"First order of business," Rory announced as she let herself and Logan into her dorm that evening. "Turn your phone off."

Flipping on the light's, relieved that Paris was not around to put a damper on Rory's much anticipated movie night she cut Logan off before he even had a chance to argue. "This is my night, my idea of fun and you are going to be a willing participant just as I have been in all of your shenanigans."

Fingering the power button on his phone but not actually pressing it Logan studied Rory as if deciding whether to do as she asked or refuse. Crossing her arms Rory stared back. "Consider this my secret society and if you do not turn off your phone you are interfering with the integrity of this event."

"Ah, yes. 'The sorority of the Friday night movie fanatics,'" Logan said with a straight face. "I pledged but got black balled when I missed 'Attack of the killer tomato's' in my recitation of George Clooney's film resume." He tossed his phone to her. "If I miss any important calls it is on your head."

"It's a chance I'm willing to take." Rory said shoving the phone into her bag with her own. "Besides it's almost 10 o-clock, I'm sure Finn and Colin and all your other cronies are intoxicated enough by now that they will hardly miss you."

"That was below the belt," he said with an exaggerated wince. "Are you actually suggesting that other's will continue to enjoy themselves in the absence of my presence?"

"It'll come as a shock at first but I'm sure they'll get over it." Picking up the cooler that her mother had so thoughtfully provided Rory took out the Chunky Monkey. "This is desert," She informed Logan walking into the kitchen and sticking it in the freezer. "We need our main course first."

Leaning on the counter top Logan watched Rory move about the kitchen. "Main course?"

"You are such a Friday night movie virgin," Rory's voice came out muffled as she was crawling around on the floor obviously searching for something in the kitchens lower cupboards. "Got it!" She announced triumphantly holding up a box of microwave popcorn. "You take care of the popcorn, I'll set up the movie" she ordered tossing him the box.

"I don't hear any popping over there," Rory called a couple of minutes later from the couch. There was no answer from Logan so she got up to see what was going on.

He was still standing at the counter staring down at the box with a frown on his face. "I've never done this before," he admitted ruefully.

Taking the box from him Rory stifled a laugh as she opened it up. "Take this out of the wrapper and then lay it in the microwave for a minute and a half." After showing him which buttons to press Rory turned to get a bowl as Logan stood waiting. Rory could only shake her head, 'rich kids.'

Pulling the door open the second the dinger went off Logan looked incredibly pleased with himself as he pulled the steaming bag of popcorn out of the microwave. "I cooked," he said with a laugh pouring it into a bowl.

"Emeril, watch out." Rory quipped not having the heart to tease him. She was secretly pleased that little things like Microwave popcorn could give someone like Logan a little thrill. "Now, get your butt on the couch and prepare yourself for Monty Python at their best!"

Settling back onto the couch Rory had to hold back her sigh of contentment. It was finally happening, they were sitting on a couch watching a movie and most importantly they were alone. It seemed so normal and comfortable. They had definitely reached the next level in their relationship.

Or they would have. The opening credits had hardly began to roll when a rap on the hallway door filled the room. Snuggling deeper into Logan's side Rory ignored it at first then when it became more persistent ordered Logan to ignore it too.

"Come on you two, I know you're in there." Rory recognized Colin's voice. He sounded distressed. "Open up!"

Rory turned on Logan accusingly. "What is he doing here?"

Holding his hands up Logan shook his head; "I honestly did not let him, or anyone in on your mother's plan. She threatened me with all kinds of mean, ugly, yet creative tortures if I did not give you this night."

Standing up Rory turned, ready to march to the door and demand that Colin leave when a movement at the window caught her attention. Someone was staring in at them. A scream lodged in her throat she took a step back and tumbled right onto Logan's lap.

"It's only Finn." Logan assured her helping her to sit upright. "I'll go and find out what they want and then tell them to go away, okay?"

Rory nodded wordlessly watching as Logan went to open the door. Both Finn and Colin barged right in followed closely by Sloan. "We have a problem." Colin announced flanked by the other two. All three wore very grave expressions.

Logan glanced over his shoulder at Rory before turning his attention back to his friends, "listen guys, now isn't really a good time."

"No time is a good time for what I'm about to tell you," Finn said moving forward. "One of our numbers has jumped ship."

"Jumped Ship?" Logan asked as if trying to decode a secret code.

