:After some editing, you might notice a few things that are different... such as Finn's full name. This seems to flow better.
Chapter Seven
Rory's first days at home with her baby were interesting. She never knew how much she loved sleep until it was barely existent in her life. The house remained a mess regardless of how hard she tried. And although she appreciated the constant visits from her mother and Luke, Lane, and even the occasional visit from Emily, it still proved difficult to handle everything on her own. The endless rocking, changing, feeding...
Thankfully Lor was a content baby, barely ever too fussy unless hungry, but the transition to being a mother was still a challenge for Rory. She'd never really wanted children. Never really loved the thought of her being a mother, it just never came naturally to her. But, she did her best. Solicited advice from her mother, from Lane, even Paris helped to ease her fears that she was falling short in some way.
With the first week behind her, Rory grew more comfortable. She had a routine down and everything just seemed to fall into place. Thankfully she recovered from the actual birth quite quickly and was even able to head out to Colin and Steph's for a quiet little brunch a week after her delivery.
It was still strange, watching Colin holding a baby, but somehow not as strange as it had been seeing Finn do the same thing. Still, it was an enjoyable day with two of her friends, who were equally as enamored with her daughter as she was. Rory and Steph talked, about babies and showers and although Rory was through all of that, Steph was just starting. She was due in four months. Plenty of time to have everything ready.
Rory couldn't help but look at her own baby and wonder what she'd be like then. Four months. A lot could happen in four months.
Once the baby talk was done to death, Steph didn't loose anytime picking a new subject. She teased about Finn, of course, but thankfully neither she or Colin made a huge deal about the fact that he'd stayed in the hospital with her. Saving her from confessing what he'd done. Saving her from dredging all of that back up again. Rory didn't want to even think about it but she knew she wouldn't be able to ignore it for long.
It was a couple days after her brunch with Colin and Steph before she actually saw Finn in the flesh. He'd kept in touch via text and phone calls but that had been it, seeing as he had been overly busy with work, until Rory came home from breakfast and he was sitting on her front step. Gifts and flowers at his side, for both mother and daughter.
Before she was even out of the car Rory was smiling, laughing to herself as Finn stood and threw his arms open wide as if to ask where the hell she had been. She climbed out of the car and yelled at him across the hood.
"Waiting long?"
"Forever." Came his response as he left his things by the door and jogged over to the car, eager to see Lor. He opened the door and grinned at her little face, already changing since he'd seen her last.
Rory grabbed her purse and came around the car to meet him, just as he withdrew the carrier from the car and shut the door. She stood next to him a second, waiting for him to acknowledge her, but he seemed too interested in her little girl. He cooed over her foolishly until he got the tiniest hint recognition from her then he turned to Rory and kissed her cheek.
"Hello luv."
Rory smiled, not quite understanding how much she'd missed having him around until now.
"You finally made it." She remarked, feeling only slightly awkward to have him here at her house without warning.
Finn just smiled at her. He'd been away for a week but it felt like years, he hated it. Hated the way he had checked his phone compulsively, hoping for a message he might of missed. The way he always found himself scrolling through his photos, pausing always on the ones of Rory and Lor. He'd begun to hate his work, something he'd never done before. Hated the ease in which his mom had noticed something was different with him. He hated the way he couldn't hide it from her.
"Finally made it." He amended with a smile.
Rory lead him to the house, chatting away happily, filling him in on everything and anything. He followed her inside, glancing around curiously as he drank in every detail of the place. The warm yellow walls and framed travel posters in the little entrance foyer which he hadn't actually noticed last time. The mountains of books wherever he looked. A basket of laundry in the corner of the living room, overflowing with pink onsies and baby blankets. He smiled, somehow loving all the subtle chaos.
Rory took the carrier from him, offering to make coffee and then disappeared into the kitchen with Lor, allowing him to linger around the living room or join her. Whatever he wished. Finn's curiosity sent him into the living room, towards the wall of framed photography opposite Rory's massive bookshelf. There was pictures of her and her mother. Her Yale graduation picture, standing with her grandparents. Another younger picture of her, cap in gown, making a face at the photographer. Finn grinned, chuckling at that one. A younger Rory he didn't know but was sure he would of loved.
