Sugar and Spice: The More Things Change
By Misha

Disclaimer in prologue.

A.N- This chapter introduces the PoV of characters other than the Gilmore girls.

Chapter Twenty- Reporter Girl Changes Everything

Stephanie kept an eye on Reporter Girl, as Christa asked her too. It wasn't hard, because even in the outfit Christa procured for her, Rory still stood out. It was actually becoming glaringly obvious why Christa was adamant that her sister wouldn't fit into the LDB.

Stephanie watched as Rory was about to approach a group of Adams' supporters and decided to waylay her, conscious of Christa's instructions. "Hi Rory." She and Rory had only met a handful of times, because Christa tried to keep her worlds separate, but they were on a first name basis at least.

Rory turned and smiled. "Hi Stephanie."

"Oh good, you're using e's." Stephanie said gratefully. She really hated the stupid games. "No champagne?"

"I'll have some later," Rory shrugged, though Stephanie got the feeling that it was an excuse. She'd guess that Rory didn't casually imbibe the way her sister did. Actually, Stephanie guessed that Rory didn't do a lot of things her sister did. Which was why she was on the outskirts of this gathering, standing out like a sore thumb, while her sister… Stephanie glanced over at where Christa and Colin were sitting, Christa on Colin's lap, each holding a glass of champagne as they conversed with the people around them.

It still amazed her that she could watch that scene without any issue. No jealousy or regret. It had taken her a long time, but she'd let go of her feelings for Colin.

"Is Logan the head of this group?" Rory asked curiously.

Stephanie smiled. "It's a secret. But there's no one person in charge, if that's what you mean." The council was a collective, however everyone knew that Logan was the one in charge. Colin was happy to defer to Logan and Ryan was useless.

"I was just wondering," Rory commented, "he has the family connection, besides the way that people act around him, he just seems…"

"Cute?" Stephanie teased slyly, noticing that Rory blushed a little as she talked about Logan. That was interesting.

"No." Rory denied, but her blush deepened.

Stephanie raised an eyebrow. "No?"

"Well, yes," Rory admitted, "but—"

"There's a line to get to him," Stephanie warned, "of course, that might not be a problem if you're anything like your sister." She couldn't keep the bitterness out of her voice there. She might be over Colin and more or less okay with Colin and Christa's relationship, but it would always sting a little that it was Christa who had changed Colin. Christa who had just appeared one day and become an instant hit with everyone.

"You and Christa are friends," Rory said slowly.

"We are," Stephanie acknowledged. She glanced back over at Christa and Colin. "We really are."

That had caught Stephanie off guard. Even though she had banished her feelings for Colin while they were on the boat, she'd still been dreading coming back and facing the reality of him and Christa. She'd also been unsure of what her feelings for the other girl would be once Colin was no longer a factor. However, Juliet and Rosemary had pushed them together and Stephanie had discovered how much she actually enjoyed Christa's company and somehow she had become one of her best friends. It actually made her regret that they had spent two years hating/resenting each other.

Rory looked puzzled, but she didn't push it. "I'm not interested in Logan," she insisted, "I'm just here for the story. I have a boyfriend."

"Ah, yes, I forgot." Stephanie commented. She didn't know much, but she did know that Rory was dating someone from back home and that Christa wasn't a fan of the situation. Though, Stephanie was also fairly certain Christa wouldn't be a fan of Logan and Rory as a couple either.

"So is this turn of the century safari theme a normal thing?" Rory asked, going back to her story. "Or do the themes change?"

"They change." Stephanie told her. "We like to keep it interesting."

Rory nodded and wrote that down in her notebook. She seemed poised to ask Stephanie another question, but Stephanie cut her off.

"You might not want champagne, but I need more." She said and wandered away. She'd done her job. She had given Rory a safe answer and swayed her away from the wrong crowd. They weren't supposed to making this easy for her, just keeping her safe.

