Steam and the sound of running water filled the room. Unscrewing the cap I prepared myself for a drink. Just one…and I'd put the bottle back and continue what I was doing.

Then the door shook, I threw the window back up and hastily and retied the string. I dropped the bottle out of the window, sending it crashing to the street.

"Logan…I left my book in there…can you hand it to me?"

Panicked, I searched the room for her book…finally finding it I cracked the door and handed it to her.

"What're you doing?" she asked.

"Well, the water's running…I'm half naked…all signs point to taking a shower…"

"Yeah, but you look nervous."

"You just pounded on the door, it scared me."

"Oh..." She replied, but I could tell she still thought I was up to something…though I couldn't blame her. I had just tried to down a bottle of Vodka.

She closed the door, and I re-locked it.

Looking down on the street I could see the full bottle, wasted and spewed on the across the sidewalk…apparently my haste had lead to a faulty knot.

I shut the window, telling myself that it was probably for the best. I took my shower and dressed for dinner, which was a new agreement with my parents. A suggestion of Shira's, but I knew it was a plan. I figured that because I was back at my apartment and actually holding down a job, they needed a way to keep tabs on me.

But I knew tonight would be different. Tonight I would, against better judgment, tell my parents I was back with Rory. I don't know why I'd decided to keep it from them this past week- fear, spite, maybe the shear desire to have a personal life?

Whatever it was, I had decided not to tell them until the opportunity presented itself, and I decided this dinner was a better time than any.

I dressed and Rory sat on the couch. I tied my tie watching her reading her book, she had an almost sad expression on her face. And I felt like I'd caused it. I felt like for the past week I'd been distancing myself from her, just because she had made me go to AA.

I sat next to her, "I'm trying to make this thing work." Even though I knew I was resisting as hard as I could, will still giving in.

She looked up at me.

"I want to do this AA thing, because you want me to…and I want to make us work this time." Which was true, except for actually wanting to go through with the AA.

"I know." She slightly smiled, though I could tell something was still bothering her. I hugged her, and resumed tying my tie.

"Well, I'll be back around…nine…nine-thirty…you'll be here?"

"Yeah…I have the next to last rally tomorrow…I think I'm leaving at eight, but I'll be here."

"Okay…well, I guess I can stall no longer…see you when I get back." I told her, opening the door and grabbing my jacket.

"Bye." She replied, not even looking up from her book.

Entering the house, I hung up my jacket, making my way towards the sitting room.

"Honestly, it was larger than the rest of her face…its good she had it done."

"You're so judgmental, mother."

"Well, who else is going to judge her? Her mother is a cracked up whore, and her father is off God knows where with his new family…"

"Poor girl."

"Oh, she's no girl…she's almost thirty. And hopefully she came to her senses and that's why she had it done…ugliest…Oh, Logan…you're here." My mother rose from her seat on the sofa to hug me, followed by Honor.

"Hey, brother." She said hugging me.

"Honor…what're you doing here?"

"I was invited…thank you very much."

"I just wasn't expecting it, that's all." I said, giving my mother a look.

"Oh calm down, Logan…your father is at the office and I thought it'd be nice to have your sister come."

I sat on the sofa across from Honor and my mother.

"Well, this is nice." Honor remarked.

"What is, dear?"

"Oh, just us…here…together."

"Yes…well who wants drinks? Honor?"

"Martini."

"Okay," she said going to the wet bar, "and Logan…ginger ale?"

"Oh…uh, yeah." I had briefly forgotten my parents knew about AA…which they thought was their influence, and which also meant I wouldn't get the chance to numb myself with scotch during these painful dinners.

"There you are." She said handing me my drink, and sitting back on the sofa. "So, how are things?"

"Things…uh…things are good…" I set my drink down, and looked back up at Honor…who was grinning from ear-to-ear at me.

"Well that's good, Logan…how's work?" She inquired next.

"Work is…work…" I mouthed "what" to Honor when my mother wasn't looking and she replied by grinning even more.

"So, Logan, what's new?"

"Nothing…Honor, what's new with you?"

"Oh, nothing…"

My mother sighed, "Would you excuse me, I told that stupid excuse of a cook to have dinner ready at seven…exactly seven…it is now seven-ten…idiots…" She got up to go to the kitchen and Honor quickly came to the sofa I sat on.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"That you're back with Rory!"

"What- how do you know?"

"Logan…you and Rory go out in public. People see, people talk, and people told me."

"Okay…"

"So…what happened?"

"Well, we just talked and she-"

"Well, apparently Victor burnt dessert, so-" She stopped, and looked at us. "Look at you two, sitting together." She smiled. "Anyway, dinner is ready now, if you'll come to the dining room."

I gave Honor a warning look and followed my mother to the table.

"So…new table?" I noticed the new, dark wood table.

"Yes, came last week, from Italy."

"Its nice…"

"Thank you," she said, taking her seat and folding her napkin in her lap. "I'm sure we'd be able to eat when we sit down if we had decent help who knew what time to serve dinner." She said, loudly and in the direction of the kitchen. "I guess I should go check again." She said, irately, getting up and going into the kitchen.

"When are you going to tell her?"

