Chapter 28

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, settings, music, or movies mentioned.

AN: HEY! Omg it's been so long since I've updated and I am so sorry. I was so busy with finals and the end of my school year that writing got put on the back burner. I hope you guys like this chapter and I've started working on the first 8 chapters of my next story so that should be up soon as well.

"Ace, please don't cry," Logan begged her as he wiped away the tears streaming down her face.

"I can't Logan," she said, clinging to him for what was to be the last time for a while. He looked down at the girl in his arms and felt his heart break. They were standing in the foyer of their apartment and Logan had to leave in a matter of minutes. He wouldn't let her come with him, he wouldn't be able to go through with leaving if she came with him.

"I have to go," he said regretfully, pulling back to kiss her passionately.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too, and I promise I'll be home before you know it," he said, he kissed her one last time and walked out the door before she could see the tears fall from his eyes as well.

That had been 1 month and 13 days since then, Logan was coming home tomorrow and Rory was practically bursting with excitement. Sleeping in their bed every night without him and living in their home every day without him had been too much for Rory so the rest of her summer was spent in Stars Hollow with her mom and Lane. While it felt good to hang out with her best friends again, whenever she was left without a distraction she would miss Logan, a lot. Nightly phone calls and emails helped immensely and Logan even convinced her to give phone sex a try on one particular night when she really missed him. She found it wasn't something she was even remotely opposed to after that first time and they continued it over the course of his trip.

For the last week, she had bounced around, far happier than she had been since he left, at the prospect of his return. She was also excited for her junior year at Yale which began in two weeks and she had already done the necessary preparations. She decided that a trip to Lane's and then Lunch at Luke's sounded good for today and quickly scribbled a note to her mom before leaving.

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Logan exited the town car and thanked Frank for the ride. He entered the diner in front of him as Frank drove away and saw Luke behind the counter talking to a man about his age with black greased hair and a black leather jacket.

"Hey Luke," Logan greeted the man, taking a seat at the counter.

"Logan? I thought you were getting back tomorrow? How was your trip?" Luke asked but moved to shake Logan's hand.

"I was supposed to but I'm here to surprise Ace early. It was good but I really missed her," Logan told him smirking. "I figured she might be in here for lunch but I guess not."

"No but she should be in a few minutes, I just saw her head to Lane's," Luke said. The man in the jacket cleared his throat and Luke introduced them. "Logan this is my nephew Jess. Jess, this is Logan."

"Nice to meet you," Logan said, shaking his hand before turning back to Luke. "Could I talk to you about something, privately?"

"Um…sure, just give me a minute, we can go upstairs," Luke said, confused.

"Thanks," Logan said before Luke disappeared into the kitchen in the back.

"So what did you do to get him to like you?" Jess asked, gesturing to where Luke had gone.

"My girlfriend," Logan said, smirking at the double meaning.

"Oh, who's your girlfriend?" Jess asked.

"Logan, we can go talk now," Luke said, coming out into the diner and making his way to the staircase.

"Excuse me," Logan told Jess and followed Luke up.

"Sure."

Logan followed Luke up the stairs and into the old office turned apartment turned guest room for April or Jess. They sat at the small kitchen table and Logan asked, "You know I love Rory, right?"

"I'd have to be blind not to know that," Luke told him.

"Right," Logan said, chuckling. "As you know I went to London recently and while I was there I visited the family vault and got this." Logan pulled out a velvet ring box and opened it for Luke to see a 3 Karat, radiant cut diamond engagement ring. "It was my grandmother's ring and she told me to give it to the woman I love. I don't know when I'm going to propose. It could be as soon as Christmas or as late as her graduation but I know I want to marry her. I love Rory and I would never do anything to hurt her. This may sound a little traditional but I'd like to ask your permission. Your permission to ask Rory to marry me."

"Why are you asking me?" Luke asked him, shocked.

"Luke for all intents and purposes, you are Rory's father. You were there for her, her entire life, not to mention you are marrying Lorelai in a matter of months, it only seems right that I ask you."

"It means a lot that you asked me and of course you have my permission. You clearly love her and you've give me no reason to believe you would hurt her, I know you'll make her very happy," Luke told him.

"Thank you," Logan said. "I do plan on asking Lorelai as well but I figured it was safer to wait until I know when I'm going to propose."

"Good idea, that woman can keep a secret worse than she can resist a cup of coffee."

They stood up and gave each other a manly hug before heading back downstairs.

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Rory and Lane walked into Luke's diner, laughing about something Zach and Brian were doing when they left, and heard the bell ring above them. Rory looked up at the counter for Luke but instead found Jess sitting at one of the stools. "Jess!" she said, shocked.

"Rory? Hey," he said. Wow she looks gorgeous. He thought as he looked at her. She was wearing a pair of distressed jean shorts and a gray T-shirt, her shoes were white vans and her makeup was light; powder with mascara and freshly applied lip gloss. (Cover Photo)

"Hi, what are you doing here?" She asked him, her shock turning to confusion and some anger, remembering the last time she saw him.

"I'm visiting Luke, just got here today. You look good," he said, his eyes roaming over her.

"Jess," she started but something in the corner of her eye caught her attention and she looked up to see Logan come down the stairs with Luke and lean against the counter.

"Hey Ace," he said with a huge smirk. She squealed loudly and ran to him, jumping into his arms and wrapping her legs around his waist. He caught her and held on to her tightly as she leaned down and kissed him long and passionately. He kissed back fervently, placing his hands on her bare back where her shirt had ridden up and reveling in having her in his arms again. When they finally broke apart she grinned at him.

