Author's Note: Aww, I'm happy to see that story is being so well-received! Hopefully it lives up to your expectations. Some clarification on the last chapter; the final scene (the scene from the episode) happened as is. I know it was in italics the same way the scenes from Rory's imagination were, but alas, the break-up happened just as it did on the show. So sorry for the confusion!

Now, onto this chapter. We jump around a bit and cover a lot of time, so hopefully it's not too confusing to read. Enjoy!

As always, thank you for reading, and I welcome any and all feedback!


Chapter 2 – Captain Backfire
And I could see clearly, an indelible line was drawn
between what was good, what just slipped out
and what went wrong ~ My Stupid Mouth

The hotel room was silent, save for the sound of limbs sliding back into clothing. She was standing in front of the mirror brushing out her hair and out of the corner of her eye she spied him struggling and smiled. She beckoned at his reflection.

"You still don't know how to tie that thing?" she asked, gesturing to the silk blue tie in his hands. "Come here." She stepped closer, taking the tie from him. "You wear a tie every single day, how is that you never learned to tie one?"

"Always have someone around to do it for me." Her hands stilled and he cursed his mouth, forgetting who he was with. "Rory, I-"

She worked past the urge to choke him and finished the tie. "All set!" she said brightly albeit shakily.

"Rory..."

"Logan, it's fine," she said hastily. "I'd expect that you do, but that doesn't mean I want to hear about it." She shrugged. "It is what it is. We are what we are."

"And what are we?" Logan challenged. She turned away from him without answering, desperate to ignore his question. Instead she said she was going to jump in the shower and locked herself in the bathroom before he could stop her.

It had been a year and half since their breakup. Six months after that was the first time they had seen each other since that day and ever since then, they had been stuck in a vicious cycle of randomly running into each other and falling into bed, though neither had made any real attempt to stop it. Friends with benefits, fuck-buddies, desperate exes; whatever you wanted to call it, that was them. As she stood under the hot spray, it was all Rory could do not to scream as her thoughts went back to that first night nearly one year ago.


It had taken Rory all of six weeks to know she was not cut out for life on a bus. She had tried, she really did, but in truth she had yearned for something more stable, something less political, something more... well, anything that wasn't on a bus. And really, she would have stuck it out if she hadn't found out during the second week of travel just how easily she had gotten motion sickness.

Her co-workers had teased her relentlessly, insisting it wasn't motion sickness but rather, morning sickness. It was all she could do to laugh off their suspicions, to not give them anything else to gossip about. And then that stupid blonde Cameron Diaz lookalike had found out about her failed relationship with Logan and before she knew it, she was a Blind Item on Page Six. Which debutante-lite is carrying the child of her ex-boyfriend, an up-and-coming social media mogul? It was all so ridiculous that Rory quit right then and there and moved back home, intent on waiting until the gossip blew over before finding another job. The gossip had never really died down completely and eventually she ended up in New York City. By then, she had grown weary of the printed word and with no explanation she could think of other than sheer luck, she found herself co-hosting the early early morning show on a local cable channel. How very Robin Scherbatsky of her, indeed.

It was there in New York that Logan had tracked her down. Showed up on the doorstep of her Fifth Avenue apartment (okay, so it was her grandparents), demanding to know if she was in fact, pregnant.

She crossed her arms over her stomach and glared at him, immediately wondering if he was really there. "Oh you cannot be serious!" she said incredulously. "You honestly think that I'm pregnant?"

"Are you?" he asked. He pushed past her and into the apartment.

"How did you even find me?"

"Are you hiding?"

"No!" She sighed and followed him into her living room. "I didn't know you were such a fan of idle gossip."

"I am when it involves my girlfriend."

"I'm not your girlfriend," she snapped. "You broke up with me, remember?"

"Damn it, Rory! Are you pregnant?"

"Oh, of course I'm not!" she exploded. "Do you honestly think that if I was that I wouldn't have told you?" She bristled at his silence. "Nice, Logan. Real nice to know what you actually think about me."

He hung his head, having the decency to look chastised. "The blind item..."

She snorted. "Because those are always one hundred percent gospel truth? You know better than that Logan. You should know me better than that."