He continued on. Looking at the pictures of her friend Lane's wedding. Some raven haired boy with his face in a book. Another one of her mother and Luke, dancing together. Then... Finn paused at the last one. Taken at Colin and Steph's wedding. A dark, candid photo of all the guys sitting around a table drinking together like the Rat Pack. He remembered that. It had been after dinner and after all the obligations of toasts and handshakes were completed. When the bride and groom were free to mingle with their closest friends. He was sitting next to the lucky groom, his arm thrown casually over his shoulder as he told him something funny. Colin's head was thrown back, laughing aloud at whatever he'd said. Logan, sat across from them, knocking back his own drink. And Robert, dear Robert was next to him, watching some beautiful woman walk by... as usual.
Finn stood back, just staring at that picture. Dark and dusky. Dancing couples in the background, the boys together in the foreground of the dimly lit ballroom. The beginning of the end. It looked so poetic.
Rory came into the living room silently, Lor laying against her chest, and stood back as she watched Finn just standing there looking at her photos. It didn't take her long to notice which one caught his complete attention. The large one of Colin's wedding. It was one of her favorites. Her boys.
She padded over to him silently, bare foot, and just stood there with him.
"Pretty soon we'll be back there." She mused softly. "I still can't believe it. Robert... married."
Finn scoffed softly. No, neither could he. 'Mr. Seven wives and disowning his whole family' had certainly changed.
"You bringing anyone?" Finn asked then, still looking at the photo, his focus on the image of Logan captured there.
"I thought I'd take Lor with me to the ceremony." Rory confessed, hugging her baby to her. "But I'll probably duck out of the reception."
"What? No, you've got to come, luv." Finn protested, looking down at her. Without shoes she seemed strangely tiny next to him. He almost wanted to laugh because of how delicate and tiny she appeared, almost like a child without her six inch heels. He'd gotten used to those heels of hers.
Rory frowned but she was clearly in debate about it. "I want to, I just... with Lor... its just..."
"Come, luv. We'll all be there. It'll get you out. You need to have some fun darling, you just had a baby."
"Exactly. I just had a baby. I should be home with her."
Finn frowned, pouting slightly. He was quiet a moment then... "Don't make me call your mother."
Rory scoffed, laughing at him and gave in. "Fine. Fine. Ok. I'll see what she's doing that night. But I'm just asking. There will be no 'leading on'. No suggesting. No planting of ideas in any way. If she's busy then I come home, no exceptions."
Finn nodded solemnly, then innocently added "Call her now?"
"Why now?"
"The suspense is killing me." He offered, trying to be helpful and optimistic but then his expression soured into one of sadness and defeat. "... and Steph wanted a headcount."
Rory sighed. Fine. She returned to the kitchen, grabbed her phone and called her mother.
"Hey, mom. How are you?" Rory greeted her brightly, scowling at Finn as he made his was casually into the kitchen.
"Good, kiddo. Everything ok? You just left and already you miss me, eh?" Lorelai replied just as brightly with a theatrical sigh.
"Yes, exactly that."
"I thought you were taking a chill day? Netflix and laundry. Isn't that what you said? Did you forget something over here? Lor's stuffed duck thing or that hideous blanket your grandmother bought her?"
"No. No. I was just... well... apparently Steph needs a headcount for Robert's wedding this weekend and I-"
"Oh, you want me to take Lor for the night?"
"No. No. Its ok. I was actually going to take her with me to the ceremony but-"
"Well, how about I pick her up after the ceremony? I've got some errands to run in Hartford that can wait until Saturday and if I get a lift with Sookie I can pick up your car and Lor, and then you can hit the reception- let your hair down and party like its 1999. I could call you a fancy town car even if you wanted, to take you home, or you could get a drive with someone." Lorelai offered, checking everything off her list. "Hey, maybe Finn could give you a lift home?"
