A/N: Not dead! I'm moving next week so life is crazy, guys. That's why with the long silence and that is why, sadly, there might be a long wait for the next one too. I hope I can get it to you sooner rather than later, but you might need to be patient.

"Did you share any of your feelings from our last session with Logan, Rory?" Dr. Bowman asked.

"Generally, yes. Specifically, no," Rory answered.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I told him I loved him, but I wasn't sure if I trusted him –that I was working on it, but I didn't know how long it would take that trust to come back. But we didn't really discuss it at all. I just, kinda, told him and that was that."

"I'm surprised you could come to terms with letting the initial truth out and that it didn't lead to come kind of discussion. But the fact that you shared those feelings with him at all is a good step in the right direction, especially given the tone of our discussion. How did he respond?"

"Better than I thought he would actually –he didn't get mad, or tell me I was out of line. He just sighed in a kind of sad way and told me it made sense. He asked me if I thought the least we could both agree to was to not try to push each other further away. Seemed fair to me."

"I think it is too. May I ask what inspired you to be so open with him about the nature of what we discussed? I'm very proud of this forward progress, I want to help you build on it."

Rory shifted uncomfortably on the couch. "When I came home from my appointment with you I walked into the kitchen –my bedroom, where Hannah sleeps right now, it's off the kitchen- and found Logan sitting at the table with infants' Tylenol, a damp cloth and a thermometer. I guess Hannah spiked a tiny fever while I was gone. He didn't know what to, do so he called my mom –she was at work. She I guess had bought a bunch of stuff in case Hannah did spike a fever, or whatever, at some point and she told Logan where to find the stuff and what to do –and he did it. I was consumed with guilt because usually –I'm obsessed with lists and being prepared but I've been so –I wasn't prepared at all and I felt like the worst mother ever. I didn't even know my mom had bought meds and a thermometer to keep in the house! I should've been the one to buy those things, but it never occurred to me They were right there in the house and she didn't tell me! I know, it was not to panic me, but still, I felt so terrible. Anyway… I was relieved and impressed that Logan took care of her, that he was able to and that he did. By the time I got home her fever was gone and she was sleeping. I ran in my room to check on her and when I came back out to the kitchen I –I just told him."

"So, he earned it," Dr. Bowman smiled, referencing her comment from the previous week.

"I guess he did, yeah."

"It's understandable, Rory –your reluctance to elaborate with Logan on what your trust issues are. As I said, even the fact that you told him you had trust issues at all, and the fact that he accepted this quite easily, without delegitimizing your feelings or viewing them as an attack on him –it's huge and promising progress for both of you."

Rory smiled. For the first time, she knew Dr. Bowman was right. They had a long way to go; most progress was going to be slow and Logan was certainly waging an internal war all his own, but this was a good thing.

"What do you think about having him come to a few sessions with you in the coming weeks? Not every week, but maybe every other week, a few times so that the two of you can engage in an open dialogue and really talk to each other about the trust issues you're experiencing and where they come from? It would also give him the chance to share with you and talk about any fears or uncertainties he's experiencing on his end of things. I want to give both of you the opportunity to really talk about these things. It can't all be covered in one session, which is why I suggest that maybe he come to a few. It may be less daunting to unpack all those things here, in a safe space, than to do it alone. It may be that by talking to each other here, you can be more honest with one another than you could be, if facing the prospect of such a difficult conversation alone."

"Yeah. I think that'd be okay –good for us, even. I'll ask him."

"Will you really ask him?"

"Yes," Rory insisted, chuckling slightly and rolling her eyes, "I'll really ask him. I just said, it could be good for us. I know it's a rare occurrence, Dr. Bowman, but this is what me agreeing with you looks like. I promise –I'll ask him. Even more earth shattering –he'll probably even agree to come."

"Lorelai, this is ludicrous," Emily sighed into the receiver. "Hannah is over five months old. Rory must have told that baby's father by now."

"I can't really comment," Lorelai said awkwardly.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous –of course you can."

"Not on this. It's Rory's personal business, Mom."

"Oh, so suddenly because it's 'personal' you can't comment? You comment on people's personal business all the time. Rudely. I'm surprised you haven't been arrested."

"Need I remind you who, among the two of us, has been arrested?"

