AN: I don't own these characters, I just play with them.
RORY/LL POV
"Mum." I groaned and burrowed deeper into the covers. "Mama?" Maybe if I don't move, he'll go away. "Mom? Mommy?" he says in his best American accent, ugh the kid was too persistent.
"Seriously kid, you have to learn the art of sleeping in. We're on holiday." I say my voice laced with sleep and muffled by the pillow I put over my head in an attempted to block out the world.
Not to be deterred my nugget straddles my back "but Mother-," he says taking the pillow from by head and leans in close, I feel his breath on my face, my mouth twitching to try and hold back a smile.
My baby boy, my nugget, my heart.
I force my eyes open and startled to not find my usual happy smirky five year old. "Nugget, what's with the face?"
"Did I make you cry for waking you, you can go back to sleep I didn't mean to make you cry?"
Warmth filled me. It was a great feeling to have his love. "No, no of course not, heart."
"Then why are your eyes red?" He asks laying his head on my pillow to trace my eye lids.
Fiddle sticks. I didn't want him to know I'd been upset yesterday. I allowed myself a good wallow once I got back to the penthouse and put him to bed.
Different emotions had ran through me as I sat in the car with the knowledge Logan was a mere fifty feet away. He saw Landon. My son. Our son. No, no, he's mine, mine. I didn't know whether I wanted to fight or flight, throttle him or hug him. I had felt him before he even stepped outside; my heart soared and broke at the familiar feeling of him being near. But nothing, nothing will ever compare to the feeling that swept over me at the sight of him all messy blonde hair and brown eyes in a fine tailored suit of my past. He looked good, he looked bloody good. Thank god for the tinted windows. I was at the brink of a panic attack and didn't need or want him to know I was there. But after a good cry fest, I reinforced my resolve and focused on what was important.
"Just a long day yesterday love, but I'm all better now."
He instantly perked up at my words, "Oh yeah, Aunt Liv's show was a blast! My pictures looked awesome Mum. Too bad you didn't get to see them, but, well now that you're awake...we can go to the big toy store" he says giving me his infamous smirk. He looks just like Logan when he does that.
"The toy store?"
"Yeah, the big one with the big piano."
"You woke me up at," I pause to look at the clock, "at EIGHT O'CLOCK in the morning to go to FAO Schwarz. Why you little-" I grabbed him around the waist and pinned him to the bed before tickling him mercilessly. I would let him up, eventually. This is what he gets for waking me up and without coffee! Blasphemy.
"Ah! Mu- Mu- Mummy stop! Stop! I can't breath, I can't breath!" I stopped tickling him for a second so he could catch his breath, but kept my fingers in primo tickling position. "Okay, I'll stop but only if I get a kiss and you promise tomorrow we sleep past hhmm" I pause as if in thought "at least 10 o'clock." He scrunched up his face in thought then finally concedes, leaning up to plant a sloppy kiss on my cheek, "M'kay, promise."
We lay around my bed for another half-hour and watched an episode of Spongebob before we finally got up to shower and get dress to start our day.
One of my favorite amenities of the Hayden penthouse is definitely this bathroom. Ahh, the massaging shower heads and the huge picture window overlooking Central Park always relaxes me.
After showering I dressed casually, in my favorite charcoal Converse trainers, dark blue skinny jeans and black cashmere jumper. It was a little sheer so I threw on a gray tank underneath. I had to be prepared for a day of walking and sightseeing, walking I KNOW, in New York City with a five year old. A very energetic one at that.
Unfortunately and fortunately Landon is at the age where he likes to do things for himself now, according to him he is a little man now he doesn't always need his Mummy's help especially to dress himself. And I have to say my little man is pretty dapper. I'm always amazed that at his age he knows and wants to match sometimes all the way down to his socks. Hhmm maybe he has OCD tendencies, I should look into that.
I make my way into the kitchen to find, Lucy standing by the window, on the phone in a deep hushed conversation. She looked tense. Ugh, she's probably telling someone about last night. Bloody hell. I really didn't want to deal with this today.