"Should I?" he challenged. "Because when you turned me down, you proved that I really didn't know you at all."

"You son of a bi-" She caught herself and shook her head. "You want proof?" she asked, stepping toe to toe with him. "You really think I would actually hide a pregnancy from you?" Before she could stop herself her hands were at the hem of her t-shirt, lifting the thin cotton up and over her head.

"There," she spit out, tossing the shirt to the side. She grabbed his hand and pressed it against her flat, very non-pregnant stomach. "Does that feel like I'm pregnant?" she asked, ignoring how his fingers scorched her skin. "Does it? I should be about six months along and would definitely be showing if I was."

All of a sudden, she realized she was standing there in just a pair of yoga pants and her bra and she was still holding Logan's hand to her stomach. She couldn't let go. "Well?" she asked again, suddenly feeling tears prick at her eyes. "Damn you," she whispered. "You know I'd never lie to you about this! You know I wouldn't keep something like that from you. You know I wouldn't." The tears were falling now and still Logan said nothing. "Six months!" she cried. "I don't see or hear from you in six months and then you dare show up on my doorstep out of the blue because of some stupid rumor you know damn well couldn't be true? Six months!" She laughed bitterly, wiping at her tears with her free hand. "Fuck you, Logan. Seriously, fuck you." Finally, she dropped his hand and tried to turn away but he stopped her, grabbing her elbow.

"I wanted to see you," he admitted. "I knew where you were and I wanted to come but I had absolutely zero reason to. I wasn't going to just show up and hope for the best, and then Honor showed me the blind item and damn it, Rory, I didn't care if was true or not, it was my way in!" He forced her to look at him. "Of course I know it's not true, but I... if it had been true I would have..."

"I'm not pregnant," she said icily, yanking her arm from his grip. She moved to the couch and bent to pick up her t-shirt. She gave a short cry of protest when he grabbed the shirt from her hands and pulled her back to him. "What do you think you're-" She was cut off as his mouth crashed against hers and immediately, she was kissing him back.

They both battled for dominance, each pushing at each other trying to get the upper hand. The buttons from his shirt scattered across the hardwood floor and he ripped her lace bra clear down the center. He pushed her out into the hallway, stumbling when he realized he didn't know where to go from there. She tried to guide him toward her bedroom but he wasn't having any of that. They collided with an end table, sending a lamp crashing them to the floor and they broke apart momentarily.

"Leave it," Rory gasped before throwing herself at him again. There in the hallway just outside of her room she undid his belt, pushing his pants down to his ankles. He kicked them the rest of the way off, never once moving his mouth from hers. It was then that she realized her own pajama bottoms had been yanked off somewhere between the living room and here. She gasped as he grabbed her hips and lifted her up, her legs falling around his waist as he pushed her up against the wall. He slid her down until he was just inside of her but she pushed off from the wall, sending them again stumbling through the hallway until finally, he found her bedroom.

The second her back hit the mattress she reacted again, expertly flipping them over so that she was on top, straddling his torso. He groaned as he felt the heat of her closing around him and he was content to let her ride him for the next couple of minutes. Opening his eyes, he saw that tears were still falling down her cheeks and for a moment he felt the utter disdain for his actions, knowing he was the reason she was crying. Then he remembered the pain she had put him through and before he could stop himself, he had her again on her back and was pounding into her with such frenzy that he wondered for a moment if he was hurting her.

She brought her lips to his chest, raining wet kisses over the long scratches her nails had left. The heel of her foot dug into his ass as she tried to pull him in deeper still. His hand knotted in the hair at the nape of her neck and he tugged, not harshly, forcing her body to arch into his as he fastened his mouth to hers once more.

She came completely undone minutes later; her nails digging into his shoulders as his mouth swallowed her cries. Feeling her trembling around him was the last push he needed and too soon, he felt himself falling over the edge.

They lay there in silence for impossibly long moments as both tried to fully comprehend what had just happened. Using the little energy he had to roll off of her and onto his side, Logan looked down at Rory and raised his thumb to first run over her tear-stained cheeks then her bruised and swollen lips. "Rory," he began, but she shook her head.

