Before Rory realizes it, a year has passed and she and Logan are able to sneak away for an anniversary trip. He meets her in Venice and they spend a week riding in Gondolas, eating their weight in pasta, and savoring the moments with each other. It is, as always, over way too soon and Rory finds herself back in the States. Since a year is past, she and Logan feel more confident in their marriage, especially since it's been mostly long distance, but they still don't know how to go about going public with it.

It is frustrating for both of them. But, neither of them see a solution. Neither do Odette or Rory's grandparents. They have an added stress now of Mitchum and Odette's family pushing for Logan and Odette to get engaged. They have pushed back and put it off, but Rory worries that an engagement announcement is forthcoming.

Thankfully, she has gotten to know Odette over the last year and has come to consider her a close friend. While she can talk to her grandmother about some things, there is quite the generational gap. Having Odette as someone to talk to has helped Rory immensely with any anxieties she has and she has come to consider her a good friend. It certainly surprised Logan, but it definitely surprised her more. She initially wanted to hate Odette because they had to include her in their plan. But Rory has discovered that Odette is well read, articulate, and quite smart.

Rory snaps out of her reverie when her phone rings. She looks down to see Odette is calling. She is at home in Stars Hollow and is thankfully at home alone. Lorelai is at work and Luke is at the diner. She answers, smiling as she greets, "Hey! How are you? I haven't talked to you in ages!"

"I am doing well. How about you, Rory?"

"I'm not doing too bad. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Well," Odette hedged, "I have several reasons for calling."

Rory immediately tensed, anticipating a potentially stressful conversation. "What's up?" she asks.

Odette sighed. "Things are not improving with the 'marriage' talks here. My father gave me a prenup today."

Rory sucked a breath in. She knew that this was potentially going to be happening soon, but she hoped they would have longer to prepare and anticipate this day.

Odette continued, "I know that we were all hoping for more time. I am assuming that if I have a copy, Logan will already have one also or will be getting one of his own."

"I honestly can't believe they're already pushing it," Rory told her after a few moments of silence.

"I agree, but I also know that Mitchum and Papa want to make sure they secure everything between us. I am reading over this document and I am worried. If we sign, then we might run into potential problems when it comes to 'breaking up' down the road."

They were silent for a few moments. Eventually, Rory asks, "Can you scan and send me a copy of the prenup? I want to see if my grandfather can possibly look over it or if he knows someone who can to help advise us."

"That's a good idea. I can't believe I didn't already think of that! Once we finish, I will scan it to you."

"Thank you, Odette. I don't think I say it enough to you considering everything you have done for Logan and I this past year."

"Rory, you do not have to thank me. I have come to regard you as one of my best friends over this last year and I am happy to do what I can for the two of you. I should be thanking you for allowing me to break from my societal mold!"

Rory laughed. "How about we both agree to meet up soon and dispense with this thanking business?"

Odette laughed as well. "I can get behind that easily."

They spent the next few minutes going over their schedules to see when they would be in the same city, or at least close enough that one of them could travel to the other for little cost. They agreed on a date and were just hanging up when Rory heard her mother drive up.

"Ok, I'll see you soon, Odette. I need to go because my mother just pulled up outside."

"Of course, mon cherie. I will e-mail you shortly."

Rory had just hung her phone up and flung it to her bed when she heard the front door open. "Rory? Are you still here?"

"In here, Mom!"

Rory is sitting at her desk reading over an article when Lorelai walks in. "Do you never stop to relax?" she asks Rory as she sits in the arm chair in Rory's room.

Rory shrugs and looks at her mother. "What are you doing here so early? I thought you would be at the Dragonfly for a while longer."

Lorelai gasps. "Can I not come home to see my darling daughter? Maybe I missed you or wanted to talk to you. You ever think of that, huh?"

Rory cocked an eyebrow at her. "You can. But, you just saw me, what? Five hours ago, if that?"

"Fine," Lorelai huffed. "I was bored and there was nothing to do at the Inn. Since we've finally started turning a profit and hired a manager, I don't need to be there as often. So, I decided to come see my daughter and see if she wanted to go to lunch with me. My treat."

Rory rolls her eyes. "You can't say it's your treat when you're just going to take me to Luke's where you get free food anyways."

Lorelai mock gasped. "Why, whatever do you mean?"

Rory laughed. "Fine, come on. If I'm going to eat, I need to do it now. I need to get this article finished tonight so I can send it off."

It was Lorelai's turn to roll her eyes. "Please. You work too hard. I'm sure if you don't get it done tonight that you'll be fine."

Rory gathered her things and looked at her mother. "Yes, everything would be fine. Except that my article was late and I'd probably never be offered to write for this magazine again."

"Well, when you put it that way…" Lorelai grumbled as they walked out of the house.

