Logan's POV

The next day Logan was back to walking the streets of New York. He had nothing else to do since he was avoiding Rory, the reason for being there in the first place. He had come to the decision that he hated New York. The old Logan may have loved it, the place was definitely right up his alley. But the new Logan didn't agree. He needed the laid back, mellow, waves of California. He hadn't truly relaxed once since he got here.

He decided to take the ferry just to see if being near water would help. He was sitting there trying to relax with his eyes closed and his head hanging down to his knees, when he felt the seat move. Someone had sat down next to him. It wasn't a problem but he wished they hadn't sat so close. Space was much more relaxing.

He felt the seat move again as the person adjusted themselves. Sighing in disgust, he'd begun to lift his head and open his eyes, when he felt hands on his shoulders. The hands began to massage his shoulders and neck and without meaning to, his head and dropped a moan slipped out of his mouth, making the person laugh.

"Kalli?" he asked, not moving his head and enjoying the massage even if it wasn't her.

"You looked tense," she told him.

"I have been," he sighed again, this time out of content. "I hate New York."

"Impossible. Everyone loves this disgusting city."

"You don't like it either," he pointed out.

"Sssh," she said. "Talking is counter-effective for the massage. You can't relax and talk."

"Yes ma'am," Logan said with a grin.

She finished her massage and he had to admit that he felt a lot more relaxed. She sat down beside him and rested her arms on the back of the bench before looking at him.

"Feel better?" she asked.

"Much, thank you," he told her with a smirk. "How is it you keep managing to pop up just when I need?"

She shrugged and looked out over the water. They'd almost reached the Statue of Liberty but Logan had no intentions of getting off. He'd planned on just riding the ferry for a couple of hours. He watched her and wondered about her.

Last night when they went out to eat he'd tried to get her to open up but she didn't. She talked about Bridget and asked him questions but dodged every one he sent her way. She'd flirted but she'd kept her distance and when the night was over, she shook his had and walked the other way without looking back once. It was Logan left standing there, watching her walk away.

"Bridget's real name is Wilma Baker, went by Willie. She left home when she was 15 and by 18 she'd learned how to steal identities. By 20 she was making new ones out of thin air. She has multiple aliases and is wanted in several of them."

"Is she dangerous?" Logan asked, remembering what she said about a woman who was missing the other day.

"It's not listed anyway but remember, I told you her friend Lanie went missing. They never connected her to it but since we don't know for sure, you have to factor it in."

"How'd she end up with Ace," he wondered out loud.

"I'm sorry, what?" Kallie said, looking at him curiously.

"Nothing, nothing," Logan said. "Just thinking in stereo. Is that all you have?"

"For now. I need to ask you some questions before we can continue," she told him.

"We can continue?" he repeated, his heart skipping a beat.

"The case," she said slowly, arching an eye brow as she looked at him.

"Oh, yeah," he said, shaking his head and mentally yelling at him. "Go ahead."

He watched her pull her orange notebook out and he wondered where she kept it. She didn't carry a purse and she didn't always appear to wear clothes with big enough pockets. Today she had another mini skirt, this time in grey, with black hose and the knee high boots. She wore a purple v neck cashmere sweater and a brown leather jacket. She flipped to a clean page and pulled a pen from thin air.

"First, can I know any details as to why I am looking into this woman? These details will help me fine tune my investigation."

She sounded so professional he found himself mesmerized by her voice. He didn't realize it was his turn to talk until she took her pen and tapped his nose.

"What?" he asked, rubbing his nose where she'd got him.

"Details. I need details for the investigation," she said with a sigh and a smile.

"What kind of details?"

"What am I looking for? Why am I looking for it? How will this be used?" she rattled off, ticking the questions off on her fingers.

"Why do you need to know how your information will be used?"

"Is it going through the justice system, then I have to be above board," she explained. "Or you aren't, so I won't."

"Oh, well, this won't be used, not really. I'm just doing this to protect a friend. I just don't trust Bridget and I want to make sure Ace will be alright when I go back to California."

"That's all?"

"That's all."