"Don't," she said quietly, turning her head to the side. She rolled over onto her side and pressed her back into his chest. His arms went around her middle and she laced her fingers with his. He pressed his mouth to the top of her head and again, she felt herself blinking back tears. "Promise me something?"

"What?"

"You'll be gone before I wake up." It was a statement, not a question and her words cut him like a knife.

"Rory, I-"

"Please," she said softly. Her grip tightened on his hands and she tangled her legs with his. For tonight she was content to just feel him wrapped around her once more but she knew neither of them could handle the morning if he stayed.

And even though he promised, she was surprised and saddened to wake up alone in her bed the next morning. No trace of their tryst to be found save for the shattered lamp in the hallway and the bruises on her thighs.

The second time they met was purely by accident. A crowded airport in Michigan in the middle of a bomb scare. Knowing she wasn't getting on a plane anytime soon, Rory had wandered into the airport bar. As if pulled by some unseen force, her eyes landed on the back of his head. Immediately she knew it was him and she sauntered over, sliding into his booth. "Well now, this is just freaky."

He looked up from his computer and smiled. "Hey Ace. What brings you to Detroit, Michigan?"

"I was in Chicago," she explained. "Olivia had her first big gallery showing so I went for support." She shrugged. "Now I'm stuck here."

"Stuck here with me, so that makes you lucky," Logan pointed out. Even now, he couldn't help but flirt with her. "I was in Ohio, business as always. Can I buy you a drink? You look a little rattled."

"Well its not every day I find out there could be a bomb on my plane," she said lightly. It wasn't the only reason she was rattled. She hadn't seen Logan since the night he had shown up at her apartment and she wasn't exactly sure how she should be acting around him.

"I hear you, it wasn't my favorite sentence I'd ever heard a pilot say either." Logan ordered them each a drink from a passing waitress and then closed his computer. He looked at her for a long time. "You look good, Rory."

"Thanks. You do too." He really did. His hair was cut shorter than she remembered, and his skin was definitely bronzed. She leaned forward and squinted. "Is that… Do you have highlights?"

Logan laughed. "I spend a lot of time outside in the sun," he said with a roll of his eyes. "What can I say, California is a good place for me."

"Good." She smiled again as an awkward silence settled over their table.

Abruptly, Logan reached over and touched her hand. She looked up in surprise and raised an eyebrow at him. "So about my showing up in New York like I did," he began slowly. "I never did get a chance to apologize for that."

She lifted her shoulders in a slight shrug. "There's really nothing to apolog—"

"I stormed your apartment and accused you of being pregnant. Yeah Rory, I do need to apologize for that." He shook his head. "I don't know what I was thinking. I really am sorry."

"It's okay," she said quietly. "Honestly, I was really glad to see you." Her cheeks tinged pink. "I mean, I would have been okay without the bruising and I really liked that lamp that broke, but other than that, I was happy to see you." Her eyes met his.

He undid the top three buttons of his shirt and showed her the faint line left by her doing. "I walked away with a couple of scars too," he teased. "And I'll gladly buy you another lamp if you'd like."

She laughed. "I already replaced it." She fought every urge to reach over the table and trace the line on his chest. With her tongue. "I'm sorry about that," she said finally with a nod toward him.

"I'm not." He winked just as their drinks were set down before them. "So what's new?" he asked after they had both taken sips. He leaned back in his chair. "Tell me everything, Ace, don't leave anything out." She felt his foot brush against hers underneath the table and tried her best to ignore it. Instead, she filled him in on her job and how she was adjusting to New York City. In turn, he told her about San Francisco and yes, he rented the house with the avocado tree but as it turned out, he couldn't make guacamole to save his life. His father still wanted him back working for him, but so far, he was much happier where he was at.

Their conversation was interrupted by an announcement over the loudspeaker, informing everyone that all flights were grounded until morning. She watched as Logan finished the rest of his drink and began packing up his things.

"What's your big plan?" she asked, watching him as he moved.

He shrugged. "Getting some dinner, getting a hotel for the night. Nothing outrageous." He paused and held his hand out to her. "Are you coming?"

It took her two seconds to decide, sliding her hand into his. He helped her up from the table and grabbed her carry-on bag. "Lead the way."