Rory stood perfectly still. Her eyes sliding effortlessly across the room to settle on Finn standing there, rocking on his heels as he arched his brows innocently waiting for the verdict. Rory's gaze narrowed. With a sneaky suspicion, she moved slowly around the room, playing innocent herself.
"Oh yeah, you think Steve would want to go with me? I mean its a lot to ask, last minute and everything."
Finn's rocking ceased. His brow furrowed unhappily, as if a wrench had just been thrown into his perfectly oiled plans.
"What? Honey, what are you talking about?" Lorelai questioned. "Steve who? Who's Steve? Like Lane's Steve? Isn't he a little young?"
Reaching the sink, Rory shouldered her phone and grabbed an empty baby bottle off the counter, turning quickly she chucked it across the room at him. "You called my mother?!"
Finn dodged it, laughing.
"Hon. What's going on?"
"Nothing." Rory laughed into the phone, threatening to throw another bottle at Finn, now wisely hiding behind the pantry door.
"Ok... so you'll go to the reception?"
Rory sighed, setting the bottle down on the drying rack. "Yeah, I'll go."
Finn's head poked out from behind the door, as he yelled towards Rory. "Thanks Lorelai! Worked like a charm!"
On the other end of the line, Rory head her mother laugh as well. "Have fun kiddo, and give that Aussie a kiss for me... or you, whatever."
"Bye." Rory hung up the phone, at odds whether to catch him off guard and throw something else or just laugh. "I can't believe you called my mother."
"Hey." Finn grinned, shrugging innocently. "Had to be done, Rory luv."
"What happens if we-" Rory stopped short, biting her tongue.
She turned away, blushing, but a sudden knock at the door saved her from any further embarrassment. She went immediately to answer it, leaving him alone in the kitchen to think about what she might of said. A dangerous move, really.
From the kitchen Finn heard the commotion. He frowned, his brow furrowing curiously as he slowly made his way over to take a peak at the visitor. Although Rory had veritably shrieked a name, he expected it to be an old girlfriend, not the solidly built man with raven hair and an easy grin who came in the door. Finn's eyes slid to the floor as Rory hugged this man and proudly showed off her baby. He heard all the words of congratulations, the apologies for not being there... Finn stood up a little straighter and moved towards the entryway just as they came towards the hallway, nearly running into him.
Whereas Rory was wildly explaining how well Lor was adapting, the man stopped short as soon as he saw Finn. He dropped his duffel bag on the floor and nudged it out of the way with his boot.
"Sorry. Didn't know you had company."
Rory looked quickly at Finn, smiled then turned back to Jess. "Oh, yeah, sorry. Finn just stopped by to check in. Jess, this is Finn, an old friend from Yale. Finn, this is Jess."
Finn offered his hand, which Jess took and shook solidly.
"Nice to meet you, mate."
Jess nodded reservedly. "Same here... I think."
Finn's smile faltered a moment, wondering how he should take that when he remembered where he'd heard the name before. Yes. This was Rory's old boyfriend. The one Logan had met so long ago and instantly took a dislike too. Apparently it had been a mutual dislike. No doubt this Jess was still holding a grudge.
Not particularly eager to get into anything with one of Rory's friends, let alone a man with arms as thick as his torso, Finn decided wisely to make an exit.
"I should let you two catch up." He told them with a light smile. "Far be it from me to cramp Rory's style."
"No." Rory quickly interjected, stopping him. "Stay. We were having coffee. Jess, coffee?"
"Uh, sure." He nodded slowly, still eying Finn a little suspiciously.
"Ok. Should we sit outside? Its so nice today, would be a shame to miss out."
Both men gave a little shrug, agreeing to whatever she said, and then followed her back into the kitchen. Finn didn't know what he was doing, staying, when he'd wisely decided to leave already. Clearly Rory and Jess wanted to catch up, seeing as their visit seemed long overdue. He watched as Rory transfered the baby to her friend's arms. Rather jealously actually, as he watched Jess smile over her and tell Rory how beautiful she was. Finn didn't like that. He wasn't jealous. He just wasn't built for it.
