Chapter 1

The loose ends

The party that was hold for Rory Gilmore was amazing. It almost made her not want to leave. She looked at the whole city gathering up, and packing all the mess down again, as she sat in Lorelai's car on the way to the airport. She looked at the people in Starts Hollow, all of them who had been there for her. Supported her, whenever she needed it.

They all believed in her, and her abilities. She was full of love, as they drove past the big old "Stars Hollow"-sign. Then she thought about Logan. It was not that she didn't love him, but she just couldn't marry him. She couldn't give him what he wanted. Her heart started aching, as she pictured his face in front of her when she denied his proposal. His eyes could always tell the emotions, and that day, they were full of deep sadness. His pretty face turned to sad, and even though it was only for a second, she noticed. Then his face turned cold and calm. He nodded as he said: "Fair enough. I love you, Ace." He turned around, and didn't look back. She stood there with tears in her eyes, wondering if she had made right decision.

Lorelai was overwhelmed. What Luke did for Rory was exactly why she loved him so much. His caring for her child and his fatherly role he had taken. Most importantly his consideration for her, and that Rory would be fine. She hadn't talk to him yet, but she knew deep in her heart, that she would need him now. Rory, her only daughter and best friend in the world were off experiencing. She was trying new things and living a live on her own. Lorelai hadn't realized that yet. She wouldn't see her daughter for a year. Until know she had been so strong, and not showing any sorrow. She was so happy for Rory and she envied how Rory could just go out there and do the things Lorelai never did.

"So, my one and only daughter, are you exited?" Lorelai asked as she droved the car a bit to slow. She could tell that Rory was thinking too, and that she had just pulled Rory out of some deep thoughts.

"Yeah, I am," Rory replied, "But I'm going to miss everyone. Especially you, mom."

"You wont miss me when you're gone. I'm going to call you so many times, that you will get tired of me!"

Rory looked at her mother and smiled, as they parked at the airport.

"We're here." Lorelai said with her nervous voice. Rory looked at her as the tears started showing in her eyes.

"We sure are. I love you so much, mom. Thanks for everything. Thanks for supporting me. I'm going to miss you so much!" She cried in her mother's arms.

"Hush now, baby. It's only a year. When you get there, you'll see so many great things that you wont even think of me. It's a new exiting adventure for you." Her mother said and smiled.

"Luke! Luke!" Sookie called. "Luke! Don't just ignore me! LUKE!"

"What, Sookie? I'm busy now. Don't you see all the customers?"

"Luke, Lorelai knows it was you, who did all the things for Rory. I'm so sorry."

Luke stopped in the middle of an order and turned around so he could look at Sookie.

"And how did she find out? I told you not to say anything!" His voice raised in the end of the sentence, which made Sookie think of Jackson. She should probably tell him to throw the tomatoes out. They weren't any good, and she didn't want to buy them. Then she focused at Luke, who stood there, with big and open eyes.

"Patty didn't know that Lorelai wasn't aloud to know. So she told her. I just wanted to give you a heads up." She said. "But Luke, is it really that bad, that she knows? I mean… You did a good thing there!"

"It wasn't for Lorelai, Sookie. I didn't do it to get her back. I did it for Rory."

"I know, but come on, Luke. You love Lorelai."

"Stay out of it. It's none of your business. I'm busy. So unless you want to order – leave." Luke went behind the counter and yelled something to Ceasar. The atmosphere in the diner was quiet. It always was, when Luke was sad or angry. Sookie left the diner not knowing what to do. Did Luke really have enough? Was it really over? She knew Lorelai had slept with Christopher the night Luke said no to elope, but it was Lorelai! He loved her, and he knew that she made some stupid mistakes from time to time.

As Rory sat in the airplane, she thought of Logan again. She could faintly hear the instructions of the plane in the background, as they took off. She hadn't really cried yet but know she couldn't hold it in again. The thought of losing Logan, saying goodbye to the town and her mother for a whole year was too much for her. She thought about her mother, and her last words, Logan and his last words. Did she do the right thing?

"Here you go. You can wipe your face with this." Rory looked at her right side, and saw a young man with a napkin. "Yeah, first times are the hardest." He looked so sweet, as he sat there and looked at her.

"You're a journalist too?" Rory asked, when she got her voice under control.

"Yeah. I've been out in the field for 3 years know. I'm Christian, by the way."

"Rory. Rory Gilmore. Or Lorelai. But most call me Rory."

"Well, hello Rory," he smiled. His brown, dark eyes smiled as well. He looked a bit like Jess, Rory thought to herself.

"Where the hell have you been?" Mitchum yelled, as he stormed in Logans apartment near Yale. "I've tried to call you. You didn't get on the plane to London. What were you thinking?"

Mithum looked at Logan, just sitting there. No TV, no music, nothing. He was just sitting with something in his hands. A racket. He saw the hurt in Logans face. Something he had never seen before.

"She said no." Logan said with an empty look in his eyes. "She said no. And now she's gone."

Mitchum sat down next to Logan.

