❤ Chapter Twenty-Four ❤

It was four fifty-three p.m. and my mood still hadn't improved since my mom left for Stars Hollows this morning. She had come to visit after I filled her in on my break up with Sam, and getting back together with Logan. She'd acted shocked, while putting on her most dramatic voice and sympathetic frown, but I could tell she sort of saw it coming and was secretly relieved that I wasn't moving to Australia. I also secretly appreciated her visit more than I had let on. Now that I was left to myself on this fine Sunday afternoon, I had to admit that I was feeling pretty lonely. It didn't help that Candice was out with Jeremy, and Logan hadn't answered my calls since noon.

It had been three whole weeks since the pivotal point where Logan and I laid it all out on the table. I wished I had a better idea of where we stood, or where we were heading, but, nope, all I knew was that we were both hopelessly in love and had been emailing and calling each other constantly like hormone-infused, blinded-by-lust teenagers. In a way, I was more than satisfied with the outpour of love coming from Logan, which was something I'd missed for three years. Yet, because my brain had no idea how to let the itty gritty details go and just enjoy the moment, all I could think of was that even though we had mulled over the options of me moving to Cali or him moving here, we had no solid plans. Where there are no plans, there's no execution, my subconcious firmly lectured. Did Logan ever think of these things? How long were we suppose to continue a long distance relationship for? Why wasn't he freaking out with me?!

For the tenth time that day, I opened our lengthy email conversations and re-read this morning's messages, hoping to find answers.

Ace,

You won't believe it, but yesterday Finn, Colin and I kicked a gigantic ball of yarn into Colin's pool. We had a bet going whether it would float or sink, and what do you know, the 20 pounds sucker stayed afloat for a marvelous record of 21 seconds before sinking inch by inch. Finn now owes Colin and I lobster dinner. Alright, enough about that. What did you and Loreila do yesterday? Lots of mother-daughter bonding time I hope. Did you take her to Lion's Den like I suggested, and tell her all about how you got drunk and tried to steal a kiss from yours truly? ;)

But seriously, I miss you a lot Ace. I keep replaying everything that happened and I just can't believe how lucky I am to have you again. Keep in touch.

Logan,

I'm sorry, but you three do the stupidest, most pointless things, though I'll have you know that my mouth is open in awe right now. I might actually miss the crazy things we use to do, even the time we tried to steal that yacht. You make me literally a tad crazy when I'm with you I suppose. But... I admit that it's nice to step out of my comfort zone sometimes. When I'm with you, it's like I want to take on the world and just do something people never expect me to do.

Mom and I had a great time at Lion's Den. The mystery meat in the Chef's Special was just as delicious and questionable as I remembered. As for the drunk incident, I'll save that story for another time, thank you very much...

I miss you too like crazy :( I know what you mean... I feel just as lucky.

Ace,

Board meeting's about to start, but I couldn't help but shoot you a quick reply. You want adventure, huh? Well, you've got it. ;)

I can promise that there'll never be shortage of crazy with me around. You know, I've been thinking, I was an idiot to ever let you go but soon, things will be back to how they should be, depending on how my meeting goes... Miss ya and love you lots.

I recited the last sentence in my head over and over, trying to decipher its meaning.

"Things will be back to how they should be..." I muttered out loud.

What the heck did that mean? And then I had a thought. If Logan's proposal years ago had been successful, I would be living in California now, in a fancy house with an avocado tree, and chilling with my hubby with a big bowl of guacamole and chips. Although it was such a lovely image, the thought of leaving New York scared me. I had fought hard to establish a career, an identity and life for myself in this big, hectic city. The notion of abandoning them and starting anew was unsettling. Instinctively, my gaze landed on the tall object mounted on my desk, beside my computer. My mom had brought it when she visited. I remembered her rummaging through her luggage as I'd explained to her my conflicting state, going on about how terrible I felt for hurting Sam, but loved Logan. I'd told her that my life with Sam seemed solid, whereas what I had with Logan was a blank canvas. We didn't know where we would live, or how we were going to rebuild our relationship. It felt like I just had to go on blind trust that what we had was enough.

Then, my mother had went "Aha!" as she grabbed a long, model rocket out of a bundle of clothes and thrusted it at me.

