Chapter Eleven

I woke late at 2pm stretching out the kinks from the old mattress. Mom was sitting in my room staring at me holding a cup of coffee like a lifeline. She kept staring at it, then at me.

"Stop looking at me like that, and drink your coffee." I grunted and turned over.

"I can't" she mumbled. I sat up. It demanded full attention when my mother said no to coffee.

"Why?" she looked at me dead seriously and I became severely worried.

"Rory," her voice broke and I flew out of bed to her side. "I'm pregnant." She smiled at me and a tear rolled down her cheek. She repeated herself "Rory, I'm pregnant" I swallowed and looked up at her. She was glowing with happiness. "I can't drink coffee, because I'm pregnant." She handed me the coffee, I put it on the side.

"Does Luke know?" was the only thing I could think of.

"Not yet, he's not back. I took a test this morning. It was positive." She beamed at me.

"This is good, right?" I asked completely unsure about her reaction.

"Yes Rory. I'm pregnant." I smiled at her and we hugged. She was full of happiness actually eating a proper breakfast of cooked food. It seemed Luke had implanted more than just a kid into her. She had learnt to cook.

"Luke thinks we should knock out the wall, build outward. That way we could have a spare room for all my clothes. But, it looks like that might have to be a nursery" she mused as she turned some bacon in the grill.

"Do you want a brother or sister?" she asked as simply as if it was bacon or eggs.

"Mom, you know it doesn't work like that" she laughed

"Who says it doesn't? When I had your little troublesome body inside me, I kept saying. It'll be a girl. It'll be a girl. Lorelai wants a girl…and then guess what happened?"

"You had a boy" I jibed.

"Not unless you want to tell me anything" she narrowed her eyes and we both burst into laughter.

I returned to my room to finish an old book while mom jumped up and down with Luke.

An hour later she stuck her head around the door.

"Rory, do you still have your baseball bat?" I looked up from the book sliding in a bookmark.

"Why?"

"Luke's at the diner and there's a strange Australian man poking his fingers through the letter box calling for Ms Gilmore." I scurried up off the bed. "I was going to invite him in for tea, but Luke strictly banned me from inviting strange men into the house after the last incident."

"Kirk?" she nodded and followed me to the letterbox where fingers were still sticking through and Finn cried out for 'Gilmore' in a haunting voice. I knelt down while mom leant against the wall.

"Finn, what are you doing here? You scared my mom half to death" he removed his fingers and lowered down to look through the letterbox at me.

"Rory love, thank god you're here, it saves me a killer journey. Logan's been looking for you like mad. He thought you'd been kidnapped."

"She has, go away or you're next" my mom shouted. I shushed her.

"Why, is something wrong with Logan?" I asked. Finn stared at me confused.

"Besides the fact his one and only left him high and dry." My mother let out a low whistle.

"Mom. There's a movie on TV today I think you'll really like."

"Signal received loud and clear" she commented and toddled off but I had no doubt she would be listening still.

"I don't get it" I turned back to Finn "He was going to leave me at the end of the week anyway, what's the big deal?"

"Okay. Now I'm really confused." I stood up and opened the door and sat outside on the bench with Finn. "Why did you leave?" he asked as we sat.

"Finn, you know Logan. He keeps dates for a week at most then they go away. I overheard him on the phone to his sister; he said he'd finished it by the end of the week. So I saved him the trouble and left. What's the big fuss about?"

"Uh-oh. Oh no. big uh-oh. Gilmore we got big trouble."

"Finn, what? Tell me what's going on."

"That's not you. Honor rang to tell him some delusional fan girl was outside the house asking for her boyfriend Logan to come out." Oh crap.

"Well, I may have slipped up on that one, but still Logan will have to end it with me anyway. He's a player type of guy; it was fun for a week yeah. We both knew it had to end."

"Rory, love. How many times does Logan bring a girl to the brigade?" I shrugged. "You're the first. The only one Logan has ever brought for himself. Now let me ask you, does Logan spend time with you when he doesn't have to?" I shrugged again. "Yes. Remember the poker night, and the bar. Remember all the other things he skipped on us for you instead. Miss Gilmore you are not another fling to him." My heart crowded my throat. I hug my head and hugged my knees. I had screwed it up.