She was still thinking about Rory's blush when Logan's name came up and the fact that he had approved her story. Yeah, there were a lot of legitimate reasons for that, but he wouldn't have done it if he didn't have a spot for her and not just because she was Christa's twin. A lot of people might think that was why Rory had gotten the story, but Stephanie knew that Christa wouldn't have pushed—she wanted to keep Rory as far from the LDB as possible. No, it was Logan who had approved the story and he had to have a reason.

Rory might deny interest in Logan, but what about Logan? Stephanie thought this could get very, very interesting and it was definitely worth keeping an eye on. After all, like any other society brat, Stephanie loved drama and a hook-up between Logan and reporter girl… Well, that was just a recipe for drama.

Logan approached Rory, two plates of food in hand and a lantern dangling from his arm.

Seth had reported that she had wandered away from the main area, into the woods, and had offered to go after her, but Logan had volunteered. They didn't want to make her suspicious after all.

"Hungry?" He asked, handing her the large plate. He was well experienced with the appetite of a Gilmore girl.

Rory took it gratefully. "Thanks."

"We were worried a bear had dragged you off," Logan teased, taking a seat on the ground next to her with his own plate of food.

"I wanted a quiet place to collect my thoughts and go over my notes." Rory told him. "I've already filled two notebooks, though half of one doesn't contain the letter e."

Logan laughed. "The group does like their games."

"Christa's right into it," Rory commented, "she picked up on it immediately and I haven't heard her say a word with the letter e since."

"Christa's a quick learner and a good sport." Logan said with a grin. There were many reasons why Christa was one of Logan's favourite people and her ability to roll with the punches was definitely one of them.

"She always has been," Rory said, almost wistfully, "you put her in a new situation and she finds a way to adapt immediately. I've lived in Stars Hollow for years and I had a hard time making friends at school, but Christa… She moved around all the time and yet, within weeks, she'd be the most popular girl at school. I envy that."

Logan knew that those years hadn't been easy on Christa. That while she made friends, she'd had a hard time making real friendships. It was odd that Rory hadn't picked up on that.

"You've never been in that situation, though," Logan pointed out, "if you were, I'm sure you'd have found a way to adapt and adjust."

Rory nodded. "I have a ton of questions for you. First, this is just a preamble to the big stunt tomorrow right?"

"Big stunt?" Logan asked, pretending he had no idea what she was talking about.

"My research tells me you always have one," Rory told him and Logan had to applaud her skill. It wouldn't have been easy to come up with that information and she disclosed it matter-of-factly. "Christa mentioned there are dues, do those pay for it or is there an additional fee as well? What is happening tomorrow? Do people know you're here? Did you rent the space or are you just squatting? Where are we, all Christa said was that we were no longer in Connecticut."

Logan held up a hand. "Ok, this is a good time to go over the conditions of you being here."

"Ok," Rory agreed.

"First, no pictures," Logan told her, "your camera has been removed from your tent and is safe in Christa's possession."

Rory didn't look happy, but she didn't protest.

"Second, no names." Logan told her. "First or last. That goes for people you know as well as everyone else."

"All aliases." Rory promised.

"Third, no physical descriptions of any of us." Logan warned. "There are authority figures who'd love to nail us for things we've done in the past. Naughty things."

Rory rolled her eyes. "Imagine that. I mean you once convinced my sister to steal a car, I'd hate to know what else you've gotten up to."

Ah yes, Christa's initiation into their circle so long ago. Which, she'd passed with flying colours of course, because the girl had style.

"She 'borrowed' the car," Logan retorted, "the owner never even knew it was gone."

"That's three," Rory told him, "any others?"

"No identification of the location," Logan warned.

"I don't even know where we are." Rory said with a shrug.

Logan was impressed with how she was rolling with the conditions, not complaining about the restrictions he was placing on her story. But then, he chose Rory not just because she'd been on to them, but because he knew she was a good journalist and that she'd present a fair, unbiased view of the club.

"Now, the most important part," he warned, "you must agree not to interfere with the integrity of the event."

"So there is an event," Rory mused knowingly, "what is it and how could I interfere?"

"All in due time," Logan told her with a smile, "do you agree."

"I agree." Rory promised. She looked down at her outfit. "More costumes?"

