D: I don't own Gilmore Girls!!!

Loves and Lives Lost

Charmedhpfanatic

Angela Fornier stopped, as was her usual routine by the cemetery. She put some small flowers on her parent's graves. They had died in a car crash less then a year ago, leaving a big whole in her life. They had been so close… Angela thought with regret.

She got up, and dusted her pants. She walked a few graves down. She always visited this grave after visiting her parents'. Buried here was a girl who had died her age. Twenty-eight. It was a simple grave, not huge to catch attention. What had made Angela noticed it was unlike the other graves, this grave always had fresh flowers, was always clean. It seemed to be visited often, unlike many of the other graves.

Maybe she always visited this grave because Angela was a hopeless romantic. Underneath the flowers was always a letter. A letter asking for forgiveness, professing love, or a letter full of pain and regret. A letter always signed, T.

Angela picked it up, and read it. As always, it was heartbreaking, and moving. She always had wondered what this man had done, to make him feel so guilty and sad. What kind of love the couple had shared. It looked so strong from the man's side. He was so devoted to her, was she as devoted to him? Angela put the letter back.

"Who are you Lorelei DuGrey?" she asked the grave, brushing the engraved name.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Next Day

Angela drove to work, after stopping by the cemetery. Still she was puzzled, the letters still did not say what the man had done. Did he have an affair? Did he have a problem and divorce her?

There was a traffic jam up ahead. Angela took a detour, to take a longer, but quicker route. She was driving, but something made her stop short. A law firm. Not just any old law firm, the DuGrey and Sons Law Firm. Hmmm… it could be them. DuGrey was a pretty uncommon name. Was DuGrey the woman's name, or the man's?

She drove to work, still wondering.. She'd find out. She'd go earlier to the cemetery to see the man. And maybe talk to him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Angela stayed by her parents grave. There on the bench, she waited for the man. Every minute she kept checking her watch. Was he going to show up? Suddenly, a black Porsche pulled up. A man, with roses this time, got out. Angela gasped. He was handsome, obviously rich, and devoted… he was a girls' fantasy. She watched, as he walked to the grave. He left the flowers, and a card this time. She watched as he shut his eyes, and touched the marble slab. His face was the picture of grief. He looked so sad, no not sad… his face went beyond sad.

Angela's eyes widened as he suddenly pulled out a gun, and raised its mouth to his head.

Angela darted forward and plucked the gun from his hand before he could pull the trigger. "Are you crazy?" she asked angrily. "Why are you trying to kill yourself?"

The man lowered his hand. "I'm already dead," he said hollowly, his blue eyes full of sadness, but not looking Angela in the eye, in the tone of a man who didn't care what happened to him.

"No, you're not," she said blocking him.

"Who are you to say that to me?" he asked dully.

"You're going to talk to me," she said.

"What? Why?" he said. He would have laughed and just brushed past her if this had happened a few months ago. But this happened today of all times. He needed someone to talk to, and she looked all right. A non-biased opinion. Oh, who was he kidding? He would hate her the moment she knew what he had done. Every one else who had known Rory did.

"Because it's obvious you need someone to talk to," she said. "I'm Angela Fornier," and held out her hand.

The man shook her hand. "I'm Tristan DuGrey,"

"Come on," she said, leading him to the bench she had been sitting on. He followed and sat down.

"So Tristan, let's start. What exactly did you do?" Angela asked.

Tristan sighed. Did he really want to tell this person? "If it helps, I won't judge you. I just want to know the facts. You have my word I won't tell anyone.

Tristan nodded. "Okay,"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I first knew-" Tristan swallowed. "I mean, I knew her in high school," Tristan shook his head. "I'm sorry, I can't talk about her it's too hard,"

"Then let me," Angela said sympathetically. "You said you knew her in high school. Were you friends?"

Tristan shook his head, and smiled bitterly. "I was, well to put it frankly, I was a player in high school. I saw her as a-" Tristan almost choked on the word but got it out. "conquest,"

Angela bit her lip. "You know Tristan, to get over her, tell me what was her name?"

Tristan gestured to the slab. Angela didn't say anything, she just stared at Tristan. "Lorelei,"

Angela nodded. Tristan took a deep breath. "But everyone called her Rory,"

Angela smiled faintly, "Go on,"

"I called her Mary,"

"Why Mary?" Angela asked. But Tristan continued, as if he hadn't heard Angela and was in a world of his own.