"Lorelai," Emily warned sternly.

"I'm sorry Mom. This time, I'm Switzerland. I can't tell you this."

"If your father were alive –"

"I'd be Switzerland with him too. Don't do that," Lorelai snapped. "Don't you dare."

"Rory would've told him."

"Don't be so sure of that. Especially after your rousing speech to her about how earth shatteringly disappointed he would've been –do you remember telling her you were glad he wasn't alive to see her this way? You're not really one to inspire people to confide in you."

"It's absurd, Lorelai," Emily said again. "Am I really never to know who the father of my great granddaughter is? Really, Rory is acting like a petulant child. She's had ample opportunity to talk to me about it; the fact that she's so deftly avoiding it is irresponsible."

"How is it irresponsible?" Lorelai questioned defensively. "How does you knowing who Hannah's father is effect Rory's ability to be her mother? It doesn't. You're just upset that there's something that you don't know."

"Does he know? Hannah's father?"

"Rory will talk to you about this when she's ready, Mom. In the meantime, rest assured –Hannah is fine."

"How in the world are we supposed to have nice family gatherings if I don't know something so basic as who her father is? Is that any way for Rory to be raising her daughter?"

"Because Gilmore family gatherings have such a reputation for being docile, placid, low-key, fun events, historically speaking…"

"I've had just about enough of your sass, Lorelai."

"And I've had enough of this inquisition! What part of 'Rory will talk to you when she's ready,' don't you understand? It hasn't been an easy adjustment for her, Mom; she's going through a lot."

"She should be able to talk to me about it!"

"Because you're so non-judgemental and easy going…"

"Lorelai Victoria Gilmore…"

"Oh geez, not with the middle name like I'm five! I will pass your message along to Rory, okay? I'll make sure she knows how insufferable you're being."

"Christmas will be ruined if this hangs in the air, Lorelai."

"Yeah, sure. That's what'll ruin Christmas. Don't jinx it –you don't even know if we'll survive Thanksgiving. Luke might poison the turkey!"

"That's enough."

"Yes. It is. I gotta go, Mom. It was so nice talking to you."

"Fine. I'm sorry if I was –but Lorelai, it feels so terrible! She talks to me, but she doesn't talk to me."

"You're not the only one. Mom –she will tell you, but not if you try and force her to before she's ready and not if you use Dad's memory to shame her. The only thing that ensures is that eventually she'll stop talking to you completely."

Emily stayed silent.

"I really do have to go. I'll talk to you soon."

"Goodbye, Lorelai."

Lorelai sighed heavily as she hung up the phone.

"What's with the long face?" Luke asked, coming into the living room.

"My mother. She's losing her mind because Rory hasn't told her who Hannah's father is."

"She hasn't? Still? That's…"

"It doesn't matter what you and I think about it, Luke. It's Rory's information to share and no one else's."

"And Emily hates that."

"She hates it. She keeps bringing up my dad, saying how if he were alive, Rory would've talked to him. I can deal with a lot from my mother –but when she uses the memory of my father to –"

"I'm sorry," Luke sighed, taking Lorelai in his arms and kissing her head softly. "I don't even know what to say."

"There's nothing to say," Lorelai whispered. "That's just Emily Gilmore."

"Your mother may be crass and harsh, but she has a point. She will have to find out eventually. The longer it takes, the worse she's going to be about it."

"You don't think I know that?"

"I know you do, I'm just saying –you should talk to Rory."

"Talk to me about what?" Rory asked, coming in the house after returning from therapy.

"I'm gonna go check on Hannah," Luke said quietly, pecking Lorelai's lips as he left the room.

"We gotta talk, kid," Lorelai sighed, plunking herself down on the couch.

Rory followed suit, cautiously. "What's going on?"

"Your grandmother's on the war path."

"About what?"

"Hannah –more specifically, who her father is. I know you're dealing with a lot and I've tried to deftly avoid the subject with her –I've told her it's your news to share, not mine. 'I'm Switzerland!' I keep saying. But Hun, you can't not tell her ever. It's a wonder she's held out this long before getting nasty –"

"She's getting nasty? With you? How? What's she saying?"

"Don't worry about it. The point is, we're at an impasse here. I think the jig's up. You gotta tell her."

