Rory walked back into the Hartford Courant for the first time since Christmas. She was still working up to taking on a bigger role so she'd managed to take a decent amount of time off over the Christmas and New Year break to be with Ava.

As she was sat her desk that morning, her colleague Becky, who was a major gossip was keen to talk about the holidays. Rory, on the other hand, would have much rather have said nothing at all, as she wasn't exactly keen to flaunt her new relationship around the office quite yet.

"Hey, Rory, did you have a nice Christmas and New Year? What did you do?" Becky asked sweetly.

"I did thank you, I mainly spent it with my family" Rory smiled politely. "Did you have a nice time?"

"Ugh," Becky said "Not really, lots of dull family parties and not even a hint of a man to kiss under the mistletoe. Thoroughly disappointing. Say, you're single aren't you Rory? I mean you're not dating anyone at the moment? We should totally go out soon, try and find ourselves some hot guys." Becky said pulling her diary out of her bag "Let's make a date right now!"

"Oh well, I…" Rory stammered, wondering how she was going to extract herself from this. A night out with Becky was not high on her list of things to do, not now, not ever. "Well, the thing is, I'm not actually single." Rory inwardly cringed. She hated talking about her personal life at work at the best of times and that applied even more now that she was dating Logan.

"You're not?" Becky looked at her with interest "I thought you said…"

"It's new" Rory smiled. "But I really don't want to talk about it too much, you know, I just don't want to jinx it" she whispered. She needed to say anything to get Becky off her back.

"Understood," Becky said tapping her nose.

They went back to their work but Rory was a little distracted as she sat and tried to concentrate on the article she was trying to draft. When she had taken the job she had told Ed, the editor-in-chief, that there was nothing going on with Logan but now that the situation had changed, she kind of felt that she needed to be upfront and honest with her editor about the potential conflict of interest, as she really liked working with him.

She stood outside Ed's office and tapped lightly at the door.

"Yes?" Ed called "Oh Rory," he said, "What can I do for you?"

"I just wondered if I could have a quick word?" Rory said tentatively as she hovered by the door.

"Sure, come in". Ed sat back in his chair and looked at her "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything is fine" she paused "It's just…I really want to be honest with you."

"Okay…" Ed said intrigued. He could tell that Rory was a bit nervous about whatever it was she wanted to say.

"Well you know that I have a child, Ava and you know that her father is Logan Huntzberger…." she trailed off.

Ed nodded. He was only too well aware that she was linked to the Huntzbergers. As much as she didn't want to be treated differently, he was a little wary, knowing that ultimately the Huntzbergers were responsible for his paycheck at the end of the month. The last thing he wanted to do was get on the wrong side of one of them.

"And when I started here told you that there was nothing between us, and at the time that was absolutely correct but well, we kind of reconciled over the holidays," she said. "I know this isn't exactly relevant to my work here and you're probably wondering why I am foisting my private life on you at all, but I guess I thought that it was only prudent to let you know that I am actually now dating the bosses son." Rory grimaced.

"Wow, okay," Ed said.

"I really don't want that to change anything in any way, I'm not spying or going to be in cahoots with the Huntzbergers or anything…" Rory rolled her eyes.

"Nice use of the word cahoots Gilmore" Ed smirked.

"Thanks" she laughed "but seriously, nothing has changed between myself and Mitchum – we're still not top of each other's Christmas cards lists. I just happen to be in love with his son is all."

Ed looked at her. "So it's pretty serious between you guys then?"

"Erm, well it's really early days so I wouldn't like to say too much but yeah, I guess in the future…I mean, we already have a child" she laughed "It doesn't get much more serious than that does it."

"You're right Rory" he laughed. "Well, I appreciate you telling me. There will be zero weirdness from me but expect there to be some talk when this gets out…"

Towards the end of the week, Rory decided to go to the Huntzberger Publishing Group offices in Hartford to surprise Logan for lunch. Ava was spending the afternoon with Richard and Emily and Rory and Logan hadn't really managed to see much of each other that week. She happened to know that he was pretty free all day.

She walked through the glossy entrance of HGP and announced herself to the receptionist that was sitting behind the big marble desk in the middle of the foyer.