"God, I hope I'm not sober when all this goes down" he prayed in mutters. I laughed broken between the noiseless sobs.

"Rory, pet. It's not your fault at all. You did what you thought was right." He slung his arm around me. I heard dialling on his phone. He stepped back as my head snapped up. Shit he was ringing Logan. Oh god. I lunged forward, he sidestepped and held the phone at distance. He hit speaker phone.

"Finn, have you found her?" he sounded genuinely worried.

"Yeah." I sagged to the floor; he caught me and fell too. "She's here…whether she's alright or not…that's an entirely different question."

"Finn is she okay, what happened?"

"Remember why you hate your sister?"

"Finn" he growled a warning to stay on topic.

"Hey, stay with me here, I've got you another reason that's all." Mom walked out slowly and took me from Finn holding me to her, calming soothing me with words of caffeine and baby room décor. She always knew how to distract and smooth.

"She heard the phone call?" Logan guessed.

"And if you heard solely you're end of the conversation, I'm pretty sure you'd be pissy and emotional too" My mom slapped Finn's shoulder.

"Ow. That hurt." She mouthed a sorry.

"Finn, what the hell? Is she there? Is she alright?"

"She hit me"
"Rory?"

"No her mom hit me. Bloody hard as well." He complained.

"She's in Stars Hollow. I'm on my way there now."

"Logan. Don't be an arse." He told him then hung up. "What the hell? That bloody hurt, you slap harder than Rose" He told my mother. I laughed against her.

"Yeah well, you deserved it. My baby is not pissy and emotional. She got hurt by your jackass of a friend."

"No argument there. But Mrs Gilmore-"

"It's Dane now. But you should call me Lorelai, otherwise I feel old" she held up her wedding ring.

"Well congrats. As for the topic of Logan. He's on his way here now, and just so you know. Rory is not a fling. We've all seen Logan's flings, but this treasure is anything but. We all love her."

"Yeah well, you can tell Mr Huntzburger to take better care of the things he supposable loves." I wriggled out from her.

"No, I suppose it was my fault anyway."

"Rory, we've been through this. Females never have to apologise for any inference or comment overheard during conversations with males. It's our god given right to be nosy and twisty. Likes it's theirs to be arses. They don't apologise for it, so why should we."

"It's true" Finn agreed looking glum.

30 minutes later I was fidgeting on the sofa while mom let Finn try out his chat up lines on her in the kitchen. Giving me space to think. My phone buzzed.

Rory, I'm sorry. Come outside.

I checked in on the gossip in the kitchen and tip toed out the door. Logan stood in the drive leaning against his car. His hair was barely tamed, pushed back with many strokes of his fingers. His clothes were shrugged on his body without care for appearance and his eyes lacked their glow. I slipped down the stairs and crossed the lawn slowly to meet him halfway. We stopped barely inches from each other. Silent. I felt like my heart was hanging outside my own body bearing fiercely against my ear drum.

"It wasn't you Rory. Not like that, I don't want to lose you. Rory, you're not just another girl to me." his voice cracked half way through and I looked up to his face. He hadn't slept.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have thought it was about me, but I always knew you'd break up with me." He closed the distance pulling me to his chest. I wasn't crying; I had already finished with tears, but my breathing broke pattern often as I talked.

"Rory, I love you" I froze against him at the words. "I'm not scared Rory. I love you, more than anything. I'm not leaving you, and I don't intend to. I hurt you, I know I did. Even seeing you know I can tell you don't trust me. Rory what can I do?"

"I love you too Logan" the words seemed natural "But, you've promised this to other girls and then tossed them aside. How am I meant to believe you? I want to, but I don't think I can" Ever practical as the Gilmore; thinking always with your head.

"You're right." He moved a step back but kept hold of my hand towing me to his car.

"Finn!" he called back to the house. Finn magically appeared at the doorway with my mother smiling behind him. "We're moving, bring the creator of this angel" Finn took my mothers hand and led her to his car. She didn't protest. Whatever what happening she must know about it.

"Logan, where are we going?" I asked when he stepped in his side of the car.

"Look in the glove compartment ace" I stared at him while he pulled out of the drive, closely followed by Finn. I flipped the draw open, on top of several bunches of papers and documents where was a red bag with Rory scribbled across it. I pulled it out.