"You're here! What are you doing here?!" she asked, bursting with excitement.

"I'm here to surprise my girlfriend," he said, giving her a genuine smile, the one he only gave her. She giggled and kissed him again before he let her down onto her feet and hugged her tight. "I missed you."

"I missed you too Logan, so much. I can't believe you're here!" she said, laughing.

"You want me to go back?" he teased.

"Never," she said seriously but still with a smile on her face as she kissed him again.

"Why do you two have to be so cute? It makes others feel they have no chance of finding that?" Lane teased them as she sat the counter. She looked over at Jess who had been staring at the couple angrily since Logan walked in.

"Sorry Lane, my boyfriend is too hot for me to stop doing these things," Rory said, playing along.

"And my girlfriend is too damn sexy for me to stop doing these things," Logan said, growling in Rory's ear and nipping at it, making her giggle again. "And you're wearing shorts, doesn't get better than this."

"Why is he so happy about you wearing shorts?" Lane asked, her eyebrow raised as the couple took a seat at the counter, Logan pulling Rory into his lap before she could sit down. She rolled her eyes at but kissed him before answering Lane's question with a giggle.

"He has a thing about dresses, shorts, skirts, anything but pants really," she said.

"That makes it sound like I'm the one wearing them," Logan said. "I simply like when you don't cover up your legs." He placed his hand on her thigh to make his point and she wiggled on top of him, making him breath in sharply and move his hands to her waist. She laughed at him and then looked at Jess a couple seats away from Lane, suddenly remembering he was there. The last time she had seen him was when he begged her to run away to New York with him. She had turned him down and effectively ended anything that may have been left between them, at least she thought. Until his comment before Logan came in she thought they were long finished, apparently Jess didn't think so but Rory was positive they were completely done. Deciding not to talk to him, she instead turned back to Logan.

"What were you and Luke doing upstairs?" She asked.

"Talking," he said simply.

"Well no shit Sherlock." She deadpanned. "What about?"

"Stuff," he answered.

"I have ways of making you talk you know," she said.

"Oh yeah like what?" he challenged her. She wiggled on him again and sucked on his neck lightly. "Ok, ok, take pity on me please? I promise I'll tell you later."

"Promise?"

"I pinky promise," he said, lifting one hand from her waist and holding out his pinky and entwining it with hers.

"Wow, you mean business," she with mock seriousness.

"Well what's more meaningful or serious than a pinkie promise?"

"Nothing," she scoffed.

"Exactly, so in this, a most serious of times, the pinkie promise was necessary."

"I see," she said feigning wonderment. He shook head and laughed, planting a wet kiss on her cheek. She hopped down off his lap and grabbed his hand to pull him off the stool as well. "Lane do you mind if we go?"

"Of course not, your boy toy just came home, go," Lane said, shooing them out.

"Where are we going Ace?" he asked as she backed them out of the diner.

"To my mom's house. My mom's very empty house," she said.

"I was right," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her flush against him as they stopped outside the diner window.

"About?"

"It really doesn't get better than this," he said, nuzzling her neck.

Jess watched them from his spot inside, he heard Rory giggle when Logan moved his mouth to her neck. She looked happy, maybe it was time to let her go.

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"Damn Ace," Logan groaned as he finally found the strength to roll off her and over to his side. He then wrapped his arms around her and pulled her body into the side of his. "If this is the welcome I get every time I come home I might just start leaving more often," he said, obviously teasing but Rory quickly tightened her hold on him and buried her head even deeper into his chest. "Ace?"

"Don't leave," she said.

"Ace, I promise I'm not going anywhere," he said, running his fingers through her hair.

"My dad left my mom, and Grandpa left Grandma for a little bit, and then Jess left me and I can't take it if you leave," she told him.

"Hey!" he said, lifting her chin up to look at him. "Listen to me, I am not going anywhere." She nodded at him and he kissed her again. "What do you mean Jess left you?" he asked, remembering Jess from the diner.

"Oh he's my ex-boyfriend. He left me at the end of my senior year of high school, just went to California without saying goodbye or anything," she explained.

"Wasn't he in the diner today?"

"Yeah, I saw him when I came in, it was kind of awkward. The last time I saw him he had come to my dorm to beg me run away to New York with him. I said no, that I didn't love him and we haven't talk since. And it's all kind of weird because mom and Luke are getting married and we're going to be cousins, who dated. It's just… gross," she said.

"Yeah that's a little weird," he agreed, laughing. "So I don't have anything to worry about?" he asked trying to joke, but jealousy seeping through his words.

She bolted up right and looked him in the eye. "No." she said simply and vehemently. "Absolutely not Logan. I love you and I want to spend the rest… I want to be with you." She said, hoping Logan didn't catch the last part and what she was about to say. Apparently, luck wasn't on her side though.

"What?" he asked, smirking.

"I said I love you and I want to be with you."

"No, Ace what were you going to say?" he asked.

"Nothing, all that matters, is what I did say," she told him. He sat up next to her and looked her in the eye.

"Rory, what were you about to say?" he asked seriously. She sighed and looked down at their hands joined in her lap.

"I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you," she said softly. She waited for him to get out of bed and put his clothes back on, for him to walk out that door, scared shitless and for him to break up with her because forever was to serious. Instead he laughed softly, cupped her face in his hands and grinned at her with that thousand watt smile before kissing her with everything he had. She kissed back and when the lack of air became too much he pulled back and rested him forehead on hers.

"So do I Ace. And even then forever won't be long enough."