His mouth was on hers the second the town car pulled away from the corner. She knew she should stop it but she couldn't. She really didn't want to.

"So we're skipping dinner, right?" Logan asked as his mouth dragged across collarbone.

"Right," she agreed breathlessly, her hands working at the buttons of his shirt, desperate to feel his skin on hers.

From that moment on, they were each painfully aware that there was no turning back. There was no letting go. They never actively sought each other out, but somewhere along the way their Outlook calendars had been synced and more often than not, business trips coincided with each other.

And each time, Rory swore it was going to be the last.


"Rory?" He asked her again as she came out of the bathroom fresh from her shower. "What are we?"

She walked over and placed her hand against his cheek. "Years ago, who would have thought that the almighty Logan Huntzberger would be so relationship needy?" she teased lightly, removing her hand and giving his cheek a quick kiss. She moved past him to get dressed but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back. She sighed. "We're lonely," she said finally. "And somehow, we keep ending up being lonely in the same place at the same time." She tilted her head to the side. "I really don't want to question it or look too deeply at it."

"Who would have thought years ago that you wouldn't mind working without a net," he shot back. "I still want this, Rory," he said, his voice rising with frustration. "I still want you."

"And I'm still not ready for marriage," she said bluntly. "And you don't want me as I am, so here we are." She swept her arm around the hotel room. "This is what we are."

"You know I'm not going to wait forever for you?"

She smiled sadly. "That's why I'm not asking you to. The minute this isn't enough for you Logan, then you tell me and it'll be over. I promise."

"This is never going to be enough," he pointed out. "And you know it's not for you either."

"I know," she said, turning her back to him so he could zip up her dress. "But it's all I can give you right now."

He zipped her into her dress slowly and then pulled her body to his and they stood there quietly for a moment. "I love you."

"I love you too." She knew he was wanting more of an answer from her, some big declaration of wanting to be with him forever, but she just couldn't do it. She never could.

The truth was that Rory did want everything that Logan still wanted, and she was almost completely sure she wanted it with him. Sure enough that she knew she could say yes if he asked her to marry him again, but the fear of the unknown absolutely paralyzed her. She still didn't know if she could trust that Logan would be the husband she wanted for herself or worse yet, if she could be the wife he needed. She wasn't sure she could bear the disappointment of finding out they couldn't make it work so she still held him at arms length, even though it killed her every time they said good-bye again.

She moved out of his grasp and began the search for her shoes. "I think we're at the point of the morning where you tell me we shouldn't do this anymore."

Logan shook his head. "You really can be a bitch."

She sighed again. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be, I just…" she shrugged helplessly. "I don't know what else to do. Maybe we should stop this. I know a handful of nights spent together over the last year were not exactly what you wanted."

He nodded. "Maybe you're right," he agreed. He ran his hand through his hair. "So, is this it?"

"It might be." She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I wish I could be what you wanted," she said softly.

"I do too." They held each others gaze for another moment before Logan cleared his throat and picked his coat up off the chair. He always left first, she noted out of the blue. It was as if he was always reminding her that he walked away from her. "Take care, Rory."

"Bye Logan." She watched as the door clicked softly behind him and then looked down at her hands. After a moment she took a deep breath and finished getting dressed. They did this each time they saw each other. Each time was the absolute last they would ever meet like this and she held no more stock in this declaration than she did the past three. No, she thought to herself as she fastened her earrings and took one final glance around the room. This wasn't the last time; they would see each other again. It was just going to be a matter of who sought whom out first.


It was five months before their paths crossed again, and as it usually was, it was purely by chance.

In her new career, Rory had made hundreds of contacts throughout the country, and many of them she considered to be fairly good friends. So when Violet Parker, co-anchor of Rise and Shine San Francisco married the show's weatherman, Andy Maccio, she had accepted the invitation to the wedding without a second thought. Yes, she was aware that going to San Francisco was setting herself up for trouble, but she was intent on not making a big deal about it. She doubted he would be at the wedding, and if she didn't contact him he would never even know she had been there until the pictures came out and by then, she would be safely back in New York. It was a foolproof plan. At least, it would have been if Andy and Logan hadn't known each other from playing golf and Logan hadn't scored his own invitation to the wedding.