I remembered the emotions that flooded my senses when what the object was clicked in my brain. It had been so long that I'd last seen the rocket Logan had given me that it almost looked foreign.

Grabbing it, I'd rambled with my eyes wide, "This rocket... Logan had the same replica, except a tiny one, in his office!" Flipping it over in my hands, I'd continued, "What do you think it meant? Something like he had faith in us? 'Cause you know, it's true love..."

Reaching for the smooth metal now, I ran my fingers along the red block letters inscribed along the length. With time, the silver metal had turned a tad bronze, and the rocket looked a lot taller than I'd remembered.

Recalling my mom's reply, I saw the way she had smiled and said, "Well, kiddo, I learnt from Dawson's Creek that nothing's for sure. You thought you and Sam had it all, but look what happened. An ex swooped in and now he's off to Australia with a fat heartache." She'd paused to chuckle at her word choice, before looking me in the eyes. "I hate it to break it to ya, but every relationship is a big honking leap of faith."

You know, now that I thought of it, maybe she was right. Reminding myself of the many things Logan had done, like calling me two years ago, the bracelet he gave me before saying goodbye, and opening up about the past three years, I felt we deserved this final chance. I knew I had faith in him and us, because I couldn't picture ever losing him again. Just as I reached for my phone to call him and explain my revelation, a ringtone filled the silence, making me jump.

"Hello?" I picked up, knowing it had to be Logan.

"Hey, Ace." The deep, smooth-as-silk voice came through the receiver, and my heartbeat instantly piqued.

"Logan!" I exclaimed, excitement pulsing through me. "I was just about to call you."

He chuckled. "Yeah, sorry I missed your calls. I was traveling."

"Where ya at?" I'd learned in the past weeks that he traveled quite a lot for his job.

"Hmm, I'm currently sitting on a wooden bench, with the sole of my shoes on the gravel." His voice hid amusement and mischief, as it did whenever he planned sneaky little surprises.

"What?" Puzzled, I listened intently and made out sounds of little kids squealing in the background.

"Before me are these yellow swings." He suddenly exclaimed, "Oh man, that little kid just jumped from five feet in the air!"

"Yellow swings?" My mind was reeling, as I remembered the only place I knew of with yellow swings. It was the playground just around the block that I'd brought him to, but he couldn't be... "No fair." I pouted into the phone, as anticipation built in my chest. "Just tell me where you are."

"Aw, I was starting to like this game." I could hear the smirk in his voice. "Are you home?"

"Sadly, yes."

"I'm just around the block, Ace."

"What?!" My body shot up as I squealed. "No way!" I was already running for the door. "Stay put, Mister! Don't even move an inch from where you are."

Logan laughed, "I wouldn't dream of it."

❤ Leap of Faith ❤

My pace didn't slow one bit as I raced toward the playground by my apartment. This was the most exercise I'd done in God knows how long. My breath quickened but I dismissed it by focusing on the ball of excitement rolling in my stomach. Logan was here! What was he doing here? Him and his surprise visits! The gravel crunched beneath my feet as I jogged toward the bench. Seeing the familiar figure sitting there, butterflies spawned in my stomach anew.

Logan stood and turned around, as a huge smile reached his lips. "Hey, beautiful." He advanced toward me, closing the distance between us.

Running into his out-stretched arms, I squealed before burying my face in his neck, "I can't believe you're here!"

He laughed into my hair, while giving my body a long, hard squeeze. "Argh, I missed you."

Tilting my head back, I found his gaze. "I missed you too." Feeling like the happiest girl on Earth in that moment, I decided to let everything I was feeling out. "I've thought about what you said in the email," I started while nerves surfaced. "I want to take that step, Logan. I want to move to Cali. It doesn't matter that I'd have to start fresh, all I care about is being with you-"

"Woah, what did I say in my email?" He raised an eyebrow.

"You said things will be back to how they should be," I stated, and continued before he could reply. "I mean, yeah sure I'd miss the city life, but hey Cali has some great beaches and hiking trails. I mean, I could hike. I've never really done it before, but it can't be half bad. You know, embrace nature, right?"

