Again I am really sorry for taking a super long time to update. I was busy with work and got sick so that really took a lot of energy. However, I am going to try really hard to keep working on this story.

Rory and Logan were in Rory's room in her and Emily's suite at the Ritz in London. They were kissing on the bed and Logan was trying to distract Rory from not having to see his parents. His attempts were all in vain because Rory knew what he was doing.

"Are you sure we have to go out there?" Logan whined for what had been the one millionth times. "Trust me, they won't notice if we're not here and Emily is too worried about making sure everything is perfect to really care that we are in here unsupervised."

"Logan, for the last time" Rory said as if she was talking to a five-year-old. "It's not going to be that bad and it's very important for me to make a good impression on your folks. Isn't that what your Who's the boss phase taught you?" Rory giggled.

Logan rolled his eyes at that. "I really should have chosen a less embarrassing secret when we talked about things we were embarrassed about" he replied.

However, Logan was cut off by a loud voice. "Rory! Logan! They're here!" Emily called from the other room. She did sound a little stressed. Rory and Logan jumped up from the bed and Rory went to the mirror to straighten out her hair and check the little make-up she'd applied.

Then she went to the door, but turned around when she realized that Logan didn't follow. "Come on Logan" she said exasperated.

Logan groaned and reluctantly followed suit – he had a strong sense of foreboding about this visit from his dear parents.

A minute later Logan found himself sitting next to Rory and across from his parents after exchanging greetings and more or less faked pleasantries. He took one hard look at both of his parents. His Dad smiled but Logan could tell he was up to something. His mom wore her society smile – she looked friendly but he could tell she would rather do housework than be at this outing.

"Rory and Logan, would you like a drink?" Emily asked hoping to get the conversation rolling.

"I'll have a scotch neat" Logan immediately answered.

"I'll have a club soda with lime" Rory said and Logan smiled in jest. It was always confusing the way she pretended not to drink in front of adults.

Mitchum smiled and cleared his throat. "You know it's refreshing to see a young person not always reaching for the booze." He shot Logan a pointed look.

Rory grabbed Logan's hand. A part of her wanted to defend Logan but another part of her did not want to cause tension. Therefore she opted to just simply compliment Logan, "You know, Logan did a really good job at explaining all the different sites of Europe" she said and shot her boyfriend a reassuring smile. "Believe it or not, he actually knows more of this stuff than I do."

Emily nodded in agreement. "Rory is quite right. Not very many young men would wake up for tours early in the morning."

Mitchum smiled. "Well, of course Logan has always been smart. It's the way he applies himself that tends to be questionable."

Logan knew that would be the best compliment from Mitchum that he would ever get. He was grateful for Emily and Rory, who were able to take the subject off him. Rory should accompany him on get-togethers with his parents more often.

The first half an hour things went as smoothly. Rory, Mitchum and Emily had a discussion on the different places they had been to and the pros and cons about the different newspapers in the United States and Europe. Shira would join in occasionally but she tended to find excuses to go to the balcony or the bathroom. Logan could only hope she brought her smoking perfume if she did not want Emily Gilmore to find her bathroom smelling like a western saloon. Logan could not understand what her problem was. She and his Dad did not engage in an argument and while he did not spend very much time with his mother he knew she didn't have a grudge against Emily Gilmore. Logan sighed and brushed it aside. At least she wasn't causing any trouble that brought more drama to the afternoon.

Unfortunately – and of course – the drama free afternoon ended, when Mitchum put his cup of scotch down. "Logan, I see you have had a good time being in Europe but I'm afraid it's time your travels are over. You need to fulfill your responsibilities, especially after my kindness of allowing you to go to the South Pacific last year."

Logan shuddered at his father words. He hoped his Dad did not arrange for him to have a job somewhere. "What do you mean? It's summer, I had no commitments."

Mitchum paused for a minute. "I suppose it's partly my fault for not getting in touch with you sooner" he then said. "Of course, when Emily told me that you were in England I realized how wrong it was of me to leave you to your own devices. Luckily, I was able to pull some strings and get you a job at the London Herald. You start in two days." And then, without waiting for a response he turned to Emily. "Emily, I hope it's not an inconvenience?"

Emily did not find it fair that Mitchum would just spring something like this to Logan on the last minute, but it was not her place to argue. "I mean it's sad that Logan has to leave, but I understand that duty calls."

Logan could not believe the nerve of his father. "Dad, this is really sudden. Could we please wait until next year?"

"No, it's bad to delay important life decisions plus I'm sure Rory understands how important that is. Don't you Rory?"

Rory hated that Mitchum had just sprung a decision like that on Logan without discussing if it was what Logan wanted. However, she didn't want to put herself in the middle. "I guess I would do an internship if it was important."

Logan could not believe she would just agree with Mitchum like that.

"See, she gets it," Mitchum said pleased. "Emily, it's been lovely but Shira and I have to go."

"I'll have Rosa get your coats and I'll go get Shira from the balcony." Emily said in a rush thinking that maybe Logan and Rory needed to discuss things.

When everyone was gone, Rory said "So I don't think you're mom liked me very much…", referring to Shira's disappearances and the way she appeared to shoot daggers at them, but Logan did not seem to hear her.

"Why did you agree with him?" He then asked without looking at her. "Is having an internship more important to you than my father deciding my future?"

Rory couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Hey, don't take your anger out on me! That's what Jess used to do and I thought you weren't like that."

Logan couldn't believe she had the nerve to bring her up ex-boyfriend now. "I am nothing like him, but you shouldn't have agreed with him."

"I was just being polite, Logan!" Rory said with raised voice. "And if you didn't want to stay here than you should have stood up to him! And don't you dare accusing me of being weak!" With that Rory stormed to her room and slammed the door. She couldn't believe that in one afternoon things turned out to be so horrible.