Logan had felt bad for leaving Rory alone in New Haven like that, leaving for New York for his meetings already the next day. Rory was doing a lot better these days but receiving a gut punch like that must've hurt. He was glad Rory was still writing her book, at least this gave her a stable goal that couldn't be shaken that easily. The couple of chapters he'd read were painful for him to take in, as he hadn't been around back then, but story-wise they were decent. His professional opinion was seldom wrong about these things, and together with the accompanied publicity Rory had allowed upon her, it would most likely do well. In the book Rory had made sure that she showed a lot of herself, but never once said anything in those chapters that could later come back to haunt Leah or others that she cared about.

For a few months now Logan had been knowingly preparing for his sabbatical, he'd been training his staff all the essentials to take over bits and pieces, leaving only the actual meetings with partners and final decisions on himself. However he was not the kind to just sit around and do nothing, after he'd delegated, he'd also begun reading the latest trends and research in the field beginning to plan ahead. There was after all going to be a HPG after he returned and he knew if it ever became his, he wanted to make it into something greater than just the average multi-billion dollar corporation that under his father's reign had just kept growing. What he feared about taking time off, however, was that if he stopped moving completely he wouldn't be able to start again. Today he had taken off after lunch to meet up with his friends and have a final fitting for their tuxes for his wedding, Rory already having done hers.

"I already have suits, why do I need to try another one," Robert whined almost like a toddler.

"Because 'Mom' said so," Colin explained, referring to their old nickname for Rory.

"Rory would be fine marrying me in any of my old suits, but Emily insisted we match, even if you're not the official groomsmen," Logan explained, knowing that Emily had a vast photo session planned.

"I'm still a little hurt by that you know," Colin replied, trying on his jacket.

"Come on, it would've been weird just to have the two of you up there and not Finn, you know it'd be super weird for Finn to be there," he commented thoughtfully.

"Well I would be married by then too," Finn coughed, proudly. He couldn't get tired saying that.

"Just think of it like this, you get to take me out on a bachelor party and have all the fun, Honor will be the one to stay sober, and make sure I don't screw up, and you don't have to babysit me," Logan added.

"Fine, if you put it like that," Colin replied, trying out different pocket squares for the fun of it.

"God, all this shopping makes me want to have a drink," Finn complained after paying for his purchases. He had hit two flies at once by buying one suit for Logan's wedding and another for his own, scheduled to take place just a few weeks before Logan's. For his own wedding he'd chosen a grey herringbone suit with a lighter vest to go underneath.

"Let's go then, there's a good whisky bar just around the corner," he suggested, assigning his cobalt blue suit to be delivered in New Haven together with his cap-toe oxfords and the accompanied accessories.


"It's been a week since your discussion with your professor. How do you feel about it having had some time to think about it?" Cara asked.

"Truthfully, I feel too defeated to fight it. I have until August to decide what I want to do exactly, but I don't think I'm going to keep pushing towards something he doesn't see I could succeed," Rory replied. She really didn't feel like she had the energy these days to start finding another supervisor and repeat many of the original steps she'd already taken with him, delaying the process even further. It had felt so right when she had written her proposal, so vital, but now she felt like giving up. Career-wise little had worked out as she'd planned. She wasn't succeeding in Yale, and she wasn't working. If it weren't for the book, she'd be quite angry at herself for not making more of an effort. The trouble was she was once again back at Logan's graces, disliking herself for not pulling her weight even though there really was no need.

"Is this decision based on what you want or what he said?" Cara inquired.

"Both I guess. I feel that I should want it more than I do, and I am just disappointed in myself for losing that drive somewhere along the way. Also, like you said that the capacity to even consider having kids did have to come from somewhere," she explained.

"So you've decided to try to have another baby?" she asked.

"I think I need to at least give it a chance. I'm older now, it might not even happen straight away. But I'm allowing it to happen when it does. I will never forgive myself if I just hide out because of fear," she said. She had indeed skipped having her next contraceptive injection. Rory hadn't dared to tell Logan just yet, scared he might get his hopes up.

