Saturday November 26, 2016

After breakfast with her mother, Rory decided to call Lane.

She had been keeping Lane abreast of the situation via text, but she could use some real human communication. Lane invited her over to her house, because she was in desperate need for some adult company.

Rory and Lane were sitting on the couch. Steve and Kwan were sitting directly in front of the television, playing a video game together on the Xbox.

"So what happened? What did he say?" Lane asked. Rory was pulled back to reality after temporarily zoning out while watching Steve and Kwan play. She looked back at Lane.

"Basically just everything I texted you. He came over unannounced, was most likely told by his mother or sister or both, and immediately started asking all these questions. He asked if it was true I said yes, he asked if it was his, I said yes. Then after that is when the real fighting happened," Rory explained.

"What happened during the real fighting?"

"He was just so mad. He was so mad that I didn't tell him and he somehow knew that I never planned on telling him. And he acted like my reasoning was ridiculous," Rory explained. She was feeling overwhelmed just by replaying it in her mind.

"He was probably just upset and overwhelmed. It's a lot to digest," Lane offered, giving her a sympathetic look.

"I know and I get that. But he didn't have to be such a jerk about it. And then you know what he told me right after yelling? That he loves me! What the hell was I supposed to do with that?" Rory sighed. She had been mulling over that part all night and all day.

"And that's when Lorelai and Luke came home?"

"Yes, they saved me from having to answer any of it."

"It seems like he was very emotional. He probably didn't actually expect you to say anything. He was really just ranting everything he was thinking and feeling to you. The only reason he came over was to know if it was really true. He should've just called for that but he was obviously just not in his right mind," Lane told her. She could always dissect an issue for Rory without making it seem like a catastrophe.

"I guess," Rory sighed again. Lane's rundown provided her with explanations that put her mind at ease a bit. However, it didn't exactly give her a solution.

"Kwan!" Steve shouted, drawing both Lane and Rory's attention to the two boys in front of them.

"Why would you do that?!" Steve continued to yell, pushing his brother with his hand.

"Hey!" Lane shouted. "We don't push people, Steven! We keep our hands to ourselves!"

Steve immediately shrunk back when hearing his mother's reprimand.

"Sorry," he said in response, his voice much softer now.

"Don't tell me sorry, tell your brother," Lane told him.

Steve sighed and looked back towards his brother. "Sorry."

"For what?" Lane added.

"Sorry I pushed you," Steve said to Kwan. Kwan just stared back at him.

"Kwan, what do you say?"

"Thanks. It's okay," Kwan finally responded to his brother.

Rory had always found it a little funny to watch Lane as a parent. There was no doubt that she was a good mother. She was not anywhere near as strict as Mrs. Kim. She let her children listen to any music they please, watch tv and movies and play video games. Yet she still had a firm grip when she needed to. And when it was time for Lane to discipline her children, Rory couldn't help but feel a bit of deja vu. Just a slight hint of Mrs. Kim's extremely firm voice.

Rory was once again pulled from her train of thought, this time by the ringing of her cell. She quickly looked down and saw his name flash across the screen.

"It's him," Rory said to Lane. She suddenly felt her chest tighten up and she had to control her breathing. "What do I do?"

"Answer it!" Lane insisted.

Rory stared at the phone screen for another moment before finally clicked the green phone icon.

"Hello?"

"Hey," Logan greeted her from the other end of the line.

She paused for a moment, thinking of what to say.

"Hi," she is what she decided on. He called her, she didn't have to start the conversation.

"How are you doing?" He asked, his voice much softer than it was the night before.

"Um, I'm okay," she responded cautiously.

"That's good— that's good to hear."

He sounded relieved, almost nervous.

"Listen," he began. "Do you think we could meet up tomorrow and talk?"

Her breath got caught in her throat. She didn't want to be faced with more confrontation. However, this time he was asking to meet rather than just showing up at her house.

"Um, sure. I guess," she replied hesitantly.

"Rory," he sighed. "Last night — that wasn't how I wanted it to go."

"Really?" She asked, the cautiousness in her voice still present.

"Really," he confirmed.

"Me neither," Rory told him honestly, breathing out a sigh of relief.

"Can I come by tomorrow morning to see you?" He asked.

Rory looked over at Lane and mouthed it's okay before getting up from the couch. She immediately walked to Lane and Zack's room, closing the door behind her for more privacy.

"Rory?"

