Emily and Finn sat expectantly in the living room nursing their drinks while Leah played on the floor in front of them. She adored the pink elephant Logan had bought her, luckily Finn didn't know its origin. Rory was preparing their dinner, Sookie had dropped off fifteen minutes earlier, getting it ready to be served.
"I think that must be Lorelai now," Finn rose, seeing a pair of headlights turn into the driveway.
As the bell rang, he opened on the first ring only to find Logan.
"How are you mate?" he stated as a greeting and gestured him in.
"Thanks, Finn, I'm alright," Logan replied plainly, adding, "Emily, how nice to see you, it's been too long," as he walked through to the living room.
"Scotch?" Finn asked.
Logan nodded.
"Hi Leah," Logan waved to her.
"Is mom here yet?" Rory asked as she came from the kitchen.
"Not yet," Emily replied, adding, "but Logan just got here."
"Hi Logan," she waved a little awkwardly, she wasn't really sure what the protocol was to greet her old-new boyfriend in front of her ex and grandmother, and she took a seat opposite to them.
"Can I get you a drink, Ror?" Finn asked, as he handed Logan his drink.
"Scotch is fine," she replied hastily. She really could use a strong drink right about now.
"So Logan," Emily began, "How have you been, you're working in Manhattan now I understand?" she added.
"You are right. Work is going great and overall I have been doing well," he replied, not wanting to rub in his recent re-acquaintance with Rory.
"You're late," Rory said a little angrily to Lorelai who arrived a few moments later, adding "food is getting cold," though what she really needed were more buffers.
"Lets eat, salad will be out shortly," she gestured towards the dining room, heading to the kitchen to bring the salad.
"Need any help?" Logan offered.
"Sure, thanks," she replied, grabbing a quick kiss as the others headed to the dining room.
A greek salad and a main course of sliced tenderloin of beef with fresh potatoes later Rory announced, "I'm going to London next week to discuss a partial industry fellowship for Yale."
"That's great news," Lorelai said.
"Why London? Isn't there any money closer?" Emily inquired straightforwardly.
"Well I have a really short window here to try to figure something out so I am pulling all the strings that I can," she replied looking at Logan.
"She is meeting my father," Logan added, filling in the missing piece of information.
"Oh, honey, have you really thought this through?" Lorelai asked doubtfully remembering her history with Mitchum.
"Yes, I am sure, if this is a way for me to stay closer to Leah, I'll have to try," she added looking at Finn who was feeding their toddler in the high chair.
As Rory left to bring out the creme brulee together with Emily who offered to help, Lorelai added, "just make sure she doesn't go stealing any yachts this time, okay?" looking at Logan.
"I'll be there, but I am sure she'll do fine on her own," Logan replied.
"So you are going with her?" Finn asked.
"I am, we're taking the company jet, much less hassle to get her in and out," he explained.
Finn grinned, adding, "Well let's just hope she'll come back in one piece."
"Are you guys okay or do I need to get a bucket of cold water?" Luke broke the awkward silence, realizing all too well what must've been going through the minds of the two.
"We're good," Finn stated a little reluctantly.
"Dessert is served," Emily announced, bringing in the tray herself.
That weekend Emily went through the house sorting through the last of her and Richard's things deciding where they should go. After a few hours several boxes stood out in the fuajee marked Lorelai and another three marked Nantucket. As she finished, she called Rory who had just popped into the kitchen, "I'm done! Everything else is now up to you."
Just as she said it, Leah let go of the couch and took her first three independent steps towards her.
"Oh Rory! She didn it!" Emily called.
"She what?" Rory asked.
"She walked on her own," she said. Leah was standing still in the middle of the floor, her legs getting a little shaky.
"God job, Leah!" Rory said, grabbing her phone to film her.
"Can you do a few more steps for daddy?" she encouraged her. Leah had had enough, but Rory did get a quick video of her standing in the middle of the floor by herself, that alone was video-worthy. She quickly sent it over to Finn saying "She walked!"
"You know, Rory, I love seeing you happy with Logan, but I hope you realize that Finn is always going to be in your life, and perhaps even more significantly since you have a daughter together," Emily explained.