The first few minutes of the walk was silent and Rory used the opportunity to appreciate the beauty of Stars Hollow. Snow had just fallen the day previously and it was beautiful to look at. Alas, it wasn't meant to last as Lorelai started chatting.

"So, you haven't told me about any boys recently."

"Mom, I think I'm to the point that we can stop calling them boys."

"But they're toys, honey. I think you can still call them that. But you are deflecting. So, what's up?"

Rory sighed. "I'm still seeing Paul."

Lorelai scrunched her nose up in confusion. "Paul? I thought it was Pete."

Rory rolled her eyes, thankful her mother couldn't see her face. She didn't like that she was "dating" someone in New York, but she and Logan agreed it was necessary. She went to a speed dating event, a fact her mother doesn't know, and met Paul there. He was the most bearable of the guys she met that night. When he asked for her number, she explained the situation to him. If needed, she would have paid him to act like her boyfriend. But, it didn't come to that. Paul agreed to act like her boyfriend when needed and he was free to see others if he so chose. "No, he's always been known as Paul."

Lorelai shrugged. "Whatever you say. How is he then?"

"Good," Rory told her as she pulled open the door to Luke's and snagged a table.

"Good? That's all you have to say? That's what you say after a night out that you don't want to repeat. That's what you say when my mother forces you to go to an event with her. That's what you say—"

Rory interrupted her, "I got it Mom. You can stop. Jeez. He's on a business trip, so I haven't talked to him recently."

"Oh, why didn't you just say that?"

Rory stared at her. "I would have if you had given me an opportunity. Instead, you jumped on my word choice and picked it apart the way a professor would rip your paper apart."

Before Lorelai could respond, Luke came up to the table. He was dressed in his normal flannel shirt and baseball hat. Rory was glad to see him. Ever since she and Logan started their charade, she found it harder to be around her mother for longer periods of time. She loved her, of course, but because she was keeping such a big secret from her, Rory found it hard to tolerate her mother's laissez-faire attitude about a lot of things.

"Hey Luke! How are you today," she asked him, smiling.

"I'm good, Rory. Lorelai, why aren't you at work?"

Lorelai pouted. "I can't decide to come visit my boyfriend whenever I want?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "Of course you can, but shouldn't you be at work? You've been leaving early a lot recently."

"Maybe it's because I have a hunk of burning love waiting for me at home."

Rory could swear she saw Luke start to blush at her mother's comments. Luke ignored Lorelai's comments and instead said, "I assume you both want coffee?"

They both nodded. Luke poured the coffee and asked, "Burger for both of you?"

They nodded again. Lorelai also said, "Make sure you don't add any of that fancy stuff to it either."

Luke looked at her weird. "Fancy stuff? You mean lettuce?"

"Yes! That's what it's called! I don't want any of that on there."

He rolled his eyes and Rory could hear him grumbling under his breath about crazy women. With Luke's interruption, Rory was able to steer the conversation of her love life and get Lorelai talking about some of the things she missed at the most recent town meeting.

It wasn't until later that night that Rory was able to open up the e-mail Odette sent her with the prenup. She opened the document up and read through it, but she definitely didn't understand any of it. She checked the clock and saw it was just after nine. She could call her grandparents to see about going the next day, but with her luck, Lorelai would come in at the worst moment.

Luckily, or unluckily, her grandparents figured out texting a few years before and she was able to text them about things she didn't want her mother to overhear. She quickly sent off a text to her grandmother about stopping by for tea the previous day and sat back down at her desk to finish her article. A few minutes later, her phone dinged, signaling a text. She checked and saw it was a confirmation from Emily for the following morning at 10 o'clock. A bit after that, she finished her article and sent it to the editor.

At this point, she finally allowed herself to relax and collapse on the bed. She would love to talk to Logan, but he wouldn't be up for a few hours yet and she didn't want to wake him up. She sighed. It was definitely getting harder to be apart from him for such long stretches of time. She was feeling the pressure. And, when she and Logan were together, she could tell that he was also. She would give anything to be able to just announce to the world that she and Logan were married and that they were happy together, his family be damned.

It was these thoughts she had running through her mind as she fell asleep.

Upon waking up the next morning, Rory saw that Logan sent her a long text message apologizing for the prenup and telling her that he loved her. It was a great way for her to wake up, even with the prenup issues, and she walked into the kitchen with a pep in her step.

She poured coffee and sat at the table, pulling the newspaper sitting there closer to her. She heard her mother walk into the kitchen and listened as she poured coffee in her cup before joining her at the table.

"So," Lorelai started, "what do you say to playing hooky today and we go shopping?"

"I can't," Rory told her, feeling bad as she said it. She would love nothing more than to go shopping because it would take her mind off the entire Logan situation.

"Rory!" Lorelai whined. "Come on! Whatever it is, you can totally blow it off!"

