2017

It's one in the morning and Logan rolls off Lorelai's couch to respond to his daughter's cries. The baby is nearly two weeks old and she still doesn't have a name. Logan has been staying with Lorelai and Luke to help with the baby and tonight is his night to look after her.

"Shh, baby girl, Daddy's here." Logan whispers, softly. He's got the hang of holding her now and usually just his presence is enough to calm her down. Not tonight though. She continues to cry, louder than before.

"Is she hungry?" says a voice from the kitchen.

"You can go back to sleep, Rory. It's fine, I've got this."

"It's ok." says Rory, joining Logan at the pop up crib in the living room. She looks at the two of them and smiles. "This kid needs a name, you know."

"I know." says Logan. "But nothing seems to suit her."

"I want it to be special." says Rory. "Like my name and mom's name."

"Not another Lorelai, please!"

"No, obviously not but a family name might work."

"We're not calling the kid Shira." says Logan. "I can't do that to her."

"And I think mom would cry if we called her Emily."

"So what does that leave us with? Honour? Because I don't want a sister and a daughter with the same name."

"What about Victoria?"

"Victoria? Very regal. Where did that come from?" asks Logan.

"It's my mom's middle name. It's beautiful and I think it suits her. What about you?" asks Rory.

"She could definitely rock the name Victoria. And your mom wouldn't mind?"

"Of course she wouldn't. She'll be pleased to know that her entire name is living on in younger generations."

"So, Victoria?"

"Victoria."

2033

Victoria wanders into the kitchen to get breakfast. It's pretty early but London's awake so Victoria's awake. Logan is sat at the kitchen table. He looks like he hasn't slept at all. The mysterious box from the bag is in the middle of the table.

"Hey, Dad." says Victoria. "What's up?" she adds, noticing his pale face and dark circles.

"Victoria, sit down a minute. We need to talk." says Logan, avoiding eye contact.

Victoria is a little taken aback by this. Her dad never calls her Victoria. It's always Vicky or Vic or Ace. Victoria stares at Logan for a minute, trying to figure out what's going on but his face gives away nothing. She sits down opposite him.

"Victoria," Logan begins. There it is, Victoria again. Something's definitely up. "I have something to tell you and I want you to listen and try not to be upset with me, ok?"

Victoria nods.

"What do you know about your mom?" asks Logan.

Victoria stares at him, completely bewildered. Logan never talks about her mom. Ever. He's comfortable talking about periods, alcohol and sex but he breaks his back to avoid talking about Victoria's mother.

"Nothing." says Victoria. "Except that she gave me my last name."

"Oh yes." says Logan, smiling slightly at the memory "She was adamant that you were going to be a Gilmore girl. She picked your first name too, you know."

"Really?" says Victoria. Sixteen years of knowing nothing about her mother and now, finally, some information. It's about time.

"Yep. You were named after your grandmother. Victoria was her middle name."

"My grandmother?" says Victoria, shocked. Victoria had always longed for a grandmother like all her friends had. A soft, warm grandma who gave you hugs and bought you clothes. Shira was nothing like that. 'Genetic lottery I'm afraid, Ace.' Logan would always say 'Some people get awesome grandparents and some people get Mitchum and Shira'

Logan takes a deep breath and opens up the box on the table and takes out a photo for Victoria of a woman with dark hair, like her own, and very blue eyes.

"This is Lorelai or, more commonly, Rory Gilmore."

Victoria doesn't say a word but she takes the picture from Logan gently and stares at it intently.

"There are loads more photos of her in this box. And photos of you with her when you were a baby and your grandma, too." Logan says, passing her the box.

Victoria takes it quietly and shuffles through endless photos of the woman who's a part of her who she knows nothing about.

"Ask me anything you want about her, Ace. Anything at all."

"What's she like?" asks Victoria softly.

"Rory is... well Rory is strong. And funny. And very motivated. She loves movies and books and coffee and cake and... well she's so much like you, Ace. It used to kill me everyday as you became more and more like her and I missed her so much."

Victoria nods to herself, not looking up from the pictures. "And why did she leave me?"

"I can't tell you that, Vic." says Logan.