"Good morning," I say, announcing my presence, walking to the cupboard to grab a mug for my much needed coffee. I didn't want to have a conversation about it, I was fine now. It doesn't matter. I also didn't want Landon to over hear anything.
She ends her conversation and then turns to me with sympathetic eyes. Ugh. I hate that.
"Look, I don't want to talk about it, right now" I say, taking a gulp of my coffee. Once the coffee hit my throat I sighed in contentment, it was bloody good, not Luke's good, but good.
"I know, I know. We're on holiday. No serious stuff." Lucy respond and I'm instantly relived she's letting it go. "But how are you feeling? Are you okay? What are you going to do Ror, what if he trie-?" Or maybe not. I look over my shoulder before responding to make sure Landon wasn't in hearing range and make sure to respond in a low voice.
"I'm fine. Let him come, look, I knew this might happen, I've been preparing for it. I couldn't keep Landon a secret forever. It doesn't matter. I'm going to send him the papers that states his parental rights were involuntary terminated years ago."
"But, hm it's like admitting that's he's his son."
"Hm, I'm sorry but where have you been? They are spitting images of each other."
"I know, I know seeing them standing next, well really Logan was kneeling, but anyways seeing them next to each other was kind of scary. Literally. Spitting images minus the eyes."
My heart clenched at that thought, I kind of wish I would have seen that. I wonder how he feels now that he realizes who Landon was. And that I never went through with it. I shook my head at that thought. It doesn't matter.
"Right. Well, whatever, it doesn't matter; he'll see that he has no claims. I haven't asked him for money nor do I intend to and he'll move on bonking his way through the East coast. End of story."
"What if he fights?" She quietly asks.
"Fights for what?"
"Hhmm, ahem for hm what hm he's entitled to?"
"What he is fucking entitled, Luc?" I seethe through gritted teeth. "Huh? What? NOTHING that's what! What is he going to say to a judge, I want to see the child I didn't want, that I told her to fucking abort!"
"Hello? Logan, where are you? I need you to come home." I plead. Yes, finally. I've been trying to reach him for days, but him, Colin and Finn just disappeared and they weren't returning any of my calls or text, nothing.
"Ace? Ace?, Hey baby, I'm in Sin City!" He yells over the noise, he's clearly drunk. Ugh no, I need him coherent, I need him.
"You're in Las Vegas?" I screech, he's off gallivanting like a freaking teenager while I'm going through a freaking crisis! It doesn't matter I need him. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves, and ignore the giggles in the background.
"Look, it doesn't matter. Please, please just come home." I plead.
"Home? But wwwhhhhyyyy? I'm having fun?" He whines. Is this what's going to be like dealing with a Mini him?
"But I need you to come home, Logan. I'm scared. I was late so, so- I to-, I took a-" I stammer out.
"Ace? What? Just spit it out Ace, what?"
"I'm, we're pregnant" I finally get out.
I heard his sharp intake of air through the phone.
"Hello?" The timer is still going off so I know it didn't disconnect. "Hello?" I ask again.
"Are you fucking serious? I can't fucking do this, I'm not ready for this." He yells into the phone. This wasn't the reaction I thought he'd have, it breaks my heart and I begin to sob. I mean I'm not ready either but its ours. "But, bu-" He cuts me off. "Do you realize how much money I just fucking lost. A lot. A whole fucking lot. I can't fucking do this right now. Are you sure? Is it even mine?"
My sobs turn to anger. What the hell, is he serious?
"What? of course it is!" How can he even question that?
"You can't, I can't. Fuck. I don't fucking care. You need to go take care of it. Take care of it, Rory. I'll be back Wednesday, make sure it's taken care of." And then the line went dead.
"Mum, hm can you do the hawk to my hair?" I turn around to find Landon dressed in black and white Nike trainers, dark-denim jeans and a black T-shirt with the words "Born to be Wild" written across the front and a white long sleeve shirt underneath. My heart, my nugget, my baby boy. He is my reason for everything, nothing else matters. "Yeah, yeah baby, of course, come here."
