Authors Note: I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has written me or reviewed me. You are all so great to be so kind. And I can promise you this…as long as there are people who want to read it…I will continue to write it. Thanks again and on we go to the next chapter.

 

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in my story. They belong to the WB and its affiliates.

 

Story summary:  Rory is searching for any reason not to think of Tristan after their last close encounters. But little does she know the encounters have just begun. Dean may be her boyfriend…but Tristan is the one who has her head spinning.

 

 

INT: GILMORE KITCHEN-NIGHT

 

Lorelai enters through the kitchen door. She sees Sookie who has her head stuck in her kitchen cupboards.

 

LORELAI: Sookie?

 

Sookie bangs her head on the cupboard door.

 

SOOKIE: Oh…ouch.

 

LORELAI: What are you doing?

 

SOOKIE: Well I started out looking for a straw…but you only had the straight kind and I prefer the bendy ones…so I kept going and then I realized you have no real organization in your kitchen.

 

LORELAI: (feigns being shocked) Really?

 

SOOKIE: Yeah…none whatsoever. So I started organizing your cupboards.

 

Lorelai walks over to what use to be the coffee cupboard and looks in. It now has all sorts of cleaning products in there.

 

LORELAI: What did you do Sookie?

 

SOOKIE: You don’t like it?

 

LORELAI: (trying not to hurt her feelings) No it’s great…really. But here’s the thing. I like not being organized…it adds to my quirky charm. Messing with my mess…well it would be like if I tasted your cooking and told you it needed more salt.

 

SOOKIE: You wouldn’t do that!

 

LORELAI: No…mess with your Sookieness….never. Cooking is your thing…messy is mine. So what do you say…do we understand each other?

 

Sookie tries to put a bottle of “Mr. Clean” in the cupboard.

 

SOOKIE: If I could just maybe add this one other…

 

LORELAI: Sookie…put the bald man down and back away from the cupboard.

 

Sookie reluctantly puts the “Mr. Clean” on the counter.

 

Lorelai shuts the cupboard and turns back around.

 

LORELAI: Is Rory in her room?

 

SOOKIE: No. She and Dean left together about ten minutes ago.

 

LORELAI: What!? You let her leave? Sookie how could you?

 

SOOKIE: You didn’t tell me not to.

 

LORELAI: I thought that was implied.

 

SOOKIE: Not so much. No.

 

EXT: MAIN STREET OF STARS HOLLOW-NIGHT

 

Rory and Dean are walking. Dean is holding Rory’s hand. As they are walking he tries to pull her closer and she tries to distance herself by faking a sneeze.

 

RORY: Aaaah….Choo.

 

DEAN: Okay Rory. What’s going on? You’ve been weird all night.

 

RORY: It’s nothing. I…think I might be coming down with something.

 

DEAN: That would explain why you were so flushed when you came into your house tonight.

 

RORY: (guilty) Right. Exactly.

 

DEAN: Look at me Rory.

 

Rory reluctantly looks at Dean. He bends his head down to hers and gives her a tender kiss.

 

RORY: Why did you do that?

 

DEAN: To show you that a little cold isn’t going to keep me away.

 

RORY: That’s so sweet.

 

DEAN: Well…I’m a sweet guy.

 

RORY: Yeah…you really are. I like so many things about you Dean.

 

DEAN: Okay. That’s good. I think.

 

Dean and Rory continue walking until they reach the park bench and sit down. Dean puts his arm around Rory.

 

RORY: Dean, can I ask you a question?

 

DEAN: Sure. As long as it doesn’t involve math. Not that you would need any help in that area.

 

As Dean is rambling Rory can’t stand it anymore and blurts out her question.

 

RORY: What do you like about me Dean?

 

DEAN: Are you serious?

 

RORY: Yes.

 

DEAN: This is kind of weird.

 

RORY: I know but…please humor me.

 

DEAN: Okay…I like how smart you are.

 

RORY: Go on.

 

DEAN: Is this some kind of test?

 

RORY: No…I just really need to know what attracts you to me.

 

DEAN: Why?

 

RORY: I just do.

 

DEAN: Why?

 

RORY: (getting annoyed) Are you going to tell me why you love me or not?

 

DEAN: Does it really mean that much to you?

 

RORY: Yes. I can’t explain why. But it does…it truly does.

 

DEAN: It’s not just one thing…it’s lots of things…but mostly because…there is no one else like you.

 

RORY: Are you saying…I’m an original?

 

DEAN: Exactly.

 

RORY: An original. I like that.

 

DEAN: Look. I’m not much for the *sappy* stuff. It’s just not me. So even though I don’t always know that right thing to say…my heart is in the right place.

 

Rory looks at Dean and gives him a big smile.

 

RORY: I remember now.

 

DEAN: Remember what?

 

RORY: Why I want to be here…with you.

 

DEAN: Why?

 

RORY: Because…

 

Rory cuts off her own explanation by bringing Dean’s head towards hers and rewarding him with a tender kiss which as it continues grows more passionate.

 

Parked across the street from an oblivious Rory and Dean is Tristan. Tristan is intently watching the scene between Dean and Rory hoping for a different outcome. As Rory kisses Dean, Tristan leans his head back against the headrest of his seat and closes his eyes. He puts his hands up to his face in sheer frustration.

 

EXT: TRISTAN’S SUV-NIGHT

 

TRISTAN: (out loud to himself) Damn you Rory.

