Rory and Logan had been sitting across from one another in the little café somewhere between Stars Hollow and Hartford for the past half hour. Neutral ground, she had told Lorelai when asked For the most part, Rory had been sitting silently while intensely staring at the untouched cup of coffee in front of her. Was she even allowed to drink coffee while pregnant? She hadn't really thought about it until now. If she was being honest with herself, she hadn't thought much about any of it. There weren't any concrete plans in place, she had no idea how she was going to make any of this work.

She could feel herself start to spiral. If you tugged at one string, the rest unraveled rapidly.

Without a paying job, she wasn't sure how she was going to be able to afford doctor's appointments and all the things that a baby would need, like clothes and a crib, especially if she was going to turn down whatever money Logan was surely about to offer her. Which she was. There was no way to take it and feel good about herself afterwards.

"You're killing me here, Ace." Logan's voice startled her out of her thoughts, her blue eyes flickering up to meet his brown. There was that eve-present impish look in his eyes, but it was the undertone of seriousness that unsettled her. It always had when it came to him. "You have to say something, kid."

"I know," she sighed, "I'm just…freaking out a little."

For just a second, she paused and watched him, trying to get a feel for what was going through his mind. The wheels were turning slowly. His lips parted slightly as if to say something and she swore that she could almost hear the question forming on the tip of his tongue.

Her whole body stiffened. Sucking in a breath, she prepared for the blow to her ego, to her pride, which was surely coming her way when he asked if she was sure it was his. It would tear her apart.

Then Logan blinked, and it was gone. Rory could feel her whole body relax in relief. He had had the power to break her heart with three words, but had chosen not to. She was grateful for that, at least.

"What do you need, Rory?" Leaning forward, he reached out and gently touched her forearm. A warmth rushed over her, and she could feel herself melt a little at the physical connection between them. It would be much easier to allow herself fall under his charm again. So much could be easier if she did.

Taking a breath, she stuck to her guns. "Nothing, Logan. I really just thought you deserved to know."

This obviously hadn't been the answer that he had been looking for. "I can get you some money, a place to live? Just name it and it's yours."

Willing herself to look him straight in the eyes, Rory squared her shoulders and lifted her head high, "We're not in Vegas anymore, Logan. You're getting married, and I'm going to raise this baby on my own. Like my mom raised me. It's what I want. It's what's right." Letting out a long, slow breath, her eyes quickly dropped down to examine the tabletop. She found it impossible to keep looking at him.

"What if I want to be a part of it?" The question surprised her. She allowed herself to peak up at him again. His dark eyes intensely focused, determined, "This is my kid too, don't I deserve a chance?"

It was hard to argue against his point. Of course he deserved a chance. They had created this child growing inside of her together, after all. Could Rory really let her kid grow up not knowing who her dad was? Her own dad had always been a part of her life, she had always known him. "You're right. You do."

The smile that spread across Logan's face then caught her off-guard. She hadn't expected any kind of genuine excitement from him. In no scenario had she considered that Logan might genuinely want to be a part of this with his whole future mapped out for him, with a fiancée waiting for him back at his apartment in London.

"On one condition," she added. Her voice trembled, her resolve weakening for just a second before she gathered her courage. "You have to tell Odette. If you're going to be a father, she deserves to know."

It took Logan a second, swirling the water in the glass in front of him, before he nodded, "Deal."

After the success of her meeting with Logan a week earlier about the pregnancy, the wedding invitation that arrived in the mail that morning was like a slap in the face to Rory. It had the stench of Mitchum Huntzberger all over it. Somehow he had found out that Logan had flown stateside to meet her, and had taken it on himself to remind Rory where she stood in his son's life.

Logan's father had always had a way of making her feel so small. It was unnerving, especially as a grown woman, for someone to still have that kind of power over her. Logan had assured her that there was no possible way he could know about the baby, not yet at least, when she had called him. He was planning on telling Odette first, then they would deal with his family.

