A/N: Thank you all again for the reviews, much appreciated. I hope to post again Friday or Saturday. I have posted my sequel to Happier, it is called "One Day", so please enjoy. This chapter we see drama, and I will say outright, the likelihood of this would be small in real life...but isn't that the beauty of a fanfic based off a TV show? Anyway, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls

Chapter Seventeen

Thanksgiving Day

Rory was seething, Perry had arrived the night before, a few hours after all of his family, and thankfully they were still asleep while she and Logan prepped dinner and the boys played with Perry. "I cannot believe she served him."

"It will never go anywhere," Logan assured her, "I mean, the woman has barely spent any time with him since he was born from everything you've said?"

"She hasn't, but she is still his Mom."

"Have you read over the paperwork yet?" Logan asked, referring to the petition for joint custody that Sarah had filed.

"No, Perry said we would do it before dinner, which seems oddly morbid. Happy Thanksgiving, lets read the paperwork trying to keep my son from me." Rory rolled her eyes as she aggressively peeled potatoes.

"Ace, calm down," Logan gently pulled the potato peeler away from her, "it will be fine. You said Perry cancelled the trips they had planned?"

Rory nodded, "Yes, that is why Eli is sleeping in the guest house with Perry, his cousins are in his room."

Logan gave her a quick kiss, "Rory, it is early, we have the turkey in the oven, what do you say we head upstairs and spend some time in bed. I assure you, I can distract you from all your worries. Even if it is just for an hour."

"You think you can distract me for a whole hour?" Rory grinned as she looked at her watch, it was barely 7 in the morning and they had been up for an hour and a half to get the turkey in the oven. The tradition they had was to eat early and then the kids would all play outside with the husbands while the women drank wine and watched, and then they would all watch a movie before putting the kids to bed, after which they would all hang out and catch up. It was one of the few family traditions she had grown to love with her in-laws during her marriage.

"I can try," Logan made sure the burners on the stove were off and took Rory by the hand, leading her up the stairs, he smiled as she giggled behind him. "You are too fucking stressed out," he murmured against her lips as she shut the door to her bedroom. "Gilmore, what kind of entertainment do you think I have planned for up here?" he asked as she slowly unzipped her sweater.

"Wholesome entertainment, of course," Rory winked as she slipped the garment off her shoulders and his lips made their way to her neck. "You're overdressed," Rory told him as she urged his t-shirt off of his shoulders.

"If you insist," Logan smiled as she tossed it on the floor, he walked her back to the bed and her knees hitting the mattress pushed her backwards and he took a moment to simply gaze at the sight of her. "You're beautiful."

"Shut up and take advantage of me before someone wakes up," Rory laughed wiggling out of her sweatpants as he settled between her legs, his lips pecking at her thighs.

She wasn't sure how long it had been but as they lay with their legs intertwined, her head gently on his chest as he drew circles with his fingertips on her back. Rory heard a quick knock at the door and it began to crack open, she shot up to see her ex-husband standing in the doorway. "Perry, what are you doing?"

Perry awkwardly fumbled with the door, "sorry!" he slammed it and left as quickly as he had come in, leaving Rory and Logan to a fit of giggles.

"Remember when we got caught making out by my Grandpa?" Rory laughed as Logan pulled her in for a kiss.

"This is way funnier," Logan told her. They quickly dressed and Logan made his way to the hall where Perry was leaning against the wall, "Sorry man, that…I'm sorry."

"It's fine, I need to talk to her about the Eli stuff. My lawyer just called," Perry explained, "sorry for intruding." Logan awkwardly shuffled on the spot before making his way down the hall to the stairs and to the kitchen where at least he could busy himself with cooking while the kids were all entertained by their cousins. Perry knocked loudly on the door and waited another moment, "It's me," he added for good measure.

"Come in," Rory was standing in front of the mirror fixing her hair, "I'm sorry about that Per."

"Hey, you've moved on…I get it…maybe I didn't need to see it, but I guess…mornings were never really my thing," Perry felt awkward, "this is about Eli though."

"What is going on?" Rory asked as she pulled her hair back into a ponytail.

"She is suing for joint custody, and, get this…demanding a paternity test."

