Night had fallen before the town meeting had finally wound down and the last straggler had headed for home. "This town is exhausting," Logan said with a sigh plopping down beside Rory on the steps outside of Miss. Patty's. "For a guy who runs a newspaper stand that Bootsy knows more about the publishing business than I do."

Only after bidding Miss. Patty goodbye after she had locked up her dance studio for the night and began her walk home blowing them a kiss over her shoulder, did Rory turned her attention back to Logan. "You're sure about this?" It was asked lightly but Logan could tell she was very serious.

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life," he said taking her hand in his. "This is where I want to be."

"It goes against my nature but I'm going to have to take your word for it," resting her head on his shoulder Rory stifled a yawn. "No one has arranged for me to have partial ownership of a corporation before."

Logan chuckled as he pressed a kiss on to the top of her head. "You're worth it. You've always been worth it. You must be tired. You're in your second semester now and probably not as tired as you were in the first but you need your sleep."

Popping up Rory regarded Logan with a shocked stare. "Guys can read What to Expect When You're Expecting too. I wanted to know what you were going through, especially what I was missing," he explained before turning serious. "I'm not missing anything else."

"I was tired for the first few months," Rory said finally, fighting her emotions over his admission.. "But not so much now. I have a lot more energy and after today there is no way my mind is going to shut down and let me sleep. It's a nice night, not too cold. Why don't we talk?"

"I was hoping you would say that," Logan said jumping up and holding his hand out to help her up. "Can we walk and talk? There's something I want to show you."

"Something you want to show me at 10-o'clock at night in Stars Hollow?" Rory asked with a laugh but matched her pace to his and they strode down the deserted mainstreet before turning off on to a residential street.

"This is Miss. Bellow's house." Rory said when they stopped in front of a two story house with a neat front yard and white picket fence. No light came from inside but it was illuminated by the street light. "She taught me fourth grade and let me tell you, Bellow was a very appropriate name for her. The lady had a short fuse."

"Well apparently Miss. Bellow has retired and moved to Florida, short fuse and all. The house isn't on the market yet but I have it on good authority that she's looking for a quick sale." He turned to look at Rory, waiting for her to say something.

"You talked to Brian," Rory said with a laugh, referring to Lane's bandmate and local realtor. "It's a lovely house," she finally said. "Old, and well taken care of."

"The kind of house where you raise a family and grow old," Logan continued quietly. "The kind of house that's a home."

Resting her hands on the fence Rory finally turned to face Logan. "It's the people in the house that make it that kind of house," she said gently. "What are you saying exactly Logan?"

"I was fully prepared to come storming in here with a ring and a proposal after I got your letter," Logan said digging his hands into the pockets of his jacket. "I really thought that was the right thing to do. But then I had a reality check from Finn and Colin, of all people. They reminded me that the last time I did that I lost you. So I figured I needed a new plan. I don't mean the business stuff," he said before Rory could interrupt. "I mean, to prove to you that I was serious about building a life with you, raising a child with you.

"That's what I want. I always knew I wanted you, I just thought I had lost you. Even before I knew about the baby I knew I was coming back to you but I didn't think beyond the fact that I was free to do so. I didn't think about what I had to offer you."

"Logan," Rory said, laying her hand on his arm.

"Let me say it, Rory," he pleaded. "You would never ask me to change. That's not who you are. But I also knew that if I didn't change I didn't stand a hope in hell of making this work. I will never be the guy who cheats again. I will never be the guy who puts himself first again and I will never, ever be the guy that allows his pride to let him to walk away from the best thing in his life again."

"Am I allowed to speak now?" Rory asked, tears streaming down her face. "Because I hear what you're saying and I appreciate it. I appreciate all of it, everything you have done. And I'm not saying no to anything," she hastened to add when she saw Logan's face begin to fall. "I'm just saying that if we are going to make this work we have to start over. We both made mistakes in the past, we were both selfish and stupid. We don't have a choice now," reaching out she took his and in hers and laid it over her growing stomach. "We have to do better."