 

INT: GILMORE HOUSE-DAY

 

Rory is rummaging around in all the cupboards trying to find a pop tart when a very sleepy Lorelai comes into the kitchen.

 

LORELAI: I fell asleep on the couch.

 

RORY: Yes.

 

LORELAI: Why didn’t you wake me up?

 

RORY: You looked so peaceful.

 

LORELAI: Really…so then it has nothing to do with the fact that you didn’t want me grilling you about Chilton’s bad boy.

 

RORY: It may have had something to do with that. But you really did look very Snow-White like.

 

LORELAI: Yeah…give me a ridiculously colored dress, a big red bow for my hair, one poison apple and all my problems will be solved.

 

RORY: You forgot the seven dwarfs.

 

LORELAI: Don’t you have enough men to worry about already?

 

RORY: And the first point of the day goes to Mama Gilmore.

 

LORELAI: Actually that was kind of a gimme. Much too easy to be worth a point.

 

RORY: So how was the couch?

 

LORELAI: Much too uncomfortable…but you be skirting the true issue here Miss Gilmore. So spill. I want the A to Z version of the Rory Gilmore love saga.

 

RORY: I’m going to miss my bus.

 

LORELAI: Fine then just give me the D and T version. Much shorter and yet so filling.

 

RORY: Mom…I really…I do want to talk to you about this. But the new Headmaster is starting today and I can’t be late. There’s this assembly and stuff to introduce him to the school and Paris would freak if anyone from the paper was late.

 

LORELAI: Their canning Headmaster Benson? Oh…but why. I loved the little toad.

 

RORY: He’s not being fired. He quit.

 

LORELAI: Fine…one day reprieve…But I expect some stimulating dinner conversation.

 

RORY: I’ll polish my speech.

 

Rory heads out the front door and Lorelai starts looking in the cupboard for the pop tarts, which are not in their usual place.

 

LORELAI: Okay Sookie…where would you think the pop tarts belonged? Come on Lorelai…think like Sookie.

 

Lorelai grows frustrated looking for the pop tarts and calls Sookie on her cell phone.

 

LORELAI: Hey Sookie…it’s Lorelai. Fine…No I didn’t get a chance to talk to Rory…ok…Sookie…could you hold up for just like one minute so I can ask you something? Good…thanks. I need to know what you did with the pop tarts. Really? (Lorelai heads over to the refrigerator and opens the freezer…she spots the pop tarts and takes them out.) Why the freezer again? To keep them fresh? Wouldn’t it be more like to keep them frozen?

 

Lorelai bangs a frozen pop tart up against the counter.

 

LORELAI: Thanks Sookie. I’ll see you at work. Oh…and I might be just a little late. I have to defrost my breakfast.

 

INT: CHILTON AUDITORIUM-DAY

 

Rory walks into the auditorium and looks around for an empty seat. She sees one next to Tristan and hesitantly walks up to him. Tristan’s books are on the seat.

 

RORY: Is this seat available?

 

Tristan ignores Rory.

 

RORY: Excuse me Tristan. I asked if this seat was open or not.

 

TRISTAN: Not.

 

RORY: Oh…okay. I’ll just go find another one.

 

TRISTAN: I’m holding it for Summer.

 

RORY: Your old girlfriend Summer?

 

TRISTAN: Yes. Does that bother you?

 

RORY: No. But it might bother her new boyfriend. Who she is sitting with three rows behind you.

 

Tristan turns around and sees Summer with her boyfriends arm around her. He turns back around to Rory.

 

RORY: What’s going on Tristan?

 

TRISTAN: Fine. I lied. No one is sitting here.

 

RORY: Okay. So no one is sitting here…but I’m guessing you don’t want me to sit here. Right?

 

TRISTAN: I’m just thinking of you. Wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable.

 

RORY: What’s the real reason?

 

TRISTAN: I just don’t like you very much right now. Okay?

 

RORY: Why not?

 

As Rory and Tristan are talking a teacher approaches Rory.

 

MS. LIBBY: Miss Gilmore…you need to take a seat the assembly is about to begin.

 

Rory looks at Tristan and he reluctantly lifts his books from the empty seat and deposits them under his chair. Rory takes the seat next to him.

 

Rory puts her arm on the arm rest at the same time as Tristan. The feeling it sends through her body is amazing and she has to try really hard to concentrate on the assembly that is about to begin. Tristan appears unfazed to Rory but inside he is disturbed by how her closeness is getting to him. He turns to look at Rory almost without thinking and finds that she is looking at him too. Emboldened by this Tristan takes Rory’s hand in his and runs his strong fingers tenderly over her fingers and up to her wrists. Rory is beside herself with conflicting emotions.

 

As the auditorium lights start to dim signaling the beginning of the assembly Rory can’t take it anymore. Ever nerve in her body is tingling and every time he caresses her hand she starts to tremble.

 

RORY: Tristan…my hand.

 

TRISTAN: Don’t worry. I’ll give it back to you eventually. Now pay attention…there’s an assembly going on.

 

As the assembly begins Tristan continues his assault on Rory’s senses. As Tristan senses Rory’s defenses weakening he leans in close to her ear and whispers into it. Rory can feel the sexual heat of Tristan next to her. His breath in her ear has her mind and body ready to explode.

 

TRISTAN: (whispering) I’m the one you want.

 

Rory can take it no more and she bolts out of her seat and up the aisle and out the auditorium door. Tristan just smiles a sexy…I got you now…smile.