When I stopped to catch my breath, I realized I'd gone on a tangent yet again, because Logan was looking at me with a flippant grin.

He shook his head laughing, while pulling me in until our bodies were glued together. "You're not moving, Ace," He said simply.

"No, really, I want to." I frowned.

"Actually, you're welcome to move out of that apartment, but you're not moving out of this state."

"What are you saying?" I squinted my eyes at his most mischievous smirk.

"I'm saying I've been making some negotiations, and this morning, we signed the deal. I got my job at City Gazette back, so no moving to Cali, and attempting to hike would be necessary."

My eyes widened as my mouth hung open. Words couldn't describe the happiness tingling through my entire body. I was speechless as he chuckled and placed a firm, wet kiss on my forehead.

Eventually regaining my senses, I said, "That's amazing, Logan!" Hugging him as tightly as I could, I mentally scolded myself for the moisture forming behind my eyes. "Why didn't you tell me your plans sooner?!"

"Because then I wouldn't have been able to see this look on your face," He replied softly, wiping the tear rolling down my cheek with his thumb. "And I have another surprise for you."

"Oh no, I don't know if I can handle two in a day." I pouted, while slumping into his arms. My heart was still dancing erratically, in disbelief and gratitude that he was willing to do this for me. We could finally, finally start our lives together.

"Come." He laughed and led me toward the sidewalk by the hand. "Now, I know you wanted an adventure, something crazy. So, I went and planned this last minute."

"Uh oh..." I shook my head teasingly while a grin escaped. I noticed we were walking toward a silver SUV, and the blood through my body started pumping at full speed. "Where we going?"

"You'll find out." He looked back at me with a proud smirk.

I laughed and rolled my eyes, unable to contain my excitement. I had no idea what Logan had in mind, but I knew how much I loved this unpredictable, spontaneous side of him. He was my own, personal adrenaline shot, whenever I needed it.

❤ Leap of Faith ❤

Crap on a stick. So this was Logan's surprise.

I examined the trees in the distance, which stood like giants, brimming the canyon's ridge in a panoramic view of green underneath the setting sun. Above Logan and I hung an exquisite painting, drawn with strokes of pink and orange across the canvas of a sapphire blue sky. Here I was, a two hour drive later, standing at the edge of a hundred feet drop in front of a massive canyon, and feeling quite miniscule. As the wind blew past my hair, enticing each strand into a merry, spirited dance, I closed my eyes and let the faint smell of wood and grass coax me into much needed tranquility. Feeling the weight of the harness strapped tightly across my torso and hips, I took in an enormous breath.

Okay, Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, you can do this. From the instant I saw our destination, I'd regretted telling Logan that I wanted to do something Rory Gilmore would never be expected to do, because this is what he came up with. Briefly composing yet another pro-con list, I went over the reasons of why I should run past the crew hovering behind me and drive the two hours home.

One, I could die.

Two, I could seriously die.

Sure, bungee jumping was considered a sport, but it wasn't labelled as an extreme sport for nothing. Newspaper articles of related accidents flashed across my mind. Cords snapping, harnesses coming undone, and loads of other unforeseen crap could occur. Fear gripped me and held on hard. Curse Logan and his crazy ideas, the panicked voice in my head argued. A ball of anxiety was traveling fast up my stomach and into my throat, but just as I was about to bolt, a familiar whisper met my ear.

"You okay there, Ace?"

Logan wrapped his arms around my waist as he nuzzled the spot beneath my ear.

Shaking my head, I exhaled deeply. "Jumping off precipices while strapped to a cord the thickness of my finger isn't really my thing."

He chuckled, his laugh instantly easing the knot in my chest. Giving my hand a squeeze before interlacing my fingers with his, he said, "Remember, you asked for something crazy, ergo you're getting one." At my grimace, an amused smile played at his lips. "Somehow, I'm positive this is something you haven't done before."

"First of all," I started my rebuttal, "Crazy is like a last minute trip to Vegas, or even backpacking through the Amazons. This-" I gestured at the open air before me. "-is frigging suicide."

Snickering, he pulled my body closer until we faced each other.

"We have one of the most well-trained safety crew in the States with years of bungee jumping experience at our disposal," He nodded behind me at the four instructors. "I'd say we're much better prepared than the time we jumped with umbrellas in our hands, Mary Poppins style."