"I can't, I swear. I'm meeting Grandma at 10."

Lorelai grimaced. "Why are you meeting her?"

Rory inwardly sighed. She wanted to avoid telling her mom about her trip to Hartford if possible, but this whole hooky thing necessitated her telling her mom of her appointment. "I haven't seen her in a bit and I wanted to get by to see her and Grandpa."

"Rory, come on! You see her all the time! Just this once, blow her off!"

"Mom! You know I can't do that. I would never hear the end of it and, if she found out why, you know Grandma would have a conniption."

Lorelai sighed and glared at Rory. She grumbled, "You're right…I don't like it, but you're right. I would never hear the end of it whenever we talked."

Rory could see that her mom was bummed, so she decided to try to compromise. "How about we meet for a late lunch, around one o'clock, and do some shopping after?"

"Really?" Lorelai asked, perking back up.

"Yeah. We can go to that place you like to eat. I can't think of the name…" Rory said, struggling to remember that place her Mom always raved about.

"Panera!" Lorelai exclaimed.

"Yeah, that place. We can do that."

"You are my favorite daughter. Have I ever told you that?"

"I'm your only daughter, Mom. So I have to be your favorite."

Lorelai shrugged. "Doesn't make it any less true."

Rory rolled her eyes and laughed. She checked the time and saw that it was later than she originally thought. She quickly finished her coffee and placed her cup in the sink. Rory told her mother bye and went into her room to get ready. Since she was going to her grandparents, Rory had to make sure she looked nice enough that her grandmother wouldn't make a comment.

She quickly selected a floral print dress and some flats to go with it. Going into the bathroom, her hair didn't look too bad, so she touched it up with a straightener and put her make-up on. She quickly finished getting ready and gathered her things. She forwarded the email with the prenup to her grandfather so they could print when she arrived. After making sure she had everything, she made her way to the car and started the drive to Hartford.

Upon arriving, her made her way inside after being welcomed by a maid and found her grandparents in the dining room waiting for her.

"Rory! I am so glad you asked if you could come over today! How are you?" her grandmother gushed, standing to give her a hug.

"I'm doing well, Grandma. I'm glad I could come by too, even if it is for ulterior motives. How are you Grandpa?" she asked she she walked over and hugged him as well.

"I am doing well as well, Rory," he told her with a nod.

Rory sat and waited as Emily called the maid in with the tea service. There were already scones and sandwiches on the table and Rory's mouth watered at the site. Tea, scones, and sandwiches from tea time were some of her favorite things from England and she misses it when she is not in London.

Once the tea was laid and poured, Emily cleared her throat. "You have a prenup for us to look over?" she prompted.

Rory nodded and looked at her grandparents. "Yes. It's what Odette sent me yesterday. Apparently her family and Logan's family are trying to push forward with the 'dynastic' plan. They're both worried what this prenup could mean down the line if they sign and we go public."

"Well," her grandfather started, "I am not an expert on prenups, but I have seen my fair share of them through the years. From what I can tell, it seems to be fairly straightforward. Nothing unusual for this set at least. I did see where Mitchum and Odette's father have written in that a business merger will happen upon the marriage of Odette and Logan. But, other than that, nothing at all that raises any eyebrows."

"What do you mean a business merger?" Rory asked, confused by that.

"Essentially, it's worried in such a way that upon their nuptials, Mitchum will buy out part of Odette's father's company. It looks like it's part of his publishing group. It might be all of it."

"Does that make it more difficult?" Emily asked, looking concerned.

Richard shrugged. "I don't think so. Since Logan and Rory are married and they can prove that, I think when the time comes, that proof should be more than enough. They were married well before the prenup is signed, if it is. Though, knowing Mitchum, he will pursue some kind of legal action when that happens."

"Do you think they shouldn't sign it then?" Rory asked, worrying her lip.

"It's hard to say. I think they should hold off as long as they can and even try to convince everyone that a prenup isn't needed. It would certainly make everything a lot easier."

They fell silent and sipped their tea for several moments. Rory was incredibly worried and she was sure her grandparents could tell. To try and assuage her fears, Richard said, "I've sent a copy of the prenup to a trusted friend that will look it over and advise us on what to do. And, before you ask, it's the same person that helped us right after you and Logan got married. So, we have nothing to worry about with it getting out."

Rory breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't exactly what she was hoping for, but it did go a long way to helping her feel better about everything. Emily stated, "Ok, let's move onto happier topics. How are you and Logan doing? Will you be seeing each other any time soon?"

Rory smiled at her, grateful for the topic change and settled in to fill her grandparents in on her life, Logan's life, and their life together. Though she didn't know it, it was exactly what she needed right then and, by the time she left, she almost couldn't remember why she was so stressed in the first place.