Closure

by snuffybaby

Finn suffers a great loss, who does he turn to in his time of need?

Title: Closure
Author: Snuffybaby

-

Lorelai stumbled down the stairs to stop the loud, frantic knocking on her door. She opened it to reveal a tearstained Finn. "Finn? What's wrong?"

He wrapped his arms around her in a desperate hug.

Not knowing what the problem was, she simply hugged him back, offering him the comfort he seemed to so desperately need.

-

Colin checked Finn's room and found it empty. "He's gone."

Logan stepped beside him, "Damn it. He shouldn't have left in his state."

"We shouldn't have left him alone."

"We were out for ten minutes. He needed food."

"Where would he go?"

-

Rory scrambled out of her car, running for the front door. She called softly, "Mom?"

"In here, Rory."

She turned into the living room and sighed in relief. "Thank god. How is he?"

Lorelai brushed the head that was lying in her lap, "He cried himself to sleep."

Rory crouched beside the couch. "Did he tell you want happened?"

"No," Lorelai sighed. "He's in so much pain." She looked at her daughter, "How did you know he was here?"

"Logan called. Said that Finn was missing. I just got in the car and headed straight here."

"Do you know what happened?"

"His sister."

"Lacey didn't make it, did she?"

"You know?" Rory said surprised.

Lorelai nodded, "He needed someone to talk to. He wanted someone he felt comfortable talking to. That person ended up being me." She sighed, "His parents told him not to go back. He wanted to go home to be with her, but they thought it was best that he didn't."

"But she was dying."

"They're parents. From their point of view, having Finn home meant that there was no hope for Lacey. That it would be a foregone conclusion..."

"But what about Finn? He didn't get a chance to say goodbye."

"I'm not saying his parents were right. I'm just saying I know why they wouldn't let him go home."

"Well, they're stupid."

"Yeah, they are."

Rory studied him. "Do you think he'll be okay?"

"He needs to go home… back to Australia… for closure. He might feel a little better then."

"But he won't be better."

"No. There will always be pain when you loose someone you love. It might be bearable though."

"So you're saying that he needs time."

"And his friends to be there for him."

There was a knock on the door.

Rory looked up. "Speak of the devils." She answered the door.

"Is he here?" Logan demanded.

"Yeah." She opened the door wide to let them in.

Logan and Colin headed in to find Finn stretched across the couch, asleep with his head in Lorelai's lap.

Logan sighed, "We were only gone for ten minutes to get him food."

"How's he doing?" Colin asked.

"He's hurting," Lorelai answered.

"We're going to Australia with him," Logan stated, "as soon as he's ready to make the trip."

"Good," Lorelai said, "He's lucky to have friends like you."

Colin said softly, "I think you should come with us."

"What?" She was startled.

Logan nodded, "You're like Finn's surrogate mom… you should be there for him… for us."

"He trusts you," Colin added, "We trust you… both of you." Looking at Rory who had retaken her position beside the couch.

"Of course," Rory answered. "I want to be there for him."

Lorelai agreed, "I'll pack my bags."

Logan and Colin settled around the living room, getting comfortable for the rest of the night.

Colin studied his friend, "He's actually sleeping."

"He hasn't been?" Rory turned to him.

Logan shook his head. "He's been tossing and turning. Colin and I have been taking turns sitting with him. Finn hasn't been sleeping well since he heard the news that Lacey wasn't recovering."

"It was sudden, wasn't it?" Rory said softly. She made soothing circles on the hand resting on Lorelai's knee.

"Yeah. They only discovered it a month ago… but then it was too late."

"They were really close, weren't they?"

"Finn was ten when she was born. She was his own personal baby doll until she was old enough to talk. By then, she had him wrapped around her little finger. Finn was more a father figure to her than their father was." Colin sighed, "It was hard enough for him to decide to come to the States for school, but in the end his parents pushed it. They wanted him to get a good education and they wanted Lacey to stop depending on her older brother who did everything for her."

"That seems kind of heartless."

Lorelai smoothed her hand over her daughter's head, "It's why I took you away from that world. So many society parents only have children so that they'll have heirs. They raise their children to one day take over the family business or carry on the family traditions – go to the same universities, study the same majors. You saw how crazy Paris was about getting into Harvard and how crazy she was when she wasn't accepted. That's the kind of pressure most society kids feel."