"Perhaps," Logan agreed, "you look very nice, Ace." It hadn't occurred to him to get Rory a costume for today's events, for the big event yes, but not for the preamble. However, Christa had been more thorough, partially because she'd wanted to help Rory blend in.

Rory blushed. "It's a little out of the ordinary, but I like it."

Logan looked at Rory, blushing in the moonlight and couldn't help but thinking how pretty she was. Of course, she and Christa was identical twins, so it was a given that Rory was pretty, but… He wasn't seeing her as Christa's twin right now, just a pretty girl. One who was also smart and funny and… Too nice and too sweet for him.

"Logan?" The sound of his voice broke him from his reverie.

Courtney, the girl he was hooking up with this weekend. A girl who wasn't sweet and who had no expectations of him other than a good time.

"Yeah?" He called back.

"Are you coming?"

"I'll be right here." He promised. It was smart to get back to Courtney and his plans for the evening and take his mind off how pretty Rory looked in the moonlight.

He looked around discretely and saw that Jonathan was standing nearby, ready to keep a watch on Rory, and he stood up. "I'll leave the light for you, Ace. I won't need it."

Logan hurried over to Courtney, but he couldn't resist taking a look back at Rory and wishing, for a fleeting second, that she wasn't a girlfriend type girl. In that way, it would be nice if she was more like her sister, Logan thought and then grinned. Of course, Christa, who swore she wasn't a relationship type of girl had not only ended up domesticated, she'd ended up bringing down Colin, so maybe it was a good thing that Rory didn't even make pretenses. There was a definite chance that Gilmore women were just plain dangerous.

"Do you see Rory?" Christa asked Colin. As everyone got drunker, they'd stopped with the no 'e' game.

Colin had done his best to make sure Christa had a good time, though he knew she was concerned about her sister. However, everyone had dutifully taken turns making sure that the wayward reporter was all right. Colin had even had brief chat with her, though, as always, he found that they didn't have much to talk about other than Christa and that was a pretty loaded subject.

"Robert reported that she retired to her tent about twenty minutes ago." Colin told her. "Which you know, sounds like a great idea."

"Retiring to Rory's tent?" Christa asked, pretending to be outraged.

"Your sister's not my type," Colin assured her, pulling her towards him for a kiss.

"Good, because I don't share." Christa told him, wrapping his arms around his neck. "You're all mine."

"Isn't this sweet, a declaration of fidelity from a slut and a manwhore." An obnoxious voice drawled from behind Colin's back.

Colin stiffened. He'd know that voice anywhere.

He kept his arm tight around Christa's waist as he turned to face his accuser. "Jealousy doesn't look good on you, Brandon." He responded coolly.

"Jealous," the other man retorts, "why would I be jealous? Easy's not my type."

"Since when?" Colin retorted, trying not to let the dig at Christa get to him.

"You know she's slept with half the men here right?" Brandon challenged. "While you were away, she was a very busy girl."

"So?" Colin asked, acting unconcerned. Though the truth was it did bug him.. More than it should, given that he hadn't been celibate while they were apart. He refused to let it show though.

"It's a shame someone so beautiful could be such a slut." Brandon continued, his voice ripe with loathing.

Colin tightened his arm around Christa. She was oddly silent, looking at Brandon expressionlessly. Colin realized that this was nothing new. That she'd been subjected to his tirade in the past and he cursed himself for leaving her alone last year and for putting her on Brandon's radar in the first place.

"Lucky for me, your twin is just as beautiful and from what I hear, not quite as used up," Brandon drawled, "I really should get better acquainted with her."

"Don't touch my sister." Christa finally spoke, her voice quiet but full of deadly purpose.

"You shouldn't have brought her here, if you were so concerned." Brandon chastised. "Of course, given that you took a vow of secrecy, you shouldn't have tipped her off at all. But I guess, that's not a concern when you can sleep your way to the top." He looked at Colin mockingly. "Does it bother you to share her with your best friend?"