The receptionist looked up at Rory as she approached the desk. "Hello, may I help you?"

"Yes, I'm here to see Logan Huntzberger," Rory said.

"Is he expecting you?" the receptionist asked.

"I don't think so. Could you please tell him that Rory Gilmore is here to see him?" Rory said.

"I'll just try his office now," She said "Hello, Mr Huntzberger? I am sorry to bother you but I have a Rory Gilmore here to see you? Okay, yes…very well. Thank you, Sir" The receptionist turned to Rory with a smile that was almost verging on sarcastic. "You may go through," she said before turning away from Rory to answer a call.

"Thank you" Rory made her way through to Logan's office. She'd been here once or twice before but under rather different circumstances.

"Knock knock," she said as she tapped at the door.

"Well isn't this a surprise" Logan smiled as he looked up and saw Rory standing by the door. "Come in!"

Rory walked into his office and looked around. Nothing much had changed since the last time she had been there – that was except for what was now hanging on the wall in front of her.

"Oh my God," she said with a gasp. "You put it on your office wall?" she turned to look at Logan.

There hanging proudly on the wall in all its glory was the canvas that Rory had given Logan as a Christmas present.

"Yes….shouldn't I have?" he said as he looked at her.

"No! I mean yes, I guess it's up to you…it's just that everyone will see it…" Rory said.

Logan smiled "Does that really matter? Everyone has pictures of their kids in their office Ace, it's not unusual, and I happen to be very proud of my little family."

Rory felt her heart melt a little. "No, I guess I am just surprised that's all."

Logan shrugged. "I seem to spend more time in here than I do anywhere else. If I've got to sit in an office all day I'd rather do it looking at my girls" he said with a wink as he pulled her down on to his lap. "Plus, it's an awesome picture, we look very happy."

"We do look happy, but I think that's probably because two minutes before that picture was taken we were making out on my bed" she laughed.

"Oh, you're right" Logan laughed. "That must be it. Anyhow, to what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?"

"I haven't seen you much in the past few days so I thought we could have lunch," Rory said handing him the bag of food.

They sat and talked while they ate their lunch at his desk. It was the first time that they'd ever done anything like that and they both thought how nice it felt just to take that time out of their working day to see each other.

"What are you doing now?" Logan asked as Rory packed up the remains of their lunch.

"Going into the Courant and then I have to pick Ava up from my grandparents," she said.

"Why don't I come and get you from the Courant in a bit and then we'll get Ava together and go for a walk in the park or something," Logan said.

Rory smiled "That sounds nice but I'm going to finish at 3 pm? Is that not a bit early?"

"I think I can sneak off early every once in a while Ace, it kind of comes with the territory" he smirked.

Rory was just packing up her stuff in the office when she saw Logan walk in. In fact, even before she saw Logan walk in, she could feel the buzz around her so she knew that something was up. Everyone recognised the young Huntzberger. They were all fully aware that he was the son of the CEO and that one-day he would be taking over HPG and ultimately become their boss at some point and it always put people on edge a little.

"Hey," he said as he walked over to her desk and put his hand on her back.

"Did you really have to come all the way in?" she said quietly as she noticed everyone looking at them. "These lot are going to feed off this for ages. They'll talk about us for days"

"Oh let them, what's the big deal? We may as well just put it out there" he shrugged. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes, come on" She shook her head, picked her bag and followed him out of the office while her colleagues whispered behind her.

They jumped into Rory's SUV and drove to her grandparent's house to collect their daughter. When they got there Ava was excitedly running around the house and Rory had to try and hold back a smile at Emily trying to contain this smart, energetic four-year-old which thanks to the fatal combination of Gilmore and Huntzberger genes was pretty much able to run circles around most of the adults she knew.

"Ava, now stop," Emily said as she tried to catch hold of the little whirlwind whizzing around them. "Your mother and father are here to pick you up."

Ava stopped in her tracks and looked up at Logan with her big blue eyes. "Daddy! Are you sleeping over with mommy again tonight?"

The amused smile that had been plastered on Rory's face dropped immediately when she heard her grandfather Richard splutter on his drink. She looked over at Logan who was trying to suppress a smirk.