"Oh wow Lan, I love the shirt." Luc says complementing him. She gives me a apologetic look. And I give her a nod to let her know she's forgiven. She's only concerned, I know that.
"Mum, you kay? You're face is red."
"I'm fine nugget, I'm just hot. All done baby."
Where he got the idea of having a mo-hawk I'll never know, he just said he thought it was cool. The faux-hawk was our compromise when he said he actually wanted to buzz the sides of his head, I drew the line there. I was a cool mom, but no, no mo-hawks, no matter how cool him, Auntie G and his Nana Loreali thought it would be. Oh god, my grandmothers would have been mortified. So we settled for styling his hair to a point.
"Cool, can we go now?"
"Yeah baby let's just get our parkas," I say helping him down from the stool. "Um Luc, we're going to FAO Schwarz and Central Park, then we're meeting up with Anthony and my cousin for lunch, you are welcome to join us."
"No, no enjoy the sights. I'm going to just hang out here, I have to memorize my lines." then bends down to give my baby a hug and a kiss, "Landon, spends lots of mommy's money, O'kay?"
Before walking out the door I made sure to give Luc a hug to reassure her that I wasn't mad at her, I knew the questions she asked were logical questions the rest of my family would be asking so I couldn't fault her for asking them.
After nearly four hours and almost five thousand dollars later, Landon and I make the one kilometer treck to The Sidecar to have lunch with Anthony and Robert.
As we walk into the quaint upstairs restaurant I notice them in a intense conversation which they stop immediately as soon as they spot us. Ugh, I'm tired of all the intensity, it's a holiday people! Ugh. They stand up to greet us. "Hey Ant," I say standing on my toes to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Hey love. Landon, little man, what's up," giving Landon a high-five.
I like to refer to Ant as my guardian angel. The day before my graduation, as I was packing my belongings from the apartment I shared with Paris and Doyle, the answers to my dilemmas came in the form of Anthony Masen.
"Loreali Gilmore?" I turned to the door to see a massive six feet, five inches of sheer brawn and muscle, dressed in a three piece dark charcoal suit taking up the doorway. He definitely didn't belong in this neighborhood.
"Hm, yes. And who are you?"
He walked towards me with an extended hand, "Anthony Masen, from Hayden Law Firm."
I looked at him, my mouth making an audible sound as it pops open in surprise, "hm, excuse me?" was all I managed to squeak out.
"I'm here to offer you some possible solutions to your dilemmas. To make sure you and your heart," he says waving a hand to my stomach, "are well taken care of." How the hell did he know?
And that's what he did. Ant offered me solutions to all of my problems and I took them. My mother thought I was giving up on the plan, but I thought of it as a new plan, a new plan to provide for my baby, he was what was most important now. And I don't and would never regret that.
"Cuz, what's with the face? What's got your knickers in a twist?" I say taking the seat next to him that he pulled out for me. Good breeding, always a gentleman.
"Not now Leigh, later."
"No Robert, what? Tell me now." I demand. I can see it in his face; he's itching to tell me.
He looks over to Anthony who gives him curt nod and returns to listening to Landon who's regaling him with his tales of our carriage ride around central park.
I eye them both suspiciously not liking this one bit. Robert pulls my chair closer to his, wrapping an arm around the back of my chair bringing my head closer to his.
"Logan, well really his private investigator, found out who the car you were in last night is registered to." He says low enough so only I can hear. "I guess the little nutter memorized the license plate or something. Look, its only a matter of time before they put everything together." That little bugger! Fuck it, whatever it doesn't matter. He can snoop all he wants.
"Oh is that it, its fine Rob," I say nonchalantly. "I knew this would happen, he's not a nitwit you know!"
"How can you be so calm about this Leigh?"
"Look it doesn't matter. He can do whatever the hell he bloody well wants. We know he doesn't have any parental rights anyways."
"Don't be naïve Leigh, you know him. That won't stop him, he's not just going to just fucking give up!" he said angrily, loud enough to draw the attention of Ant and my son.