I rolled my eyes, letting a smile escape at the memory of Logan's Life and Death Bridgade stunt. "You did test with potatoes that time

He chuckled and placed a light kiss on my forehead. "Come on, Ace. What do you say?" He hunched his back to look me in the eyes, grinning from ear to ear.

Seeing so much excitement in his eyes, I couldn't protest even if I wanted to. Before I could answer, Jane, one of the senior instructors jogged over. She smiled at us with her greying blonde hair flying in the breeze.

"We're all ready for you. Just step over here-" Guiding us to the rocky ledge over the canyon, she continued, "take some time to relax, and let us know when you're ready to go."

I threw a weak smile her way, and in response, she looked in my eyes and held my gaze, as if seeking my trust.

Backing away, she said, "I'll give you two some space."

"Thanks," Logan called out as he reached for my sweat-drenched palm and led me to the exact spot Jane had pointed out.

Fearing that my wobbly legs would give out anytime, I latched onto his torso with both arms, squeezing with all the strength I had. Burying my face in his neck, I tried to not think of the height, or the nausea that would surely hit me when I would soon freefall down the canyon. I didn't think of anything but the fast-paced rhythm coming from his chest, which oddly calmed me with every beat.

Eventually letting go, I dared myself to take in the view before us, which was indeed gorgeous, with rows of trees scattered across the canyon and the dusk's sun rays hitting the horizon. Between the cotton candy-like clouds in the sky, colors of an autumn garden were stretched across the forest's silhouette, lining it with a dark halo. Preparing ourselves for the launch, Logan and I held onto each other, as fast thoughts sped through my mind. I thought about killing time, my attire, Logan in a handsome suit, and every other ridiculous shenanigans in between. By the time I finished, I was at a much calmer state than minutes ago. It was baffling the effect this man had on me. I could do anything beyond my comfort zone as long as he was there, keeping me safe.

Before too long, Logan looked down and asked, "Are you ready?" He gave a boyish grin, one where his lashes seemed to touch his cheeks. "Do you trust me?"

There was no doubt about the sincerity twinkling in his eyes, and the way my heart melted in response. At his words, more memories of the Life and Death Bridgade stunt flooded my mind. I recalled the adrenaline and euphoria right after our jump, but, most of all, the trust I felt for the man standing before me. Six years ago, and now.

You jump, I jump, Jack

Pushing all fears aside, I focused on Logan and leaned in until our lips met. We placed everything into our kiss, as we stood inches away from the biggest jump I would take in my life. Signaling to Jane and the rest of the crew that we were prepared for the big moment, Logan held me and tucked my head above his chest. Hearing his quickened pulse, I squeezed him tight until I could barely breathe.

"Ace..." Thump. Thump. Thump.

My head tilted back at his voice, and my gaze met his.

"Hm?"

"I love you."

A smile split my face as I replied, "I love you too."

It was Logan and I, against the backdrop of a fading sun. I couldn't believe what I was about to do, but I didn't need to, for so much about this moment, and our love was unbelievable. Right before our leap, I remembered his carefree grin. I remembered looking into his eyes, and knowing that we would make it through.

When I looked at Logan, I saw passion, life, and what promised to be the most beautiful journey ever experienced. Although it took a windy road to get to where we were, the kind of love and adventure I dreamed of did come true. I'd read hundreds of books, hoping to experience love like the many great protagonists. Love that was strong and true.

However, now that Logan and I were finally together after losing each other more than once, I realized that our story wasn't like anything I'd read or seen. For it wasn't like the books, or movies.

It was even better.

Thanks for reading! I would love to hear your feedback!

I cant say thank you enough to everyone who has read, followed, favorited and reviewed this story. Also, I really appreciate everyone's patience as I did struggle to find the time and motivation to continue writing. A big thanks to those who have PMed and reviewed encouraging me to update as it pushed me to finish this chapter. :) i really hope you have enjoyed the story and ending. I'm really excited to finally finish and share this chap with everyone! Yay for Rory and Logan! I would love to hear your thoughts!

I have an epilogue planned, so stay tuned :))