Rory sent Jess out onto the back porch, giving him a blanket for Lor, and offered to bring the coffees herself. Jess obeyed, a little knowing smile on his lips as he glanced between Rory and Finn, loitering by the coffee, but left and closed the door behind him.
She turned to Finn almost immediately.
"I'm sorry. I had no idea Jess was coming today. He sort of just rolls into town without any notice, and then picks up and leaves again whenever he wants to. Never calls, never texts. It's like he likes it that people never know where he is. He co-owns his own publishing house in Philadelphia, so he has the freedom to live a very Una-bomber existence. It is nice to see him, sure, and I wanted to introduce him to Lor but I just would have preferred it to be... not today. We haven't seen you since-"
Finn chuckled, all disappointment and jealousy forgotten. He reached out and gave her arm a little squeeze. "Rory luv, it's fine. I just came to buy my way into Lor's affection. No ulterior motive here."
Rory sighed, grateful for that, but glanced at the flowers he'd brought on the table. They were beautiful. No doubt the best money could buy, but those weren't for Lor. That was obvious. They were for her.
She turned back to Finn. "No?"
Finn chuckled, grabbed two mugs and filled them. "None whatsoever."
Rory raised a brow, a silent accusation.
Finn sighed. "Did I go insane this week, not seeing you and that freakishly cute baby of yours? No. Did I blow off work and formulate a clever ruse to come here? No. That's just desperate luv, and we both know I am never that."
Rory gave her head a little shake, sliding the third mug over for him to fill. "No? Somehow I remember a particular 'Rosemary' who used to make you quite... desperate."
Finn laughed at that, yes she was right, but he made no comment. He just tossed his head towards the door with a look of warning, sending her out ahead of him while he carried the remaining mugs of coffee out onto the porch.
Rory handed hers over to Jess, who'd taken the chair to the left, leaving the little two-seater for her and Finn. Rory looked at Jess, that damn smile of his, and knew there was something coming. Some choice remark or underhanded insinuation. Still she sat, giving him a silent warning with her eyes, and said nothing.
"So, Finn, was it?" Jess began, his tone bright and full of ease. "What do you do when your not paying house calls?"
Finn's lips curved slightly, reading well into that question, and sat back his arm around the back of the love-seat, behind Rory. Was that him staking a claim, innocently and quite stylishly? He wasn't sure but he did it anyway.
"I'm an R&D manager for a new tech company expanding into Hartford."
"Impressive." Jess nodded, sipping his coffee.
"Not really, but it was the old man's dream so it's where I am. What about you? Rory tells me you own a Publishing House?" Finn questioned, genuinely quite interested. "Sounds like a tough business to be in these days, thanks to tablets and the like."
"That wont stop Jess. When we were kids he was never without a book." Rory spoke up, seeking to join the conversation before the two men got too far into their cross-examination of each other. One she feared might get bloody, as it had with Logan. "He used to steal them from school, the bookstore, even my library and write in the margins of every one of them as he read."
"Channeling your inner Hemingway. Very nice." Finn nodded approvingly. "Love that man."
Jess managed a little frown, not quite sure how to take that. He hadn't expected this Yale friend of Rory's to even know and care who Hemingway was, let alone his reading or writing habits. Wasn't this an old friend of that idiot ex-boyfriend of hers? Shouldn't he be a carbon copy of that guy... some silver spoon lackey?
"So you were at Yale with Rory?" Jess questioned. "Same classes or...?"
Finn looked at Rory, sharing a little smile. "No. I mean unless I just never showed up for those particular classes. I believe we met at a party? No... the Safari excursion... no... wait..."
Jess looked at Rory, mouthing 'safari?' but she just shook her head, waving that off. There was no way she would have been able to do that explanation any justice right now.
"... I vaguely remember a redhead. Is that right? Oh please, luv, tell me I'm close at least."
Rory gave her head a little shake. "Well, sort of. We met the day before that particular hallway 'encounter'. When Colin ran into my friend Marty by the coffee kiosk... and then insulted him."
Jess frowned, not following at all, but Finn laughed.