Her stomach rolled at the thought. She hoped she had made the right call.

"Hey babe, Luke and I are going to get some ice cream. Do you-" Lorelai knocked on her door, forcing Rory in her chair to face her stopping Lorelai cold in the middle of her sentence. "What happened?"

Rory shook her head, holding up the invitation for Lorelai to see as she walked over and took it in hand.

"Wow, that kid has balls, inviting you to his wedding." There was a flash of anger in the older Gilmore's tone, Rory recognized it as it being Lorelai going into Mama Bear mode. Her heart swelled. She appreciated her mom's consistent protective nature right now more than ever.

"It was his dad's idea of a joke, I think. Shame the mistress."

"Ugh, I never thought anyone could beat Christopher's dad," Lorelai made a face, "But it's good to see that the world can clearly continue surprising me."

Rory took a deep breath, closed her eyes. "I did the right thing though, didn't I? Agreeing to let Logan be a part of this?"

Lorelai moved to sit down on the edge of Rory's bed, leaning in to take her daughter's hands. "Could you have imagined growing up not knowing who your dad was?" Quietly, Rory shook her head. "Yeah, I couldn't either, that's why I gave Christopher the choice to show up, to be there.

"Maybe he let us down a few times, but he did his best. He was there when it really mattered. And boy, does your dad ever love you, kid. I'm sure he would move the moon if you asked him to."

Sliding off the chair and onto the bed next to Lorelai, Rory leaned her head on her mother's shoulder, "I don't think I could do any of this without you, mom."

"You couldn't, you're insanely lucky to have me." Digging her elbow playfully into Rory's rib, Lorelai nodded towards the bedroom door. "Now come on, ice cream!"

"What does Luke actually think we're going to get?" the younger girl asked, throwing the wedding invitation absently into the trash bin as she got up to follow her mother, "Because I know it can't be ice cream."

"Food for Paul Anka. Which reminds me, we should probably pick up food for Paul Anka, too!"

"I don't understand what's so hard about making a spicy cranberry sauce with pinot noir!"

"What happened regular cranberry sauce? Everyone likes regular cranberry sauce, Sookie!"

"I'm a chef, Luke, not a charlatan! I'm not just going to serve guests cranberry sauce from a can!"

From just beyond the Inn's dining room where she sat now, Rory could hear Sookie and Luke arguing in the kitchen over the Thanksgiving meal they were serving in just a couple hours' time. She had placed herself at the kid's table with Stevie and Kwan for the time being, playing an exciting game of Pie Face with them. Already she had gotten splat twice, sending the twins into a fit of giggles.

Her dress was ruined already, but this was the most fun she'd had in a while at least.

"You can never leave me again," Lane plopped herself down in the empty seat next to Rory. "The half hour you've been playing with them has been the longest we've gone here without them breaking something that your mom always lies and insists really isn't a big deal, but then Michel still glares at us angrily all night afterwards anyway."

"That's just Michel though," Rory pointed out. It was her turn again and she grimaced slightly, anticipating another handful of cream to her face. She was safe, this round. "I think his face might be just be a permanent glare at this point."

"It's just good to have you back."

"I'm not back," she reminded her best friend, "This is just temporary, until I figure some things out."

"Have you heard from Logan since the whole…?" Rory shook her head. "Wow, so he hasn't told her yet, then. Do you think he's going to chicken out?"

"No, I don't know. I'm just kind of getting used to the idea of him being around, so I hope not."

"Aunt Rory, it's your turn again!" Kwan complained, pushing the contraption towards her, "Come on!"

Lane shot them a look. "Give Rory a break, go find your father." Without another word, the boys scrambled off their chairs and disappeared from the dining room. Raising her eyebrows at the petite Korean woman next to her, Rory cocked her head slightly. "I know, that was very Mama of me."

"It was scary, I'm impressed."

