life Anders had made right – she didn’t want to lose him.

He was her friend.

Anders could see from the look on her face that Rory was conflicted.

And he wanted to believe that a part of that confliction had to do with her growing feelings for him.

Damn Tristan for interfering. He had already had his chance and blown it – it was his turn now.

But as much as he believed that he couldn’t follow through, not knowing that any investment he put into Rory could be shattered along with his heart.

“Are you okay?” Rory asked cautiously as she moved to be closer to him.

She could smell his cologne lightly moving into her senses, teasing her, taunting her – making her just a little bit dizzy with the apprehension of his lips about to meet with hers.

It was the kiss he had been waiting for since Tristan had returned. It held both passion and promise and she wasn’t letting go or letting up she was pulling him down with her in the spiral of wanting and need.

It almost made it worse – what he knew he had to do.

Reluctantly he pushed her away from him and it was hard not to register the shock on her face at his unexpected actions.

“You sure know how to distract a guy.” Anders chided her.

“You think I’m trying to distract you?” Rory said surprised.

“I don’t think we should do this anymore Rory – not after tonight.” Anders began but she quickly cut him off.

“I know the best thing for you would be for me to let you go…I do – But I’m selfish. I can’t.” She said a little ashamed now that she wasn’t strong enough to release him.

“You’re Tristan’s Rory; I think you always will be. What good would it do me to stay and hope I could change your mind? I mean do you really even want that?” Anders questioned not at all optimistic.

“I want to get over Tristan. He makes it really hard though, he knows the buttons to push and what to say to make me react.” Rory confessed out loud to herself for the first time.

Anders could tell now that for the first time Rory was being real with her feelings, not trying to deny how she felt about Tristan.

“I wish sometimes that he would just move on. I think that would make it easier for me.” Rory said mulling over that possibility and how it would probably destroy her even as she spoke it.

But it was out there already in the universe working its karma.

Whereas Rory was fighting hard to keep her friend and her memories intact, Tristan was about to embark on a different path.

A path that was akin to a self fulfilling prophecy for Rory’s thought that night...

Presley had no idea why she was here – and she felt like a complete idiot climbing the tree in front of his bedroom window like she had when they were younger.

She knew she was still angry with Tristan.

But now she also felt a more foreign feeling, one she had locked away and buried concerning him – compassion.

Mostly because every time she opened herself up to him he broke her heart.

Presley had been in love with Tristan for years – too many years.

As she reached the top branch she lightly rapped on his window.

If Tristan had been asleep he probably would have missed the light sound but the scene at the beach tonight had made sleep an impossible option for him.

His mind was still overloaded with Rory.

Cautiously he got out of bed and headed towards the window, already knowing who it was.

She was the only one who had ever used that entrance to his room – it had been their little secret and one he’d had to protect countless times as his mother grew tired of the old oak growing beside the house and threatened to have it cut down.

Deliberately he pulled the curtains aside and pushed the window up to lean on the

window sill.

“You lost?” Tristan asked looking at her sitting so nonchalant on the top branch right next to his window.

‘Nope – I know exactly where I’m at.” She said smiling at her old friend.

“Interesting – did you plan on coming in or just sleeping there all night?” Tristan quizzed amused. 

“I guess it depends on what you would like me to do.” Presley said honestly.

Gazing at his beautiful friend as she lounged so precariously on the tree branch Tristan couldn’t help but smile and remember happier times with her.

So he relented against being a good guy and opted to seize the opportunity he believed she was offering.

“I would like you to come in.” he said giving her that devilish smirk that had reeled her in so many times.

As she reached out her hand to him to help her in, the decision having been made, she wasn’t sure if she fell against him or he pulled her there.

But suddenly they were sharing space their faces mere inches apart.

It was never uncomfortable with them, not even the first time they had kissed when they were only 13 years old.

They had always shared a sort of symbiotic ease with each other.

“You’re not trying to kiss me are you?” Tristan said mischievously.