She had seen him during the ceremony and had to cover her mouth from cursing out loud. Of course he was here. Of course he was. Fate had intervened once again. She shifted in her seat uncomfortably and on cue, he turned and spotted her. They acknowledged each other with a slight nod of the head and then both turned their attention back to the ceremony, though neither paid much attention after that.

He didn't attempt to approach her until just after dinner when she was standing with a group of colleagues. She caught his eye and smiled as he walked over. Finishing up the story she had been in the middle of, she placed her hand on Logan's arm and turned to the group, rightfully assuming that introductions weren't needed. Everyone knew who Logan was. Greetings were made all around and she stepped off to the side with him.

"I didn't expect to see you here," she said, leaning in to kiss his cheek. "How have you been, Logan?"

"I've been good," he said with a nod. "You look stunning," he added honestly. And she did, but he always did love her in the color blue. "Where's your date?" he asked, craning his head around. "I'd love to meet the guy."

She laughed. "If I had brought a date, trust me, you are the last person he'd be meeting." She raised an eyebrow. "Though I'd love to share stories with yours."

He shrugged. "I happen to be flying solo tonight too, how about that?"

"Of course you are." She took a sip from her champagne glass and looked around. "I'm sure we could find you some company if you'd like?"

"Thanks, but I think I can do just fine on my own." His hand fell to the small of her back without either of them giving it a second thought and they stepped back into the group, with Logan joining right in to the conversation. For the next hour, they remained at each others side, and while Rory could admit that it was nice to have a truly familiar presence nearby, her head was screaming at her that this would end very badly if she wasn't careful.

She excused herself for a moment when Logan was talking with one of her co-workers. A financial analyst, Josh Smeade was not one of her favorite people, as she was constantly fending off his advances and pointed comments. She let Logan know she was off to chat with the bride and she walked away, avoiding the look Josh gave her.

"Gilmore's looking good tonight," he commented to Logan once she was out of earshot. "Hot."

"She is," he agreed warily. He didn't like the look in Josh's eye and took a drink from his glass, trying to shake it.

"She's always hot though. You would think getting up at 5 every morning, she'd come into the studio looking rough, but she doesn't, she always looks so damn fuckable."

"Does she?" Logan grit his teeth.

Josh laughed. "What am I talking about, of course you know all of this already. You two used to date, didn't you? I'm pretty sure that I heard you two were what… college sweethearts?"

"Something like that."

"Isn't that sweet. You must kick yourself for letting her get away." Josh took a drink from his own glass. "Of course you do. Ever catch our show when you're on the east coast? Let me tell you, ever since she took over the morning chair." He shook his head. "Let's just say I'm not the only guy in the studio who thinks about bending her over that anchor desk and—" He was cut off as Logan grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

"Enough," he hissed, his eyes growing dark.

"You boys playing nice over here?" Rory asked, sliding back over to them. She had seen the look on Logan's face a few moments ago and could only imagine what was about to happen. She placed a hand on Logan's back and waited for him to let go of Josh. "Logan, I don't mean to pull you away but there's someone here I'd like you to meet, I think you'll have a lot in common." She smiled at Josh. "We'll be back."

"Just what the hell was that about?" she asked when they were a safe distance away. "You looked like you were about to punch the guy."

"I was going to punch the guy," Logan confirmed. "That guy's an ass, Rory."

"I know he is," she agreed. "I can't stand him, but what did you two get into?"

"He was talking shit about you, Rory. Demeaning you, and I don't care what—"

"Wait a minute," she interrupted holding up her hand. "This was about me?" She sighed. "Logan…"

"What? I'm not going to stand there and listen to some guy talk about you like that!"

"What does it matter to you what he says?" she asked. "We're not together anymore, and I don't know if this is surprising to you Logan, but other men have happened to find me attractive before, not just you."

"Oh believe me, I know. I've seen the fan pages."

She flushed. "You have no right to be jealous, Logan."

"I have every right!" he exploded.

"No," she snapped. "You don't. You lost that claim a long time ago and I will not let you act like you're some jealous boyfriend anytime some other guy comes along. You have no right," she repeated. "You and I aren't… anything," she said finally.

