Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls.
A Rory / Logan fanfic.
Please read and then comment.
A Second Chance
A year after leaving Stars Hollow, Rory was back. Life on the road, she had decided, wasn't for her and so she arrived back in Hartford and planned to take the bus back to Stars Hollow to surprise her mom, Lorelei, who happened to now be in a relationship and living with Luke.
"Are you just visiting or are you a local?" asked the person on the seat next to her.
"I've lived in Stars Hollow since I was a baby, it's the only place I'll ever call home," she replied, getting excited as they were nearly there.
Getting off the bus, Rory looked around and smiled. She was home. She looked across the square and saw Mrs Patty teaching ballet to a group of girls, Kirk was chasing a cat, Taylor could be seen in the market and her mother and Luke were visible in the Diner. Picking up all her bags, she made her way over and the bell rang as she entered.
"Rory!" exclaimed Luke, looking at who had just come in.
"Nice try, Rory left about a year ago Luke, where's your mind gone?" replied Lorelei who was sat at the counter drinking coffee.
"Actually," started Rory, but at this Lorelei spun round, nearly pouring coffee everywhere, and screamed.
"You're back!" she shouted, running over and hugging her one and only daughter.
"I'm back," confirmed Rory, thinking how good it was to be back with her mom.
"Are you here for a visit?" asked Luke, as he moved in for a hug too.
"No, I'm back for good. That's if I still have a room?" she asked.
"Sweetie, there will always be a room for you," replied Lorelei. "I can't believe your back! Luke, we'll have two coffees and …" trailed Lorelei, deciding what to eat.
"I'll have a hamburger with everything," filled in Rory, she had missed Luke's cooking.
"Me too," agreed Lorelei.
"So, you and Luke are going good?" asked Rory as she and Lorelei made their way across the square.
"Very good," Lorelei replied.
"I just can't believe it took you this long to get together properly."
"Yeah well, sometimes life isn't easy. Oh that reminds me, we've got Friday night dinner later, you have to come."
"I'm actually looking forward to seeing Grandma and Grandpa again," replied Rory.
"Yeah well that's cos you've had the pleasure of not seeing them for a couple of months. Luke and I however, still have every Friday night to look forward too."
"I'm sorry."
"What for?" asked Lorelei.
"It's my fault that you have to go. I wanted to go to Yale even though I knew how expensive it would be and now your stuck visiting them every week when I know you don't want to and," said Rory, but Lorelei cut in.
"It's not your fault. Yale was your destiny and I would have done anything to get you there because it was what you wanted. I will never regret borrowing the money, ever."
"Thanks mom," smiled Rory.
"Ready?" asked Lorelei as they stood outside Emily and Richard's house.
"I'm never ready," replied Luke. He was dressed up in a suit as once Emily had spent an hour going over how to dress at the dinner table. Never again would he make the mistake of wearing a cap to the Gilmore's house.
"Come on, the sooner we go in, the sooner it will be over with and then we can go back at watch a movie," said Lorelei. "Besides, the attention will be on Rory tonight!"
She rang the bell and a maid answered.
"You're new," said Lorelei.
"Yes, I started yesterday," replied the maid.
"Yeah well, I would ask for your name but it's unlikely you'll be here next week."
"Lorelei, is that you I can hear?" called Emily from the living room.
"Yes mom," she called back.
"Well stop harassing the maid," Emily replied, walking over. "Rory! It's so good to see you again. Richard! Come and see Rory."
"It's good to see you too Grandma," Rory replied politely.
"Rory, how lovely to see you're back. I trust you are well?" asked Richard.
"Very well," smiled Rory, going over and giving him a hug.
"Let's not stand in the entrance way, come and sit," ordered Emily.
"How was travelling around with the campaign?" asked Richard.
"It was good. But I got a bit sick and tired of all the moving eventually. Then I got offered a job in Hartford and it just seemed the perfect opportunity to come home," explained Rory.
Lorelei was right in that she and Luke sat almost forgotten as the attention was on Rory. As they moved to the dinner table and got served chicken and vegetables, they sat in silence as Richard told Rory his views on the campaign so far.