"That or they're ignored," Colin commented, thinking of his own parents.

"I've said it several times, but thank you for taking me away from that."

"No problem, kid. I didn't much like high society either."

Rory smirked, "That's only because grandma tried to control you."

"Don't I know it. And she's trying to control you now too."

"No, she's not."

"How did I raise such a naïve child?" She asked no one in particular.

"It's because I had to deal with all your insane paranoia."

"Ha! I was trying to warn you."

"You didn't warn me about the stove."

"I never go near the stove. How was I supposed to know that you would?"

"Because I was five and liked to touch things."

"Don't blame me for you burning your fingers."

Rory pouted, "It's because you never used the stove that made me so curious about it."

"I did too use the stove." Lorelai thought for a moment, "Oops, never mind. It was the oven I used."

"You never cooked?" Colin said in surprise. "What did you eat?"

"Well, for the first couple years, we lived at the inn that I worked at, so we ate there. Then when we moved here, we started eating at Luke's."

"At least once a day," Rory nodded.

The boys were baffled.

"What? Did you expect us to be domestic?" Lorelai laughed.

Finn turned over, jostled by Lorelai's laughter. He blinked.

"Hey," Rory whispered, "how are you doing?"

He moaned.

She moved to her knees to rub his back.

He turned over to face her, "She's really gone, isn't she?"

"I'm sorry, Finn."

Lorelai ran her hand through his hair in a rhythmic soothing motion, "We'll get you through this, Finney."

"I don't want her to be gone," he said painfully.

"No one ever wants to lose someone they love, but sometimes it's better to let them go. You wouldn't have wanted Lacey to be stuck in bed all the time. She would have been too sick to do the things that all normal kids do." She said softly, "She's not suffering anymore."

"I miss her."

"I know. But missing her isn't a bad thing. This way you know you'll never forget her."

"I want to go home."

Logan moved to crouch beside Rory, "We'll take you home, Finn. Whenever you're ready."

Rory nodded, "We'll all take you home."

-

Luke arrived early in the morning carrying bags of food. Lorelai had called him the instant that Finn had fallen asleep after he first arrived. Luke had offered to come over then, but she told him that Finn needed some time. She asked him to bring food in the morning.

So there Luke was setting up a buffet in the kitchen. He was glad that he had planned for Rory, Logan and Colin being there. Finn didn't go far without the other two boys looking for him, and Rory tended to show up at Lorelai's when something important happened.

Luke wasn't surprised when he entered the house and found the five of them asleep in the living room. Lorelai asleep at one of her couch with Finn's head in her lap. Logan asleep with his back leaning against the couch, Rory beside him with her head resting on his shoulder. Colin slept mildly comfortably in the armchair across from them.

Luke had quietly set the food up in the kitchen, turning on the stove and oven to keep some of it warm. Putting on a pot of coffee, he sat down and waited for the smell to wake Rory and Lorelai up.

He was surprised when Finn was the first to find him.

"Finn."

"Luke."

"How are you doing?"

"Dandy," he said softly, bitterly.

"I heard about your sister… I'm sorry."

Finn shrugged.

"You can talk to me," Luke said awkwardly. "I don't know how it feels to lose a sister, but I know how I felt when my dad died. He was sick too. I still hate going to the hospital."

"I never even got the chance to go to the hospital to be with her," Finn said. "My parents wouldn't let me go home."

"Were you able to talk to her?"

"On the phone… ten minutes a day… until she wasn't strong enough."

"So she knew that you loved her… that you missed her. That you wanted to be with her."

"But I wasn't. I wasn't with her."

"She knew that you loved her," Luke repeated. "That's what matters."

Finn shook his head.

Luke continued, "Not seeing her in the hospital… you don't have to remember her being sick. All the memories you have of her are good ones, happy ones."

"Do you still miss your father?" Finn suddenly asked.

"All the time. I disappear every year on the day he died… Lorelai calls it my dark day."

"Do you wish you didn't miss him?"

"No. He was my father. I loved him." Luke looked at Finn, "When he died, it hurt… a lot… but the pain fades. Life goes on, but it's always there. And in some ways it's comforting, because then I now I'll never forget him."