"Hey, hey none of that here."
"Hey, don't yell at my mum!"
Anthony and Landon say at the same time, defending me.
"Sorry bud, I didn't mean to raise my voice." He said, ashamed he made Landon upset.
"Baby, it's okay. Tell Ant about the James Bond car you tired to convince me to buy." I say trying to distract him, which of course works, ah got to love the attention span of a five year old.
Turning my attention back to Robert, "look, its fine. It will be fine. He's probably just worried I'm going to hit him up for money. Once he sees I don't want or will ever need anything from him. He'll move on. When I get home I'll have Lacey send him a copy of the involuntary paternal rights termination papers. So don't fret, mate."
"I don't think it will be that easy babe, I really don't think he is just going to give up Landon that easily...or you" he said so softly I almost didn't hear him.
"If I didn't know any better I swear you were cheating on me." We hear a giggle as Olivia throws her arms around Robert's neck and she kisses his cheek. He smiles wide, and gives her a light kiss on the lips.
"Eww, gross" ugh, my same sentiments, Nugget. They are so in love it's sickening. Who would have thought stick in the mud Robert would fall for bubbly artistic Olivia. Definitely not me.
"Ew Liv stop, it still creeps me out that we even went on that date at Yale."
"Hey! It wasn't that bad, you had fun!"
"No, it's more of that fact I went on a date with my cousin"
He visibly shudders, "at least its second cousins."
"Whatever, tomato, tomahto"
"Alright children enough, what was up with the intense conversation? According to Luc we were barred from any intense or serious conversations, since we're on vacation."
"Lo- Fuck." Me and Liv break out in giggles as Landon sticks out his hand to collect his quid without even pausing his chat with Anthony. He was cleaning house! Ah, my little entrepreneur.
"Seriously kid your cleaning me out."
"Then you should watch your mouth Uncle Robert, use other words like bloody, freaking etc."
"Aw babe, you just got schooled by a five year old, how does it feel?"
"Smarta- aleck. Anyways HE, his private investigator found out the car from last night belongs to the Firm" be begins to explain.
"Oh, hm, actually I received several calls asking about the photo collection. Hm, I told them all they were already sold."
"Liv no you didn't have to do that..call them back. You should sell them. It will be-"
"No, no. Honestly I'm not ready to just let them go. They mean so much. You know it took a lot for me to even show them."
"I know I just don't want you to lose out..." She leans over Robert to give me a hug, squeezing me tight, whispering "its fine, it will be fine" into my hair. I know she's talking about more than the pictures. And I know in my heart she's right, no matter what everything will be fine, I'll make sure of it.
The next couple days were spent in a flurry of activities and sightseeing, ice skating at Rockefeller Center, a trip to the New York Hall of Science, a show of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, visits to Stars Hallow, and Hartford. Landon wanted to experience it all. And I wanted him to, I've depraved him the chance of visiting the States for so long, but no more.
All too soon Saturday arrived, our last full day in the States. It was bittersweet, I enjoyed spending time with my family, I missed them. Especially mom, we were so busy with our lives it was hard for us to connect, but it was also a relief to finally go home. To get back into our routine. To a sense of normalcy. Being here is starting to drive me crazy, my head and feelings were all over the place.
I decided to have a lazy day in the penthouse before the dinner and invited mom, dad, and Gigi, for a movie day. Landon and I started our holiday with a New York themed movie night, so it was only fitting we ended it a Blimey theme one, the added bonus of having everyone join us made it all that more exciting. Landon loved movie nights. We couldn't always coordinate it with our schedule and the time difference sometimes we Skyped with mom and Gigi to watch movies together. It was the relaxation I needed to put myself in the right frame of mind for tonight. In the past I avoided these things at all costs. But no more. With everything that happened in the past year and my appointment to Partner, I manned up and resolved to dive full force into my responsibilities of Hayden Law. Anthony needed me, the company needed me.