He shook his head and drained his drink. "Fine," he said. "Have a great night Rory." He turned on his heel and once again, Rory was left to do nothing but watch him walk away from her. With a shake of her head, she took a deep breath and wandered over to another group of people she knew and fell into conversation with them. If they noticed she was preoccupied, they didn't let on and she was grateful for that.

Toward the end of the evening she was at the bar, waiting on a glass of water when Logan approached her again. He stopped just short of standing on top of her and even in her irritated state, she felt the familiar ache pooling in the pit of her stomach.

"Josh was right about one thing," he said low in her ear and she shivered. "Your ass looks amazing in that dress." His hand slid down her back and over the curve of the aforementioned body part.

Involuntarily she found herself leaning back against him. "Logan," she sighed.

"I was jealous, you were right," he admitted. "I still am, and I don't like that I am, but Rory, you were wrong. We are something."

"I know," she said reluctantly. "But we—"

"It doesn't matter," he interrupted her. His arm edged around her, holding her back to his chest.

"People will talk," she murmured, not making any attempt to move from his embrace.

"People are already talking." She knew he was right, ever since that stupid Page Six item, they never managed to escape the limelight. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too. But Logan, that doesn't change anything, we both know what will happen tomorrow morning if we stay together tonight."

"It could be different." She twisted her neck to look at him pointedly. "Okay, no, it wouldn't change. You're absolutely right about that. But if you don't care, then I don't either. So we both know what tomorrow morning is going to be like, great, then there won't be any surprises."

"Are you drunk?"

"I wish," he said seriously. "At least I'd have an excuse then, but no Rory, I'm not drunk. I'm completely sober and I know exactly what I'm asking you to do right now. I know what we're getting into."

"We've been in this for a long time," she mused, trying to come up with the willpower to be the one to walk away. "I know you think I'll change my mind, Logan, but I need to tell you—"

"I know. Believe me Ace, I know you want no part of what I wanted. I'm okay with that, really, I am." She twisted to look at him again. "Okay, no I'm not," he agreed. "But let's just forget everything else but you and me here tonight. You said so yourself, fate keeps pushing us together for a reason."

She relented, turning fully in his arms and letting her hands fall to his chest. "My room is right upstairs," she said quietly, not quite making eye contact.

"Yeah?" He stepped closer. "Is it a nice room?"

She shrugged, her face edging closer to his. "It's okay." Her eyes fell shut as his lips met hers and she cursed herself for being so damn susceptible to him. "Big bed," she murmured.

"And we both know how much you hate sleeping alone in a big bed." It was a callback to one of their earlier trysts. They had both been in Atlanta and she had used that excuse to get him to come up to her room with him. She nodded into him and he kissed her again. "Okay Ace, show me this room."

They tried to be discrete but both were aware that there were eyes on the two of them as they left the banquet room. Rory kept her eyes down but wasn't able to keep the flush from staining her cheeks. All was forgotten; however, the moment the elevator door slid shut and Logan had her backed up against the mirrored wall.

Consequences be damned, she would deal with them in the morning. She always did.


"What are you smiling at?" It was the following morning and Rory and Logan were having breakfast downstairs in the hotel dining room.

Rory shrugged and tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. "Nothing."

"Come on, Ace," he goaded. "There's meaning behind that smile, I know there is." They were having an easy morning, just the two of them. As usual, the night before had been nothing short of incredible but when they had woken up this morning it was as if the fight had run out of the both of them. For the first time, neither had pushed the other into their routine fight. They had simply woken up, made love again (something they never did before, mornings were always forbidden) and after little discussion, had decided on breakfast. There had been no grand declarations of love, no pleading with one another to stay forever, they simply just enjoyed each others company and Logan couldn't lie, he enjoyed that they weren't fighting. He knew that she enjoyed it too. "Rory..."

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "It's nothing, I just…. Oh hell. I happen to like this, okay? I like waking up and having breakfast with you in the morning. I missed this." She crossed her arms in front of her. "Don't look so smug."