"That's what Lorelai said." Finn smiled weakly.

"You should listen to her. She's a very smart lady." Luke handed Finn a plate, "Eat. You look like you haven't eaten in days."

"Thanks." Finn said meaningfully.

"No problem."

-

"Thank you," Logan said out of the blue.

"It's just breakfast," Luke shrugged.

"Not for the breakfast. Whatever you said to him… He looks better now."

"He just needed someone to talk to."

"Thank you," Logan said again, leaving it at that, because he knew he was making Luke uncomfortable.

Luke grumbled and went back to his pancake making.

-

Lorelai smiled softly at Finn, "Are you feeling better?"

"A little," he admitted.

"Probably because we got some food in you," she teased.

He smiled softly.

"You smiled," she pointed out. "You are feeling better."

"Luke talked to me."

She hugged him, "I'm glad. You had me worried. I can't very well move to New Haven to be your pillow. What would all the other boys think?" she said lightly.

"That you're my Sugar Momma."

Lorelai laughed.

-

"I'm glad he's feeling better," Rory looked on at Finn and her mother. "He's actually smiling."

Colin nodded, "Your mom's very good with people."

"She's good at making people feel better about themselves," she stated. "I think Finn was hurting so much because he wasn't there to say 'goodbye.' He felt guilty because he wasn't there for Lacey."

"And he realizes now that even though he wasn't there, Lacey knew that her brother loved her."

"It must be hard to lose a sibling."

Colin shrugged, "I'm an only child."

"Me too… or I was. I have a half-sister – Gigi. I don't know her very well though."

"You're not close?"

"She's a baby. I see her maybe once a month."

"Would you miss her?"

"I don't know. Not as much as Finn misses Lacey." Rory knew that she would never have that kind of bond with her father's daughter.

He nodded, "Finn's always been a very emotional person. It's why he's such a great friend."

"You don't think you're emotional?"

"No. I've always been the more logical one of the group."

"Doesn't mean you're not good friend."

"No… but I think I'm more restrained than the others."

Rory smiled, "I think you're just more careful about letting someone into your heart. If you weren't emotional, you wouldn't be here for Finn, would you?"

-

The Gilmore girls had packed their bags and grabbed their passport.

Lorelai said goodbye to Luke and promised to call him everyday with news.

Logan had just gotten off his cell phone and informed them that his father's private jet was ready to go whenever they were.

Climbing into the limo, they headed off. They arrived at the airport in no time.

Finn stood flanked by his two best friends.

Logan asked softly, "Are you ready?"

Finn looked at them and nodded hesitantly. "Yeah."

"We're here for you," Colin stated.

"Thanks, mate."

Lorelai stepped up to them and took Finn's arm, "Come on, let's get us some good seats."

Colin followed behind them.

Logan and Rory brought up the rear.

"Thank you for coming with us," Logan said again, taking her hand.

"I wanted to come. Finn's my friend too."

"It means a lot… to both of us."

She smiled softly at him, "It means a lot that it means a lot to you."

He grinned and then helped her up the stairs on to the plane.

-

Three hours into the flight and Finn was once again sleeping with his head in Lorelai's lap. It seemed to be the only way that he was able to sleep comfortably.

Colin was asleep in his seat across the aisle from them, and Rory and Logan spoke quietly at the other end of the plane.

"Your dad doesn't mind you borrowing his plane?" Rory asked softly.

"No. He knows Finn and Lacey. He actually wanted to come with us, but he had too many business meetings he couldn't reschedule. He said that if we're still in Australia at the end of the week, he'd join us."

"I didn't know he was so close to Finn."

"Finn, Colin and I have been friends for a very long time. Dad was around for most of it. He's actually more of a father figure to Finn and Colin than their own parents are. He knows that Finn's hurting and wants to be there for him."

Rory laughed, "So your dad is Colin's and Finn's surrogate dad and my mom is your surrogate mom. Does that make us siblings?"

"Not in any way," Logan said confidently. "I definitely don't think of you as a sister."

"Good, because I have no sisterly love for you either," she grinned before she leaned over and kissed him.

"Did I tell you how glad I am that you came?" he grinned.

"Several times." She rested her head on his shoulder. "Did you know that there was a time when grandma pushed a relationship between my mom and your uncle?"