"Rory, I respect your decision, but I don't want you just to try to replace one thing in your life with another, not without thinking through. You are switching from college to motherhood, and it's only been a week. We've talked about life changing decisions and especially in this case, as I have a feeling Logan is a big factor in this," she explained.

"I've thought about it for a while now, and with this the final decision just came easier. And I can't deny Logan is a factor, he is. But I am not just doing it for him, am I? I too want a chance to love effortlessly, 50% chance is a cup half full situation, it could be worse," Rory replied, trying to look at the bright side. She had considered that if there was anybody who had the means to get over a PPD the second time around if it did happen again, it was her. She was already getting help, and she wasn't planning on stopping seeing Cara, she knew how to recognize it and she also had the option of working at her own pace, getting help from a nanny and a good support system. There weren't a lot of people out there who had all of that.

What she hadn't explained was that a baby was possibly making her decision what to do with her studies easier. And as babies didn't happen like clockwork - there was the lottery of nature involved, she almost felt like leaving it up to faith, taking the decision out of her hands at least to some extent.


"Paris, that looks really good on you," Rory commented, observing her best friend in a fitted silk crepe gown with cap sleeves. It was calm and gathered, without extra embellishments.

"Not too white?" she asked.

"You mean like too white for the second time around?" Rory questioned.

"Well yea," Paris replied.

"I wouldn't worry about it. You deserve whatever dress you like, white or not. Besides, I think Finn would love this on you," Rory tried to get her mind off the fact she wasn't doing this for the first time. Paris, however, was not looking as happy as she would have liked to see her.

"What's wrong?" Rory asked, noticing her somewhat sad gaze.

"I don't know, I love him, but for some reason I am not as excited about the wedding as I'd like to be," she replied, thinking back to her previous wedding. Then it had literally been the most important day for her, though she had tried to think practically then too but somehow all the preparations made it seem more crucial than it actually was. Now, having surrendered a lot of control, a side effect that came with Finn, she was just fine as she was, she felt no great urge to showcase it.

"I don't like the sound of this, Paris," Rory said worriedly. "Are you saying you don't want this?" she asked.

"No, that's not that. I wouldn't do this to him. But the emotional contrast is huge compared to last time," she explained.

"Well now I feel a little bad," Rory replied. This was not about her, but she had in fact done just that to Finn.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that," Paris replied, it was unlike her to not pick her words better.

"It's fine, it is the truth," Rory replied. "But maybe the contrast is so major because you've changed, it doesn't have to mean anything less about the man you are marrying, the importance of the ceremony or what it will mean over all, does it?" Rory added.

"I hope you are right," she sighed, taking one more look at herself in the mirror with her dress on, casting a weak smile on her face. She did love the dress.


"You ready?" Logan asked, taking his fiance on a date night in the City while Leah stayed at Lorelai's for the night.

"Coming," Rory called from Logan's bedroom in his Manhattan apartment, stepping out a minute later wearing a dark navy chiffon kimono sleeve dress and a pair of red pumps.

"You look beautiful, Ace," he commented.

"Thanks," she replied, grabbing her jacket.

They had reservations at the NoMad, the red velvet and dim lighting setting the right mood. A couple of photographers had caught a few pictures of them entering the place, but by now that was almost like normal background noise and they paid no attention.

"Can you believe, in a month we'll be married?" Logan said.

"About time, I'd say," Rory noted.

"Got anything major you still need to plan?" Logan asked, sipping on his Shiraz.

"I think we have everything covered. I'll just need to get some lingerie for the wedding," she replied, teasingly, knowing how much Logan loved the idea of her in overpriced lingerie.

"I thought you were hungry," Logan replied laughingly, as if they weren't going to make it through dinner by the sounds of it.

"I am," she commented smilingly.

"Courtesy of the chef," the waiter arrived placing two plates of appetizers in front of them.

"You read my mind," Rory replied thankfully.

"By the way, what do you want to do for the honeymoon?" Logan asked.