"You said I could ask anything."

"Yeah but I can't tell you that."

"Why not?"

"It's not my place."

"The whose place is it?" says Victoria, looking up for the first time.

"Rory's." says Logan. There's a small silence.

"Did she love me?" asks Victoria, unwanted tears springing to her eyes.

"Oh Vic of course she did. Does. She loves you so much."

"How do you know?"

"She asks for new pictures of you all the time. She asks me for updates on you 24/7. She wants to be a part of your life it's just that we both figured that...you're so settled and... we didn't want to upset you or confuse you or... make you give me that face you've got right now." says Logan

"How could you..."

"Please understand that we did what we thought was best. Neither Rory or me would ever do anything to hurt you."

Victoria stares at him, clearly still angry but another thought springs to mind.

"Why are you tellling me all this?" she asks.

Logan takes another deep breath and looks his daughter in the eye. Time for part two.

2017

"Come on, Victoria, please stop crying." says Rory to the stroller as she attempts to get it up the steps outside Luke's. Luke spots her and rushes out.

"Here, let me do this." he says, effortlessly picking up the stroller and carrying it into the diner.

"Thank you." says Rory.

"Don't be silly it's my pleasure." says Luke, putting a hand on Rory's shoulder. Victoria starts to cry again. Luke bends down and strokes her head then lifts her up and hands her to Rory.

"Thanks Luke."

"Now, what can I get you? Coffee?"

"You know me so well."

Luke pours her coffee and smiles at her and the baby. "She looks like you y'know?"

"Does she? I just think she's a mini Logan."

"No, I see some of you in there." says Luke. Rory's silent for a minute. "What's up, Rory?"

"Luke, did you feel connected to April straight away?" asks Rory, suddenly.

"What?"

"Did you have that instant connection with her as soon as you knew she was your daughter?"

"I...I mean I loved her straight away, if that's what you mean." says Luke.

"No, I mean a connection like everyone says they feel when they have a kid?"

"Well I guess I didn't have that instantly, no." says Luke, after a moments thought. "Why are you asking?"

"I don't know. It's just that mom talks about that connection all the time with me and her. And Logan clearly has it with Victoria but I... well I love her of course but, I don't know. It doesn't seem like the same thing."

Luke nods and thinks for a minute. "Just give it time, Rory. Parenthood is different for everyone. Just give it some time."

2033, part two

"Why are you telling me all this?" asks Victoria again, having not got an answer the first time.

"I've made a mistake." says Logan, eventually. "A big mistake. A thirty million pound mistake, in fact."

Victoria sinks back into her chair after having stood up in anger.

"The company is struggling." Logan continues. "And, as you know, I put a lot of our money into this company which we are now not getting back. I'm also getting paid a lot less."

"Dad, I..."

"Let me finish, Ace. I can fix this mistake. And I will. But it means a lot more traveling."

"Like four more months?" asks Victoria.

"Like four more years." says Logan. "I also can't afford to pay anyone to look after you."

"No more Lily?" asks Victoria, her heart breaking a little.

Logan shakes his head and massages his head.

"I'll be alright on my own, Dad." says Victoria.

"Not for four years straight, you won't."

"Oh please don't send me Mitchum and Shira." Victoria begs.

"I would never do that to you, Ace. You know that."

"Can't I come with you, Dad?" Victoria asks, desperately, sensing where this is going. "You know I want to travel and see the world. We can do it together."

"It's not sensible, Victoria. I'll be moving constantly and there won't be time for you to settle into a new school and you need a stable education for Harvard."

"It doesn't matter about Harvard." says Victoria, in tears now. "It doesn't matter, Daddy I just want to stay with you."

"No way, kid, you're too smart for that."

"So what's going to happen to me?" asks Victoria, dreading the answer.

"Well your mom's been pushing to see you for a while." says Logan, avoiding eye contact. "And I know it's not ideal at all but the timing is pretty amazing and Vic," says Logan, making eye contact with her for the first time. "I really don't know what else to do."

"You're sending me to live with my mom in America." says Victoria, stunned.

Thanks for reading this chapte! What did you think? Please review and let me know!