"It all comes down to the final day though, at the moment I feel it's still anyone's game," Richard was saying. Lorelei started arranging the leftover food on her plate into a pattern and then started dishing herself up more food to complete the pattern. This went unnoticed from everyone apart from Luke for about 15 minutes, until Emily finally looked over.
"What do you think you are doing Lorelei? Honestly, sometimes I do wonder about you. How you manage to run that inn of yours I'll never know," Emily said.
"Before you go," said Richard as Rory, her mom and Luke all got up to leave, "it's the Yale verses Harvard game tomorrow at Yale. Rory I thought you'd like to come with us, see the place again and I know you enjoyed it last time. We have an extra ticket because the Tompkins dropped out."
"Sure Grandpa, I'd love to. It'll be good to visit Yale again."
"Marvellous, we'll come and pick you up at 7, we want to have an early start!"
"So, you get to spend the day at a football game," said Lorelei to her daughter on the ride back to Stars Hollow.
"It'll be boring, but it'll make Grandpa happy and I'll get to spend some time with them."
"How did you get to be so nice?" joked Lorelei.
"So, am I dropping you two off at home before locking up the diner?" asked Luke from the driving seat.
"Can't you make us burgers at the diner?" asked Lorelei.
"Are you kidding? You've just had dinner."
"That was a whole hour and a half ago. Sweetie, you want a burger don't you?" she asked Rory.
"No," Rory replied, Lorelei's face fell. "I'm more in the mood for doughnuts and icecream," she added and Lorelei's face lit up again.
"You two should not be skinny," said Luke.
The following morning Rory awoke early and quickly got ready and was out of the house before Lorelei and Luke were awake. Luke had entrusted Caesar to open the diner so he could have a lie in.
"Are the others not up?" asked Richard as he peered at the dark house.
"Nope, I was quiet and didn't want to disturb them."
"Honestly, they really should be awake by now," added Emily.
"But Grandma, it's 7am on a Saturday. Luke gets up early all week for the diner and mum usually need to get to the inn. They deserve some sleep."
"Hmm," Emily replied.
After completing the ritual of going to see the original Dan mascot and doing the rounds, Rory and her grandparents finally arrived at their RV where the maid was laying out food.
"Julia, are the steaks nearly ready?" asked Emily, inspecting the table and straightening the bowls so it looked symmetrical.
"My name's Amelia," replied the maid but then quickly went on at the look on Emily's face. "They should be done in 10 minutes, just like you asked," replied Amelia, looking very nervous.
"Thank you," replied Emily, Rory could see Amelia let out the breath she was holding.
"Grandma, I'm going to go get a coffee, do you want anything?"
"No thank you, we have herbal tea."
"Okay, I'll be back soon," said Rory. Her Grandpa had gone in search of an old friend from his Yale days.
"One strong coffee thanks," asked Rory once she finally got to the front of the queue. After receiving the plastic cup she moved aside to add sugar.
"Ace," said a voice from behind her.
Rory felt her body tense up and she kept looking ahead, not knowing what to do. She knew the voice, knew who it belonged to. Only one person in the whole world ever called her 'Ace'. Finally she thought there was no getting out of it. Slowly she picked up her coffee and turned around.
"Logan," she whispered. The last time she had seen him, was after her graduation when she had turned down his proposal.
"I didn't think you were a football fan," said Logan, trying to ease the tension.
"I'm here with my Grandparents, they come every year," Rory explained.
"So, how have you been?" he asked.
"Good … I've been good. Travelling on the Obama campaign trail."
"I know, I read your articles," Logan cut in. "You're an excellent writer."
"Logan, what do you want?" asked Rory simply.
"To talk to you," he answered.
"Now you want to talk. You didn't a year ago when I was trying to explain why it was too soon and I was too young to marry you. Then you didn't want to hear anything. So what is the point now?"
"I made a mistake, Ace," said Logan.
"A mistake?" she questioned.
