AN: Thanks for the reviews, sorry for the cliffhanger. Haha. I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for all your feedback and support as usual. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Look for the next one tomorrow. Read and review, please!

"So, how was your date the other night?" Colin asked.

The three were sitting in the apartment, waiting awhile before they headed out for the night.

"Long," Logan told him.

Finn raised his eyebrows, "A good long?"

"No. A very bad long."

"I thought you said she was great. Nice, pretty?" Colin inquired.

"Oh, she was pretty. But she has the personality of the cardboard box, although I think a box probably has better values."

"You want to clear that up a little bit?"

"Let me just put it this way," Logan paused briefly for effect, "My mother would've loved her."

Finn burst out laughing, "That bad?"

"She only plans on working until she gets married. Daddy is a lawyer, grandpa owns a dozen or so restaurants, and she can't believe I'm only living off my trust fund and my salary. Oh, and family is very important, so I should make up with my daddy dearest very soon."

Colin stared at him for a second before breaking out in a grin, "You know, you used to date girls like that."

"I don't know why, or how for that matter," Logan replied, shaking his head slightly.

"She was a red head, right?" Finn asked.

"Don't even," Logan warned, "Besides, I thought you were with Felicia."

Finn waved his hand briefly, "Was."

"Oh Finn, your loyalty to women amazes me," Colin informed him.

"Just because you found your bloody wife, doesn't mean--"

"I did not find my wife!" Colin protested.

Logan laughed, "That serious with Carmen, huh?"

"We had, like, two dates."

"And yet you're, like, blushing," Logan mocked.

"I am not. Shut up."

"Aww, our little Colin's in love," Finn said, draping an arm over his shoulder.

"Finn, you have three seconds..."

"Until you what?"

"Don't worry, I'll think of something creative."

"Oh goody, I love surprises," Finn said with a sarcastic grin, but he removed his arm.

Logan laughed again and leaned back against the couch, enjoying the time with his friends that had been so scarce lately. Colin had been working around the clock, and any free time he had been spent with Carmen. Finn was busy doing God knows what, but now that Felicia was out of the picture he would have to find a new God knows who. So Logan had taken to spending time with his co-workers, and he had to admit, he enjoyed their company immensely.

Will had turned out to be a great friend and someone Logan had complete trust in. There were few people in the world he felt he could rely on totally: the two people sitting in the room with him, Honor, and now Will had been added to the list after only a short time. Logan sighed softly. Rory used to be at the top of that list, and as much as he wanted to place her there again, he couldn't find it in his heart to do it. She betrayed his trust a long time ago, but then again, he guessed he betrayed her's too.

Shawn and Aiden were nice guys, but they were not so easily trusted. Something about them tipped Logan off to a constant hidden agenda he really didn't want to get involved in. So, he enjoyed their stories and jokes, but that was the extent of their friendship.

Rory's best friend, Carmen, was an extremely fun person to be around. She had a great personality to go along with her stunning looks. She always seemed to be ready with a joke, or a funny story, and she was constantly on the run. He could see why Rory and her were close, and he could also see why Colin was falling for a girl in a way he'd never seen his best friend fall.

And of course, the last member of their little group, was Rory herself. He found himself settling into their platonic relationship, but by no means was he completely comfortable. He still loved her, nothing was ever going to change that. And everytime he held complete eye contract with her his heart melted and flipped at the same time. She had no comparison, he was sure of this. But no matter how much she pulled him in, he had to keep pushing her away. Friends only, and nothing more. Nothing more.

He was beginning to think that maybe they didn't belong together afterall. So many things had come between them, and it had been over a year since they had seen each other. How was a relationship supposed to survive that? Maybe they were just supposed to be friends, because maybe they were destined to hurt each other. He was beginning to think that love and pain went hand in hand, and he didn't want to deal with the pain anymore.

Although he was happy that he had finally gone out on a real date again. It was a step, an extremely small one, but a step nevertheless. And now that he had started along a new path, he was determined to keep walking in that direction. He had to put Rory's beautiful blue eyes and playful remarks in the past and not let her lore him back again. He was determined to remain strictly friends with the girl, no matter how much it hurt.

"Earth to Logan?" Colin sing songed, sending a confused glance in his direction, "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, let's go."

They made their way outside and into a taxi, a form of transportation that felt so natural to Logan now that he could hardly remember how to drive a car anymore.

"So, where are we going?" Finn asked.

"A place me and Carmen went to the other night."

Logan smirked, "Sentimental?"

"Shut up!"

"Ah, I think we've gotten to you."

Colin glared in his direction, "Not even close."

"I think he's right," Finn added.

Colin shifted the recipient of his glare, "Why do I bother with you two?"

"I think the correct question is, why do we bother with you?" Finn revised.

"Hey, I don't want on the same side of this argument as Finn," Logan protested.

Colin laughed, "Well played."

"I don't want on the same side as you either."

"There's only two sides!" Colin errupted.

"Who says?"

