I know, I haven't updated my stories in ages. I'm really sorry for that. Guess that's what life after school is like. But today, inspiration hit me and I wrote another chapter for this story. I'm afraid there's going to be pretty much drama in the upcoming chapters, but don't worry. I'm a Sophie through and through... ;-) Oh, and just to make sure: I go back to the beginning of the evening in this chapter ,and the following ones as well, so you'll actually get to read how they met again.

So, without any more words: enjoy the new chapter and please leave me a review. I would really like to hear your thoughts on the story.

The Courage To Say Yes

Rory looked into the mirror one last time and slightly nodded at herself. Yes, the light blue dress really let her eyes sparkle, as her mother had told her when she had hesitated to buy it. For a brief second a wave of sadness got hold of her. There had been a time when no dress had been necessary to get her eyes to sparkle. One little word had been enough. Ace

But Rory quickly put that though aside, to a part of her heart that she kept well locked. A Part of her heart that had been locked for over six years now. She forced herself to smile a fake smile, the one she always smiled when she attended a social event.

This evening she was invited to a big gala dinner at the Plaza together with the best journalists and most important newspaper guys of New York City. And as she was one of the youngest journalists who had ever managed to get a job at the feature resort of the New York Times she simply had to go there. Even if she hated these events. The same boring people, the same boring talks all over again.

Maybe she could manage to get out of there right after dessert. I could pretend to suffer from food poisoning, Rory thought. A moment later she couldn't help but laugh at herself. She was truly her mothers daughter. That thought was exactly one Lorelai would have had before entering the Gilmore Mansion.

But in the end she knew that there was only one option: To do, what she always did. Go in there, put up a fake smile and drown her sorrows in scotch. It had worked for him for years, so why shouldn't it work for her, too?

Rory left her apartment and stepped out into another cold New York Winter day. Soon it would be Christmas and Rory was still waiting for the first snow of the year. That was another thing that came with being Lorelai Gilmore's daughter: believing that the first snow of the year had something magical. For six years now, Rory had been waiting, she wasn't aware of it, but there was a part of her that still waited for him. For them to be happy. Even though it seemed more than out of reach. After all, anything was possible when it snowed, right?

***

Two hours later Rory sat on a chair in an elegantly decorated banquet hall, staring down at her dessert, wondering if this event would ever be over.

"I saw a great bar across the street. We could go there later and grab some drinks." the man next to her whispered into her ear and Rory felt a familiar wave of annoyance. "And who knows, maybe then you'll feel like coming to my room… We both know you wanted it ever since you started at the Times." the guy continued, not even noticing the effect he had on the person his words were directed at.

Rory couldn't stand it anymore. She put her spoon down on the table a little bit too loud, some of the other guests were looking at her in surprise, and she managed to put up a small smile. "Would you excuse me? I'd like to get a little bit of fresh air." she got out in her best society voice and stood up from her table to leave the room. But before she did she shot her neighbor an angry glare, telling him silently not to follow her.

She left the room and got out to street in front of the Plaza. She couldn't go for a walk though, as the rain still poured down like a waterfall. She tried to take a few deep breaths, but she was too angry. God, how she hated that guy's way of making a pass at her.

Roger was her colleague at New York Times and ever since she had started to work for the feature resort he tried to get in her pants. Not that he was bad looking, quite the opposite in fact, which was kind of the basic problem. He was handsome and he knew it, which made him think every woman on the face of the planet had to fall for his charm. He was the typical womanizer and, on top of that, quite wealthy and the son of a famous lawyer.

Altogether just what Emily Gilmore and the whole society of Hartford would consider an excellent match for Rory. And Rory knew that Roger wasn't so bad at all, when he occasionally forgot he wanted to get her into his bed it was quite nice to talk to him, he was a great writer and a man with interesting opinions. But Rory just didn't want a life in high society with a wealthy man. She had rejected that before, why would she want that now?

As if that thought had been a sign she heard a familiar voice right in front of her. "Hurry up, hun, we're already too late to get some dinner and god beware that we miss all those great speeches, too."

And then, when she looked up, she saw him getting out of a black limousine. Logan Huntzberger, in flesh and blood. Wearing a black suit that fit perfectly, smirking at a blonde woman about Rory's age. Rory couldn't help but notice that he looked even more gorgeous than the last time she had seen him. His smirk still made him look like a little boy, but he seemed to be more mature. He looked like a man who was completely happy with the life he had.

While Rory stood there just staring at the couple hurrying towards the entrance the blonde woman spoke. "Well, babe, sorry for that, but I have to say that I wasn't the one to undress myself just as I finally found the perfect dress." she said and winked at the man accompanying her.

"True!" Logan answered laughing. "But I still think it was a good idea. Totally worth missing dinner." With that, he grabbed the blonde's hand and pulled her in for a hug and a passionate kiss, right there on the stairs in front of the Plaza in New York and, although he didn't know that, right in front of the woman he once wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

Rory had never anticipated that anything could hurt that much. Just looking at their apparently familiar banter had broken her heart, but it was nothing compared to this. Seeing him kiss her passionately, his hand caressing her cheek while the other pressed her close to him was too much for her. Her heart broke into a thousand pieces and she knew that the pain would never leave her again.

Just as Rory felt able to breath again the two ended their kiss and continued their way into the hotel. This time, the woman took the lead and Logan followed her until a familiar face caught his sight. But no. It couldn't be her… not tonight. But somehow Logan knew that this time it was real. He had imagined to see her in all sorts of places, but he knew immediately that this time she wasn't a product of his imagination. This time, his Ace was there. Staring at him and the woman who had had the courage Rory apparently didn't have.

The courage to say yes.