“Funny – I was just about to ask you the same thing.” Presley said her breathing becoming a little more labored the longer he stood there with her in his arms. 

“I don’t usually ask for permission when I’m going to kiss a girl.” He reminded her bringing to mind images of past run-in’s with his passionate nature.

“Right – you just take what you want.”

“Exactly.” He said leaning in now to capture her soft pliant lips with his heated and demanding ones.

It was how he always sent her over the edge – by scrambling her brain with kisses that heated her from her toes up.

He didn’t have the decency to leave a single nerve untouched with his expert hands and lips.

He always demanded ultimate surrender.

Presley knew she was playing with fire and that his heart would never be hers.

But she still kept hoping.

And as she laid her soul and body naked beneath him he took her with a passion and strength that rocked her very essence until ultimate surrender was her only option.

It was easier for her that way to keep giving and giving in the hopes of one day receiving his heart back.

As soon as Rory entered her house her mom practically jumped her.

“I’m so glad you got home before I had to leave.” She said smiling a big goofy smile.

“Leave for where?” Rory asked curious now.

“Your dad and Shelly are having their baby. I’m on the first available flight to Boston.” Her mom informed her.

“Oh…gosh. Tell dad congratulations and send him my love.” Rory said hugging her mom who jumped about a foot when the cab honked out front.

“Oh…that’s my ride. Be a good girl and no boys in the house.” Lorelai said knowing it was falling on deaf ears.

The same type of deaf ears she’d had as a teenager – it served her right.

Giving Rory a quick kiss on the cheek Lorelai half drug and half hopped her luggage out to the waiting cab giving Rory one last smile.

“I’ll be back in three days. Be good.” She tried again and than laughed inwardly to herself knowing how effective that little mantra had been her and Christopher.

Still she liked to think that maybe Anders had a little bit more restraint than “happy hands” Tristan.

A mother could only hope, he was as equally good looking and charismatic as Tristan had been so there was probably a bad boy waiting to pop out somewhere.

As soon as her mother’s cab took off  Rory headed to her room, pulling her phone out of her pocket on the way, her hands brushing up against something metal in them.

Tristan’s keys.

She didn’t know what had possessed her to take them – now she worried about the face to face it might take to give them back.

She’d made a promise to Anders that if he stayed she would make a real effort to make it work.

And he had some fairly big issues that had been bothering him like: No fake kisses. If she was going to kiss him she needed to kiss him like she meant it or not at all.

No more one on one’s with Tristan. He’d no idea what had happened in the car and he didn’t want to, but he wanted exclusivity.

No holding back was a big one with him. If she felt it he wanted her to go for it but if she didn’t he wanted her to back off.

He’d already gone through this once with Presley and he didn’t want to have to repeat that same pattern that had left his heart numb.

And he absolutely wasn’t going to fight for her if Tristan had already won.

He made sure she understood that he wasn’t just there as a place warmer until she decided to take Tristan back.

He was her friend and he was falling for her – that’s what he could offer her.

It had seemed like a good offer to her so she had agreed kissing him soundly before exiting his car.

But now inside her house with Tristan’s keys taunting her she literally felt her resolve crumble as she took out her phone and dialed his number.

He wasn’t going to get it, he was well into round two with Presley and enjoying every minute of it.

It felt so natural and easy with her – no drama, no heartrending pain. If anything he was the one causing her the pain.

He knew her feelings for him ran much deeper.

And time and again it had put him off – but tonight it was different. Tonight he was enjoying being with someone who wanted to be there, who trusted him with her heart and believed in him even knowing the mistakes he had made and the many more he probably still would.

It was like a bolt out of the blue to realize he wanted her there next to him – loving him.

The “L” word still had the ability to make him cringe and his heart retract though.

Seeking shelter from it he abruptly stopped what he was doing and looked at the caller ID on his ringing phone.

“Crap.” It was one word but it spoke volumes to Presley.