"What were we arguing about again?" Finn asked, looking suddenly lost.

"Nevermind," Colin said, pushing past the subject, "You'll like this place, Logan.Great live bands, it's fun. New."

"Good, I've been going to the same bar for days."

"Yeah, Car--" Colin cut himself short, "Nevermind."

"No more Carmen stories?" Finn asked, faking a sad expression.

"I'm not going to make it through this night," Colin half groaned, running a hand over his face.

Logan laughed, "A few beers and you'll be fine, and besides that, Finn won't remember who Carmen is in about a half an hour."

"But you will."

"No guarantees," Logan stated, "But even if I do, I'm not nearly as bad as Finn."

"Who gets to be the judge of that?"

Logan grinned as they stepped out of the cab. The music from the bar filled his ears even as they stood on the city streets. Finn glanced at the door, paused a second, and then shrugged.

"Hey, as long as they have beer," he decided, turning towards the door way.

Logan and Colin shook their heads and followed the Australian inside. As soon as they entered, Logan was struck at how different the bar was from the others he'd experienced. There was a stage set up in the back, a large bar, and tables scattered throughout. But the room was spacious, not crowded, and there seeemed to be more than enough room for everybody. A huge dance floor was positioned in front of the stage and it was swarming with people.

They walked to the bar for beer and then selected a table close to the dance floor, but far enough away so that they could still hear each other talk.

"You should give Andrea a call," Colin said out of nowhere.

"That was random," Logan informed him.

"I'm just saying. She's smart, funny, down to earth, and very much your type now it seems."

"She makes a good friend."

"Friend?" Finn asked, "Just a friend?"

"Yeah. There was nothing there beyond that."

"There was for her," Colin pointed out.

"But not for me."

"Fine," Colin paused, "But you need to go on a successful date."

"I'm very much aware of that."

"How about one of Honor's friends?" Finn suggested

Logan raised his eyebrows, "Are you that drunk already?"

"What's wrong with my idea?"

"I've known them all forever. They watched me grow up."

"Oh," Colin paused, "Even through the whole Who's The--"

"Not going there," Logan interrupted, "Besides that, I'm perfectly capable of finding a date on my own."

"Mhmm," Colin replied, not looking him in the eye.

"Maybe I'll ask Carmen out."

That sent Colin's head spinning in his direction, and Logan laughed.

"Kidding!" he assured him, raising his hands in surrender.

"That's a touchy subject, mate," Finn said with a grin.

"Have another beer, Finn," Colin told him.

"Thanks, I think I will."

Finn reached for the second beer he had sitting on the table and took a long gulp.

Logan finished his first and then stood up, "I'm going to get another myself."

He waved to the bartender, ordered another, and sat down to wait while the busy man completed other orders. Logan scanned the bar quickly, checking to see if he knew anyone, and then moved his eyes in a quick sweep around the rest of the area. The bartender set his beer down before him and Logan was just about ready to leave when a hand brushed against his shoulder. He turned around to see Rory smiling at him, her blue eyes dancing.

"Hey," she greeted, "What are you doing here?"

He smirked, "Free country, Ace."

"You know what I mean."

"Colin's suggestion."

She laughed, "Weird."

"Why?"

"This place was Carmen's suggestion."

"Well, they seem to be on the same brain wave lately," Logan said with a grin.

He took in her overall appearance and she instantly took his breath away. The blue top hugged her in all the right places and sent her eyes jumping out at him. He couldn't help his gaze as it traveled the extent of her body, from her silky redish brown hair to her slender legs. She was beautiful, there was no denying that. And the extreme attraction he felt for her was unparalleled.

"This place is nice," Rory said, "We should make it our usual."

"I agree," he paused, his mouth suddenly dry, "Maybe then everyone can stop complaining about how we need a new bar."

"But then this one will become the place everyone whines about."

"True," he said with a grin, "I should get back to Colin and Finn."

He turned to leave, but her hand grabbed his arm, "Wait."

"Wait?" he asked, changing his direction again.

"Can we um, talk for a second?"

He was instantly confused, but he nodded anyway and motioned towards the bar. Once they were both seated, Rory turned her body towards him. She suddenly appeared very nervous, and her fingertips worked the edge of a napkin into shreds. She stared at him for second, as if making a decision, before she opened her mouth.

"I just wanted to thank you again for taking care of me when I was sick."

"Anytime, Ace. I already told you that."

"I know. I just wanted you to know that it meant a lot."

He remained silent, not really sure where the conversation was going from here. He studied her intense blue eyes, trying to figure out what she was thinking. But for one of the few times in his life, he couldn't read her. What was going on?

"Do you remember when you first became my boyfriend?"

The question caught him off guard.

"Yes," he said after a moment's pause.

"And do you remember how?"

"Of course."

She sighed, "History has a way of repeating itself."

"Huh?" he inquired, more confused than ever.

"Agreements, Logan. Agreements that don't seem to work."

"Are you going to clear this up anytime soon?"