"My god, I forgot about that. But really. If you could just stay off work, that'd be already like a honeymoon," she replied. Logan travelled a lot, both to New York and back and to overseas, travelling really didn't seem like a vacation anymore.

"You are too easy to please, Ace, but I promise I'll get time off. And we can go somewhere, anywhere," he offered.

"Maybe just Martha's Vineyard or something?" she suggested, "But really I don't care where, as long as you are there," she added smilingly.

"I might do you one better, Ace. I've been really working on that whole sabbatical idea, I might get a chance to really take some time off," Logan said.

"Really? How long were you thinking?" Rory asked.

"Half a year at least, I need to clear my head and think about what I really want to do with HPG. I feel like it all just keeps repeating the same pattern, and if I am to really make it work long term, I need some fresh ideas," he explained.

"Have you told him yet?" she inquired.

"I will, soon, but I think if I propose it just the right way, I think he'll get it," he replied.

"Then we'll just might end up sitting at our new house together, doing nothing much at all," she added, amusedly.

Logan looked at her questioningly.

"I am considering quitting Yale," she replied.

"Rory," he said, still not believing what he was hearing, "you can't let him get into your head," he added. He couldn't stop being a little cautious about those words.

"He was right, I have lost my drive. Too much has happened in between, I don't feel it as a priority. I have time to think before I actually decide whether I quit or switch to master's, but I don't think the PhD is for me after all," she explained biting into a bite of grilled halumi.

"I'm sure you could get the drive back, if you tried. I remember you when you first talked to me about the proposal, I could see that spark in your eyes," he recalled.

"Well if I do get that feeling back, the master's is still an option," she suggested, taking a sip of wine.

"So you're going to continue working as an editor?" he asked.

"Probably, if the job is still there, I've been playing hooky for a long time," she replied, hesitantly.

"I'm the expert in that, don't worry. I just want you to feel good about what you are doing, I don't care what it is, as long as you are happy," he added, holding a olive on a stick.

"I am," Rory replied, biting at the olive Logan had been holding in his hand unexpectedly.

"Now tell me more about that lingerie you were talking about before," he suggested smugly.

A main course of duck with apricot and fennel later the two had moved their chairs closer, their hands intertwined and Rory's shoe stroking the inside of his calf as they drank their wine and shared a tiramisu. After dinner they considered driving to Logan's apartment but the ten minute drive seemed a bit too long for them at this point, so they simply checked into a hotel room upstairs for the night.

As soon as they reached their room and shut the door, their mouths were on each-other, barely catching a breath. Rory pulled herself back reluctantly. She didn't want to keep it to herself anymore. "Logan, I need to tell you something," Rory whispered, his hands still on her body.

"What?" he asked, continuing kissing her neck.

"I want to make a baby, Logan," she said, her eyes closed with the pleasure of Logan kissed her clavicle.

Logan looked up at her, unsure what he was hearing. Was he supposed to worry, panic even or jump from joy?

"Are you sure?" he hesitated.

"I am, and please don't stop," she begged, returning a fierce kiss on his lips.

Logan did worry, but at the same time he felt deliriously happy, giddy even, burrowing himself into her neck again. "I love you," he said in between kisses, pushing the worry aside for now.

Rory's hands traced his lower back untucking his shirt, before throwing his suit onto the nearby couch. Her fingers hastily unbuttoned his shirt, before unzipping her dress and allowing it to drop to the floor. The two entangled bodies climbed onto the bed, without separating. Rory's bra flew in an unknown direction, soon followed by Logan's belt. He handled her body assertively, his hands following her curves symmetrically, teasing her with his tongue. She pulled him back up, kissing him once more, pleadingly, leaving it only up to his fingers to confirm that she was indeed ready before entering. Making love to Rory had always been exhilarating, a feeling of home to him, but with this added piece of information it was as if he was fulfilling the most important assignment he'd ever been given.

"Now that was something," Rory commented breathlessly fifteen minutes later.

"I had some extra incentive," he panted.

"I love you, Logan," she added in whisper, settling to his side tightly.