"Open it Ace" I frowned in my confusion but I had learnt not to ask questions. I fished into the bag, my fingers wrapped around a velvet box. I popped it open and my jaw fell.

"Logan…this is a ring."

"It comes with a proposal." He answered and kept driving. My dream flooded back to me. I sat bolt up in the chair.

"It's the 24th." I muttered. "It is the 24th right?" I asked him. He nodded. "Oh my God…It's true…it came true."

"Ace, what the hell?" he grabbed my hand tightly shaking me back to life.

"Are you going to ask me to marry you?"

"Ace, I love you, I want to be with you. What's so wrong with that?"

My head was spinning, all my thoughts came up with was a round of 'oh god oh god oh god' spinning over and over.

"Ace, say something" he squeezed my hand.

"You're serious" he nodded vehemently. "You really want to marry me?"

He laughed but it wasn't his usually light mood "Of course. Unless you aren't up for it. Rory, what are you thinking?"

"At the moment, I'm wondering that too"

I mean on the one hand were still quite young, but… my argument was silly except that it wasn't just love for Logan it was a pull toward him, like I couldn't breathe without him. If I believed in soul mates, they would be my words. I pulled my phone back out instantly texting my mother.

I'm confused I sent her simply.

So he asked you to marry him then I fidgeted in my seat. How did my mom know?

Did Finn tell you?

I stole your phone last night for a good yell at him, and well he told me what you heard so…I told him the only way would be to prove he wanted you forever. Then he asked for my permission to marry you. And not to 'hint hint nudge nudge' you. But you did cry your entire heart out for that man, which means a lot of heart went into it. You know what to do. I trust and love you fully, no matter what you decide. And Finn says I can keep my dress if you say no.

I smiled. Logan was getting edging in his seat. I pulled the ring from the box and stared at the gold band costing lord knows how much.

"Wait…if I marry you, I want everyone there." I suddenly thought out loud.

He smirked "are you agreeing to being my wife?"

Without a pause I knew in every inch of my body I was saying yes.

"Rory Huntzburger, does have quite a ring to it…"

"Ace, you gotta say it, you gotta say you will" I beamed in my seat.

"Logan, I want to marry you, to do the honour of being your wife." I curled my fingers back around his. The ring slipped onto them. A perfect fit.

"Rory. I love you. And it's a good thing because everyone at the church is waiting. Lane said she would help you into the dress as well"

"You brought Lane. And you brought me a dress."

"How do you get married without a dress and a best friend?" I leaned against his shoulder kissing his cheek as he kept driving.

"Thank you"

"Don't thank me yet…I have one more proposal for you." I stiffened.

"Alright, though I can't think of anything else you could possibly need" he laughed, back to the warm bubbles that made me melt to him.

"Will you join the Life and Death brigade?"

"Logan…that's quite a lot to dump on a girl in one day"

"I have a feeling you can handle it."

"How do I initiate anyway? Nobody told me."

"And nobody can. All we can say is that it pushes your limits. It faces your fears. It's a thousand times more deadly than anything else we do and very few have the guts to accept. But, I believe in you Rory"

"I suppose that's not so bad then…death defying, possibly bordering mentally unstable. I understand how Finn got in at the very least" he laughed.

"So you'll do it?" I nodded "Great, there's just a formality thing we do which we can do after the main gig. Otherwise, I have a good feeling you'll be happily surprised."

"I'm going to be knackered by the end of today." I groaned and slouched back. He pulled me closer to him.

"Where do you want you're honeymoon?" I sighed.

"Somewhere warm where I can lie topless on the beach" I teased.

"I'll find us somewhere ace."

I ran my fingers across my phone sending back to my mother.

I'm going to be Rory Huntzburger. My baby sister is going to be very confused.

We'll always be Gilmore blood though, and no name can take that away. I'm pretty sure it's a boy though. It feels like its going to be wriggly.

It could be a very hyper girl. Besides you know you can't feel it yet.

Actually a girl might be nice, that way we can drown Luke in shoes when he does something bad.

Mom, you're pregnant and I'm getting married.

I know. I love you baby girl.

You too.

Logan stopped the car outside the church and instantly lifted me onto his knee for a hell of a re-union kiss. Finn interrupted clearing his throat and knocking on the glass. He led us into the church.