"Hey Mate," Finn greeted Colin. They were meeting at their usual bar for food and drinks. Rory was out of town for work, and Stephanie had been roped into attending some gala with her mother, leaving both the guys at a loose end. Not that either of them really needed an excuse to meet up for drinks.
"Hey, how's it going?" Colin asked, sliding into the booth opposite Finn.
"Good, busy with all the usual stuff, how about you?"
"I've been in court all week, the jury is currently deliberating but I don't expect a verdict before tomorrow afternoon. How's wedding planning going?"
"It's going well, other than Emily Gilmore continually trying to add people to the guest list. She is stressing Rory out, which is hard to watch, but we always knew Emily would be the hardest part of wedding planning."
"Ah yes, remember that male Yale party she threw trying to set Rory up with all the trust fund guys."
"Yes, that night was awful, you could tell Rory was mortified and totally not into it."
"Was hilarious though. So are we planning this bachelor party?"
"About that," Finn started while signaling the waitress to bring them another round. "Rory and I were considering combining bachelor and bachelorette parties. Like all of us go to the same destination for a weekend but have 1 separate night during it, but the rest as a joint party. What do you think?"
Colin looked at Finn skeptically. "So you mean all of us fly to say Vegas on a Friday, spend Friday night, Saturday daytime together, split into all male/ all female groups for the Saturday night and then recombine for the Sunday?"
"Yes but not Vegas. How do you think the guys would take it?"
"I think the idea has merit, most of us are all paired off and over the idea of strippers and hookers."
"Even a separate party would mean no strippers or hookers Colin, and I hope you know that." Finn said looking at his best friend with a pointed eyebrow raise.
"Yes, I know, I haven't even seen you glance at anyone else's boobs since you got together with Rory, so I know strippers wouldn't be appreciated. Are we ordering food or what? I'm getting hungry." Colin asked, grabbing the menu from the centre of the table.
"I actually invited Logan to join us, I was waiting for him to arrive. I gave him a time thirty minutes later than you so we could get the bachelor party talk out of the way first."
"Is that a good idea?" Colin asked with a sigh, he had been getting sick of playing mediator between his friends.
"He has been on his best behaviour since your wedding, so I'm willing to start letting him back in a bit. Not sure what to do about the bachelor party yet though."
"Yeah, I can understand that-"
"Hey guys," Logan greets them as he walks up to the booth.
"Hey Logan."
"Hey mate."
"Have you ordered yet? I'm starving, I was stuck in a conference call and ended up missing lunch today." Logan asked, sliding into the booth beside Colin.
"No we were just waiting on you," Finn answered just as the waitress came up to take their order.
As the waitress walked away after taking their orders, Colin surveyed the table and then taking a deep breath jumped in. "So Logan, how is the perfect husband attempt going?"
"It's going. We are trying a dedicated date night once a week, which is much harder than you would think, she is really making me work for it, she isn't even letting me have sex." Logan said, taking a gulp of his scotch. "Like she wants us to be in a better place before we go there again." Logan rolled his eyes showing the guys his true feelings on that one.
"Well I think it's admirable that you are trying," Colin said.
"I'm with Colin, at least this way you know that you gave the whole situation a proper try." Finn said, looking carefully at both Colin and Logan, he wasn't sure how expressing any opinion about it would go with the current stance of their friendship.
"Thanks guys, enough about that I talk it out enough at couples therapy." he said with an eye roll. "How's business going?"
Four weeks later found everyone converging onto a private airstrip in New York for the Morgan/Gilmore Bachelor weekend. The group was too big for Rory's jet so she had chartered a bigger one for the weekend, which she and Finn were exploring while they waited on people starting to arrive.
"Do you think we made the right decision having a joint party?" Rory asked while biting her lip, she was worried some of their friends thought that they were too codependent on each other.
"I didn't want to party without you, I didn't enjoy it for Colin's bachelor party, and I think I would enjoy it even less now. Plus we will still separate and have one night out without each other, same as if we were just having the parties back in New York. Now come here, I think we have five minutes to make out before our friends arrive and try to separate us for the weekend." Finn said, pulling Rory against his chest, before bringing her face towards his for a kiss.
"Morgan put her down!"
"Paris, how we have missed you, NOT!" Finn said, pulling away from Rory as Paris and Doyle boarded the plane.
"Hey Paris, Doyle, of course we missed you." Rory said, giving Finn a smack on the chest before moving to embrace Paris and Doyle.
"Did you see anyone else on your way here?" Finn asked.
"There were a few more cars pulling up as we came up the stairs, so the influx is imminent." Doyle answered.