"You're kidding me."

"Nope. Your uncle was twenty-four apparently. Mom was about to have her coming out."

"My uncle isn't the brightest man in the world."

"Not according to Lorelai either. She was sixteen at the time, already pregnant with me, so she had no tolerance for his stupidity."

"What did she do?" Logan asked curiously.

"She freaked him out. She told him that she was going to convince your dad that she was pregnant with his love child. He avoided her like the plague after that."

He laughed, "I can see why. Dad would have forced him into marrying and then put him to work. Dad's big on taking care of responsibilities. It's why my uncle is married now."

"You're telling me that he got some girl pregnant and you dad forced him to marry?"

"Yeah, when he was twenty-five."

Rory giggled, "You'd think he'd learn his lesson after mom scared the crap out of him."

"Like I said, he's not the brightest man in the world."

"So your cousin's a year younger than me?"

"Nope. Turns out my aunt wasn't actually pregnant. She was just gaining weight."

"She managed to trick your dad?"

"No. He knew the truth. He just figured it was time for my uncle to settle down. She had the right pedigree and dad knew she could keep my uncle under control, so he was fine with the marriage."

"What about your uncle?"

"He's afraid of my aunt. He doesn't have much of a spine."

"That's kind of sad," Rory stated, "he didn't marry for love."

Logan shrugged, "Most society weddings aren't for love. In some cases, the bride and groom don't even like each other."

"I'll say again - I'm glad mom took me away from that."

"But you're not," he said seriously. "You're part of high society."

"I go to some parties for my grandparents. That's not being part of that world."

"I beg to differ. Richard and Emily have been bragging about you for years. Everyone's waiting for them to announce your betrothal to some nice young chap that has an equally nice pedigree."

"You're joking."

"I'm not."

"So will you be my nice young chap?"

"Are you proposing to me, Ace?"

"We've been dating less than a year. What do you think?"

"Of course, I'll marry you, Ace," he teased.

"Logan, you shouldn't joke about that."

"Why not? It's all in fun."

"Because if you ever ask me for real, I'll just laugh at you."

"Think very highly of yourself, don't you?"

"As a matter of fact, I do."

"Like you said, we've only been dating for eleven months. What makes you think that I'll ask you to marry you?"

"I'm a legend, Logan."

He frowned in confusion.

She smiled, "Everyone refers to me as the one who got the mighty Logan Huntzberger to settle down."

"That just means I'm a legend."

"Nope. You see, I didn't chase you." She smiled sweetly up at him, "You chased me."

Colin had walked up to join their conversation, "She's right, Logan. She never encouraged you into any kind of relationship. You did all of the pursuing."

"So that means I'm going to ask her to marry me?"

"Aren't you?" He looked at his friend knowingly.

Logan opened his mouth to deny it, but he couldn't. He was going to ask her to marry him after he graduated in three months.

Rory sat up straight, "You are? I was only joking."

Colin smirked, "I always knew that the moment Logan chased a girl that that was it."

"Logan?"

He sighed and then grinned, "Well, you ruined it."

It was Rory's turn to be speechless.

Colin smiled, "I'll leave you two alone." He headed back to his seat.

"Rory?"

"You want to marry me?"

"I love you. I can't imagine my future without you in it."

"I love you," she wrapped her arms around him. "You don't do things half way, do you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You went from being can't-commit guy to marrying guy."

"Only because I met the right woman."

"So are you asking me to marry you?"

Logan grinned and stood. He opened his carry-on and pulled a ring box out. Sitting back down, he flipped it open and faced her. "Rory Gilmore, will you do me the honour of marrying me?"

"Yes!" she shouted. "Yes." She flung her arms around him and hugged him tight, kissing him passionately.

Lorelai shouted, "At least go to the bathroom to join the mile high club!"

Rory pulled away from Logan and looked at her mother flushed with annoyance and embarrassment. A red blush graced Logan's cheeks as well.

Rory grinned and grabbed Logan's hand, dragging him from his seat to the bathroom.

"We're not seriously going to do this," Logan asked, glancing back at her mother.

"She doesn't have to know," she whispered against his lips. "Come on. In Omnia Paratus."

"Lorelai will know."