"She was beautiful, perfect, and just so… naïve and innocent. She seemed so out of place in Chilton. I called her Mary from day one. She instantly disliked me. I continued, annoying her, trying to get her to go out with me. I became determined. Very few girls had ever turned me down before. That determination turned to infatuation, I saw her good traits, and appreciated them. It wasn't long before the infatuation turned to crush, crush turned to like, and like became love. I wouldn't admit it then, but as time passed I had to. I knew I loved her when I kissed her. She had just broken up with her boyfriend. A bag boy in her town. She ran away from me crying, and I was civil to her after that. We formed a sort-of friendship," Tristan paused remembering. "Everything changed when we were assigned to do the last act of Romeo and Juliet. I was Romeo, she was Juliet. The thing was she already had a boyfriend. We had a practice at her town. Her boyfriend watched. She confronted me earlier not to tell anyone about the kiss. I laughed it off, acting casual, pretending not to remember it, when in truth it affected me very deeply. When we began the last scene, I pretended to forget the last line. I talked about our first kiss, Rory jumped up in panic. I said that I meant Romeo and Juliet's first kiss. She calmed down. I suggested that maybe after I kissed Rory she should cry… things started to get out of hand after that. I left, without my ever kissing her,"

Tristan sighed. "I- well- I was what you would call a 'bad boy.' My parents had problems, I never talked to anyone, I had no real friends. I'd usually act out when something bothered me. That day something did. I broke into a safe. I left Chilton, for Military school. Before I left, I spoke to Paris and Rory. She tried to help me… she told me to say it was a phase, but I didn't want to. I guess I couldn't face going to school with her, I thought it would be better for me. I left before the play started."

"I didn't see her again until college. We were taking different courses, I was taking law, and she was taking journalism. I was a year over her. My father hated my image, he hated me, to get his approval I devoted my whole life to studying. He pulled me out of Military School, but didn't let me go to Chilton. I went to another school, took SATs early, and I skipped a year. All that time studying changed me. I wasn't Tristan, 'the bad boy' anymore. My father was proud of me, and I was happy. I had done everything just so that my father would be proud of me,"

"I saw Rory again at Harvard. We were in the same dorm, I was on the sophomore boys floor upstairs, and she was in the freshman girls floor. There was a party on her floor. We both were trying to get to our rooms to study. We bumped into each other…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Watch it!" Tristan said angrily at the girl, who was bent over, picking up notebooks.

"I'm sorry-" she stopped short as they both straightened up, and looked at each other. "Tristan?"

He looked at her in surprise, and the annoyance faded from his expression, and was replaced with a smile. Not his trademark smirk. A genuine smile. "Rory?"

She smiled too. "Not Mary?"

"It's good to see you again," Tristan smiled. "Here let me help you," he said, taking the books from her.

They moved together to the mass of humanity trying to get into her room. They went in.

Tristan spoke to break the awkward silence. "Jungle out there huh?"

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Rory said, smiling at him. "So, what happened in the world of Tristan DuGrey after Chilton?"

"Military school for the rest of the year, then a private school in England. Skipped a year, came back, and I'm taking law,"

"Skipped a year? Did I hear right?" Rory said in shock.

"Is that so hard to believe?"

Rory nodded. "Yes! Are you telling me you skipped a year, and are taking law?"

Tristan nodded.

Rory stared at Tristan. "Who are you and what have you done with Tristan?"

"Really!"

"You mean you're actually studying?

"Yes," Tristan insisted.

"Wow," Rory said, sitting down. "Things really have changed,"

Tristan smiled. "Is it really so hard to believe that I've changed Mary?"

Rory groaned. "Somethings about you will never change Tristan,"

Tristan smirked. "Sorry, old habit,"

"Arg! Told you some things never changed!"

Tristan grinned back at her. He checked his watch. "Oooh… I have to go get a head start on my paper.

How about I meet you for lunch tomorrow, say eleven. I'll pick you up here, Is that okay?"

"Umm…"

"Please? Just to do some catching up,"

She had only a morning class that day… and he still had the same gorgeous blue eyes. "Sure,"

He smiled. "See ya Mary,"

Rory hit him. "Ow! I'm going!"

Rory grinned he left. Strangely, the old name didn't bother her anymore. When Tristan said it, it seemed like a pet name, instead of an insult. She did her work in-strangely- a very good mood.