"A paternity test?" Rory was surprised, "There are…options?"

"I didn't think there were options, Sarah always told me there were no other options. We were young, I believed her…Eli is my son."

"Eli is your son," Rory repeated, "he is our son. She is just trying to be dramatic, she is upset about New York and she is trying to keep control of it all, she probably thinks you will refuse to do the test and settle to keep him in LA. I'm mortified that she would go to these lengths, it doesn't help Eli in the long run, but honestly, she isn't thinking straight. I really hope this will all calm down and go away."

"What if he's not mine?" Perry paused to consider it, he and Sarah had dated, briefly, they had never declared exclusivity, but she had said she wasn't seeing anyone else and he had believed her.

"He is ours." Rory assured him, "You and I know better than anything, DNA is not all that makes you a parent, I will walk on fire for that boy."

"I'm sorry, I guess…I guess this is my issue now, but I needed to talk to you about it," he admitted.

"Perry, we are his parents, we are coparents. I want you to talk to me about this stuff, this is for us to deal with together. We are on the same team."

xxx

"So he's hot," Heather Cramer-Jones gently poked an elbow into Rory's ribcage as she watched the men and children play a game of flag football outside.

"Heath, we are not discussing this," Rory felt herself blush.

"Oh we are discussing it," Kelly Cramer joined them, "Rory…you are always going to be our sister, no matter what, so can we please talk about how hot he is?"

"Fine, he is hot," Rory giggled, "is this weird for you guys? Being here?"

Kelly shrugged and Heather waited a moment to speak, "I thought it would be," she said honestly, "but here we are and the kids are happy and Mom and Dad are having a blast and Perry seems happy, you and Logan are happy…so no I think we're all good."

"Just this Sarah thing hanging over us all," Kelly nodded her head. "So you and your morning screw with the hottie is the least of our worries."

"Oh my god!" Rory almost spat out her wine, "How do you?"

"Sounded like he was very, shall we say… giving this morning?"

"I can't believe you heard that," Rory blushed.

"You might want to tone down the noise level, I will say, points for not swearing," Kelly winked.

Rory shook her head, "your parents didn't….right?"

"They were downstairs and are basically deaf anyway, so no, they didn't. We just told Luca and James you were praying."

Rory couldn't help but laugh, it felt good, she had to admit, to be back with them even if it was different, even if it was with someone new, they still felt like her family. "Well thank you for this absolute mortification…it has been a while since I've felt that."

"Like a while as in before or after Perry walked in on you two post coitus this morning?" Kelly grinned.

"You were holding onto that one, weren't you?" Rory rolled her eyes.

"You know me well."

"Mom," Luca ran over to his mother, "Dad said I can sleep in the pool house tonight if you say it's alright."

"Sure," Rory shrugged, "make sure Eli is cool with it?"

"He is," Luca assured her, "Micah too."

"Ask Auntie Bridg about that," Rory told him, nodding to her former sister in law who was discussing politics with her mother a few feet away. Luca nodded and ran over to his aunt and paternal grandmother. "So you guys like him?" Rory nodded to Logan who was chasing Christopher around the yard.

Heather smiled, "Ror, he seems great. He likes the kids, Perry speaks highly of him, he is successful, Luca even likes him."

Rory smiled, "what do you guys think about the move?"

Kelly rolled her eyes and took a sip of her drink, "not impressed."

"I'm excited," Heather laughed at her youngest sister, "you guys will be closer. Perry said you would be in Manhattan? He was saying he would rent in Buffalo, the kids would go back and forth between?"

Rory nodded, "during our minimal discussions about it, yep, that is the plan. I don't know how things will shake out with Eli now…it is such a mess."

"I hate that Eli and Perry, and you…the boys, I hate that you are going to have to go through this." Heather sighed, "Do you think she will settle?"

Rory shook her head, "I wouldn't blow up his life just to settle. What kind of a mother would do that to their own child?"

"I'm sorry to interrupt you girls, Rory, may I speak with you?" Linda Cramer smiled at the women, "I promise to return you in a moment, and in one piece?"

Rory smiled and graciously stepped away from the younger women, looping an arm with Linda as they walked into the formal living room, "How are you doing Linda? We haven't really spoken…in a while."