The front door of the inn flew open. Tim and Gabriela McMaster appeared first, a bickering Doyle and Paris followed right after. Rory and Lane turned to look at them, then back at each other. "I probably shouldn't have invited both of them," Rory scrunched her nose, "But I refuse to choose sides."

"I still can't believe they broke up, they were like this intensely terrifying power couple."

"I know. I'm still not sure it's permanent. Paris is just…Paris."

When they looked back Doyle had disappeared and Paris had locked onto them. Lane leaned over, conspiratorial. "Danger, incoming."

Sur enough, Paris Geller was making a beeline straight for them. "Lane. Rory. Happy Thanksgiving."

"Happy Thanksgiving, Paris." Rory was glad to see her old friend. Glad to have so many people she cared about under one roof here today. It made her feel safe and warm, no matter what happened she knew that this was her family. They would be there for her, and her baby, no matter what.

Almost instinctively, her hand moved to rest on the slight swell of her belly. Which was a mistake. She should have known better, Paris was like a shark. "Rory, you're pregnant? Who did you go to? I told you to come to me first, you should have come to me first!"

"Paris, you remember that these things sometimes happen naturally, right?" Rory asked, slightly amused.

The tiny, fierce woman blinked, taken aback for a second and then softened. "Are you okay? Who's the father?" It was in these moments when Paris humanized herself that Rory loved her the most.

"Logan."

"Huntzberger? Wow, I didn't know you two kept in touch."

"We did, for a while. It's over now."

The blonde nodded her head slowly, "How very Lorelai of you."

"I hope so," Rory said quietly, glancing behind her at her mother busily fluttering from guest to guest.

The breeze was cool on her skin as she sat on the front steps of the Dragonfly Inn, the laughter and chatter of her loved ones soothing background noise as she took a minute to herself. Dinner had been wonderful, but at some point between the third and fourth course, Rory had started to feel mildly claustrophobic. She had needed space, air.

Heavy footsteps fell on the porch behind her, but didn't turn to look until the person was standing just out of her line of site. When she did finally tilt her head upward, she was greeted with a steaming cup of homemade hot cocoa. A slow smile crept onto her face as she accepted it, "Hey."

"Hey." Jess moved to lean on a pillar, his hands stuffed into his pockets. He had looked good tonight, a clean button-up shirt on under his leather jacket. The effort had not gone unnoticed.

They lapsed into silence for just a moment, Rory bringing the mug gently up to her lips and blowing at the steam. "Thanks."

"No problem."

It took her a second to prepare herself for it, but finally she lifted her head to look at him again. "So, did Luke tell you?"

"I heard whispers around town," he shrugged. "I figured you'd tell me yourself, if you wanted to."

"I did."

Rory waited to see if he was going to ask her about it, but she knew he wouldn't. This was Jess. He didn't often pry into her personal life. Normally, it just came spilling out of her whenever she was around him. "Still think I'm a contender now?"

"You're a Gilmore, an unstoppable force." There was affection in his tone that made her pulse quicken slightly. The words meant more to her coming from him than they would have anyone else.

"I'm really glad you came."

"Doula begged me." Sometimes, she could see the teenage Jess in moments like this. The kid who still pretended that he was too cool for the town he had come to view as being more home than anywhere he had ever lived. He had never been able to fool her, though. She saw right through him. "I'll see you inside."

He turned to head back inside but stopped, turning back to face her once again. "Make sure he deserves you."

The statement caught her off-guard, her eyes widening. Just as she opened her mouth to tell her that there wasn't anyone, that she was doing this on her own, a car coming up the Inn's gravel drive-way distracted her for a just a second. When she turned back to him, Jess was gone. She sighed and settled on the step again, wondering quietly to herself why it mattered so much to her that Jess knew that.

A car door slammed up ahead of her, there was the crunch of footsteps approaching, but Rory didn't look up. Not until she heard a familiar voice, one that absolutely did not belong in Stars Hollow.

"Hey, Ace, can we talk?"