"And so, you're gonna what, tell this Ace?" Kalli asked and he nodded.

"That's exactly what I'm going to do. I'll tell Ace everything and see where things stand and then I'll go home."

"This sounds like so much more than just protecting a friend," she said as he looked out over the water. "It sounds like one of those moments in life, the fork in the road."

Rory's POV

Rory woke up with her head hanging off the couch, the rest of her was tangled up with Tristan's legs. He was passed out with his head at an awkward angle. Jess was sprawled on the floor with his head under the table. She giggled, knowing he was going to hit his head.

Her head was throbbing, she regretted everything after waking up. She needed tacos and a bathroom, not necessarily in that order. She kept moving slowly, untangling herself from Tristan and trying not to wake him. She had to take her time because of the pain in her head and her rolling stomach.

She stood up and what erupted next was just hilarious chaos. When she stood up, she stood on Jess's hand that she didn't know was there. He woke up with a scream, lifting his head up only to smack it on the table, making him scream louder. Tristan, in turn, tried to jump up and tripped over his own feet, falling face first on the floor, where he grabbed his neck and moaned.

"That was a the most magnificent thing I've ever seen," Rory said, watching them in awe.

She heard Jess growl from under the table and took off for the bathroom. When she emerged twenty minutes later, Jess was sitting on the couch with a bag of frozen peas on his head and frozen corn on his hand.

She had to muffle her laughter as she asked, "Are you ok?"

"I'll live," he grunted out.

Nodding, she noticed the coffee was ready. She hurried over and poured one of her biggest mugs full. Once she'd had a drink and taking the two aspirin she'd carried in, she turned back to the room.

"Where's Tristan?" she asked, looking around the room as if the tall blond was hiding somewhere.

"Out."

"Is he coming back?"

"Yes."

She watched Jess sluggishly get up off the couch and move towards her bathroom. He held the frozen vegetables in place as he went and she laughed, wishing she'd taken a picture. She grabbed her phone and hit her speed dial.

"Whaz up?" Lorelei answered.

"That wasn't even cool when it was cool," Rory said with a smile as she took another drink of coffee.

"Are you saying mommy isn't cool?"

"Yes, I believe that is exactly what I'm saying."

"Mean."

"You would be too if you had the hangover I'm suffering from."

"You drink again last night? My, you are a lush."

"Shut up or I won't tell you the funny bit I called to tell you about."

"Mean."

"We went through this already."

"Ok," Lorelei sighed. "Go on with it then."

"So, Tristan, Jess, and I are all passed out drunk in my living room. I wake up and try not to wake them up. Jess is under the coffee table and when I stand up his hand is apparently in my way," Rory said, stopping to take a drink.

"You didn't!" Lorelei gasp.

"I did. And he screamed."

"He didn't!"

"He did. And then he banged his head on the table and screamed louder," Rory said laughing.

"Oh, I always miss the good things," Lorelei said, laughing.

"There's more. Tristan tried to jump up and fell face first. It was a great way to start the day."

Both Gilmore Girls laughed together and Rory felt good. Her hangover was barely noticeable. Things didn't seem so bad.

Jess's POV

"You better not be laughing at me," Jess said as he walked out of the bathroom. "It's your fault anyway."

He carried the bags of frozen vegetables back to the freezer and poured himself a cup of coffee, automatically setting it to brew again. He turned around and leaned against the counter as he grabbed for the aspirin bottle that was sitting next to the coffee pot.

"Love you, bye," Rory said, ending her phone call.

"You didn't have to get off on my account," he said as he grabbed his coffee to join her at the table.

"I didn't. She started to ask about Tristan and I didn't want to talk."

"Understandable," he said. "What is going on with you guys?"

"Jess!" she exclaimed, looking towards the front door.

"Relax, Ror, geez," he said, rolling his eyes. "You shouldn't care if he heard you talking about him, unless what you have to say doesn't sound good."

"No, everything I would say would be good."

"I don't want to hear that," he groaned, hanging his head a little.

"No, no," she said quickly, blushing. "We don't, I mean, well, we haven't, it's just.."