"Crossed over to the enemy." Finn said as if this explained all.

Pushing Finn aside impatiently Colin stepped up. "It's Stephanie. She's gone out with Todd Hewitt."

Logan went perfectly still. "When?"

"Tonight," Sloan said finally speaking. She stepped up and handed something to Logan. "I found this in her room after she left. She's been upset lately," She shot a glare at Colin. "It was sitting out on her dresser like she wanted me to find it."

Rory sat on the couch watching extremely confused. So what if Stephanie went out on a date with some other guy? She said as much after another minute of following a conversation that made no sense to her at all.

All four of them turned on her and stared. "He's a Dark Horse." Colin snapped.

"A Dark Horse?" Rory repeated.

Running his hands through his hair Logan came over and sat beside Rory, the others gathered around. "The Dark Horses are a secret society…"

"Bunch of wankers." Finn muttered cutting him off from his perch on the coffee table. "They'll do anything to make us look bad."

"Woah, hold on," Rory said. "If they are a secret society and you guys are a secret society, how come you two know about each other?"

"We just do," Colin huffed as he began to pace back and forth behind the couch. "They are a bunch of classless, new money that aren't ambitious enough to make it into the Skulls or brains enough to get in with us. So they had to make up their own little society. The Dark Horses," he muttered darkly "sounds like a name of a seedy pub."

"And why exactly would Stephanie going out with one of them make you guys look bad?" Rory asked.

"Because," Logan explained "They have a nasty habit of picking off the weakest of the herd and pumping them for information then dumping them totally ruining their reputation."

"But what kind of information?" None of this seemed as big a deal as the rest of them were making it out to be.

"Information that we don't want out." Sloan took over explaining now. "We've done things in the past that could get us in trouble. And there are things going back for years now that could get a lot of people in trouble, a lot of important people.

"Nothing huge," She hurried on after she saw realization then worry creep into Rory's face. "I mean, we've never hurt anyone or anything like that. Just little things add up and can lead to problems."

"But Stephanie wouldn't do that to you guys, would she?" Rory asked shocked that they would even worry about such a thing. Stephanie didn't seem like the weak type who could be bought over so easily.

"Like I said, she was upset." Sloan said crossing her arms and looking directly at Colin.

"What happened, Colin?" Logan asked turning on the couch to face his friend that was wearing a hole in the floor with his pacing.

"This has nothing to do with me," he whined.

"It has everything to do with you," Sloan accused. "But since you don't want to admit it I'll tell them. He," She pointed her well manicured fingernail at Colin "ditched her for Portia once again. Now, Steph was almost used to that and it wouldn't have been such a big deal if he hadn't done it right in the middle of a date with her."

Rory all of a sudden felt the urge to get up and smack Colin across the face. Hard. "Uh huh," Sloan went on. "Steph asked him out for dinner, which was a big deal. Portia hadn't been in the picture since New Years so she thought it was safe. So they were out having a pre dinner drink and who should show up but Miss. Portia. She must have been at a loose end for a date that night and Colin being her little lap dog seemed like the perfect candidate. All she had to do was crook her finger and he came running leaving Stephanie with the tab and a shattered ego."

"It didn't happen like that," Colin argued. "First off, it wasn't a date. Second of all she said it was fine if I went with Portia."

Sloan snorted. "Okay," Logan held up his hand. "It doesn't matter although it was kind of tacky of you man," he said to Colin. "We know Steph was upset so that explains why she was easy bait for Hewitt, what I want to know is why he's targeting us all of a sudden?"

"I might have an answer to that one." Finn admitted looking down while scratching the back of his neck. "I kinda slept with his girlfriend a while back. I didn't think he'd find out." He grinned sheepishly.

"And I might add it was before I took up with Medusa," He said to Rory who was glaring at him as he motioned to Paris's door. "Do you know what she would do to me if she found out I was exchanging fluid with anyone else? Kinky I like, death I'm not so into."

"So, you've got the 'why's' figured out." Rory said turning her attention back to Logan. "What are you going to do about it?"

"I would say go down there and drag Steph away but that's the kind of thing they would want us to do," Logan told her, a crease forming on his forehead as he considered his options. "They want us to charge in and make a scene looking like idiots."

"Right," Finn agreed "And that's not our style. We want to get Stephanie back and make them cause a scene and look like idiots."