"So what? She already knows we're sleeping together… and we're engaged now, she won't care." She kissed him, "Anyway, she suggested it."

-

Colin gapped at the newly engaged pair. "They're not actually-"

Lorelai laughed, "They are totally doing it."

"It doesn't bother you that your daughter is having sex in the next room?"

"Only if she's doing it wrong."

Colin was slacked jawed.

"Don't be such a prude. It's not like they haven't been having sex since before they were a couple. They're engaged anyway."

Finn hugged her waist. "You are the coolest mom."

"I know," she grinned. "So did the horny couple wake you?"

"Rory screaming 'yes' woke me." Finn rubbed his eyes and then sat up. "It's about time Logan asked her. He's been carrying that ring around with him for a month already."

"He's got great taste in jewellery," she commented. "Plus the size of that rock, he'll have to hire her a bodyguard."

"You knew he was going to ask her?"

"Logan asked permission from Luke and I… almost two months ago. He told me he was going to ask her after graduation."

"His or hers?" Colin asked.

"His."

"So this wasn't a spur of the moment thing?" Finn asked.

"Nope. He definitely planned it all. Except her teasing him about marriage three months ahead of schedule." Lorelai sighed and smiled, "My daughter does tend to throw off his plans."

Colin agreed, "She does have a way of reacting that he can't predict. It's probably why he loves her so much. She keeps him on his toes."

"And he on hers. They fit."

"So when are you and Luke going to get married?" Colin asked curiously.

"He hasn't asked yet," Lorelai smiled. "But I have it on good authority that he's made plans to ask me during spring break, when Rory and all of you can come for a party."

"Finn, did you tell her?"

"Nope. I didn't even know about it."

"Relax, Colin. I live in a small town. It's hard to keep secrets. Especially when the town gossip is part of the plans. I found out about it the minute Luke thought of the idea."

"So since you know that you'll be engaged at the end of the month, when do you plan on getting married?"

"I'd like a May wedding."

"Two months?" Finn said in shock, "You can't plan a wedding in two months."

"Of course you can," Lorelai admonished. "I happen to have great wedding planning abilities. My last wedding was planned in four months, but this one will be much smaller. Only close friends of the both of us."

"How small are you talking?"

"Maybe fifty people."

"Am I invited?" Finn asked.

"Of course, you're invited. You're my boy toy." Lorelai patted his hand.

"Do you think I can convince Luke to let me be his best man?" Finn grinned.

"I doubt it, but it doesn't hurt to try."

"Can I be your maid of honour?"

"You would wear a dress for me?" she teased.

He thought for a moment. "I think I'll stick with the best man gig."

"Maybe you can be the ring barer."

"Aren't those usually kids?" Lorelai asked.

Colin smirked, "Perfect for Finn."

" 'I don't want to grow up. I'm a Toys R' Us kid,'" Finn began to sing. " 'A million toys at Toys R' Us that I can play with.'"

"I think that's a perfect compromise. Now all I need is to convince you to be my flower girl," she smiled at Colin.

"Not a chance."

-

They landed in Australia and headed straight to the cemetery.

Lorelai walked arm and arm with Finn to stand in front of his sister's fresh grave. The others stayed a few steps back to give him some privacy.

The instant Finn read the inscription on the tombstone, he broke down in tears and fell to his knees. Reaching out, he traced her name with his fingers.

Lorelai kept an arm wrapped around him the whole time, smoothing a hand over his back in a rhythmic soothing motion.

He placed the three dozen white lilies that he had purchased on the ground in front of her tombstone. "I miss you, Lacey. You are the one thing in my life that always made me happy… I know you were suffering, because you were sick… and that you had to go away…. I'm sorry that I wasn't there with you at the end, but you have to know that I love you… that I'll always love you." He sobbed and then laughed a little, "Look at you brother, I've been crying like a woman for days… it hurts that you're gone… that I'll never be able to see that cute smile on your face again… or smell the sickly sweet bubble bath that you like so much… I'm glad that you're in a better place now… I hope you're happy… I'm a wreak… you don't have to worry about me though. I have great friends that are here for me… I'll be okay… I'll miss you like crazy for the rest of my life… but I'll be okay." He kissed his finger tips and touched her name again, "Be happy, Lacey… wherever you are."

The End