Apologies in advance for the huge author's note…

Hey guys! Oh boy so this hasn't been updated in quite the long time. I had abandoned this story pretty soon after I started writing it. Partially because I didn't think it was written very well, and partially because I had no idea where to take it. I was logging into my account to post a different fanfic, and I noticed that this tiny little story already had over 50 reviews and several Fav Story adds! I'm beyond flattered, I gotta say! So I decided to try and take a stab at this story once more. I'm almost done with the next chapter after this, and I hope to have more after that! I think I got most of the little details right, I haven't watched Gilmore Girls in so long. It really started disappointing me in the last season. For example, when Logan proposed to Rory like that towards the very end. He knows her well enough to know that she wouldn't want a public proposal like that! Ugh. Anyways, so this starts up the summer after Logan goes to London. Most everything from the show still happened except for Logan's accident. I didn't mention it in the fic cause it's not important, but in my version Logan went with Rory to Lane's wedding, replaced the Yummy Bartenders when Kirk fired them all, and kept Lorelai from drinking half her body weight in tequila so there was no embarrassing drunken speech. Ha anyways so enjoy I suppose!

Chapter 4 – Rory

I sighed as the tiny bell over the door tinkled slightly, signaling that the last customer of the day had exited the store. I had been working at Stars Hollow Bookstore since July 15th, the day Logan left for London. The last few months had been amazing. I took a million pictures at his graduation (ranging from his nude backside coming out of the shower to the heated argument I could see him having with Finn and Colin as they waited in line to get their diplomas. He was no doubt arguing that it would be in Finn's best interest to keep his pants on the entire ceremony, while Finn and Colin objected completely).

We hopped on a plane shortly after his graduation and toured Asia. At first, I was insistent that we change locations every day, as to soak up as many different sites and cities as possible. By the fifth day, I was begging him to let us stay overnight so that we could get a decent amount of sleep. He laughed and agreed wholeheartedly, muttering into my hair as he hugged me, "I wondered how long it would take you to realize that part of vacationing is relaxing, Ace."

We arrived back to our apartment about a week before he had to leave, and we rarely left the apartment in those seven days. We only ventured out a few times to get food. Of course, at these times Finn and Colin had found us (I swear, it's like they're always aware of where Logan is at! It's creepy.) and they had insisted on taking us to some random pub or party each time. But the week was still perfect.

On his last night in town, Mitchum had insisted that he go to a business dinner. I told him that it was okay as long as he came home straight after dinner. He assured me that he would, and as soon as he stepped out the door Finn and Colin appeared to help me set up a farewell bash for Logan. He had loved it, but begged me to take the blond wig off and cease my accent. I told him there was "no way, Governor!"

After a few drinks, Logan pulled me aside. "What's new, mate?" I teased, still using my awful British accent.

"Tell me not to go," he stated bluntly.

I quirked an eyebrow and tilted my head to the side. "What?"

"Tell me not to go," he repeated. "Give me a reason to stay here."

My heart broke at his pleading tone, and it broke even more when I had to hoarsely reply, "I can't." I'll never forget the way his face fell. I paused and regained a bit of my composure, continuing in a more even tone. "You have to do this. You can't bail out now. It's just… you have to do this, Logan."

He smiled at me and stroked my cheek with his thumb. "I love you, Ace." Before I could respond, he gave me a hard, deep kiss.

When he pulled back, I let my hand link into his and said, "I love you too." He kissed me again with so much force that I was convinced my lips had to be bruised purple, and then pulled me back into the crowd.

The next morning I awoke to Logan's hand on my shoulder, shaking me gently. "Mmmno," I mumbled. "I don't smell any coffee."

Logan laughed lightly and whispered, "Ace, I gotta catch a plane." My eyes popped open and I immediately struggled to get out of bed. "Hey hey, lay back down. I just wanted to wake you before I left. To say goodbye."

"What? No!" I shouted, struggling out of his light grasp to stand before him on the floor. "I have to go with you to the airport, we can say goodbye there. I mean, what if your flight is delayed, I don't want you sitting there all alone when I could be with you."