"I'm not smug," he protested but he didn't stop smiling. She continued to fake glare at him so he moved from his side of the table to hers, sliding his chair closer. "I like this too," he admitted, leaning in to kiss her. She let his lips slide against hers before pulling away, looking around guiltily. He laughed. "Everyone saw us go upstairs together yesterday," he pointed out. "No one is shocked to see us having breakfast now. Except maybe Josh."

"Nice." She poured another cup of coffee for herself and settled back in her chair. "That doesn't mean we should flaunt it. Once people start talking…"

"Rory forget about everyone else and just enjoy the morning okay? In a couple of hours we're both going to have to leave and head back to real life; we can worry about it then, deal?"

"Deal." She looked out the windows at the view of the Bay. "California really is nice," she admitted, leaning slightly against him. "It's so cold and gray sometimes in New York. I mean, I love my job and everything, but this sun…" she gestured out the window. "I can see why you love it here." She paused. "I could see myself loving it here."

"Yeah?" He tried to keep his voice neutral. This meant nothing, it was just idle conversation. "We get rain here too, you know."

She shrugged against him. "Well sure but you don't get the snowstorms. Or the below zero temperatures." She fell silent for a moment. "We could be happy here."

Now, this was something. "Could?" He sat up a bit straighter and turned to look at her.

"Could have," she amended, intently studying her hands all the while yelling at herself for her mix-up. He didn't falter in his stare and she sighed, looking up at him through dark lashes. "We could be happy here," she said again softly.

He heard all he needed to. Leaning forward, he captured her lips with his, cupping the back of her head with his hand. She let herself get lost for a moment as the reality of her words sunk in. She realized she meant what she had said. She was tired of the fighting, of constantly saying goodbye when it was clear that they couldn't or wouldn't stay away from each other. She really could see them being happy together.

"Well now, aren't you two adorable?" They both jumped at the new voice and as Rory took in the girl standing in front of them, she noticed that guilt had washed all over Logan's face. Interesting. "This would make just the sweetest story!" she continued on, clasping her hands together and speaking in a high-pitched voice. "Estranged lovebirds reunite at friend's wedding." She turned her icy eyes toward Logan. "Loving girlfriend is none the wiser, but very much the fool."

"Girlfriend?" Rory asked but Logan had already jumped up and was speaking over her.

"Jen, I can explain."

"Oh, you can explain? Explain what? You seem to forget that our friends were here last night, Logan. Our friends, yours and mine, so I know exactly what this is." She sighed. "I really thought you were done with all of this after the last time."

"Last time?" Rory echoed. She looked back and forth between the two of them, trying to figure out how much this girl knew. She shook her head, jumping up from the table. "I can't believe you, Logan. This is exactly why I couldn't marry you, you haven't changed one damn bit since the first day we met."

"Come on, you kno—"

"Stop." She held up her hand. "Just stop, please." She bit the inside of her cheek, determined not to cry in front of the two of them. "Just stop." She held his gaze for a moment longer and then turned and fled the dining room.

Jen meanwhile, sat down in Rory's spot at the table and helped herself to a cup of coffee. "So, my dear, I take it that was the beautiful and talented Rory Gilmore?"

Logan pulled her back up from the table and after dropping a few bills to cover breakfast, dragged her out of the hotel and into the daylight. "Completely uncalled for, Jen."

"What was? Me finding you with your other girlfriend?" She snorted. "If that's your definition of uncalled for, let's talk about your activities from last night and this morning and see what uncalled for really is." The smile died on her lips as Logan fully faced her and she realized she was walking a very fine line.

"Fine, let's do this," he said, pulling her into her car and getting in the driver's seat himself. He'd send for his car later. "We should have had this talk a long time ago." Jen sat back against the seat and gave him an appraising look. Logan, for his part, had his jaw set and kept his eyes on the road the entire drive back to his house.

"I really thought she'd be prettier," Jen noted, dropping her purse on the couch before sitting down. "I mean for as much pining as you do over this girl, seeing her in person was kind of a letdown." Her bravado faltered under the look he gave her and she tried to laugh it off. "Oh come on, Logan, what am I supposed to say? I just caught you with another woman and you have the gall to be angry with me?"

"Do you know what you just did?" She hadn't expected him to yell and jumped slightly in her seat as he threw his car keys against the wall with such force that the paint chipped.

"You just ruined everything."