Rory sighed.

"You've been right to focus on you. On Hannah. On you and Logan trying to figure things out. But you can't dodge the bullet forever. If you choose to do that, you might be indirectly choosing to forego any future relationship with your grandmother, and quash any chances of Hannah being able to know her."

"It's that bad?"

Lorelai nodded solemnly. "You can't be that surprised that she's reaching the end of her tether, Rory. Hannah's over five months. You've done a stellar job, avoiding the inevitable. But you can't avoid it anymore –if you do, you'd be making an implicit choice that can't be taken back. It's time to face the music."

"When?" Rory asked quietly. "I mean, when should I –how do I –"

"Well, you have options. None are particularly good –but they are options, nonetheless. You could call her and tell her. Plus side being you're not there with her and will be somewhat protected from the destruction of her shock and probable rage; negative side being that there's nothing to stop her from coming here to unleash on you, thereby shattering your bubble and your safe space."

"Okay…"

"Alternatively, there's always Christmas."

"How would that possibly be better?"

"Who said anything about better? It's another option. We could wait until the end of the holiday to tell her –have the conversation the day before we leave Nantucket. That way the only thing that might ruin Christmas are her ice queen tendencies –not the news itself. If you wait until the end of the Christmas visit, there's also no chance that she'll still be stewing over the news itself when we get there, thus maybe making the whole trip torture."

"What would you do? If it were you –what would you do?"

Lorelai contemplated this question. "Call me nuts, but I'd wait until right before leaving Nantucket. I'm not really sure I can explain the logic behind that instinct, but…"

"No," Rory said slowly, "it makes sense."

"It'll give you time to talk to Logan about it. I mean, he still hasn't told his family, has he?"

"Aside from Honour, no."

"You could also talk about it with the good therapist… maybe work out the best way to word it –practice, even, as ridiculous as that sounds."

"Yeah, that makes sense. It's probably a good idea. Christmas it is," Rory sighed.

"Okay," Lorelai smiled.

"How do we placate her until then?"

"It's only five weeks… we've procrastinated longer than that about other things before. We'll figure it out."

Logan picked up his phone as soon as he saw who was calling. "Hey…"

"Hey."

"Usually this is the other way around."

"I know."

"What's going on?" There was nothing but silence. "Jess… you called me, remember?"

"I know. Do you have a sec? Is now a good time?"

"If it wasn't, I wouldn't have picked up."

"Right," Jess sighed. "You can't say anything to Rory…"

"That seems to be a theme with us. What's up?"

"What are you doing for Thanksgiving?"

"Excuse me?" Logan asked in surprise, laughing quietly. "You're not really my type, Jess…"

"Funny. Asshole. Are you going to be with family, or…?"

"My parents are in London. My sister's in San Francisco."

"So, you'll be in Stars Hollow then?"

"Probably. Unless Rory locks me out for some reason. Why?"

"I think I might…" Jess faltered. "Luke invited me to Stars Hollow. I think I might… I told him I'd be there. Rory doesn't know –Lorelai either- if I change my mind I don't want –"

"No, that makes sense. So, that's… wow. Okay then."

"I don't know why I'm telling you. I guess because it's gonna be awkward and tense enough, so if you're at least half expecting me, you can –"

"Have a better poker face and keep Rory from spinning out, because you'll be working hard enough to keep your own crap in check. Got it."

"Yeah."

"Look, Jess –just do whatever you need to do. Whatever you decide, no judgement. If you do come, I'll give you some space when you get there, let you and Rory talk, give you time to be with Hannah, to digest –everything. It's not easy, what you're doing, but I get why you're doing it. It's make or break time, right?"

"Something like that."

"I get it. I've got your back."

"It is both terrifying and disturbing not only that you offer the support, but that I'm actually fucking comforted by it," Jess said, laughing cynically.

"I know the feeling."

"Just more evidence that we may as well be living in an alternate dimension."

"True. So, I guess I'll see you next week then? Probably? Maybe?"

"Looks that way."

"All right. Take it easy, Jess," Logan said.

"Yeah, you too," Jess sighed. He disconnected the call and let himself fall back onto his bed, where he proceeded to stare at the ceiling for over an hour, trying to talk himself out of what he was preparing to do.