She exhaled and shifted her gaze to the floor. He decided to remain patient, she would reveal the meaning of their talk in her own time.

"I can't do this anymore, Logan."

The sentence seemed to imerge straight from their past, and he racked his brain as to what she could possibly be talking about. A long time ago, she was referring to their no strings attached arrangement. But now?

"What do you mean?"

"Knowing you were on a date with Carly I, well, I don't even know how to describe what that felt like."

"How did you know I was on a date with her? And how did you know her name?" Logan demanded.

"Colin and Carmen stopped by before their date."

"Oh."

"We're getting off track. What I'm trying to say, is that I don't know if I can take this. It's tearing me apart."

"Can you please just be direct?"

"Fine," Rory stared at him, her eyes misty, "I love you, Logan. And I thought that just having you in my life would be enough, but it turns out that it's not. I need you back in my life completely. I can't handle watching you with other girls, I can't handle seeing you flirting at the bar. It kills me. I thought that this friends thing was going to work, but that was before Carly. That was before I had to watch you flirt. You see, I can't take it because I love you. And I want you in my life, Logan, I really do. You have no idea how much I need you, but seeing you with other girls is going to destroy me completely."

Logan stared at her, his mouth closed, his jaw tight. Where did she get off? How could she sit there and take away the very relationship she had issued. She seemed to make a habit of doing just that. At Yale, it had brought them together for the first time, and it had brought them into something wonderful. But this time? No. He couldn't let himself go through that again.

"Rory, I can't," he said simply.

Her eyes were still wet, but she seemed to be refusing to let the tears fall.

"I know I"m the one who said we could just be friends, I know I said I wanted that. And I thought I did. I thought that just having my best friend back in my life would be enough, but it's not. I want it to be, Logan, but it's not."

"Don't," Logan warned, "Don't do this."

"I have to," Rory choked out, her voice cracking.

"No, you don't. I want you in my life, Rory, but if you can't accept--"

"I want to! I want to be able to be friends with you! But I can't help the way I feel when I see you with another girl, I can't help that my stomach turns at the thought of you kissing somebody else."

"Gee, that's a familar feeling," he told her, his voice growing cold.

"Please, Logan," she pleaded.

"I can't do this," he paused, "No, you can't do this."

"Do what?"

"You can't sit here and say this to me! I didn't make you become friends with me, Rory!"

"I never said you did!"

"I guess we're going back to where we started. I hear Chicago's a nice place."

"No! Logan, please. Didn't you feel it? When I was sick and you had your arm around your shoulders, and you picked me up. Didn't you feel how perfect that felt?"

"Of course I did! But damn it, Rory, I already told you that I can't do this. I can't be in this relationship. This friends thing is hard for me too, but I wanted to make it work because having you in my life again just felt right. But now I see that you won't let it work."

"That's not fair."

"Isn't it?"

She looked at him, the tears welling up in her eyes and threatening to spill over. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't tear his eyes away from her.

"Be with me, Logan," she whispered.

Quickly, before he could react, she sent her lips crashing onto his. In an instant, he felt the spark, more like a firework, that always errupted whenever his lips touched Rory's. He was getting lost in the kiss, getting lost in how amazing that moment was. The past was rushing all around them, coming to meet them, and then drifting by again. It was perfect, magical, and he felt like he was no longer in a bar in New York, but in a place where only him and Rory existed.

His hands reached for the back of her neck, pulling her towards him, when suddenly he remembered. His mistake that put them on a downward spiral. Her mistake that ended everything. An empty apartment. Empty beer bottles. An empty bed. Empty shelves. Empty drawers. Empty cell phone messages. Empty mailboxes. Empty e-mail accounts. Empty. Empty. Empty. He quickly grabbed her shoulders, pushing her away.

"No," he said firmly, "No."

He stood up from the bar and tore towards the exit, trying to ignore her desperate pleas from behind him. He couldn't do it, he couldn't let himself enter a relationship with her again. They couldn't make it, they weren't supposed to make it. They only ended up hurting each other. And what if he made another mistake? He always made mistakes. And what if they fought? What if they fought and then she was gone? Even after one kiss he felt connected to her again, but she had made it perfectly clear that she had no problem leaving him behind, just as long as she was mad enough first.

But then how come everything in him couldn't stop remembering the kiss? As their lips connected, he remembered exactly how perfect it was to kiss Rory Gilmore. He could smell her sweet perfume, touch her soft skin, run his hands through her hair. Why couldn't it be that simple? Why couldn't everything be as simple as kissing the girl he loved?

He leaned against the outside wall of the bar, listening as the band played the final verse of a song.

I'm looking for comfort
That I can take
From someone else
But after all
I know there is no one
That can save me, save me from myself
You were the only one

Suddenly, the skies opened and rain began swirling down to the city below. Lifting his chin up, he let the raindrops cover his face, imagining they were washing away the memories of the girl he loved. With a long sigh, he started walking away from the bar, away from Rory, away from the memories.

"Logan!"

His step faltered slightly as the familar voice called his name.