"Rory," he said firmly. "You can't come with me."

"I can go with you until security!" I replied, much more hysterically than I had wanted to sound.

"Rory, if you come with me, I won't be able to get on that plane," he stated simply, his voice cracking with emotion.

I could already feel two wet trails snaking their way down my cheeks, and I rubbed them away furiously. "I can't believe this," I gestured down at my crying and pajama-clad self, "is the last way you're going to see me before you leave."

Logan grinned and stroked my hair. "You've never been more beautiful in your life."

The tears started to come harder at this, and he pulled me close. After a few moments, he started to pull away, but he didn't go too far. Yet.

I brought my hand up to cover his, which was wiping the tears away from my cheek. "God, I'm a writer and I should always have a way with words. Yet all I can think of saying to you right now is 'Say hi to William and Harry for me'."

Logan laughed and kissed my forehead. "I love you so much, Ace."

I let out an awkward laugh through my tears and replied, "That's definitely better than 'Say hi to William and Harry for me'."

I wrapped my arms around him and he held me for a few more seconds before he started to pull away. He continued to hold my hand as he grabbed his carry-on luggage. "I paid the rent through the next year, so you don't have to worry about that. And Finn is right downstairs if you need anything, and Colin is on the floor below that-"

"That's not important right now," I insisted quickly, wanting more than anything to not be having this conversation.

"I just want to make sure you're okay, Rory," he whispered as he pressed another kiss to my forehead. We walked silently to the apartment door. Once we had crossed through the doorway I stood there, awkwardly, not sure what to do next.

I bit my lip and said, "Call me when you get to London, okay?"

"I promise," Logan said gruffly, and he kissed me one last time. Before I knew it, he had pulled away and was on the elevator. I waved lamely from the doorway, wiping furiously at my still falling tears with my other hand. And the elevator doors closed and he was gone.

I spent a few minutes trying to get myself under control, which was greatly helped by the two or three cups of black coffee I downed in record time, even for a Gilmore. Knowing there was no way I'd ever get back to sleep, I tried to think of something to do for the day. The thought of hanging out with Finn and Colin, who would also be rather morose about Logan's departure, was not appealing. Before I knew what I was doing, I was in my car halfway to Stars Hollow. My phone beeped, indicating that I had received a text message. I decided to ignore it until I arrived in Stars Hollow. Besides, if it was really important, whomever it was would've called, not sent a text message.

I pulled into the driveway of my childhood home and put the car in park. I fished around my purse for my cell phone as I got out of the car. I closed the door and flipped open my phone. It read "1 text from Logan Huntzberger". I clicked read.

"Miss you already Ace. I'm about to get on the plane. Please don't sit alone all day. Go visit your mother. I love you."

A fresh batch of tears started flowing. Why did he have to know me so well?

I decided that since it was still rather early in the morning, I'd sneak in the back door into the kitchen in hopes of not waking my mother. I nearly screamed when I saw her sitting at the kitchen table sipping a cup of coffee, looking less than thrilled.

"What on earth are you doing up so early? You are aware it's Saturday, right?" I asked, confused.

My mother simply rolled her eyes. "It took you long enough to get out here. Jeez Ror, do you drive 2 miles per hour or did you kick it up to 3 today? You and your safe driving… I'll never know who you got that from, it certainly wasn't me or your father," she mumbled.

"Mom, what are you talking about?" I asked, still confused. We hadn't already had plans to spend time together today of all days, had we?

"Okay, so last night I went to Stars Hollow Video and got us a good selection. I only rented two sappy love movies, so we can mope through those, but then I got ten or fifteen hilarious classics."

She gestured towards the fridge, and I saw bags of candy that only the two women present could consume without overdosing on sugar. She then opened the freezer to reveal every flavor of Ben and Jerry's that Doose's Market carried. Granted, this was Doose's Market so there were really only half a dozen pints inside. But it's the thought that counts. I turned back to my mom, tears still shining in my eyes. "Can't I fool anyone these days, or am I really that easy to predict?"