"When…she's not yelling at the help…"

"Logan…"

"Look, you haven't been here for the past-" I stopped as there was a loud bang from the kitchen, I dropped my voice, "you haven't been here for the past months…I can't just tell her, she won't be happy, she'll probably throw something, and this night won't end well."

"You don't know that."

"She never liked Rory…she didn't think she was good enough. You remember the whole fiasco the night she came over, I really don't want to have to deal with a repeat."

"Yes, but things have changed since then."

"Also giving mother more time to hate Rory."

"She doesn't hate her."

I gave her a look that suggested she was being naïve.

"Okay…but my point is you have to tell her, and the sooner the better…" she trailed off as Shira re-entered the room.

"Sooner the better, what?"

"Uh, the sooner we eat, the better." She laughed, quickly lying.

"Well, Victor is having it sent out in five minutes apparently…so what'd did I miss?" She sat back down in her seat.

Honor gave me a look.

"Mom…I have something to say…"

The maids finally brought out the salads.

"Well say it."

I nervously looked to Honor, who pushed me to go ahead. "Rory…" Her head snapped up, "and I are back together…" She lowered her head and began picking at her lettuce, eating a few pieces. "Mom?"

"What, honey?"

"I said Rory and I are back together…"

"I know; my ears are fine, thank you." She continued picking at her salad.

"Don't you want to comment on that, mom?" Honor asked.

"I prefer not to."

"Okay…" Honor traced off, picking at her own salad.

"So, how's Dad?" I asked after three minutes of everyone picking at their salads.

"Fine." Came my mother's reply.

I gave Honor an "I told you so" look, and she mouthed sorry and shrugged.

"I just don't see why you have to do this, Logan." My mother said putting down her fork. Apparently the silence was too much for her.

"Because I want to."

"Oh, you don't know what you want! You're just a boy."

"I'm twenty-five."

"That doesn't mean you know what you want."

"I love Rory, despite what this family thinks…she's good for me-"

"She broke your heart!"

"Yeah, that was in the past."

"So you're just forgiving this girl?"

"Yes, I am…and I think I'll go now. Have a nice dinner." I rose from the table, grabbed my jacket on the way out, and went to my car. I dialed Rory's phone.

"Hey…"

"Hey, so have you eaten?"

"Not yet."

"Well, you want to go somewhere?"

"Yeah, sure…but what about your dinner?"

"I'll explain when I see you…where do you want to go?"

"Well, actually…I thought we could eat in tonight…maybe watch some movies…"

"Yeah, sounds good…I'll see you in a couple of minutes." I hung up the phone and pulled out of my parent's driveway.

"Oh my God these are good egg rolls." I laughed at her enthusiasm as we ate Chinese on my couch, watching Good Fellas.

"Well, Joe's Chinese has always had exceptional egg rolls."

"I know, and the name alone just amazes me. I mean usually anything with the name "Joe's" is going to suck, especially if its linked with something foreign…but no! These egg rolls are amazing…"

"I figured you'd like them." I grinned, "So what's on the agenda tomorrow?"

"The rally…"

"Ah, yes, the rally…"

"Then I have to write the article about the rally…and that's probably going to take up all my free time."

"What a shame…"

"Why?"

"I just thought we'd do something tomorrow, but you obviously have more important things," I teased.

"So do you."

"I do?"

"You have AA tomorrow."

"Oh…yeah…I forgot."

"But we can do something the next day."

"Yeah."

"So, you never did tell me about dinner?"

"Oh, well…I told my mother about you, after Honor persuaded me…and she didn't take its so well."

"I didn't really expect her to…"

"Neither did I, so I just left…I didn't feel like putting up with her."

"Aw, poor Honor, she was left with the aftermath."

"She's a big girl, she can take it."

"Even the biggest of girls can't take Shira Huntzberger."

"Yeah…" I exhaled, deciding I should bring something else up. "Look, Rory-"

Her phone started to ring, cutting me off; she answered it, forgetting that I was talking to her.

"Hey." There was a long pause and a wide smiled grew on her face. "That's great! When?" She continued smiling and listening. "The twentieth? That soon…well I know." The person on the other end, who I could clearly hear, kept rambling and finally stopped, probably to take a breath. "Oh that…just the TV, Logan and I are watching Good Fellas…yeah, quit busting balls…but I'll talk to you later, okay? Alright, bye mom."

"So what was that about?"

"My mom and Luke are engaged."

"Again?"

"Yeah, they're apparently getting married September twentieth, at the gazebo in Stars Hollow."

"That soon?"

"Yeah…well I mean I think they've waited long enough…"

"Yeah…" I said, my arm around her, staring absently at the floor, remembering where I was about to bring the conversation before her mom called.

"Logan?"

"Huh?" I said, still staring.

"Is something wrong?"

I tore my gaze from the floor, and turned to look at her…considering what to say.

"No, nothing's wrong." I decided against bringing the subject up.

"Okay…well, I've got to get up early, so I think I'll go to bed."

"Alright," I kissed her, "I'll be in, in a minute."

She left the room, and I went back to thinking. I had considered telling her that I wasn't doing the AA thing anymore…that, even though she demanded it of me, I was through. I believed it to be unnecessary, and a waste of time.

I got up, and went to bed, deciding I'd keep that a secret.

Okay…I've updated! Woo hoo. But I decided I'm starting a new fic, and I'll try to keep updating as…much as I can.