Linda Cramer was a kind woman, she had dedicated her entire life to her children and their success, specifically, to Perry and hockey. She was proper and put together, fiercely protective of her children. "I'm doing well Rory. Thank you for asking, and thank you for having us this week. This must be…difficult for you," the way she said difficult reminded Rory of her grandmother. The Cramer family was an upper middle class family from Southern Ontario, they had followed Perry's hockey around when he was a teenager, but somehow, despite being uprooted for their brother every couple of years, Bridget, Kelly and Heather were well rounded adults as well. Kelly worked in fashion in Los Angeles, Heather was a school teacher and Bridget was an analyst for a Canadian news network.

"The kids are thrilled to see you, that is what matters…Perry and I are fine. It's all water under the bridge now."

Linda smiled, "I do know about Perry's…indiscretions, I'm sorry. That isn't what I ever expected of him, I am sorry that he did that."

"It isn't on you," Rory assured her. Rory should have known that even if Linda hadn't been told by Perry, she would know, "Per is a grown man."

"And this Logan…"

"Logan Huntzberger," Rory smiled, "he is the most amazing man, he is good to the boys, he is good to me, he and Perry seem to be getting along…"

It was Linda's turn to smile, "I'm glad, I want you to be happy," Linda told her honestly, "and this…this Sarah business."

Rory exhaled, it was seemingly the theme of the visit, the Sarah thing. "Sarah is doing what Sarah feels is best…I think Perry and I happen to disagree with her idea of what is best for Eli, but we will figure it out. We will get it all dealt with, and Eli will be with everyone who loves him, his parents, his brothers."

Linda nodded, "well I'm glad to hear that. I'm glad that after everything, you still see Eli as your son. Selfishly, I must admit, we would love for you to be closer."

"He is my son Linda, in all the ways that mater, I am Eli's Mom and there is nothing anyone can say that will prove otherwise."

xxx

"Why do I have to do this?" Eli looked from Rory to his father as they stood in the kitchen alongside Perry's lawyer.

"It's just a court thing," Rory assured him, "not a big deal, we are just re-working the custody arrangement with your Mom and the move to New York." Rory and Perry had told the kids about the trade the Sunday of Thanksgiving after Logan left and the kids were thrilled. Rory had vaguely told them they would be spending more time in Manhattan but the details weren't confirmed yet. Perry and Rory had met with his lawyer numerous times throughout the week, and by Friday, they were completing the DNA test which Sarah had demanded.

"They've never done this before."

"When Dad and I split, it was different, we all agreed on everything," Rory told him, "it is fine, I promise. Open up." Eli opened his mouth and the lawyer completed the swab, "Spit." she added as the lawyer handed Eli a vial to collect saliva in.

"Eli, go play with your brothers and your Aunt," Perry nodded to the office door. Eli quickly ran out and joined the kids, leaving the adults to talk. "So what has her lawyer said?"

The lawyer, John, sighed, which Rory knew from experience with him was never a particularly good sign. "There are other options," he told them, "according to Sarah, it is possible that other men could be the father. She is being vague at best, so we have to hope that if Perry is not the father, the other father is in the database that is available to us publicly, and that he is willing to support the current arrangement given that Eli is thriving."

"Per," Rory looked at her ex-husband, he was visibly distraught, "honey, I'm so sorry," she squeezed his hand, "I'm sure he is yours."

"He doesn't look like me," Perry shook his head, "he doesn't even look that much like Sarah, it's possible…he might not be mine. I might lose him, we might lose him. So not only did I cheat on you and divorce you, and everything else, but we could lose our son."

"Perry, Rory, you need to remember that this is all worst case scenario."

"We need to be realistic," Perry told him, "let us know when you get the results please. I will walk you out. Ror, I'll be back, can we talk?" Rory nodded as Perry led the lawyer out of their house. He returned a few minutes later and collapsed on a couch beside her, "Fuck."

"I know," Rory exhaled, "he is ours Perry, in every way that matters, Eli is our son. The only thing I didn't do is give birth to him."

"He's yours Ror, I know it, he knows it, she knows it."