Rory sighed as she exited the hotel elevator and proceeded to the ballroom where today's event was being held to find a seat. If there was a bright side to these events, it's that they were in a much nicer hotel than normal because all of the campaign events were being held in the same hotel over the week, so they were staying onsite. She was in Chicago for 5 days for a series of campaign events and fundraisers. After 16 months on the campaign trail for the Obama campaign, she was more than ready for November. Just two more months to go. She loved her job, but living in suitcases and never spending more than a few days at a time in any one place had quickly grown old. She was grateful the the beginning of her journalism career, and her pieces were always well-received. A few had even been picked up by the AP, which made Hugo, her boss, extremely happy with her work, but she was ready to have some place to call home and put down some roots.

The campaign trail had been good to her. She had started on the trail fresh out of college and freshly broken-hearted in May of last year, and getting into the routine on the trail and throwing herself into her work had helped her begin to pick up the pieces and move past her heartbreak slowly. She had been devastated when Logan had given her an ultimatum and walked away at her graduation, and part of her had believed that he would eventually come crawling back, but he never did. They hadn't spoken or seen each other since that fateful day. While she had initially felt conflicted over whether or not she made the right decision, she now knew that she had indeed been correct in turning down his proposal. She had needed time to establish herself in the journalism world, and she wasn't ready to get married. After many months of intermittent wallowing and occasional tears, she finally had put herself back together stronger than ever. She'd even been on a couple of first dates when she'd been home for breaks and had dated one of the other reporters on the bus briefly. They all felt like something was missing, but that was okay. She wasn't itching to settle down. Perhaps when she was able to make a home after the campaign trail she would meet someone right.

Rory was pulled from her thoughts as the introductions began, and she shifted into reporter mode, switching on her digital recorder and taking notes frantically as Senator Obama began to outline his plan for his first 100 days if he were to win the presidency. She may be tired of being on the trail and living out of suitcases, but she loved every minute of covering the Presidential-hopeful. He had a way of captivating the audience, and he was easy to relate to. She'd even had an opportunity or two to do one-on-one interviews with him for stories, and those had been widely syndicated.

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The Westfield Chicago was abuzz with excitement and there was hardly a moment of peace this morning. They were booked to capacity, thanks to the events they were hosting this week in relation to the Obama campaign, and the lobby was a never-ending parade of guests, press, staffers, and paparazzi. Finn had flown in for the week to ensure that everything went off without a hitch. He had gone to work for his family's company after graduating college two years ago, and he found that he really enjoyed the family business. He got to travel and plan events and even managed to enjoy the business side of the job, pouring over projections and budgets and proposals. He had matured, as had his college buddies, and while they all still enjoyed occasional nights spent drinking and partying, they were all now responsible adults who contributed to the family businesses. Gone were the days of constant drinking and women, long-since replaced by early mornings in the office, board meetings, and managing multi-billion dollar companies.

Logan Huntzberger, one of his best friends, had finally returned to Huntzberger Publishing Group, and was working with Mitchum to move their newspapers and other holdings into the 21st century. After his disastrous breakup with Rory, he hadn't lasted long in California before his father wooed him back to the family business. Logan was thriving in his role at HPG as Vice President of Media and Acquisitions. His personal life left much to be desired after he'd stupidly given Rory that damn ultimatum, but his friends hadn't been able to convince him to try to win Rory back, no matter how hard they tried. He was currently dating Stacey Fallon, who Shira had been trying to set him up with back when Rory and Logan were still together, and he was being pressed constantly to propose in order to strengthen the family name.

Colin McCrae had finally come to his senses and he and Stephanie had been dating since graduation and were blissfully happy and planning their life together. They had recently gotten engaged and the whirlwind of engagement parties and wedding planning would soon begin for the college sweethearts. They had what everyone in the group had always assumed that Rory and Logan would have. Sure, their relationship wasn't quite as sweet or tender, but they loved each other and were finding their way in life together. Colin had just joined his family's law firm and was already a highly-respected attorney in the New York area.

They had all settled in New York, which allowed for frequent lunches, dinners, and celebrations for the old friends. The only one missing from their college group was the lovely Miss Gilmore. Finn's thoughts turned to her often, but not for the reason that one might expect. He had been intoxicated by her from the moment he laid eyes on her, and had he been sober that day he might have actually made his move before his best mate did, saving him from the torture of having to see her with Logan for two years. She was a true beauty, as stunning in jeans and a t-shirt as she was in an evening gown, and was so witty and intelligent. She had no idea of the effect she had on men, and he was certain that she could have her pick of any man she wanted. He often wondered where life had taken her and if she was happy with someone now.