Before she could respond, I shoved my phone into her hands, Logan's text message still open. "Well, kid, I think you're totally transparent," she stated brusquely as she handed me back the phone. "Or maybe Logan and I are just well versed in the language of Rory."

Just then, my phone started to ring. I glanced down at the caller ID and laughed slightly. "Apparently, Lane is well versed as well."

After assuring Lane that I was fine, mom ushered me into the living room. We dug into the chocolate Ben and Jerry's and watched sappy love stories for the next four hours. I knew she needed the moping time as well, or else I would've protested at least a little bit before giving into this self-indulgence. She and Luke had drifted further and further apart until they eventually cut off their engagement. I can still remember a few days before Logan and I left for Asia when my mother called me, hysterical and in tears, to tell me that she and Luke were over. I drove out to Stars Hollow immediately, and she insisted that I go back the next day, as I had a final. I finally relented and allowed her to push me out the door, but only after she assured me that she would call Sookie if anything at all came up. She later told me that if I hadn't of come over that night, she was convinced that she would've ended up on my father's doorsteps. I'm definitely glad that she didn't.

After two sappy love stories, we popped in "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" and refused to mope any longer. After watching this, we switched to the new version of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". As mom was switching the DVDs, she told me that she'd really like it if I stayed in Stars Hollow for the rest of the summer. She didn't want me to be alone in mine and Logan's apartment and she really wanted the company.

I, of course, said yes.

And later that day, I stepped out on the pretense of getting coffee from Luke's (a mission my mother was more than happy to let me embark upon alone) but along the way I stopped in Stars Hollows Bookstore and got this job.

Which brings us to now. Three weeks later. After making sure that all the books were in their proper place, I slipped in a cushy reading chair and pulled out my phone. This had become an old routine to me by now. I closed the bookstore every night (mind you, this is Stars Hollow, so everything but Luke's closes by 6PM), tidied up, and then called Logan around 6:30. This would be 11:30 in London, which insured that he wouldn't be at work and I would usually catch him as he was getting ready to go to sleep. I was about to dial the phone when it started ringing. I answered and smiled as soon as I heard the voice on the other end of the line.

"It's 11:31, Ace, which means it's 6:31 in Stars Hollow. One minute past when you usually call! Was the bookstore ridiculously busy today or were you planning on not calling?" he asked jokingly.

"I was about to dial just as you called!" I exclaimed.

"Sure, Ace," he replied, feigning doubt. "How was your day?"

"Pretty uneventful. Mom made relatively little noise on her way out to work this morning, so I got to sleep in until my shift started here."

"You know, you would never have any interruptions in your sleep if you just stayed at our apartment," he suggested gently.

I sighed and rubbed my hand absentmindedly over my face. "I know. That's just it. It's too silent. I don't like it there without you."

"You're going to have to go back there someday, Rory. Unless you're planning on commuting to Yale from Stars Hollow for your last year of college."

I sighed again and quickly changed the subject. "How was your day?"

I could practically hear Logan gritting his teeth as I blatantly ignored what he had been trying to say. "It was the same as every other day. Business as usual." He paused, and then added, "I miss you, Ace."

"I miss you too, Logan," I said, moving to curl up in the chair. We stayed like that for several minutes, not speaking. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence. On the contrary, it was the most comforting thing I had done all day. Just knowing that he was on the other end of the line was enough.

After awhile, Logan whispered, "Ace?"

"Yeah?" I answered.

"I gotta get up early for a meeting tomorrow, so I've gotta get some sleep."

A lump formed in the back of my throat, the same lump that formed every night when he told me that he had to go. I racked my brain for reasons that he should stay on the line with me, but I came up with none. "Okay. Goodnight, Logan."

"Ace?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you. So much," he said drowsily. I could tell he was already half asleep.

A single pathetic tear ran down my cheek as I said, "I love you too."

I flipped my phone shut and absentmindedly wiped the tear away. I shook my head, trying to get every sad thought to just fly out my ears.

At least I knew things were going to be looking up soon.