"I know, grandma. But there just was something missing there. I love him in a way, and I always will for giving me her, but I don't think it would've been enough," she said, hugging Leah at the same time.
"Does Mitchum know you are seeing him?" Emily asked.
"I don't know. I'll ask Logan what he has told him before I talk to him, but I think either way I need to tell him before I get involved with HPG financially," Rory replied.
"I'm glad you see it that way," Emily added. "But you know, if things don't turn out the way you hoped, I can support you if need be, you don't need to worry about having food on the table or a nanny to help you with her, no matter the relationship you are in," she continued.
"Thank you, grandma." she said and hugged her, adding, "The house alone is a huge help. I can get my own place in New Haven or here later, doesn't matter, just a little smaller so I can afford the upkeep on my own. And I don't intend to ask Logan for financial support, I want to keep that separate. Asking Mitchum is business."
It was Monday morning and just a couple of minutes before the prospective buyers were due to arrive with the new realtor, when NYU called Rory back.
"I am sorry to get back to you so late. Last week was full of applicant meetings, they took a lot longer than we expected. We unfortunately can't accept you for a position this year, but your project was very interesting and if you are still interested in pursuing it, we may be able to come back to it in the beginning of next year." one of the professors who had interviewed her spoke.
"Thank you for calling," she replied. This was not the answer she had hoped but it didn't seem entirely hopeless. This however, made her even more anxious about her meeting with Mitchum.
Rory was just on her way to meet Logan at JFK Terminal 4 when her phone rang and she answered it on speakerphone, "Rory Gilmore speaking."
"This is Olivia Burton from Sotheby's," the realtor spoke, adding, "I have some good news. You got two offers on the house."
"Wow, already. That's great!" she replied.
"I'll just email you the details and you can take a look and tell me what you think," Olivia said.
"That'll be great thank you," she said.
She was guided to the HPG jet by the flight attendant half an hour later. Logan sat already on the plane with his laptop open, finishing up some emails.
"Hi Ace," he greeted, standing to give her a welcome kiss.
"Hey!" she replied, blushing a little.
"I just got a call from the Sotheby's. I have two offers," she said excitedly
"That's great, how much are they offering?" he asked.
"I need to check my email and see the details to find out," she replied, adding, "I'll do it once we're up in the air."
"We're ready to take off when you are," the flight attendant said.
"We're ready," Logan replied, pulling down his laptop cover.
"So here we go," Rory said, buckling her seat belt.
As they reached the cruising altitude, Rory asked, "Logan, have you told Mitchum about us yet?"
"He might have an idea, he already did when we did Vegas I think, but he never said anything to me. But I haven't announced anything now, if that's what you are asking," he replied. "I wasn't hiding it, I just didn't know how you felt about telling him," he added.
"It's fine. I just think I'll have to do it before I ask for funding for the sake of clarity," she replied.
"I should probably come in with you for that," he stated.
"I am sure I'll be alright by myself. Let come what may...," she said, trying to calm herself. She felt taking her boyfriend into her meeting would carry the wrong message. While she'd used connections to get this appointment, she knew she wanted to achieve the outcome on her own.
Logan took her hand across the aisle, squeezing it assuringly.
Ten minutes later both of them were back at their laptops, Logan typing away and Rory reading the offers she received for the house. One of them was for 750 thousand with hope to move in already within a month, the second offered 735 but offered to delay the move by a date by up to 3 months, which felt better to her, not having to hurry with the move.
"You done working?" she asked, as Logan shut his laptop an hour later.
"I am, we should really try to get some sleep," he winked. "There's a bed in the back. We have like 6 hours," he said as he stood offering her his hand.
"It's almost like a proper night of sleep," she laughed, taking his hand, and kissing him softly. She could really use a distraction.
He closed the cabin door behind them, kissing her with more strength. She pulled him closer, feeling him breath rapidly, while stroking his arms and neck. He pulled off her shirt and quickly undid her bra, feeling he needed all of her that very moment. She undid his shirt buttons, continuing kissing him. Unbuttoning each-other's pants, the two threw themselves on the bed hastily. The hunger for each-other burned, as they devoured their bodies and soon became one. They were made for this, their bodies complementing each other perfectly, moving as one. The few hours they slept they did wrapped up closely, with his lips against her forehead.