Studying the invitation Sloan had brought from Stephanie's room over Logan's shoulder as he did the same Rory felt a jolt when she saw the address. "Hey, my friend Marty is bartending at this party tonight. He told me about it this afternoon."

"As in weighs roughly the same amount as a baby elephant when he's passed out drunk who Logan and I had to drag half way across campus Marty?" Finn asked. "Because if that's the same Marty I would say he owes us."

"Do you think he would help?" Logan asked softly.

"I'll call him and ask." Rory said. "I can't guarantee anything though. I don't want him to get into trouble. He needs that job."

"All we need is for him to leave a door open." Colin said, "to get someone inside."

"But who?" Sloan asked chewing on her lower lip. "All of us would be recognized."

All of a sudden Rory felt four sets of eyes on her. Rory did not like the considering glance's one little bit and was about to say so when Colin broke in. "No, Rory can't. They'll know she's Huntzberger property."

"How would they know that?" Rory asked. "And I am not a piece of land so do not refer to me as property."

"They keep track of us, just as we keep track of them." Logan told her absently toying with her hand that was resting on her lap. "That way we don't get the blame for any of their idiotic pranks. Do you remember earlier this year when all the man hole covers on campus went missing?"

"That was them?" Rory asked. "I thought that was some stupid rush week prank. People got hurt."

"That was them and they arranged it so that the fraternity's got the blame. That's the kind of stuff they do."

"Enough with the history lesson," Finn said with impatience. "We need someone on the inside. Someone who won't be recognized with having any links to us whatsoever."

"Not only that you need a way of getting Steph out of the building," Logan added. "She's gone this far a simple request to leave the degenerate social wont work."

"Oh, how about, 'wanna smoke a joint with me out in the parking lot?'" Finn exclaimed. "Then we could snatch her up and talk some sense into her."

"We're not talking about how to get you out of a building quick although I will make a mental note in case we ever have to." Colin snapped. "How do we get Stephanie out of there before the live sacrifices or whatever else they do for fun starts?"

"Wardrobe malfunction!" Rory shouted out all of a sudden. "Something needs to go wrong with her dress."

"Good one, Steph loves her clothes. Something happening to her dress would not make her happy." Sloan agreed.

"Okay, so that'll work. We still need someone on the inside, someone that can get her to a washroom or somewhere where one of us can be smuggled in to talk to her." Logan turned to Rory. "Make your call. We'll figure the rest out."

Rory went into her room and made the call to Marty. He didn't even hesitate; even when he heard whom it was for. "These guys are a bunch of loser's and horrible tippers."

Coming back out Rory found Sloan was already gone. "She's off to put out a red alert with the other's." Colin informed her in all seriousness.

"Would you happen to have a printer?" Finn asked from the kitchen where he had been prowling about. "I know Paris does but she'll cut my fingers off if I touch it."

"I have a printer." Rory admitted watching Logan over by the door shrugging into his jacket as he spoke into his phone. So much for the no phone rule she thought with a sigh. "Why?"

"I need it for my specialty." He explained examining the abandoned box of microwave popcorn Logan had left on the counter. "Flyers."

Hanging up Logan rushed over to Rory. "I have someone who can help but I need to go meet her. In a pinch she can be the one we get inside." He kissed Rory on the cheek. "I'm sorry about movie night. I'll make it up to you."

"Tell it to the marines," Rory muttered.

"Besides, I have a special assignment for you Ace," He said over his shoulder as he opened the door. "You're our mediator. You're the one talking to Steph. You might want to practice now." He glanced meaningfully at Colin who was sitting on the couch looking rather forlorn.

Before Rory could agree or disagree he was out the door. Turning back she picked up the bowl of cold popcorn that only half an hour before had held so much hope and took it to the kitchen to dump it only to find that Finn had decided to make a fresh batch, cellophane wrapper and all.

Closing her eyes and groaning when an imperious voice rang out from the door, "What's burning?" Rory turned to face her roommate.

Rory didn't even have a chance to explain. Finn was to the door so fast throwing his arms around Paris. "Darling, lovely to see you. You look absolutely ravishing."

As Paris kicked at his shins and pounded on his shoulder blades and kicked at his shins demanding to be put down Finn turned to look at Rory over his shoulder and grinned. "Phone Logan and tell him I've found our insider."