As he sat in his office now thinking about her, he opened his browser and typed her name into Google to see if could figure out who she was writing for now, and his breath hitched as he saw the hits that came up. He blinked his eyes hard, looking at the screen again to ensure that he wasn't seeing things, but he wasn't. She was a reporter on the Obama campaign trail. That meant that she was very likely in the ballroom right that moment, listening to Senator Obama's 100 day plan.

Finn quickly locked his office and proceeded through the hotel to the ballroom, glancing around while he observed the room as the event ended and people began moving about the room. Sitting there, not 50 feet from him, was Rory Gilmore. She looked tired, but she still looked just as beautiful as he remembered her being, if not more so. She was focused intently on her notebook as she frantically scribbled notes. Her nose was scrunched up and her brow was creased as another man approached her with his pen and notebook and sat next to her, beginning what looked to be an intense conversation with them both comparing notes and gesturing wildly.

Finn quickly excused himself back to the front desk and typed her last name into the computer to look for her reservation, jotted her room number on a piece of paper, and stuffed it in his pocket before logging off. She would be here all week, so maybe he would call her room later to see if they could catch up over coffee. He was walking back through the lobby toward his office when he heard an unmistakable voice from behind him.

"Finn? Is that you?!"

He must have been lost in his own little world as he walked across the lobby, because he hadn't even seen her coming his way, still with the gentleman from earlier. He turned and smiled warmly, holding out his arms when he saw her.

"Kitten? It's been forever!"

Finn was almost knocked over as Rory ran the few steps between them and threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly. Neither were aware of the other reporters from the campaign trail who had stopped in their tracks at seeing the interaction between the two.

"Oh my gosh, Finn! It's so good to see you!" she replied as she finally moved out of his arms and kissed him on the cheek. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm working here, love. I flew in for the week to oversee things, we had to ensure that everything went smoothly with all of the events that we're hosting."

"I didn't realize that this was one of your family's hotels," Rory replied with a blush.

"That it is," Finn said with a chuckle, finally realizing that the man Rory had been talking with earlier in the ballroom was standing there watching in awe. Finn extended his hand to the man and introduced himself. "I'm Finn Morgan, Miss Gilmore and I are friends from Yale. It's nice to meet you."

"Oh, yeah. I'm Sam. I'm on the campaign trail as well. It's nice to meet you, too," the other man replied as he shook Finn's hand and then shifted his attention back to Rory. "I'm just going to go work on my article. I'll catch you later, okay, Rory?" Sam said awkwardly.

"Sure, I'm sure I'll see you later today. Happy writing!" Rory replied with a laugh before she turned back to Finn.

"So, writing on the campaign trail for Senator Obama, kitten? That's fabulous! Are you enjoying it?"

"It's been a great opportunity, and some of my stories have even been picked up by the AP and syndicated. It's been a great launch pad for my journalism career," Rory replied.

"I sense a 'but' coming up?"

"But I'm so ready for election day so I can settle down someplace and put down roots. It's exhausting living out of a suitcase and never being in the same place for more than a few days at a time. I'm ready to go home."

"And where is home, Miss Gilmore?"

"Hmm...that is the question of the hour. I'm not sure yet. I've been getting some offers, some are even good offers, but I haven't made any decisions yet."

"Well, I'm certain that you'll know when the right offer comes along. So, is Sam the new man in your life? He didn't seem to happy to see you hugging me," Finn asked with a laugh.

"What? God, no! He's been asking me out for the last 16 months, and I don't see him stopping until we're finished with the campaign trail. He's nice enough, but it's just...I don't know. He's a great friend."

"Ouch, yet another man friend-zoned by the great Rory Gilmore. You're such a heartbreaker, love!" Finn teased her. He couldn't help but flirt a bit.

"It's hardly as dramatic as you make it out to be, Finn!" Rory replied as she blushed.

"You just keep telling yourself that, kitten. Listen, I have some work that I have to get done, but could we catch up over dinner tonight?" Finn held his breath as he waited for her answer. It was stupid, really, to feel like he'd just put it all on the line. It was just two friends catching up. Nothing more, nothing less.

"I would love to, Finn. I need to get this article written and submitted, but I'm all yours after that."

Finn forced himself to remain calm and not grin like an idiot at her completely innocent choice of words.

"Excellent, kitten. I'll come by your room at 7:00 to pick you up if that's okay?"

"I'll be waiting!" Rory replied as she took out a business card and jotted her room number on the back. "Here's my room number and my cell number as well. I'll see you soon!" Rory said as she handed Finn the business card before kissing him on the cheek and hurrying off toward the elevators.