“Is it her?” She asked knowing the answer and feeling vulnerable as she lay unclad and pinned slightly beneath his warm body.

He didn’t answer her, instead he picked it up.

“ Rory.” He said not waiting for her to say who she was.

“Yes.” She said already a little out of breath at just the way he said her name so low and sexy like he had just rolled out of bed after a night’s sleep – she missed his morning voice. 

“ Why are you calling?” He said trying to control the pain that wanted to break through.

“I just uh…I was making sure you got home okay.” She said latching on to the first reasonably viable excuse she could muster.

“You mean since you took my car keys and left me stranded?” He taunted.

“I offered you a ride home.” Rory said on the defensive now.

“Right – with you and Romeo, how’d that go by the way? You two kiss and make up?” He was spearing her with his accusations and innuendos and she didn’t like it.

“We’re fine.” She said through gritted teeth. “ No thanks to you.”

“Happy to have helped.” He said the bitterness overwhelming his tone now.

“You don’t have to be a jerk.” Rory said the tears beginning to well in her eyes now.

“I am what you made me.” He said trying to inflict damage.

“You’re hopeless.” Rory said preparing to hang up but knowing she had one last order of business.

“I’ll leave your keys with Anders and Amy or Presley can get them back to you.” She offered.

“Afraid you’d lose in a battle of wills again?” Tristan prodded.

“No. I just don’t want to see you.” Rory said hitting below the belt.

“Then we’ll do it your way.” He conceded.

She was ready to hang up the phone when she heard a familiar ring tone in the background and someone – a girl scrambling to pick it up.

“You’re not alone.” It wasn’t a question.

“Did you think I would be, that you would leave me and no one else would want to take your place?” It was a statement more about the big picture than distinctly that night and it did exactly what it was intended to do – it ripped a hole in her heart.

“I have to go.” Rory said weakly her breath all but leaving her body in racking gasps.

He hadn’t meant to make her cry and instantly he was sorry.

“It’s better this way Rory…for both of us.” She knew it was probably true, she just didn’t want it to be.

She wanted to be the girl naked in his bed, her body in sync with his passionate and sensual touch.

She wanted the warm and cozy nights by the fire where they drank her mother’s horrible hot cocoa and told ghost stories to each other.

She wanted the warmth and comfort of his strong arms and the heady feeling of intoxication that his seeking lips had always brought her.

She wanted everything back that she was losing in this moment to a nameless, faceless girl.

But most of all she wanted to not have connected the dots and remembered that she only knew one person who had the One Republic ringtone song “Apologize” on it – Presley.

She probably could have spent the night trying to convince herself otherwise but she’d had enough of the subterfuge.

“It’s Presley isn’t it? “

Rory’s perception caught Tristan by such surprise that he just answered not sure if he should lie or not. “Yes.”

It was the final nail in the coffin.

She could have handled him moving on with anyone but her – even Paris.

“She must have jumped in her car the minute we dropped her off.” Rory said bitterly.

“Rory?” Tristan said softly trying to stop her rant.

“Yes.” She breathed.

“This isn’t your business anymore.” He said with finality.

“Right.” She admitted as she hung up the phone without anymore fanfare.

Slowly at the sound of the click Tristan hung his phone up too and but it on his nightstand before engaging Presley’s attention again.

“That was awkward.” Presley offered.

“And now it’s not.” Tristan said lightly and seductively running his fingers down the side of her throat to the nape of her neck causing involuntary shudders to escape her.

His hope was to escape his guilt but even as he progressed forward with Presley his mind clung to the image of  Rory and the intimate times they had shared in this very bed.

Damn her. Get out of my mind Rory thought Tristan. You don’t belong there anymore.

And coincidentally enough Rory was damning her own thoughts in that instance willing them to evict Tristan so she could get some dreamless sleep.

Because in her dreams it was ten times worse, in her dreams they were still happy and in love and together.

It was waking up after those dreams that caused her the most pain.