As he finished speaking they heard the rowdy voices of their friends coming. Rory and Finn were hoping that the groups would mix happily for the weekend; they had Yale and LDB friends like Stephanie, Colin, Robert, Juliet and Seth coming, along with friends like Tristan, Louise, Madeline, Jess, Lane and Zach. They had even invited Brian and Gil but they had both had to decline due to prior commitments. Overall they had about forty people coming with them. The biggest unknown quantity of the weekend, was the fact that they had invited Logan and Summer. Logan had appeared to be really trying in recent weeks, both in his marriage and his friendship with Finn, but he had yet to be in close contact with Rory. Then if you add in the fact that Rory had tried to be friends with Summer for four years to no avail, and also the fact Tristan and Summer didn't exactly mesh as exes.
Once everyone was settled into seats and sections, along with champagne given out by the crew, Rory and Finn moved to the front of the plane. Rory nodded at Finn to begin.
"Hey Everyone, Thank you all for joining us for this weekend, we know it isn't easy to get out of all commitments for a weekend and we appreciate you doing it for us." Finn said, squeezing Rory's hand as her signal that it was her turn to talk.
"Now I know we are breaking with tradition in multiple ways here. The joint bachelor and bachelorette party, and also the fact that we have planned the weekend ourselves and kept the details a secret from you all instead of the other way around."
"We know you are all curious as to where we are going and we are getting to it. We are thanking you all in advance for having an open mind for the weekend. Now sit back and relax, the flight is about six hours so watch movies, drink, play poker or sleep, we don't mind." Finn said enthusiastically.
"An hour before we land, the crew have been instructed to hand out gifts to everyone, and at that point we will reveal where we are spending the weekend, have a good flight everyone!" Rory finished, before tugging Finn's hand and pulling him towards her for a passionate kiss as most of their friends cheered around the cabin.
When they broke for air, Finn headed towards the LDB boys to join a poker game while Rory headed towards the couches where Lane, Zach, Paris, Doyle, and Jess were seated. Before she sat down she looked around, Tristan had joined the LDB boys in poker, Louise, Madeline and Summer were with Juliet and Rosemary having drinks at the bar. As she was about to relax, happy in the knowledge that everyone was mixing well, she caught Olivia's eye. She was sitting alone plugged into her ipad, so Rory got up to go investigate.
"Hey Olivia, how's it going?" Rory said sitting beside her.
"It's good, I'm glad to be getting away from work for a weekend."
"Okay, so why are you sitting all on your lonesome?" Rory asked skeptically.
"These are all Finn and your friends Rory, I'm Finn's annoying little sister to his friends that I have met before and I haven't met any of your friends properly." Olivia answered shyly, surveying the group through her lashes.
"Oh My God, Olivia! I feel awful, I just assumed that you knew all Finn's friends and a lot of the Yale girls."
"No remember you are the only girl Finn has ever brought home, friend or girlfriend."
"Okay well come join me and some of my friends on the couches. They are the calmer group. I have been best friends with Lane since the first day of Kindergarten, and Paris I've known since my first day at Chilton, we've been friends since we were assigned as roommates at Yale." Rory was dragging Olivia over as she talked.
"I heard that Gilmore," Paris stated.
"And would you disagree with it?"
"I think we became friends once Bible boy got shipped off."
"Actually I think you are right. Anyway Olivia, this is Lane, her husband Zach, Paris, her husband Doyle, and this is Jess, my sort of cousin slash ex. Also known as a giant pain in my ass!"
"Hey, I resent that remark. I am a giant pain in your mother's ass, not yours."
"That's true," Lane and Paris both replied at the same time. "Jinx!"
"Do you remember Lorelai after the car crash in High school?" Paris asked Lane.
"Hey, let's not go there tonight," Rory said, looking around anxiously. She knew Jess hated what had happened back then, and she wasn't sure how Finn would take it if he knew she had been in a crash caused by Jess. She had never hidden it from him, but she had also never had a reason to mention it.
"Hey Doogie?" Jess asked.
"Yes Dodger?" Rory responded. Olivia was watching the group interact fascinated by all the different dynamics going on.
"Ice cream in a cup or cone?" Jess asked, trying to show that he wasn't upset by Paris bringing it up.
"Cone, always a cone, Dodger," Rory gave him a kiss on the cheek as thanks for his understanding in dealing with Paris, Jess had always had a way to manage her.
"Why is my other half kissing strange men in my presence?" Finn asked, coming up behind Rory.
"It's just Jess, he barely counts," Rory said, tipping her head back to kiss Finn over the back of the couch.
"That's not what you were saying ten years ago," Lane interjected as Zach tried to silence her.
"Jeez Kim, you are on a roll tonight, car crash, kissing, next thing you will be bringing up prom," Paris said. As she said this Rory paled slightly before getting up and walking towards the bedroom at the back of the jet.
"Good going Paris," Jess said before walking off after Rory.
"Would anyone like to tell me what I missed and why my fiancee just stormed off?" Finn asked, looking pointedly between Paris and Lane.
"Lane may have just brought up a few points of contention between Rory and Jess from when they were teenagers, before they dated and during it." Paris said, suddenly realizing what they had started.