"Is it going to Logan morning time or Gilmore morning time?" She asked. He chuckled at the question. Rory was never much of a morning person while Logan was used to functioning on little sleep. He could wake up at six in the morning and then go to bed at one in the morning.

"Whatever works best for you," he graciously offered.

"Gilmore time it is," she confirmed. "Are you going to be buying me breakfast, Huntzberger?"

She figured that she better be getting a meal out of their meeting this time. At least if it goes south she will still have the benefit of being fed.

"Wow, a bit forward of you don't you think?" He quipped, but she could hear him grinning through the phone.

"Hey! If you're gonna take me out in the morning you better be providing breakfast. I'm making a human here, your human, you better be providing subsistence," she explained to him firmly. She put the topic in joking terms, hoping that he would react positively to it.

"Oh so now it's only my human?" He quickly quipped back. She smiled.

"When I'm doing all this work and all I want is some breakfast, yes it's only yours then!"

"Fine — I will be providing breakfast for you," he surrendered. Rory basked in her triumph.

"Good! I'll see you tomorrow," she said. She figured she better quit while she's ahead now. She liked how they easily slipped back into their playful banter, even after a huge fight.

"See you tomorrow," he agreed.

She hung up the phone with a smile spread across her face.

Logan was in better spirits after his phone call with Rory. He helped his niece and nephews finish decorating the tree with ease.

After that, he decided it was time to face the music.

"Uncle Logan!" Eleanor shouted, running into the foyer as Logan was getting ready to leave. She ran right into his leg and clung on.

"Whoa!" Logan chuckled. "Hey kiddo."

"Uncle Logan? When are you coming back home again?" Eleanor asked, tugging on his pant leg and looking up at him.

He kneeled down in front of her to her eye level. "Well, I'm actually going to stay here in Connecticut for a few weeks."

"Really?!" She asked excitingly.

"Yes really!" He laughed at how adorable she was when she got excited. "I'll be able to swing by and see you all some days."

"Yay! Next time you come over I can show you all of my barbies and different outfits." She explained to him in a very serious manner.

Logan laughed again. "Sure thing, Ellie."

He stood up and turned to face his sister. She looked a bit worried, her eyebrow cocked up and her arms crossed over her chest.

"I better get going," he sighed, revealing his stress for what was awaiting him at his parents' house. Honor took note of it and decided to uncross her arms. Opting to hug her little brother goodbye instead.

"Good luck," she told him as they hugged goodbye.

"I'm going to need it," he replied as they pulled apart.

"Keep me posted," she insisted rather than requested.

"I will," he promised, taking a step toward the front door.

"Hey," Honor called out to him. He looked back at her.

"Yeah?"

"You're going to be okay, no matter what happens. This is the way it was meant to be," she told him. He looked at her and wondered what exactly the last part of her statement implied.

"Yeah," he decided to reply, nodding and heading out the door.

When Logan pulled into the driveway, he was surprised to see his father's car already there. He didn't know how he felt about it at first glance, but after a moment he decided it was probably for the best. His father would handle his mother if Odette decided to cause any type of scene.

God, he really hoped it didn't come to that. But who was he to wish a smooth outcome of this? It was entirely his own fault. Odette was entitled to react however she feels.

He walked through the front door of the main house. It seemed quiet, calm even. He wondered if she was even home or if his mother had whisked her away to another store or restaurant or wedding planning session.

He walked through the hallway, passing the dining room to the back of the house. The kitchen was on the left, the family room, basically a second living room, on the other that was looking out to the backyard.

"Mr. Huntzberger?" His determination to go straight to the guest house was interrupted. He looked over to the family room to see Celia, one of the housekeepers, attending to his mother.

So much for going unseen.

"Logan!" His mother exclaimed. "Where have you been?"

"I was at Honor's" he told her, attempting to keep the conversation short. He began moving towards the back door again.

"We were worried about you!"

"I'm fine," he assured his mother as he reached the back door. He opened the door and quickly closed it behind himself, avoiding any other questions.

He could see the lights turned on inside the guest house from the deck.

He took a deep breath and proceeded across the backyard, down the deck stairs and past the covered pool. He reached the front door of the small house and immediately pulled it open. Why should he waste anymore at this point?

"Mon Dieu! Logan!" He heard immediately when he stepped into the house. The raven haired woman jumped up from the couch. She bolted across the room as he closed the door behind himself.

"Are you okay?" She asked when she reached him, her eyes scanning him over.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he confirmed.

"Where the hell have you been?! We've been worried sick about you! I called and texted but no answers," Odette exclaimed. Her demeanor changed from concerned to annoyed.

