Lorelai had spent an entire day trying to clean Rory's porch. The blood stains were not a pretty sight. And with the paint a bit worn out here and there, they seemed to be permanent.

"Any luck?" Luke asked, approaching the porch.

"They are here to stay," Lorelai growled, sweating from hard work.

"So, what color should I buy?" Luke asked, scratching the back of his head.

"I'll never talk the Inn's contractor into helping me with this in this time frame," Lorelai stated.

"It's just the porch floor, okay, maybe the railing too. I'll do it," he offered.

"You pick," Lorelai suggested thanking him with a kiss.

Lorelai held open the car door for Rory while Logan detached Hope's car seat from the back seat. Rory was still sore, and while being told to walk as much as possible, she was also told to move as steadily as she could. Her own bed sounded tempting at this point, but she knew she'd be at people's graces when it came to many aspects such as driving or shopping for several weeks.

"I don't remember the porch being this color?" Logan asked surprisedly, looking at the light gray porch and railing that seemed brighter than before.

"Maybe it's because you have seen it in darkness during the past months?" Rory commented referring to his crazy work hours.

"Nah, Luke did it," Lorelai commented, "I couldn't get the stains out."

"You guys shouldn't have! Tell him thank you, for me," Rory gasped and hugged Lorelai, adding "I'll text him later too."

Their house smelled slightly stale, and Lorelai cracked a few windows to let some fresh air in. While Lorelai had been over there a few times to clean out the fridge and set up some things for their arrival, Logan had stayed in Hartford almost the entire time.

"Do you guys want something to eat?" Lorelai asked quietly, hoping not to wake the sleeping baby still in her car seat.

"I'm fine for now," Rory commented and Logan nodded in agreement.

Hope's room stood ready and waiting. With a slight change in the floorplan, the Balmoral now stood adjacent to the door and the crib in the far corner with bedding ready to go. A changing table stood against the other wall, with large baskets holding everything she'd need.

"I guess, I'm off for now. Call me if you need help!" Lorelai informed, as she walked off.

"I guess it is just you and I," Logan sighed.

"And that sleeping beauty who just about to wake up," Rory finished the sentence and gave Logan a soft kiss on the lips.

The next weeks followed the same principle - changing diapers, clothing, feeding, burping while eating one handed and sleeping whenever possible no matter the time of day. Showering and bathroom breaks were a luxury. Every once in a while they'd take Hope for a stroll. Logan cooked most days, making sure she was getting enough iron. Visitors, who did not expect to be catered or being the center of attention, were also welcome and common. Lane was in baby care mode ever since she stepped through the door experiencing for the first time how easy it was with just one baby instead of two. This almost annoyed Rory, but she got it. And Lane did seem like a pro, and though Rory all the mom-hacks she knew, like how to organize everyday essentials so that the things she'd needed were easily accessible one handed and how to squeeze activities Logan and Rory enjoyed into their tight schedules so they wouldn't forget to take care of themselves and end up arguing on the most common divorce cause titled 'I feel like I am doing more for the baby and household than you are'.

It was a few weeks before Rory got around to focusing on her book again. The baby slept a bit longer and this enabled her to crack open her laptop for an hour here and there. One evening when she was reading Jess' notes, Logan decided to let her in on his business idea.

"We were actually talking with the Truncheon guys that your book could be our first test subject," he stated casually after having explained the main idea.

"You were talking about my book with them? What did they say?" Rory inquired.

"We basically asked them to recommend a book we could test out our solution with and your book came up. They think it'll be quite successful, if all goes well. For you it wouldn't change much of anything, perhaps just make your book more available to try to sell at different stores and platforms straight away. The final decision on where exactly will be up to them," Logan explained.

"Well if it doesn't change anything for me, then why wouldn't I agree to this," Rory said and closed her laptop and came to sit on the couch next to Logan.

"Hey Ace, there's another thing I've been meaning to talk to you about. It's about Mitchum," Logan began as he stood up.

This topic was not Rory's favourite for understandable reasons, but she waited expectantly what he had to say.

"I actually talked to him a few weeks ago, while you were still in hospital. Apparently he is somewhat desperate. That being also the reason he came here in the first place and found you. The reason for this is because he has cancer, and it's not responding well to any of the treatments. He told me that he's expected to have a few years left," Logan explained.

"A slow and steady way to go, that's rough, Logan," Rory commented, adding, "Are you okay, after hearing this?"

"I'm sorry I waited a while to tell you, it was still processing a bit. We just had so many other things going on, nicer things to think about. But there's more…" Logan continued.

Rory nodded.

"He's talking about retiring soon, well before the cancer…, and obviously he would prefer me to step back in the game," he clarified.

Rory paused a moment, and replied hesitantly, "I don't really want to say this under the circumstances you just told me, but it seems awfully deja vu to me."

"Yeah, I agree, I keep thinking that by even thinking about his proposal I am allowing him to manipulate me. I don't miss the money or lifestyle one bit, but at the same time I can't say I don't miss some of that thrill. I was like on fire, Ace. I never went to work by force, it came so easily to me. And now, here, the thing with the Truncheon, yes I enjoy it, but it is so slow and small scale at this point. Maybe it's the sleeplessness talking, but I feel tired of the steady process," Logan explained.

"So you are actually considering this?" Rory inquired carefully.

"I don't know. If it didn't come with any strings, and he'd just step out of the picture and you'd agree to do this with me, then maybe...I might...," he replied with a sigh.

Rory was quiet for a long time, she didn't know how she felt about the idea yet. "I need to think about it, it is kind of sudden. After all we just got settled here, and now for the first time in like years, everything is in place, you know. But I am not going to be that person who just says 'no'. This is not just my life, it is ours."

"This is not something we have to decide on today, Ace. We'll talk more later," Logan assured her and walked over to the kitchen to get a glass of water. He took a deep breath. Talking about this was hard for him too. He hadn't even begun to fully grasp that soon his dad would not be around at all.

Rory sat on their couch and tried to picture her life in London with Logan, that thought just felt too weird for her. In her head, it was as if she'd been in Odette's shoes. She realized that the ideas was ridiculous of course, she had a baby now. But this made her even more worried instead, as she knew what Logan's London lifestyle had entailed: late nights at the office, weekly travelling, parties and dinners with the wife by his side. Could she be that person? She involuntarily recalled Mitchum's words from that terrible evening and the ease Logan had taken their affair with, at least that's what she though she had detected from him. She couldn't help but to worry a bit, whether living that way had made that easier for him to be with her, while he was involved with someone else. And who knows maybe he'd find it as easy to be with somebody else, while she cared for the baby?

Logan noticed Rory was being very quiet, as he stepped back in the room. Her inner monologue had brought tears. Maybe it was the hormones or just a moment of weakness, but she couldn't stop it.

"Ace, what's wrong?" he inquired, putting his glass down.

Rory tried to wipe her tears away, "I just got scared for a moment," she explained, sobbingly.
Logan pulled her up from the couch and put his hands around her, placing her weeping face on his shoulder.

"I don't want you to be scared, Ace, you hear me? You never have to be. If we decide we don't go, we won't, if we decide we do it, we'll do it the way we both want to. I will not be the bully my dad was, I promise you that," he said, feeling a tightness in his throat.