"This past year has been the worst year of my life. When I left your graduation, I was mad and annoyed that you turned me down, I didn't want to hear anything, I just wanted some space. But then after weeks of moping round the house in California I thought about it from your point of view. I should have realised you didn't want to settle down, you want to see the world. I shouldn't have put pressure on you and proposed, I thought at the time I was doing the right thing. I loved you Rory, wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, still do."
"What?" said a shocked Rory. For one thing he had actually called her by her proper name and secondly had said he still wanted to be with her.
"I don't like my life without you. It just doesn't work. I need you, Ace. You make me a better person."
"Logan…" sighed Rory, not really knowing what to say.
"Look, I know you don't want to get married, we don't have to. We can wait until you're ready. Also, I'm not living in California anymore, I'm back in Hartford with my fathers newspaper. So you wouldn't have to move. We can take it slow, get to know each other again. Please Rory … Ace," begged Logan. Rory could see it in his eyes that he was being genuine. He really did care about her and deep down, her feelings for him had never gone away, they had just been pushed to the back of her mind for a later date.
"You hurt me Logan. I know I hurt you by turning you down but I thought we could still make it work, wait a few years. I didn't want to break up, never. I just felt I was too young to be married, look at what happened with Dean and Lindsey," vented Rory.
"It was the biggest mistake I have ever made in my life, you have to believe that."
"I just don't know if I'm ready to trust you again. How can I be sure that you won't leave me again, I can't go through it again."
"I promise you that you are the love of my life and I will try everyday to make it up to you. I've changed," said Logan. With that, he took a step closer so that he was almost pressed up against Rory, lent down and kissed her softly on the lips. Rory, first stunned, returned the kiss and felt butterflies in her stomach.
"Woo!" came shouts from not far away. Rory turned her head to see Colin and Finn making their way over, cheering at the scene in front of them.
"We came to see what was taking so long," Colin said.
"Yeah, where's my drink?" asked Finn.
"Hey guys," said Rory lamely, not knowing what to do.
"Sorry about your drinks, I got sidetracked," Logan apologised.
"So, are you two back together or what?" asked Colin.
"That's up to Ace," replied Logan, looking down into her eyes. Rory thought it over. She thought back to the wonderful times she'd had with Logan, how he could make her happy and give her everything she ever needed.
"Come on then, hurry up and answer," said an impatient Finn.
"Ace you don't have to say anything," said Logan, sadly. He moved away from her and started walking away, dragging Colin and Finn with him.
"Logan!" she shouted and he turned around. Putting her coffee cup on the nearest table she ran towards him through the crowd, wrapped her arms round his neck and kissed him.
"Do I take that as a yes?" he asked when they had finished.
"Yes," smiled Rory.
"You won't regret it Ace. I won't ever let you."
"I need to get back to my grandparents, I've been gone ages and they're probably going to start worrying," explained Rory, looking in the opposite direction to where Logan was headed, to where the RV was somewhere.
"I can come if you want," offered Logan.
"I'm not sure, they kind of hate you for what you did. Maybe we should give it time before telling them we're back together."
"I understand Ace, what about your mom?"
"I can't keep anything from her," laughed Rory.
"She doesn't hate me?"
"Oh she does. But once I explain, she'll like you because I like you."
"So, when do I get to see you?"
"After the game, my grandparents are having dinner with some friends so I'll tell them I'm off to meet up with people and I'll meet you back here. Maybe we could go for a walk round, it's good being back at Yale."
"Sounds like a plan," smiled Logan.
"See you later," said Rory as she kissed him again. She started walking away, turning around as she did so and saw Colin and Finn clapping a very happy Logan on the back.
"Oh Rory, you're back, finally. I was beginning to think you'd ditched us or gotten kidnapped," said Emily as Rory arrived back.
"Nope, just ran into some people I went to Yale with," said Rory, truthfully.
"Right well the game is going to start soon, we'd better get moving and get to our seats. Richard! Come on," said Emily.
"Coming," smiled Rory.
"What's made you so happy?" asked Richard as he came over.
"Nothing, it's just a nice day that's all," replied Rory. She couldn't keep the smile off her face.