Logan sighed. He had purposefully turned his phone on silent and for the most part ignored any incoming message. Although he could obviously see now how that was unfair to Odette. To her he was just gone without a trace.

"I'm sorry. I turned my phone off," he offered sympathetically.

"But where were you?!" She asked again, even more irritated now.

"I stayed over at Honor's house last night and hung out with the kids today," he explained, dodging any further information about his whereabouts before his sister's house.

"Honor's house? What about before? You said you were seeing your friends," she continued on, not completely convinced about the Honor story.

"Can we sit?" He asked, avoiding the question. He needed to get it all out and it would be better for both of them if they sat down.

"Sit?" She repeated back to him, a quizzical look on her face.

"Yes," he gestured towards the couch. "Sit." He repeated again. Except now he didn't wait for her response, instead walking past her and going straight for the couch. She followed close behind him. He plopped down on the couch and let out a sigh of relief. Odette followed suit and sat down next to him.

"Logan, what is going on?" She asked, a bit more concerned once again. "You're starting to worry me."

She looked so confused and worried. He knew this was going to be difficult, but he was already feeling like shit before he even got a word out.

"I didn't see Colin and Finn last night," he began, cutting to the chase.

"You didn't?"

"No," he sighed. "You know how my mother was talking about those people you met at the tea room yesterday?"

"Oui. Your old college girlfriend, she told me," she said in a more questioning tone now. Her left eyebrow was raised as she studied him.

"Yes, well," he took a deep breath before continuing. "I went to go see her last night."

Odette furrowed her brow. "Why? What are you saying Logan?"

Logan squeezed his eyes shut before quickly opening them again.

"It's mine," he confessed. He searched her face for a reaction but she didn't budge.

"What?" She asked, not yet revealing how she felt. He sighed again.

"It's mine, Odette. The baby is mine," he spelled it out for her. He knew that she already knew what he meant the first time, but she wanted him to say it completely.

She just shook her head and looked away from him.

"How?" She asked, still not looking at him.

"How?" He repeated back.

"Yes Logan, how! How could you let this happen?!" She snapped her head back to face him.

"I'm not stupid Logan," she told him as she stood up.

"I know you're no—"

"No! I'm talking!" She stopped him. "Merde! I'm not stupid Logan! I know we aren't exactly a love connection. I knew there could be another woman at some point. But I thought we had an understanding, Logan. I thought we had respect!"

Logan was momentarily stunned. She shouted all of this at him as she stood over him. This was much more anger than he was expecting. But who was he to be upset with how she reacted?

"Odette, I'm so sorry. This really had nothing to do with you at all," he attempted to explain.

"How? How does this have nothing to with me! It was me who you disrespected. It was me who's getting hurt by this," she continued to shout. He could see her eyes begin to be filled with tears.

"Odette," he began, standing up and walking over to her. He tried to put a comforting hand on her arm but she immediately stepped back from him.

"Don't touch me," she told him firmly, shaking her head. The tears were streaming down her face now. He took a step back and shoved his hands in his pockets. She looked away from him, arms crossed over her chest.

They stood like that for a few minutes. She cried silently while he just stood there and took it. He felt like absolute shit, as he should. He was the cause of all this pain for her. Maybe it would have been worse if they did get married though. It would have been worse to live in a loveless marriage. It would've been worse for this to happen after the wedding. It would've been worse to live a lie.

"She's pretty," Odette said, breaking the silence. He looked back up at her.

"I'm so sorry," he repeated helplessly. She looked back at him.

"I'm going to go back to London tomorrow, alone," she informed him. He nodded.

"I'll let your assistant know when all of my stuff is out of the apartment," she told him. She began to walk towards the bedroom.

"You can stay here. I can go back to Honor's," he offered. She turned back to look at him.

"Fine," she said. She stared at him for a moment before speaking again. "Logan?"

"Yeah?"

"If you're serious about her, don't fuck it up. You already did that with me," she told him. He just looked at her helplessly as she walked into the bedroom.

Ah! The big scene with Odette! Not going to lie, it was a bit difficult to get through but we did it! Luckily Logan and Rory had a better convo this chapter. Hopefully the meeting goes well.

Also not gg, but so excited for Taylor Swift's re-release of her album fearless! Evidently I'm a huge fan, hence the name of the fic. Also love relating her songs to my favorite ships ofc.

Thank you guys again for all your kind comments! I love hearing how you guys are enjoying the fic so far and your predictions. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you guys think!