"Erm, Ava, why don't you and I go and wait in the car for mommy," he said leading her out by the hand. "Emily, Richard, it was nice to see you" he nodded in acknowledgement while Emily glared at her granddaughter.

As soon as Ava and Logan were out of earshot Rory braced herself for what was going to come. Her grandmother was not going to approve and of course, she would let that be known.

"Rory! What is going on?" Emily demanded.

Rory took a deep breath "Well, I've been meaning to tell you…I probably should have told you already, but Logan and I…well we're kind of seeing each other again"

"Kind of seeing each other. What does that even mean?" Emily looked at her granddaughter sternly.

"Exactly that. We're together. He's my boyfriend, I am his girlfriend" Rory said pointedly. She was no longer a child but yet her grandparents still managed to make her feel like she was sixteen years old.

Emily raised an eyebrow. "And you're sleeping together"

Rory cringed at hearing Emily say that, even though it should be perfectly obvious that with a child, the likelihood would be that they were.

"Well…" Rory started.

"In your apartment?" Emily asked.

"Grandma, with all due respect, I'm not sure that's any of your business," Rory said.

Richard walked over to where Emily and Rory were stood. "The girl is right Emily, leave them be, they're adults now, where they sleep is no concern of ours."

"Very well, I shall say no more," Emily said, "Though it's not the sleeping I am worried about…"

"Thank you," Rory said gratefully "Look, I had better go. Logan and Ava are waiting outside for me…"

She said her goodbyes to her grandparents and Rory went outside to the car and opened the door. "Thanks for that" Rory said as she got into the car next to Logan.

"What did I do?" Logan said playing innocent.

"You abandoned me in there!" she exclaimed. "I was Gilmored!"

"If anyone can handle your grandparents Ace, it's you. Besides, do you really care what they think?" Logan asked.

Rory thought about what Logan said for a moment. Did she care what anybody thought? She guessed on some level she must, but ultimately she knew that their relationship had nothing to do with anyone else.

They sat in the park and watched Ava play, Logan having to get up and down several times to push her on the swings. Rory admired his seemingly never-ending patience with her as she knew that she would have got fed up with her daughter's demands a long time ago but Ava had her daddy right where she wanted him – wrapped around her little finger.

After the park, Rory dropped Logan back off at the Hartford Courant offices where he had left his car when he had met her earlier. He leaned over to kiss Rory goodbye as he got out of the car. "So, I'll see you at the weekend I guess?"

Their goodbyes always felt a little awkward, like neither of them really wanted to say it and they were still both learning what was acceptable – should they see each other every day? Was once or twice a week like normal enough? Rory thought it was definitely a bit of a learning curve and while she wanted to see him as much as possible she really didn't want Logan to think that she was being too demanding.

"Yeah" Rory smiled. "The weekend sounds good"

"Okay then," he said. "Ava, be good for mommy this week and I'll see you in a few days okay?"

Ava waved at him as he closed the door and Rory pulled the car out of the car park. "Mommy, I want daddy," she said sadly.

Rory looked in the rear view mirror at her daughter. Ava had rarely got sad about leaving Logan, she'd always been very accepting of the situation as she had known no different. "Oh honey, you'll see him in just a few days."

"But I miss him now" Ava pouted.

"I know you do sweetie," Rory said trying to soothe her daughter.

"So why can't he come home with us," Ava asked.

"You know daddy has his own home and he has to go to work…" Rory said "He can't be with us all the time"

"Oh," Ava said quietly as she looked out of the window.

When they got home to their apartment, Rory made a quick dinner for her and Ava and then she got the little girl ready for bed. She lay down next to her as she read her one of her favourite stories and slowly Ava drifted off to sleep. Rory looked across at her sleeping daughter, she reminded her of Logan every time she looked at her. She always had done which was part of the reason that Rory had always found it so hard to move on from him.

As she lay on her own bed, in her head, Rory replayed the conversation she'd had with Ava in the car. Maybe having Logan around them more was already taking its toll. Ava had never really expressed any emotion about leaving Logan before, apart from the usual toddler tantrums, but this felt different somehow. She had been sad and was clearly all of a sudden finding the separation harder to deal with and Rory didn't like that all, but she wasn't sure what to do about it.