"Sounds like Buttercup." He chuckled. "So, why do I remember a redhead?"
"Because you were always looking for a redhead." Rory smirked. She looked across at Jess. "It's true. The day after the coffee kiosk, he comes running into the hall outside my dorm room like some wayward dog trying to sniff out a particular scent that is far too old to track but desperately trying anyway. He was trying to find some girl he'd met the night before but of course he had been drunk so didn't remember her name."
Rory turned her head, looking at Finn with a very sad and disappointed motherly look. "As I recall when I asked you what her name was you said... 'it was short'. 'It was short'? That's all?"
Finn grinned, trying not to laugh. "Forgive me luv, but that was years ago, and I had been drunk. You said so yourself."
Rory rolled her eyes, turning back to Jess. "Anyway. So that is Finn, at Yale. Ever in pursuit of a redhead and always getting lost along the way."
Finn looked off longingly into the middle distance, apparently still cut-up about that fruitless search.
"And you guys became friends because of that?" Jess asked incredulously. "I find that a little hard to believe."
"Yeah, well." Finn frowned, unable to really transition to this topic easily. "I think you've met a mutual friend of ours. The one who truly facilitated our eventual friendship and... well gave us no choice, seeing as we were always haplessly thrown together socially at every turn."
"Yeah?" Jess questioned, with an astute little frown.
"Logan." Rory frowned, averting her gaze rather shamefully.
Jess knew this already but he looked at Finn, choosing to obey the warning look in Rory's eyes.
Finn only smiled lightly though, surprising him. "You made quite the impression on him, that's for sure."
Both Jess and Rory frowned, choosing to glance at Finn for answers instead of each other. It was quite evident that he held all the answers on this topic, but that only seemed to intrigue Jess more then anything else.
"After he met you, we all heard about it. Never seen him so irritated since Robert took darling Rory here to my party." Finn smirked, sipping his coffee.
"You actually remember that?" Rory scoffed, quite surprised he could remember anything with the amount to drink he'd had that night.
Finn glanced sideways, offering a little growl of warning before turning his attention back onto Jess as he continued the tale. "Being threatened certainly changes a man. He had it out for you from the first second."
"Yeah, I sort of got that impression." Jess glowered.
Rory smile waned. Glancing down at the coffee mug in her hands, her lips formed a pensive frown. She remembered that night. When Jess had shown up without any warning, given her the first book he had published... finally with his life all coming together... and Logan showed up. He took them out for a drink and offered dinner but in such a backhanded way that Jess had stormed out. She'd followed him of course, but the ensuing fight with him and then Logan had made it a night she would not soon forget.
"Glad you gave it back to him." Finn continued, breaking the silence and honestly surprising Jess. "When he's being an ass, he needs to know."
"Like now?" Jess snarled, resisting the urge to glance pointedly down quickly at baby Lorelai in his arms.
"Jess." Rory objected, she gave her head a little shake, scowling at him. This wasn't the time.
"No." Finn replied slowly, a dark look on his face as he leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "A few months ago. That was the time."
Rory looked at Finn, frowning. Was he talking about the fight?
"Someone set him straight?" Jess questioned, narrowing his gaze as he held Finn's dark look. It was as if they were talking short-hand, discussing something between the lines. They hardly knew each other but somehow they both knew exactly what the other one meant.
Finn nodded slowly. "Yeah."
Rory cleared her throat, trying to think of something else to say to change the subject to before they got to serious about all this. She looked at Jess and Lor a moment, desperate to think of something to ask him when a purely random thought popped into her head.
"Hey, didn't you used to wear nail polish? I think you were wearing some that day. I definitely remember something weird like that."
Finn chuckled, sitting back and visibly relaxing once again. "Excuse me luv, weird? There's nothing weird about that."
Rory looked at him, full of disbelief, and turned to Jess for aid.
"Hey, don't look at me. I mean, it's not my thing but it was for Curt Cobain, Depp and even Leto."
"Thank you." Finn declared, throwing an arm out in Jess' direction before narrowing back in on Rory. "See, Rory darling. Nothing weird about me."