"I get it, Rory, I get it. What I don't get, and I'm sure I'll regret asking this, is why?"

He looked around at her windows and got up, walking over to one that didn't have anything in front of it. He looked back to her when she started talking.

"He won't," she said, looking down. "Not while Logan is in the picture."

"And is he?" Jess asked, looking back at the window. "In the picture?"

"He was," she admitted after a moment. "But he's not now. What are you doing?"

He looked back at her, his hands frozen in the act of opening the window. She looked confused and irritated. Suddenly he realized she probably wouldn't like him just opening a window to smoke a cigarette.

"I need a smoke, Ror. I'm sorry but it is what it is," he told her, continuing what he was doing.

"Jess, I don't want you smoking in here."

"I know. Hence the open window."

"You're still inside my house."

"It's not a house."

"Now that's just petty."

"Get over it, Princess, I need my smoke."

He watched her roll her eyes but before she could say anything, Tristan let himself in. He looked at both Jess and Rory and held up white bags.

"Hangover over food from the Gods!"

"What's that?"

"Tacos!" Rory said gleefully.

"You know, you don't act like someone with a hangover," Jess said, glaring at her.

"I'm in a good mood and I refuse to let you kill it. I will hang up on you just like I did Mom."

"You hung up on your mom?" Tristan asked as he sat the bags on the table.

"Yeah, she asked questions about you. Apparently that's not allowed," Jess said, sticking his tongue out at Rory.

"I don't remember you being so childish," she said, wading up a piece of paper and throwing it at him.

"Really, you mean he wasn't always like this?" Tristan asked.

"Nope, he was a very dark and twisted young man," she said, a sweet smile on her face as she looked at Jess.

"I hated the world and everyone in it. I still hate the world and everyone in it. Not much has changed," Jess said with a shrug as he reached for a taco.

"But you're happier about it," she grinned.

Jess picked a piece of cheese off his taco and threw it at her. However, he had to agree with her. He'd noticed how much lighter and happier he was. He didn't know what it was but he was running with it.

"So, now that we're done yucking it up at my expense, when should we hit the road?" he asked.

"What time is it?" Rory asked. "It's not normal that I don't know what time it is but I haven't bothered to look yet."

Tristan's POV

Tristan smiled at Rory and looked at his watch.

"It's 11."

"It's only a 2 hour drive, sometimes 2 and a half," Jess said.

"Is everybody ready?" Tristan asked, looking between the both of them.

He knew he was ready. He never unpacked so all of his stuff was still in the bags in the hotel room. A habit he carried over from his days in the service, always be at the ready. He figured he'd check out and when he came back, he'd sleep on the floor of his new place until his bed arrived.

"I just have to throw a few more things in my bags and then I'm done," Rory said in between bites of her burrito.

"My stuff's ready at the hotel. I just want to make a phone call first," Jess said.

"I say this then," Tristan said, his old leader skills coming out. "Mary finishes her packing and we all head to the hotel. We'll wait in my room while you finish up what you have to do. You come get us when you're ready and then we'll hit the road. Sound like a plan?"

"Sounds perfect," Rory said, standing up and brushing her hands off. "I'll clean this up and go to my room."

"I'll get this, you go on," he said, leaning over and giving her a quick kiss.

He watched her disappear into her bedroom before he cleaned up their Mexican cure. He cleaned her coffee pot and the glasses they'd used last night and in the morning.

"Wow, is that what I have to look forward to?" Jess asked.

"If you pay extra," he said, smirking at his roommate.

"I'll remember that," Jess said with a smirk of his own. "How will we keep this from Rory? You've got to know how smart she is."

"Oh I know and it's gonna be hard," Tristan agreed. "But I have this big idea in mind if all things would work in my favor."

"Dare I ask?"

Tristan looked to the bedroom, wondering how much longer they had before Rory came back.

"Furniture in the place, my bedroom ready, take her out and then bring her home," he said, keeping his eyes on the bedroom.

"Ah," Jess said with a big smile, nodding his head.