–

"I walked past this house every day back and forth from school and never paid any attention." Rory said the next morning as she walked through Miss. Bellow's empty house with her mother and Lane. "If you had asked me to describe it before last night I'm not sure I could."

"Well you probably avoided it," Lorelai piped up. "Miss. Bellow was a very unpleasant woman. I'm surprised the whole place doesn't smell like cats. She definitely had the aura of a cat lady to her."

"Brian gave me some information when I begged the key off of him," Lane said digging a piece of paper out of her pocket. "It's a Colonial, built by 's great, great, great, great grandfather, Jeremiah Bellows. He was important but I don't know why because Brian got distracted by a spider and started to hyperventilate so I took the key and ran. He needs it back in an hour."

"It's a beautiful house," Lorelai said running her hand over the stone fireplace. "It's been taken care of and loved. And with four bedrooms upstairs, it's obviously made for a family."

"That was what Logan said too," Rory murmured moving to examine the kitchen and dining room again, missing the meaningful glance her mother and best friend exchanged as they trailed behind her.

After a full minute of mouthed back and forth arguments that Rory remained oblivious to as she stood at the kitchen window gazing dreamily out in to the back yard, it was Lane to finally break the silence. "So, are you going to fill us in? I know the best friend pact means action before questions but I'm dying to know why I got a call from you at eight in the morning begging for me to get the key to our fourth grade teachers house."

With a smile turned to face them. "Logan wants to buy this house. He wants us to raise a family here."

"I've said it once, and I'll say it again, that Logan doesn't waste time." Lorelai quipped. "Wow. That's big."

"A house is a really big, grown up commitment." Lane agreed. "My palms sweat and my heart races when I start to think about how long Zach and I have left on our mortgage."

"Which is exactly why I'm not going to let him do it," Rory said. "He's done so much already. Even though it wasn't necessary I get why he did everything he did. But we talked last night and the days of Logan's grand gestures are done. So I'm going to buy the house instead.

"Before either of you can say anything," she rushed on, "I have not completely lost my mind. I also realize how much a house like this will cost and how little I make at The Gazette and have managed to save over the years. I have taken all of that into consideration and I have decided to take a page out of Lorelai Gilmore's book."

While Lane was visibly confused Lorelai began to shake her head wildly. "You are not asking your grandmother for the money, Rory. God only knows what kind of deal you will have to make. You might never actually get to live in this house if you are schlepping back and forth to Nantucket for Friday night dinner every week."

"Only the down payment and to co-sign," Rory said in her most reassuring voice. "She has already offered to buy me a house. I would much rather it be a loan."

"Okay, because you are obviously experiencing some rare form of weird pregnancy psychosis where you go totally insane due to all the hormones I will not bring up how completely and totally awful this plan of yours is. Instead I would like to know where Logan factors in to all of this?"

"Because rumour has it that Rory did not return to her apartment last night, but was seen leaving the apartment above Lukes, where the rumor mill has also confirmed to be where Logan has been staying since he arrived in town," Lane chimed in with a devious smile.

"Well now," feigning shock Lorelai turned to her daughter . "That does make things interesting, doesn't it?"

"I said no more grand gestures from Logan, it doesn't mean I can't pull one more off?" she asked with a grin. "I will call Grandma this afternoon, and" she said holding up a finger to silence her mother. "You will let me do it with no interference."

"She's crazy," she muttered to Lane but reluctantly gave her agreement.

"How about we meet for coffee this afternoon," she said as Lane locked up the house so she could return the key to Brian. "And I will let you both know how it went. I need to move fast so Logan doesn't know what's going on until it's too late.

"You guys go ahead," Rory said as her phone began to vibrate. "I'll meet you at Luke's at two, hopefully with good news."

Smiling as she looked at the display of her phone she greeted the caller cheerfully. Listening her smile grew even bigger. "I can't believe you're here. Absolutely I'll meet you for lunch. How about 11:30 at The Dragonfly? They have a fantastic new chef. Okay. I will see you then."