"I asked her to marry me. She said no. I just… I can't… I don't…"

"Logan," Mitchum interrupted. "Rory needed to go out there. You know that. She got a great offer, and had a chance of experimenting big things. She needed to go out in the world. You already knew that. What did you expect? That she would come with you to London? That she would be here, waiting for you to come once maybe twice a year?"

"I never asked her to come with me, or wait for me. I told her, that we could wait. I told her to go. I just needed to know, that I had her." He turned the racket in his hands. "I told her, that she had me. I gave her this racket. 40 years. I wanted to wait for her." Mitchum looked at the racket again, and then at Logan.

"Come on, son. The car is waiting. Leave the racket. A new life is beginning. You'll get over Rory." He helped his son up on the feet, and straightened his tie. "A new life is beginning, Logan."

Lorelai stood in front of Lukes, and tried to get the nerve to go inside.

"Lor, pull yourself together", she said to herself. "Get in there, and thank him."

Before she got the time to re-consider, she opened the door, and the bell made its noise. She looked at the tables. The same people as always. Babette, Miss Patty, Kirk, TJ was there with Liz and their child, Lane stood still and looked at me with the coffee-pot in her hand. The silence surrounded the diner, as Luke came down from his apartment upstairs.

He just stood there, watching here and waiting for her to open her mouth. When he realized that she stood paralyzed, he opened his mouth.

"Lorelai! Can I give you something?" He said, hoping it wouldn't sound to weird.

"Hi Luke. You can give me some coffee", she said, walking to the counter.

"Coffee! On it's way…" he fumbled with the cup.

"Luke…" Lorelai put her hand on his, and he stood there. He knew he wasn't over her. Lorelai lowered her voice and continued. "Thanks, Luke. I just… thanks. What you did for Rory…"

"Don't mention it" Luke interrupted. "You know I would do anything for her."

"I know, Luke, but… After what we've been going through, I just assumed…"

"Well you assumed wrong" he interrupted her again. Her bright blue eyes looked at him, and he could see the sadness in them. Mostly, he just wanted to hug her, kiss her and tell her that everything would be all right. But of course that would be inappropriate.

"Yeah. I was. I'm… I'm…" Lorelai stumbled. "I've got to go. Sookie is alone at the Inn. That's just trouble." And just as that, she left the diner with her coffee-cup untouched.

Logan sat in a big meeting room, full of important people. He was very good at nodding, smiling and looking interested. He thanked his family for that ability. Every time they yelled at him for something he had done again, his mind was elsewhere. He thought of Rory again. Did she do well? Was she well? Had she met another? He shook his head discrete. That, he couldn't bare.

"Logan?" He came back to the meeting room and saw a bunch of people looking straight at him.

"Yes, sir?" He replied while putting his serious face on. Hiding his feelings.

"How can we raise? You've got any ideas?" Logan felt a pressure to say something important, but he was empty. Improve? He didn't even know this newspaper. It was a small thing in London. Something only old people, who already read The Times and needed something to let help the day pass by quicker.

"I… I'm going to need to think this through. Let's say thanks for today, and I'll go home and try to find a solution."

"But we have only been here 3 hours? It's quite unusual." The man protested.

"I don't know how things work here in London, but in US, when the manager says something, the others usually do as said. So… shall we say it's a day?" Logan said annoyed.

"Sure thing, sir." The man said uncertain. "See you tomorrow."

The meeting was now at the end, and Logan couldn't wait to get home and relax. Let his thoughts wonder.

"Sookie!" Lorelai yelled on her way to the Dragonfly Inn's kitchen. "Sookie!" When she stepped in she saw Sookie chopping vegetables.

"Sookie, I went at Lukes." Lorelai said desperate. "I said thanks. And I wanted to tell him something… something clever. Why didn't I say something clever?" Lorelai was out of it.

"All right, honey. Take a breath. Remember to breath. What happened? What did he say?" Sookie considered telling Lorelai about her meeting with Luke, but she agreed with herself, that it would do more harm.

"I went in there, and said thanks. That it came as a shock after what we've been through. And he told me, that of course he would do it. He loves Rory, and I know he does. And I just stood there… I just…" And then she started to cry. Sookie help het get seated and gave her some coffee. "Why? How could I be so stupid? Even Rory got mad. I can't… And Christopher called… And Luke… I just… How? WHY am I like this? It's over. I ruined everything. It's my fault." Lorelai cried.

"Luke will come around. He loves you. He has waited for you for so long."

"No, Sookie" Lorelai interrupted her. "Not this time. I really ruined things between us."

"Lorelai, he will come around. He just needs time. He loves you. But what did Christopher say when he called?"

"Nothing much. That he was sorry, and that he didn't wanted to call because of the whole Luke punching him-thing. That he knew I said that it didn't mean anything that night, and that he has tried to get in contact with me. God, Sookie, I'm so stupid." Lorelai cried again.

"Lorelai, go home. Relax. I'll call Michell and get him here. And I'll come and check at you when I'm off here. Go home honey."

Sookie helped the crying Lorelai out in the car.

"Drive safe, hon'. See you later."