My resolve had faltered a bit at the situation with Logan finding out about Landon, but I was determined to press forward in my life and not let anything or anyone mess with it. That is why after we found out Logan was trying to procure a table to the dinner, I allowed the Anderson Group to sell their table to him. Everyone thought I was crazy. But I convinced them this was the best way to get the reunion over with. A society event with the East Coast elite, I knew he wouldn't cause a scene. Or so I hoped, but either ways, I was determined to dictate how this meeting was going go down. But just in case I made sure to invite the elder Huntzbergers for extra measure. Okay if I was being completely honest, the thought of him and his family being there may have been sort of a chance for me to get in a little extra dig. I may have a tad of bitterness in me, just a tad.
After a watching 101 Dalmatians, Mary Poppins, Spice World and V for Vendetta, I left my mom, Gigi and Landon to get dressed. My mother was happy to stay behind with kids, saying they'd be better company then the foo-foo elites. I couldn't blame her. She didn't need the any undue stress dealing with any of my bullshit while seven months pregnant.
I walk into the lounge of the penthouse where my family and friends were gathered. We were all going to the dinner together. As a united front, this was my sort of coming out party in this side of the pond's business world. I was already making a name for myself in London. And I was determined to do the same here.
"L.L., are you trying to give people heart attacks?" Ant asks with a laugh as I step into the living room. Nine heads snap in my direction, I hear a variation of cat calls, whistles, claps and exclaims of hot mama's.
I roll my eyes at their juvenile behavior and look at my reflection on the door leading to the terrace. The woman staring back at me looked poised and confident... her corseted black satin asymmetric sleeveless gown that draped over her curves and showed just the right amount of cleavage, was simply stunning. Hair pulled back and fastened into a messy array at the nape of my neck. My feet clad in black suede peep-toes with a killer silver stiletto heel. I had the smokey eye thing and nude lips going so I wanted everything else to be minimal. The only jewelry I had on was a simple pair of Tiffany's Legacy earrings and the Hearts bracelet that I never took off, it was a gift from Landon and I cherished it.
I leaning down to collect my Ivory rabbit shrug and metallic leather box clutch I turn to my family, "What? Too much? I was going for understated..." I say with a smirk.
We were the first to arrive at The Foundry, an event space located in the borough of Queens. My grandmothers thought I was crazy when I said we would be having the dinner here. God forbid it's not in a ballroom! Queue eye roll. I wanted a different style for this event, it was the Ninetieth Anniversary and I wanted to remind everyone of Hayden Law's long standing history and that a Hayden was now back in charge and we are going to continue to persevere. Once Lacey showed me the pictures of the once 19th century metal foundry I knew this space would let me make that statement. The old exposed brick contrasts with modern steel railings created the feel of the strong long standing history I was going for.
As guest started to arrive I spent the next hour in a whirlwind of handshakes, hugs, air kisses and small talk. I kept a watchful eye as people entered the space. The first to arrive were Stephanie and Colin, knowing it was only a matter of time till the rest of them would make their appearances, I decided to go up to the second floor, and lurk in the shadows and observe them from afar. Honor and Josh arrived shortly followed by Finn and Rosemary. Interesting, guess he finally wore her down. They all looked around uncomfortably in hushed conversation, and I'm sure trying to catch a glimpse of me.
As I watched Mitchum and Shira Huntzberger waltz into the space, I caught Robert's eye our face break out in matching wicked grins as we watch with amusement as they are ushered to sit at their table. They all looked uncomfortable of the elder Huntzbergers being in attendance. Hmm, I wonder what Logan had planned.
As the master of ceremonies asks the guests to settle in their seats I note their table still had an empty seat, I began to think that he was going to be a no show, but then the air shifts and I watched as a lone figure slips into the empty seat. He's here.
I took a deep calming breath, straighten my back, and put my game face on. I was ready for this.
AN: Links to the Hayden Penthouse, Rory/LL's get-up, etc. on my profile.
I'm not British, I'm sorry if I butchered the lingo, I tried. Please let me know if you think this sucked and I should stick to Logan's POV.