Colin rolled his eyes at the accusation. He knew most people thought that Logan and Christa had slept together at some point. Colin actually had no idea if they had or not, though he leaned towards no. Simply because he didn't think either of them would have hid it from him. After all, Christa's fling with Finn had never been a secret. And either way, it didn't matter, after all he had had more than his share of flings, and whatever may have happened in the past, Colin knew Christa was a 100% committed to him now.

Christa glared at Brandon. "Is that how you're going to play it?" She demanded. "You're going to make it sound like I'm the one that tipped Rory off?"

"Aren't you?" Brandon asked.

Colin frowned. Brandon sounded honestly confused and Colin had never known him to be that good of an actor, especially when he was drunk and belligerent.

"Oh come on," Christa exclaimed, obviously irritated, "We both know that you're behind the anonymous tip my sister got. Another way to torture me for not sleeping with you."

"You have a high opinion of yourself," Brandon told her, "yeah, I wouldn't have minded a roll in the hay, but not enough to sacrifice the LDB." That had a ring of truth to it.

"Complete honesty here," Colin said, ignoring Christa's outrage, "someone called Christa's sister and tipped her off to the Life and Death Brigade's existence. Are you saying that it wasn't you?"

Brandon looked surprised. "I honestly thought she'd brought her sister in herself."

Colin considered what he was hearing. "I believe him," he said after a moment. He'd known Brandon a long time, and hated him most of that time, but it meant he knew him very well and it just didn't seem like he was lying. Plus, honestly, while he was a vindictive jerk, there was a level of complexity and subtlety to what was happening and Colin wasn't sure that Brandon was capable of pulling that off.

"Good of you," Brandon drawled.

Christa didn't look convinced. "What about the text messages?" She demanded.

"What text messages?" Brandon asked.

"Who all knew about the incident between the two of you?" Colin asked Christa, ignoring Brandon. They'd assumed the text messages were from Brandon, because he'd seemed like the obvious choice, but maybe that was what they were meant to think.

"Pretty much everyone," Christa told him, "Dan broke it up and then he and Brandon got in a fight with a bunch of people watching. It wasn't a secret."

"I think someone is manipulating all of us," Colin said after a moment. "Using your history with Brandon to set him up, while casting doubt on you at the same time."

It seemed so simple when Colin thought about it, though that could be the alcohol talking. If everyone knew about the scene between Brandon and Christa, it made for good ammunition and the tension between them and the loathing between Brandon and Logan and Colin, made them all easy to manipulate. After all, this scene would have been very hard to predict. Colin was a little amazed that they were actually talking it out like rational adults. Had to be the champagne.

"Did you send Christa text messages implying that Rory was in danger?" Colin asked Brandon.

Brandon looked baffled. "No." He looked at Christa and his face was unusually solemn. "I don't threaten women."

She snorted. "Since when?"

"I know you have reason not to believe me," Brandon told her, "I was so angry that night and I crossed a line." He looked Christa in the eye. "However I feel about you, and you about me, I wouldn't bring an innocent party into it. I swear."

"I think he's telling the truth," Colin told his girlfriend. "That means someone else is manipulating us and we should find out who."

"I'd be interested to know that too," Brandon told him, "but right now all this honesty and co-operation is getting to me and I need a drink."

He walked away leaving Colin and Christa alone.

"Let's go to our tent." Colin coaxed, his arm tight around her waist. She nodded and wordlessly they crossed the distance to their tent. Christa stopped long enough to check on Rory, who was fast asleep.

"You believed him?" She asked, once they were alone in their tent. He turned out the lantern, they were both capable of getting undressed in the dark.

"I do," Colin admitted, discarding his clothes, "I hate him, but I believe him. There's something more going on here, Christa, we just have to figure out what."

"Not tonight," Christa told him as she stepped out of her dress, "I don't want any thoughts of Brandon Adams or anyone else tonight. Just you."

"Sounds good to me," Colin commented, pulling her onto the bed with him.

She rewarded him with a kiss and as the kiss grew more heated and they proved that they didn't need light to explore each other's bodies, Colin thought about how easy it was to lose himself in Christa.