Rory scoffed, smiling to herself but it didn't go unnoticed by Finn, nor Jess for that matter. He watched the two of them. Rory seeking solace in her dwindling mug of coffee and Finn, looking down at her with that smile. The kind of smile he used to wear when he and Rory were dating, back when she'd do something incredibly cute and frustrating but you couldn't do anything but just smile at her... amazed at her for just... being her.
Jess cleared his throat, not really enjoying what he was witnessing unfold before his very eyes.
"You weren't into the whole Goth scene or anything, were you? I mean any black lipstick, eyeliner... chains?"
Rory turned purposely to Finn, grinning widely, as if to say 'Yeah, Finn? Wear anything like that?'
His jaw clenched, irritated and enamored beyond belief by that look on her face, Finn tried to look innocent.
"No chains, no lipstick... as far as I can remember. Although... there were a couple select holidays and Spring Breaks that I've never been able to account for."
Jess arched a brow. "But the other...?"
"Yeah. Oh yeah." Rory nodded enthusiastically, looking at Jess.
"Hey, I looked good, darling." Finn protested, not at all ashamed for his fashion choices. "Don't deny it. You can't argue with history, besides this is just the whole tired knitting debate all over again. Eye liner, nail polish, the whole lot of it was a man's thing centuries before you women came along and stole it from us."
"Excuse me?" Rory laughed. "Don't tell me you knit too."
"No. I'll leave that to little mothers with nothing else to do." He challenged, widening his eyes in mockery before he got up and saved himself from any physical retaliation. "Top up on your coffee, Jess?"
"No, I'm good, thanks."
Finn picked up his mug, and Rory's without her even saying a thing, and returned inside to the kitchen.
Alone now, Rory turned to Jess with a little smile. "Lor seems to like you."
"Yeah, well she doesn't know me very well, we did just meet after all." He replied with a smile. "But she's great Rory. My money's on her looking like you. Those Gilmore eyes... I already see her knee deep in Bronte and Wilde."
Rory smiled brightly, leaning forward, elbows on her knees and nodded. "Yeah. I hope so."
"Listen..." Jess said quietly, leaning forward as well. "You want me to come back? I could duck out for a while, drop my stuff at the diner and meet up with you later."
"Why?" Rory frowned, sitting back a little. "You're here now. I haven't seen you in weeks, I want to catch up."
"Rory, come on." Jess gave his head a shake, that knowing smile on his face. "You don't need me here. You and this guy clearly have something-"
"What?" Rory laughed, shrugging it off nervously. "No. What are you talking about?"
Jess just stared at her, patiently waiting for her to answer that for herself. She would. He knew she would.
"There's nothing going on." She frowned, looking pensively into her lap. "Nothing. Just..."
"What? Play nice?"
Rory scowled at him. "Yes. He's a good friend. And as stupid as that sounds, yes, play nice Jess."
"Why do I have to like him?" Jess questioned with a little frown. "What's so important about-"
"Because Jess." Rory snapped. "You are important to me. We're family. And sure, Finn might of been one of Logan's friends once but he's still my friend and he's important to me and I'm not about to ruin anything I have going with either of you. He looked out for me back then and he's been looking out for me again these past few weeks. He never left my side when I went into labor. He's a great guy. A really great guy. He really is. You'll like him, I promise, Jess. Just give him a chance."
Jess seemed a little skeptical but he didn't argue.
Fine. He'd play nice. For now. He actually didn't hate this guy like he had the last. He didn't have that bad feeling. Sure, he didn't like what he saw, especially considering this was Rory but he didn't feel threatened. He didn't know why exactly. Maybe it was because he'd finally come to terms with their relationship. It was what it was. They'd been in love. They still were, depending on how you defined 'love', but it was different now. They had accepted the fact that the weren't supposed to be together, no matter how great it had been as wild kids together.
Still... that didn't mean it was easy seeing her with someone else. Even if she denied it, there was definitely something between the two of them. 'Just friends' didn't look at each other like that.