"I'll go and sort this," Lane said.
Zach pushed her back down, "No Lane, you are tipsy and have no filter, you might make it worse, she probably just needs a minute and a hug man, go to the back and get her in five minutes and it will be all cool."
"What car crash?" Finn asked. Everyone on the couches looked at each other, they knew Finn was pretty protective of Rory but it had happened eleven years ago.
"You mean when Rory had that broken arm in junior year?" Madeline asked, walking over.
"Lane?" Finn asked, knowing she was more likely to give in quicker than Paris.
"Kim keep your mouth shut, Rory can tell him if she wants to." Paris stated. "Finn, why don't you just go give your fiancee a hug so she will come back and enjoy the party."
"Fine, but this is not over ladies." he said with a stern look before he turned to go and find Rory.
"Rory?" Finn asked, hesitantly opening the door to the bedroom. Rory was on the edge of the bed looking upset and anxious, Jess was sitting beside her, his arm around her shoulders, looking at her face while Rory stayed downcast.
"And that is my cue to leave," Jess said as he got up and left, closing the door behind him, and leaving them alone.
"You ok baby?" Finn asked, pulling her up and into his arms, kissing the top of her head. He could feel her sigh and the tension in her body.
"Paris and Lane just brought up a few things from when Jess and I were teenagers and between that and wedding stress, I just might have overreacted or made it into something when it's really nothing." Rory said, glancing hesitantly at Finn. Realistically she knew nothing she said would affect her and Finn, but it could potentially affect Jess and Finn's relationship and as Jess is pretty much family it would lead to multiple awkward future conversations.
"What did they bring up? No one would tell me, and they made it seem like they were almost scared to tell me. So would you like to tell me before I build it into anything worse in my head than it is."
"It's really nothing Finn. The car crash talk was from when I used to tutor Jess, we went out one night for ice cream instead of staying in studying. He was driving my car when something ran across the road, he swerved, we crashed. The car was totaled and my arm was broken."
"Only you were hurt?" Finn asked, barely concealed anger in his tone.
"Finn, remember this was eleven years ago, we were kids. I was the only one injured but we were both left scared. Jess even got sent back to New York, Luke banished him. He suffered enough at the time and simply because a fox or cat caused him to swerve."
"Rory, I don't like the idea of you getting hurt at all, even if just in an accident."
"I know but really it was fine." Rory said, giving him a kiss on the cheek, before moving as though she was going to leave the room.
"Not so fast, what was Paris talking about when she said prom?"
"Can I tell you next week?" Rory asked, avoiding his eyes. She knew her fiance and telling him after he had been drinking that someone had once hurt her wouldn't go well.
"No, Kitten, I think it might be a good idea to tell me now." he said through clenched teeth automatically thinking the worst.
"Fine, just remember the kids' part. Senior year, senior prom. I was still dating Jess. I didn't want to go to the Chilton prom as I didn't have many actual friends there, so Jess was meant to get us tickets to the Stars Hollow High prom as he was a senior there. Instead, when Jess went to buy the tickets he found out he wasn't being allowed to graduate as he had missed too much school, which meant he wasn't allowed to attend prom. He didn't tell anyone, he just went back to Luke's packed all his stuff and left the following day and went to California to look for his father without saying goodbye to anyone. No one heard from him for a year after that."
"So you're telling me your boyfriend for most of senior year, abandoned you just before prom, skipped the state and never told you? And now he is sitting on the couch of a plane that we are paying for, drinking our booze?" Finn asked, his voice getting a little louder with each word.
"Finn," Rory said, grabbing his face, "look at me. It doesn't matter, it happened almost a decade ago, he has apologised profusely for it, I've got over it, he's got over it and none of it matters now."
"But Rory, it's a rite of passage, everyone needs to go to prom."
"Not me." Rory said earnestly.
"But he hurt you." Finn exclaimed.
"Yes he did, but it was a very long time ago and we have both gotten over it."
"I'm not sure I'm over it," Finn said with a pout.
"Would you like to get under something for a little bit to help you get over it?" Rory asked with a smirk, running her hands all over his chest. She knew sex would improve his mood instantly, and they had had a busy week barely seeing each other.
"Really? Here? You won't let me on your plane?"
"That's because my staff don't need to know what we get up to. On the other hand, this crew we will never see again so it doesn't matter. So Mr Morgan, want to see if it's worth all the fuss about the mile high club?"
"Just try and stop me," Finn said, jumping onto the bed with Rory in his arms.
Thirty minutes later, a very disheveled Rory and Finn emerged grinning from the bedroom. Finn's grin however didn't last long because as soon as he walked out of the room he saw them.
Olivia on the couch giggling at something Jess had said, while his arm was thrown haphazardly across the back of the couch where they were sitting, almost encircling her in his embrace. Before him or Rory were aware of what was happening the words spewed angrily from his mouth:
"MARIANO HANDS OFF MY SISTER!"